Oliver Glasner has managed to turn Crystal Palace’s early season fortunes around, but that could be bad news for the Eagles in the long run, according to Sky Germany.

Crystal Palace targeting new arrivals

Given how the season started for Palace, it is amazing to see that they have a great chance of finishing in the top 10 in the Premier League, and they now have an FA Cup tie against Fulham to look forward to, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.

Crystal Palace battling to sign "incredible" star who could replace Guehi

He’s ready to leave his current club…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 27, 2025

And, even with plenty of things left to play for, the Eagles are also starting to draw up plans for the summer. It could be a busy few months for the South Londoners as players like Jean-Philippe Mateta, Adam Wharton, and Marc Guehi have been linked with moves away from Selhurst Park, so replacements could be on the cards.

Guehi is reportedly of interest to Chelsea, and with speculation likely to increase once again this summer, Palace are battling to sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton as a potential replacement. The defender is ready to leave the Saints as they look all but confirmed to return to the second tier after one season in the top flight.

As well as looking at a new defender, the Eagles are also said to be interested in signing a new midfielder, with Watford’s Edo Kayembe a potential replacement for Wharton, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United. Kayembe is not the only midfield option, as Palace are also plotting a swoop to sign Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough.

Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace future comes under threat

But the Eagles’ plans for the summer could soon be halted, as according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, RB Leipzig have made Glasner a target to replace Marco Rose at the end of the season.

Plettenberg states that the plan is for Rose to leave the German side at the end of the campaign, after what has been a disappointing season, but he could also leave before that depending on results. That said, Glasner has been placed on a three-man shortlist by Red Bull‘s Global Head of Soccer, Jürgen Klopp.

As well as Glasner being of interest, Leipzig are also interested in Roger Schmidt and Sebastian Hoeneß, who has been vastly impressive at Stuttgart, and he is considered to be one of the top candidates, which may be good news for Palace.

Games

47

Won

22

Drawn

12

Lost

13

Glasner has been at Selhurst Park since February last year, and it has been a more than decent 12 months for the Austrian, as he took the Eagles away from the relegation zone in style last season.

He has also done the same in this 2024/25 campaign, after what was a very disappointing start, and now has a chance to book a place in the FA Cup semi-final. Glasner has taken charge of 47 Palace matches and is averaging 1.66 points per game.

His contract at Selhurst Park runs until the summer of 2026, so with the Premier League side having no plans to move him on, their concentration may be on renewing Glanser’s deal before looking at transfers.

The election for the next PCB chairman will be held on June 27, with Zaka Ashraf expected to make a comeback as head of cricket in the country.In a press release, Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana, the PCB election commissioner and acting chairman, said: “The election of the PCB Chair will be held in a fair and transparent manner whilst adopting due process and ensuring completion of all legal formalities… on Tuesday, 27 June, at the PCB headquarters in Lahore. The election schedule will be issued after receiving nominations from the departments/service organisations.”The PCB’s board will comprise ten members: four regional representatives, four representatives of services organisations and the two members nominated by the patron/prime minister. All board members, including the chairman, will be appointed for three years.Related

• Zaka Ashraf takes a step closer to becoming PCB chairman

• Najam Sethi pulls out of race to be PCB chairman

Earlier this week, Ashraf, along with Supreme Court lawyer Mustafa Ramday, joined the board after being nominated by the prime minister. In Pakistan, a prime minister appointee usually goes on to become the board chairman.This follows Najam Sethi, who was heading the interim management committee that ran the PCB till June 20, withdrawing from the race to become the chairman. The Sethi-led management committee was given the mandate to revive the 2014 PCB constitution and form the board of governors after Ramiz Raja was removed as chairman and the 2019 constitution was scrapped.However, Sethi’s list of nominees for the board stirred a legal complication as four regions – Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi – were named out of the rotation.In the press release, Rana rejected Sethi’s nominations and replaced them with representatives of Larkana, Dera Murad Jamali, Bahawalpur and Hyderabad. The four departments included are National Bank of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan, Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited and Sui Southern Gas Company.It was Sethi who had ended Ashraf’s first stint as PCB chairman in 2014. At that time, the pair was involved in a legal battle for the chairmanship, with the position switching hands several times. Eventually, then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif settled the issue by ousting Ashraf and bringing in Sethi.

كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن مفاجأة مُدوية تتعلق بمستقبل أحد أبرز نجوم فريق بيراميدز، في ظل الشائعات المتزايدة حول انتقال محتمل إلى أحد الأندية الأوروبية خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الأحد: “سأكشف عن مفاجأة مُدوية في بيراميدز، إبراهيم عادل ليس لديه عروض احتراف حتى هذه اللحظة، وما تردد عن عرض من فرنسا، فلم يصل أي شيء للنادي إطلاقًا، لا من داخل مصر ولا من خارجها”.

وكان إبراهيم عادل قد صرح في وقت سابق، بأن الموسم المنقضي هو الأخير له مع بيراميدز، رغبة منه في خوض تجربة الاحتراف في أوروبا.

طالع أيضًا | جدو: بيراميدز حقق إنجازًا لم يحدث من قبل.. ولقب الدوري قد ينتقل إلينا

وأضاف: “بيراميدز سيستعيد محمود عبد الحفيظ ومحمد رضا بوبو، أما إسلام عيسى فـ بيع نهائي، وفخري لاكاي سيمددون إعارته لـ سيراميكا كليوباترا، لأن السماوي يُعاني من مشكلة زيادة عدد الأجانب في الفريق، أو لو سيراميكا طلب شراء اللاعب نهائيًا فإن السماوي لن يُمانع”.

واختتم: “بيراميدز سيعيد صديق إيجولا إلى سيراميكا كليوباترا، لأن إبراهيم عادل مستمر ورمضان صبحي موجود، وإيجولا ستصبح فرصته صعبة في المشاركة”.

يذكر، أن بيراميدز أنهى الموسم المنقضي وصيفًا لبطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، وتوج بدوري أبطال إفريقيا للمرة الأولى في تاريخه، وتأهل رسميًا للمنافسة في بطولة كأس الإنتركونتيننتال.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are on track to remain in the Premier League next season, currently six points clear of 17th-place Ipswich Town.

Vitor Pereira’s arrival was a timely one and, with another few positive results, he can start planning ahead for next season.

He will be desperate to keep Matheus Cunha, however, as the Brazilian has played a key role in trying to maintain the Old Gold’s top flight status this season.

Mathues Cunha's impressive season in numbers

Cunha impressed during his first full season at Molineux during 2023/24, scoring 14 goals for the club as they avoided the drop and hopes were high ahead of the current campaign.

During 2024/25, he’s been nothing short of mesmeric in the final third with the 25-year-old having found the back of the net 15 times in 29 games, recording four assists in the process.

He has scored against Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, proving he is a man for the big occasion.

Furthermore, Cunha averages 3.3 shots per game in the top flight, along with creating 12 big chances and averaging 1.7 key passes per game for Wolves.

These statistics prove that not only can the Brazilian score regularly, but he loves creating chances for his teammates.

So, it was a pitty when he got himself sent off against Bournemouth in the FA Cup for an altercation with left-back Milos Kerkez.

Still, despite that incident, he’s been a fair bit better than a player Gary O’Neil cashed in on last summer.

Wolves struck gold selling Pedro Neto

Pedro Neto’s final season in the Midlands was a positive one to say the least. A tally of 14 goal involvements was enough for Chelsea to swoop in the summer, securing his signature for a fee in the region of £54m, a remarkable 260% increase on the £15m price-tag they initially snapped him up for.

This gave O’Neil some flexibility in the transfer market, but losing someone of Neto’s quality was always going to be a major blow to their hopes of surviving, particularly as the former boss rated him so highly.

So, how does the Portuguese compare with a man who could be Wolves’ next big sale?

Goals

13

3

Assists

4

4

Big chances created

12

6

Shots per game

3.3

1.4

Key passes per game

1.7

1.2

Successful dribbles per game

1.9

1

Well, a return of five goals and seven assists in 32 matches certainly isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the former Lazio man has started just 22 games all season.

In the Premier League, Neto has created six big chances, averaging 1.2 key passes per game while averaging only 1.4 shots per game. These numbers are worse than what Cunha is registering in the top flight this season.

