Only 65.1 overs were possible on another rain-affected day on which Tasmania’s third-wicket pair put on an unbroken partnership of 160

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2018Getty ImagesPersistent batting from the Tasmanian pair of Beau Webster and Jake Doran and persistent rain have combined to frustrate New South Wales at the SCG.After much of day two was lost to rain, further weather delays meant only 65.1 overs were bowled on day three.The Blues made an early breakthrough with Steve O’Keefe deceiving George Bailey seven balls into the start of play to leave Tasmania two down and trailing the home side’s first-innings total by 369. But that was the only joy for New South Wales as Webster and Doran put together an unbroken stand of 160 in 64 overs.Webster reached his fourth first-class hundred in the penultimate over of the day, having faced 253 balls to get there. Doran remained not out on 86 at close. The two sides will face a challenge on the final day trying to manufacture a result.

Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United have a long history that stretches back to their first encounter in October 1903 – a game the south coast club won 3-2.

Football FanCast has everything you need to know about the Premier League fixture before the two sides clash at the Amex on Saturday.

While it's hard to extrapolate too much in terms of form from just two league games, both sides should be going into the contest feeling confident.

The Hammers come into the game fresh from a brilliant 3-1 home win over Chelsea, while the Seagulls bagged a 4-1 away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Brighton vs West Ham: What's their head-to-head record?

Despite first meeting in 1903, the two sides have only played one another 32 times in all competitions in the intervening 120 years.

This lack of games is partly due to the massive 45-year gap between their clashes in 1933 and 1978 and a 13-year break between 1991 and 2004 without a match-up.

Indeed, made their way up and down the English football pyramid before breaking back into the top two tiers in the late 1970s.

By the late 80s, they were back in Division Three, and after another relegation to the third tier in 1992, the sides didn't meet again until they were both Championship sides.

The Seagulls took the long way back to the big time via League One, and are now a fixture of the top flight alongside West Ham after over three decades out.

When they have played each other, it has generally been a closely fought affair, with Brighton just edging it in terms of overall wins at 11, while their east London competition have won ten, leaving 11 encounters as draws.

Brighton wins: 11 Draws: 11 West Ham wins: 10 Brighton vs West Ham: What's their record on the south coast?

15 of the 32 fixtures have come at Brighton's various home grounds, and have unsurprisingly been where the Seagulls have had the most amount of luck. They've won eight games when playing as hosts – more than double what they've managed in the capital.

There have been five draws along the way, and perhaps most impressively, just two defeats.

Brighton wins: 8 Draws: 5 West Ham wins: 2 Brighton vs West Ham: What's their record at Upton Park/London Stadium?

This fixture has been played at Upton Park or the London Stadium 17 times since 1903, and the results are pretty much just a reverse of the ones on the south coast.

The Hammers have come out on top in eight of their matches against Brighton in east London, drawing six and losing just three – although that is still one more loss than Brighton have suffered at home.

West Ham wins: 8 Draws: 6 Brighton wins: 3 Brighton vs West Ham: What's their Premier League record?

While the overall picture between these two sides is one of balance in terms of results, that certainly hasn't been the case in the Premier League, as since Brighton won promotion to the top flight in 2017, it has very much been one-way traffic.

In their 12 league meetings since that promotion, Brighton have found themselves on the winning side six times, drawing the other six games – meaning their claret and blue opponents have yet to beat them in the league since their return six years ago.

Interestingly, the six draws all came consecutively between August 2019 and December 2021, suggesting that there has still been some competition, there. However, the last three games have all been convincing wins for Brighton.

Brighton wins: 6 Draws: 6 West Ham wins: 0 Brighton vs West Ham: Which team has the most goals?

With the two sides being pretty even over the last century, with periods of dominance for both teams, it's not all that surprising to see that their goalscoring records are also incredibly similar.

When Brighton play host, they have scored 27 goals across all competitions, conceding just 13. West Ham have scored one more when hosting at 28, but have also conceded more, letting in 18 as being the home team.

Brighton vs West Ham: What happened in last season's fixtures?

Brighton came away with six out of six points last season, edging out West Ham early on in the season at the London Stadium and completely blowing them away at the Amex seven months later.

