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Aston Villa are reportedly monitoring Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, having previously been linked with the Brazilian in January.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Midlands side are said to be ‘keeping tabs’ on Barbosa – better known as Gabigol – with his current side believed to be open to a departure, having been unwilling to do a deal in the winter window.

Reports at the time suggested that the 25-year-old – who endured a previous, difficult stint at Inter Milan – is keen on a return to European football, with Villa believed to be one of a number of clubs interested in securing his signature.

The 18-cap brute – who could command a fee of around £30m with over two years left to run on his existing deal – is also said to be of interest to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Gerrard’s own Nunez

A top-class centre-forward would appear to be on Steven Gerrard’s wishlist this summer, amid suggestions that former Southampton man Danny Ings could be moved on just a year after arriving at Villa Park in a £25m deal.

The 29-year-old found goals hard to come by in a frustrating debut campaign, netting just seven goals in 30 Premier League appearances, while striker partner Ollie Watkins was also far from prolific having scored 11 league goals.

With putting the ball in the back of the net seemingly an issue, sporting director Johan Lange appears to have identified Gabigol as the man to be the solution, the £23.4m-rated ace having scored a remarkable 101 goals in just 155 games for his current side, while also providing 28 assists.

The 5 foot 10 marksman also enjoyed two similarly devastating spells at fellow Brazilian side Santos, netting 43 goals in 125 appearances in total having started his career at the club, before later returning on a loan deal from Inter.

His switch to Italy in 2016 may have ultimately ended in disappointment – as he scored just once in ten games in total and spent much of his time out on loan – yet for the most part he has proven himself something of a “goalscoring machine”, as per scout Andre Noruega.

In a seismic summer which has seen Erling Haaland join Manchester City and Darwin Nunez arrive at Liverpool, Barbosa could be the next high profile, centre-forward addition to the Premier League, with both he and the latter man, in particular, marked as similar players, as per Football Transfers.

That may be a bold claim considering Nunez has already proven himself in European football – netting 34 goals for Benfica last term – yet he also had to make that transition from South America originally, having begun life with Uruguayan outfit, Penarol.

The hope for Gerrard and co will be that they should he get his man this summer, the striker can go on to adjust to life in a new league and on a new continent just as easily, with it perhaps time that he is afforded another chance to shine in Europe.

IN other news, AVFC face battle to land “aggressive” £60m machine, he’s one of the “best” in his role

Celtic are closing in on the imminent signing of Lanus left-back Alexandro Bernabei, reliable journalist Mark Hendry reports.

The Lowdown: Ange looking for depth

Ange Postecoglou has a good squad at his disposal currently but there is still a lack of depth in certain areas, away from a strong starting lineup.

With Champions League football returning to Parkhead next season, it is vital that Celtic bring in a number of new faces and improve the depth to be able to fight on four fronts, especially with stars like Tom Rogic moving on.

Defence is one area that needs reinforcements and it looks as though a new signing is close.

The Latest: Hoops close in on Bernbei

Taking to Twitter, and writing for Football Scotland, Hendry confirmed that Celtic are closing in on Lanus man Bernabei:

“EXCLUSIVE! Celtic close in on Lanus’ Alexandro Bernabei.”

Sharing more details in his article, the reporter says the deal is ‘close’ and the player could even arrive in Glasgow in the next few days.

The Verdict: Good competition for Taylor

This could be a really shrewd signing by the Hoops, providing Greg Taylor with some strong competition ahead of what could be a busy 2022/23 campaign.

Bernabei is an Argentina Under-23 international – he is still only 21 – and his current deal expires next summer, meaning Lanus need to sell and won’t be able to demand a huge fee.

He has four goals and ten assists to his name in 84 appearances for the Argentine side, showing that he could bring some attacking thrust from left-back, too, where he will likely replace Boli Bolingoli in the squad.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has dropped a fresh Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been dealt a crushing blow over the future of Ibrox winger Ryan Kent…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has claimed that the attacker wants to secure a move south of the border with teams from England eyeing him up.

