Durham shrugged off another injury to captain Paul Collingwood to boost their chances of reaching a second quarter-final when they beat Yorkshire by 15 runs at the Riverside
ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2016 ScorecardMark Wood was the pick of the Durham bowlers•Getty ImagesDurham shrugged off another injury to captain Paul Collingwood to boost their chances of reaching a second quarter-final when they beat Yorkshire by 15 runs at the Riverside.After both teams progressed in the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday, both can also reach the last eight in the Royal London Cup by winning their final group matches on Monday. Durham go to Old Trafford and Yorkshire entertain Warwickshire but will hope to bat better than in attempting to chase down Durham’s 281 for 7.At 200 for 5 after 40 overs they were 16 ahead of Durham at the equivalent stage but, despite Tim Bresnan continuing his fine batting form with 92, the boundaries dried up against tight bowling.Only 38 runs came off the next seven overs and there had not been a boundary for 12 overs until Bresnan twice planted Chris Rushworth into the stand over midwicket in the 48th. He than holed out off the last ball of the over, leaving 28 needed off two with two wickets standing. Mark Wood conceded only one run in the 49th and Yorkshire finished on 266 for 8.Collingwood, who took over the one-day captaincy from the departing Mark Stoneman last week, was limping while batting and in his absence from the field Keaton Jennings took over. He skilfully marshalled an excellent bowling display, led by Wood after he was belatedly made available as he continues his comeback from two ankle operations. Wood took the crucial wickets of Alex Lees and Jack Leaning while conceding only 43 runs in ten overs.Scott Borthwick was Durham’s star, top-scoring with 84 and taking 1 for 48 in ten overs of generally tight legspin, spoilt only when Bresnan drove a full toss for six then pulled a long hop for four. That came towards the end of a fifth-wicket stand of 76 with Jack Leaning, but when Wood was recalled Leaning steered a catch straight to backward point and the momentum was never recovered.Borthwick accelerated nicely from a 74-ball half-century to reach 84 before breaking his bat, only to fall without addition when the new blade sent a miscued hook to long leg in the 41st over.Durham did well to take 97 off their last ten overs as, despite hitting only two boundaries, Michael Richardson kept the score moving with 53 off 58 balls. He was helped in the last ten overs by cameos from Ryan Pringle, with 27 off 20 balls, and Stuart Poynter, who included a straight six off Bresnan in his unbeaten 27.
Manchester City are preparing to open in-house talks regarding a contract extension for Erling Haaland, according to reports.
What's the latest on Haaland's future?
The Norwegian international first arrived in the Premier League when he made the initial £51m big-money move, rising to £85.5m, from Borussia Dortmund last summer, and in his 44 appearances to date, has quickly become Pep Guardiola's best-performing offensive player and second overall, just behind Kevin De Bruyne with a match rating of 7.62.
The Sky Blues striker's current deal at the Etihad isn't set to expire for another four years, but given the unbelievably positive impression he's made in the top-flight so far, his displays have been catching the attention of one particular admirer over in La Liga.
The Manchester Evening News report that Real Madrid are interested in completing a summer transfer for the 22-year-old, and the situation hasn't been helped by his agent Rafaela Pimenta who publicly admitted that it would be a "dream" for any player to move to the Bernabeu Stadium.
According to Football Insider, Manchester City are "preparing" to enter discussions with Haaland in the hope of reaching an agreement to extend his stay for a further two years on top of his contract which would keep him at the club until 2029. The Sky Blues are "eager to reward" the forward with fresh terms for his remarkable efforts during his debut season, and it's stated that he is "happy" and has "made it clear" to the necessary figures that he is "open" to putting pen to paper.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
Does Haaland deserve to be offered a new contract?
Manchester City have become a completely different beast for the better since Haaland joined, and having been labelled a "monster" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his prolific form, he 100% deserves to be tabled improved terms to fend off outside interest.
The Etihad talisman has so far posted an outstanding 58 goal contributions (50 goals and eight assists) in 44 appearances under Guardiola and has recorded a total of 99 shots since the start of the term which is higher than any other of his fellow teammates, and this form has seen him receive eight club man-of-the-match awards across all competitions.
Haaland, who currently pockets £375k-per-week, also offers excellent versatility with his ability to operate out wide on both the left and right flanks and as a second striker alongside his natural centre-forward role, so securing his services for the long-term is a no-brainer of a decision for the chiefs to make.
Newcastle United could look to sell winger Allan Saint-Maximin this summer to raise funds for the summer transfer window, according to journalist Alex Crook.
What's the latest news involving Allan Saint-Maximin?
