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They are India’s most vital players and if they’re on form, it’s a big battle won

Ian Chappell22-Sep-2024India have the ideal build up to their tour of Australia with two Tests against Bangladesh, then a more demanding three-game series with New Zealand.Apart from winning both series, India’s priority will be to get as many players as possible into form without suffering major injuries. However, the most pressing matters are to achieve those aims with Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant.Pant’s ability to bounce back onto the Test scene is quite remarkable given his horrific car accident. He is a crucial wicketkeeper-batter in the Indian line-up and he’d give the team a major boost if he’s at the peak of his powers for the Australian tour.Related

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As an in-form batter, Pant is vital, which he displayed on the 2020-21 Australian tour with crucial innings in both the SCG and Gabba Tests. His ability to score quickly utilising his innovative aggression is an important part of India’s strategy.His wicketkeeping is also vital – if Pant can perform at his best, he’s the ideal keeper for Australian conditions. If he’s able to continue with his agile performance standing back, that is what is required in Australia. You need a keeper who capably covers a lot of territory to both sides of the wicket. Any keeper who fulfils those requirements not only improves the team’s fielding but also allows the slip fielders to spread wider to cover extra territory.Pant’s keeping standing up to the stumps drastically improved before his serious injury, following an ultimatum from coach Ravi Shastri. The fact that Pant progressed from being a dubious keeper against spinners to a very good gloveman standing up to the stumps, admirably displayed his willingness to work hard.Pant’s improvement sums up the thoughts of that excellent Australian gloveman Rod Marsh: “If you’re the incumbent,” he said, “and you don’t improve, then you’re not thinking correctly.” Marsh rightly concluded that if you were keeping and practising most days of the week, then you should become a better keeper.

At the start of the 1972 Ashes tour I suggested we might keep Dennis Lillee in cotton wool. He told me: “Like a batsman, I need to be in form. When I take a five-wicket haul, you can talk about putting me in cotton wool”

While the batting needs to be at its best, the other crucial factor will be the Indian pace bowling. The presence of a keeper-batter in the middle order and allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin give India the luxury of selecting five bowlers for each Test.That makes the choice of fast bowlers paramount. The good form and fitness of both Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj – the two most successful pace bowlers on the last Australian tour – is essential. Of those two, Bumrah is the attack leader.A critical part of India’s build-up to the Australian tour will be ensuring Bumrah is in form but remains fit to play the bulk of the five Tests. The difficulty of balancing this task was summed up perfectly by Australian pace hero Dennis Lillee on the 1972 tour of the UK. At the start of the long tour I suggested we might keep Lillee in cotton wool. He told me in very strong terms: “Like a batsman, I need to be in form. When I take a five-wicket haul, you can talk about putting me in cotton wool.”It was a lesson I learned from the big-hearted fast bowler and never forgot.It would be ideal if the mercurial Mohammed Shami is fit for Australia but the presence of a good left-arm paceman would also improve India’s variety in attack.The spin bowling is in good hands with Jadeja and Ashwin. Nevertheless I wouldn’t discount the importance of Kuldeep Yadav on some Australian surfaces.Of the young batters Yashasvi Jaiswal looks very talented but he needs to show good form in Australia. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should act as guiding lights for the younger batters on tour.The batting needs to be good in Australia as India showed with their series wins on the last two visits. Batting aside, it will help India’s chances enormously if both Pant and Bumrah are performing at their best in Australia.

Sri Lanka fought hard through cameos from Samarawickrama, Theekshana and then Hasaranga but had a tall ask and fell six runs short

