Tag Futebol

Aston Villa have made an impressive start to the new season, after a superb 2023/24 which saw them qualify for the Champions League for the first time in over 50 years. Unai Emery’s side are currently fifth in the Premier League on 14 points, just outside of the top four on goal difference.

Their fast start to the new season has also seen them win two from two games in Europe. That includes a victory away to Swiss side BSC Young Boys, and a famous win at home to Bayern Munich. That man who scored the winner against the Bavarian giants has been one of their best players this season, Jhon Duran.

Duran’s 2024/25 season so far

There are few strikers who are as clinical across Europe’s big five leagues this season as 20-year-old Duran. The Columbian has quickly become one of the deadliest strikers on the continent and has scored six goals in ten games already.

To break that down further, the former Chicago Fire striker has found the back of the net four times in seven Premier League games, and once in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

He is currently the joint-fifth top goalscorer in the Premier League, alongside several other players, but has played far fewer minutes. The Columbian has not started a game in the top flight yet this term, playing just 184 minutes which equates to two full 90-minute games. The most minutes he has played in one game this term in the league is just 29.

This has been a real feature of the Columbian’s game since moving to the Premier League for £18m in January 2023. He has developed a reputation for goals off the bench and has become a game-changing substitute for Emery.

As per Statmuse, the Villa number nine has nine goals in 42 Premier League games but has made just three starts.

Stat

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Matches

12

23

7

Starts

0

3

0

Minutes

126

462

184

90s

1.4

5.1

2

Goals

0

5

4

Goals per game

0

0.97

1.95

Duran is not showing any signs of slowing down and will be no doubt targeting double-figure goals this season. If he manages to avoid injuries, he could be a key player for years for the Villans, given he recently signed a new contract until 2030.

Scarily, the Midlands side may well have someone even more dangerous in the academy who could go on to be better than Duran.

Aston Villa’s next centre-forward prospect

The player in question here is Villa’s young Scottish striker Rory Wilson. The 18-year-old made the move to Villa Park from Scottish giants Rangers in July 2022 and has since gone from strength to strength in that famous Claret and Blue shirt.

The youngster, who has played three times for Scotland’s under-21 side, has a superb record for the Villa academy. He has scored 36 goals and has four assists to his name in 53 matches for the under-21s, under-18s and in the UEFA Youth League.

His goal in Europe came in his first, and to date, only appearance for the Villans against Young Boys in a 2-1 defeat. The 18-year-old had an astounding record in the under-18s Premier League last term, with 16 goals in just 13 appearances.

The former Rangers player was once described as “one of the best young strikers in Europe” by Scotland under-17s manager Brian McLaughlin in 2022, just before he moved to Villa. That was a campaign where he scored a whopping 49 goals, joining the Premier League side as a result.

Wilson is a player with lots of composure and finesse in front of goal. Take this superb chip as an example, which he scored at Villa Park. He makes a clever run in behind the opposition defence, getting on the end of the pass and delicately clipping the ball over the goalkeeper.

With an age gap of just two years between Wilson and Duran, it would not be a surprise to see them both in the same side soon enough.

Perhaps the young Scottish striker will become an even bigger star than Duran as he gets opportunities in the first team.

Aston Villa have struck gold on "absolute star” who's worth more than Duran

He was signed by Emery in 2023

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 10, 2024

They might only be nine Premier League games in, but this season has been brutal for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side came into the campaign as Manchester City’s biggest title rivals, and while that is probably still true, injuries and suspensions are starting to take their toll.

For example, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber had to come off in the second half against Liverpool last night, and while the latter may have been suffering from a cramp, the former certainly looked hurt.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as Arteta has a plethora of incredibly talented youngsters at his disposal, and for Wednesday night’s game against Preston North End, he should hand one of them a first competitive start, alongside the more well-known Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Why Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri should start

Okay, so before we get to why the lesser-known prospect should start on Wednesday, let’s take a look at why his fellow academy stars should play as well, beginning with Nwaneri.

