Tag Futebol

He can score runs up the order. He can take wickets at the death. Where would Delhi Capitals be without him?

Karthik Krishnaswamy09-Nov-20201:51

Ponting spoke to me a few times before about opening – Marcus Stoinis

Where would the Delhi Capitals be without Marcus Stoinis?It’s a rhetorical question, but if you really wanted an answer, they probably wouldn’t be in the IPL final without him. He has brought explosiveness to a batting line-up that has often struggled to get out of second gear, and he has been a handy plugger of gaps with the ball, regularly bowling the difficult overs.On Sunday, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Stoinis pulled off yet another hugely influential all-round performance, and he did not just score runs and take wickets. He also made the Capitals look like a better-structured, better-balanced team.It began with Stoinis opening the batting, which he has done before – most notably on his way to topping the BBL run charts last season – but only three times in the IPL, back in 2016. At the start of the season, it had seemed unlikely that he would get a chance in that role again, given the Capitals’ wealth of top-order options. However, with Prithvi Shaw’s form falling away and Ajinkya Rahane not providing the necessary dynamism when he opened, the possibility opened up.It might have come to nothing if Jason Holder had caught Stoinis off Sandeep Sharma when he was batting on 3 off 5 balls. The move might have gone the way of the Royal Challengers Bangalore opening with Virat Kohli in their Eliminator on Friday – a good idea that got just one, belated chance, and didn’t come off.But Holder couldn’t hold on, and we got to see exactly what Stoinis the opener can do. It was much the same as Stoinis the end-overs hitter, as it turned out, but with the added benefit of powerplay field restrictions. The baseball-style swat over midwicket in the fourth over, off Holder, would have brought him six runs in any phase of the game, but the field restrictions also allowed Stoinis to pick up boundaries in other situations that might have only brought him singles or twos outside the powerplay.Sandeep, for instance, bowled inswing to him with a 5-4 leg-side field, but with only two fielders allowed on the boundary, he had fine leg and midwicket up in the circle. When he strayed off-line in the third over, Stoinis could flick him for back-to-back boundaries. In the fourth over, Holder bowled with his mid-on up, and Stoinis gave him the charge and clubbed him to the left of that fielder even when he tried to pull his length back.The stillness and balance that have characterised Stoinis’ batting right through the season pervaded his game on Sunday too, and that form combined with serious attacking intent to create a potent cocktail.Stoinis did not survive for too long against Rashid Khan, though, and that was not unexpected. In the IPL, Stoinis’ record against spin (average 26.08, strike rate 123.71) is significantly worse than his record against pace (32.00, 147.55). But by opening with Stoinis, the Capitals can ensure he faces less spin early in his innings, or force their opposition into bowling spin at him and shield other batsmen down the order from unfavourable match-ups.Marcus Stoinis biffs one through the on side•BCCIStoinis has performed this shielding role quite often with the ball – in the game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, for instance, Axar Patel bowled just one over against a left-hander-heavy line-up – and he did so again on Sunday, when the Sunrisers had two right-handers at the crease for long periods and R Ashwin bowled just one of the first 14 overs.When that happens, one of the fingerspinners often does not complete his quota, leaving Stoinis to bowl at the death. His economy rate has suffered as a result, but he has also made crucial interventions – the miraculous (or lucky, depending on your point of view) final over against the Kings XI Punjab in the Capitals’ season-opener, for example, or the final-over yorker to bowl Rahul Tripathi in a high-scoring contest in Sharjah. Stoinis, in fact, has taken wickets this season in the last over of the innings – only one other bowler from any team, Kagiso Rabada, has taken as many.Stoinis did not have to bowl the 20th over on Sunday, but of his three overs, one was in the powerplay, and one at the death. It was in those two pressure overs that he made his biggest impact.When he came on to bowl the fifth over, the Sunrisers seemed to be shrugging off the early loss of David Warner, with Priyam Garg and Manish Pandey having put on 24 in 17 balls. By the end of that over, Stoinis had dismissed both of them.Marcus Stoinis celebrates a wicket•BCCIWickets often fall for no rhyme or reason in T20s, but Stoinis can take some credit for those two dismissals. Garg had looked comfortable on the back foot through his brief innings – he had even hooked Anrich Nortje for six – but his front-foot stride had been minimal when the ball was pitched up. Stoinis tested this with a full ball delivered at 135kph – a significantly quick delivery by his standards – and burst between bat and pad.Pandey looked to loft Stoinis straight and ended up hitting straight to mid-on, and this was at least partly because Stoinis had bowled an offcutter that gripped and deviated into the batsman, causing him to hit the ball with the inside half of his bat.When Stoinis began the 17th over, the Sunrisers needed 51 off 24. Kane Williamson and Abdul Samad had put on 49 in 26 balls. Off the fifth ball of the over, Stoinis made his most decisive breakthrough, with a full, wide slower delivery that began just inside the tramline at his end and finished just outside the tramline at the other. The ball was floating away from Williamson throughout, and if he had left it alone, it probably would have been called wide.Williamson did not leave it, though. The required rate in such situations often compels batsmen to keep going hard, and Williamson reached out to try and pick the gap to the left of deep cover. In reaching out so far from his body, however, he lost control of his shot, hitting it straighter than he wanted and too close to the man on the boundary.Stoinis roared, arms in the air, fists clenched, veins popping in his granite forearms. He looks like a comic-book superhero, and sometimes he bats and bowls like one too.

