Bangladesh, Afghanistan progress to quarter-finals; Pakistan crush PNG

Sreshth Shah23-Jan-2022Opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi struck 144 and No. 4 Raj Bawa smacked 162 to give India the second-biggest win in the history of Youth ODIs as the Covid-hit team trounced Uganda by 326 runs in their final Group B encounter in Tarouba. The pair’s partnership of 206, that propelled India to post the tournament’s first 400+ total, was also the highest third-wicket stand in Under-19 World Cup history.Related

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The 16-year-old Raghuvanshi started attacking the Uganda bowling right from the first over when he cut one square for four, and then dominated a 40-run opening stand with Harnoor Singh by playing the short balls offered by the Uganda bowlers on both sides behind square. He displayed his wristwork by flicking shots off his toes through midwicket and playing strong drives down the ground to reach his fifty in 49 balls.Raghuvanshi, on 50, was joined by Raj Bawa after Nishant Sindhu fell for 15, and together they dominated for the next 22.4 overs where they scored 206 runs together. Bawa started his innings by putting away a low full toss through midwicket, and after a short period of quiet batting till the 21st over, the duo broke free.The 22nd over went for 20 runs as Raghuvanshi hit two fours and Bawa smacked back-to-back sixes, the 26th had Raghuvanshi playing two sweeps for four and one drive past the bowler, and in the 27th over, Bawa played a sublime punch through deep cover and followed it up with pull to the long-on boundary to push India to 172 for 2. Bawa reached his fifty in 44 balls in the 28th over in style slog-sweeping a six over the leg side and by the end of the 30th over, India had breached 200.Raghuvanshi reached his 93-ball century next over by pulling a short ball for four, and with at least one boundary coming off their bat till the 34th over, India’s run rate was hovering near seven and the chances of a 400+ score was looking like a reality for the first time in the innings.Bawa then tore into Uganda bowler Joseph Baguma by hitting consecutive sixes off full-tosses and on 90, offered the first real chance when he edged a shot past the vacant slip cordon for four. He followed it up to move to 98 with a square cut that raced through the carpet. He reached his century in only 69 balls with a single to midwicket.With both batters in triple digits, it appeared like the duo had shed all inhibitions and looked to tonk every ball out of the ground. Raghuvanshi went 6, 4, 4 in the 38th over, however, he was out on 144, top-edging a swipe to the wicketkeeper.Bawa, though, was not going to stop, and he brought up India’s 300 in the 40th over with a six over extra cover. He kept finding the boundaries with ease and buried a six down the ground to reach his 101-ball 150 by easily flicking a shot over deep midwicket.With Kaushal Tambe not lasting long, Bawa needed someone from the other end to also bring out the fireworks to help India breach 400, and wicketkeeper Dinesh Bana offered that aid by hitting a quickfire 14-ball 22. Bawa then saw off the innings in Aneeshwar Gautam’s company as their six-run 50th over took India to 405 for 5.Uganda did not get going in their chase at all, with six batters failing to score a run. Rajvardhan Hangargekar rattled the top order with his two wickets and the stand-in captain Nishant Sindhu, who had bowled tight through the tournament but without the wickets to show for it, then ran through the middle order with a four-for, including the scalp of Uganda captain Pascal Murungi (34). Vicky Ostwal and Vasu Vats, drafted into the India squad hours before the match, took a wicket apiece to complete the rout. India will next play Bangladesh in the quarter-finals.Mahfijul Islam cuts off the backfoot•ICC via Getty ImagesIn what was a virtual pre-quarterfinal match, defending champions Bangladesh rode on the back of a complete bowling performance in a rain-hit Group A game to secure their passage into the final eight by beating UAE by nine wickets.Right-arm seamer Ripon Mondol took 3 for 31 while Ashiqur Zaman and Tanzim Hasan Sakib took two wickets apiece to bowl UAE out for 148. UAE had three batters getting starts, with Punya Mehra top-scoring with 43, but they lost their last six wickets for 46 runs, with Mondol causing maximum damage.A rain-break changed the 149-run target to Bangladesh requiring 107 in 35 overs, and their openers set up the chase with an 86-run opening stand. Mahfijul Islam hit six fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 69-ball 64 and was assisted by Iftakher Hossain’s 70-ball 37. No. 3 Prantik Nawrose Nabil then gave Mahfijul company through to the end as Bangladesh wrapped up the nine-wicket win by the 25th over to finish second, behind England, in the group.Seam-bowling allrounder Muhammad Shehzad took a five-wicket haul while conceding only seven runs to set up Pakistan’s demolition of Papua New Guinea and help his side finish table-toppers in Group C. Their nine-wicket win now sets up a quarter-final date against Australia.Shehzad was the first-change bowler, and he had middle-order batters Aue Oru and Patrick Nou caught behind first up. He then returned to pick up the wickets of Sigo Kelly, Rasan Kevau and Karoho Kevau – all three for ducks – to bowl PNG out for 50 in 22.4 overs.Shehzad’s bowling form, however, could not convert into a good batting show for him personally. He was out for a duck as opener, but the other opener Abbas Ali scored 27 in 32 balls in the company of the captain Hasebullah Khan (18*) to leave Pakistan with a perfect Group C record of three wins in three games.In a must-win game for both sides, Afghanistan rode on the back of their captain Suliman Safi’s 111 and an all-round show from Nangeyalia Kharote to pip Zimbabwe to the second spot in Group C with a comprehensive 109-run win. Afghanistan will now participate in an all-Asian quarter-final against Group D toppers Sri Lanka.The left-hand opener Kharote hit a 45-ball 50 to build Afghanistan’s foundation, but it was Safi’s century from No. 4 that took them to 261 for 6. Safi hit 14 fours and three sixes in his 118-ball 111, dominating a 108-run fifth-wicket stand with Mohammad Ishaq where he made just 39. Although expensive, Zimbabwe seamer Alex Falao took a three-for.Zimbabwe made a promising start to the chase, putting up 49 in their opening stand, with Matthew Welch making most of the runs. However, Kharote’s left-arm spin then ran through the middle order, helping him finish with 4 for 30, which also included the wickets of Zimbabwe’s top-scorer Welch (53), the captain Emmanuel Bawa, and David and Brian Bennett. Sandwiched between his wickets was the run out that Kharote effected to send Connor Mitchell back for a duck, and leg spinner Izharulhaq Naveed made short work of the tail. The other left-arm spinner Shahidullah Hasani took two top-order wickets too, and Zimbabwe folded for 152.

