Leeds United's fate in the Premier League all comes down to the final day, with Sam Allardyce's side requiring something of a miracle if they want to avoid relegation back to the Championship.

The Yorkshire outfit need to ensure that they beat Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon and then hope that both Leicester City and Everton drop points in their games against West Ham United and Bournemouth respectively.

Unlike their relegation rivals, Leeds' opponents actually have something to play for on the final day as Spurs could still lose out on European football altogether, which only makes things harder at Elland Road.

Allardyce's side will have to produce far more than they did in last weekend's 3-1 defeat against West Ham if they want to stay up, so changes seem likely this afternoon – with as many as four alterations from the trip to the London Stadium potentially in the offing.

How should Leeds line up against Spurs?

Allardyce has stuck with Joel Robles as his first choice in his tenure thus far and seems unlikely to revert back to Illan Meslier for the final-day clash.

There is one change in the defence as captain Liam Cooper returns at centre-back in the hope that he can inspire an unlikely victory, with the "appalling" Rasmus Kristensen – as described by journalist Leon Wobschall – dropping to the bench after a less-than-impressive stint in the heart of Leeds' defence.

Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk continue at full-back, with Max Wober partnering Cooper in the middle, in the hope that they can improve upon Leeds' rotten goals-against record which sees them recognised as the worst defence in the Premier League.

Allardyce's 4-2-3-1 set-up has thus far produced one point from a possible nine but he seems unlikely to switch now, although he could add some more defensive stability by starting Marc Roca and Robin Koch as the midfield pair, with Brenden Aaronsen also afforded a rare start as the attacking-midfielder, with Adam Forshaw and Weston McKennie dropping out.

This should free up the wingers to push forward, so Jack Harrison should keep his place after enjoying a strong 2023 which has produced four goals and five assists, while Wilfried Gnonto also returns to the starting side in place of the stricken Patrick Bamford, who looks unlikely to feature after picking up a hamstring injury last week.

Finally, Rodrigo starts in the attack after Allardyce confirmed on Friday that he had trained despite the knock he was carrying at the London Stadium, with the Spaniard almost certain to be risked given he is the top scorer at Elland Road this season.

Predicted Leeds XI (4-2-3-1): Robles; Ayling, Cooper, Wober, Struijk; Koch, Roca; Gnonto, Aaronsen, Harrison; Rodrigo

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now officially safe from relegation and will be competing in the Premier League again in the 2023/24 campaign.

Julen Lopetegui's side are nine points clear of 18th-placed Everton with two matches left to play and can use these last couple of outings to offer minutes to younger players in the squad to see if they have what it takes to step up next term.

This season, one of the club's top performers has been one of their most experienced gems in the form of Portuguese central midfielder Joao Moutinho.

The ex-Monaco man has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90, which ranks only behind Ruben Neves out of all the outfield players, across 31 appearances in the top flight.

At the age of 36, Moutinho is still going strong and averaged 2.2 tackles and interceptions and 1.2 key passes per game whilst completing 84% of his attempted passes – as per Sofascore.

The veteran has proven himself to be an ultra-reliable option in the middle of the park and a maestro who can open up defences, to create chances for his teammates, whilst also being strong enough to win possession back for his team on a regular basis off the ball.

However, he is out of contract this summer and it remains to be seen if the magician will remain at the club beyond the end of the current campaign.

Wolves could alleviate any concerns about Moutinho's possible departure, though, by swooping to sign one of their reported transfer targets – Enzo Le Fee.

Who is Enzo Le Fee?

The 23-year-old French central midfielder currently plays for Lorient in Ligue 1 and has caught the eye with his impressive performances this term.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once likened him to Joao Moutinho, by naming the French gem as a "similar" player, while listing the Frenchman's strengths as "passing, vision, and technique"; sound familiar?

Le Fee has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.24 in the league for Lorient in 2022/23 and made 2.1 key passes and 4.2 tackles and interceptions per match, which shows that the prospect can open up opposing defences and win the ball back for his team – similarly to the way the current Wolves star does.

The £9m-rated youngster, who Kulig once hailed as one of his club's "golden" trio of stars, has created nine 'big chances' for his teammates and ranks in the top 4% of players in his position in Europe's top five leagues over the last 365 days for tackles per 90.

These statistics show that the talented maestro has the quality and stylistic profile to be Lopetegui's perfect Moutinho heir with the midfielder having the ability to impact games at both ends of the pitch with his combative and creative play.

