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Manchester City will be praying, despite some wobbles across recent matches, that they can go the distance with Arsenal in the ongoing Premier League title race.

A faultless winning run of eight matches in all competitions has now come to a halt with two uninspiring draws against Sunderland and Chelsea, with former Blues striker Daniel Sturridge stating after the 1-1 draw that the managerless away side “thoroughly deserved” a share of the points.

To help boost their chances of pipping the Gunners to the title, City look to be edging ever closer to officially announcing AFC Bournemouth superstar Antoine Semenyo on a statement January deal.

£65m being dropped on the Cherries attacker, but that won’t deter City from spending plenty more cash across the rest of the haywire window to come.

Man City dreaming of £85m move

Sky Sports pundit Sturridge weighed in further with his views on what the entertaining Ghanaian could offer at the Etihad post the disappointing Chelsea draw, stating that the ex-Bristol City forward’s “goal-driven” nature will make Guardiola’s men even more of a tantalising watch in the forward areas.

City could also look to shore up their midfield ranks in January, too, spending big to sign another high-class Premier League star.

Indeed, TEAMtalk report that the ten-time Premier League champions are dreaming of an audacious swoop for £85m-rated Elliot Anderson, to back up their much-talked-about move for Semenyo.

The report states that City wants to bolster their midfield options, even with Rodri back to full fitness, with Anderson sticking out as their desired target.

It’s further stated that Manchester United – who are also keen on Anderson’s signature – will fall behind in the race for the ex-Newcastle United man’s services, owing to the toxicity at Old Trafford at the moment, with Anderson also noted to be favouring a move to the sky blue half of Manchester, much like Semenyo made Guardiola and Co his top priority over Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

It’s been a remarkable ascent to the very top for Anderson, who was once plying his trade out on loan in the lower depths of the EFL with Bristol Rovers, as he potentially goes down as an even better long-term signing than Semenyo’s expected arrival.

Why Anderson could be a better signing than Semenyo

The excitement levels shouldn’t be dampened, however, regarding his counterpart’s anticipated move.

Indeed, Semenyo’s blistering tally of nine goals and three assists in the Premier League this season has even seen him branded as a “world-class” star by Cherries attacking teammate Justin Kluivert.

Further described as being “impossible to replace” by Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, the addition of Semenyo will only enhance City’s unbelievable firepower.

But, it might not be seen as the most pressing area of the pitch to drop £65m on, with Erling Haaland already leading the line with some venom, on top of Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku enjoying fine campaigns themselves.

Whereas, for £20m more, City could find their long-term heir to Rodri in Anderson, who has so often been the glue for Guardiola’s men centrally in their unbelievable title-winning exploits, having even won the Ballon d’Or during his celebrated stay at the Etihad.

Anderson’s PL numbers for Forest

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

24/25

25/26

Games played

37

20

Goals scored

2

1

Assists

6

1

Touches*

54.2

92.7

Accurate passes*

28.7 (82%)

59.3 (86%)

Big chances created

7

1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

8.3

Total duels won*

6.5

7.3

Stats by Sofascore

But, in recent times, it’s not always been guaranteed that the World Cup-winning battler will be fit, with Anderson potentially coming in to save the day to be equally as crucial to the City midfield, if a £85m move does get over the line.

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Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Anderson is in a league of his own in the Premier League as a “do-it-all midfielder-warrior” – as he was once branded by scout Ben Mattinson – with a ridiculous 8.3 ball recoveries and 7.7 duels won per game this season, backing up further claims that he is also “world-class” by commentator Jamie Martin.

While the powerful 23-year-old has consistently shone at the City Ground in the top-flight, with a standout six assists last season also sticking out, Semenyo hasn’t always found the pressures of the top division to be straightforward, as only one league goal came his way during his debut campaign on the South Coast.

He also suffered from a seven-game goalless streak earlier this season, with Semenyo perhaps falling to the wayside in Manchester, if a similar patch of form were to strike him down.

