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It’s almost time for Arsenal to return to action.

On Wednesday, the Gunners will take on AC Milan at the Singapore National Stadium, also facing Newcastle United in Kallang next Sunday, before heading over to Hong Kong for a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur at Kai Tak Sports Park.

Ahead of their pre-season tour of Asia, the Gunners have been busy in the transfer market, but are they about to land their most important target of all?

Arsenal's busy transfer window

So far this summer, Arsenal have made four signings, following the announcement that Noni Madueke had arrived from Chelsea on Friday, doing so for a reported £53m.

He follows fellow new arrivals Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martín Zubimendi, and Christian Nørgaard, while it is widely expected that Cristhian Mosquera will join from Valencia for £16.5m.

Meanwhile, Mark Brus of Caught Offside claims that Arsenal are in talks to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, which would certainly be an exciting addition.

Nevertheless, as noted by Art de Roché of the Athletic, a new centre forward remains the priority position that both those inside the club and supporters are concerned about, but there could be a breakthrough in that regard.

That’s because, according to Ben Jacobs of Give Me Sport, Arsenal are now close to a “full agreement” with Sporting CP over the signing of Viktor Gyökeres, with optimism that a “breakthrough”, when it comes to add-ons, will be made over the weekend.

The Gunners have agreed to pay the Primeira Liga champions £55m plus close to £9m in add-ons, with the Swedish international still ‘waiting for permission to undergo a medical’, but there is hope he will be able to feature for Arsenal during their aforementioned fixtures in Asia.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It was reported by Miguel Dantas and Ed Aarons of the Guardian last weekend that Gyökeres had failed to report for pre-season training, having informed Sporting he had no intention of returning, so this deal does appear set to be finalised.

Why Viktor Gyökeres will be so transformational for Arsenal

Given that midfielder Mikel Merino started pretty much every game from Valentine’s Day onwards last season at centre-forward, it was clear to all that Arsenal needed to spend big in this position.

Speaking on the Arsenal Vision podcast, Clive Palmer believes that the Gunners simply need a forward with a killer instinct in front of goal, and Gyökeres certainly provides that, whilst Simons would only offer a decent threat as a scorer from an attacking midfield role.

Viktor Gyökeres

102

97

Xavi Simons

76

22

Arsenal’s highest scorers in 23/24 & 24/25 combined:

Bukayo Saka

84

32

Kai Havertz

87

29

Leandro Trossard

102

27

Gabriel Martinelli

95

18

Martin Ødegaard

93

17

Declan Rice

103

16

Gabriel Jesus

63

15

As the table outlines, no Arsenal player or Simons comes remotely close to having scored as many goals as Gyökeres across the last two seasons, with the Swede having bagged only six fewer goals than Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus combined.

Of course, there is the caveat that the Primeira Liga is the seventh-best league in the world, according to Global Football Rankings, but even if Gyökeres scores 20 times across all competitions next season, that would be a major boost.

Recent Portuguese top-flight golden boot winners, namely Jackson Martínez, Bas Dost, Haris Seferović, Carlos Vinícius and Darwin Núñez do raise a bit of a red flag, but Thom Harris of the Athletic believes Gyökeres will be a success in North London, impressed by his ‘frightening physical profile’ as well as his ‘unerring ability to thump’ the ball really hard into the net.

So, of course, signing Simons would be exciting; it’s Arsenal heritage to have a team full of diminutive number tens. Tomáš Rosický, Alexander Hleb, Santi Cazorla, Mesut Özil, Cesc Fàbregas, Jack Wilshere and many others spring to mind.

Nevertheless, the Gunners need to win and they need to win now, and the signing of Gyökeres underlines this mission statement, even more so than Simons.

Ekitike 2.0: Arsenal actively plotting move for "golden" CF after Gyokeres

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Arsenal are poised to revamp their squad in many areas this summer, as manager Mikel Arteta looks to end their 20-year-long-plus wait for a Premier League title.

Arsenal "set to sign" another player, it means "sensational" ace will leave

Mikel Arteta’s side have been very busy in the last week.

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The Gunners are already set to sign both midfielder Martin Zubimendi and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, with the former signing his paperwork as a new Arsenal player last week and the latter completing a medical in the last few days (Sky Sports).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Joining Zubimendi and Kepa will be Denmark international midfielder Christian Norgaard. Brentford’s captain has been handed the green-light to join Arsenal, after Keith Andrews’ side and the north Londoners agreed an initial £10 million transfer, which could rise to £5 million if performance-related add-ons are met (Sky Sports).

Arsenal are also in advanced talks over a deal for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, so new sporting director Andrea Berta’s extensive work behind-the-scenes appears to be paying dividends after this plethora of updates from the last week.

Norgaard’s signing wasn’t initially expected, but news surrounding £200,000-per-week midfielder Thomas Partey and his imminent departure seems to have pushed Berta into sourcing an immediate replacement for the Ghanaian.

