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After the weekend defeat in the Premier League, what Arsenal really needed in the Champions League on Wednesday evening was a straightforward victory.

Thankfully for Mikel Arteta’s men, that’s exactly what they got, swatting aside Belgian side Club Brugge 3-0 with relative ease.

The Gunners were at their free-flowing best in the final third, notably scoring two outstanding goals courtesy of Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.

It was a much-changed side as Arteta chose to rotate and many in red and white in midweek staked their claim for more regular opportunities.

Arsenal's standout performers against Club Brugge

This was a fantastic night for Arsenal’s wingers. With Leandro Trossard injured and Bukayo Saka part of the rested crew on the bench, it meant that Martinelli and Madueke started on the left and right flanks respectively.

Both players have struggled with injuries this season but Martinelli, in particular, has made an impact nearly every time he’s played.

The Brazilian scored the away side’s third and final goal on Wednesday, a beauty from the edge of the area.

That happened to be his fifth goal in his last five Champions League ties, the first player in Arsenal history to record such a statistic.

That said, his colleague on the opposite wing was even better. This was his finest day in Arsenal colours yet.

Signed from Chelsea in the summer, every man and his dog seemed to question why on earth Andrea Berta and Co had brought Madueke to the Emirates Stadium. Well, safe to say he’s proved everyone wrong.

The Englishman bagged his first goal for the club against Bayern Munich a few weeks ago and added two more to his tally this week.

His first was a scorcher from distance. The Arsenal winger burst away from his marker, headed towards the box and then unleashed a fierce effort which crashed off the bar and found the net.

By contrast, his second goal was about as simple as they come. Martin Zubimendi’s cross from the left found Madueke who headed home from a matter of yards out.

There were a number of real positives for Arsenal. It was great to see Gabriel Jesus back on the pitch for the first time after suffering an ACL injury back in January.

Emergency centre-half, Christian Norgaard, also stood out at the back, part of a backline that kept a clean sheet.

With Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera and Jurrien Timber all missing through injury, it meant a rare opportunity for the Dane and he took it with aplomb, even if he was playing out of position.

That being said, it wasn’t the finest of nights for another of Arsenal’s summer signings.

Arsenal's worst performer against Club Brugge

This was an evening for those on the fringes to stake their claim. Madueke, Martinelli and Norgaard all took their chances.

Viktor Gyokeres, on the other hand, did not. The question that was raised after this game was, when do we start to worry about the Swede?

When Berta first arrived in north London, his priority task was to find a new striker and one capable of scoring goals.

Well, it looked as though he’d acquired one of Europe’s finest. This is a player who bagged 54 times in 52 games last term for Sporting CP but he has so far failed to translate that form in English football.

To be fair to him, he has largely been starved of service. Arsenal struggle to create clear-cut opportunities for him to score from and that was the same story against Brugge this week.

Chalkboard

The only chance of note that Gyokeres had came in the first half but it was a half-chance at best, heading the ball straight into the arms of the goalkeeper with a few bodies challenging for the same ball.

Gyokeres did leave the field with three shots to his name but none of them were that noteworthy, which seems to be a familiar trend from his time in north London to date.

That said, the Sweden international does need to be doing more. Even if he has just returned from injury, his 45-minute cameo against Aston Villa at the weekend, combined with his 60-odd minutes on Wednesday, were not good enough.

Minutes played

62

Touches

12

Accurate passes

5/6 (83%)

Key passes

1

Crosses

0

Shots

3

Shots on target

1

Successful dribbles

0

Ground duels won

0/3

Aerial duels won

2/3

He had just 12 touches of the ball in Belgium, 25 fewer than goalkeeper David Raya. Furthermore, he also managed just five passes.

There is a sense that Gyokeres has vastly improved his hold-up play and ability to link things together at the top of this Arsenal team since signing from Sporting. However, he was brought to London to score goals and he’s simply not doing that with any regularity right now.

It is only December. We must not completely write off the big-money attacker before he’s had a full season. For now, however, it doesn’t look great.

Arsenal have looked a much better team with Mikel Merino as the number 9 and you’d expect him to start against Wolves in that role on Saturday night ahead of Gyokeres.