Of all the Gunners’ promising youngsters, the 17-year-old midfielder probably receives the most coverage from fans and pundits alike, and for good reason, as when he’s played for the first team this season, he has impressed, and Martin Odegaard’s absence has left a hole in the team he could fill.

For example, while he might not be as technically astute as Leandro Trossard at present, the Enfield-born dynamo has shown that he can add some much-needed directness and energy to the team’s midfield when he comes off the bench, as he did against Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.

Moreover, in his only start of the campaign, against Bolton Wanderers, the 5 foot 9 prodigy scored a brace and generally looked like the best player on the pitch, so with the club captain still out and the level of opposition being what it is, he must start against Preston.

Likewise, Lewis-Skelly, who also started and starred in that game, will likely start on Wednesday, as he’s seemingly become Arteta’s go-to substitute for the starting left-back in recent weeks, ahead of both Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko, and it’s easy to see why.

The Islington-born gem is brilliant on the ball, as demonstrated by the defence-splitting pass he played against Bolton and the numerous passes he played against Liverpool; he’s reasonably secure and, perhaps most importantly, has shown a maturity far beyond his years, coming on in crunch moments against Manchester City last month, the Reds on Sunday and playing 18 minutes in the Champions League last week.

Lastly, if Timber did pick up a slight knock at the Emirates, it would be mad to play him in the League Cup, so there is a perfect opportunity to hand the Hale End ace another start.

However, as Arsenal fans will be all too aware, Gabriel is also likely to be unfit for Wednesday at the very least, and while it’s yet another gut punch for the title-chasing team, his absence presents another opportunity for a lesser-known youngster to pick up his first competitive start for the club.

Why Ayden Heaven should start

Yes, the academy gem in question is 18-year-old Ayden Heaven, who may be known to Arsenal fans but remains a relative unknown to the broader footballing community – at least for now, anyway.

Now, the first thing to say is that, unlike the two young stars mentioned above, the 6 foot 2 ace has yet to make a competitive appearance for the first team and will therefore be making a big step-up if he does start on Wednesday, but Arteta will never know if he’s ready to make the jump unless he gives him the chance.

Fortunately, it would appear that the manager rates the young “beast”, as dubbed by podcaster WIll Balsam, as he gave him plenty of game time during the club’s pre-season tour against some big teams like Manchester United and Liverpool. On top of that, the Spaniard also named the promising gem on the bench for the North London derby and the game against Bolton earlier this season.

Centre-Back

16

Left-Back

5

Left Midfield

1

However, away from first-team action, the young Englishman has also impressed for the U21 side, where he’s made 23 appearances, playing mainly as a centre-back but also making appearances at left-back in left midfield, where he has been able to show off his “insane” passing range, as Balsam described it.

Ultimately, it’s a lot to ask of Heaven to make his first start for the club on Wednesday, but with Gabriel likely out of action for some time and the opposition being what it is, he could really help Arteta navigate the current injury crisis, and who knows, if he plays well enough, he could find himself making more first team appearances in the coming months, alongside Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly.

Arsenal wasted £47m on Wenger flop who earned even more than Trossard does

Arsenal were far too eager to hand out massive contracts under the Frenchman.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 26, 2024

Before he made his Test debut, Devon Conway was asked about the landmarks he’d love to tick off during his career by his Wellington team-mate Logan van Beek on the podcast . Having grown up watching Jacques Kallis wait for 15 years to hit his maiden Test double-hundred, Conway said he dreamed of scoring one of his own… and winning a one-day World Cup.In his very first Test innings, Conway made a sublime double-century against England at Lord’s and two Tests later, he won the inaugural World Test Championship. He then sustained a finger injury during the Hundred, but is now fit and ready to take a crack at the World Cup.Related