Stats highlights from the Champions Trophy match between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Rawalpindi

Sampath Bandarupalli24-Feb-2025 • Updated on 25-Feb-2025178 Number of dot balls in Bangladesh’s innings against New Zealand – the most by any team in this Champions Trophy, and the second most for Bangladesh in a 50-over men’s ODI innings since 2012. They had played 185 dot balls against South Africa in a Johannesburg ODI in 2022.12 Number of aggressive shots attempted by Bangladesh batters in 22 overs bowled by the New Zealand spinners. The spinners conceded only 80 runs at an economy of 3.63, while New Zealand’s quicks went for 153 runs in 27 overs at an economy rate of 5.46Bangladesh tried to attack only four balls from Mitchell Santner in ten overs, and seven balls from Michael Bracewell, who took 4 for 26 in ten overs.4 for 26 Bracewell’s bowling figures against Bangladesh are the best for a New Zealand spinner at the Champions Trophy, bettering Paul Wiseman’s 4 for 45 against Zimbabwe in 2000.All four wickets Bracewell took were of the top-six Bangladesh batters. The only other New Zealand spinner to dismiss at least four of the opposition’s top six in a men’s ODI in the last 20 years is Ish Sodhi – also against Bangladesh in 2023.22 Runs conceded by New Zealand through wides against Bangladesh, their second most in a men’s ODI. They conceded 29 runs in wides against Australia in the 2011 World Cup game in Nagpur.2017 Previous instance of Kane Williamson getting out for single-digit scores in consecutive ODI innings, before his 1 and 5 in this Champions Trophy. Williamson scored 6 and 3 in successive matches against India in 2017.40 Difference in the runs scored by New Zealand and Bangladesh during the middle overs (11-40) on Monday. New Zealand scored 154 runs for the loss of two wickets in this phase, while Bangladesh scored only 114 and lost five wickets. Bangladesh played out 107 dot balls in this phase, while New Zealand only had 79.6.09 Economy rate of Bangladesh’s spinners – they conceded 123 runs in 20.1 overs they bowled on a pitch where New Zealand’s spinners went at 3.63 and took four wickets.On the other hand, Bangladesh’s pacers made early inroads, taking three wickets and ending up with an economy rate of 4.34 in the 26 overs they bowled, which was much better than the New Zealand pacers, who went at 5.46 runs per over.1 Rachin Ravindra became the first batter to score a hundred in his debut match at both the ICC’s global ODI events (the World Cup and the Champions Trophy). He scored an unbeaten 123 against England on his World Cup debut in 2023, and now 112 against Bangladesh on his Champions Trophy debut.Ravindra’s four ODI hundreds have all come at the ICC’s global events so far, the most at such events by any man for New Zealand, surpassing three by Kane Williamson and Nathan Astle.

