أعلن المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، كارلو أنشيلوتي، عن قائمة اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون مباراة آرسنال في ذهاب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتقام مباراة ريال مدريد وآرسنال في ملعب الأخير “الإمارات” يوم الثلاثاء المقبل بتمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم البوسني الدولي، عرفان بيليتو.

وشهدت قائمة ريال مدريد تواجد الحارس الأساسي، تيبو كورتوا، عقب مشاركته في تدريبات الملكي مع غياب أندريه لونين بسبب الإصابة.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماركا: اهتمام خليجي قوي بضم مودريتش في الصيف.. والكرواتي قراره واضح

📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!
🆚 @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/p0TBcA3w6V — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 6, 2025

قائمة ريال مدريد لمباراة آرسنال في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا، فران جونزاليس، سيرجيو ميستيري.

خط الدفاع: ديفيد ألابا، لوكاس فاسكيز، خيسوس فاييخو، فران جارسيا، أنطونيو روديجر، راؤول أسينسيو، جاكوبو، لورينزو.

خط الوسط: جود بيلينجهام، كامافينجا، فيدي فالفيردي، لوكا مودريتش، تشواميني، أردا جولر، تشيما.

خط الهجوم: فينيسيوس جونيور، كيليان مبابي، رودريجو، إندريك، إبراهيم دياز، جونزالو.

West Ham United fans will have to wait until Monday night to get their fix of club football after the international break, as they take on Newcastle at St James Park.

The Magpies sit ninth in the Premier League after 11 games played, whilst the Hammers are languishing in 14th, having won just three of their opening 11.

After significant investment this summer, Julen Lopetegui has big expectations to make it work at the club, and his poor run of form could see his job under threat already, with the club sounding out possible replacements should they pull the trigger on the 58-year-old Spaniard.

A few names that have already been touted are Graham Potter and Edin Terzić, both of whom are currently out of a job, but one name that is beginning to surface is a manager already in the Premier League, who is doing an amazing job with his respective club.

West Ham could hire Premier League manager

According to reports from TEAMtalk last week, one name being mentioned internally is Bournemouth coach, Andoni Iraola, who is also being “eyed up” by a number of other top sides.

Labelled as a “very talented” manager during his time at Rayo Vallecano by scout Jacek Kulig, and he has managed to translate this to the English top flight.

Bournemouth do not play the same heavy possession style that West Ham were initially looking for when going from David Moyes to Lopetegui, but what he does bring is a clear identity, which has proven to stunt many top sides in the Premier League.

The Cherries average 45.0% possession per game (the sixth lowest in the division), but also average 15.5 shots per game (the third highest in the league), with only Tottenham and Manchester City managing more. This speaks perfectly to Iraola’s direct style, and his distinct idea to use their possession effectively, and with purpose.

Manager Focus

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The 42-year-old coach has averaged 1.32 points per match (PPM) since joining Bournemouth in July 2023, bettering both the 1.30 PPM Lopetegui managed at Wolves and the current 1.15 PPM he is averaging at West Ham.

If the Hammers did appoint Iraola, it would be a challenge to change their style again, but that change in style could benefit some of their current players, who would be better suited to a more direct approach.

The main West Ham player Iraola could benefit

The first player who could benefit from this change would be Jarrod Bowen, who is already seen as one of West Ham’s most important players. But that importance could be further exemplified under Iraola, highlighting his best qualities and getting the most from him.

Goals

0.47

0.38

Assists

0.23

0.15

xG

0.35

0.18

xAG

0.16

0.27

Progressive Carries

2.73

3.93

Progressive Passes

1.59

4.02

Shots Total

2.61

2.73

Key Passes

0.98

2.24

Shot-Creating Actions

2.78

3.83

Tackles

1.16

1.59

Interceptions

0.49

0.53

The 27-year-old is a hard-working winger, who can press high, and then look to play direct. Under Moyes, Bowen scored 20 goals and provided ten assists in the 2023/24 season, much of his work coming from counter-attacking scenarios, and playing fast in transition.

In Iraola’s system, the way they manufacture their shots comes from their pressing patterns, looking to set traps all over the pitch, win the ball back, and then attack as quickly as possible, in as few passes as possible, looking to hurt the opposition whilst they are out of shape.

