'Bite your lip!' Liverpool legend blasts Mohamed Salah and reminds Egyptian 'this is a team game' after explosive Arne Slot criticism

Liverpool legend Michael Owen has slammed Mohamed Salah after his scathing post-match interview on Saturday night. Liverpool played out an entertaining 3-3 draw with Leeds at Elland Road as the Reds' title defence continues to falter. Salah, meanwhile, started his third successive league match on the bench and was an unused sub by under pressure head coach Arne Slot.

Getty Images SportSpoils shared as Leeds and Liverpool play out six-goal thriller

Hugo Ekitike scored a quickfire second-half double at Leeds on Saturday as the Reds looked to claim just their eighth league win of the campaign. However, Leeds were level for the final 15 minutes courtesy of goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anton Stach.

Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool's advantage with 10 minutes to play, only for Ao Tanaka to bag a late equaliser to ensure the shares were spoiled in a six-goal thriller in Yorkshire. And as the Reds pushed to secure victory, Slot opted to call upon the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak rather than Salah, who after the draw claimed he'd been "thrown under the bus" as he watched the action unfold at Elland Road.

Advertisement'The club has thrown me under the bus'

"I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season," Salah said after the entertaining stalemate. "Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

"I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.

"This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday — you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew.

"Yesterday I said to [my parents], ‘Come to the Brighton game.’ I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now. I will be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa Cup. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there."

Getty Images Sport'Bite your lip!' claims Owen

Michael Owen, though, has blasted Salah for his comments and believes the Reds star should have kept quiet until after the Africa Cup of Nations. "Oh @mosalah I can imagine how you feel," the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United striker posted on his official X account.

"You’ve carried this team for a long time and won everything there is to win. But this is a team game and you simply can’t publicly say what you’ve said. You’re going to afcon in a week.

"Surely you bite your lip, enjoy representing your country and see how the land lies when you get back?"

Salah will be available for Liverpool's upcoming meetings with Inter and Brighton before he joins up with the Egypt squad for AFCON later this month.

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When does AFCON start?

The Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Morocco this year and the tournament starts on Sunday 21 December and runs until Sunday 18 January. Salah isn't the only Premier League player who'll link up with Egypt this month, with Manchester City's Omar Marmoush set to join the Reds star with the Pharaohs.

Salah could miss up to six games for Liverpool should Egypt, who are one of the pre-tournament favourites, go the distance in Morocco. After next week's game against Brighton, Liverpool face Tottenham, Wolves, Leeds, Fulham and Arsenal, as well as their FA Cup third round clash, before the welcome of Burnley, which could be Salah's first game back.

Fourth T20I washed out; New Zealand remain 2-1 up vs West Indies

Match abandoned It seems the weather deities didn’t want New Zealand and West Indies to duke out two T20Is in successive days as rain in Nelson washed out the fourth game just 39 balls in. It means that New Zealand’s 2-1 series lead is now unassailable. West Indies can level the series in the fifth and final game in Dunedin on Thursday.Interruptions were expected at the start of the afternoon game as clouds hung low, and the weather forecast showed high chances of showers throughout the late afternoon and early evening. While the toss and start of play happened on time, the first interruption, of about 30 minutes, came five overs into the game. The second one came nine balls later, and resulted in the whole thing being called off.In the short period of play that did occur, Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy kept Alick Athanaze and Amir Jangoo in check with swing and seam. Both bowlers took advantage of the overhead conditions and hit disciplined lengths on a used pitch. A lot of swings and misses from West Indies made way for two fours and two sixes between overs two and five.James Neesham removed Athanaze in the sixth over. Jangoo finally got one off the middle to pick up a cover-driven boundary and end the 35-run powerplay. Soon after, the major weather interruption set in, and the game was eventually called off.

One of FSG’s “best signings” looks like the new Allen & Leiva at Liverpool

It might not have been pretty, but Liverpool have that winning feeling again, having ended their recent rut with a deserved 1-0 win away at Inter Milan on Tuesday evening.

There few highs, but also – more importantly – few lows at San Siro for Arne Slot’s side, with the reigning Premier League champions looking far more comfortable than they did just days earlier amid the chaos at Elland Road.

