Middlesex 209 for 3 (Malan 117) beat Surrey 172 for 9 (Pope 47, Roland-Jones 4-35) by 37 runsThe World Cup is over but the summer party has just begun, judging by the enthusiastic capacity crowd at The Oval, who watched Dawid Malan as the life and soul of Middlesex’s 37-run win over Surrey in their Vitality Blast match.It was one of those evenings to remind you that when England actually summer it feels like there’s no better place on earth – unless, of course, you’ve been stuck underground on the Northern Line with no air-conditioning waiting for a platform to clear at Kennington tube station.Above ground, the beer flowed, the stands were brimming and the batting action from Middlesex – Malan in particular – was hot.Unlike England’s World Cup triumph on home soil, proceedings didn’t exactly follow the script when man of the moment AB de Villiers was out for just 3 to what soon proved to be a poor lbw decision when replays showed his attempted reverse sweep off Imran Tahir made clear contact, according to Ultra Edge.However, to focus too heavily on de Villiers – who had a wonderful night out in Middlesex’s opening match last week, when he plundered an unbeaten 88 off 43 balls in a seven-wicket win over Essex – would detract from a brilliant performance by Malan.An unused member of England’s touring party for their T20I series in the Caribbean earlier this year, Middlesex captain Malan smashed 117 off 57 balls with 11 fours and seven sixes to play a big part in setting Surrey 210 for victory.After Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat, Stevie Eskinazi and Malan set off at a blistering pace. Malan initially took a back seat to Eskinazi but immediately after the Powerplay, by which time the pair had put on 55 runs, Malan surged ahead, slamming a six and a four off the last two balls of Gareth Batty’s first over.Malan moved in sight of his half-century first too. His thumping six off Tahir sailed well back into the first tier of the Bedser Stand to bring him within touching distance of the milestone, which he brought up three balls later with a four. He didn’t stop there, meting out similar treatment to Liam Plunkett in the next over and hitting Batty for consecutive sixes in the next.The TV camera kept panning to de Villiers in anticipation and he finally made his entrance to the pumping beat of Darude’s Sandstorm – and a huge roar from the crowd – when Tom Curran bowled Eskinazi round the legs for 42 off 31 balls to put Middlesex at 131 for 1.They cheered as de Villiers fended off a Curran bouncer backward of point for a single, but his innings bit the dust in disappointing fashion a short time later and for the first time all evening the stands fell into a lull, even before replays showed how unlucky he had been in his dismissal.It did not take long for the spectators to liven up again, though, as they enjoyed Malan’s knock. He reached his century off 49 balls with a single off Jade Dernbach, who later went for 23 in the penultimate over with Malan and George Scott indulging in a six and a four each.Malan finally fell with three balls remaining in the innings, edging Curran to Ollie Pope, who took an excellent overhead catch behind the stumps.With the temperature still hovering around 30 degrees at 8pm, the home crowd remained upbeat despite the considerable task facing their side.Pope gave good chase after the early loss of openers Will Jacks and Aaron Finch, reaching 47 off 31 deliveries. But once he skied Toby Roland-Jones to Nathan Sowter to seal his exit, it felt like there was too much left to do for Surrey. Jordan Clark offered a neat cameo of 21 off 11 balls but, with Curran and Dernbach at the crease and three wickets in hand, the hosts needed 53 off the last three overs.Steven Finn took a strong catch, running round and diving at long-on to remove Curran off Roland-Jones and that all but signalled closing time. When Roland-Jones had Dernbach caught by Sowter four balls later to finish with 4 for 35 off his four overs, some revellers took the hint and made their exit, although the majority stayed to applaud the visitors’ victory.Malan admitted his knock ignited memories of his match-saving innings against Lancashire at the same ground to win their 2008 Twenty20 Cup quarter-final. Coming in with his side 21 for 4, Malan scored 103 off 54 balls to help Middlesex to a 12-run victory en route to eventually winning the title.”A little bit. Stuey Law, the coach, was actually playing against us, he was the captain for Lancs that day, so I might have a chat with him afterwards and see what he would have done differently,” Malan said with a smile. “But it’s fantastic. To score Twenty20 hundreds is tough so I’ve enjoyed that so much. It is early but the signs are good.”

