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Knocks from Gill and Pant and a quick cameo from Washington helped India resurrect their innings

Sidharth Monga02-Nov-2024The new and the old of India combined to leave New Zealand effectively at 143 for 9 in their pursuit to prevent their first-ever home whitewash in a series of three or more Tests. It wasn’t going to be an easy target on a pitch that has consumed 29 wickets in two days, but it was a comeback from the nightmare of the final 10 minutes of first day, which was reminiscent of earlier collapses in the series.Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant first resurrected the innings with a 90 and a 60, but it took a cameo of 38 off 36 from Washington Sundar to take India’s lead past 25 in the face of a resurgent Ajaz Patel, who took his second five-for in the city of his birth.The old firm of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja then combined to take seven wickets between them to prevent New Zealand from setting India a massive target on a crumbling pitch. Having lost his mantle as the new-ball bowler in second innings to Washington, Ashwin was instrumental in getting Jadeja to the favourable end and getting him his first wicket with a superb catch running back. However, a serene Will Young’s second fifty in the match and Glenn Phillips’ hitting made sure New Zealand had more than the bare minimum to bowl at.It was the youth that India were looking to at the start of the day having lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply again. Pant and Gill added 96 at better than five an over to arrest the rot that had set in in on the first evening. Pant, in particular, was severe, not letting the lead spinner Ajaz bowl at all. Overnight 1 off 1, Pant began as he meant to go. Ajaz was too full first ball of the day, which Pant push-drove straight of mid-off, who moved deeper after the boundary. To the second ball, Pant stepped out, and drilled it straight of that deep mid-off, who now moved to long-off. Gill joined him with an inside-out chip over extra cover in Ajaz’s next over.Ajaz Patel got into the action in the middle session of day two•AFP/Getty ImagesThen Pant played the lap shot for four to push forward short leg to behind square, promptly offering what could have been catches for the forward short leg the following two balls. It was Pant’s attacking mindset that had forced New Zealand to choose one of the two areas to man. Pant rubbed it in with two sixes in Ajaz’s next two overs.Gill didn’t want to be left behind. He tried to hit Phillips’ first ball of the day for a six but ended up skying it to long-on where the substitute fielder Mark Chapman gave him a reprieve. That turned his innings around. He proceeded to put his head down and only took the boundaries on offer. He was 45 off 57 when dropped, his remaining 45 came off 89 balls.Matt Henry dropped Rishabh Pant in the first session•BCCIMatt Henry dropped Pant too, but this miss cost New Zealand only seven runs as Pant fell lbw to a short ball from Ish Sodhi, who came on to bowl with only 84 runs left in the bank. Phillips, the unlucky bowler, was arguably the steadiest spinner of the three and was instrumental when Ajaz found his groove after lunch with a spell of 8.4-2-27-3.Ajaz had found the good length, the pitch started to misbehave even more, and the results followed. More than 10 overs went without a boundary, and brought the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan, the latter for a duck at his home ground.Both of them fell to the forward-defensive without reaching the pitch of the ball. Gill decided he was not going to be a sitting duck. He upped his intent by taking on Phillips. However, Ajaz eventually got one to turn from a good length and take the edge for another catch to Daryl Mitchell at slip.After holding India together, Shubman Gill fell ten short of a hundred•AFP/Getty ImagesIndia were still 8 behind. Washington took over now, scoring 14 in a 20-run stand with R Ashwin and all of the 16 runs in the final stand with Akash Deep to take the lead past 25.Washington was given a bigger vote of confidence as he opened the bowling ahead of Ashwin, but it was Akash Deep whose around-the-wicket angle and seam movement got rid of another left-hand opener. India proceeded to operate with the combination of Washington and Ashwin, who got a wicket each, Devon Conway on the forward-defensive and Rachin Ravindra stumped trying to hit a six.Once the two right-hand batters, Young and Mitchell, got themselves in, all eyes went to Jadeja. Ashwin volunteered to have Jadeja bowl from his end, the end where Jadeja and Ajaz had taken wickets from. Rohit, though, wanted Ashwin to carry on bowling. The partnership swelled, ends were changed, and Jadeja got Mitchell out with more than just a hand from Ashwin, who ran back from mid-on to take a diving catch.Tom Blundell didn’t survive long, but Phillips hit three sixes in no time at all, two of them off Ashwin, who proceeded to pull out the carrom ball from his back pocket after a long time, knocking back the off stump. It was a surprise that top-order Test batters were not picking the carrom ball: even the accomplished and settled Young was out caught and bowled to one.Henry and Ajaz hit a six each, but Henry was bowled to an unplayable Jadeja delivery, which turned out to be the last one for the day.