The Gers are set to offer him fresh terms in an attempt to keep him at the club and Jones believes that it will be a futile effort.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I’m told Ryan Kent will still look to leave this summer as he wants to play in the Premier League. Rangers are ready to make him a new contract offer, but it sounds like he fancies a move, and he knows clubs like Leeds and Everton are keen”

Ibrox faithful will be gutted

This claim will surely leave the Ibrox faithful gutted as losing Kent would be a huge blow to the club heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

It is a difficult situation for Ross Wilson to be in as the player’s contract expires in the summer of 2023. This means that the upcoming window is the best chance to cash in on him before his value plummets.

He will be available to foreign teams on a pre-contract in January 2023 and will become a free agent later that year, which means that this summer could be the perfect time to sell Kent if he is unwilling to put pen to paper on a new deal.

The financial benefits of a transfer will not take away from the disappointment of a departure for Kent. He has produced three goals and 19 assists in all competitions this season, including 11 assists in 24 outings in the Premiership.

These statistics show that he has been a difference-maker for Gio van Bronkhorst in the final third. He has regularly contributed to goals by showcasing his creativity from out wide, providing excellent crosses and using his trickery to win penalties off the opposition.

This is why the supporters will be deflated by the prospect of Kent wanting to leave the club and will surely be frustrated by his decision.

Although, the fans may forgive the attacker for seeking a transfer if he ends his Gers career on a high by scoring the winner against Frankfurt in Sevilla. Winning a major European final would be some way to bow out at Ibrox and give him enough goodwill for the move to avoid major criticism from the fanbase.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than McLaughlin: Rangers dud with 0 duels won was a passenger on Sunday…

Celtic have reportedly stepped up their pursuit to complete the permanent signing of winger Jota during the upcoming transfer window, according to a Portuguese source.

The Lowdown: Jota’s impressive loan spell

The Bhoys look set to complete the capture of Mohanad Jeahze soon, and it appears as though Jota could follow as the second signing through the door.

The 23-year-old first joined the Hoops on a season-long loan from Benfica last summer, and as part of that deal, it’s reported that the club do have the option to buy.

The forward has majorly impressed during his spell with the Glasgow giants this season, having scored 13 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, and following a fresh update, it’s no surprise that the club are keen to retain his services for next term and beyond.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-7/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Celtic ready to trigger clause

In a new article published by Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that the Scottish Premiership outfit ‘want to trigger’ the buying option, which has reportedly been set at €7m (£5.9m).

In fact, the outlet’s headline even claims the deal is ‘agreed’, while they say that Ange Postecoglou and co. want to get the deal over the line ‘quickly’ and ‘don’t consider the hypothesis of losing the opportunity’ to sign him on a permanent basis.

The Verdict: Handful in the final third

Jota, who has been dubbed an “outstanding” player by his manager Postecoglou, has clearly caught the eye of the hierarchy following his scintillating run of form, and it sounds like the club are very confident of securing his signature in the coming months.

The 5 foot 9 attacker has proven to be a real handful for his opponents in the final third this season, having averaged 2.7 shots and 1.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premiership, via WhoScored, which played a huge part in the Hoops taking the league title.

It now looks like purely a matter of time before we’ll be seeing Jota playing in the green and white stripes week in, week out, where he will no doubt go on to contribute to plenty more success at Celtic Park in years to come.

In other news… an ex-BBC pundit is thrilled by the ‘brilliant’ news he’s heard coming from Parkhead.

