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The international break came at a timely instance for Wolverhampton Wanderers and their new manager, Bruno Lage.

His men are yet to secure a point this season or score a goal but that doesn’t tell the full story of the football they’ve played.

Wolves have fashioned chances on a regular basis but can’t seem to stick them away despite their eye-catching performances.

On the chalkboard

Wolves failed to sign anyone on transfer deadline day after a rather tame summer window.

However, the best business they may have done was keeping Adama Traore at Molineux.

The Spaniard had been linked with the exit door on what felt like a weekly basis before Tottenham made a late dart to acquire his services.

Wolves had been in deadlock with Traore over a new deal and it didn’t look as though he was going to pen fresh terms.

Therefore, Lage had to determine whether to stick or twist. Spurs forced his hand but none of their offers were too appealing.

The Midlands club wanted £50m but the north Londoners were only offering a loan move or £30m in cash.

The solution

Spurs eventually deferred their interest on transfer deadline day with no further talks taking place.

Since then, Wolves have worked hard to bring Traore back to the negotiating table. Fortunately, it looks as though they’ve had luck.

The Athletic’s Tim Spiers claimed at the weekend that further talks were ongoing before The Sun suggested that Wolves were about to make him their highest-paid player on £120k-per-week.

That’s a lot of money but keeping him at the club will undoubtedly be a huge boost to the Molineux side and it is one that will elate Lage significantly.

The Portuguese manager is all too aware of Traore’s qualities but he’s also stated already this season that he must improve in a fundamental area of his game; finishing.

That came after he spurned a huge opportunity to score against Leicester. Clearly, in the few weeks that have followed, his ability to find the back of the net hasn’t got better.

Ruben Neves played a delightful ball in behind during their loss to Spurs but left one-on-one with Hugo Lloris, he stuck it straight at the French goalkeeper.

You get the sense that once the flying winger starts scoring goals more regularly, he will become an elite player.

After all, his pace is frightening and the ability to beat opponents is second to very few in world football. The Spain international is yet to score this season but his dazzling talents have seen him record ten dribbles per game; a high across all of Europe’s top five leagues.

On that evidence, keeping the 25-year-old has been of utmost importance. It will delight the manager and fans alike that he’s set to commit his future to the club.

AND in other news, Left for £1.17m, now worth £53m: Wolves made epic error over “outstanding” 27-goal gem…

Many Liverpool supporters have taken to Twitter to react to the news that the Anfield club is the most-watched football team in the world. 

As per the Liverpool Echo [via Anfield Watch], the Reds are currently the most-watched football team across the world, arising from findings by global sponsorship, media valuation and data analysts Nielson.

Liverpool’s historical past and global commercial revenues have aided Jugen Klopp’s team to garner supporters from all corners of the world, although the Merseysiders’ status in that regard could soon be under threat.

Nielson believe that the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United will see the Red Devils take over top spot in their rankings by the end of the 2021/22 season.

When he arrived at Juventus in 2018, he brought a 15% increase in cumulative TV viewership, and it is expected he will do likewise at Old Trafford. Nielson suggests that the Portuguese’s arrival could bring in a further 60 million viewers to United’s league games over the season. [Liverpool Echo]

Liverpool fans buzzing

These Liverpool fans have expressed their excitement about the revelation that their club are currently the most-watched team in the world, with one Kopite duly describing the Reds as “gargantuan”.

“We are so massive”

Credit: @FrontOfficeSeb

“I’ll never understand how we’re not the highest earners financially with merchandise and TV earnings etc. We’re the biggest club in the world”

Credit: @TLBRAY92

“We’re gargantuan”

Credit: @sandile_dube_

“Best club in the world, of course!”

Credit: @JichuuLiverpool

“No surprise, even when we finished 7th under Brendan having not won any significant in years we had 90,000 in Australia to watch us for pre season friendly, we are the best supported club in the world”

Credit: @Hammaad_55

“It was never in doubt. We’re the most televised team in the country.”

Credit: @amadu38

In other news, many Liverpool fans were delighted with Jurgen Klopp’s comments on Trent Alexander-Arnold. Find out more here.

