A fresh report has emerged on the future of Julen Lopetegui at West Ham United, and his potential replacement at the London Stadium, as the London side continue to struggle in the early stretches of the Premier League campaign.

Lopetegui under early pressure at West Ham

Though he only arrived over the summer, Lopetegui is already headed firmly towards last-chance saloon in east London after a poor start to the season.

After 11 games, his side sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table with just 12 points to their name, losing five times and conceding 19 goals, among the highest in the division.

It follows a summer in which they laid their ambitions to join the elite in the top flight, spending over £130m on the likes of Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo.

Their summer spending was the fifth-highest in the Premier League, just £1m less than London rivals Tottenham, but they are yet to see any return on their investment as they struggle towards the bottom of the division ahead of their trip to Newcastle United.

Premier League’s biggest spenders summer 2024
Club	Outlay
Chelsea	£219.6m
Manchester United	£205.9m
Brighton	£192m
Tottenham	£133.5m
West Ham United	£132.5m

Their form has seen fingers pointed at Lopetegui, who became the first West Ham boss to lose his first three home games and has fared little better since, with very few truly impressive performances from his side and little indication that results will improve in the future.

Now, an update on his future and potential replacement has been provided.

West Ham update on potential Mourinho move

That comes courtesy of Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, who claims that Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has “switched on a charm offensive to circulate his name around clubs in the Premier League” as he eyes a potential return to the top flight amid rumours he was very interested in the West Ham job.

However, a move to West Ham is unlikely for several reasons, not least because the ex-Chelsea man would be an expensive hire and Lopetegui’s departure would also be costly given his recent arrival.

Meanwhile, the report adds that “as things stand, the club are set to grant Lopetegui more time to turn things around ahead of a favourable run of fixtures in the Premier League”, with the Hammers facing Leicester City, Bournemouth and Wolves all in their next five Premier League games.

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1

By
Ross Kilvington

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Mourinho has also ruled out a move this season, explaining to Sky Sports: “Let’s make it clear for the next two years, this season and the next, nobody would take me from Fenerbahce.”

However, a future move could well be on the cards, with the Portuguese coach openly revealing his desire to return to a London club.

“I had three clubs in England, Chelsea twice, so in four different periods I’ve coached in England and I loved it. I’ve been so, so lucky to live in beautiful countries and beautiful cities like Istanbul, Rome, Madrid, Milan but my family lives in London. London is home so one day I want to be back, unless nobody wants me.”

For now though, should West Ham opt to part ways with Lopetegui they will seemingly have to look elsewhere to find a new coach.

If you had asked an Arsenal fan what the team needed to improve a year ago, they probably would have said a new striker.

If you were to ask that same question to a fan today, they would almost certainly say the same thing.

Mikel Arteta has helped transform Arsenal into one of the best teams in England over the last few years, but since Pierre Emerick Aubameyang left the club in 2022, he hasn’t been able to sign a prolific number nine.

However, that could be about to change as recent reports have linked the club with someone who could be the perfect upgrade on Kai Havertz.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool and Manchester City are keen to sign the Brazilian, while Chelsea have also shown interest.

Interestingly, while the Seagulls have set an asking price of €70m – £58m – for the striker, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are ‘planning to make an offer of around €55-65 million’, which converts to between £46m and £54m.

It will be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Pedro’s ability, it is one worth pursuing, especially as he could be an upgrade on Havertz.

How Pedro compares to Havertz

So, should Arsenal be successful in their pursuit of Pedro and get him for around the £54m mark, it seems incredibly unlikely that he’d come in to sit on the bench.

Therefore, the Brighton ace would be in direct competition with Havertz for a place in the starting lineup, but which one comes out ahead?

Well, regarding their raw output this season, it’s a little complicated, as the German has scored ten goals and provided two assists compared to the Brazilian’s four goals and three assists.

However, the “fantastic” Seagulls ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced his haul in just ten appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 1.42 games.

In comparison, the former Chelsea man has produced his goal involvements in 23 appearances, resulting in a significantly less impressive average of one every 1.91 games.

What about their underlying numbers then? Who comes out on top when we look under the hood?

