Critics of Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal have been told to stop focusing on his lifestyle and enjoy his brilliance by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
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MatériaMais Notícias
O ano de 2022 foi o melhor do Palmeiras no Allianz Parque. A casa palmeirense foi inaugurada no fim de 2014, mas desde o início de 2020 possui gramado sintético. Presidente da Soccer Grass, empresa responsável pela instalação e manutenção do piso do estádio, Alessandro Oliveira não tem dúvidas que o sucesso do Verdão como mandante na última temporada tem a ver com a adaptação do elenco com a grama da arena.
– Conversando com os jogadores, eles dizem que a vantagem é a segurança que têm quando recebem uma bola, lançam, pois não precisam olhar o chão para correr. Correr sem olhar para o chão ganha tempo, porque eles têm certeza que não vão achar buraco, desnível, o que é natural acontecer com a grama natural. O jogador precisa olhar o chão para não ter lesão. Os jogos no Allianz Parque são bonitos, bem jogados, a bola rola, têm estádios que a bola para. Isso eles (jogadores) observam com alguma vantagem, fazendo com que o talento dos jogadores sobressaia. O elenco do Palmeiras é muito bom. Jogar lá dentro (do Allianz Parque) contra eles (Palmeiras) é muito difícil – disse Alessandro, em contato exclusivo com o LANCE!.
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+Retrospectiva Palmeiras: 12 fotos marcantes que resumem o ano de 2022 do Alviverde
No ano passado, o Palmeiras perdeu apenas duas partidas em casa, contra Ceará e Athletico-PR, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. A competição de pontos corridos foi conquistada pelo Verdão, com a confirmação do título ocorrendo no estádio do Alviverde, pela 35ª rodada. O Palestra também venceu a Recopa Sul-Americana na sua arena, ainda no primeiro semestre, ao bater o Furacão por 2 a 0 no jogo definitivo.
Além dos 35 jogos do elenco profissional, os palmeirenses receberam confrontos do sub-17, sub-20 e da equipe feminina no Allianz Parque. Juntando as três categorias, foram 15 partidas disputadas na arena palmeirense. No gramado sintético, os garotos da base conquistaram a inédita Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, enquanto as palestrinas venceram o Paulistão. Em ambas as ocasiões o adversário foi o Santos.
– Essa quantidade de jogos que estamos falando em 2022 não teve na pandemia, mas teremos mais nos próximos anos, e a grama estará lá, linda e maravilhosa. (O gramado) Vai ser testado, como vai ser agora, para entregar a precisão que entregamos. No final, o que a gente quer é que o equipamento funcione. E o que é o equipamento funcionando? Terminar o jogo sem lesões e ninguém vai falar do equipamento. Hoje termina um jogo no Allianz Parque e ninguém fala da grama sintética. Antes, terminava o jogo com grama natural e muito se falava, porque não dava pra suportar – comemorou Alessandro Oliveira.
+ Confira a tabela do Paulistão e simule os primeiros jogos da competição estadual
Desde que a grama sintética foi inserida no Allianz Parque, em fevereiro de 2020, não houve registro de atletas, seja do Palmeiras ou qualquer adversário, que se lesionaram no estádio.
E mais do que comemorar o desempenho esportivo, a Soccer Grass exalta a possibilidade que dá para o Palmeiras gerar receitas. Com a grama bem tratada, as chances de reservar o estádio para eventos aumentam. Em 2022, grandes nomes da música internacional se apresentaram no estádio palmeirenses, como Michael Bublé, Harry Styles e a banda Kiss.
– Quando você coloca a grama sintética, você pode ativar em shows, eventos, locações e gera receitas. Isso para o clube é muito interessante. Eu não sei ao certo quanto custa uma locação no Allianz, mas, vamos lá, que seja 400 ou 500 mil reais, você pode alocar quantas vezes no ano, 10, 15, 20 30? Sabe quantas vezes se usa o Morumbi? Se pegar o quanto joga, você tem 40 datas e mais uns 300 dias. Hoje o Allianz Parque vai ativando uma série de outras coisas – exalta Alessandro, que acrescenta.
