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There is no getting away from it: Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the Premier League season has been nothing short of a disaster.

In four games, Ange Postecoglou’s side have picked up just four points thanks to a draw away to newly promoted Leicester City and a win at home to bottom-of-the-table Everton.

Worse yet, the Australian oversaw his second home defeat in a row to fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday, despite the Gunners missing two of their best players in Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

There were several poor performers on the day for the Lilywhites, and while Cristian Romero has received plenty of warranted flak for his part in the Gunners’ goal, ushered away from proceedings by Gabriel and leaving the Brazilian unmarked, there’s another key starter who looked anonymous for 95 minutes.

Son Heung-min's game vs Arsenal

Yes, while Son Heung-min wasn’t directly at fault for the only goal in the game like the Argentine defender was, he was partly to blame for his side’s blunt attacking display.

Now, the club captain didn’t make any glaring errors in the game, but he didn’t produce any moments of magic or even many genuine chances for his teammates either, which resulted in a rather tepid performance in what should be one of the most exciting games of the season.

This is a sentiment shared by football.london’s Alasdair Gold, who gave the South Korean superstar – and Romero for that matter – a 5/10 on the day, writing that while he ‘teed up Kulusevski for an early chance’ he ultimately ‘struggled to make an impact.’

While potentially harsh, Gold’s assessment of the 32-year-old’s game is corroborated by his statistics, as in his 95 minutes on the pitch, he amassed an expected assists figure of 0.13 and an expected goals figure of 0.02, failed in 50% of his dribbles, played a single key pass, lost the ball ten times and was offside once.

So, while he wasn’t at fault for the goals, he offered practically nothing going forward, so for that reason, and because his minutes should be managed more this season, he should be dropped to the bench for Wednesday’s League Cup game against Coventry City.

Why Wilson Odobert should replace Son

So, Spurs have several wingers at their disposal who could come in for Son off the left, but Ange should look to give Wilson Odobert his third start of the season on Wednesday night.

Now, like most of his teammates, the young Frenchman has been somewhat underwhelming in attack this season and has failed to score or assist a goal, but he should be given time to adjust to the system, and even though he couldn’t make it count on Sunday, he injected some much-needed energy into his side.

Moreover, thanks to his time with Burnley last year, we know what he can do when given a run of games.

Appearances

33

Goals

4

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.21

For example, despite still being just 18 years old at the start of the 23/24 campaign, the Meaux-born gem was able to score four goals and provide three assists in 33 appearances, which is undeniably impressive considering the Clarets’ form and suggests that in a top side, he might be capable of so much more.

Lastly, if the North Londoners are serious about going far in every competition this year, they will need to manage their first team stars and make use of their squad. So, even though Coventry are a talented team, the former Burnley ace and his fellow prospects like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall should have it in them to get a result against a Championship side.

Ultimately, Romero and his fellow defenders might have been at fault for the goal on Sunday, but Son offered very little going forward, so he should be dropped to allow Odobert the chance to open his Spurs account on Wednesday.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Ange must now drop Spurs ace after 5/10 display

Tottenham suffered yet another defeat to their bitter rivals, Arsenal.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 16, 2024

Eoin Morgan will be in England mode next week with the start of the series against Sri Lanka, but first his focus is on helping Middlesex make a double-quick start to the NatWest T20 Blast