As new faces arrive to freshen up the squad for the ODI series, Australia will hope whatever combination they go with can put the Test fiasco behind and make a fresh start

Brydon Coverdale20-Aug-2016A change of clothing, a change of ball, a change of format, a change of personnel. A change of fortune? Australia would certainly hope so. After the humiliation of the No. 1 Test side in the world being whitewashed by the No. 7, Steven Smith’s men are now searching for a win – any old win – to restore a little bit of self-confidence. There are two pieces of good news for Australia that will encourage them ahead of this five-match ODI series.One: Rangana Herath is not playing. The man who claimed 28 wickets in the Test series retired from ODIs earlier this year. Two: the Australians might find the pitches for the ODI series a little more to their liking. Of course, it should be noted that there was nothing wrong with the Test pitches. But surfaces designed for 50-over matches and plenty of entertainment – those will suit Australia more.Just as in the Tests, Australia enter this series as No. 1 in the world – the difference is that their lead is so sufficient that even a total disaster will not see them drop from the top spot. A change of personnel will bring some freshness to the group. From outside the Test squad come James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Adam Zampa, George Bailey, Travis Head and Matthew Wade.Still, that leaves nine members of the ODI party who must shake off the disappointments of the past month and find fresh spark in the shorter format. Along with Smith, and his deputy David Warner, there is Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Moises Henriques. Mitchell Marsh was originally named in the squad, but has been sent home to rest.”No matter where you play, if you’re not winning, things are going to be a little bit flat,” Faulkner said in Colombo on the eve of the first ODI. “But we’ve got some new faces, and I’m one of them, that come into the group and bring some energy and some excitement for the five games and the two T20s after that.”Faulkner is, at least, certain to play the first match, after being dropped at the end of the ODI tri-series in the Caribbean in June. But what the rest of Australia’s XI will look like remains a mystery. The axing of Glenn Maxwell, Australia’s reigning ODI cricketer of the year, alters the balance of the side, while the return of Warner from injury and the inclusion of Shaun Marsh create a top-order glut.The likelihood is that Warner and Finch will open, and it would take a brave selector to leave Marsh out, given the form he displayed in the Colombo Test. That might in turn make it hard to find room for Khawaja, who was second only to Smith on Australia’s run charts in the West Indies tri-series. But the dropping of Maxwell from not only the XI but the wider squad shows that almost nobody is safe.”Besides the skipper, no one else is really guaranteed a spot in the side,” Finch told reporters in Colombo on Friday. “You have to be performing all the time. You just have to keep getting the business done, and if you don’t, there’s always someone breathing down your neck for your spot.”When you’ve got young guys performing well, Travis Head to go to England and get 175 [for Yorkshire] and play well in the last domestic one-day summer, there’s always someone breathing down your neck. So you have to be performing all the time, or have a real lot of credits in the bank.”One player with almost unlimited credits in the bank is Starc, the Player of the Tournament in last year’s World Cup and arguably the most dangerous wielder of a white ball at pace in the world right now. Not only that, but Starc is coming off the sort of Test series that would seem fanciful for a fast bowler in Asia: 24 wickets at 15.16, a wicket every 26 balls. The only question is whether the selectors may wish to rest Starc at some point during the ODI series.The other query around Australia’s attack is whether they will opt for one or two spinners. The young legspinner Zampa has shown remarkable poise during his first year as an international cricketer and is coming off an outstanding Caribbean Premier League season. He should be the starting spinner, ahead of Lyon, who in any case could use a break after sending down 154 overs in the Test series, the most for any bowler from either side.Whatever side Australia’s selectors come up with, at least they can view this change of format as a fresh start.

Referee Anthony Taylor and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the recent Everton defeat as they failed to send off Aymeric Laporte.

What’s the latest on VAR and Everton?

It was a near-perfect weekend in the Premier League for Manchester City and co as they extended their lead at the top of the table with a win.

Not only that, but with title rivals Arsenal losing 3-0 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion, it looks as though the division will be won by City once again.

Sadly, at the other end of the table, it was a miserable afternoon for the Toffees.

Their loss at Goodison Park came largely thanks to a moment of brilliance from Ilkay Gundogan which was swiftly followed by the inevitable Erling Haaland goal, before the German then made it 3-0 later on with a sumptuous free kick.

However, when the score was still 0-0, the Cityzens can perhaps count themselves a bit fortunate that Laporte wasn’t set off.

Indeed, as you can see in this footage, the defender clearly lashes out towards Everton defender Yerry Mina.

