A number of iconic strikers have donned Sunderland red and white over the years, getting the Black Cats out of many sticky patches in the Premier League.

Kevin Phillips will always go down as the most memorable, notably winning The Golden Boot on Wearside when he powered home 30 strikes during Sunderland’s 1999/2000 campaign.

While Jermain Defoe would never hit these amazing heights, the lethal Englishman did consistently bail his team out of relegation danger when scoring 34 top-flight goals over three seasons near the bottom of the tough division.

In the here and now, a new hero is forming to potentially rival the exploits of both journeyman attackers.

Wilson Isidor was already firmly in the Stadium of Light’s good books when he fired home 13 strikes last season to steer Sunderland back up to the top-flight after a seven-year absence.

So, Isidor, already bagging some crucial strikes in the infancy of this season, has not harmed his glowing reputation among the hardened Wearside masses whatsoever. Rather, it has significantly strengthened his fan favourite status.

Isidor's start to Premier League life

Often, the jump-up from the Championship to the Premier League can swallow a player whole.

Many Sunderland supporters might have anticipated that the French striker would find the step-up in quality to be a frightening one to navigate. Instead, he has seemingly taken it in his stride.

Three glorious strikes have already been picked up by the ex-Zenit St. Petersburg forward, with those first two efforts only coming about from a combined 39 minutes of action.

The Black Cats’ “one man machine” – as he was glowingly labelled by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley in the second tier – has since become Le Bris’ main starter up top, with that third and final strike falling against Aston Villa handing the ten men on the day a dramatic share of the points.

Isidor will just be glad he hasn’t been branded as a presence who couldn’t handle the intense heat of the Premier League, with Unai Emery’s Villans reportedly contemplating a move for the skilful 6-foot-1 striker, off the back of his late heroics at the tail-end of September.

Unfortunately, not every addition made by Sunderland in recent memory has been able to make their start to top-flight life in England look as seamless, with Jozy Altidore still sticking out to this day as one of the Black Cats’ worst blunders in the attacking department.

Altidore's awful spell at Sunderland in numbers

In the summer of 2013, Sunderland must have thought they’d picked up a stellar bargain when landing Altidore’s signature for a modest £9m.

After all, he was just fresh off an insanely potent season in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar, with a stunning 23 league goals fired home from just 33 games during his swansong campaign in the Netherlands.

Games played

42

Minutes played

2080

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Unfortunately, he never found that same lethal form on English soil, culminating in Altidore’s smart turn and finish against Chelsea – which can be seen above – going down as his only strike for the Wearside outfit from 42 largely forgettable outings.

Labelled as “Dozy Anti-score” by some Sunderland fans, Isidor will just be glad he has never received similar vitriol, with the Frenchman a reliable source of goals and entertainment, thankfully, as opposed to being public enemy number one for being wasteful in front of goal.

Coincidentally, the American’s nightmare at the Stadium of Light came to a halt when an exchange deal for the aforementioned Defoe to move back to England was arranged with Toronto FC. Altidore then turned into a dependable MLS marksman for the Canadian side.

Yet, a modern-day tale similar to Altidore’s could now be playing out in real time.

Sunderland "powerhouse" could be the next Altidore

Thankfully, most of Sunderland’s summer purchases haven’t fallen victim to the Altidore curse of freezing in the big time.

It was to be expected that Granit Xhaka would be an instant hit under Le Bris’ wing in the Premier League, having already proven himself to be a forceful machine with Arsenal in the demanding division.

But, other new faces such as Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete – who once called France and Spain home – have instantly slotted into the Frenchman’s lineup, too, and looked near faultless, with just three league goals given up as a pairing, before a humbling 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Yet, while a lot of the summer business has gone down as success stories from the get-go, striker Brian Brobbey is yet to live up to the “goal machine” tag once handed to him by scout Jacek Kulig, when gifted limited opportunities to impress.