Surprisingly, it’s the “insane” former Watford star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, who comes out ahead, and by a country mile at that.

Pedro vs Havertz

Statistics per 90

Pedro

Havertz

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.54

0.54

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.93

0.47

Progressive Passes

3.73

2.97

Progressive Carries

3.60

1.55

Shots

2.39

2.36

Shots on Target

0.93

0.88

Goals per Shot

0.22

0.14

Goals per Shot on Target

0.57

0.38

Key Passes

1.47

0.81

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.73

0.47

Shot-Creating Actions

2.78

2.36

Goal-Creating Actions

0.53

0.14

Successful Take-Ons

1.73

0.41

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

For example, the 23-year-old emerges victorious in every relevant metric, including but not limited to non-penalty expected and actual goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot and shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Havertz is a great player and has been a useful signing for Arsenal, Pedro’s statistics are far, far more impressive, and in a weaker side, so Arteta and Co should do what they can to sign the Brazilian striker as soon as possible.

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It has been revealed that the Premier League's lawmakers are considering a rule change to combat the growing trend of goalkeepers going down to receive treatment and create a 'timeout' of sorts for their side. The tactic has been growing in popularity ever since similar rules were put in place to prevent outfield players doing the same thing. Discussed solutions include forcing a nominated outfield player to leave the field in place of the goalkeeper.

• Change in rules discussed amidst goalkeeper time-wasting tactics

  With the laws of the game in their current state, a goalkeeper cannot be forced to leave the field if they go down to receive treatment, meaning that there is a loophole which has often been utilised by sides in order to get instructions onto the field.

  From the start of the 2023-24 season, outfield players were forced to go off the field for 30 seconds after going down for treatment, to prevent similar tactics. This has now spread to goalkeepers, who have been utilised due to the fact that they are not allowed to exit the field, and the match cannot continue while they are down.

  This tactic hit headlines once again after Daniel Farke criticised Manchester City and their goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for going down to receive treatment on Saturday, while Farke’s Leeds side were coming into the ascendancy at 2-1 down.

  Meetings of the International Football Association Board's Football and Technical Advisory Panels have discussed this issue since October, report BBC Sport, with two potential rule changes being aired to combat the issue. One would involve an outfield player being forced to exit the field for 30 seconds if a goalkeeper goes down for treatment, while another option would ban players from approaching the touchline during such a stoppage, so that it cannot be used tactically as an opportunity to get managerial instructions onto the field.

  IFAB’s annual business meeting takes place on 20 January, and the matter will be discussed again, with the option of an outfield player having to come off ‘getting increasing support’.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Murphy calls for Premier League to change rule

  Pundit and former Premier League star Danny Murphy suggested on BBC Match of the Day that lawmakers should act quickly to change the rule.

  "I think they can change it really quickly," Murphy said.

  "If a keeper goes down injured, instead of him having to go off, one of the outfield players should go off then it's fair all round. It's a little change that makes a world of difference."

• 'Everyone knows why' – Farke rages after Leeds defeat

  Farke said after Donnarumma’s treatment stoppage led to City players gathering to receive instructions from Pep Guardiola: "Everyone knows why he went down," he began. "It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution. I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied.

  "If we don't educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain. It is for the authorities to find a solution. Is it in the sense of the game or fair play? I would have my doubts."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Possible law change awaits ahead of 2026 decision

  Time-wasting continues to be a subject of much debate as lawmakers consider how to improve the spectacle of football in the Premier League and beyond.

  A rule change to prevent goalkeeper ‘timeouts’ would represent a latest change in English football and another step in the right direction towards achieving that common goal. Whether a solution can be decided on in the coming months in time to result in a law change in 2026 remains to be discovered.

Since his return to Parkhead in the summer of 2023, Brendan Rodgers has been backed by the Celtic board in the transfer market in all three windows so far.

The biggest show of faith from the board so far has been the decision to break the club’s transfer record in an £11m swoop for Augsburg star Arne Engels.

However, his signings in his first window back at the club have not been hugely successful as a collective in their first 18 months or so in Glasgow.