He got there in his 64th T20I, getting rid of Oman’s Vinayak Shukla. Here’s a stats highlight of Arshdeep’s T20I career

Shubh Agarwal19-Sep-2025In a flash…Having made his T20I debut in July 2022 against England, Arshdeep has completed 100 wickets in only three years and 74 days. It is the second-quickest for a fast bowler after Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt, who reached the milestone in two years and 240 days. No other bowler has completed 100 T20I wickets in under four years.Arshdeep, however, pipped Butt in terms of balls bowled and matches played for a fast bowler (see graphic below). Overall, Arshdeep is only behind Rashid Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane and Wanindu Hasaranga on that parameter.In terms of average, Arshdeep’s 18.37 is the best for a seamer from a Full Member nation and the third-best behind Butt (16.68) and Oman’s left-arm quick Bilal Khan (16.95) overall.Vinoo Mankad, Kapil Dev, Arshdeep SinghVinoo Mankad was the first India bowler to reach 100 wickets in Test cricket, getting there in his 23rd Test. In ODIs, Kapil Dev was the first India bowler to bag 100 wickets, getting there in his 77th game in 1986. Arshdeep has reached the 100-wicket mark in his 64th T20I. Among the Full Member sides, only South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe don’t have a bowler in the T20Is 100-wicket club.ESPNcricinfo LtdA consistent wicket-takerArshdeep has picked up 43 wickets in the powerplay in T20Is, averaging 20.06 at an economy of 7.50 in that phase. No other bowler has more wickets than him in powerplays since his debut.Arshdeep is also very reliable at the death. His 48 wickets in the last four overs are nine more than the next best, Hong Kong offspinner Ehsan Khan. In terms of fast bowlers, next in line after Arshdeep is Pakistan’s Haris Rauf.Defying tough home conditionsThe surfaces in India have generally been high-scoring in T20I cricket and while Arshdeep’s economy at home has suffered, his wicket-taking ability still remains unmatched. Only six fast bowlers have over 20 T20I wickets in India. While Arshdeep (28) is third on the wickets’ list, behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar (34) and Hardik Pandya (31), his average of 21.00 is the best among them.Left is rightThirty-eight of Arshdeep’s 100 wickets are of left-hand batters, comfortably the highest for any bowler since Arshdeep’s debut. In fact, only six other bowlers have more than 20 left-hand batters’ wickets in this time frame.In the powerplay, Arshdeep averages only 13.36 against left-hand batters as compared to 25.37 against right-hand batters. His 19 wickets in the powerplay against left-hand batters are the joint-highest, alongside Tim Southee.There are seven batters Arshdeep has dismissed three or more time in T20Is. Four of them are left-hand batters, all from the top order. His numbers against Rilee Rossouw stand out. Arshdeep has dismissed Rossouw three times in five balls without conceding a run. Former New Zealand offspinner Nathan McCullum had earlier done that against Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry: 5 balls, 3 dismissals, 0 runs.A star in T20 World CupsThe 2024 T20 World Cup has been the most productive competition for Arshdeep so far, bringing him 17 wickets in eight innings. His contribution was overshadowed by Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance, but Arshdeep’s economy of 7.16, coupled with an average of 12.64, was vital in India’s title run. His nine wickets in the death overs were the joint-highest for any bowler.He also picked up ten wickets in the 2022 T20 World Cup, becoming the highest wicket-taker for India in both the World Cup editions he has featured in.

While hosts were indecisive with the bat, England bowlers were good at varying pace and length

Sruthi Ravindranath09-Dec-2023A batting-friendly Wankhede surface. Shorter boundaries. At the pitch report, the broadcasters said it should be a “belter”. But a great display of control and adaptability from England’s bowlers – and misjudgements from India’s batters – took all of that out of equation.It was a case of India’s batters being indecisive on a pitch where there wasn’t much turn. Players from both sides admitted that the ball was “skidding on” but it was also about the England bowlers being so good at varying their pace and lengths. For Charlie Dean, there were “no real demons” in the pitch. For Deepti Sharma, it was a “tricky pitch”.Offspinner Dean was told on Saturday morning that she’d have to open the bowling as a match-up for the left-handed Smriti Mandhana. She ended up doing more than was expected of her. She was also coming into the game having missed the first T20I with a stomach bug. But her impact was felt instantly as she put India in trouble in the span of just eight deliveries.Related

