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Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has shared a promising update on Fulham and their attempts to sign Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi before deadline day.

Who will Fulham sign?

Marco Silva's side, despite rushing to make late summer signings, have enjoyed a fairly solid start to the new Premier League campaign with a win, draw and one loss from their opening three top flight encounters.

Fulham caused a Carabao Cup upset on Tuesday evening too, having knocked high-flying Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup second round on penalties, with Tete scoring the decisive spot-kick to send his side through.

The Whites' impressive 2-2 draw away to Arsenal last weekend, courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser from star midfielder Joao Palhinha, also showed there is something to build upon for 2023/2024.

However, with just days of the summer transfer window remaining, Fulham appear to be scrambling for late deals after already sealing moves for Calvin Bassey, Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Timothy Castagne.

The latter defender's arrival has particularly excited Fulham vice chairman Tony Khan, who said the Belgian will bring star quality and versatility to Silva's squad.

"I'm excited to welcome Timothy Castagne to Fulham," said Khan (via The BBC).

"He's a versatile and very talented defender with great experience in the Premier League and international competition for Belgium.

"I'm pleased that Timothy has committed to a four-year contract with us, and we believe that he'll be an excellent addition to Marco's squad."

Fulham are now also believed to be closing in on a late move to bring Sevilla striker Lucas Ocampos to Craven Cottage, with The Telegraph claiming a deal has been agreed between the clubs.

After the possible signing of Ocampos, it is expected that the west Londoners will be one of the more busy clubs in the last gasp stages of this transfer window.

Iwobi, who starred for Everton at points last season, is another player they're chasing and reporter Taylor of The Express has shared a fairly promising update on their pursuit.

Taking to X, the journalist claims a Fulham move for the 63-cap Nigeria international "looks likely" with Fulham in talks over a late deal.

However, Taylor also urged some caution, as there is another English side who remain interested in taking Iwobi from Goodison Park.

"Fulham in talks to sign Alex Iwobi on permanent deal from Everton," he wrote.

"Toffees have failed to reach agreement with 27-year-old over new contract & current deal expires in summer of 2024. Move looks likely but there is interest from another PL side."

How good is Alex Iwobi?

The 27-year-old started all 38 league matches for Everton last term and starred as one of their best-performing players per 90, according to WhoScored.

Bagging two goals and seven assists in that time, Iwobi also made more key passes per match than any other of his teammates – standing out as a true attacking threat.

Speaking late last year, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson praised Iwobi's form at the time in an interview with Football Insider.

“I like his versatility," said Robinson.

“His performances have been outstanding. He’s shown that he can play off the left, off the right, he can play centrally.

“I think you can see that Frank Lampard is getting the best out of him right now.

“He’s playing some of the best football of his career right now.”

It's fair to say that Rangers have had a frustrating start to the season in the Scottish Premiership, already sitting four points behind Celtic, having lost two of their opening four games, including the most recent Old Firm derby.

On top of the league results, Michael Beale's side were also smashed 7-3 on aggregate by PSV Eindhoven in Champions League qualifying to end their hopes of competing among Europe's elite this season.

The Gers' start has put pressure on Beale to turn things around and prevent Celtic from winning a third consecutive Scottish Premiership. Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has delivered a damning new claim on the manager, however.

What did Frank McAvennie say?

Speaking to Football Insider, when asked how many games Beale has left to turn things around at Rangers, McAvennie said: "Just a few games, if anything. People are saying they have got to get him out now because they can’t have another season winning nothing.

“They have got the League Cup to go for, that could be his saving grace, whether that is going to pacify the fans because it was not Rangers that put Celtic out. The break has come at a good time for them.

“After getting battered by PSV I thought the best game to come back in would be a big game against your rivals with 50,000 fans behind you and they put in a performance like that, that is why fans are annoyed.“

Of course, it is worth noting that, when it comes to Rangers, the opinion of a former Celtic striker is likely to be taken with a pinch of salt, rather than a serious verdict on Beale's future. But, the manager's start to the season has been poor, and there's no doubt that the pressure will begin to mount and their former rival's words hold some truth.

Should Rangers sack Michael Beale?

Just four games into the season, sacking Beale would be a harsh decision from Rangers, who may not even find themselves an adequate replacement in the current managerial market – the current trendy link is Birmingham City's John Eustace.

The former Queens Park Rangers boss has lost twice in four Scottish Premiership games, but given that one of those came against a tough Celtic side, he deserves time to turn things around.