Paulo Bernardo, who was on loan last term before joining permanently this summer, is the only one who remains a regular fixture in the side in the present day.

Celtic's 2023 summer signing woes

Per Transfermarkt, Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Luis Palma, and Odin Thiago Holm were the four most expensive signings in that transfer window, all costing £2.5m or more.

Nawrocki, Lagerbielke, and Holm combined for just 13 starts in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, and none of them have started a game in the division this season, with Lagerbielke currently on loan with FC Twente.

Palma started well at Celtic, with five goals and nine assists in his first 16 league games, but has only produced two goals and zero assists in 16 Premiership matches in 2024.

One signing that may have gone under the radar as a flop from that summer of recruits has been Australia international Marco Tilio, who was brought in for a fee of £1.5m from Melbourne City.

Marco Tilio's Celtic struggles

Shortly before his official unveiling, Football FanCast suggested that Tilio could have been Rodgers’ own version of Manchester City star Phil Foden, as a diminutive, left-footed, attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or out wide.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig had named Foden as a “similar” type of player to the then-Melbourne star and listed dribbling, technique, and ball control among the £1.5m signing’s strengths, after a return of ten goals and five assists in 25 A-League starts in the 2022/23 campaign.

Tilio, however, arrived with an injury and was not fit until September 2023, which meant that he was already down the pecking order by the time he was available.

The winger went on to play just 28 minutes across two games against Hibernian and Motherwell in November and December 2023, as the winger failed to break into the starting XI, with the likes of Palma, Hyun-jun Yang, Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Hyeon-gyu Oh, and James Forrest ahead of him in the forward areas.

Tilio was then sent out on loan to Melbourne City for the second half of the season and scored one goal in four matches, whilst missing nine games through injury, before returning for a second loan there in the summer transfer window.

24/25 A-League	Marco Tilio
Appearances	3
Goals	1
Assists	0
Big chances created	0
Key passes per game	1.3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old attacker scored one goal in three matches at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, but he has been out with a hamstring injury since November and is expected to be back at the end of December.

So far, it has been £1.5m wasted for Celtic as they have only got 28 minutes of action from him in what will have been two years by the end of his current loan with Melbourne.

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Dan Emery

Nov 19, 2024

His form in Australia, along with his continued injury issues, does not suggest that he is likely to return to Parkhead and live up to being their own version of Foden.

Tilio’s contract with Celtic does not expire until the summer of 2028, though, and there is still time for him to overcome his struggles, but it currently looks as though it was £1.5m wasted by the Scottish side.

While Titans pace attack proved too much for Knight Riders, Sunrisers’ pace battery floored Royal Challengers in their previous outings

Deivarayan Muthu26-Apr-20222:25

Can Gujarat cope without Hardik the bowler?

Big pictureBhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Marco Jansen and T Natarajan on one side. Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph and Rashid Khan on the other. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Titans.Sunrisers (20.69) have the best bowling average this season, followed by Titans’ 25.79. Sunrisers’ attack also has the best economy rate of 7.99, with Titans – 8.22 – hot on their heels. Plus, there’s the tasty narrative of Rashid going up against his former franchise once again.Related

Short proves sweet for Gujarat Titans' pace quartet

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The last time these two sides met, earlier this month, Rashid bagged a duck with the bat and his bowling was largely diffused by Sunrisers as Titans suffered their first – and only – defeat of the season. Can Sunrisers now do the double over Titans?While Sunrisers’ batting looks in healthy shape, with the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, and Abhishek Sharma contributing handsomely, Titans’ has largely revolved around their captain Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill. While Abhinav Manohar and Rahul Tewatia have applied finishing touches at different points, the overall balance of the line-up still appears shaky, especially when Pandya isn’t fit enough to bowl and when Tewatia, Rashid and Abhinav are Nos. 5, 6 and 7. Titans have also had some luck along the way, but can they find a way once it runs out?Live in the USA

You can watch the action live on ESPN+ .