In an eerily similar fashion to Altidore, Brobbey had long been seen as a feared goalscorer in the Eredivisie for previous employers Ajax before embarking on a fresh adventure to English shores, with the homegrown Amsterdam product bagging a lethal 56 strikes from 163 contests.

Therefore, with the 23-year-old also costing a bumper £17.3m to obtain in a stunning deadline day swoop, the world would have been expected of Brobbey on his arrival, with Isidor likely to be displaced by the number nine’s efficient ability to put away chances in an instant.

Games played

3

Games started

0

Minutes*

21

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches*

5.7

Accurate passes*

1.3 (50%)

Total duels won*

1.3

In reality, Brobbey has struggled for gametime whilst Isidor continues to steal the limelight, much like Altidore was guilty of playing second fiddle to figures such as Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham.

Worryingly, the brand-new number 9 is yet to even register a single shot in the Premier League from his three lacklustre cameos, away from also averaging just 5.7 touches of the ball per substitute appearance.

He has also looked concerningly weak in physical battles despite once being noted as a “powerhouse” by scout Antonio Mango, with just one aerial duel from four attempted won last time out against Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils.

It is far too early in the season to be writing off individuals, but it will be intriguing to see how long Brobbey’s early barren patch of form can run before he is looked down on as a potential expensive flop.

For now, Le Bris will hope he can come good, but it will be bothering some at the Stadium of Light already that the £17.3m signing could go down as a similar Altidore-style misfire.

Seb Larsson 2.0: Le Bris must unleash Sunderland's "sensational" talent

One wizard shines for Sunderland, drawing early comparisons to Seb Larsson

ByWill Miller Oct 4, 2025

يستعد ليفربول لمواجهة أستون فيلا مساء غد السبت في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بعد أن تكبد فريق آرني سلوت ست هزائم في آخر سبع مباريات.

وسئل بول ميرسون نجم آرسنال السابق إذا كان يرى الملك المصري محمد صلاح جيداً بما يكفي ليكون نجم الفريق في مباراة الغد بعد بدايته البطيئة هذا الموسم.

وعلى الرغم من أداء محمد صلاح المتواضع في الآونة الأخيرة، فقد تحدث بول ميرسون أن النجم المصري يجب أن يبدأ في المباراة ضد أستون فيلا.

وقال ميرسون في تصريحات لـ”sportskeeda”: “ليس لدى فيلا ما يخسره في مباراة ليفربول، حتى لو خسروا لن تكون مشكلة كبيرة، هذه الحرية ستمنحهم أفضلية، كلا الفريقين متساويان في عدد النقاط وهذا أمر مذهل بالنظر للبداية الصعبة التي مر بها فيلا هذا الموسم”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. هامان: نجم ليفربول يناسب ريال مدريد أكثر

وأضاف :”هذا يظهر مدى سرعة تغير الأمور، المشكلة الوحيدة في فيلا هو عدم تسجيلهم عدد كافي من الأهداف، لم يتلقوا سوى ثمانية أهداف في الدوري أيضاً لكنهم سجلوا تسع أهداف فقط في تسع مباريات”.

وواصل: “لقد استقبل ليفربول كثير من الأهداف في الأسابيع الأخيرة ولكن هل يستطيع أستون فيلا استغلال دفاع الريدز المهتز”.

وتابع عن محمد صلاح: “سؤال مهم آخر إذا كان سيبدأ صلاح أساسياً أم لا، إذا كنت تريد أن تمنح الفرص للاعبين في مباريات كهذه، فلا شك أن صلاح واحد منهم، أعلم أنه لم يسجل أهداف لكن لا يمكن استبعاده من هذه المباراة”.

وأكمل :”على ليفربول أن ينسى لقاء ريال مدريد الأسبوع المقبل، إذا خسروا هذه المباراة فلا يزال بإمكانهم التأهل للأدوار الإقصائية في أوروبا لكن الهزيمة ضد فيلا تنهي آمالهم في الفوز بلقب الدوري، وسيصبحون متأخرين عن آرسنال بعشر نقاط وتنتظرهم مباراة مانشستر سيتي القادمة، هذا ليس الوضع الأمثل وأنا قلق على ليفربول لأنني لا أتوقع فوزهم ضد فيلا”.