Moreover, while his versatility to line up as a right winger, left winger, or striker will be seen as a positive, it does also mean it’s not immediately fixed where the 32-time Ghana international would come into Guardiola’s side from the get-go.

Whereas, having also starred as a central midfield beast for England, when previously winning nine combined duels and tackles versus Latvia, Anderson would be confident of immediately coming into the heart of Guardiola’s midfield and making a difference, as the addition of the lively 23-year-old potentially pushes City to title glory.

Related Man City now favourites to sign £75m+ attacking star alongside Semenyo

He’s already working on an exit.

Posts ByTom Cunningham

Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Youssef Chermiti has a lot of work to do to justify the £8m transfer fee that Kevin Thelwell agreed to pay Everton for his services in the summer.

The Portugal U21 international has only scored two goals in 21 appearances in all competitions for the club so far, which is not good enough from their most expensive signing in 25 years.

However, his performance against St Mirren on Tuesday night showed signs of promise. He provided a brilliant assist for Emmanuel Fernandez’s goal, whipping a perfect cross in from the left, and won five of his nine duels, per Sofascore.

Whilst he has to do a lot more to prove that the Gers did not overpay for his services in the summer transfer window, it was a step in the right direction for Chermiti.

Danny Rohl driving Rangers interest in EFL star

The Light Blues are now reportedly keen to bring in a player who could work well alongside the Portuguese centre-forward in the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to TEAMtalk, Danny Rohl is taking a leading role in recruitment for the Scottish Premiership giants in the upcoming January transfer window, and a versatile forward is one of the things on his wishlist.

The report claims that the German head coach is driving the club’s interest in a deal for Wrexham attacking midfielder Josh Windass, due to his admiration for the former Rangers man.

It adds that the Gers have already had an attempt to sign the former Light Blues attacker on loan for the second half of the season rejected by Wrexham, who are not keen on losing their star forward.

TEAMtalk suggests that a deal may not be dead in the water, though, because of Rohl’s desire to sign him, but it remains to be seen whether or not the club would be willing to do a permanent deal for the 31-year-old star.

Why Rangers should sign Josh Windass

Signing the 31-year-old attacker on a short-term loan may not have been a particularly attractive option, as it would only be a quick fix, but a permanent move for him could be interesting.

Bringing Windass in on a permanent deal, despite his age, could be a good piece of business for the Gers because he is a player who could have an immediate impact on the pitch, whilst he could then be a good role model for younger players as he moves into the final years of his career.

In the short term, the experienced forward could be perfect for Chermiti because his main position is as a second striker or attacking midfielder who can play behind a main number nine, whilst offering a significant goal threat.

Windass currently plays off Kieffer Moore, who has a similar build to Chermiti, and has produced seven goals and three assists in the Championship so far this season, per Sofascore.

In the 2024/25 campaign, the English attacker scored 13 goals and provided five assists in 44 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday, whilst being managed by Rohl, which means that he already has a strong working relationship with the Rangers boss.

25/26 season

Windass (Championship)

Rangers leader (Premiership)

xG

4.47

Bojan Miovski – 4.89

Goals

7

James Tavernier – 4

Minutes per goal

177

Danilo – 266

Assists

3

Nico Raskin – 3

Key passes per game

1.0

James Tavernier – 2.0

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, Windass’ form for Wrexham this season would make him the most prolific and impressive goalscorer in the current Rangers team.

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The English forward, who was described as a “polarising” link due to his first spell with the club by writer Kai Watson, would be perfect for Chermiti because he has the quality to provide an instant goal threat in the second striker or attacking midfield position to make up for the number nine’s struggles in front of goal.

Windass could take some of the pressure off the £8m signing’s shoulders by hitting the ground running as a goalscorer in the Premiership, as his consistency in front of goal would provide the Gers with the goals that they are currently lacking from their strikers.

Chermiti’s two assists in four Premiership starts for Rangers, per Sofascore, also suggest that he may have the creative potential to provide Windass with chances to score, which could see them strike up an effective partnership at the top end of the pitch.