The 32-year-old enjoyed his best campaign to date at Arsenal last season, making over 50 appearances whilst putting his past injury worries firmly behind him, and that prompted the club to open talks over a contract extension.

However, those discussions ultimately failed to reach a positive outcome, and Partey is now “set to leave” the Emirates after his contract expires on June 30.

Now, the question is: what’s next for the ex-Atletico Madrid stalwart?

Fenerbahce chief travelling to UK for talks with Thomas Partey

According to Turkiye Gazetesi, as translated by Sport Witness, Fenerbahce sporting director Devin Ozek is flying to the UK for talks with Partey.

Ozek is also set to speak with exit-bound Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi about a potential move to the Turkish Super Lig, but it is believed that Jose Mourinho “especially” wants Partey, as the ‘special one’ looks to build a team capable of challenging Galatasaray.

Ndidi remains contracted at the King Power until 2027, but Partey’s soon-to-be free agent status has gifted Fenerbahce a golden opportunity to reinforce Mourinho’s midfield with proven experience and quality, at zero transfer cost.

The terms on offer from Fenerbahce are yet to be detailed, but it will be interesting to see if they can tempt Partey with an equal or similar wage to his current earnings at Arsenal, which are set to dry up in the next few days.

It’s all change at Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.

Despite leading the club to their third European title in the Europa League last month and ending their almost two-decade trophy drought, Ange Postecoglou was officially given the boot on Friday afternoon.

While this is undoubtedly a divisive decision among the fanbase, it’s not hard to see why it was made, as the Australian oversaw just 11 wins out of a possible 38 in the Premier League this term.

Interestingly, while no announcement has been made just yet, it is looking increasingly likely that the man to replace Ange will be Brentford boss Thomas Frank, and that could be very good news indeed for a certain youngster in the squad.

Spurs' winners and losers under Frank

Before getting to the player in question, let’s take a look at some of the potential winners and losers at Spurs under a possible Frank tenure, starting with those who might not be so lucky, like Brennan Johnson.

Now, it might sound mad to suggest that the club’s top scorer this season could be in trouble next year, but if Frank is able to convince the board to sign Bryan Mbeumo, as reports suggest he’s trying to, then there is every chance the Welshman’s game time would dramatically decrease.

Likewise, it could be the end of the road for Yves Bissouma, becuase as well as he played in the club’s Europa League run, he’s shown himself to be a liability in the league time and time again.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

You only need to look at games like Fulham away, when he was hooked at halftime and given a 3/10 match rating by Alasdair Gold, or at home against Chelsea when he lost his head and gave away a needless penalty.

However, it’s most certainly not all doom and gloom, as there are more than a few players we think could flourish under the Danish manager, such as Lucas Bergvall.

The 19-year-old was incredible for much of this season and even won the club’s Player of the Year award.

So, when he recovers from his injury, it’s not inconceivable to imagine him taking yet more steps forward under Frank.

Likewise, while Dominic Solanke wasn’t exactly prolific, he’s been one of the club’s hardest-working attackers this season and an integral part of the frontline.

Therefore, under a manager who helped turn Brentford into a lean, mean goalscoring machine, we could see him turn the former Bournemouth man into a seriously dangerous striker.

There is another Spurs ace who could become something really quite special under the incoming boss, someone he wanted to sign in West London.

The Spurs gem Frank could transform

If you were following Tottenham’s transfer dealings last summer, then you’ll have probably worked out that the player in question is none other than Archie Gray.

Before making his way to North London, the former Leeds United gem looked destined to join Brentford, with reports in late June claiming that the player had agreed personal terms with the Bees and was set to have a medical.

However, the Lilywhites swooped in and picked up the incredibly talented youngster for around £30m just a few days later.

While he missed out on him last summer, we can only imagine that Frank is just as excited, if not more, about the teenager’s potential now and the chance to finally work with him.

There are a few reasons why we think the Dane could help turn the 19-year-old ace into the “future £100m” superstar that data analyst Ben Mattinson claimed he could be.

The first is that after spending this season being moved around here, there, and everywhere, there is a real chance for the Durham-born midfielder to actually play in, well, midfield.

Moreover, while he didn’t spend a whole lot of time there in 24/25, he was still able to produce some fairly impressive underlying numbers for someone so young.

Shots on Target %

100.0%

Top 1%

Shots Blocked

0.73

Top 4%

Clearances

2.81

Top 5%

Passes Completed (Medium)

28.09

Top 7%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

92.8%

Top 10%

Progressive Passing Distance

285.69

Top 13%

Dead-ball Passes

4.86

Top 13%

Carries

45.28

Top 13%

For example, according to FBref, he sits in the 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for percentage of shots on target, the top 4% for shots blocked, the top 5% for clearances, the top 7% for medium passes completed, the top 13% for progressive passing distance, carries and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it’ll take some time for the “sensational” prospect, as dubbed by one analyst, to reach his full potential, we have no doubt that Frank will be a brilliant manager for Gray to do it under.

