Perfect for Kulusevski: Levy eyeing Spurs move for £9m Postecoglou upgrade

Tottenham Hotspur are a club in a real tough patch of form as of late, leading to huge pressure on the shoulders of boss Ange Postecoglou.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that his Spurs side went to the Etihad, beating Manchester City 4-0 and looking like a real threat, needing to build on such a performance to maintain their top-four hopes.

However, since that victory on the 23rd of November, the Lilywhites are without a victory in all competitions, dropping to 11th in the Premier League table as a result.

Draws against Roma, Fulham, and Rangers and losses to Bournemouth and Chelsea have seen questions asked about the long-term future of the Aussie, potentially seeing a change occurring over the next few months.

Should Daniel Levy decide to pull the trigger, there’s one name who’s already said to be on the club’s list to replace the 59-year-old in North London.

Tottenham targeting Premier League boss to replace Postecoglou

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham United could face competition from Spurs over a deal to land Brentford boss Thomas Frank should Postecoglou be unable to turn the recent slump of form around.

The 51-year-old has been at the helm of the Bees since October 2018, leading them to the Premier League, before transforming them into an established top-flight outfit.

TEAMtalk’s report claims that the club’s hierarchy are huge admirers of the Dane, given his ability to play good football and work on a strict budget, but still manage to get the best out of his players – as seen with the Bees, given their current standing of ninth.

However, it has previously been reported by The Telegraph that he has a £9m release clause in his contract, and it remains to be seen if Levy would trigger a deal at such a hefty price tag.

Should they decide to move for the current Bees boss, it would allow one first-team member to thrive in North London, whilst also providing an upgrade on the former Celtic manager.

The player who would benefit from Frank’s potential arrival

Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski has been a player who has taken his game to the next level throughout 2024/25, arguably becoming the club’s most important talent over Heung-min Son.

The 24-year-old has operated in various positions such as attacking midfield or in his regular right-side role, having a huge impact on Spurs’ side, unthinkable where they would be without him.

He’s registered six combined goals and assists in the Premier League to date, with Frank taking his career to the next level should he move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium – potentially having a similar impact as he has done with Bryan Mbeumo.

The Cameroonian has scored nine times and registered two assists for the Bees, playing a huge part in taking the club to ninth and boasting the second-best goalscoring record in the division.

Frank would be an upgrade on Ange, bringing a team spirit and unity that the dressing room has desperately lacked on the field in recent months under the Aussie.

The Dane, who’s previously been dubbed “remarkable” by journalist Henry Winter, has achieved more points than the current Spurs boss in England’s top flight during 2024/25 – also losing fewer matches in the process.

Games managed

15

15

Games won

7

6

Games lost

6

7

Goals scored

31

31

Points per game

1.53

1.33

Win percentage

47%

40%

League position

9th

11th

Such a record has seen him claim more points per game than the 59-year-old, with the £9m fee touted for his services well worth it for the quality of manager they would be getting in the process.

Supporters are undoubtedly growing tired of their inconsistent results and performances, with a change potentially coming in the near future.

Postecoglou is a manager under huge pressure, desperately needing to claim a result against Southampton on Sunday evening on the south coast.

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Ricky Ponting: Rishabh Pant's journey as captain could be like Rohit Sharma's

Says that Pant’s “learning experiences” from the last year and a half will make him a “better leader and person”.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-20221:05

Ponting discusses Pant’s leadership trajectory

Ricky Ponting had not even realised it. Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant may not have thought of it as well. And it may not have struck people in Indian cricket either. That Ponting, the former Australia captain who had several intense duels with India captains during his playing days, has already groomed two future India captains in the IPL.Well before taking over as the head coach of Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) in 2018, Ponting had coached Mumbai Indians and had chaperoned Rohit’s captaincy from 2013 to 2016, to help the franchise to two IPL titles, in 2013 and 2015. Rohit has since become one of the top all-format players for India and has taken over the India captaincy in at least two formats.Related