واختتم ميرسون عن توقعه لنتيجة مباراة ليفربول وأستون فيلا: “1-1”.

O’Rourke replaces him at LSG while Jamieson replaces the injured Ferguson at PBKS

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2025Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler Mayank Yadav has sustained another back injury and is out of the last leg of IPL 2025. LSG have roped in New Zealand quick Will O’Rourke at INR 3 crore in his place.Mayank was one of the three players LSG retained ahead of the mega auction. Returning to competitive cricket for the first time since October 2024, Mayank played only two matches in IPL 2025 – against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) – before the tournament was suspended following cross-border tension between India and Pakistan. His high pace – a quality that impressed the national selectors – and accuracy earned him a special fast bowler’s contract with the BCCI last year.Soon he picked up a back injury that made him miss the 2024-25 domestic season after his international debut. He was recovering at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru. But his return was pushed back after he stubbed his toe against his bed leading to an infection. Upon his return, he was a much slower bowler, clocking speeds in the high-130 kph and only occasionally breaching the 140kph mark.Related

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After Mayank’s first match upon his return, LSG mentor Zaheer Khan had said they were in “constant dialogue with the NCA” and were following the regimen that was given to him.The IPL stint with LSG will be O’Rourke’s first experience in the T20 franchise circuit. He has five wickets in five T20Is for New Zealand after his debut against Pakistan last year. Overall, he is capped ten times in Tests and 17 times in ODIs apart from his five T20I appearances.Jamieson replaces Ferguson at PBKSNew Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson replaced countryman Lockie Ferguson at PBKS for the rest of IPL 2025. Ferguson played four matches for PBKS this season and picked up five wickets. He hobbled off after bowling two balls in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in April following which, PBKS fast-bowling coach James Hopes said Ferguson was “out indefinitely”.PBKS will be Jamieson’s second IPL team after he played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2021. He was part of Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2025 but played in just two of their nine games. Jamieson joined PBKS for INR 2 crore.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, Gujarat Titans (GT) have signed Kusal Mendis as a replacement for Jos Buttler, who will leave for England duties at the end of the league stage. Mendis has joined GT for INR 75 lakh and will be eligible to play the playoffs.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Seleção Brasileira inicia nesta sexta-feira (8), às 21h45 (de Brasília), a sua caminhada rumo à classificação para a Copa do Mundo de 2026, que será disputada no Canadá, Estados Unidos e México. Em Belém, no Pará, o Brasil enfrentará a Bolívia pela primeira rodada das Eliminatórias.Saiba abaixo onde assistir a partida, informações sobre escalação e tudo sobre o duelo.

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+ É dia de faturar com a Lance! Betting nas Eliminatórias! Aposte R$10 e ganhe R$65 para goleada do Brasil sobre a Bolívia!

Além da primeira partida do Brasil na competição, o duelo, que será realizado no estádio do Mangueirão, marcará o início de Fernando Diniz no comando técnico da Amarelinha. O profissional, que acumula o seu cargo com o que também exerce no Fluminense, tem contrato até o ano que vem. 

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+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades

No esboço que o técnico mostrou nos treinamentos entre terça e quinta-feira (5 a 7), serão feitas poucas mudanças em relação ao último ciclo de Copa, encerrado no fim do ano passado, com a saída de Tite.

Do outro lado, os bolivianos tentam retornar a uma Copa do Mundo, o que não acontece desde 1994, que foi a única vez que o país esteve em um Mundial. O trunfo é aproveitar o aumento de vagas para os times da América do Sul, que agora são seis, mais uma para a repescagem intercontinental.