In the first encounter, Alexis Mac Allister gave the visitors the lead from the spot in the 22nd minute following a foul on Danny Welbeck from Thilo Kehrer. They doubled their lead in the 66th minute thanks to a brilliant strike from Leandro Trossard.

The reverse fixture was a demolition job by the Seagulls, becoming their biggest-ever win against the Hammers.

Brighton vs West Ham: What is Danny Welbeck's record?

Welbeck tends to excel against West Ham, regardless of who he is playing for. In total, the former Arsenal man has come up against the east London outfit on 21 occasions – the most he has faced any team other than Tottenham Hotspur – and has been on the victorious side 13 times.

The Hammers are also the team that Welbeck has scored the most goals against in his career, finding the back of the net seven times and providing four assists for his teammates.

The Irons might be hoping Roberto De Zerbi opts for Evan Ferguson or Joao Pedro up top for this one.

Brighton vs West Ham: What is Michail Antonio's record?

Michail Antonio has played Brighton more than any other side in his career, but probably doesn't look forward to the fixture too much considering he has been on the victorious side just three times out of a possible 19.

The other 16 fixtures have resulted in eight defeats and eight ties, with the Jamaica international scoring just two goals and providing another two assists over that period.

Brighton vs West Ham: What is Brighton's biggest win?

As alluded to above, the Seagulls' biggest win over their east London opponents came earlier this year when they won 4-0 at home in early March.

Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 18th minute, converting from the penalty spot for a second time against the Hammers last term after Jarrod Bowen bundled over Kaoru Mitoma.

Fans had to wait until the 51st minute for another goal, but once Joel Veltman doubled his side's lead, it was plain sailing, with Mitoma and Welbeck also getting involved in the action to complete a comprehensive win.

David Moyes' team will have to forget about that performance if they want to get anything out of the game this weekend.

Brighton vs West Ham: What is West Ham's biggest win?

While Brighton's 4-0 win is undoubtedly impressive, the Hammers have been able to go two better in the past, smashing six past Peter Brezovan in April 2012 to win 6-0 in the Championship.

The scoring was opened by Ricardo Vaz Te in the third minute, with the tricky winger going on to add another in the eighth minute and a third in the 62nd minute, with the rout rounded off with a Gary Dicker own goal in the 78th minute.

Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole were the other goalscorers on the day, with the Hammers boosting their promotion bid, which was eventually successfully achieved through the play-offs.

Brighton vs West Ham: What are the recent results?

It's pretty clear that between these two teams, Brighton have pretty much dominated the Premier League era, and that is clearly reflected in the recent results between the sides.

The most recent game – in March – ended 4-0. The two preceding results finished 2-0, and 3-1, both in Brighton's favour – with West Ham only able to score a single goal in reply to the Seagulls' nine across those three games.

The six matches before that run of Brighton victories were all score draws; however, the three before which preceded that were also all Brighton wins – leaving the Hammers winless in the last 12.

Brighton vs West Ham: When is it?

Brighton & Hove Albion host West Ham United on Saturday 26th August at 5.30pm (UK time), and will be broadcast on Sky Sports.

It may not be one of the marquee matchups in the Premier League, but it's a tie that has served up plenty of goals and action in the past, and both teams have a lot to play for this season.

Brighton are still under the guidance of the charismatic and intriguing De Zerbi, who is tasked with taking them on a European journey this year without their midfield stalwart from last season, Moises Caicedo.

However, the arrival of Joao Pedro promises to add even more attacking threat to one of the league's most entertaining sides to watch.

On the other hand, West Ham will also have a European journey of their own to contend without last season's midfield general, this time Declan Rice.

That said, when it comes to their league campaign, Moyes' men will likely be aiming to simply avoid another relegation battle this season and to bed in their new talent.

The arrivals of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez have given many fans reason to be excited, and after the side's excellent performance against the free-spending Chelsea last weekend, there is no reason not to be.

