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West Ham chiefs have one eye fixed on the January transfer window as Nuno Espírito Santo reportedly pleads for new signings behind-the-scenes.

Nuno Espírito Santo set to be backed by West Ham in January

It has been a disastrous start to the season for West Ham, who are surely candidates for this year’s relegation dogfight.

The east Londoners have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League so far and would be at the foot of the table, if not for Wolves being that bit worse, with Vitor Pereira’s side yet to win a single game.

Nuno is also still waiting for his first victory as West Ham boss since replacing Graham Potter at the end of last month, but judging by their torrid performance at home to Brentford, he could be forced to wait a while longer.

The Bees ran riot at the London Stadium, attempting 17 shots at goal, and the 2-0 defeat flattered a West Ham side who looked bereft of answers.

Nuno’s much-changed line-up against Keith Andrews’ men raised plenty of eyebrows as the Portuguese experiments to find his best team, but it doesn’t get any easier for West Ham, who travel to face newly-promoted Leeds United at Elland Road on Friday.

Concerns surround whether West Ham really have enough quality and depth in their squad to compete in world football’s most glamorous division, with chairman David Sullivan and the board reportedly planning a small spending spree in the winter.

According to Sky Sports this week, West Ham are targeting a new defender, midfielder and forward once the winter window opens, and Nuno has got “confirmation” that funds will be available to strengthen the team.

Other reports claim that Nuno has urged West Ham chiefs to bring in much-needed January additions, and this is backed by GiveMeSport, who’ve shared an update of their own on Sullivan’s recruitment plans.

West Ham hold internal talks over signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos

As per GMS, Nuno has told Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to attack the market once it reopens past the turn of the year.

The tactician personally wants a new addition to his backline, a technician for the engine room and an attacker to provide that extra injection of creativity going forward.

In terms of the midfield, West Ham have set their sights on a very intriguing option — Chelsea star Andrey Santos — and they’ve held internal talks over a potential move.

The Brazil international, who bagged 11 goals and five assists on loan at Strasbourg last season, has featured in nearly every game for Chelsea so far, with Maresca showing real faith in Santos as a key component of his midfield.

Santos can play anywhere in the centre, whether that be further forward as a CAM or in a deep-lying anchor role, so the appeal for West Ham is pretty obvious, especially considering the 21-year-old’s excellent form over the last 12 months.

Nuno apparently wants a box-to-box style midfielder who can add pace in the middle of the park, something which West Ham sorely lack right now, even if highly-rated youngster Freddie Potts is ready and raring for selection.

That being said, Maresca appears to be a massive fan of Santos, so it remains to be seen whether the Italian would sanction a mid-season departure for a player he’s used very often so far.

Interestingly, Santos isn’t the only Brazilian who West Ham are considering.

According to other reports, West Ham have already spoken to Real Madrid about signing Endrick, and that deal looks far more likely with Los Blancos prepared to green-light a loan move away for the striker amid his limited minutes at the Bernabeu.

Manchester United have now accelerated contacts to sign a “wonderful” Real Madrid star, who is attracting interest from a number of top Premier League clubs.

Man Utd looking to sign new playmaker despite Mount resurgence

Mason Mount hasn’t had the easiest of times at Man United, having spent a lot of time out with injuries, but there are signs the attacking midfielder is now getting back to his best, being voted Premier League Player of the Matchweek courtesy of a top display against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With Mount showing signs of improvement, and Bryan Mbeumo hitting the ground running at Old Trafford, having already scored six Premier League goals, Ruben Amorim has some top quality attacking options at his disposal.

Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes also provided an attacking threat in the 4-1 victory against Wolves, with the latter bagging a brace, but the Red Devils remain keen on signing a new attacking midfielder.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United have now held talks to sign Real Madrid star Arda Guler, recently accelerating contacts to sign the Turk, who has a reported price tag of £88m.

United are in the front row for Guler’s signature, alongside Arsenal, with both clubs making moves to secure his signature, alongside Liverpool, so there could be stiff competition.

At the moment, however, Madrid aren’t planning to cash-in on the 20-year-old, so the interested Premier League clubs may have to be patient.

"Wonderful" Guler could excel at Old Trafford

The youngster has been impressing with some of his performances for Madrid this season, being singled out for high praise by The Athletic journalist Guillermo Rai earlier this month.

