All posts by h716a5.icu

Chelsea have been charged with 74 breaches of rules relating to agents, intermediaries and third party investment. The alleged misdemeanours date back to Roman Abramovich’s time as owner. Various punishments are being speculated on, but the Blues may avoid being stung with the harshest of points deductions by the Football Association.

What does Chelsea's case to relate to?

The Blues reported themselves to the FA, Premier League and UEFA after discovering “incomplete financial information” had been submitted to the relevant authorities during the period of 2012 to 2019.

AdvertisementGettyWhy are Chelsea facing so many charges?

The 74 charges being levelled against them by the FA relate to payments made to agents between 2009 and 2022, with most of the attention in that case being narrowed on the era of 2010-11 to 2015-16.

How will Chelsea argue against punishments?

Chelsea have changed hands since then, with the Todd Boehly-led Clearlake Capital regime taking charge at Stamford Bridge in 2022. That change of ownership could be considered mitigating circumstances on the Blues’ behalf, while full cooperation with the investigation and early admission of any wrongdoing would help to limit any sanctions that are eventually imposed.

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AFPExpert analysis from financial adviser

Manchester City’s former financial adviser, Stefan Borson, has told : “The nub of it will be whether anybody can establish that the breaches created a sporting advantage. If you have a sporting advantage established, then it’s likely that you end up with a sporting penalty. Now, that can be mitigated by considerations like new ownership, early guilty plea, lots of cooperation. These are all things that Chelsea are pushing out into the media as being what they’ve done. That is mitigation. There’s no question. The question is what’s the starting point?

“Is the starting point, well, this is very serious, and we think you’ve had a major sporting advantage? The starting point is a number of points, in which case you’re mitigating down percentage wise from that points deduction.

“If you look at something like Nottingham Forest, they had a lot of cooperation commended by the commission. Now, that was a Premier League commission, but the law is basically the same and they’ll cross compare the cases. In that case, there was basically an argument where Nottingham Forest said, we should have a 50 per cent reduction on the penalty. The Premier League said, that feels a bit too much 50 per cent, maybe 30 per cent. The commission went in the end for 30 per cent. It was going to be six for Nottingham Forest and they got two knocked off for early admission and cooperation.

“You would think that Chelsea would be able to get 30 per cent, maybe even a 40 per cent reduction for their mitigation, adding all the bits and pieces together if everything they’re saying is true about how they cooperated, admitted it, informed. So, they get very good mitigation.”

Tottenham Hotspur have made two high-profile additions to their playing squad during the summer transfer window in an attempt to improve Thomas Frank’s squad.

Mohammed Kudus was signed on a permanent deal from West Ham United earlier in the summer, and Joao Palhinha recently joined from Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal.

The Lilywhites will be hoping that the Portugal international can provide a solid presence in front of the back four, sweeping up to win possession back for his side on a regular basis.

There is still more work to be done by Daniel Levy and Frank before the summer transfer window slams shut, though, after the injury to James Maddison.

The England international is set to miss the majority of the 2025/26 campaign after he suffered an ACL injury, which has left Spurs light in the attacking positions.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the Europa League champions will be “looking at the market” to find a potential replacement for Maddison for the upcoming season.

Why Spurs need to replace James Maddison

The Lilywhites are right to be looking at possible replacements for the former Norwich and Leicester star because his absence will be felt within the squad.

Maddison ended the 2024/25 campaign with a haul of ten goals and 12 assists in all competitions for Spurs, and he has hit double figures for goals in four of the last five seasons for Tottenham and Leicester combined.

The English playmaker has proven that he can deliver goals and assists on a fairly regular basis, and he offered a leadership presence as one of the vice-captains behind Heung-min Son last term.

Maddison’s performances in the Premier League under Ange Postecoglou last season show how important he can be to the team with his contributions at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position.

xG

0.29

Top 4%

Goals

0.45

Top 3%

xA

0.29

Top 4%

Assists

0.35

Top 4%

Chances created

2.03

Top 10%

Successful crosses

1.09

Top 8%

As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old star ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics, as the English ace provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

These statistics illustrate how big a blow it was to lose Maddison to an ACL injury for most of the upcoming season, because he is an effective attacking force who has proven himself over many years at the top level.