By now, you've probably heard about everything the Los Angeles Dodgers do to add talent at all costs, ballooning their opening day payroll this season to $321 million in present-day dollars, the second-most in MLB (first: Mets). Off a World Series win in 2024, the Dodgers want to keep winning, and they added and re-signed players for a total of $450 million this winter after a $1 billion offseason last year. Luxury tax will push that cost for ownership even higher.

But Los Angeles is also looking for ways to spend outside of payroll to position the team for improved performance. One tactic highlighted in a recent article was the travel itinerary, which now includes a second chartered plane for the Dodgers. One plane takes players, the other takes manager Dave Roberts, his staff, and other team personnel.

That shift has allowed players to get to road cities earlier so they have a true day to themselves instead of spending their off day traveling, something Dodgers players have lauded as hugely helpful for recovery. Additionally, roomier planes have made for a more comfortable travel experience, a luxury particularly important for long bicoastal trips.

The dollar amount of a second plane is easy to imagine as costly, but incidental costs rack up as well: Not only do they need hotel rooms for an additional night in those day-early cases, but also the Dodgers senior director of travel Scott Akasaki has had to hire additional staff to help manage the complex logistics of the operation, according to the LA Times' reporting.

Another possible benefit for the Dodgers? These dollars aren't as punitive as player payroll dollars because they fall outside of the team's payroll, which means they aren't subject to the luxury tax. Dollar for dollar, they're "cheaper" ways to spend than adding more talent at this point.

The Dodgers clearly understand that winning takes everything and everyone, even your travel planning staff.

He remains under observation in a Sydney hospital after suffering the injury during the third ODI against Australia

Shashank Kishore27-Oct-2025 • Updated on 28-Oct-2025

Shreyas Iyer is helped off the ground after taking a pain-causing catch to dismiss Alex Carey•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

India batter Shreyas Iyer remains under observation in a Sydney hospital after being treated for a lacerated spleen. While there is no clear timeline yet for his discharge, Shreyas is in a stable condition.”Shreyas Iyer sustained a blunt injury to his abdomen, resulting in a laceration of his spleen with internal bleeding on 25th October during the third ODI against Australia,” a statement from BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said on Tuesday.”The injury was promptly identified, and the bleeding was immediately arrested. His condition is now stable, and he continues to be under observation. A repeat scan done on Tuesday, 28th October, has shown significant improvement, and Shreyas is on the road to recovery. The BCCI Medical Team, in consultation with specialists in Sydney and India, will continue to monitor his progress.”The BCCI’s previous statement, on Monday, had said Shreyas was “under treatment, medically stable, and recovering well”.Shreyas suffered the injury upon impact after he took a catch running backwards from point to dismiss Alex Carey during India’s third ODI against Australia in Sydney. He immediately clutched his rib cage and signalled for medical attention.Related

Battle for T20 World Cup favouritism begins

Shreyas Iyer hurts rib cage during outstanding catch

Shreyas was taken off the field and did not return for the remainder of Australia’s innings. At the time, the BCCI issued a brief statement that said their medical team had taken him to the hospital for “further evaluation and assessment”. As things stand, it’s unclear as to when Shreyas can return to play.A member of BCCI’s medical team remains in Sydney with Shreyas, even as the other ODI specialists left Australia on Sunday. Those part of the T20I squad have departed for Canberra, where India had their first training session on Monday.”Just by looking from the outside, when he held the catch, we felt that it was normal,” Suryakumar said about Shreyas ahead of the first T20I. “Those who were there told us that after going inside [the dressing room], it felt that he needed careful attention. Then he was rushed to the specialist, and then they told that he’s suffered this injury.”Only when he started talking normally then it felt like he is getting a little better now. The doctors and physios said that it was unfortunate and very rare. This almost never happens. But Shreyas is also a rare talent. But it’s okay, God has supported him, he is recovering really well, doctors are supporting him. He will recover soon, and then we will take him home with us.”India won the third ODI by nine wickets, but lost the three-match series 2-1 after going down in the first two games in Perth and Adelaide.The five-match T20I series gets underway on October 29 in Canberra, followed by matches in Melbourne and Hobart. Shreyas isn’t part of the T20I squad. India next play an ODI series against South Africa, which begins on November 30 in Ranchi.smallOctober 28, GMT 1345 The story was updated after the BCCI sent out its second update on Shreyas’ condition.

