Former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder Hargreaves has weighed-in on the debate surrounding Wirtz’s struggles since joining the Reds in the summer. Wirtz has failed recreate the stunning form he showed for Bayer Leverkusen and Hargreaves believes Liverpool are now unbalanced as boss Arne Slot tries to find his best system.
Wirtz playing catch-up after big-money move
Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in June for a fee that could rise to £116 million ($156m) in a long-term deal keeping him at Anfield until at least 2030. He made an impressive debut for Liverpool in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, laying on an assist in a 2-2 draw, which the Reds lost on penalties. He then made his Premier League debut in a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, but he has failed to maintain that promising start, and become the subject of much debate. While he has shown glimpses of his talent, he is still adapting to the Premier League. In his first six Premier League appearances, he has yet to score or provide an assist. This contrasts with his impressive output at Leverkusen, where he notched 31 goal contributions (16 goals/15 assists) across all competitions during the 24/25 season and was named Germany's Footballer of the Year. He’s still finding his best role within the team and adapting to the physicality and intensity of the league.
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Hargreaves has his say on the Wirtz conundrum
Hargreaves said: "They were so good last year, they looked like they should blow everyone away. This year, they have signed some really good players, but Wirtz, when you pay that money, you try to get him in. But actually, that midfield three was the best in the league last year. You couldn't get better than Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. All of a sudden, you spend that money on Florian and you've got to play him really. They've tried to get him in, and then Szoboszlai has played at right back, and I just think the balance is off. Ibrahima Konate has made a few mistakes, which we didn't see last year. I just think it's a balance issue. They've got two new full-backs; the addition of Wirtz, Alexander Isak. You've got to think that they've got so many great players. It goes back to the Arsenal-Arteta thing; you've just got to get the balance right on the game."
Will Slot change Reds' system to fit Wirtz?
Arne Slot has talked about how Premier League opposition consistently change the way they play against the Reds and his need to find new solutions to those conundrums. Slot said: "The first part of last season, Jurgen Klopp gave me a lot of gifts, but one of the gifts he also gave me was finishing third the year before and fifth the year before that. Him being so well known, a new manager came in and everybody thought, 'Oh, let's start to play against Liverpool’. Teams played in a completely different way in the first half of the season against us than they did when we were top of the league after half of the season and when we were top of the Champions League after the first part of the season. I can see this going now into this part of this season and we have to find answers to that. Last season, one of the answers was a set-piece, like many teams unlock a low block with set-pieces. This season, we haven't done that yet."
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Plenty of opportunities for Wirtz to flourish
Wirtz is certainly facing price-tag pressure, but will be given time to find his form in the coming weeks. And there are high-profile fixtures in abundance for him to shine in the famous red shirt. The Reds are away against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, followed by a clash with fierce rivals Manchester United. But could a trip back to Germany be the location for him to rekindle his talismanic form as Liverpool will travel to face Eintracht Frankfurt on October 22nd?
Liverpool still have their perfect start to the season thanks to 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who saved the day late in the game on Monday night at St James’ Park.
The former Chelsea academy star scored his first top-flight goal to rescue all three points for Arne Slot’s side, who were being held 2-2 by ten-man Newcastle United.
It was another game where one of their new signings, Hugo Ektike, got on the scoresheet. He has now bagged in all three competitive games for the Reds, and has made a flying start. The same cannot be said for Florian Wirtz, however, who has not hit the ground running.
Stats via Sofascore
Liverpool are still active in the transfer market and will surely hope that any more signings can make a better start than Wirtz.
Liverpool’s next summer focus
It is unclear how much money is at Slot’s disposal after spending big on the likes of Wirtz and Ekitike. One man who is continuously linked is Marc Guehi, with the club said to be in talks over a deal to sign the Crystal Palace skipper.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Of course, the overarching saga of the summer transfer window has been to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle. Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Merseysiders are “ready to bid again” to sign the Sweden international.