The playmaker already has seven assists to his name in all competitions this term, two of which came in the Champions League, while he has also provided three goals.

Xabi Alonso is also clearly very happy with the starlet too, saying: “With his quality, he’s a mix between Özil and Guti. Guti had that vision and finesse to link play or operate closer to goal, and with Mesut I enjoyed football so much. Arda has that something special — that natural talent you can’t teach.”

Man Utd express interest in signing South American striker who tore PSG apart

United have set their sights on a new striker, with Joshua Zirkzee’s Old Trafford future in doubt.

By
Dominic Lund

4 days ago

Of intrigue to United supporters may be the fact that by scoring on his European Championship debut for Turkey in 2024, he became the fifth-youngest goalscorer in the tournament’s history and the youngest debutant to find the net, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record.

That said, signing a new attacking midfielder shouldn’t be a priority for Man United, given that Mount is exhibiting very promising signs, and Fernandes has continued to impress, but Guler is clearly a very talented player, with a bright future ahead.

Arsenal have been almost faultless this season, but on Sunday, their unbeaten run finally came to an end.

Mikel Arteta’s side once again came unstuck at the hands of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa and now sit just two points clear of Manchester City atop the Premier League table.

It wasn’t a dreadful showing from the league leaders, but it was a disappointing and potentially worrying one.

Moreover, it was another game in which a particular player flattered to deceive, a player who could end up being Arteta’s worst signing since Fabio Vieira.

What went wrong for Fabio Vieira at Arsenal

Arsenal fans largely remember the summer of 2022 as the window when Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived from Manchester City and helped the team on their first title charge in a generation.

However, that summer also saw the club sign Vieira from Porto for around £34m, and while it was a surprise move, it was an exciting one.

After all, the Portuguese midfielder had just come off a campaign in which he produced 23 goal involvements in 39 games.

Unfortunately, aside from the odd moment of brilliance, the Santa Maria da Feira-born talent failed to make much of a mark during his first season in North London, racking up a tally of just two goals and six assists in 33 first-team appearances.

Things would only get worse the following season, as a combination of injuries, poor form and suspensions limited him to just 16 appearances, in which he scored one goal and provided four assists.

With two disappointing campaigns under his belt in as many years, the 25-year-old was sent back to Porto on loan for 24/25, where he did improve, but only marginally and ended the season with a tally of 11 goal involvements in 42 games.

The Portuguese giants did not want to bring their player back on a permanent deal this year, and so, with few other options, the Gunners agreed to send him on another loan, this time to Hamburg, with an option to buy.

In all, it’s clear that Vieira is a talented player, but it’s equally clear he is not, and never was, good enough to play for Arsenal.

Worryingly, the same might eventually be said about another of Arteta’s signings, someone who could go down as his worst since the Portuguese midfielder lest he improve, and quickly.

Arsenal star in danger of becoming Arteta's worst signing since Vieira

Overall, it would be fair to say that Arsenal’s summer business this year was a success.

Chalkboard

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

The likes of Eberchi Eze, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke, for example, have all looked good to great so far.

However, there is one signing who has divided opinion more than any other, and is in danger of being labelled a flop if he doesn’t improve: Viktor Gyokeres.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, there is every chance the Swedish international will prove his doubters wrong and become the goalscoring monster Arsenal need him to be.

Unfortunately, there have been few signs of that happening so far this season.

For example, in 17 appearances so far, the former Sporting “powerhouse” forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored just six goals, which is not terrible, but it’s not enough for someone who wants to lead the line for a title-winning side.

Moreover, the game against Villa on Saturday was another one in which he failed to stamp his authority on things.

The 27-year-old came on at half-time, but in his 50 minutes of action, he took just 11 touches, lost the ball six times, completed four passes, failed to take a single shot or create a single big chance.

It was a worrying display, and one that could easily see the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus leapfrog him in the pecking order when they are both fully fit.

Ultimately, while there is time for him to make his mark on this team, Gyokeres has underdelivered for Arsenal so far this year and is in real danger of becoming Arteta’s worst permanent signing since Vieira.

Arsenal hold initial talks to sign £88m Odegaard upgrade who's "Mbappe-like"

The incredible international game-changer would be unreal for Arsenal, but could spell trouble for Martin Odegaard.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 8, 2025

Sixteen years into his MLB career, pitcher Craig Kimbrel's journey has reportedly come full circle.