Bowen has plenty of the qualities Iraola would like and despite the Hammers’ poor start to the campaign, he is better a host of his numbers from last term.

As a result, with the England international possessing the added bit of final third quality that some of Iraola’s Bournemouth players perhaps lack, it could make for a very exciting prospect if the Spanish coach were to work alongside West Ham’s flying winger.

West Ham must regret selling a star who's rivalling Yamal in 2024/25

West Ham may have made a mistake allowing one star to leave the London Stadium.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 15, 2024

India have been dealt a severe blow four days ahead of their ODI series against West Indies with seven members of their camp, including four players, testing positive for Covid-19. The players are Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and the reserve fast bowler Navdeep Saini.The other three are members of the support staff: fielding coach T Dilip, security liaison officer B Lokesh and sports massage therapist Rajeev Kumar.While announcing the development in a media release late on Wednesday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said the selectors had added opening batter Mayank Agarwal to the ODI squad.Related

• Roach's return, spinners and other combination questions for West Indies

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• Kemar Roach handed ODI recall as Desmond Haynes picks first West Indies squad

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The BCCI said that all positive results emerged after the India squad had undergone three RT-PCR tests upon landing in Ahmedabad on January 31. Dhawan and Saini returned positive tests after the first round of testing on January 31. Dilip and Lokesh also tested positive on the same day. Gaikwad, who had cleared the January 31 test, returned a positive test the next day, while Iyer and Rajeev returned positive tests on Wednesday during the third round of testing.The India squad started to arrive in Ahmedabad at the end of last week while West Indies landed early on February 2. Both teams are staying at the same hotel, but on separate floors. As per the BCCI’s guidelines both India and West Indies have to serve a minimum of three days’ quarantine in their hotel rooms before breaking out for training. India were scheduled to start training from Thursday while West Indies from second half on February 4.All members of the Indian contingent, the BCCI said, had been asked to take a PCR test before they travelled to Ahmedabad. All the seven members who tested positive will now isolate in Ahmedabad. As per the guidelines issued by Indian government, any person testing positive needs to isolate for minimum of seven days.The ODI series is set to be played behind closed doors, with India currently experiencing a third wave of the pandemic. India recorded over 160,000 fresh cases on Tuesday, with the state of Gujarat, where Ahmedabad is located, reporting over 8000 of them.Dhawan, Iyer and Gaikwad will now most likely miss the three-match ODI series, which will be played on February 6, 8 and 11. But the three batters will aim to be back for the T20I leg of the series. The T20Is will be played in Kolkata on February 16, 18 and 20.Vice-captain KL Rahul has not yet joined the India squad and is set to miss the first ODI in order to attend his sister’s wedding. This means India will have only five batters from the original squad to choose from for the first ODI: captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and allrounder Deepak Hooda. Agarwal is likely to arrive in Ahmedabad on Thursday, which means he could slot into the XI for the first ODI, immediately after completing his three-day quarantine.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is not hiding his shame at his side's poor performances under his stewardship.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Amorim embarrassed by disappointing form
• Suggests players need to be mentally stronger
• United take on Fulham in FA Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United boss joined the club from Sporting CP in November with a lot of hype and expectation, following success in his native Portugal and a 4-1 dismantling of Manchester City in the Champions League. But things are yet to fully turn around for the Red Devils. Amorim has overseen 23 games in charge of the club, winning under half (11) and losing nine – five of which coming at Old Trafford. While he is confident he has the backing to turn the club around, he knows there are few positives to shine a light on.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT AMORIM SAID ABOUT FORM

  Speaking to , Amorim said: "I feel that [people believe in me]. At the same time, I'm embarrassed by that because if you look at our performance and you see our team sometimes on the pitch, it's really hard for me as a coach to take a lot of positives."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There are few reasons to be positive about Manchester United this season. The Red Devils appear destined to finish in the lower reaches of the Premier League table, which would record their worst-ever finish in the process, and their abject performances offer little hope that they can win silverware. Amorim still has chances to win a trophy with either the FA Cup or Europa League but knows his side must improve – particularly at home.

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• WHAT AMORIM SAID ABOUT OLD TRAFFORD

  Amorim added: "I think we are so nervous sometimes in the game and you can feel it in the small things. The way that we move sometimes, the understanding of the game, especially at Old Trafford.