What will disappoint those at Ibrox is the manner in which Rangers were dumped out of the Champions League, smashed 7-3. It must be said once again, though, that PSV were no easy test, and the Gers were always the underdogs in that fixture.

It is worth remembering that Beale only became the Rangers manager in November of last year, which means that he has had less than a year in charge. So, if Rangers did sack him now, they would be doing themselves no favours – they would only be restarting the process that Beale has been attempting to get going since last season.

That's not to say that he hasn't overseen some disappointing results as of late, but defeat against the champions and one of the best Dutch teams should not warrant the sack.

From 2020, Test cricket in England is back on the traditional six venues while the eight largest grounds will host the new T20 tournament. Has the last 20 years seen money well spent?

George Dobell16-Feb-2018Was all the effort worth it?Were the years of jostling, the vast debts incurred and the public money diverted worth the effort?Because, here we are, every bit of 20-years into an arms race that rendered almost half the competition (Hampshire, Durham, Yorkshire and Glamorgan) all but insolvent and we appear to be back where we started. With the six traditional venues hosting every Test in the most recent major match allocation.It wouldn’t be accurate to say all that money – and we are talking about hundreds of millions of pounds here – was wasted. If nothing else, the competition to host Test cricket forced clubs that had been complacent to improve their facilities and stop taking the spectator for granted. Remember the leaking roof at Edgbaston or the rotting seats at Old Trafford? Remember the days when a bit of rain in the North London morning would wash out play in the afternoon at Lord’s?They’re gone and they’re not missed. Improved facilities throughout England and Wales should provide a better experience for spectators and, in terms of the indoor schools and outdoor training areas, aid the development of future generations of players.It would be wrong to see such matters purely through the prism of Test cricket, too. The fact is several grounds – notably Cardiff – were more keen to host white-ball cricket in the belief that the new T20 competition, in particular, offers the best opportunity for growth and revenue. The fact that they have a vastly improved facility – as do Bristol and Taunton – can only be an asset.The competition remains, too. Hampshire haven’t given up the hope of hosting further Tests and, should one of the traditional six stumble or fall, they will be there to pick up the pieces. Durham, Glamorgan et al. aren’t saying ‘never’ either.But whether all that money has been put to the best possible use is another question entirely. Might those millions instead have helped develop a cricket stadium with a roof? Or might the game in England and Wales have been stronger had much of that money been forsaken to ensure the game retained the oxygen of publicity that could have been provided by free to air broadcast coverage? Even millionaires suffocate without oxygen.Remarkably, however, the latest allocation did something almost unprecedented: it left almost all the counties just about satisfied. Sure, one or two were more satisfied than others and the sense remains that Durham have been treated disproportionally harshly in recent times. But, by spreading the allocations and allowing the clubs to plan well in advance (they now have a fair degree of certainty which games they are hosting until the end of 2024), the ECB have handled a tricky situation adeptly.It was noticeable however, that, in the ECB’s press release announcing the allocations, it was mentioned that Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, “chose to be excused from the room” during the board meeting to verify the Host Venue panel’s recommendations in recognition of his on-going relationship with Yorkshire.Graves, it might be remembered, rescued Yorkshire from insolvency with loans in excess of £20m. And, bearing in mind the club’s outstanding record of providing players for the England teams, it is an intervention for which cricket-lovers far beyond Yorkshire’s boundaries should be grateful.But that intervention left the club with vast debts to service. And while Graves has jumped through every hoop to satisfy legal requirements as regards his independence – he no longer benefits from those Trusts which are, instead, in the names of family members – the fact is those debts cannot be serviced unless Yorkshire are guaranteed a significant income from a strong allocation of major matches.As a result, there might be a perception from some – a perception that Graves seems to understand in light of his decision to leave the room – that he remains somewhat partial regarding Yorkshire matters. It might be noted that the trustees of the Graves Family Trusts retain a veto over who can join, or be removed from, the Yorkshire board.So his decision to leave the room raises a few questions.Did Graves excuse himself from the room when the decision was made to take Test status from Durham? Because Yorkshire indirectly benefited from that decision as it effectively reduced the competition to host Test cricket in the north of England.Did Graves excuse himself from the room when the decision was made to reject the ECB’s own working party’s recommendation to reorganise domestic T20 cricket on the basis of promotion and relegation? Because Yorkshire, with a disproportionate reliance upon the value of their local derby match against Lancashire, had more at stake than most as a result of that discussion.And did he excuse himself from the room during all the meetings that decided the new T20 competition was to involve eight teams based at the largest eight venues? Because the decision to include Yorkshire – who have failed to exploit the growth of T20 as well as several domestic rivals – guarantees them an income and power that might, once again, reasonably be argued to help them meet their financial commitments.Because if he didn’t leave the rooms on those occasions, why did he this time? And if it was appropriate to leave this time, why wasn’t it before? Just a week ago, Lord Patel of Bradford – an independent board member – told ESPNcricinfo he didn’t know anything about such Trusts.Few seriously believe that Graves’ involvement in cricket is anything other than benevolent. He could have used his time and his money to far greater personal benefit elsewhere and it is telling that Rod Bransgrove, even in the midst of his personal disappointment at missing out on the right for his Hampshire ground to host an Ashes Test in 2023, remained steadfastly supportive of the integrity of Graves and the process by which the allocations were made.But strong governance doesn’t leave such matters to chance or to the conscience of individuals; it has systems in place to deal with such possibilities. And the uncomfortable suspicion could remain that, while so many decisions pertaining to the future of English cricket appear to benefit Yorkshire, the ECB has left themselves open to accusations of, if not conflicts of interest, at least the perception of possible conflicts of interest.