BRASIL X BOLÍVIA
ELIMINATÓRIAS PARA A COPA DE 2026 – 1ª RODADA

Local:Mangueirão, Belém (PA)
Data e hora:8 de setembro de 2023, às 21h45 (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro: Juan Gabriel Benítez (PARA)
Assistentes: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR) e Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Árbitro de vídeo: Carlos Benítez (PAR)
Onde assistir:TV Globo e SporTV (para todo o Brasil) e no tempo real do LANCE!

BRASIL
Ederson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães e Renan Lodi; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães e Neymar; Raphinha, Richarlison e Rodrygo. Técnico: Fernando Diniz.

BOLÍVIA
Guillermo Viscarra; Héctor Cuéllar, Carlos Roca e Jairo Quinteros; Medina, Luciano Ursino, Saucedo (Moreno) e Miguelito; Víctor Ábrego (Jaume Cuéllar) e Marcelo Moreno. Técnico: Gustavo Costas.

Sam Hain’s second highly-skilled innings of the match left Warwickshire well-placed to press for victory over Worcestershire in the Rothesay County Championship derby at Visit Worcestershire New Road.On a capricious pitch which has helped seamers throughout, Hain followed his first innings 86 with an unbeaten 87 off 174 balls as Warwickshire took their second innings to 280 to set the home side 327 to win. Chris Woakes supported Hain with 42, during which he passed 10,000 runs in all formats, while Jacob Duffy took 5 for 75.Worcestershire closed the third day on 54 for 2 and face a huge batting challenge on the final day when they must make by far the biggest score of the match to win it.Warwickshire resumed on the third morning day on 53 for 1, already 99 ahead, and soon lost Tom Latham who edged an aggressive shot at Tom Taylor to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick. Rob Yates re-dropped the anchor and eked out a valuable 29 from 112 balls before falling lbw, hit on the back pad, by Ben Allison. Beau Webster paid the price for going on the back foot on a pitch sometimes keeping low when Duffy flattened his leg stump.That was 86 for 4 and Worcestershire were clawing their way back into the match but the excellent Hain unfurled his second crucial innings of the contest and received important support from the middle and lower orders. Ed Barnard (30) added impetus before top-edging Matthew Waite to third man. Zen Malik helped Hain added 30 and, after he sliced Duffy to point and Kai Smith pulled Allison to long leg, Woakes arrived – not a bad player to have coming in at No. 9.The eighth-wicket pair added 67 in 21 overs, lifting Worcestershire’s target over 300, before Woakes edged Taylor to slip. Duffy completed his five-for with wickets from successive balls when Ethan Bamber hit his wicket from the follow through from a pull and Chris Rushworth edged to slip.Rushworth wasted no time before inflicting damage with the ball when he knocked out Jake Libby’s off stump with an outswinger. Six balls later, Henry Nicholls copped a tough lbw decision when he appeared to be struck outside the line of off-stump by Woakes.That was 25 for 2 and, with 27 overs left in the day Warwickshire fancied their chances of making match-clinching inroads before stumps. Batting remained a serious test of concentration and technique but Roderick and Kashif Ali negotiated 12 overs before bad light lopped off the last 15.An intriguing final day beckons with an additional factor from some rain in the forecast. Warwickshire remain strong favourites to bank a win which would owe most to Hain whose high-class batting in this match was worthy of two centuries.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Clásico Joven, Cruz Azul manager Nicolás Larcamón said the rivalry between La Máquina and América continues to grow in importance – and is now the biggest fixture in Mexican football. Los Azulcremas enter the weekend sitting second in the table with 27 points, while the Celestes are in fourth with 25.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The biggest rivalry

  As the latest edition of the Clásico Joven approaches, Larcamón made it clear that facing América means more than just history and rivalry – it’s a game that continues to gain weight within Liga MX.

  “In recent years, Cruz Azul vs América has undoubtedly become one of the most important games in Mexican football,” Larcamón said. “The northern clubs have set their own standard, and Toluca has also been consistent. But because of its history, this clásico is getting stronger. It might well become the most important rivalry in the league."

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'The motivation isn’t the opponent'

  Despite the pressure surrounding such the high-stakes match, Larcamón insisted that his motivation doesn’t come from facing América.

