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Romelu Lukaku has revealed he considered retiring from international football, in part due to the toxic dressing room atmosphere during Euro 2024.

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Lukaku considered retiring from international footballFelt quite disturbed after Belgium's early elimination at Euro 2024Pointed out 'toxic' atmosphere within the squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Romelu Lukaku is one of the greatest Belgian footballers of all-time, and is also the Red Devils' highest ever scorer with 86 goals in 121 caps. However, the former Chelsea and Manchester United striker told reporters this week that he was close to calling it quits after Belgium's round-of-16 elimination at the hands of France, citing a "toxic" dressing-room atmosphere as one of the reasons.

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The Belgian national team has been at the centre of controversy in recent years. After a group-stage draw against Ukraine that secured their qualification to the knockout rounds, Kevin De Bruyne made the bold decision to lead his team-mates away from applauding the supporters after they had jeered the team, expressing their frustrations at perceived poor performances.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, meanwhile, reversed his retirement decision following the departure of former head coach Domenico Tedesco. Indeed, his return to the Belgium squad under new boss Rudi Garcia sparked controversy, with fellow goalkeeper Koen Casteels quitting in protest.

WHAT ROMELU LUKAKU SAID

Speaking to the press on international duty earlier this week, Lukaku shed light on Belgium's disappointing Euro 2024 campaign and how it affected him mentally, leading him to almost consider a shock retirement.

"I thought about stopping after the Euro and the loss against France," Lukaku told reporters (h/t Get French Football News). "I was very frustrated and told Jan Vertonghen that I wasn’t feeling it anymore. Too much had happened too quickly. But I couldn’t abandon my country.

"During tournaments, I focus entirely on the team. Afterwards, it was difficult to digest the Euro. The atmosphere was quite toxic, and the results were not there. I don’t react well to defeat, but that has always been my strength too. Maybe I need to open up a little more."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ROMELU LUKAKU?

Lukaku scored the only goal for Belgium in their 3-1 defeat to Ukraine in the first leg of the Nations League play-off on March 20. He will be hoping to inspire a comeback in the return leg at home, slated to be played on Sunday, March 23.

KKR have a marginally better chance because of their superior NRR, but a lot of results must go their way if they hope to progress

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2022Kolkata Knight Riders: M 13, Pts 12, NRR 0.160
Knight Riders have kept their chances of qualifying for the playoffs alive, but just about. Their qualification is not entirely in their own hands.Apart from Super Giants, three out of four teams – Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challenger Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings – can still get to 16 points. If that happens, with Gujarat Titans having already qualified, Knight Riders are out of the race since they can get to a maximum of 14 points.However, qualification with 14 points cannot be ruled out yet given a maximum of five teams, apart from Titans and Super Giants (who would then qualify as the first- and the second-placed teams, respectively) can still tie on 14 points. The NRR boost Knight Riders got from beating Sunrisers by 54 runs could come in handy should such a tie on 14 points take place. Knight Riders’ NRR of 0.160 is currently the fifth best of the lot.Sunrisers Hyderabad: M 12, Pts 10, NRR -0.270
The big loss against Knight Riders has severely dented the chances of Sunrisers making it to the playoffs. Because of the margin of defeat, Sunrisers’ NRR is at present the second-poorest of the teams still in contention. Like Knight Riders, Sunrisers could also sneak through with 14 points. However, for Sunrisers it is more of an uphill task given their poor NRR and their current losing streak, which has now extended to five matches.

Hampshire signing hopes for Hundred wildcard gig after missing out on squads for Sri Lanka tour

Matt Roller06-Jun-2022When Australia play the first of three T20 internationals against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday, the man who hit the winning runs in their most recent game will be more than 5000 miles away in the Hertfordshire village of Radlett, playing for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast.Ben McDermott flicked Haris Rauf off his pads for four to seal a three-wicket win over Pakistan in Lahore two months ago, finishing on 22 not out from No. 7, but the leading run-scorer in last season’s Big Bash finds himself squeezed out of the squad with several big guns returning, and is not part of the Australia A squad shadowing the main tour either.”Guys like Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and David Warner are all back in the mix which pushed me out,” McDermott told ESPNcricinfo. “You get a go through injuries, stuff like that: Mitch Marsh got injured in Pakistan, Maxwell and Warner weren’t there. You’re aware that when those guys come back they have first preference.”It’s not the worst back-up plan to come to a really good club, play a full season in a T20 league different to the Big Bash and experience new conditions and expand my game. It’s always been a dream of mine to play county cricket.”I was signed with Derbyshire for two years: the first was deferred because of Covid and last year I was called up by Australia. I ended up playing two Championship games for Derbyshire – which was a bit of a surprise really because I was over for the Blast. It was an easy decision to come over – I jumped at the chance.”Related

