All posts by h716a5.icu

A CPL media release confirmed that Tridents’ AB de Villiers and Wayne Parnell will be replaced by Ahmed Shehzad and Marchant de Lange respectively, while Tallawahs’ Dale Steyn will be replaced by Dane Paterson

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2016AB de Villiers, Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn’s time at this year’s CPL has come to an end. All three South Africans have been recalled by CSA to attend the annual awards ceremony that they along with the South African Cricketers’ Association host.De Villiers has been Barbados Tridents’ leading run-scorer, with 234 runs at an average of 58.50 and a strike rate of 150.96. Steyn has taken eight wickets for Jamaica Tallawahs at an average of 18.62 and an economy rate of 6.82. He may want that tally to improve on Wednesday, when he would take the field for the final time this season. Parnell, also a Tridents player, has picked up seven wickets from six matches.The tournament organisers confirmed Ahmed Shehzad and Marchant de Lange have been named as replacements by Tridents. An opening batsman for Pakistan, Shehzad is set arrive in time for his team’s next match on July 20. If selected, he would be up against the team he played for in 2013, Tallawahs. De Lange, too, has featured in the CPL before, having played for Guyana Amazon Warriors last year. He will join Tridents ahead of their match against St Lucia Zouks on July 23.Tallawahs have opted for uncapped South Africa fast bowler Dane Paterson as their replacement.

Rangers have "definitely had talks" with Malik Tillman about a permanent move to Ibrox in the summer, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

Will Malik Tillman sign for Rangers?

The Gers have the option to buy Tillman for £5m from Bayern Munich in the summer, but the player himself has said his chances of completing a permanent switch to Ibrox are 50/50, with it currently "completely open."

The American has made it clear he enjoyed his season on loan with the Light Blues, saying: "I had a great time here. It might not be the end here so we will see what's going to happen in the summer."

Despite enjoying his time in Glasgow, there have been some reports the 20-year-old is not looking to sign permanently, with journalist Jonny McFarlane claiming that he "views his future elsewhere", despite the deal between Rangers and Bayern Munich being "done".

Hutton is more positive about the Gers' chances of signing the starlet on a permanent basis, although he does not think it is worth reading into the fact he recently flew back into Glasgow.

In an interview with Football Insider, the pundit said: “He flew back after the injury but you know what it is like when you are a loan player. You might have a rented property, you need to sort things out.

“He will have definitely had talks with the club. I am pretty sure he would have had conversations with Michael Beale.

“I am pretty sure there will have been talks going on to see where his future lies.“

Would Tillman be a good signing for Rangers?

The attacking midfielder has certainly done enough to impress his teammates this season, having been hailed as "phenomenal" by John Lundstram earlier in the campaign.

With ten goals and four assists to his name in the Scottish Premiership, the youngster has recorded the fourth-highest number of goal contributions of any Gers player this season, which is a stellar effort, given his age.

There has been criticism of the Bayern loanee's work-rate, with pundit Frank McAvennie also claiming he goes missing in games, saying: "He can be outstanding for 20 minutes then you will not see him for the remainder of the 70 minutes."

However, Tillman has plenty of time to iron out any problems, and his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses, meaning he would be an excellent signing for Rangers this summer.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed there will be a key development regarding the Manchester United takeover "next week".

What's the latest on the MUFC takeover?

It feels as though this whole saga has been dragging on for an eternity as the Glazers continue to be difficult as negotiations rumble on and on regarding the possible sale of their asset.

The latest news, however, is that they now view British Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe as their preferred bidder as he will only become majority owner, instead of taking over entirely (via The Sun).

This would be a big blow for Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani who is also a leading candidate but his bid would see the Qatari banker completely take over at Old Trafford.

Despite all this, while talking on his Here We Go Podcast, Romano has claimed that "nothing is decided yet" and more will become clear next week.

He explained (24:18): "Next week. Next week I think the situation will be more clear around Manchester United.

"We wait with these Ineos group rumours of them being the preferred bidder but from the Qatari side, they still insist they have a chance – so nothing is decided yet."

Who does Erik ten Hag want to own Man Utd?

It seems as though there is plenty of uncertainty remaining over just who will actually end up becoming the club's majority owners once this saga is finally resolved.

And the club's manager Erik ten Hag will be just as impatient as anyone to know who will be writing the pay cheques to fund his grand plans at Old Trafford over the next few seasons.