Lucy Bronze boasts plenty of happy memories at Wembley, but the Chelsea star is setting another trophy target at the home of English football.

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• Won Euros with England in 2022
• Represented Lionesses on a regular basis
• Chasing down honours at club level

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• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Back in 2022, Bronze helped the Lionesses to savour European Championship glory on home soil. She has figured regularly for England during their outings at the most spectacular of international venues – with her senior cap haul standing at 127 and counting.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bronze returned to her homeland in the summer of 2024 when joining WSL title holders Chelsea from Champions League winners Barcelona. The plan is to add to her medal collection over the coming months, particularly when it comes to an FA Cup competition that she has emerged triumphant in on two previous occasions with Manchester City.

• Getty
  

  WHAT BRONZE SAID

  Bronze has told Chelsea’s , with another cup quest set to get underway on January 12 against Charlton: "I hope we go on a good FA Cup run. It’s always been a trophy that I’ve been in love with. I played my first final when I was 16 playing for Sunderland which is where I was from, and against Arsenal. It was my first taste of a big game.

  "I’ve got so many different fond memories of FA Cup runs. Especially coming back to England from playing abroad, the FA Cup is definitely a big one. Every time I have played abroad, I’ve always been at Wembley watching the final. I love playing at Wembley, so it would be nice to play there with Chelsea."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bronze has helped Chelsea to claim 15 wins during a 16-match unbeaten run this season and is starting to feel more settled as part of a star-studded squad in west London. The 33-year-old defender added: "Coming in I don’t think I was viewed as much as a new player because I’m English and being a bit more established. But, at the start, I was definitely finding my rhythm and my place in the team.

  "Once I got my feet on the ground, got settled living here and everything like that, it just felt like I had been here forever. After the first couple of months, I felt really settled in and started to see that both on and off the pitch. I was definitely feeling more and more at home."

It was only a couple of weeks ago that words like ‘crisis’ and ‘pressure’ were being thrown around to describe Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the season and Ange Postecoglou’s position as manager.