Considering that both the attacks drip with supreme skill and variety, it is the batting that could decide this game.In the newsSunrisers’ premier spinner Washington Sundar has now missed three successive matches with a hand injury. Speaking to Star Sports, the host broadcaster, last week, Hemang Badani, Sunrisers’ fielding coach and talent scout, hinted that Washington wouldn’t be rushed back into action and that he will return only after he withstands some load during practice. Washington trained with the squad on Tuesday, but it remains to be seen whether he is fit enough to play on Wednesday.Likely XIsGujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), 4 David Miller, 5 Rahul Tewatia, 6 Abhinav Manohar, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Yash DayalSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 J Suchith/Washington Sundar, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T NatarajanGujarat Titans have used their bowling resources well this season•BCCIStrategy puntThe sample size is fairly small – 35 runs off 26 balls – but the in-form Rahul Tripathi could be Sunrisers’ best bet to deal with Rashid. He has struck at nearly 135 against the wristspinner while being dismissed just once in the IPL.Stats that matter Natarajan has been among the best bowlers both at the top and tail this IPL. Nobody has picked up more wickets than his six in the powerplay. Only Dwayne Bravo (9) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (7) have taken more wickets than his six at the death. Gill has struggled against Bhuvneshwar in the IPL, managing only 32 runs off 37 balls at a strike rate of 86.48 while being dismissed twice. Sunrisers (40) and Titans (37) have hit the least sixes among the ten teams this season. Shami has removed Kane Williamson four times in ten T20 innings while giving up 66 runs off 47 balls.Sunrisers have won just one of the seven IPL games they have played at the Wankhede Stadium.

Former referee Jon Moss shared a hilarious Jose Mourinho anecdote about when the legendary manager ambushed a TV interview to praise his performance.

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Moss officiated for 11 years in the Premier LeagueHad a "love-hate" relationship with MourinhoHilarious anecdote recalledFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Moss, who officiated hundreds matches in the English top flight over his illustrious career, was well-known for his strict yet composed officiating style. Across his tenure, he issued 907 yellow cards, 14 red cards, and awarded 81 penalties, averaging a spot-kick every 3.4 matches.

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While the technical aspect of refereeing is challenging, Moss admitted that one of the toughest parts of the job is handling the players and managers who bring intense emotions and personalities to the game. When asked about the most difficult coach to control, his answer was immediate.

WHAT MOSS SAID

Speaking on the podcast, Moss said: "I always had a love-hate relationship with Jose Mourinho. I sent him off three times, I thought he was a fantastic manager, in terms of the kind of character you want in the league he would be challenging at times, he would be fantastic company to have.

"We went to the Europa League final with Anthony Taylor, and he greeted us in the car park like a long-lost brother. There have been times when I was toe-to-toe with him in the dressing room where I had to stand my ground."

DID YOU KNOW?

Among his many exchanges with the ex-Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham boss, one moment stood out as classic Mourinho. Moss explained how he once complained to Mourinho about never receiving positive feedback from managers in post-match interviews. The response he received was both unexpected and vintage Mourinho.

"I said 'Jose, you never say anything good about referees on the TV!' and he said 'Wait here!'," Moss continued.

"He runs in, one of his players is being interviewed on Sky, and he pushes him to one side and goes on the camera and says 'I thought the referee had a great game today!' He then walked into the dressing room and said 'there you go, you owe me one' and walked off!"

Manchester United and INEOS have made contact with a £40 million+ star who has scored a European final hat-trick, as they look to bring him to Old Trafford, according to a recent report.

Two possible Man Utd exits in January

The January transfer window opens in just over two weeks, so it is expected that behind the scenes at Old Trafford it could be rather busy, as the club’s board puts plans in place as to what they want to do over the next month or so for Ruben Amorim.

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It is unclear how busy the Red Devils could be in regards to arrivals, as financial fair play rules mean money is rather tight. Therefore, it could well be a case of moving players on in the hope of then being able to bring in reinforcements. INEOS appears ready to do that, as it’s emerged that two players could be allowed to leave in January.

The first player is defender Victor Lindelof, as Man United are prepared to sell the Swedish international in the New Year. The defender is out of contract at the end of the season, and instead of him leaving for free, United are looking to get around £5-6 million for him. Lindelof is said to be open to leaving Old Trafford, as he’s got several Premier League and Italian teams interested in his services.