Perhaps that speaks to the gulf in quality that has opened up between the Champions League and England’s top flight, although, regardless, seeing off last season’s losing finalists is no mean feat. Slot needed that.

Having been vindicated in his decision to leave out Mohamed Salah for the trip to Italy, the title-winning Dutchman’s ruthless streak might well be beginning to pay off.

The issue is, the Egyptian isn’t the only problem still to be solved, with more members of last season’s glorious side still looking way off the pace.

Liverpool's worst performers against Inter in numbers

Now, this isn’t to try and pop the balloon following what was a much-needed victory for Slot and co, although the former Feyenoord boss himself would admit that his side were far from perfect on the night.

Indeed, a string of absences – and not just that of Salah – saw the Reds lineup with something of a new-look forward line, albeit with it taking a controversial Dominik Szoboszlai spot-kick to eventually settle the affair.

All eyes were on the pairing of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike – with the night marking just their second start together all season – yet, perhaps as to be expected, there was little in the way of fluency or dynamism, even with the visitors posing the greater threat during the first half, in particular.

Isak, in particular, endured yet another frustrating outing to continue his Merseyside woes, with the £125m Swede regularly failing to make things stick through the middle, losing the ball on eight occasions from just 25 touches, as per Sofascore, prior to being withdrawn on the 68-minute mark.

While the price tag may suggest otherwise, the 25-year-old shouldn’t necessarily be the only avenue for concern, with it also proving a difficult outing for Joe Gomez at right-back.

Accurate passes

Jones (67)

Duels won

Mkhitaryan (8)

Aerial duels won

Van Dijk (3)

Successful dribbles

Ekitike (5)

Touches

Bastoni (94)

Key passes

Akanji (3)

Possession lost

Dimarco (17)

The Englishman was safe and steady, although he provided little attacking flair, having lost the ball 11 times himself, while failing to provide a single successful cross or key pass, having won just a solitary duel all night.

The Anfield side looked far more progressive and threatening with substitute Conor Bradley unleashed down that side, with the hope being that the Northern Ireland star can remain injury-free heading into a hectic festive period.

Slot will surely wish to bring the academy graduate into the starting lineup on a regular basis, although one man who could fall out of the reckoning is last season’s star, Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool's new Joe Allen & Lucas Leiva

Central to what made Slot’s side so impressive last term was the midfield unit, with the Dutchman reinvigorating Ryan Gravenberch in that deep-lying role, while also finally getting a tune out of Szoboszlai in an advanced, attacking berth.

Chalkboard

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

It was also, however, another fine campaign for that man Mac Allister, with the 2023 summer arrival from Brighton having cemented his status as “one of the best signings” that the club had made in the FSG era, in the view of DaveOCKOP.

The World Cup winner was the key, the glue keeping it together in the centre of the park, having also showcased his attacking flair with 13 goals and assists in all competitions.

From that knack for delivering clutch moments, the Argentine has frustratingly tailed off this time around, with his effort against Real Madrid earlier this season having been his only goal to date in 2025/26.

With just two assists also added into the mix, the 26-year-old is morphing into Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen territory at present, representing a solid but unspectacular option at the heart of the midfield.

Indeed, neither man was particularly adept at making the difference in a creative sense, with Allen scoring just seven goals in 132 games during his time at Anfield, while cult figure Leiva also netted just seven times himself, albeit from 346 total games.

To compare Mac Allister to such a limited pairing might appear hyperbolic, although again on Tuesday night, he was distinctly lacking any spark or flair, having failed to provide a single key pass, nor attempt a single shot or dribble.

He did win six of his seven ground duels, while losing the ball just five times, but again, there was that risk-averse feel to his performance, echoing those sorry days of Allen and Leiva lining up in the Brendan Rodgers and early Jurgen Klopp era.

As already stated, Mac Allister’s prior work ensures he remains one of FSG’s “best signings”, not least considering his bargain £35m fee, although like many of his teammates, the former Seagulls star simply doesn’t look like the player of 2024/25.

