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Newcastle United’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium capped off a bitter spell of form that has seen the outfit stumble during their commendable, European-chasing campaign.

The Magpies are enduring a five-match winless streak in the Premier League, also losing the Carabao Cup finale against Manchester United last weekend, and manager Eddie Howe will be hoping to pick up the pieces and galvanise his squad back into form ahead of the business end of the season.

A wondrous solo effort from Phil Foden was complemented by Bernardo Silva’s sweet second-half finish, and for all of the Tynesiders’ resilience and cohesion as a unit, they could not muster the requisite attacking impetus to silence the City crowd.

Now four points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, albeit with two games in hand, Newcastle need to dust off the cobwebs of this indifferent spell of form and forge a path back to prominence.

Howe will demand contribution from every inch of his squad, which is why Jamaal Lascelles’ performance in the den of the current league champions will have been most pleasing.

Did Lascelles prove his worth vs Man City?

Part of a £7m double signing from Nottingham Forest – alongside goalkeeper Karl Darlow – in 2014, Lascelles has been a stalwart for Newcastle, and while he has found opportunities harder to come by this term, the defeat against City only his second Premier League start of the season, his display adds an invaluable layer to his side’s depth.

And with Fabian Schar unavailable due to concussion, the 29-year-old stepped in and performed admirably, with imperious City talisman Erling Haaland restricted to two off-target strikes and conceding defeat in all three of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Sofascore also recorded Lascelles’ six clearances, invaluable in ensuring City were not provided total dominance in the away side’s offensive third, also completing 83% of his passes and recording 60 touches despite City’s ball-playing excellence.

The Newcastle Chronicle bestowed a 7/10 match rating upon the Englishman, who last started against Liverpool last October, saying: “Did what he does well and routinely cleared. And will be one of the few defenders to stop Haaland scoring, excellently setting tone with crunch tackle early on. A decent return despite defeat. Man of the match.”

The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson also lauded Lascelles as among “the top marks” for his contribution, and should Howe require his presence for the forthcoming fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he is in good stead to continue his resurgence and impress once again.

While record £63m summer signing Alexander Isak will earn the plaudits for his efforts off the bench, looking lively and leaving journalist Josh Bunting remarking that Newcastle are “at their most dangerous” when he is on the pitch, Lascelles’ display was invaluable in reminding the manager of his depth.

Isak managed a shot on target and a blocked attempt, completing his only dribble attempt and won both of his ground duels; his offensive effort was impressive, and Howe can take solace from both the attacking impact of his star signing and the defensive work of utility option Lascelles.

Stats highlights from the second day’s play at Eden Gardens.

HR Gopalakrishna and Mathew Varghese01-Dec-2007Stats highlights from the second day’s play at Eden Gardens.

VVS Laxman became the leading run-scorer in Tests at Eden Gardens © AFP
The day surely belonged to Sourav Ganguly, who scored his first Test hundred in Kolkata, his home town. In seven Tests prior to this one at Eden Gardens, Ganguly had only one fifty – a 65 against Australia in 1998. Ganguly has no fifty in four ODIs he’s played at the ground. It was also his first century against Pakistan. VVS Laxman continued his great run in Kolkata, and became the leading Test run-getter at Eden Gardens during the course of his unbeaten 112, going past Mohammad Azharuddin. Laxman now has 898 runs at an average of 81.63 with three hundreds – the same as Rahul Dravid – in Kolkata, but is till two short of Azhar, who had five hundreds in seven Tests. Wasim Jaffer became the third batsman to score a double-hundred at Eden Gardens, after Rohan Kanhai and VVS Laxman. It is Jaffer’s second score over 200, his best being 212 against West Indies in St John’s. India’s total of 616 for 5 declared was their second-highest against Pakistan, after their 675 for 5 declared in Multan in 2004. It was also their third total in excess of 600 at Eden Gardens; India had scored more against Australia in 1998 and in 2001 – when Laxman scored 281. Danish Kaneria finished with figures of 2 for 194 from his 50 overs, the most runs conceded in an innings at Eden Gardens.