Persistent rain and a wet outfield at the Just Cricket Academy Ground on the outskirts of Bengaluru ensured that there was no play on the last three days

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2019
The first match of the Duleep Trophy 2019-20 between India Blue and India Green was abandoned without Blue completing their first innings after being put in to bat. Persistent rain and a wet outfield at the Just Cricket Academy Ground on the outskirts of Bengaluru ensured that there was no play on the last three days. Both Blue and Green got one point each.On a truncated first day, Blue had moved to a shaky 112 for 6 in 49 overs, but that was the only cricketing action in the match.Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been among the runs recently, top-scored with 30 off 63 balls. Ankit Bawne was unbeaten on 21, having faced 103 balls. For Green, Rajasthan left-arm seamer Tanveer Ul-Haq continued the form he had shown in the last season – which netted him 51 wickets in the Ranji Trophy – prising out the opening duo of Gaikwad and Snell Patel, while Ishan Porel, the 20-year old Bengal seamer, tore through the middle order.Porel’s first wicket was that of Blue captain Shubman Gill, who was coming into this match on the back of a rich vein of form with India A on their tour of West Indies, caught behind for just 6. He later got Anmolpreet Singh and Jalaj Saxena to end with 3 for 26.Ankit Rajpoot, who shared the new ball with Tanveer, took one wicket. The seamers bowled the majority of overs on the first day, and Rahul Chahar, fresh off a T20I debut for India, bowled just five overs with the conditions helping the quicker men.Blue will now take on India Red in the next match at Alur from August 23.

أدلى المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، بتصريحات عقب فوزهم الصعب في مباراة اليوم ضد فولهام في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان على ملعب “الاتحاد” في الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز مانشستر سيتي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “كانت المباراة قوية ومتقاربة، كانت الفرص متاحة لهم وكذلك لنا”.

وأضاف: “بدأنا المباراة بشكل جيد للغاية وخلقنا الفرص، لقد لعبوا بخمسة لاعبين في الخلف، وعندما يحدث ذلك، يكون الأمر دائمًا محفوفًا بالمخاطر وصعبًا، وفي النهاية تمكنا من التعامل مع الأمر”.

وواصل: “عندما يدافعون بخمسة لاعبين في الخلف، لا أحد يستطيع الدفاع أمام كوفاسيتش باستثناء المهاجم الذي يلعب مع كوفاسيتش، وعندما يحدث هذا، يكون التحول أقل”.

وأكد: “لقد استخدمنا هذا السلاح، وقد قام كوفاسيتش بعمل جيد حقًا”.

واسترسل: “ليس لدينا رودري، لدينا كوفاسيتش، جوندوجان، أكانجي وجون ستونز في ذلك المركز، وريكو لوريس، يتعين علينا إيجاد بدائل، ولكن بالطبع وجود رودري مهم في هذه المباريات، لكننا لعبنا بشكل جيد”.

وفيما يخص هدف جيريمي دوكو الرائع، قال: “إنه جيد حقًا، حقًا! دائمًا ما نتحدث عن قدرته على المراوغة، ونتحدث عن التمريرة الأخيرة، والحركة الأخيرة، كانت كرة مميزة تجاهه، أنا سعيد للغاية، لقد لعب بشكل جيد حقًا في آخر مباراة، واليوم”.

وحرص جوارديولا على الإشادة بنجم فولهام، أداما تراوي، الذي مثّل خطورة على مرمى مانشستر سيتي.

وقال الإسباني: “كان تراوري لا يمكن إيقافه، لم نتمكن من السيطرة عليه عندما كانت الكرة بحوزته، كان علينا الدفاع داخل منطقة الـ18 ياردة”.