Tim Wigmore15-May-20141:29

Captain Morgan looking forward to double-header

The refrain that England’s stars have become disconnected from the county game is a familiar one. The start of the season has been a welcome exception and, before England return to the international treadmill, their stars will help to launch the NatWest T20 Blast.And in the shortest format no current England player rivals Eoin Morgan for star quality. He will lead Middlesex when their T20 season begins against Essex at Lord’s on Saturday – and then do the same against Sussex a few hours later. It is the first such double header in county history. “Saturday for us is going to be quite a huge event – not only for ourselves but for English cricket,” Morgan said. “I know Middlesex are having a huge push.”The challenge of back-to-back games will be an unusual one, including quickly moving onto the next contest whatever the result of the first. “Going into the second game, we’ll already have had a chance to have a bat and a bowl. But does that equalise the fact that we might be a little bit tired? We don’t know.”But while Middlesex’s T20 campaigns will begin rapidly, the tournament is a slow-burning affair: finals day takes place exactly 100 days after the matches begin. “The idea of the format this year is to get more bums on seats throughout the whole summer, as opposed to it being sporadic,” Morgan said.Other T20 leagues take a very different approach, being completed in a much tighter block and which has left others, including England, playing catch-up. “You could say that the IPL and Big Bash have taken the initiative and sort of raced ahead of most other countries in franchise cricket and they’ve reaped the rewards for it.”This year, though, the IPL is far from Morgan’s mind: it is the first time he has begun the county season in England since 2009. And his county have given him the responsibility of captaining, when England commitments allow, in all limited-overs cricket.The development feels significant, with uncertainty over the captaincy of the national side in both limited-overs formats – and a shortage of viable successors to Alastair Cook in Tests. Morgan’s initial forays into captaincy have been marked by serenity and unusual tactical imagination, perhaps reflecting that he is an essentially self-taught cricketer. Few would argue with Morgan’s assessment of his own captaincy: “calm” and capable of “making good decisions under pressure”.With Stuart Broad injured, Morgan will be able to showcase those attributes in the T20 international against Sri Lanka next week having previously led England five times. “The opportunity to captain the side is one that I’m looking forward to.”The expectation is that Morgan could imminently succeed Broad on a permanent basis, whose role is in doubt after disappointing performances in the World T20 tournaments. Morgan says only that “it’ll be something that I think of” if offered, while, tellingly, admitting that he “was interested” in the job when Paul Collingwood’s reign ended three years ago.”It’s something that I’ve enjoyed because I’ve had something to offer,” Morgan said, speaking like the unusually self-assured 27-year-old that is. “Guys like Ben Stokes who have come in – I was captain when he debuted and then to watch him come through and play in the Ashes series from afar was awesome to see. You take great pride in awarding someone that – although you only play a minor part you’re still involved in it.”For all the bluster about England’s “new era”, uncertainty provides the backdrop for the international summer ahead. Mushtaq Ahmed and Graham Gooch have already lost their jobs, and the make-up of the new set-up is in flux. “We still haven’t got exact clarity on what’s going on or who’s doing what,” Morgan admitted. “The sooner that happens the better, and the calmer and the quicker things can move on.”

David Warner is your typical example – he started in T20, got into the one-day side and the broke into the Test team. And the shots he was playing in the Test matches were unbelievable

In limited-overs cricket, Morgan’s blend of calculation and panache make him immune from selectorial uncertainty. But in Tests the picture is rather more complicated. It is clear England have him in mind – Morgan would not have withdrawn from this year’s IPL otherwise – and a century against Lancashire was “timely”.Whether that is enough to merit inclusion against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on June 12 is a thorny question. Based strictly on first-class pedigree – Morgan averages under 35, and his previous first-class hundred came in August 2011 – he should not even be under consideration. Yet the notion of Morgan replicating his limited-overs brilliance in Tests evidently retains an allure for the selectors.It has been 830 days since Morgan last played Test cricket. His 16 Tests, thus far, did not end happily: he mustered only 82 runs in six innings against Pakistan in the UAE before beginning ignominiously dumped. “It’s professional sport – you’re out of form or you’re not performing you get dropped.” With a middling career average of 30, Morgan did not have enough credit to fall back onto with the selectors: “I don’t think it was harsh, looking back on it.””If I played the series again I might have played a little bit differently. I could have been a lot smarter about how I played,” he said. “Since I’ve played my last Test I’m a better cricketer for the fact that I’ve played more games and I’ve made more mistakes.” He evidently believes that class transfers between formats, suggesting that Ian Bell could replicate Mahela Jayawardene’s success in the shortest format if he returns to England’s T20 side.But it is an Australian that Morgan cites to show that cricketers can thrive in Test matches despite games that seem more suited to the short formats. “David Warner is your typical example – he started in T20, got into the one-day side and then broke into the Test team. And the shots he was playing in the Test matches were unbelievable.”If Morgan is able to imitate Warner’s success dovetailing the demands of the three formats of the game, it will leave Ireland lamenting once more that they could have retained his talents. In theory, the ICC’s new Test Challenge should help prevent a future Morgan from making the same decision. The reality, with a lack of scheduling space for any new Test nation, may be rather different. “Given the aspirations that I had as a kid, I’d probably still make the move.”Eoin Morgan was speaking at the launch of Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week. On 2-6 June thousands of Chance to Shine schools all over the country will enjoy a week of cricket-themed activities in the classroom and playground. Visit www.chancetoshine.org to find out more.