A round-up of the third day’s play of the fifth-round matches in the Regional Four Day Competition

Cricinfo staff09-Feb-2009
Amit Jaggernauth starred with the bat for Trinidad & Tobago © DigicelCricket.com
Guyana’s poor start to the tournament became even worse, losing by an innings and 59 runs to Barbados at Windward Park. It was Guyana’s fourth straight loss in the tournament, making it their worst-ever start to the domestic first-class campaign.Guyana, who resumed at 166 for 4 in their first innings, were bowled out for 288, and collapsed for 148 in their second after Barbados enforced the follow-on. Allrounder Ryan Hinds, called up to the West Indies squad for the second Test against England, and debutant Nikolai Charles split the wickets, while Veerasammy Permaul was absent hurt. For Guyana, Travis Dowlin added 40 to his overnight 49, while Derwin Christian chipped in with 47.Leon Johnson top scored in the second innings with 65, but only two other batsmen managed to reach double figures. The injured Permaul did not bat again, while Royston Crandon, who made a half-century in the first innings, was forced to retire hurt after he was struck by a ball on the elbow. Pedro Collins took 3 for 29 off eight overs.Windward Islands had a mini-stutter, but they eased to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Leeward Islands in St Lucia. Leewards, who started out trailing by 36 runs with four second-innings wickets left, scored 80 runs. Wicketkeeper Devon Thomas, overnight on 19, made 40. Darren Sammy got rid of tailenders Robbie Joseph and Lionel Baker, who chipped in with 33 and 20. Set 45, Windwards’ openers raced to 40. They were jolted by three quick strikes – two for Joseph and one from Baker – but Johnson Charles, who made 31, took them to victory along with Sammy.Sherwin Ganga made a career-high 90 to help Trinidad & Tobago gain first-innings points against Combined Campuses and Colleges on a rain-hit day in St Augustine. Ganga, younger brother of captain Daren, helped his team reach 362 from 210 for 5, a first-innings lead of 47. Offspinner Ryan Austin struck quickly in the morning, removing Gibran Mohammed on his overnight score of 8. Richard Kelly then made 24 in a 44-run stand with Ganga before he was caught off Austin.Austin struck again to leave T&T at 269 for 8, but a 63-run partnership between Amit Jaggernauth and Ganga ensured their team takes at least four points from the game. Ganga fell ten short of a hundred, and was cheered on his return to the pavilion. Jaggernauth, who finished on 37, added 30 for the final wicket with Atiba Allert (17). Austin finished with 6 for 123 off 50 overs.CCC lost two wickets in their 16 overs till stumps.

Newcastle United were reportedly offered as many as seven different players on loan in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Frustrating window

The St. James’ Park faithful only managed to bring in one player of note on a permanent deal in Joe Willock from Arsenal.

Given that he was already on loan there last season, the squad has not really improved in what turned out to be a frustrating window in the North East.

The Latest: Players offered

Writing in his latest piece for The Daily Telegraph, Luke Edwards has said that the Tyneside club were offered seven players on loan throughout the window: Hamza Choudhury, Axel Tuanzebe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Hector Bellerin, Harry Winks, Mason Holgate and Boubacar Kamara.

However, all of them requited a loan fee to be paid, which the Magpies hierarchy insisted that they could not afford.

The Verdict: Shame

To get even just a couple of those players in on loan deals would have made the window a much better one for Steve Bruce’s team, and instead, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland manager now has to work with a very similar squad to last season.

Described as a ‘phenomenal’ player by pundit Paul Robinson back in February after an impressive performance against Burnley while on loan at West Brom, Maitland-Niles made his feelings known late on in the window about potentially wanting to leave (The Guardian), and one cannot help that a deal could have been struck with the Gunners having already brought in Willock.

Tuanzebe and Bellerin have both moved on to Aston Villa and Real Betis respectively, but the Toon should really be looking at revisiting moves for the other five players when January comes around.

In other news, find out why NUFC’s offer for this player was rejected here!