He's another Bergvall: Spurs enter race to sign "extraordinary" wonderkid

The promising youngster could be a star at Spurs.

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Aston Villa have received a boost in their pursuit of a summer target, with it being revealed he is now planning to ignore Barcelona in favour of a move to the Premier League, according to a report.

Villa file complaint after referee blunder

With Newcastle United suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Everton, a point against Manchester United would’ve been enough for Villa to secure Champions League qualification for the second season on the spin, but they ultimately fell to a 2-0 loss.

Morgan Rogers thought he had opened the scoring for the Villans, but referee Thomas Bramall blew the whistle for an alleged foul on Altay Bayindir, with VAR unable to intervene as play was stopped before the ball hit the net.

As such, an official complaint has been made to the PGMOL, but Unai Emery’s side will ultimately have to settle for Europa League football next season, rather than the much more prestigious and lucrative Champions League.

Villa’s omission from Europe’s elite competition could also impact the business they are able to do this summer, but a new update has suggested they could still be well-positioned to sign a goalkeeper.

According to a report from Spain, Espanyol’s Joan Garcia is on Aston Villa’s radar for a summer transfer swoop, and the 24-year-old is now planning to turn down a move to Barcelona, amid concerns he would not be the first-choice option.

As such, a move to the Premier League is believed to appeal to Garcia, with Villa, Newcastle United and Arsenal all waiting in the wings, and Espanyol are aware it will be difficult to keep hold of the goalkeeper if they receive a big offer from England.

A deal could be relatively cheap, however, with the rumoured asking price of £25m believed to be appealing to all the interested parties.

Garcia could be "elite" Martinez heir

Unfortunately, it appears as though Emiliano Martinez’s time at Villa Park could be over, with the Argentine appearing to say a tearful farewell after his side’s final home game of the campaign.

As such, Emery will be tasked with bringing in a replacement this summer, and the Espanyol shot-stopper could be a fantastic option, having been lauded as “elite” by scout Ben Mattinson during the 2024-25 campaign.

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Not only that, but the 24-year-old ranks in the 86th percentile for his save percentage, and the 91st percentile for his crosses stopped percentage per 90 over the past year, so it is promising news that he could reject Barcelona in favour of a Premier League move.

One Rangers player is on course to leave Ibrox over the coming months having recently been described as “fragile”.

Rangers manager rumours as 49ers agree takeover deal in principle

It is promising to be a busy few months off the pitch in Glasgow, with the 49ers Enterprises agreeing a deal in principle to take charge at Ibrox. Sky Sports reported last month that talks have been ongoing for a while now and there is ‘growing confidence on all sides that it will be completed ahead of the new season’.

The 49ers will have to get straight to work as well and look ready to do so as there have been claims they are ready to back a new manager in the transfer market with a £20m+ transfer budget.

Rangers: 49ers may sell Ibrox star for £20m as big club make serious move

They could make a 700% profit.

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Charlie Smith

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Barry Ferguson is the current interim Rangers boss and has been impressing at times, defeating Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce in the Europa League across two legs, while also winning at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership.

Ferguson is thought to be keen on the idea of taking the Rangers manager job on a permanent basis, however, other names have been mentioned as potential targets.

Former Southampton manager Russell Martin has been linked with a move to Scotland, as has Liam Rosenior who is currently in charge of Strasbourg in France.

Rangers progressing to the semi-finals of the Europa League will only strengthen Ferguson’s case to land the job on a full-time basis, however, whoever is in charge could lose a plethora of current Gers players in the summer.

Forward Hamza Igamane is wanted by Marseille, who have made serious moves for the Morocco international. Rangers want £20m for the attacker, however, one player who could leave for free is defender Leon Balogun.

Leon Balogun on course to leave Rangers for free

According to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, Rangers are set to axe Balogun from the Ibrox books this summer.

The 36-year-old, on £8,000-a-week which equates to £416,000-a-year in Glasgow, is out of contract at the end of the campaign and O’Rourke says it is unlikely he will be offered a new deal.

Balogun returned to Rangers back in 2023, a year after leaving for QPR. Since moving back to Glasgow, he has made a further 44 appearances for the club, taking his overall tally to three figures.

Talking about Balogun recently, Derek Ferguson, brother of Barry, advised Rangers to move the defender on this summer, calling him “fragile”.

“I think he’ll be off. He’s done terrifically well since coming back in, but he’s 36 and injury-prone. He’s a good player, but is he someone Rangers should be looking to tie down? No. He’s done well across two spells, but no, it’s time for Leon to look elsewhere. Rangers will need to look for a younger version of Balogun – a player with pace, power and good in the air. Leon is just too fragile.”

