How ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary has recorded the first ball of men’s Ashes series
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2023
Zak Crawley drove the first ball of the match for four•Getty Images
For DeFreitas to Slater in 1994-95, will we one day be reading Cummins to Crawley 2023? The first ball of an Ashes series has long held a degree of mystique, and today’s long-awaited opener was no exception. Here’s how ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary has covered those moments since the start of the epic summer of 2005Lord’s, 2005 0.1, Harmison to Langer, no run Just short of a good length and outside the off stump, Langer watches the ball carefully and lets it go through to the wicketkeeper, and with that the Ashes are finally underway!The Gabba, 2006-07 0.1, Harmison to Langer, 1 wide And it’s wild and woolly, a massive wide taken by first slip. Welcome back to Australia, Steve.Cardiff, 2009 0.1, Johnson to Strauss, no run Starts with a decent length, if a touch too wide of the left-hander’s off stump, and it’s left aloneThe Gabba, 2010-11 0.1, Hilfenhaus to Strauss, no run Is it Harmison-esque? No it’s not! A straightforward start outside off stump from Hilfenhaus, Strauss leaves it alone and the keeper takes it – not second slip.Trent Bridge, 2013 0.1, Pattinson to Cook, 1 wide It’s a wide! Not quite Steve Harmison, but Pattinson starts with a very short, loopy bouncer.The Gabba, 2013-14 0.1, Anderson to Rogers, no run Good start by Anderson, full at off stump, hint of movement in the air, Rogers shuffles across and defends quite late, the ball runs to gullyRory Burns was knocked over by the first ball of the last Ashes in Australia•Getty Images
Cardiff, 2015 0.1, Starc to Lyth, no run Starts with a short ball loosener, 87mph, outside off and loops gently through to Haddin as Lyth drops his hands.The Gabba, 2017-18 0.1, Starc to Cook, no run Good line, tight to off stump and good carry through, but not express. Cook leaves alone, as you’d expect.Edgbaston, 2019 0.1, Anderson to Bancroft, no run Finds a good length and immediately has the ball shaping away, excellent line to the right-hander, who leaves.The Gabba, 2021/22 0.1, Starc to Burns, OUT Knocks him over first ball! Full yorker which crashes into the base of leg stump. Burns is nowhere, falling over to the off side as he looks to clip off the pads. Angled into the left-hander from over the wicket, but this actually tailed away late and sharply to hit the base of leg stump. What a start from Starc!Edgbaston, 2023 0.1, Cummins to Crawley, FOUR runs Thumped on the up through cover-point! What a shot! Decent length, a lot of width, he strides out and climbs into an amazing cover drive on the up!
When Ipswich Town last suffered relegation from the Premier League, it’s unlikely they were expecting such a long exile from England’s top flight.
Indeed, the last time the Tractor Boys slipped back down to the English Football League, it took them nearly two decades to return to the big-time, having found themselves marooned in the second tier and League One season after season after dropping out of the top division back in 2002.
Despite sinking back down and struggling to get back up, Ipswich did uncover a gem around this time in Darren Bent, who would later leave the building in 2005 for Charlton Athletic to forge a very successful Premier League career.
Darren Bent's heroics at Ipswich
Before going on to play for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, on top of an England call-up or two, Bent’s humble beginnings originated in Suffolk.
In total, the now retired centre-forward picked up 56 of his 218 career strikes at Portman Road, with the-then wide-eyed Bent very much garnering a reputation for being a deadly finisher with his boyhood club.
04/05
50
20
15
03/04
38
16
0
02/03
44
18
0
01/02
8
2
0
A move up to the Premier League with the Addicks happened at the close of his most impactful season in Suffolk, with Bent accumulating a blistering 35 combined goals and assists during the 2003/04 campaign, which then resulted in a big £3m move to the Valley occurring.
The well-travelled striker is still held in high regard at Ipswich to this day, but there is another forward in McKenna’s current ranks who possesses the same clinical edge Bent was known for and he could well make the relegation-threatened club a sizeable profit soon.
