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Journalist Josh Bunting was left shocked by a ‘moment of complete madness’ from defender Steve Cook during Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown

Steve Cooper’s side took to the City Ground to face off against Spurs this afternoon after enjoying a decent start to the Premier League season, having picked up four points from their opening three games. The Tricky Trees duly sat 12th in the league table, and a win over the Lilywhites would have taken them up into the European places.

Antonio Conte’s men were also looking for another three points after a strong start to their campaign, with two wins and a draw in their opening three games of the season.

To Cooper’s dismay, Tottenham got off to an emphatic start, with star striker Harry Kane bagging the opening goal of the game in the fifth minute of play.

The Latest

Returning to the pitch after the half-time interval, a momentary lapse in concentration led to a Spurs penalty in the 54th minute.

Centre-back Steve Cook handled the ball in the Reds’ penalty area, leading to an opposition penalty and a yellow card. To the defender’s relief, Dean Henderson thwarted Kane’s spot kick, keeping Forest in contention for the remainder of the match.

Bunting was left astounded by the defender’s actions, given his wealth of experience playing at the top level.

As a result, the journalist took to Twitter to share his reaction, stating: “Penalty for Tottenham but what is Steve Cook thinking, that’s a moment of complete madness. For a player that experienced that’s just insane. Kane steps up and it is saved by Dean Henderson it’s his second penalty save of the season after keeping out Declan Rice. Excellent save.”

The Verdict

After ten years and 387 appearances playing for Bournemouth, Cook joined Forest in January as the Reds pushed on for Premier League promotion. The 31-year-old went on to play 14 times during the remainder of the Reds’ 2021/22 Championship campaign, eventually helping his team to triumph in the play-offs.

With 170 Premier League games under his belt, the defender certainly has enough experience to help Forest navigate their first top-flight campaign in 23 years.

You can duly see why Bunting was so surprised by Cook’s lapse in concentration, so hopefully he learns from it ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Manchester City and doesn’t repeat the feat then, as he might not get away with it a second time.

Southampton could be set to lose one of their longest-serving players this summer, with reports suggesting that centre-back Jack Stephens is likely to join Watford.

What’s the word?

Stephens has been with Southampton since he was just 17 but 11 years later, it seems as if his time at St Mary’s could soon be up, with Watford heavily linked with signing the defender.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook shared his knowledge of the 28-year-old’s situation with the Saints.

He said: “Stephens is interesting because I saw that knocking around yesterday and I’ve seen it again this morning.

“I did contact someone close to Southampton and they said he might go, they’re not entirely sure it’ll be to Watford, though, so keep an eye on that one.”

The best option

Stephens has steadily moved down the pecking order at Southampton in recent seasons, with the likes of Lyanco, Mohammed Salisu and Armel Bella-Kotchap joining the club, so selling the Englishman might be the best option for Southampton.

In his time on the south coast, Stephens has made 151 appearances in total, contributing six goals and six assists. However, he was limited to just 11 appearances in the Premier League last season and has started both of the games this campaign on the bench, so it would not be a surprise to see him leave in search of regular game time.

Stephens is surprisingly one of the better earners at Southampton, reportedly earning £48k per week with the club, so selling him would free up some funds for defensive improvements, which are definitely needed if the first two games of the new season are anything to go by.

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The Saints have shipped six goals already this season and had one of the worst defensive records in the top-flight last season. Indeed, they shipped 67 times, the fourth-worst number in the Premier League, so it’s clear that new additions are needed if Hasenhuttl’s side want to avoid another difficult campaign.

It must be worrying that Stephens can’t even break into a defence as poor as that so it is undeniably the best option for all parties if he is moved on this summer.

The 28-year-old still has two years left on his contract at St Mary’s so should demand a decent fee from Watford, and hopefully, his departure proves to be good news for Hasenhuttl, as it could pave the way for Southampton to sign a more reliable replacement.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped an exciting behind-the-scenes update regarding the Hoops’ summer transfer plans.

What’s the latest?

Speaking after the pre-season win over Banik Ostrava (via Daily Record), the Bhoys manager said: “We’re still working in the background and hopefully we’ll get some new players in.”