That is why Spurs need to find a replacement for him before the end of the summer transfer window, and they are reportedly keen on a star who plays for one of their Premier League rivals, and it is not Morgan Gibbs-White…

Spurs eyeing deal for Manchester City midfielder

According to GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to sign Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee this summer.

The report claims that the Lilywhites have identified the England U21 international as one of a number of potential replacements for Maddison, and that the club are now weighing up who to go for.

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It adds that teams in Germany and England are also eyeing up the former Sheffield United star, but they have been put off by the £40m price tag on his head.

GIVEMESPORT reveals that McAtee is interested in a move to North London and is currently waiting to see if Spurs are prepared to formalise their interest with an offer.

The outlet states that Tottenham are not put off by the £40m asking price, suggesting that they are prepared to pay the asking price, but they have yet to decide whether or not McAtee is the player they are going to make a big push for.

Why Spurs should sign James McAtee

The Manchester City youngster could be a shrewd addition to the squad as a replacement for Maddison, as he could be the ideal player to fill the gap in the squad.

A potential issue with ‘replacing’ Maddison is that the club also have to be aware that he will, hopefully, return to action before the end of the 2025/26 campaign and will be an option moving forward.

McAtee, at the age of 22, may be happy to play regularly for most of this season before competing with Maddison for a starting role next year and beyond. Whereas an established, 28-year-old, £60m+ signing may expect to start every week even when Maddison is back fit, which could be a difficult situation to manage in the future.

The left-footed attacking midfielder only played 27 matches in all competitions as a bit-part player for City last season, but still managed to find the back of the net seven times.

McAtee, who was described as a “special” player by Pep Guardiola, only started three of his 15 appearances in the Premier League for City, but showed glimpses of the quality that he can offer.

xG

0.74

Top 1%

Goals

0.79

Top 2%

xG on target

0.70

Top 3%

xA

0.21

Top 24%

Assists

0.00

Bottom 3%

Touches in the opposition’s box

5.79

Top 27%

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz ranked highly among his positional peers in per 90 metrics, which shows that he produced quite a lot in his limited minutes on the pitch.

Whether he is able to maintain that output as a consistent starter is still up in the air, but Cole Palmer is the prime example that being a reserve player at Manchester City does not mean you cannot shine elsewhere.

McAtee also scored one goal and provided two assists in five starts at the U21 Euros for England, winning the tournament, during the summer, which shows what he can do when given regular minutes as well.

Frank's answer to Palmer: Spurs enter talks to sign "exceptional" £40m gem

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be about to make another huge move in the market to bolster Thomas Frank’s squad.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 9, 2025

Overall, McAtee’s potential to deliver goals and assists, or at least the xA that should result in assists, as an attacking midfielder in the Premier League could make him a dream signing for Spurs, along with his age meaning that he still has plenty of room left to grow and develop.

Georgia Voll could make a Test debut while Beth Mooney will take the keeping gloves

Andrew McGlashan23-Jan-2025Australia remain hopeful that Alyssa Healy will be fit to feature in the day-night Ashes Test at the MCG, and have named her in a 13-player squad, but it will be as a batter only if she does recover in time.Healy was ruled out of the first T20I at the SCG with a stress reaction in the same foot that she injured at the T20 World Cup. With Healy not keeping Beth Mooney will take the gloves for the Test, which may result in her moving down the order, which would increase the chances of a debut for Georgia Voll.If Healy ultimately did not make the Test, then Tahlia McGrath would again stand in as captain.Related