– Assim, a conta, quando você põe na ponta do lápis, é fabulosa. Você tem economia de manutenção, pode jogar sempre. Antigamente, se você chegava perto da grama natural, se pisasse, ia ter um cara que te daria até tiro (disse em tom de brincadeira). Agora no Allianz fazem até desafio de cobrança de pênaltis com as pessoas que fazem o tour. Quando que você vai conseguir fazer isso com a grama natural? Isso é gerar receita. E, no final, também estamos entregando performance melhor que muitos estádios do Brasil.
Além da possibilidade de gerar receitas com shows e outros eventos, a temporada passada foi importante para que o Palmeiras utilizasse o Allianz Parque para fazer dinheiro com o futebol. O estádio teve a sua melhor média de público desde o ano da fundação, com 34.180 pessoas por partida. No total, 1.196.307 torcedores passaram pela arena.
O ano de 2022 recebeu o recorde de público do Verdão nas categorias profissional, sub-20 e femininio. Foram 41.361 palmeirenses que estiveram na eliminação do clube alviverde na Copa do Brasil, perdendo nos pênaltis para o São Paulo, após vitória por 2 a 1, no tempo normal. No título da Copinha, contra o Santos, 20.814 torcedores palestrinos estiveram no Allianz. E 20.071 pessoas compareceram ao estádio para acompanhar o triunfo palmeirense também sobre o Peixe na decisão do Campeonato Paulista de futebol feminino.
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David Warner, who has signed up at the ILT20, is set to feature in both series, while Tim David could play too
Alex Malcolm20-Jan-2024A lighter-than-expected workload for Australia’s three-format fast bowlers across the Test summer so far could allow the selectors to pick them for one or both of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies and New Zealand, which are the only six T20Is Australia play before the T20 World Cup in June.Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have got through four Tests unscathed so far, with none of the four home matches reaching a fifth day. Neither has had to bowl more than 38 overs in a game, and Cummins is the only one who has bowled 20 overs in an innings more than once; but he has only done it twice in eight innings across the summer.All three are being rested from the ODIs against West Indies in early February, and it seemed likely they would be rested from the T20Is too. But given how their workloads have unfolded across the summer, there may be an opportunity to play one or both of those series, with the selectors meeting on Monday to finalise those squads.Related
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“We’ll give some thought to that,” Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’ll be some that may play, and there’ll be some that might not play. It’ll be different squads [for each series]. We’ll look to potentially be at full strength for the New Zealand series.”We’ve got six games before the World Cup. A lot of the World Cup planning is in place at the moment. We’ll try to be as close to full strength for the New Zealand series as possible. The West Indies series is slightly nuanced.”There were concerns over how all three would come out of the ODI World Cup into the Test summer, but those fears have disappeared as they are in great shape and keen to play all seven Tests this season, including two against New Zealand in early March.Australia’s selectors are wary of the workload that both Cummins and Starc will have at the IPL as big-money signings, meaning they could be rested from the West Indies series before only playing part of the New Zealand series. However, Hazlewood would be the likeliest of the three to play both T20I series, given he is not going to play in the IPL unless an opportunity arises to be a replacement player.None of the three played any of Australia’s eight T20Is last year, as they were all rested in order to be fit for Test assignments and the ODI World Cup. Australia even defied the odds to win a T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021 and an ODI World Cup in India in 2023 with an attack comprising Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and only one specialist spinner in Adam Zampa. Glenn Maxwell was the second spinner and first-choice fifth bowler, with other overs being provided by allrounders.It appears as if Australia will back the same structure in for