So far in this summer’s transfer window, Celtic have secured permanent deals for their previous loan trio of Jota, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Daizen Maeda. In addition, the Parkhead club have also brought a couple of new faces to Glasgow in the shape of goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist and full-back Alexandro Bernabei.

The Bhoys have also missed out on some reported targets such as Rabbi Matondo, who recently joined Rangers from Schalke 04, and Vinicius Souza, who has now joined Espanyol.

In more recent days, the Premiership champions have been linked with a move for Argentinos Juniors midfielder Fausto Vera.

Bearing in mind how the likes of Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton and Ismaila Soro have waved goodbye to the Parkhead club this summer, it’s easy to see why the Bhoys have been linked with another midfielder.

Celtic fans will be buzzing

Now that Postecoglou has revealed that the Hoops are working behind the scenes and is hopeful of bringing more players to Glasgow, that should have a lot of Celtic fans jumping for joy.

Looking back to the significant number of deals which were completed last summer, this track record will surely give Hoops supporters a lot of faith and confidence that the club will be able to get the deals that they want done before the current transfer window closes.

Taking into account how the Bhoys will not only have the league title to fight for next season but also the other domestic competitions as well as the Champions League, having a squad that’s strong enough and has the right amount of depth in it will be crucial.

If Celtic can bring some new players to the club who can improve the squad and push the team forward, this would surely top off what has been a rather productive summer transfer period.

AND in other news: Ange can seal big Kyogo upgrade with £3.5k-p/w Celtic target who has “power and pace”

Crystal Palace are looking to hijack Fulham’s deal for Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Brazilian publication FogaoNET, who claim that Palace have made contact with United over a potential deal.

Fulham had agreed a deal of £9m with the Red Devils, but this late attempt from Patrick Vieira has given the player a decision to make.

Pereira will decide his future within the next few days, and also has Lyon as a potential suitor.

Vieira would love him

The Brazilian’s career at Old Trafford has certainly been tumultuous, however, he picked a good year to leave on loan as United slumped to their worst ever Premier League season.

Having initially been touted as an attacking midfielder upon first bursting onto the scene, this season has seen him develop into more of a deep-lying playmaker. He could be the perfect player that Vieira needs to balance his fresh midfield.

With Cheick Doucoure all but announced, and a number of other midfielders linked, Pereira could be the glue to tie them all together.

This season for Flamengo, the £6.75m-rated maestro averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.93 in the league; a solid return for a holding midfielder.

Also offering three goal contributions in just 13 appearances, his time as an attacking midfielder means he has a touch of class that differentiates him from other defensive midfielders.

It is this class that has led his manager for the season, Renato Gaucho, to be full of praise for him: “He is versatile, he is a player I talked to even before joining Flamengo.

“He is a player who knows how to defend, knows how to attack too, he has the quality for that. That’s what I said, he is a player who is above average. Without a doubt, it was a great signing for Flamengo.”

Pereira had struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford, but perhaps being a slightly larger fish in a smaller pond, and this slight positional tweak, could unlock a remarkable player.

Already labelled a great signing for Flamengo, perhaps he could be the same for Vieira and link together his new acquisitions.

AND, in other news: “I see…”: Fabrizio Romano drops big Man Utd transfer claim, supporters will buzzing.

Leeds United would be willing to let Raphinha leave the Yorkshire club during the current summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter by Fabrizio Romano, the journalist and transfer insider had this to say on the Brazilian’s current situation at Thorp Arch.

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He said: “Leeds United have been pretty clear with all clubs interested in Raphinha: he can leave but they want at least £65m fee. Arsenal after first bid rejected, Spurs after new direct talks, Chelsea after contact through [Todd] Boehly… and Barca via Deco, got the same message.”

Leeds signed the attacker back in October 2020 on a four-year deal from Rennes worth £17m.

Bad news for Leeds fans

It didn’t take long for the 25-year-old to become a pivotal player for the Whites as he scored six goals and delivered eight assists in 29 Premier League appearances throughout his debut season.

His previous campaign also showed just how important he is for the Yorkshire club having found the net 11 times and supplied three assists, leaving him with more goal contribution than any other player in the squad.

With that in mind, it’s safe to say that without the winger in their ranks, Leeds could well have been relegated from the Premier League last season.

