Both teams have qualified for the knockouts, but the team that wins will get an extra day’s rest before their semi-final against India

S Sudarshanan24-Oct-20252:37

The secret to six-hitting in the women’s game with Katey Martin

Big picture: Winner faces India in semi-finalOn Wednesday, Chloe Tryon and Marizanne Kapp were on the opposite sides of the Holkar Stadium. Tryon was lofting throwdowns inside out from the practice nets towards the main pitch while Kapp was taking some high catches on the other side of the ground. Tryon and Kapp were on the same side and made vital contributions in the only ODI South Africa have won against Australia. They could once again be key in South Africa’s last league game of the Women’s World Cup, against the same opponents.This is a top-of-the-table clash. Australia are yet to lose a game, on 11 points, while South Africa are on 10. The winner on Saturday will go to Navi Mumbai for the semi-final against India, while the loser will head to the Guwahati semi-final, where England will be waiting.Related

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Wolvaardt's SA keep solving problems, one match at a time

An Australia vs South Africa fixture has been an anomaly in women’s cricket. Before they played a multi-format series at the start of 2024, both the teams had last played a bilateral series in 2016 (only ODIs). Their meetings have often been restricted to ICC tournaments, where Australia have emerged victorious every single time – until the T20 World Cup semi-final last year.In the ODI World Cup in 2022, South Africa had done well to post 271. However, their sloppy fielding – they dropped four catches – meant Australia comfortably aced that chase, with Meg Lanning’s century eclipsing Laura Wolvaardt’s 90.This South African unit, though, not only knows how to reach knockouts but also keeps its nerves in check. That was on show in the two chases in Visakhapatnam in this World Cup, where they hunted down 252 against India despite being 81 for 5, and then chased 233 against Bangladesh from 78 for 5. This is not to say that only the lower order has fired for them. As many as five South Africa batters have scored 150 or more in the competition.4:19

Healy, Knight, Mandhana, Devine, Dottin – analysing the best six-hitters

However, Australia could pose a completely different challenge to them on Saturday. There are question marks over Alyssa Healy’s fitness, but Australia have shown they can line up strongly even without her. One thing that Australia promise is being relentless. They keep coming hard and offer little respite, be it with bat or ball. Annabel Sutherland will be crucial to their all-round excellence: she has been superb with both bat and ball in the tournament so far, while being supported by the spin battery.Australia are dominant. However, they will know that South Africa are a team with pedigree, as recent ICC tournaments show. At stake is not just the top spot in league standings but a semi-final in Navi Mumbai on a truer batting surface than Guwahati (plus an extra day in hand before a knockout match).Form guideAustralia WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWWIn the spotlight – South Africa vs legspinSouth Africa have been quite good against legspin in the last two years. Since the start of 2023, their top five averages 44.76 against that style of bowling. This is telling, because only Pakistan have faced more legspin bowling in this time (917) than South Africa (883). Australia average more (47.09) against legspin but their top five has faced only 491 such deliveries. Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt all average over 58 against legspin in this period. Brits and Luus also score quite quickly, and only have two dismissals each against legspin.2:11

The big question – Is Healy fit?