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“There hasn’t been too much specific that I’ve been working on,” Conway said before flying out to the UAE. “I’ve been going through a months’ work of fitness training that the fitness trainer Chris Donaldson has sent me through, so there’s been a lot of fitness work done over the last month and then I’ve just allowed my finger to recover after the slight injury that I had a few months ago. But it’s all looking pretty positive and then just going through the T20 preparation – trying to work out a formula and what sort of plans I’m going to try and execute over in the UAE.”The odds are stacked against Conway in the UAE. He has never played in the country before and has only once toured the subcontinent, having travelled to Sri Lanka on a school visit way back in 2005. Conway is hoping to pick the brains of the other players who are more familiar with these conditions. Ten of New Zealand’s World Cup squad members are currently part of the second leg of the IPL in the UAE.”I wouldn’t say I’ve had much experience in these sorts of conditions, so I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead,” Conway said. “We have quite a lot of experience around in the group that have played on that sort of a level and in the sort of conditions, so I’m sure I’ll be having lots of conversations with guys that have been there in the past and learning from them and going forward.”Conway has also been working with batting coach Luke Ronchi who has played 31 T20s in the UAE, scoring 976 runs at an average of 33.65 and strike rate of 158.69. Ronchi’s muscle at the top was central to Islamabad United winning their second PSL title in 2018. The UAE hosted the league stage that season before the tournament moved to Pakistan for the knockouts.”Yeah, I’ve been working quite closely with Luke Ronchi and he’s been around Wellington,” Conway said. “He’s had a fair bit of experience playing in the UAE, so I’ve had a lot of conversations with him about certain game plans and what to expect and what a certain way of scoring looks like. So, there’ve been quite a lot of conversations, so I suppose sometimes it’s a lot better experiencing that at the nets prior to the game starting, so I look forward to getting over there and training.”Conway usually opens the batting for Wellington, but his left-handedness and busy approach has given New Zealand a good option in the middle order. In the past international home summer, he made four fifty-plus scores, including an unbeaten 99 off 59 balls against Australia in Christchurch. He had also stepped up in the Super Smash final earlier this year, cracking an unbeaten 93 off 63 balls to help Wellington hunt down 176 and successfully defend their T20 title. Anticipating yorkers on the stumps from Canterbury’s Will Williams in the final over, Conway gave himself swinging room to access the offside and close out the victory. Sure, Conway is no power-hitter but such smarts could serve him well in the UAE where the pitches are tiring at the IPL.The experience of having dealt with pressure at the WTC final against India will also be beneficial for Conway. “The bigger thing for me is, try not to make too much of a big occasion out of it,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s still another game of cricket… so, it’s about taking each game at a time and not looking too far ahead. Then in saying that, being in the UAE, trying to experience the occasion will be pretty cool. It’ll be one of those where I try and cherish for a long time, but definitely looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”Conway has played only a handful of internationals so far, but a big performance in a group that includes India and Pakistan to follow the Test heroics in England could define his career.”I’d love to win a World Cup – whether one day or T20 World Cup – that’d be pretty special,” Conway had told van Beek, who is part of the Netherlands’ World Cup squad. “You know watching how the guys went about it in England not so long ago – just seeing how much pride and how much they did for New Zealand as a whole and how the people reacted to that and the way they played their cricket was pretty cool to see.”I wasn’t involved or I wasn’t even in England but to see how much it means to the people here to step up and show what a small nation it is to achieve such a cool goal – it’ll be quite special. At the end of the day, there are stats in this game, but you know if you’re winning World Cups, people will remember those moments more than: oh, he averaged 40 in the first-class game or he took a ten-for. It’s more to that. It’s winning competitions, doing well for your team and creating a legacy once you’ve left [the game].”

اختارت لجنة الحكام في الاتحاد التونسي، طاقم تحكيم مصري لإدارة مباراة الترجي ضد مستقبل قابس في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري التونسي للموسم الحالي.

ويلعب الترجي ضد مستقبل قابس، في الثالثة عصر غد السبت، ضمن مواجهات الجولة 23 لمباريات الدوري التونسي.

ووفقًا لموقع “فوت 24” التونسي، تم تعيين الحكم المصري محمد معروف بمساعدة محمود أبو الرجال ومحمد طه، وحكم رابع خليل الجريء لإدارة مباراة الترجي أمام مستقبل قابس، يوم السبت 1 مارس 2025.