However, flash forward four wins in four games, and things in N17 are now looking far rosier, with the Australian’s side starting to play the fluid, attacking, and effective football they did at the start of last season.

The manager has made a few changes to the side in recent weeks, perhaps the most significant being the relocation of Dejan Kulusevski from the wing to the heart of midfield, where he has been utterly sublime.

However, before the club initially signed the Swedish superstar, they were interested in and could have actually signed another international winger, who might not have worked out as well.

Kulusevski's recent form

It would probably be fair to say that last season was not Kulusevski’s best campaign to date, as while he still managed to rack up a respectable haul of eight goals and three assists in 39 appearances, he had a quiet second half of the year.

For example, in his 17 league appearances after New Year’s Day, the Swede could only muster a paltry return of three goals and one assist, although considering the team’s overall form at that point, it might be unfair to pin that entirely on him.

Fortunately, despite his drop in form, Postecoglou persevered with the former Juventus ace, and so far this season, he has made eight appearances, in which he has already scored once and provided two assists.

However, one of the most notable things about his appearances so far is his new position in the heart of midfield.

For example, he has started five of those eight games in either central or attacking midfield, and considering he created the most chances of any away player at Old Trafford for 20 years on Sunday, he’s been undeniably superb in his new role.

Overall, things are looking up for Spurs and Kulusevski at the moment, but before the North Londoners signed the 24-year-old star, they were keen on another talented winger.

Spurs wanted to sign Ousmane Dembélé

Yes, before he made his way back to France to join Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham could have signed then-Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembélé.

According to a report from The Athletic, the North Londoners were so interested in the Frenchman that, in early January 2022, they inquired about his availability as, at the time, it was public knowledge that the Catalan club wanted him to either sign a new long-term deal or leave for a fee.

Unfortunately for the five-time European Champions, by the time they offered his services to Spurs on January 30th, the club turned them down, believing that adding another star to ‘a position where they were already reasonably well-stocked’ was pointless, especially as he was on an eye-watering £192k-per-week at the time.

Moreover, the reason the Lilywhites were suddenly so well covered in that position was down to the signing of Kulusevski, which was officially announced the following day, and based on the last few years, it looks like Daniel Levy and Co made the right choice for a few key reasons.

The first is that, for as talented as the “incredible” Frenchman is, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he had a simply atrocious injury record in Spain and across his career to date, he has missed a whopping 141 games due to an array of hamstring, knee and muscle problems. In comparison, the Swede has missed just 17 games in his career so far.

Number of Injuries

17

6

Games Missed

141

17

Days out Injured

794

78

Now, in his defence, the World Cup winner did manage to remain fit last season, but given the nature of his injuries and their frequency, it feels more like when and not if he suffers another significant setback.

The second reason is a financial one, as following his £43.5m move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer, the former Borussia Dortmund ace was handed a mammoth £401k-per-week contract – including bonuses – which would have utterly decimated the Lilywhites’ reasonable wage structure and in turn potentially cause issues down the line with future signings.

Lastly, not only is the Vernon-born dynamo three years older than Spurs’ talented number 21, but he has also fallen out with Luis Enrique in Paris and was subsequently removed from the squad that faced Arsenal in the Champions League, which does not seem like the sort of personality that Postecoglou would want in his team.

Ultimately, while Dembélé is an undeniably talented player, his injury issues, outrageously high wages, and recent fallout with his manager are all reasons why Spurs made the right choice when they signed Kulusevski instead back in 2022.

Spurs wanted to sign £55m star for Ange but ended up with Brennan Johnson

The North Londoners could have ended up with another winger entirely last summer.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 1, 2024

أكد الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي المدير الفني لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ريال مدريد، على صعوبة مواجهة خيتافي غدًا الأربعاء، في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على خيتافي غدًا، في ملعب كولوسيوم، ضمن منافسات الجولة 33 وقبل أيام قليلة من ملاقاة برشلونة مساء السبت، في نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا.

وقال أنشيلوتي في المؤتمر الصحفي للمباراة: “نعلم جميعًا صعوبة مواجهة خيتافي، فريق قوي يمتلك أفكارًا واضحة، وكلما اقتربنا من نهاية الموسم، تكون المباريات أكثر أهمية لجميع الفرق”.