Lindelof is not the only player who could leave, as Man Utd are also willing to let Marcus Rashford leave in January. The Englishman has struggled for form this season, and now Sir Jim Ratcliffe is possibly willing to let Rashford leave in order to raise cash funds. Rashford hasn’t been a regular under Amorim and was left out of the squad for the Manchester Derby on Sunday.

Man Utd make contact to sign £40m+ Ademola Lookman

Now, according to Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Manchester United have made contact with Ademola Lookman’s entourage over a possible transfer. The 27-year-old plays for Italian side Atalanta and has done so since August 2022, when he joined from RB Leipzig.

Lookman has been an instant hit in Bergamo since joining, as he scored 13 goals in 31 Serie A games in his first season, followed by 11 in 31, and so far, this season, he already has eight in 13. Lookman was very impressive for Atalanta last season and was key in them winning the Europa League, as he scored a hat-trick in the final that secured their famous win against Bayer Leverkusen.

His excellent form has continued, and he has now emerged on the radar of the Red Devils. Tavolieri reports that Lookman wants to return to England after his successful stint in Italy, and Atalanta have told the forward that they will negotiate a transfer as long as they receive a satisfactory offer.

Apps

13

Goals

8

xG

5.09

Goals per game

0.6

Assists

4

xAG

3.31

Touches

45.8

Big chances created

6

Key passes

2.3

Man United are among the teams to have contacted Lookman’s entourage, along with Liverpool and Chelsea. Bayern Munich are also interested in Lookman, but they are behind the English teams in the race, while PSG did have an agreement with Atalanta to sign Lookman, but the deal was rejected by manager Luis Enrique. Atalanta are not willing to discuss a transfer below €50 million, which is roughly £41 million.

Liverpool are reportedly in "regular contact" with Jeremie Frimpong, with the Bayer Leverkusen star targeting a move away from the Bundesliga.

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• Liverpool set for potential summer shake-up
• Reds already in touch with Frimpong
• Leverkusen star could be willing to leave

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Frimpong is thought to be eager for a new challenge in the summer and could be set to leave Xabi Alonso's side. According to , the Dutchman has been in touch with the Reds over a potential summer transfer to Anfield. Leverkusen are believed to value Frimpong at around €40 million (£33m), and he has a contract at the German club until 2028.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Frimpong is not the only Bundesliga star on Liverpool's radar ahead of the summer transfer window. The Reds are also interested in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ansgar Knauff, Wolfsburg’s Konstantinos Koulierakis and Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, according to the report. Knauff is seen as a more versatile and cheaper option that Frimpong, with the Eintracht Frankfurt defender valued at €25m (£21m).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Liverpool could be set for plenty of changes this summer. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are all heading to the end of their existing contracts and could potentially walk away as free agents, while Arne Slot's side have also been tipped to try and upgrade misfiring forward Darwin Nunez.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL

  Liverpool return to action after the international break with a Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield. The Reds will be aiming to bounce back from their recent disappointments in the Champions League and Carabao Cup final by beating their local rivals and moving a step closer to lifting the Premier League title.

طالب خالد الغندور الإعلامي الحالي، ولاعب الزمالك السابق، بضرورة التجديد لمدافع الفريق خلال الفترة الحالية، من أجل الحفاظ عليه.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة سموحة، مساء الأربعاء، 16 أبريل، في إطار مواجهة الجولة الأخيرة من عمر منافسات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية.

وقال الغندور خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “ألمحور” لبرنامج “ستاد المحور”: “المنطق والعقل يقول إن حسام عبد المحيد أعلى من محمود حمدي الونش”.

طالع | حكم مباراة الزمالك وسموحة في كأس الرابطة المصرية

وأضاف: “الونش جدد بمبلغ كبير، حسام متواجد في منتخب مصر وأصغر سنًا، والونش عائد من أكثر من إصابة، فيجب التجديد لـ حسام عبد المجيد بمبلغ كبير لكي تحافظ عليه، وسيأتي له عروضا أكبر من المبلغ الذي سيحصل عليه”.

ومن جانب آخر، أوضح: “إذا لم يستطع مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للأهلي، في الوصول لمباراة نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا على حساب صن داونز سيتم اقالته”.