كما سيكون حكم الفار المصري طارق عبدالرحيم بمساعدة التونسي وائل المحواشي في ملعب قابس.

طالع | كاف يختار 6 حكام مصريين لمعسكر النخبة في كوت ديفوار

ويتصدر فريق الترجي، ترتيب الدوري التونسي برصيد 48 نقطة، بينما فريق مستقبل قابس يحتل المركز الثالث عشر بـ 18 نقطة.

The exit of a £200,000-a-week Manchester United player is now not expected to happen this summer, according to a fresh update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Latest on Man Utd exits on deadline day

The future of Jadon Sancho has dominated deadline day from a Red Devils perspective, as he potentially looks to seal a move away from Old Trafford.

The Englishman has never got going in a United shirt since completing a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund back in 2021, even being loaned back to the Bundesliga side last season. Chelsea are believed to be making late efforts to sign the 24-year-old, as the Blues look to seal yet another signing.

However, Erik ten Hag provided an update on Sancho's future during his pre-Liverpool press conference on Friday, saying he expects him to remain at United: "As far as I know, I expect him to stay, yeah. We are happy with him. We need a good squad. We have to play many games until January. After the break we play every third day so we need options."

Away from all things Sancho, a key update has now emerged regarding the future of another Old Trafford ace.

£200,000-a-week Man Utd winger set to stay

According to Romano on X, Antony is expected to stay at Manchester United this summer, with a loan move to Real Betis off the table after the player decided he wants to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford.

There is no question that Antony has been a disappointing signing for United overall, with a lack of end product from his right-sided attacking role something that he has received plenty of credit for. The £200,000-a-week Brazilian has only bagged 11 goals and five assists in 83 appearances for United, which compared to the likes of rivals Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka in his position, is simply not good enough for the Red Devils to close the gap.

That being said, Antony does still possess quality and is only 24 years of age, with Rio Ferdinand describing him as a "threat" and Danny Murphy also praising him last season: "Antony was running in behind and making different types of runs today. There’s been a lot of discontent with him in the first couple of games, but his end product, picking passes better, he was much more decisive in his play today."

There is plenty of competition for places in wide areas at United now, including Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo, so now is the time for Antony to find another gear, or the calls for him to move on next summer are only likely to become more deafening.

He's like Pogba: Man Utd in late talks to sign another CM after Ugarte

Manchester United could sign two midfielders on deadline day.

By
Matt Dawson

Aug 30, 2024

The natural ability is there for all to see, in terms of his classy left foot and quick dribbling, but it is now a case of him adding that all-important substance to his game, scoring and assisting at a far greater rate.

On Saturday evening two heavyweight gladiators met in the form of Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua. Nearly 200 miles north on Sunday, two heavyweights met again, this time at the Etihad Stadium as Arsenal took on title rivals Manchester City.

Kai Havertz may have sent Rodri sprawling to the canvas like AJ after just five seconds on the clock but there was no knockout blow yesterday.

Instead, City and Arsenal shared the spoils from a contest that couldn’t have been more one-sided if they tried.

It was a peculiar match. The inevitable Erling Haaland struck the first blow and for a period of time it looked as though Pep Guardiola’s men, as Dubois had done 18 hours or so prior, were going to win the fight.

Yet, Mikel Arteta’s side fought back through two defenders; Ricciardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes, before Leandro Trossard’s foolish red card condemned his teammates to a second half of parking the bus.

Arsenal did so sensationally well until John Stones popped up with a matter of moments left to rescue a 2-2 draw for his team.

So, in a game of incredible highs and incredible lows, it was Trossard or Michael Oliver depending on your persuasion who was to blame.

Trossard’s performance vs Man City

Since signing from Brighton in a bargain £27m deal back in January 2023, the Belgian has been a force for the Gunners.

Only Bukayo Saka scored more than Trossard’s haul of 17 in all completions for Arsenal last season and after finding the net against Aston Villa in match week two, it looked as though he was set another captivating year in front of goal.

Well, perhaps let’s think again, shall we? The winger has been hit or miss this season and you can hardly blame an element of ineffectiveness over his last few matches. Playing out of position in a more central role in the absence of injured Martin Odegaard, it’s not been a triumphant time.