Elsewhere, Neto ranks only in the top 42% for successful take-ons (1.5), in the top 35% for touches in the opposition penalty area (5.06) and in the top 41% for shot-creating actions (3.68) when compared to his peers in the Premier League this season.

Based on these statistics, it is evident that Cunha is enjoying a more productive season, while Wolves have certainly struck gold by selling the Portuguese talent for such a lavish fee last year.

Pereira can ease Cunha blow & unleash Wolves' "perfect modern forward"

Wolves are without their star man this weekend

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 8, 2025

The Leeds United promotion charge has wobbled in recent weeks, with Daniel Farke’s men beginning March by drawing 1-1 with West Bromwich Albion, before slipping up away to Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon.

That latest 1-0 defeat has ensured that the Whites are now level on points with title rivals Sheffield United at the summit, with clean sheet kings, Burnley, chomping at the bit just two points behind.

While life in the Championship never does run smooth, defeats like the one away at Fratton Park will represent a real setback for the Yorkshire giants, with Farke left to rue the goalscoring woes of his leading man, Joel Piroe, on the day.

Indeed, just minutes after the break, the former Swansea City man had a gilt-edged chance to fire the visitors ahead following a clever pull-back from Manor Solomon, albeit with the Dutchman proceeding to balloon the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

That glaring miss came amid what has largely been a fruitful season for Piroe, however. If anyone is to fire Farke’s men to promotion – as Patrick Bamford did in 2019/20 – it is likely to be the 25-year-old.

How Piroe compares to Bamford in 2019/20

The pressure is on for the former Norwich City boss to emulate the success of Marcelo Bielsa by leading Leeds back into the promised land of the Premier League, with the Elland Road outfit having come so close in 2023/24.

Let’s not forget, that it was second time lucky as far as Bielsa was concerned, with the Argentine maverick securing a return to the top flight in his second season at the helm, having endured play-off semi-final heartbreak in 2018/19.

The now Uruguay boss subsequently oversaw automatic promotion in the following campaign, with the current crop still on course to replicate that feat, even amid the sticky start to this month.

What is a major benefit for Farke is having the goalscoring prowess of a player like Piroe on hand, with the one-time PSV star having scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 36 league outings so far.

That ensures that he is well on course to better the return of his current teammate, Bamford, from that glorious 2019/20 season, with the Englishman having scored 16 times and contributed just four assists in 45 Championship outings.

The expectation would be for Piroe to comfortably surpass that 16-goal haul across the remainder of this season, while he may even have one eye on reaching the level of the likes of Chris Wood and Ross McCormack of the recent past, with the pair registering 27 and 28 goals, in the second tier, in 2016/17 and 2013/14, respectively.

Speaking of former Leeds strikers then, the club actually let go of one forgotten star during the Bielsa era who is now proving even more prolific than Piroe.

The forgotten Leeds star who's now outperforming Piroe

For all the positives surrounding Piroe at present, even amid his Pompey blunder, there is perhaps a frustration at the lack of a suitable rival to the former Netherlands youth international.

Where Are They Now

Indeed, promising youngster, Mateo Joseph has been unable to kick on this season after scoring just three goals in all competitions, while one-time hero, Bamford, has been a bystander to proceedings, after making just ten league appearances all season.

With that in mind, there may be a sense of intrigue at seeing a former Leeds asset shining elsewhere, with 6 foot 3 powerhouse, Sam Dalby, currently ripping it up for Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.

Currently on loan in Scotland from League One side, Wrexham, the Englishman has enjoyed an interesting journey in recent years, after leaving Leeds for an undisclosed fee to join Watford in 2019.

The 25-year-old – who moved to Elland Road from Leyton Orient in 2018 – never actually played a first-team game for Bielsa’s side, while going on to make just a solitary senior outing for the Hornets.

Sam Dalby’s Premiership season in numbers
Stat (*per game)	Record
Games (starts)	26
Goals	13
Assists	0
Big chances missed	8
Scoring frequency	158mins
Big chances created	1
Key passes*	0.7
Total duels won*	46%
Aerial duels won*	50%
Stats via Sofascore

Having ultimately found his way to Dundee via a string of loans and a permanent spell at Southend United, Dalby appears to have finally got into his groove, scoring 13 times in just 28 games for his current side.