the T20 World Cup on the slower pitches in the West Indies, with Australia not scheduled to play any matches in the US.David Warner is set to return from the ILT20 for Australia duty•AFP/Getty ImagesDavid Warner to play both seriesMcDonald confirmed that David Warner would be selected for both the West Indies and New Zealand T20Is, and will be required to leave the ILT20 to return to Australia by February 7. Tim David is in the same boat, having signed for MI Emirates, and will likely return to Australia if selected. Marcus Stoinis, who is at the SA20 with Durban’s Super Giants, might also return home early if he is selected for both of Australia’s series as expected.”Davey will be picked,” McDonald said. “He will come back from the ILT20. I think most of our players that are going over there are due back in on [February 7] in preparation for the [first] T20 in Hobart.”However, Australia are still yet to confirm who will captain the team at the T20 World Cup. Despite leading Australia to the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup last year, Cummins is very unlikely to be named T20I captain, having not led the team previously in that format.Mitchell Marsh captained the side on an interim basis in South Africa last year with great success, leading an inexperienced group to a 3-0 series sweep. He was also Australia’s vice-captain during the ODI World Cup, having led the ODI team too in South Africa. Immediately after the World Cup, Matthew Wade captained the T20I side in Marsh’s absence for the five-match T20I series in India.Meanwhile, McDonald will not coach the ODI and T20I series against West Indies in order to spend some extra time at home ahead of the New Zealand T20I and Test tour, although he is likely to be with the squad for some of the matches. Assistant coach Daniel Vettori will take the reins for those two series, having rested during the Adelaide Test. Fellow assistants Andre Borovec and Michael Di Venuto both coached Australia’s T20I sides last year in India and South Africa, respectively, when McDonald remained at home.
—Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament Index
The sameness to a Virat Kohli innings in a middling chase is no criticism of his batting. The beauty of it lies in the repetitive nature of it, a mark of his hunger to make every start count. On Thursday, it helped deliver ODI century No. 48, which takes him that much closer to the man who he hoisted on his shoulders on that famous April night in 2011, before delivering an epic line that made a country of more than a billion shed happy tears.Kohli’s knock, which turned into a race between his hundred and a victory towards the end, was preceded by a run-torrent from Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. The pair’s 88-run opening stand in a chase of 257, which seemed well short of a par score, was an exhibition of batting aesthetics dreams are made of. Rohit, with his lazy elegance, ferocious cuts and monstrous pulls did the early running, and Gill took over the mantle to slowly get into top gear.Click here for the full report
Ravindra Jadeja again showed his value to India•Getty Images
The skills of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are irreplaceable, but Hardik Pandya performs a role for India nobody else can do: a seam-bowling allrounder good enough to hold down his place for batting alone in many other sides. Pandya was down and getting treatment.Pandya tried to run in to bowl again, but eventually went off the field and off for scans, the results of which the whole nation will await. The anxiety around the injury is understandable. There are back-ups for the best of the batters, there are bowling back-ups, and the other allrounder has a like-for-like replacement. However, does anyone have the body of work the other allrounder has?There might be others answering to the job description of Ravindra Jadeja, but there aren’t many that are doing the job as well as him. Looking at his flamboyance, Jadeja will be the last person you’d think of as a banker, but that is what he is for India.Read the full piece from Sidharth Monga
2:13
Did Kohli chase his milestone? Pujara okay if it doesn’t hurt the team
Australia vs South Africa, Bengaluru (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEST)5:06
Should Australia change their batting order to be more effective?