Football Insider have claimed that Saint-Maximin could look to depart St James' Park in the summer due to fears over being a rotational option at the club.
The report states that the 26-year-old is said to be receiving interest from clubs around Europe and they could be 'ready to pounce' if Saint-Maximin appears on the market.
Calciomercato have claimed that AC Milan had contact with Saint-Maximin's agents in the January transfer window and the Italian giants may make another attempt to secure his services in the upcoming off-season.
TEAMtalk revealed that Newcastle United will 'listen to offers' for the Frenchman and have decided that he doesn't warrant a new contract at the club or hold a place as part of the furniture for the long-term in the North East.
Saint-Maximin is reportedly earning around £70,000 per week at the Magpies on a deal that runs until 2026, as per Capology.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Crook thinks the scenario of Saint-Maximin departing St James' Park may have a decent chance of happening.
Crook said: "I think the budget is quite small, sort of £20 million to £25 million, plus whatever they can raise from selling players. Obviously, they’re not going to want to sell people like Bruno Guimaraes, who they'd be able to get a lot of money for.
"So, Allan Saint-Maximin, he's got a contract I think for the next three years, but he's going to have suitors. I think if they can cash in on him and give Eddie Howe a few more quid to spend, I think they would be willing to do that.”
What have Allan Saint Maximin's stats been like this season?
In 2022/23, Saint-Maximin has made 26 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle United, notching one goal and five assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Despite being in and out of Eddie Howe's team this campaign, WhoScored notes that the once-hailed "magician" has completed an average of 2.2 dribbles per match this term, showing his ability to advance beyond his marker regularly and drive into dangerous areas.
FBRef shows that Saint-Maximin has successfully recorded 54 shot-creating actions in the Premier League, demonstrating his capacity to be a handy provider of chances when called into the side.
The 26-year-old is a talented player that has become a fan favourite at St James' Park due to his trickery and inventiveness; nevertheless, it could be the case that both parties shake hands and move on this summer for an agreeable price.
A lot of players can go under the radar at Manchester City. Simply put, Pep Guardiola’s system isn’t designed for individual standouts. It is designed for every player to play their role to perfection, both on and off the ball. And this naturally leads to a number of underrated, yet important figures emerging.
Such is the genius of Guardiola, some may believe that the former Bayern Munich manager could hand pick a number of players for each role in his starting 11. But, this isn’t the case; certain players deserve credit for the job they do; jobs that not many others could take on with such success.
With that said, we’ve ranked Manchester City’s most underrated player of the Premier League era.
10) Oleksandr Zinchenko
Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the biggest victims of Manchester City’s constant spending on improvement. The left-back has always performed well in his role, but has still seen that same role taken by other players as soon as they walk through the door.
As a result, he left for Arsenal in the summer, and they’re now top of the Premier League table; coincidence? We think not.
Indeed, Zinchenko never made more than 20 appearances in one Premier League season during his time at City.
That feels like a ridiculous stat when you think about it, but it just shows the riches City have at their disposal.
9) Samir Nasri
An increasingly controversial character as his career went on, Samir Nasri often went under the radar at Manchester City.
The silky Frenchman played an important role in City’s first ever Premier League title win in 2012, recording 14 goal involvements in the league.
Nasri totalled 176 appearances for City during his time at the club and one has to say that the club had the best version of him.
After leaving, Nasri endured a nomadic period, playing in Turkey, as well as featuring for West Ham and Anderlecht.
He’s not remembered as he should be.
8) Mario Balotelli
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Speaking of controversial, not many have a bigger track record of that exact trait than Mario Balotelli. And that’s perhaps why his time at Manchester City went under the radar.
Whether he was putting the ball in on the goal-line with his shoulder, or scoring against Manchester United and unveiling the famous ‘why always me’ shirt, the Italian was superb at times. To this day, he remains the only Italian to win the Premier League title.
Balotelli may have seen his legacy somewhat dimmed by the fact that he never recaptured the City form anywhere else.
But he’s one of the most mercurial players we’ve ever seen at City.
7) Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta was unfortunate enough to feature in an era when full-backs were not quite as appreciated as they are today.
The Argentine right-back was as good going forward as he was defensively, and was a huge part of Manchester City’s Premier League title wins in 2011/12 and 2013/14.
He made over 300 appearances, and often wore the captain’s armband.
He left City with two Premier League titles under his belt, as well as two League Cups and one FA Cup.
6) Edin Dzeko
When it comes to underrated forwards in Premier League history, Edin Dzeko is right near the top.
He was a key part of City’s title-winning sides in 2011/12 and 2013/14, and, by the time he left city, he had scored an impressive 72 goals in 189 appearances.
