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Aston Villa are still winless from their last five Premier League contests, but Unai Emery’s men would still have been pleased when picking up an entertaining 2-2 draw against Liverpool mid-week.

Arne Slot’s men had to be bailed out by Real Madrid-linked Trent Alexander Arnold just after the hour mark as the hosts raced into a slim 2-1 lead right before the half-time interval.

There were a number of top performers from Villa’s perspective, with Ollie Watkins stealing the limelight when his side did head in front in first-half stoppage time, among other standout individuals.

Top Villa performers vs Liverpool

Watkins would fire his team into the lead with his only effort on goal of the night, as per Sofascore, as the ex-Brentford man combined well with Lucas Digne down the left channel to then head home past a dazzled Alisson.

Away from that moment of magic, Watkins wasn’t really that involved in play, but Digne certainly stood out away from just assisting the England international, with the former Everton full-back notching up two key passes on top of also completing his defensive duties well with three duels being won.

Likewise, Tyrone Mings – who was filling in for the injured Boubacar Kamara – looked assured against an often frightening Reds attack with possession only squandered three times in total by the experienced 31-year-old.

Moreover, Morgan Rogers also shows brief glimpses of his best against the Reds having been pushed out to the right flank to accommodate for Marco Asensio, with four successful dribbles typically pulled off, although he was far more haphazard when passing with possession lost 21 times.

Whilst there has been plenty of talk that the ex-Manchester City youngster could go for some mega bucks down the line, there was another star for Emery’s men last night that showed he could be a £100m sale one day, having bared similarities to Bruno Guimaraes throughout his Villa Park stay.

Aston Villa's new £100m-rated star

Amazingly, as Guimaraes continues to go from strength to strength at Newcastle United, a £100m price tag has been placed above his head.

That means Villa midfield ace Youri Tielemans is potentially worth a fee in the same ridiculous ballpark staggeringly, when you consider their similar styles of play looking at FBref.

Tielemans’ Fbref numbers over the last year vs Guimaraes

Stat – per 90 mins

Tielemans

Guimaraes

Total shots

1.00

1.31

Shot-creating actions

3.26

4.23

Attempted passes

59.58

54.74

Pass completion %

82.7%

82.5%

Progressive passes

6.57

7.94

Progressive carries

1.05

1.53

Successful take-ons

0.97

1.53

Progressive passes received

1.22

2.32

Stats via FBref

Indeed, when glancing at the table above, Tielemans and Guimaraes are similar in various different aspects of their midfield games, with the Belgian actually bettering his Magpies counterpart when it comes to pass completion and the amount of passes accumulated per clash.

But, based off his showing against Liverpool, the ex-Leicester City man is also capable of helping his side out in attack, with his second Premier League strike of the season coming against the Reds to match his Brazilian counterpart’s top-flight tally.

Tielemans would smash home this equalising strike after the ball fell kindly to him, bumping his goal contribution total for the campaign up to a hefty six, on top of also standing out away from sending the home masses into momentary delirium.

Come full-time, the 27-year-old would walk off the pitch with 50 accurate passes registered, eight duels won and two successful dribbles managed, further showing off his well-rounded game that’s similar to Guimaraes.

Handed a high 8/10 post-match rating by Birmingham Live journalist John Townley, who stated that the Villa number eight was ‘outstanding’, Tielemans will hope he can continue to impress the more the season goes on.

If he does that, he could go for an astronomical fee down the line, or he could remain at Villa Park for the foreseeable as Emery and Co hunt down another top-four spot.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Feb 20, 2025

Manchester City have made one Atalanta midfielder Ederson a key transfer target for the summer.

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• Man City considering €50m bid for Atalanta star
• Ederson made Brazil debut last year
• Rivals Man Utd also eyeing move for midfielder

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , City manager Pep Guardiola has "no doubts" over his desire for Ederson, who has developed into a fearsome midfielder in Italy's Serie A. The Brazil international was a key figure in Atalanta's Europa League triumph last season and has attracted the interest of some of Europe's biggest clubs, though any team looking to sign the 25-year-old may have to fork out as much as €50 million (£43m/$57m).

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report claims City have already made initial contact over a potential deal, but there are other suitors they will have to see off to secure Ederson's signature. Rivals Manchester United have been credited with an interest, while Juventus are also on the lookout for new figures in the middle of the park.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ederson arrived at Atalanta from Salernitana in 2022 and has since made close to 150 appearances under manager Gian Piero Gasperini, scoring 13 goals.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR EDERSON AND MAN CITY?