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McDermott, 27, had a breakthrough season in the BBL for Hobart Hurricanes, scoring 577 runs with an average of 48.08 and a strike rate of 153.86 and breaking up one of the competition’s most established opening partnerships between Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short.But despite a maiden international hundred in Pakistan – he made 104 from No. 3 in a tight defeat – he remains on the fringes of the Australia set-up, with sporadic opportunities in a number of different roles culminating in a T20I average of 15.82 and a strike rate of 94.38.Along with Alex Carey, Josh Inglis and Josh Philippe, he is one of a number of wicketkeeper-batters looking to stake a claim to be Wade’s long-term successor in the T20I team, and even took the gloves ahead of Wade in the most recent BBL.”It’s a really good side: it’s pretty packed,” he said. “They won the T20 World Cup so I don’t see it changing too much. It would be really nice to be in that squad and experience what those guys did in Dubai – it looked spectacular – and if I do well here it’s not going to do my case any harm.”But it’s going to be tough to crack into. I’ve had 25 [23] international T20s now and haven’t really taken those opportunities. I’ve had a good crack at a lot of different batting positions as well so hopefully I can really nail down a gameplan at the top of the order and keep being consistent with it.”McDermott made his first international hundred in Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesMcDermott has had a solid start to his Hampshire career: after five games, he is their leading run-scorer, with a top score of 60 off 35 balls in their first win of the season against Sussex on Saturday night.”I’ve had some starts here and there but hadn’t been able to do it for long periods of time,” he said after that innings. “Tonight was an exception and hopefully it is a kickstart for things to come. Tournament cricket is about momentum and I’ve never played in a tournament which is so congested, where games are coming thick and fast.”He is due to be available throughout the Blast along with his Hurricanes team-mate Nathan Ellis and both men have a secondary incentive to perform this week: they are both registered for Thursday’s wildcard draft for the Hundred and hoping to spend another month in the UK if selected.”They’ve both made big strides in the last two years and are key players for us at Hobart, as well as good friends,” Tim David, who has impressed for Lancashire in the Blast, said. “Ben is a high-class batsman and hopefully he’ll get a gig for the Hundred through that wildcard draft which is coming up.”McDermott said: “There seemed to be a lot going on with replacement players last year and I’m sure there will be some players coming and going with international duty too. I’m definitely in that wildcard draft; at this stage I’m focused on the Blast, but the Hundred looks like a serious competition so hopefully I can pick something up.”

The Mexican played 18 minutes in San Diego FC's 3-2 victory over LAFC in MLS.

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Lozano played 149 matches with Tuzos.

He recorded 43 goals and 31 assists with the Liga MX club.

He has yet to score with his new team.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Carlos Vela and Hirving Lozano have been rumored as potential reinforcements for Pachuca ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup, which will feature a new 32-team format this summer. Each club can add up to six players from other teams for the tournament, prompting Liga MX sides to evaluate possible signings.

Amid speculation about Lozano returning to his boyhood club on loan from San Diego FC, the winger dismissed the rumors in a postmatch press conference following his return from injury:

"I haven't spoken to anyone…I'm happy here in San Diego and dream of being here for many years," Lozano said.

Lozano, who has played just three MLS matches, made his comeback in San Diego FC's 3-2 win over LAFC after missing three games with a muscle injury. The former PSV star featured for the final 18 minutes in the Week 6 clash.

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Both the summer tournament and the Gold Cup will take place at the same time, making Lozano's priority to regain Aguirre’s trust for a possible national team call-up. Lozano wants to play in another World Cup, but in recent months, he has struggled to stay healthy, which also kept him out of the Nations League Finals.