Well, it seems as though the Dutchman has already made his mind up on who he wants. Indeed, just as the reports claim the Glazers want Ratcliffe to come in, The Sun also state that Ten Hag will likely want the British billionaire to take over as well.

However, it seems Sheikh Jassim won't give up just yet as Saudi Sports Media journalist Nawaf claims on Twitter that a £6bn offer is set to arrive as one final offer.

With that in mind, perhaps the Glazer family will take a week to consider this major proposal before finally making their final decision – which would tally with what Romano has reported.

All in all, it sounds as though this chaos could finally be coming to an end.

The worm turns again. There is some wonderful Test cricket being played at the moment and the Edgbaston Test could bubble up into a humdinger after Alastair Cook and Alex Hales wiped out Pakistan’s lead with an unbroken stand of 117

The Report by Andrew McGlashan05-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlastair Cook continued his fine form with another half-century•Getty ImagesThe worm turns again. There is some wonderful Test cricket being played at the moment and the Edgbaston Test could bubble up into a humdinger after Alastair Cook and Alex Hales wiped out Pakistan’s lead with an unbroken stand of 117 on a day that England showed commendable resilience.Cook closed on 61, during which he become England’s leading run-scorer across all formats – overtaking Kevin Pietersen – although of more immediate relevance was the assurance with which he played, reaching fifty off 67 balls. Hales was less fluent, but showed the determination he had against Sri Lanka earlier in the season and brought up his fifty from 116 balls off the final delivery of the day. The century stand was this pair’s first in Test cricket, in their 18th innings together, and England’s first since Cook and Moeen Ali in Abu Dhabi last October.Pakistan’s eventual advantage of 103 was good, but perhaps short of what they would have hoped for late on Thursday before Azhar Ali edged the final delivery of the day. In total, their last eight wickets fell for 143, with the last five managing just 42 as the flimsy lower order was exposed once Misbah-ul-Haq’s diligent half-century was ended.England’s seamers bowled well (Moeen was only entrusted with two overs in the day) although James Anderson was ordered out of the attack after encroaching on the danger area for a third time – the second time in the year he had been removed having also transgressed in Johannesburg. But by then Pakistan were eight down and England were able to soak up his absence. Chris Woakes continued to impress to finish with three wickets while England earned another scalp through their fielding when Yasir Shah was run out.Unlike the opening day, England’s openers were able to start in sunshine and the surface remained placid. The Pakistan seamers fed Cook with too much width early on and the fifty stand came up in the 15th over, with Cook contributing 36 of them. The pace did not slow, aided by Hales also finding his groove after some hard work, notably when he flicked Yasir over the leg side. There was little help for Yasir, although he did spin one to bring an lbw appeal against Hales which went to review but had pitched outside leg.It was Hales who took England into the lead with a textbook back-foot punch off Sohail Khan who struggled to replicate his first-innings performance. Mohammad Amir was the pick of the quicks, but Misbah will need a telling contribution from Yasir on the fourth day. When the players walked off, with nine overs unbowled due to various delays, there was a very different feel to the match than a few hours earlier.A key element to this match could yet be the control England managed to exert with the ball, meaning that even when wickets were not falling the innings did not run away from them. The third morning, which began with Pakistan 40 adrift, started in a similar manner to the previous day with them willing to soak up the pressure: Anderson’s opening five-over spell cost just four runs and while Pakistan had plenty of wickets in hand they were content, but their approach did mean the lengthy tail remained a get-out for England if they could break through.Younis Khan was slightly less jumpy than in the first two Tests but could not escape his rut, providing England their first wicket of the day when he glanced Woakes down the leg side – a similar dismissal to the first innings at Old Trafford off Ben Stokes.Misbah continued to leave and defend against some tight bowling, only occasionally breaking free when he drove Stuart Broad for consecutive boundaries, in a manner very similar to how he has played throughout this cluster of England Tests in the last eight months. By lunch, the runs had started to come more freely.Asad Shafiq started brightly at Lord’s but has been slightly less productive since and could not break the shackles in an 18-ball stay before losing his off stump when Broad made a delivery nip back which he was late on. At that point, Pakistan were yet to take the lead and England sniffed a chance to keep the Test even.Not for the first time, Sarfraz Ahmed’s appearance brought energy to the innings, both in his punchy strokeplay and eagerness to keep the strike rotating. Misbah’s early caution was also rewarded as he moved from 7 off 39 balls to a half-century off 93, although one of his boundaries came when an edge flashed past Joe Root who was stood at a very close third slip.His dismissal had a dose of bad fortune about it, although Anderson was unlikely to see it that way, when he defended at a ball which then came off pad and boot into the stumps. It gave England an opening at the lower order and brought a period where the umpires were in the thick of the action.A superb piece of fielding from Woakes at deep square beat Yasir attempt to come back for a second, Jonny Bairstow doing well to gather the throw and break the stumps with his elbow – a dismissal which led to a thumbing of the Laws: it was perfectly legal, a run out can be completed by hand to arm providing the ball is under control.Amir’s wicket also needed the intervention of the TV umpire when Woakes rightly thought the lbw shout had struck pad first, while Sohail was lbw walking across his stumps at Broad. By then Anderson had been removed from the attack by Joel Wilson, following further feedback from the third umpire, and his over was completed by Steven Finn who was destined to end wicketless again when Cook added to England’s list of dropped catches by shelling Rahat Ali at slip. It was the last moment that did not go right for them.