The batsman has been handed South Africa’s Order of Ikhamanga which recognises achievements of those in the fields of arts‚ culture‚ literature‚ music‚ journalism and sport

Firdose Moonda23-Apr-2018Hashim Amla has become the first cricketer in 10 years to receive South Africa’s Order of Ikhamanga, a national award given out to recognise achievements of those in the fields of arts‚ culture‚ literature‚ music‚ journalism and sport.Amla was named as a silver award recipient by the Chancellor of National Orders, Dr Cassius Lubisi, who explained Amla is being honoured, “for his contribution to the sport of cricket. He has brought pride to our country with his many batting firsts in the international cricket arena and remains one of the leading batsmen of our time.”Amla is the only South African to have scored a triple-century in Test cricket, is their second-highest century-maker in Test cricket with 28 hundreds and the country’s leading ODI century-maker with 26 to his name. He is currently ranked 11th on the ICC Test rankings and 12th in ODIs and has captained South Africa in all formats.Prior to Amla receiving the award, Shaun Pollock, South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker, and Makhaya Ntini, the first black African to play Test cricket for South Africa, were named as Order of Ikhamanga recipients in 2008. The trio are the only cricketers to be named for the order during their playing days.Basil D’Oliveira received the award in 2003, when it was first established. Also that year, Eric Majola and Goolam Abed, who were selected for both cricket and rugby for black South African teams during the Apartheid era, were recognised. In 2004, Hassan Howa, after whom the Howa bowl, a cricket tournament for non-white players which ran from the early 1970s until unity in 1991 was named, was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga.

Tired, drawn and stung by defeat, Joe Root is adamant he would love another crack at the England captaincy in Australia in four years’ time

George Dobell in Sydney02-Jan-2018Joe Root believes he is the man to captain England on their next Ashes tour in four-year’s time.While Root has been stung by the pain of defeat, he believes the lessons he has learned will stand him in good stead when the side returns to Australia. And, just as he now views being dropped from the Sydney Test at the end of the 2013-14 Ashes as “one of the best things that ever happened to me,” he now feels he has “gained a lot” from the experience of this series that will prove beneficial in the future.”Of course I want to captain England here in four years,” Root said. “Yes, it’s been a long trip with stuff that you don’t want to have to deal with on occasions but I think I’ve gained a lot from that.”I’m looking forward to the different challenges that will present themselves after this trip. I want us to be the best side in the world and that’s not going to happen overnight.”Among the lessons Root says he has learned is the requirement for more pace and spin in England’s attack and the need for England’s batsmen to make far greater contributions. And while he remains hugely respectful of the skills James Anderson offers England, he knows they cannot continue to rely upon a bowler who is now 35 years-old and almost certainly playing his final Test in Australia in the coming days.Root on…

Moeen Ali: “I’m not worried about Mo. He’s a fine player and I’m sure he’ll play a lot more cricket for England. Over the summer he was one of the most instrumental parts of our team with bat and ball. He has struggled a bit on this trip but, technically I don’t think there’s a huge amount he needs to work on. When someone is going through a tough period it’s important as a squad that you remember how valuable he has been and what he’s capable of doing.”
Playing in the IPL: “I’ll think about that after this series. I know there are deadlines to meet, but it’s most important that I spend all my time and energy on this last game.”
The ball-tampering allegations: “That was ridiculous. You know when you come to Australia, you’re playing against everyone, not just the 11 guys on the field. It’s important that next time we get here we know exactly what to expect in terms of the media barrage or, as Trevor Bayliss said the other day, the ‘Pommie bashing’ from the Australian press. You have to make sure that you’re very switched on to the way they operate.”