As bad as Isak vs Inter: Liverpool mainstay must now be axed by Slot

Liverpool secured a significant victory at Inter Milan in the Champions League.

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Batters were overawed by India's big names, says UAE coach Lalchand Rajput

Rajput hopes his team can bounce back and push for T20 World Cup qualification

Shashank Kishore10-Sep-20252:21

Can UAE take away anything from this thrashing?

UAE coach Lalchand Rajput has said that they were overawed by India’s spin twins after they suffered a nine-wicket defeat in their Asia Cup opener on Wednesday. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy picked up a combined 5 for 11 in 4.1 overs as UAE were bundled out for 57, their lowest T20I total.”To be very honest, it wasn’t a turning track,” Rajput said. “It was a good wicket to bat on, but the skill level these bowlers have got, and especially the wristspinners, they will always turn on any type of wickets. And the way they were bowling, the length they were bowling [did the trick].”Related

Bruised Pakistan take on UAE in knockout clash

Alishan Sharafu is learning from the best and using it to make UAE better

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Kuldeep bags four as India demolish UAE in 17.4 overs

Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem made 41 of their 57 runs, and the rest of their batters crumbled, failing to read Kuldeep both in the air and off the pitch. Varun, meanwhile, troubled them with the skid when he bowled length deliveries into the pitch.”For our batsmen, to be very honest, they were playing [against this quality of spin] for the first time,” Rajput said. “They were overawed by India’s big names. We should have batted 20 overs. But nevertheless, I think this is a learning process for us.”While taking stock of their defeat, Rajput said the team will be better for the experience. “See, this is a big platform for them,” he said. “It’s a learning process for our players as well. I’m sure these matches will give them a lot of confidence. We just have to move on from here.”While admitting the “batters weren’t patient enough to play out 20 overs that could have got them to 130-140,” Rajput didn’t want to be critical of his team after just one loss. He underlined how they’d shown decent application against spin during the recently concluded tri-series against Afghanistan and Pakistan.”We hardly got out to the spinners,” he said. “It was just one spinner that we got out and that was Abrar [Ahmed, Pakistan legspinner] in the second game [he picked up 4 for 9]. But we really played well in the tri-series. So yes, I think as I said earlier, these spinners are rare because wristspinners, like Varun Chakravarthy, even top players struggle against them.”Alishan Sharafu made a cameo for UAE•AFP/Getty Images

For UAE, every game at the Asia Cup is another opportunity to build towards their immediate goal, which is to qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The Asian qualifiers are lined up hot on the heels of this tournament, and Rajput hoped his team would be able to pick up the pieces from a crushing loss quickly.It’s keeping this in mind that the team decided to experiment with their squad, and give fringe players a chance on their recent tour where they were beaten by Uganda. Prior to that, though, they beat Bangladesh 2-1 at home, and ran Pakistan and Afghanistan close in the tri-series, even though they lost each of their four matches.”It’s a process that we always carry forward. And we were really looking forward to the Asia Cup because we qualified after a long time,” he said. “And then we beat Bangladesh, that was a very good series for us. Then we went to Uganda. It was a series where we tried some more players. We beat other teams, but lost to Uganda.”The important thing for us is the T20 World Cup qualifier. We don’t have any much time in between. So Uganda was a series where we could try. And then the tri-series, we should have won a couple of games.”But again, crossing the line, something the better teams always do, we came close but could not. But definitely the players have started believing in themselves. But still I feel that we are a much better team and you will see in the coming matches as well. I’m sure we’ll improve because from here we can’t go low down. We are only going to go up.”

Man Utd have struck gold on talent who "has the same raw chaos as Rooney"

Manchester United have been known over recent years to invest heavily in youngsters who can make an immediate and long-term impact at Old Trafford.

Part of their £800m spending spree in the last four years has seen numerous big-money talents arrive at the club – with Leny Yoro making the move to join the Red Devils last summer.

Despite being just 18, the hierarchy forked out a reported £52m for the teenager’s signature, even fending off competition from Real Madrid for his services.

He’s since become a key component of Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad, already racking up 42 appearances in the last 12 months or so since his big-money transfer.

