Maddy Green took charge of the chase before the visitors suffered a late wobble
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2022New Zealand secured their first ODI series win in West Indies with a two-wicket victory in Antigua where Eden Carson claimed three wickets on debut then Maddy Green anchored the chase.It became tighter than it should have done for New Zealand as they lost 4 for 3 late in the chase, but Hayley Jensen struck the winning boundary after Carson survived two balls from Karishma Ramharack who had taken three of those wickets.Carson, an offspinner, had a terrific debut as she claimed the key wicket of West Indies’ top-scorer Hayley Matthews as her first scalp – lbw on the back foot – followed by Chinelle Henry and Shakera Selman. She, Fran Jonas and Amelia Kerr combined to cause plenty of problems and their combined figures read: 28-3-65-5. Kerr and Jonas conceded just 17 each from their 10 overs.West Indies had slipped to 29 for 3 in the 11th over and were in further trouble when Lea Tahuhu had Stafanie Taylor well caught by Isabella Gaze and Kerr had Kyshona Knight taken in the covers off a leading edge.Matthews and Henry built a stand of 47 for the sixth wicket before Carson made her impact and the lower order was left trying to see out the 50 overs.West Indies fought back with the ball early in the chase as New Zealand’s slipped to 51 for 3 but their run rate was good which meant little scoreboard pressure. Green and Lauren Down added 66 for the fourth wicket to break the back of the target, then Green and Brooke Halliday got them with six runs before the late stutter that did not prove costly.
Well, it wasn’t the most enthralling of football games last night, but Arsenal got the job done in the end.
Mikel Arteta’s side knew that a win against Dinamo Zagreb would all but guarantee them passage into the Champions League round of 16, and played out a comfortable 3-0 win.
There were several impressive displays from the hosts, such as Jorginho, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard, who finally found the back of the net.
3
Goals
0
63%
Possession
37%
2.30
Expected Goals
0.13
4
Big Chances
0
17
Total Shots
5
11
Corners
3
527
Passes
314
However, two stood out above the rest: Declan Rice and another starter, who showed that he could save the Kroenkes a lot of money this month.
Declan Rice's game vs Zagreb
The last few weeks have seen Rice getting back to something close to his best of last season, and last night was one of his best displays of the campaign.
It took less than two minutes for the Englishman to open the scoring for the hosts, leathering the ball on the half-volley as if he were a world-class centre-forward.
Now, he should have added a second in the second half, but that doesn’t take away from how effective he was as the left-eight in both his attacking and defensive responsibilities.
It’s not just us who were left seriously impressed by the former West Ham United captain either, as football.london’s Tom Canton gave him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, writing that it was yet “another dominant midfield display” from the midfield machine.
Unsurprisingly, the 26-year-old’s statistics from the game more than back up the praise, as in 93 minutes, he produced a combined expected goal and assist figure of 0.82, took 62 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 91%, played one key pass, took four shots, won 100% of his ground duels, made one clearance, blocked two shots and made two tackles to boot.
Minutes
93′
Expected Goals
0.66
Goals
1
Expected Assists
0.16
Touches
62
Passing Accuracy
41/45 (91%)
Key Passes
1
Shots
4
Ground Duels (Won)
2 (2)
Clearances
1
Blocked Shots
2
Tackles
2
In all, it was a brilliant performance from the Gunners’ £105m man, but he wasn’t the only regular who grabbed the headlines, as Kai Havertz put in a display that could end up saving the club millions.
Kai Havertz's game vs Zagreb
Yes, the player in question is Havertz, who, after a few terrible weeks in which his place in the team was seriously questioned, put in another strong performance at the Emirates last night.
The German international did make his few, now customary, mistakes in the box, like holding onto the ball too long at times, but overall, he showed that he could be the man to lead the line for the North Londoners this season.
For example, the “magnificent” striker, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was the one who stopped the ball and cushioned it just right for Rice to open the scoring in the first two minutes, but he wasn’t done there.