Related Rohl could ruthlessly sell Cameron in Rangers move for £5m "sensation"

Danny Rohl could cash in on Lyall Cameron with a Rangers swoop for this star in the January transfer window.

Posts ByDan Emery

Therefore, signing the Wrexham star on a permanent deal, if they decide that is the route to go down, could be a good piece of business for the Scottish giants.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Shahzad’s 63-run opening stand with Usman Ghani set the base for Afghanistan’s imposing 187•Chris Whiteoak

Both sides were far from their best on the field. While that didn’t translate into a high standard of cricket, it made for an entertaining clash nonetheless. The end result was a last-ball finish, with two metres and a fine low catch by Gulbadin Naib separating both sides as Afghanistan held their nerve to outclass Zimbabwe by five runs in the first T20I in Sharjah.But the catch wasn’t Naib’s only contribution in the match. His cameo of 37 and a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Nabi gave Afghanistan the impetus they needed after a middle order slump orchestrated by Graeme Cremer, who picked up three wickets. Afghanistan blasted 66 off the last five overs to finish with 187 for 7. It nearly didn’t prove enough.With 60 needed off the last five overs, Zimbabwe were in with a slim chance. Malcolm Waller swung his way to more runs in this innings alone than he had done in the preceding ODI series, while Elton Chigumbura found his hitting range to bring it down to 21 off the last over. Asghar Stanikzai’s decision to keep his premier pacer Dawlat Zadran worked, but by only just. His end figures of 3 for 32 were far more flattering in the overall context, but the scorecard wouldn’t reveal how he nearly finished second-best on the night.He was lucky to get away with two high full tosses that were called no-ball, to give Zimbabwe two free-hits, which they couldn’t take full toll of. One of them even accounted for Chigumbura’s run-out as he was scampering back for the second. What followed was total pandemonium. But with 16 needed off four, Luke Jongwe muscled a six and a four to bring it down to six off two. Then came a close call, with Dawlat flirting with the wide line.With six needed off the final ball, Jongwe carved one over the infield only for Naib to, quite fittingly, take the catch at the deep-cover boundary to end the heart-stopping thriller. In the end, Zimbabwe were left wondering what could have been had they held their chances that would have ensured they didn’t have to chase these many.Mohammad Shahzad was dropped by Chamu Chibhabha at deep midwicket off the third ball to deny debutant Donald Tiripano a wicket Shortly after, Masakadza was caught in a brain freeze as his decision to run towards the stumps instead of lobbing a throw to the wicketkeeper resulted in Usman Ghani a reprieve. The result of the two misses cost Zimbabwe 33 and 42 respectively, which set them a solid base for a blaze at the end.But Cremer wasn’t giving up. The classical legspinner used his height and clever use of angles to generate bounce and beat the batsmen with his dip. The end result was magical figures of 4-0-17-3 that briefly caused a few flutters in the Afghanistan camp as they slipped from 62 without loss to 105 for 4. But Tendai Chisoro, the left-arm spinner, and Raza, the part-time offspinner, failed to create the same impact Cremer had.While Chisoro kept firing them in, only for Nabi and Naib to get underneath the ball and hit them cleanly, Raza fed them with long hops that were dispatched. When their partnership, that gave the innings a power-boost ended with Chisoro sending back Nabi, the mood in the Zimbabwe camp spelt relief.There wasn’t an iota of doubt that this would be a difficult chase. The loss of two early wickets, both to Dawlat, gave Afghanistan an early advantage. But Hamilton Masakadza and Richmond Mutumbami then came out swinging as Afghanistan’s bowlers repeatedly missed their lengths. The result was Zimbabwe wiping out 95 runs in 11 overs.But the pressure of the asking rate and some tight bowling by the spinners following Masakadza’s downfall to a reverse sweep for 33 allowed Afghanistan a foot in the door. Sikandar Raza and Waller then continued to keep the fight going. Aiding them along the way was some heavy dew and some poor death bowling as Zimbabwe managed to find the boundaries with regularity.Waller cashed in on Rashid Khan’s inexperience by targeting the short midwicket boundaries. Yet there was a lingering feeling that Zimbabwe were just a wicket away from being squeezed out of the contest. But they did well to hang in till the very end courtesy Jongwe’s two blows that could have been decisive, but Afghanistan did remarkably well to hold their own under pressure to eke out a win that could have a galvanising effect on them.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Ian Bell’s 79 and two splendid catches earned him the Man-of-the-Match award © Getty Images