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Pant is now in a very similar situation. A vital all-format player for India, in his early 20s, a new IPL captain, and a possible future India captain, also being groomed by Ponting.”I hadn’t thought about that actually but they are actually quite similar,” Ponting said of the Rohit-Pant comparison a day before the two teams he has coached face each other in IPL 2022. “When Rohit took over at Mumbai, he was quite a young man as well, and had started out in his international cricket. He was probably very similar [in age], I’m not sure how old he was but he would have been 23-24, similar to what Rishabh is here at the Delhi Capitals.”To tell you honestly, they’re quite similar people. I know they are great mates and they talk all the time and they’re probably exchanging things about leadership and captaincy along the way as well. Rohit probably doesn’t want to give too many secrets away because we’re going to play against him in a couple of days’ time (laughs). I think there’s every opportunity for Rishabh’s journey to be similar to Rohit Sharma’s. He’s a young captain of a successful franchise and growing on a daily basis and hopefully Rishabh can have the same sort of success Rohit’s had at the Mumbai Indians. And then with some experience in a role like this in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL, I’ve got no doubt in the years to come there’s every chance that Rishabh could be an international captain. No doubt about it.”The manner in which both Rohit and Pant were handed their IPL captaincies was also similar; Rohit took over from Ponting mid-season in 2013 and Pant was handed over the baton last IPL after Shreyas Iyer picked up a shoulder injury.Ponting is now in his fifth season with Capitals, and he has overseen Pant’s evolution not just as captain but as a player and individual too, after Pant was bought by Daredevils in the 2016 auction. Since then, Pant has played 84 games for them to amass 2498 runs while averaging 35.18 and striking at 147.46, and has quickly gone up the ladder to take over as a long-term captain.Ponting said the “learning experiences” Pant has had in the last 12-18 months with India and in the IPL will make him a “better leader and person”.”His evolution – not just the last one year, this is my fifth season now at the Delhi Capitals – and his evolution as a player and as a person has been quite dramatic,” Ponting said. “Last couple of years with some more responsibility in and around the Indian team, and captaining the Delhi Capitals last season, there’s a lot of learning experiences for him through the last 12-18 months for him which will keep helping him become a better leader and person on a daily basis. I know Rishabh really well, and that’s what he talks about all the time, trying to find ways to improve.”There’s no doubt that his maturity in the last 12-18 months with his play and also with his leadership and captaincy has been outstanding. It’s a big part of my job as well to try and help and guide him and push Rishabh in the right direction where I can. But saying that, he’s got a very good grasp on what leadership is all about because he’s been in successful teams and he’s been under strong leaders in the past. It’s up to me, if there’s anything I can help him with, I’ll do it along the way.”Ponting will now hope he can help Pant lift the IPL trophy two months from now and cheekily ask the BCCI for a ‘captaincy-grooming bonus’ they never knew they owed him.

Is Jude Bellingham injured? Real Madrid update on midfielder’s fitness after seeing England star limp out of win over Rayo Vallecano

Jude Bellingham limped out of Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano, but Carlo Ancelotti insists the midfielder is merely nursing “a small knock”.

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Playmaker returned from La Liga banForced off late on at Santiago BernabeuCoach confident knock is "nothing serious"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Injury fears were raised when England international Bellingham was forced off four minutes from the end of the Blancos’ latest La Liga fixture. He was replaced by Brahim Diaz and appeared to be in some discomfort as he made his way to the bench.

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Bellingham had returned to Real’s starting XI against Vallecano after completing a two-match ban for telling a match referee to “f*ck off”. He looked lively as Kylian Mbappe’s 29th goal of the season and a stunning solo effort from Vinicius Junior set Real up for a narrow victory at Santiago Bernabeu.

GettyWHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

Ancelotti will hope to have Bellingham at his disposal for two crucial matches prior to the next international break, while England will be sweating on the 21-year-old’s condition. Real’s boss told reporters when asked for a fitness update: “Jude Bellingham just has a small knock, nothing serious.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR JUDE BELLINGHAM & REAL MADRID?