  "I feel that sometimes the players are in the dressing room and we go to warm-up and we go inside to start the game, I feel that the air is heavy. These kind of things I think we show a lot in the games.

  "When we suffer a goal or we have a bad moment, you feel like the connection is not there, we lose ourselves. We get lost a little bit. I understand it is more than football, more than tactics, it is something that is in the players' mind."

Newcastle United have seriously struggled in the final third this season. Eddie Howe’s side have scored just 13 goals in 11 Premier League games this season, which is the joint-fifth lowest total in the division and the fewest of any team in the top half.

Alexander Isak, who last season netted 21 times in the top flight, has just four so far this season, while wingers Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon have managed just four and two goals respectively.

Addressing his team’s poor goal return following their defeat to Brighton last month, Howe said: “We’re going through a phase where we’re not scoring, but the positive is we’re creating chances.”

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves, it’s back to hard work on the training pitch,” he added.

While things have picked up slightly in recent weeks, with the Magpies having scored six in their last three games in all competitions, including three in a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest, Newcastle will no doubt be looking to bring him in some offensive reinforcements in both January and next summer.

Ibrahim Maza wanted at Newcastle

One attacking talent Newcastle and PIF are reportedly eyeing for a move next year is Hertha BSC’s Ibrahim Maza. According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Magpies are one of a number of Premier League clubs “interested” in the 18-year-old attacking midfielder, alongside Brentford, Fulham, Leicester City, and West Ham.

Plettenberg claims that if Hertha, who were relegated to Germany’s second division in 2023, fail to achieve a return to the Bundesliga this term, “a departure at the end of the season seems likely.” Maza, who Plettenberg described as “one of the rising stars of the 2. Bundesliga,” is valued somewhere between £8 and £16.7 million.

Hertha are currently 11th in the 2. Bundesliga, having won five, lost five, and drawn two of their 12 games so far. Maza has been a ray of hope for Cristian Fiel’s side, however, having scored four goals and provided two assists in all competitions.

Who is Ibrahim Maza?

Maza has spent his entire professional career with Hertha, having initially joined the Old Lady as a boy in 2018. He made his first-team debut for the club in a defeat to Bayern Munich in April 2023 and has since been a regular fixture in Fiel’s first-team squad.

Born in Germany, he previously represented a number of the country’s youth teams, but now plays for Algeria at senior level, for whom he is eligible through his father. Maza received his first call-up last month for the Fennec Foxes last month and made his debut in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo.

Speaking about Maza after his call-up, Algeria boss Vladimir Petkovic said of the teenager: “He’s a talented and technically gifted player with a high footballing IQ, despite his youth”.

“His early-season statistics speak volumes about his potential and ability to influence the game with deadly runs and build-up play,” he added.

Promoted assistant eyes chance to “reset and rebuild” with squad to be named on Tuesday

Matt Roller07-Feb-2022

Paul Collingwood will be England’s head coach for their Test series against West Indies next month after being appointed as a stand-in by Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s interim managing director of men’s cricket.Chris Silverwood was sacked last week after just over two years as head coach, paying the price for England’s latest thrashing in an away Ashes series. Ashley Giles also lost his job as managing director following the 4-0 series defeat.Collingwood, who was appointed as an assistant coach in late 2019 after several years working as a consultant for the England team, filled in as head coach when Silverwood missed an ODI series against Ireland in 2020 and recently oversaw the 3-2 defeat against West Indies in last month’s T20I series in Barbados.He has stayed in Barbados on holiday and will join up with the Test squad when they arrive in Antigua on February 25. England are due to play a four-day warm-up match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground – their first trip back since the infamous Stanford 20/20 for $20 million in 2008 – on March 1 ahead of the first Test at North Sound on March 8.Related

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Collingwood: Players 'deserve medals, not criticism' for Ashes