Usman Khan’s final-delivery no-ball set up the Super Over, following which Sunil Narine held his nerve with the ball

The Report by Arun Venugopal11-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellIn a wildly oscillating game that frequently blurred the lines between victory and defeat, Lahore Qalandars prevailed over Karachi Kings in the Super Over. After Lahore had made 11 in the Super Over, Karachi were halted in their tracks by Sunil Narine, who unleashed his full complement of tricks. Conceding only two runs off the first five balls, which included the wicket of Colin Ingram, Narine all but ensured Karachi didn’t provide one last twist in an encounter that wouldn’t pause for a moment of calm.Earlier in the night, Lahore experienced the full spectrum of emotions – they came within shouting distance of wrapping up the game, but then thought they stuffed it only to eventually tie the game. Needing 16 to win off the last over, Sohail Akhtar turned up and dialled up the adrenaline with a sequence of 2, 4 and 6 off Usman Khan.With four runs needed off three deliveries, Mitchell McClenaghan ran himself out in pursuit of a bye. With the equation eventually narrowing down to three off one, Akhtar hit one straight down the throat of long on.However, even as Karachi were celebrating, it emerged that Usman had overstepped. More drama ensued as the two batsmen – Akhtar and Gulraiz Sadaf – hadn’t completed the run. Despite the ball being ruled dead with Ravi Bopara, the fielder, having completed the catch before the run was completed, the umpires Aleem Dar and Tim Robinson ruled that Sadaf would be on strike for the last ball. With two needed off the final delivery, Usman nailed his yorker and Sadaf could manage only one as the game went into the Super Over. Just over a week ago, Lahore found themselves on the wrong side of a Super Over. This time they would prove to be second-time lucky.Having put into bat earlier in the night, Karachi found a steady tempo for the major part of the innings. Despite losing opener Joe Denly early on, Karachi prospered from a 72-run stand between Babar Azam and Lendl Simmons. Simmons began with three boundaries driven through the covers off Anton Devcich’s bowling, and settled in with an equal measure of nifty cuts and expansive slogs. By the time he was dismissed in the 12th over, Simmons had made 55 off 39 deliveries. Azam, meanwhile, had a fortuitous moment when he lofted Yasir Shah to mid on where Shaheen Afridi fluffed a sitter. Reprieved on zero, he went on to score his second fifty in three games, a 49-ball 61.Lahore’s chase was moulded on the same template as Karachi’s, as they accumulated runs at a good clip without much extravagance. Agha Salman (50 off 45 balls) played a mature hand with Fakhar Zaman (28) and Devcich (24) rallying around him. Even as it looked like Lahore had this chase covered, Karachi’s bowlers, led by captain Imad Wasim and Bopara, took the pace off and slowed things down. Like Lahore, who had scored only 24 runs from overs 10 to 15, Karachi, too, faltered in this phase to manage only 32 runs.In a bid to up the scoring rate, Salman attempted to clear the deep midwicket fence but was undone by a terrific tag-team effort from the Azam-Simmons duo. Azam took the catch, and realising he was falling over the ropes, scooped the ball back to Simmons. Soon after, with 23 needed off 11 balls, Wasim backpedalled to pluck a fine catch to dismiss Sohail Khan and bumped his head into the turf in the process. Stretchered off the field, he had scans overnight and was kept under observation, which revealed a mild concussion. However, “his vitals are fine”, the PSL tweeted on the afternoon after the game.*Where the match was wonIn a game where there were too many false dawns, the decisive blow was struck by the understated Narine in the Super Over. Despite not having a huge score to defend, Narine wrested the match in Lahore’s favour in the first three deliveries. Starting with a straighter one on the stumps which Simmons couldn’t score off, he got away with a full toss next ball as the batsman could only manage a single off it. The third delivery, to Ingram, was a loopy offbreak that produced a top-edged slog brilliantly held by a diving Mitchell McClenaghan at fine leg. Narine pinned down Simmons once again with a 116 kph delivery and effectively put the lid on the match there and then.The men who won itWhile it is hard to look beyond Narine, it is important to acknowledge Salman’s composure at the top and McCullum’s cool under pressure. After Salman had marshalled the innings, McCullum, coming into bat at No.5, struggled to get his timing right, but managed the impactful strikes, like the ramp six off Usman. In the Super Over, too, his boundary off the penultimate ball from Mohammad Amir gave Lahore some extra cushion after they had lost Zaman early on.Where they standA win for Karachi could have seen them dislodge table-toppers Quetta Gladiators. Instead, they remain on third position with nine points. Lahore Qalandars, meanwhile, are officially out of the tournament, but have managed to salvage some pride with their second successive win in as many days.*