Madushka Balasuriya11-Nov-2025Pakistan withstood a valiant all-round display from Wanindu Hasaranga to come away with a six-run victory in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, and with it take a 1-0 lead in the three match series.Chasing 300 to win, a target that would have constituted the second-highest successful chase in Rawalpindi, Sri Lanka were set up well courtesy an 80-run opening stand, but then lost wickets in clusters through the middle overs to fall behind the required rate. A few stands through the middle overs still provided Sri Lanka the control they might have been looking for but none of their batters were able to capitalise on their starts.It meant Hasaranga was left batting with the tail during a 52-ball 59 to take the chase into the final overs, but with 21 needed from 10 he too would fall. Even then, two boundaries from Maheesh Theekshana in the final over gave Sri Lanka hope of an unlikely heist, but Hussain Talat held his nerve with the ball.This though was a hard-fought win set up by Salman Agha’s second ODI century, which helped Pakistan recover from a sluggish start to pose a competitive target. It was then brought home by what was an eventually stellar display from Pakistan’s bowlers, but not one without some significant blemishes – the innings saw 26 wides and two dropped catches.Igniting the game was fiery spell from Haris Rauf, who ended with figures of 4 for 61. Rauf’s intervention came at a point when Sri Lanka were coasting along with Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara, on ODI debut, in the midst of an 85-run opening stand off just 70 deliveries.Babar Azam and Haris Rauf celebrate a wicket•AFP/Getty Images

During that period, Sri Lanka were rollicking along – though much of that early brisk scoring was of Pakistan’s own doing. Of the 26 wides across the Sri Lankan innings, roughly 70% came inside the opening powerplay. That provided Sri Lanka’s chase the impetus it needed, shortly after which both Nissanka and Mishara also began to find their range.At that point it was hard to look past a comfortable Sri Lankan chase, but all that changed when Mishara spliced an attempted flat-batted slap straight to mid-off of Rauf. This triggered the first of two mini-collapses in the innings, as Kusal Mendis chopped on the very next delivery, before Nissanka edged behind in Haris’ next over. From 85 for 0, Sri Lanka had stumbled to 90 for 3.But even at that point, with Sri Lanka playing seven specialist batters, the chase seemed well in hand. A view reinforced by the 57-run stand between Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama that followed.Coming off 80 deliveries, it wasn’t a particularly rapid stand, but it helped Sri Lanka regain some of the control that had been lost by the sudden burst of wickets. It was also a partnership which had minimal risk-taking, and as such it took a moment of utter brilliance to bring it to an end.After Sadeera had edged one through a vacant slip region and swung and missed at another, Shaheen Shah Afridi swiftly installed Babar Azam at slip. And Babar was immediately in action as he sprung to his right and plucked an edge off Sadeera the very next delivery. It was a moment of outrageous skill that brought those in attendance at an increasingly raucous Rawalpindi stadium to their feet.That though was the appetiser for what was to follow. The arrival of Janith Liyanage instilled some urgency to Sri Lanka’s proceedings, as he and Asalanka put on a stand of 36 off 31 balls. While Asalanka, who had earlier in the day seemed to have incurred what looked to be a hamstring niggle, was struggling for fluency, Liyanage was rotating strike with ease.During this period it seemed like Sri Lanka had at last found the blueprint for victory: rotate strike, take the game deep, don’t panic. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, that final memo seemed to have passed them by.Asalanka’s brain fade was the catalyst for the next mini collapse, as he charged out to Mohammed Nawaz, only to be left all at sea as Mohammed Rizwan whipped off the bails. Liyanage fell shortly after, as Naseem redeemed himself for his earlier profligacy by seaming one back in to knock back off stump. Kamindu Mendis then ended up chopping on an attempted pull after one had kept low from the excellent Faheem Ashraf.Just like that Sri Lanka were 210 for 7, with Hasaranga the only recognised batter at the crease. Hasaranga’s last ODI fifty had come back in November 2022, but here he batted with clear purpose. Intent on taking the came deep, he was unafraid to give strike to Dushmantha Chameera and then Maheesh Theekshana, as he mixed in the odd boundary to keep the required rate from going beyond a relatively manageable 10 an over.But with boundaries the need of the hour, heading into the penultimate over, Hasaranga could only muscle a just-below-waist-high full toss to Babar at long-on – a catch not as spectacular as his first, but arguably more important. From then on, Pakistan could breathe a little easier, while Sri Lanka were left to ponder what might have been.After Pakistan were asked to bat first, they lost early wickets but a century from Agha and a maiden ODI fifty from Talat helped revive their flagging innings to 299 for 5. The pair came together at 95 for 4 in the 24th over, but by the time their 138-run partnership came to an end, they had taken Pakistan to 233 for 5 in the 44th over.Wanindu Hasaranga sparkled with both ball and bat•AFP/Getty Images

