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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

Following the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last year, the big talk surrounding Manchester United has been their greater reliance on young players. The Red Devils boss has publicly insisted he will give chances to the club’s brightest academy prospects, and pre-season under-lined just how keen the Norwegian is to stick to his word.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The prospect on everybody’s lips has been Mason Greenwood, and one player who has similarly dominated the youth scene, but has seemingly fallen into the shadows behind his 17-year-old teammate, is Tahith Chong.

The Dutchman came off the bench in the 1-0 victory against Leicester, and according to the experts below, it will be no surprise if he becomes a United star sooner rather than later.

Jose Mourinho – Former manager

Mourinho may not be heralded as the greatest of believers in young talent, but he certainly seemed to take a liking to Chong. The winger made his first senior appearance for the Red Devils in a pre-season friendly against Club America last summer, and the ex-United boss hailed his willingness to take the “initiative” after coming on as a substitute.

“He came with the intention to show, and in a moment where we have no strikers on the pitch, we needed people to create, have some initiative, which he did. When he makes the ball move and attacks people one against one, he has quality.”

Kieran McKenna – Former U18s manager

Having arrived from Eredivisie side Feyernoord in 2016, the 19-year-old could easily have been forgiven for taking the time to settle, or failing to embrace a new culture and lifestyle. Instead, his former U18s manager at Old Trafford, McKenna, praised his ability to adapt.

“Tahith has hit the ground running in his time here and I think he’s just a fantastic professional. On the pitch, everyone has been excited by his performances; he’s an eye-catching player.”

Doron Salomon – Follower of United’s youth set-up

As everybody knows, the ‘Class of 92’ boasted some of the greatest academy players United have ever produced at any one time. Chief amongst them was Ryan Giggs, and the Red Devils have since had numerous pretenders to the throne. But according to Salomon, Chong’s style of play is eerily reminiscent of the Welsh wizard.

“Tahith Chong is such a gifted footballer. Carries the ball like Giggs used to with great close control and balance, add to that both strength and grit but also so hard to pick up as he can go direct on the inside and wide on the outside.”

Verdict

It may be early stages in Chong’s United career, but with a manager like Solskjaer at the helm, the Dutchman has everything set up for him to make a real mark in the first-team.

The talk has been all about Greenwood so far, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that it was the former who won the Young Player of the Year and Reserve Player of the Year awards in the past two seasons. And after making his first league appearance of the campaign on Saturday, the time is here for him to fully deliver on all the hype.

ESPNcricinfo’s experts impressed by RCB’s collective match-winners, team depth, and steady contributions from all corners of their squad

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-20252:24

Aaron: Different players have stepped up for RCB

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) behind-the-scene efforts of shaking off their reputation of being reliant on “superstars” has paid off magnificently as a ninth Player-of-the-Match in Suyash Sharma secured their spot in the IPL 2025 final on Thursday evening.They’ve found match-winners in nearly every corner of the playing XII. New recruits and seasoned pros alike have delivered at different points, helping RCB find answers at every step. Varun Aaron, explained further, on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out.”At the end of the day, you’ve got to attribute it to eight [nine] players being man of the match throughout the season,” Aaron summed it up. “Because RCB have always been dominated by a few players, a few big batters, I would say, did a bulk of the lifting. But there was always talks about, after Virat Kohli, who’s the highest [Indian] run-scorer? Till last year, it was Rahul Dravid. This year, that has changed.”Phil Salt has come in, he’s played a really big hand. Devdutt Padikkal was instrumental in the first half. Now, you’ve got somebody like Jitesh Sharma standing up. Rajat Patidar is looking good, even from last game, though he didn’t get too many runs.