There has now been a major new update on Emiliano Martinez’s Aston Villa future ahead of the January transfer window, amid recent praise from manager Unai Emery.

Martinez was very keen to leave Villa during the summer window, amid interest from Manchester United, but he ultimately ended up staying put at Villa Park, with Ruben Amorim’s side opting to bring in Senne Lammens instead.

The Argentina international was left out of the squad for the 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace, given the doubts over his future, with Marco Bizot getting the nod between the sticks, but he has since been able to force his way back into the side.

Upon his return in the 0-0 draw against Everton, the 33-year-old received high praise from Emery, who said: “Today, his comeback has been fantastic. We have to protect him and feel him inside the group so he is comfortable and confident. He was fantastic.”

However, there has now been a major new update on the shot-stopper’s Villa Park future, which suggests a move could be on the cards very soon…

Aston Villa willing to accept January bids for Emiliano Martinez

According to a report from Football Insider, Aston Villa are now willing to accept January bids for Martinez, as they continue to explore replacements for their long-serving goalkeeper, who has been stripped of the vice captaincy.

Speaking about that decision, Emery said: “The first captain is John McGinn. We decided how we are, as well as managing the next captain. Usually, we have another captain, Emi Martinez, as second captain. But now, after speaking with him, I prefer to get him back. Konsa is the next one. Tyrone Mings, with Ollie Watkins too. Normally, we are managing it like that.”

The Villans recently identified Manchester City’s James Trafford as a potential target, with the Englishman being kept out of Pep Guardiola’s starting XI by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Man United retain an interest in the Villa star, so there may be interest during the January transfer window, with Amorim personally requesting a winter deal back in October.

Should the 57-time Argentina international decide he wants to leave, there is no point Aston Villa standing in his way, but it would be a shame to let him go, given the level of some of his performances over the past few weeks.

The former Arsenal man has kept clean sheets in three of his last four matches in all competitions, most recently keeping a clean sheet after denying Antoine Semenyo from the penalty spot in the 4-0 victory against AFC Bournemouth.

The World Cup-winning goalkeeper remains under contract until 2030, so Aston Villa should be able to command a good fee for his services if they do decide to cash-in, but it would be a risk to sell one of their most experienced players.

Emiliano Martinez has been named as one of the best goalkeepers in the world The Best 15 Goalkeepers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who’s number one of the best number ones in the world?

1 ByCharlie Smith Nov 28, 2025

Miles Robinson addressed the altercation that erupted at the end of the United States men’s national team’s 2-1 win over Paraguay during the November 2025 friendlies, offering clarity on how a late throw-in dispute escalated into a bench-clearing confrontation. However, both Robinson and Gio Reyna said the scuffle ultimately reflected the team’s character and commitment to one another.

Getty'That’s what got us the W'

Robinson said the altercation began with a U.S. throw-in after teammate Alex Freeman pursued the ball aggressively. According to Robinson, the sequence led to “one or two cheap shots” from Paraguay, escalating tensions until players from both benches became involved in a brief confrontation.

Robinson added that the moment reflected the team’s togetherness.

“It’s our throw-in, Alex [Freeman] takes the ball and then you know, one or two cheap shots,” Robinson said in his post-match interview with . “But it is what it is, we came out and we played with a lot of heart tonight, and I think that’s what got us the W.”

Reyna, who did not see the initial incident, echoed Robinson’s comments about the team’s competitiveness.

“Honestly, I have no idea [how it started]. I was kind of looking off to the side, and then Alex and someone from their team seemed like they weren't very happy with each other. Yeah, it's a friendly game, but it's a competitive environment. We wanted to win this game," Reyna said to "Obviously, we've played friendlies pretty much all last year. So yeah, it's important to get that competitive energy in this group and take it with us. I think it's great for Alex coming into another tough match on Tuesday against Uruguay.”

AdvertisementImagnTeam unity underpin USMNT’s approach

Despite the confrontation, Robinson stressed that the USMNT operates as one cohesive family that refuses to tolerate disrespect or intimidation. He highlighted the team’s collective mindset of fighting for one another and maintaining focus on the ultimate goal of winning. 