The ECB are expected to announce the squad for the tour on Tuesday, with Alex Lees, James Bracey and Josh Bohannon among the contenders to bolster England’s batting after they failed to reach 300 across five Ashes Tests. Strauss – who is part of the interim selection panel along with Collingwood and national scout James Taylor – confirmed last week that Joe Root would continue as captain, insisting he was “100% the right person to take this team forward”.”I am genuinely excited to be leading the Test team for the tour of the Caribbean,” Collingwood said. “I can’t wait to get started. Having a challenging Test series against the West Indies straight off the back of the Ashes disappointment gives us a chance from now to reset and rebuild.”Playing Test matches for England is the highest accolade in the game. My objective is to give players clarity, direction and encouragement for them to start building something special.”I have spoken to Joe Root and Ben Stokes, and both are excited and passionate to take the team forward in this new cycle. Although they know it won’t be easy, they have the desire and bravery to do things differently to ensure the team can prosper. We have an opportunity to get back on track.”Collingwood could be a contender for the vacancy as England’s head coach on a full-time basis. His lack of experience in a similar position at county or franchise level counts against him – not least after the gamble to promote Silverwood from within backfired – but he will be a strong candidate as white-ball coach if the roles are split, as Strauss suggested last week.Collingwood was the first England men’s captain to lift an ICC trophy, the 2010 World T20, and has worked closely with Eoin Morgan since his international retirement in 2011. He raised eyebrows last month when he said that players deserved “medals, not criticism” for making it through the Ashes series but his focus on player welfare and mental health could be viewed favourably given England’s relentless schedule.Marcus Trescothick, England’s other assistant coach, is likely to be part of Collingwood’s backroom staff for the Caribbean tour, with further appointments to follow this week. Richard Dawson, the elite performance pathway coach who led England to the Under-19 World Cup final, is expected to be part of the touring party.February 7, 2022, 1330 GMT – This story was updated to add details of England’s interim selection panel

New Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has a huge job on his hands in the next couple of months if he is to turn around the mess left by former manager Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils currently sit in 13th place, with a total of just 12 points from the opening ten matches – their worst start in their Premier League history.

Such form saw Ten Hag lose his job, with Amorim set to take over on November 11th, with the Sporting Lisbon head coach hoping to make the difference upon his appointment.

His first game at the helm will see him lead his new side to Portman Road on the 24th of November, looking to take advantage of the Tractor Boys’ early season troubles, whilst steering his new side in the right direction.

If the former Portugal international is to make an immediate impact in charge, he may be reliant on one player upon his return to action in the coming weeks.

Why Mainoo could be crucial for Amorim

Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo has taken to first-team football like a duck to water since his Premier League debut back in November 2023, often being the player to get supporters off their seats.

The 19-year-old has impressed with his ball-winning abilities, as demonstrated by his tally of 2.1 tackles won per 90 so far this season, but also in transition, starring in a box-to-box role under Ten Hag.

Mainoo has achieved an 88% pass accuracy also completing 74% of his attempted dribbles, demonstrating composure way beyond his years and showcasing his ability to find a teammate.

New boss Amorim operates two box-to-box midfielders in his 3-4-3 system, with a real impetus on being strong defensively but also having the ability to play the ball into forward areas and create opportunities for forward-thinking players.

As seen with the aforementioned stats, Mainoo has all the tools to be a hit with the newly appointed United boss, handing him the opportunity to become an immediate fan favourite at Old Trafford.

However, not everyone will be the 39-year-old’s cup of tea quite like Mainoo and he will be busy judging who should be on the chopping block in January. One such player earns as much as six times more than the dazzling midfielder.

The player Amorim needs to get rid of in January

Centre-back Victor Lindelof arrived at Manchester United back in the summer of 2017 in a £31m deal with real expectations of becoming a hit at the club and solving their defensive woes.

However, fast forward seven years, the 30-year-old Sweden international is no longer a regular starter at the club, often having to settle for a place on the substitutes bench, filling in when other players are injured.

The former Benfica talent has notched a total of 265 appearances for the club but has often failed to impress, as seen by the Red Devils’ recruitment this summer which saw two new centre-backs join the Premier League outfit.

2017/18

29

0

0

2018/19

40

1

1

2019/20

47

1

1

2020/21

45

1

2

2021/22

35

0

2

2022/23

35

0

0

2023/24

28

1

1

2024/25

6

0

0

Total:

265

4

7

Lindelof, who’s previously been dubbed as “shocking” by YouTuber Mark Goldbridge, has struggled with the demands of the Premier League, often prone to a mistake or two as demonstrated in the recent Carabao Cup victory over Leicester City.

