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Everything you need to know about Sergio Busquets' salary at Inter Miami

After spending 15 seasons with his boyhood club Barcelona, Sergio Busquets decided it was time for a new challenge, joining MLS side Inter Miami to play alongside Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi once more.

Hailed as one of the best defensive midfielders to have ever played the game, Busquets was the architect of Barcelona’s success, leading the team to numerous titles.

Now in the MLS, the Spaniard is not only enjoying the final days of his career, but also earning a more than decent salary playing in the United States.

Exactly how much? GOAL delved into the numbers with the MLS salary guide and found out!

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Sergio Busquets' wages at Inter Miami in numbers

Under his current contract at Inter Miami, Busquets earns $168,749 (£129,938) on a weekly basis.

Meanwhile, his annual salary scales up to $8.7 million (£6.7m), not only making him one of the top earners at the club, but also the league.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Sergio Busquets

Spanish

 $168,749

£129,938

$8,774,996

£6,756,857

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Inter Miami

As expected, Lionel Messi comfortably sits atop Inter Miami’s wage bill, with Busquets following at number two.

Meanwhile, former Barcelona stars Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba occupy the third and fourth spots, both earning similar wages.

Finally, rounding off the list at number five is USA international Julian Gressel.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Lionel Messi

Argentine

$393,205

£302,772

$20,446,667

£15,744,191

Sergio Busquets

Spanish

$168,749

£129,938

$8,774,996

£6,756,857

Luis Suarez

Uruguayan

$28,846

£22,211

$1,500,000

£1,155,018

Jordi Alba

Spanish

$28,846

£22,211

$1,500,000

£1,155,018

Julian Gressel

USA

$21,001

£16,171

$1,092,069

£840,906

Top 5 earners in MLS

It shouldn't come as a surprise that, apart from Inter Miami, Messi is also the highest-paid player across the league.

In second position is former Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne, followed by Busquets at number three this time

Meanwhile, Federico Bernardeschi and Emil Forsberg round off the list in fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Lionel Messi

Inter Miami

$393,205

£302,772

$20,446,667

£15,744,191

Lorenzo Insigne

Toronto FC

$296,153

£228,042

$15,400,000

£11,858,194

Sergio Busquets

Inter Miami

$168,749

£129,938

$8,774,996

£6,756,857

Federico Bernardeschi

Toronto FC

$121,065

£93,221

$6,295,381

£4,847,522

Emil Forsberg

New York Red Bulls

$116,070

£89,540

$6,035,625

£4,660,000

Getty Images SportHighest paid players in the world

Although MLS players earn substantial wages, their salaries appear modest compared to the world's top earners, with none making the top five list.

At the top is the ageless Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. In second place is Al Ittihad's Karim Benzema, while Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli secures the third spot.

Meanwhile, Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly round off the list at third and fourth position, repectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages USD

Weekly wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

$4,166,513

£3,224,935

$215,658,680

£167,696,622

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

$2,083,257

£1,612,468

$108,329,340

£83,848,311

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

$1,087,460

£841,708

$56,547,915

£43,768,818

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

$833,033

£644,987

$43,331,736

£33,539,324

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

$722,890

£559,526

$37,590,281

£29,095,364

Crystal Palace spent €77.70m (£64.2m) in the 2024/25 summer transfer window, looking to replace key figures leaving the club, such as Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen.

Squad building is key to sustaining the quality, especially when you are a club susceptible to losing your best players, being forced to replace them and being expected to remain at the same level of quality.

Controlling the wage bill is a big part of this, aiming to ensure your highest earners are proving their worth, justifying the financial resources being allocated to them.

Crystal Palace highest earners

The highest earner at the club joined on a free this summer, Daichi Kamada, The Japanese playmaker – who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt – has made 15 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists and totalling 883 minutes played.

Oliver Glasner’s side have two other players earning £100k-per-week, both of whom are considered key to the side, with Eberechi Eze being the star man, and Dean Henderson the number one between the sticks.

Player

Wages (£)

Daichi Kamada

£105,000

Eberechi Eze

£100,000

Dean Henderson

£100,000

Eddie Nketiah

£90,000

Jefferson Lerma

£70,000

Cheick Doucoure

£70,000

Ismaila Sarr

£70,000

Jeffrey Schlupp

£60,000

Chris Richards

£55,000

Will Hughes

£50,000

One man not in the top ten earners, but still earning a considerable £45k-per-week, is Rob Holding, who has become something of a forgotten man for the club despite being paid more than Daniel Munoz, Tyrick Mitchell and Adam Wharton.