In the second half, when the team needed to extend their lead, the 25-year-old dynamo rose to meet an exquisite pass from Gabriel Martinelli and did just that, helping to quell any nerves that might have been slowly creeping in due to Saturday’s game.
Unsurprisingly, Canton was just as impressed with the former Chelsea man, awarding him another 8/10 on the night and writing that he ‘perfectly controlled’ the ball for the team’s opener.
Now, should this be the start of a goalscoring run from the Aachen-born forward, then the powers that be at the club might opt not to sign a new striker this month and instead invest elsewhere in the team, but whether that would be a wise decision is a debate for another time.
Ultimately, it wasn’t a swashbuckling display from Arsenal, but a comfortable and professional one that saw them come out as deserved winners, hopefully with some momentum heading into the rest of the season.
Better than Cunha: Arsenal make big proposal to sign "Europe's best player"
The sublime attacker would be game-changing for Arsenal.
Everton have a “good chance” of completing the signing of a “‘superb” young attacker and are planning an offer, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins.
Everton manager latest
It’s set to be a busy period at Goodison Park, following the sacking of Sean Dyche as manager on Thursday, following nearly two years in charge of the Blues.
Since then, Everton have been working hard on nailing the Englishman’s successor at Goodison Park, with David Moyes emerging as the most likely figure to come in. The Scot arguably feels like the safest pair of hands, considering his strong knowledge of both the club itself and the Premier League, only recently managing Wwst Ham.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with West Ham United manager DavidMoyes
The Scot isn’t the only option for the Blues, however, with former AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca also reportedly in talks. The Portuguese worked under The Friedkin Group during his time in charge of Roma, so they may feel that he represents a great choice who they know well.
Ex-Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri was also mentioned as a possible replacement for Dyche before his dismissal, in what would be a high-profile appointment. He won five Serie A titles during his stint in Turin, also reaching the Champions League final in 2017.
Everton prepare offer for "superb" ace
Taking to X on Friday, Hawkins claimed that Everton are preparing an offer for Lyon winger Ernest Nuamah, and have a “good chance” of signing him in January.
Nuamah is a young player with so much potential, which is exactly the type of footballer the Blues should be looking to sign moving forward.
Everton reach agreement with Dyche replacement who's beaten them six times
Would this be the perfect appointment for the Blues?
2 ByHenry Jackson Jan 10, 2025
The 21-year-old is making a name for himself at Lyon, already making 49 appearances for Ligue 1, scoring four goals and registering three assists in that time, and he netted 20 times in 49 outings during his time at Nordsjaelland, too. His end product should only improve with age as well.
Nuamah has also scored three goals in 12 caps for Ghana, making an impact on the international stage, and journalist Bence Bocsak has described him as a “superb” player.
Primarily a right-sided attacker, Nuamah could provide a nice balance for Everton’s next manager, with Iliman Ndiaye on the opposite flank, and the fact that he would be a long-term addition means the Blues should see him as an exciting signing.