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Sunderland are now reportedly in pole position to sign a midfield star who Regis Le Bris already knows well ahead of rivals Newcastle United.

Le Bris eyes Sunderland reaction vs Bournemouth

It’s not often that Sunderland have been handed setbacks this season, but defeat against Fulham last time out was exactly that for Le Bris’ side.

Whilst it was just their third loss of the season and there’s no reason to think that last week’s result could derail their strong start, the Black Cats will be eyeing a reaction against Bournemouth.

Three points could take the Black Cats to as high as third if other results also go their way and after 13 games that would simply be remarkable. In many ways, those at the Stadium of Light are replicating the impressive work that Bournemouth have gradually enjoyed since their own promotion.

Le Bris admitted his admiration for the Cherries, saying: “Bournemouth are a good model for us. They way they have built in the last four seasons in the league is really interesting for us.”

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It must be said, however, that Sunderland’s model has so featured more investment and the type of investment that could see them land Matteo Guendouzi ahead of Newcastle in January.

Sunderland leading Newcastle in Guendouzi race

According to TeamTalk, Sunderland are now ahead of Newcastle in the race to sign Guendouzi in 2026 in a deal that could be worth up to £26m. Le Bris knows the Lazio midfielder well from their time together at Lorient and admitted that he’s still in contact with his former midfielder a few weeks ago.

It would be a statement move if the Black Cats landed a transfer target ahead of their rivals, who are backed by the extensive riches of PIF. But that’s the position they find themselves in after such an impressive start to the Premier League campaign.

Minutes

888

1,080

Progressive Passes

45

66

Tackles Won

5

13

Ball Recoveries

43

55

It’s easy to see why Sunderland are chasing a reunion between Le Bris and Guendouzi, given how the Frenchman has compared to star man Granit Xhaka so far this season. The transfer report even states that the Black Cats view Guendouzi ‘as the perfect midfield partner for Xhaka, adding experience and bite to their engine room’.

Previously dubbed a “great professional” by former Hertha Berlin sporting director Arne Friedrich, Guendouzi also has unfinished business in the Premier League after leaving Arsenal under a dark cloud in 2021 and could earn redemption at Sunderland.

Isidor upgrade: Sunderland open talks to sign "unstoppable" £26m striker

Left-arm fast bowler Ben Lister has also been added to the New Zealand squad as cover for Will O’Rourke

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2025

Nathan Smith picked 3 for 20 in the first innings of the opening Test•Zimbabwe Cricket

New Zealand’s fast-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith has been ruled out of the second Test against Zimbabwe due to an abdominal strain. He has been replaced by pace bowling allrounder Zakary Foulkes, who gets his maiden call-up into the Test squad.Smith sustained the abdominal injury on the second day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo while batting. A subsequent MRI confirmed the strain, which will require a recovery time of approximately two to four weeks.Meanwhile, left-arm fast bowler Ben Lister has also been added to the New Zealand squad as cover for Will O’Rourke, who experienced back stiffness on day three of the first Test. He is being monitored, according to a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) press release. O’Rourke bowled 13 and ten overs respectively in the two innings of the first Test, picking 3 for 28 in the second stint.Related

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Smith returned 3 for 20 in Zimbabwe’s first innings as the hosts were bowled out for 149. He retired hurt at the end of the 93rd over of New Zealand’s innings on 22 off 79 balls and did not return to the field for the remainder of the game.Smith’s replacement Foulkes has played 13 T20Is and a solitary ODI. He most recently turned out for New Zealand in the tri-series involving Zimbabwe and South Africa, which New Zealand won in a pulsating final. Foulkes, 24, has played 19 first-class games and has 57 wickets, along with 544 runs at 19.42.Lister has also not played a Test yet but has turned out in three ODIs and 12 T20Is for New Zealand. He last played an international game more than a year ago in Pakistan.New Zealand registered a comfortable win in Bulawayo by nine wickets, with Matt Henry returning figures of 9 for 90 for the Test. Regular captain Latham had missed the opening game due to a shoulder injury and it remains to be seen whether he gets fit in time for the second Test, which begins on August 7 in Bulawayo

MatériaMais Notícias

A 1ª rodada do Brasileirão chegou ao fim, e os torcedores elegeram o craque dos jogos de estreia da competição. A redação do Lance! separou quatro destaques das 10 partidas iniciais do Campeonato Brasileiro para que os fãs votassem.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Mateus Carvalho, do Vasco, Ganso, do Fluminense, Canobbio, do Athletico, e Fernando, do Internacional, foram os candidatos. Em votação realizada no Canal de Whatsapp do Lance!, os torcedores elegeram o atacante do Furacão como o melhor jogador da primeira rodada do Brasileirão, com 54% dos votos.