Why Rob Holding must be sold

Holding joined the Eagles in 2023 for around £4m, with his capture met with enthusiasm at the time by chairman, Steve Parish, who notably lauded the defender’s “tremendous quality”:

The 29-year-old – who previously made 162 appearances for Arsenal, scoring five goals – has now only managed to make one appearance since joining the club, however, amid reports that he has been somewhat frozen out following a dispute regarding a post-match running session during his last first-team involvement back in August, as per BBC Sport.

His ability to play as both a central defender and right-back was likely a big factor as to why Roy Hodgson acquired him at the time, but since then, Glasner has taken over, and established a three at the back system, using attacking wingbacks.

With Maxcence Lacroix, Marc Guehi and Trevoh Chalobah now making up the three central defenders, Holding has seen no action under Glasner. Even when one of those three hasn’t been available, Glasner has shown he prefers the attributes of Nathaniel Clyne as a wide centre-back or even Jefferson Lerma dropping into the backline, ahead of Holding.

Then in the wing-back department, Holding, whilst he can play as a nominal right full-back, would not have the ground-covering ability and attacking quality required to play as a wingback, who Glasner asks to hold width in attacking scenarios, as well as track back to form a back five in defensive scenarios.

With the wages Holding is on, and the fact he isn’t even making match-day squads for Glasner’s side, the obvious choice would be to sell him on, and look to reinvest that money he is earning on a more suitable profile for Palace’s style of play.

Crystal Palace want to sell £14m man to fund January signings, says insider

It’s safe to say the player is having a season to forget…

ByBarney Lane Dec 14, 2024

Stubbs, a talented middle-order batter, will join for a price of INR 20 lakh

ESPNcricinfo staff05-May-2022Mumbai Indians have signed South African Tristan Stubbs as a replacement for Tymal Mills, who has sustained an ankle injury and has been ruled out of the rest of IPL 2022.Mills played five matches for Mumbai this season, picking up six wickets at an economy of 11.17. He last played on April 16 against Lucknow Super Giants, where he conceded 54 runs from three wicketless overs. But it’s understood the injury is a minor one, and he is expected to be fit for Sussex’s first T20 Blast game on May 26.Stubbs, 21, is a talented middle-order batter and will join Mumbai for a price of INR 20 lakh (approx USD 26,000). He has had a promising domestic season, scoring 293 runs at an average of 48.83 and a strike rate of 183.12 for Warriors in the recently concluded CSA Challenge.In all, he has scored 506 runs and three half-centuries from 17 T20s, at a strike rate of 157.14. He has also featured in eight first-class and 11 List A games.He was part of the South Africa A squad for their ongoing tour of Zimbabwe.

Chelsea went into the current matchweek in the Premier League in second place in the table and they are firmly a part of the current title race under Enzo Maresca.

The Blues have won nine and only lost two of their opening 15 matches in the division, and are set to face off against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

They come into that game off the back of a 3-1 win over Astana in the Conference League on Thursday night, thanks to two goals from Marc Guiu and one from Renato Veiga.

Despite Chelsea’s fantastic form this season, Maresca is reportedly making plans to make further additions to his playing squad in the upcoming transfer windows.

Chelsea eyeing up Bundesliga duo

According to Sky Sports Germany, Chelsea are lining up moves for Borussia Dortmund duo Karim Adeyemi and Gregor Kobel, although they may wait until the summer, rather than swooping for them in January.

The report claims that the German striker has been a long-term target for the Blues, but that other Premier League teams are also keen on securing his services.

It adds that Kobel is also ‘on the list’ for the West London outfit and states that he is an option for them at the end of the season, as they are prepared to wait until next summer to attempt to sign him.

Sky Sports Germany

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

reveals that there have been talks between the club and the player’s representatives, but there have been no advanced discussions over a move to Stamford Bridge.

Maresca must, now, push for the board to bring the £144k-per-week shot-stopper to the club because he could come in as a big upgrade on Robert Sanchez.

Why Gregor Kobel would be an upgrade on Robert Sanchez

The Switzerland international’s form in the Bundesliga and the Champions League since the start of last season suggests that he would come in and improve Chelsea’s team.