That represents a return of a goal every 2.15 games, ensuring he is firing at a more prolific rate than Piroe, who has netted a goal every 2.53 games, in relation to his 38 appearances in all competitions.

Described as a “lot more than” just a target man by manager Jim Goodwin, Dalby currently leads the way in the Scottish Premiership for league goals, ahead of Celtic’s Daizen Maeda in second (12).

Whether Leeds would regret letting him go, considering his prior struggles in the EFL, is another matter, although it would be no surprise to see Dalby go on to get a big move in the near future, having “got a lot of attention” due to his fine form, as per Goodwin.

Back at Elland Road, however, the aim will be for Piroe and co to emulate Bamford and Bielsa’s famed side of 2019/20 by surging back to the top tier.

Leeds loanee who was "like Gazza" saw his value rise to £60m after leaving

Leeds United once had a star on loan who was later compared to Paul Gascoigne.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 11, 2025

As Arne Slot looks to overhaul his frontline, Liverpool have reportedly made contact over signing their own free agent in the same type of deal that is likely to see Trent Alexander-Arnold join Real Madrid this summer.

Liverpool eyeing Trent-like deal

They may sit top of the Premier League and on course to become champions in Slot’s debut campaign, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at Liverpool. In fact, a fairly dark cloud has formed this week courtesy of Alexander-Arnold. News finally broke regarding his future, with reports indicating that he is set to join Real Madrid as a free agent instead of signing a fresh Anfield contract this summer.

Leaving the Reds to assess their options, the likes of Jeremie Frimpong have since been linked with a move to Merseyside to become Alexander-Arnold’s replacement. Meanwhile, as much as they’ll be frustrated by the nature of their right-back’s departure, the champions-elect are reportedly set to take a page out of Madrid’s book.

According to The i Paper, Liverpool have now made contact to sign Jonathan David on a free deal from LOSC Lille this summer, reaching out to the goalscorer’s agent over a move in the coming months.

Liverpool change their minds and now "happy" to sell "incredible" £60m+ ace

Liverpool boss Arne Slot is lining up big changes at Anfield this summer.

BySean Markus Clifford Mar 28, 2025

Joined by Barcelona, Newcastle United and others in pursuit of the Ligue 1 star, Liverpool will hope to flex their potential title-winning muscles for the first time and convince David to make an Anfield move. There’s no doubt that he’s needed at Liverpool given their striker struggles this season.

"Insane" David would be instant Nunez upgrade

One of Liverpool’s biggest problems in a season otherwise full of strengths has come within their frontline. Whilst the finger can’t be pointed the way of Cody Gakpo and certainly not lead marksman Mohamed Salah, it can be sent towards the strikers.

Whether it’s been Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz or Darwin Nunez leading the line, all have struggled to leave their mark on a consistent basis and that has left Liverpool desperately relying on Salah to produce moments of magic. Amid Gakpo’s recent injury, if it hasn’t been Salah, then it hasn’t truly been anyone stealing the headlines for the Reds.

David’s arrival would change that, however. The Lille forward has scored 23 goals in all competitions whilst assisting a further 10. At the peak of his powers at 25 years old, the Canada star is finally destined for a big move.

Minutes

1,904

970

Goals

14

5

Assists

3

2

Expected Goals

14

5

What instantly stands out when looking at the numbers is just how clinical David has been in Ligue 1 – scoring 14 goals from 14 expected. His impressive numbers were once dubbed “insane” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, and it’s hard to disagree with that statement these days as Liverpool make their move.

An ex-Manchester City financial advisor has warned that a verdict on the club's 115 charges could be released in the very near future.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Man City charged with financial breaches115 charges presented in courtVerdict believed to be closeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

During their golden era, which saw Manchester City win the Premier League four times in a row under Pep Guardiola, the club were charged with 115 separate offences over potential financial breaches. Since the revalation in 2023, a long court battle has ensued, with a private hearing being held at the end of 2024. The entire football world still awaits the outcome of the case, and now former City financial advisor Stefan Borson claims we could be on the verge of seeing the outcome.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT BORSON SAID

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "I think City must be quite close… I think there's been a lot of misinformation about that situation.

"If you have a 12-week trial, it takes a long time for the decision to come out. In the outside world, it could easily take 12 or 18 months in a High Court equivalent.