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• Wyatt puts her name up in lights ahead of the WPL auction

• Dean, Ecclestone, Glenn help England clinch series with thumping win

After playing the first delivery – a length ball on off stump – straight back to Dean, Shafali Verma, next ball, played a similar delivery for the turn and looked to guide it into the leg side. She was pinned straight in front and departed for a duck. That also made it Verma’s 20th dismissal to an off-spinner in 43 T20Is.Mandhana looked somewhat settled, having hit a couple of boundaries off the quicker bowlers. Heather Knight, after giving the ball to Lauren Bell and Nat Sciver-Brunt to bowl the second and third overs, gave the ball back to Dean to bowl to the left-hander. Mandhana, expecting the ball to turn, rocked back to cut a length delivery outside off but got rapped on her pads instead and was given out by the umpire. Even a review couldn’t save her.”There were quite a lot of wickets today in the game,” Dean said after the match. “I wouldn’t have any complaints on the pitch myself. Of course I wouldn’t, I’m a bowler, I didn’t get a chance to have a bat out there but that’s good. A lot of our guys were saying it’s skidding on a bit but no real demons in the pitch. I guess just pressures and weaknesses in certain areas.”We executed our plans really well and so did India, to be fair they set really aggressive fields. They had to because of the way that game was dictated.”Harmanpreet Kaur injected some positivity into the innings by scooping fuller deliveries off Sciver-Brunt for back-to-back boundaries over fine leg. But Sciver-Brunt quickly changed her length, getting a length ball on off to nick sharply back into Harmanpreet’s knees to seal her dismissal. She went for the DRS but got three reds, and India had burnt both their reviews by the fifth over.And the misery continued for India. There was Deepti going for a drive only to edge the ball to the wicketkeeper. With the introduction of another spinner – Sophie Ecclestone – came another wicket, a brilliant caught-and-bowled dismissal that sent Richa Ghosh back for 4.It was then legspinner Sarah Glenn’s turn as she pulled back her length to remove Pooja Vastrakar. Vastrakar, having played Glenn out in the eighth over, charged down the track early to play for turn but the ball went through her bat and pad to hit the off stump. India at that point, were 45 for 6, Jemimah Rodrigues their only hope.Ecclestone, with her subtle variations and stump-to-stump deliveries, made sure to squeeze India in the middle overs, where they did not hit a boundary for 40 balls. It was Rodrigues who broke the pressure with two quick boundaries, in hopes of giving India a boost. But it all came crashing down when she was out lbw trying to play one into the leg side against Glenn, who changed her length after two tossed up deliveries.It did not take too long for England to finish proceedings as they bundled India out for 80, their lowest T20I score against England.According to Deepti, who was playing her 100th T20I, the pitch wasn’t exactly “difficult” to play on.”It wasn’t a 70- or 80-run wicket; we could have scored a bit more, around 110-115,” she said. “But it happens sometimes when conditions are not in your favour. You try to play well as a team but everyone can have an off day.”I think it was not difficult. We just had to play to the merit of the ball. We had a lot of takeaways but it was not as difficult. We will see what we can take away to make it better in tomorrow’s game.”India have lost 10 out of their 16 wickets to fall across the two T20Is to spinners. England had their plans in place and exploited India’s weakness with relative ease. With the next T20 World Cup set to be played in Bangladesh – where slower bowlers will play a big part – in less than a year, England will be glad their spin department is shaping up well.India’s batters, meanwhile, will have to work on changing their patterns against spinners.