Kobel, who was hailed as “really good” by Dortmund goalkeeping coach Matthias Kleinsteiber, has prevented 5.87 xG in 17 matches in the Champions League and prevented 2.4 xG across 38 appearances in the German top-flight in that time.

Appearances

38

30

Goals prevented

2.4

0.15

Error led to shot

1

3

Error led to goal

1

4

Aerial duels won

100%

100%

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez has only prevented 0.15 xG for Chelsea in the Premier League since the start of last season, whilst he is yet to make his European debut for the Blues.

The Spanish dud has also made a whopping seven errors that have led to shots or goals, whilst Kobel has only made two in 55 Bundesliga and Champions League outings for Dortmund.

These statistics suggest that the 27-year-old Swiss titan is a significantly better shot-stopper who is also far less prone to making huge errors that put his defenders and team in trouble.

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Therefore, Chelsea could improve their team by having a more reliable presence between the sticks if they sign Kobel to come in and replace Sanchez as the number one, whether it happens in January or next summer.

Michail Antonio believes he came close to death in his December car crash, denying he was under the influence of drink or drugs at the time.

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Antonio revealed he almost died in accidentAntonio's Ferrari crashed with a treeDescribed the extend of his injuriesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Jamaica international had a near-death experience last year when his Ferrari FF collided with a tree. Antonio had to be cut from the wreckage of his vehicle before being airlifted to hospital and undergoing surgery on a lower-leg fracture. After the initial photographs of his car wreckage went viral on social media, people initially wondered whether the player had survived. The record West Ham goal-scorer has now opened up about his terrifying experience.

Advertisementsocial gfxWHAT MICHAIL ANTONIO SAID

In an interview with , the 34-year-old said: "The police came and when they found me I was in between the two seats. I wasn't actually in the driver's seat. They said it looked like I was trying to climb out of the window, but because my leg was so badly broken the pain probably stopped me from being able to get out."

When asked what he remembers from the accident, Antonio replied: "Nothing. It's weird, because the whole way through this, I have been told that I was awake and was speaking to everybody – the police, the people, and the person who found me. My leg was completely shattered and they got me out and put a splint on it by the side of the car. Everyone believed I got an air ambulance out, but the helicopter couldn't get off the ground because of the storm, so I was driven to the hospital.

"It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. It just made me realise how close I was to dying. I had seen the pictures but it was 10 times worse in person. The car was an absolute mess. It was difficult for me."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The player also described the extent of his injuries as he added: "I shattered my femur bone in four different places. I had one single keyhole surgery. They put a pole in my thigh with four bolts, so screws and bolts to knit it back together.

"My first surgeon said he didn't want me to put any weight on my leg for three months, which is around about now, and you can see that I am walking. We got a second specialist who said I needed to start putting weight on it, increasing from 10% up to 100% within three weeks. But I kept my crutches for a further two weeks. Overall, they say it will be between six to 12 months before my leg starts healing properly."

Getty'THERE WERE NO DRUGS, THERE WAS NO DRINK'

There was speculation over whether Antonio was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident, but the player has set the record straight by saying: "I was travelling back from training and, anyway, I've never taken drugs in my life. I've said I like a drink. But in this situation, there were no drugs, there was no drink. That's been ruled out and confirmed by the police."

Uncapped Indian seamer Kuldeep Sen went toe-to-toe with Marcus Stoinis and defended 14 in the final over

Sidharth Monga10-Apr-20223:30

Brathwaite: Hetmyer showed his versatility and flexibility

Having lost their fourth toss in four matches, Rajasthan Royals found a way to defend successfully for the third time in a highly tactical game. Royals promoted R Ashwin to No. 6 in the 10th over only for him to declare himself out in the 19th over to allow Riyan Parag hitting time in the middle. Lucknow Super Giants were not to be left behind: they promoted K Gowtham and Jason Holder as two wickets fell in the first over to make sure their main batters were not exposed to Trent Boult’s swing.A measure of how difficult it is to defend is that despite Shimron Hetmyer’s assault towards the end of the first innings – he scored 38 off the last 15 balls he faced – despite Boult’s swing at the start to get KL Rahul first ball, despite Ashwin’s four overs for 20 runs, despite Yuzvendra Chahal’s two overs in the last five to take four wickets, it came down to IPL debutant Kuldeep Sen having to defend 14 in the last over.Related