"This week felt possible. I thought that if it didn't happen in the international window that we had in April, that the parties would find a way to hold it over until the end of the season so that it didn't distract.

"We're now in a zone where, commercially, if there's any influence at all from the parties – the Premier League or the club – they would want to get that decision out during the close season.

"What's the alternative? That it comes out in that three-week period after the Club World Cup, but before the start of the season. And that's sub-optimal.

"We're getting very close to a situation where, if it doesn't come out in the next couple weeks and doesn't come out during the Club World Cup, you're getting very close to the start of the season. Nobody's going to want that. That is a complete disaster."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Borson advised City between 2002 and 2007, meaning he was not part of the club during the alleged nine-year period in which they committed the 115 financial breaches. Despite the eye of the law firmly fixed upon them, Guardiola is still continuing to spend heavily on his squad, investing nearly £350million in the last six months and already bringing in Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders this summer.

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GOALWHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

City are set to compete in the Club World Cup this summer, with their new stars on show as they look to make up for a poor 2024-25 campaign. Although, if Borson's words are true, we could be hit with a bombshell verdict on their case during the tournament.

Two Aston Villa players played for England on Friday evening as they defeated Albania in what was Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge of the Three Lions

Ezri Konsa started in the heart of the defence alongside Newcastle United’s man of the moment, Dan Burn, and they kept a clean sheet.

Morgan Rogers came off the bench to replace Curtis Jones with 15 minutes left to play, although the 22-year-old didn’t have time to create anything meaningful.

It was Konsa who was one of the stars of the show.

Ezri Konsa's game in numbers vs Albania

The defender was in no mood to allow Albania a chance of scoring, as he won six of his seven total contested duels while completing 94% of his passes and taking 125 touches during the game.

It was an impressive performance, to say the least, one that Tuchel will be happy with, not least due to the former Brentford man’s crucial, last-ditch challenge in the second half.

This could mean the Villa star will be given another start on Monday evening against Latvia as he looks to become one of the defenders Tuchel trusts.

His displays for the Midlands side have also been sublime this term and this has seen his market value rise steadily.

Indeed, according to Football Transfers, Konsa is now worth €44.3m (£37m) and this could increase even further.

Ezri Konsa’s statistics vs Albania

Touches

125

Pass success rate

94%

Tackles

1

Total duels (won)

7 (6)

Possession lost

8

Long balls (accurate)

2 (1)

Via Sofascore

One player in the current Villa squad who will be doing all he can to prove to Tuchel that he deserves a place in the England squad is Jacob Ramsey. The midfielder is even worth more than Konsa at the time of writing.

Aston Villa's next England star

Ramsey has made 16 appearances for the England U21 side during his career so far, scoring four goals in the process, but he hasn’t made the leap to senior level yet.

Could that change under Tuchel? This season, the academy graduate has played 34 times, scoring three goals and chipping in with five assists.

The 23-year-old has particularly impressed in the Champions League. indeed when compared to his positional peers in the competition,

Ramsey ranks in the top 1% for pass completion percentage (90.9%) while ranking in the top 6% for assists (0.57) and in the top 5% for shots on target percentage (66.7%) this season.

Lauded as a “special talent” by writer Sam Tabuteau in 2022, Ramsey is now finally showcasing the quality that made him one of the brightest youngsters in the Premier League a few seasons ago.

As such, his market value has also increased. According to Football Transfers, the Englishman is now worth €45.5m (£37.5m), which means he is worth even more than Konsa currently.

Should Ramsey continue this excellent run of form, he might well find himself part of the next England squad under the enigmatic German.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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If so, he must take his chance as Konsa did against Albania, giving himself the best possible chance of making the squad for the 2026 World Cup in just over a year.

Related Emery's a fan: Aston Villa now setting sights on move to sign "smart" star

Emery could finally get his man…

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham Mar 21, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo está muito perto de oficializar o quinto reforço nesta janela de transferências. Danilo Barbosa desembarcou no Rio de Janeiro na noite desta quarta-feira para dar continuidade aos compromissos da negociação com o Alvinegro.