It wasn't easy, but Liverpool secured a fourth successive Premier League victory on Saturday afternoon, dispatching Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux after falling behind in a dismal and disjointed first half.

Jurgen Klopp cut a forlorn figure as Hwang Hee-chan pounced on Pedro Neto's fizzed cross, firing the ball into Alisson's chest, who could not prevent the ball from crossing the line.

But an incisive and trademark display of attacking intent after the break, charged by some impactful Klopp substitutions, moved the Reds into pole position in the English top-flight, albeit shortly after champions Manchester City came from behind themselves to win at West Ham United.

Who impressed for Liverpool against Wolves?

From the opening minute of the game, Liverpool looked to be in trouble. Wolves started with swagger, slick in possession and direct in their pressure against a Liverpool side notoriously poor during the early kick-off last term, drawing three and losing three.

And this trend showed little sign of being bucked as Hwang sent the Old Gold into a cacophony of cheer in the seventh minute, with the Merseyside outfit "too timid defensively, too sloppy in possession", as was said by Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones.

The Reds rebounded with conviction after the break, with Mohamed Salah's creativity serving Cody Gakpo a goal on a silver platter, before enjoying a one-two with Andy Robertson, who weaved through the area to strike and give Liverpool the late lead.

Mo Salah's game by numbers (Sofascore)

Statistics

Assists

2

Pass completion

74%

Key passes

5

Duels won

3/6

Match rating

8.2/10

Harvey Elliott's deflected strike – going down as an own goal – would confirm Klopp's side escaped the Midland with three points, and while Salah was the creator once again, it was half-time substitute Luis Diaz who made the marked impact and turned the tide up on his introduction.

How did Luis Diaz perform vs Wolves?

Liverpool toiled last season, finishing fifth in the league and consequently missing out on Champions League qualification, and did so without Diaz for the majority.

The Colombian had impressed for the Anfield side after joining from Portuguese giants Porto for an initial £37m in January 2022 – an anticipated replacement for the soon-to-depart Sadio Mane – racking up four goals and three assists from 11 starts in the 2021/22 Premier League season and scoring in the quarter-final and semi-final en-route to the Champions League finale against Real Madrid.

He would spend the majority of the 2022/23 season out injured, but got back up to speed over the summer after returning in the latter phase last term, and has scored twice across his first five outings.

Against Wolves, the 26-year-old was the "game-changer" as he came on and pumped life and electricity into Liverpool's attack, as was said by writer Charlotte Coates, who also hailed his "brilliant" display.

As per Sofascore, Diaz would pepper the Wolves goal with three shots, creating two key passes, enjoying 49 touches and making three tackles, imperative in inhibiting Wolves from gaining steam as Liverpool grew into the game.

Ranking among the top 9% of attacking midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, the £55k-per-week ace will be important across the campaign, and is indeed the 'game-changer' that his outfit need to break resolute defences down.