Robin Uthappa not in Kerala squad due to injury, Sanju Samson expected to join once fit

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2022

Indian Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has opted out of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad for “personal reasons”. A Cricket Association of Bengal official confirmed this development to ESPNcricinfo but did not elaborate on what the exact reason might be.It could not be verified whether the Indian selectors or team management have had a word with Saha recently about his future and whether that prompted the 37-year old to skip the league phase of Ranji.With Rishabh Pant firmly in place as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper, Saha has been the back-up in India’s Test squads. However, given his age, and KS Bharat exhibiting excellent glove-work when he came on as a substitute during India’s home Test series against New Zealand in November-December 2021, the selectors have two keepers in their 20s to call on. Bharat, who is 28, has been a regular with India A for the past few years.Related

Saha parts ways with Bengal after obtaining NOC from CAB

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BCCI unveils two-phased plan for Ranji Trophy

In Saha’s absence, Bengal have picked Sakir Habib Gandhi and Abishek Porel as their wicketkeeping options.Meanwhile, there was another senior player missing from his team for the Ranji Trophy, with Robin Uthappa not part of the Kerala squad. It is understood that Uthappa is recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s in December. He is expected be back to full fitness soon, but is likely to miss the league phase of the Ranji Trophy, which ends before IPL 2022 starts in late March.Uthappa, who hit match-turning knocks in the semi-final and final of IPL 2021 for defending champions Chennai Super Kings, has listed his base price at the maximum – INR 2 crore – for the IPL 2022 auction that will take place on February 12 and 13.Sanju Samson was also not named in the Kerala squad, but that is because he is undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. The Kerala Cricket Association said in a statement that Samson was expected to join the team once his fitness was cleared.Bengal are in Elite Group B of the Ranji Trophy, with Baroda, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. They will play their matches in Cuttack.Kerala are in Elite Group A, alongside Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya. Their matches will take place in Rajkot.The Ranji Trophy was not played last season because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will be held in two phases this time, before and after the IPL. It was originally scheduled to begin on January 13 but was postponed because of the third wave of infections across the country due to the covid-19 pandemic.Bengal squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Manoj Tiwary, Sudip Chatterjee, Anustup Majumdar, Abhishek Kumar Raman, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Abishek Das, Writtick Chatterjee, Ritwik Roy Chowdhury, Abishek Porel (wk), Shahbaz Ahamed, Sayan Sekhar Mondal, Akash Deep, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Sakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Pradipta Pramanik, Geet Puri, Nilkantha Das, Karan Lal, Ravi KumarKerela squad: Sachin Baby (capt), Vishnu Vinod (vice-capt, wk), Anand Krishnan, Rohan Kunnumel, Vatsal Govind, Rahul P, Salman Nizar, Jalaj Saxena, Sijomon Jopseph, Akshay K C, Mithun S, Basil N P, Nideesh M D, Manu Krishnan, Basil Thampi, Fanoos F, S Sreeshanth, Varun Nayanar (wk), Vinoop Manoharan, Eden Apple Tom.