It’s that strange time in the long group stage of the World Cup where the nebulous concept of momentum appears to matter more than a side’s actual position on the points table. Pakistan are ahead of Australia every way you slice it – on points, on net run rate.But given Pakistan’s penchant for panic the moment anything goes wrong, and Australia’s ability to strike when they most need it, this is a contest between a team primed to make a charge, and one that can feel their opponent’s breath on their necks. As any Pakistan supporter will tell you, the one team they don’t want to play when they really need a win is the one in yellow.After hidings against India and South Africa, Australia demonstrated they weren’t about to give up on their campaign with a whimper. A complete performance with bat, ball and in the field sank Sri Lanka, earning them their first points and improving their negative net run rate.Full previewTeam newsAustralia (probable) 1 David Warner 2 Mitchell Marsh 3 Steven Smith 4 Marnus Labuschagne 5 Josh Inglis (wk) 6 Glenn Maxwell 7 Marcus Stoinis 8 Mitchell Starc 9 Pat Cummins (capt) 10 Adam Zampa 11 Josh HazlewoodPakistan (probable) 1 Abdullah Shafique 2 Imam-ul-Haq 3 Babar Azam (capt) 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 5 Saud Shakeel 6 Mohammad Nawaz/Shadab Khan 7 Iftikhar Ahmed 8 Usama Mir 9 Hasan Ali 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi 11 Haris Rauf
To begin with, this is a slightly imperfect analogy. Shaheen Shah Afridi is, and has always been, more than that one-trick pony. His overall numbers this year do not speak of a dip: nearly two wickets a game, and average, strike rate and economy mirroring to a freakish degree his excellent career numbers.It’s just that the one trick has been so potent and spectacular, and so established, that it has become somewhat of a monster. Time and again since Afridi’s return from the serious knee injury he suffered last year, he has fed it.But especially during the Asia Cup and this World Cup so far, it hasn’t quite landed right.Read the full story from Osman Samiuddin
MatériaMais Notícias
Enquanto uns jogadores ainda brigam para conseguir uma vaga entre os convocados de Tite para a Copa do Mundo, outros lutam por um espaço entre os onze iniciais. É o caso de Richarlison. Titular em 24 dos 38 jogos que disputou pela Seleção Brasileira, o atacante foi um dos destaques nos amistosos contra Gana e Tunísia, marcando três gols e dando uma assistência. Presença certa na lista, o jogador deu um passo importante para vestir a camisa 9 do Brasil na disputa.
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> GALERIA:Quem vai para a Copa do Mundo? Veja o Termômetro da Seleção Brasileira após a última Data Fifa
Com os tentos anotados nos últimos jogos, Richarlison chegou à marca de 17 bolas na rede em 38 partidas pela Seleção. Apenas Neymar, que também marcou na goleada de 5 a 1 sobre a Tunísia, nesta terça-feira, fez mais gols durante o atual ciclo da Copa do Mundo. O craque do Paris Saint-Germain deixou sua marca 18 vezes neste período.
The ball change which took place during Australia’s second innings at The Oval continues be a significant talking point, with Australia head coach Andrew McDonald saying he had never seen a replacement ball have such an impact on a game.When Usman Khawaja was struck on the helmet by a short delivery from Mark Wood in the 37th over of Australia’s chase, umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Joel Wilson ruled that the ball had been damaged enough to warrant being replaced. The ball that was chosen looked considerably newer (England had been trying to get the previous one to reverse swing) and, after play had been curtailed on Sunday by rain, provided the quicks with considerable assistance on the final day.Khawaja and David Warner were both removed by Chris Woakes after an opening stand of 140 while Wood claimed Marnus Labuschagne. However, Steven Smith and Travis Head got Australia down to needing 120 with seven wickets in hand when the defining collapse occurred after a two-hour rain delay.Related