  While Ederson will be keen to help Atalanta finish at least third in Serie A, City are looking to book their place in the FA Cup final when they take on Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.

Following Trevoh Chalobah’s return to Chelsea, Crystal Palace are now reportedly plotting a complicated deal to sign a replacement before the end of the January transfer window.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles have rediscovered their best form under Oliver Glasner in recent weeks, but have undoubtedly been dealt a blow by Chelsea’s decision to recall Chalobah. Leaving them short on central defenders, those at Selhurst Park must turn towards the transfer window where they could find their second reinforcement after already welcoming Romain Esse earlier this month.

The rumours have certainly been coming thick and fast as the window comes to a close too, with names such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain threatening to steal the headlines as he potentially seeks a return to the Premier League.

Alongside Esse, the former Liverpool man would undoubtedly add an extra spark to Glasner’s attack behind the clinical Jean-Philippe Mateta. Whether the Eagles swoop in and win the race to sign the Champions League winner remains to be seen, however.

First and foremost, the priority in South London may well be the welcome a central defender to replace Chalobah in the coming days.

According to BBC Sport’s Alex Howell, Crystal Palace are now plotting a deal to sign Tiago Djalo before Monday’s deadline, but could face a complicated move given that Juventus would need to recall their defender from his loan spell at Porto.

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The 24-year-old has already enjoyed quite the journey around European football, swapping Sporting Club’s youth side for AC Milan’s before joining LOSC Lille and earning a move to Juventus. Now, following a mixed spell at Porto, Djalo could be on his way to Crystal Palace and the Premier League.

There’s certainly a lot of work to be done to complete any potential deal though and there’s no denying that all parties face a race against what is a rapidly ticking clock.

"Amazing" Djalo can replace Chalobah

A player who should only just be entering his peak years at 24 years old, Djalo has already gained some impressive experience around Europe’s top leagues – experience that Palace could now benefit from. Replacing Chalobah this late on will, of course, be no easy task either which makes their chase to sign the Juventus defender all the more worthwhile.

Throughout his rise, Djalo has earned plenty of praise from the likes of football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described the central defender’s performance against Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain as “amazing” as a young talent.

Three years on from that performance, Djalo’s rise has stalled somewhat after a frustrating loan spell at Porto which could yet see Palace play the role of heroes and come swooping in to revive the central defender.

Rumours abound now that the season has shifted into January, with the winter transfer market open for business and clubs perusing their menus as they ascertain whether deals might be viable.

For Liverpool, no news concerning the incoming department. Arne Slot is satisfied with his first-placed squad, and though there’s a clear need for a new left-back, expect movement in that area during the off-season.

Six points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Reds have their sights set on silverware and may launch a winter bid if the right opportunity comes along.

It might just have at that.

Liverpool planning for new forwards

As per Football Insider, Liverpool are plotting a move for Feyenoord winger Anis Hadj-Moussa, with the 22-year-old impressing in the Dutch Eredivisie this term.

Transfer Focus

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

Feyenoord, Slot’s old stomping ground, welcomed the Algerian winger at the start of the season after Slot had previously failed to sign him. He’s gone from strength to strength this year, validating the Liverpool coach’s intrigue, and he might even be an excellent backup option for the mighty Mohamed Salah.

Slot has allayed rumours concerning Federico Chiesa’s potential Anfield exit, six months on from his eye-catching £12.5m arrival from Juventus.

In spite of this, Chiesa has only started once for Liverpool this season amid frustrating fitness problems and a player such as Hadj-Moussa could be perfect to maintain the Merseysiders’ exceptional campaign.

Why Liverpool should take a punt on Hadj-Moussa

Feyenoord snapped the clinical left-footer up for a nominal fee and thus would turn a big profit if suitors were to meet their reported £10m asking price – FSG love a bargain and this may be something that entices them.

He’s young and playing with an unfettered avidity that is tempting Liverpool toward lodging an official offer, starting his campaign with Feyenoord on the fringes but growing in stature after showcasing his clinical quality.

Indeed, Hadj-Moussa might have only scored six goals across 19 matches in all competitions this term but each one has been posted in November or later. Talent scout Jacek Kulig has even described him as “one of Europe’s most pleasant surprises” this season.