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Lozano had a remarkable spell with Pachuca before making the jump to European football. Here are his main achievements with the club:

Titles with Pachuca

Liga MX

Clausura 2016

CONCACAF Champions Cup

2016-17

Statistics with Pachuca

Matches played

149

Goals

43

Assists

31

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SAN DIEGO FC AND LOZANO?

Mikey Varas' team currently sits in third place in the MLS Western Conference with 11 points and will host the Seattle Sounders next Saturday in Matchday 7. Lozano played only 18 minutes against LAFC, but the coach is easing him back into action to help him regain his rhythm without risking another injury that could sideline him again.

Their potential Premier League title charge may have taken a hit yesterday afternoon, but this season has been brilliant for Chelsea so far.

Enzo Maresca has turned the Blues into a lean, mean-winning machine, and as things stand, they look primed to qualify for next year’s Champions League.

The West Londoners may not be the most defensively solid side in the league, but they’re lethal in attack, with Nicolas Jackson one of their most improved players.

However, as talented as the Senegalese striker is, he could soon become a victim to the club’s ambition, as the latest start touted for a move to Stamford Bridge could be his upgrade.

Chelsea transfer news

According to recent reports from Argentina via Calciomercato, Chelsea are interested in Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez.

Interestingly, the report has revealed that the Blues would be willing to offer ‘a lot of money and three players’ because the Argentine has just agreed to a new deal.

According to the story, the players the West Londoners would be willing to send the other way are Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka and Mykhailo Mudryk, even though the latter is currently suspended.

The report does not mention a potential fee, but stories from earlier this year claimed that the Nerazzurri would have wanted around £94m for his services prior to signing his new deal.

So, with the three players included in the deal, we’d expect the fee to be lower than that.

Overall, even with three players included, signing Martinez could be incredibly costly and complicated, but given his immense ability, it’s a deal worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Jackson.

How Martinez compares to Jackson

Now then, if Chelsea can get their man and, in the process, spend tens of millions of pounds and swap three of their own players, it would undoubtedly be with the intention of making Martinez the club’s starting number nine going forward.

However, that would put him in direct competition with Jackson, who has looked good this season, so which one comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, the bad news for the former Villarreal gem is that when it comes to the only metric that truly matters for a centre-forward, pure output, he comes out a very distant second.

For example, since the start of last season, the Inter superstar, whom renowned football podcaster Angelo Valdes described as “the best 9 in the world,” has scored a whopping 33 goals and provided 11 assists for good measure in just 65 games.

That means the World Cup winner has averaged a goal involvement every 1.47 games since last year, which is a remarkable rate of return, and played a large part in Inter’s Scudetto triumph.

Appearances

44

44

Goals

27

17

Assists

7

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.77

0.52

Appearances

21

18

Goals

6

9

Assists

4

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

0.66

In contrast, the Blues’ promising forward has found the back of the net 26 times and provided nine assists in 62 appearances.

Now, to his credit, that equates to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.77 games, but that’s still less than the Argentine’s.

Ultimately, while Jackson could develop into a brilliant striker in a few years, Chelsea look like they could be fighting for titles in the coming campaigns and, in turn, will need a ready-made leading man.

Therefore, while it could be an incredibly complicated transfer to get done, they must do all they can to bring Martinez to Stamford Bridge next year.

As bad as Neto: Maresca got it all wrong giving 4/10 Chelsea man 90 minutes

Chelsea’s title bid suffered a real blow at home to Fulham

ByRobbie Walls Dec 26, 2024

Angelo Mathews will play his 100th Test; for Pakistan, Nauman Ali is likely to replace the injured Shaheen Afridi

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Jul-2022Big pictureSri Lanka would have felt they were on track for victory at the end of day three of the first Test, until Abdullah Shafique and Co swept the win from under them in the last two days. But even Sri Lanka reflected that theirs was a far-from-complete performance. If you bat first in Galle, you have to score “350 to 400 runs” to control the game, Dhananjaya de Silva had said after the match. They had made 222.Then, in the second innings, only Prabath Jayasuriya seemed a wicket-taking threat for the majority of Pakistan’s 127.2 overs at the crease, and Sri Lanka lost a match that seemed in the bag.Related