The Belgium international was pretty anonymous against the Lilywhites last week and was just as poor, if not worse, at the Etihad on Sunday.

He spurned a glorious first-half chance after meeting Gabriel Martinelli’s cutback and then came a moment of madness.

Just a matter of weeks ago he had seen teammate Declan Rice sent off for ‘delaying the restart’ and the same eventuality fell Trossard’s way this weekend, heaving the ball forward despite Oliver having already blown his whistle for a free-kick.

The referee whipped out a yellow card and as it was a second caution swiftly handed him a red for his troubles. Like Rice, he’d been made to pay the price for kicking the ball away. This time there could be no excuse..

It wasn’t as though he was having a particularly great afternoon before that, failing to win any of his individual duels and unsurprisingly boasting fewer touches (11) than goalkeeper David Raya (52).

So, what happens next? Well, Trossard is now suspended for the League Cup tie with Bolton Wanderers in midweek.

He is back for the match with Leicester next weekend but shouldn’t keep his place following a display that GOAL reporter Charles Watts suggested warranted a dismal 3/10 match rating.

Trossard’s best replacement

With Odegaard still nursing his ankle injury then the clash with both Bolton in a few days time and the Premier League fixture with Leicester next weekend represents the ideal chance to give Ethan Nwaneri his first senior start for the club.

Appearing aged 15 in the Premier League, coming off the bench against Brentford in 2022, he is now 17 and widely regarded as one of the hottest young talents in the country.

#1 Ethan Nwaneri

15 years, 5 months, 28 days

2022: Brentford

#2 Cesc Fabregas

16 years, 5 months, 24 days

2003: Rotherham

#3 Jack Wilshere

16 years, 8 months, 12 days

2008: Blackburn

#4 Jermaine Pennant

16 years, 10 months, 15 days

1999: Middlesbrough

#5 Paul Vaessen

16 years, 11 months, 11 days

1978: Lokomotive Leipzig

#6 Ryan Smith

16 years, 11 months, 18 days

2003: Rotherham

#7 Gedion Zelalem

16 years, 11 months, 29 days

2014: Coventry

#8 Armand Traore

17 years, 16 days

2006: West Brom

A fleeting four-minute substitute display in the north London derby are all the minutes he’s played in 2024/25 but there is surely no better time to finally integrate him and unleash the young Englishman than over the club’s next two fixtures.

So, why is Nwaneri such a promising young player? Well, he possesses that rare gift of making something happen out of nothing. For those of an Arsenal persuasion, let’s call it the Odegaard gene.

Capable of unlocking a defence by simply finding the net himself or by weaving his magic to pick out a teammate, the teenager seemingly has it all and is ready to take the Premier League by storm.

The Odegaard role is perfect for him, playing off the right side but occupying central areas that helped him achieve the best part of 18 goals and four assists in youth action last term.

It would be too far to say this is now or never for Nwaneri but it is important for him to get a footing and feel for the Premier League on a regular basis now.

Hailed as an “outstanding internal solution” by analyst Ben Mattinson, that’s precisely what he could prove to be as Arsenal look to solve not just Trossard’s red card but their gutting Odegaard blow.

Against the newly promoted Leicester, the England youth international could finally earn a chance to impress. He certainly deserves to after their Belgian’s moment of madness on Sunday.

Alongside Gabriel: Arsenal star who made 0 passes all game bullied Man City

Arsenal nearly escaped the Etihad with all three points.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 22, 2024

West Bromwich Albion managed to add a cherry to the top of their cake right at the death of the transfer window, clinching a wonderful deal to win back former loan hero Mikey Johnston on a permanent basis on deadline day.

The now ex-Celtic winger would end up costing the Baggies a reasonable £3m, with Mason Holgate also joining on loan as the clock ticked down another eye-catching bit of business.

If he can reach the same heights he managed as a firm fan's favourite last season at the Hawthorns this campaign, Carlos Corberan's men could well be even more of a force to be reckoned with in the Championship, with the Baggies yet to taste defeat across their first four league clashes.