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Allrounder Ashleigh Gardner is expected to recover from her calf strain in time for the Test but is doubtful for the final T20I in Adelaide. Heather Graham has been added to that squad as cover.”We’re pleased with the form of the 13 players that have taken part in the series to date and feel it’s a squad that offers a variety of options when it comes to selecting the makeup of the Test side,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “Alyssa has been named in the squad as a batter only and we’ll give her as much time as we can to prove her fitness ahead of the match. Ash will continue to be assessed daily… at this stage, she is on track to be available for the Test match.”Mooney’s experience wicketkeeping in longer-form cricket is limited and she is aware it will be a new physical challenge.”I don’t think I’ll be able to walk after if I have to keep but we’re pretty lucky in the Australian team where we’ve got lots of players that can step into different roles,” she said after the first T20I. “But when [Healy’s] been out, I’ve been able to step into that role and got some good feedback along the way, so just happy to do what’s required of the team.”If Voll did debut at the MCG, it would complete a full set across the three formats in less than two months following the start of her ODI career against India and then a T20I debut at the SCG.Beth Mooney on keeping in a Test match: “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk after”•Getty Images and Cricket Australia”I’m more than happy to try and do a job up the top of the order,” Voll told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday. “I love batting there and batting up the top with Beth Mooney was pretty cool [in Sydney]. I’m more than happy to fit in wherever the team needs.”Megan Schutt has again been named in a Test squad despite often saying her days in the format are over, but the pink-ball day-night element to this game may see her come into consideration for the final XI.The other decision that will need to be made is whether to play both Alana King and Georgia Wareham, who have caused England huge problems in the limited-overs matches.The match will be the first day-night Test at the MCG and the first women’s Test match at the venue since 1948-49.Australia squad for Ashes TestAlyssa Healy (capt), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney (wk), Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

With less than two weeks until the end of the summer transfer window, Celtic have now reportedly reached an agreement in principle to sign an attacking target for Brendan Rodgers.

Celtic still chasing reinforcements

Even after another flawless start to the Scottish Premiership campaign, defending champions Celtic are still on the hunt for reinforcements this month. The Bhoys will be well aware of just how important it is to build whilst on top and even though the likes of Benjamin Nygren represent that ambition, there’s still room for more fresh faces.

One of the players who has found himself on Celtic’s radar as of late is Jamie Vardy. The former Leicester City forward thrived under Rodgers at the King Power and could now reunite with his old manager now that he has left the Foxes as a free agent.

Even at 38 years old, Vardy would still have plenty to offer the current Celtic side both on and off the pitch. Just last season, the Premier League veteran scored 10 goals in all competitions as a struggling Leicester side suffered relegation. Any concerns that he wouldn’t be able to leave his mark on the Scottish Premiership should, therefore, be put to rest.

Vardy’s not the only target on Celtic’s radar, however, and it looks as though they’re now edging closer and closer to finally welcoming a long-term target.

Celtic reach agreement in principle for Balikwisha

According to Sacha Tavolieri, Celtic have now reached an agreement in principle to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha from Royal Antwerp. As ever with the winger, though, the deal is far from simple. As per Tavolieri, even though that agreement has been reached and a medical was scheduled, there remains internal issues that need solving before Balikwisha can become a Celtic player at long last.

It’s somewhat of a groundhog day for Celtic fans, who were denied the chance to welcome Balikwisha last season when he suffered an untimely injury.

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Now, one year on, it looks as though there are other issues standing in the way of any deal becoming official. Whether that finally changes in the next 11 days is the big question.

Manchester United and Chelsea played out one of the wildest and most exhilarating halves of football in Premier League history at the Old Trafford on Saturday, with both teams having a man sent off in the first 45 minutes. In the process, the English rivals became responsible for setting an unbelievably bizarre Premier League record.

First half ends in 10v10

Fans witnessed a blockbuster clash on Saturday evening as an under-fire Manchester United welcomed world champions Chelsea at the Old Trafford. The two rivals were always going to deliver an entertaining game, but it all became more interesting after Sanchez was given the marching orders in the fifth minute following a mistimed tackle on Bryan Mbeumo. Amorim's men took full advantage of having an extra man, as they breezed to a two-goal cushion thanks to Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, before the Brazilian received his second yellow and thus, a red card in the fifth minute of first half stoppage time.

AdvertisementAFPUnited and Chelsea join hands for a bizarre record

Chelsea's response to going a man, and eventually a goal, down was to make three substitutions within the first 21 minutes, which also saw Cole Palmer come off due to an injury relapse. Enzo Maresca’s side made Premier League history by making the earliest three substitutions ever recorded in a match. 

However, more records were set to be created, as the clash between United and Chelsea became the first game in Premier League history to record at least two goals, two red cards, and two substitutions in the first half, according to .