“Let’s be honest, there are going to be certain changes in the seam-bowling department in four years’ time unless we’re rolling Jimmy Anderson out at 40 or whatever he’s going to be,” Root said. “An extra bit of pace could be very important next time round. Having someone like Mark Wood fit for a long period of time could be very useful.”We’ve also seen how crucial the spin department can be over here, so we have to make sure it is as strong as it can be. And, as a batting group, we’ve got to be prepared to bat for long, long periods of time.”No captain in modern times has led England in successive away Ashes series (Mike Brearley led England in two away Test series against Australia, but only one was granted Ashes status) but Root, who celebrated his 27th birthday on the last day of the Melbourne Test, has the time and, it seems, the energy to try again in four years. So while some critics – notably Graeme Swann – have suggested England are compromising Root’s effectiveness as a batsman by burdening him with leadership, Root himself is adamant that the example of Steve Smith has inspired him to lead from the front in similar fashion.”You see that and you want to be the one doing it,” Root said. “Smith has probably been the difference between the teams. Take his runs out of it and we’ve been there or thereabouts to win.”So credit to him. He’s played exceptionally well. But it’s a little lesson to me on leading from the front.”Root’s previous experiences in Sydney – he was dropped at the end of the 2013-14 series as England gave debuts to three players – not only inspired him to work harder than ever to regain his place, but taught him that “chucking guys in for the last game of a series” was no way to improve the side. Scott Borthwick, Boyd Rankin and Gary Ballance all made their Test debuts in Sydney in 2014, with only Ballance going on to play another Test for England.”Being dropped made a big impact on my career,” Root said. “Being left out was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”Coming back into the team you have a slightly different view on things. You go away and give yourself the opportunity to work extremely hard on areas you want to look at. You have a different drive and determination moving forward.”Once you have played for England, you never want to do anything else. You don’t want to just play county cricket. You want to be in and around international cricket for as long as you can. It’s very easy to get that determination and drive to see where you need to get back to.”But we’re not going to improve by chucking guys in for the last game of a series. It’s really important that next time we come here, we don’t look at it in a daunted way, or feel like there’s a massive gap between the two sides, because if we do things in the right way we’ve got a really good chance next time round.”It’s really important that we start look at what we have to do now and not too far down the line. The planning for it has to start now.”

Crystal Palace's 2023/24 Premier League campaign kicks off away at Sheffield United on the opening day next weekend and speculation remains hanging over the head of one of the club's star players – Cheick Doucoure.

What's the latest Cheick Doucoure transfer news?

The Daily Mail reported last month that top-flight giants Liverpool are considering a swoop to sign the central midfielder before the end of the summer transfer window.

Jurgen Klopp is looking to bolster his midfield options and has identified the Mali international as a possible signing to replace the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who have moved to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

However, the report claims that the Eagles value their outstanding battler at around £70m, although it remains to be seen whether the Reds would be willing to pay that much for his services.

Journalist Dean Jones has backed the club's decision to value the 23-year-old talent at such a price. He told Football FanCast:

“Doucoure’s price tag is obviously eye-popping, especially when you consider how much Mac Allister was signed for, but I can totally understand why that value has been set and we always have to remember that the Mac Allister fee was a bit of a one-off.

"In different circumstances, he too could have been priced at £70m, there’s not really any doubt about that. Palace are in a moment when the vultures are circling for Guehi, Olise and Doucoure and they have to fight to survive.

"That’s why they are hiking up prices and Liverpool have to expect and accept that.”

This shows that co-owner Steve Parish struck gold when he signed the ace for Patrick Vieira last summer in a £21m deal from Ligue 1 side RC Lens.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

The terrific midfield warrior enjoyed an excellent debut campaign in the Premier League and has proven himself to be one of the club's top-performing players.

Doucoure produced consistently impressive displays in the middle of the park as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 34 appearances, which was the third-highest score of all outfielders on the team – only behind Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The Palace star caught the eye with his outstanding defensive contributions in midfield. He led the club for both tackles (2.3) and interceptions (1.6) per game in the top-flight last season, which shows that the Mali international is able to constantly break up attacks from the opposition to regain possession for his side.

His form comes off the back of an equally impressive campaign with Lens in France. Doucoure averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 and made 4.2 tackles and interceptions combined per match across 34 league games, which shows that his performances for the Eagles are not a flash in the pan.

At the age of 23, the talented machine, who was once lauded as "combative" and "consistent" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has plenty of time left to develop and improve.

This means that any buying club would be signing a player who can make an immediate impact on the pitch at the top level whilst also having room to get even better in the future with the right coaching.