“Yeah, I mean, I think we’re one big family, we’re playing at home, so we’re not going to take anything,” Robinson said. “We came out, we’re trying to fight for each other, we’re trying to fight for our country, and obviously we came out, we got the W, and that’s what means the most to us.”

Getty Images SportDefensive focus

Reflecting on the team’s overall performance, Robinson praised the defenders for their hard work and dedication in training, particularly their emphasis on defensive organization. While acknowledging the significance of the win, he expressed belief that there is still considerable room for improvement in the team’s defensive execution.

“Yeah, I think we’ve been training really hard overall,” Robinson said. “I think we focused a lot defensively. The thing about tonight is we got the W, I think there’s a lot we can improve on. So that’s something we can definitely take back with us and learn from, and hopefully we can use this as a stepping stone for the future.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

What comes next for Robinson and the USMNT

The USMNT will face Uruguay in its final match of the 2025 calendar year on Nov. 18.

Manchester City starlet Reigan Heskey, the son of former Liverpool striker Emile, helped to give England lift-off in their U17 World Cup campaign as he inspired an 8-1 victory over Haiti. Having lost their opening game of the tournament in Qatar, the Young Lions knew that three points were imperative in their second Group E fixture. Neil Ryan's side ultimately eased over that line.

Young Lions plunder eight goals in huge win

Having fluffed their lines in surprising fashion against Venezuela, slipping to a humbling 3-0 defeat, it took less than 60 seconds for England to open the scoring against Haiti. Heskey was involved from the off, with his low cross being turned home by Tottenham No.10 Luca Williams-Barnett.

The tricky Spurs playmaker looked lively throughout the opening exchanges, with some neat footwork – which saw him skip and spin away from a couple of challenges – coming close to providing another sight of goal. At the opposite end of the field, Haiti posed a threat with pacey counter attacks.

England were, however, to see collective nerves settled further inside quarter of an hour. The match officials initially waved away Heskey’s claims for a penalty after he was sent tumbling inside the box by Emerson Alexis, but a VS review saw a spot-kick awarded – with coaches able to lodge two requests during any given contest.

Having earned the opportunity from 12 yards, Heskey stepped up himself and calmly sent Haiti’s goalkeeper the wrong way as he found the bottom corner. Ryan’s side were given a wake-up call in the 17th minute when their offside trap was beaten and Franco Celestin headed in off the underside of the crossbar from a matter of inches.

England’s two-goal lead was restored inside four minutes, with Heskey involved prominently once again as he teed up Chelsea’s Reggie Walsh for a composed finish. The heat and humidity was clearly becoming too much for Haiti, as they were left chasing shadows, with the Young Lions pulling away early in the second half.

Venezuelan-born Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez of Lyon opened his account for the tournament in the 55th minute, showing good strength to hold off his marker and drill low across goal and into the net. England’s fifth arrived three minutes later as Heskey set up substitute Chizaram Ezenwata of Chelsea for a shot that was fired through defenders on the line.

Haiti were then hit for six in the 64th minute when the impressive Williams-Barnet grabbed his second of the game. The 17-year-old once again showcased dancing feet as he found space where there was very little and completed a mazy dribble with a cheeky nutmeg.

Despite only being introduced in place of Rodriguez, exciting Stamford Bridge prospect Ezenwata helped himself to the match ball when completing his hat-trick with there still 10 minutes left on the clock. Two smart finishes, one in off the post and another across the goalkeeper, saw him to a memorable hat-trick at a prominent international tournament.

AdvertisementGettyThe MVP

Williams-Barnett looked very impressive – with Tottenham seemingly having a huge talent on their hands there – while Ezenwata claimed the match ball, but Heskey made the difference when England were looking to take control of proceedings.

He is not the same kind of player as his father – who was a powerful striker – with the talented teenager more at home on the flanks. He does, however, still boast an eye for goal – be that hitting the net himself or providing for others.

Haiti never got close to containing the threat that he posed before being replaced 11 minutes from time. Heskey helped to get the ball rolling inside the opening minutes, before firing home from the penalty spot himself.