Babar Azam’s team have been in India for a little over a week and they’ve been well looked after ahead of their World Cup opener

Shashank Kishore05-Oct-2023As the Pakistan team bus zooms into the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, their motorcade of armed police jeeps containing a few hundred security personnel quickly swing into action. They spread themselves across the outdoor nets area within a blink of an eye, just before the team comes out to train.Behind the police jeeps, there’s a van full of trained commandos that makes a swift entry. As they disembark, their chief issues orders detailing the areas they will survey and the activities they have to carry out. A local liaison officer is then briefed by the security chief, and plans are relayed across walkie-talkies to various department heads around the venue.It’s not hard to understand why security is so elaborate. There’s body frisking at every entry point; those with a valid pass only have it slightly better than many others, and fans making a beeline outside the gates to catch a glimpse of the players, or those trying to get hold of tickets, are kept out.Even before the Pakistan team emerges from the dressing room, three armed guards station themselves besides the perimeter of the nets area, while six others are at the entrance of the main pavilion block as Babar Azam strides out with his team after a slip catching drill inside the main ground.Related

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These guards with dark glasses have their backs to the action. They’re so seasoned that they don’t flinch or move a muscle, even when someone with the ferocious ball-striking capabilities of Iftikhar Ahmed, or Ifti as the team calls him affectionately, goes about his business. As he has a hit, repeatedly swinging big to the chorus of ‘played, yaar’ from team director Mickey Arthur, the sound of ball on bat echoes around the concrete stadium.As Pakistan go about training, the intense security seems overwhelming to the bystander watching from afar. But if you’re wondering whether Pakistan feel the same way, remember that they play under heavy security when hosting international teams at home. They’ve taken the protection in their stride at the World Cup, with smiles on faces amid the warm hospitality they’ve received in Hyderabad.At the ground, organisers have gone out of their way to procure many more kilos of ice than originally requested for, and the chef has tailored local delicacies to the taste of the players. This is i, Hyderabadi style, where food is an integral part of the conversation. Generous cups of Irani chai and diet Karachi biscuits – a local delicacy – are served, apart from dishes curated by the team trainer to ensure players aren’t loading themselves up prior to a training session or match.Back at the hotel, the Pakistani players have an entire floor to themselves, cut-off from the general public, and a dedicated set of staff to cater to the team’s needs. There’s a separate dining area, a cordoned off swimming pool that’s kept open beyond usual hours to accommodate late recovery requests, and round-the-clock security that makes arrangements for the team if they want to head out.Four nights ago, the entire team visited Jewel of Nizam, near the famous Golconda Fort, for dinner. A section of the route was turned into a green channel to facilitate smooth movement. On their plate were different varieties of kebabs, biryani and lots of spicy local food. and were favourites. It was Pakistan’s first and only outing since arriving in India.Mohammad Bashir might be the only Pakistani fan at their opening game against Netherlands in Hyderabad•Mohammad BashirOnly a week ago, there was so much uncertainty around Pakistan’s journey to India. Visa delays had prompted the team to cancel a training trip to Dubai. Now, those teething troubles have been long forgotten and the team appeared at ease with their environment. The only hint of regret, from Babar at the captain’s event in Ahmedabad on the eve of the tournament opener, was the absence of Pakistani fans.Babar has been asked several times about the welcome his team received in India. How the airport came to life as news spread that Pakistan had arrived. Babar has said he’s been surprised, not just on arrival but also at their warm-up games.”To be honest, we also heard that,” he said, when asked if the team thought they’d receive a hostile reception. “But since the time we arrived in Hyderabad, the kind of hospitality we’ve received and the kind of welcome we had from the airport to the hotel … even in the last match at the ground we felt very good.”On Friday, Babar will be able to hear shouts of ‘Pakistan jeetega’ and ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ from an elderly gentleman, 66-year-old Mohammad Bashir, who is a bit of an anomaly in Hyderabad. He’s perhaps a lone ranger, the only Pakistani fan in the city.Bashir is from Karachi, but he’s been able to make it in time for their first game against Netherlands only because he’s a now a US citizen. He’s been traveling to World Cups since 2011 and has quite a rapport with several Indian players, including MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Bashir has several photos with them and their families, and says Dhoni and Rohit regularly give him tickets for ICC events. Bashir says while he isn’t as familiar with the current Pakistan players, he’s excited to watch Babar and Mohammad Rizwan “do something special” at the World Cup.In June, much against his doctor’s wishes, he decided to travel to India to watch the tournament. All he knew then was that he would be based in Hyderabad, the hometown of his wife, Rafia. To many, Bashir has already become a familiar face around the ground. He cheers for the players, waves the Pakistan flag passionately, and belts out chants that resonate loudly around the ground.He’s mighty impressed with the ” Hyderabad has given him. It’s likely the Pakistan team will share the sentiment when they reflect on this World Cup campaign many years later.