POTM winners in IPL 2025

Krunal (KKR, DC)
Patidar (CSK, MI)
Salt (RR)
David (PBKS)
Kohli (PBKS)
Hazlewood (RR)
Shepherd (CSK)
Jitesh (LSG)
Suyash (PBKS)

“So, there are signs, and then Tim David comes in, plays brilliantly. Romario Shepherd, what an innings. So if you actually think about it, so many moments from RCB straightaway comes to mind that, you know what, everybody’s chipped in at different times, when they were down and out.”Obviously, Josh Hazlewood, huge addition. Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] again today, brilliant. Krunal Pandya and Suyash, again, before the season, we were talking about their spin. ‘You know what, RCB don’t have the best spin attack,’ but their spinners have stood up better than anybody else.”Related

• Giving up big names for big impact: RCB's reinvention pays off

• With seam movement and bounce on offer, PBKS face the wrath of 'Hazlegod'

• Hazlewood moves to No. 3 on Purple Cap table

Apart from different match-winners stepping up, Tom Moody was most impressed by the balance of the overall team.”I think their squad, and particularly their playing XI or XII that they’ve gone with throughout the whole season has been the big difference between previous years,” Moody said. “It’s a better balanced side, far better balanced side. It’s not top heavy. There’s opportunities for other players to have an impact in the game, where previously you look at RCB and it was always the top three and then you’re concerned about what follows that.”But you look at their side now, it’s just got a better balance to it. And their bowling attack, aside from the fact that they don’t have any sort of real mystery to their spin, but their spin has dovetailed nicely into the hard work that the pace bowlers have done.”RCB’s collective spirit has become their greatest strength this season, one that could be the key to ending their long IPL title drought on June 3 in Ahmedabad. As Aaron put it best: “It’s just a story of guys stepping up more than they have stepped up before.”

Kings were cruising at 75 for 1 in the chase before they unravelled

Danyal Rasool25-Apr-2025A remarkable bowling comeback from Quetta Gladiators saw them squeeze Karachi Kings out by five runs to defend 142 – the lowest PSL total ever defended at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Kings were cruising at 75 for 1 in eight overs, requiring 68 in 72 balls before a near-perfect rearguard saw Gladiators puncture their way through Kings’ batting line-up. The next eight overs produced just 27 runs and five wickets as spin and pace alike kept up pressure which Kings melted in the face of.None of this seemed possible while Tim Seifert promised to make short work of a low target. Mohammad Amir struck in the first over to dismiss David Warner, but James Vince and Seifert brushed off the early blow, flying out of the blocks and bearing down on the target. Vince went after Amir in his second over while Seifert took down Khurram Shahzad, carrying on with his dominance by smashing 19 off Faheem Ashraf almost all by himself in the eighth over.Thereafter, though, Kings strangely fell apart. Saud Shakeel brought himself on and bowled a superb first over that produced the wicket of Vince. It brought Shan Masood to the crease, who would endure a torrid time, struggling to get bat on ball. By the time he fell, he had scratched 9 off 17, while Seifert, too had holed out off Mohammad Wasim.Abrar Ahmed’s superb spell produced the wicket he deserved in his final over, a googly producing an outside edge from Khushdil Shah that first slip clung on to. He had conceded just 15 in his four, and by the end of his spell, the asking rate had climbed beyond eight. Gladiators’ intensity had risen significantly, with a superb fielding and catching performance complementing their bowlers.Kings would never regroup and mount a serious assault on the target again. Wickets scattered in the win; Amir returned and bounced out Mohammad Nabi while Abbas Afridi was trapped in front by Khurram Shahzad. By now, Gladiators were well into the Kings tail, and though Hasan Ali swung for the fences in the dying stages of the chase, the light had gone out for Kings, and Gladiators scooped up two points.It was in the first innings, after Kings opted to field, that the foundation for what should have been a victory was laid. Hasan Ali was in one of those moods where he can rip through an opposition, and sent back openers Finn Allen and Shakeel within four deliveries. He induced Rilee Rossouw to chop on in his second over, and wickets would continue to fall after the powerplay. Mark Chapman was split in half by Nabi while Kusal Mendis scooped one to long-on after another inventive cameo that saw him accumulate 36 off 22.Resistance from Hasan Nawaz and, more tellingly, Faheem, pushed Gladiators’ total into territory that would eventually end up being defensible. They combined for 59 off 47, with Faheem’s destructiveness at odds with the struggles off his team-mates; his 27-ball 43 dragged Gladiators beyond 140. It felt like a contribution in heroic failure, but ended up being the catalyst for a glorious triumph.