However, whilst he still has bags of time to reach world-class status, the Frenchman would do very well to hit the heights of one player during his own stint at the Theatre of Dreams.

Man Utd’s best ever young first-team addition

Back in the summer of 2004, eyebrows were raised across England after United paid a staggering £27m for the signature of teenage sensation Wayne Rooney from Everton.

Such a fee was a mammoth investment for an 18-year-old, but over two decades on, it’s clear the transfer is one of the Red Devils’ best in their 146-year history.

He would spend 13 successful years as a star player at Old Trafford, winning countless individual awards along with team success under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The now 40-year-old won England’s Player of the Year award on five separate occasions, even winning the PFA Player of the Year award back in 2009/10 after scoring 34 times in all competitions.

Under the management of Sir Alex, he won five Premier League titles and a Champions League – subsequently making himself one of the most decorated English players of all time.

Individually, he was just as impressive, scoring 253 times for the Red Devils, a tally that ranks him top of the club’s all-time goalscorer charts – sitting ahead of Sir Bobby Charlton.

His talents were also there for all to see at international level, scoring 53 times, a record that saw him top the list for the Three Lions until Harry Kane came along.

Alongside his tangible contributions, Rooney made a name for himself as a warrior on the pitch, with one current player currently possessing a very similar playstyle.

The United player who is becoming the new Rooney

After scoring just 44 times across the 2024/25 campaign, Amorim made it abundantly clear to the United hierarchy that he wanted reinforcements within the final third.

Bryan Mbeumo was just one of the signings made during the off-season, arriving in a staggering £71m transfer from fellow top-flight outfit Brentford.

The Cameroonian international has already made a stellar start to life in Manchester, scoring five times and registering one assist in his first ten outings for the club.

His latest appearance against Brighton and Hove Albion was arguably his best to date, subsequently scoring twice and helping secure the manager’s third Premier League win in a row.

He was also joined at the Red Devils by Matheus Cunha, with the Brazilian also costing a pretty penny at £62.5m including add-ons from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian international has occupied the number ten role with Mbeumo at Old Trafford and has undoubtedly played a key role in the recent revival under Amorim.

Unlike the Cameroonian, he’s had to wait to make the desired impact, only registering his first goal for the Red Devils in this weekend’s convincing win over Brighton.

However, he’s still received key praise from former first-team member Patrice Evra, who claimed Cunha “has the same raw chaos as Rooney” – certainly high praise indeed.

His underlying stats at Old Trafford showcase the reasoning behind Evra’s comments, with the Brazilian currently creating 1.2 chances per 90 in the Premier League.

Matheus Cunha – PL stats (25/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

8

Goals & assists

1

Chances created

1.2

Shots on target

1.6

Dribbles completed

1.9

Possession won in final third

0.7

Fouls won

2.4

Ball recoveries

4.3

Stats via FotMob

Other figures, such as 1.6 shots on target per 90 and 1.9 dribbles per 90, showcase his ability within the final third, which has already seen the forward become a fan-favourite.

However, his chaos without the ball is reflected in his tally of 0.7 ball regains per 90 in the final third – a tally which ranks him in the top 25% of all attackers in the division.

It’s certainly early days in his career at Old Trafford, but the signs are all positive for Cunha to become an influential figure in any success endured in the years ahead.

Should he continue on his current path, there’s no reason why he can’t have a similar impact to Rooney during his own period at the Theatre of Dreams.

Forget Cunha & Mbuemo: Man Utd star was the shining light against Brighton

Manchester United secured their third win in a row against Brighton & Hove Albion last night.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 26, 2025

Gol anulado do Santos contra o Guarani gera revolta em dirigente; veja

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar de ter goleado do Santos ter goleado o Guarani por 4 a 1, na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro, um lance gerou muita polêmica na partida. Na ocasião, o gol anulado de Gil, quando o placar ainda estava 2 a 0.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosLance! Final: Santos goleia o Guarani e se mantém na liderança da Série BSantos06/05/2024Onde AssistirSantos x Guarani: onde assistir ao vivo, escalações e horário do jogo pela Série BOnde Assistir06/05/2024SantosEscalação do Santos: reforços são dúvidas, e Carille deve manter time contra o GuaraniSantos06/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Santos

Na opinião do filho do presidente do Santos, Marcelo Teixeira Filho, o dirigente desceu a arquibancada para perto do gramado e protestou contra a arbitragem. Confira no player acima.