Ipswich's brand-new Bent
There are parallels to be made between the disappointing relegation suffered by Ipswich in 2002 and the Tractor Boys’ current unfolding campaign, with George Burley taking Ipswich down in 18th spot, the same position they currently occupy under McKenna’s rule.
That’s hopefully where the parallels end in terms of league positions and fates come the end of the 38-game marathon.
That said, Liam Delap in the here and now has become Ipswich’s second iteration of Bent; he’s direct, can score goals and he’s quick. What’s not to like?
Delap has definitely lived up to his bumper £20m price-tag this season with a hefty haul of ten goals and two assists next to his name in Premier League action, leading to Bent actually praising the ex-Manchester City man as a more than capable top-flight calibre attacker.
Described as a “one-man battering ram,” by Opta Analyst, his double digits in front of goal have even seen Chelsea reportedly emerge as frontrunners for his signature, with Ipswich very much facing a losing battle to keep the young forward around even if they do secure survival.
Games played
29
Goals scored
10
Assists
2
Value when joining
£20m
Reported value now
£40m
Value increase
100%
It’s safe to say that the Tractor Boys really did strike gold securing the lethal marksman’s services for a modest £20m, considering reports now suggest he’s worth an increased fee around the £40m ballpark, representing an increase in value of 100% over the course of a whirlwind few months.
Delap will hope he can further emulate Bent in solidifying himself as a reliable source of Premier League goals moving forward, whether that be with Ipswich or – as Bent had to do – having to spread his wings for opportunities elsewhere.
Ipswich must rue losing the "best CB outside of the top five leagues"
Ipswich Town would love to have this defender back on their books to replace Ben Godfrey.
Bramley Moore awaits, but Everton have already turned the page.
There have been a few hitches in the maiden phase of David Moyes’ second stint in the Goodison Park dugout, but not all that many.
In actuality, Moyes isn’t all that different to Sean Dyche, both steeped in pragmaticism and resilience and hard graft. Moyes, however, is more nuanced in his ideas, more expansive in his vision. Just peek at West Ham’s recent history.
Dyche did well last season, steering the Toffees away from the Premier League drop zone despite carrying a hefty points deduction, but he’d taken the club as far as he could.
Last summer was the chance to add some inspiration. How’d he do?
Sean Dyche's final summer transfer window
It was another challenging transfer window for a team looking to put Premier League profit and sustainability problems behind them.
Everton only spent £42m, with just one outfit – intriguingly, Manchester City – paying out less on new signings (about £21m). While the £15m capture of Marseille’s Iliman Ndiaye has gone down as a bona fide success, hailed as a “relentless forward” by analyst Ben Mattinson and the harbinger of most things good from an attacking standpoint this term.
However, loan deals for right wingers Jesper Lindstrom and Jack Harrison, retained, have done little for Everton’s attacking output.
Jake O’Brien has started to earn regular minutes at right-back due to the club’s dearth of fit options, but Tim Iroegbunam’s impact has been negligible in recent months due to injury, albeit after a bright start.
Tim Iroegbunam for Everton
Everton needed to lie low, so to speak, and cash in to balance the books. With The Friedkin Group now settled into their seat, fans can expect a more exciting summer market ahead.
Selling the likes of Lewis Dobbin and Ben Godfrey proved efficient ways to circumvent further financial bother without taking a chunk out of the starting line-up. However, at least one major sale was inevitable, and it came through the departure of Amadou Onana.
Why Everton sold Amadou Onana
In a nutshell, Everton needed to cash in on someone for a pretty last summer, and Aston Villa’s persistence in their bid for Onana ultimately held sway.
Manchester United had thrown leather at Moshiri’s transfer committee in hopes of bringing the talented centre-back over to Old Trafford but had failed to land the knockout punch. Everton wanted £75m, and this was beyond even the Red Devils’ scattergun capacity.
A core member of Belgium’s international set-up, Onana had proven himself a star and signed for Unai Emery’s Villa in a deal worth £50m in July 2024, seeing Everton bank a sizeable profit after paying an already large £33m figure to LOSC Lille in 2022.