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, said his team were fortunate to have the cushion of a 500-plus lead against Banglades

Cricinfo staff31-Dec-2008
Bangladesh’s hopes ended once Shakib Al Hasan fell for 96 © AFP
Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, said his team were fortunate to have the cushion of a 500-plus lead against Bangladesh. Set 521 in Mirpur, the hosts gave Sri Lanka a few anxious moments, but were eventually dismissed for 413.”The way they played, I mean they batted very well. So credit should go to them,” Jayawardene said. “The only good thing is that we had 521 runs behind us and we knew we had to be patient, bowl in the good areas and create opportunities. It was big effort from our bowlers on a very slow wicket towards the end.”Jayawardene said the team was aware that it would be tough to dismiss Bangladesh for less than 200 on a surface favouring the batsmen, which is why they declared only after putting themselves in a comfortable position. “We got five sessions to get them out. They batted very well, especially the middle order and the lower middle-order. [Mohammad] Ashraful, Shakib [Al Hasan] and [Mushfiqur] Rahim at the end batted very well and credit to them.”Jayawardene said Sri Lanka had been wary of being complacent against Bangladesh, despite the poor record of their opponents who have only one Test victory. “You know in the last couple of Test matches they were very close to winning against New Zealand and probably one [Test] against South Africa as well,” he said. “So we knew they are capable of doing so.”Mohammad Ashraful, the Bangladesh captain, said the team had performed “pretty well”. “Our bowlers bowled well in the first innings, but some decisions went against us that allowed the opponents to post a good total on the board. We knew we did not bat well in the first innings, but I will say we played pretty well throughout the game.”Ashraful raised Bangladesh’s slim hopes of a win with a century, adding 112 for the sixth wicket alongside Shakib Al Hasan. Bangladesh continued to fight after Ashraful’s dismissal, with Shakib combining with wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim in a 111-run stand, a Bangladesh record for the seventh wicket.”Our target was to play session by session on the final day and perform better. We never thought of the outcome,” Ashraful said. He felt Bangladesh could have pulled off a record chase – the highest is West Indies’ 418 for 4 against Australia in Antigua – had either he or Shakib remained at the crease.”Unfortunately, I got out and Shakib missed his century. Once he left, we gave up hope. But we did not lose heart as Rahim was in very good form in the last couple of series.”

Tillkaratne Dilshan’s sixth Test century put Sri Lanka in charge of the second Test in Chittagong