Liverpool are not quite at full gear, but they have rekindled their verve and with stars such as Diaz among the offensive arsenal, there is every possibility that the current campaign will be one of great success.

Can Dinesh Karthik lead Knight Riders to a win and spoil the party for what is otherwise his home crowd?

The Preview by Varun Shetty09-Apr-20184:39

Dasgupta: CSK wouldn’t want to open with Rayudu again

Big pictureIf Chennai Super Kings are capable of doing anything without a flourish, we won’t be seeing evidence of it on Tuesday. Having put up a red-carpet premiere in Mumbai on their return, MS Dhoni’s ensemble are ready for the full public release in Chennai. A full house awaits in the ground where they have a 70% win rate. Into this scene will walk Kolkata Knight Riders, who answered questions about their bench strength with a full display of the power of their starting XI against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.There’s little doubt that this game’s rhythm will be dictated by spin. Super Kings have spinners in abundance this year and the pitch will be in their favour. However, Knight Riders have historically been a team that relies on spin as well. Can their middle order of Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana and Dinesh Karthik counter the home team’s bowling-centric strategy to win the middle overs? They won’t have too many batting issues at the start and end of the innings.This will be both teams’ second game of the season and while it’s too early to worry about the table, it’s an early chance to go to first place and set up the momentum for a winning streak for the two teams that copped most criticism after the auction.In the newsSuper Kings have lost Kedar Jadhav to a hamstring tear, and are waiting on Faf du Plessis, who has picked up a side strain alongside his finger troubles. Having both of them fortifying the batting with a promoted Dhoni would have been central to their strategy, with the belligerent confidence of Dwayne Bravo to follow. They’ll now be forced to rethink that plan. The good news is, M Vijay, who missed the last game because of a knock to the ribs in training, is set to return.The likely XIsChennai Super Kings: 1 M Vijay, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Mark Wood/Lungi Ngidi, 11 Imran TahirKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Vinay Kumar/Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh NagarkotiESPNcricinfo LtdStrategy punt Since IPL 2015, Narine has only been dismissed twice against spin and scores at a staggering strike rate of 247.2 against them. Super Kings’ opening bowlers in the last match – seamers Deepak Chahar and Shane Watson – will be a better bet than the spinners against him in the Powerplay, but they will set themselves up for an early wicket if they hand the new ball to whichever overseas fast bowler they choose – Mark Wood and Lungi Ngidi are two options.Stats that matter Knight Riders have only beaten Super Kings twice in Chennai in seven attempts Dhoni continues to show signs of a weakness against right-arm spinners. Since 2015, his strike rate against offspin is 71.7 and against legspin it is 103. Only Suresh Raina (seven) has more IPL fifties than Dhoni (six) at this ground and no one has more 30-plus scores (18) than him Andre Russell has been destructive against Dwayne Bravo in T20s – 175 runs off 88 balls and strikes a boundary against him every 3.52 balls But Bravo fares much better against Karthik, whom he has dismissed thrice in seven innings and has only conceded 25 runs off 21 balls Super Kings openers Shane Watson (117.81) and M Vijay (110.36) have significantly lower Smart Strike Rates than Knight Riders’ openers Narine (191.97) and Lynn (215.79).Fantasy picks Imran Tahir didn’t have a great time against Mumbai Indians, but he is likely to get another shot and is a good pick, especially on the dry pitch in Chennai. Tahir has the best career bowling strike rate in the IPL among all his team-mates – 15.2 – and has taken more than two wickets 17 times in 54 matches in all T20s since the start of 2017. He is also the leader on that front among his Super Kings team-mates.Quotes”We feel like we’ve got the necessary backup or depth to be able to cover it. It’s certainly going to be a focus going forward. The players at the top of the order, Nos. 1-4, need to take the responsibility to try and score the bulk of the runs.”

Liverpool could look to delve into the transfer market for more attackers soon, and they are battling Real Madrid for one superstar, according to a new report.

Will Liverpool sign more attackers?

The Reds spent their summer rebuilding their midfield, bringing in the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch, as well as disposing of dead wood in the middle of the park. While some supporters were also keen to see a new centre-back added to the squad, in order to enhance the depth at Jurgen Klopp's disposal, it was clear that there was enough quality and options in attacking areas.

In Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo, Liverpool arguably have their most impressive group of attackers in recently memory, giving Klopp a plethora of top-quality options and allowing him to rotate effectively during a busy season.