Old Trafford, Chelsea's kryptonite

Trevor Chalobah's late strike was not enough to save the Blues from their first league defeat of the season. Saturday's loss stretches Chelsea's streak without a win at the Old Trafford to 13 games, the most they have ever gone without a win on the road against any team in the top-flight. 

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AFPA lift-off for Amorim & Co.?

The win against Chelsea could be just the psychological lift-off Ruben Amorim's men need in their bid to reverse their fortunes. After just one win from their opening four games, beating one of the title contenders can prove to be a huge boost for the Red Devils. 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is crossing his fingers that Erling Haaland will bounce back in time for the weekend after the striker hobbled out of Sunday’s bruising 1-1 draw with Arsenal due to injury. The Norwegian powerhouse shocked fans at the Emirates when he signalled to the bench after 76 minutes, complaining of sharp pain in his back. Guardiola had little choice but to hook off his star man, raising alarm bells just days before another relentless run of fixtures.

Cup clash likely to come too soon

City head to Huddersfield on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, but the 25-year-old is almost certain to sit that one out. Guardiola admitted that the midweek tie will come too early, but offered a glimmer of hope that Haaland could be back in action for Saturday’s Premier League showdown with Burnley at the Etihad.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesGuardiola remains optimistic about Haaland

Sharing an update on Haaland, Guardiola said on Tuesday: "Recovery yesterday [Monday], he didn't train and I didn't see him and the rest of the players yet today. Hopefully he can play at the weekend. It's been such a demanding week, the last game especially, and sometimes the players have problems. I think he will be fine for the weekend. I hope so."

Pep to make several changes for low-priority game

Guardiola has run with the same starting XI for the matches against Manchester United, Napoli and Arsenal, but that consistency is about to break. The Catalan confirmed he’ll be rotating heavily at Huddersfield, with Haaland far from the only big name getting a breather.

"It won't be the same starting XI as the last three games," Guardiola added. "The only problem for the Carabao Cup is we respect this competition but arriving at the competition with no injuries and we have injuries. It will be a mix with academy players to play because the priority is Burnley, Monaco and Brentford. It would have been perfect for [Rayan] Cherki, [Rayan] Ait-Nouri, Omar [Marmoush] but there are many players who can't play because they are injured. We will try to compete and go through."

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Getty ImagesGuardiola braced for crunch run

With Huddersfield in midweek, Burnley at home on Saturday, Monaco in Europe and Brentford looming after that, Guardiola knows he has little margin for error. The relentless fixture list is already biting, and keeping Haaland fit could define the weeks ahead.

Warriorz’s fielding lapses of three dropped chances and misfields in the last over cost them the game after Lanning smashed 69

Vishal Dikshit19-Feb-2025The Delhi Capitals middle order stepped up for the first time in this WPL and didn’t squander the blazing start provided by their prolific opening pair of Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning to consign UP Warriorz to their second straight loss. Capitals’ seven-wicket win ended the Vadodara leg of the tournament with the chasing team winning all six games, before the action moves to Bengaluru, and then Lucknow and Mumbai.It was not all smooth and easy for Capitals though. Once Lanning fell for 69, they needed a tricky 48 off 32 on a pitch that was keeping low. The ever-dependable Marizanne Kapp tilted the game in their favour with consecutive fours off Sophie Ecclestone when the equation read 31 off 17 and Annabel Sutherland all but sealed the chase in the last over – off which they needed 11 – by handing similar treatment to Grace Harris. This was also the highest total chased by Capitals in WPL.Related