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+Botafogo espera ‘criar parceria’ com o Benfica com a chegada de Gabriel Pires

O jogador de 26 anos vai se apresentar ao Glorioso nesta quinta-feira para ser submetido a exames médicos e, se aprovado, assinar contrato. Ele vai firmar vínculo até o final de 2025.

O Botafogo vai pagar 300 mil euros (R$ 1,5 milhão, na cotação atual) para adquirir 50% dos direitos econômicos do volante junto ao Nice-FRA, antigo clube do atleta.

Danilo Barbosa, se tudo andar como o esperado, já iniciará as atividades com o elenco comandado por Luís Castro ainda nesta quinta-feira. O Botafogo tem até a próxima segunda-feira, data do fechamento da janela, para regularizar a situação do atleta nos registros da CBF.

Revelado pelo Vasco, Danilo passou por Braga-POR, Valencia-ESP, Benfica-POR, Standard Liège-BEL, Nice-FRA e Palmeiras.

Cummins, Steven Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc are now the first all-format champions in the men’s game

Andrew McGlashan11-Jun-20231:40

Test mace in the bag, Ashes up next

At the MCG in 2015, Dubai in 2021 and now at The Oval in 2023, four Australian players have lifted a world title. Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc are now the first all-format champions in the men’s game.Unlike the two white-ball trophies which, although built towards in the years beforehand, happen entirely over a month or six weeks, the World Test Championship is a two-year marathon towards the final. Rohit Sharma said he would like a best-of-three series while admitting the schedule would not allow it, but unsurprisingly Cummins was quite happy with the status quo.He wasn’t quite willing to give the world titles a hierarchy – “it’s probably like trying to pick your favourite kid,” he joked – but Test cricket remains the pinnacle for this group of players, taking nothing away from those who feature only in limited-overs cricket.Related

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“They all feel a little bit different,” Cummins said. “We were just talking about that. No doubt Test matches for us are our favourite format. It’s the biggest challenge I think in every way. This competition pitting up against everyone in the world, it has got to be right up there.”Most pleasing for Cummins was how over the course of two years, Australia approached different challenges along the way. They were handed a tough overseas draw in this cycle with away series in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. They won only one of them – clinching victory in the final session of the final day in Lahore – but came away with three priceless wins overall, the last one in Indore securing their place in the final.”I think that’s one of the most satisfying bits,” Cummins said. “Obviously the win here, but to make it to the final, you have got to win everywhere in the world. I think this cycle was 20 Test matches. I think we might have only lost three or four out of the 20. The boys were fantastic the whole way through. We adapted well and that’s what makes it so satisfying.”Australia’s players can’t resist a photo-op with the Test mace•ICC/Getty Images

The narrative would obviously have been different had Australia not won this Test, but they were the best team of these two years. Dominant at home and scrapping hard to get vital points on the road. They were worthy of the decisive margin in the final, which left no room for questions, producing their slickest session in the field on the last morning after having been a little below their high standards at various points during the game.Scott Boland effectively ended the contest by dismissing Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja in the same over. Starc, who claimed Australia’s first wicket of the WTC cycle by knocking back Rory Burns’ leg stump at the Gabba, and the ultra-consistent Nathan Lyon then did the rest.It has been almost impossible to divorce this final from what comes next, with the Ashes beginning on Friday. It has felt like a perfect tune-up, particularly with the final day not becoming a slog as could have been the case (and no doubt billions dreamed for) when Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane resumed in the morning.”I think everyone played their role in this game at different parts,” Cummins said. “Plenty of the batters faced quite a few balls. I think by the end of the game, all of us bowlers felt like we had hit a rhythm. I feel we have that good balance of feeling like we’re ready to go but also fresh and ready for five Tests.”The flip side is that the celebrations will need to be somewhat measured with just four days before they take the field against England. “We can’t celebrate as hard as we would like to with a game not too far away, but we have to be proud of our achievements for sure,” Smith said.Cummins, though, was determined that his team did not let this achievement wash over them.”It’s been an amazing two years,” he said. “We’ve had this final in the diary for a while. It’s been something that we had been building up for, so it is something we are going to savour. I know we have got a big series but we can worry about that in a couple of days’ time.”You only get a few of these moments in your career where you can sit back, acknowledge a pretty special achievement and that’s one of these times.”