  “The motivation isn’t the opponent, it’s the badge and our people,” he said. “We focus on preparation, on arriving fresh and ready to perform at our best. That’s what drives us.”

  Cruz Azul enter the match in solid form, showing consistency and balance throughout the tournament. However, Larcamón emphasized that the team’s ambitions go beyond records or statistics.

  “Cruz Azul is a massive club, and we have to aim higher than just maintaining a streak,” he said.

  The coach referred to La Máquina’s unbeaten run at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, a streak that represents more than just numbers – it’s a reflection of the team’s mentality and commitment.

  “We want to extend that record because of what it means to us,” he said. “Of course, it matters in terms of points and format, but it’s more about ambition, about continuing to build and grow.”

• AFP
  

  America’s dominant record under Jardine

  On the other side, André Jardine’s América continues to thrive under the Brazilian’s leadership. Since his arrival, Jardine has delivered impressive results and built a reputation as a coach who knows how to handle the big games. Cruz Azul, in fact, have been Jardine’s most frequent opponent in Liga MX.

  Here’s how his record stacks up across the following opponents:

  + Cruz Azul: 6 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses

  + Chivas: 6 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses

  + Querétaro: 6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss

  + Atlas: 6 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses

  When counting only his matches in charge of América, Cruz Azul remains his most defeated rival. A victory this weekend would give Jardine his sixth triumph over the Cementeros since arriving in Coapa.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Stakes are high for both sides

  Cruz Azul looks to confirm its progress under Larcamón and prove they can be true title contenders, while Jardine’s América – dealing with several injury absences – aim to extend their dominance.

  Henry Martín appears to be ruled out, although Alejandro Zendejas could make the bench after withdrawing from the United States national team call-up.

Well, that might not have been the perfect start to Nuno Espírito Santo’s tenure as West Ham United boss, but it wasn’t far off.

The Hammers faced the difficult task of taking on a dangerous Everton side away from home on Monday night, and while they didn’t win, they also didn’t lose.

It was that man, Jarrod Bowen, who levelled the score for the East Londoners in the second half, and they looked more likely to score a winner than the Toffees.

Several West Ham starters put in a good showing on the night, but two stood out in particular, including Crysencio Summerville.

Summerville's eye-catching performance

Monday night was Summerville’s third start on the bounce for West Ham, and while he did earn two assists in his eight-minute cameo against Nottingham Forest last month, it was his best performance of the campaign.

Chalkboard

Expand Collapse

The former Leeds United star did make a few mistakes here and there, but was arguably as good, if not better, than Bowen, even if the Englishman managed to get on the scoresheet.

The Dutchman was a constant threat on the left, using his rapid pace, intricate close control and agility to make life nightmarishly difficult for Jake O’Brien from minute one.

On another night, the 23-year-old would have opened his account for the season when Jordan Pickford pulled off a brilliant reaction save from an incredibly close-range effort.

It wasn’t just us who were left seriously impressed with the winger, though, as Sky Sports awarded him the man of the match, and when you look at his statistics, it’s easy to see why.

Summerville’s game vs Everton

Minutes

77′

Expected Goals

0.42

Expected Assists

0.12

Touches

55

Accurate Passes

27/29 (93%)

Key Passes

1

Shots on Target

1

Successful Dribbles

3

Ground Duels (Won)

8 (5)

Fouls Won

2

Clearances

3

Shots Blocked

1

All Stats via Sofascore

In his 77 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assist figure of 0.54, took 55 touches, completed 93% of his passes, played one key pass, completed three dribbles, won five of eight ground duels, won two fouls, made three clearances and even blocked a shot.

In all, Summerville put in a performance that should have fans very excited about what he could do this season, just like one of his teammates.

Nuno's stand-out West Ham star

Now, while Bowen certainly deserves his fair share of praise for the goal he scored, everyone is already well aware of just how good he is.