Despite a terrific county season, Graham Onions wasn’t picked for the Ashes. Instead of moping, he chose to sharpen his skills with Dolphins

Firdose Moonda27-Nov-2013One is a reserved Englishman who has not spent much time outside his native Newcastle. The other was a boisterous Bajan widely acknowledged as one of the best bowlers ever born. Believe it or not, Graham Onions and Malcolm Marshall have something in common.Both made Durban their second home when they signed on as overseas professionals for teams based on South Africa’s east coast. Marshall spent four seasons with Natal from 1992-93 to 1995-96, while Onions, in his maiden run with the Durban-based franchise, has revived the concept of the full-season foreign signing in a country where international talent has not had much of a look in recently.South Africa’s domestic season clashes with those in the subcontinent, Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe, which leaves only West Indian or English cricketers available to play here. But the days of Ottis Gibson and Vasbert Drakes strutting their stuff here are long gone. The declining rand and a packed international calendar have meant overseas players come rarely and mostly for limited-overs tournaments.Only Ian Harvey in the 2005-06 season, and Owais Shah in 2010-11, dabbled in the longer version, until Onions settled in. And he is here for the long haul. His wife and ten-month-old son have relocated for the summer, and while they set about making new friends and enjoying the warm climate, Onions got his first set of matches out of the way.His visit began with the One Day Cup, in a format he wants to improve in. He had a moderate return of seven wickets in seven matches at an average of 29.28 as Dolphins finished in third place. Both the team and the bowler want to step it up for the first-class competition, which is Onions’ speciality.”I feel a lot more settled now and I am looking forward to this part of the summer,” he said. “I came to South Africa to challenge myself and also to learn and develop my game. I am really determined to get better and I think I can keep on improving. It was an achievement for me to be contracted to the Dolphins and I want to do well for them.”Onions was approached with the idea of him spending a summer in South Africa by Dale Benkenstein, a Durban boy who plays for Durham and is now the batting consultant for Dolphins. “Lance [Klusener, the Dolphins coach] wanted someone to lead the attack and since Kingsmead is useful to seam bowlers, I thought Graham would do well here,” Benkenstein said.But he also invited Onions for another, more personal reason. “He is a quality bowler, who has been and still is on the verge of the England team and he has never been given a decent run. He wasn’t picked for the Ashes side and the thought of sitting on the sidelines and not playing wouldn’t have been nice for him. This was a good way to keep him fresh.”After finishing the County Championship as the leading wicket-taker with 70 scalps at 18.45, Onions was gutted to be left out of the Ashes touring party, but Benkenstein convinced him not to spend his winter moping. Instead, by using it to prepare, Onions could set himself up to be an automatic replacement, should the need for one arise.”It was disappointing not to be part of the [Ashes] squad because back in England I’ve done well. I would love to be there, performing against our great rivals,” Onions said. “But it was not to be. I’d rather be playing cricket here than carrying the drinks there. Maybe I can force myself back in.”Onions thinks it will be a “miracle if we use the same bowlers in all five Tests” and so he wants to make sure he’s “not rusty” in case he is asked to fly over. But he also understands that might not happen because the England selectors seem to have sent a message that they don’t think Onions would be suited to conditions in Australia.”English conditions are perfect for him, where there are seaming wickets and the ball swings all day,” Benkenstein said. “Here in South Africa or even in Australia, the wickets can get a bit flat if we’re having a particularly hot period. But quality bowlers like him can adapt.”That may be what Onions is here to prove – that he can be successful on surfaces other than the ones at home, which he has already done, notably on England’s last tour to South Africa, in 2009-10. Onions took eight wickets in three Tests and memorably denied the hosts victory with his batting, twice. “I have good memories of that tour, but obviously my career changed a lot after that.”

“English conditions are perfect for him, where there are seaming wickets and the ball swings all day. Here in South Africa or even in Australia, the wickets can get a bit flat if we’re having a particularly hot period”Dale Benkenstein, batting consultant for Dolphins