Kimbrel is signing a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves, according to a Tuesday afternoon report from Ken Rosenthal of .

The nine-time All-Star—who will turn 37 on May 28—began his career with the Braves in 2010. With Atlanta, he embarked one of the most dominant runs by any closer in history—saving 46, 42, 50 and 47 games from 2011 to '14, respectively.

In 2024, Kimbrel pitched for the Baltimore Orioles, going 7-5 with 23 saves and a 5.33 ERA; he did strike out 73 batters in 52 1/3 innings.

Kimbrel has saved 440 games in his career, the fifth-highest total in baseball history. He is seven saves behind Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kenley Jansen for fourth all-time.

The Braves are scheduled to open the 2025 season on March 27 against the San Diego Padres.

England were left “frustrated” and “disappointed” after dropping three catches in the first 15 overs of India’s second innings at The Oval, as the fifth Test threatened to slip away from their grasp.India finished the second day with a lead of 52 and eight second-innings wickets in hand on a lively pitch, with the young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal riding his luck to reach a 44-ball half-century. Jaiswal was dropped twice, on 20 by Harry Brook at second slip and on 40 at long leg by Liam Dawson, while Zak Crawley shelled a chance at third slip off Sai Sudharsan.Both drops in the slips were genuine chances but hit firmly, but Dawson – on as a substitute fielder for the injured Chris Woakes – had one hit straight to him. He did not have to move as Jaiswal hooked Josh Tongue to him, but he lost the ball in either the sunlight or the floodlights – his sunglasses were on his cap – and was lucky to avoid a serious injury.Related

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• Stats – The breathtaking Crawley-Duckett opening salvo

“You’re always frustrated when you miss opportunities,” Marcus Trescothick, England’s assistant coach, said. “Of course, we pride ourselves on being very good in those sorts of areas, but it just didn’t happen. We all know how important they are and we all know how tough catches can be – especially in the slips – so [we are] disappointed, but it is what it is.”Crawley’s drop was England’s 15th of the series, per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, compared to India’s 20. Their catching cost them in Manchester last week, with Shubman Gill put down by Dawson and Ollie Pope on his way to his century, and Joe Root putting Ravindra Jadeja down off the first ball of his match-saving unbeaten hundred.England looked weary in the field on Friday evening after batting for just 51.2 overs in their first innings but Trescothick refused to blame their drops on physical and mental fatigue. “I don’t think that’ll be anything to do with it,” he said. “It just happens over the course of some days and some games. It’s just the game, as we see it.”Trescothick believes that the Test is “evenly poised” after two days, and expects the pitch will continue to be “lively”. “There’s more life in it,” he said of the surface. “There’s more pace, more seam movement, and we’re at the extreme version of what we see in those types of pitches, but it’s definitely what we like.”We want pace on the ball, we want the ball to bounce and we want the ball to carry through so that when we’re batting, we can be aggressive, we can attack, and we can put pressure back on the bowlers; and when we’re bowling, if we get opportunities and we catch the edge, hopefully it will carry through… We’re very happy with how [the pitch] has performed so far.”

أعلن علي ماهر، المدير الفني لفريق سيراميكا كليوباترا، عن التشكيلة الأساسية التي ستخوض مواجهة اليوم أمام بيراميدز، في مباراة تحديد المركزين الثالث والرابع ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، المقامة في الإمارات.

ويسعى سيراميكا كليوباترا لتحقيق المركز الثالث بعد خسارته في مباراة نصف النهائي أمام الأهلي بنتيجة هدفين مقابل هدف.

وفي المقابل، يدخل بيراميدز اللقاء بقيادة الكرواتي يورتشيتش، بعد خسارته أمام الزمالك بركلات الترجيح، إثر انتهاء الوقت الأصلي بالتعادل السلبي.

طالع أيضًا | تشكيل بيراميدز أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في السوبر المصري تشكيل سيراميكا كليوباترا اليوم أمام بيراميدز في السوبر المصري

في حراسة المرمى: محمد بسام.

خط الدفاع: حسين السيد، رجب نبيل، جاستيس آرثر، أحمد هاني.

خط الوسط: عمرو قلاوة، أحمد بلحاج، محمد رضا، إسلام عيسى، فخري لاكاي.