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Unlike the India international Prasidh Krishna, who attempted yorkers in the 19th and conceded 19 to Marcus Stoinis – incidentally held back for just this role – Sen bowled length and wide outside off to bowl three dots to make it 14 needed off two. The four and six off the final two balls didn’t matter.Quick start for RoyalsRoyals are by now used to the difficult task of batting first, and accordingly their openers came out firing. Jos Buttler got stuck into Holder, and Devdutt Padikkal, replacing Yashaswi Jaiswal at the top of the order, cut Ravi Bishnoi for two boundaries in the fourth over to make it 39 for 0.Chameera, Avesh pull Royals backDushamntha Chameera then returned to bowl a three-run fifth over. Buttler felt obliged to go after the sixth over, but Avesh Khan was spot on with the first ball, finding the stumps. An almighty slowdown ensued even with Sanju Samson batting with all his intent. Overs five to 15 produced only four boundaries; the 11 overs went for just 53.Four wickets fell, too. Samson missed a slower full toss from Holder, and a frustrated Padikkal fell to a reverse-sweep off Gowtham for a run-a-ball 29. When Gowtham turned the ball against the round-the-wicket angle to bowl Rassie van der Dussen, it was apparent this was not an easy pitch. That’s when Royals sent Ashwin out.Ashwin breaks the shacklesAshwin has batted in the top six previously in the IPL but typically in low-scoring games to stabilise tricky chases. This was the first time he was batting in the top six when setting a target. He was 9 off 14 at the start of the 16th over when he decided his job had been done. He began to hit out now, and sent Gowtham for successive sixes, only the third time he has hit more than one in an IPL innings.Hetmyer flourishes amid chaosAfter a boundary-less 17th over by Avesh, Hetmyer found the freedom against Holder, hitting the 18th over for two sixes and a four. Two balls into the 19th, Hetmyer was left stunned at the sight of Ashwin walking off and Parag walking in. That didn’t stop Hetmyer from hitting the next two balls for sixes – an upper-cut and a slog over midwicket. Holder tried yorkers in the last over, and Hetmyer and Parag hit a six each to give Royals just the finishing kick they needed.Boult swings, LSG go funkyBoult has bowled the first ball of an innings 79 times. Only twice has he gone round the wicket, both times to Rahul. Boult said it was James Neesham’s suggestion at breakfast. Samson was told of the plan seconds before the start of the chase. Boult bowled it full, and got it to seam in. Rahul said he didn’t see it or he would have put some bat on it. It went past the inside edge, and bowled him.Now this can’t be a response to a first-ball wicket. LSG always wanted to go funky should they lose an early wicket because they wanted Stoinis to bat after the 15th. First came Gowtham. Boult went over the wicket to swing the ball back in and trap him dead in front. Then came Holder. With the ball moving around, the dots piled, and Holder fell trying to force Krishna’s hard lengths. Super Giants were 14 for 3 in the fourth over.Spinners take overIf the plan was to be disruptive and aggressive with low-cost wickets, the Royals bowlers had now forced Super Giants to play old-fashioned cricket. Quinton de Kock – a poor match-up against both the spinners – and Deepak Hooda had to rebuild the innings. Just after the timeout at 52 for 3 in nine overs, Hooda tried to hit out, and Sen hit his wicket, much like Avesh did with Buttler earlier. When Chahal got rid of Ayush Badoni at the end of the 12th over, Super Giants promoted Krunal Pandya even if it meant having two left-hand batters in the middle. Samson, too, kept holding Chahal back for Stoinis.Chahal delivers big blowsSuper Giants kept holding back till the 15th over after which they needed 69 runs. With two Chahal overs in the bank, Samson also didn’t need to wait for Stoinis to arrive. In the 16th, Chahal dismissed both de Kock and Pandya. Soon, de Kock, who struggled for fluency throughout, found long-on with a vertical pull, and Pandya was defeated on the sweep.In the 18th, Chahal got rid of Dushmantha Chameera too, but Avesh hit a six off the last ball of Chahal’s spell to keep Super Giants in the hunt. Just about.The endgameWith 34 needed off two overs, Royals predictably went to the senior bowler first to hopefully leave the youngster some cushion. Krishna, who has become a bit of a hard-lengths specialist for India, stuck with yorkers. Apart from a ramp for four, Stoinis’ other two sixes in the over came off missed yorkers. It was a little surprising that he would abandon his favoured length for yorkers, especially with a wet ball.Sen’s lengths in the final over were in the slot, but he stayed wide of Stoinis’ reach. Stoinis tried one ramp and two hits down the ground, but couldn’t find the boundary.