Onions was controversially left out of the XI for the final Test and it was 29 months before he would play another. Career-threatening injuries, rather than questionable selection, kept him out, and there was a stage when, in dealing with his back pain, Onions wondered if he would ever bowl again. “It was the toughest part of my career,” he said. “I’ve now got screws in my back holding me together but they’re doing it pretty nicely for now.”While he stays in one piece, he said it’s his goal to play even just one more Test, and Benkenstein sees him achieving that and much more. “I think Graham is definitely good enough. He should have been there. If you’d asked any batsman on the county circuit who the best bowler was, they would have said Graham.”For now Benkenstein is hopeful South African batsmen will be saying the same. Onions and Dolphins had a poor start to the first-class competition, when the team was bowled out for 88. Onions had little to defend and went wicketless. Benkenstein thinks that will change soon as pressure mounts on Dolphins to end a seven-season title drought.”Graham’s job is to win matches for the Dolphins and he knows that. There’s no doubt that he is trying,” Benkenstein said. “He’ll be the first to say he hasn’t bowled as well as he could have. And he will want to change that. He has done it for Durham and he will do it here.”Benkenstein believes the main hurdle to performing well in South Africa – adjusting to the level of competition – is one Onions has just about overcome. “It’s tough here because there are only six franchises, whereas on the county circuit there are many more, so you might not always be playing against a tough side.”Onions admitted the franchise system – created as a distillation of the 11 provincial affiliates – has resulted in a “very good standard and depth” of players. He also said the structure of South Africa’s competitions aids their cricketers’ development because it allows them to focus on one format at a time rather than play a mish-mash of first-class and List A cricket at the frequency they do on the county circuit.”It’s good to concentrate on one competition at a time,” he said. “It also gives you time to work on things. If you’re having a bad game, you have days in between to work on it. Of course, if you’re in good form you want to keep playing, which is what we have in England but with this system you have time for fitness work as well.”The breathing room has given Onions the opportunity to play a mentoring role to some of Dolphins’ younger crop, like Kyle Abbott and Craig Alexander, and learn from people he respects. He has spent time chatting with Klusener and another Durban resident, Shaun Pollock.He has also allowed himself to become absorbed in living in another part of the world, which he hasn’t done before. “It’s an experience for him and his family,” Benkenstein said. “Sometimes when people are offered to come to South Africa, they worry about things like crime. There’s a fear of the unknown. But the longer you spend in Durban, the more you’ll see it’s a great place.”Onions, with the help of a strip of beach called the Golden Mile, has already realised that. “People seem to go at their own pace here. I like that because where I come from in northern England, it’s pretty quiet. I’m really enjoying it. When I go for morning runs along the beach, I realise how lucky I am.”

Vitor Roque, who is currently having a good loan spell at Real Betis, has admitted that he didn't enjoy his time at Barcelona.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Roque admits he had a bad time at Barca
• Was loaned out to Betis in the summer
• Has become a regular under Manuel Pellegrini

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vitor Roque has opened up on his brief six-month spell at Barcelona before joining Real Betis on a season-long loan this summer, claiming that he faced a lot of hardships and wasn't particularly happy with the way he was being managed by Xavi, the former Barca coach.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In July 2023, Barcelona announced that they had completed the signing of Roque from Athletico Paranaense. The Brazilian youngster would spend the rest of the season with Athletico Paranaense before joining the Catalans in January 2024, following the completion of the Brazilian football season.

  He managed to scored just two goals in 16 appearances as Barcelona lost the league to Real Madrid and crashed out of both Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Roque completed just 353 minutes of football, which consisted of just two starts. Touted to be the successor to Robert Lewandowski, Roque became an afterthought under Xavi and was eventually loaned out to Betis with an option to buy or to extend the loan for another 12 months.

  The 19-year-old has found his home at the Benito Villamarin and has become vital to Manuel Pellegrini, having found the back of the net five times in 14 games in all competitions. As good as his time has been at the Andalusian outfit, Roque revealed it was quite the opposite at Camp Nou.

• WHAT VITOR ROQUE SAID

  Speaking in an interview on Real Betis' official channel (h/t SPORT), Roque said: "When I arrived [at Barcelona] I had few opportunities, I didn't have time to adapt either. The truth is that I had some bad times there, but they serve as a learning experience, you know? I'm very happy to be here. The things I've learned there help me today and I'm very happy."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR VITOR ROQUE?

  Roque wasn't a part of the Brazil squad that took on Venezuela and Uruguay in the ongoing international break, but he'll hope to win over the Selecao leadership when he returns to Real Betis colours in a LaLiga match away at Valencia on Saturday, November 23.