An enthralling series swung back England’s way at Edgbaston with a well-constructed 42-run victory. Chasing 282, India made a decent fist of the pursuit as Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid added 104 in nearly 20 overs, but Chris Tremlett removed both in a vital second spell. Paul Collingwood enjoyed a fine all-round game with 44, two wickets and a couple of sharp catches, while Ian Bell’s 79 had held the batting together.It was a superb collective effort from England’s bowlers, without the services of Andrew Flintoff with a knee injury. James Anderson led the display with another mature performance – removing Sachin Tendulkar for the fifth time this summer – and was backed-up by an excellent early spell from Stuart Broad. Tremlett , England’s most expensive bowler at Bristol, bounced back from watching his first two overs go for 20 with the key double of Dravid and Ganguly in the space of six balls.Their third-wicket stand had wrestled back the initiative from England after Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik picked out off-side fielders against the short ball. Dravid was the first to show aggression, taking 12 off Broad’s eighth over, and his 51-ball half-century continued an upturn in form since the one-dayers began. Ganguly settled into playing the anchor role, and his knock included was studded with some fine boundaries. Twice he guided Tremlett through the vacant slip cordon and launched Monty Panesar over long-on for six.Without Flintoff, and with Tremlett’s early profligacy, Collingwood was really tested in the field. Almost all his moves paid off and when he recalled Tremlett for another burst, Dravid chopped one onto his stumps and Ganguly was undone by extra bounce as he tried to find third man again. England had an opening and Collingwood had some breathing space.As India tried to rebuild for a second time, Collingwood bowled himself, Panesar and Ravi Bopara but managed to keep the asking rate at a tough level. Mahendra Singh Dhoni never unleashed his full power, and when Collingwood brought back Anderson he picked out the captain at backward point.India had taken a risk by naming a team with a batting order that ended at No. 6. The move had now come back to haunt them with Yuvraj Singh left stranded with the lower order. Collingwood removed Ramesh Powar and Piyush Chawla, both expertly pouched by Bell. If ever there was a match where one team deserved victory for completely out-fielding the opposition this was it. As if to sum up India’s lethargy, their last hope vanished when Yuvraj was run-out in a hopeless mix-up with Zaheer Khan.

Sourav Ganguly kept India in the hunt alongwith Rahul Dravid with a breezy stand of 104 © Getty Images

Both India ‘s defeats have come after Dravid asked England to bat. Here he had been tempted to bowl because of the 10.15 start but the sun was soon out and there wasn’t much joy for the quick bowlers. Alastair Cook – dropped on 15 by RP Singh at long leg – and an unconvincing Matt Prior provided a solid base with 76 before Bell took over.He followed his unbeaten 126 at the Rose Bowl and 64 at Bristol with another well-paced innings, constantly having to adjust his target as England lost regular wickets. There was another fascinating battle between England’s batsmen and India’s spinners, who sent down 26 overs after they were introduced well inside the Powerplay and continued as late as the 45th over.Powar flighted the ball enticingly – some deliveries were as slow as 43mph – and the batsmen struggled to get him away. Chawla again troubled Kevin Pietersen with his googly and changes of pace, beautifully setting him up before Pietersen charged down the track and played all round another wrong ‘un.Bell and Collingwood stabilised the innings although there was a hint of block-or-bash about the approach as both batsmen managed to clear long-on while struggling to milk the runs along the ground. Collingwood’s ugly attempt at a reverse sweep found short third-man, ending a stand of 75, just at the time they were aiming to press the accelerator with Bell reaching fifty off 64 balls.Owais Shah, after a late recall to replace the injured Dimitri Mascarenhas, offered a skittish 19 which included plenty of by-play with Yuvraj. A big full toss was slammed over deep midwicket, the next ball Shah was bowled by a flatter ball and Yuvraj didn’t hide his delight. However, it was England who had the last laugh as they continue to exceed expectations in this series.