Therefore, Palace are well within their right to demand such a huge fee for his services. Selling him for £70m would represent a profit of roughly 233% on the initial £21m they spent to bring him in from Lens, which would represent terrific business by Parish and Vieira.

The Eagles struck gold by signing the superb maestro as they have been able to bring in a player who has made himself one of the team's best performers whilst also now having an asset that could land the club a significant payday either this summer or in a future window.

Tottenham Hotspur could make a bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie "next week" if they sell Harry Kane, and it is believed he "would welcome" a move to England.

Who will Spurs sign?

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou has been backed with three major signings so far this summer, not including Tottenham's permanent deals for defender Pedro Porro and forward Dejan Kulusevski.

The north Londoners have reinforced their goalkeeping department with the signing of Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli for around £17.2 million, and he was followed closely by England international star James Maddison.

Winger Manor Solomon, after an impressive spell on loan at Fulham last campaign, then joined on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk – with the trio of new additions making their Spurs debuts in pre-season.

Attention now turns to star centre-backs, and it is believed they're eyeing two senior defensive signings for that area of the pitch, which doesn't include their potential deal for Blackburn Rovers starlet Ashley Phillips.

"That's definitely our intention, absolutely," said Postecoglou when asked about signing new defenders.

"We've been working on it for a while and we'll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible.

"I don't think it's any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen. Some of it I identified early on. The goalkeeper was one and central defence is another.

"In terms of the other boys, we've got a big squad but my view is I wanted to bring them along and just work with them, get some clarity in my head and give clarity to them."

Elsewhere, as Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg edges closer to Atletico Madrid, Spurs may well look for a replacement if he does go. Star striker Kane's future is also shrouded with uncertainty, coming as Bayern Munich make a serious push for him.

Now, according to Spanish news outlet Sport, one midfield ace attracting Postecoglou's serious interest is Kessie of Barca.

Tottenham have apparently "warned" the La Liga champions that they could make an offer him just "next week" – if they receive funds from Kane's potential sale.

Kessie, who is a real candidate for the chopping block as Barca look to get rid of one player per position, is apparently considered an interesting player at Spurs.

The £199,000-per-week ace, for his part, "would welcome" a move to the Premier League as Tottenham eye a move.

How good is Franck Kessie?

His best season at the top level arguably came at AC Milan during the 2020/2021 season, where he racked up a brilliant 13 goals and four assists in 27 Serie A appearances (WhoScored).

These numbers indicate that Kessie is a serious threat from midfield when at his very best, with former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson once claiming he could be a good fit.

"Kessie would fit the bill," said Robinson to Football Insider.

"He is strong, quick and effective at both ends of the pitch. He ticks a lot of boxes.

“There is no doubting that he is an amazing player. The question is, would he come in and command a starting spot? Hojbjerg and Bentancur have done extremely well. [Yves] Bissouma has struggled to get a look in at times."

Vernon Philander will work on his conditioning ahead of a packed home summer scheduled to feature 10 Tests, including two four-match series against India and Australia