يترقب عشاق كرة القدم مواجهة مرتقبة تجمع بين الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا ضمن منافسات نصف نهائي كأس مصر لموسم 2024-25، وذلك مساء يوم الجمعة 28 مارس على ملعب القاهرة الدولي.

نجح الزمالك في بلوغ هذا الدور بعد فوزه على سموحة في ربع النهائي، بينما يسعى لمواصلة مشواره نحو التتويج بالكأس، أما سيراميكا كليوباترا، فيطمح لتحقيق مفاجأة وإقصاء الفارس الأبيض من البطولة.

خاص – الزمالك يفقد لاعبه أمام ستيلينبوش في الكونفدرالية

تُعد هذه المواجهة الأولى بين الفريقين في بطولة كأس مصر، لكنهما تواجها سابقًا في 10 مباريات بالدوري الممتاز، ويمتلك الزمالك تفوقًا كاسحًا بواقع 9 انتصارات مقابل تعادل وحيد، كان في آخر لقاء جمع بينهما.

أكد المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك جوزيه بيسيرو خلال المؤتمر الصحفي أن الفريق يخوض اللقاء بهدف التأهل إلى النهائي، مشيرًا إلى قوة المنافس وصعوبة المباراة.

كما أوضح أنه منح بعض اللاعبين الأساسيين راحة خلال بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر، حيث لم يشارك كل من عبد الله السعيد والونش في اللقاء الأخير أمام بتروجيت.

وأضاف بيسيرو: “نحن نحتاج إلى دعم الجماهير أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا، نلعب من أجلهم وهدفنا تحقيق الفوز وإسعادهم”.

تنطلق المباراة في تمام التاسعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، العاشرة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وسط ترقب كبير من جماهير الفريقين لمعرفة هوية المتأهل إلى نهائي كأس مصر 2024-25.

Mikel Arteta is building something special at Arsenal. He may only have an FA Cup trophy to show for his work so far but they have come incredibly close in the Premier League.

In 2022/23 it was a gap of just five points that separated the Gunners and Manchester City. Last term they got even closer, finishing only two points behind Pep Guardiola's super team.

So, how do they bridge that narrow gap and surpass the 90-point mark? Well, by keeping hold of their best players and adding to those around them.

The trouble is, with Arsenal now such an impressive side, the biggest sides on the continent will no doubt take notice.

Arsenal star becoming a wanted man

It's unlikely that homegrown talents like Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice will be upping sticks anytime soon.

However, one of their foreign imports, William Saliba may well have his head turned if Arsenal don't win a few trophies soon.

Barcelona have already been linked with a move for the French centre-half, but according to reports Real Madrid are now also interested.

That's according to reports in Spain who suggest that Saliba has 'caught the attention' of the Champions League winners following his displays for club and for country at Euro 2024.

It's said Arsenal would be willing to sell if their financial conditions are met. An alleged £117m price is the magic and unlikely number that Real would have to pay.

Why Saliba is one of the world's best

As scout Antonio Mango put it on social media, Saliba is "one of the best in the world" now in his position.

It's easy to see why. After finally breaking into the Arsenal first-team at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign following several loan spells, the French centre-back has been nothing short of a revelation.

To underline his importance to the Arteta revolution at the Emirates Stadium, he played every single minute of the club's Premier League campaign last season. As a result, he was perhaps the most important cog in the best defence in England's top-flight last season.

Saliba helped to keep 18 clean sheets, more than any single player in the entire top flight as Arsenal came up desperately short in their bid for league glory.

But what makes him so good and why do Madrid want him? Well, he's unfazed by any situation, possesses immense composure and is incredibly hard to beat physically.

Saliba has already got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024, preventing him from scoring and also bodied Erling Haaland last term as the Norwegian failed to find the net against Arteta's side.

To rubberstamp just how good he is, the France international ranks inside the top 9% of positionally similar players in Europe's top five leagues for pass success, the top 11% for challenges lost and the best 16% for carries.

His defensive numbers aren't awe-inspiring but it's worth noting that Arsenal didn't actually have much work to get through at the back in 2023/24 because they keep the ball so well.