There are doubts over Salah's long-term future at Anfield, however, following strong interest from Saudi Arabia during the summer transfer window, and there is the chance that he decides to move on to pastures new at the end of this season.

Should that happen, Liverpool will clearly need to sign a high-calibre replacement almost immediately, and it is important that they continue to look at long-term options, regardless of the Egyptian's future.

Will Liverpool sign Rafael Leao?

According to a report from Spain [via Sempre Milan], the Reds are locking horns with Real Madrid for the signing of AC Milan rising superstar Rafael Leao, who has arguably become their most important player currently, especially after Sandro Tonali left to join Newcastle United in the summer.

The report states that Liverpool and Madrid are "leading the competition" for the Portuguese's services, and a new challenge away from his current club "does not seem to be something Leao would reject". Milan are clearly extremely hesitant to sell possibly their most prized asset, however, and have slapped a €150m (£130.4m) price tag on his shoulders, outlining just how highly he is thought of.

Leao look like a special player currently, arguably looking like one of Europe's most devastating wide players, combining pace, directness and most importantly of all reliable end product. He has scored 45 goals and registered 38 assists in 168 appearances for the Serie A giants, not to mention netting three times for Portugal at international level.

The 24-year-old is admittedly predominantly a left-sided player, and a right-sided option would be needed if Salah did leave, but there is no reason why he couldn't thrive there, or why Diaz or Jota couldn't potentially switch flanks.

Leao has been described as a "top player" by Graham Potter in the past, as well as his quality being hailed as "beautiful" by Ian Wright, and he has the ability to be a long-term superstar at Anfield, with his best years still lying ahead of him and his peak not likely to disappear for another six or seven years.

The amount of money being mooted is clearly a huge amount – he is contracted until the summer of 2028, which puts Milan in a strong bargaining position – but if Liverpool did receive a massive fee for Salah next summer, the funds would be available to pay it.

The Kolkata Knight Riders opener talks about his recovery from his latest shoulder injury, and explains his team’s flexible strategy at the top of the order

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2018This season, Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening combination has been fluid. While Sunil Narine opened their batting in three of their first four games, the team opted for Robin Uthappa to open alongside Chris Lynn against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The flexibility, Lynn feels, allows Knight Riders’ top three the best chance to combat whatever type of bowling the opposition may throw at them.Narine has scored his runs at a strike rate of 194.59 this season, but his weakness against fast, short-pitched bowling was perhaps a reason behind Uthappa slotting in as opener against Sunrisers’ new-ball combination of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Billy Stanlake.”Obviously one’s left-handed, one’s right-handed. Sunny is obviously very aggressive whereas Robbie is very technical and likes to build his innings so they are two different types of players,” Lynn told following Knight Riders’ loss to Sunrisers on Saturday. “But for us, it’s about communicating about who’s bowling, whether it’ll be a fast bowler or a spin bowler, and making sure our communication and match-ups against those bowlers is spot on.”If we do lose a wicket, it’s about consolidating and batting with the guy at the other end, making sure you’re taking down your strengths, rather than trying to bat against your weakness.”On a personal note, Lynn has had an underwhelming start to IPL 2018. After four games, Lynn has scored 107 runs at a strike-rate of 122.98, well below his career T20 figure of 147.27. Having played no cricket for over a month thanks to a dislocated shoulder, Lynn said returning to competitive cricket and using a shoulder brace while batting have been “challenging”. But he backs himself to score big runs as the season progresses.”Yeah, it’s been challenging,” Lynn said. “Having not played for six weeks, getting back into the groove has taken me a couple of games. So it was nice to get some runs the other night [49 against Sunrisers] and I’m primed to keep churning out the runs now.”Obviously, getting used to batting with the shoulder brace, feeling comfortable with it, is very important. But I think I’ve found a way, and hopefully good things are just around the corner.”

Manchester United can keep the momentum going with another positive result at home to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup this evening, with the Red Devils having got back to winning ways with a much-needed victory away to Burnley at the weekend.

While hardly a free-flowing performance from Erik ten Hag's men on the night, the Old Trafford outfit made sure that there were to be no more negative headlines by doing the basics right, grafting and grinding out a hard-fought win over the newly promoted strugglers.

That 1-0 triumph had also come despite the absence of a host of first-team regulars – resulting in veteran asset Jonny Evans making his first start for the club in almost a decade – although the hope will be that Ten Hag has more options at his disposal against Roy Hodgson's side later today.

What is the Man United team news vs Palace?