Johnston's time at West Brom

Johnston joined in January as a new loan recruit to help Corberan's side push to make the play-offs and stay there, with the Republic of Ireland international an instant hit in his fresh surroundings down the left flank.

The 25-year-old would twist and turn second-tier defences for fun, with a devastating finish usually finding the back of the net after a slaloming run forward, with Johnston helping himself to a stunning seven goals and two assists from 20 Baggies games.

Therefore, when an opportunity arose during the recently closed transfer window to try and snap Johnson back up, it was a chance West Brom couldn't say no to.

With Tom Fellows also operating as a creative machine down the right, with three assists already tallied up from his side's opening four Championship contests, both the homegrown West Brom menace and the £3m new boy could tear up the league together.

Away from the West Midlands outfit striking gold on deals in the here and now, they have been prone to making blunders in the transfer market too.

Sam Johnstone is one player who very much fits into that category.

Sam Johnstone's transfer value in 2024

Johnstone's recent £10m move to Wolverhampton Wanderers would have been particularly demoralising for West Brom, away from feeling overjoyed about Johnston's return, having waved goodbye to the new Wolves goalkeeper for nothing back in 2022.

Well known to keen football followers across the West Midlands – having lined up for Aston Villa as well as West Brom – Johnstone has now ticked off another big club from this area in the form of Gary O'Neil's Old Gold.

His best spell as a player to date arguably came at the Hawthorns, with Gary Lineker even labelling the former Manchester United youth prospect as "sensational" when he routinely starred for his former employers.

Division played

Games played

Clean sheets

Premier League

67

15

Championship

222

74

League One

54

21

Proving himself to be a reliable shot-stopper across his playing days to date, with a large portion of his career clean sheets coming in the second tier, Corberan would love to be able to call upon Johnstone now in his current West Brom XI.

The Baggies wouldn't be consumed with so much regret when it comes to Johnstone if they did manage to sell him on for a hefty fee when they could, considering West Ham United in 2021 reportedly bid £10m for his services.

Instead of cashing in, however, West Brom pushed back a bid and ultimately rejected it, only for the four-time England international to walk away from the building on a free transfer, after his side finished in an unsatisfactory mid-table spot in the Championship at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Now, the ex-Red Devils youngster is worth £7m more than statement buy Johnston, as the Baggies remain a team in the second tier aiming for a top-flight return.

Corberan does have Alex Palmer at his disposal in-between the sticks now, who has only leaked two goals so far this campaign in the league, but those with connections to West Brom must still wonder if Johnstone's time with the club could have ended on a better note.

West Brom struck gold on Hawthorns ace who is worth even more than Holgate

This West Bromwich Albion star continues to put in top performances for Carlos Corberan’s men.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 3, 2024

Mullaney’s century keeps Nottinghamshire ahead of Essex before dire Saturday weather forecast