Newcastle are standing firm, and whilst the player still dreams of a move from the North East to the North West, it will not come cheap at all.
It has been reported by The Telegraph that Eddie Howe’s side will demand as much as £150m for their centre-forward.
Why signing Isak could be bad news for Wirtz
There is little doubt that bringing Isak to Anfield would be the cherry on top of the cake for Liverpool this summer. Described as a “machine” in front of goal by Romano, he certainly knows where the back of the net is.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Newcastle striker Isak showed why Jamie Carragher said last December he is the “best striker in the Premier League”.
He bagged 23 top-flight goals in just 34 appearances, including this thunderbolt against Liverpool, and the winner against the Reds in the Carabao Cup final.
The stats showcase why Isak, who earns £120k-per-week at St James’ Park, is held in such high regard.
For example, he averaged 0.75 goals and 0.46 goals per shot on target each game last season, which ranked him in the top 3% and 12% of Premier League strikers, respectively.
Goals
0.75
97th
Shots on target
1.34
83rd
Goals per shot on target
0.46
88th
Goal-creating actions
0.46
88th
Expected goals
0.66xG
94th
Well, Isak’s arrival could certainly rock the boat and become bad news for their marquee summer signing, Wirtz.
It has not been the fast start many might have expected for the German, with Alan Shearer claiming the Reds are “finding it difficult to get him into the game” at the moment.
This is not to say the former Bayer Leverkusen star is a bad footballer.
After all, he did score and assist 31 goals last season for the German side, and grabbed an assist on his Liverpool debut in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace.
However, with Wirtz struggling, the potential arrival of Isak could prompt a tactical shift from Slot. The Dutchman may drop the German attacker and play both Isak and Ekitike up front together, as a pair.
In fact, this is something Liverpool’s boss mentioned in an interview earlier this month. He explained that he sees Ekitike as someone who can “play together with another No. 9”, hinting to Liverpool fans that the Frenchman could work up front with Isak.
Ekitike excels at being able to drop deep, link up play and create chances. This season, he has already created four in two Premier League games. It is easy to imagine him linking up with a finisher as deadly as Isak.
Whilst signing the Swedish star would be a huge move for the Reds, it may impact Wirtz’s game time, after what has been a disappointing start to his career on Merseyside. For Slot and Liverpool, having such a wealth of attacking options can surely only be a good thing.
FSG in talks to sign big-money "monster" who'd bench Konate at Liverpool
Liverpool’s need for a new defender was accentuated during a charged victory at St. James’ Park.
da roleta： Liverpool beat Bournemouth to get their Premier League title defence off to a flyer, though it was hardly a match without its vulnerabilities for the Anfield side as their defensive frailties were exposed against a spirited Cherries side.
da fazobetai： Arne Slot cut a cool figure throughout his maiden year at the Liverpool helm, but he was left hot under the collar after Antoine Semenyo led a fightback from the visitors, who found themselves two goals down after the hour mark when Cody Gakpo coolly dispatched following Hugo Ekitike’s first-half goal, making it two in two for the £79m summer signing.
But while there was plenty of attacking intent on display, the Reds struggled to produce the kind of complete performance that the fanbase would have hoped for as they kicked off their title defence.
Liverpool's performance vs Bournemouth
Mohamed Salah got his goal in the last embers, paying an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota as he did so. His goal followed the volleyed strike of Federico Chiesa, who restored the lead before stoppage time after Semenyo’s double exposed Liverpool’s defensive problems.
But the Merseysiders got the job done, cementing their title defence with three points. Virgil van Dijk improved after his error-strewn display at Wembley in the Community Shield, but Slot’s backline struggled to perform, with Ibrahima Konate in particular singled out as a weak link, looking rusty in central defence.
While the pursuit of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak continues to rumble in the background, there will be plenty of attention on the other end of the field, with a £26m deal completed for 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni and a move still in the works for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
But Liverpool have already welcomed some new quality to their ranks, with two new starters playing against Bournemouth.