Fair to say, it’s been a mixed season for Rangers so far.

It started badly off the park for the Ibrox side, with the Gers strangely forced to play four home matches at Hampden due to “a delay in a materials shipment from Asia” meaning their planned renovations of the Copland Stand overran, impacting the start of the season.

During this period, Philippe Clement’s team were ignominiously dumped out of Champions League qualifying by Dynamo Kyiv, albeit the Light Blues have shone back in their favourite competition, the Europa League, currently sat eighth in the league phase table, enjoying victories over Malmö, Steaua București and, most recently, Nice by the French Riviera, beaten only once so far.

Last Thursday, Rangers welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to Ibrox, a ground Ange Postecoglou obviously wasn’t expecting to receive a warm welcome back at back in Glasgow, before another glamour tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford to come next month.

However, domestically, having lost three Scottish Premiership games already, Rangers are actually down in third, two points below Aberdeen and a whopping 11 adrift league-leaders Celtic, ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm League Cup Final that no Rangers support is looking forward to.

So, with ground to make up in the second half of the season, could Rangers dip into the January transfer market?

Assessing Rangers' attacking options

So far this season, Clement has given minutes to ten different senior attacking midfielders, wingers and strikers, still searching for the best formula.

Václav Černý

1,360

9

3

Cyriel Dessers

1,201

7

3

Nedim Bajrami

1,146

2

0

Tom Lawrence

739

5

2

Hamza Igamane

614

6

1

Ianis Hagi

361

0

3

Ross McCausland

313

1

1

Danilo

251

3

1

Rabbi Matondo

171

2

2

Óscar Cortés

93

0

0

Václav Černý, on loan from Wolfsburg, has been Rangers’ most impressive attacking player so far this season, although Hamza Igamane has somewhat come out of nowhere to shine in recent weeks, bagging a brace away to Nice, also on target during the last two Premiership matches, comfortable victories over Kilmarnock at Ibrox and Ross County in the Highlands on Sunday.

Will the Moroccan continue his scoring spree? Who knows.

In terms of number tens, Ianis Hagi was sensational when he first arrived from Genk in 2020 but has not been the same player since suffering a ruptured ACL against Stirling Albion in January 2022, requiring surgery.

The Romanian has endured persistent injury issues ever since and, after spending last season on loan at Alavés, he made his first Rangers appearance for 404 days in early October, but marked the occasion by being sent off half an hour after his introduction, dismissed by referee David Dickinson following VAR review.

Thus, Clement will surely want to dip into the attacking-midfielder market in January, so could a highly-rated Englishman, who might just be exactly what they’re looking for, become available?

Rangers could sign Ianis Hagi replacement

As reported by Pete O’Rourke for Football Insider earlier this week, Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will be available for transfer when the January window opens on New Year’s Day.

The 26-year-old had been with Leicester City since the age of eight, but joined Chelsea for a reported fee of £30m last summer, easing the Foxes’ PSR concerns and reuniting with manager Enzo Maresca, who himself had swapped Filbert Way for Stamford Bridge a few weeks earlier.

However, Dewsbury-Hall has been used infrequently so far, making just 13 appearances, totalling 684 minutes, for the Blues to date, appearing for a miserly 55 minutes in the Premier League, very much part of the B-team, starting both EFL Cup ties as well as five of six UEFA Conference League fixtures, introduced at half time of the other.

He scored his first, and so far only, goal for Chelsea as the Blues smashed Gent 4-2 back in September.

However, having not even been amongst the substitutes for six of Chelsea’s last ten Premier League fixtures, Dewsbury-Hall could be on the move again in January.

In that aforementioned Football Insider article, O’Rourke claims Rangers have “expressed an initial interest” in Dewsbury-Hall, while conceding that the Scottish club do not have the finances to finalise a permanent deal.

Thus, could the Gers agree a loan deal, reminiscent of Aaron Ramsey’s shock move to the Glasgow giants from Juventus in January 2022?

Current Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers once described Dewsbury-Hall as “sensational” when the pair were together in the East Midlands, but the midfielder could surface on the opposite side of the Glasgow divide, potentially adding the creative spark that Rangers desperately lack.