واعترف: “لم يكن هدفهم الأول، بعد تمريرة من خيمينيز، متوقعًا من قِبل أي شخص، يجب أن نشيد بالخصم، لقد حصلوا على المزيد من الفرص الجيدة أيضا لكن إيدرسون قام ببعض التصديات المذهلة”.

Fulham have identified Kalvin Phillips as a potential replacement for midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Palhinha long-term Bayern target Fulham reluctant to sell Considering Phillips as replacement WHAT HAPPENED?

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are reportedly closing in on signing Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha The German side will be boosted by the news that the Cottagers are said to have identified Manchester City reject Kalvin Phillips as a potential replacement, as per GiveMeSport.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bayern were keen to bring the Portugal international to Bavaria in January but were thwarted by the Premier League club at the last minute. With new head coach Vincent Kompany replacing Thomas Tuchel, he will likely want to bring some top talent with him having managed in England's top flight with Burnley last term.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 28-year-old had another impressive campaign with Fulham in 2023-24. He scored four times in the league in 33 appearances, but caught the eye for his last-ditch tackles and battling mentality. Phillips spent the second half of the season on loan at West Ham but did not enjoy his time in East London, playing just eight times.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PALHINHA AND PHILLIPS?

Phillips will be enjoying some time away from football while Euro 2024 is on but the same cannot be said for Palhinha. The midfield maestro will have a key role to play with Portugal during the tournament in Germany and will be hoping to win his first major international trophy.

Everton have been boosted by more good news after their points deduction was reduced, as a "phenomenal" player wants to sign a longer term deal at Goodison Park this summer.

Everton points deduction reduced

A dramatic season at Everton continues, with so much happening since August, whether it be the 10-point deduction, issues surrounding 777 Partners' takeover or simply on-pitch matters, the Blues faithful finally got some good news on Monday.

Focus in the boardroom can now turn a little more towards new signings ahead of the summer transfer window, with a bit more security in the bank over the club's top flight status, and the Blues have been linked with some exciting players in recent days, like Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar.

Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard has also emerged as a possible option for Everton at the end of the season, with the 24-year-old seen as a replacement for Jarrad Branthwaite, should the latter head elsewhere. He has started 32 of his side's 34 Championship matches this season, winning an average of 2.9 aerial duels per game.

Juventus and Serbia left-sided ace Filip Kostic is also being looked at by the Blues, in what could be an exciting piece of business, considering he has won 60 caps for his country.

Jack Harrison wants permanent Everton deal

According to Football Insider, Jack Harrison wants to seal a permanent move to Everton this summer and sign a longer term deal after joining on loan from Leeds United.

"Well-placed sources have told Football Insider that Harrison is eager to remain in the Premier League next season, but does not want to return to Elland Road even if they earn promotion from the Championship. However, a permanent move for the 27-year-old will hinge on the Toffees’ pending takeover by 777 Partners and the result of their points deduction appeal."

Signing Harrison permanently is something Everton should definitely be intending to do this summer, with the Englishman proving to be a positive addition to date, despite the Blues struggling since his arrival.

The 27-year-old has registered six goal involvements (three goals and assists apiece) from midfield in 18 Premier League starts this season, and Sean Dyche is a big admirer of Harrison, saying he has done "fantastically well" earlier in the campaign.

Meanwhile, football YouTuber Conor McGilligan once said of him at Leeds: “I think he’s stepped up since Raphinha’s left, I think he’s been absolutely superb. The Wolves game, I thought he was very good. Yesterday, I thought he was phenomenal. Best player on the pitch for Leeds United and I’ll give credit where credit’s due."

Everton interested in signing Serie A “superhero” goalkeeper this summer

Are the Blues planning for life after Jordan Pickford?