ScorecardSussex’s batsmen took a firm grip on the Championship trophy at Trent Bridgetoday as they finished the first day of their title decider on 420 for 5, claiming all four bonus points.The day ended dramatically with Charlie Shreck bowling Murray Goodwin for 99 with the final ball but even this could not take the gloss off Sussex’s performance.They had recovered from a difficult start – Richard Montgomerie andMichael Yardy putting on 144 for the second wicket after Carl Hopkinson hadrun himself out in the third over. As it transpired, Hopkinson was the onlySussex batsman to miss out, with Yardy continuing his fine summer in scoring119 and Goodwin, Montgomerie and Chris Adams also scoring fifties.Yardy’s was a fine innings, full of character, after a scratchy start when he edged a couple of balls through the close cordon and could have been run out. He gained another reprieve when Stephen Fleming put him down at slip off Andrew Harris and damaged his little finger in the process, resulting in a trip to hospital for the Notts captain. This incidentepitomized Notts’ performance in the field, with missed opportunities allowingSussex to speed towards 400.Notts missed their captain badly, and their bowling became more ragged asthe day went on. Even Ryan Sidebottom, the one bowler to emerge with credit,seemed pedestrian by the end, conceding four fours to Matthew Prior in onelate over.Richard Montgomerie had scored a fine 82 to anchor the innings, and after hewas out to Harris, Yardy and Goodwin continued the good work in apartnership of 110. Yardy had begun to accelerate, looking every inch anEngland player as he feasted on a series of loose balls to move quicklythrough the nineties to his ton, before he was lbw playing across the lineto the spin of Samit Patel.Goodwin, whose effort was doubly commendable as he was batting with aninjured hand, was then joined by the captain Chris Adams. They moved rapidlytowards the 400-mark before Adams clipped an innocuous Shreck delivery with the second new ball straight to midwicket. Adams was visibly annoyed with himself after a 91-ball 72, but he had done his job, guiding his side to within touching distance of the title.With Lancashire 333 for 7 at The Rose Bowl and in danger of dropping vitalbonus points, Sussex can really turn the screw tomorrow, and with Matt Priorlooking in ominous touch and Robin Martin-Jenkins to come they are well set topush on to 500 before letting Mushtaq off the leash.

Ntini and friends have a whistlestop schedule through India © Getty Images

South Africa will play five one-day internationals against India over the space of a fortnight when they tour the subcontinent in November. The abbreviated tour is a result of their inability to fit in ODIs on their visit to India last year when they play two Tests before hurrying back home to entertain England.The matches will be played on November 17, 20, 23, 26 and 29 and will be South Africa’s final preparation before they embark on that most difficult of assignments, a tour of Australia.”We owe India five ODIs in terms of the ICC schedule,” said Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board. “We had no option but to play these matches in November because of the ICC Super Series blocking other periods.”

West Indies 144 for 3 (Williams 54) beat Pakistan 142 for 8 by 7 wicketsNelly Williams led West Indies to a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Women’s one-dayer at Karachi. She scored 54 in a total of 144 after Pakistan put on 142 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs.Pakistan had begun badly, losing their first wicket with just 20 runs on the board. But Kiran Baluch (32), who smashed a world-record 242 in the Test match last week, and Batool Naqvi (36) top-scored, before the middle and lower-order lost their way against Jackie Robinson, Phillipa Thomas, Envis Williams and Doris Francis, who were miserly and incisive.Nadine George, in good form recently, was dismissed cheaply, but Williams and Juliana Nero struck up a 66-run partnership. After Nero was out, Verena Felicien partnered Williams, and together they took West Indies close to the target. But on the brink of victory, Williams fell, and it was left to Felicien (31 not out) and Robinson (4 not out) to help their team draw first blood in the series.