في الهجوم: مروان عثمان. بدلاء سيراميكا كليوباترا أمام بيراميدز في كأس السوبر

محمد كوكو، سعد سمير، خالد عبد الفتاح، محمد المغربي، عمر الجزار، إبراهيم محمد، أيمن موكا، أحمد سمير، عمرو السولية.

MatériaMais Notícias

Internacional e Santos se enfrentam neste domingo (22), às 16 horas, no Beira-Rio. A partida é válida pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Veja onde assistir e as escalações dos times.

+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

O Inter busca voltar a pontuar após deixar os pontos escaparem contra o Bahia. Para o confronto, a equipe Colorada conta com a volta de jogadores que estavam nas suas seleções.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Enquanto isso, o Peixe quer vencer a terceira seguida fora de casa. O clube da Vila Belmiro terá que lidar com os desfalques importantes de João Paulo e Jean Lucas, que receberam o terceiro amarelo na derrota para o Bragantino, e de Soteldo, que foi punido pelo Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD).

No primeiro turno, Santos e Internacional ficaram no empate em 1 a 1, na Vila Belmiro. Na ocasião, Luiz Adriano e Lucas Lima marcaram os gols do duelo.

INTERNACIONAL X SANTOS
CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 28ª RODADA

Local: Estádio Beira-Rio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Data/Horário: 22/10/2023, às 16h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva (MG)
Assistentes: Bruno Raphael Pires (FIFA – GO) e Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski Marques (FIFA – PR)
Onde assistir: Globo e Premiere. O Lance! transmite o duelo em tempo real

INTERNACIONAL

Rochet; Bustos, Vitão, Mercado e Renê; Johnny, Maurício, Aránguiz e Wanderson; Alan Patrick e Valencia. Técnico: Eduardo Coudet.

Desfalques: Hugo Mallo (lesão muscular na coxa esquerda); Gabriel (dúvida); Thauan Lara e Matheus Dias (convocados para o Pan); Lucca (suspenso).

SANTOS

Vladimir; Joaquim, João Basso, Dodô; Lucas Braga, Lucas Lima, Dodi, Tomás Rincón e Kevyson; Marcos Leonardo e Silvera (ou Mendoza). Técnico: Marcelo Fernandes.

Desfalques: Jean Lucas e João Paulo (suspensos); Soteldo (punição do STJD); Felipe Jonatan, Sandry e Alison (rompimento do ligamento cruzado do joelho); Alex (fratura no tornozelo); Alfredo Morelos (lesão na panturrilha).

Ajax’s fall from grace in both domestic and European competition has taken another grim turn, with Remko Pasveer claiming the club still hasn’t recovered from the loss of Jordan Henderson. The goalkeeper has claimed that the ex-Liverpool captain’s leadership “held everything together” and his departure to Brentford has left a void the Dutch giants can’t seem to fill.

Ajax spiralling

Ajax’s Champions League campaign went from bad to worse after suffering a humiliating 5-1 defeat against Chelsea. The result has piled further pressure on head coach John Heitinga, who is already facing a furious fanbase following earlier losses to Olympique Marseille and Inter Milan. With the Dutch giants languishing in fourth place in the Eredivisie, nine points behind leaders Feyenoord, frustration over the team’s lack of direction has reached breaking point.

In the aftermath of the Stamford Bridge rout, veteran goalkeeper Pasveer acknowledged supporters’ anger and admitted the team has been far from its best. He described the defeat as “unfortunate,” pointing to a red card and two conceded penalties that derailed any hope of a comeback. When pressed to explain Ajax’s ongoing struggles, the 41-year-old didn’t hesitate to single out the impact of Henderson’s departure.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA leadership void

“We’re playing a little differently, and in Jordan Henderson, we’ve lost a clear leader,” Pasveer told reporters after the Chelsea defeat.

“He held everything together, and you definitely miss that. Because a player like that is important for a team with so many young players. You do miss a bit more direction now.”

Pasveer’s words echo the sentiment among Ajax fans, many of whom believe the club has failed to replace Henderson’s influence both on and off the pitch. However, Ajax chief Alex Kroes has defended the decision to allow the England international to leave the club for Brentford, stating that Ajax were undergoing a major restructuring aimed at cutting costs after missing out on the Eredivisie title.