Agha then turned on the afterburners alongside Nawaz, as Pakistan managed 104 runs off the last 10 overs to set Sri Lanka 300. Agha brought up his second ODI ton with a gentle dab behind point for a single off his 83rd delivery, but the ball prior to that highlighted the confidence with which he was batting – sweeping an attempted Chameera yorker for four.Prior to Agha and Talat’s stand, however, Sri Lanka had choked the Pakistan innings for large parts. Miserly opening spells from Asitha Fernando and Chameera ensured just 28 runs were scored inside the opening powerplay, and while just one wicket fell during that period the introduction of Hasaranga saw wickets fall at a canter. He ended up with figures of 3 for 54, with Asitha and Theekshana the only other wicket-takers for Sri Lanka.Hasaranga might have had another to close out the over after he had Talat rapped on the knee-roll only for the umpire to turn down the appeal. Ball-tracking showed it would have crashed into leg stump, but Sri Lanka had burnt both their reviews early on – both for lbw appeals where the ball pitched outside leg.That proved to be a sliding doors moment of sorts as Pakistan’s fortunes gradually began to shift, and it was also some much-needed luck for Talat, in particular, whose place in the side had come under increasing scrutiny of late – his six innings in ODIs leading up to this game had seen him manage 107 runs with a high score of 41.But with Pakistan in need of resuscitation, he and Agha set about rebuilding. The plan was clear at this point: keep wickets intact for the final overs and then launch. And in this instance, the execution was perfect. Sri Lanka, who might have regretted their decision to not go with a genuine fifth bowling option, were left requiring Janith Liyanage to bowl eight overs of his part-time seam after Charith Asalanka was taken for 18 in his two solitary overs.Liyanage, to his credit, gave away 48 runs, though with Sri Lanka in the ascendancy at the halfway point of the innings, their need to get through their fifth bowler quota allowed Talat and Agha to settle in nicely.And while Talat was unable to see the innings to its close, Agha ensured he remained unbeaten to get his side to a competitive total – one that proved just about enough in the end.

While there were some early jitters against the likes of Brentford and Leeds United, Nuno Espírito Santo has been able to somewhat steady the ship at West Ham United.

Now, things are far from perfect, but the Hammers have gone from losing every week to losing just one of their last six games and sit just two points off Nottingham Forest in 17th and the Peacocks in 16th.

However, there are still some potential problems on the horizon, like the uncertain future of Lucas Paqueta.

Fortunately, West Ham already have the perfect replacement for the Brazilian if he does end up leaving.

Why Paqueta will need to be replaced

Now, the first thing to say is that at his best, Paqueta is an incredible footballer and someone who could play for some of the very best teams in the world.

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However, there are two major problems for West Ham: his contract and his recent output.

Starting with the first one, as things stand, the Brazilian’s current deal will have just a year left at the end of the season, meaning he either needs to be sold or handed an extension to protect his value.

However, given reports that he is open to leaving next month and his admission that he almost pushed for a return to Flamengo in the summer, it certainly seems he would turn down another deal.

In other words, the East Londoners should not only be open to selling the 28-year-old, but also be pushing for it.

This would also perhaps be more palatable at this point compared to a couple of years ago, as, on top of being sent off against Liverpool, his output has been underwhelming for some time now.

For example, he has scored only four goals this season, three of which have come in the Premier League, and last season he ended the campaign with a paltry tally of five goals in 36 games.

Paqueta’s recent form

Seaon

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

14

Minutes

2536′

1217′

Goals

5

4

Assists

0

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, while Paqueta is an undeniably talented footballer, the combination of his contract and form might mean it’s time for West Ham to start thinking about selling him, especially as Nuno already has the perfect replacement.

West Ham's perfect Paqueta replacement

West Ham made several exciting signings in the summer, from El Hadji Malick Diouf to Soungoutou Magassa, but the one who could have the highest ceiling is Mateus Fernandes.

The East Londoners spent around £40m to get him out of Southampton, and while he looked a little rusty to start with, he’s now looking every bit worth that fee and then some.

Moreover, he’s the player who could end up being Nuno’s ideal Paqueta replacement, and the first reason why is his attacking ability.

Like the Brazilian, the 21-year-old is more than capable of being the most attacking midfielder, and is blessed with incredible vision and an excellent range of passing.

In fact, respected analyst Ben Mattinson was bold enough to describe the midfielder as someone who is capable of playing “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.