Many seem to forget, too, that it was his goal that put City level with Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 11/12 season.
It took a long time for City to find another striker who was as selfless and brilliant as the Bosnia and Herzegovina international.
5) Ilkay Gundogan
The Ilkay Gundogan fan club may have increased in numbers recently, but he still goes far too much under the radar for our liking.
The final day of last season epitomised the German as a player, with his brace helping to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Aston Villa to win the game 3-2 and seal the Premier League title.
Where there is an important moment, there seems to be a Gundogan goal.
He’s played over 280 times for the club and if he does leave soon enough, he will be sorely missed.
4) Aleksandar Kolarov
Like Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov was unlucky to enjoy his best years in an era outside of the full-back popularity that we so often see today.
That does not take away just how good he was, however, with his rocket of a left foot making the difference on more than one occasion at The Etihad, clocking up 247 appearances.
He was a regular during the time that City were becoming a truly immense force in English football.
Defensively brilliant and an attacking threat too, Kolarov was a truly world-class left-back.
3) Raheem Sterling
A player with 131 goals and 95 assists shouldn’t be able to warrant a place on this list. But, the fact is, Raheem Sterling is nowhere near appreciated enough at Manchester City and in the Premier League as a whole.
In total, he won four Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, along with five League Cups and one FA Cup.
He has left an immense hole in the City squad after moving to Chelsea, and it remains to be seen if the club can find a way to properly replace him.
Their form this season suggests they are struggling to do so.
2) Joe Hart
The arrival and subsequent performances of Ederson can make people forget about just how good Joe Hart was at Manchester City.
Of course, he didn’t suit the change of style under Pep Guardiola, but, prior to that, he was head and shoulders (pun fully intended) above many Premier League shot-stoppers. He remains a key figure in City’s recent history.
One of the best goalkeepers in Europe at his peak, Hart was also England’s No.1 at a variety of major tournaments.
At his best, there were few better in the world.
1) Fernandinho
Fernandinho was always going to have his place on this list.
He is one of the most underrated players in Premier League history. And, in a way, that’s exactly what you want from your defensive midfielder. If they’re in the spotlight then, chances are, they’ve made a mistake.
Fernandinho has successfully been the foundation of City’s success over the years, whilst rarely being exposed on the main stage.
He made 383 appearances in total, playing a key role in every season from 2013/14 right up until last season.
With the way that Pep Guardiola sets up his side, it would come as no surprise if more players went under the radar in the next few years. As a collective, Manchester City are the best team in the Premier League, and arguably the world. Meanwhile, if you shoved the majority of their players into the spotlight and forced them to play in a system which requires individual carrying jobs, they’d fit straight in.
It speaks volumes of the trust that the players have in Guardiola, that they have remained so disciplined over the years and stuck to their roles, whether that be in or out of the spotlight.
Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United winger Maxwel Cornet will not feature in the squad this weekend despite nearing a return from injury.
What’s the latest on Maxwel Cornet and his injury?
The Ivorian has not actually played for the Hammers since before the break for the winter World Cup, with his last senior appearance coming way back in October.
Indeed, a calf injury has kept him sidelined for months now but in great news, Cornet did at least return for the West Ham U21s, playing 45 minutes against the Manchester City youth side in Premier League 2.
Despite that positive injury development, it seems as though he hasn’t recovered sufficiently enough to play any role for David Moyes this weekend against Brighton.
Indeed, when writing about it on The West Ham Way Patreon, Ex revealed: “Maxwel Cornet, as exclusively revealed on Patreon, played 45 minutes for the under 23s yesterday and as a result will not feature in the squad today.”
Planning for the future
Seeing as he’s been out for so long, it makes sense for the club to ease Cornet back into action with a half of football for the U21s and with that game taking place yesterday, it’s no shock to hear that the winger won’t be involved in the Premier League today.
However, with the Irons still struggling down at the bottom end of the table, they could really do with another big performance after picking up a much-needed three points last weekend against Nottingham Forest.
Indeed, a win could potentially take them five points above the bottom three. Still, they will have to get by without Cornet who could possibly be back in the squad for their next league game when they take on Aston Villa.
He is yet to score for the club since his summer transfer from Burnley but five assists in only nine senior outings serve as a reminder of the quality he can bring. No doubt, Moyes will be glad to have the winger back as soon as possible.
Leeds United bolstered their squad well in the January transfer window but suffered what seemed like a minor setback in their comfortable FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley.
Their leading scorer Rodrigo was forced off after 69 minutes with an unknown ailment, and only now that the transfer window is shut has it become known that it was much worse than initially feared.