He still pockets a huge wage despite his lack of impact in Manchester, earning £120k-per-week as per Capology – a figure that is six times higher than youngster Mainoo who only earns £20k-per-week despite his recent rise at his boyhood club.

Given his lack of positive output during his time in Manchester, Amorim must look to brutally part ways with Lindelof, a decision that will save the club a huge amount on a yearly basis in their recent cost-cutting efforts.

The new manager has a plethora of other defensive options at his disposal, with the Swede no longer having the quality needed to be a serious starter in a side looking to mount a push for the top four.

Amorim can revive Man Utd star who dropped a horror 3/10 display v Chelsea

The sensationally talented “superstar” could become a real force for Man Utd under the Portuguese manager.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 4, 2024

New Zealand secured a lead of 387 with several of their players coming to the party

Firdose Moonda18-Feb-2022Henry Nicholls scored his eighth Test century. Tom Blundell fell six short of his third. And Matt Henry continued his record-breaking ways, becoming the first No. 11 to score a fifty after taking a seven-for. All of which left South Africa with a mountain to climb in the first Test. New Zealand extended their lead to 387 and then reduced South Africa to 4 for 3 in the reply. On a surface that is just two days old and continues to offer good bounce and swing through the air, they will hope they’ve done enough to bat once.Sarel Erwee, Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram were dismissed inside four overs in the second innings. Tim Southee rapped Erwee on the pads with his second ball, that swung in towards middle. Erwee considered reviewing but decided against it to end his debut Test with 10 runs. Elgar survived Henry’s first over but when he scrambled the seam and angled it in from around the wicket, Elgar played and nicked off. Four balls later, Markram was stuck on the back foot and sent a thick edge to first slip. Of the three, Markram’s place is most at risk. He averages 9.7 from his last 10 innings and could be replaced by Ryan Rickleton, who has scored three hundreds from his last first-class innings.While South Africa’s selection decisions could have contributed to their misfortune, their effort in the field definitely did. They dropped seven catches – four on the first evening and three on the second – including Nicholls on 5 and 24 on day one and Southee twice in the same over on day two – to underline an underwhelming performance. Their four-man pace attack, sans Lungi Ngidi who was ruled out with a back spasm, relied mainly on Kagiso Rabada and, without a specialist spinner, failed to hold up an end. Their lines and lengths were wayward as the inexperience of the 16 caps between Duanne Olivier, Marco Jansen and Glenton Stuurman showed, and their energy in the field was low.By comparison, New Zealand did not just score big runs, they scored them quickly. Their 366 runs in 78.5 overs came at a rate of 4.64 on the second day thanks largely to Colin de Grandhomme and Blundell’s 76-run seventh-wicket stand, which came at 5.49 to the over, and the late cameo by the final pair. Blundell and Henry put on 94 off 101 balls to frustrate South Africa after a long day in the field.Things started poorly for the visitors as Wagner took on the role of early entertainer.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe hit seven fours and two sixes, all off South Africa’s new-ball pair of Rabada and Stuurman. He cut Rabada for successive fours in two different overs, showing off perfect weight transfer to the back foot to flay the ball to an unmanned point region, and survived a review for lbw. Then he took on Stuurman’s opening over of the day when he worked the second delivery off the hip to long leg, drove the third through the covers for four and then top-edged a hook off the penultimate ball for six. That shot brought up the fifty-run stand between Nicholls and Wagner – the third of four in New Zealand’s innings. South Africa did not manage one partnership above 33.But, the fun didn’t last forever for Wagner. On 49, he attempted to flick Rabada over deep square leg but picked out Rassie van der Dussen instead. Despite Wagner’s disappointment, he’d done his job and then some. When he was dismissed, New Zealand had scored 81 runs off 86 balls in the morning and Nicholls was responsible for just 23.Wagner’s aggression allowed Nicholls to collect runs almost unnoticed and he reached lunch on 87. His signature stroke through the morning was the punch through the point/third-man region and he ended up scoring more than a third of his runs – 40 out of his 105 – in that area. By the time Nicholls brought up his hundred, Stuurman had claimed his first Test wicket when Daryl Mitchell nicked off to Elgar at first slip. Nicholls’ century came eight overs later, when he drove Olivier through backward point. In Olivier’s next over, Nicholls reached for another drive, edged and was caught at second slip.Nicholls was dismissed with the second new ball three overs away and South Africa may have been eyeing an opportunity to run through New Zealand’s lower-order but de Grandhomme had other ideas. He took 11 runs off a Stuurman over with a swivel pull six and a whip through square leg and then hit Stuurman for back-to-back fours. Blundell unfurled a cover drive off Stuurman after two pin-point boundaries off Olivier and Elgar had run out of ideas to stem the tide.He turned to Markram’s part-time offspin with the second new ball just 9.4 overs old. It may have seemed an insult to the quicks but it worked. Shortly before tea, de Grandhomme holed out to long-on for 45 to give Markram his first wicket in this format. Makram got a second when Kyle Jamiseon was caught at mid-off but New Zealand were not done. Blundell’s fifty came up with a pull off Jansen and he stuck with the tail to take the lead over 300. Southee was put down by Olivier at mid-on and van der Dussen at point and in between hit Rabada for four. A comical over ended when Southee hit the ball over Erwee at extra cover but the debutant backtracked and took a good catch over his head.Enter Henry, who picked up career-best figures of 7 for 23 on the first day. He made a mockery of South Africa’s weary attack with a 68-ball 58 which included a range of dismissive swats through the offside while Blundell showed off his late cuts and South Africa grew more and more despondent. As a measure of the one-sided nature of this game, the extras they had given away (35) by the time they bowled New Zealand out for 482 was higher than their top score (25) from the first innings.