“Not a team to set your watch by but almost always worth watching for glorious or abysmal cricket”

Jarrod Kimber15-Dec-20211:00

Bell hoping England can ‘bounce back quickly’ in second Test

England are the most innovative team in the world. That’s not a joke.Depending on your age, you’re now processing this in vastly different ways. Some of you will be nodding, others laughing hysterically. If you are under 35, you most likely grew up with the 2005 Ashes, England’s 2010-14 reign as the No. 1 Test side, or the bit where England dominated white-ball cricket. This England are dynamic, fearless and always innovating.If you’re over 35, you grew up in an era when English cricket was a punchline. There is an entire industry around English cricket’s good ol’ bad days in the ’80s and ’90s. Quiz questions about how many captains they had, jokes about waistlines, and David’ Bumble’ Lloyd’s “we flippin’ murdered ’em”. That England was stale, broken and sad.You could see the dynamic of the two kinds of English fans playing out during the Gabba Test. Those from the older generation saw doom and gloom in every critical moment as a sign of the Apocalypse. And a newer generation that couldn’t help but notice that Australia had a good run with a flawed side and England batted out nearly an entire day for only two wickets.Related

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Most of us aren’t English fans; this is less about emotion and how the cricket world sees England. They were once Mother Cricket, and then the doddering old aunt who’s been collecting ceramic owls for a long time. Now they’re that fun older sister, showing you all the stuff adults won’t.England cricket has become brilliant and bonkers.But by the start of the 2000s, this was a broken cricket culture.The first professional structure in cricket – however half-hearted it was – was already looking decades behind Australia. The Asian boom had occurred with Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka all producing champions and winning World Cups. The West Indies had been more dominant than England in a tougher era, and would then work out T20 quicker than anyone else. South Africa played a more disciplined and conservative cricket, and with better results.The most important cricket nation was suddenly just another team. England looked ancient in a way that Australia did not. The county game still produced some interesting trends: home to Franklyn Stephenson’s slower ball, and off the field it gave us the T20. But in the ’90s, cricket was becoming a colourful global game, and England were still wearing whites.And there was no real reason for this. England were still a rich cricket nation. The professionalism may have only been for six months every year for county cricketers, but at least they paid their first-class players, which is something New Zealand were not doing at that point. But there were also divisions within cricket, like the county dressing rooms in which players from the same side sat in different walled-off spaces within the room based on their seniority within the side. This was happening until the mid-90s and it showed that English cricket was stuck in another era.English cricket tried to give us something new on the field from time to time, but even when they had success with it, cricket wasn’t always paying attention. They were perhaps the first team to really pick batters who could keep, over keeper-batters in the ’80s. In fact, it started with Jim Parks in the 1960s. But by the ’80s players like Ian ‘Gunner’ Gould were being manufactured into wicketkeepers because of their batting. Other teams had tried it as a one-off to see if it worked, but England had it as a selection mantra in ODIs before finally committing with Alec Stewart.Alec Stewart practices his keeping•PA PhotosIn the 1992 World Cup England are now remembered as a team who got Wasim Akram-ed in the final. But this was an early prototype for all-round white-ball cricket. They had Derek Pringle – list A average of nearly 26 – batting at No. 9 and Ian Botham as a slogging opener; multiple bowling options and a long batting line-up. South Africa would be renowned for this, but only years later. That same decade, England appointed Adam Hollioake as their ODI captain; the following decade they were opening with Mal Loye who was sweeping super-fast bowlers for six.These were still rare one-offs, and none of them worked enough to change the direction of the game. England’s control on cricket was fading from an administrative perspective, but their effect on how the game was played had fallen off completely.And then, little by little from Duncan Fletcher through to Eoin Morgan the most straight-laced, beige team in cricket became – to use a Warneism – funky. If you follow trends in cricket, then England is currently the style icon, for most probably the first time since the ’60s.No matter what the format, they are doing something interesting and trying to change the game. They’ve had success in every format, but also failed a lot; interesting rather than successful, but almost always fun.In T20s they unlocked their young batting talent by letting them go out and hit a bunch of boundaries. It differed from the West Indies’ dot-or-six method. It was freer, and often lasted longer. Their T20 batting line-ups were as deep as cricket has seen, so it allowed their top to swing away consistently.These methods took them within a Carlos Brathwaite mishit of winning the World Cup in 2016, and this year they looked like the best team in the competition even with a weakened first XI. By the time they got to the semi-finals they were missing five players, and still it took some luck for Jimmy Neesham and incredible hitting from the Kiwis to get over the line.Considering how good England has looked in both the 2016 and 2021 tournaments, missing one or two editions in the middle has probably cost them a fair chance of winning the title.There are other T20 trends they are associated with. Morgan and his chief analyst Nathan Leamon have a dugout code they exchange when England are fielding, to ensure that Morgan is making data-led decisions – successfully transplanted to Multan Sultans in the PSL.In T20s outside the international level, Worcestershire have played without a wicketkeeper in order to have an extra fielder. County cricket has also provided two extraordinary bowlers: Benny Howell would ordinarily be considered a medium-pacer and Pat Brown fast-medium. But when you look at what both of them do, they are like spinners at varying speeds. They’re beyond just change-up bowlers with cutters. Even Harry Gurney was, in a way, one of a kind – a slow left-am change-up death bowler is not exactly what teams even knew they wanted until it existed.In ODI cricket England completely smashed the boring middle overs, turning themselves from an idiosyncratic team into enforcers. They took lessons from their T20 side, and were also willing to lose early wickets. They unleashed their openers in a way that would make 1996 Sri Lanka blush.They became the quickest-scoring team in ODI history, the first to score run-a-ball for a four-year period. But it wasn’t their openers who made the biggest impact. It was in the middle with Joe Root, Morgan and Jos Buttler where they turned the boring middle overs into 180 runs a match without losing wickets. It was like the difference between hand milking a cow and using a machine. And you could, if you wanted, trace this approach back to the ECB’s decision in 2010 to switch to a 40-over domestic tournament when everyone was playing 50-over tournaments; automatically the format made the middle overs a more attacking phase.They also had a bowler like Liam