On Saturday, they will be faced with one of the most economical bowlers at this World Cup in Alana King. She has six wickets so far, but her X-factor has been the control she affords Australia in the non-powerplay overs. Against England, she was at her stingy best, which allowed other bowlers to pick up wickets from the other end. Australia also have another legspinner in Georgia Wareham, who has three wickets in the two matches she played when they rested Sophie Molineux. King has eight wickets in four ODIs and averages 13.25 versus South Africa. Before the Ashes where she took a five-for, her best bowling figures (4 for 26) came last year against South Africa.Team news: Is Healy fit?Alyssa Healy did a few rounds of the outfield before a half hour batting stint in the enclosed nets. Tahlia McGrath said Australia are taking it day by day with their captain, who missed the previous game with a minor calf strain. Beth Mooney did her wicketkeeping drills before nets on Friday. Is that an indication Australia don’t want to risk Healy before the semi-final?Australia (probable): 1 Georgia Voll, 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney (wk), 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath (capt), 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Megan SchuttSouth Africa are one of the two teams to use all 15 players in the squad. They could bring back seamer Masabata Klaas instead of offspin-allrounder Nondumiso Shangase against Australia. They could also bring back Anneke Bosch, who scored 44 in South Africa’s only ODI win over Australia and also scored an unbeaten 74 against them in the T20 World Cup semi-final last year.South Africa (probable): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Annerie Dercksen, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Karabo Meso (wk), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Nondumiso Shangase/Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaMasabata Klaas might slot into the side•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaPitch and conditionsA fresh pitch will be used and this one will also be a black-soil surface. But a day out from the contest it had a lot of barren patches and very little green grass on it. Indore will be hot and humid, but there is a spell of thunderstorm in forecast in the afternoon. However, similar weather was in forecast for the last game on Wednesday, but rain did not make an appearance. Friday morning in the city was cloudy before Australia trained under the hot afternoon sun.Stats and trivia Both Marizanne Kapp and Megan Schutt have 38 wickets in ODI World Cups. Only Lyn Fullston (39) and Jhulan Goswami (43) are ahead in the list of most wickets in the competition Australia’s batters have scored five centuries at this World Cup, the most for them in a single edition Among those with at least 150 runs at this World Cup, Nadine de Klerk’s strike rate of 150 is the best, followed by Alyssa Healy’s 131.25 South Africa registered their first ODI win against Australia in February 2024 in their 17th attemptQuotes”We’ve been here for six weeks now. The fact that it’s South Africa doesn’t change much from our prep. We’ve been pretty consistent with how we prepare for teams. So, we looked at South Africa in detail this morning. We match up pretty well and are pretty thorough in our plans. Even though we haven’t played a lot against them, we feel as though we’re really well planned and prepared.”
“They are the best team in the world, it is very difficult to beat them. You have to do the basics really well. The team that does the basics better for longer and stays in control for longer becomes successful. Even when they were in difficult situations, they found a way to put the other team under pressure. Just doing the basics well and sticking to what we do well should give us the best chance.”

Liverpool and Manchester United are two of many teams throughout Europe who are set to benefit after FIFA revealed those involved will be able to play for their clubs for an extra week before jetting off for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Mohamed Salah and Bryan Mbeumo are among the Premier League's top forwards but will leave their sides to represent Egypt and Cameroon when the tournament kicks off in Morocco later this month.

Liverpool and Man Utd receive much-needed boost

Clubs around Europe will have to make do without some of their key players during the hectic winter months of December and January due to the 2025 AFCON. Stars like Salah and Mbeumo are set to miss a significant number of matches for Liverpool and United when they travel across the world to represent their countries at Africa's biggest stage. Players had previously been required to show up for international duty by December 8 at the latest, leaving some English clubs particularly short during what is always a fixture-filled time of the year. However, FIFA has now amended its rules, meaning clubs around Europe will be able to call upon their African stars for another week.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat FIFA said about clubs releasing players for AFCON

In a statement released on Wednesday, FIFA outlined its decision: "Following fruitful consultations led by FIFA with key stakeholders and, thanks to the spirit of solidarity demonstrated by CAF to reduce the impact on various parties, the Bureau of the Council has taken a decision in relation to the mandatory release of players for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025, which will take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. 

"In line with the same principle used for the FIFA World Cup 2022™, the release period will be reduced by seven days and start on Monday, 15 December 2025. 

"It was also determined that Member Associations participating in the CAF AFCON 2025 and clubs releasing players who would be playing in continental competitions during the release period be encouraged to hold bilateral discussions in good faith to find appropriate individual solutions. 

"In cases where there continues to be a dispute over the release of players subsequent to such bilateral discussions, FIFA will, in mediating between both parties, apply guidelines that take into account the circumstances of each case, including factors related to the timing of matches of affected competitions, the stage of these competitions, the historical and planned involvement of the players in the matches in question, as well as any other pertinent factors."