Given that he’s bagged three goals across five Champions League fixtures, there’s clearly a degree of quality that could elevate Liverpool’s system, and it might actually work out best for Hadj-Moussa if Salah were to extend his stay at the club, for he could absorb rich fruits as his understudy for the next couple of years.

As per FBref, the Algeria star ranks among the top 2% of positional peers performing in the Champions League this term for non-penalty goals (1.06) struck and the top 15% for progressive carries (6.00) per 90 minutes, making a convincing remark upon his chances among Liverpool’s talented forwards.

Equally, he also ranks among the top 5% for dribbles (successful take-ons per 90) among those in his position across Europe’s next best 14 leagues, further emphasising that sense of unpredictability.

There’s actually a sort of similarity to Salah that could see him emulate the Egypt sensation, for he would arrive before achieving greatness with a natural-born goalscoring sense.

Hadj-Moussa – who Dutch legend Ruud Gullit lauded as an “unpredictable player” – is blessed with a high-paced and versatile attacking style, and his directness could serve him well as he acts as a focal point, curving in from the right.

Note that he is also composed. He’s confident and assured in his quality. Sofascore record that his three-goal campaign in Europe’s elite competition has yet to be blemished by a single missed big chance, speaking of a clinical edge that is perhaps already ahead of certain members of Slot’s frontline. No names.

It’s hard to articulate how good Salah has been this season, with the 32-year-old posting 21 goals and 17 assists across 27 matches for his club. That doesn’t tell the whole story, but it paints a relevant picture.

Liverpool are undoubtedly over-reliant on their talisman’s potency, but it hasn’t derailed the campaign so far. Liverpool might feel in command in the Premier League, but what about the Champions League’s dangerous business end? What about the FA Cup?

There’s enough going for the Redmen that they will feel capable of wading deep down each stream, but with Chiesa’s unreliability, it may be crucial for an extra part in the mould of Hadj-Moussa. Hark back to Takumi Minamino, back in 2021/22, whose goals in the Carabao Cup proved invaluable in winning the competition while fighting across every other front.

Salah is one of the finest goalscorers in Premier League history and to say that this relative unknown in Hadj-Moussa, who is only two months into his first real purple patch, could be his successor is quite a brazen claim.

However, he is endowed with similar properties that could see him operate within similar parameters to Liverpool’s biggest threat and were he to perch under the Egyptian’s umbrella, protected by the lashing scrutiny that would be posted with a big-time role in Slot’s squad, there might just be a chance that he could become a major player.

Hadj-Moussa has been on Slot’s radar before, and Liverpool fans have been treated to some expert tactical qualities in recent months. Let’s trust his judgement, and bring him in to serve under Salah’s wing.

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Celtic are in action in the Scottish Premiership for the final time in 2024 as they prepare to welcome St Johnstone to Parkhead this afternoon.

The Hoops head into this match off the back of a 4-0 win over Motherwell last time out, thanks to goals from Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn, and Reo Hatate.

Despite the impressive win, one player who should be dropped from the team is centre-forward Adam Idah, who Football FanCast published an article on after the match.

The article explained how he fluffed his chance to impress, with zero goals and zero assists in his time on the pitch, and Kyogo Furuhashi should come back in today.

The Ireland international, who lost 100% of his duels in the game, should be ditched from the side, but he is not the only one who Brendan Rodgers should drop.

The Celtic forward who should be dropped alongside Adam Idah

Hyun-jun Yang was handed another opportunity to impress from the start, with Kuhn not deemed fit enough to play more than a bench role, and failed to do enough to justify his place in the team moving forward.

The South Korean winger was largely anonymous throughout his time on the pitch at Parkhead but did play a crucial role in the opening goal, by winning that penalty that Arne Engels scored from. He made a run across the goalkeeper, who appeared to catch him, and that provided the Belgian with the chance to open the scoring.

Outside of that, however, Yang did not create a single chance for his teammates and did not register any shots on target in 63 minutes on the pitch.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The 22-year-old forward, who also lost six of his nine duels, should be brutally binned from the starting line-up in order for the Hoops to bring Kuhn straight back into the team after his cameo on Boxing Day.

Why Nicolas Kuhn should start

Firstly, the German winger made a greater impact in his 27 minutes on the pitch than Yang did in 63, scoring the fourth goal for Celtic and creating a chance for the team.