Amadou Onana
Luckily, Everton combatted the sale with the signing of a new version of the midfielder. However, Orel Mangala’s Merseyside future is in jeopardy after sustaining a season-ending injury in January.
Everton could hit the jackpot on Orel Mangala
Everton felt they had an exciting player in Mangala, one with a modern-tailored skill set that could ferry Dyche’s brand away from the monotonous football that it had become defined by.
He’d been hailed as an “unsung hero” when at Nottingham Forest before by journalist Antonio Mango, but he’s now proving with a second shot in English football that he’s able to thrive at the heart of a thriving outfit.
Orel Mangala
Dyche hailed him as a “great character” and a “good team player,” and though Mangala’s season is now prematurely complete after injuring his ACL toward the end of January, Moyes might want to consider signing him at the end of the season – for good.
Indeed, Mangala was brought in from Lyon last summer on an initial loan move after previously playing in the Premier League with Forest, part of the bloated influx that followed their promotion from the Championship.
There is a buy option in the contract that Everton could activate at the end of the campaign, but whether TFG will want to activate the £30m clause remains to be seen.
1.
Orel Mangala
89.2%
2.
Idrissa Gueye
85.7%
3.
Michael Keane
81.9%
4.
Jarrad Branthwaite
81.4%
5.
James Tarkowski
81.1%
His ball-playing capacity kind of ran counter to Dyche’s system, and though Moyes hardly employs the silky-smooth game of Pep Guardiola, he is more open to expansion and could twist his vision accordingly with such a talent in the centre.
The Belgium international is, of course, more than just a one-trick pony. As per Sofascore, the 26-year-old also completed 61% of his dribbles from the middle of the park before being struck down by injury.
FBref even record that Mangala is one of Onana’s most comparable players competing in the English top flight this season, suggesting that Everton have already found their long-term successor to one of the most talented modern midfielders in their recent history.
Onana, Mangala’s Red Devils teammate at international level, has completed 88% of his Premier League passes this term and has won 59% of his duels, which have averaged out to about 5.9 per game.
Back in December, the £50k-per-week talent was even called by writer Ell Bretland to “stay in that starting XI every week,” with such effusions owing to his ability to provide Dyche’s Toffees’ with some fluid consistency that was scarcely on show.
It feels like a no-brainer. Everton should get the deal done, landing a player who can resurrect the spirit of Onana in a Moyes outfit that could raise the level above anything that the outfit has seen in recent years.
Orel Mangala
After showing such promise over the Dyche-led months of the campaign, fans will be hoping that Everton will decide to activate his purchase clause and keep him on Merseyside over the coming years.
Given that there remains an Onana-shaped hole in Moyes’ first-team, it feels like this is a player who could hold down that fort for the coming period at Bramley Moore, and do so with a flourish.
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This season has felt like something of a slog for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side have seemingly gone from one talking point to another over the last six months, be that dodgy decisions, injuries to key players or a lack of attacking signings in the winter transfer window.
The last two have left the team looking incredibly thin in the frontline, with Kai Havertz being the latest addition to the ever-growing injury list following a suspected muscle problem picked up in Dubai.
The German international has come in for plenty of criticism over the last few months, and while he’s a key player for the team, he’s currently being outperformed by someone Arteta let go for nothing.
Arsenal's slim attacking options
So, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and now Havertz all out of action, Arsenal’s frontline options look precariously thin.
Out wide, he only has two senior wingers to choose from in Leandro Trossard, who has 11 goal involvements in 36 games this season, and Raheem Sterling, with a disappointing haul of one goal and two assists in 18 appearances.
Fortunately, academy star Ethan Nwaneri has shown he’s more than capable of contributing to the first team this season, racking up a sensational tally of seven goals in just 700 minutes of action across 23 appearances.
Up top, there is even less of a choice for Arteta, as following reports of Havertz’s recent injury, Trossard is the only senior option left who has played as centre-forward, and even then, that is not a position he appears to be all that comfortable in.