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“I’ve never seen tactics shift so dramatically on the back of a decision,” McDonald said. “Went from catchers in front of the wicket to behind the wicket, and there’s no doubt in some ways changed the shape of the game and the tactics within the game.”So I will say that ball change did have a significant bearing on the tactics, the way that England went about it. But in saying that, I think we still should have been able to navigate that.”There were two clumps where we lost 3 for 30 and 5 for 50, and that’s part of us owning it. The umpires are out there to make a decision and they had a box of balls to choose from, and they made the best decision at that time from what they saw was there.”It ultimately meant that Australia had to settle for a 2-2 Ashes scoreline for the second time in four years, which allowed them to retain the urn but left them short of the ultimate ambition of a first series win in England since 2001.”We didn’t quite achieve what we set out to achieve,” McDonald admitted. “We clearly wanted to come here and win the Ashes but the cricket we played, the cricket both teams played was fascinating.”I think the whole series was fascinating. People should be proud of what they’ve been able to achieve, even if we didn’t quite get to where we wanted to in winning the Ashes.”McDonald stood by the team’s preparation and planning for a tour that included six Tests overall, including the World Test Championship final where Australia claimed the title with victory over India.”There’s no doubt in some ways [the new ball] changed the shape of the game and the tactics within the game”•AFP/Getty Images
There was some rotation among the quick bowlers with Josh Hazlewood held back for the Ashes – where he played four games out of five and sat out at Headingley – but captain Pat Cummins was part of all six and Mitchell Starc, who was named Australia’s Player of the Series against England, appeared in five.Australia had a great chance to close out the series at Headingley when England were still significantly behind at lunch on the second day with only three wickets in hand. But England fought back, won that game by three wickets, then dominated at Old Trafford before two days of rain. The Oval Test was closely fought, but missed chances in the field by Australia and the lack of a sizeable first-innings lead was another opportunity squandered.”We felt as though we were as fresh as what we could be,” McDonald said. “The mental and physical toll of this tour, before we got here, what we were in for. And to have guys still running in and still hitting top speed late in the series I think was a true reflection we got that side of it right. And I wouldn’t say that we dropped off.”The Manchester [Test], we owned that result but Leeds and [The Oval] I think everyone was in the game and both teams had their chances, and we had a really good look at winning this series.”And that’s probably the part when we sit back and reflect, once we let it all settle down and go back through it, there was definitely some opportunities for us to win. And I think England can equally say the same. As it settles, two-all seems about right, and I think everyone’s said that.”
Despite Livingstone’s 94 off 48, Kings fall short in their chase of 214
Vishal Dikshit17-May-2023
Rilee Rossouw whacks the ball as Jitesh Sharma watches•BCCI
A dazzling display of boundary hitting all around the ground from Rilee Rossouw in his unbeaten 82 off 37, combined with useful contributions from the other Delhi Capitals top-four batters, handed Punjab Kings a 15-run defeat and severely dented their playoff chances.Kings got close to the finish line in the end, thanks to a belligerent 94 off 48 from Liam Livingstone, but he fought a lone battle. The loss kept Kings on the eighth spot with 12 points. They now depend on many other results going their way to stay alive in the playoffs race because they have only one match to go, and three teams are already above 14 points, which is the most Kings can get to.Kings were mostly behind the asking rate right from the start because their only other batter who scored over 25 was Atharva Taide, who struggled for fluency and retired out on 55 off 42 balls. Livingstone’s pursuit of boundaries in the end kept Kings’ slim hopes alive, whether they needed 79 off 24 or 38 off 12. In the last over too, when they needed 23 from the last three balls, they got a lifeline when Ishant Sharma sent down a no-ball which Livingstone sent for six, making it 16 required from three with a free hit coming. But Livingstone failed to connect with the subsequent full toss and holed out to long-off on the last ball.Warner, Shaw flick the switch onIn the first IPL game in Dharamsala in ten years, David Warner and Prithvi Shaw saw out the first 16 balls for no boundaries before racing away. Warner broke the shackles with consecutive fours off Sam Curran before pulling Kagiso Rabada for two sixes. Shaw too got going when he saw Arshdeep Singh’s short balls didn’t have much pace. He pulled and glanced him for 4, 4 and 6 in a 16-run over. When Warner also put away Nathan Ellis’ slower balls for fours, Capitals ended the powerplay on 61 and soon brought up their highest opening stand of this IPL.Prithvi Shaw and David Warner got going gradually in the powerplay•BCCI