This not only shows why so many clubs in the top flight are looking to snatch him away from Elland Road but also why it’d be such a blow for the club and the fans to lose him this summer.

Given everything he’s done for the club since his arrival and his clear talent and ability to play in the Premier League at a high level, it makes sense for the Whites to command a hefty transfer fee for him.

Should they end up selling the Brazil international this summer for around the apparent £65m fee, they would have to make sure that money is used to bring in a suitable replacement for the winger so the team doesn’t suffer as a result of his absence.

Moving forward, having already rejected a bid from Arsenal, it’ll be interesting to see if any other offers come in and if they will be tempting enough for Leeds to sell their star man.

AND in other news: Victor Orta now plotting Leeds bid for “beautiful” £26m target, he “has everything”

Leeds United officials Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear have been spotted in New York, just over five miles away from the stadium of a rumoured summer transfer target.

The Lowdown: Valentin Castellanos links

The Whites have made a start on their summer business after guaranteeing another season of Premier League football by signing Brenden Aaronson.

Rasmus Kristensen now appears to be the next potential arrival from FC Salzburg, with Leeds also after a striker.

New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos could be that forward addition at Elland Road, with journalist Dean Jones recently labelling it as one to watch.

Castellanos, described as a ‘quality player’ and even dubbed the ‘new Didier Drogba’, can also play on the wing and has contributed to 76 goals in 126 games for the MLS side.

The Latest: Orta and Kinnear spotted

Orta and Kinnear were snapped alongside Leeds director Massimo Marinelli at Quality Meats Steakhouse on Central Park – just 5.6 miles away from New York City’s Yankee Stadium.

Marinelli uploaded the image of the three on Tuesday evening on his private Instagram account, which was shared by @LUFCBayArea on Twitter.

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The Verdict: Move possible?

Leeds fans quite often go into investigator mode whenever a player is linked – with the most recent example coming with Aaronson’s flight to England even being tracked across the channel.

We’ve saves supporters the work this time to show that Orta and Kinnear may well have been in New York to see Marinelli and work on a move for Castellanos.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a fine 2021/22 season, contributing to 16 goals in 17 games, so a transfer could indeed be one to watch closely over the coming days.

In other news: After Kristensen: Radz & 49ers now ready to write Leeds cheque for ‘really exciting’ midfielder. 

Arsenal have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their final game of the Premier League campaign against Everton today.

What’s the latest?

As per a report from Evening Standard, Arteta’s side are likely to be without Takehiro Tomiyasu, with the Japan international forced off in the 39th minute of the Gunners’ uninspiring defeat to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Monday night.

Tomiyasu’s muscular injury is the latest in what has been a considerable amount of problems for Arsenal in the business end of the campaign, with the likes of Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey also out for the season.

As such, Cedric Soares is expected to fill in at right-back in the Japan international’s absence.

A big blow for Arteta

The latest injury at Arsenal represents a big setback for both Arteta and Tomiyasu, with the latter having endured an injury-ridden first season in the Premier League.

When he has played, the 23-year-old has been a defensive rock for the Gunners.

Boasting an average of 0.20 defensive actions that led to a shot attempt, his ability to turn over possession quickly has enabled Arsenal to hit on the break on numerous occasions. Though, it’s his defensive participation average of 1.26 interceptions and 0.91 passes blocked that Arteta will miss the most, in what is an integral game if they are to achieve their top-four ambitions.

In the Arsenal squad, Tomiyasu ranks joint first for his 1.3 interceptions per 90 and boosts the Gunners’ attacking threat with his average of 4.00 passes into the final third.

His offensive acumen would have been felt by Lampard’s side, who boasts the fourth worst defence in the league, having conceded 61 goals this season.

The blow to Tomiyasu is another frustrating setback, with the Japanese defender having already missed nine games with a calf injury earlier this season.

In other news: Fewer touches than Ramsdale: Arsenal dud who made just 8 passes was a passenger v THFC 

Everton will return to action on Sunday as they travel to the King Power Stadium to play Leicester City for their second meeting in less than a month, and Frank Lampard has given an early injury update ahead of the game.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees boss took to Everton TV to talk about the plans for the last five games, and revealed a promising update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury progress:

“We have a week now [before the Leicester game] to get Dom more fit because he can be a big player for us – we know that – and to keep the levels in the squad high and positive.”