However, he can do more than that, though, as on top of also having the ability to get past opposition defenders, the Olhão-born maestro isn’t afraid to chip in with the dirty work.

This ability to seemingly do it all, and to a high standard, was on show in the draw against Brighton.

Fernandes v Brighton

Minutes

82′

Key Passes

1

Tackles (Won)

8 (5)

Touches

61

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (3)

Interceptions

4

Clearances

3

Blocked Shots

2

Recoveries

6

Ground Duels (Won)

17 (16)

Fouls Won

5

All Stats via Sofascore

For example, in 82 minutes of action, he played one key pass, took 61 touches, won five fouls, completed 100% of his dribbles, won 16 of 17 ground duels, made four interceptions, three clearances and five of eight tackles.

Ultimately, it might take him a little longer to fully get up to speed, but as things stand, Fernandes is looking like an excellent signing for West Ham and could just be the perfect Paqueta replacement.

Related West Ham now lining up concrete January move for £80k-a-week Chelsea player

The Hammers are looking to sign a “leader” in the upcoming transfer window.

Posts ByDominic Lund 4 days ago

Ellyse Perry keen to get started under new head coach Ali Maiden, who steered Bears Women to Blast runners-up spot

Alan Gardner06-Aug-2025Ellyse Perry says Birmingham Phoenix will be approaching the new women’s Hundred season with “very much a clean slate” as they look to make significant improvement on last year’s seventh-place finish and reach the knockouts for the first time since the competition began in 2021.Perry is back for a third campaign in Phoenix orange, and second as captain, but there have been extensive changes throughout the set-up at Edgbaston, with a new head coach – Ali Maiden replacing Ben Sawyer – and significant turnover among the playing group.Perry’s Australia compatriots, Megan Schutt and Georgia Voll – the latter a £65,000 (US$86,350) signing in March’s draft after her stellar rise – will help fill the overseas slots, with former Phoenix captain Sophie Devine having moved to Southern Brave, while the core of the squad that Maiden, who was on the coaching staff of title-winners London Spirit last year, has assembled features an increased number of the players that he works with in his joint role in charge of Bears Women.Stir in another international recruit in Emma Lamb, who arrives from Manchester Originals having returned to England colours in recent weeks, and with Sterre Kalis, the Netherlands batter who was a key cog of the Bears side that reached the final of the women’s T20 Blast last month, leading the social side of things and Phoenix will hope to begin their season on Friday against Trent Rockets in buoyant mood.Related

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Maiden named head coach of Birmingham Phoenix women