Courtney Walsh has been named Bangladesh’s interim head coach for the Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha.Walsh joined the Bangladesh coaching group in September 2016 as a bowling coach on a three-year deal. He is currently the senior-most coach in the group and was an obvious candidate.Meanwhile, Khaled Mahmud will no longer be a part of the support staff. Formerly the technical director, he is now expected to return as team manager. The former Bangladesh captain made public his displeasure at the function of the team earlier this month, calling the environment “dirty.””Since I will be going to Sri Lanka, a lot of the directors also will come with me. I personally feel that [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon should go as team manager,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan. “We still haven’t talked to him about it. We have finalized on the other roles like we have also decided to give the batting duties to someone which we will announce on Tuesday.”Hassan is also likely to have a more hands-on involvement in the team’s affair. “I didn’t bother about playing XI selection in the last series. I left it to everyone else, including players and management,” he said. “This time we have made a squad after considering who will play in the playing XI. So since there is a final decision being taken, there is obviously a direct involvement.”

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers has been able to bolster his playing squad with six new additions during the summer transfer window so far.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

The Hoops have brought in Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Marco Tilio, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyun-jun Yang, Maik Nawrocki, and Gustaf Lagerbielke to improve the side after the 2022/23 campaign.

That does not appear to be the end of their foray into the market before next month's deadline, though, as they have been touted with a move for one of their former players.

It was recently reported by Football Insider that the Hoops could look to tempt Arsenal into selling former fan-favourite Kieran Tierney back to them after Newcastle United dropped out of the race for the Scotland international's signature.

The outlet did state that they may lack the financial power to secure a deal for the left-back's services but it remains to be seen whether or not a loan deal could be a viable alternative option.

How good is Kieran Tierney?

Tierney would arrive at Celtic as a player who has the quality and experience to hit the ground running due to his first spell at Parkhead after coming through the academy set-up, which could make him a dream partner for Nawrocki.

The Poland U21 international has started on the left of the centre-back pairing in all three of the team's competitive fixtures this season, which means that he would be playing directly next to the Arsenal gem if the club are able to snap him up.

Nawrocki is new to life in Scotland after coming over from his home country and Tierney could help him to settle in with his knowledge of the league and his ability.

The 26-year-old whiz enjoyed a fantastic time with the Hoops and proved himself to be a real attacking threat from left-back as he racked up 25 assists in 97 Scottish Premiership outings before his move to The Emirates.

This means that Tierney registered an assist every 3.88 matches on average. Whereas, current Hoops left-back Greg Taylor has assisted 21 goals in 130 games for the club, which is one every 6.19 clashes on average.

The Athletic's Chris Hamill claimed that Nawrocki showed great tempo and acceleration in his passing out from the back for Celtic, which suggests that he will be able to get the ball out to the Scotland international quickly before the opposition defence can settle into a low block.

He has completed 71% of his attempted long passes this season so far and could, therefore, excel at being able to clip the ball over the opposition's press to set Tierney away down the left channel.

This could provide the current Gunners defender, who teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko lauded as "amazing", with ample opportunities to bomb forward in order to make the most of the attacking threat he can provide from left-back.

Tierney's statistics from his first spell at Celtic suggest that the £120k-per-week warrior has the potential to offer far more than Taylor does at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Nawrocki and the Scottish gem could be a dream pairing as the former's passing ability could unlock the left-back's attacking potential and the latter's knowledge of the club and experience of Scottish football could help the Polish titan to settle in.

Manchester United winger Antony registered his first goal of the season during Sunday’s 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup.

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Antony scores first goal of seasonPlans to 'close' himself off to focusWants to turn around season for Man UtdGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

After making a huge transfer from Ajax in the summer of 2022, the £86 million ($109m) signing has struggled with form. The criticism was intensifying since Antony had failed to score or assist all season – until the win over Newport County, when his dreadful streak came to an end. Antony provided a first-half assist for Bruno Fernandes' early goal. Then, after Newport equalised to tie it 2-2, the Brazil international scored on a rebound. The Brazilian has now vowed to close himself off and use his first goal to help himself turn his season around.

AdvertisementWHAT ANTONY SAID

Speaking to the media, Antony said: "I fought hard to reach the levels of playing for this club, I know I can build on yesterday’s performance and continue to show my qualities. I pushed myself day after day for better performances.

"I will continue to completely close myself off to improve & play the football that United hired me to do. The whole club, every fan, deserves the best from each one of us. United is one of the main clubs in the world, where everyone wants to be and it's where I want to build my story.