One of the newbies showed shades of the recently sold Darwin Nunez, and it wasn’t the goalscoring Ekitike.
Liverpool's new Darwin Nunez
Liverpool might have earned themselves a winning start to the Premier League campaign, but it was far from convincing against a slick Bournemouth side who implemented a high press to a good effect.
And Milos Kerkez certainly left plenty to be desired on his first league appearance in a Liverpool shirt. It was always going to be a match freighted with nerves for the 21-year-old, especially when pitted against his old Bournemouth teammates and Semenyo, who emerged the victor in that individual battle.
The young Hungarian lacked control and composure, lunging in with a series of challenges and being shown the flash of Antony Taylor’s yellow card before being replaced by the veteran Andy Robertson before the hour mark.
It was an erratic display which evoked memories of that man Nunez, who was sent off on his Anfield debut three years ago in a 1-1 draw with Fulham.
Milos Kerkez’s Performance vs Bournemouth
Match Stats
#
Minutes played
59′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
47
Accurate passes
25/27 (93%)
Key passes
0
Dribbles
0/0
Tackles
1
Duels won
4/10
Bookings
1x
Data via Sofascore
According to Sofascore, the 21-year-old won four of his ten attempted duels and made five clearances for Liverpool, also completing 93% of his passes, but he was also handed a 5/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle, who drew attention to Semenyo getting the better of his former teammate at the Vitality Stadium.
Though Nunez ultimately succumbed to his mercurial nature, unable to channel it and succeed under first Jurgen Klopp’s wing and the Slot’s, his high-level talent was never up for question on Merseyside.
And the same could be said of Kerkez, who last season was remarked to be “one of the most talented left-backs in world football” by scout Jacek Kulig.
The rising star will hope to establish more of a stable level of success at Liverpool than Nunez, who joined Al Hilal this summer after three years with the Reds, but there’s no question that he will need to temper his aggression if he wishes to succeed Robertson and play a confident part in a backline that even at this early stage has shown that improvements are needed as Slot quests for a successful title defence.
He'd get Isak & Wirtz firing: Liverpool could sign "one of the best LWs"
Liverpool may yet sign a few more forwards in the transfer market this summer.
كشف رودري، نجم فريق مانشستر سيتي، عن مفاجأة قوية لجماهير النادي الإنجليزي التي تعاني من فترة سيئة في الوقت الحالي، بسبب النتائج الأخيرة.
كان رودري قد عانى من إصابة قوية خلال مباراة مانشستر سيتي وآرسنال، في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي.
وتبين إصابة رودري على مستوى أربطة الركبة اليمنى، مما يعني انتهاء موسمه رفقة مانشستر سيتي.
اقرأ أيضًا | ضربة جديدة.. 5 لاعبين من مانشستر سيتي يغادرون منتخباتهم في يوم واحد
ورغم ذلك، فإن رودري كشف منذ قليل أنه يستطيع العودة إلى الملاعب من جديد في وقت لاحق من هذا الموسم، مما يمثل مفاجأة سارة لجماهير بطل الدوري الإنجليزي.
وقال رودري، في تصريحاته لبرنامج “El Partidazo de COPE” الإسباني، ونشره الصحفي فابريزيو رومانو: “أشعر أنني قادر على العودة هذا الموسم بالفعل، نعم، هذا أمر ممكن ويمكنني تحقيق ذلك”.
وأضاف الإسباني: “أنا أتعافى الآن، لا يوجد ضغط، من المهم التعافي بأفضل طريقة”.
وواصل رودري تصريحاته المثيرة: “لكن الموسم طويل، وهناك كأس العالم للأندية الجديدة، يمكنني القيام بذلك”.
ويشارك مانشستر سيتي في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية نسخة 2025، بنظامها الجديد، الصيف المقبل.