Cannobio foi o destaque da goleada de 4 a 0 do Athletico sobre o Cuiabá, na Arena da Baixada, no domingo (14). O uruguaio contribuiu com um gol e uma assistência na partida, além de ter sido extremamente participativo até ser substituído, já nos momentos finais do confronto. Por isso, foi eleito o craque da galera da 1ª rodada na votação do Lance!.

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➡️Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Quem ficou em segundo lugar na enquete foi Mateus Carvalho, do Vasco, com 28% dos votos. O jovem volante marcou um os gols do Cruz-Maltino e controlou o meio-campo na vitória sobre Grêmio. Ganso, do Fluminense, ficou com 10% da votação, enquanto Fernando, do Internacional, teve 8%. Você pode deixar sua opinião na publicação abaixo, via Instagram do Lance!.

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Overlooked for West Indies series, opener sets up 202-run win at Northampton

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Aug-2025Pakistan international Imam-ul-Haq struck a superb, classy 159, his highest List A score to set up a comprehensive Yorkshire victory over Northamptonshire by 202 runs in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Wantage Road.Imam, 29, averages 47.04 across a 75-match ODI career, with nine hundreds, but has been overlooked for Pakistan’s three-match series against West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, which starts on Friday night. His 159 was a reminder of his talent to their selectors.His innings propelled Yorkshire to a mammoth 374 for 5, their highest ever team total against Northamptonshire in List A cricket – and just five short of their highest against any first-class county. It also helped inflict the highest ever home defeat on Northamptonshire by any team in List A cricket.Facing 130 balls, Imam hit 20 fours and two sixes, passing 5,000 career List A runs and beating his previous highest score of 151 against England in 2019. It follows his half-century to steer Yorkshire to victory against Warwickshire at Scarborough on Tuesday.While Imam cashed in against a frequently wayward Northamptonshire seam attack, his innings was full of delicate timing, perfect placement and silky cover drives before growing more aggressive. He was well supported in stands of 83 with Will Luxton (41), 158 with James Wharton (66) and 75 with a belligerent Matt Revis who smashed 69 from just 33 balls, his highest List A score. Liam Guthrie’s bowling figures suffered in the run-fest but he picked up 3 for 87.In reply, Northamptonshire were never in the chase, a tight spell from Yorkshire opening bowlers Matt Milnes and Ben Cliff setting the tone. While the hosts will count themselves unlucky to have lost two early wickets, they scored at just 4.4 an over throughout the innings. While George Bartlett (30) and Justin Broad (24) forged an enterprising partnership of 49 in eight overs, no-one else contributed anything of substance. Dan Moriarty was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 38.Earlier, Guthrie struck quickly when Adam Lyth slashed straight to cover, but Northamptonshire’s seamers strayed in line and length, allowing Yorkshire to rattle along at over six runs an over, Luxton driving consecutive wide deliveries from Guthrie for boundaries.Imam played a beautiful straight drive and a couple of stylish backfoot punches, but Northamptonshire missed a chance to remove Luxton when Luke Procter dropped a sharp catch at point.Bowling in tandem, spinners Rob Keogh and Yuzvendra Chahal stemmed the flow of runs but the breakthrough came via a mix-up between the batters. Imam cut square and started to run before sending Luxton back, Bartlett and Keogh affecting the runout.Imam reached 50 off 58 balls before playing two silky cover drives off Dom Leech to take Yorkshire to 142 for 2 at the halfway stage. A pull off Leech perfectly bisected the field as he moved into the nineties before reaching 100 off 95 balls.Dan Moriarty (file photo) was the pick of the Yorkshire attack•Getty ImagesAt the other end Wharton grew becalmed, his first boundary not arriving until the 53rd ball he faced when he hooked Guthrie for six. Shackles released, he made up for lost time, powering Guthrie down the ground, while Imam went through the gears too, slog-sweeping Chahal for six. Chahal finally broke the stand, tossing one wide, Wharton reaching for it and slicing to cover.Imam targeted Leech, taking 15 off one over including six down the ground. Revis was severe on former Yorkshire bowler Leech too, garnering two legside boundaries off short balls and swinging Procter for six.Imam’s long innings finally ended thanks to a stunning bit of boundary fielding off Guthrie when Tim Robinson held a brilliant boundary catch, throwing it up before he crossed the rope and holding on as stepped back in.Revis tucked into Guthrie, smashing two sixes over the infield before carving square for six more. His wicket was scant consolation for Guthrie when he holed out in the deep.Northamptonshire’s first powerplay was positively sedate, just six boundaries shared equally between Ricardo Vasconcelos (23) and Lewis McManus (25) as they reached 41 after 10 overs.The hosts then lost two wickets in an over as McManus was adjudged caught behind off the inside edge off Ben Cliff, although the ball looked to have hit his pads. Next Aadi Sharma’s List A debut ended in a runout at the non-strikers’ end, Cliff deflecting the ball onto the stumps in his delivery stride.Yorkshire picked up a third when Moriarty beat Vasconcelos, bowling him as he advanced down the pitch, attempting to force the pace. George Hill then nipped one back sharply to knock back Robinson’s stumps.With the required rate above 10, Bartlett and Broad looked to score against the spinners, Bartlett striking a straight six off Dom Bess. But the drinks break brought two wickets, Broad chipping Bess to Revis at mid-on after the resumption, before Bartlett skied Moriarty to long-on.Rob Keogh and Luke Procter both made starts, but after Procter was bowled by Bess, Moriarty had both Leech and Guthrie caught in the deep, while Keogh (23) was bowled by Cliff.