Perry joins Hampshire for Vitality Blast and One-Day Cup

“I’ve chatted to Ali for the last six months or so, since he has come into the role, and he’s obviously also taken on Warwickshire over the summer, and I think it was really clear the way that they wanted to play, especially in the Vitality Blast,” Perry said at a KP Snacks event in Charlton Park, helping to celebrate their achievement of installing 100 all-weather, grassroots community cricket pitches across England and Wales.”It’s a really positive brand of cricket, which I know is spoken about all the time in the shorter format, but I think he’s got a real emphasis on athleticism, and creating opportunities with bat and ball through that. So that’s really exciting for us. He’s obviously had some really great success with Warwickshire in the first season of the new competition, and he just brings some great energy and enthusiasm to the group. I know the girls are really excited to play under him.”Perry led both the batting and bowling averages in 2024 but lacked support, notably in run-scoring, with Kalis, Devine and Amy Jones the only other Phoenix players to aggregate more than 100. Although the team finished second from bottom, their tally of three wins was three more than the season before, when they came last in the group.Perry said that recruitment for the upcoming campaign had focused on building “some really strong batting depth, which is something we’ve spoken about a lot in terms of being able to take the game on earlier, probably something that we struggled with last year”.”When you build depth, it gives you a little bit more leeway to do that [bat aggressively] and confidence and sort of buy in from the entire group, knowing that we’ve got a lot of weaponry in the cupboard to do that right throughout. So yeah, it will definitely be a focus for us, and I think we’ve got the blend to do that.”Joining Kalis in the squad are fellow Bears, Em Arlott, Hannah Baker, Phoebe Brett, Bethan Ellis and Miller Taylor. Alongside confidence built from the team’s Blast form, as they narrowly lost out to Surrey in the final, Perry said the group would benefit from Maiden’s “clarity” in the way he wants to play.”Ali is quite distinct and prescriptive about how he wants us to play in some respects, which is a really nice thing with when you see that be effective. And, yeah, I thought the Bears played some really great cricket across the Vitality Blast, and got some girls in some really good form. But equally someone like Emma Lamb’s had a great summer so far. It’s just nice to have that real clarity and confidence in the way that you want to play and know that it can be effective.”I guess every season in a franchise competition is really very much a clean slate. You look at how much changes across the board, whether that’s personnel or, in particular in women’s cricket, the depth of the competition and just and how close teams are now becoming in terms of lists.”So we’ve got a really fresh team this year, new staff, right across the board. So I think it’s probably just a really great opportunity to lay a new foundation, play a style of cricket that we’re really keen on playing. In terms of results, the things that you can control are really just the effort that you put in and how you want to play. The rest of it is kind of a bit of madness in franchise cricket, and to see how that pans out.”Perry was able to observe Maiden’s Bears at reasonably close quarters, having spent the last month playing for Hampshire; she made 58 off 44 balls before falling to Phoenix team-mate Baker when the Hawks were beaten at Utilita Bowl. The switch to lining up alongside those same players is one that regulars on the franchise circuit such as Perry are used to.”In this day and age, that’s not really a foreign concept. You play against and with team-mates all the time across various competitions. I had an absolutely amazing time at Hampshire. Was a really great experience, and a wonderful group of people. And just really lovely to be able to make new friends.”In terms of the Phoenix girls, we’ve got a pretty fresh group, not too many players from last year. So there’s quite an air of excitement around the group, some nerves, but in a good way, and just lots of energy, which is really cool. I know some of the girls from various instances, and then there’s some girls I don’t know as well. So it’ll be really cool to bring all that together.”KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of the Hundred, are celebrating the installation of 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

In case you haven't heard, Juan Soto didn't make the All-Star Game in his debut season with the New York Mets. And he's not happy about it.

But instead of citing the on-field reasons why he's disappointed about missing out on the Midsummer Classic, Soto, who signed the largest deal in professional sports history at $765 million in February, was bummed due to missing out on a bonus in his contract.

"What do you think?" Soto said to a reporter who asked if he's disappointed he didn't make the All-Star Game. "I think it's a lot of money on the table [if I make it]."

Michael Kay wasn't a fan of his response. In fact, he initially thought Soto's comments were a cringy AI video until he saw that the official SNY account on X (formerly Twitter) posted the clip.

"Oh, goodness gracious. Talk about being tone deaf," Kay said on his radio show on ESPN New York. "C'mon, Juan. … You're making a smidge under $47 million this season. And you're upset you're not making the All-Star Game because of an All-Star bonus that you have in your contract? Do you know how bad that looks that you said that? … Do you even realize how that makes you look?"

Soto would have made an additional $100,000 if he was voted into the All-Star Game, according to the Associated Press.

Soto got off to a rough start in his Mets career, logging a .752 OPS in April and batting just .219 in May. But he was scorching hot in June, hitting .322/.474/.722 with 11 homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games, which was enough to earn him the NL Player of the Month honors.

Ronald Acuna Jr., Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker will start in the outfield for the National League, while Corbin Carroll, Kyle Stowers, Fernando Tatis Jr. and James Wood will serve as the reserve outfielders.

Soto, meanwhile, will have to watch the All-Star Game from his couch—with no $100,000 bonus in his pocket.

Manchester City are now monitoring FC Koln forward Said El Mala, with it being revealed that Pep Guardiola is personally an admirer.

Injuries are piling up for Arsenal, with both Gabriel and Viktor Gyokeres suffering blows ahead of the North London derby, which could be a major boost for Man City in the Premier League title race, having recently closed the gap to four points at the top of the table.

However, if Guardiola’s side are going to mount a serious push for the title, they may need to start finding some goals from elsewhere, with Erling Haaland scoring 14 of the 23 the Blues have to their name in the Premier League this term.

Haaland has been susceptible to injuries in the past, missing 21 City games across the previous two seasons, which means they cannot afford to be overreliant, and the manager may be keen to provide the Norwegian with some additional support in attack during the January transfer window.

Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and Rodrygo have recently been named as potential targets, with the latter’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu now in major doubt, while another, lesser-known target is also now of interest…

Man City monitoring Said El Mala with Pep personally keen

According to a report from Sky Sports, Man City are now closely monitoring FC Koln forward El Mala, as Pep has been left impressed by the 19-year-old, having reviewed several videos and clips.

City scouts have recently been in attendance at the Bundesliga side’s matches to observe the youngster’s performances, but there could be competition for his signature, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also being named as potential suitors.

Koln are in a strong negotiating position, having extended the teenager’s contract until 2030, which puts them in a position to demand over €40m (£35m), and the player himself isn’t in a hurry to leave.

Hailed as a “flamboyant” winger by scout Jacek Kulig, it is little wonder the German starlet is attracting so much attention, having performed very well in the Bundesliga so far this season, netting four goals and picking up two assists in ten outings.

That said, it is still very early days for the Koln star, given that this is his debut campaign in the Bundesliga, so there are doubts over whether he would be able to make an immediate impact at Man City in the title race.

El Mala could be a future star, but there have recently been encouraging signs that Guardiola will be able to rely on some of his other attackers to provide support for Haaland, with Jeremy Doku scoring and receiving the Man of the Match award in the 3-0 win against Liverpool.

As such, Guardiola’s squad should already be strong enough to push Arsenal all the way this season, but if the manager feels a fresh injection of quality is needed, Rodrygo, who has far more top-level experience, could be a suitable option.

AC Milan's asking price for Rafael Leao revealed amid Man City interest

Pep's a fan: Man City keen on Rafael Leao, AC Milan's asking price revealed

Pep Guardiola is an admirer of the AC Milan forward, who has a huge release clause in his contract.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 11, 2025

The dejection was palpable. Emi Buendia’s arcing strike following a goalmouth scramble condemned Arsenal to only their second defeat of the season. It was the last kick of the highly charged contest against Aston Villa.

Perhaps the most frustrating part is that the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League has now been slashed to just two points after Manchester City thumped Sunderland. For their part, Villa are now emerging as bona fide contenders, third in the standings and with 30 points, three fewer than Arsenal’s 33.

Mikel Arteta has done incredible things in north London over the past five years, but this is the season that Arsenal must crown their revival with a gold medal, having finished runners-up in the top flight for three successive seasons.

And, sadly, the manager got it wrong against the shrewd Unai Emery.

Why Arteta got it wrong vs Aston Villa

Credit where credit’s due, Arteta made a few changes at half-time, his side one goal down, and was rewarded for his alteration when Leandro Trossard converted following an initial strike from Bukayo Saka before the hour mark. 1-1.

But the Emirates side would ultimately come away with nothing, and Arteta will be irked by his own decision-making, having opted to play Eberechi Eze out wide and withdraw the playmaker instead of skipper Martin Odegaard, despite the England international having played some knockout stuff from a central berth in recent weeks. He was, after all, named the club’s Player of the Month for November.

Eze, however, did flatter to deceive, at fault for Matty Cash’s opening goal, and the Spanish manager will feel he was somewhat handicapped due to injuries to key defensive personnel, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera all missing out.

Viktor Gyokeres entered the fray at the interval, and though the Swedish striker toiled away, he might have enjoyed a greater impact had he been unleashed from the outset, but Arteta opted to go down a different road.

Arteta must axe 5/10 Arsenal star

Arsenal have been immense this season, a force to be reckoned with. That said, they still need to be more incisive in the danger area, and for all his strengths and clutch ability in the box, Mikel Merino is not the solution at number nine.

Merino has posted five goals and three assists across 21 matches in all competitions this term. He has split his time between the final third and the middle of the park, and seven of those eight contributions have come as a makeshift striker.

It’s remarkable, but it’s not going to work all the time, and this was painfully clear at Villa Park, whose defenders negated his threat. Gyokeres was largely ineffective after the break, having replaced the seven-pass Spaniard at half-time.

Neither impressed, but football.london did award Gyokeres a 6/10 match rating, drawing attention to his energy and the off-the-ball work that evades statistical representation. Merino, conversely, was branded with a 5/10 score, having fumbled a chance with Saka earlier on.