David Hopps07-May-2021When Alastair Cook finally retires for good, and let’s hope in county cricket it will be a good while yet, he might well look upon Trent Bridge without too many pangs of regret.Cook only managed three half-centuries for England on this ground in 24 attempts, although he might find consolation that his only Test half-century came against Australia in 2013 in a thrilling Ashes encounter which fell to England by only 14 runs. Memory jog: Ian Bell’s sumptuous century, Jimmy Anderson’s 10-wicket match and, after a last-wicket partnership of 65, Brad Haddin given out after the thinnest of inside edges. Cue pandemonium.His record against Nottinghamshire, not a long list because of his international success, is nevertheless even less rewarding: he has never passed 50. In farming terms, which is how much of his life now plays out, every time he comes to Nottingham he must feel as forlorn as Tess of the d’Urbervilles, hacking at swedes at Flintcomb Ash.Cook has made 3 and 35 for Essex here, bowled by his old mucker, Stuart Broad in the first innings, and lbw to Lyndon James second time around. It looked plumb, although did he hint at the possibility that there might have been the slightest inside edge?If he was aggrieved then a brief cross-legged pause at the crease, followed by the tiniest glance at his bat, was a response of the utmost decorum. It was not about to bring demands for him to relinquish his knighthood in disgrace. There again, Sir Alastair, no need to worry about that, nobody resigns for anything these days.Two days into this match, Nottinghamshire are well enough ahead to be able to survive a potential third-day washout before pushing for victory on the final day that is forecast to be dry but cloudy. Essex followed up their 99 all out in the first innings with a painstaking 129 for 3 from 59 overs, and clearly have draw points on their mind, but they still trail by 95. Notts need a good Sunday morning.Steven Mullaney’s 117 was the ballast behind Notts’ first-innings lead of 224, and he passed 8,000 first-class runs in the process. All that he said could not be faulted: “I thought we bowled really well. The scoreboard’s not really gone anywhere. After two days we couldn’t hope to be in a better position against arguably the best side in the country.”After three days, though, their advantage won’t feel quite as good. The forecast looks terminal around the country, and local clubs would be wondering whether to skip pitch preparation even as they fielded premature drop-outs from players who suddenly realised they had to be in all day for a vital delivery from Amazon.Nottinghamshire captain Steven Mullaney made a century•Getty ImagesMullaney’s century had two moods. He had feasted on some ordinary Essex bowling in reaching 63 overnight, but the loss of James and Tom Moores to Shane Snater in successive balls persuaded him that he must adopt a more watchful approach. He did just that against the seamers, although he had a couple of risky moments against Simon Harmer, not least the shot that brough up his hundred, an under-edged slog sweep which whistled to long leg. He fell to a good nip-backer from Siddle which so impressed him he depicted its course to the bowler like a budding artist before departing.Snater, a Zimbabwe-born Netherlands seamer, took a career-best 7 for 98 in only his sixth first-class appearance, as he removed James and Tom Moores in successive balls before adding two late wickets. His fast-medium possessed impressive energy and he has been the best Essex pace bowler on show.But Mullaney, who offered a difficult chance to gully before adding to his overnight 63, completed a stand of 123 with James, a home-produced allrounder of promise, and 66 with Broad, who Leicestershire supporters will forever insist is not homegrown, even though he was born in Nottingham, and whose 41 from 42 balls was a recognisable stand-and-deliver affair which climaxed with a step-away six over midwicket against Snater and an emphatic pull in the same direction against the veteran Australian Siddle in the following over; Siddle was collared so easily he must have felt his age. It’s 36.Nottinghamshire had to labour for their wickets in Essex’s second innings, with Luke Fletcher bowling well enough without reward, after his first-innings 6 for 24, to reflect that fortune had soon deserted him. The removal of Tom Westley (who might have left it) and Dan Lawrence (who played down the wrong line) left Notts in the ascendancy but Nick Browne, who has played solidly throughout, found an ally in Paul Walter as Essex batted out the last 24 overs, pining for rain.

After almost toppling Manchester City in back-to-back Premier League campaigns, Arsenal must take that final step next season and end their two-decade title drought.

Mikel Arteta's men finished just two points off the eventual champions last year, and while they produced the best defence in the entire league, they scored five goals fewer than the Sky Blues and with the margins as tight as they are, that's an area the Gunners need to improve on.

Fortunately, reports over the last few weeks have seen the North Londoners heavily linked to several top strikers, such as Napoli's Victor Osimhen or Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres.

However, with both of those superstars potentially being out of reach for Arsenal, another inform poacher has been touted for a move to the Emirates and could prove to be a realistic alternative to Sporting's Swedish goal machine.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal are now interested in Bournemouth's star striker, Dominic Solanke.

The report claims that, alongside Tottenham Hotspur, the Gunners are now keen to secure the Englishman's services this summer.

The £70k-per-week poacher's contract with the Cherries is set to run until June 2027, and so, according to a separate report, they are understandably holding out for a fee in the region of £65m. However, whether a club is actually willing to stump up that sort of money is another thing entirely.

While he might not be as exciting a name as Gyokeres, the former Chelsea ace has proven his ability to score goals in the Premier League and could help move the needle for Arsenal.