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Warriorz’s fielding lapses of three dropped chances and misfields in the last over cost them the game, after their own middle order was unable to capitalise on the rapid start given by Kiran Navgire’s 51 off 27.Navgire’s big hits against the big namesNavgire put all the doubts around Warriorz’s inexperienced top order to bed by taking on the big names in Captilas’ attack. She got going from ball one, smacking Kapp for back-to-back fours with a pull and straight loft. In the next over she repeated the act by making room against Shikha Pandey’s inswingers with glorious drives. She upped the level further when she walloped Kapp and Jess Jonassen for two sixes and a one-bounce four all within the space of three balls to race to 35 off 13. With a straight six off Pandey at the start of the fifth over, Navgire brought up Warriorz’s fastest team fifty, off 25 balls, and then brought up her own fifty off 24 balls, the joint-fastest by a Warriorz batter.Kiran Navgire got UP Warriorz off to a flying start•WPLSutherland sends Warriorz ‘scrambling’After starting this WPL with a three-for last week, Sutherland showed her bowling smarts again by sending down short balls with scrambled seams and the bigger boundary on the leg side. Both Vrinda Dinesh and Navgire couldn’t clear the rope and Warriorz went from 66 for 0 to 73 for 2.The Capitals spinners stepped up from the other end. Jonassen fired one outside off to have Tahlia McGrath stumped and Deepti Sharma suffered the same fate when she couldn’t connect against the drift and turn of offspinner Minnu Mani. In a matter of 23 balls, Warriotz had lost 4 for 16 that eventually cost them the match.Henry shines on WPL debutWarriorz were headed towards more misery when Harris miscued an offcutter for 12 and they were reeling at 118 for 5. But with five overs to go, it was WPL debutant Chinelle Henry who struck the big hits as Shweta Sehrawat also showed her hitting skills with 37 off 33. Henry, who had scored 61 in her last game at the same ground for West Indies, lifted Warriorz from 128 to 150 single-handedly by smashing Pandey all around the park for three sixes and a four in four balls for a 23-run 17th over. Capitals, however, bounced back to concede just 16 runs in the last three as Jonassen varied her pace and Arundhati Reddy and Kapp took the pace off.Lanning and Shafali pepper the boundaries, againThat Lanning and Shafali brought up their second fifty stand in three games was nothing new in the WPL, but this time it was with Lanning looking far more confident. Following two scratchy innings, she led her team for nearly three-fourths of the chase with a solid 69 off 49 after Shafali’s 26 off 16 deflated UPW in the powerplay. Shafali punished Kranti Goud in the first over, Lanning dabbed Sophie Ecclestone for two fours in the second, they went after Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Goud together in the third and fifth, and with three fours off Henry’s two overs, Capitals had 59 in the powerplay and the batting pair had their tenth 50-plus opening stand in WPL, the most by a distance.Meg Lanning brought up a quick half-century•BCCISutherland, Kapp see Capitals home after a stutterWarriorz put down their first chance when Henry dropped Shafali on 25 at deep midwicket although it didn’t cost them much because the batter pulled again to Henry four balls later on 26. It became two wickets in five balls when Jemimah Rodrigues paddled to short fine leg for her third duck in WPL. Once the wickets slowed things down briefly, Lanning’s nifty footwork fetched her three fours in two overs to pull things back while a steady Sutherland kept going at run a ball.Once Ecclestone and Harris sent down two boundary-less overs to bring the equation from 57 off 42 to 47 off 30 along with the wicket of Lanning, Warriorz were clawing back in the game. But Eccelstone put down a sitter of Sutherland and Kapp reeled off boundaries with placement and power to bring Capitals back and she also got a life in the penultimate over.With 11 needed from six, Warriorz conceded two fours that could have been stopped in the outfield and McGrath failed to collect the ball at the bowler’s end from mid-on which could have led to a run-out but turned out to be the winning run.

After finishing 15th last season, Manchester United required a major squad overhaul which they got, well in two specific areas of the team anyway.

On deadline day, the Red Devils signed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for a reported fee of £22m including add-ons, certainly a big fee for a 23-year-old who has made just 64 senior appearances for the Belgian club.

Nevertheless, goalkeeper was certainly a position of need, given André Onana’s calamitous performance at Grimsby last Wednesday, as they were dumped out of the EFL Cup by fourth-tier opposition for the first time ever, while Altay Bayındır has not covered himself in glory during his three Premier League appearances either.

This late move aside, the only other new additions to Rúben Amorim’s squad have all been attackers, splurging a combined £207m to sign an entirely new-look front three.

However, could one of these forwards ultimately prove to be a bargain, especially when compared to the prime target Man United missed out on?

Manchester United's midfield situation

To the surprise of many, Manchester United have not signed a new midfielder this summer, leaving a situation that is a complete mess.