The former Chelsea ace’s potential absence could be a serious problem, as while Understat’s data revealing he’s underperformed his expected goals in the league by 2.76 demonstrates he can be profligate at times, he’s still done an alright job leading the line.
For example, in 34 appearances, totalling 2776 minutes, the Aachen-born poacher has scored 15 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.7 games, or every 138.8 minutes.
That said, while Havertz is doing a better job than he perhaps gets credit for, he’s still being outperformed by a striker let go by the club for nothing three years ago.
The former Arsenal star outperforming Havertz
Arteta has seen his fair share of strikers leave Arsenal since taking charge, like Alexandre Lacazette, who moved back to Lyon, and Eddie Nketiah, who moved to South London to join Crystal Palace.
However, the forward in question is former club captain Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who left the club for free in the 2022 winter transfer window after scoring 92 goals and providing 20 assists in 163 appearances, which was enough for Saka to brand him a “legend”.
The next few years would see the Gabonese star play for Barcelona, Chelsea and Marseille, where he did unbelievably well, producing 41 goal involvements in just 51 appearances last season, which was also enough to earn a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah, where he has kept up his good form.
In fact, the former star of the Emirates has already scored 12 goals and provided two assists in just 20 appearances, totalling 1784 minutes this season.
That means he’s maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or every 127.42 minutes, which is a better average than Havertz has managed for the Gunners this term.
Aubameyang’s recent form
Season
23/24
24/25
Appearances
51
20
Minutes
4005′
1784′
Goals
30
12
Assists
11
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.80
0.70
Minutes per Goal Involvement
97.68′
127.42′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Now, while the level of football in Saudi Arabia is obviously far lower than that of the Premier League, the 35-year-old sharpshooter was tearing things up in a top-five league only last season, so there is every chance he could still be doing a job in England.
Ultimately, Havertz has been doing reasonably well this season, but we can’t help imagining just how different things might have been had Arteta and Aubameyang been able to reconcile their differences in 2022.
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The transfer window is set to close in a week, and so far, Tottenham Hotspur have not done enough business.
Daniel Levy and Co spent £12.5m on Czech goalkeeper Antonín Kinský, and while that was a necessary purchase, the need for reinforcements elsewhere on the pitch is just as acute.
Ange Postecoglou’s defence has been ravaged by injury, and now the attack isn’t looking much better following last week’s news that Dominic Solanke is set to be out for at least a month and a half.
On top of that, the iconic Son Heung-min, who has been one of the club’s shining lights for years, is looking less and less effective by the week.
Fortunately, Postecoglou may soon be able to rest the South Korean superstar more often, as recent reports have touted an incredibly exciting winger with a move to N17 this month.
Heung-min Son for Tottenham
Tottenham target incredible winger
According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are now one of several teams keen on signing Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams this month.
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In fact, the report has revealed that the Lilywhites are now willing to pay the Spanish winger’s €58m release clause, which comes to about £49m.
However, it’s not that simple, as the story has also claimed that North London rivals Arsenal are also now willing to activate the 22-year-old’s release clause, which could lead to quite the showdown before the window closes.
In all, it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Williams’ ability and potential, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be the perfect replacement for Son.
Why Williams would be the perfect Son replacement
So, the first thing to say is that Son is unquestionably a Premier League great and one of the most dangerous attackers the league has seen over the last decade.
However, what is also true is that he’s set to turn 33 years old by the end of the season, and as many fans will likely attest, while he can still strike a ball brilliantly, he is far less effective in games than he used to be, which is where Williams could come in.
The young international, whom respected analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed “one of the best wingers on the market,” might not be having the most productive of seasons in terms of his pure output, but only last year he racked up a sensational tally of eight goals and 19 assists in 37 games.
Williams’ recent form
Season
23/24
24/25
Appearances
37
29
Minutes
2729′
2040′
Goals
8
3
Assists
19
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.72
0.27
Minutes per Goal Involvement
101.07′
255′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Moreover, it’s his buildup play, and what he is able to do before a goal is scored that could make him the perfect player to step into the fold as the South Korean’s long-term heir.
For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, the Pamplona-born star sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for take-ons attempted, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for carries into the penalty area per 90.