The Spaniard is set to be out for the next two months, a hammer blow which leaves Jesse Marsch somewhat threadbare up top and possibly regretting his lack of foresight in the transfer market.
Georginio Rutter was their main addition last month, as the Whites shattered their record transfer fee to welcome the Frenchman. However, at just 20 years old, the huge burden placed upon someone so young could prove overwhelming, especially with that £36m price tag hanging over him.
Perhaps Marsch could look to remove him from the limelight and instead promote one of his highly-rated youth prospects who could enter the fray as fearless asset and without the baggage of a club-record transfer outlay.
The outstanding candidate for such a call-up would have to be Mateo Joseph, with the Spaniard having proven himself a consistent goalscorer in the academy.
This season has comfortably been the 19-year-old’s most prolific, as he boasts 11 goals in as many Premier League 2 appearances, alongside four well-earned senior cameos.
Such is his blistering form that he has deservedly been described by writer Tom Maston as “on fire in front of goal”, and he has the goalscoring prowess to atone for Rodrigo’s enforced absence.
However, the teenage sensation also has the tactical intelligence to fill his elder compatriot’s boots, as journalist Joe Donnohue outlined one of the 20-year-old’s top qualities by tweeting: “Underrated aspect of Mateo Joseph’s centre-forward play is his pressing; doesn’t give opponents a moment’s peace”.
This claim was further supplemented by another writer in Matty Hewitt, who dubbed Joseph a “really bright” young player.
Perhaps he could now translate his electrifying form at youth level into the first-team squad in Leeds’ hour of need, offering an ideal foil for Rutter whilst catapulting his career ever closer to the stardom for which he seems destined.
Arsenal have reportedly agreed a £13.1m deal with Real Valladolid to sign right-back Ivan Fresneda, who is set to choose between the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund today.
The Lowdown: Arsenal’s pursuit of Fresneda
It was recently reported by Fabrizio Romano that Arsenal had started talks with Fresneda’s agent about a move to the Emirates Stadium, and they now appear to have taken that interest one step further by lodging an official bid for the 18-year-old.
In doing so, Mikel Arteta’s side have moved ahead of a whole host of other Premier League clubs in the race for the youngster’s signature, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Newcastle all previously being named as potential suitors.
The Latest: Deal agreed…
According to The Athletic reporter Guillermo Rai on Monday morning, Arsenal have struck a £13.1m agreement of terms with Valladolid for the Spaniard. However, Dortmund have also tabled the same offer, and the 18-year-old is set to decide between the two clubs at some point today.
Regardless of whichever club he chooses, he is set to be loaned back to Valladolid for the rest of the season in order to continue his development.
The Verdict: Fantastic news
Given that Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table, five points clear of Manchester City, a move to the Emirates must be an attractive proposition for the right-back, who has already shown that he is a fantastic prospect.
Matt Clark of the La Liga Lowdown has hailed the teenager as ‘remarkably complete’ with a ‘coveted combination of physicality and technical ability’, adding that he is ‘strong in the tackle’. That attribute is indicated by an average of 3.39 tackles per 90 in the past year, placing in the 98th percentile compared to other right-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.
With Ben White making the right-back spot his own this season, featuring 23 times in that area of the pitch, Arteta does not badly need a new option at present. That is why it would be a smart move to allow Fresneda to continue his development with Valladolid, where he has been able to make consistent first-team appearances.
Nottingham Forest have seemingly found their form in the Premier League in recent weeks and now Steve Cooper could be set to strengthen his squad even further ahead of the second half of the season with a new potential transfer target identified.
What’s the latest?
According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are plotting a surprise move for Newcastle United striker Chris Wood this month.
As per the report, Cooper is keen to add another striker to his newly-built Premier League squad in January and Wood has been identified as the player who could be the perfect fit for the club in their pursuit to retain their top flight status.
It is claimed that Forest are exploring both permanent and loan options in order to acquire the services of the striker and Eddie Howe could be tempted to reach an agreement to free up his squad for potential new signings at St James’ Park.
Imagine him & Johnson
There is no doubt the Forest boss will be thrilled with the turnaround his team has had over the last few weeks and months with the side finally climbing out of the bottom three after a run of impressive form.
The Tricky Trees are now 13th in the top flight table after picking up 10 points in their last five outings and last week progressed to the Carabao Cup semi-finals when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in a heated clash at The City Ground.
As a result, Cooper will be desperate for his team to continue their momentum and further strengthening the forward line with a Premier League proven goal-scorer like Wood could be the final addition needed to secure a comfortable finish at the end of the season.