Rossouw’s fifty takes it up a notchRahul Chahar wasn’t having a good day. Soon after he was put away for three fours in his first two overs by Shaw, he dropped a tough chance to give Warner a life on 39. Warner continued to attack because Capitals had all ten wickets in hand at the halfway mark. But when he skied one more, Shikhar Dhawan completed a spectacular catch at mid-off to remove him for 46 off 31.Capitals kept the left-right combination by sending out Rossouw at No. 3, and he attacked literally from ball one. That he pulled his first ball for four and drove his third for four more showed how good the pitch was for batting. The range he showed in the 13th over off Rabada epitomised his innings; a length ball hit straight for six, another length ball placed just wide of short third for four, and yet another length ball dispatched over square leg with a lovely pick-up shot for six in a 17-run over. Not long after Rossouw also punished Chahar and Curran for sixes, Shaw holed out for 54 in the 15th over.Kings trust Brar for death oversRossouw had raced away to 45 off 21, and Capitals to 148, with five overs to go when Dhawan bravely brought on Harpreet Brar, who gave away just 14 runs in the 16th and 18th overs combined, before Phil Salt and Rossouw made up for it in the last two. Salt smoked Ellis for two sixes over long-on while also edging one delivery for four.For the final over, Dhawan once again trusted Brar instead of the designated death bowler Arshdeep, who had been expensive in his first two. Rossouw mercilessly muscled Brar, who also gifted two wides, for two sixes and a four on the leg side. A misfield on the last ball from Rabada at fine leg gave Capitals their first 200-plus total of the season.Liam Livingstone fought a lone battle•Associated Press
Kings also start slowThe Capitals quicks hardly gave any freebies early on. Khaleel Ahmed started with a maiden to Prabhsimran Singh, Ishant had Dhawan caught at slip for a duck, and Khaleel nearly bowled another maiden to keep Kings on 10 for 1 after three. Prabhsimran then hit the pedal with three consecutive fours before Taide also collected boundaries to get out of the hole of 1 off eight balls. Prabhsimran and Taide also enjoyed a fair share of luck. Their leading edges fell safe, and Capitals missed a few direct hits. Taide’s edges even fetched him some boundaries. Kings finished the powerplay on 47 for 1, with the asking rate almost 12 an over.Livingstone stands tall but aloneAs soon as Prabhsimran holed out to long-on off Axar Patel, it was all a Livingstone show. It started with Livingstone getting a life on 3 off Kuldeep Yadav when Anrich Nortje put him down at deep midwicket, and Taide too got dropped off Kuldeep in his next over. Taide, however, could not score freely as he struggled to find the gaps or go over the fielders.Livingstone, meanwhile, made use of his big bat swings for plenty of hits in the ‘V’ down the ground when the bowlers missed their lengths even marginally. He hit a boundary nearly every over and was only beaten by Kuldeep a couple of times. In the 15th over, he dispatched two full tosses from Mukesh Kumar for fours but Taide was labouring at the other end and he retired out when Kings needed a stiff 86 from 30 with their hitters Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan and Curran yet to come.Despite the firepower in the dugout, the heavy lifting was left for Livingstone. Jitesh holed out to long leg for a duck in the 16th and Shahrukh found long-on in the 17th. Meanwhile, Livingstone blasted two sixes and a four off Khaleel, and three sixes came off Mukesh in the 18th to make it 38 required from 12. Nortje then rattled Curran’s leg stump with a yorker and when 33 were left from the last six balls, Ishant started with a dot to all but seal it. His no-ball was thwarted for six, but he finished the game with three dots and send Kings’ hopes crashing.
Celtic supporters have certainly been treated to a fair few top-class strikers down the years.
Henrik Larsson, simply known as the King of Kings, is widely considered to be Celtic’s best player of the modern era, scoring 242 goals in 315 appearances for the club across seven seasons.
Since his departure for Barcelona in 2004, plenty of Celtic strikers have been labelled ‘the best since Larsson’, but does this tag now belong to a current member of the squad?
The player in good question might just be their best since Odsonne Édouard was donning green and white.