In contrast, the former Bayer Leverkusen man sits in the top 33% for carries into the penalty area but the bottom 38% for take-ons attempted and the bottom 36% for successful take-ons, also per 90.
Ultimately, while Williams is still developing, he already looks to be an incredibly dynamic winger, which is just what Postecoglou needs off the left and what Son no longer is.
Spain star Nico Williams
Therefore, while it’ll cost a lot of money, Spurs should be doing all they can to get ahead of Arsenal and bring the Bilbao star to the white side of North London.
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Well, that wasn’t quite as straightforward as many would’ve been hoping, but then again, it never really is with Tottenham Hotspur.
Ange Postecoglou’s side did their chances of automatically making it through to the next round of the Europa League a world of good with their unnecessarily nervous 3-2 win over Hoffenheim tonight.
However, in terms of individual performances, it was something of a mixed bag for the visitors.
56%
Possession
44%
2.13
Expected Goals
2.12
2
Goals
3
6
Big Chances
3
22
Total Shots
8
6
Corners
4
541
Passes
452
26
Tackles
16
That said, there were two starters who stood out for all the right reasons and now can not be dropped for the weekend, including Son Heung-min.
Son's performance vs Hoffenheim
So, after a few weeks in which he signed a contract extension and received plenty of criticism for some rather lacklustre displays, Son really stepped up tonight.
The South Korean superstar wound back the clock and was a constant threat throughout his time on the pitch, although his most significant contributions to the victory were, of course, his two goals.
Now, while there was an element of good fortune with his first goal, in the way it bounced off of a Hoffenheim player, his second was all down to his sensational finishing.
Moreover, that second strike saved the team from what could have been a disastrous result and yet another game in which they managed to find a way to drop points.
Unsurprisingly, football.london’s Alasdair Gold was suitably impressed by the captain’s performance, giving him an 8/10 match rating and writing that he ‘worked hard’ throughout and was there when his team needed him.
In all, it was a superb showing from the 32-year-old, although he wasn’t the only one to make a real difference, as James Maddison also impressed.
James Maddison's performance vs Hoffenheim
Yes, the other standout starter for Spurs tonight was undoubtedly Maddison, who hasn’t been given too many chances to show what he can do from the start in recent weeks.
Like his captain, the former Leicester City star was everywhere in the first half and was practically running the game at points.
The “world-class” creator, as dubbed by former professional Dean Saunders, got things underway with the opening goal just three minutes into the game, and 19 minutes after that, he provided the assist for Son’s first goal.
Unsurprisingly, Gold was also pleased with what he saw from the Englishman, awarding him an 8/10 match rating as well and simply writing that it was a ‘really good performance from the midfielder.’
Fortunately, the high praise is more than backed up by the 28-year-old’s statistics, as in 89 minutes of action, he produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 1.23, took 61 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 92%, played three key passes, created one big chance, completed 100% of his long balls, won six ground duels, made two clearances, won three fouls and made one tackle.
Minutes
89′
Expected Goals
0.54
Goals
1
Expected Assists
0.69
Assists
1
Touches
61
Passing Accuracy
36/39 (92%)
Key Passes
3
Long Balls (Accurate)
3 (3)
Big Chances Created
1
Shots on Target
1
Ground Duels (Won)
12 (6)
Fouls Won
3
Clearances
2
Tackles
1
Ultimately, Maddison put in a seriously impressive performance for Postecoglou tonight, as did Son, and with another must-win game coming up on the weekend, neither player should be taken out of the starting lineup, as without them, tonight would have ended in a draw at best.
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Manchester United have now been tipped to make a late move to land a wantaway star in the final days of the winter transfer window as they look to replace their own wantaway star in the shape of Marcus Rashford.
Amorim closes door to Rashford again
Since his arrival at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim has made it clear that Marcus Rashford is not in his plans despite the Englishman scoring the first goal of his Premier League reign.
Speaking after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham, Amorim doubled down on that fact, claiming that he would rather have his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach on the bench ahead of the club’s highest earner.