NATIONAL LEAGUE, ROUND 7Matches played Sunday 12 JanuarySunday 11 January – Mutare Sports Club v Queens Sports Club, at Harare Sports Club, was not played due to the cancellation of the air flight from Bulawayo.

ALEXANDRA SPORTS CLUB v QUEENS SPORTS CLUBAt Alexandra Sports Club. Match drawn (rain).QUEENS+W T Siziba c de Grandhomme b Blignaut 0R J King c Goosen b de Grandhomme 12M L Nkala c Goosen b Barry 8G M Strydom c D A Marillier b Barry 0H H Streak c Rennie b Stannard 75N R van Rensburg run out (Goosen/de G’homme) 1P N Engelbrecht c ? b D A Marillier 6M W Townshend c and b Rennie 0*M Mbangwa b D A Marillier 11R Lombard not out 7J Nyumbu c D Marillier b S Marillier 0Extras (lb 1 w 12) 13(49.4 overs) 133Blignaut 10 1 26 1 (6w)Barry 6 1 14 2de Grandhomme 6 1 15 1 (1w)Rennie 10 4 13 1D A Marillier 10 1 33 2 (3w)Stannard 5 0 22 1S J Marillier 2.4 0 9 1ALEXANDRAD de Beer c Siziba b Mbangwa 9C de Grandhomme not out 36*G J Rennie c and b Lombard 6D A Marillier not out 10A M Blignaut+G C GoosenJ CameronS J MarillierS BarryC M AnticevichD D StannardExtras (b 4 lb 2 w 8) 14(2 wkts; 20.4 overs) 75Nkala 4 0 23 0Streak 7 4 10 0Mbangwa 7.4 2 15 1Lombard 2 0 21 1HARARE SPORTS CLUB v MUTARE SPORTS CLUBAt Harare Sports Club. Mutare Sports Club won by 59 runs (Duckworth-Lewis).HARARE SPORTS CLUBM A Vermeulen c Sims b L J Soma 17*T R Gripper lbw b Whittall 56S V Carlisle not out 129+B R M Taylor b A Flower 15M R D Brundle lbw b A Flower 11R Croxford st Ferreira b Sims 12A Penney not out 4S BalaA MwayengaG Johnstone-RobertsonA MhanduExtras (lb 4 w 6 penalty 5) 15(5 wkts; 50 overs) 259Brent 6 0 27 0L J Soma 6 0 32 1Whittall 10 2 36 1Lewis 10 2 57 0 (1w)Sims 7 0 55 1A Flower 10 0 37 2 (5w)A D Soma 1 0 6 0MUTARE SPORTS CLUB*A D R Campbell not out 100+N R Ferreira c Mwayenga b Bala 46G J Whittall not out 16A FlowerR W SimsK P R WentG B BrentA D SomaL J SomaK J TaylorJ M LewisExtras (lb 2 w 16 nb 1) 19(1 wkt; 31 overs) 181Mwayenga 4 0 32 0Mhandu 4 0 29 0Penney 4 0 18 0Carlisle 3 0 20 0Bala 8 0 41 1Gripper 8 0 39 0OLD GEORGIANS SPORTS CLUB v OLD HARARIANS SPORTS CLUBAt Old Georgians Sports Club. Old Hararians won by two wickets.C B Wishart run out (Butterworth) 4A J Mackay c Brewer b Rinke 17*G W Flower c Ziegler b Chari 12C N Evans c Rinke b Chari 0L S Malloch-Brown c R Ervine b Strang 7M de Souza b Rinke 13G F Barrett c Benade b Rinke 13S Jones lbw b Strang 0W Mwayenga c Kaschula b Strang 5R J Bennett run out (Benade/Butterworth) 15I M Coulson not out 9Extras (lb 2 w 13 nb 2) 17(30.2 overs) 112Rinke 10 1 43 3Chari 9 1 33 2Butterworth 1 0 13 0Strang 8.2 4 13 3Benade 2 0 8 0OLD HARARIANST Benade c Barrett b Mackay 36R Kaschula c Evans b Mackay 1C H Brewer lbw b Mackay 7R E Butterworth c Jones b Mwayenga 4*P A Strang b Bennett 12C Ervine c Jones b Mwayenga 0G Ziegler b Coulson 19H P Rinke c Jones b Evans 4N Chari not out 15R Ervine not out 0+S KhanExtras (w 8 nb 7) 15(8 wkts; 32.1 overs) 113Mackay 9 0 44 3 (1w 7nb)Mwayenga 10 2 25 2 (3w)Bennett 7 2 26 1Flower 4.1 1 6 0Evans 1 0 12 1Coulson 1 1 0 1TAKASHINGA v KWEKWE SPORTS CLUBAt Eaglesvale School. Takashinga won by 99 runs. The Kwekwe innings does not add up.TAKASHINGAA Maregwede b Ervine 14E Chauluka b Price 30*S Matsikenyeri c Friend b Price 10T Taibu c and b Viljoen 9H Masakadza c Friend b Viljoen 67E Chigumbura b Rainsford 36P Utseya c Cornford b Sibanda 15R N Manyande c Macmillan b Ervine 4H K Olonga b Ervine 4A Maungwa not out 1A Mbwembwe b Ervine 0Extras (b 2 lb 6 w 13 nb 13) 34(48 overs) 224Ervine 9 0 47 4 (1w 8nb)Macmillan 2 0 22 0 (4w 2nb)Rainsford 10 0 45 1 (4w 2nb)Price 10 1 34 2 (1w)Viljoen 9 0 27 2Sibanda 8 0 41 1KWEKWET Duffin c Chigumbura b Olonga 0V Sibanda c Olonga b Masakadza 34T J Friend lbw b Olonga 6S M Ervine c Maregwede b Masakadza 47C Macmillan c Maregwede b Masakadza 3D P Viljoen c Chauluka b Masakadza 3J M Cornford b Utseya 3R W Price c Olonga b Masakadza 5+D J R Campbell run out (Matsikenyeri) 11B Hundermark not out 1E C Rainsford st Taibu b Masakadza 2Extras (w 6 nb 4) 10(33.4 overs) 126Olonga 7 2 22 2 (1w 4nb)Chigumbura 5 0 23 0 (1w)Maungwa 2 0 14 0Utseya 10 3 24 1 (2w)Masakadza 9.4 0 43 6