طالع أيضًا.. آس: أيام ألونسو أصبحت معدودة في باير ليفركوزن

وأضاف: “نعرف جميعًا مشاكلنا هذا الموسم، خسارة ميليتاو وكارفاخال كان من الصعب تعويضهما، وغيّرنا أسلوب اللعب كثيرًا ليتناسب مع خصائص اللاعبين، وحتى الآن لم نجد التوازن، ولذلك نجد صعوبة في الفوز”.

وعن حالة مبابي قبل مواجهة خيتافي: “لن يكون متاحًا لمباراة الغد، لكنه سيتدرب هو وميندي خلال الأيام القادمة وأعتقد أن كليهما سيكون جاهزًا لمواجهة الكلاسيكو ضد برشلونة”.

وواصل بالرد على إمكانية إقالته حتى إذا فاز ببطولة الدوري والكأس: “في كرة القدم كل شيء يمكن أن يحدث، ليس لدي خلاف مع أحد وأحب التواجد على هذه الدكة لأطول فترة ممكنة، وأي يوم ستنتهي فيه فترتي مع ريال مدريد، سأرفع قبعتي امتنانًا لهذا النادي”.

وتجنب الحديث عن صافرات الاستهجان ضد مبابي في بيرنابيو مساء الأحد الماضي: “كيليان يعاني من الإصابة، ولا يستطيع المشاركة، لكنه يفعل كل شيء من أجل التواجد في مباراة السبت المقبل”.

وشدد: “لدينا هدف واضح وهو الفوز بالبطولات الثلاث المتبقية، الدوري والكأس وكأس العالم، لكن أعتقد أن الدوري والكأس يعتمدان على الفوز ضد برشلونة وانتظار هدية أخرى في الدوري، ولكن في هذه اللحظة، علينا أن نفكر في مواجهة خيتافي، ثم النهائي مساء السبت، لا نريد الذهاب لما هو أبعد من ذلك”.

وواصل تحليل وضع ريال مدريد: “في إيطاليا يقال إنه كلما حدثت مشكلة تكون يدك اليسرى السبب، حدث هذا أيضًا في الدور الأول، خسرنا العديد من المباريات، ولكن أحاول أن تكون علاقتي مع الجميع بناء على هويتي، عليك أن تُظهر حقيقتك، هذا الموسم غضبت في الكثير من المرات، يجب أن تحترم وتحصل على الاحترام”.

وعن جدول المباريات المزدحم، رد أنشيلوتي: “لا أشتكي من الجدول. شيء يمكن أن يحدث كثيرًا، لم نتمكن من خوض مواجهة أتلتيك بلباو يوم السبت واللعب يوم الثلاثاء، ولكن لدينا وقت للتعافي، قد يكون من الأفضل أن تكون المباراة في وقت مبكر أكثر، لأن الكثير من الأشخاص يكونون نائمين في هذا الوقت، وأتمنى أن لا يحدث ذلك مع فريقي”.

واختتم: “برشلونة الآن يبدو أنهم أفضل منا، ولكن النهائيات غير متوقعة أبدًا، وأعتقد أن هناك مبالغة في تصوير ريال مدريد كضحية في النهائيات”.

On Thursday, the opener will face Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first time since leaving the franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2022David Warner has emphasised the need for the top three to contribute big runs as Delhi Capitals look to escape the lower half of the table and secure a playoffs spot in IPL 2022. Capitals are currently seventh among the ten teams with eight points from nine matches, but could move up as far as fourth, potentially, if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.Given the sheer number of teams still in contention to finish among the top four, Warner believes Capitals may have to win all their remaining games to qualify.”Moving forward from where we are, we’ve obviously got to win every game to make it to the finals,” Warner said in an official Delhi Capitals release. “There’s strong competition, two teams we have got to come up against – Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are pretty much similar points to us.”We could get that upper hand if we beat Sunrisers. We then go into the top four, but obviously, we need RCB [Royal Challengers Bangalore, who face Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday night] to start losing as well. It’s quite a congested table, but exciting for the rest of the tournament.”Warner is Capitals’ highest run-getter this season, with 264 runs at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 156.21. His opening partner Prithvi Shaw is just behind him, with 259 runs at 28.77 and 159.87. Both fell for single-digit scores in Capitals’ last match, a narrow defeat to Lucknow Super Giants.”We’ve got off to a good start,” Warner said of his partnership with Shaw. “In the last match, we’ve fallen cheaply, both of us, and that can happen in this game because we have to play that high-level brand of cricket in the power play.”He emphasised, however, that he, Shaw and No. 3 Mitchell Marsh would need to make big scores and win games for Capitals.”I think the most important thing is myself or him [Shaw] or Mitch scoring an 80 or 90 or even a hundred if we can, to post good totals or chase down big totals, and that’s the key,” Warner said. “I think that’s the focus for every other team. The teams who are doing well are scoring big runs at the top of the order. And, two players are actually scoring big in the games, they are the ones that you really need to shine to win these games.”Thursday’s match will be Warner’s first against Sunrisers since leaving the franchise at the end of a difficult 2021 season. Warner remains Sunrisers’ highest run-getter in the IPL, with 4014 runs in 95 matches at 49.55 and 142.59, with two hundreds and a whopping 40 fifties.”My thoughts are like every other game,” Warner said, “just keep going through your processes till you have to do it, training and just get ready for the game.”