A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways
S Sudarshanan18-Feb-2025Who’s playingDelhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, 7:30pm ISTWhat to expect: Battle of middle-ordersThat Capitals have the most successful opening combination in the WPL meant that the middle order has escaped scrutiny. But not anymore, after they almost lost their opening fixture this season and then went down heavily to RCB. Capitals’ middle-order batters (Nos. 4 to 7) average 21.97, which is the lowest in the WPL. Jess Jonassen (13), Marizanne Kapp (12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12) have batted the most innings in these positions for them.In stark contrast, UP Warriorz have the best average for these positions (28.44), with Deepti Sharma (14), Grace Harris (14) and Tahlia McGrath (9) being the regulars. This could partly be attributed to the fact that they have used five opening pairs across the three seasons.Related
Athapaththu to leave WPL early to play for Sri Lanka
A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways. Warriorz are yet to get off the mark, having lost their opening game to Gujarat Giants.Team news and likely XIsCapitals played their full-strength XI in the last outing against RCB. Expect them to go in with a similar structure that allows them batters till No. 11.Delhi Capitals (possible): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Sarah Bryce (wk), 8 Shikha Pandey, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Minnu ManiWarriorz could think of getting in Poonam Khemnar to shore up the lower middle-order firepower. There could also be a case to play Anjali Sarvani for the left-arm seam angle.UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Kiran Navgire, 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Uma Chetry (wk), 4 Deepti Sharma (capt), 5 Tahlia McGrath, 6 Grace Harris, 7 Shweta Sehrawat/Poonam Khemnar, 8 Alana King, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Kranti GoudPlayers to watch: Shikha Pandey and Kiran NavgireOverlooked from the Indian side after the T20 World Cup 2023, Shikha Pandey continues to grab the spotlight with performances in T20 competitions around the world. After the WPL last year, she played in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, Women’s Big Bash League and Women’s Super Smash, picking up 25 wickets across them. She’s begun WPL 2025 on the right note – keeping MI in check in the opening game and conceding runs at 6.75 runs per over against RCB even when the scoring rate was close to nine. She has been the third-most economical bowler in WPL 2025 so far.Kiran Navgire opened the batting with Vrinda Dinesh for UP Warriorz•BCCIIn the WPL, Kiran Navgire takes a liking to spin. She has a strike rate of 156.84 against spin (95 balls faced) as opposed to 106.50 against pace (123 balls) in the competition. She has been dismissed 22 times by pace and only five times by spin in the WPL. When she hit 125 not out against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy earlier this season, four of her five sixes came against the spin duo of Shivi Yadav and Reetika Agarwal. Is there a case for Warriorz to bat Navgire in the middle order? Or for her to see off fast bowling and wait for spin, in case she continues to open?Key statsDeepti Sharma is one of only four players in the WPL with over 400 runs and 15-plus wickets.Meg Lanning, the leading run-scorer of the WPL, has been in a slightly lean patch in T20 cricket. She has only three half-centuries (one of them in the Hundred) and averages 21.34 since the last WPL.Since her ODI best of 3 for 62 against Australia, Saima Thakor has picked up just one wicket in nine outings across formats. She went wicketless in Warriorz’s first match.
Chelsea are said to be preparing a £65 million total package bid to sign a forward wanted by Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
Boehly set to back Chelsea this summer despite PSR concerns
The west Londoners are in real danger of potential Premier League sanctions, as widespread reports suggest Mauricio Pochettino's side may need to raise around £100 million through player sales by the financial deadline on June 30.
Suggestion Chelsea could table offer to sign £52 million star from PSG
He’s been in excellent form for two seasons.
ByEmilio Galantini May 11, 2024
Profit and Sustainability rules dictate that English clubs are allowed to make a £105 million total loss over a rolling three-year period, and Chelsea are currently far exceeding this limit after two years of lavish spending under BlueCo and Todd Boehly.
The likes of Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Raheem Sterling could be sold by Chelsea, among many other bit-part players and loanees, to help balance the books and avoid punishments akin to those of Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.