Some Premier League teams set to struggle

It's not just Mbeumo who United will be missing for the better part of a month even after FIFA's ruling. Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are set to represent the Ivory Coast and Morocco, while Sunderland appear set to suffer majorly with seven of their players projected to be involved in the tournament, including Bertrand Traore, Reinildo, Simon Adingra and Habib Diarra. 

Manchester City will lose both Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri, though neither the Egyptian nor the Algerian have been particularly prominent in Pep Guardiola's starting XI so far this season. Tottenham will be without a pair of midfielders in Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, but will retain the services of winger Mohammed Kudus after Ghana failed to qualify. Relegation candidates Wolves are also expected to lose five players to AFCON. 

However, there is better news for others. Premier League leaders Arsenal, their London rivals Chelsea and Leeds United will be unaffected for the period. Liverpool, meanwhile, will only lose Salah, with manager Arne Slot previously revealing the Reds would be able to keep the struggling winger until mid-December.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

There are now just under two weeks before clubs throughout Europe say goodbye to the African players who will be present at AFCON. The tournament looks set to be an exciting one with Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal among the favourites to lift the trophy – which will add to an already packed winter of soccer.

There's a disappointing lack of Premier League action on Boxing Day this year, with United's evening clash with Newcastle the only fixture of the day, but supporters will be able to see Salah's Egypt battle South Africa that afternoon.

MatériaMais Notícias

Torcedores do Atlético-MG foram à loucura nas redes sociais com Gustavo Scarpa na vitória por 3 a 0 sobre o Cuiabá, pela quarta rodada do Brasileirão, e compararam o gol anotado pelo meia com Ronaldinho Gaúcho.

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Scarpa anotou o segundo gol do Atlético-MG ao bater falta rasteira, no momento em que a barreira do Cuiabá saltou, relembrando os velhos tempos de Ronaldinho Gaúcho com a camisa do Galo. O “Bruxo” ficou marcado por um gol de falta rasteiro na histórica goleada por 5 a 4 sobre o Santos.

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No mês de abril, Scarpa soma oito jogos pelo Atlético-MG, com seis gols e duas assistências. Ele foi a principal contratação do Galo para a temporada.

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O clube mineiro venceu a concorrência do Flamengo e adquiriu os direitos do meio-campista junto ao Nottingham Forest, da Inglaterra, por cinco milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 27 milhões, em valores atualizados). O contrato é válido por quatro temporada.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

O Atlético-MG de Gustavo Scarpa volta a campo na terça-feira (30), às 21h, contra o Sport, na Arena MRV, pela partida de ida da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Dois dias depois, o Cuiabá visita o Goiás pela mesma competição. No Brasileirão, o Galo lidera a tabela, com oito pontos, enquanto o Dourada amarga a lanterna do campeonato.

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Rishad Hossain makes regular contributions for Bangladesh. The legspinner’s presence allows Bangladesh to have a varied bowling attack and gives them a fielder who can change the course of the game. Those skills have also raised his stock in franchise cricket. He played for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2025, after which Hobart Hurricanes drafted him for the upcoming BBL season.Rishad is likely to be available for the full BBL season and is looking forward to link up with Ricky Ponting, the franchise’s head of strategy.”As a legspinner, if I get to play in these foreign leagues, it will be good for me and for my bowling,” Rishad said in an interaction organised by Hurricanes. “I’ll get opportunities to improve my skills.Related