Real are set to face cross-city rivals Atletico in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter on Wednesday, with the Blancos leading 2-1 on aggregate. They will then travel to Villarreal on Saturday before a collection of international superstars head off with their respective countries.

Chelsea coaches devastated over the injury absence of "world-class player"

Chelsea have endured a frustrating start to the campaign and the main thing that has contributed to their poor form is a lack of cutting edge in the final third.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

The Blues have received some much-needed clarification regarding their front-of-shirt sponsor in recent times amid news that US-based sports data organisation Infinite Athlete have agreed a £40 million per season deal to place their logo on the front of the Chelsea jersey, as per The Guardian.

The report states that the agreement has come too late to see Chelsea sport their new sponsor in Wednesday's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion; nevertheless, it may make an appearance for the first time in their away clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League next Monday.

In conversation with GIVEMESPORT meanwhile, journalist Dean Jones is bemused as to why Mauricio Pochettino continues to persist with young defender Levi Colwill in a left-back role, while Ben Chilwell, who predominantly operates as a full-back on that side, continues to be seen as a challenger to Mykhailo Mudryk on the left flank rather than an option at left-back.

Jones stated: "He's obviously looking for something here at left back that we probably didn't expect necessarily. I thought that he'd want somebody like Chilwell to play that role. But he doesn't. He wants Chilwell to be seen clearly as somebody that can challenge Mudryk for his position now. I find it astonishing, really, that Chilwell is basically now being considered as an alternative wide forward rather than a full-back because that's not really where his strengths lie."

Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu has signalled his desire to move to Chelsea at some point in his career despite attracting interest from Liverpool, Barcelona and Manchester City, as he said in a recent interview: "Chelsea is my dream to play for. I’ve been a fan of them for over ten years, so playing for them would be a huge dream."

Where is Christopher Nkunku?

According to Football Insider, Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku's absence from first-team involvement due to injury is viewed as a devastating blow by coaches at Stamford Bridge, while the France international could be set to miss the rest of the year owing to a serious knee problem.

After being brought in for a fee in the region of £52 million, Nkunku hasn't made a single competitive appearance for the Premier League giants and Chelsea have scored just five goals in their opening six top-flight encounters.

Last term, Nkunku registered 23 goals and nine assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for RB Leipzig, earning himself a high-profile move to Chelsea to spearhead their attack, which so far hasn't panned out the way he would've hoped, as per Transfermarkt.

Former RB Leipzig assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer labelled Nkunku a "world-class player" back in 2021 and it is easy to see why he is deserving of such praise. In 2022/23, the 25-year-old averaged around three shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.5 completed dribbles per fixture in the Bundesliga, as per WhoScored.

Chelsea fans will be keen to see Nkunku return to the fold as soon as possible, especially given that Pochettino is struggling to get the best out of his current options in the final third.

Malik has sights set on 2020 World T20

The Pakistan allrounder further said that the 2019 World Cup in England would be his last major 50-over event

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2018Shoaib Malik wants to keep playing international cricket at least until 2020. The 36-year old allrounder is three matches away from tying Shahid Afridi’s record as the most capped Pakistan player in T20Is and has his eyes set on the World T20 in Australia. Malik also said that the 2019 World Cup in England would be his last major 50-over tournament.”The 2019 World Cup is my last World Cup, but I want to play in the World T20 in 2020; that is my goal for Twenty20 cricket,” he said. “These are the two big goals which I’m looking at; let’s see how it goes. If I’m consistently performing, then I want to play these two World Cups.”Malik was captain of Multan Sultans franchise in the recently concluded PSL. He made 224 runs for them in eight innings and also picked up three wickets. His next assignment is with the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League, which runs from August to September.Malik also made a point to remember his previous franchise, the Barbados Tridents. He played for them for five years and helped them to the title in 2014 with a match-winning half-century in the final.”Being alone in Barbados, still you don’t feel as if you’re alone in Barbados. You have people around you, and I think the whole five years is something which I’m going to miss,” Malik said. “But I’m sure we’ll have a game in Barbados and that will cover some of my missing parts.”Malik also relished the opportunity to play in Guyana, where the pitches tend to be slow. “Guyana is more like you’re playing in the subcontinent, I think,” he said. “If you’re playing for a new team the expectations are a lot from you. When they have seen someone that did well for a longer run the expectations are obviously high.”

Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft accept ball-tampering sanctions

Both players will not challenge the punishments imposed by Cricket Australia – Smith banned for 12 months, and Bancroft for nine, from international and domestic cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2018Former Australia captain Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft will not challenge their bans from international and domestic cricket, and their 12-month ban from leadership positions thereafter, imposed by Cricket Australia for their role in the ball-tampering incident in the Cape Town Test against South Africa.”I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country,” Smith said on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon. “But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as captain of the team. I won’t be challenging the sanctions. They’ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them.”Smith’s acceptance of his 12-month ban means that he will be able to return to top-flight cricket only around April 2019, about two months before the World Cup is due to begin in England.Shortly after Smith’s tweet, Bancroft followed suit, saying he too had accepted his nine-month ban. “Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down,” he said on Twitter. “I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public. Thank you to all those who have sent messages of support.The other banned player David Warner and has not yet announced whether he too would accept his sanction, or take the matter to a hearing. Warner was banned from international and domestic cricket for 12 months and also banned from holding leadership positions in Australian cricket for life.A day before Smith and Bancroft said they would not be challenging the sanctions, the Australian Cricketers’ Association had said the punishments were “disproportionate” to the gravity of the offence – ball-tampering – and appealed to CA to reduce them.The ball-tampering controversy that erupted on the third day of the Newlands Test, when Bancroft was caught on camera rubbing the ball with sandpaper, also led to Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann resigning at the end of the Test series in South Africa. In the days after the incident, a CA investigation claimed that Warner had come up with the idea and got Bancroft to tamper with the ball, while Smith was in knowledge of the plan and did not prevent it.Even before CA’s investigation was complete, following the uproar from the public and the government in Australia, the board had stood down Smith and Warner as captain and vice-captain ahead of the fourth day of the Cape Town Test. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was appointed captain, and Smith and Warner took the field under him as Australia lost the Test that day.The three players involved were sent home ahead of the final Test in Johannesburg, but before they left South Africa, CA chief executive James Sutherland informed them of their sanctions. Smith and Bancroft held emotional press conferences during which they expressed extreme remorse as soon as they touched down in Sydney and Perth respectively on March 29. Warner held his press conference on March 31 and also broke down while expressing regret over his conduct in South Africa.

Manchester United: Marcus Rashford’s goal record vs Burnley

Manchester United will visit Turf Moor to face Burnley this weekend as they look to stop the rot in the Premier League.

If Erik ten Hag’s side are to get back to winning ways on Saturday night, Marcus Rashford could be the difference maker.

We at Football FanCast have looked into the history of this fixture to gauge what we can expect from Rashford when his side travel slightly further north.

What is Marcus Rashford’s goal record against Burnley?

ansu-fati-marcus-rashford-tottenham-transfer-premier-league

Marcus Rashford has come up against Burnley 11 times in all competitions and whilst his team has never lost, his personal record doesn’t stand out massively.

Rashford has scored one Premier League goal against them from 10 meetings and then he also scored in his only EFL Cup clash with Clarets. The most recent meeting was that EFL Cup fixture, though, so he comes into this outing having scored in the previous one against these opponents.

What is Marcus Rashford’s assist record against Burnley?

Marcus Rashford vs Burnley

Marcus Rashford’s assist record against Burnley doesn’t differ at all from his goal record, contributing two assists, both of which came in the league.

Both of his assists against the newly promoted side came in the 2020/21 season, one in either game as Manchester United won by an aggregate scoreline of 4-1.

How many goal contributions does Marcus Rashford have against Burnley?

Totalling up the goals and assists from Rashford against Burnley and he has amassed four goal contributions across 11 games.

The last two league meetings, which came in the 2021/22 season, saw him left on the bench at Old Trafford and then he played the majority of the Turf Moor clash.