Having scored 12 goals and registered 15 assists in the English Championship last term, he could be just what the doctor ordered in that regard.

Rangers star with "bags of pace" has become their new Ryan Kent

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1 ByRoss Kilvington Dec 9, 2024

Captains Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb spoke to the media ahead of the five-day final starting on Thursday

Tristan Lavalette30-Mar-2022As Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb posed for the cameras, the iconic Sheffield Shield nestled between the skippers made for a magnificent sight in front of the WACA’s famous scoreboard.After a 23-year drought, the burly trophy was back on Western Australian turf but not yet in the WACA’s possession, reinforced by a Cricket Australia official whisking the Shield away when the media event on Wednesday ended.A desperate Western Australia will be aiming to end their curse when they host Victoria in the five-day Sheffield Shield final starting on Thursday. Perhaps no one has endured the drought more than 38-year-old Marsh, who made his first-class debut for Western Australia in 2000-01 – just two seasons after Tom Moody held aloft the Shield at the Gabba after repeating as champions.Ever since those glory days – that 1998-99 winning team featured Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey, Simon Katich and Damien Martyn – Western Australia have mostly been mired near the bottom of the Shield competition. Even Justin Langer, who helped fuel the Perth Scorchers into a BBL powerhouse, was unable to deliver a title with Western Australia falling short in consecutive Shield finals in 2013-14 and 2014-15 during his coaching tenure.”I wouldn’t say it’s been a curse,” Marsh said. “It’s been a long time between drinks. Probably three years ago when I knew my Australian days were over, I made a real conscious effort to come back here and try to be part of something like tomorrow.”Western Australia enter as warm favourites after securing their first home final since 1997-98 with a thumping innings and 51 run victory over Victoria at the WACA last week. They have a good blend of youth and experience with batter Hilton Cartwright in aggressive form, while their pace attack is varied and boasts left-arm quick Joel Paris and speedster Lance Morris who combined for 10 wickets as Victoria crumbled for 114 and 172.Marsh said their final eleven hadn’t been confirmed but hinted at it remaining unchanged meaning 17-year-old Teague Wyllie, who starred at the recent Under-19 World Cup, would hold his place after making 42 in the middle order in his first-class debut.”He’s pretty lucky, I’ve waited 20 years to play in a home Shield final and he’s playing one in his second game,” Marsh said. “It’s a great story. He’s played so well over the last 18 months and thoroughly deserves his opportunity and I’m really excited for him.”Victoria have received a boost with the inclusion of Ashes hero Scott Boland•Getty ImagesWhile Marsh remained unsure if this would be the swansong of his long first-class cricket, which netted six tons in 38 Tests, he remained focused on Western Australia’s bid for a trifecta of titles after winning the Marsh Cup and Scorchers triumphed in the BBL.”This would certainly cap it off but there is a lot of hard work and we are looking forward to giving it a big shake in front of family, friends and fans,” he said.While anticipation is building internally, the final is a relatively low-key affair in Perth amid Australian football season heightened by the suffocating build-up of the marquee local AFL fixture between crosstown rivals West Coast and Fremantle. Even so, Marsh hoped for a strong turnout at the WACA.”Hopefully we get a big crowd and the supporters can get right behind us,” he said.Hoping to spoil the party, Victoria – who last won the Shield in 2018-19 – boast a strong top order through newly joint player of the season Travis Dean, Will Pucovski, Nic Maddinson and Handscomb.But they’ve been left shorthanded with opener Marcus Harris forced out due to testing positive to Covid-19 on his return from the Test tour of Pakistan. Harris joins veteran James Pattinson on the sidelines after the former Test quick was ruled out with a calf injury.Victoria, however, received a much-needed boost with the inclusion of Ashes hero Scott Boland, who will return to the field after being unused during the Pakistan Test series.”I’m sure (Boland) has trained the house down in Pakistan and done all the workloads,” Handscomb said. “Scotty knows his body well and what he needs to do, so he’ll be ready tomorrow.”With the final set to be played in humid and overcast conditions throughout, Boland looms as a major handful on the WACA surface although Handscomb preferred sticking with Victoria’s underdog tag. “The conditions are probably going to suit WA because it’s their home ground,” he said.”We had a good run last week so we have an understanding of what we are going to get. Hopefully we will learn from that and be better for it.”Western Australia (possible): 1 Cameron Bancroft, 2 Sam Whiteman, 3 Shaun Marsh (capt), 4 Hilton Cartwright, 5 Teague Wyllie, 6 Josh Philippe (wk), 7 Aaron Hardie, 8 Joel Paris, 9 Matthew Kelly, 10 Corey Rocchiccioli, 11 Lance MorrisVictoria (possible): 1 Will Pucovski, 2 Travis Dean, 3 Peter Handscomb (capt), 4 Nic Maddinson, 5 Matt Short, 6 Jono Merlo, 7 Sam Harper (wk), 8 Will Sutherland, 9 Scott Boland, 10 Mitch Perry, 11 Jon Holland