Secondly, Kuhn’s overall form in all competitions for the Scottish giants so far this season suggests that Rodgers would improve his side by putting him back into the starting XI.

The former Bayern Munich youngster has racked up an eye-catching 13 goals and 11 assists in 24 appearances this term, which shows that he has provided regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the right flank.

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn’s performances in the Premiership have been particularly impressive, with more goal contributions than starts.

The German wizard, who was described as “magic” by Rodgers in pre-season, is a star in this Celtic side and should be starting when he is fit enough to do so.

Therefore, Rodgers must bring him straight back into the starting line-up this afternoon against St Johnstone after he impressed off the bench last time out, with Idah and Yang both dropped from the XI.

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Mohammad Amir will play for Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast after signing as a replacement for Naseem Shah.Amir, 30, played two County Championship games for Gloucestershire earlier this season when Naseem was injured and will make his T20 debut for the club against Somerset on Friday night, subject to PCB clearance.Naseem, the 19-year-old fast bowler, returned to Pakistan earlier this month when his father fell ill and while his condition has improved, he will not return to Bristol due to “a hastily arranged Pakistan Cricket Board training camp,” according to Gloucestershire.Naseem played only four games in his time at Gloucestershire due to a shoulder injury which he suffered on debut. “He has shown incredible dedication and work ethic, despite some small issues meaning he couldn’t take the field as much as he and we would have liked,” Steve Snell, Gloucestershire’s performance director, said.”It has been great to see him develop as a young man – his English has improved immensely, which is something he should be very proud of. He is a very popular member of the squad, and we very much hope to see him back playing in Bristol in the years to come.”We’re delighted to welcome Mohammad back to the squad. He’s a proven international performer and to have his experience available to us for the remainder of the Blast tournament will be invaluable.”Just over halfway through the Blast, Gloucestershire sit fourth in the nine-team South Group and are well-placed to qualify. They will be without David Payne, the competition’s leading-wicket taker, for their next three games due to his involvement in England’s ODI series in the Netherlands.

ألمح أيمن يونس لاعب الزمالك الأسبق، إلى فشل المبادرة التي أطلقها في الأيام الماضية من أجل إنهاء الخلافات بين رموز القلعة البيضاء ورؤساء النادي السابقين.

وكان أيمن يونس قد أطلق عبر حساباته على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، دعوة صريحة لرؤساء النادي السابقين وكل الأطراف المتصارعة، من أجل الجلوس على طاولة واحدة، وترك الخلافات جانبًا، لإنقاذ الزمالك من أزمته الراهنة، وعبّر يونس لاحقًا عن دهشته من حجم التفاعل الإيجابي مع المبادرة، لكنه شدد على أن الأهم هو التنفيذ، لا الاكتفاء بالكلام.

ورد مرتضى منصور رئيس الزمالك الأسبق، على مبادرة أيمن يونس مسيرًا إلى أنه يرفض الاجتماع مع مجلس إدارة النادي الحالي برئاسة حسين لبيب، أو ممدوح عباس الرئيس الأسبق للقلعة البيضاء.

طالع | مرتضى منصور يرد في بيان رسمي على مبادرة “لم الشمل” في الزمالك

ونشر أيمن يونس عبر حسابه الشخصي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “X”: “موضوع تصفية النفوس، مسألة صعبة بجد ونسبية جداً لأفكار كل واحد”.

وأكمل: “عموما تحية تقدير لكل واحد حاطط مصلحة الزمالك وتاريخة ومصلحة إسعاد جماهيره فوق أي اعتبار في هذا التوقيت الصعب”.

واختتم: “موضوع واتقفل، المهم والأهم هو نادي الزمالك وبس، شكرا”.

موضوع تصفيه النفوس.مسأله صعبه بجد ونسبيه جدا لأفكار كل واحد..عموما تحيه تقدير لكل واحد حاطط مصلحه الزمالك وتاريخه ومصلحه إسعاد جماهيره فوق اي اعتبار في هذا التوقيت الصعب.موضوع واتقفل..المهم والأهم هو نادي الزمالك وبس..شكرا 💪🏽

— Ayman Younis. ايمن يونس (@AymanYounis) April 17, 2025

It might be too early to say with any certainty, but it’s starting to look like Arsenal are getting back to their best.

Mikel Arteta’s side were in dreadful form before the international break, not winning any of their four Premier League games, but have now won back-to-back games for the first time in almost two months.