India did not enjoy a very testing warm-up for their first One-Day International in the triangular tournament, against Zimbabwe on Sunday.Zimbabwe A put up a dismal batting performance, allowing the Indians to romp home to an all-too-easy ten wicket victory in this match played at Sunrise Sports Club, in the heart of the Harare Indian community.Zimbabwe A suffered a poor start after winning the toss and batting. They lost both openers for 18, but then schoolboy Stuart Matsikenyeri (38) and Craig Wishart (22) overcame keen bowling backed by some superb fielding to improve the position with some bold strokes.Both fell in quick succession, together with Barney Rogers (0), and the score plummeted to 78 for five. It soon became 84 for seven as Tatenda Taibu ran himself out for four and captain Paul Strang was caught at the wicket first ball.Dirk Viljoen (12) briefly held up the tourists, but the miserable display continued to a total of 103 all out, off only 32.4 overs. Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Zahir Khan and Hemang Badani took two cheap wickets each.Virender Shewag got the Indian reply going with some lusty blows, and Sourav Ganguly soon began to find his form, hitting a huge six over long-on.Shewag generally took the eye, though, playing his strokes with gay abandon, and finished unbeaten on 75 (two sixes, 10 fours), with Ganguly 31.Only Bryan Strang was able to keep the score within reasonable bounds as the Zimbabwe A bowlers appeared as outclassed as their batsmen. They could and should have done much better, but it wasn’t easy to believe on this showing.

When Liverpool kicked off against Bournemouth in August, the Premier League cowered against Arne Slot’s title-winning side, who had so confidently won the previous edition and then made sweeping summer additions.