ByHenry Jackson Feb 24, 2024

At 27, Harrison is now in the sweet spot of his career where he is both experienced and young enough to enjoy lots more years at a high level, and given the impact he has made overall at Everton, keeping him on permanently is a no-brainer, especially as he wants the move to happen.

Delray Rawlins scores 69 and takes two wickets but group-winners Sussex fall to defeat

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2019Graeme van Buuren hit the final ball of the match for six as Gloucestershire squeezed past Sussex by three wickets to secure a home tie in the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast. Needing six off the final over, Gloucestershire were restricted to four runs off the first five balls by Reece Topley, but van Buuren smashed the last delivery over the longest boundary on the ground at deep midwicket to finish unbeaten on 37 from 20 balls.Gloucestershire looked to have a chase of 164 under control when captain Michael Klinger, fresh from Thursday’s unbeaten hundred against Kent, was helping take his side to 103 for 2 in the 13th over. But Klinger was caught behind off left-arm spinner Delray Rawlins and in his next over Rawlins, who had earlier top scored with 69 in Sussex’s 163 for 8, bowled Ryan Higgins for a duck.With Will Beer picking up Jack Taylor for a single, Gloucestershire were 115 for 5 and needed 48 off the last five overs. Ian Cockbain got them closer with 37 off 25 balls before he was caught at long-on in the 18th over.ESPNcricinfo LtdGloucestershire took 12 off the penultimate over from Chris Jordan but Topley appeared to have given Sussex a chance until van Buuren swung with mighty effect off the last ball. It was Sussex’s second successive defeat at Hove, but they had already secured home advantage in next week’s quarter-finals.Sussex had earlier made 163 for 8 after being put in, a slightly disappointing outcome after they had reached 111 for 2 in the 12th over thanks to a stand of 108 from 60 balls between Luke Wright and Rawlins. They came together in the second over after the hosts had lost Phil Salt and Laurie Evans, who was run out by Miles Hammond’s direct hit from backward point after hesitating slightly in backing up Wright’s call for a single.Left-hander Rawlins had a reprieve when Tom Smith dropped a straightforward chance at point off van Buuren when he had scored just a single. He made the most of his fortune, using his strong wrists to whip the ball into the gaps and matching his captain when it came to the big hits as well.They took 20 off Josh Shaw’s first over and it was a surprise when Wright heaved across the line at the former Yorkshire paceman and lost his leg stump for 41. Rawlins fell for 69 when he was caught and bowled off a high full toss from Andrew Tye in the 14th over, having hit eight fours and two sixes in 41 balls faced.Sussex could only score 43 in the remaining six overs as wickets fell regularly. David Wiese made 26 but the outstanding Andrew Tye conceded just 11 runs in his four overs and David Payne backed him up with 3 for 36 including the wickets of Wiese and Ollie Robinson in his final over.

A bruising 79-run fourth-wicket stand off 37 balls between Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme energised a flailing New Zealand innings, and set them on track for what would eventually become a comfortable victory.The visitors ran down Sri Lanka’s 174 with three balls and five wickets remaining. The pair had come together with the score at 39 for 3, with the required rate climbing toward 11, but blasted four sixes and seven fours between them, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers struggled to contend with a wet, slippery ball. The game was still not quite safe when the two were dismissed, but Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell saw the visitors home with a 31-run stand that came off 16 balls.

Sri Lanka fined for slow over-rate

Sri Lanka were found to be two overs short of their target during the Pallekele T20I against New Zealand and, in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, all 11 of their players were fined 40% of their match fees [each over comes with a 20% fine].