What is Marcus Rashford’s head-to-head record against Burnley?

As previously mentioned, Manchester United have dominated this fixture since Marcus Rashford burst onto the scene, his side having not lost once.

Seven of the 11 games have gone the way of United with the other four ending in draws. His first-ever league meeting with them was a draw and the most recent one saw the game end honours even as well.

What is Marcus Rashford’s record at Burnley?

Six of the 10 Premier League meetings featuring Rashford took place on Burnley’s home soil across six seasons. It doesn’t total out at 12 clashes due to the aforementioned game that he watched on from the sidelines and then he was absent from another Old Trafford outing, a Burnley win in fact, due to a back injury.

The first five of these games at Turf Moor went the way of Manchester United and they didn’t concede a single goal along the way. They won those games by an aggregate of 8-0 and then the February 2022 matchup finished 1-1, Paul Pogba opening the scoring before Jay Rodriguez struck back for the home side.

Who has Marcus Rashford scored the most goals against?

England'sMarcusRashfordcelebrates

It won’t be surprising to read that with just two goals against them, Burnley aren’t Marcus Rashford’s favourite opponents.

In all competitions, Leicester City have conceded to Rashford the most with eight strikes in 16 meetings. Across these games, Man United have won 10, drawn four and lost two.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool come next with Rashford having scored six times against each of them.

Who does Marcus Rashford have the most goal contributions against?

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.

Rashford has eight goals and one assist against Leicester City so they are towards the top end when it comes to goal contributions, but they’re not at the top.

The England international has nine goal contributions against West Ham United and Chelsea whilst he has hit double digits, with 10 contributions, when facing Newcastle United and Arsenal.

How many goals does Marcus Rashford have in September?

Marcus Rashford has certainly enjoyed playing in September and particularly in the Premier League. In all but one September of his professional career he has found the back of the net in the league and on two occasions, he bagged twice.

Overall, Rashford has scored 14 times in September, breaking down as one Champions League goal against FC Basel in 2017, four EFL Cup strikes and then nine Premier League goals.

And this September is no different with the England international having found the back of the net against Arsenal earlier on in the month. However, it was not enough to help United to victory with the Red Devils seeing the points go to the Gunners late on in the game.

In the only league game since the defeat in north London, Rashford failed to get his name on the scoresheet against Brighton & Hove Albion.

What is Marcus Rashford’s overall Manchester United goal record?

Man Unites starMarcusRashford

For Manchester United, Rashford has made 364 appearances, totaling over 24,000 minutes. In that time has scored 124 goals.

77 of these strikes have come in the Premier League and he is ahead of names such as Daniel Sturridge, Gabriel Jesus and Luis Suarez in the scoring charts for the division.

What is Marcus Rashford’s overall Manchester United assist record?

Rashford is best known as a goalscorer, but his assist numbers are certainly impressive, showing that he is a valuable contributor on both ends of it.

For Manchester United, he has 69 total assists with 45 of these coming in the Premier League and then 12 coming on the continent, in either the Champions League or the Europa League.

Stokes heads to New Zealand after not-guilty plea

Ben Stokes has pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray over an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September