One was an intended bit of magic, while the other was a reward from the cricketing gods

Karthik Krishnaswamy30-Dec-20211:23

Cullinan all praise for ‘disciplined’ Bumrah, Siraj and Shami

Look through this website’s list of the 20 balls of this century, and ask yourself this: how many of them did exactly what the bowler had planned at the top of his mark?Most are simply a happy confluence of delivering the ball with a great degree of physical and technical skill – perfect wrist and seam positions, or high RPMs along the perfect axis – onto a good area, getting a little bit (or a lot) of help from the pitch, and maybe the batter not quite being up to dealing with what happened next.And that’s no slight on those balls or the bowlers who delivered them. Test cricket is mostly about hitting good lines and lengths over and over again, doing so at high pace or while giving the ball a big rip, and hoping that the excellence of the process will bring about good outcomes.Related

• Falling short: Has Bumrah's bouncer lost its bite?

• Red-hot India look to wrap up series at favourable Wanderers

• Joy of defensive game key to KL Rahul's Centurion success

• Relentless Shami, Bumrah help India go 1-0 up with first win in Centurion

• Kohli: Shami among 'best three seamers in world at the moment'

Sometimes, though, a magic ball is really a conjuror’s trick. Jasprit Bumrah to Shaun Marsh, for example. A moment of genius almost entirely orchestrated by the bowler.He has only played 25 Tests, but Bumrah has already built up a collection of these moments. There was Keaton Jennings in Southampton, wrung completely out of shape by what seemed to be the world’s first sighting of a new weapon – Bumrah’s inswinger to the left-hander. There was Ollie Robinson at Lord’s, feet cemented in place with a series of short balls, and back pad thudded into with a slower offcutter from around the wicket.And then, on Wednesday, as day four of the Centurion Test drew towards an exhausted close in fluctuating light, Bumrah delivered two in the space of 14 balls. First, a perfectly good leave from Rassie van der Dussen rendered not-so-good by wicked break-back exaggerating the angle from wide of the crease. A beaming Bumrah clapped his hands as he ran towards his team-mates, a thing he does when he is especially pleased with himself. You probably did the same thing at the same time.6:41

Polite Enquiries: Will an actual fishing trip stop Kohli fishing outside off?

Bumrah didn’t clap after delivering what turned out to be the last ball of the day, a searing yorker that nightwatchman Keshav Maharaj had no answer to. He turned around instead, and stared at the non-striker Dean Elgar, who had said something to Bumrah earlier in the over when Maharaj had punched him off the back foot through the covers.Before Bumrah’s late burst, India had spent 103 frustrating minutes attempting to break a stubborn third-wicket partnership between van der Dussen and Elgar, throwing everything at the pair, often getting the ball to deviate sharply or confound the batters with steep or low bounce, but not quite managing to create that one chance.With rain expected on day five, there may have been a sense of anxiety among India’s players. Bumrah had blown it all away.As much as he is a bowler of great balls, Bumrah is a great bowler too. A supremely persistent hitter of good lines and lengths, who happens to hit those areas harder, and at greater pace, and with more backspin on the ball than most.His one wicket on day five was a triumph of this sort of persistence, though it contained a brand of magic of its own.Bumrah had harried Elgar all morning, mostly testing his outside edge and on one occasion getting him to edge thickly between second slip and gully. But as is often the case, making Elgar look uncomfortable and dismissing him were proving to be entirely different things. He had survived the first 9.5 overs of the day alongside Temba Bavuma, and moved to 77 in the process.Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after dismissing Rassie ven der Dussen•Associated PressThe sky over Centurion was clear, but rain was still forecast for the afternoon. Elgar had already been reprieved once in the morning, Mohammed Shami dropping him off his own bowling.Then Bumrah, delivering from around the wicket, got one to veer sharply towards the stumps. Elgar, having been made to worry constantly about balls in the corridor outside off stump, found himself in the wrong position, head well outside the line. The ball kept a touch low too, and Elgar, hopping across his stumps and playing all around the ball, was struck on the front pad, right in front.Was this movement in the air, or off the deck? It turned out to have been both. Bumrah was probably looking for the inswinger, but the seam came out of his hand ever so slightly wobbly. Then the ball seemed to hit a crack and deviate, and as it did so, the seam emerged miraculously unscrambled, canted towards fine leg, with the ball’s rough side facing the leg side.There wasn’t a whole lot of distance between where the ball pitched and where it hit Elgar’s pad, but the ball swung inwards over that brief duration, ensuring Elgar was in no danger of inside-edging it.Not an intended bit of magic, but a reward from the cricketing gods.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fortaleza recebe o Vitória na Arena Castelão neste sábado (23), às 20h30 (de Brasília), pela 7ª rodada da Copa do Nordeste. O jogo terá transmissão de DAZN (streaming) e Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view). Os mandantes ocupam a vice-liderança do Grupo B com 8 pontos, enquanto os visitantes são vice-lanternas do Grupo A, porém com a mesma pontuação.