Moises Caicedo
£115 million
Enzo Fernandez
£106.8 million
Mykhailo Mudryk
£89.1 million
Wesley Fofana
£70 million
Marc Cucurella
£60 million
Reports have also claimed that Chelsea are plotting potential part-exchange bids this summer, to both sign key targets and rid themselves of unwanted players. It will be a crucial next month and a half, as Fabrizio Romano highlights the club's PSR worries could also have a key impact on their pursuit of long-term striker target Victor Osimhen.
“I think Chelsea will be there,” the transfer expert said.
“The interest is still there. It is really important to understand what is happening; first of all with the FFP situation because Chelsea do not want to overpay, so it is important to know how much the package is going to be for Victor Osimhen.
“It will then be important to see how much Osimhen wants in terms of salary and his contract. So there are some crucial financial points to sort out before Chelsea can say ‘ok’ and go for Osimhen.”
There is also the widely reported chase for Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian to consider. Romano shared news last week that Estevao has verbally agreed personal terms with Chelsea, but until contracts are officially signed, there is still a very real danger that other clubs could enter the running for the attacker.
Chelsea preparing £65 million total package bid for Estevao
Goal Brasil have an update on Chelsea and their talks for the teenager this week, with the west Londoners and a host of Europe's top sides pursuing Estevao, such is his promise.
The South American news outlet, via Sport Witness, write that Chelsea are formulating a £65 million total package bid, including taxes, for Estevao – and talks are ongoing with Palmeiras to try and reach an agreement.
Pochettino's side are very keen to get it over the line and quickly, with Real Madrid among those thought to be lingering in the background. As well as the Galacticos, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain and Juventus.
Patel to focus on white-ball cricket, while Harry Gurney also re-signs
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2020Samit Patel is set to complete 20 years as a Nottinghamshire player after signing a two-year contract extension at the club, primarily for white-ball cricket.Patel, who made his first-class debut for Notts as a 17-year-old in 2002, was a key part of the club’s T20 Blast triumph this season, hitting a vital 28 not out from No. 8 in the quarter-final against Leicestershire before returning 2 for 42 in six overs across the semi-final and final.While he remains available for selection in red-ball cricket, Patel said that focusing on his limited-overs skills would benefit both the club and his longevity.”I’m not retiring from playing with the red ball, and I’ll always be there for Notts in first-class cricket if they need me,” Patel said. “However, Matt Carter and Liam Patterson-White are spin bowlers with their careers ahead of them, and we have a talented batting line-up with loads of potential too, so I firmly believe the club needs to go down that route in the red-ball game.”In limited-overs cricket, I believe we have a team that can be there or thereabouts for years to come. I know I have a big part to play in that and winning more trophies is the ultimate aim.”ALSO READ: County ins and outs, 2020-21Patel, who played six Tests and 54 limited-overs games in his England career, has become a regular feature on the worldwide T20 circuit in recent years, and is currently playing for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League playoffs before heading to the Lanka Premier League. He was surprisingly overlooked in the selection process for the Hundred last year, and will hope to press his case ahead of January’s draft.”Samit believes very strongly that we’ll benefit as a limited-overs team from him becoming a white-ball specialist – both in terms of the longevity of his career and with the specific focus it will bring to his preparation,” Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, said.”The terms of this contract are reflective of Samit’s wishes in that regard. He’s earned the right over many years, and in particular with the way he went about his cricket last season, to make that decision and for us to respect it.”The club also confirmed that Harry Gurney has signed another white-ball deal for 2021 after missing the T20 Blast this summer through a shoulder injury, which also ruled him out of the IPL. Having joined from Leicestershire in 2012, Gurney will complete a decade as a Notts player next summer.”2020 has ended up being a bit of an enforced sabbatical for me,” Gurney said, “but I feel rested, refreshed and ready to power through the next phase of my rehab to get ready for 2021.”Toby Pettman, a beanpole Oxford University seamer, has also been offered professional terms for 2021 after impressing bowling coach Kevin Shine at an MCCU open day.