O cara do Guarani tocou a bola. Você está cego? Que vergonha, cara. Que vergonha. Vergonha. É uma vergonha isso


criticou o dirgente do Santos

O gol de Gil não fez falta ao Santos, que garantiu a vitória com tranquilidade na Vila Belmiro. Com o resultado, o Peixe se manteve na liderança na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Tudo sobre

SantosSérie B

Scenarios – Four teams fight for one spot

While England, Australia and South Africa have already qualified for the knockouts, India, NZ, SL and Pakistan are fighting to join them there

Sampath Bandarupalli20-Oct-2025India – Matches 5, Wins 2, Points 4, NRR 0.526If India beat New Zealand on Thursday, they will make the semi-finals. If they lose to New Zealand, India have to hope New Zealand lose to England before they beat Bangladesh on Sunday.A washout against New Zealand can also be a good result for India, even if they lose to Bangladesh (and New Zealand lose to England), unless one of Sri Lanka and Pakistan don’t end up with six points.If both of India’s games in Navi Mumbai get washed out, they will qualify for the semi-finals, but only if England beat New Zealand (or if that game also gets washed out). If one of Sri Lanka and Pakistan are tied on six points with India in the aforementioned scenario, India will progress with a better net run-rate.New Zealand – Matches 5, Wins 1, Points 4, NRR -0.245New Zealand’s next match against India will be an all-or-nothing game for them, and a loss will end their World Cup campaign. If New Zealand win their next two games, they will make the semi-finals.If New Zealand beat India but lose to England, they will have to hope Bangladesh beat India. Sri Lanka can also finish with six points if they beat Pakistan, while Pakistan can finish on six if they beat South Africa and Sri Lanka. But New Zealand have a better net run-rate right now.New Zealand will make the semi-finals irrespective of other results if they beat India and their match against England gets washed out. A washout against India will be good for New Zealand only if they defeat England, and India don’t bag two points against Bangladesh. New Zealand can progress to the semi-finals if both their remaining games are washed out, but only if none of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan get to six points.Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka are alive in the World Cup but only just•AFP/Getty ImagesSri Lanka – Matches 6, Wins 1, Points 4, NRR -1.035To reach the semi-finals, Sri Lanka have to beat Pakistan and hope India lose both their remaining games. They will also need England to beat New Zealand on the last day of the league stage.Sri Lanka will be tied on six points with New Zealand in the above scenario, but will be behind on net run-rate if they don’t win big against Pakistan.Pakistan – Matches 5, Wins 0, Points 2, NRR -1.887Despite having no wins so far, Pakistan are still in the race for the semi-finals. They will have to win their last two games, against South Africa and Sri Lanka, by margins that will take their net run-rate ahead of New Zealand’s, and hope India lose both their remaining games. Pakistan will also need England to beat New Zealand.

Maresca has the “future of Chelsea” to end Tosin’s Stamford Bridge career

After beating Barcelona and drawing with Arsenal, Chelsea’s good week of results came grinding to a halt away to Leeds United.

Enzo Maresca’s side were defeated 3-1 at Elland Road, with two strikes in the first half and a late goal enough to sink them.

They did, of course, get on the scoresheet themselves. Pedro Neto was the man who found the back of the net, converting a Jamie Gittens cross at the back post just after half-time.

However, it proved to be too little, with Chelsea putting in a lacklustre performance overall.

It was a night to forget for the West Londoners, and in particular, Tosin Adarabioyo.

Tosin’s struggles vs. Leeds

At 2-1 down with 15 minutes or so to go, Chelsea were still in the game. However, it was an error from Tosin which gifted the home side the chance to score their third and seal an impressive victory.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the man who tapped home from two yards out. It came after Tosin played a risky backpass to Robert Sanchez, putting the Spaniard under immediate pressure in his six-yard box.