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto do Fortaleza com o Vitória (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Fortaleza x Vitória
7ª rodada da Copa do Nordeste

Data e horário: sábado, 23 de março de 2024, às 20h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Arena Castelão, em Fortaleza (CE)
Ondeassistir:DAZN (streaming) e Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view)
Árbitro:Márcio dos Santos Oliveira (AL)
Assistentes:Maxwell Rocha (AL) e Esdras Mariano (AL)

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⚽PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

FORTALEZA (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
João Ricardo; Tinga, Kuscevic, Tomás Cardona e Bruno Pacheco; Zé Welison e Kauan; Machuca, Moisés e Pikachu; Lucero

VITÓRIA (Técnico: Léo Conde)
Lucas Arcanjo; Zeca, Camutanga, Wagner Leonardo e PK; Willian Oliveira, Léo Naldi e Rodrigo Andrade; Osvaldo, Matheuzinho e Alerrandro

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Copa do NordesteFortalezaOnde assistirVitória

Unfettered attitude to risk and reward both makes and breaks a memorably chaotic innings

Vithushan Ehantharajah22-Jun-2025

A dejected Harry Brook walks back on 99•Getty Images

Harry Brook does not really celebrate centuries. He has always considered that a bit uncouth. Though only 26, he’s an old soul, very much from the “but that’s your job” school of thought when it comes to lauding your output as a batter.Even so, it was hardly surprising that his reaction to missing out on a ninth Test century revealed a cocktail of emotions. Annoyance, as he gave himself a facepalm, head tilted to the sky. Anger, revealed by the dramatic arch of the back, as if about to spit an expletive to the moon.The milestone would have been nice, of course, particularly as one of Yorkshire’s own, and given that he had probably deserved one in front of his home ground when he all but took England home here in the 2023 Ashes. But most of all, you felt his reaction reflected the dereliction of duty he felt, with this current match situation very much in the balance.Related

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England were still 73 behind, but now with only three wickets left to make up that difference. Such is the talent in his hands and feet that many in the England dressing room were quietly wondering about the healthy position they might be in if he were to go on for another hour. But then, Prasidh Krishna dug one in short, and the narrative changed.Brook’s periscope pull felt straight to Shardul Thakur at deep fine-leg. It was an ego pull compared to the idiotic one he had played to midwicket in the last over of day two when on nought, only for it to be scrubbed from the records after Jasprit Bumrah was found to have overstepped. But thankfully for England, this dismissal did not derail the momentum of their innings, as they finished just six behind India’s 471.The novelty of getting out on 99 might grow on Brook, particularly as it is the first time he has been dismissed in the 90s across 322 professional innings. His tenth century across formats for England might not have drawn more than a cursory removal of the helmet and raise of the bat, but Headingley’s congregation had been waiting patiently for their boy’s moment. They had to make do with some cursory applause instead as he slumped off, now aiming any expletives at the ground beneath his feet.Brook’s innings was a helix of brilliance and nonsense, a contradiction of dominant gallops out of the crease and anxiety-reducing risks that contributed to the 13 boundaries that littered his day-three work. It was good without being great, but all the more memorable for the bad bits.5:39