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“Ponting was one of my favourite players growing up; I used to watch him play. I’m really looking forward to working with him. More than the players, I’m looking forward to working with Ricky Ponting and playing under his coaching.”For Bangladesh, Rishad plays the role of a middle-overs wicket-taker, something he wants to do for the Hurricanes as well.”As a legspinner, my job is to take wickets after the powerplay. I hope to continue that in Hobart,” he said. “My goal is to create doubt in the batter’s mind by using different angles. It’s just another variation. I believe in my strengths, and day by day I’m trying to improve – even if it’s just by one or two percent – without thinking too much about the future.”Rishad also has recent form on his side. He has taken at least one wicket in seven of the last eight T20Is – including five wickets in the recent T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah that Bangladesh won 3-0. He will be an important part of Bangladesh’s ODI attack too for the three-match series that begins on Wednesday.”I think it was important to get off to a good start right after the Asia Cup,” Rishad said. “Winning the series is always a good feeling.”What was particularly impressive about the Bangladesh spin attack was how they outbowled the Afghanistan spinners. Bangladesh’s spinners had a much better average and strike rate, even though they took ten wickets compared to 11 by Afghanistan’s spinners. Rishad’s bowling partner Nasum Ahmed was even adjudged the Player of the Series for five wickets at an economy rate of 5.58.”They have a lot of world-class bowlers in their side, so we tried to analyse them as much as we could before every game,” Rishad said about the Afghanistan spinners. “We got success [too].”Bangladesh are also finding out other sides of Rishad. His big-hitting ability became known last year when he cracked seven sixes in his of 30-ball 53 against Sri Lanka. His fielding impact was illustrated by his stunning run-out of Abhishek Sharma in the Asia Cup.”That situation demanded that we take a wicket,” Rishad said. “I was trying to create an opportunity, maybe with a diving catch or a fielding effort – anything to change the momentum of the game since it was on their side at that time, and it happened.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola took full blame for the club's Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen after a "first time in my life" selection gamble. City failed to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday as Guardiola paid the price for making 10 changes to his starting lineup.

• Guardiola's selection gamble backfires

  It was a special occasion for one of Europe's greatest coaches as Guardiola featured in the dugout for the 100th Champions League game of his career on Tuesday, with City squaring off against Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen at Etihad Stadium. It was not a happy occasion for Guardiola or City, though, as Leverkusen outplayed his team of second-string players.

  Key stars were left out of the starting XI, including Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Ruben Dias. The gamble backfired as City lost 2-0, with Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick scoring for the visitors. 

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• AFP
  

  'It didn't work'

  Speaking to reporters after the match, Guardiola said: "I take full responsibility. Too many changes. I always had the belief it’s a long season and everyone has to be involved but maybe it was too much. It was the first time in my life I’ve done it and it was too much. I take responsibility but I saw them and I like everyone to be involved. When you are a football player and don’t play for five, six, seven games it’s tough but maybe it was too much. Always I like to be too nice and involve everyone because I have the feeling after the international break there are games every three or four days and there is no human being who can sustain that. We were at home, in a good position in the Champions League and I thought ‘let’s try and let’s have weapons on the bench’. It didn’t work and we have to accept it."

• City needs more goalscorers

  While resting Haaland in a Champions League game certainly was a gamble that backfired for Guardiola, it is also true that City need their other attackers to score more goals. They cannot completely depend on one player for all of their goals across all competitions. 

  Guardiola acknowledged this after the Newcastle defeat at the weekend, as he said: "Yes [the chances] were clear, but we have to score more goals. Our players have the ability and quality to do it."

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  Must win game vs Leeds up next

  With back-to-back losses against the Magpies and Leverkusen, City's confidence will be extremely low. The defeat against Newcastle also extended their gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to seven points. They next face a struggling Leeds United side on Saturday at home and Guardiola will hope that his team can get back to winning ways and remain in the race for the title with the Gunners. 

In his three years with the Cincinnati Reds, shortstop Elly De La Cruz has repeatedly wowed baseball fans with his combination of power and speed.

On Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, the former portion of that equation was on full display.

First, in the top of the fourth inning, De La Cruz parked a 95 mph fastball 436 feet to center field. That shot tied the game 2–2—and was just an appetizer for what was to come.

Leading off the top of the sixth, De La Cruz was shown another four-seam fastball by pitcher Taylor Clarke. Making perfect contact, he deposited the ball 451 feet from home plate into Kauffman Stadium's trademark fountain.

Even the announcers calling the game were awed, declaring that they'd never seen anything like it.

De La Cruz, an All-Star and the eighth-place National League MVP finisher in 2024, is slashing .251/.325/.414 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs.

The struggles continue for the New York Mets' $765 million man, Juan Soto.