Firdose Moonda at Old Trafford07-Aug-20171:54

Du Plessis challenges Philander to prove fitness

Vernon Philander will work on his conditioning ahead of a packed home summer scheduled to feature 10 Tests, including two four-match series against India and Australia, for which South Africa want him to be fully available.Philander struggled with a comeback from an ankle injury and a viral ailment in the first and third Tests in England respectively and then sat out the fourth with a back concern. He came under severe criticism from his former captain Graeme Smith and his current skipper Faf du Plessis has also weighed in, urging Philander to focus on his fitness.”It’s fair that you need to play a lot of cricket for your country and be available for selection and Vern accepts that,” he said. “If you’re only playing one or two Test matches and then off for one or two… there have just been too many times when we as a team go, gulp, ‘Vern might be injured again’. So he’s taken it on board from a fitness point of view.”We have important series coming up, not that we play series that are not important, but India and Australia at home, it’s eight Test matches and he needs to be fit to get through all of them.”Philander’s value to South Africa was underlined in the second Test when he turned in a Man of the Match performance at Trent Bridge. South Africa were depending on him as they sought the series lead at The Oval and though he bowled well on an opening day interrupted by toilet breaks, the rest of his participation was limited. He spent a second night in hospital and though he returned to bat, could not bowl as much as needed in the second innings in conditions that would have been perfect for him.Then, just as South Africa thought they would have Philander back for their must-win game at Old Trafford, he pulled up with back spasms, which left Smith fuming and du Plessis frustrated.”The last I spoke to you, I said he’s just got to do a small fitness test but he’ll be fine. So when he woke up with a stiff back the next morning it was frustrating,” du Plessis said. “For us to have competed and to win Test matches we needed Vern, you need your best players. Duanne bowled well this game but Vern is one of the best in these conditions, probably the best in seaming, swinging conditions which has been the case in all four Test matches, so not having him here was very frustrating and disappointing.”Philander played in all 11 Tests – two against New Zealand at home, three against Australia away, three against Sri Lanka at home and three against New Zealand away – prior to this series, but he struggled with injury in the early part of his career. He had injuries in three of his first four series – a knee, back and hamstring problem – before tearing ankle ligaments in India in November 2015 that kept him out of action for nine months. Philander has admitted it took time for him to fully trust the ankle again and it would not have helped that he injured the other one in the lead-up to this series.Given that he only plays one format at international level, Smith pointed out that Philander does not always have the benefit of a team trainer to put him through his paces. He has had to take that responsibility for himself and du Plessis said Philander has committed to doing more. “It is a challenge for Vern because it’s happened too often that he doesn’t play a full series. I’ve spoken to him about that and he’s accepted the challenge and that he needs to improve that.”

Luis Rubiales could have been hit with a more severe sanction than the three-year ban he was handed for kissing Jenni Hermoso, FIFA has confirmed.

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• Rubiales banned from football for three years
• RFEF president kissed Hermoso without consent
• FIFA considered even more severe punishment

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president was hit with a suspension from the governing body after he kissed the Spain star without her consent during their World Cup final celebrations. Rubiales consistently denied any wrongdoing and initially refused to step down despite pressure from within the RFEF and around the football world.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rubiales, who insists Hermoso consented and still refuses to apologise, was hit with an initial temporary suspension by FIFA and eventually stepped down before his full three-year ban was confirmed in October. FIFA published the details of its ruling on Wednesday and heavily criticised the 46-year-old, adding that it was tempted to hit him with an even greater punishment.

• WHAT FIFA SAID

  A document released by FIFA said: "First of all, the Committee pointed out that the behaviour of the Respondent [Rubiales] was particularly indefensible in relation to the incidents at stake, specifically considering the extent of his experience in the football world, but also in view of his positions as (i) President of one of the most prestigious member associations, (ii) member of the UEFA Executive Committee and (iii) one of the UEFA vice- presidents.

  "In other words, in such a context, it was absolutely and categorically expected of him to maintain and embody the highest levels of professionalism, beyond the usual standards, especially at a moment where his country was at the apex level of women's football. In this regard, the Committee could not stress enough that – regardless of the emotional state he was in during and after the Match -the Respondents behaviour was inexcusable and unacceptable, especially considering his high rank within the football ecosystem at the time."

  The statement added later: "In this context, the Committee wished to stress that it was tempted to impose more severe sanctions in view of the seriousness and gravity of the incidents at stake as well as of the profound negative impact that the Respondents actions had on the image of FIFA, women's football and women's sport in general. However and even with strong hesitations, the Disciplinary Committee was satisfied that the imposition of such a measure would serve the necessary deterrent effect upon the Respondent given his established (prohibited) behaviour(s), but also the category of the competition in which the incident(s) had occurred and the significant impact of those. In fact, the Committee was hopeful in its outlook that such sanction, as previously mentioned, would serve to have the necessary deterrent effect upon the Respondent in order to avoid the occurrence of any similar incident(s) in the future."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RUBIALES?

  After being banned from all sporting activities for three years, which he plans on appealing, it has been reported that Rubiales is under a legal investigation over accusations that he sexually assaulted Hermoso by kissing her without the player's consent.