"I know it hasn't been an easy season, we didn't get the results we wanted as a team, but we never stopped working and focusing on what needed to be done to improve."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Erik ten Hag will be fully hoping that Antony can turn his season around as his side has been suffering in the final third of the field, lacking that finishing touch with all of his forwards having misfired so far this season. The Red Devils will have a tough battle ahead of them if they want to make it to the Champions League places for next season as they sit eighth on the Premier League table, 11 points off Aston Villa in fourth.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

The Brazilian is likely to be starting for the Dutchman's side on the right side of attack when they take on Wolves on Thursday, February 1 at the Molineaux as he looks for his first goal contribution in the Premier League this season.

Hundreds were hit aplenty across the two games, with Mushfiqur Rahim amongst the top scorers

Mohammad Isam13-Apr-2018Tushar Imran struck twin hundreds in South Zone’s drawn BCL match against East Zone in Sylhet. He became the second batsman this season after Junaid Siddique and the 12th overall to achieve the feat in Bangladesh domestic first-class cricket – Tushar is also the leading run-scorer on this circuit.Tushar’s first-innings 130 came after South Zone had lost two early wickets on the opening morning. He added 165 runs for the third wicket with Fazle Mahmud, who made 89 off 161 balls with 11 fours and a six. Tushar scored his runs off 221 balls, and had 15 fours and a six. South Zone were 403 all out on the second day. Pace bowler Khaled Ahmed took four wickets while Abu Jayed and Mohammad Saifuddin took two each.In reply, East Zone were bowled out for 300 with Jaker Ali top scoring with 76 and Liton Das and Saifuddin making 75 each. Jaker and Saifuddin added 114 runs for the seventh wicket. Pace bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi took four wickets while Abdur Razzak and Nayeem Hasan took three each.Tushar struck a second ton on the final day, having struck 12 fours and two sixes in his 145-ball knock. This was his third century in a row in the BCL, his fifth in the 2017-18 season and the 26th century of his career.Set 415 to win in the remaining four hours on the final day, East Zone’s Liton and Afif Hossain made the most of the opportunity. During their unbroken 205-run second-wicket stand, Liton made 113 off 129 balls with 11 fours and four sixes while Afif struck 10 fours and three sixes in his 100 off 131 balls.Four centuries dominated the runs-heavy draw between North Zone and Central Zone in Bogra.Mushfiqur Rahim scored only his second hundred in Bangladesh domestic first-class cricket while his North Zone team-mate Mizanur Rahman equalled Tushar Imran’s five hundreds in the 2017-18 season.Central Zone’s Shadman Islam also reached a hundred in the match during a 200-run opening stand with Saif Hassan who fell for 94. Shadman struck nine fours in his 107 off 239 balls while Saif struck 12 fours and a six in his 243-ball effort.Marshall Ayub then took over the baton on the second day, top scoring in the game with 132 off 210 balls with 14 fours and a six. He put together a 108 runs for the sixth wicket with Tanbir Hayder before adding a further 67 with Mosharraf Hossain whose unbeaten 83 took Central Zone to a formidable 529 all out spanning the first two days.North Zone were bowled out for exactly 300 runs in 93.1 overs. Mushfiqur top scored with 111, adding 83 runs for the sixth wicket with Ariful Haque. Mushfiqur struck eight fours and a six in his nearly six-hour stay at the crease.Pace bowler Ebadot Hossain took career-best figures of 4 for 61 while Abu Hider and Mosharraf took two each.Asked to follow on on the final day, North Zone reached 213 for 2 before the match was declared a draw. Mizanur was 100 not out, having struck four boundaries and a six in his 191-ball knock. He added 154 runs for the second wicket with Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who made 89 off 152 balls.

Despite prior reports that new Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou was looking to move on a host of first-team assets following his appointment at N17, the window came and went with a number of the 'deadwood' having remained on the books.

The likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg both stayed put despite claims that the north Londoners were open to offers for the experienced pair, while long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is also yet to find a new home, after previously stating his desire to move elsewhere.

There may well be a sense of frustration that those departures did not occur, although the Lilywhites have at least since been able to shift two more figures who appeared to be surplus to requirements, with Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele – both of whom were signed during Mauricio Pochettino's time in charge – having joined Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Those long-awaited exits have brought to an end a tumultuous spell in the capital for the pair, with Spurs likely ruing the hefty investment that they made in the duo – with regard to both transfer fees and wages – over recent years.