[ad_pod ]Arsenal may have made some quality signings in the summer, bringing in record-signing Nicolas Pepe from Lille and Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid, but they’re still weak at the back.Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

William Saliba was the only central addition following the departure of captain Laurent Koscielny, while an injured Kieran Tierney was introduced to fill the left-back spot.

Both are yet to play a single game for the club, and the earliest we’ll see Saliba in action is next season after he returned to former club Saint-Etienne on loan.

The Gunners’ lack of strength and depth in defence means goalkeeper Bernd Leno will be under a lot of pressure to perform.ÂBut having conceded 51 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions in north London, has he really got enough ability to carry the hopes and dreams of the club?

Goalkeeping veteran Paul Robinson, who retired in 2017 after 488 appearances between the sticks, recently weighed in on elements of Leno’s game that he believes need addressing and where he ranks amongst the top Premier League keepers…

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The eight players who are part of the WTC squad will return to South Africa by May 27

Firdose Moonda15-May-2025The eight South African players who are part of the World Test Championship (WTC) final squad will return to home by May 27 and, as a result, miss the IPL 2025 playoffs.The eight players, Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants), Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals), Lungi Ngidi (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch (both Mumbai Indians) will leave for the United Kingdom with the rest of South Africa’s WTC final squad on May 30, to prepare for a warm-up game against Zimbabwe from June 3 at Arundel.ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that Cricket South Africa (CSA) has concluded negotiations with the IPL about the early release of these players, given the importance of the WTC final, which will be played on June 11 at Lord’s against Australia.All other South African players not part of the WTC final will remain at the IPL until its conclusion.Related

• RCB bring in Muzarabani as Ngidi's temporary replacement

• Bairstow and Gleeson set to replace Jacks and Rickelton at Mumbai Indians

• IPL 2025 scenarios: GT and RCB one win away from playoffs, MI in control of their fate

• IPL 2025 to resume on May 17, final to be played on June 3

• Rabada serves suspension for recreational drug use

The IPL resumes on May 17 after it was suspended for just over a week in the wake of the India-Pakistan cross-border tensions. RCB will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the first game, with Ngidi expected to be a part of the fixture, in case Josh Hazlewood does not recover in time from a shoulder niggle.Out of the seven teams which have the WTC final-bound South Africa players, SRH are out of contention. GT have played a chunk of the season without Rabada, the last being on March 29 against MI and are just one step away from sealing a playoffs spot.MI will be most affected with their South Africa contingent departing after the league stage. With 336 runs in 12 innings, Rickelton is MI’s second-highest run-getter, while Bosch has played useful cameos and bowled decently in the three games he’s played.Jansen’s departure will also worry PBKS, who need two wins in their last three games to confirm a playoff spot. Jansen is PBKS’ third-highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets in as many games. Stubbs, meanwhile, has been DC’s designated finisher and is their third-highest run-getter this season with 259 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 151.46.Markam has 348 runs in 11 innings for LSG and is their third-highest run-scorer so far. LSG are currently placed seventh on the points table and need to win all their remaining fixtures, and even that might not be enough for them to make it to the playoffs.The league phase ends on May 27, while the playoffs begin on May 29, with the final on June 3.

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Wolves will take a one goal advantage into their second leg against Torino after defeating them 3-2 in Italy on Thursday night.

It means any result on the positive side of a 1-0 defeat will see them into the Europa League group stages for the first time in their history.

That qualification would be just deserts for their performances this season considering they have already played a mammoth five games in Europe, on top of two Premier League matches.

Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez were on the scoresheet whilst it was an own goal which opened the scoring for the visitors.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Though, it was the performance from defender Jesus Vallejo, on loan from Real Madrid, which caught the eye of some Wolves supporters.