Did Laporte punch Yerry Mina?

Perhaps Laporte is saved by the fact that Mina makes an absolute meal out of the situation and so it looks as though he’s exaggerating the whole incident.

However, the fact is, the Man City centre-back clenches a fist and strikes the opposition player on the arm.

After all, as per the official FA Rules, it is violent conduct and therefore a red card when a player “attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made.”

And so, some may argue that Laporte doesn’t make a whole lot of contract with Mina, but the rules say that isn’t relevant and as he clenches his fist and lashes out, it certainly seems as though he had attempted to use “excessive force”.

Remarkably, however – despite journalist Patrick Boyland noting on Twitter: “Mina down after contact from Laporte. VAR has to look at this surely…” – the incident was not reviewed and so the officials really seemed to drop the ball here.

Man City reporter for The Athletic Sam Lee certainly seemed to be less than impressed by the moment of madness, as he simply wrote: “Laporte mate.”

All in all, it seems the Spain international got away with one here. Who knows, had he been sent off, perhaps Everton would have got something from the game, breathing life into the relegation battle and disrupting the title race too

Leeds United could lose a number of key first-team players this summer should they suffer relegation to the Championship.

Only a win against Tottenham Hotspur, combined with Leicester City and Everton dropping points, will be enough to keep Sam Allardyce's side in the Premier League for another season.

With the final day rapidly approaching, a number of Leeds players are perhaps already thinking about where they might be when the 2023/24 campaign rolls around.

One man, who may have already played his last game for the Yorkshire outfit due to the likely interest that will be shown in him this summer, is USA international Tyler Adams.

Could Adams have played his last Leeds game?

The defensive midfielder was signed from RB Leipzig in 2022 and is perhaps one of few players from the current campaign that can escape with any credit, in what has been an excellent debut season at Elland Road.

As per WhoScored, no player in Allardyce's squad has earned a higher average rating than Adams (6.73), while he also boasts the most tackles per game, an attribute that has been badly missed in Leeds' midfield in recent months.

He also excelled at the World Cup with Gregg Berhalter's side as they reached the round of 16, with American legend Alexi Lalas dubbing him a "monster" on Twitter, and it is perhaps no surprise that he has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United in recent months as a return to the Championship draws nearer.

Leeds fans have been well accustomed to seeing their top talents leave in recent seasons but losing Adams so soon after he signed, with just 26 appearances to his name this term, is a cruel blow following a disastrous campaign which will surely end in relegation this weekend.

Unfortunately for Leeds, the 24-year-old picked up a season-ending injury at the worst possible time, with the midfielder pulling up in the warm-up ahead of the 4-2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in March.

It is clear the influence that he had at Leeds, as the Yorkshire outfit have won just once since then, with the 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest nowhere near enough to preserve their Premier League status.

There is no way that Adams will be fit enough to feature against Spurs this weekend and therefore, Leeds fans may have already seen the last of their £55k-per-week midfielder. Indeed, he has shown with his performances this terr, that he is more than capable of playing in the top flight, and deserves to be playing for a club that can provide that next year.