George Dobell in Bristol and Alan Gardner13-Feb-2018Ben Stokes is set to join up with his team-mates in New Zealand and could resume his England career in the coming weeks after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray over an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September. His case was referred to Bristol Crown Court, with a first hearing set for March 12.Although Stokes will not currently be considered for the T20 triangular series involving New Zealand and Australia, he is set to depart the UK on Wednesday. The ECB released a statement saying that he would link up with the team in Hamilton, where England play New Zealand on Sunday.”Having entered his plea at Bristol Magistrates’ Court today, Ben Stokes will now travel to New Zealand to join the England squad,” an ECB spokesperson said. “He departs tomorrow, Wednesday 14 February, and will arrive on Friday 16 February, ready to train with England team-mates in Hamilton.”Any decision to include him in upcoming matches will be made by head coach Trevor Bayliss and the England management team. He is not currently being considered for the ongoing international T20 tri-series.”ECB fully respects his right to defend himself in court and any obligations he has within the legal process will always take precedence over England commitments. It has been confirmed that he will not be required to return to the UK for the first hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Monday 12 March.”Stokes arrived at the Magistrates’ Court in the city shortly before 10am, to be met by a scrum of cameras and reporters. Stokes spoke in court only to confirm his name, address and enter his plea on the basis of self-defence or the defence of another. Two other men charged with the same offence, Ryan Hale and Ryan Ali, also entered not-guilty pleas on the same basis. All were offered unconditional bail.Having played no part in the Ashes, Stokes has now been cleared to represent England but a comeback in New Zealand during the tri-series was deferred by his need to appear at the Magistrates’ Court. He was named in England’s squads for the one-day series with New Zealand, which starts on February 25, as well as the subsequent Tests, on March 22-26 and March 30-April 3.He is also expected to play in the IPL, which begins in early April, after being bought for GBP1.37m by Rajasthan Royals in last month’s auction.Stokes was charged with affray last month, having not been considered for selection during England’s tour of Australia while police investigated the Bristol incident. He was arrested in the early hours of September 25 on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm; his England team-mate Alex Hales was also present and is likely to be called as a witness as the trial.After the announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Stokes tweeted his intention to defend himself: “I am keen to have an opportunity to clear my name but, on advice, the appropriate time to do this is when the case comes to trial. The CPS’ decision to charge me, as well as Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, at least means that my account of what happened that night can come out in court and be made public.”Affray is an each-way offence – meaning it can be tried either at Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court – with a maximum possible prison sentence of three years.

Fulham vs Luton Town: Head-to-head record, key stats & more

Matchweek Five sees the first-ever meeting between Fulham and Luton Town in the Premier League when the Hatters travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon to take on the Cottagers. Football FanCast has everything you need to know about the fixture before the two sides go head-to-head in the Premier League this weekend.

Well, technically, all of Luton’s first 19 games this season will be the first time that fixture has been played in the Premier League due to this season being the club’s first foray into England’s top division in its current guise. And even though it’s still early in the season, the five games played by Fulham and the four by Luton can give us a small insight into their form and how they might fare in this upcoming clash.

Fulham started the season strong with a 1-0 away win against Everton, but have seriously struggled since with a 3-0 defeat to fellow West Londoners Brentford and a 5-1 thumping away to treble-winning Manchester City. Granted, they came away from the Emirates with a point, but it’s hard to say that their performance merited one, given that they had less than a third of the possession, and the Gunners ended the game with 11 shots on target.

That said, they were able to halt Ange Postecoglou’s new-look Tottenham Hotspur at home in the EFL Cup thanks to a penalty shoot-out win, which looks to be no small feat at the moment.

Luton, on the other hand, have had an interesting start to their first campaign back in the top flight, as despite looking quite good at points against Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United, they came away from both games empty-handed. They also suffered a pretty heavy 3-0 defeat away to Chelsea, with their only win so far coming against Gillingham in the EFL Cup.

Ultimately, neither side has started the new season how they would’ve liked and with Fulham in 13th place and Luton all the way down in 19th, both will be desperate to get some more points on the board as soon as possible.

Fulham vs Luton: What's their head-to-head record?

Despite never facing off against one another in the Premier League, Fulham and Luton Town are no strangers to one another, having played each other 47 times across all competitions since their initial meeting in January 1908, over 100 years ago.

While 47 games is a relatively significant number, it also seems much smaller than you might expect, given that their first encounter was over a century ago. Well, the reason the number isn’t much higher is the 20 year gap between their first meeting in 1908 and their second in 1928. They also went another 20 years without meeting between 1999 and 2019.

This is because, in those periods, Luton were often in the leagues below Fulham, falling all the way down to the Conference from 2009 to 2014.

You’d probably expect then that because the Cottagers have spent more time in the top flight than their Bedfordshire opponents, the history of this fixture would be heavily weighted in their favour, not necessarily.