New Zealand’s victory was despite Sri Lanka having produced the best individual innings of the evening. Kusal Mendis had earlier struck 79 off 53 balls opening the innings, putting on a 63-run partnership with Niroshan Dickwella for the third wicket in the process. But some dawdling in the middle period, and some excellent bowling from Tim Southee at various stages of the innings, prevented Sri Lanka from posting a really big total.Southee took 2 for 20, and was almost matched by Lasith Malinga, who struck the base of Colin Munro and de Grandhomme’s middle stumps with searing Yorkers on his way to 2 for 23. Had he not flung five wides down the legside at the start of the 19th over, Sri Lanka might have had a chance in the final over. As it happened, New Zealand required only three to win off the 20th.It hadn’t taken long for either de Grandhomme or Taylor to begin finding the boundary. De Grandhomme clubbed his second ball for four past cover, and Taylor found his first four via the sweep – various iterations of the shot going on to prove fruitful for him through the evening – but it wasn’t until the halfway mark in the innings that big blows began to come in quick succession. New Zealand made 17 runs off each of the 11th, 12th and 13th overs, the pair hitting four sixes and two fours through this period, in addition to running well between the wickets.It could have gone wrong, though. Sri Lanka would rue the dropped catch off Taylor on 31 – attempting a third six off Akila Dananjaya, Taylor miscued one to deep midwicket, but Dasun Shanaka could not hold on to a straightforward chance.De Grandhomme was out for 44 off 28 in the 14th over, but Taylor carried on until the 17th, before being trapped lbw by Wanindu Hasaranga after 48 off 29 balls. A six apiece from Santner and Mitchell, plus those five Malinga wides, ensured New Zealand’s dominance at the finish.In Sri Lanka’s innings, Mendis’ opening stand with Kusal Perera had been rapid – 41 runs coming off 4.3 overs – but Avishka Fernando’s inability to find the gaps or the boundary helped sap momentum from the innings, as Mendis himself entered a quieter phase of batting with the spinners in operation. Fernando was eventually dismissed for 10 off 17 – the pair going at just under a run-a-ball through the course of their 28-ball association.Sri Lanka’s run rate recovered during Mendis’ next partnership – Dickwella making 33 off 25, before Southee had Mendis caught superbly at long-on by Martin Guptill. Between them, Shanaka and Isuru Udana hit three sixes in the final over, and seemed to have raised themselves to a competitive score. But their bowlers were rattled by that Taylor-de Grandhomme stand, and the spinners in particular could not find the turn that would have envenomed them, as they struggled to grip a wet ball.New Zealand go 1-0 up in the series. The second match of three is on Tuesday.

MatériaMais Notícias

A semana vem sendo de boas notícias para o São Paulo tanto dentro, quanto fora de campo. Além da goleada de 3 a 0 aplicada no Sporting Cristal (PER), na estreia da Libertadores, os atletas lesionados seguem em processo de recuperação e estão próximos de voltarem.

Eder entrou na lista! Veja os jogadores que estrearam com gol pelo São Paulo neste século

Quem estão com situação mais avançada para o retorno é o lateral-direito Igor Vinicius e o volante Hernanes. Eles treinaram com bola normalmente na última quarta-feira (21) e estão próximos de ficarem à disposição da comissão técnica do São Paulo.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA DE 2021!

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Com isso, Crespo pode ganhar mais uma opção para o elenco. Na ala, posição em que atua Igor Vinicius, Daniel Alves vem se destacando e não deve ser preterido pelo jovem jogador. No entanto, com a sequência desgastante de partidas, Igor pode atuar em jogos do Campeonato Paulista.

Mesma situação do Profeta, que apesar de ser ídolo do clube, não vem recebendo muitas chances na equipe titular, devido a sua condição física e a grande fase de Rodrigo Nestor, jovem de Cotia que encantou Hernán Crespo.

O elenco ainda conta com Orejuela e Gabriel Sara, que também estão lesionados e foram desfalques em Lima. O colombiano sente dores no joelho, enquanto o meia está com problemas musculares. Ambos devem ficar mais um tempo no departamento médico.

A equipe do São Paulo volta a campo nesta sexta-feira (23), quando enfrenta o Santo André, às 20h, no Morumbi, pelo Campeonato Paulista.