Even for a colossal £117m price tag, it would be very difficult to let the 22-year-old walk out the door. Already at such a young age he is one of, if not the best centre-backs in Europe and he's only going to get better.

Arsenal are reportedly moving closer to securing the signature of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori this summer but even if they do get that one over the line, it's imperative that Saliba stays. Arteta trusts him more than any other defender at the club.

Fabregas all over again: Arsenal's "monster" star is wanted by Barcelona

The talented ace is “one of the best in the world.”

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 24, 2024

India were looking forward to having a good crack at the remaining 157 runs needed to cross the line to win the first Test, Virat Kohli said at the end of the Trent bridge stalemate. He also said that he felt India had batted with intent on the fourth evening, attacked with the ball all along, and set markers for the rest of five-match series. And, that the XI picked for the first Test could well “be a template going ahead in the series”, though calls would be taken based on conditions.Chasing 209, India started solidly courtesy KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. This seemed to rub off on Cheteshwar Pujara, who signed off the penultimate day with a square-driven boundary off Stuart Broad. It wasn’t just Pujara showing intent, it was also a mark of confidence from the Indian top order, which had shown courage, good technique, and solid mindset to tackle the most difficult batting conditions – the final hour (as it turned out) of this rain-affected, but absorbing Test, where nearly two days were lost to rain.”We were expecting rain on day three and four, but it chooses to arrive on day five,” Kohli told the broadcasters after the final day’s play was called off late afternoon on Sunday. “We thought we were in a good position to have a crack at the target. This is exactly what we wanted to do: we wanted to start strong.”Heading to day five, we had our chances right in front of us. One good partnership and then you know what happens when there’s only 150 on the board to defend. We certainly felt like we are on top of the game. We bowled well enough and batted well enough to stay in the contest and then getting that lead was crucial which kept us on top throughout the game.”India had been dealt a blow two days before the Test after Mayank Agarwal – the preferred opener in Shubman Gill’s absence – was ruled out because of concussion. Rahul, who stepped in as replacement, did not show at any stage that he had not been considered Test-cricket material since August 2019.Rahul, in the company of Sharma, who was opening for the first time in England, was impressive as he kept India in the game on the second day with his innings of 84. Not just the runs, but Rahul kept the Indian dressing calm despite failures of Pujara, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.India needed that assured start again on an overcast Saturday evening when James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson steamed in under lights. India still ended the day at 52 for 1. Rahul the only batter to fall. Kohli agreed that it was a vital phase of play that India had won.”And to get to 50 overnight is a big positive for us. It wasn’t about survival; it was about getting the boundaries where the opportunity presented itself,” he said. “Our intent is what kept us ahead in the game. Even today the start would have been the same.”Will Shardul Thakur have a big role to play in the series? Virat Kohli thinks so•PA Photos/Getty Images

But the fact that India took a 95-run first-innings lead was not all Rahul’s doing. The credit for that belonged to Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 56, and then Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj added 46 more after he was dismissed.”It’s a hard work of three-odd weeks now,” Kohli said of the last three. “They have been in the nets regularly, wanting to contribute regularly, wanting to contribute to the team. Getting 50-plus runs from those three bowlers was like gold dust for us – we would have been talking about a lead of 40-odd and then we got to a lead of 95 purely because of their efforts.”Just the grit and determination… you know, as opposition, when the bowlers gets runs it can be annoying.”The lack of runs from the bottom order has been an issue for India, and a prime reason for India to tinker with the team combination.In the World Test Championship final, in June against New Zealand, India had fielded two spinners in R Ashwin and Jadeja to have more batting depth. For this Test, they dropped Ashwin, and brought in Shardul Thakur, who had played a winning hand with both ball and bat during the triumph in Brisbane against Australia in January.While he didn’t contribute with the bat, Thakur grabbed four wickets in the Test, key ones at that.Asked whether India would persist with a similar template of five bowlers including one spinner for the remainder of the series, Kohli said it was a possibility. “Most likely it will be a template going ahead in the series, but again, adaptability has been a strength of ours as well,” he said. “This looks like the right template for us moving forward.”