The biggest obstacle in New Zealand’s path to a first ever Test series win over South Africa is the opposition’s pace pack, according to coach Mike Hesson.”From a seam bowling point of view, they are strong, they have got a lot of variety,” Hesson said in Durban. “They have some bounce bowlers, some good swing bowlers, some seam bowlers so that will provide it’s own challenges.”New Zealand are fresh off a 2-0 sweep over Zimbabwe, where their batsmen profited from time in the middle but were not always challenged by a hardworking but tame attack. Donald Tiripano, Michael Chinouya, Chamu Chibhabha and Prince Masvaure all bowled around 130kphs and slower, did not find movement or bounce and offered regular freebies. Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott, Wayne Parnell or Chris Morris are not expected to be as generous.South Africa’s six seamers, of which three are likely to play, are known for swing, seam movement and speed. Even though they have not competed in a Test match in nearly seven months and two of the three first-choice picks – Philander and Steyn – missed most of last summer with injuries, Hesson expects them to pose a serious threat to his line-up.”Vernon has played a lot of cricket recently so he has got loads of overs under his belt. He is a high quality bowler. We saw him at his best a few years ago. He hits lovely lengths and we know he is going to provide a challenge there, most likely with the new ball,” Hesson said, referring to Philander’s outings with the South African A team. Philander travelled to Zimbabwe and Australia where he was his usual miserly self, although he did not lead the wicket-takers’ list.Philander’s hauls in the last two years have decreased significantly from when his career began. But New Zealand will remember his 21 against them in the series in 2012, of which 10 came in the Hamilton Test South Africa won, and his seven in the Newlands match a year later. They will be wary of his ability to tempt batsmen outside the off stump, to create uncertainty with subtle movement and if nothing else, to hold his end while his team-mates attack.It is most likely those team-mates will be Steyn and Rabada, and Hesson mentioned both as men New Zealand would watching out for. “In terms of Kagiso Rabada, he has got pace, bounce and skill and he is fresh so he keeps running in at you hard. He is someone we are going to have to spend a bit of time on. We know he is a quality bowler. And then when you’ve got Dale Steyn at the other end, there is no let off.”New Zealand will draw inspiration from their recent form – they batted three times in the two-match series in Zimbabwe, registered six centuries and were not bowled out in any of their innings – but remain cautious that run-scoring won’t be as simple in South Africa as it was in Bulawayo. “We recognise that the surfaces there (Zimbabwe) are significantly different than they are here,” Hesson said.What they don’t know is exactly how different. There has never been a first-class match played at Kingsmead in August before so nobody knows what to expect from early season conditions. Durban does not get as cold as the rest of South Africa in winter, neither does it get as dry as the inland of the country, so it is unlikely to be too fresh a pitch. It may even take some turn, as it did during a limited-overs series played last August, which New Zealand were part of. If it does, they have come prepared.”It depends how dry the wicket is. If we think it’s going to turn – it turned during the one-dayers last year – we might play two spinners,” Hesson said. “We wouldn’t be afraid playing two spinners, if we felt that it was going to be dry and turn.”That was New Zealand’s strategy in Zimbabwe where they fielded both Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner to back up a three-pronged pace pack comprising Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. Wickets were spread among them with Wagner topping the charts with 11 scalps and Sodhi (eight), Boult and Santner and Southee (six each) not far behind. On unresponsive surfaces, the five-man attack combined to take 20 wickets twice and win the series.With that in mind, it may turn out that the biggest obstacle between South Africa defending an unbeaten record that has stretched back 14 series from 1931, and New Zealand, is the opposition’s pace pack.

In what appeared inconceivable several years ago, Newcastle United are in the running for Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane, with the Senegalese forward's future in Germany uncertain.

What's the latest on Sadio Mane to Newcastle?

According to Sky Germany, the 31-year-old has fallen out of favour with the German Bundesliga champions following a high-profile disagreement with teammate Leroy Sané, and Newcastle technical director Dan Ashworth is now mulling over issuing a swoop.

The former Liverpool sensation departed Anfield for £35m last summer, though an injury-affected campaign has indeed been exacerbated by his unwelcome fallout with Sane, consequently demoted in the mind of manager Thomas Tuchel.

Regardless, Mane is one of the most prolific wingers of the modern age and was a pillar of strength for years under Jurgen Klopp's wing in the Premier League, and a return, this time to St. James's Park, could bear fruit for the gem.

Should Newcastle sign Sadio Mane?

While Mane is now 31-years-old, he is still a predatory force on the pitch and has proven through years of solid servitude that he possesses a skill set capable of dismantling even the meanest of Premier League defences.

Having impressed with Southampton before completing a £34m to Merseyside in 2016, notably scoring the Premier League's fastest hat-trick in two minutes and 56 seconds before plundering 120 goals and 48 assists from 269 outings for Liverpool, pivotal in the recent illustrious success of the club.

This season, while he has scored 12 goals and provided six assists from 37 appearances for the Bavarian, the 95-cap Senegal star's future in Munich does not seem tenable, and he may need to seek pastures new once again.

His £374k-per-week wages could prove a stumbling block for many interested parties, though the Magpies boast the affluence to complete a swoop if they do decide to further their interest.

As per FBref, Mane, formerly hailed as "world-class" and a "machine" by Klopp, ranks among the top 5% of positional peers for rate of assists and the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90, and he could be the perfect acquisition to bolster the ranks ahead of a return to European football next season.

He could even displace Allan Saint-Maximin on the Toon flank, with the mercurial Frenchman not quite reaching the same heights of late despite his outfit's ascension under Howe's tutelage.

Saint-Maximin was signed for £20m from French Ligue 1 side Nice in 2019 and swiftly asserted himself as one of the most guileful wingers in the business, even dubbed a "wizard" by 90min's Graeme Bailey.