How good was Odsonne Édouard at Celtic
Édouard, one of the many recipients of the ‘best since Larsson’ label, his given to him by former manager Martin O’Neill, certainly made a big impact at Parkhead.
The Frenchman arrived from Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan in 2017, before his performances on the park convinced the club to make the move permanent for a then-club-record fee of £9m.
In total, Édouard scored 87 goals in 179 appearances for the Hoops, thereby on target every 140 minutes on average, before he was eventually sold to Crystal Palace at a profit, for £14m to be precise in August 2021.
It’s safe to say he was a phenomenal signing, winning the treble three times and picking up the club’s Player of the Season gong in 2019/20.
However, in terms of the value-for-money stakes, Édouard has certainly been eclipsed by Celtic’s current leading marksman.
Celtic's best signing since Odsonne Edouard
Daizen Maeda joined Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos for a reported fee of £1.4m in January 2022, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impression, scoring less than four minutes into his debut against Hibs.
Subsequently, the Japanese forward has taken his tally to 57 goals for the Hoops, a humongous 28 of which have come this season, hence why former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart believes he has “stepped up a level” in recent months.
Meantime, John McGinley of the Celtic Way labels him a ‘superstar’, while right-back Alistair Johnston described him as “one of the most in-form players in Europe”.
Given Maeda’s scoring spree, it’s got us wondering, what’s the most goals a Celtic player has scored in a single season post-Larsson? Let’s find out.
Daizen Maeda
2024/25
28*
Kyōgo Furuhashi
2022/23
34
Odsonne Édouard
2019/20
29**
Scott Sinclair
2016/17
25
Moussa Dembélé
2016/17
32
Leigh Griffiths
2015/16
40
Kris Commons
2013/14
32
Gary Hooper
2012/13
31
Gary Hooper
2011/12
29
Scott McDonald
2007/08
31
As the table outlines, since Henrik Larsson’s 41-goal haul in 2003/04, only Leigh Griffiths has reached 40 goals in a single season for Celtic, leaving Maeda with only up to ten more matches to equal this record, requiring 12 goals, which certainly isn’t out of the question at all, is it?
The Japanese forward does already have one record secured, becoming the first Celtic player to score four times in a single European Cup or Champions League campaign since Joe Craig in 1977/78.
According to Transfermarkt, Maeda’s valuation is at its highest point, thereby valued at around £9.2m.
Meantime, with speculation swirling surrounding his future, Michael Gannon of the Daily Record labels the striker ‘priceless’, while TEAMtalk believes Celtic would only sell for a ‘sizable fee’.
Thus, as alluded to earlier, having cost just £1.6m and now, unquestionably Celtic’s ‘best player’, Maeda must also be right up there as the club’s best value-for-money signing.
Celtic struck gold on "fantastic" star who's worth more than Maeda & Jota
Celtic have hit the jackpot with the star who has outscored Jota and is worth more than Daizen Maeda.
ByDan Emery Mar 18, 2025
Spinner Jack Sinfield claimed three wickets on his Shield debut for Queensland
AAP21-Feb-2023Wicketkeeper Matthew Gilkes posted his highest Sheffield Shield score to lift NSW from a precarious position on day one of their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.NSW, who require victory at the Gabba to avoid a record winless run, were lurching before Gilkes’s innings helped them reach 9 for 311 at stumps.Gilkes, whose previous best in an 18-match first-class career was 83, reached his seventh half-century only to be dismissed minutes before stumps for 94.Gilkes struck 14 boundaries in a 160-ball knock before directing a Xavier Bartlett delivery into the hands of Joe Burns.NSW were struggling at 5 for 134 and with all five recognised batters back in the pavilion after Queensland elected to send the visitors in to bat.Gilkes added 60 for the sixth wicket with Hayden Kerr (24).Chris Green followed up his maiden half century last week with 52 as he and Gilkes added another 91 for the eighth wicket.Queensland bowled a consistent line and length during the morning session to leave NSW 3 for 70 at lunch in a session that included the key scalp of heavy-scoring opener Daniel Hughes (21).Other batters failing to build on starts were Kurtis Patterson (31), Moises Henriques (23) and Jason Sangha (34).Queensland lined up with two debutants in the form of Aryan Jain and teenage offspinner Jackson Sinfield.The latter, who came into the side in place of Test call-up Matt Kuhnemann, picked up 3 for 70 with NSW skipper Patterson being his first Shield victim when he chipped to midwicket.