Real Salt Lake star Diego Luna has been recognized as MLS Young Player of the Year, the league announced on Thursday.

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Luna wins Young Player of the YearProvided eight goals and 12 assistsYoungest member of MLS All-StarsGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowIMGANWHAT HAPPENED?

Diego Luna developed into a star for Real Salt Lake this season and his impressive campaign was rewarded by being named Major League Soccer's Young Player of the Year.

The league announced Luna's award on Thursday, highlighting a strong season from the 21-year-old contributed to 20 goal contributions, scoring eight and assisting 12, joining only Diego Rossi to become the second player in league history to hit that mark before 21. In addition, Luna was the youngest member of the MLS All-Star team this summer.

In total, Luna ended up with 35.66 percent of the vote, narrowly edging out second-place finisher Diego Gomez from Inter Miami, who garnered 33.21 percent. LAFC's Cristian Olivera finished third with 5.55 percent.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A dynamic creative midfielder, Luna could wind up being a U.S. men's national team contributor in the years to come. He earned his first USMNT cap during the 2024 January camp, but declined an offer to be an alternate for the U.S. U-23s at the Summer Olympics in Paris. Luna is also eligible to represent Mexico and could file a one-time switch to play for .

Thus far, Luna has played 76 MLS matches, scoring 15 goals, with all of those goals coming over the last two seasons.

FC DallasDID YOU KNOW?

Luna joins some illustrious company as winner of MLS Young Player of the Year, which was rebranded from MLS Rookie of the Year in 2020. Rossi won that inaugural award before FC Dallas stars took home back-to-back trophies with Ricardo Pepi and Jesus Ferreira in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Argentina World Cup winner and ex-Atlanta United star Thiago Almada won the award in 2023.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LUNA?

Real Salt Lake's MLS season is over following the club's first-round MLS Playoff exit at the hands of Minnesota United, who won both matches in penalty kick shootouts. Luna will look ahead to a potential January Camp call-up under new USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

There were a number of records made in Headingley as England scripted another memorable win

Sampath Bandarupalli24-Jun-2025371 – The target England chased down at Headingley. It is the second-highest fourth-innings chase for England in Test cricket and the second-biggest by any team against India. The highest was when England chased down 378 against India in 2022 at Edgbaston.ESPNcricinfo Ltd350 – The runs England needed to score at the start of the fifth day’s play. Only one team has successfully chased a higher total on the last scheduled day of a Test match – 404 by Australia against England on day five of the 1948 Headingley Test.1 – India became the first team to lose a Test match after scoring five individual centuries. Only once before has a team lost a Test with four hundreds – Australia against England in Melbourne in 1928.835 – Runs that India aggregated in the Headingley Test, the fourth-highest to end up on the losing side. The previous highest for India in a losing cause was 759 against Australia in 2014 in Adelaide.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 – Number of Test matches with 350-plus totals in all four innings. The previous two such instances came in the Ashes – in 1921 in Adelaide and in 1948 in Headingley.1673 – Runs aggregated by England and India at Headingley, the highest for any Test match between the two sides. The previous highest was 1614 runs in Manchester in 1990, which ended in a draw. The 1673 runs are also the fifth-highest aggregate for any Test match not to end in a draw.5 – Number of successful 300-plus chases in the fourth innings at Headingley. The only other venue with more than two successful 300-plus chases is Durban’s Kingsmead with three.ESPNcricinfo Ltd149 – Ben Duckett’s score is the highest by any batter in the fourth innings of a Test match against India, bettering Joe Root’s 142* at Edgbaston in 2022.Duckett’s 149 is also the second-highest score by an England opener in the fourth innings, behind Mike Atherton’s 185* against South Africa in 1995.188 – The opening partnership between Duckett and Zak Crawley is the fifth-highest in the fourth innings of a Test match. It is also the second-highest for England, behind the 203 by Atherton and Graham Gooch against Australia in 1991.12 – Batters to have ended on the losing side despite scoring hundreds in both innings of a Test match, Rishabh Pant joining the list after the Headingley Test. The last of the previous eleven was Brendan Taylor against Bangladesh in 2018.