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It wasn’t quite a perfect Test for Pakistan either, but in Shafique, they now have a Test batter that right now is putting up bigger numbers than even Babar Azam. Their weakness, like Sri Lanka’s, is the bowling attack, which is a strange thing to say about a Pakistan side.Their seamers are excellent on pitches that offer them something, but in Galle, no significant reverse swing has been seen for three Tests running. Aside from Mohammad Nawaz, their spinners weren’t especially consistent in the second innings either.As always, with these teams, there is the problem of them not playing remotely as expected from one match to another. On the surface, it seems as if Pakistan should ride on the momentum of a monumental chase, and put substantial pressure on the hosts.But series between these teams frequently surprise. Maybe, in this one – and this would be the biggest surprise of all, given the way the first Test went – both teams will take all their chances.Form guideSri Lanka LWLWD
Pakistan WLDDWAngelo Mathews only gets picked for Tests, so this might be his last international until next March•Getty ImagesIn the spotlightAngelo Mathews will be playing his 100th Test. It has been quite a career. He has batted all day to save a Test away from home. He has hit plenty of big innings in the company of the tail, most memorably his 160 at Headingley that helped turn a dire situation into a victory. He has also had a public fight with a coach, and plenty of minor humiliations, and has spent months away from the side owing to leg injuries, but has also been part of some of Sri Lanka’s greatest Test victories.He only gets picked for Tests now, which means this might be his last international until March next year. A big contribution would be the perfect way to celebrate the occasion.Abdullah Shafique, just 22 years old, has an average of 80, and a great fourth-innings knock to his name. There are plenty of batters who have 12-year Test careers without an innings as impressive as the 160 not out he just played in Galle. Shafique did it in his 11th innings. What was most impressive about the knock was that it wasn’t a gamble.He backed his defence, saw out 408 balls, even if he was occasionally – but not outrageously – fortunate to survive. And in partnerships with batters who have played a lot more cricket than him, Shafique seemed like the more accomplished player.Pitch and conditionsIt is Galle, so it will turn. And it is July, so at some point, the weather will impose itself. It has been nine years since there has been a draw at this venue, so a result is always likely.Team newsSri Lanka have got Pathum Nissanka back in the squad, but because Oshada Fernando has scored runs, he might retain his position. Meanwhile, the injured Maheesh Theekshana has been ruled out. So Dunith Wellalage, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, is likeliest to make a debut.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Oshada Fernando, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dinesh Chandimal, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Prabath Jayasuriya, 11 Asitha FernandoNauman Ali is likely to replace Shaheen Shah Afridi•Associated PressPakistan may bring in left-arm spinner Nauman Ali for Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is out with a knee injury. At times in the first Test, they seemed to have too many quicks, given the state of the pitch. Afridi had taken four wickets in the first innings of that match, but Pakistan may be going in with a better combination this time.Pakistan (possible): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 6 Agha Salman, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Naseem ShahStats and triviaMathews needs a further 124 runs to get to 7000 in his career. When he gets there, he will be the third Sri Lankan to the milestone after Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Pakistan have won successive Tests in Galle, having also won at the venue in 2015. If they win again, they will become the second visiting team after England to win three in a row at the venue. With the victory in the first Test, Pakistan have put themselves at third on the World Test Championship table, with 58.33 percentage points. Sri Lanka have slipped to sixth.

Former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Bernard Lama savaged Emiliano Martinez as he labelled the Aston Villa star as 'annoying'.

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Former PSG star slammed MartinezLabelled Aston Villa goalkeeper 'annoying'Aston Villa face PSG on WednesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Martinez is all set to be in action for Aston Villa in the Champions League quarter-final against newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions PSG this week, and ahead of the high-octane clash in Paris, former France international Lama has taken a dig at the Argentine goalkeeper.

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Speaking to , the 61-year-old former West Ham custodian said: "He’s a bit annoying with his provocations. I don’t like that. But otherwise, he’s still a good goalkeeper, nothing more. He’s not a great goalkeeper. He’s a good goalkeeper who has good spells, who had his spell at the 2022 World Cup. He’s not THE great goalkeeper."

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Martinez's relationship with the nation of France soured after the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. After helping his country lift the trophy in the penalty shootout, the custodian led the celebrations in the Argentina dressing room with a chant calling for "a minute of silence" for Kylian Mbappe.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ASTON VILLA?