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran03-Jan-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Tillakaratne Dilshan’s century put Sri Lanka on their way to an imposing total © AFP
About an hour and half into the opening session, Sri Lanka’s decision to bat first seemed to have backfired. On a slow-paced surface, batting was an ordeal and Sri Lanka limped to 65 for 3, with their two most experienced batsmen back in the pavilion. The next two sessions told a different story, thowever, thanks to Tillakaratne Dilshan’s counterattacking brilliance.His fast-paced 162, complemented by Chamara Kapugedera’s unbeaten 93 and a patient 63 by Malinda Warnapura, had such a demoralising effect on the home side that Sri Lanka added a further 306 in two sessions.Dilshan walked in shortly after lunch with his team wobbling at 75 for 4. Until then, the top order had struggled on a pitch which rendered shot-making difficult. Mashrafe Mortaza’s restrictive line didn’t allow the batsmen easy runs and even the introduction of spin – as early as the 10th over – didn’t offer much respite.With the ball turning and bouncing, the batsmen were caught in a shell and the spirited fielding by the home side suffocated the visitors. The best – and probably the only – way out, was to counter-attack and it was left to the trigger-happy Dilshan – already with the reputation of being a thrasher – to begin the rescue efforts and carry on.His intention was to get on top of the spinners and he started off by picking on Bangladesh’s best, Shakib Al Hasan. He charged down the pitch to him and crashed one through backward point in the same over to open his boundary account. In one particularly brutal spell, 53 runs came off six overs with Dilshan helping himself to 18 off a Shahadat Hossain over. He began by whipping him on the front foot over fine leg and then fetched two boundaries past backward point and pulled past midwicket. Shahadat had just had a lucky break, getting Thilan Samaraweera to chop one onto the stumps off a short ball. As if expecting lightning to strike twice, he persisted with the same length against Dilshan and was duly punished.After keeping Sri Lanka in check through the morning, Bangladesh were starting to lose the plot. Dilshan motored along at more than a run a ball and didn’t allow any bowler to get on top of him. Enamul Haque jnr, the left-arm-spinner who came in at the expense of the seamer Mahbubul Alam, was the one to eventually dismiss him, but his return to the Test side after nearly a year wasn’t one to cherish. The quicker deliveries were delicately dabbed and cut down to third man by Dilshan and the shorter ones were swatted away either wide of cover or in the region of midwicket.The low bounce was evident from the opening session and the spinners tried to skid the ball through and target the base of the stumps but to no avail. Warnapura played and missed on a few occasions but looked comfortable against the balls which sat up to be hit. He added 119 with Dilshan and Mohammad Ashraful decided to fix the situation by bringing himself on. Warnapura was squared up by a rather innocuous straighter one as Ashraful struck off his first ball and bellowed a war cry to rival his celebration after a fighting hundred in Mirpur.The wicket didn’t promise any respite for Bangladesh as Kapugedera scooped his first ball over mid-off and cut the next past backward point, as if to prove Ashraful’s strike was a fluke. The stand-out feature in his innings was the wristy flicks to the on side. A short delivery by Mehrab Hossain jnr was flicked past midwicket and he regularly swept against the turn. He gave Shakib the charge, deposited him inside-out over long-off and pulled him when he dropped it too short. He was strong against the new ball as well and the lack of pace on the surface allowed him time to rock back and cut past backward point.Dilshan’s brilliance notwithstanding, Bangladesh had themselves to blame for their display in the field, which went from promising to poor as the day progressed. Mushfiqur Rahim’s batting won many hearts in Mirpur but his wicketkeeping left a lot to be desired. He fumbled a stumping down the leg side when Warnapura was on 20, then dropped an edge off Mahela Jayawardene, which fortunately for him didn’t cost much. He could have had Dilshan stumped on 78 had he gathered a rising delivery cleanly. Kapugedera had a life on 37 when a tame chip to mid-on was spilled by Imrul Kayes. Fielders at the boundary were more content trying to boot the ball away, rather than trying to bend down and pick it up.The body language was a contrast to the morning session when Mortaza struck in the first over, dislodging makeshift opener Prasanna Jayawardene with one on the board. Prasanna walked back after being hit in front of leg stump, and Kumar Sangakkara followed after inside-edging the same bowler on to his stumps. Mahela was very circumspect and his punches failed to beat the infield. He fell to Shakib for 11, prodding forward.The were few smiles in the home camp after that but much to their relief, they got rid of Dilshan before stumps, bowled freakishly round his legs. With Kapugedera still around, a score of 450 looms.

John Bracewell admits he did not match up to expectations during his tenure as New Zealand coach

Cricinfo staff05-Dec-2008
John Bracewell will join Gloucestershire for the 2009 season © Getty Images
John Bracewell admits he did not match up to expectations during his tenure as New Zealand coach. Bracewell, whose last series in charge saw New Zealand slip to a 2-0 defeat in Australia and No. 8 in the ICC Test rankings, said he would miss the team he coached for over five years.”I feel as though I’ve given it a honest shot but in terms of pure statistics or results New Zealand Cricket wanted us to be No. 1 in world cricket in both forms of the game and we didn’t reach that, so if you look at it like that I’ve been a failure,” Bracewell told the . New Zealand won 61 of the 106 ODIs when he was coach, but only 13 of the 41 Tests and lost 20.”In Test cricket our planning has been very, very good in that we often get ourselves in a position to win but often we run out of steam trying to fulfil that,” he said. “That is disappointing, but there are not too many Tests that we don’t put ourselves in a position to win at some stage. We just lose critical moments too often.”During his stint, Bracewell was also on the receiving end from the media. “At times both the media and myself weren’t the best of friends but that is the nature of the business,” he said. “If it’s a kiss-arse business, you are in the wrong one, both from a media perspective and a coaching perspective.”You’ve got to cop it and sometimes you’ve got to give it and you regret that you’ve given it because the media always have the last shot.”He believes the team he leaves in the hands of Andy Moles has the ability to become world-beaters. “These guys are enormously talented and when they harness it and realise it and get into it they will play some really exciting cricket,” he said. “They live in the highlights, they play in the highlights and that is what the public want to see.”There will be some high and lows, I suspect, but, man, when they get it right some of these batters will be absolutely outstanding” he said. “I’m very close to them, it’s been a long association. It’s a family unit with extremely high team spirit. They are close to each other and I will miss them.”