Leeds United will be looking to bring in a young manager over the summer with Sam Allardyce expected to depart regardless of their fate.

Will Allardyce be made permanent at Leeds?

Andrea Radrizzani has experienced yet another difficult season at the top of Leeds with back-to-back relegation-battling seasons under his belt.

The Whites are now locked into the bottom three of the table on the back of the results over the weekend with Everton pulling two points clear of the drop.

Three games remain in their campaign but there are still some mightily tough games ahead of them as Leicester City narrowly sits above Leeds on goal difference.

Javi Gracia's time at Elland Road was short-lived with Sam Allardyce coming through the doors to replace him with just four games to go.

The 68-year-old's spell at Leeds could not have gotten off to a trickier start as they travelled to the reigning champions, however, they did put up a good fight.

However, speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed Leeds will be looking to move on from Allardyce for a young manager over the summer:

(22:00) "We have to wait until the end of the season. At the end of the season, they will qualify, for example, Leeds I know for sure they're looking for different manager, a young manager for the future. They had some names in mind, but these managers are not coming now in April or May.

"So I don't see Sam Allardyce staying but I think they will do something different in any case."

Could Allardyce be the right man for Leeds?

There are three huge games lying ahead of the former England manager at Leeds and they are three games which will seriously test the Yorkshire club.

Everton's win on Monday has seriously piled the pressure on but Leeds will have been well aware that the trip to Manchester City was not a game they will have been expecting to take any points.

But now it is a serious uphill task for Leeds, if Allardyce is able to secure their top-flight status, then the mood around the 68-year-old will be incredibly positive.

However, he has been brought in as a short-term fix. And we think the likes of Radrizzani should remember that.

Keeping Leeds afloat now would be a huge achievement, but the vision of the club surely has to be aspiring for more than what they've been handed over the last two seasons.

Looking at Leeds' struggles over the last two years, it feels like they need a long-term manager who can come in and provide the players with a project.

Marcelo Bielsa was able to provide a long-term vision, however, perhaps a young promising manager who could provide similar attributes is the path Leeds should be looking at.

The likes of Vincent Kompany have gone into Burnley and changed the club's philosophy and they have certainly reaped the rewards for doing so.

If Leeds do go down, it will be interesting to see who would be keen to take the reins at Elland Road.

Joe Clarke won a controversial umpiring reprieve and then struck a century to bring Worcestershire victory in an exciting run chase against Leicestershire