After facing PSG on Wednesday in the French capital, Unai Emery's side will be back in action in the Premier League on April 12 as they take on Southampton.

The unpredictability of Tottenham Hotspur’s campaign has continued into the new year in full force.

In just two weeks, Ange Postecoglou’s side have lost at home to Newcastle United, beat the incredible Liverpool in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final, and then required extra time to beat fifth-tier strugglers Tamworth Town in the FA Cup.

However, with progress being made in two cup competitions, the mood in N17 is more positive than it was last week, and in yet more encouraging developments, the summer signings of Dominic Solanke, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray continue to prove their worth and the manager right.

FA Cup

Tamworth (A)

3-0 AET (W)

League Cup

Liverpool (H)

1-0 (W)

Premier League

Newcastle (H)

2-1 (L)

Premier League

Wolves (H)

2-2 (D)

Premier League

Forest (A)

1-0 (L)

So, recent reports linking the club with a striker currently outscoring Solanke in a move reminiscent of Gray’s should excite the fans.

Tottenham Hotspur chase free-scoring forward

According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are interested in West Bromwich Albion’s inform marksman, Josh Maja.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that fierce rivals and fellow Premier League giants Chelsea are also keen on the 26-year-old forward this month.

While competition from the free-spending Blues is far from ideal for the North Londoners, the good news is that, per the report, the former Sunderland ace is valued at around £15m, which for a backup striker is a fee the club could easily justify.

It might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Maja’s form this season and Spurs’ need for a backup to Solanke, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as there are parallels to Gray’s move in the summer.

How Maja compares to Solanke and Gray

Okay, so before we look at Maja’s form this season and how he stacks up to the man he could be competing with if he were to join Spurs, Solanke, let’s explore the main parallel between his potential move and Gray’s.

The most significant similarity is that, like with the teenager’s transfer, the North Londoners would be swooping in for one of the best players in a promotion-chasing Championship side.

Granted, the potential upside of the 26-year-old forward is far smaller than with the teenage star, but as he is currently West Brom’s top-scorer, he is arguably even more important to them than the Englishman was to Leeds United.

With that out the way, how has the Lewisham-born poacher’s season stacked up to Solanke’s this year?

Well, in just 26 appearances for the Baggies, totalling 2077 minutes, the “sensational” striker, as dubbed by Nigerian football writer Samm Audu, has found the back of the net on 12 occasions, which comes out to an average of a goal every 2.16 games, or every 173 minutes.

Appearances

26

28

Minutes

2077′

2158′

Goals

12

11

Goals per Game

0.46

0.39

Minutes per Goal

173.08′

196.18′

Assists

2

6

Goal Involvements per Game

0.53

0.60

Minutes per Goal Involvement

148.35′

126.94′

In contrast, Postecoglou’s starting centre-forward has found the back of the net on 11 occasions in 28 appearances, totalling 2158 minutes, meaning he is currently averaging a goal every 2.54 games, or every 196.18 minutes.

Now, while that comparison certainly paints the Nigerian international in a brilliant light, it’s important to add that the former Bournemouth star has also provided six assists to his two this term and that the Englishman is operating in a far more challenging league.

However, even with that added context, Maja’s performances this season have been seriously impressive, and while he shouldn’t be looked upon as an upgrade for Solanke, he’d almost certainly be a useful backup, especially as Richarlison continues to suffer from injury setback after injury setback.

Therefore, so long as the price remains at £15m, Daniel Levy and Co should look to bring the West Brom ace to N17, as he’d be a valuable squad player, and the last signing they made from the Championship is settling into the team nicely.

He's better than Kolo Muani: Spurs join race to sign "unstoppable" PL star

Tottenham are rightfully looking to bolster their forward line in the January transfer window.