After a rough few weeks that have seen Arsenal stumble in the quest to finally win the Premier League, the news of Edu Gaspar’s departure from the club felt like just another bit of never-ending bad news.

Alongside Mikel Arteta, the Brazilian has been one of the more public faces during the club’s resurgence in recent years and played a crucial role in their impressive transfer dealings.

However, for all the Martin Odegaards, Gabriel Martinelli’s and Declan Rices, the former Invincible has helped the club to sign, he’s also partly responsible for a fair share of their flops.

However, one of his signings who struggled at Arsenal is now thriving away from the club and has been given a massive new valuation.

Arsenal's 2021 signings

The 2021 summer transfer window saw Arsenal sign a couple of players who’ve since become essential first-teamers, so before we get to the flop in question, let’s take a look at them, starting with the mercurial Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian international first joined the club on a six-month loan spell that January, and while he wasn’t poor, a return of two goals and two assists in 20 appearances wasn’t spectacular either.

However, it was enough to convince Edu and Arteta that he was worth a £30m investment, and to their credit, the last few years have proven them right.

In total, the former Real Madrid wonderkid has scored 35 goals and provided 25 assists in 157 appearances for the club, was named captain at just 23 years old and has been sorely missed over the last couple of months.

The other first-team regular signed in that summer was Ben White, who joined the club in a £50m move from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Englishman spent most of his first campaign at the Emirates playing as a centre-back, but when William Saliba finally made his debut for the team the following season, he moved out to right-back, where he has since flourished.

In total, the Poole-born “warrior”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has made 145 appearances for the Gunners – 99 of which have been at right-back – in which he’s scored six goals and provided 11 assists.

Unfortunately, while the Englishman has been a roaring success in N5, another full-back Edu signed that summer certainly wasn’t.

The Edu signing Arsenal could regret selling

So, among the certified transfer hits in the summer of 2021, Arsenal also made the £8m signing of Portuguese defender Nuno Tavares.

The highly rated full-back was actually Edu’s first signing that summer, and while there was some excitement about the player he could become in North London, it just didn’t work out for him.

In all, the former Benfica prospect made 28 appearances for the Gunners and looked reasonably threatening while doing so, but his biggest problem was his defensive ability, or lack thereof, with Roy Keane slamming him for being “sloppy” in a game against Nottingham Forest in January 2022.

The 24-year-old was eventually sent on two very different loan spells across the following two campaigns, first to Marseille in 22/23, where he scored six goals in 39 appearances, and then to Forest last year, where he made just 12 appearances all season and was eventually frozen out of the team.

With it looking like the once-promising full-back had no future in the Premier League, the Gunners agreed to send him on another loan this season to Serie A side Lazio, only this time they included an obligation to buy worth £7.5m should certain targets be met.

However, based on how well the Lisboa-born gem has started this season, Edu and Co may regret including such a clause.