The freestyle rap sensation and social media star delivered an electrifying pre-game performance at Dignity Health Sports Park

Harry Mack showcased his freestyle skills as the featured DJFans watched in awe as the Internet sensation played the pre-match showGalaxy have yet to win a league game in 2025 MLS seasonGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Harry Mack, known for his viral freestyle rap videos, took center stage as the featured DJ for Sunday's pre-game set, entertaining fans ahead of the LA Galaxy's recent match against St. Louis CITY SC.

Despite the energetic start to the evening, the Galaxy couldn't match the excitement on the field, falling to a 3-0 defeat. However, Mack’s performance went viral after the Galaxy’s social media team released a video.

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The St. Louis loss marked the Galaxy's third consecutive defeat, and they then had a 1-1 draw against Portland. The defending MLS champions have had a tough start to the season. They sit at the bottom of the Western Conference with one point and have the worst goal-difference in the combined table.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

LA Galaxy face Minnesota United FC next on the road on March 23. Following that, the Galaxy have back-to-back home games as they host Orlando City in the MLS before welcoming Tigres UNAL for the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals on March 30 and April 2, respectively.

Chelsea put in a superb display against Aston Villa, with Enzo Maresca yet again making some tactical tweaks, catching Unai Emery off guard, and easing their way to a 3-0 victory in front of their home fans at Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernández and Cole Palmer scored the goals for the Blues, controlling the game with 64% possession, and playing at their tempo, something Chelsea haven’t always been the best at, especially with such a young group of players.

There were plenty of top-class performances among Maresca’s troops, but two in particular stood out, two players who are considered key men for Chelsea in the present and future of the club.

Cole Palmer's performance vs Aston Villa

Palmer provided the goods yet again for the Blues, making it eight goals and six assists this season, totalling 1,181 minutes played across 15 appearances.

Alongside his excellent output, grabbing a goal and an assist in the game, Palmer also made two key passes, completed four out of four long balls, and won both of his ground duels in the match.

The 22-year-old has been a key figure since signing for the Blues, but one man who gives him a run for his money, in terms of importance to this Chelsea side, could well be their next Michael Essien.

Chalkboard

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

Chelsea's new Michael Essien

Essien used to be a versatile player, a bison of a midfielder, who could fill in as a full-back to do a job for his manager. He often did this for José Mourinho at Chelsea, and Maresca may well have uncovered his man for this role too against Villa.

Moises Caicedo started the game at right-back, inverting into midfield alongside Roméo Lavia, filling in for Malo Gusto who was on the bench, but missed last week due to illness, and clearly wasn’t deemed ready to start.

Minutes

90

Touches

76

Accurate Passes

56/64

Key Passes

3

Long Balls

1/5

Ground Duels Won

3/5

Aerial Duels Won

1/1

Clearances

1

Interceptions

2

Tackles

2

The 23-year-old Ecuador midfielder took to this role like a duck to water, having previously done this at Brighton in the past for Roberto De Zerbi too. Caicedo made three key passes, won three of his five ground duels, and made two tackles.

He was astute on the ball as always, having 76 touches, making 56/64 passes, and looking to break the lines, whilst also always being ready to defend in transition and protect his teammates.

Caicedo’s versatility is especially important, as Chelsea have Reece James out through injury again, which could mean this tactic needs to be deployed again in the near future.

Since joining the club, Caicedo has shown his importance, making 63 appearances for the Blues, scoring two goals and providing six assists, across 5,157 minutes.

But most importantly, he is always there for his teammates, putting in that extra 10%, and acting as the extra man for his side, using that ability to cover ground and persistently track his opposite number.

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