Minutes played

45′

45′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

17

11

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

7/11 (64%)

4/7 (57%)

Chances created

0

0

Dribbles

0/1

0/0

Ball recoveries

3

1

Tackles won

0/0

0/0

Duels won

1/5

0/0

Assessing which of Arsenal’s centre-forwards did better on the evening is akin to splitting hairs. The fact of the matter is that neither received enough service, and this is an issue that Arteta has to overcome, especially with Eze, Odegaard and Saka all on the field at different stages.

Though it’s perhaps telling that Gunners goalkeeper David Raya took more touches of the ball than the pair of them, and given that Arsenal enjoyed 58% of the possession before the break (compared to 49% across the second half), Merino should have had more of an influence.

Gyokeres was signed for a big fee during the off-season to provide the north London side with a solution up top, and it’s surely crucial that he is afforded more starting action going forward, having started from the bench on three successive occasions since returning from the muscle injury that ruled him out for a few weeks in November.

The 27-year-old does need to up his game to the next level, because one thing’s for certain: If Arteta has to persist with Merino at number nine throughout the duration of the campaign, getting his hands on that elusive Premier League title will prove a tall order indeed.

Sterling 2.0: Berta flop already looks like he'll never make it at Arsenal

It is not looking good for the Arsenal star so far this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

Sunderland have laughed off the doom mongers who pointed out the fact that the last six teams to earn promotion to the Premier League have all been instantly relegated.

The Black Cats are, remarkably, sixth in the top-flight after 13 games, ahead of Man United and Liverpool, after a 3-2 win over Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Summer signing Granit Xhaka was, once again, vital with an impressive assist for Bertrand Traore’s goal, in what has been a phenomenal season for the Swiss star so far.

Where Granit Xhaka ranks among Sunderland's summer signings

Sunderland paid £13m to sign the experienced midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, and they have got their money’s worth from the left-footed star in the Premier League.

With 297 games for Arsenal under his belt, per Transfermarkt, the Black Cats knew what they were going to get from Xhaka as a proven performer in the top-flight.

The 33-year-old star has delivered one goal and four assists, per Sofascore, whilst winning 63% of his defensive duels across 13 appearances in the Premier League this season, which shows that he has made an impact in and out of possession.

1

Robin Roefs

2

Granit Xhaka

3

Nordi Mukiele

4

Noah Sadiki

5

Omar Alderete

As you can see in the table above, we have ranked him as the second-best signing made by the Black Cats in the summer, only behind the incredibly impressive Robin Roefs, who leads the league in goals prevented (3.28), per Sofascore.

Xhaka has stepped straight into the team as a regular starter and shown that he can be relied upon week-in-week-out, like Roefs has, which is why he has been one of the best signings made for Regis Le Bris’ team.

Whilst Sunderland should be delighted with their current position and the signing of Xhaka, they once had a star on loan who is now even more exciting than the Swiss ace and is one of the best players in the Premier League.

The Sunderland loanee who is now one of the Premier League's best

In January 2020, Antoine Semenyo signed for the club on loan from Bristol City for the second half of the season, and manager Phil Parkinson cited his “pace and power” as two of his main attributes.

Appearances

7

Starts

1

Goals

0

Key passes per game

0.4

Big chances created

1

Assists

0

Unfortunately, as shown in the table above, the Black Cats loanee was unable to use his pace and power to cause many problems for opposition defences, as he ended his time on Wearside without a single goal contribution.

After that, Semenyo went on to establish himself at Bristol City in the Championship before a permanent move in January 2023 to Bournemouth, which is where he has flourished in the Premier League.

The same player who struggled in League One with Sunderland has now scored 17 goals and provided nine assists in the top-flight for the Cherries since the start of last season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has been effective as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

In the Premier League this season, only Erling Haaland (15) and Igor Thiago (11) have more combined goals and assists than Semenyo (nine), per FotMob, which is an impressive statistic when you consider that he plays out wide.

Earlier this term, former Spurs and England star Chris Waddle dubbed Semenyo “the best winger in the country (England) right now”, and that still rings true, as he has at least two more goal contributions than any other winger in the top-flight, per FotMob.

This is why he is currently an even better and more exciting player than Xhaka, because the Ghana international has, statistically, been one of the most impactful players in the league with goals and assists to earn his team points.