Whilst Arsenal are still yet to win a Premier League title under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, the Spaniard has done a phenomenal job in turning the club around and pointing them in the right direction.
When he took the reins back in December 2019, the Gunners were sat in 10th place, nowhere near the level of a side pushing for Champions League football on a consistent basis.
He wasn’t afraid to make brutal calls, setting standards to set the club up for success, even excluding fan-favourite Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the side due to his attitude issues.
Fast-forward to the present day, Arteta has built a phenomenal squad of players but is still lacking the depth in some areas to make the jump and become champions, with the recent injury issues highlighting the need for reinforcements.
However, nothing should take away the superb additions made up until this point, with the boss getting numerous decisions right in the transfer market.
Arteta’s best signings as Arsenal manager
Eyebrows were raised in the summer of 2023 when Arsenal completed a loan with an obligation to buy for goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford – especially considering the performances of Aaron Ramsdale the season prior.
The Englishman kept the second most clean sheets in 2022/23 but was immediately demoted to second choice as a result of Raya’s arrival – a decision that appears to be a masterstroke.
The Spaniard has been crucial to the club’s success this season, currently sitting third for the highest save percentage in the division – bailing the backline out on various occasions.
He’s not the only one to be worth every penny of his transfer fee, with midfielder Martin Odegaard cementing himself as one of the best in the division after his £30m move in 2021.
The former Real Madrid star has since registered 36 goals and 28 assists at the Emirates, creating countless opportunities in the final third for those featuring in front of him.
However, despite the form of the aforementioned duo, one other player has made huge strides in North London with his market value soaring as a result of his consistent displays.
The Arsenal player who’s value has increased by £55m
Back in the summer of 2019, Arsenal forked out £27m for the signature of French centre-back William Saliba, a player who would’ve been unknown to the vast majority of supporters.
It was a huge fee for just a 19-year-old with only 19 senior appearances, but it’s a move that has proved to be a masterstroke, with the defender becoming a crucial component of Arteta’s backline.
The fanbase would have to wait until the start of the 2022/23 season to see Saliba in action for the first team, but it’s safe to say he hasn’t looked back ever since – offering the defensive stability the side has lacked before his arrival.
He’s since gone on to feature over 100 times in all competitions for the Gunners, scoring seven times in the process, undoubtedly a threat at both ends, especially considering the club’s record from set pieces.
This season alone, he’s only missed two Premier League encounters due to suspension, often one of the first names on the teamsheet when fit and available.
Saliba, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced some incredible defensive numbers this campaign, showcasing his importance to Arteta’s squad.
He’s completed 94% of the passes he’s attempted, winning 1.3 tackles per 90, along with 4.4 duels – making him the perfect ball-play defender with his attributes.
Games played
22
Goals & assists
2
Pass accuracy
94%
Tackles won
1.3
Duels won
4.4
Dribble success
67%
Recoveries made
4.6
As a result of his consistent showings, Saliba has seen a huge jump in his market value, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing him at £85m, a jump of £58m on the fee forked out for his signature.
The supporters must remember the Frenchman is still only 23, having bags of time to improve further and aid their pursuit of ending their two-decade wait for a league triumph.
It’s no surprise to see such a jump in value given his performances in North London, with the club needing to use his move as an example of the success they can have in buying younger players and moulding them into a superstar to strengthen their title ambitions in the near future.
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