Despite selling club captain Ruben Neves for big money this month, Wolverhampton Wanderers are "not looking like" they will reinvest the money into players over the summer, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Wolverhampton Wanderers transfer news – what's the latest?

The Old Gold confirmed that after six years at the club, they had completed the sale of club captain Neves earlier this month, in a deal that reportedly earned the club a hefty transfer fee of £47m.

Usually, when a team sells a vital player for such a significant fee, a good portion of the proceeds are reinvested into new transfers to help rebuild the squad.

Unfortunately for Wolves fans, that isn't going to be the case this time.

On June 15th, Sporting Director Matt Hobbs updated fans on the club's plans for the coming window.

On the transfer front, Hobbs confirmed that Wolves would be looking to minimise spending this year as they try to operate "within FFP limitations" and operate on the basis that "players will leave before we can bring new faces in."

It's a strategy in stark contrast to the side's previous summers of high spending and reportedly shocked manager Julen Lopetegui, leading to 'genuine fears' he would walk away from the job, per the Athletic.

Luckily for club fans, the Telegraph confirmed that after considering his options, he informed the club about his commitment to staying and making the best of their situation.

The new strategy for Wolves, as revealed by journalist John Percy, will be to target players within the £8m-£15m price range, which, if the current market is anything to go by, completely rules out any big names.

What has Jones said about Wolverhampton Wanderers' transfer situation?

Jones wasn't optimistic about the prospect of Wolves bringing in any like-for-like replacements for Neves this summer.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "You'd like to think Wolves would now be able to go and sign some high-profile replacements. But unfortunately, that's not looking like the case."

Why are Wolverhampton Wanderers at risk of breaching financial rules?

The major concern for the Midlands outfit is their mounting 'losses' over the previous three years.

According to the rules, no Premier League team can lose more than £105m over a three-year period, and at the end of 2022, Wolves had already posted losses of £46.1m.

Their record of spending big over the last few years makes things even more precarious.

Last summer, the team paid fees amounting to £115m for just four permanent signings, of which none have been a massive success as the club was embroiled in a relegation scrap for much of the season.

That spending, combined with their previous losses, is the primary reason Wolves won't be splashing the cash this summer, even with the windfall from Neves' sale.

Newcastle United are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana this summer.

Who is Youssouf Fofana?

The 24-year-old has grown into an important figure at Monaco recently, shining in a defensive midfield role and protecting the back-line in impressive fashion.

Last season, Fofana started 35 of his side's 38 Ligue 1 matches, highlighting what an integral player he is, also making six appearances for France at the 2022 World Cup, two of which were starts.

The £7,300-a-week Frenchman is out of contract at Monaco next summer, meaning they could be forced to sell him this time around, rather than potentially lose him on a free transfer in 2024.

He is unlikely to be without suitors, and it looks as though Newcastle are right in the mix to sign him, as they look to make significant reinforcements ahead of next season.

Are Newcastle signing Fofana? According to L'Equipe, Newcastle and Arsenal have entered the race to sign Fofana this summer, with West Ham also credited with interest in him. The Hammers see him as an ideal replacement for Declan Rice, who looks almost certain to leave for pastures new, but they could find it difficult to have the pulling power to pip the others to his signature.

The report does stress that no significant progress has been made regarding a summer exit, however, with Monaco seemingly in no rush to sell despite his contract situation.

Fofana could be a really astute addition to Newcastle's squad this summer, at a time when Eddie Howe is likely to want an out-and-out defensive midfielder to allow Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes to dictate matches, especially with Champions League football also to contend with in 2023/24.

He averaged 2.3 tackles per game in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League last term – more than both Tonali and Bruno across all competitions – highlighting the defensive expertise he can provide, and he is at an age where his best years should still be ahead of him.

The Magpies are now at the stage where they need to be rotating regularly, in order to thrive across several different competitions. And he could even become an immediate key starter, considering he is more naturally defensive than those mentioned.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Frenchman as "wonderful" – which could mean Newcastle's midfield ends up looking even more balanced moving forward.