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He may not have shown his potential during his brief time at the Stadium of Light, but it is clear to see, now, that Semenyo would be the club’s best player on current form.

Arsenal have now joined the race to sign Marseille striker Robinio Vaz, who they could be a perfect fit for their attack, but there is set to be competition from a Premier League rival.

Despite bringing in Viktor Gyokeres in the summer transfer window, the Gunners have still been left a little light on options at centre-forward this season, with the Sweden international missing the last two Premier League games, alongside long-term absentee Kai Havertz.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side didn’t look like they were missing their star strikers one jot on Sunday afternoon, making a real statement with a 4-1 victory against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby, with Eberechi Eze bagging a hat-trick.

Despite not scoring, Mikel Merino managed to impress in the absence of Gyokeres and Havertz, setting up Leandro Trossard’s opening goal, which suggests the north Londoners now have a deep enough squad to cope with any injury setbacks.

However, that hasn’t stopped Arteta & co identifying a new striker as a target…

Arsenal join race to sign Marseille striker Robinio Vaz

According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal have now joined the race to sign Marseille striker Vaz, with scouts of the belief he would be a perfect fit in their forward line, but there could be competition for the 18-year-old’s signature.

Chelsea have now taken the lead in the race for the striker, having already made contact with his representatives, while the Gunners are being more patient, given that the youngster is regarded as a long-term addition to the squad, rather than someone capable of making an instant impact.

The Ligue 1 side are reluctant to cash-in, but a deal could be relatively affordable for the two London giants if they choose to step up their interest, given that the Frenchman’s asking price is around the €20m – €30m (£18m – £26m) mark.

The teenager, who has made two Champions League appearances this season, has been described as “pure quality” by scout Jacek Kulig, and there have been signs he could be a difference-maker in Marseille’s push to win the Ligue 1 title.

The centre-forward has managed to impress when coming off the bench this season, and he already has four goals to his name in the league, while also registering two assists.

That said, while Vaz may have the potential to become a top-level striker, it would not be the end of the world if Arsenal miss out, considering Arteta already has Gyokeres and Havertz at his disposal, while Gabriel Jesus has now returned to first-team training.

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By
Charlie Smith

Nov 20, 2025

Liverpool’s players were much improved in their 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa, but Dominik Szoboszlai was yet again his team’s star man.

The Reds picked up a vital three points at Anfield on Saturday evening, with Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch getting the goals, and Arne Slot was in positive spirits after the game.

“Happy with the result, with the performance and what I saw today, not only from the players but also the support we got from the fans, was what we needed today. Maybe we were a bit more on the lucky side than we’ve been in the last few weeks, where in my opinion we were also unlucky.

“So, the mistake of their goalkeeper and the deflection led to two of our goals. These are the margins we are talking about. I think in other games we’ve created more from open play than we did today. But in football it’s about results, not about the chances you create from open play.”

It was a night where so many Liverpool players found a new gear after poor form, including Mohamed Salah, who scored his 250th Liverpool goal, but it was Szoboszlai who stood out yet again.

Minutes played

90

Tackles won

2/2

Ground duels won

3/6

Recoveries

5

Pass completion rate

93%

Successful dribbles

1/1

Shots on target

2

Szoboszlai now Liverpool's "most important player"

Writing on X after the win over Villa, ESPN journalist Beth Lindop heaped praise on Szoboszlai, even calling him Liverpool’s “most important player” at the moment.

It is hard to argue with this assessment, with the Hungarian proving to be one of the biggest positives in an otherwise frustrating season to date.

While so many players around him have floundered, he has consistently reached his best level, providing incredible amounts of energy and showcasing his versatility by excelling in attacking midfield, defensive midfield and at right-back.

On current form, Szoboszlai is undroppable for Liverpool, giving Slot a conundrum when it comes to using the Reds’ second-most expensive signing in history, Florian Wirtz.

The German is still adjusting to life in the Premier League, and with the trio of Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister all doing well against Villa, it is hard to find a place for him currently.

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There is the option of playing Wirtz in the left wing in place of Cody Gakpo, but either way, Szoboszlai is a shoo-in for any Liverpool game, and has to be considered one of the first names on Slot’s team sheet.

Best game all season: Liverpool star was even better than Salah & Gravenberch