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2016
ScorecardJoe Claake made the most of his second chance•Getty ImagesJoe Clarke scored his third Specsavers County Championship hundred of the season after benefiting from an umpires reprieve as Worcestershire gained a three wicket success over Leicestershire at New Road.The England Lions player went to three figures off 146 balls with 15 fours as Worcestershire chased down a 366 target in 75 overs after being 73 for 4 and triumphed with 10 balls to spare.The Foxes thought they dismissed the 20-year-old when he was given out lbw by Jeremy Lloyds on 31 with the total on 147 in pursuit of a 366 target in 75 overs.Clarke walked off, although he appeared unhappy at his dismissal, but after Jeremy Lloyds and square leg umpire Graham Lloyd conferred the England Lions player was recalled to the middle.Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove was clearly unhappy and remonstrated with the umpires. But Clarke continued his innings and later went to his century with a cover drive for four off Neil Dexter.Worcestershire’s director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: “In many ways we got out of jail. Leicestershire were ahead of us for a period of time but what I was really impressed with was the spirit we showed when it really mattered.”Joe Clarke’s innings was a match winning innings. I have seen something like that before. George Sharp once gave Daryl Mitchell out and realised he’d made a mistake and reversed the decision and there have been other occasions it has been done.”I think you have to take that sort of thing on the chin. I know it is going to upset Leicestershire but if the umpire thinks he has made the wrong decision then he has a right to change his decision and you just get on with it.”Cosgrove did not protest too loudly after the match. “We played pretty well all game. We knew there wasn’t much in the game so with the declaration we had to leave a little bit of a carrot there and they batted really well. The umpire made his decision, he changed his mind and brought him back. It is just one of those things. You don’t see it very often.”Clarke shared in a fifth wicket stand of 142 in 34 overs with Ross Whiteley who survived three chances to equal his best score of the season – 71. Then Joe Leach accompanied Clarke in a sixth wicket partnership of 108 in 17 overs.Clarke was eventually run out for a chanceless 123 from 172 balls with 17 fours by Leicestershire keeper Ned Eckersley’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end after Leach had called his partner through for a quick single.But Leach’s second major contribution with the bat of the game – 64 not out from 51 balls – saw Worcestershire over the finishing line. It was their second Championship success of the campaign and rekindled their promotion challenge.Daryl Mitchell and Brett D’Oliveira safely negotiated eight overs before lunch when Worcestershire began their reply in a mattch rekindled by Leicestershiree’s declaration but then four wickets went down in the same period immediately after the interval.Clint McKay removed the openers, having Mitchell (32) caught behind and D’Oliveira (16) at gulley after he fended off a lifting delivery.Tom Fell (10) then nicked a Charlie Shreck through to the keeper and the same bowler held onto a return catch from Tom Kohler-Cadmore (5) to leave Worcestershire on 73-4 with 59 overs still remaining.Cosgrove and Paul Horton had earlier scored centuries and rewrote the record books as Leicestershire added 135 in 29 overs this morning before the declaration.The pair created a new third wicket record for Leicestershire in matches against Worcestershire by adding 264 in 57.3 overs before Cosgrove declared at 307-3 after his dismissal for 148.It surpassed the previous best stand of 194 by Chris Balderstone and Brian Davison at Grace Road in 1975.Horton was the first to three figures off 198 balls with 11 fours after Leicestershire resumed on 172-2 and the former Lancashire player also completed 10,000 first class runs in his career.Cosgrove, who survived a chance on 66 off Joe Leach, went to his hundred off 165 deliveries with 16 boundaries and the Australian and ex Glamorgan batsman chalked up 12,000 first class runs.He cut loose after reaching three figures, clubbing 6-4-4 and 4-6-4 off successive balls in back to back overs from D’Oliveira and Jack Shantry.Cosgrove was eventually bowled by Jack Shantry and immediately declared to leave Horton unbeaten on 117.

The BCCI’s technical committee has recommended that all Ranji Trophy matches in 2016-17 be played at neutral venues to make domestic cricket more competitive

Arun Venugopal29-May-20163:42

Agarkar: Should be good enough to play at opposition’s home

The BCCI’s technical committee has recommended that all Ranji Trophy matches in 2016-17 be played at neutral venues to make domestic cricket more competitive. The committee’s recommendations, according to the BCCI, seek to “rule out the issues related to preparing specific wickets for home teams, as well as to expose players to play in different conditions.” These recommendations will have to be ratified by the board’s working committee. A similar recommendation, to play all Ranji matches at neutral venues, was made before the 2012-13 season but was later turned down.The pitches used in the Ranji Trophy last season came under scrutiny after nine matches finished inside two days. Former India captain Rahul Dravid was critical of the “poor” pitches that stunted the development of young cricketers. He had also said state associations had to be forced to prepare good surfaces.India A’s tour to Australia approved

The BCCI’s technical committee has approved India A’s tour of Australia in August for two four-day matches and a tri-series. India A had last toured Australia in July 2014 where they played two unofficial Tests against Australia A before playing a quadrangular series that also featured South Africa A and Australia’s National Performance Squad. Australia A had returned the visit with a tour to India in August last year, where it played two Tests against the home side before playing a tri-series that comprised South Africa A as well.