Soto, hitless in his last 14 at-bats, has now seen his batting average (.224) dip 57 points below his career average in a first half that has thus far been a massive disappointment relative to expectations for his first season in Queens. And as the struggles compound, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns believes that Soto is pressing.

"I honestly don't have like a 'this is the issue he needs to fix to get better'," Stearns said when asked what he believes the issue is. "I think he's taking pretty good at-bats. Controlling the strike zone pretty well. Hitting the ball on the ground a little bit more than he has in the past. That's something he's aware of."

"But telling yourself, 'Hey, I need to hit the ball in the air more,' doesn't immediately translate to hitting the ball in the air more. Do I think he's trying to do a little bit too much right now? Yeah, I think he's probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving."

Stearns's words somewhat echo those of Soto's agent Scott Boras, who told Tom Verducci that he believes Soto is having a hard time getting used to wearing "the crown" as baseball's highest-paid player. And while there are a whole host of reasons for Soto's underwhelming start to 2025, Mets brass has been unified in the belief that this too shall pass.

Stearns on Friday didn't seem concerned about Soto and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has been adamant that Soto is passing the "eye test" despite the lack of results at the dish. Even Mets owner Steve Cohen, the man who opened his checkbook to sign Soto to the biggest contract in North American sports history, preached patience when it comes to his star slugger's struggles.

Despite the slow start from Soto, the Mets (34-22) sit in second place in the National League East.

Arsenal are well-stocked all over the pitch and boast one of the finest squad depths in England, yet they continue to be linked with high-profile transfers ahead of January.

Arsenal overcome Brentford to go five points clear

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their commanding lead at the Premier League summit with a professional 2-0 victory over Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory extended their unbeaten streak to an incredible 18 matches across all competitions, with Arteta seriously rotating his squad following a recent demanding triple-header against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Brentford

Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze were all rested from the starting lineup, but the Gunners’ strength in depth showed with Ben White and Noni Madueke combining brilliantly down the right throughout.

The opener arrived early on when White delivered an inviting cross that found Mikel Merino, who powered a header past Caoimhin Kelleher for his fifth goal of the campaign.

The Spaniard, who Arteta never expected to be the proficient going forward, has now netted 21 times in 2025 for club and country, showcasing his remarkable goalscoring form.

Arsenal suffered a blow before the interval when Cristhian Mosquera limped off with an ankle injury, compounding their defensive concerns with both Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba already sidelined. Timber then replaced the injured defender as Arteta juggled his limited centre-back options.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews introduced Igor Thiago, Mikkel Damsgaard and Jordan Henderson from the bench after an hour, while Arteta countered by bringing on Saka and Eze.

Arsenal controlled proceedings but missed several opportunities to seal the contest earlier.

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To add further injury worry after Mosquera, Arsenal’s arguable player of the season, Declan Rice, departed late with a calf problem, with Arteta now sweating over his fitness ahead of a hectic Christmas schedule and the clash with Aston Villa.

Saka finally made the points safe in stoppage time, latching onto Merino’s perfectly weighted pass before finishing past Kelleher despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the effort.

Given Arsenal’s injury curse which has plagued them since last season, sporting director Andrea Berta will be attentive to any unmissable transfer market opportunities.

Enter Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, who is reportedly up for sale this winter after playing a bit-part role under Xabi Alonso.

Rodrygo expresses wish to join Arsenal as agents open talks

Arsenal have already been linked with a move for the Brazil international heading into January, following exploratory talks over a deal last summer.

The 24-year-old has managed just three La Liga starts this term, making the vast majority of his appearances off the bench, with Rodrygo believed to be in the process of finding a new club.

That is according to TEAMtalk and reporter Graeme Bailey, who also state that Rodrygo has ‘expressed a wish’ to join Arsenal among four other Premier League sides he’s also interested in.

Crucially, though, the ex-Santos star’s agents have apparently reopened talks with Arteta’s side, who also ‘pushed hardest’ to sign him in the summer window.

However, Arsenal will need a minimum £70 million to strike a deal, with a loan appearing unlikely as things stand.