Senior bowlers backed for recall after new captain Ben Stokes calls for “best team”

Andrew Miller28-Apr-2022

James Anderson has been back in action for Lancashire this season•Getty Images

James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be considered “available for selection” for the first Test of the summer, against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2, according to Rob Key, the new director of the England men’s team, following their controversial omissions from the recent tour of the Caribbean.Despite their combined haul of 1177 Test wickets, the futures of both Anderson, 39, and Broad, 35, had been up in the air ever since England’s 4-0 Ashes loss, especially in light of Joe Root’s comments about the “positive” team environment that a new-look squad had fostered during their subsequent 1-0 series loss in the Caribbean.However, Key – speaking for the first time in his new role at a press conference at Lord’s – said that he had taken soundings from Root’s newly appointed successor, Ben Stokes, with both men agreeing that if Anderson and Broad are fit and in form come the start of the international season, then they will be back in the frame.Related

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“Before I was announced in this job, I rang Jimmy and Broady and said ‘For my money, you boys are available for selection for the first Test of the summer’,” Key told the BBC. “That’s fine, but I’m the managing director. What they want is the captain to go with that. One of the first things Ben Stokes said was ‘Jimmy and Broady are coming back’ and I agree. It might’ve been a different story had we not agreed. But it wasn’t up for debate.”Broad returned to action for the first time this season in Nottinghamshire’s ongoing LV= Insurance Championship fixture at Trent Bridge, claiming a wicket in his third over as Worcestershire were bowled out for 159 on the opening day. Anderson, meanwhile, took two early wickets for Lancashire against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl, having found his groove during an innings win over Gloucestershire at Old Trafford last week.”They’ve got their plans in place,” Key added. “We don’t need to tell Jimmy and Broady what they need to do, or how they need to prepare for a Test match. If they don’t know now, no one will. And they’ve got to be right and up for selection for that first Test. And I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t and they got a big part to play.”Speaking in the wake of his five-wicket haul at Sydney during the Ashes, Broad had voiced his frustration with the previous England regime’s tendency to plan for future engagements rather than focusing on the here-and-now – an issue about which he had been similarly outspoken in a Sky Sports interview after being dropped for the first Test of the 2020 home summer.And though Key insisted he “could not predict the future”, as regards the longevity of England’s senior pairing, he said he saw no reason to maintain the team’s recent policy of rest-and-rotation, especially now that the Covid restrictions that have dominated the last two years are being rolled back.”We’ll just see how they go,” Key said. “If they play the first Test match and if they’re bowling really well, and England are doing well, then they might play the next, and then on to the next. If they’re tired, then someone else can come in. I don’t think we have to overthink all this stuff. But what we have to do is be flexible on how we do it.Stuart Broad celebrates a wicket on his first appearance of the season•Getty Images