Supporters will be excited

Everton are in an extremely vulnerable position with their Premier League status hanging in the balance.

The side are currently 18th in the league table, two points deep into the relegation zone currently so the return of Calvert-Lewin will surely be welcomed and leave supporters excited ahead of the final hurdle in their battle for safety.

The star striker has had a horrendous season in terms of dealing with constant injuries that has seen him miss large chunks of the campaign, which has notably had an effect on the attacking output of the team and as a result, has led Everton into the desperate situation they have found themselves in.

Calvert-Lewin was out from August 2021 to January 2022 with a quad injury and broken toe, despite making ten appearances since his return the centre-forward has struggled to get back into form with just one assist and no goals since he scored against Brighton in August last year, just before he sustained his long-term injury.

With that being said, the fact that there is a chance he can return against Leicester will be a huge relief to Lampard and the team, giving them a huge boost to their forward line that could ultimately be the difference in Premier League or Championship football next season, as they approach the finale of their season over the next few weeks.

Lampard must find a way to keep the confidence and the momentum going in his team following a fantastic victory over Chelsea last weekend whilst they still have the opportunity to save themselves.

AND in other news: Forget Holgate: Everton must unleash “composed” 18y/o tank with “plenty of potential”

A look back at all the key events from the third week of the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Deivarayan Muthu09-Oct-2018Best batsmenTamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund, who had been previously perceived as a long-format player, cranked up the tempo and showed that he wasn’t a one-trick pony, making four successive fifty-plus scores, including an unbeaten 131 off 100 balls against Tripura. He seemed set to extend the streak to six, but fell narrowly short in the side’s losses to Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana. No batsman had scored more runs than Abhinav’s 560 in nine innings – that came at an average of 70 and strike-rate of 90.03 – until Tuesday.Karn Veer Kaushal became the first double-centurion in the Vijay Hazare Trophy•ESPNcricinfo LtdBatsmen from new teams enjoyed another productive week, with Uttarakhand opener Karn Veer Kaushal headlining it by smashing the first-ever double-hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The previous highest score in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was Ajinkya Rahane’s 187 for Mumbai against Maharashtra in Pune in 2007-08.Meghalaya’s wicketkeeper-batsman Puneet Bisht, who had been part of the Delhi Daredevils roster before, Manipur’s Yashpal Singh, and Nagaland’s KB Pawan all hit at least one hundred in the past week. Shubman Gill, who had starred in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year in New Zealand, struck three consecutive half-centuries; two of which contributed to wins for Punjab.Best bowlersSpinners continued to boss the tournament. Seven of the top-ten wicket-takers were spinners, with Saurashtra’s Jaydev Unadkat, Uttarakhand’s Deepak Dhapola, and Maharashtra’s Samad Fallah being the only seamers in the list.Varun Chakravathi bowls in the TNPL•TNPLTamil Nadu’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravathi, who had elbowed his way into the side following a breakout season in the 20-over Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) finished his Vijay Hazare stint with 22 wickets in nine matches. Varun, who can bowl offbreaks, legbreaks, googlies and carrom balls, was entrusted with the task of bowling in the death, too, after the team’s frontline seamers T Natarajan and K Vignesh were sidelined with injuries.Nineteen-year-old Rajasthan legspinner Rahul Chahar put Services out of contention for the knockouts with career-best returns of 5 for 29.And remember the Kohli – Taruwar – who was the fifth-highest scorer in India’s title-winning campaign in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup? He scooped 6 for 65 with his medium-pace for Mizoram against Uttarakhand, including a hat-trick in the final over of the innings.Best matchesThere were a few thrillers in the past week, with our pick being the 661-run Group B match between Uttar Pradesh and Andhra at the Palam B ground. In pursuit of 331, Andhra were left needing seven off the final over, with just two wickets in hand. Nineteen-year-old quick Shivam Mavi had No. 10 KV Sasikanth holing out off the first ball, but, having crossed over, D Ravi Teja saw Andhra home with three balls to spare. The victory took Andhra to 22 points and set up their push for the quarter-finals.The same venue had served up another enthralling contest, where Uttar Pradesh finished at the wrong end again. Their captain Suresh Raina struck a 69-ball 66, his second successive half-century, but his wicket triggered a collapse in a chase of 228 as UP went from 152 for 3 to 164 for 7 against Kerala. Rinku Singh then gave UP hope with 33 off 38 balls, but he was the ninth batsman to be dismissed in the penultimate over. With five to defend off the last over, left-arm spinner Akshay Chandran conceded singles off his first four balls before removing No.11 Yash Dayal to seal victory for Kerala.ControversiesThe game between Bengal and Jharkhand ended in controversial fashion amid fading light at the TI-Cycles Ground in Chennai, with Jharkhand declared as the winning team via VJD method, with one over left in their chase. This, after slow over rates from both sides had dragged the match to 6pm after it had started at 9am.Shahbaz Nadeem attributed the slow over rate to the inhospitable weather in Chennai and frequent ball-changes. Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary, meanwhile, took to Twitter to accuse Jharkhand centurion Anand Singh of using a bat that was “thicker than the actual [allowed] measurements”.Naman Ojha appeals for a run out of Usman Khawaja after breaking the stumps•BCCIThe match between Delhi and Madhya Pradesh was halted for over 10 minutes because of confusion over Nitish Rana’s [non] dismissal. According to a report on , Rana had been declared out after sweeping left-arm spinner Rameez Khan to fine leg. But he stood his ground and suggested it was a bump ball. The on-field umpires Rajeev Godara and Navdeep Singh then referred it to match referee Nitin Goel, who ultimately ruled him not-out. Madhya Pradesh captain Naman Ojha argued with the umpires and was subsequently charged with a violation of code of conduct.Player to watchPunjab opener Anmolpreet Singh played only three games this season, but still had enough time to slam two centuries: 141 off 114 balls against Goa in Alur followed by 138 off 106 balls against Karnataka in Bengaluru.Anmolpreet, who had also been part of the Indian Board President’s XI squad for the three-dayer against the visiting South Africans earlier this year, averages 65.16 in List A cricket to go with an even more sensational first-class average of 94.77.How did the newbies fare?Bihar were the most dominant side in the Plate Group, winning seven of their eight games; the other ended in a no result. They qualified for the knockouts after skittling Mizoram for 83 and knocking off the runs in under 16 overs.Mizoram’s heavy loss encapsulated their harsh initiation: they had managed only one win in eight matches. Sikkim fared worse, losing all their eight games to finish at rock bottom.