There’s been a bit of upheaval in the directorial department at Newcastle United over the past year, but Ross Wilson has forged a neat working relationship with Eddie Howe, and the pair are looking to make improvements at St. James’ Park.

Last year, Howe and his squad defied many odds to lift the Carabao Cup and restore a place in the Champions League. It all came together, and while the sale of talisman Alexander Isak this summer threatened to knock things out of kilter, United have made progress in recent weeks, with new heroes emerging.

Bruno Guimaraes remains the Magpies’ all-inspiring leader, but Malick Thiaw has risen to the occasion since arriving in the Premier League this year, becoming a different kind of driving force for the Tynesiders.

Howe's new leaders at Newcastle

Isak was never a vocal talisman in Howe’s Newcastle squad, but, before the summer transfer window, he led by example on the field, scoring 27 goals across all competitions last season and notching in the Carabao Cup final.

However, Newcastle banked a record fee for his signature, and Guimaraes has only raised his game this term, both from a technical and leadership standpoint.

Though a new forward focal point has yet to properly establish himself, Thiaw has taken to life in the Premier League seamlessly, and Bruno has actually remarked that the imperious German defender is “the future of this club”.

It says something of his character and technical quality that he has arrived from AC Milan for around £35m and swiftly stepped higher than Sven Botman. As per Sofascore, Thiaw, 24, has won 74% of his aerial duels in the Premier League, completing 88% of his passes and yet to make an error.

He’s some player, and Bruno is too, but United may actually have a younger member of their squad who is shooting through the form rankings in the English game, starting to prove he could be the pick of the bunch.

Newcastle made a better signing than Bruno & Thiaw

When Newcastle signed Lewis Hall from Chelsea for £28m (after a season-long loan move throughout the 2023/24 campaign), they knew they had struck a bargain for a young full-back with a wealth of potential.

However, injuries have damaged the 21-year-old’s chances of establishing fluency since that move became permanent, and so it’s interesting to see him playing so well in recent weeks, finally building toward the elite player he could, should, become.