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“If you do the maximum, if you do the right things – we can use every player. You can see it today [Sunday] on the bench – we miss a little bit of pace to go, to change the game, to move some pieces, but I prefer [it] like that. I will put Vital [on the bench] before I put a player that doesn’t give the maximum every day so I will not change that.”
Indeed, The Guardian report that their relationship has devolved to the point that they are no longer on speaking terms, though Rashford is yet to find a route to leave Old Trafford this month and there is a growing possibility that he will remain at his boyhood club after the transfer window slams shut.
However, his role in the squad will have to be replaced, and with speculation also swirling about the future of Alejandro Garnacho, a new forward is key in the final days of the winter window.
Manchester United eye late move for "extraordinary" Bayern star
Now, the Red Devils are keeping an eye on making a late move for Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel after he became available this month, it has been reported. Tel has struggled for gametime under Vincent Kompany and has now decided to leave Bavaria, it has been reported, with several clubs interested in his services either on loan or permanently.
Chelsea are one of the sides pushing to sign the forward, who was labelled “extraordinary” by former France youth coach and Premier League legend Thierry Henry.
Mathys Tel in 24/25 (All Comps)
Appearances
13
Starts
3
Goals
0
Assists
1
Total minutes played
396
Now, Sky Sports report that Manchester United are also eyeing a potential late swoop for Tel, with the club remaining “very well informed” on the Frenchman’s situation as they head into the final days of the transfer window.
Tel still has four and a half years left on his £80,000 a week deal in Bavaria, and as a result a loan is possible as well as a potential permanent deal.
It is added that the Red Devils are “considering entering the race” to sign the teenage forward should either Rashford or Garnacho depart, while Tel’s availability on loan could allow the club a little more financial leeway elsewhere as they look to complete a deal to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce.
Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel.
Capable of playing either as a striker or on the wing, Tel could add some much-needed firepower to Amorim’s ranks, with neither Rasmus Hojlund nor Joshua Zirkzee having impressed under the new manager in the months since his arrival.
Ex-Manchester United star Brandon Williams revealed that he fell out of love with football due to off-field issues as he faces two years in prison.
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Williams left Man Utd last summer
Hasn't played a competitive match since December 2023
Opened up on the "dark" times he had to go through
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Williams, who was officially released by Manchester United in July 2024, has been without a club since last summer. A string of loan moves and a noticeable decline in form led to his departure from Old Trafford, where he once showed significant potential as a full-back.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
In a shocking turn of events, Williams pleaded guilty last month to charges of dangerous driving and operating a vehicle without third-party insurance. The incident took place in August 2023 and involved a high-speed crash. Details revealed in Chester Crown Court described Williams travelling at 99mph with a balloon in his mouth, shortly before colliding at 74mph. The case has drawn significant media attention, and Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, where he could face up to two years behind bars.
WHAT WILLIAMS SAID
In a deeply personal interview on Ben Foster’s podcast, Williams opened up about the mental and emotional weight he has carried over the past year.
"At that point I did [fall out of love with football], at that point it was just getting too much for me," he said. "It was problems with friends, friends going behind my back – stabbing me in my back. I was ignoring my family, I wasn’t really speaking to them. They were really worried about me, my friends were as well to be fair. They could see it. It wasn’t right.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Williams’ time on loan at Ipswich Town last season was abruptly cut short halfway through the campaign, and the defender was sent back to Manchester. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, who previously worked with Williams at United, advised the player to step away and address his personal challenges. It was a pivotal decision that reflected just how deep Williams’ off-field issues had run. The intention was to give him space to reset and confront the personal turmoil that was beginning to derail not only his football career but also his overall well-being.