How much did Sanchez cost Spurs?

In the case of Sanchez, the Colombian international was snapped up by Pochettino and co back in the summer of 2017, having caught the eye after playing his part in Ajax's run to the Europa League final during the previous season.

The promising talent had been acquired for what was a then club-record fee of around £42m, with the Lilywhites having been keen to provide greater depth in the centre-back ranks, behind the first-choice pairing of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

Six years on from that high-profile switch to England, the 54-cap dud has since moved on to Istanbul for a reported fee of just £12.8m, with that representing a stark decline for a player who has been branded "one of the worst players" to have ever played for the club, according to talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara.

What did Sanchez earn at Spurs?

Having "had question marks hanging over him ever since he came in", according to pundit Noel Whelan, the 2022/23 campaign proved to be a particular low point for the centre-back as he was restricted to just eight Premier League starts in total.

The 6 foot 2 enigma's time at the club also reached its undoubted nadir during the 3-2 defeat to AFC Bournemouth earlier this year, as he was brutally withdrawn by interim boss Cristian Stellini early in the second half, despite having only entered the fray midway through the opening period.

That error-strewn outing ultimately led to Sanchez being booed by his own support on the day, with there seemingly having been no turning back from such a disastrous day, hence the player's departure earlier this week.

In truth, it is fair to say that the one-time Atletico Nacional man – who made 207 appearances in total – did not warrant the £65k-per-week salary that he raked in after signing back in 2017, with that totalling up to roughly £20m in wages.

Such a sizeable outlay will no doubt sting for chairman Daniel Levy considering the defender's woes, with Whelan having perhaps best summarised just what a dismal signing Sanchez proved to be for the club:

"He’s been inconsistent, there are mistakes in him – very crucial mistakes which dictate the outcome of games."

It could be argued, however, that the addition of Ndombele proved to be even more of a transfer howler for both Pochettino and Levy, with the Frenchman having been a particularly costly mistake on reflection.

How much did Tottenham pay for Ndombele?

Despite having splashed out £60m on Richarlison last summer in order to prise the Brazilian from Everton, incredibly it is Ndombele who remains the club's record capture, having joined from Lyon on a £63m deal back in 2019.

As his recent loan switch to the Super Lig has indicated – a deal that includes an option to buy for the Istanbul outfit – the 26-year-old is no longer deemed a worthy squad asset for those at N17, having regularly flattered to deceive over the last four years or so.

While perhaps a victim of the sacking of Pochettino just a few months into his time in England, Ndombele didn't exactly do his best to try and win over the likes of Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo, notably being called a "disgrace" by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher back in 2020 for his apparent lack of work ethic.

Although there had been whispers that Postecoglou was willing to give the player a fresh start during pre-season, the news of a temporary departure will not have come as a shock to most, with the midfield maestro having spent the past 18 months at both Lyon and Napoli after falling out of favour at his parent club.

While those recent exits have helped to cover the cost of the maverick's hefty wages, like Sanchez the Frenchman has also rather bled Tottenham dry after being unable to warrant the faith in his talent.

What does Ndombele earn at Tottenham?

After spending four years on the books at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 5 foot 11 dud has thus far scored just ten goals and provided only nine assists in 91 games in all competitions, hardly proving worthy of his reported £200k-per-week wages.

Excluding the time he has since spent out on loan, Ndombele's first two-and-a-half seasons in north London reportedly costly Levy and co around £25m – as per FBref – with his total cost coming in at around £88m, when factoring in his transfer fee.

Add to that the £42m fee that was spent on Sanchez – as well as the centre-back's £20m in wages – and, as journalist Paul O'Keefe alluded to, the club have forked out in the region of £150m on the pair in total.

That is a truly mammoth, eye-watering figure, particularly for two men who have distinctly underwhelmed during their times at N17, with the hope being that it won't be too long before Ndombele joins Sanchez in making a permanent exit from the club.

For many of a Tottenham persuasion, it will likely be a case of good riddance to the pair of them.

Liverpool welcome Aston Villa to Anfield this afternoon as Jurgen Klopp's side look to claim their third successive Premier League win of the season, having drawn at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the season opener.