One hoped the 6-foot centre-back would be signed permanently if there’s a chance, stating he looks like a ‘very good player’ who is going to be a first choice very soon. Another asked the club to play him on Sunday when they face Burnley in the Premier League.

Thursday night was the 22-year-old’s second appearance in an old gold shirt, both of which came in the European competition.

A further member of the Molineux faithful went on to describe him as ‘faultless’ and ‘unreal.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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Only 9.2 overs of play possible at Edgbaston before rain sweeps in

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Apr-2025Nottinghamshire struck two early blows against Warwickshire before rain wiped out the bulk of the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston. Play started on time but just 9.2 overs were possible before the rain arrived with the home side on 34 for 2 having been put in.Having chosen to bowl, Nottinghamshire removed both opening batters in the first five overs. Rob Yates fell to the second ball of the match and Alex Davies to the 27th, Brett Hutton inflicting the damage with similar deliveries, rapid in-duckers which trapped the batter half-forward to win an lbw decision.Hamza Shaikh and Sam Hain, the latter looking in excellent nick, avoided further mishap before the rain arrived.It was a frustrating day for both teams who are keen to build on the momentum of a strong start to the season, each having secured a win and a draw from their first two games. Both have made one change to their team. Olly Hannon-Dalby, having recovered from a quad injury, returns in place of Tazeem Ali for Warwickshire. Nottinghamshire’s switch is in the pace attack where Josh Tongue replaces the injured Dillon Pennington.

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Crystal Palace fans have been left displeased with the performance of Joel Ward after their latest Premier League setback.

They suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United on Sunday but Ward was one of the players who took particular flack from the Selhurst Park faithful.

Despite boasting some impressive stats which included six tackles, they were left annoyed with his overall display and the fact he was partly to blame for John Lundstram’s winner.

One supporter said he never wanted to see Ward’s face again as his unforced errors were picked up on by another angry fan.

A further individual went as far as labelling the 29-year-old as the worst footballer in the Premier League. The fact Palace didn’t buy another right-back after losing Aaron Wan-Bissaka was also made reference to.

The defender was branded as poor but made four interceptions and eight clearances, per WhoScored. He didn’t offer much in attacking phases of play, however, failing to make a single key pass and completing just one dribble.

Roy Hodgson also has Martin Kelly who can play right-back and after this display, he may be preferred in Palace’s next outing.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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England allrounder praises Azeem Rafiq for encouraging others to share experiences

Andrew Miller08-Nov-2021Moeen Ali hopes that the short-term pain of the ongoing racism crisis at Yorkshire can have long-term benefits for the whole of English cricket, as he welcomed the chance for the sport to embrace true diversity and “open up those avenues for everybody”.Speaking from the UAE, where England are preparing to face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, Moeen said that he had “never felt discriminated against” like Azeem Rafiq at Yorkshire, but said that his bravery in speaking out was likely to encourage others to come forward too.”I wouldn’t say I’m surprised but there’s probably more stories out there that people haven’t heard of,” Moeen said. “The fact it’s come out is great because, going forward, people [will] have to think about what they can or can’t say in terms of discriminating against people and knowing what people feel and go through.”Rafiq’s original testimony in 2020 included an admission that his treatment at Yorkshire had left him “on the brink of suicide”, and Moeen believes that his honesty will have helped to break a major taboo when it comes to addressing such issues within dressing rooms.”Azeem’s talked a lot about his mental health and I think that’s really, really important,” Moeen said. “I think the most important thing is that people who do suffer with mental health are really being looked after in this situation.”What Azeem has done, he is not doing it for any personal gain, I think he wants change and that’s what he’s pushing for.”It’s not banter at the end of the day,” he said of the use of the word “P**i”, the slur that Rafiq’s team-mate Gary Ballance last week admitted he had used to address him. “We’ve got to be really careful with the language that we use. The environment is really important, because when the environment is right, that sort of language doesn’t come out.”Moeen added that Rafiq’s experiences at Yorkshire had become part of an “open discussion” within the England dressing room, which he praised for its inclusive values – perhaps most memorably articulated after the 2019 World Cup victory, when Eoin Morgan, the captain, said that “Allah had been with us” in the tense final against New Zealand.Related

• Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton resigns in racism probe fallout, bemoans ECB 'reluctance to act' earlier

• Former Yorkshire player Rana Naved-ul-Hasan says he heard Vaughan's alleged racist comments

• Eoin Morgan: 'Significant change' on racism more critical than 'any trophies we win'

• Yorkshire settle employment tribunal with Azeem Rafiq as Lord Patel takes the helm

Morgan’s comment was a reference to the two Muslim players in England’s white-ball squad – Moeen and Adil Rashid, who also plays for Yorkshire – while the current squad also includes players of Caribbean and Southern African heritage, as well as Morgan himself, who played for his native Ireland until 2007.”It’s been talked about quite a lot actually,” Moeen said. “It’s about having an open discussion, and to be learning as well as a team, about what we can do to change those mindsets, and how comfortable we want people to be when they come into this environment, no matter where they’re from, what they do, or any background that they have.”Everybody has a story in our changing room about their own background and it helps with people coming from all different parts of the world as well,” he added. “Massive credit goes to the coaches and Eoin Morgan for really pushing it so that everybody’s just normal with each other. It just feels like home to be honest with you.”Nevertheless, during the summer, England’s Test team experienced a similar reckoning to the ongoing one at Yorkshire, when Ollie Robinson’s debut at Lord’s in June became overshadowed by a series of offensive tweets that he had posted in his early years as a professional. While Moeen admitted that the fall-out from that episode had been ugly, he felt that it too would prove to have been a positive experience in the long run.”I think a lot of players have learned from the Ollie Robinson situation and I think it’s made people more aware of things that they probably weren’t aware of before,” he said. “It doesn’t look great right now, but hopefully in the future, it will make a massive impact and that’s what we want.”Sometimes you need to have a bit of a dip to really come out. That’s from Yorkshire’s point of view as well as the whole cricket community and culture. There’s going to be big changes. I know one thing the ECB has always [done] since I’ve been playing is to try and really push those boundaries and open up those avenues for everybody, really.”We’re a multicultural country where diversity is rife and that’s what we want. We don’t want to have to go through what we’re going through right now again, in five years’ time, 10 years’ time.”

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Football FanCast’s News articles summarise the biggest stories in world football, based on information from other sources.

There has already been some activity over at the Hawthorns with much more expected as the transfer window closes later on Thursday evening.

Charlie Austin is reportedly speaking to the club over a possible permanent switch from Southampton whilst loan deals for Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira are expected before the close of play.

West Brom have also announced a pair of outgoings this morning with promising youngsters Sam Field and Jonathan Leko joining fellow Championship outfit Charlton Athletic on season-long loans.

The talented duo have already linked up with Lee Bowyer’s side ahead of their weekend fixture against Stoke City but are unable to feature for the Addicks when the two sides lock horns later in the season.

Sporting and technical director Luke Dowling said: “With the players we are recruiting this summer, it’s an opportunity to maintain their development.

“The worst thing for them would have been to keep them around the group here. They are past the level of under-23s football.”

Verdict

To some extent, Dowling is right. The move is the best option for both players. They are far too talented to be playing youth football anymore but their development could stall if they aren’t exposed to the first-team under Slaven Bilic this season.

If the Croatian cannot fit either into his squad regularly then it makes sense for them to continue their development temporarily away from the Hawthorns.

The Baggies have a wealth of quality in wide areas so the Leko move is absolutely the right decision – there would have been little chance of the 20-year-old nudging ahead of either Matt Phillips or Oliver Burke on the right flank.

Moving Field out however could be slightly more questionable especially if you ask members of the West Brom support as they believe he is potentially a better option than Jake Livermore whilst they only have Romaine Sawyers, Filip Krovinovic and Rekeem Harper as other options in that position.

Though if either of the pair light up the Championship down in south-east London, the club will be able to recall them in January which makes the move all that smarter.

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