The fast bowler nearly took a hat-trick against India and now wants his team-mates to just bat out the two days left and win the Sabina Park Test

Aishwarya Kumar at Sabina Park02-Sep-20191:36

Bowling unit is satisfied with our performance so far – Roach

Two balls. Two edges. Two catches for the wicketkeeper. Kemar Roach had taken out the struggling KL Rahul for 6 and Virat Kohli for the fourth duck of his Test career.’Cornwall has a great future for West Indies’ – Roach

The West Indies bowlers bowled 54.4 overs on the third day, with Roach and captain Jason holder sharing 21.4 of them. The longest spell, though, was by debutant offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall. He finished with match figures of 64-17-173-3.
“I thought he bowled really well today and the whole Test match for sure,” Roach said. “Trying conditions against Indian batsmen who are very good against spin. I thought he did a fantastic job holding one end, creating some pressure and allowed the guys on the other end to get the wickets. I think he belongs, I think he has a great future for the West Indies, I hope he stays on and continue to do great things for us.”

And when Ajinkya Rahane edges the hat-trick ball towards the stumps, Roach is sure the ball is going to hit. But it doesn’t. It misses by an inch and the fast bowler slumps to the ground. He sits there for a long moment unable to believe his luck.”Of course!” Roach exclaimed when asked if, for a second, he thought he’d got the hat-trick. “Inside edge and missing the stumps – a bit unlucky, but I am pretty happy with what happened. It was a good feeling. Obviously, the Indian batting line-up is very strong, so to be on a hat-trick against those guys is obviously a good feeling. I’d have liked to get it, but a little more luck the next time it hits on the stumps and it will go my way, but I am pretty happy for what happened.”I think as a bowling group, there is satisfaction in how we have done so far. Kudos to the guys. Happy for myself to be, obviously, be among some of the greats, so it’s a great achievement for me as well.”The focus is on West Indies’ batting now with India setting them a massive 468 to win. But Roach has a plan. “There is more than enough time,” he said. “Two days left in the Test match. bat. Nothing more to be said about that. The guys haven’t had a good score in this Test series so far, so it’s about just applying themselves and going out there and being positive and put some runs on the board.”West Indies can take heart in conditions becoming a little better for batsmen, but Roach said it would still be a challenge with bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma conjuring near-perfect deliveries.”It’s flattened out a bit more. It’s not as bouncy as it was the first couple of days,” he said. “There is still enough there for the bowlers. Still have to apply yourself as a batsman and have to grind and get that score, but I think once you get in it gets way easier – so it’s all about the guys being positive and grinding and obviously getting the score.”Kemar Roach reacts with relief after getting Mayank Agarwal out lbw•Getty Images

Roach is eager to help out in that regard as well. “Yeah, obviously I am pretty confident with the bat recently. Just backing my ability, trust my talent and go there and hit the ball. I have been doing it pretty well and pretty proud of that. I just keep it simple for me – I know my shots and I just wait for the balls to come in that area.”Speaking about the West Indies bowling unit including his relationship with captain Jason Holder and Shannon Gabriel, Roach felt they had been performing exceptionally well in the last two years, and were communicating well as a unit.”I think it’s about bowling in partnerships. I think all teams do that – the Indian team does that very good as well,” Roach said. “I think with us we have been together for a while, so we understand each other, so we understand when it’s time for us to hold and when it’s time for us to attack and give yourself a break and let someone else get involved. I think we have been doing it very well, we are very in sync, and we are communicating very well with what we want to do.”I think the trick about it we stick together a lot, communicate very well, so we know what we are about, what roles we have to play when it comes to certain sessions, so our clarity is very clear when it comes to bowling. So, I think that’s what has been working for us for the last two years. If we stick together and stand apart, I think we have big things coming for us in the next couple of Test matches.”

Chelsea remain one of the most inconsistent teams in the Premier League this year.