Plunkett, whose key skill was taking a collection of the ugliest wickets you’ve ever seen. England helped turn him from a standard fast bowler into a cross-seam spoiler. And that worked because Plunkett and many other bowlers could bat or hit big. So opposition batters would push the game, and try and score off Plunkett, which usually ended up with mishits to a legside sweeper.Yet, when they lost the 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final, people doubted them. No team had ever been that good at ODIs and yet less respected coming into a World Cup, as England were in 2019. And in that World Cup, they gave us the greatest final, and they won in the weirdest way possible, after Trent Boult stepped on the ropes while taking a catch, after an umpiring error and after a tied Super Over.Even if they had lost, they had still changed one-day cricket.And then there are Tests. If they’ve been dominant in the other two formats, they’ve been mixed in Tests. Over the last five years they have 27 wins and 24 losses. They are the worst of the best teams. They can be incredible, but they can be truly awful.The 2019 Ashes might be the best example. They lost the first game. They were on their way to losing the second until Ben Stokes played the second-best innings that year. Then they lost and won one more Test to end the series 2-2, but with Australia keeping the Ashes. They are not a team you can set your watch by, but they’re almost always worth watching for glorious or abysmal cricket.England has a decision to make on which bowlers to choose in Adelaide•AFP/Getty ImagesTheir results have been like that for a while; they strolled into India this year and won the first Test, and then barely made a run to finish the series. They lost a Test in Bangladesh, and allowed West Indies to chase over 300 at Headingley.But even in being unsuccessful in Tests, they’ve been trying stuff. First they copied their own limited-overs formula, relying on their allrounders and deploying incredible batting depth. My favourite might be the Bridgetown Test where Adil Rashid batted at No. 10 and Sam Curran was at No. 9.Rashid has ten first-class hundreds. And Curran has batted at seven in Tests – and won Tests. They’ve had Stokes, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, and even Craig Overton. This doesn’t even include their wicketkeeping allrounders in Ben Foakes, Jonny Bairstow, Buttler, and Ollie Pope. This is an abnormally flexible team. There were signs of this in the Flintoff/Swann/Broad (before Varun Aaron hit him in the head) era, but this is a whole new level.Having a team of this many allrounders means they either look fantastic or like boiled sick.It hasn’t worked, mostly because they haven’t had strong batters up the order to make sure that Stokes, Moeen, Buttler, Woakes and Curran could come in when there were fun runs to be scored. Most of these players have been forced higher than you would want; Woakes has even been discussed as a potential top-order stopgap.They’ve been quite interesting with their top order as well. Jason Roy and Alex Hales have opened for England, even though neither were successful openers at first-class level. And that is because they were both good white-ball players. Buttler’s return to England was also on the back of white-ball form, England backing him even though there’s rarely been a long-term consistent Test player who is a gun white-ball player but hasn’t made runs in first-class cricket.And when England stopped trying their best T20 hitters as openers, they went completely the other way and found the most turgid. England players hate when you talk about the 100-ball innings, or as it became known, the Dentury. But the story goes that when England’s team management realised they didn’t have good enough top-order players, they just asked them to try and bat 100 balls each innings. Joe Denly has said this didn’t happen, but it is possible that England just enforced the 100-ball thinking simply by not dropping anyone.Players were clearly rewarded for batting time rather than making runs for a long period. Dom Sibley averaged 29 with the bat, but he was out in the middle for 12 balls longer than the average for an opener during his career. At this point, England were also talking about weighted averages – anything not to mention that their top-order just couldn’t score runs. Blunting the new ball isn’t reinventing anything; but doing it with three players from whom you’re not expecting masses of runs is something else.Also noticeable about England’s top-orders is their techniques. For a long time England players – Graham Gooch aside – batted in a very staid English way. Now the MCC manual has been burnt and snorted, and you get Rory Burns’ over-the-shoulder gaze and Sibley’s one-sided play. It’s not just the defensive batters. Buttler’s just as much an outlier in the other direction. England batters were encouraged for generations to follow their natural techniques and while the jury is still out on how that has gone, there are some fascinating methods out there in county cricket.With the ball James Anderson has perhaps been the main reason the wobble ball has become the most important delivery in the world. While it might be Mohammad Asif’s creation, Anderson’s wrist has elevated it to a global trend. And England are also all-in on platooning fast bowlers, which is not quite cricket’s horses-for-courses selection policy. Essentially England’s plan – which injuries have thwarted – is to have three or four genuinely fast bowlers drop in for a Test at a time, bowl as fast as possible, then rest up for their next chance. It is similar to how baseball pitchers are used.James Anderson warms up•AFP/Getty ImagesAnd how do England make these decisions on selection? Without a selector as such but with a head coach and captain backed up by James Taylor as head scout. In fact, England employs plenty of scouts to go out and look at players based on their speciality – so wicketkeepers are scouting wicketkeepers, spinners are on spinners and so on. They’ve taken crack old selection committees into the future.It’s worth noting again that innovation doesn’t always lead to good results – and it hasn’t. No one is saying that this English team is the best in the world. It’s just the most interesting.On their own, some of these just sound quirky, but England has leaned in on the weird and extreme like never before. This is England, the team that really hasn’t been part of the conversation in pioneering cricket since perhaps the 1970s. Almost all the major teams have been more important to how the game has been played on the field since. India’s spin quartet. Pakistan’s reverse swing/sweep, doosra and attacking middle-overs bowling. West Indies’ four fast men and six-hitting in T20s. Australia’s professionalism, early ODI cricket and scoring at four an over in Tests. Plus, Sri Lanka’s use of the Powerplay and unorthodox bowling actions.These were all sizeable shifts in how cricket was played.England were just stuck, through a combination of poor cricket and negativity at the national team level. But modern English cricket is suddenly the most fast-moving. If there is a freaky new tactic or a way of bowling the ball, there’s a good chance right now it will come from England. There is science in the dietary plans, and creativity in their analysis. That the team doing this is England makes it all the more bizarre, like finding out your grandma likes Grime.England are on their way to fun second-team status. That’s so weird, from the team that everyone hated because of the whole empire thing through to the side that kids like because they’re doing cool things.England are an innovative team. That’s a fact.