The North Londoners put in a stellar performance to beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 last weekend and then did even better to smash the impressive Sporting CP on Tuesday night.

Sporting CP (A)

5-1 (W)

Nottingham Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Chelsea (A)

1-1 (D)

Inter Milan (A)

1-0 (L)

Newcastle United (A)

1-0 (L)

However, this afternoon brings with it a fresh challenge in a West Ham United side who beat Newcastle United at St James Park last time out, and if Arteta wants to stop the incredible £100m-rated Jarrod Bowen, he must start someone who shone in Europe.

Arsenal's star performers

So, before getting to the player in question, let’s look at some of those who stood out for Arsenal on Tuesday night, starting poster boy Bukayo Saka.

The Englishman provided an assist for Kai Havertz in the first half and then picked up a goal of his own from the penalty spot at a moment when the Lisbon-based outfit threatened to get back into the game.

However, he wasn’t the only winger who looked good on the night, as Gabriel Martinelli reminded fans and pundits alike just how effective he can be by scoring the opening goal of the game, which also happened to be his fourth of the campaign.

Likewise, club captain Martin Odegaard showed for the second game running how much better the team are with him at the heart of everything.

The Norwegian superstar won the penalty that Saka converted, but he did so much more than that, as his close control and general footballing intelligence were vital in allowing the team to launch attack after attack throughout the 90 minutes.

With all that said, it wasn’t just a night for the attackers, as one of Arteta’s summer signings demonstrated just why he has to start every game he’s fit for, and why he’s the ideal player to bully Bowen this afternoon.

The Arsenal star who has to start against West Ham

So, with a plethora of defenders to choose from, especially on the left, Arteta has to make the right one if he wants to stop the talented Bowen this afternoon, and that would be Riccardo Calafiori.

The Italian international joined the club for a whopping £42m in the summer but has endured something of a stop-start beginning to his Arsenal career due to a few injuries he’s picked up since moving to England.

However, when he’s been fit, the former Bologna star has been simply sublime, both in his ability to maraud up the pitch “like a wild horse on the loose,” as journalist Sam Dean puts it, and in his ability to drop back and do the defensive side of the job.

Pass Completion

88.6%

Top 2%

Aerials Won

2.26

Top 2%

Interceptions

1.60

Top 7%

Assists

0.19

Top 11%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.12

Top 12%

Passes Attempted

64.99

Top 14%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.08

Top 15%

Clearances

2.96

Top 19%

We can see this duality in the 22-year-old’s game best when looking at his underlying numbers, as according to FBref, he sits in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion and aerial duels won, the top 7% for interceptions, the top 11% for assists, the top 12% for non-penalty goals and more, all per 90.

Moreover, this, combined with the fact that he stands at 6 foot 2 and is seemingly unfazed by the pressure, is why he has to go against Bowen this afternoon, as he has all the skill required to lock the Englishman down while posing a real attacking threat himself.

In fact, his ability to hurtle down the byline should help him keep a handle on the former Hull City ace as well, as he’ll have to think about tracking back more often than if it was Jakub Kiwior there, for example, or even Oleksandr Zinchenko who cannot pose the same physical threat.

Ultimately, Arsenal will be favourites heading into the game at the London Stadium, and rightly so, but if Arteta wants to give his team the best chance of claiming all three points, he must start Calafiori.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2024

They say a week is a long time in football, and in Tottenham Hotspur’s case, a fortnight is a lifetime.

It was almost two weeks ago that Ange Postecoglou’s side were wiping the floor with Premier League Champions Manchester City at the Etihad, and at full-time, there was an expectation that the North Londoners would then go on a run.

However, in the three games since, the Lilywhites have drawn at home with AS Roma and Fulham and lost away to Bournemouth, which makes the prospect of facing Chelsea and the sensational Cole Palmer tomorrow afternoon all the more terrifying.

What makes it worse is that a player Postecoglou sold in the summer is now playing out of his skin and could well have been Spurs’ own Palmer.

Spurs' summer sales

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s look at how some of Spurs’ other departures are getting on this season, starting with someone who’s not having a great time: Emerson Royal.

The Brazilian full-back joined Serie A giants AC Milan for around £13m, which Italian football writer Kaustubh Pandey described as “a deal for the ages,” although not for the right reasons.