Described as “the best player on the field” by reporter Andy Sixsmith after his monstrous display against Tottenham, Hall has overcome his injury problems and is now reminding the Premier League that he is one of the best in the business. Indeed, with more performances like these, it won’t just be those of a Toon persuasion advocating for him to be on the Three Lions plane across the pond next summer.

Minutes played

90′

Touches

75

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Accurate passes

36/43 (84%)

Chances created

0

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

6

Tackles won

4/4

Interceptions

2

Clearances

4

Duels won

8/15

As per FBref, Hall actually ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 5% for through balls and tackles won per 90.

This is a frighteningly rounded player, his formative career as a centre-midfielder fostering a dynamic skillset that is charging his journey to the top. If the England international can keep fitness levels on his side, then he will only get better and better on Tyneside, potentially even becoming Howe’s main man.

In this, he might become one of the best signings of the PIF era. Already, it is clear that his name belongs in such a conversation, but Hall needs consistency now. Who knows, maybe he could climb up to loftier ground than the likes of Bruno and Thiaw stand on.

There’s also the matter of him arriving from Chelsea after being awarded the Cobham side’s Academy Player of the Year award. Pinched from a direct rival, Hall is developing into a player who will rival the likes of Marc Cucurella for the left-back crown down the line.

With so much room still for growth, there’s every chance that Hall could be Howe’s main man in the not-too-distant future.

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In an early blow for new manager Wilfried Nancy, Liverpool have now reportedly agreed terms to sign a young Celtic defender.

Nancy outlines "proactive" style as Celtic announce manager

Celtic took their time, but the Bhoys finally have their new manager in the form of Nancy. The Frenchman has arrived fresh from MLS side Columbus Crew and will be looking to pick up where interim boss Martin O’Neill left off. The 73-year-old took the Scottish giants from title despair back into the race with Hearts, but now it’s up to Nancy to complete the job.

Speaking to reporters after arriving, the new manager said: “I don’t consider myself as a boss. I am a leader. And for me the definition of a leader is create a good environment to help people express themselves. For me, that is so important. Because of my background, I was able to connect with people.

“My style of play is about the way I live. I like to be proactive in my life, I like to discover things. I also like to try things because the more you try things, the more you learn and the more you’re going to maximise your chance to have success in your life.

“We want to take care of the ball. The ball is the only tool in our life, without talking, that we can connect people. So can we use the ball to create emotions? Can we use the ball to score goals? Can we use the ball to have messages between us? So that’s why I want proactive football.”

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Before the new manager’s even had the chance to look at emerging stars, however, he’s set to lose young defender Dara Jakiemi to Premier League giants Liverpool.

Liverpool agree terms to sign Jakiemi

As reported by The Secret Scout, Liverpool have now agreed terms to sign Jakiemi from Celtic. They described the 15-year-old defender as “aggressive” and there’s no doubt that he would have been one to watch in Scotland. Now, however, Nancy will seemingly never get the chance to work with him.

Whilst Jakiemi is one for the future, it still represents a frustrating blow for Celtic and shows where they’re at right now. Having lost the likes of Ben Doak in previous seasons to Liverpool, the last thing the Bhoys would have wanted is a repeat.

Nancy should be keen to turn towards the academy if given the chance, even if he is to lose one of his young defenders in the early stages of his tenure. An emerging star would, of course, save Celtic the desperate need of adding several January additions.

Celtic star with 'high ceiling' could be biggest winner of Nancy's arrival

Team’s record when playing five bowlers overseas means Shardul Thakur should be involved from outset

Sidharth Monga18-Jun-20251:47

Does India’s attack hold the edge over England’s?