Earlier in the window, it was reported that Manchester United had held initial talks with Brighton over the possibility of signing Carlos Baleba, but the Seagulls would only be willing to sell for around the £115m Chelsea paid to sign Moisés Caicedo two years ago, which quickly ended this as a possibility.

As the Cameroonian international did not arrive at Old Trafford, it would appear likely that Bruno Fernandes, alongside Casemiro will remain Amorim’s first-choice midfield combination, much to the chagrin of Kobbie Mainoo.

Having seen zero minutes during the first two Premier League fixtures, he was introduced at halftime against Burnley on Saturday, the England international submitted a loan request last week, but this was unequivocally rejected by the club.

Considering Man United’s next fixture is away at the Etihad, bringing Mainoo into the team appears to be a no-brainer, given that the 20-year-old has the capabilities to solve a lot of problems, as he did for England during their run to the Euros final.

So, perhaps the Red Devils didn’t need Baleba after all, not willing to smash their transfer record to secure his signature, but could one of their summer signings prove to be a bargain?

Manchester United's shrewd investment

At the start of the window, Old Trafford certainly did not appear to be Benjamin Šeško’s most likely destination.

After RB Leipzig finished seventh in last season’s Bundesliga, thereby failing to qualify for any European competition, it was clear that the Slovenian would depart Saxony.

Arsenal appeared to be the front-runners to secure his signature but, partially put off by Leipzig’s humongous asking price, elected to sign Viktor Gyökeres instead.

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Then, as the Alexander Isak saga escalated, Newcastle agreed a fee to sign Šeško before, after the Magpies had done all the legwork, Manchester United swooped in and convinced him to sign for them instead of moving to Tyneside.

Upon his arrival, Man United’s sporting director Jason Wilcox asserted that the striker “possesses a rare combination of electrifying pace and the ability to physically dominate defenders”, believing he will fulfil his “world-class potential” at the club.

The final fee paid for Šeško is £66.3m plus £7.4m in add-ons which, even if all met, is still below his estimated transfer value of £108m, according to the CIES Football Observatory.

Meantime, they also believe that Baleba is worth around £75m, supporting the decision Man United made in not progress any further with that deal, given Brighton’s sky-high demands.

So, even though Šeško is yet to get off the mark, time is on his side, considering he’s just 22 years old, while he has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer, bagging 39 across two seasons at Leipzig, on top of the 14 he’s netted for Slovenia.

Thus, while Manchester United have not been particularly smart in the transfer window for a decade and more, they might have just struck gold here, certainly improving their existing options.

Lost the ball 15x: Man Utd's 8/10 ace is already looking like another Bruno

Bruno Fernandes’ last-gasp penalty secured a valuable win for Manchester United at home to Burnley…

1 ByRobbie Walls Aug 30, 2025

MI are currently placed second and a win will get them a direct final berth

Sruthi Ravindranath10-Mar-20254:59

Can RCB finish their season on a high?