Emi Martinez has been linked with Manchester United, but could end up helping them to prise Gianluigi Donnarumma away from Paris Saint-Germain.
Argentine shot-stopper linked with United
PSG now mulling over an approach
Would allow Donnarumma to leave France
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WHAT HAPPENED?
World Cup winner Martinez continues to see a move away from Aston Villa speculated on. He is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League, but was also said to figuring prominently on the recruitment radar at Old Trafford.
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A loan offer is said to have been put to Villa, which was subsequently knocked back, with claiming that the Villans are looking to make £30 million ($40m) from a permanent sale. United are yet to meet those demands.
DID YOU KNOW?
It is, however, being claimed that Champions League winners PSG have turned their attention to Martinez. They have the funds required to do a deal and would like to get the enigmatic Argentine on board as questions are asked of Donnarumma’s future.
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He is yet to agree an extension to his contract at Parc des Princes, which is due to expire in 2026. United are also being credited with interest there, with options being mulled over ahead of the next transfer deadline.
da cassino online： De volta à elite do futebol nacional, o Juventude ainda não conseguiu vencer e deixa o seu torcedor ansioso para o meio de semana, quando encara o Palmeiras, no Alfredo Jaconi.
Nos três primeiros confrontos, o time comandado por Marquinhos Santos empatou dois jogos (Cuiabá e Santos) e acabou derrotado em uma oportunidade (Athletico).
O fato curioso da sua curta campanha é que os dois pontos obtidos pela equipe Jaconera vieram como visitante.
Agora, fica a missão para que o Juventude quebre a série se vitórias e some o seu primeiro triunfo justamente contra o atual campeão da América.
RelacionadasCRBBressan é apresentado ao CRB e fala sobre a ‘animação’ no clube novoCRB14/06/2021Futebol NacionalPivetti busca ‘equilíbrio’ do CSA para recuperar na Série BFutebol Nacional14/06/2021GuaraniConfira o provável Guarani para encarar o CSAGuarani14/06/2021
The third edition of Women’s T20 Challenge is set to take place between November 4 and 9 in the UAE. The tournament, which the BCCI had said in August would be played during the IPL playoffs’ week, will feature a total of four matches played between three teams.ESPNcricinfo understands that both the Indian and overseas players will arrive in the UAE by the third week of October. All the three squads would be put up at one hotel, which will be part of a bio-secure bubble. Just like the eight IPL franchises, the women’s contingent, too, will undergo a mandatory six-day quarantine at the team hotel during which tests would be carried out on days one, three and five. Once they clear all three tests, they would be allowed to start training.It is understood that the tournament is likely to be preceded by a stipulated number of training sessions, most likely four, for each team, though the BCCI has not made any formal announcements on the tournament, fixtures and the squads’ make-up since August 2.ALSO READ: Covid-19 has made picking WT20C squads challenging – Neetu DavidIn September, the BCCI announced the IPL schedule, but only for the league phase, though the IPL final is slated to be held on November 10.Currently, the Indian board is understood to be finalising the overseas players, and with a new selection panel for the women’s national team now in place, the pool of Indian participants is also close to being confirmed.The T20 Challenge’s clash in scheduling with the WBBL, which begins on October 25, has rendered participation of most top-flight Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa players close to impossible. At least two England stars – Natalie Sciver and Katherine Brunt – would also be missing out on the Indian competition as they have been roped in by the Meg Lanning-led Melbourne Stars for the sixth edition of the Australian domestic T20 tournament.However, representation from England, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka is expected in the T20 Challenge, with several first-time participants likely to feature. Last year, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side Supernovas had defeated the Mithali Raj-led Velocity in Jaipur to win their second straight title, with Smriti Mandhana’s Trailblazers eliminated in the league stage.