Last season, the Reds endured a miserable campaign and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons after finishing fifth.

Even that somewhat flatters the overall discourse of the campaign; Liverpool were shocking until the closing stages of the term, with a late-season purple patch salvaging European football.

Villa qualified for the Europa Conference League under Unai Emery's stewardship in a tremendous rise, and despite falling flat against Newcastle United to start their campaign, losing 5-1 at St. James' Park, the Villa Park side have rebounded with wins over Everton and Burnley.

Klopp will understand the task at hand, but will be confident that the home side will secure three points, closing the gap on league leaders and defending champions Manchester City to just two points.

What is the Liverpool team news vs Aston Villa?

Klopp will be forced to field a new centre-defensive pairing on Sunday, with Ibrahima Konate out injured and captain Virgil van Dijk suspended after receiving a red card against Newcastle last weekend.

In midfield, Curtis Jones could return after injury, while Stefan Bajcetic may receive his first outing of the term after making the bench for the past two match weeks; Thiago Alcantara has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a long-term issue and will remain sidelined.

Multi-functional midfielder Ryan Gravenberch will not play after completing a £34m move on deadline day from Bayern Munich, having failed to be registered in time for the final fixture before the term's first international break.

Up front, Darwin Nunez will be pushing for his first start of the season after a "razor-sharp" – as said by Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury – cameo against the Magpies, where his brace gave ten-man Liverpool an unlikely, galvanising victory.

Will Wataru Endo start vs Aston Villa?

With Gravenberch unable to participate this weekend, Klopp might be inclined to hand Wataru Endo his second successive start in the Premier League after signing from German side Stuttgart in a £16m deal in August.

The Japan captain's arrival raised more than a few eyebrows; Liverpool had been in pursuit of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to fill the void left by Fabinho and Jordan Henderson's departures to Saudi Arabian sides, but both ended up joining Chelsea.

Endo, relatively unknown outside the Bundesliga, could prove to be a shrewd investment for Klopp's side, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano even saying: "he’s an extremely underrated player, ask Stuttgart fans."

A tenacious, tough-tackling midfielder, Endo is indeed likely to retain a starting berth in Liverpool's team in the absence of any other defensive midfielder.

Against Newcastle, he didn't produce the finest, slickest display in memory but did demonstrate his defensive skills, making two tackles and winning four of his seven duels, important in preventing Eddie Howe's side from capitalising after going a man and goal down in the opening half-hour.

Thiago remains an absentee, and given that teenage talent Stefan Bajcetic has yet to play a minute this term following his own return from a long-term injury, his reintegration might be better placed through a substitute appearance.

Why should Wataru Endo start vs Aston Villa?

Described as a "proper warrior and leader" by Bundesliga commentator Kevin Thatchard, Endo has been a stalwart for Stuttgart in their battles against relegation in the German top-flight.

Having made 133 appearances for die Schwaben, posting 15 goals and 12 assists, Endo has indeed been crucial to the club's flow and industriousness.

The 50-cap international was in fine fettle last season, recording an average rating of 6.99 in the Bundesliga – as per Sofascore – across his 33 displays, scoring five goals and supplying four assists, completing 80% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes per game and making 2.1 tackles and 1.8 clearances each match.

To showcase his defensive qualities, FBref ranks Endo among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearance and aerial wins per 90.

The £50k-per-week ace's inclusion against the Lions will be imperative, with Emery's outfit ravenous for a continuation of the fantastic, Europe-clinching feats of last year.

During Liverpool's opening match against Chelsea last month, the club's lack of control without an established No. 6 was clear for all to see, with the Stamford Bridge side retaining 65% of possession and completing 87% of their passes as opposed to Liverpool's 80%.

For reference, last year, despite the Merseyside outfit's struggles, only champions Manchester City completed more passes than Liverpool. Against Chelsea this season, that tactical philosophy went out the window.

Emery's Villa thrive through organisation and discipline, maintaining a compact shape and as such nullifying the advances of the opposition.

They also utilise overloaded midfielders, with the Spaniard manager not shy to field the likes of John McGinn on the wing, allowing the full-backs to overlap and supplement the attack.

Endo will be crucial in preventing this, having completed 88% of his passes in the Premier League thus far, also averaging two ball recoveries and 1.5 tackles and clearances per match.