Who’s playingMumbai Indians (MI) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 11, 2025Big picture: RCB look to end on highMumbai Indians almost secured a direct spot in the final on Monday. They needed to keep Gujarat Giants to 156 or fewer but a spirited Bharti Fulmali innings did not allow that. The chance was missed but they will not be worrying too much: they not only won the match against Gujarat Giants and kept their perfect record at the Brabourne Stadium intact but also have one more shot at finishing on top of the table. They are on par with table-toppers Delhi Capitals on points. The only point of concern, if at all any, would be that they have to be back within 24 hours to achieve that.Though the move to make Amelia Kerr open hasn’t made much of a difference with the allrounder falling cheaply in both games, MI will be happy Nat Sciver-Brunt did not have to do the heavy lifting once again. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur made a fifty and there were handy contributions from the middle order. Their bowlers were excellent up front and even though they lost the plot in the second half of the chase, they kept their cool to defend 179 on a batting-friendly surface.RCB, meanwhile, will rue what could have been. The defending champions were unlucky with the toss in all four games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which meant they had to do the difficult task of batting first on a ground where seven out of eight matches were won by the chasing team. They still had a tiny chance of making the playoffs which they let go of in a high-scoring thriller against UP Warriorz and are now coming into this contest on the back of five consecutive losses.RCB also had similar issues from start to finish, including playing this season with a weakened bowling attack and depending on a couple of players to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. In their previous match, it was the out-of-contention Warriorz who took RCB down with them, and now RCB will look to ruin MI’s chances of wanting to finish on top.Form guideMumbai Indians WWLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru LLLLLTeam newsMI are unlikely to change their winning combination.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Amelia Kerr, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amanjot Kaur, 6 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 7 G Kamalini, 8 S Sajana, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Parunika SisodiaRCB made two changes for the previous match, bringing in S Meghana and Charlie Dean for Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Ekta Bisht. While Dean had a tough outing, conceding 47 in her four overs of offspin, Meghana got off to a rapid start.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 S Meghana, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bisht, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Charlie Dean, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Renuka SinghPlayers to watch: Harmanpreet Kaur and Sneh RanaHarmanpreet Kaur returning to form is great news for MI. Coming into the game against Giants with scores of 4, 22 and 4*, she scored a crucial 54 to power her side to 179. She has three fifties in four innings at the Brabourne Stadium in WPL and will want to make the most of the home advantage to secure a second title for her team.Sneh Rana will be key for RCB•BCCIPerformances like the one she put up against UP Warriorz make one wonder why Sneh Rana isn’t in the T20 scheme of things for India; she last played a T20I for India in 2023. Against UPW, Rana plundered Deepti Sharma for 25 off five balls, giving RCB a chance to hunt down 226. In her first game for RCB this WPL, Rana returned with 3 for 27 but she has been underutilised with the ball in this edition. She has bowled her full quota only once in the four games.Stats that matter This is the second time in the WPL that RCB have lost five matches in a row, the first time being in the 2023 season Sciver-Brunt and Kerr, both from MI, occupy the top of the run-getters and wicket-takers charts, respectively

Chelsea chiefs have done extremely well when it comes to selling players this summer, with BlueCo’s mass car boot sale raising north of £300 million.

Enzo Maresca’s side have a unique pact with UEFA after they were slapped with a conditional fine for breaching FFP last month.

A condition of the settlement is that Chelsea must sell certain players from their ‘A-List’ Conference League squad last season if they want to register new signings for the Champions League this term, meaning the Blues have been under pressure to offload squad members.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, Renato Veiga and Carney Chukwuemeka have all left Stamford Bridge on permanent deals this window, raising a mountain of cash and allowing the club to produce a positive net spend.

Madueke, Amougou and Dewsbury-Hall’s departures also contribute towards Chelsea’s goal of a ‘positive transfer balance’ by September, so they can insert new players into their Champions League ranks ahead of what will be a testing 25/26.

Lately, their potential deals for one of Xavi Simons or Fermin Lopez, with Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho, have stalled due to their need to sell both Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson – which is a result of their UEFA agreement.

Garnacho has agreed personal terms with Chelsea, while it is believed that Barcelona’s Lopez is coming round to the idea of a potential west London move if Maresca’s side opt for the Spaniard instead of Simons.

Chelsea now face stiff competition from Tottenham for the latter, so if they do really want the Dutchman, BlueCo will need to hurry as Spurs are desperate to sign a playmaker.

According to reports, Simons is jetting to London for transfer talks amid Chelsea and Spurs’ interest, so this race is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Luckily for Chelsea, they have just freed up space in their squad for one of Simons or Lopez by agreeing to sell Nkunku to AC Milan.

Chelsea agree Christopher Nkunku exit with AC Milan deal done

According to Fabrizio Romano, who broke the news first, Chelsea have verbally shaken hands on a deal with Milan over Nkunku, with the £195,000-per-week Frenchman set to pen a five-year deal at the San Siro.

The BBC’s Nizaar Kinsella estimates that, following this transfer, Chelsea have raised around £310 million from outgoings to balance out £277 million spent on transfers – so Maresca’s side certainly won’t have to worry about PSR.

A move to Serie A also comes as the fresh start Nkunku needs to become a mainstay star, having contributed well under Maresca when called upon.

The Frenchman bagged 15 goals in all competitions despite coming mainly off the bench and starting in the Conference League, with João Félix calling him a “top player”.