Why Solanke would be a great signing for Arsenal

So, the first thing to point out is that, yes, in an ideal world, Arsenal will sign Gyokeres this summer. After all, he scored a frankly ludicrous 43 goals in 50 appearances last season and provided 15 assists for good measure.

However, with reports claiming that Sporting are still after a hefty fee for his services this summer, ranging from £67m to £84m, it looks as if the Gunners aren't going to be signing him.

That said, while Solanke wasn't quite as prolific last year, he was still a goalscoring machine, and the fact he has already proven himself such in the Premier League shouldn't be ignored.

In 42 appearances last season, the "outstanding" marksman, as Paul Merson dubbed him, scored 21 goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.68 games.

This impressive haul would've made the 6 foot 2 forward the Gunners' top goalscorer and second most productive player overall behind only Bukayo Saka, which is an incredibly impressive feat.

Appearances

42

Goals

21

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.59

Moreover, while he wasn't quite as effective the campaign prior, he still racked up 14 goal involvements in 35 games, which equates to a respectable average of one every 2.5 games.

Ultimately, while Solanke might not be the best striker around or as devastatingly effective as Gyokeres appears to be, he is still an excellent goalscorer. If he could score over 20 goals with a midtable Bournemouth side, just imagine what he could do in a title-chasing Arsenal team.

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Therefore, Edu and Co should do what they can to bring him to the Emirates this summer.

Aston Villa are preparing for their most important campaign for quite some time. If the 2023/24 season saw Unai Emery establish a team which could threaten the Premier League elite, then 2024/25 should see them become a regular member of the top six.

Of course, Champions League distractions, while a step into the unknown, could test Emery’s side, meaning some added depth is required during the transfer window.

With eight new signings so far, the Spaniard is working wonders, but another one or two players would be ideal. Could he target a fellow Premier League club for one of their prized assets, however?

Aston Villa showing interest in French striker

As reported by the Standard earlier this week, Villa have reportedly made contact with Crystal Palace over Jean-Philippe Matete in a bid to lure the Frenchman to the Midlands this summer.

Palace claim he isn’t for sale, but every man has their price and the striker could be available for around €30m (£25m) if a bid of this value was put in by Emery.

With the future of Jhon Duran still unclear amid interest from West Ham United, signing Mateta – who netted hat-trick against Villa on the final day of last season – could give Emery another excellent option up top.

Indeed, if the Spaniard deploys his 4-4-2 system like he did at times last term, Mateta could form a wonderful partnership with Ollie Watkins as a result.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s season in numbers

His first two full seasons for the Eagles weren’t exactly the most productive, as he scored just seven and two goals across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns respectively.

Last season saw an upturn in form, however, as the Frenchman went on an impressive run during the second half of the term.

Metric

Mateta

Watkins

Goals

16

19

Assists

5

13

Shots on target per game

0.8

1.3

Goal conversion percentage

35%

18%

Big chances created

5

11

Key passes per game

0.9

1.2

Successful dribbles per game

0.7

0.7

Across 39 games in all competitions, he scored 19 goals, which included nine in his final six Premier League matches, ending the year on a high.

He was hailed as “extraordinary” by journalist Rory Smith following the appointment of Oliver Glasner and his talents would allow him to slot in well alongside Watkins.

The Englishman enjoyed the finest season of his career under Emery during 2023/24, scoring 27 goals while also chipping in with 13 assists, meaning he loves creating chances for others.

Matete registered five assists last term, while also creating five big chances and averaging 0.9 key passes per game, showing that he is more than just a clinical finisher.

Often, Moussa Diaby would operate alongside Watkins up front last term, but the Frenchman was a natural winger, meaning the partnership wasn’t as productive as Emery had hoped for.

By signing Mateta, Villa would be landing a player who has impressed in the Premier League, meaning no settling in period is required. If he hits the ground running, his goals would also take the pressure off of Watkins to perform.

Deploying a duo who netted 46 goals between them last season could see opposition defences terrorised in the top flight and in the Champions League.

For £25m, the move could soon turn into a wonderful bargain, no doubt about it.

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