Over 508 career appearances, the £80k-per-week goal machine has scored 166 goals and registered 43 assists with a goal contribution every 156 minutes so far – proving that Wood has been a reliable and consistent goal threat over his career to date and could be a valuable asset to Nottingham Forest in their forward line.
The 31-year-old – who was hailed “tremendous” by Les Ferdinand – has found himself falling out of favour on Tyneside due to the arrival of Alexander Isak and the form Callum Wilson has been in over the season so far, but has been lavished with praise on numerous occasions by some of the biggest names in English football.
All-time Premier League top goal-scorer and Toon legend Alan Shearer claims the striker never “gives defenders a moment’s peace” and is “horrible” to play against:
“I like him, I like what he does for the team and he is the focal point for them He is very good at occupying two centre-halves.
“He is horrible to play against and he won’t give defenders a moment’s peace.”
The Forest boss could even form a fantastic attacking partnership between Wood and Brennan Johnson if the striker makes the move to Trentside this month as the young forward has been a consistent source of creativity in the attacking threat with 24 shot-creating actions and four goal-creating actions this season so far.
However, the team currently have the joint-second worst goal tally in the entire Premier League, so having a player like Wood who can consistently convert those chances missed in front of goal could drastically increase the goals scored by Forest over the second half of the season.
With that being said, if the Forest hierarchy could secure the signing of Wood this month it could be a great piece of business for the club and will give the manager another option to strengthen their attacking threat in order to dominate games and help to pick up the crucial points needed to remain in the Premier League next season.
West Ham United are eyeing a move to sign Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips after missing out on the midfielder last year.
The Lowdown: Long-term interest
The Hammers tried to sign Phillips from Leeds United last season, with a £50m move in January 2022 rejected by the Whites.
David Moyes is now once again in need of reinforcements in the centre of the park, as the Irons dropped to 17th place in the table this weekend thanks to a defeat against Brentford and Everton’s shock 1-1 draw at Manchester City.
And it’s the Etihad where Moyes is now looking, with GSBK apparently reigniting their interest in Phillips.
The Latest: Price dropping…
According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, West Ham have been alerted by Pep Guardiola’s recent criticism of Phillips’ fitness.
They ‘expect’ to lose Declan Rice this summer, while Phillips is admired by Moyes and ‘seen as capable of replacing Rice’.
The England international could even be available for less than the £45m Man City paid during the summer window.
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The Verdict: Wait and see?
There’s no questioning Phillips’ abilities on the football pitch. The former England Player of the Year was “unbelievable” at Elland Road – in the words of BBC pundit Alan Hutton – and shouldn’t be chastised for failing to budge the ever-present Rodri from Guardiola’s first-choice XI.
During his two top flight seasons with Leeds, the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ racked up 43 league appearances and played a significant role in making Marcelo Bielsa’s side one of the most exciting in the division.
All that said, the Irons may want to officially decide Moyes’ future before they splash any major cash in the January transfer window – a new manager may have a completely different philosophy and therefore completely different targets in mind.
GBSK can’t sit and linger though, so a definitive decision on the Scotsman’s role in the dugout needs to be made as soon as possible – one way or the other.
Everton will find it ‘difficult’ to land new sponsorship deals ahead of the opening of Bramley-Moore Dock, according to finance expert Kieran Maguire.
The Lowdown: Business collaborations wanted
The Premier League outfit have made significant progress in the construction of their new 52,888-seater stadium, recently offering a view into the business opportunities that will come with it.
Farhad Moshiri is also on the hunt for an investor to help fund the rest of the ground project that he was unable to cover after being dealt a blow following the withdrawal of Alisher Usmanov.
The Latest: Maguire’s update
Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire claimed that Everton wanting to collaborate with local businesses expresses their desire to generate external income, but they may not find it easy.
“Everton certainly want to have a good relationship with prospective partners in the city.
“But at a time of economic downturn and existing macroeconomic challenges, it will be difficult to persuade sponsors to pay top dollar.
“Hopefully, they will be impressed by the facilities on offer to business partners at Bramley-Moore Dock. That is vital.
“This is part of a much longer-term in terms of focusing on commercial revenues that are significantly lower than the peer group that Everton want to be associated with.
“They have taken a huge hit with the withdrawal of Alisher Usmanov.”
Everton must avoid relegation between now and the opening of Bramley-Moore Dock because they can’t risk suffering financially even more than they already are.
The Toffees have recorded combined losses of over £370m in the last three years, and the bank would only feel the effects further should they drop down to the second tier over the next couple of seasons.
Goodison Park has been the home of Everton since 1892, but Frank Lampard and Co will be hoping that their side’s move will signal the start of a new era both on and off the pitch.