Crystal Palace could be set to add another promising youngster to Patrick Vieira’s ranks after being linked with a move for Manchester United winger Amad Diallo.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have been credited with an interest in the highly-rated 19-year-old in recent weeks, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an exciting update on their pursuit of the United prodigy.

Speaking on The Here We Go Podcast, he said: “Amad will go on loan, it is confirmed. He has a proposal from Basel but also from Premier League clubs – Crystal Palace, Sheffield United. Many clubs are interested in Amad, but he’s not decided yet.

However, the capital club may be feeling confident of securing Diallo’s services ahead of the reported competition after Romano revealed the Ivory Coast international is keen to remain in the Premier League.

“He wants Premier League football so let’s see what happens,” he added.

Crystal Palace fans will be buzzing

Palace have been on an impressive recruitment drive throughout the current window, bringing in several quality signings such as Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher.

However, with Andros Townsend departing on a free transfer, the south London outfit are rather threadbare on the right-hand side of attack.

The obvious gap in Vieira’s squad has led to several stars being linked with a move to Selhurst Park, and it appears as though the club’s hierarchy are now focussing their attention on Diallo.

He only made his debut for boyhood club Atalanta in October 2019, becoming the youngest player – at 17 years and 109 days old – to score on his Serie A debut in a 7-1 thrashing of Udinese.

Since then, Diallo has had a meteoric rise, joining the Red Devils in a whopping £37.2m move last January after making just five appearances for Gian Piero Gasperini’s charges.

Despite his hefty price tag, the tricky winger has found first-team opportunities hard to come by at Old Trafford, and the arrival of Jadon Sancho has pushed him even further down Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pecking order.

Therefore, a temporary move away from Manchester appears to be the best solution for all parties, and Palace fans will surely be buzzing to learn of the club’s interest in such an exciting prospect.

His natural speed, technical ability and skill have the potential to leave opposition defenders for dead, lighting up Selhurst Park in the process, something the supporters will be eager to witness.

And, in other news…Parish must avoid Palace transfer nightmare over 31 y/o flop, he’s not good enough 

The centurions both lifted the Player-of-the-Match award after they kept each other company in the middle for over two hours

Annesha Ghosh12-Mar-2022Rarely does the best performer in a game insist on a second Player-of-the-Match award for their team-mate. Rarer are the times they direct a demand of this sort at cricket’s governing body, at a world tournament at that.But Smriti Mandhana said she was aware her 123 would have mattered little against an undefeated West Indian side had fellow centurion Harmanpreet Kaur not done her bit to put India’s 2022 ODI World Cup campaign back on track after a chastening defeat two days ago. So Mandhana had Harmanpreet, who made 109 on the day, by her side at the presentation ceremony where she explained why she felt they both were equally deserving of the honour.Related

Perry: Australia aware of the threat 'dangerous batters' Mandhana and Harmanpreet pose

In-form Harmanpreet promises to be 'there for my team' at the biggest stage

Stats – Mandhana and Harmanpreet set new benchmarks

West Indies collapse after Mandhana, Harmanpreet centuries as India seal NRR-boosting win