“A lot of people criticise and say Ranji Trophy [knockout] matches should be held in home venues of teams,” he said. “But if teams resort to doing these kind of things, then I think it is better the knockout matches are staged in neutral venues.”While Karnataka coach J Arun Kumar welcomed the panel’s recommendation, his Assam counterpart Sanath Kumar disagreed with the idea.”Apart from not having the home-crowd advantage and the home-pitch advantage, I don’t see anything wrong in that,” Arun Kumar told ESPNcricinfo. “There have been a lot of problems in the past with home-team advantage [resulting in] very bad wickets. Not having crowd support is the only setback but otherwise I think it’s a very fair move.”Sanath Kumar said the existing system, where a team played four games at home and four away, was fair. “I don’t think anybody will now come and watch. [Playing games at home meant] at least a few fans will come and support the team,” he said. “It will be like a knockout match where hardly anybody is watching the game. Instead of this recommendation, they could have had a [neutral] curator to prepare the pitches. That would have been an easier solution.”The technical committee has also recommended that the Duleep Trophy be played entirely as a day-night tournament, with four teams, picked by the selectors, playing in a round-robin format. In January, the BCCI tours and fixtures committee had asked the technical committee to explore the possibility of trialing the pink ball in the tournament. This move is significant considering the board’s keenness to host a day-night Test during India’s long home season where they will play series against New Zealand, England and Australia.Sanath Kumar said there had been discussions about changes in the zonal format of the Duleep Trophy since last season. “[In the coaches and captains enclave last year] we told the BCCI that the zonal system didn’t make much sense,” he said. “In the past we used to play Ranji Trophy at the zonal level and then we go to the knockouts. That time Duleep Trophy had a lot of relevance whereas now Ranji Trophy itself has become an all-India tournament and so Duleep doesn’t have a lot of recognition. Even the players don’t take it seriously.”We suggested that if the selectors select four teams like they do for the Challenger Trophy, it would be a better way of going about things.”

Newcastle United could be poised to transcend past transfer fortunes with an audacious move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Jr., who is reportedly of interest to the Premier League giants.

What's the latest on Neymar to Newcastle?

According to 90min, Neymar is being considered for transfer to St James's Park in the summer, with the Brazilian's future in Paris looking uncertain.

The report states that United's majority stakeholders, PIF, are hoping to make a 'marquee' signing to spearhead their ascension to the forefront of European football, and Neymar fits the bill.

The 31-year-old would cost a mouthwatering £75m, though if the club are serious about forging a move, finances would scarcely be an unconquerable stumbling block.

French outlet Foot Mercato has also stated that Manchester United are mulling over making a move this summer, with PSG indeed pushing the illustrious star towards the exit.

Should Newcastle sign Neymar?

Clearly, monetary worries are less burdensome than they were a few years ago on Tyneside, and if PIF truly wish to pursue a move for a player of Neymar's ilk, there are few outfits on the globe better placed to do so.

At club level, the renowned "artist", in the words of former boss Christophe Galtier, has plundered 293 goals and 188 assists from 493 matches, with an additional 77 goals from 124 outings for Brazil – the country's joint-highest goalscorer alongside the revered Pele.

For those who would doubt the forward's efficacy and prospects of success at St James' Park, FBref ranks the "phenomenon" – as hailed by compatriot David Luiz – among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers over the past year for goal rate, the top 1% for assists rate, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 12% for progressive carries.

On a frankly inconceivable £957k-per-week, Neymar could emulate the Premier League success of Eden Hazard, who was one of football's most blistering offensive forces before his blockbuster transfer to Real Madrid in 2019.

As per WhoScored, Hazard has remarkably recorded an average of 3.1 dribbles and 2.3 key passes per game across the duration of his career, and was once lauded as a "special player" by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for his exploits.

Indeed, the former Blue was instrumental in his outfit's success over the past decade, scoring 110 goals and supplying 92 assists from 352 outings across all competitions, winning two Premier League titles, two Europa League trophies, the League Cup and the FA Cup during his illustrious stay.

There will be hope within the Magpies' camp that a player of Neymar's quality, holding similarity in his innately beautiful ability on the ball and eminent standing as one of his generation's most talented attackers, can indeed take Newcastle to the next level.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has admitted he is still disappointed to have seen Emiliano Martinez leave the club for Aston Villa back in 2020.

Why did Arsenal sell Martinez?

The Argentine had spent a number of years in north London before the decision to leave came about in 2020 with the shot-stopper leaving on numerous loans throughout the years (via Transfermarkt).

However, an opportunity in the Arsenal first team did arise in the 2019/20 campaign for Martinez after Bernd Leno went down through injury.