Amid the positivity of finally picking up three points at Turf Moor, that battling performance also proved noteworthy following the return of both Raphael Varane and Sofyan Amrabat from injury, with the experienced pair making late cameo appearances off the bench to help bolster the backline.

The hope will be that the duo can be fit to feature from the start this time around, with Varane, in particular, likely to be needed if Lisandro Martinez's absence continues – the Argentine having missed the clash with Clarets.

As per the club's official website, fellow centre-back Harry Maguire could also be in contention following his return to training, while it could prove a welcome return for summer signing, Mason Mount, with the new number seven having been out of action since the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last month.

Like Maguire, the former Chelsea man has been pictured in training of late, raising hopes that he can return the fold at the Theatre of Dreams this evening to kickstart what has been a difficult beginning in Manchester, following his £55m arrival.

Having the likes of Mount and Amrabat in tow could also enhance Ten Hag's options in the centre of the park, with that potentially set to allow for Scott McTominay to drop to the bench following his dire performance last time out.

How did Scott McTominay perform against Burnley?

There may be those questioning just why the Scotland international remains at Old Trafford despite having been linked with a departure throughout the summer window, with such queries only set to be heightened by the 26-year-old's dismal showing in Lancashire.

Having come under fire after footage showed him failing to track back in the defeat to Bayern Munich last week, the midfielder was again caught in the crosshairs against Burnley, having been criticised for his "horrid" display by content producer Casey Evans.

Also dubbed "unwatchable in and out of possession" by podcaster Aaron Moniz, it was difficult to ascertain just what the £60k-per-week dud was offering to his side in the centre of the park, having looked 'all at sea' at times – as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

The hope would be that the towering, 6 foot 4 asset would be able to provide a dominant, physical presence alongside Casemiro, although the United academy graduate won just two of his 11 total duels on the day, having also made three fouls as a marker of his often clumsy manner.

Such woes were also evident on the ball as the long-serving brute lost possession on 12 occasions from his 47 touches and failed to make a single key pass, as he simply 'didn't look comfortable' – according to 90min's Tom Gott.

Having been parachuted into the side due to the shortcomings of the Casemiro and Christian Eriksen midfield axis – the pair both looking "like short-term fixes to a long-term problem", according to The Athletic's Mark Critchley – McTominay has certainly not taken his chance, hence the need to find a suitable replacement.

Who could replace McTominay against Palace?

In an ideal world, Ten Hag may consider utilising an attack-minded midfield trio of Hannibal Mejbri, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, thus opening up another space on the flanks, although it would be no surprise if a more sturdy option is considered – like Amrabat.

While the Moroccan international could be called upon to feature at full-back – a role that Ten Hag has previously suggested he can play – it is worth seeing whether the 27-year-old can be the much-needed solution to the club's midfield problem.

29 games

24 starts

0 goals

One assist

Two tackles and interceptions per game

90% pass accuracy

Stats via Sofascore

As pundit Paul Merson stated last month, the Fiorentina loanee is the type of figure who will work to protect the back four: "I think he's a good player. He stays, he holds his position. Casemiro plays holding midfield but he does want to go forward, he can play.

"Amrabat will hold his shape and you need someone who will sit in front of the back four. It doesn't matter how good your defenders are, if you have players running at you left, right and centre, you'll ship goals for fun."

Lauded as a "beast" in the past by ESPN's Steve Nicol, the imposing gem will certainly provide a stern physical test for any opposition midfielder, having arguably "got the better of Declan Rice" in last season's Europa Conference League final – according to Merson.

A powerful, "raging bull", in the words of Moroccan journalist, Amine El Amri, Amrabat appears to have the silk to match the steel, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 6% among his European peers for pass completion, as well as in the top 16% for progressive passes.

That composed, forward-thinking nature in his deep-lying berth is in stark contrast to McTominay, with the Lancaster-born liability ranking in just the bottom 47% and the bottom 4% for those same two metrics, respectively.

There may be concerns over Amrabat's fitness having barely featured so far this term, yet the £65k-per-week machine needs a chance to stake his claim for that starting berth in midfield, with there perhaps no better time to do so than in the cup this evening.

Miguel Almiron's incisive finish was enough to capitalise on some stinking Paris Saint-Germain defending, but few foresaw the imminent torrent of attacking pedigree that Newcastle United were to unleash on one of Europe's most talented squads.