Northamptonshire 155 for 5 (cobb 70) beat Derbyshire 151 for 9 (Taylor 4-27) by five wickets Northamptonshire Steelbacks captain Josh Cobb struck 70 from just 44 balls, his highest score of this Vitality Blast season to help his side chase down 152 and earn a five-wicket victory over Derbyshire Falcons with 11 balls to spare.Cobb, deprived of opportunities this season by Chris Lynn’s power-hitting, picked up the mantle after the Australian fell to a rare first-ball duck. Playing a belligerent innings, he struck six fours and three maximums before Rob Keogh took the Steelbacks over the line.Earlier Tom Taylor took three wickets in an over as the Steelbacks’ bowlers restricted Derbyshire Falcons to a modest total. Wayne Masden was the only batter to offer any real resistance with 37.The Falcons were kept to 40 for two at the end of the powerplay. Luis Reece swung one high over deep midwicket in the first over but Taylor and Ben Sanderson applied the brakes, backed up well by some sharp Steelbacks fielding.Reece attempted to up the scoring rate but miscued a big shot against Taylor and offered a steepler of a catch to Neesham at midwicket. Shan Masood fell shortly afterwards to an astonishing running catch by Keogh on the boundary at backward square off Sanderson.Hayden Kerr (29 off 22 balls), promoted to number three, looked assured and put on 39 for the third wicket with Leus du Plooy (19). Any hope of building a big total fell away though when the Falcons lost three wickets for 16 runs in as many balls to stutter to 80 for five at the end of the twelfth over.First du Plooy hit Freddie Heldreich straight to Taylor on the long-off boundary before Kerr holed out at deep midwicket off Jimmy Neesham. Brooke Guest then gave Heldreich his second scalp caught at point.The Falcons went four overs before scoring another boundary as Madsen and Alex Hughes rebuilt. Hughes finally cleared the square leg boundary dispatching the ball into the gardens of the neighbouring terraced houses.Masden survived two dropped catches off Sanderson but Taylor struck back in the next over. First he removed both set batsmen who both fell to catches by Cobb at cover before knocking back Mattie McKiernan’s stumps. With a run-out off the last ball, the Falcons finished on 151 for nine.An expectant Wantage Road crowd were momentarily hushed when Lynn, fresh from his heroics in the previous two Steelbacks home games, edged behind off the first ball of the chase bowled by Kerr.Cobb though started aggressively, clubbing Kerr over mid off and then cutting him for consecutive boundaries.He slog swept George Scrimshaw over deep midwicket for six and hit Watt down the ground for another to take the Steelbacks to 53 for one at the end of the powerplay.He rode his luck at times, offering two sharp chances which the Falcons failed to hold. Later he was caught on the ropes only for the fielder’s boot to touch the rope in the process.He had put on 55 with Ben Curran before his partner fell to a catch behind square off Scrimshaw when Conners took a well-judged catch sliding on his knees to get to the ball. Saif Zaib made only six before he offered a catch behind off an attempted pull shot.Cobb meanwhile advanced to his half century reaching the landmark off 31 balls. He continued in belligerent fashion crunching the ball through the covers and playing some deft cut shots before finally falling off a thick edge to Conners at deep point off Scrimshaw to leave the Steelbacks on 102 for four in the 13th over.Neesham hit 20 before he fell to a catch at long-on but Keogh held his nerve, finishing with an undefeated 28 off 24 deliveries.
Frenkie de Jong's future at Barcelona remains unclear, but a reduced release clause could make negotiations for a new deal easier.
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Barca to reduce De Jong's release clause in potential new deal
Decision to stay or leave would lie on the player
Premier League clubs including Arsenal lining up summer transfer
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WHAT HAPPENED?
According to (h/t Football Espana), Barcelona aim to renew Frenkie de Jong's contract, with sporting director Deco looking to replicate the strategy used in Ronald Araujo’s deal — adding a release clause that clubs could afford amid growing interest from the Premier League. Ultimately, the decision to stay or leave will lie with the player, thanks to the new release clause.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
De Jong has won over Hansi Flick in recent months after experiencing a frustrating start to the 2024-25 season as the player was still dealing with ankle issues. However, his solid performances in tandem with Pedri and Dani Olmo in the midfield have convinced Barca's sporting department of the Dutchman's continuity. He is expected to stay put in Catalonia, given his prominence under Flick, and the reported release clause that will be included in his new deal would be €80 million.
DID YOU KNOW?
Multiple reports indicate that De Jong's agent, Ali Dursun, met with Barcelona sporting director Deco in February to discuss a new deal for the 27-year-old, but little progress was made. The Dutch midfielder remains committed to staying at the club and wants to avoid past tensions with the hierarchy. The proposed €80 million release clause is expected to simplify negotiations, making an agreement more likely without further complications.
Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR FRENKIE DE JONG?