El Hadji Malick Diouf might have been something of an unknown quantity to those non-West Ham fans who were watching – well, not anymore.

The former Slavia Prague gem was an absolute monster all night, bombing up and down the pitch with his, as one analyst put it, “explosive acceleration” that makes him so difficult to defend against.

The 20-year-old didn’t get himself an assist on the night, but it felt like every time he got forward in the second half, he would deliver a sensational cross into the penalty area with such whip and venom that, had someone got on the end of it, the Hammers would have scored another goal.

Moreover, Bowen’s goal came about thanks to Everton failing to deal with one of these crosses.

What made his deliveries so impressive was the fact that, a couple of times, he didn’t even stop to look or regain his balance; he’d just burst into space, wallop the ball with an immense amount of power, and it’d land in an extremely dangerous area.

It’s things like this that justify Sky Sports’ Joe Thomlinson calling the Senegalese star an “astonishingly good footballer and athlete” and another analyst making the bold claim that he’s “one of the best fullbacks in the league.”

Ultimately, while they didn’t get the win, West Ham looked like a far better team under Nuno on Monday night, and that is largely down to Summerville and Diouf making the left-hand side so much more dangerous.

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Liverpool appear primed for Premier League domination over the next few seasons but still face the daunting task of finding an appropriate successor for Mohamed Salah.

Arne Slot lays out new signing expectations at Liverpool

Despite the excitement that surrounds Alexander Isak’s £125 million move from Newcastle United to Liverpool, the Sweden international has missed out on a proper pre-season and was used sparingly over the international break by Sweden due to his fitness.

With Hugo Ekitike leading the line to great effect under Arne Slot, the Dutchman has made it clear that his newest signing won’t be expected to play 90 minutes straight away across the next few matches as he gets himself in elite shape for challenges that lie ahead.

He stated before his side’s trip to Turf Moor: “Don’t expect him to be every single game 90 minutes on the pitch. We will treat Alex the same as Sweden. So do not expect him to play every game in the upcoming weeks.

Work on the transfer front doesn’t stop there for FSG after reports emerged that Liverpool are battling Manchester United and others to sign Ajax talent Jorthy Mokio, who is also wanted by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Intriguingly, the Reds are also monitoring Santos winger Robinho Jr, son of the former Real Madrid and Brazil star, presenting another potential recruit who could gain nationwide headlines for obvious reasons.

Keeping one eye on the future, Liverpool have now identified who they want to succeed Salah long-term as they look to build a dynasty in English football.

Liverpool want Michael Olise to replace Mohamed Salah

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool see Bayern Munich star Michael Olise as Salah’s long-term replacement, and they are deemed to ‘lead’ the race for his signature, albeit the Bundesliga holders are keen to offer him a new contract. In the case of Salah, he may once again soon be at the centre of lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, forcing the Reds into forming a contingency plan if the Anfield icon were to depart in the near future.

Not Quansah: Liverpool have lost their own Guehi in "generational" talent

Liverpool must wish they still had this talented player in their ranks.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 13, 2025

With an alleged release clause of around £87m, which could even be lowered if the player pushes for an English move, Olise is said to earn around £224,000 per week at the Allianz Arena and has started the campaign with four goals in four matches across all competitions.

Overall, the London-born star, dubbed “different class” by reporter Graeme Bailey, has registered 24 goals and 23 assists in 59 matches for Bayern Munich, making him a prolific figure within Vincent Kompany’s frontline that is viewed as a similar profile of player to Salah by Liverpool chiefs.

With his release clause believed to kick in next year – hence Bayern’s keenness to offer him a new deal – there may be scope for the Reds to pull off another savvy piece of business if the ex-Crystal Palace man signals his intent to return to the Premier League.