He has, however, yet to plunder more than five strikes in a season on Tyneside, scoring just once this year, and has scored a total of 13 goals from 121 appearances for his St. James's Park team, having also supplied 21 assists.

With Newcastle very much on the up, Howe must be ruthless and secure superlative signings if and when it will enhance the club's prospects of success; Mane's signature must be clinched.

Former South Africa Women allrounder Sunnette Viljoen, who has played one Test and 17 ODIs, created history on Thursday by bagging a silver medal in the women’s javelin final of the Rio Olympics

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2016Former South Africa Women allrounder Sunette Viljoen, who has played one Test and 17 ODIs, created history on Thursday by bagging a silver medal in the women’s javelin final of the Rio Olympics.Viljoen, 33, finished second behind Croatia’s Sara Kolak, with her best throw of 64.92 metres compared to Kolak’s 66.18 metres. Viljoen’s medal was the ninth for South Africa who are currently placed 34th overall with one gold, six silvers and two bronze medals.She had come agonisingly close to winning a medal at the London 2012 Olympics but finished fourth with a best throw of 64.53 metres, behind Germany’s Linda Stahl, who finished third with 64.91.Viljoen played her only Test against India in March 2002 in Paarl, scoring 17 and 71. She had made her ODI debut in 2000 and finished her ODI career two years later with 198 runs and five wickets.

Javelin: Sunette Viljoen takes SILVER, brilliant effort, another medal, congratulations Sunette #teamSArise

— TeamSouthAfrica (@teamsa16) August 19, 2016

India lost their first five wickets for 126 and their last five for 14, but in between the fifth and sixth R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha added 213 runs to save them the blushes

The Report by Sidharth Monga11-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Wet, wet, wet•AFP

The St Lucia Test took a big step towards a draw with steady rain not allowing any play on the third day. The match had already gone at a slow pace on the first two days with 11 wickets falling for only 460 runs. There hadn’t been any weather interruption on the first two days; the slowness was down to disciplined West Indies bowling and a slow outfield.West Indies were 107 for 1, trailing India’s 353 by 246 runs. With two days to go and an outfield slowed down further, chances of a result looked remote. India led the series 1-0 after the win in Antigua and draw in Jamaica.The rain on the third day was so steady play was called off before tea, at 1.45pm. Forecast for day four was for early showers but a clear afternoon.

Brentford goalkeeper David Raya would favour joining Tottenham Hotspur this summer as both Spurs and rivals Chelsea eye a move.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Currently, all the noise at Spurs surrounds the prospective appointment of a new manager to replace Antonio Conte, who departed N17 two months ago.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim are apparently in contention to succeed Conte, though it is believed Slot is currently the frontunner as things stand.

Elsewhere, chairman Daniel Levy is also thought to be chasing a new sporting director to replace the departed Fabio Paratici, who lost his appeal against a 30-month worldwide ban from football.

Amid all of these crucial tasks facing the north London club, Spurs also have to get preparing for this summer transfer window, as reports suggest long-serving keeper Hugo Lloris could leave the club after over a decade of service.

Signing a new shot-stopper to succeed the Frenchman will be imperative and Spurs are reportedly targeting a few stars for the role.

Inter Milan keeper Andre Onana, who has been transfer listed by the Champions League finalists, is apparently of interest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Brentford's Raya coming as another name.

According to The Daily Mail and journalist Simon Jones, the latter player actually "favours" a move to Spurs over London rivals Chelsea – but the Lilywhites have some work to do to reach Brentford's valuation.

The Mail say Spurs are willing to pay around £20 million, considering it a realistic price, with the Bees and manager Thomas Frank actually wanting around double that at £40m.

As a result, Spurs could be set for "interesting negotiations", but some good news could be that Brentford are already lining up goalkeeper Mark Flekken of Wolfsburg for a fee of around £11 million.

Who is David Raya?

The 27-year-old has been a brilliant player for Frank at Brentford, with pundit Michael Owen calling him "top-class" on Premier League Productions (via HITC).

Raya has featured over more league minutes than any other Brentford player this season, perhaps highlighting his real importance and quality to a side still chasing Conference League football.

The Spaniard also ranks in their top five best-performing players per 90 by average match rating, according to WhoScored, so it's clear to see why Spurs are interested in him as a possible replacement for Lloris.

However, with both clubs not yet meeting on a valuation, it will be interesting to see if Tottenham rate him enough to increase their offering.