The seven final bidders comprise Disney Star, Sony, Viacom-Reliance, Zee, Fun Asia, Super Sport and Times Internet
Nagraj Gollapudi11-Jun-2022
The IPL trophy, on display at the Wankhede Stadium•BCCI
Amazon has pulled out of the race to own the media rights to the IPL for the next five years. ESPNcricinfo has learned the global e-commerce giant is not among the final list of seven bidders participating in the e-auction on Sunday to decide who will get to broadcast one of the most lucrative tournaments in the cricket calendar.Amazon has been a lead player in acquiring lucrative streaming rights across global sports and was expected to bid aggressively for the IPL’s digital rights packages. In 2021, the company struck a billion-dollar-a-year deal (for 10 years) to broadcast just 15 Thursday night matches in the National Football League in the USA. Their withdrawal will be a blow to the IPL.It is learned that the decision not to pursue the media rights was made by Amazon’s top brass in the US and that it was communicated to the IPL on Friday – the deadline for bidders to submit their paperwork.With Disney-Star, Sony, Viacom-Reliance, Zee, Fun Asia, Super Sport and Times Internet still in the running, the number of bidders this time is exactly half that of the previous auction, when 14 companies vied for the broadcast rights of the IPL from 2018 to 2022. Star India beat all comers with a record bid of $2.55 billion in the global consolidated category (TV and digital for India and rest of the world), making it the richest media rights deal in cricket.This time, though, the IPL has segregated the TV and digital rights into their own packages. Package A consists of TV rights for the Indian subcontinent. Package B caters to digital rights for the Indian subcontinent. Package C contains digital rights for a special bouquet of matches, including the playoffs, for the Indian subcontinent. And Package D, TV and digital rights for the Rest of the World, which is divided into two sub-categories: combined ROW or five individual regions.The auction will start at 11am IST on Sunday with the simultaneous sale of Packages A and B. Only once winners are decided for them will Packages C and D come up for bidding. Also, given there is a half hour interval between every bid, there is a strong chance the auction may spill over into a second day.Every bidder can compete for more than one category but will need to list their price on a per match basis. For Package A, the base price per match is INR 49 crore (USD 6.3 million approx.). For Package B, it is INR 33 crore (USD 4.2 million approx.). For Package C, it is INR 16 crore (USD 2.05 million approx.). For Package D, it is INR 3 crore (USD 390,000 approx.).The IPL has made one change to the e-auction though. The winner of Package A can enter into a contest for the digital rights with the winner of Package B. Originally, this contest was supposed to feature bid increments of at least 5% but now it’s become a direct face-off. No minimum bid increments. The same process would be repeated to determine the winners of Packages C and D.
Arda Guler has vowed to keep "fighting" at Real Madrid as the Turkish winger rubbished transfer talk about a move away from Santiago Bernabeu.
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Guler struggling for minutes under AncelottiDetermined to make his mark at RealFollowing a "plan" given by the clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The 20-year-old made the switch from Fenerbahce to Madrid in 2023 for a deal worth an initial €20 million (£17m/$22m) after impressing in Turkey’s top flight. While his performances at Euro 2024 raised expectations for a bigger role under Carlo Ancelotti, his game time has been relatively limited.
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During his debut season, Guler managed 12 appearances for the Spanish giants. However, in the current campaign, he has only started in 10 of Madrid’s 47 matches, highlighting the challenges he has faced in securing a regular place in the team. Despite reports linking him with a move away, including interest from AC Milan, Inter, and Arsenal, Guler remains confident in his long-term future with Los Blancos.
WHAT GULER SAID
Guler still has full faith in the career plan Madrid outlined for him and is determined to establish himself as a key player. Speaking about his situation to , he emphasised his commitment to the club, stating: "Real Madrid gave me a plan, and I still believe in it. I’m sure I’ll succeed at Real Madrid; I’ve even bought a house in Madrid. I work very hard and I’m always ready to play, as you could see in this match against Hungary. I love Real Madrid fans, and their support means a lot to me. I’m very grateful. I came to Real Madrid to play and be an important part of this team. And I won’t stop fighting until I achieve that."
DID YOU KNOW?
As Madrid continue to push for silverware in multiple competitions, Guler is eager to contribute to the team’s success and remains optimistic about his chances in the remainder of the season.
"We’re ready to fight for all three titles until the end of the season, and that’s going to be exciting," he said. "Madrid always fights to win every game and every title. Personally, my only desire is to play in every game and help my team win every title."