Mauricio Pochettino's side can take a point away from the Etihad or lose 4-2 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers – it's a coin flip every time.

However, while several players seem to oscillate between two extremes in terms of their performances in blue, a few will come out of this season with their stock higher than it was in August.

One of those will be Conor Gallagher, although for as consistent as he's been for the Pensioners, one recent addition earns more than him despite being less than impressive since making his debut.

How much Conor Gallagher makes at Chelsea

Gallagher has been with Chelsea for about 16 years now, joining the club's youth set-up in 2008 at just eight years old. The Epsom-born gem made a notable impact in the club's youth teams, making 92 appearances for the various age groups, scoring 17 goals, providing 13 assists and winning Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year award in May 2019.

With his ability too good to remain in the youth teams, the 6 foot midfielder spent the next three seasons on loan, first with Charlton Athletic, then West Bromwich Albion and finally Crystal Palace, where he made the biggest splash, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 39 games.

In his first full season back at Stamford Bridge, the "game-changer", as former professional Jermaine Jenas dubbed him, played a noteworthy squad role in the team, making 49 appearances across all competitions – even if only 25 were starts.

However, this season, the "heart" of Chelsea, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has already made 35 appearances – 31 starts – for Pochettino, scored four goals and provided six assists in a team that, as mentioned before, have been terribly inconsistent.

It was Gallagher's goal that won Chelsea the game against Leeds United in the FA Cup last night, and it would be hard to accuse the boyhood Blues fan of not putting a shift in every time he pulls on that shirt.

So, given his performances, effort levels and how much Pochettino plays him, you might expect the Englishman to be one of the club's highest earners, but that's just not the case.

Chelsea's Most Productive Players 2023/24 – Wages

Position

Player

Goals + Assists

Wages

1

Cole Palmer

21

£75k-p/w

2

Raheem Sterling

17

£325k-p/w

3

Nicolas Jackson

13

£65k-p/w

4

Conor Gallagher

10

£50k-p/w

5

Enzo Fernández

9

£180k-p/w

All Stats via Transfermarkt & Wages via Capology

In fact, his £50k-per-week wage doesn't even place him in the top 15 earners at Chelsea, let alone the top five, and what's even more bizarre is that there's a recent signing who earns more than him, despite being utterly underwhelming since joining the club.

How much Robert Sanchez has cost Chelsea

Yes, summer signing Robert Sanchez, a player who was dropped at Brighton & Hove Albion, currently earns more than Gallagher.

The Spaniard is on £60k-per-week in west London, which in and of itself may not seem massively outrageous for a first-choice goalkeeper in the Premier League, but there is the issue: it doesn't look like he's first choice anymore.

Before injuring his knee against Everton in December, the former Seagulls shot-stopper was having a tough time of it, and while his struggles weren't getting quite the same attention as, say, Andre Onana's, he was still making blunders, as indicated below.

Since his injury, the young Đorđe Petrović has stepped between the sticks, and while he hasn't been perfect, he has looked far more assured in comparison.

For example, while the Serbian has a marginally worse passing accuracy than the Spaniard, he has a better save percentage and clean sheet percentage despite facing more shots on target per 90, which is ultimately the most important metric for a goalkeeper.

Robert Sanchez vs Đorđe Petrović

Stats per 90

Sanchez

Petrović

Shots on Target Against

4.91

5.71

Save Percentage

70.5%

71.2%

Clean Sheet Percentage

18.8%

22.2%

Passing Accuracy

82.1%

79.2%

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Premier League Season

In all, with his £25m transfer fee and the £1.7m in wages he's already earned, it's hard not to look at that £26.7m as money wasted from Chelsea's point of view, especially after he conceded two sloppy goals in his comeback last night.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 29, 2024

Ultimately, Chelsea are a club with many problems to deal with over the coming years, and it certainly looks as if they have given themselves another one in the "poor" Sanchez, as former Chelsea defender Scott Minto once described him.