That wonderful feel of slowly building anticipation for Test cricket is upon us. There has already been the wonderful World Test Championship final, but the week in the lead-up to the start of a five-Test series is something else. The weather is set fair in an unusually dry Leeds, England have started training already at arguably the most intimate and raucous Test venue in the country, the groundstaff are doing their best to retain enough moisture in the surface before they give it a final trim, and India will start training on Wednesday after having played against India A behind closed doors in the outskirts of London last week.When you dust off the whites for a fresh season, it is inevitable the mind starts tracing back memories of the last season. There has been six months of limited-overs cricket since India last donned the whites, but the memories of the 3-1 series defeat in Australia hardly need refreshing. How they led the series in Perth, how they celebrated saving the follow-on in Brisbane, how they were one collapse away from drawing Melbourne, how Sydney could have gone either way had Jasprit Bumrah not got injured.Scratch a little, and you will also remember, for the first time in a long time, looking at an Indian team and not being certain how they planned to go about taking 20 wickets as cheaply as possible. From 2018 onwards, India’s focus had been on taking 20 wickets even if it meant asking the batters to do more. Virat Kohli, the captain then, was clever enough to realise that in effect he was asking himself and the batters to do less because his bowlers were getting the opposition out cheaply.Related

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The leadership team of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid continued with the same philosophy. In fact, Dravid as captain was the first to try to play five bowlers whenever he could. He dropped VVS Laxman once to play the extra bowler. He invested in Irfan Pathan to manufacture that extra threat.In Australia 2024-25, though, India never played four quick bowlers for the fear of no batting post No. 7. It is tough to know if the composition of the XI would have been different had Shardul Thakur – not a complete tailender at No. 8 – been in good form and not just coming out of a surgery. Still the enduring theme in the series was to guard against a blowout once six wickets were down. Even when India played a fifth bowler, it was Washington Sundar, which is a bob each way, especially in conditions designed to take spinners out of the game.The comfort of those extra runs derived from the tail is notional unless you can play proper allrounders, which is what R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja become in Asia. Outside Asia and the West Indies, Jadeja and Ashwin had limited utility with the ball. In the absence of that proper allrounder, India kept choosing that notional comfort over depth and penetration in their attack.Bumrah bowled fewer overs than Pat Cummins in the series, but he sent down a larger share of India’s overs than Cummins did for Australia. That despite practically missing the Sydney Test. Having to keep returning for spells can disrupt the rhythms of exertion and rest. He took 46% of India’s wickets. Need we be reminded of the most telling visual of the series when Australia were piling on third-innings runs in Melbourne, and Bumrah finally told the captain Rohit that he was not able to exert anymore? Now he is going to be smarter about it, and play just the three Tests.14:58

What combination do India go with in the first Test?

At that point when Bumrah ran out of “”, strength, India and Australia had taken the same number of wickets – 34 – in the first 40 overs of all innings. In fact India had done so at a better average and economy rate. This is where India ran out of bowling, averaging twice per wicket than Australia did with the old ball. Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled just 44 overs in five Tests, unwittingly undoing all the good work he did with the bat.It is no surprise that India had a win-loss record of 6-7 when they played four quicks and 5-10 when they played three of them in Tests outside Asia and the West Indies from 2018 to 2022.One of those famous wins was at The Oval in 2021 when India had the extra bowling to stay competitive despite being bowled out for 191 in the first innings and then still had batting depth in Rishabh Pant and Thakur taking India to a huge third innings.Thakur’s comeback from injury and his form in domestic cricket – 35 Ranji Trophy wickets at 22.62 – should give India enough reasons to go back to playing five bowlers at least for the start of the series. The need for the extra bowling has been impressed upon the team management. Especially when Bumrah is available only for three Tests, which offsets to an extent that this is an easier tour: outside Chris Woakes, no fast bowler in England’s squad for Leeds has played more than five Tests. That will be big relief from having to face the Australian attack at home, and should reduce the anxiety around the batting.However, there is every chance England will look to eliminate Thakur. Like they did at Edgbaston in 2022 to give him match figures of 18-0-113-1. Only if Thakur – provided he does play as the fourth quick at Headingley – is attacked successfully by England will we really know the real extent of India’s commitment to taking 20 wickets as cheaply as possible. Whether he does play four quicks – not including Reddy among them – and how he reacts to any early reverses will be the one true test of Shubman Gill’s captaincy.

كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية، تطورات جديدة بشأن أحد لاعبي ليفربول ودور محمد صلاح في مستقبله خلال سوق الانتقالات الشتوية القادمة.

ووفقاً لـ”فوتبول إنسايدر” البريطانية، فإن ليفربول كان مستعدًا لتلقي عروض لبيع فيدريكو كييزا خلال يناير المقبل، لكن مستقبله في ملعب أنفيلد أصبح يعتمد على محمد صلاح.