He showcased his unselfish side when putting chances on a plate for Walsh and Ezenwata. He will be brimming with confidence ahead of England’s final group stage fixture against Egypt on November 10.

GettyThe big loser

It feels harsh to brand any of the Young Lions as a "loser" given how commanding they were across 90 impressive minutes. The only blot on an otherwise impressive copybook came in the form of Celestin’s first-half goal. Arsenal keeper Jack Porter – who was the Gunners’ youngest debutant before seeing Max Dowman break that record – will be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet. He was worried at times during the opening 45 minutes, but was left with little to do as England put their foot on the gas and pulled away from Haiti in style.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There were a few positives to take away from the narrow win that Glasgow Rangers picked up on their travels in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.

The Light Blues won their first match of the league season, after four draws and one defeat in their first five matches, and Oliver Antman registered his first goal contribution in the league.

As shown in the clip above, the Finland international did well to hook the ball back into a dangerous area to set up James Tavernier for the opening goal against Livingston.

Unfortunately, goal contributions for Rangers forwards have been few and far between in the Premiership this season, as Russell Martin’s wide men have failed to deliver much in the way of quality.

How Rangers wingers have performed in the Premiership

Antman’s assist for Tavernier’s goal on Sunday was only the second goal contribution provided by a Rangers winger in six league games so far in the 2025/26 campaign, which is a damning indictment of how they have performed as a collective.

As you can see in the table above, Findlay Curtis, who scored against St Mirren, is the only other player who has delivered a goal or an assist from a wide position for the Gers this season.

Martin’s wide players have, to put it simply, not done enough in the final third in the Premiership, which will need to change if the Gers want to string more wins together to get their campaign back on track.

Whilst the wingers currently at the club are struggling in front of goal, a winger sent out on loan by Rangers is currently outperforming them all.

The Rangers loanee who is outperforming Oliver Antman

Ross McCausland was sent out on loan to Aris Limassol on a season-long loan during the summer transfer window, and the Northern Ireland international has impressed in Cyprus.

The Rangers academy graduate has delivered three goals and one assist in four league matches for Aris to date, which means that he has more goal contributions at league level (four) than every Gers winger combined (two) this season, per Sofascore.

McCausland, who scored seven goals and provided seven assists in 66 matches for Rangers (Transfermarkt), only started four times in the Premiership for the Ibrox giants in the 2024/25 campaign, including a game at right wing-back that saw him sent off against Aberdeen.

Looking back, the Gers may regret that he did not get more opportunities in his natural position, as a right winger, given what he has achieved in such a short time in Cyprus.

Journalist Scott McBurns has revealed that Aris are on course to trigger their obligation to sign him permanently in January, whilst adding that he is “attracting major European interest” because of his form for his loan club.

Rangers are set to receive a six-figure fee for the Northern Irish forward, which means that they will rake in less than a million for him. Whilst this is purely guesswork, the fact that there is “major European interest” in the attacker suggests that Aris could flip him for an instant profit in January or next summer.

This is why the Light Blues will regret ditching McCausland in the summer just gone, or at least for the less than £1m fee that they agreed with Aris, as he has gone on to outperform the current Rangers wingers and could move on to another European team next year.

Rangers star was "like the best of Zidane", now he's worse than Barron

This Rangers star who was once compared to Zinedine Zidane is now even worse than Connor Barron.

1

By
Dan Emery

Sep 30, 2025

The Northern Ireland international may not have set the world alight during his time in the first-team at Ibrox, but he is still currently looking like a better option than what Martin has at his disposal.

As they look to maintain their impressive form against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, Coventry City may have to do so without two players following the latest injury news.

Lampard: Coventry "spot on" in Millwall thrashing

Frank Lampard is doing an excellent job at Coventry. The former Chelsea manager is reviving his career in the technical area and has transformed the Sky Blues from a frustrated mid-table side into serious play-off hopefuls, and that transformation was on show for all to see against Millwall.

Hagi Wright’s brace, followed by goals from Ellis Simms and Kaine Kesler-Hayden from the bench saw the visitors secure a 4-0 rout of their London opposition and move into the automatic promotion spot after eight Championship games.