“They are not multi-format cricketers at the moment. With someone like Jofra Archer, it might be a bit different. When he comes back fit, there will be times where it’ll be very obvious when we want our absolute best out there, and there might be a white-ball series that we can sacrifice a bit. And that, actually, isn’t a bad thing because some other players can come in to prolong the success of the white-ball team. I just don’t think we have to overthink it.”Although the timeframes are tight, with just over a month to go until the first Test against New Zealand, Key added that he was “optimistic” that a new head coach can be appointed before the series gets underway. Simon Katich is believed to be among the frontrunners, with Graham Ford and Gary Kirsten also in consideration, but with Stokes – “the best person to lead England forward” – now installed as captain, Key is confident that the team’s new framework will take shape quickly.”There’s some good names coming in from English cricket and world cricket,” he said. “I’m trying to find out about the ones I might not know so much about. A lot of it comes not from sitting across a room asking him what sort of coach are you, but actually asking people that have worked with him.”In terms of team selection, however, Key is currently less clear about the process going forward. Though he is keen to restore the post of national selector – a role previously held by his former Kent team-mate Ed Smith until he was made redundant last year – he admitted he was unsure who to place at the helm of a network that now encompasses a scouting network and a team of data analysts, as well as the as-yet-unknown red- and white-ball head coaches.”It’s a very, very important job and we won’t rush to get that person in place,” Key said. “Until then, I’m pretty happy with the process that we’ll have in place, with the people that are already involved in selection. If you need someone to point the gun at, you can point it at me, it doesn’t really bother me. But we’ll come up with the best team that we possibly can to win the Test match, and hopefully not make bad decisions.”

Arsenal were dealt some very worrying news on Saturday, with England confirming that winger Bukayo Saka has withdrawn from international duty through injury.

Bukayo Saka returns to Arsenal after England injury

The Three Lions’ humiliation at the hands of Greece wasn’t the only sorry sight for on-looking Arsenal supporters on Thursday, as fans were given a reason to fear the worst when Saka was substituted early in the second half with pain in his right leg.

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Any hope that this was just a precaution is now blown to the wind, as England announced today that Saka has returned to Arsenal for an assessment on his injury.

The north Londoners – who have already seen Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kai Havertz and Kieran Tierney injured at various points this season – now face the prospect of being without Saka for an extended period.

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

During the last international break, Arsenal lost club captain Odegaard through ankle ligament damage, and they now sweat over the fitness of star winger Saka, who is absolutely imperative for manager Mikel Arteta.

There is optimism that Havertz will be available for Bournemouth in their next Premier League game after the makeshift striker withdrew from international duty for Germany. In any case, you could spare a penny for Arteta’s thoughts right now, given he’s in danger of losing two star players through injury over the last two international breaks.

It is too early to say just how long the £195,000-per-week star will be out for or whether he’s even a doubt for Bournemouth, but Saka appeared to pull his hamstring against Greece – so there is reason to believe it could be serious.

In the build-up to this news, Arsenal have been linked with signing a backup option who can come in for Saka when required, and it is believed the Gunners have their eye on Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Arsenal chiefs view Semenyo as Saka alternative

According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal view Semenyo as an alternative to Saka, with Arteta a personal admirer of the former Bristol City star.

The 24-year-old – who’s started this season in impressive fashion with three goals and an assist across eight games in all competitions – has been praised for his form by teammates and pundits alike.

“As a team, we knew the quality he has and we saw that last year,” said teammate Lewis Cook at the start of October.

“He’s got to just keep working hard – being aggressive and being clinical. He’s got a lot better at running back and helping out the team too. He’s a powerful lad and has all the ability in the world. Hopefully, he can continue to show that.”

While this transfer would most likely be for next summer, it is clear that Arsenal need quality options in case star men like Saka become unavailable. Semenyo could fit the bill in this regard, with Jamie Redknapp also praising the Ghanaian this season.

“He’s a lovely footballer to watch,” said Redknapp on Premier League Productions.

“The manager’s taken him to another level, he obviously has that capability because you saw it with Solanke. I’m just seeing him elevate his game right now, we’ll talk about ‘why does that happen?’, a lot of it is purely on confidence.

“He looks like he’s enjoying his football, his shoulders are back, he’s relaxed, every time he gets it, he plays with a bit of a swagger. He’s actually a joy to watch right now.”