WWC 2022 week one: An opening-day thriller, near-upsets

“I think scoring a century and not being a Player of the Match is something which I wouldn’t really want as a player,” Mandhana said after India’s 155-run win at Seddon Park. “I think we both contributed equally for us (India) to score 300. So it’s good for us to share the trophy.” Asked who might eventually keep the award, Mandhana said, “I’m sure ICC will be giving another trophy and I’m sure they have enough budget to do that.”That Mandhana and Harmanpreet both lifted the award at the end of the ceremony and grinned ear-to-ear at the cameras seemed fitting on a day they kept each other company in the middle for over two hours, exchanging notes, smiles, and hugs – in that order – while reaching new milestones, individually and as a pair. After all, their 184-run fourth-wicket stand, the second century stand between them and India’s highest at any ODI World Cup, had propelled the team to a mammoth 317 for 8. That was India’s best-ever score at a 50-over world tournament and the highest so far in this edition of the event.Mandhana’s century was her second at an ODI World Cup and the second against West Indies, too. Harmanpreet’s, meanwhile, made her the first Indian woman to score three hundreds in ODI World Cups. Both knocks proved pivotal in lifting India to the safety of a 300-plus total a week after 310 was nearly chased down at the same venue. Against a West Indies side that had downed hosts New Zealand and defending champions England in their first two outings, it was all the more critical for India to post an imposing total after opting to set one.”As batters, we both prefer chasing and setting the target both together,” Mandhana said of the dynamic of her partnership with Harmanpreet. “Our strengths are really different because she is really good with spin and I like pace on the ball. So when the spinner comes on I give her the strike and when the pacer comes on she gives me the strike.Smriti Mandhana scored her second century against West Indies in World Cups•AFP via Getty Images”It’s always fun to bat with Harry . We have battled a lot in T20s in last six to seven years I’ve been part [of the Indian team], I’ve had a lot of partnerships with her and we always complement each other really well. We share a really good bond on and off the field.”When she did walk in, the situation was quite tricky, so I didn’t want to get her [to] lose her focus. So I didn’t really joke around at that time. But once she was in 30s and 40s, we both were actually having a lot of fun after that; we started talking a lot more. And I don’t think today I needed to tell her because she was smiling a lot more than she generally does.”Despite India’s attacking start – thanks to opener Yastika Bhatia’s 21-ball 31 – India found themselves precariously placed near the 15th-over mark when No. 5 Harmanpreet joined Mandhana in the middle. Together, they powered India from 78 for 3 to 262 for 3 at a rate of over a run a ball. A standout feature in their stand were their ease at stealing ones and twos, a major part of both their innings built on along-the-ground strokes.”When she came into bat, we were focusing more on singles and doubles because we had lost three quick wickets and we didn’t want to play another [fancy] shot or get out or something and we didn’t want to even stop the run rate,” Mandhana explained. “So our discussion was that we’ll just keep batting and we will get singles and doubles and convert the singles into doubles. That’s something we all spoke in the dressing room after the New Zealand match, where we couldn’t start the momentum and carry it also.”Deputy to Harmanpreet in the T20I side, Mandhana was effusive in her praise for her senior and ODI vice-captain’s work ethic and resilience.”From the outset, I feel when her back is towards the wall, that’s when she comes the best out and that’s something which I’ve seen,” said Mandhana. “Her work ethics are really up there in the whole team. She keeps going even if she does not get the results. That’s something that really gets her going. World Cups are the place where she comes good and comes big.

“I’ve been getting out on 70s and 80s quite a lot, so something which was consciously I was thinking that if I feel like playing a shot I have I don’t have to stop myself.”Smriti Mandhana

“From the practice game she’s been batting well, so we are really confident that she will be able to score runs in this tournament. I’m happy that she just got back to back score fifties And most importantly I think today’s century will give her a lot of confidence and [to] the whole team as well because we were not in a great place to start with and from there for her to bat and get us out of that situation, I think it was an incredible innings.”During the innings break, Mandhana described her 119-ball knock as “uncharacteristic,” for she scored at a strike rate of under 90 for the best part of her innings. Later, she admitted she “had a little nervous nineties today,” dropped on 94 at deep midwicket by Aaliyah Alleyne and then surviving a bouncer and an appeal for lbw soon after.”I was a little nervous about that ball going up in there and I prayed to two-three gods saying that please let the player drop it and she put it down, so I should thank her actually because otherwise I would have got out on 96,” Mandhana said. “It’s been a long way for me to come [and score the hundred] …”I’ve been getting out on 70s and 80s quite a lot, so something which was consciously I was thinking that if I feel like playing a shot I have I don’t have to stop myself. I’ll just go with the flow and I’ll just play according to the ball. That’s how I started my inning, so that’s something which I was really working on. Hopefully, I will be this kind always on me and I will convert the 60s and 70s into a big score because if I do that India is [usually] in a great position.”Mandhana will likely have to make do with just the one Player-of-the-Match trophy for herself and Harmanpreet from this game. It was fitting, nonetheless, that the third in line for India’s ODI captaincy honours, doffed her hat to Harmanpreet, the captain Mandhana made her limited-overs debuts under, when she could have the spotlight entirely on herself.