In his eight appearances for the Roman side, the “incredible” threat, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already racked up eight assists – talk about a turnaround.

Unsurprisingly, this sensational form led Lazio’s majority owner and President, Claudio Lotito, to tell Italian media that he wouldn’t sell the defender “even for €70m,” which converts to a cool £59m.

This new valuation is a whopping 686% increase on the fee Arsenal will receive for the player come the end of the season.

Ultimately, while Edu and Co made several excellent signings in the summer of 2021, Tavares has proven to be something of a disaster, as he was both underwhelming on the pitch, and now he’s set to be a massive opportunity missed off it.

Not just Merino: 4/10 Arsenal ace is playing himself out of the team

The talented international has been poor for some time now.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 7, 2024

Pakistan’s captain was thrilled by the crowd that showed up at the National Stadium to watch the final day unfold

Danyal Rasool16-Mar-2022Babar Azam has acknowledged that Pakistan’s pragmatic approach to the final day in Karachi had been shaped by the magnitude of the target Australia had set them. When the fifth day began, Pakistan needed to survive 90 overs, or, more improbably, score a further 334 runs to gun down the fourth-innings target of 506.But with the game stretching into the final hour and Babar and Mohammad Rizwan looking fairly comfortable having put on 115 for the fifth wicket, the prospect of a remarkable late dash to the target was beginning to take shape. But Babar and Rizwan appeared to resist the temptation, and while Babar explained that the chase was never quite on, it didn’t stop him from taking great pleasure in his knock.Related

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“This innings holds a lot of meaning for me, because the team needed it,” he said. “We were realistic about the chase. We wanted to bat normally till tea, and then if we found ourselves in a situation where we could go for the chase, we were good. But we lost wickets, unfortunately, so we didn’t really think of the chase. We needed to save the game. If I’d stayed for longer we might have tried to chase it.”When Babar and Faheem Ashraf fell off successive balls, any ideas about a chase were immediately killed off, with Pakistan facing a final-hour battle to stave off defeat. “Rizwan and I were discussing what the situation demanded because the wicket wasn’t easy for the new batter,” Babar said. “The spinners were getting help. I had belief the way Sajid [Khan] and Nauman [Ali] batted, so I had trust in them to save the game for us.”‘Abdullah Shafique was outstanding in the way he played the new and old ball and the patience he showed’ – Babar Azam•PCBThe pitches for the series have been a perpetual point of focus, with further scrutiny on the Karachi strip after the one in Rawalpindi was rated “below average” after a dull draw that saw just 14 wickets fall over five days. There was more assistance for the bowlers in Karachi, though it was reverse-swing that provided the most salient threat rather than the cracks in the pitch assisting spin. Babar said the conditions were the same for both sides, and thought the pitch had plenty to offer the bowlers.”You get reverse for the fast bowlers here; they found it and so did we. The spinners found turn, too. I don’t think there was a difference in the reverse-swing they got in both innings. They got plenty here, too. There were a lot of soft dismissals in the first innings which can make you think it was reversing a lot. It was happening in the second innings too, but our batters were at their best. You get reverse-swing here in first-class cricket too, so they have an idea how to tackle it. When you’re playing against one of the best teams, they’ll give you a tough time.”Babar revealed how he had motivated his side after a dispiriting third day, which saw Pakistan bowled out for 148 in 53 overs, giving Australia a 408-run lead. “You get motivation from your teammates,” he said. “In the first innings, we didn’t bat like we wanted but in the second innings, we had belief that we could save the game. We told the boys ‘What’s gone is gone and we have to focus on the present.’ The veteran players showed their experience. We told each other that ups and downs happen in Tests and to play session by session. I tried to give them confidence. Abdullah Shafique was outstanding in the way he played the new and old ball and the patience he showed.”This tour’s hype isn’t just about what happens on the field, but also what surrounds it. With Australia in Pakistan for the first time since 1998, a large, frenzied crowd came out to watch Pakistan pursue history, either by chasing down the target or surviving more overs to save a Test than any side since 1939. It embellished an already dramatic day, and its value wasn’t lost on the Pakistan captain.”When you play in front of your crowd and they support you, that feeling is so good I can’t explain it,” he said. “When the whole stadium backs you, it’s brilliant. We’re so happy that cricket is back, and we’re playing against such a big team here.”