Shahrukh Khan and Sherfane Rutherford kept GT in the game but they eventually fell well short

Hemant Brar22-May-20252:23

Moody: Marsh has ‘golden ticket’ to intimidate bowlers

Mitchell Marsh scored his maiden IPL hundred, and his second in all T20 cricket, to set the platform for Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) 33-run consolation win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad.Sent into bat, LSG rode on Marsh’s 117 off 64 balls and Nicholas Pooran’s unbeaten 56 off 27 to post a mammoth 235 for 2 on a high-scoring black-soil surface.In reply, GT lost Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler in 9.3 overs – the earliest that has happened in IPL 2025 – but their largely untested middle order gave LSG a tough fight. Sherfane Rutherford and Shahrukh Khan added 86 in just 40 balls for the fourth wicket.Related

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Gill and Sai Sudharsan 'have learnt how to move through the gears'

As it happened: Marsh ton gives LSG consolation win against Gujarat Titans

GT needed 54 in the last four overs with six wickets in hand. But after Will O’Rourke dismissed Rutherford with the first ball of the 17th, the chase petered out. The last four overs produced only 20 and not a single boundary.The defeat also hurt GT’s chances of a top-two finish.GT’s slippery startGT had a slippery start after they won the toss and put LSG in. Arshad Khan slipped twice in his delivery stride in the second over of the innings. Apparently, there was too much grass around the landing area. Two overs later, the ball slipped out of Kagiso Rabada’s hands. Aiden Markram took evasive action but Hawk-Eye deemed it to be a legal delivery. It showed the ball would have been 1.11 metres high at the batting crease, 2cm below Markram’s waist when standing upright. In between, Marsh and Markram had a few mis-hits and also found some boundaries. By the end of the powerplay, LSG had reached 53 for no loss.1:47

What’s ailing Rashid Khan?

Marsh, Pooran annihilate GTWith two right-handers in the middle, Gill introduced R Sai Kishore into the attack before Rashid Khan. Marsh hit two sixes off his first eight balls but the spinner broke the 91-run opening stand soon after with Markram’s wicket.That brought to the crease Pooran and more carnage. He and Marsh added 121 runs in just 52 balls. Rashid came to bowl the 12th over. Before this game, Marsh had scored only 31 off 33 balls against him. Tonight, he went 6, 4, 6, 4, 4, 1 in his first over.With Pooran in the middle, Gill took the gamble of giving Sai Kishore another over. It did not come off as Pooran farmed the strike and hit the spinner for one six and one four in four balls.Marsh had taken 33 balls for his first fifty. For his second, he needed only 23. Pooran’s fifty also came in 23 balls. In the final over, Rishabh Pant gave a glimpse of what-if as he hit Rabada for two sixes to finish unbeaten on 16 off six balls.Digvesh Rathi wasn’t around but Akash Singh’s notebook was out•AFP/Getty Images

A rare “failure” for Gill, Sudharsan and ButtlerComing into this game, Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Buttler had scored 76.87% of GT’s bat runs in the season. In their previous game, Gill and Sai Sudharsan had chased down 200 against Delhi Capitals (DC) on their own. The two once again looked sublime and added 46 in 4.3 overs before Sai Sudharsan chipped O’Rourke to mid-off where Markram dived forward to take a low catch.Buttler hit two fours and two sixes off Avesh Khan in the sixth over to keep the momentum going. But in his next over, Avesh had Gill slicing one to Abdul Samad at wide long-off for another excellent catch.Two overs later, Buttler was also back in the pavilion. Akash Singh, who had split his webbing earlier, returned with a heavily strapped right hand and breached Buttler’s defence with a slower one. Akash dedicated the wicket to Digvesh Rathi by bringing out the notebook celebration. After ten overs, GT were 97 for 3 and needed 139 more in the remaining ten.Will O’Rourke’s two-wicket 17th over turned the game in LSG’s favour•BCCI

GT’s middle order stands upBefore this game, GT’s middle order (Nos. 4-7) had the lowest average (21.39) in the league but also the highest strike rate (165.65). In a way, it was a corollary of their prosperous top order. On Thursday, however, GT did not want their middle order to just flash. They wanted them to keep the fire burning.Rutherford and Shahrukh did exactly that. They smashed three fours and three sixes to ransack 36 runs from overs 14th and 15th, bowled by Avesh and Shahbaz Ahmed, respectively. LSG were still the favourites but GT were also in with a fair chance. O’Rourke then dealt the decisive blow. He conceded only four in the 17th over and bookended it with the wickets of Rutherford and Rahul Tewatia. Shahrukh, who had brought up his fifty off 22 balls, swung hard but kept losing his shape as LSG seized control.