While the West Londoners have won more games – 22 to be exact – Luton aren’t far behind, with 16 to their name. In all, this is quite the competitive fixture, and there’s no reason this weekend’s encounter will be any different.

Fulham Wins

22

Draws

8

Luton Town Wins

16

Fulham vs Luton: What's their Second Division record?

The two sides have only ever met in the old First Division twice in their entire history, in the 1959/60 season, with both sides winning their home ties. So it seems more apt to compare their records against one another from their far more frequent encounters in England’s second tier. These games took place both pre and post-Championship.

The numbers here, perhaps unsurprisingly, mirror the overall record between these sides, with Fulham just about edging things. In total, the West Londoners have won 18 of their 37 second-tier encounters with Luton, giving them a win rate of 48.6%.

The Hatters, on the other hand, are just behind with 14 wins, giving them a win rate of 37.8%, while there have been just five draws.

Fulham Wins

18

Draws

5

Luton Town Wins

14

Fulham vs Luton: What's their record at Fulham?

Well, while the fixture on a whole has tended to be reasonably balanced, with the Cottagers just about edging things, this certainly isn’t the case when they play host. In the 24 games played at Craven Cottage, Fulham have won a seriously impressive 16 times, which means they hold a 66.6% win rate at home.

For their part, Luton have won just three games at the Cottage, one less than the number of games they’ve drawn. We’re sure Rob Edwards will be hoping to buck the trens come Saturday.

Fulham Wins

16

Draws

4

Luton Town Wins

3

Fulham vs Luton: What's their record at Luton?

The Hatters have been able to establish some dominance of their own at Kenilworth Road over the years, even if it doesn’t quite stack up to Fulham’s. In total, the Bedfordshire side have played host to the West Londoners 23 times and come away winners on 13 occasions – a win rate of 56.5%.

Fulham have put up a better fight when away from home compared to the hosts, winning six times and earning at least a point four times.

Fulham Wins

6

Draws

4

Luton Town Wins

13

Fulham vs Luton: Which team has the most goals?

Well, given their slight edge in this game over the years, it probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to hear that it’s Fulham who have scored more goals against Luton and not the other way around. That said, with only 19 goals separating the sides, It’s once again a reasonably close affair.

The Whites have scored 85 goals against their Bedfordshire opponents in their 47 games, meaning they score an impressive average of 1.8 goals per game. Whereas, Luton’s 66 goals give them a still respectable average of 1.4.

Fulham Goals

85

Luton Town Goals

66

Athanaze ton, Yadram, Royal blow Kenya away

Despite the 222-run win, the defending champions are no longer in contention for the knockouts

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2018Alick Athanaze pulls one away•IDI/GettyDefending champions West Indies prevailed over Kenya in a one-sided contest in Lincoln, registering a 222-run win – their first in three games this tournament – courtesy Alick Athanaze’s unbeaten 116, and a combined nine wickets between Bhaskar Yadram and Jeavor Royal. Despite the two points, West Indies are no longer in contention for a knockout berth as hosts New Zealand and South Africa lead them on the points table.West Indies got off to a solid start after opting to bat, thanks to a quickfire fifty from Kimani Melius (60 off 45). His opening partner Keagan Simmons’ dismissal in the 15th over, however, led to the side losing their top three for four runs within the space of eight deliveries. Kenya, on their part, failed to capitalise on the quick wickets, allowing Athanaze and Kirstan Kallicharan to hoist West Indies to 150 via a 68-run partnership. While Athanaze motored on, having struck an unbeaten 76 in the previous game, the lower-order duo of Royal and Nyeem Young chipped in with 24 and 57 respectively to help their side finish on 318 for 7. Aveet Desai, the pick of the Kenya bowlers, finished with figures of 3 for 54.Subsequently, it took West Indies all of 24.4 overs to skittle the Kenya line-up with left-arm spinner Royal taking 4 for 25 in his 7.4 overs and Yadram ending with 5 for 18 from his seven overs. Only three of the Kenya batsmen mustered double-digit scores, with opener Aman Gandhi top-scoring with 37.

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