وسيقود محمد صلاح منتخب مصر في كأس أمم إفريقيا التي ستقام بين 21 ديسمبر و18 يناير، ويطمح لتحقيق أول ألقابه مع منتخب بلاده.

وعلى الرغم مما أثير في وقت سابق حول نية ليفربول في التخلي عن كييزا، ولكن الريدز أصبح مترددًا في الموافقة على ذلك وإضعاف قائمة آرني سلوت بغياب النجم المصري صاحب الـ32 عامًا، حيث سيعتمد مدرب الفريق على الإيطالي كخيار أكثر أهمية في مركز الجناح.

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ونتيجة لذلك وفي حال تأهل منتخب مصر إلى مرحلة متقدمة في كأس أمم إفريقيا، فقد يحرم ليفربول من فرصة رحيل الدولي الإيطالي في يناير، حيث سيقوم النادي برفض أي اهتمام بشأنه.

وكان ليفربول يخطط في البداية للاحتفاظ بكييزا كورقة رابحة من مقاعد البدلاء بعد أن بدأ الموسم بشكل إيجابي، ومع ذلك قام بتغيير موقفه حيث رغب في الاستفادة من كييزا بعد اهتمام عدة أندية من الدوري الإيطالي بخدماته.

رصدت صحيفة “جارديان” البريطانية، تقريرًا مطولاً عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح جناح فريق ليفربول، بعد التصريحات الهجومية التي أدلى بها في أعقاب المباراة أمام ليدز بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وافتتحت الصحيفة التقرير، بالحديث عن انكسار علاقة محمد صلاح بليفربول بعد المقابلة التي أجراها، والتي تعد بمثابة اختبار لعلاقة النادي بالمدرب الهولندي آرني سلوت، وسيظهر أيضًا مدى الدعم الذي يحظى به الأخير.

وأشارت إلى أن صلاح قد يكون متأثرًا نفسيًا بجلوسه بديلاً لثلاث مباريات على التوالي، وأفادت أن تصريحاته كانت بمثابة قنابل يقوم المصري بإلقائها واحدة تلو الأخرى، وهو تصرف لم يكن وليد العاطفة.

“جارديان” وصفت صلاح بأحد أعظم لاعبي ليفربول، وأكدت أن تصريحاته وكلماته مدروسة بدقة لتحقيق ما يريده، وفي هذه الحالة، تكديس المزيد من المشاكل على سلوت.

ويفيد التقرير أن صلاح بالغ في حديثه والأمر مشابه لمقابلة لروي كين نجم مانشستر يونايتد السابق، وتصريحاته التي أدلى بها قبل 20 عامًا والتي أدت إلى إقالته من منصب قائد الفريق، ولم تُنشر كلمات كين علنًا آنذاك، ولم يُنشر النص الكامل حتى الآن.

وحللت الصحيفة تصريحات صلاح حيث اتهم ليفربول مرتين بالتخلي عنه ردًا على فشلهم في الدفاع عن لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وقد حرص المصري على أن يكون جميع أفراد ليفربول – إدارة النادي، والمدرب، وحتى زملائه الذين يُحبهم – في موقف مشابه له.

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سلوت نفسه أصبح في وضع مشابه بعدما كشف صلاح عن انتهاء العلاقة بينهما، وهي وضعية لا يمكن استمرارها، كما طالت الاتهامات مسؤولي الإدارة، وتحديدًا ريتشارد هيوز المدير الرياضي، ومايكل إدواردز المدير التنفيذي، بعد ادعاء صلاح أن هناك من يريد إخراجه من النادي، وبشكل مباشر، تشير الأصابع إليهم.

ويواصل التقرير الإشارة إلى أنه حتى زملائه في الفريق لم يسلموا، بعد إصرار صلاح المتعالي على أنه استحق المركز الذي انتزعه سلوت منه، وذلك قبل أسبوع واحد فقط، ومن بين هؤلاء الزملاء دومينيك سوبوسلاي، أفضل لاعبي ليفربول هذا الموسم، والذي شارك أساسيًا بدلًا من صلاح أمام وست هام وسندرلاند وليدز.