Martinez was handed 23 appearances across all competitions in that campaign including their FA Cup final triumph at Wembley Stadium against Chelsea (via Transfermarkt).

That spell in the starting XI saw Martinez receive a lot of praise for his impressive performances between the sticks for the Gunners.

But it seems it also fuelled his demand for regular action in the starting XI which perhaps the north London side were unwilling to provide him with.

And speaking on the Behind The Game show, Wright has told the Argentine just how disappointed he was to see him leave the Emirates Stadium for Villa:

(7:14) "I can't lie. I was disappointed to see you leave because, in that moment, you were amazing."

Wright then revealed the voice note he sent the Argentine after he found out he was leaving for Villa Park:

"I remember I sent you a message when you were leaving Arsenal and I thought Villa got you for very, very cheap."

"Hey Emi, it's Ian Wright, man. I just want to say to you congratulations, thanks for the 10 years, man. You've been magnificent for us, never complained, just got in and took our chance. You deserve everything you're getting. Good luck with the Argentina number one. I know you're gonna get it. God bless."

Did Arsenal make a mistake?

The Gunners have had a terrific campaign in the Premier League which has seen their defensive record proven to be one of the best in the league.

Their current goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, has been able to keep the third-most amount of clean sheets in the league this season (12).

But since leaving, Martinez has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the league having enjoyed success in the league with Villa as well as for his country, Argentina.

Martinez has been able to keep just one fewer clean sheet (11) than Ramsdale who has operated in a side that is pushing to win the Premier League.

And internationally, the Argentine was able to get his hands on the Golden Glove award in the winter's World Cup which he side tasted triumph.

His impressive spell at Villa has seen the £120k-per-week ace linked with a potential return to north London – just to the white side.

It is apparent Wright is still frustrated by the decision to leave the Gunners back in 2020, however, it is a move in which both parties have been able to blossom from.

Arsenal have seemingly found their long-term option in Ramsdale and Martinez has found somewhere that could potentially offer him European football for next season.

Chelsea made it five defeats in a row under interim manager Frank Lampard as they were beaten 2-0 by Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

The result surely brings an end to any distant hopes of securing European football for next season and with a tough fixture list to come, it feels remarkable to consider that the Blues can’t even consider themselves completely safe from relegation considering their current form.

Lampard opted for the same formation and much of the same personnel that started the 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid last time out and it produced the same result, with the Blues’ woeful record in front of goal continuing with yet another blank.

What happened in Chelsea vs Brentford?

Chelsea came into the game low on confidence and it was easy to see why on Wednesday night, as they once again failed to truly trouble David Raya in the Brentford goal.

N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva had come close for the Blues before the Bees took the lead just before half-time, as Zanka’s header was deflected into his own net by Cesar Azpilicueta.

The home side pushed for an equaliser in the second half but Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang’s header was the closest they would come, with Thomas Frank’s side making the points safe on the break thanks to Bryan Mbuemo’s fierce strike.

Who was Chelsea’s worst performer vs Brentford?

While Azpilicueta will naturally be the scapegoat after he was hauled off at half-time following his own goal, sadly his overall performance was also far from good enough and perhaps emphasised why he shouldn’t be anywhere near the starting lineup.

The former Marseille man has been a brilliant servant to the club, amassing 503 appearances for the west London outfit, but Wednesday night represents a sad decline for a once-reliable defender.

As per Sofascore, the 33-year-old would earn a disappointing 6.3/10 rating for his performance at Stamford Bridge, which was the worst of any outfield player to feature in the game from both sides.

In the absence of Reece James through injury, Lampard trusted the veteran defender to be his right wing-back on Wednesday night but that gamble simply didn’t pay off, as he mustered just 27 touches of the ball in the first half, completing 11/16 passes with a woeful 69% success rate.

Considering Kepa Arrizabalaga would manage 29 touches and 17 passes, it is easy to see why Lampard was so keen to substitute Azpilicueta upon his return to the side.

The experienced £180k-per-week Spaniard was making his first appearance since February but failed to repay his manager’s faith, as he registered no tackles, no successful crosses and no key passes in a forgettable display.

Neil Warnock once suggested that Azpilicueta was “fortunate” to be at Chelsea and while there is no doubting his commitment, Wednesday night’s display certainly suggests that he shouldn’t be considered a regular any more. Indeed, on this evidence, he would also be ‘fortunate’ if he ever stepped foot in a Chelsea shirt again; it’s clear he’s way past his best.