Manjrekar: ‘All possibilities open’ in the last two days

He had every right to feel aggrieved at it being cut short, but Brook already owed a debt of gratitude to Bumrah’s overstep, without which it would have ended after nine deliveries. He breathed again after 62 balls, when a sliver of an edge off Ravindra Jadeja was missed by Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.Brook’s control percentage across his 112-ball innings was 80%, which seems high until you accept that he was technically in control of the shot that brought about his dismissal – ironically, he had rolled his wrists on the shot to keep it down, when the better option might have been to launch it skywards and clear the stands. The deliberate wristy flick off his 103rd ball that broke through Yashasvi Jaiswal’s hands at fourth slip was also executed “perfectly”.Bumrah was the unfortunate bowler for that one. He had sent Brook to bed last night with the stench of leather in his nostrils having fizzed a warning shot of what was to come on Sunday. Brook, though, came with a clear focus – he was not going to get got, he was going to go get.Krishna was pumped square, then dumped into the stands at straight midwicket at the end of the very first over. “Phwoar, where did that come from?” Ollie Pope later revealed he had said to himself, while watching from the other end.When Bumrah showed up again, Brook had two sighters before jumping out of his stance to land the first blow of this round. Having started again on 0 off 12, his first ten balls of the third morning had brought him back up to speed with 19 runs.The calculation of his second-new-ball assault was just that. Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were given the honours, and both were treated accordingly. Bumrah was, at least; Brook defended a few, found the odd single, and survived the error of the Jaiswal drop. Siraj, however, suddenly found himself embroiled in a ruckus.A dismissive slap through mid-on, a lash to point and an attempted charge-and-slap that only brought two was followed up with a hard-length ball, a stare and a few words for Brook. It’s worth noting Brook is not much of a talker. “He doesn’t want to chat,” revealed Pope of Brook’s habits out in the middle. “He might want to know which way it’s swinging, but that’s it.” And yet, his response was profound, thumping a ball from outside off so deep into the long-on stand that even Siraj was lost for words. That took him to 91, rounding on the inevitable century that never materialised.It is worth isolating Brook versus Bumrah, even if the bout did not end up affecting the scoreboard meaningfully, in either the runs or wickets column.The catch off a no-ball and that drop off a legal ball came after 28 deliveries in all, with just 11 runs scored. But one of those deliveries – that charging four at the start of the day, Brook’s only boundary off Bumrah – was perhaps his most meaningful. “If I can do this to you,” Brook seemed to be saying, “imagine what I can do to the rest of your attack?”Jasprit Bumrah reacts after Yashasvi Jaiswal reprieves Brook•Getty ImagesBrook didn’t do it again, but the message had been heard loud and clear. Even by Bumrah.”He makes you think as well,” Bumrah said at the close. “You know he can play an aggressive shot and sometimes he can shut shop as well and try to negate if somebody’s bowling a good spell. So yeah, he played really well.”I think fate had decided 99 for him!” he added. “He assessed conditions and, you know, he fancies his game and plays an aggressive style of cricket.”If all that sounds familiar, it is because England’s batters, their captain and their head coach constantly talk about doing exactly that. Rarely, though, do they get it right. And even here, Brook did not.But for a bowler of Bumrah’s ilk to notice the intent, even amid the flaws, speaks to a very real truth. Joe Root is the sole great, Ben Duckett the most expressive, and Ollie Pope their only centurion in this Test so far, but Harry Brook is the totem of this English batting group.

Phallon Tullis-Joyce's surprising error proved costly for Manchester United on Wednesday as their hopes of qualifying automatically for the Champions League quarter-finals were dealt a real blow in a 3-0 loss to Lyon. The United States goalkeeper failed to make what looked set to be a comfortable save from Tabitha Chawinga's header with just 12 minutes on the clock and the Red Devils couldn't get back on level terms, with Lyon dominating the game and wrapping things up late on when Melchie Dumornay's stunning brace sealed all three points.