الأهلي سيلاقي صن داونز، السبت المقبل 19 أبريل، في إطار مواجهة الذهاب لدور نصف النهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

A defeat for Mumbai could be all but curtains for their campaign while a loss could put Super Kings on the brink

S Sudarshanan20-Apr-2022

Mumbai Indians are yet to get off the mark in this IPL•BCCI

Big PictureIt’s the El Clasico of the IPL – Chennai Super Kings taking on the Mumbai Indians.History has it as the battle between two successful teams, between two top sides led by astute white-ball captains, whose planning and execution have almost always been perfect. The two teams combined have nine IPL titles out of the 14 seasons thus far.But what about 2022?The mega auction seems to have robbed both Mumbai and the Super Kings of their cores, as both teams are languishing at the bottom of the points table. While the Super Kings have won one out of their six matches, Mumbai Indians are yet to get a win this season. And so, the El Clasico will perhaps still continue to be a battle of equals this year.LIVE in the USA

You can watch the match on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi.

First up, both teams can chat about their bowling worries over a cup of coffee – Super Kings have given away runs at an economy of nine while Mumbai are a tad worse with 9.6, the two worst figures this season. Both of them have conceded over 180 on three occasions so far. Teams are happy to see off the Jasprit Bumrah threat, which shows in his return of a mere four wickets in six outings, with an economy of 6.6 in the last five matches combined. That’s perhaps why Jaydev Unadkat’s figures of 2-32 against Lucknow Super Giants should be welcome, given that he’s quite economical in the middle overs.As for Super Kings, Maheesh Theekshana’s impact in the powerplay is hard to miss – four wickets in the three matches. It has helped them exert some control at the start, especially after missing their key bowler in Deepak Chahar. However, against Mumbai, who have lost the least wickets (one) and average 148 against fingerspin this season, Theekshana and Super Kings’ tactics will be interesting to watch.One of the other areas of major concern for the four-time champs was Ruturaj Gaikwad’s form. The orange cap winner from last season had a best of 17 in the first five matches before a welcome return to runs with a 73 against Gujarat Titans. Mumbai would hope their captain Rohit Sharma turns a corner, too, against their arch-rivals. He averages 26.7 as an opener in the IPL since 2000, which is only better than Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 19.6. Mumbai have won seven of their eight games since 2018, whenever Rohit has scored a half-centuryA defeat for Mumbai could be all but curtains for their campaign while a loss could put Super Kings on the brink.In the newsDevon Conway has left the IPL bubble to go home to South Africa for his wedding. He is expected to rejoin on April 24.Kieron Pollard’s strike rate of 172 against Super Kings is the most for him against any opposition in the IPL and could be the just tonic for his form revival.Will Dwaine Pretorius replace Chris Jordan in the CSK XI?•BCCI

Likely XIsMumbai Indians: 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Dewald Brewis, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Kieron Pollard/Tim David, 7 Fabian Allen, 8 M Ashwin, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Tymal Mills/Riley Meredith, 11 Jaydev UnadkatChennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja (capt), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Chris Jordan/Dwaine Pretorius, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Mukesh ChoudharyStrategy PuntSuper Kings should play Dwaine Pretorius over Chris Jordan, who has been expensive in the middle overs (economy rate of 11) as well as at the death (economy of 13.04). Pretorius has fared better with the ball in each of those phases in the two games he’s played, having an economy of 6.80 and 10 respectively.In Kieron Pollard and Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai have two batters who can counter Dwayne Bravo, Chris Jordan and Pretorius. Both the batters strike in excess of 155 against the aforementioned bowlers. However, Suryakumar’s strike-rate against Ravindra Jadeja is 77 and he could well let Pollard, who strikes at 190, take matters in hand when facing the left-arm spinner.Stats that matter It will be the 200th T20 for Bumrah and 200th IPL appearance for Robin Uthappa Bravo has 31 wickets against Mumbai, the most by anyone and third-most by a bowler against a particular opposition in the IPL Gaikwad averages 54.1 in the powerplay since IPL 2020, the most among openers