“It’s very simple. We made an agreement with Jordan when he was able to leave in January,” Kroes explained. “He gave his all to help us reach the Champions League, and then had until July 14 to leave on a free transfer. That was a good agreement for both sides.

“At the beginning of July, there was still nothing, so I called his agent and pointed out the approaching date. He informed me that Jordan would very likely leave, but he didn’t yet know which club. In the end, it was Brentford.

“I understand people have different opinions about that. But they don’t know the details, and we don’t have to share them."

Henderson returns to England

Henderson’s stint at Ajax may have been brief, but it left a significant impression on the club. The former Liverpool captain joined the Dutch giants in January 2024 from Al-Ettifaq on a free transfer, immediately becoming club captain and injecting a sense of professionalism and leadership into a youthful dressing room. Over 57 appearances, he scored once and provided nine assists, helping Ajax stabilise their form and qualify for the Champions League last season.

The relationship came to an end just 18 months later. In July 2025, Henderson and Ajax mutually agreed to terminate his contract so that he could pursue a move to Brentford. Since then, the former Liverpool captain has played a major part with the Bees under Keith Andrews. He has featured in eight Premier League matches, starting in seven of those, and has contributed two assists so far.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Ajax’s path to recovery will depend heavily on how quickly they can regain composure and rediscover a sense of identity. Heitinga faces mounting pressure to steady the ship, with the board expected to evaluate his position if results fail to improve in the coming weeks. For now, their Champions League campaign hangs by a thread, and qualification for the knockout rounds looks increasingly unlikely. As for Henderson, his career in England has regained momentum, with the midfielder thriving at Brentford and drawing praise for his professionalism and work ethic.

Jamie Carragher has called on Liverpool to drop Mohamed Salah, with the Egyptian superstar putting in another lacklustre performance as the Reds suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to old adversaries Manchester United. Salah has been a talismanic presence at Anfield down the years, but questions are now being asked of whether he should be one of the first names on the team sheet.

Salah bench duty: Should Egyptian superstar be dropped?

Salah has registered 248 goals for Liverpool through 412 appearances, rewriting the history books along the way and landing four Premier League Golden Boots. He drew a blank, though, against United as the Red Devils left Merseyside with all three points – courtesy of Harry Maguire’s late header.

Salah has now gone seven games in the English top-flight without registering a non-penalty goal – his longest barren run in that department since linking up with Liverpool in 2017. Faith continues to be shown in him after a contract extension was agreed over the summer, with Arne Slot reluctant to tinker with the right-hand side of his attack.

There is, however, no ignoring Salah’s uncharacteristic struggles. With those in mind, Reds legend Carragher believes it is time to take the 33-year-old out of the firing line. He has told : “I think we're at that stage now where Mo Salah shouldn't be a guaranteed starter every week. I do think this is a real conundrum for the manager going forward.”

AdvertisementAFPAway day plan: Salah to be a substitute on the road

Carragher also said in the Sky Sports studio when helping to cover Liverpool’s disappointing loss against United: “I don't think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it's like 'first name on the team sheet'. Liverpool have got two away games – in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford. I don't think Salah should start both of those games.

“He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today. But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don't think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he's in.

“Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you're not playing well, where's your argument? It's different if you're banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you're frustrated. I don't think Mo Salah's in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games.”

Liverpool told to build around Wirtz and Isak

Liverpool spent big in the summer window of 2025, breaking the British transfer record in deals for German playmaker Florian Wirtz and Swedish striker Alexander Isak – with £240 million ($322m) being invested in two stars of the present and future.

Quizzed on who the Reds now need to be building around, with Salah only tied to terms through to 2027, Carragher added: “It has to be Isak and Wirtz because they've spent the money on them and their age profile compared to Salah.”

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AFPWho plays instead of Salah? Carragher has a solution

Carragher believes that, especially on the road, Liverpool need to consider using another new recruit – Dutch star Jeremie Frimpong – as an alternative to Salah on the right wing. He went on to say: “These things have got to start coming into the manager's head. Maybe [he needs] to have a little look at Frimpong in an away game, who can maybe help the full-back back a little bit more defensively, and give you a little bit of pace on the outside, as we saw when he came on.”