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2016Chris Woakes had Imrul caught by David Willey at deep-backward square leg…•Getty Images…and then removed Tamim Iqbal in an impressive opening spell•Getty ImagesJake Ball again struck in his opening over•Associated PressMushfiqur Rahim helped add 50 for the fourth wicket in partnership with Mahmudullah•Getty ImagesBut Mushfiqur fell to Ball and Ben Stokes removed Shakib Al Hasan to leave Bangladesh 113 for 5•AFPMahmudullah progressed to a vital half-century…•AFP…and stabilised the innings again in partnership with Mosaddek Hossain•Associated PressAdil Rashid removed both batsmen to give England the edge•Associated PressHowever, Mashrafe Mortaza biffed 44 off 29 balls, adding 69 with Nasir Hossain, to lift the total to 238•AFPMashrafe then led from the front with three early wickets, including Jason Roy lbw…•Getty Images…and he bowled Ben Stokes for a duck the match after his maiden ODI hundred•Getty ImagesBen Duckett also fell for a duck when he was bowled by one that turned through the gate from Shakib•Associated PressMashrafe’s burst left England 26 for 4 and reeling•Getty ImagesIt required Jos Buttler’s attacking prowess to get England going…•Associated Press…as the captain added 79 in partnership with Jonny Bairstow•Associated PressTaskin Ahmed returned to get rid of Bairstow for 35•Getty ImagesButtler’s dismissal for 57 after a review brought an explosion of delight from the Bangladesh players…•Getty Images…which sparked angry words from Buttler and led the umpires to intervene•Getty ImagesTaskin’s three-wicket burst knocked the stuffing out of England as they slid to a 34-run defeat•Getty ImagesThe teams continued to exchange words after the match was over•Getty Images