Already, several of Sunderland’s first team members this season are in the running to go down as modern greats at the Stadium of Light.

Indeed, Granit Xhaka is already being spoken of as an “unbelievable” star by journalist Phil Smith so soon into his Black Cats stay, and it’s for good reason, too, with the Swiss international both gritty and creative from the middle of the park.

Both Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete at the back have also been receiving wild praise for their defensive masterclasses, while Wilson Isidor has cemented himself as a fan favourite even further by bagging three goals already this season in front of the passionate Wearside masses.

There is one ace that hasn’t even been mentioned yet, who could even go down as the Premier League side’s modern-day iteration of Julio Arca, with the South American a beloved talent throughout his time at the Black Cats, who always had a way of entertaining fans with skills and tricks aplenty.

Arca's heroics at Sunderland

The wonderful strike above sums up Arca’s entertaining game very well, with the Argentine midfielder often unafraid to maraud forward, before curling home a beautiful effort.

In total, for the Black Cats, who yo-yo’d between the Premier League and the Championship during the now retired trickster’s lengthy stay, Arca would pick up a sizeable 21 goals and 11 assists from 173 appearances, with his ex-Stadium of Light teammate in Matt Poom even hailing the former number 33 as being “very confident” in his own ability to wreak havoc.

Further dubbed as being “different class” by ex-Hartlepool United boss Neale Cooper at the time, it would be down the left flank where Arca would get the most joy, having initially been placed into the side as a left-back on his arrival to England from his native Argentina.

Pushing the skilful 5-foot-9 attacker further up the pitch to a left wing position would, then, prove to be a masterstroke, with the rest ending up being history as Arca became a constant of many a Sunderland XI.

Capable of playing as a central midfielder, too, if needed, there are some remarkable similarities between the £3.5m purchase and a current gem in Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland set-up, with the ace in question hopeful he can go down as being as cherished as Arca over time.

Le Bris' very own Arca

Le Bris does have various tricky players at his disposal at the moment who can serve up a moment of Arca-like genius.

The aforementioned Isidor has looked cool and confident in front of goal in the early stages of the season to put away some tricky chances, while Xhaka has also stylishly gone about his business with three assists notched up from his seven Premier League outings.

But, it’s Enzo Le Fee who could well be Le Bris’ own version of Arca right now, with the Frenchman traditionally a central midfielder option by trade, who has shown off his obvious class for Sunderland – since leaving France behind – when being deployed down the left channel by his manager.

Amazingly, despite making 73 career appearances to date from a central role, the “incredible” midfielder – as he has been lauded by scout Jacek Kulig – has largely been handed chances in the Black Cats’ first team on Arca’s trusty left-hand side, with a promising two goals and three assists coming his way when consistently putting in classy performances from this adopted spot.

One of those efforts would see Le Fee coolly put away a penalty to hand Le Bris and Co. a 2-1 win over Brentford back in August, with the Frenchman hopeful he can guide Sunderland to immediate safety by putting in even more assured displays at the demanding level.

He could even be dreaming of achieving what Arca managed during his debut season in Sunderland red and white, with the Kevin Phillips-led outfit securing a seventh-place finish when collecting 15 total league victories.

2005/06

20th (relegation)

2004/05

1st (promoted)

2003/04

3rd

2002/03

20th (relegation)

2001/02

17th

2000/01

7th

Unfortunately, Arca couldn’t sustain that success on Wearside, with Le Fee praying he can offer the same unpredictable magic the South American had in abundance, while also consolidating his side as a Premier League regular in the process.

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