Leeds pounced, won the ball back, and it was a simple tap-in for their number nine.

The former Manchester City academy player has been a bit-part player under Maresca this term. Tosin has only played 13 games across all competitions, amassing 872 minutes. That is the equivalent of just nine full 90-minute games.

It will be interesting to see what his role is going forward after an error like that. Former Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel said in the summer that Tosin is “not a Chelsea standard defender.”

Well, after an error like that, it is easy to see why Mikel is of that opinion.

There is a defender waiting in the wings who Maresca could unleash to effectively end Tosin’s time at Stamford Bridge.

The Chelsea star ready to overtake Tosin

Chelsea’s depth at centre-back took a hit in August when Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The full extent of Maresca’s squad at centre-back has been tested this season, including Tosin.

One man who has impressed and could leapfrog the 28-year-old in the pecking order is academy graduate Josh Acheampong. At 19 years of age, he has been described as the “future of Chelsea” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Acheampong has certainly had his minutes managed by the Italian. He’s played nine times, but has impressed on each of those occasions, playing more than an hour four times in the Premier League.

He even got his first senior goal away to Nottingham Forest in the 3-0 win at the City Ground in October.

One of the standout attributes in Acheampong’s game is his ability on the ball. Kulig noted that he has “excellent technical capacity and range of passing,” which would serve him well in a Chelsea side that likes to dominate the ball.

In the Premier League this season, they average 58.7% possession, the third highest in the top flight.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Indeed, his underlying numbers reinforce the fact that Acheampong is such a good ball-playing defender.

The England under-21 star ranks in the top 9% of centre-backs in Europe for average passes completed per game, with 67.34.

Acheampong vs European centre-backs

Stat (per 90)

Record

Percentile

Passes completed

67.34

91st

Pass accuracy

90.8%

80th

Carries

61.91

99th

Tackles won

1.09

76th

Interceptions

1.24

71st

Stats from FBref

Chelsea’s whole club philosophy at the moment is about investing in youth and looking towards the future.

Being a Cobham graduate, Acheampong certainly puts a big tick in that box and has already shown his quality at first-team level.

Tosin’s bad form could well be enough for Maresca to ditch him from the starting lineup. With injuries being an issue and such a need to rotate the squad, it might provide Acheampong with the perfect opportunity to stake his claim and lock down a permanent starting spot.

As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again

Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.

By
Robbie Walls

Dec 4, 2025

Greatest Tests: Leeds thriller vs a Chennai classic

The story of Anderson’s defiance and despair or Laxman and Harbhajan’s Chennai thriller? We identify The Greatest Test of the 21st century

Ashish Pant10-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Chennai Test moves to the round of 16.The defiance and the despair – Leeds, 2014A dejected James Anderson on his haunches with the Sri Lanka players all around him delirious became the parting image of the Test and the two-match series. The scorecard of the Leeds Test will say Sri Lanka won by 100 runs, but it was hardly as straightforward. England came into the final day on 57 for 5 with the 350-target a fair distance away. Sri Lanka had the Test and series in sight, but the last five England batters clung on… for all but two balls of the day.It began with Joe Root and Moeen Ali putting up a defiant 67-run stand off 186 balls for the sixth wicket. The rain also made its presence felt to add to the drama before Root fell to bring Sri Lanka respite. Moeen, however, continued to keep Sri Lanka at bay with crucial partnerships, first with Matt Prior and then Chris Jordan.But, when Stuart Broad’s 24-ball naught ended with Herath trapping him in front, the end seemed nigh. That’s when Anderson stepped up. A blockathon followed and along with Mooen, he frustrated the Sri Lanka bowlers, adding 21 off 121 deliveries for the final wicket. Just when it seemed England had done enough for a draw, with two balls left in the day, Shaminda Eranga produced a vicious short-of-a-length ball that Anderson could only fend to backward square leg. Sri Lanka took the Test and series and England were only left with the what-ifs.Singh is King – Chennai, 2001It was fitting that a series which had kept the players and spectators on the edge of their seats throughout ended with a last-day thriller. After Matthew Hayden’s epic 203 had taken Australia to 391, India responded by racking up 501, with the top-order stepping up.Like he had in the first innings and the series on the whole, Harbhajan Singh ripped through the Australia middle order in the second innings. The visitors ended day four on 241 for 7, and a lead of 131. On the fifth morning, Harbhajan wasted little time and picked up the last three Australia wickets, bundling them out for 264. He returned second-innings figures of 8 for 84 and match figures of 15 for 127, finishing with 32 wickets for the series. His job was far from done.Chasing 155 on a fifth-day Chennai surface was never going to be easy. India lost opener Shiv Sunder Das early, but Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman added a 58-run stand to give the hosts the advantage. But a middle-order collapse brought Australia right back. India, 101 for 2 at one stage, lost five wickets for 34 runs, which included Laxman falling for a defiant 66.But wicketkeeper-batter Sameer Dighe, on Test debut, held his cool as he took India closer. India lost Zaheer Khan just four runs shy of a win, but Harbhajan sliced a Glenn McGrath delivery past point to give India a famous Test and series win.