3 ByMatt Dawson Jan 12, 2025

Allrounder hits 21 from 14 balls after promotion to No. 5 as Essex slip to defeat

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2022It took Surrey 19.4 final-day overs to complete a six-wicket victory against Essex at the Kia Oval that keeps them on top of the LV= Insurance County Championship Division One table with a sixth win from ten matches.Resuming their second innings on 85 for 2, still requiring 76 more runs, Surrey lost just opener Ryan Patel and allrounder Jamie Overton before clinching a 22-point triumph when they reached 162 for 4.Patel, on 22 overnight, took his highly valuable but largely defensive and near four-hour knock to 38 before playing back to offspinner Simon Harmer and edging a ball that turned and bounced to keeper Adam Rossington.Related

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Overton, promoted up the order on Patel’s dismissal in the day’s 16th over, soon responded by swinging Matt Critchley’s legbreaks over mid wicket for six. He launched him for another huge six over wide midwicket before being caught at long-off off the same bowler for 21 off 14 balls, trying to end the match with one more blow.Nightwatcher Tom Lawes, who on 1 was dropped at third slip off Shane Snater in the fifth over of the morning, played some excellent strokes of his own to finish 32 not out from 54 balls.Lawes, the 19-year old allrounder making just his fifth first-class appearance, clipped Snater through midwicket for four and then skipped down the pitch to drive Harmer straight for six to show his capability with bat in hand.Ollie Pope, who replaced Overton, reverse-swept the first ball he faced, from Harmer, for four to complete Surrey’s victory after 80 minutes’ play on the final day.Surrey, who began this round of games 15 points ahead of second-placed Hampshire, now face 2021 champions Warwickshire at the Oval next week and – with only four games left for them to play in this summer’s competition – look in good shape to repeat their own 2018 Championship triumph.”That’s a very pleasing win, especially in the way we chased down 161,” Rory Burns, their said, captain. “It could have been a slightly awkward morning today, but to get over the line in the way we did was outstanding.”All the faster bowlers were brilliant for us in this match. Dan Worrall, of course, takes the plaudits for his 11 wickets but the way they all bowled as a unit was great for me to see.”Will Jacks was obviously the other big performance for us, and for him to read the game situation as well as he did in our first innings is a real feather in his cap. It was interesting that both the first innings in this match followed a similar course, with Will’s 150 turning it around for us in the same way that Adam Rossington’s 100 did for Essex.”Essex take five points from the game. “It is obviously disappointing to lose, but we competed well with them for a lot of this game,” Tom Westley, their captain, said. “There were two particular moments where we lost the contest – the first was Will Jacks getting to 150 not out and getting them into a first-innings lead and then that period yesterday when we lost six second-innings wickets for 37 runs.”It would be nice if we had a return fixture against Surrey at Chelmsford, but the schedule for this season means we only get to play them once which is a shame.”

Lamine Yamal is enjoying his life at Barcelona as he aims to win the treble with Hansi Flick's side this season.

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Yamal is loving life in BarcelonaAims to win the treble with the BlaugranaBarca face Dortmund on WednesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Barcelona sensation has displayed stunning form in the 2024-25 campaign, as he has scored 13 goals and provided 20 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions. Yamal has played an important role in keeping his side alive in three competitions as the Catalan giants lead the Liga title race by four points, have reached the final of Copa del Rey and will compete against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-final.

AdvertisementWHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

Speaking to , the 17-year-old revealed his aim to win the treble this year as he said: "I'm one of those people who always trusts their team. From the start of the season, I always aim for the maximum. So, if we can win the treble at the start of the season, that's the aim. It's no different now. It's not because of over confidence or anything like that, it's because you have to believe in yourself.

"If you are saying that another team is going to win, I don't know why you go out on to the pitch to play, so we can win the treble. We are Barça. We have already achieved it [in 2009 and 2015] — hopefully we can do it again."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Yamal also shared his experience of playing at one of the biggest clubs in Europe as he added: "It is like a dream. I still think that. If we reach the final of the Champions League, the final of the Copa del Rey, the [Clásico] final this month, the World Cup [next year with Spain] … Everything is like a dream. It's as if I'm playing PES. It's incredible. When you get home and you say 'Pffff I played in the final of the Euros …' It's incredible.

"I don't [notice the pressure]. I just try to enjoy myself. I don't think too much about other things. I also don't think too much about what I am doing, what I am doing tomorrow, what game I am playing, if it's more important [than others]. "Obviously, I know I am playing for Barça. I know the importance of that, but I don't think about pressure. I play, enjoy myself … And that's all."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Flick's men will be back in action on Wednesday as they host Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last-eight fixture.