Still unbeaten and not slowing down, Lampard was full of praise for his side in his post-match reaction – saying: “A really good performance because that’s a tough place to come – it’s a strong squad, strong team they have and the feeling is the stadium is hard to come here and get tight wins, let alone finish the way we did.

“Everything was spot-on from the lads in a busy week – to come here in the middle of the week is a tough challenge. It was great how we started the game, great how we dealt with everything in between, great how we finished the game.”

Up next for Coventry is a trip to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday. The Sky Blues will be hoping to avoid any upset against a side dominated by struggles away from the pitch rather than any progress on it.

This time around, however, Lampard’s side may have to maintain their unbeaten run without two of their star players following the latest injury news.

Update on Torp and Eccles' injuries

As revealed by Lampard, Coventry could be without Victor Torp and Josh Eccles against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. The duo were forced off through injury in the second half and face a race against time to travel to Hillsborough.

Lampard seemed fairly relaxed about both injuries in his reaction. Whether that’s a good indication as to how serious they are will be interesting to see, but it would come as no surprise if Saturday came too soon for both Torp and Eccles. The big task that the Sky Blues manager now has is finding replacements for two fresh injury concerns.

After losing Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer over the summer, Everton will be hoping that Beto and new signing Thierno Barry can provide them with a rich source of goals. Already, Beto is off the mark this season, having bagged in the 3-2 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

As for Barry, he is only a young player, so there should be far less pressure put on him. Yet, the Frenchman is a talented centre-forward who scored 11 goals in 35 La Liga games for Villarreal last term. He can certainly become a top-level striker in the future.

David Moyes would surely love for the strikers to have the same impact at Everton as Romelu Lukaku did.

The numbers behind Lukaku’s Everton success

Initially a loan move before the Toffees made it permanent, Lukaku’s time at Everton was excellent. He lit up Goodison Park for four seasons before joining Manchester United after the stellar performances he put in.

In 166 games for the Merseysiders, he found the back of the net 87 times and chipped in with 27 assists. His minutes-per-goal ratio was strong, too. The Belgian scored once every 160 minutes in an Everton shirt.

Although the weight of goals he scored only increased the further into his career at Goodison Park, it was that initial loan spell in 2013/14 that really showed how much of a success he could be at the club.

In his first campaign as a Toffee, Lukaku bagged 15 Premier League goals and assisted seven more in 31 games, and also scored in his only FA Cup appearance that season.

Averaging 0.7 goal involvements per game was certainly a strong start to life on Merseyside.

Whilst, overall, Moyes would love his two centre-forwards to recreate Lukaku’s impact at Everton, there might be another loan star who could add similar firepower to the Belgian in his debut season over a decade ago.

Why Jack Grealish is Everton’s new Lukaku

It was a hectic summer transfer window for Everton, who secured several new signings to bolster Moyes’ squad. Of course, they brought Barry to the club and permanently signed the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

However, the marquee signing this summer for the Toffees was surely Jack Grealish. The England international signed on loan from Manchester City and has made an incredible start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

In his two Premier League starts so far, the 30-year-old has already assisted four goals.

Two of those came in the 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion, with the other couple away to Wolves, including a pass that set Beto up.

Well, Everton’s supporters have certainly taken to Grealish well, although given the start he has made, that isn’t much of a surprise. Toffees supporter and tactical analyst Matt Smith said he has been a “game changer” so far.

Looking at the match stats from the games against Brighton and Wolves highlights Grealish’s impact so far. In both matches, he created three chances apiece, and away to the Old Gold, his off-the-ball work was clear to see. The 30-year-old won 13 duels at Molineux.

Just a handful of games into his Everton career, it is easy to see how Grealish can replicate Lukaku’s impact on loan as the Toffees’ newest talisman. The Belgian striker added firepower in attacking areas through goals and assists, and already, Grealish is doing the same thing.

The fact that Moyes has potentially uncovered Everton’s new Lukaku, in that sense, will be a huge benefit for the club. Life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium could not have started any better for Grealish, and he’d surely love to continue this form.

Friedkin must sell "really poor" Everton star who earns more than Ndiaye

Everton might be better off cutting their losses with one high earner…

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 10, 2025