It's not that Newcastle aren't good; of course they are. Eddie Howe's side blitzed into a top-four spot last season with a perpetuated march through the Premier League campaign, blending defensive organisation with fluid offensive link-ups.

And having steadily constructed a squad of evenly spread quality, there is a reason why the cogs have combined to defeat Manchester City and the Parisien giants across the past eight days, with an assured league win over Burnley sandwiched in between.

In fact, the Magpies have soared into a rich vein of form over the past several weeks, winning five of the past six matches across all competitions since falling to a third successive Premier League defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The only blip during this run could hardly be considered as such at all, with the Champions League campaign starting off with a goalless draw against AC Milan at San Siro – while spending the majority of that one on the back foot, it was a grand display of the strength in adversity under Howe's management, and after sending PSG back home with their tails between their legs, United top the 'group of death' after a two-decade absence.

Indeed, after the early blemishes of a stuttering start to the season, Howe must be delighted by the manner of Newcastle's return to form, now not only poised to emulate last season's feats but with an eye on transcending anything that Tyneside faithful have seen in an age.

How did Sandro Tonali perform against PSG?

After ebbing and flowing from form over the opening phase of his career with Newcastle, Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali produced an impressive performance against a PSG midfield that never really got going, overpowered by the intensity and stilled by the slickness of the opposition's unity.

The Daily Mail's Craig Hope praised the midfield for "dominating" the stifled away side, and they proved that a star-studded squad can glitter all it wants under the lights but when met with a rock-solid foe it might just crack under the pressure.

Tonali, who was signed from Milan for £55m in July, has been criticised by Hope for "struggling to impact" games since his move, with concerns that he and Bruno Guimaraes are victims of polarising skill sets, but he came alive at St. James' Park against the French champions.

As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old was energetic and enthusiastic in his work as he sought to drive the ball forward and inflict damage on a lacklustre PSG team, taking 26 touches before being substituted after an hour and making one key pass and two interceptions.

The £120k-per-week ace only completed 58% of his passes on the night, but given the positivity in his play, this is excusable. It wasn't an individual display for the ages by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a step in the right direction and an illustration of the part he could play in this burgeoning Newcastle team over the coming years.

As Tonali continues to acclimatise to life and football outside his homeland, the Toon support will increasingly understand the calibre of midfielder they have at their disposal.

While his signature is one of great excitement at present, Tonali was certainly not the performer of the night, with one Magpie continuing to defy expectations and cement an unwavering position under Howe's wing.

How did Sean Longstaff perform against PSG?

Sean Longstaff. Not up to scratch. Not good enough. £10m transfer to Everton? Take it. Such were the past claims from those observing the Premier League player's progress over the past few years. Before Howe came in, you see. When Howe came in, everything changed.

The affluent PIF takeover was of course the genesis of optimism anew, but the appointment hit the mark like a quivering arrow fired home from an expert archer, and the work he has done in constructing a formidable crop of players is simply remarkable.

Longstaff is now an instrumental part of the project. Hailed by pundit Paul Merson as his team's "unsung hero" last season, the 25-year-old is now revelling in the cacophonous cheer of the masses, and he is undoubtedly integral in pumping intensity and innovation into the team.

He recorded a Sofascore match rating of 7.5 – the best of the midfield – and complimented his goal with 40 touches, an 86% pass completion rate, one key pass, success in four of seven contested duels and in his one attempted dribble, and two tackles and one clearance.

Longstaff's presence was felt by Luis Enrique's men, and if they didn't know the name before they certainly do now; the £50k-per-week phenom was simply too enterprising and combative for the Paris players to withstand.

As per FBref, the 5 foot 11 midfielder ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for touches in the attacking box and the top 15% for progressive passes received per 90.

This highlights Longstaff's barrelling presence in the centre, crashing through the lines to wreak havoc on defenders – something that PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma knows only too well after last night's strike.

Heralded for his “magnificent” performance by Hope, this dynamic gem really has gone from strength to strength over the past few years, and he is now living the dream as Newcastle's coveted hometown hero.

There is a long road to traverse before Howe and co can revel in another successful season, with the early form a reminder that things can change in a coruscating flash, but with the togetherness instilled carefully and precisely, there's no reason for Newcastle not to surpass last year's exploits.

It's a big dream to think that Newcastle could challenge for the Champions League while concurrently competing on the domestic front, but why not?

St. James' Park was sent into rapture and Longstaff was at the heart of one of the club's finest European nights in history.

There's more to come.