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O São Paulo conquistou mais uma vitória na Libertadores 2024 e, com ela, garantiu presença nas oitavas de final da Libertadores. Portanto, com a premiação por vitórias e classificação, o Tricolor acumula 8,2 milhões de dólares (R$ 40 milhões, segundo a cotação atual) a receber da Conmebol.

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➡️Faça as suas apostas na Libertadores 2024: quem será o campeão? Vem pro Lance! Betting

A organização do torneio internacional premia os participantes da fase de grupos com 6 milhões de dólares (R$ 30 milhões). Além disso, são 330 mil dólares por vitória (R$ 1,6 milhão).

O São Paulo venceu, até agora, três partidas na Libertadores: contra o Cobresal (duas vezes) e o Barcelona, de Guayaquil. Diante do Talleres, da Argentina, o Tricolor perdeu fora de casa. Essa campanha rendeu 990 mil dólares (R$ 4,9 milhões) aos cofres do clube brasileiro, somados aos 6 milhões de dólares iniciais. Ainda restam dois confrontos a serem disputados, que podem acrescer 660 milhões de dólares (R$ 3,3 milhões).

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Nas oitavas de final, o Tricolor arrecadará mais 1,25 milhão de dólares (R$ 6,25 milhões). A soma de todos esses valores resulta nos 8,2 milhões de dólares (R$ 40 milhões).

Se o São Paulo chegar à final da Libertadores e conquistar o título, receberá 23 milhões de dólares (R$ 115 milhões). O prêmio total para o campeão do torneio pode chegar a 36,2 milhões de dólares (R$ 181 milhões), somando todas as fases e bônus por vitórias na fase de grupos.

continua após a publicidadeFase de grupos: 6 milhões de dólares (R$ 30 milhões) + 330 mil dólares (R$ 1,6 milhão) a cada vitóriaOitavas de final: 1,25 milhão de dólares (R$ 6,25 milhões)Quartas de final: 1,7 milhão de dólares (R$ 8,5 milhões)Semifinal: 2,3 milhões de dólares (R$ 11,5 milhões)Vice-campeão: 7 milhões de dólares (R$ 35 milhões)Campeão: 23 milhões de dólares (R$ 115,7 milhões)

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India captain also said they wanted to get another 20-25 runs to give the bowlers cushion when bowling with the wet ball

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2025Not long after India were unable to defend a massive score of 358 against South Africa in the second ODI, captain KL Rahul said the toss “plays a huge part” and makes a “huge difference” in matches where dew heavily skews the match in the favour of chasing sides. India lost their 20th toss in a row in ODIs, and South Africa opted to bowl and sealed a four-wicket victory with four balls to spare to level the series 1-1.”Not really, considering everything – how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings,” Rahul said at the presentation when asked if the defeat was a tough pill to swallow. “The last game, we did really well, considering everything. All the difficulties for bowlers bowling with a wet ball, and the umpires have been nice enough to change the ball a few times, but still I think toss plays a huge part. So I’m kicking myself about losing two tosses in a row. It’s obviously making a huge difference.”India were asked to bat for a second game in a row under Rahul’s captaincy this series. While India managed a narrow 17-run win in the opening match in Ranchi after posting 349, this time a bigger target didn’t prove to be enough.Related