وقد يعترض فيرجيل فان دايك على زميله أيضًا، بعد أن قال: “ليس الأمر وكأنك تتمتع برصيد غير محدود، على الجميع أن يُقدم أداءً جيدًا”، وذلك عندما سُئل عن استبعاد صلاح.

وتبرز هنا أيضًا تصريحات أخرى لفان دايك بعد مباراة سندرلاند: “أحتاجه حولي كأحد القادة”، وتشير “جارديان” إلى أن ما فعله صلاح لم يكن قيادة، بل أنانية خالصة وخيانة لغرفة الملابس، ويبدو أن أزمات ليفربول هذا الموسم لا نهاية لها، ومعظمها صُنع بأيديهم.

وتفيد “جارديان” أن رد ليفربول يجب أن يكون حاسمًا، وإلا فإن مكانة سلوت ستتلقى ضربة قوية من داخل النادي نفسه، بعدما تراجعت بالفعل في نظر عدد كبير من الجماهير بسبب سوء النتائج والأداء.

وعاد التقرير للتذكير بتصريحات روي كين حيث سحب مانشستر يونايتد منه شارة القيادة بسبب هجومه العلني على زملائه، وصحيح أن صلاح لم يصل إلى هذا الحد، لكنه واجه مدربه علنًا وانتقد قراراته.

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وتؤكد الصحيفة أن ليفربول لا يمكن له أن يسمح بمرور الأمر إن كان يريد الحفاظ على سلطة سلوت داخل غرفة الملابس، وقد يكون استبعاد صلاح من رحلة دوري الأبطال إلى ميلان لمواجهة إنتر، ومن مباراة برايتون على ملعب آنفيلد، بداية مناسبة للعقاب، خاصة بعد تلميحه بإمكانية توديع الجماهير – نهائيًا أو قبل سفره إلى كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وتتابع الصحيفة، موضحة أن تغيير المدرب أسهل وأقل تكلفة من تغيير فريق كامل، لكن مع تقدم صلاح في العمر وتراجع مستواه بوضوح هذا الموسم، تصبح المعادلة أقل تعقيدًا بالنسبة لليفربول، ويبدو من غير المعقول أن يستمر صلاح وسلوت معًا حتى نهاية عقد المصري في صيف 2027.

وواصلت مشيرة إلى أن الخطوة التالية من ليفربول ستوضح موقف النادي، إما من دعم محمد صلاح أو مدرب الفريق آرني سلوت، مع الوضع في الاعتبار أن هيوز وإدواردز يدركان جيدًا الاهتمام السعودي بالتعاقد مع المصري واحتمالية السعي لضمه في يناير.

وقد يتغير موقف ليفربول السابق تجاه العرض السعودي الذي تم رفضه قبل عامين، ويبدأ النادي في فتح باب التفاوض والاستفادة ماليًا من بيع صلاح ومن ثم دعم النادي بصفقات جديدة مثل أنطوان سيمينيو لاعب بورنموث.

ووصف التقرير مقابلة صلاح بالانقسامية والحادة، وربما أجريت مع وضع العروض السعودية في الاعتبار، لكنها حظيت ببعض الدعم لأنها تتوافق مع الإحباطات المحيطة بموسم ليفربول.

وأشارت إلى أن صلاح مُحق في قوله إنه لا ينبغي استهدافه بسبب إخفاقاتهم، في حين يعاني العديد من اللاعبين، وقد أنفق النادي ما يقرب من 450 مليون جنيه إسترليني على فريق فاز بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بسهولة الموسم الماضي وتراجع في نتائجه سريعًا، وكان هوجو إيكيتيكي هو الوحيد الذي له تأثير ملحوظ من بين صفقات ليفربول الصيفية باهظة الثمن.

وأتمت جارديان تقريرها موضحة أن صلاح سيحتفظ بمكانته كبطل في ليفربول بغض النظر عن تداعيات مقابلته، على الرغم من أن إظهار الدعم الداخلي لسلوت سيؤكد اعتقاد النادي بأن المصري تجاوز الحد.