In all, the 25-year-old has made 16 appearances for the Rossoneri so far, in which he’s failed to score or assist a goal and been so poor that Italian football expert James Horncastle described the fee paid as a charitable ‘donation’ ‘to make his wish to become a footballer come true’ – ouch.

Someone faring a little better away from North London is centre-back Joe Rodon, who joined Leeds United for around £10m at the same time as Archie Gray went the other way.

So far, the 47-capped Welshman has made 19 appearances for the Peacocks, who currently sit third in the Championship, just a point off of second place and three off of first.

However, while the 27-year-old defender is doing well in West Yorkshire, another former Lilywhites ace is doing even better and is showing that he could have been Postecoglou’s own Palmer.

The former Spurs ace playing like Palmer

So, to get straight to the point, the former Spurs ace in question is midfield marvel Giovani Lo Celso.

Yes, the Argentine international, who finally departed N17 for good this summer to join La Liga side Real Betis for £8.4m, has been in utterly sensational form and is beginning to play like Palmer.

Now, we say this for a couple of reasons. The first is that, like the Chelsea star, the “unbelievable” 28-year-old, as dubbed by journalist Alex Mitton, has become an increasingly important goal threat for his team this season and has already racked up six in just 11 appearances while also providing an assist for good measure.

However, the other reason is that, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, the Englishman is statistically the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Argentine this season.

We can better understand how they reached this conclusion by examining the underlying numbers in which they rank closely, metrics including but not limited to expected assists, non-penalty goals, shots on target, key passing and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

Expected Assists

0.34

0.39

Non-Penalty Goals

0.58

0.60

Shots on Target

1.31

1.42

Goals per Shot on Target

0.44

0.42

Key Passes

2.75

2.69

Goal-Creating Actions

0.58

0.60

Ultimately, while the club couldn’t have foreseen such an uptick in form, it certainly feels like they could do with someone like Lo Celso in the squad right about now, and the fact he is performing similarly to Palmer at the moment is just further evidence of his incredible talent.

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Ajaz Patel, who became only the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to pick up all ten wickets in an innings, against India in Mumbai, has risen to No. 38 following a match haul of 14 for 225. New Zealand still lost the Test by a record 372 runs, and India opener Mayank Agarwal, the Player of the Match for innings of 150 and 62, has jumped 30 positions to No. 11, just one off a career-high tenth spot.For Ajaz, who emulated Jim Laker and Anil Kumble at the Wankhede, it meant a gain of 23 spots; his previous highest was No. 53, and he had started the two-Test series against India, which New Zealand lost 1-0, at 62nd place. He picked up a total of 17 wickets in the series.As for Agarwal, his previous best rankings of No. 10 came back in November 2019, after he had scored 243 against Bangladesh in Indore in what was his eighth Test.

Full rankings tables

• Click here for the full team rankings

• Click here for the full player rankings

R Ashwin was named Player of the Series for his tally of 14 wickets in two Tests, to go with 70 runs across three innings. Ashwin, No. 2 on the bowlers’ chart behind Pat Cummins, has now moved within 25 points of the Australian quick, his 883 rating points well clear of third-placed Josh Hazlewood, who has 816 points.Cummins, however, has started the Ashes series with a bang, returning 5 for 38 on the opening day of the first Test in Brisbane as England rolled over for 147. Hazlewood hasn’t done badly either, picking up 2 for 42.4:11

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Ashwin has also moved up one place to No. 2 among allrounders. Jason Holder is top of the tally there, while Ravindra Jadeja has dropped from second to fourth, with Ben Stokes between him and Ashwin. Holder, meanwhile, has also moved up one spot to the 14th place among bowlers at the end of the second Galle Test against Sri Lanka, which the home side won by 164 runs to complete a 2-0 series win.Among the others to gain at the end of the India vs New Zealand series were Shubman Gill, up 21 places to 45th, and Daryl Mitchell, up 26 places to No. 78, on the batters’ table, and Mohammed Siraj, who moved up four spots to 41st in the bowlers’ list.Following the Sri Lanka vs West Indies series, three batters made significant gains: Dhananjaya de Silva, whose 155* was the highlight of Sri Lanka’s win in the first Test, moved up 12 places to No. 21, Kraigg Brathwaite went up ten places to 39th, and Nkrumah Bonner was up 17 places to 42nd.Of the bowlers in action, Sri Lanka spinners Lasith Embuldeniya (up five slots to No. 32) and Ramesh Mendis (up 18 places to 39th) made big gains.