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“To reflect back there’s always things that we could have done better,” Rahul said. “With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but that’s also been the chat in the dressing room even after the last game [about] how can we get that extra 20-25 runs, so that the bowlers find some cushion when they bowl with the wet ball.”Bowlers obviously are trying their heart out, but there are areas to improve. There are a few soft boundaries that we gave away, even in the field. If we can tighten up all three aspects of the game and get a bit more sharper, then maybe those 20-25 runs will go our way and we’ll be on the other side.”India’s tall total was built on the back of centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. This was the 11th time Kohli hit hundreds in back-to-back ODIs, while it was Gaikwad’s maiden century in the format – the pair adding 195 runs in just 156 balls together for the third wicket.”It was beautiful to watch – Virat, the way he batted. Obviously, we have seen him do this for 53 times now,” Rahul said. “He goes on about doing his job, we’re used to seeing it. Just to see the way Rutu batted was beautiful. [He] took on the spinners, hit his gaps. Once he got past that 50, the tempo that he batted with is I think what gave us that extra 20 runs.”Despite the strong base, India could not finish strong: they added only 103 runs in the last 15 overs with eight wickets in hand; just 74 in the last ten overs. Rahul scored an enterprising 66 not out off 43 at No. 5 after being carded at No.6 in the team sheet at the toss. Washington Sundar made 1 off eight balls while Ravindra Jadeja batted 27 balls and scored an unbeaten 24 with just two fours.”Obviously batting at 5-6-7 [could be looked at],” Rahul said. “If the lower order could contribute a little bit more and hit a couple of more boundaries, then maybe that’s the 20 runs that we would have been happy with.”Today is the first time I’ve been slotted at No. 6 and I’ve walked in at 5. Otherwise, it’s always a decision before the game. The way Rutu and Virat’s partnership was going on, they set a good tempo. So GG [Gautam Gambhir, head coach] and me felt like it would be the right time for me to walk in and keep that tempo going. Obviously [I] got a fifty last game, so, there’s a bit of confidence. Someone who’s batted in the middle, someone who’s high on confidence is probably the right person to go in and take on the bowling and keep that tempo going. That was the plan.

استطاع نادي برشلونة الخروج من عنق الزجاجة، وحقق فوزًا مثيرًا اليوم السبت على حساب ديبورتيفو ألافيس بثلاثة مقابل هدف واحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

برشلونة دخل لقاء اليوم بتشكيلة أغلب عناصرها من اللاعبين الأساسيين وعلى رأسهم رافينيا، والذي عاد من جديد من الإصابة للعب بعد غياب خلال الفترة الماضية.

وعلى الرغم من سعي برشلونة لتصحيح الأمور في لقاء اليوم، إلا أن البلوجرانا تفاجأ بهدف مبكر من قبل ديبورتيفو ألافيس، والذي جاء عن طريق بابلو إيبانيز في الدقيقة الأولى.

إيبانيز استغل كرة ركنية لعبت في بداية اللقاء وسط خطأ من دفاع برشلونة، ليسجل هدف التقدم لألافيس.

وبعد ذلك بدأ برشلونة في الضغط بقوة على مرمى ألافيس لتعديل النتيجة، وسط تألق واضح من قبل لامين يامال، والذي عبث بدفاع الضيوف اليوم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | أولمو يسجل هدف برشلونة الثاني أمام ديبورتيفو ألافيس

وترجم يامال تألقه في لقاء اليوم إلى هدف في الدقيقة الثامنة، حيث استغل الجناح الأيمن عرضية من رافينيا ليسدد الكرة بقوة في شباك ألافيس.

وعاد رافينيا من جديد ليمنح تمريرة الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة، والذي جاء عن طريق داني أولمو في الدقيقة 26.

وبعد ذلك حاول برشلونة تسجيل الهدف الثالث وتأمين النتيجة، لكن لاعبي ألافيس أظهروا شراسة كبيرة وإصرار على تعديل النتيجة.

لكن بالرغم من محاولات لاعبي ألافيس لتجنب الخسارة، إلا أن برشلونة نجح في الحفاظ على تقدمه، بل وإضافة هدف ثالث بواسطة أولمو في الدقيقة 93.

وبتلك النتيجة رفع برشلونة رصيده إلى 34 نقطة وليقتنص صدارة الليجا بشكل مؤقت، وبفارق نقطتين عن ريال مدريد والذي سيلتقي مع جيرونا يوم غدًا الأحد، بينما تجمد رصيد ألافيس عند 15 نقطة في المركز الرابع عشر.