Marc Skinner took quite a risk with his team selection, making some eyebrow-raising calls to leave all of Jess Park, Ella Toone, Dominique Janssen and Julia Zigiotti Olme on the bench. Citing the desire to add physicality to the midfield as the reason for his choices, it certainly didn't work in the first half, with United unable to get anywhere near the visitors for the most part.

The Red Devils had just one touch in Lyon's box before the break, when Melvine Malard headed well over, with the French side running the show. That said, OL didn't create too many clear cut opportunities, bar a header for Ada Hegerberg, with some last-ditch defending from Jayde Riviere in particular able to thwart them on a couple of occasions.

It was no surprise when Skinner made changes at the break then, and the introductions of Park, Toone and Zigiotti helped them get into the game. However, the Red Devils still weren't doing anything to hurt Lyon in anyway, with some nice passing sequences occurring to get them into the final third, but there no end product to cap it all off.

Instead, it was Lyon who became more ruthless and clinical as the game progressed, to put it to bed for good. It was Dumornay, the star of the show, who made it 2-0 with a superb strike from the edge of the box, before a powerful finish from closer range really put the gloss on things late on.

Ahead of next week's final league phase fixtures, United are not out of the race for an automatic qualification spot to the next round of the Champions League, with a play-off berth already secure. But it's out of their hands now, and with them sat in an unfavourable position when it comes to seeding for those play-offs.

GOAL rates United's players from Leigh Sports Village…

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Phallon Tullis-Joyce (4/10):

Had to do better with Chawinga's header that broke the deadlock. That moment left United at a disadvantage so early, with them unable to recover.

Jayde Riviere (6/10):

Did some great last-ditch defending, thwarting Hegerberg and Heaps brilliantly on two separate occasions.

Maya Le Tissier (5/10):

Looser in possession than usual and struggled to win many duels, though did improve as the game went on.

Gabby George (6/10):

Better on the ball than most and came up with some timely interventions.

Anna Sandberg (5/10):

Wasn't able to impose herself on the game in an attacking sense, but did keep Brand relatively quiet.

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Hinata Miyazawa (5/10):

Allowed Chawinga to get away far too easily so she could score the opening goal. Was more influential in possession once the half-time changes were made, often involved in some of United's better play.

Simi Awujo (4/10):

Struggled to win duels and was poor in possession at times. Off at the break.

Lisa Naalsund (4/10):

Lucky not to be sent off after a late tackle towards the end of the first half while already booked, though it was a loose pass from a team-mate that put her in a bad position. Another taken off at half-time.

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Melvine Malard (4/10):

Had a great chance to level the scores just before the break, but didn't show the ruthlessness she has in front of goal most of the season.

Rachel Williams (4/10):

Completely isolated up top, with no service at all before being taken off at half-time.

Fridolina Rolfo (4/10):

Gave the ball away far too easily and struggled to be an effective outlet.

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Jess Park (5/10):

Couldn't win many duels but was good on the ball and added impetus to the attack.

Ella Toone (6/10):

Played some good passes to get United into the game more.

Julia Zigiotti Olme (5/10):

Another impactful half-time sub, though a rash challenge soon after coming on could've been costly.

Dominique Janssen (N/A):

Took Sandberg's spot at left-back for the final 15 minutes.

Leah Galton (N/A):

A late sub.

Marc Skinner (4/10):

Raised plenty of eyebrows with his team selection and it didn't work at all, with Lyon totally dominant in the first half. Changed things at the break, making three half-time substitutions, but the damage was already done, with United unable to really create anything to level the scores before OL put the game to bed. Need to rotate was understandable given the small squad but perhaps could've been done in a smaller measure here.