Fans took to social media to mock Wayne Rooney after Plymouth Argyle parted ways with the Manchester United legend on Tuesday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Plymouth sacked Rooney on Tuesday
• Fans urge Rooney to quit coaching
• Plymouth winless in their last nine matches

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On the final day of the year, Plymouth finally decided to sack manager Rooney after a series of poor results in the Championship in the 2024-25 campaign. The Pilgrims won just four of their first 23 matches in the Championship under the Manchester United legend and currently find themselves at the bottom of the league table. The final blow came last weekend when Plymouth lost to Oxford United 2-0, after which they decided to end their association with the 39-year-old.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Fans were quick to react to the ex-England captain's sacking as they mocked his coaching journey so far. Birmingham fans also reminded Plymouth that they had warned them about Rooney's track record as a head coach.

  An X handle named Sample wrote: "This man should just retire and return his coaching licence."

  A fan named Dean wrote: "That’s Rooney's last job in football who ever appointed him deserves the sack as well."

  James Hamilton advised Rooney to quit football management as he said: "If I was him I would call it a day in management and become a regular on the overlap."

  A handle named Voodoo said in a message to the Plymouth board: "You had all the warnings and ignored them. Then you delayed this by at least a month, so we're literally 24 hours away from the transfer window without a coach. Absolute cluster-F."

  A Birmingham fan mocked Plymouth by writing: "Why would you even give him the job to begin with? We all warned you. You seen it for yourself too?"

  An X handle named AJ added: "If he ever gets a job in coaching ever again serious questions need to be asked."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Red Devils forward has endured a frustrating journey as a manager. He first took charge of Derby County in the 2020-21 season and by the summer of 2022, the club faced relegation from the Championship. His second stint at D.C. United lasted two seasons and in his final year at the club, the team finished at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference. He then moved back to the Championship and took over at Birmingham City but that spell lasted just 83 days, and the Blues were eventually relegated to League One in the 2023-24 campaign.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PLYMOUTH?

  Plymouth, who are winless in their last nine outings, will be next seen in action on January 1 as they face Bristol City, with first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell and club captain Joe Edwards set to lead the squad in that crucial fixture as the hunt for Rooney's permanent successor gets underway.

Manchester City are in danger of losing several players to Real Madrid if Pep Guardiola leaves in the summer of 2025, according to a fresh transfer update from Spain.

Guardiola may leave Man City next year

City once again clinched Premier League glory last season, making it four league titles on the spin, and the early indications this time around suggest that Guardiola's men are again very much the team to beat.

It could be that this is their legendary manager's final season at the Etihad, however, with the Spaniard failing to rule out the idea of moving on in 2025. He may feel that he has taken his team as far as he can, as was the case with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool earlier this year, having been in charge since 2016.

Should Guardiola move on, he will leave City as one of the most influential figures in the club's history, not only nurturing many of the best players ever to appear in the blue shirt but also winning countless trophies, not least the holy grail of the Champions League in 2023.

The supporters will hope that the former Barcelona hero still has many years left in him in charge, but at this point, it would arguably be a surprise if he was still manager this time next year given the silence around a new contract. Now, it looks as though a hugely important City player could now leave alongside him next year.

Man City could lose another "huge" star in 2025

According to a report from Spain, Manchester City could lose Erling Haaland to Real Madrid at the end of this season, with the reigning Champions League winners keen on snapping him up and capable of paying his current £19.5m-a-year salary.

The update states that Florentino Pérez is personally a massive fan of the player, and has made him one of their most coveted targets for next summer. It is also claimed that Haaland "has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the Premier League at a reasonable price," while the uncertainty surrounding Guardiola and the 115 charges is also thought to be playing its part.

This comes after Madrid have already been lurking around midfielder and potential Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, with City desperately trying to extend the Spain international's contract to fend off that interest.

The idea of City losing Pep, Haaland and Rodri – all at the peak of their powers – will terrify City supporters, with the 24-year-old in particular a simply unbelievable talent whose goalscoring statistics are off the chart. Incredibly, he already has seven league goals in three games this season, and 97 in 102 appearances overall.

Guardiola treasures the Norwegian, describing him as "huge", and he feels like the difference-maker in this season's Premier League title race, with his ability to find the net at a freakish rate potentially giving the Cityzens the edge over Arsenal and Liverpool.

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The lure of Madrid is great, however, especially with Kylian Mbappe now joining the likes of Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham there, so it is easy to see Haaland's head still being turned by a move to arguably the biggest club in the world.

Keeping him on beyond this season has to be one of City's biggest aims, though, during which time they will hope he continues to smash record after record.

MatériaMais Notícias

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