De Jong has proven his value lately, but Barcelona do not see him as an indispensable member of the squad. The release clause offers sale flexibility, though it’s unclear if the player will agree. While his future remains up for debate, De Jong will be expected to play a part in the Catalans' upcoming La Liga fixture, where they will take on Osasuna on Thursday, March 27. Flick's troops are currently level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table, albeit with a game in hand.
تمكن فريق برشلونة من تسجيل هدف أول في شباك نظيره فريق بوروسيا دورتموند، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ويستضيف ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك” مباراة الفريقين في إطار منافسات إياب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2024/25.
ونجح برشلونة في تسجيل هدف أول في الدقيقة 53 من عمر المباراة، عن طريق النيران الصديقة.
الهدف جاء بعد تمريرة من فيرمين لوبيز، حيث رغب في توجيهها ناحية زميله روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، قبل أن تجد قدم رامي بن سبعيني الذي رغب في إبعادها ولكنه سجلها في مرمى فريقه بالخطأ.
رامي بن سبعيني يسجل بالخطأ في مرماه! #دوري_أبطال_أوروبا #دورتموند_برشلونة#UCL #BVBBarca pic.twitter.com/8cRsUE4dHR — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 15, 2025
وسجل بوروسيا دورتموند هدفين في المباراة الجارية حاليًا، مع العلم أن النتيجة الإجمالية تشير لصالح تقدم برشلونة 5-2.
Na noite que marcou os 180 jogos de Joel Carli com a camisa do Botafogo – e colocou o argentino como o estrangeiro com mais jogos pelo Alvinegro -, o Glorioso venceu o Volta Redonda por 5 a 0. A partida, disputada nesta segunda-feira no Estádio Nilton Santos, foi válida pela 10ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca. O próprio argentino, Lucas Mezenga, Rikelmi e Erison, duas vezes, marcaram os gols.
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O Botafogo volta aos gramados no próximo domingo para enfrentar o Audax Rio, às 18h, em Angra dos Reis. O Voltaço mede forças com a Portuguesa no sábado, às 16h, no Raulino de Oliveira. Ambos os jogos são válidos pela última rodada da Taça Guanabara.
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O Botafogo chega a 19 pontos e se iguala ao Vasco, mas ultrapassa o Cruz-Maltino e chega à 3ª colocação do Carioca por ter marcado mais gols na competição. O Volta Redonda segue em situação dramática: com cinco pontos, é o lanterna.
GOL EM NOITE HISTÓRICA! A noite especial para Joel Carli foi coroada com uma bola na rede. O Botafogo começou pressionando e passou perto de marcar logo nos primeiros minutos. A alegria do gol veio aos 10 minutos: após escanteio batido por Daniel Borges, Carli subiu mais alto que a defesa e saiu para o abraço.
QUEDA NO RITMO O Botafogo não tirou o pé do acelerador depois da bola na rede. Com Raí e Matheus Nascimento bem participativos, o Alvinegro era dominante em todas as áreas do campo. A equipe, contudo, caiu de ritmo após a parada técnica e a partida perdeu em intensidade.
O único lance de emoção da segunda metade da primeira etapa foi um contra-ataque puxado por Rikelmi. O camisa 27 deixou Matheus Nascimento na boa para marcar, mas o atacante quis driblar o goleiro e perdeu boa oportunidade.
AGITADO Ameaçado pelo rebaixamento, o Volta Redonda voltou com tudo para o segundo tempo. Pressionando mais alto, o Voltaço incomodou a saída de bola do Alvinegro e até chegou a assustar o goleiro Gatito Fernández.
A questão é que a estrategia abriu espaços para o Glorioso no contra-ataque. O Botafogo teve duas descidas em velocidade com perigo envolvendo Raí, conduzindo e passando, e Luiz Fernando, finalizando: na primeira, o atacante deu uma cavadinha e o zagueiro afastou em baixo da trave; na segunda, a bola desviou no meio do caminho e o goleiro teve que operar um milagre.
XEQUE-MATE Apesar de tanta correria, o Botafogo teve a tranquilidade no placar em um lance de bola parada: após escanteio batido por Vitor Marinho, Lucas Mezenga apareceu livre na área para finalizar e marcar o segundo gol do Alvinegro na partida.
E ainda deu tempo de fechar com chave de ouro. Em jogada pelo lado esquerdo, Romildo cruzou rasteiro para Rikelmi, que estava livre na entrada da área, acertar um chute de rara felicidade e sair para o abraço. Foi o primeiro gol como profissional do camisa 27.
VIROU GOLEADA A porteira abriu: o Botafogo marcou dois gols em dois minutos para fechar o jogo. Os lances foram muito parecidos: em jogadas pelo lado direito, o time conseguiu chegar à linha de fundo e, após cruzamentos rasteiros, a bola encontrou Erison dentro da área. O “El Toro” antecipou os zagueiros e marcou. Para cororar a goleada!
FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO X VOLTA REDONDA Data-Hora: 07-03-22, às 19h30 Estádio: Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Árbitro: Felipe da Silva Gonçalves Paludo (RJ) Assistentes: Gabriel Conti Viana (RJ) e Daniel de Oliveira Alves Pereira (RJ) Gramado: Bom Cartões amarelos: Kayque, Matheus Nascimento e Kanu (BOT); Tinga, Bruno Barra e Júlio Amorim (VRE) Cartões vermelhos:
Gols: Joel Carli (1-0, 11’/1ºT); Lucas Mezenga (2-0; 31’/2ºT); Rikelmi (3-0, 41’/2ºT); Erison (4-0, 45’/2ºT); Erison (5-0, 47’/2ºT)
Fans are often warned about falling in love with loan players, as they will often return to their owner clubs, and either stay there or get a move elsewhere.
Some Crystal Palace examples include Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ashley Cole, and then one who eventually did return to the club permanently, Wilfried Zaha.
Crystal Palace'sWilfriedZaha
Loftus-Cheek was on loan from Chelsea, and the Eagles currently have Trevoh Chalobah enjoying a temporary stint at Selhurst Park from the exact same club.
One other loanee who came from Chelsea was part of the 2021/22 campaign, where Palace finished 12th under Patrick Vieira.
Crystal Palace's 2021/22 signings
During this window, Crystal Palace spent around £71.3m on bringing nine new players to the club on permanent deals. The most expensive was yet another player from Chelsea, this time not on loan, but on a permanent, with the signing of Marc Guehi for around £20m.
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi
Another acquisition that was made during that season, who has gone on to become an important player for the Eagles, is Jean-Philippe Mateta. He joined Palace from Mainz, having spent a year on loan at the club already, joining for a fee of around £9m.
Marc Guehi
£20m
Joachim Andersen
£14.5m
Odsonne Edouard
£13.5m
Jean-Philippe Mateta
£9m
Michael Olise
£7.7m
Will Hughes
£5.8m
Luke Plange
£982k
Remi Matthews
£0
Jacob Montes
£0
The best deal of that season turned out to be Michael Olise joining from Reading, as he was later sold for a massive profit, penning terms with Bayern Munich over the summer of 2024 in a deal worth around £50.8m.
But there was one more deal made, with a particular loanee who won over the Palace fans’ hearts.
Conor Gallagher's transfer valuation after leaving Palace
Conor Gallagher spent the 2021/22 season on loan with Crystal Palace, making 39 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals, providing five assists, and totalling 3,210 minutes played.
At the end of his loan spell, the young English midfielder returned to be part of Chelsea’s squad under Thomas Tuchel, valued at around £21m at the time by Transfermarkt.
The 24-year-old went on to make 95 appearances for the Blues first team, netting ten times, providing ten assists, and even captaining the club for the majority of the 2023/24 campaign in the absence of injured duo Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
This summer, the England international secured a move to Atlético Madrid, for a fee of around £36m. Gallagher is now valued at £42m by Transfermarkt, double his valuation of when he was at Crystal Palace back in 2021/22.
Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher for Chelsea
The England international has already played 13 times for the Spanish giants, scoring two goals in La Liga, and totaling 835 minutes played.
The midfielder continues to impress, once labelled a “warrior” by Jacek Kulig whilst at Palace. The combative midfielder’s game hasn’t changed, still working his socks off, and affecting the game at both ends of the pitch.
Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace side could really do with a Gallagher-type midfielder right now, as Adam Wharton is out injured, Chiekh Doucoure has struggled for consistent minutes, and other options, whilst being sufficient, do not offer the same duel success numbers as someone like Gallagher.
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While things are looking a little bleak at the moment, Arsenal are still in a position that seemed almost impossible just a few years ago.
Mikel Arteta’s side have gone from languishing in eighth place for back-to-back campaigns to fighting for the Premier League title for the third year on the bounce.
The Spaniard has overseen a massive overhaul of the side he inherited in December 2019, with only a few players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli surviving and continuing to play significant roles in the first team.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
However, there is another survivor who was a part of the squad during Arteta’s first season, a player who joined the club that summer and was tipped to be a future captain, but now has to be sold for his own sake.
Arsenal's 2019 summer signings
So, before we get to the player in question, let’s examine a couple of other signings made that summer, starting with a player who is unfortunately considered one of the club’s worst additions of all time, Nicolas Pepe.
Under the management of Emery, Arsenal decided to smash their transfer record in July 2019 and spend a whopping £72m on the Ivorian international, who, in their defence, had just scored 23 goals and provided 12 assists in 41 appearances for LOSC Lille.
Unfortunately, as most fans will attest, the talented winger did not show that sort of form in North London, and while he left the club for good last September as a flop, his final tally of 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 appearances isn’t quite as bad as some would have you believe.
In stark contrast, the North Londoners also paid a hefty £27m for a relatively unknown 18-year-old centre-back from Ligue 1 that summer, a young defender who has since established himself as one of the best in the world, William Saliba.
Yes, while he would spend the next three seasons on loan in his home country, the Gunners secured the services of their number two in 2019, and following his competitive debut for the side against Crystal Palace in August 2022, he’s racked up 98 appearances for the team, signed an extension in 2023 and is rumoured to be getting another one soon.
However, the Bondy-born titan wasn’t the only defender signed by the club that summer, but unfortunately, the player in question has followed a path closer to Pepe’s than his in N5, despite being touted as a future captain at one point.
The Arsenal captain that could've been
Arsenal have had a long list of incredible captains over the years, like Tony Adams in the past, the technically brilliant, if a little controversial, Cesc Fàbregas in the early 2010s, the sharpshooting and, actually, just as controversial, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during Arteta’s earlier tenure, right up to the midfield maestro, that is Martin Odegaard today.
However, in the summer of 2019, the club signed someone who perhaps could have been on that list in another world, Kieran Tierney.
The Scottish left-back joined the North Londoners from Glaswegian giants Celtic that August for around £25m.
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While he hadn’t played outside the Scottish Premiership at that point, there was a lot of excitement about what he could become.
That was largely thanks to his sensational play for the Hoops and the perception people had of him as a hard-working, no-nonsense defender, someone who was a throwback to a bygone era.
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney.
The then-22-year-old endured a mixed start to his life in the capital, though, as despite looking good on the pitch, he could only make 24 first-team appearances, as injuries kept him sidelined for large parts of the campaign.
The following year was much better in this regard, as while he still suffered a few setbacks, the Douglas-born dynamo made 38 appearances for the first team, in which he scored two goals, provided four assists and was called a “natural leader” by the manager.
The good times wouldn’t last, however, and even though the following season saw former professional Ally McCoist describe him as the “obvious captain” following Aubameyang’s exit, the talented full-back was once again plagued by injuries, and he made just 25 appearances.
Those fitness concerns must have been the final straw for the manager, as that summer, he welcomed in Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City for £32m, and even though the Scotsman managed to avoid injury throughout the campaign, he was limited to just 15 starts and 21 substitute appearances.
Tierney’s Arsenal record
Appearances
124
Goals
5
Assists
13
Goals + Assists per Match
0.14
Injuries (including Loan)
11
All Stats via Transfermarkt
With the writing clearly on the wall, the former Celtic star joined Real Sociedad on a season-long loan last year, but as you may have guessed by now, injuries once again reared their ugly head and the 27-year-old was limited to just 26 appearances.
Today, the £110k-per-week full-back is still in North London but hasn’t made a single appearance all season thanks to yet another hamstring problem.
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney.
Therefore, even though he was once tipped to be the club’s future captain, Arsenal must do what they can to sell Tierney before his contract expires in 2026, for their own sake and his.
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“I’m going stick to my strengths of the death and not worry too much about what others are doing.”
Andrew McGlashan16-Oct-2021It’s been a lengthy wait for everyone between men’s T20 World Cups – five years – but it’s been even longer for Mitchell Starc who missed the 2016 event due to injury.He has played in two ODI World Cups since his last T20 version, back in 2014, in which he was the leading wicket-taker in 2019 and joint-leading in 2015. The two limited-overs formats have their differences, but Starc’s role does not vastly alter, it just happens over a shorter period with perhaps the middle part taken out: try and take a wicket or two with the new ball in the Powerplay then close out the innings at the death.Whether it plays out quite like that in the UAE remains to be seen based around the balance of Australia’s attack, but regardless Starc goes into the World Cup with a clear mind when it comes to his white-ball game.”I guess the white-ball formats are probably the ones that I’ve played the most consistently in comparison to Test cricket, or felt more at home for a longer period of time than in the red-ball game,” Starc said. “One of the things I take from all my cricket, across the three formats, is trying to keep my game plan and my role pretty simple.Related
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“Certainly my role in white-ball cricket hasn’t changed a hell of a lot over the last 10 years and I think having that clarity there helps me keep it simple and know what I need to do for the team to get us in some really good positions.”I’ve always tried to keep my cricket simple and I’m not someone who comes out with 24 different types of slow balls, certainly for T20 cricket. I’ve got a bit of speed on my side and focus on obviously my death bowling as well so I think that’s key for me, focus on doing a few things really well rather than doing a lot of things okay.”Mitchell Starc will likely be given the job of closing out the innings•AFP/Getty ImagesStarc played six of the 10 T20Is on the recent tours of West Indies and Bangladesh which brought just four wickets (his form the ODIs in the Caribbean sandwiched in the middle was outstanding with 11 wickets in three matches) and during those games he became the first Australia men’s bowler to 50 T20I wickets. That it has taken so long for an Australia bowler to make that mark is an indication of the relative lack of matches in the format; Starc himself played just one T20I in a three-year period between late 2016 and late 2019.However, in West Indies Starc secured Australia’s one victory of a tough series when he pulled out the type of over that could decent crunch moments of a World Cup as he denied Andre Russell when there was 11 to defend. Starc trusts himself with the yorker – a delivery that has become his trademark with all colours of ball whether old or new – but knows there can be a fine line.”I can’t sit here and say I’ve nailed the death every time,” he said. “I’ve certainly been beaten a number of times so for me the way to go about at the death is what your strengths are. What you see at the other end, it’s not one shoe fits all.”I like to try and stick to what I can do really well. That could be different for any number of bowlers. Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat [Cummins] probably see it different to the way I see it. For me, I’m going stick to my strengths at the death and not worry too much about what other guys are doing at that stage of the game.”Following the conclusion of the IPL, Australia now have their full squad together ahead of warm-up matches against New Zealand and India before facing South Africa in their first group match on October 23.