Berta and co, meanwhile, are believed to be monitoring his situation closely, which isn’t hard to see why given their bad luck with injuries, not to mention the uncertainty surrounding Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

The latter wingers are both out of contract in under two years, and with no sign of an extension for either, Arsenal need to think about long-term succession planning.

Rodrygo’s £282,000-per-week salary would put him in line with Arsenal’s highest earners, so it is an expensive transfer to pull off beyond just his club fee.

That being said, Rodrygo is also a player of proven quality, having racked up 68 goals and 53 assists in under 300 appearances for Los Blancos.

Things are starting to go wrong for Chelsea this season.

Just a few weeks ago, Enzo Maresca’s side looked like one of the best teams in the Premier League and a serious rival to Arsenal.

However, with two losses and two draws in their last four games, it feels like the Blues have hit a wall, and a number of their summer signings are struggling to make an impact.

One player who has had a particularly poor start to life at Chelsea is Liam Delap, and if he’s not careful, he could be replaced by a hugely exciting striker set to join the squad ahead of next season.

Delap's 24/25 vs 25/26

He might be getting pelters this season, but when Chelsea paid £30m to sign Delap in the summer, it looked like a good move for the club.

After all, the former Manchester City gem was one of the only bright sparks in a dire Ipswich Town side and, in his first proper season of Premier League football, put in a good account of himself.

For example, while he wasn’t the most prolific forward around, his tally of 12 goals and two assists in 40 appearances, 37 of which came in the league, was impressive, and came out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.85 games.

However, his form, at least in terms of output, seems to have fallen off a cliff this season, with him scoring a single goal in 11 games so far.

Unfortunately, his underlying numbers have also dropped off massively this year.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.34

0.21

Progressive Carries

2.12

2.05

Key Passes

0.73

0.00

Passes into the Final Third

0.59

0.26

Shot-Creating Actions

2.15

0.52

Goal-Creating Actions

0.24

0.00

Tackles Won

0.28

0.00

Blocks

0.28

0.00

According to FBref, the Englishman is doing worse in the majority of relevant metrics this year, like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, key passes, passes into the final third, shot- and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, and multiple defensive statistics, all per 90.

Add to this the fact that he has already suffered two significant injuries and been sent off, and it’s not hard to see a world in which Delap fails to make the grade at Chelsea.

Especially as the club already has another exciting youngster set to join the summer who’s coming for his place.

The Chelsea youngster coming for Delap

Chelsea have made a real habit of signing some of the most exciting young talents from around the world of football, be that Estevao or Geovany Quenda.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Another name that should be added to that list of incredible prospects, and someone fans will become far more familiar with next season, is Dastan Satpaev.

The Blues signed the sensational prospect from the Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty in February of this year for a fee of around €4m, which is about £3.5m.

However, due to rules around foreign-born youngsters, the teenager has to wait until next season, when he’s 18, to join up with Maresca’s squad.

Forcing the young phenom to stay in his home country for another year or so looks like it has been hugely beneficial, though, as he’s had plenty of senior game-time and, by all accounts, has been unreal.

Appearances

29

Starts

21

Minutes

2081

Goals

15

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

Minutes per Goal Involvement

94.59′

For example, in 29 first-team appearances last season, totalling 2081 minutes, the dynamic game-changing forward scored 15 goals and provided seven assists.

In other words, the young striker averaged a goal involvement every 1.31 games, or every 94.59 minutes, which is a rate of return that should worry Delap.

As if that wasn’t enough, one Kazakh scout even told the press that in one campaign for Kairat’s under-17 side, the superstar in the making produced a frankly astounding tally of “54 goals with 50 assists in just 19 matches.”

Finally, on top of impressing at the junior level and in the domestic league, the future game-changer has also made 12 appearances in the Champions League this season, seven in the qualifying rounds and five in the competition proper, where he became the youngest goalscorer in its history.

Ultimately, Delap is a talented footballer, but he’s had a poor season so far, and if he doesn’t improve quickly, he could see himself replaced by Satpaev next year.

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