By deploying the hard-working ace in the holding midfield role, the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai could see their creative qualities shine through, with Aston Villa's heavy defeat against Newcastle evidence that the Midlands outfit is susceptible to swift attacking transitions and incisive play.

Highlighting his strengths prior to the confirmation of Endo's move to Anfield, The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Boor said: "He is a ball-winner, but he’ll do a fine job protecting the defence. He can play too, though."

The hope will be that as he acclimatises to life on Merseyside, the veteran midfielder maintains these core qualities as he gels with Klopp's squad, and against Villa, his inclusion as the all-action defensive component could prove to be the difference-maker.

Endo is not the high-profile name the Liverpool support yearned for, but he is a solid midfielder and he will prove to be a central figure in the team this year, and maybe even instrumental in the club's renaissance.

Bowlers Kristen Beams and Lauren Cheatle have lost their contracts as Australia focus their efforts on the Women’s World T20 in November. Another contributing factor was recent performances, which helped Sophie Molineux, Delissa Kimmince and Nicola Carey have make their way into the 14-player list for the first time. All three players were part of Australia’s tour of India where they beat the hosts 3-0 in the ODIs and beat England in the final of the T20I tri-series that followed.

CA Women’s contract list 2018-19

Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jessica Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

“The National Selection Panel had a firm focus on the World T20 in the West Indies later this year when selecting the contract list, with players rewarded for world-class performances,” national selector Shawn Flegler said.”The elevation of Nicola Carey, Delissa Kimmince and Sophie Molineux is an indication of how they are viewed by the NSP, having all impressed during Australia’s recent tour of India and domestically across the summer.”Allrounders Molineux and Carey earned their caps during the recent India tour, while 28-year old Kimmince made her international debut in 2008 against New Zealand.”Sophie is a Victorian product of the female pathway and the NSP believes she is a long-term player for Australia and provides another spin bowling option with the ability to bat in several positions.””Delissa and Nicola have similar all-round roles within the team and have both performed well when given the opportunity. They have both been on the cusp of selection for a while and it is good to see them rewarded with a contract.Flegler insisted that it wasn’t the end of the road for the out-of-contract players. “Several players, including Kristen Beams and Lauren Cheatle from last year’s contract list have missed out but they will still be considered to play for Australia with strong performances.”Lauren has had to overcome various injuries over the last couple of years, which has hampered her ability to perform at her best,” Flegler said. “She has been selected in the women’s NPS alongside a number of exciting young fast bowlers and there’s no doubt her best is yet to come.”CA has also named a 13-player National Performance Squad, which includes a number of youngsters, who will be training under High Performance coach Leah Poulton at the Bupa National Cricket Centre.Women’s National Performance Squad 2018: Lauren Cheatle, Piepa Cleary, Josephine Dooley, Erin Fazackerley, Heather Graham, Saskia Horley, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia McGrath, Maitlan Brown, Annabel Sutherland*, Rachel Trenaman*.

Charlotte FC midfielder Ashley Westwood has been surprised by the "intensity" of MLS since arriving from Burnley FC.

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• Westwood joins Charlotte FC from Burnley in 2023
• Englishman surprised by "intensity" of MLS
• Look ahead at CLT campaign

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Speaking during media availability at the Coachella Invitational ahead of the 2024 campaign, Westwood revealed that the league surprised him during his inaugural season in MLS. He compared it to the level of the English Championship, noting the intensity might even be higher stateside.

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  WHAT WESTWOOD SAID

  The ex-Clarets star said: "It's an incredible league. It's tough. The traveling you have to get used to, going to different climates. It's not easy. The intensity is a lot like the Championship in England. It's relentless. You've got to be fit."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Westwood made 37 appearances for CLT FC last campaign, scoring three times while playing as a deep-lying midfielder for the MLS side. Ahead of the 2024 season, expectations seem to be higher than ever for the Eastern Conference side, especially with the roster overhaul that saw two Designated Players depart the club this offseason. Argentine striker Enzo Copetti is being touted for a big campaign, with ex-Aston Villa boss Dean Smith now in charge.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHALOTTE FC?

  CLT FC open their 2024 campaign on Saturday, February 24 against New York City FC. Until then, they'll be wrapping up their current preseason campaign.