Frimpong replaced Salah against United and posed a few problems as Liverpool pushed for a late equaliser, although that search was fruitless. He will be in contention for a starting berth when the Reds travel to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, on his return to Germany after leaving Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

It remains to be seen what role Salah will play in that contest, with a place among the substitutes having already been filled in one European fixture this season away at Galatasaray. Slot’s side suffered a 1-0 defeat there and have now come unstuck in their last four matches across all competitions.

Priyansh Arya announced his arrival in the IPL with a 39-ball century, the fastest by an uncapped Indian and joint-fourth-fastest by anyone, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) consigned Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fourth successive defeat in IPL 2025.CSK didn’t help themselves in the field, dropping as many as five catches, including two offered by Arya. The 24-year-old rookie capitalised on those chances to charge to his hundred as early as the 13th over. He holed out for 103 off 42 balls in the next over, but Shashank Singh (52*) and Marco Jansen (34*) provided the finishing kick for PBKS.CSK started well in the powerplay in their pursuit of 220 – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra added 59 in the first six overs – but their soft underbelly was exposed once again in a chase. Conway retired out on 69 off 49 balls, with CSK needing 49 off 13 balls, but MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t get the job done.CSK have now failed to chase a 180-plus target in their last 11 attempts, dating back to 2020.

Arya’s assault

Arya had triggered a bidding war at the auction after cracking six sixes in an over in the inaugural Delhi Premier League. In the lead-up to IPL 2025, his coach Ricky Ponting had talked him up as a “special” player. On Tuesday, Arya backed up Ponting’s comments in only his fourth IPL innings.1:50

Are Ashwin and Jadeja too defensive?

Arya is a bit like a left-handed version of the original Delhi basher Virender Sehwag. He sees the ball and hits the ball. He has also the gift of timing. When Matheesha Pathirana marginally missed a wide yorker and bowled a full toss – it was still a hard-to-hit full toss – Arya opened his bat face and carved it over point for six. He dispatched the next three balls from Pathirana for 6, 6, 4 to surge to a 39-ball hundred in the 13th over. In the next over, left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad had Arya dragging a catch to long-on.While Arya finished with 103 off 42 balls, the rest of the top six had a combined 23 off 25 balls in a bizarre scorecard. Arya could have been dismissed in the very first over had Khaleel Ahmed held on to a fairly straightforward return catch. Arya was on 6 at that point, having scythed the first ball over the point boundary. He then got another life on 35 when Vijay Shankar fluffed a more difficult chance at midwicket. Arya raced to his half-century, off 19 balls, when he backed away and carted R Ashwin over mid-off in the last over of the powerplay.In all, Arya took Ashwin for 28 off ten balls. The spinner came away with 4-0-48-2, his third-most expensive spell in the IPL.

Shashank, Jansen join the fun

Despite Arya’s departure, PBKS kept attacking. Shashank forged an unbroken 65-run partnership off 38 balls for the seventh wicket with Jansen to push them to an above-par total. Shashank welcomed Noor into the attack with a slog-swept six over wide long-on, and pumped a carrom ball from Ashwin over his head for six more. Jansen had his own fun when he launched a no-look six off Pathirana in the 18th over.17:35

Bangar: Dhoni not playing for the crowd, he has a clear role at CSK

CSK fade away in another chase

CSK started positively in the chase, with the New Zealand pair of Conway and Ravindra scoring ten fours in the powerplay. However, they had to wait until the tenth over for their first six, when Shivam Dube swatted Lockie Ferguson over the midwicket boundary.Glenn Maxwell had broken the opening stand when he had Ravindra stumped for 36 off 23 balls. In the next over, Ferguson banged the ball on a hard length at 143kph and had Ruturaj Gaikwad chipping a catch to midwicket for 1 off three balls.CSK responded by pushing their designated spin-hitter Dube up to No. 4, but PBKS countered his promotion by not throwing spin at him. They held Yuzvendra Chahal, their premier spinner, back until Dube’s dismissal at the end of the 16th over. Once Dhoni arrived in the 17th over, PBKS matched Chahal up with him and raised the asking rate to almost 20. Chahal ended up bowling just one over for nine runs.Conway retired out in the 18th over, and Dhoni hit three sixes, but CSK were left with too much to do at the end. When Dhoni flapped a full toss from Yash Thakur, the Impact Player, to short fine leg, at the start of the final over, PBKS all but sealed victory.