But many things, for different reasons, have gone wrong for the Anfield side. Several superstar signings, such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, have yet to hit their stride and prove to the Reds that they are worth the sum total of £241m.

Recent wins over Inter Milan and Brighton & Hove Albion, clean sheets in both, have provided a good foundation for the Merseyside club to build on going forward.

However, Liverpool can only go so far given the tactical imbalances in Slot’s squad. Much has been made of the lack of defensive depth, but the failure to directly replace Luis Diaz is proving a leech on the side of Slot’s set-up, and that’s why there is a vested interest in signing Antoine Semenyo this January.

Why Liverpool want Antoine Semenyo

Liverpool are just one team in a pool of suitors for Semenyo’s signature this winter. However, FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes believe they have the lead in the race, with the Bournemouth forward leaning toward a move to Anfield.

Semenyo’s £65m release clause becomes active in January. He has scored six goals and supplied three more in the Premier League this season, with teammate Justin Kluivert marvelling at his “world-class” partner’s consistency and influence.

Liverpool could do a lot worse. Slot knows first hand the impact the 25-year-old can have in the Premier League, such explosiveness and dynamism when surging forward, on the right flank or the left.

Liverpool did not replace Luis Diaz when they sold him to Bayern Munich in August, and now they are looking to amend that. However, Semenyo isn’t the only talented winger on the market; there is another who has been earmarked and might actually be the better pick.

Liverpool could sign a Semenyo upgrade

Semenyo is the talk of the town in the Premier League, but he’s not the only good winger who FSG could add to Slot’s Liverpool squad.

Bradley Barcola, for example, might be an alternative who could actually prove an upgrade on the Ghana international, who has not yet tried his hand at the highest level.

The 23-year-old is establishing himself as one of the most exciting forwards in Europe, and Liverpool are aware of this, with Caught Offside reporting last week that FSG are chasing their long-standing interest in the Frenchman as they sound out alternatives to Semenyo.

Recent sources suggest that a figure in the ballpark of £100m could be needed to convince PSG to part with one of their most exciting prospects, a player who had a vocal contribution to last year’s quadruple-winning success.

Is Barcola the finished product? No he is not. But even so, this Les Bleus winger is establishing himself as a superstar in the making, actually described as “one of the best left-wingers in Europe” already by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Last season, he scored 21 goals and supplied 21 assists for Luis Enrique’s side. This year, Barcola has bagged five goals from 13 matches in Ligue 1, starting nine of those games.

Looking at the sum of his quality, it’s clear to see that Barcola has more athleticism and roundedness across the park, and his natural wellspring of creativity could be perfect for a striker like Isak, who has only scored one Premier League goal this season.

Antoine Semenyo vs Bradley Barcola (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

Semenyo

Barcola

Goals scored

0.36

0.35

Assists

0.20

0.41

Shots taken

2.76

2.98

Shot-creating actions

3.51

4.58

Touches (att pen)

4.90

8.44

Pass completion (%)

73.2

83.6

Progressive passes

3.45

4.02

Progressive carries

3.65

5.08

Successful take-ons

1.62

1.57

Ball recoveries

4.18

3.10

Tackles + interceptions

1.87

2.07

Data via FBref

Isak is one of the best forwards in the world. Liverpool paid a lot of money for his goals. But this season, it’s been difficult for the Sweden international, who is struggling to adapt, struggling to restore his finest form and fitness levels.

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Still, his movement and anticipation are second to none when he is on his A-game. A creator like Barcola beside him, naturally disposed toward wing play, could prove the formula to bring back his blistering form in the final third. He might be a better pick than Semenyo.

Of course, one of these wingers plays for Bournemouth on the English south coast, while the other stars for PSG, widely regarded as the most accomplished and devastating outfit last season; perhaps that is still the case.

But Barcola’s talent is evident. This is a star worth getting behind, and he would be worth the extra pennies, should FSG decide to move for him over Semenyo.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson