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Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready to accept a loss and sell one of their players for £25m this summer, according to a new report.

Wolves close to Premier League safety after back-to-back wins

The Old Gold took another step to securing Premier League safety after a 1-0 win over West Ham United on Tuesday evening.

Wolves followed up the win after a 2-1 victory at Southampton prior to the international break, with Vitor Pereira’s side nine points clear of 17th with nine games remaining after Jorgen Strand Larsen’s winner against the Hammers.

Talking after the victory, Pereira said: “We deserve this result because we play 45 minutes with high quality. The result at half time must be 2-0 in my opinion. Second half we start to think about the result, they start to put more players on the pitch with different qualities to try to explore the crosses.

“In the end, after 80 minutes, we had to think about result and to get the three points. The team, we have true spirit as we showed today. In the moment we can play very good game with quality, but in other moments, especially this moment, we need to suffer together. We help each other and I feel this in my team.”

Those behind the scenes could soon start preparing for incoming transfer business, but there also be departures.

Contact made: Wolves in talks with attacking 4-3-3 boss to replace Pereira

Another change in the dugout could be on the cards.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 1, 2025

One player who could move on is Fabio Silva, who has been on loan at Las Palmas. The 22-year-old has scored eight goals and provided two assists in 21 La Liga appearances.

Talking about his Wolves future after scoring for Portugal U21s against England at The Hawthorns last month, Silva said: “I cannot answer that because my focus now is to be in Las Palmas. We have so much there to maintain in the first division in Spain and that is my focus. Also to help Portugal with the Euros and after that we have time.”

Now, it looks as if Wolves are ready to sell the attacker following a new transfer update.

Wolves ready to sell Fabio Silva as Old Gold willing to take loss

According to a report from Spain, Wolves have named their price to part ways with Silva this summer. Signed for €40m (£33.4m), Wolves are now willing to cut their losses and sell Silva for €30m (£25m).

Villarreal and Real Betis are thought to be interested following Silva’s impressive campaign with Las Palmas, however, Wolves’ asking price could ‘hinder’ a permanent move to Spain.

Silva, called “interesting” by Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, is under contract at Molineux until 2026, so this upcoming summer could be the last chance Wolves have to receive as much for the forward as possible.

Games

72

Goals

5

Assists

6

Whether or not they bring in £25m remains to be seen, but they are happy to take an £8m+ loss as per this update.

The post-Broad and Anderson world gets real at The Oval this week, as a raw attack tries to close out the series

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Jul-20252:41

Harmison: ‘There will be lot of bounce on this surface’

Wednesday was James Anderson’s 43rd birthday. Thursday, day one of the fifth Test against India, will be two years since Stuart Broad’s last day of Test cricket. And, over the next five days, England will take their most significant steps yet into that post-Anderson-Broad world.This will be the 17th match without either, but the first home series decider since that Broad farewell. England’s new-look, four-pronged, right-arm seam attack has been picked to deliver victory on a pitch with extra live grass but, with five days of low cloud forecast as well, there will be plenty opportunity for this attack to be judged by the standards of those bygone legends.What wistfulness there remains for England’s most prolific seamers – 1308 dismissals between them – is mitigated by Anderson’s ongoing summer with Lancashire and Broad’s musings on . The game has moved on. The country, too. But a necessary shuffling of England’s deck after a gruelling fourth Test has brought the ongoing job of replacing them on the field into focus.Related

• Broad: Last-ball wicket to win Ashes Test was 'pretty cool'

• Gambhir loses temper with Surrey groundsman

• England vs India: a long and hard toil for the bowlers

• Injured Stokes out of fifth Test against India, Archer and Carse rested

• India gain an edge. England have the lead. What will happen next?

Jofra Archer (two Tests) and Brydon Carse (four) are having to rest because of their workloads. This highlights both this series’ condensed schedule and the durability of Anderson and Broad. It is a quality often lost amid the talk of their longevity.Anderson played all five matches in nine different series. Broad did the same in ten. Chris Woakes will do so for the first time this week at the age of 36.Woakes, however, is something of an anomaly. He’s the renaissance man of this attack, a player who wrote his worth in the shadows of Anderson and Broad for 11 years before being tasked with leading the attack out of it.May this be his last stop in the shepherding role? It is not beyond the realms of possibility that this will be Woakes’ 62nd and final cap, with an Ashes tour of Australia to follow. Arguably his biggest task has now arrived; he will need to dig even deeper after 167 overs across four Tests, and guide Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton through to the other side. Starting with a first series victory over India since 2018.It has been a peculiar three weeks for that trio. Tongue was left out for Archer after two Tests. At the time, he was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 11 at 33.63.James Anderson and Stuart Broad inspect the ball during their final Test together in 2023•AFP/Getty ImagesAtkinson, added to the squad from the third Test, was not selected at either Lord’s or Old Trafford, and subsequently released to Surrey, who passed him on to their second team. Neither country nor county were willing to risk him this early, despite the fact he had been passed fully fit from a hamstring injury sustained during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe.Much like England, Surrey were also wary of adding too much risk to their attack against Yorkshire, given they were already playing Overton. In that instance, country and county had been in sync, an agreement from Surrey with England that Overton would get game-time having not been needed for the first two games.In a series of immense toil, both are fresh, while Tongue’s 81 overs constitute just 11% of the mammoth 691.2 overs that England’s quicks have sent down in the course of four Tests. And even Tongue has had a month off, barring 22 overs for Nottinghamshire last week.Their jobs, however, will be harder than those they are replacing, given Ben Stokes’ absence. England’s captain, the standout bowler of the series, was still wrestling with the decision not to play as early as the start of the team’s training session on Tuesday morning.Stokes’ grade three shoulder tear had ruled him out from bowling, but he was still on course to play as a batter until further medical advice and guidance from head coach Brendon McCullum ushered him towards a sensible decision. Even then, his biggest deliberation was the exact make-up of the seam attack that will attempt to make up the difference.”You go through so many different scenarios with potentials of the game,” Stokes said. “Turning up here and seeing the wicket, a lot greener and bit more live grass than the other wickets, we probably would have gone down the route of four seamers even if I played and couldn’t bowl.”The very fact that Tongue, Atkinson and Overton have been entrusted to punch this last ticket will give them some encouragement. As usual, when Ollie Pope deputises, Stokes will oversee everything off the field. But his faith in this trio, all of whom were handed debuts on his watch, will only go so far.It is worth stepping back and appreciating just how tricky it has been to navigate the land since Anderson’s and Broad’s retirements. Men’s managing director Rob Key was the key driver in assembling an array of quicks that could not just soften the blow from moving on from two legends, but ensure that England would never have to ask too much from their new batch. That aim, however, has proved nigh on impossible to deliver.Gus Atkinson will be part of England’s fast-bowling attack at the Oval•Getty ImagesInjuries to the likes of Mark Wood and Olly Stone – and Atkinson, for a bit – shallowed the pool. Others, like Matthew Potts, Sam Cook (who debuted against Zimbabwe) and Dillon Pennington (unused despite being part of the squad at the start of last season) are not trusted enough to be considered. Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher – ironically, the two drafted in for 2022’s tour of the West Indies when England tried to force Anderson and Broad out – are now further adrift.Then there are those given recognition, but nothing more for now. Josh Hull, handed a surprise debut in this corresponding fixture last summer, has showed signs of progression for Leicestershire without looking like being in contention any time soon. It remains too early for the young Hampshire duo of Sonny Baker and Eddie Jack, even if both have been pushed – the former handed a development contract after the Lions tour to Australia at the start of the year, the latter training with England ahead of the first Test after impressing for the England Lions. Even someone like 29-year-old Luke Wood, Lancashire’s left-arm quick, has been part of conversations without anything tangible, having piqued McCullum’s interest upon a return to the T20Is against West Indies.For now, it all rests on a trio coming in to the cauldron cold. Their experiences at international level will offer them a crutch – Atkinson’s record-breaking 2024, Tongue’s impressive start in 2023’s Ashes, and the management’s clear regard for Overton as a multi-format cricketer.But this is all very different. And by proxy, a chance to take more meaningful steps into the unknown.

The Bangladesh batter is going through his first upturn in form after underachieving for five years

Mohammad Isam18-Jun-2023Najmul Hossain Shanto is on the path Mominul Haque has been on for years. So it felt apt that he had Mominul at the other end when he brought up both his centuries in the one-off Dhaka Test against Afghanistan.Shanto’s international career is going through its first upturn after underachieving for five years. Mominul has already been on this ride: he started with two very good years before losing form for three years between 2015 to 2017. He returned in a big way in 2018, but then went quiet again. His unbeaten century against Afghanistan in this game ended a two-year dry spell of centuries.Mominul, who is the only other Bangladeshi to hit two hundreds in a Test match, praised Shanto for the way he took toll of every bad ball bowled to him, while still maintaining his shape for long hours in Dhaka’s searing heat.”Shanto makes batting look very easy,” Mominul said. “He can play all around the wicket. When you see him bat, you want to bat like him. I can’t do that, the way I play. I like watching Shanto and Litton [Das] bat. Shanto doesn’t let go of the bad ball. He makes sure he gets a boundary. Shanto played outstandingly in these conditions, particularly in this heat. I think it is a huge achievement.”In February 2020, the early stages of his captaincy, Mominul had handed over his No. 3 role to Shanto. Barring five innings, Shanto has kept hold of this crucial batting position for more than three years now. He struggled for a long time, but over the past eight months, there have been very clear signs of improvement.”It is a terrible struggle,” Mominul said of dealing with ups and downs in sport. “Only those who go through it know what it’s like. When I went through such a phase, I felt that I was on my own. I was finished. The only option when you’re in that state of mind is to stick to your process. will give when He pleases. You cannot want it too much. It won’t come even if you scratch and gnaw to come back to form.”Another who could relate to Shanto is Litton. Not too long ago, Litton was punished for his poor form by being dropped. It changed him significantly. Litton said that when he saw Shanto struggle for a long time, he spoke to the left-hander.Litton said that becoming more organised in his training method has transformed Shanto’s career. “I was in Shanto’s place not too long ago. I have spoken a lot with him, though I don’t know how much it helped. I believe he changed his practice method. I think he is a little more organised. When you play international cricket continuously, you start learning things. You can pick up your strength and weakness quickly. I think he found those properly, and worked hard on them.”It is good to see that he is continuing his good form,” Litton said. “There will be a bad time but he should keep following what has worked for him. I think he can keep going well.”Shanto’s twin centuries against Afghanistan stood out for their fast pace and attractive shots. He liked meeting the ball early, especially when he chose to go leg side with his shots and wasn’t afraid of coming down the track. This opened up new areas of scoring for him, particularly against spin, because they tried to shorten their length and he was ready for them.Litton Das (R) believes Najmul Hossain Shanto’s (L) improvement is because of better training methods•BCBShanto profited heavily from drives through the covers and midwicket in both innings. There were hardly any boundaries through backward of square on the off side. He struck more boundaries through mid-off in the first innings, but only two in the second innings. Both centuries came during big second-wicket partnerships with one of the openers. He added 212 runs with Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the first innings. It provided foundation for Bangladesh to go big at a very good run-rate.Shanto left strong suggestions that he was carrying his white-ball form and approach straight into this Test match. His best work over the last eight months have mostly been in limited-overs cricket. It started with the T20 World Cup where Shanto was the team’s highest scorer, followed by runs against India, England and Ireland. With this good run, he has finally established himself in all three formats.But it was a different world for Shanto between 2018 and 2022. He had become a symbol of disappointment. He was trolled on social media. Recently, he spoke about how he sometimes allowed outside noise to bother him. He played only 23% of Bangladesh’s matches in the first five-and-a-half years since his debut. Coaches Steve Rhodes and Russell Domingo worked on him extensively, but Shanto only showed flashes of his potential in the middle.Mominul said that Shanto worked hard on his shortcomings as a cricketer and showed persistence. “Shanto was patient. He stuck to his process. We all have different processes. Mushfiq , Tamim , Litton and I all have different processes.”He improved where he needed to work,” Mominul said. “I don’t know his psychology, but he must have done something right. One becomes a big player when the performance is consistent. It has to go on. His focus should be on regular performance. He has to think about batting long, stick to his process and not think about anything else.”Shanto isn’t the only one who has struggled to establish himself in the batting order. Bangladesh have tried several options in the top three in the last five years. Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam and Saif Hassan are just some of the names that pop up when talking about Bangladesh’s search for a reliable top-order player.Whenever Tamim Iqbal has missed Tests in recent years, the selectors have tried new openers. Joy showed up and down form for the first eight months of his career before he got dropped for a year. Zakir Hasan has burst into the scene with a debut Test century against India, and now some runs against Afghanistan.It is not yet certain if Bangladesh’s strong performances against Ireland and Afghanistan will amount to a good start in the next World Test Championship cycle. But this team has found success in other formats by being true to their brand and by being patient with their players. It paid off with Tamim and Mushfiqur Rahim all through the 2010s. The 2020s might be Litton and Shanto’s time.

KKR exploited Dhoni’s weakness against mystery spin to tip the game their way but the allrounder eventually won it for CSK

Varun Shetty26-Sep-20213:08

Did the missing Andre Russell over hurt KKR’s defence?

For the third time in two seasons, Kolkata Knight Riders capitalised on a tactical error from Chennai Super Kings to get all over them while defending a total. At the same venue, Abu Dhabi, last year, Knight Riders had kept overs in hand from their mystery spinners to bowl at MS Dhoni in Super Kings’ chase of 168. Together, Varun Charkaravarthy and Sunil Narine managed to tie him down to 11 off 12. Super Kings then sent in Kedar Jadhav, leaving Ravindra Jadeja only eight balls after he came in during the 18th over. Jadeja hit an unbeaten 21, but Super Kings lost by ten runs.In the return fixture in Dubai, it came down to a similar situation as the Super Kings looked to chase down 173. Dhoni lasted four balls on this occasion, falling to Varun again. This time, however, Ruturaj Gaikwad kept Super Kings ticking in the middle overs until Jadeja walked in during the 18th over. With 30 needed off two overs, he took complete control, belting 31 off 11 balls against a jittery Lockie Ferguson and Kamlesh Nagarkoti. That effectively ended KKR’s playoffs push, and a glimpse of Jadeja as the specialist finisher became one of the few highlights of Super Kings’ below-par 2020 campaign.On Sunday, there was no doubt that Jadeja has fully grown into and embraced the role in what has been an exponential rise as a batter over the last two years. Once again, Knight Riders used Dhoni’s vulnerability against Varun to haul the game their way; Varun bowled Dhoni and Suresh Raina was run-out in the 18th over, which cost the Knight Riders just five runs.Once again, it looked like Super Kings had left too little time for Jadeja. But once again, he turned the tables on Knight Riders, taking 20 off Prasidh Krishna’s last four balls to leave them needing four off the last over.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders are available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

“I think this was [almost] exact – one year back in Dubai, second game against KKR, Jaddu won us the game in the last over,” Super Kings bowling coach L Balaji said after the match. “I recollected a little bit, and went back to the memory. When Ravi was playing, [we knew] definitely he would do some kind of magic. He has improved his batting under pressure and he is showing that on the field and making sure he’s helping us to cross the line. It’s wonderful to see Ravi coming a little bit higher and higher in this batting order. His batting ability has changed overall in the last one or two years.”Sam Curran had batted ahead of Jadeja in both games against Knight Riders last season. This stands to reason, as Super Kings use him as a floater; he has often batted ahead of Dhoni, too, over the last two seasons. This seems to work well for Super Kings, with Jadeja following Dhoni a clear move to give him clarity: he is not expected to build an innings, or hold the middle order together in this team, with six-hitting being the clear brief. The ‘magic’ is expected in two or three overs of batting, as it might well be when he joins India for the T20 World Cup next month. Against this specific opposition, however, you can’t help but feel that Super Kings have only just managed to get away.2:07

L Balaji lauds Ravindra Jadeja’s accuracy

At the post-match presentation, Dhoni alluded to that, saying ‘it is enjoyable when you don’t do so well and still win,’ given how many times the opposite can happen in cricket. But as they sealed their seventh last-ball win in the IPL – more than anyone else – the Super Kings dugout was quietly confident.”We knew until and unless the last ball is bowled, the match is not over,” Balaji said. “So we were aware as a support staff that we have to get it closer and closer. So yes, there were a couple of moments, a couple of hiccups here and there. But we were able to come up. That is what CSK [and] our mantra is all about. To take that pressure and come out positively and take it as much as you can with your experience that you’ve gained on the field – nothing can be compared to that [experience]. Every match gives you some kind of experience and it’s a wonderful match to be a part of.”The win took Super Kings to the top of the table with 16 points, with four games to go. It has been a complete turnaround to last year’s performance, when they finished seventh with 12 points.A large part of that has come down to the all-round riches they possess, which was evident in the last over with Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar scoring the runs needed after having good outings with the ball earlier. Curran, Dwayne Bravo, and Moeen Ali round off an enviable roster of such allrounders; from this group, Jadeja has emerged as a clear MVP, with major impact expected in both innings of a game. On Sunday, he made more impact than anyone according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, which gave him an impact score of 81.56, clear of Thakur who was rated 76.15. Jadeja’s 1 for 21 in four overs, with the wicket of Rahul Tripathi, played its part.”We all know how much Jaddu’s bowling will make an impact when it’s right-handers, or one right-hander and one left-hander comes into play. Especially in day games. Jaddu is pretty consistent with his lines,” Balaji said. “He doesn’t give any free-flowing shots to the batters. That is what we have understood over a period of time – Jaddu is one guy, if he finishes, then it’ll make a huge difference. This is what happened in the previous game against RCB. He came good, in a smaller ground, on a flatter track. He came good, so that helped the fast bowler to finish well. That’s exactly what happened [again].”As India scratch their heads about Hardik Pandya’s bowling fitness, and grapple with a problem of plenty with the batters at their disposal for the T20 World Cup, Jadeja might slowly be emerging as the answer to many questions.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has made some candid remarks about his side’s plight in recent weeks. He understands the issues in front of him, and yet the Dutchman is struggling to find a route out of this rut.

A summer of sweeping change was always going to run the risk of taking from Slot’s finely-wrought tactical set-up from last season, when the Premier League was conquered so dominantly in his first year.

Hugo Ekitike aside, it is concerning nonetheless that practically all of the Anfield side’s summer signings have flattered to deceive this far. But it’s more concerning still that so many mainstays are just as far down from the wayside.

The struggling Liverpool mainstays

Liverpool are so open defensively, it is shocking. There is a staggering absence of balance from head to toe, and Slot’s comments, alluding that he is currently unsure how to overcome this issue, have been disquieting for anxious fans.

Even during last week’s resounding Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, the five-star Reds conceded first and looked wobbly until the hosts’ own defensive fragilities shattered open.

Virgil van Dijk has cut a forlorn figure during post-match interviews, with his side’s four-game skid in the Premier League weighing heavily on his armband.

The 34-year-old has not been at the races of late, needlessly giving away a penalty during the recent league loss to Brentford and altogether failing to marshal his troops, shipping so many goals each game.

Mohamed Salah, too, is toiling, with last season’s leading man reduced in strength and significance this year.

But Salah has still had his moments this season, while Van Dijk remains dominant in the duel and leads the side in an almost understated way: without the Dutchman, this struggling defence would unspool chaotically.

However, another of Slot’s most trusted lieutenants has been in woeful form all year, and he’s beginning to show shades of one Thiago Alcantara, who was immensely talented but frustrating under Jurgen Klopp’s wing all too often.

Liverpool's new version of Thiago

Liverpool signed Thiago from Bayern Munich for over £20m in 2020. Jurgen Klopp and his side had just won the Premier League, and the glittering Spaniard was identified as the perfect technician to open up new dimensions in the centre of the park.

How a fully-fit Thiago would have done for the Merseysiders across a prolonged period, we will never know. Thiago retired after four seasons with Liverpool, making only 97 appearances, all told. His final year, 2023/24, yielded just one off-the-bench display against Arsenal.

It ended up being a disappointment, such was Thiago’s quality, and now, in different circumstances, Alexis Mac Allister threatens to become the club’s new version.

Mac Allister’s current struggles are not of his presence on the sidelines, but rather, the 26-year-old’s inability to impress in Slot’s system thus far.

He was largely immense across his first two terms in red, but the tough-tackling, slick-passing Mac Allister seems to have lost his physicality and athletic robustness. He is a shadow of himself.

For a player whose completeness and control in the engine room has paid such big dividends for Liverpool in the past, this is a concern, and offers shades of Thiago in that he is arguably the most technically gifted midfielder at the club and yet is proving to be a “huge disappointment” in this regard, according to one Premier League analyst, who drew attention to him being the “Thiago-type” in Slot’s team and yet struggling to muster the requisite technical levels.

Thankfully, Mac Allister has been among Liverpool’s most impressive performers since signing, and there is as much an expectation as an anticipation that he will swiftly return to form and spearhead this new chapter.

During the early phase of the 2023/24 campaign, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole hailed Mac Allister as a “superstar” of a midfielder whose dynamism and sharp-mindedness allowed him to “play anywhere” across the field.

Applying that theory should see the Argentina international thrive as the perfect cog in the middle of the Slot machine, easing Liverpool away from their current bother. Mac Allister has been anything but the solution, with his output on the decline across most every metric in the top flight.

Matches (starts)

35 (30)

8 (7)

Goals

5

0

Assists

5

1

Touches*

55.8

43.1

Accurate passes*

35.5 (87%)

28.4 (85%)

Key passes*

1.3

0.8

Dribbles*

0.5

0.0

Ball recoveries*

4.2

3.1

Tackles + interceptions*

3.3

1.8

Total duels (won)*

4.9 (48%)

2.3 (44%)

Right in the thick of things in midfield, Mac Allister cannot be expected to emerge on top across every duel he contests. But he’s proving far less willing to engage in combative situations, with mismanagement, residual issues from an affected early-season setback and the absence of confidence that comes from

The good part is that Mac Allister has proven his quality across a number of campaigns in the Premier League, and he’s a world champions with his nation besides.

But we can’t hide from the fact that he hasn’t been pulling his weight, and what’s more concerning is that Liverpool lack an alternative who can provide Slot’s system with the full package in the way he can.

With this in mind, it’s paramount that Mac Allister revives his quality in the middle of the park and lifts the champions back to the standard they were playing at before. Otherwise, this new Thiago-esque reputation will only harden across the looming wintry months.

Move over Salah: Slot's 5/10 Liverpool star is the new Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s crisis deepened as they were condemned to a fourth successive Premier League defeat at Brentford.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 26, 2025

أعلن خالد الدرندلي، نائب رئيس اتحاد الكرة، عن تأجيل مباراة منتخب مصر الودية أمام نيجيريا استعدادًا لكأس أمم إفريقيا.

ويستعد منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، لخوض المعسكر الختامي قبل المشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 بالمغرب، والمقرر أن تنطلق 21 ديسمبر الجاري.

طالع | إبراهيم حسن يكشف بالأسماء: تحدثنا مع ممثلي منتخبين عريقين لخوض ودية قبل كأس العالم

وكان من المقرر أن يخوض منتخب مصر مباراة ودية ضد نيجيريا يوم 14 ديسمبر، ثم السفر إلى المغرب يوم 17 ديسمبر للمشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وقال الدرندلي، في مداخلة مع “ملعب أون” بقناة “أون سبورت”: “قمنا بتأجيل مباراة مصر ونيجيريا ليوم 16، وإن شاء الله محمد صلاح ومرموش سيتواجدان في المباراة”.

و⁠يبدأ منتخب مصر مبارياته ببطولة أمم إفريقيا يوم 22 ديسمبر بمواجهة زيمبابوي ثم جنوب إفريقيا يوم 26 وأنجولا يوم 29 ديسمبر في دور المجموعات.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta issued a rallying cry to supporters. “Be in your seats by 7.30pm,” he commanded.

Fans inside the Emirates Stadium did not disappoint. North London Forever blared out from the sound system and after an intense week in which they’d gone unbeaten against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, the fans were very needed.

The Gunners failed to defeat ten-man Chelsea at the weekend and it was a performance that looked tired. Arsenal have enormous squad depth but injuries are already testing this crop of players. As a result, Arteta rang the changes for the visit of Brentford on Wednesday night.

Arsenal may well have secured a 2-0 victory but it was not a vintage performance. It was a display befitting of just how different the starting XI looked.

There were no Bukayo Saka or Eberechi Eze. Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke started instead. With Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba still injured, the responsibilities at the heart of the defence fell to Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie again.

Did they deliver? Well, Arsenal scored twice and kept a clean sheet, so it’s hard to argue against that.

Did Arsenal's midweek starters stake their claim?

Mosquera and Hincapie were rather patched together at the last minute when Saliba sustained a training injury late last week.

The Frenchman has now missed the last two games but for the two summer signings, this was a more composed and easier night than their showing at Stamford Bridge.

Chalkboard

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

Hincapie has been brave and aggressive in both fixtures but Mosquera struggled against Chelsea, notably when it came to progressing the ball. Of course, a Brentford side missing the Premier League’s second top goalscorer in Igor Thiago for over an hour helped their cause, but if Arteta is going to be missing two of the world’s finest defenders, the stand-ins have proven they can more than do a job.

It was in attack where Arsenal perhaps struggled a bit more. While Set Piece FC seem to have become more about scoring from open play, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli didn’t do a huge amount to suggest they should be starting.

Madueke was energetic and effervescent on the right flank, performing four dribbles, two of which were successful, but he ultimately lacked end product, amassing two shots and failing to provide a key pass. Martinelli’s night was even worse. He had only one shot and completed just one dribble.

Odegaard, who stood in for Eze, was also lacking sharpness. The skipper created four key passes but lost six of his seven duels.

For Arteta, he will have been pleased with Mikel Merino, however. The Spaniard scored yet again, taking his goal tally as a centre-forward for the club to ten in 22 outings.

Arsenal have been fortunate that they can rely on their squad depth. They’ve missed Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus in recent weeks but Merino has more than stepped up.

It was the substitutes who changed the game on Wednesday too. Saka, who replaced Madueke, scored the second strike to seal all three points for the Londoners.

Yet, the goalscorers were pipped to the man of the match award by someone who’s been on the fringes of things this season.

Arsenal's man of the match against Brentford

The contributions that Saka and Merino came up with were vital but if it wasn’t for the performance of Ben White, this night would have been far more challenging.

For White, this has been a troubling last year or so of his career. Signed for a mega £50m back in 2021, he had established himself as a core member of the Arsenal side.

2021/22

37

0

2022/23

46

7

2023/24

51

9

2024/25

26

2

2025/26

8

1

He was notably described by journalist Tom Barclay as “one of the best prospects in English football” in the summer he moved from Brighton and in the early stages of his Arsenal career he lived up to that, amassing nearly 100 appearances between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Last season, however, things began to unravel. Fellow right-back Jurrien Timber was back from an ACL injury and his form since has been impeccable. In the words of the Standard’s Simon Collings, he is “the best right-back in the Premier League right now.”

What didn’t help White last season were persistent injuries that meant he was never really able to build momentum.

In 2025/26, though, he’s been available all season but has been met with stubborn resistance from Arteta to play him. He’s not the first person to find himself in this position during the Spaniard’s tenure.

Think of the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe or Oleksandr Zinchenko. While they all didn’t do a lot wrong in Arsenal colours, Arteta sought to upgrade them at the earliest opportunity available.

Zinchenko, in particular, has suffered the same fate as White has this season. When the Ukrainian signed for Arsenal from Manchester City he revolutionised the way Arsenal were able to play.

Previously, Arteta’s system saw Tierney flying forward from left-back but Zinchenko was fielded as an inverted full-back, something we now see from both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori.

During that 2022/23 campaign, Zinchenko and White were vital from their respective roles in defence. They contributed in all phases of play. The former Man City man was finally moved on in the summer, albeit only on loan to Nottingham Forest and if White wasn’t careful, he may have been heading elsewhere too.

But, he revived his career on Wednesday, given just his second start in the top-flight all campaign. The defender’s only previous start came against Manchester United on the opening weekend and since then, Timber has made the spot his own.

When Brentford came to town, White rolled back the years. The 28-year-old was phenomenal, notably providing the assist for Merino’s opener.

He took home the player of the match award and deservedly so for a display in which the England international won more duels (10) and made more tackles (6) than any other player against Brentford. He also made more clearances than any of his Arsenal colleagues (6).

Many have tried and failed to get back in Arteta’s good books. Zinchenko and Ramsdale can testify to that. However, White has showcased that he’s still very much an elite full-back and he should not be dismissed just yet.

With Mosquera having had to limp off the field in the first half with an injury, replaced at centre-half by Timber, it would not be a surprise to see White back in the starting lineup this weekend against Aston Villa. On the evidence of this performance, he is undroppable right now.

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It's been a rough week for Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda.

Miranda saw himself sent down to to Triple-A after a committing a costly baserunning gaffe against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. As if the demotion wasn't bad enough, shortly after joining the St. Paul Saints, Miranda was placed on IL after he sustained a hand injury while shopping at Target.

According to , Miranda injured his hand while handling a case of water at Target. The case slipped from his hand, and he "felt pain" when attempting to grab it before it fell to the ground.

Miranda will be sidelined for at least another week while recovering from the shopping-induced injury. He'll hope to get his 2025 campaign back on track when he returns to the Saints' lineup. He had yet to even suit up for a game with the Triple-A squad before being shelved with the injury.

Miranda, 26, had struggled throughout his first 12 games this season. He slashed .167/.167/.250 with one home run, five RBIs and 13 strikeouts across 36 at-bats. In 121 games last season, he registered a .763 OPS with nine home runs and 49 RBIs.

Chelsea had the chance to build on their impressive win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, but as they have done so many times this season, they faltered.

On paper, a game against Qarabağ looked like an easy three points for Enzo Maresca’s side, but in the end, they had to settle for just one.

The draw leaves them 12th in the Champions League, but the worst thing to come out of the match was another injury to Roméo Lavia.

The Belgian has been extremely unlucky during his time at Chelsea, and unless his luck improves, he could eventually be replaced by one of Cobham’s most promising prospects.

Lavia's Chelsea career

Chelsea signed Lavia from Southampton, and from under Liverpool’s nose, in the summer of 2023.

At the time, it seemed like money well spent, as the youngster was one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League the previous season and, as journalist Sam Tighe pointed out, “a shining star despite playing in terrible circumstances most of the time.”

Unfortunately, the youngster suffered a muscle tear and then an ankle injury in September 2023 and couldn’t make his competitive debut for the club until the 27th of December.

However, he wouldn’t kick on from there, as, thanks to a hamstring injury, he wouldn’t make another appearance all season.

Last season was marginally better, but even then, five injuries limited him to just 22 appearances, four of which came at the Club World Cup.

To nobody’s surprise, this year has not been much better, as the 21-year-old missed the first five league games with a muscle strain and came off the pitch on Wednesday night with another muscle injury.

Across the last two and a half years, Lavia has made just 30 appearances for the Blues, coming to a total of 1341 minutes.

23/24

1

32′

24/25

22

1069′

25/26

7

240′

It would be hard to describe his time at Chelsea as anything other than a failure at the moment, and if he continues to be unreliable over the coming years, he could see himself replaced by an upcoming Cobham gem.

The Cobham gem who could eventually replace Lavia

While the results for the senior side have been frustratingly inconsistent, the good news for Chelsea is that they have several exciting prospects coming through the academy at the moment.

In The Pipeline

The likes of Chizaram Ezenwata, Shim Mheuka and Reggie Walsh could all make as first team regulars in a few years.

However, when it comes to a potential Lavia replacement, it’s hard to look past Reggie Watson.

The hugely exciting talent may still be just 15 years old, but is already making waves in the academy and could become a part of the first team squad a few years from now.

The up-and-coming ace has demonstrated an ability to play in several different positions, from central midfield to centre-back, but, like the Belgian, is primarily a defensive midfielder.

According to one analyst, the “excellent” prospect has several key strengths which could make him an ideal long-term six for Marseca, such as being an “excellent ball retriever,” having “good passing and vision”, and having a knack for “dictating the tempo of the game.”

As if that wasn’t enough, the youngster is also “physically strong” for someone his age, and with all that in mind, it’s easy to see why he’s been described as being “so complete.”

Finally, on top of doing the business for the Blues’ youth sides, the teenager has also won six caps for England’s U16s, in which he’s scored three goals, primarily from defensive midfield.

Ultimately, it will be a few years yet until Watson is playing for the first team, but if Lavia remains injury-prone at that time, the Belgian could find himself replaced by the youngster.

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Bangladesh have also had the luxury of rotating their fast bowlers, which Litton said helps with workload management

Mohammad Isam25-Jul-2025

Having all their first-choice players available helped Bangladesh turn around their six-match losing streak and seal their maiden T20I series wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, captain Litton Das has said.Bangladesh’s 2-1 series win against Pakistan at home came on the back of an away series win in Sri Lanka, with the same margin.”We were facing a [players] crisis in the UAE and Pakistan [in May],” Litton said after winning the recent series against Pakistan. “I didn’t get my best players during those two series. Taskin [Ahmed] wasn’t available. Mustafizur [Rahman] had left for the IPL. We are well aware of Mustafiz’s capability and how dangerous he can be for the opposition. We also had some players unavailable in Pakistan. Those who were there didn’t play up to the mark. I think we had the full set-up against Sri Lanka and Pakistan [this time]. We have to continue playing in such a manner.”Related

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Mustafizur was at his miserly best against Pakistan, conceding at just 2.86 in two games. Taskin took a total of six wickets, while spinners Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain were crucial in the wins in Sri Lanka. Mustafizur had missed two matches in the UAE, while Taskin had missed the series against UAE and Pakistan due to an ankle injury.Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam wasn’t available for the series against Pakistan in May due to an injury, while Bangladesh couldn’t field Rishad and Nahid Rana in a game against UAE due to visa issues, and Rana skipped the Pakistan tour on personal grounds.Litton credited his bowlers for the victories against Pakistan, who were bowled out for low totals in the first two games of the series. “The bowlers definitely had a huge role in this series win,” he said. “They bowled out Pakistan for 110 runs [in the first T20I]. Then we defended 133 runs [in the second T20I]. Those were big challenges. We bowled well even today.”In Sri Lanka, Bangladesh lost the first T20I but turned it around to win the last two to seal the series. Litton said that the Bangladesh bowlers corrected their execution in the next game, to go on and win the last two T20Is.Mustafizur Rahman was at his miserly best in the Pakistan series•BCB

“I think we didn’t score enough in that game in Kandy, where 180 was a par score,” Litton said. “Sri Lanka were in attacking mode that day. I think we were behind on the execution of our plans. We didn’t bowl where we wanted to bowl at the Sri Lankan batters. We followed the same plan and came back into the series (against Sri Lanka).”Bangladesh’s pace bowlers have combined to take 51 wickets, which is 60.71% of all wickets Bangladesh have taken this year in T20Is. What has also impressed is the size of the pace attack. They have used eight pace bowlers this year, accommodating injuries, but in the last two series, Bangladesh have also had the luxury of rotating their fast bowlers.Litton said workload management will be considered going forward, but they are also looking at a bowler’s skillset to determine their selection. “We are fortunate to have some more really good bowlers,” he said. “We don’t want to lose them early. We want to give them enough opportunities, but we also want to consider their health.”Taskin is returning to cricket after a long injury break. We all know that he will have a high chance of more injuries if he plays continually. Shoriful is the same. He had a groin injury in Pakistan. He also had a similar problem in Sri Lanka. We have to determine who plays when and where.”