The England youngster was involved in a rare moment of quality in a difficult game for Sonia Bompastor's side as they extended their lead at the top

Chelsea nearly came unstuck against a plucky Leicester City side again on Wednesday, but escaped from a difficult evening with all three points thanks to goals from Catarina Macario, Aggie Beever-Jones and Erin Cuthbert. The Foxes held the Blues to a draw in December, representing the first winless game of Sonia Bompastor's reign – with the second only coming on Sunday in a 2-2 result at Brighton, and they were a tricky opponent again in the rematch, even if the reigning Women's Super League champions managed to come away with a 3-1 win.

Macario's goal from a deflected free-kick, which wrong-footed goalkeeper Janina Leitzig in the eighth minute, was Chelsea's only shot on target in a disappointing and disjointed first half, one disrupted by a lengthy stoppage when England youngster Ruby Mace was stretchered off. A rare moment of quality doubled that lead early in the second period, as Mayra Ramirez's backheel put Beever-Jones through to finish, but it wouldn't put the game to bed as the Blues might've hoped.

Despite losing a key player in Mace, Leicester grew in confidence in the game, best evidenced by the gorgeous scooped finish that Yuka Momiki produced to halve the deficit before the hour. It was no less than the Foxes deserved, but they could not turn it into more, as Bompastor looked to her stacked bench to wrestle some of the momentum back.

Cuthbert's curling strike in the final minutes, which came just after she crashed another effort off the bar, made the scoreline flatter the Blues, who extended their lead at the top of the WSL table to eight points.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Hannah Hampton (6/10):

Positioned herself well to deal with any Leicester threats, making a few comfortable saves as a result.

Lucy Bronze (5/10):

A little sloppy in possession at times and didn't always make the best decisions on the ball.

Nathalie Bjorn (5/10):

Awareness of the space she was responsible for felt lacking at times. Went off with more than half an hour to go.

Millie Bright (6/10):

Had a few sloppy moments, but generally mopped up well at the back where needed.

Niamh Charles (6/10):

Battled well in defence, winning possession back more than any other player, but found her attacking impact limited.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Oriane Jean-Francois (6/10):

Did her job well enough, covering her defenders where needed and moving the ball around nicely. Just lacked a bit of help in a defensive sense in the midfield at times.

Maika Hamano (6/10):

After finding herself somewhat limited in her position in the first half, seemed to be pushed further forward in the second and immediately played an important role in Chelsea's second goal. Was much better from there.

Catarina Macario (6/10):

Was always looking to get on the ball and get involved, even if her end product wasn't always there. Free-kick broke the deadlock and another went close, too.

Getty Images SportAttack

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (5/10):

Offered plenty of endeavour down the right, albeit without the final ball to make a difference.

Mayra Ramirez (6/10):

Couldn't really pick the ball up and run at defenders like she so often does. Produced a gorgeous backheel to put Beever-Jones through to double Chelsea's lead, however.

Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

Showed good movement off the ball to be an option when Chelsea got forward, with her run through to finish and make it 2-0 great evidence of that. Did lose possession in a dangerous area for Leicester's goal, though can't shoulder all that blame.

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Subs & Manager

Wieke Kaptein (7/10):

Came on before the hour to add some steel to the midfield and she did exactly that, while also offering a good attacking threat.

Ashley Lawrence (6/10):

Took up the right-back role for the final half hour or so and didn't do too much wrong.

Erin Cuthbert (7/10):

Made her return from a rib injury in the final 20 minutes and her impact was significant, with a fantastic late strike one of three troubling efforts she sent towards the away goal.

Sjoeke Nusken (N/A):

A late introduction to help see the game out.

Sonia Bompastor (6/10):

Lack of any flowing passing moves felt in part due to the lack of a proper midfield deployed, with Jean-Francois sat behind two players who are essentially forwards. There was not much shape in the middle as a result and that hurt the team as a whole. Improved when changes were made, at least.