'Nothing special' – Adam Wharton dismissively downplays Manchester United transfer links as Crystal Palace make contract decision

Crystal Palace midfield star Adam Wharton dismissively downplayed Manchester United transfer links as the Eagles prepare to offer a new contract to the England international. United have been closely linked with a move for Wharton, alongside five other midfield options from across Europe, as Ruben Amorim is looking to further bolster his squad in the January transfer window.

  • Amorim wants to strengthen his midfield

    United spent heavily in the summer transfer window to rebuild their squad after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, which saw the Red Devils go trophyless and finish 15th in the Premier League. They brought in big names like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, but the summer squad overhaul was primarily aimed at bolstering the team's attack. 

    Amorim wanted to sign Brighton midfield sensation Carlos Baleba towards the end of the window, but a move eventually did not materialise. Since then, multiple reports have linked United with a move for Palace's Wharton, with Amorim reportedly an admirer of the Englishman. The Portuguese coach is now determined to strengthen his midfield in the January transfer window and has prepared a six-man midfield shortlist, which includes Wharton's name. 

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    Wharton downplays Man Utd transfer links

    Despite being strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford, Wharton has now dismissively downplayed his transfer links to the Premier League giants as he recently told The Athletic: "I don't really look into it or think too much about it. There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?' I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' I don't know who's spreading it or who at United is looking at it. 

    "I see it and I'm like, 'OK', and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they're all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I'm one of 20, then it's nothing special, so it doesn't really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who's interested and who's willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you've got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."

  • Palace preparing new deal for Wharton

    Amid Wharton being linked with a move away from the club, the officials at Selhurst Park are reportedly planning a new contract offer for their star performer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, who told : "They want to extend this contract. So Palace are on it. They've spoken already to his representative several times about this intention they have to give him a new contract. At the same time, let's see what's going to happen there, because the boy has been super professional already last summer, when he already had some kind of opportunity if he wanted to go. But for Palace, he was untouchable. 

    "Also, in recent months, we had many rumours, and the boy, again, is behaving in a fantastic way. So Palace are super happy with Adam, and Adam is quite happy with Palace. He understands that he's probably at the best club to develop at this moment for him. But then in the summer, you never know, in case there is a big opportunity, a big financial proposal, we have to see what happens. So at the moment, there is this intention from Palace to give him a new contract, but we are not yet at the stage where we say, okay, it's guaranteed, because it's still early stages of the conversation."

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    Wharton's team-mate's comments fuelled Madrid rumours

    Real Madrid's interest in Wharton emerged during the summer transfer window, having not directly replaced either Toni Kroos, who retired in 2024, or Luka Modric at the centre of the pitch. While Los Blancos did not make a formal approach for the England international, Wharton's Palace team-mate Yeremy Pino's recent comments further fuelled the rumours of his move to the Spanish capital. Speaking to The Athletic, the Spaniard said: "Adam can do everything. Defensively, he is a fighter. He goes in very strong, wins a lot of balls. Technically, you just have to watch him and enjoy him. He has the quality to play in the Spain national team, no doubt."