التقى ليفربول بقيادة الهولندي آرني سلوت، نظيره كريستال بالاس، عصر اليوم، السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وخسر ليفربول لأول مرة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم أمام كريستال بالاس بنتيجة 2/1، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وظهر ليفربول بمستوى سيئ للغاية في المباراة إذ لم يكن في المستوى المطلوب خلال أحداث الشوط الأول من المباراة التي شهدت فرصًا كبيرة ضائعة من لاعبي كريستال بالاس.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد مباراة ليفربول القادمة بعد الهزيمة أمام كريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي

ولم يفز ليفربول في آخر 3 مواجهات أمام كريستال بالاس إذ تعادل مرة وخسر مباراة كأس الدرع الخيرية ومباراة اليوم.

بتلك النتيجة توقف رصيد ليفربول عند النقطة 15 في صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”، فيما ارتفع رصيد كريستال بالاس إلى النقطة 12 في الوصافة. رجل مباراة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي

وحصد مدافع كريستال بالاس مارك جويهي جائزة رجل المباراة وحصل على أعلى نسبة تصويت من الجمهور بمقدار 27% متفوقًا على إيدي نكيتاه أقرب منافسيه والذي حصل على 21%.

At long, long, long last, Arsenal have their striker. The Gunners have arguably needed one for the last two years, but after several months of searching, the answer has arrived.

On Saturday evening, they announced the arrival of Viktor Gyokeres who put pen to paper after signing for around £64m.

It ended a saga that became rather toxic, particularly at the Sporting end. Gyokeres reportedly told his former employers that he’d never play for the club again after a breakdown in relations.

The Swede felt that the Portuguese side had broken the agreement they had that he could be sold for a particular fee.

Anyway, the attacker has finally got away from Lisbon and will now call London his home, bringing with him an abundance of goals. He scored 54 times in 52 outings throughout 2024/25.

Had that move fallen through, then Andrea Berta did have other options.

Arsenal's striker options this summer

Before Berta decided to go all in on Gyokeres, Slovenian powerhouse Benjamin Sesko was widely thought to be Arsenal’s number one choice.

They’ve been looking at the RB Leipzig striker for the best part of 18 months but things unravelled over the summer of 2025.

Indeed, according to the Athletic, it looked for all the world as though Sesko would be their first choice this summer. In March, Jason Ayton, Edu’s interim successor, was going to head to Germany in a bid to make headway on a deal. But, towards the back end of that month, the dynamic changed after Berta’s arrival at Arsenal.

That trip to Germany was canned and Gyokeres’ name came into contention with Berta a big fan of the player. With support from the owners, the club decided to explore the conditions of both deals.

Unfortunately, Sesko’s salary expectations and associated commission meant that the cost of any deal was too high. Consequently, they focused on Gyokeres and here he is.

Via The Athletic, also considered this summer was Ollie Watkins but they had reservations over his age. Former Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez was also on the agenda.

Indeed, the Atletico Madrid star’s name was discussed behind the scenes before they focused their attention on Gyokeres. That was probably a smart move considering some reports valued the Argentine at around £142m this year.

Still, he’d have been a remarkable signing had the club gone in that direction instead.

How Viktor Gyokeres compares to Julian Alvarez

While the Sesko move fell apart due to finances, the Gunners will be enormously content with the deal to bring Gyokeres to the Emirates Stadium.

Lavish fees have been spent in England this summer and you only need to look at the £79m fee Liverpool have paid for a project striker in Hugo Ekitike to know what Arsenal have got a better bargain here.

The Portuguese top-flight will have its doubters but the hierarchy in north London have paid just over £60m for a player who bagged 50 plus goals last season.

Even if he scores half that number in Arsenal colours this forthcoming campaign, he will have been a good signing. After all, Mikel Arteta’s men just need goals. For the first time since the 1923/24 campaign, no player in red and white scored double figures in the league. Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz endured lengthy injury spells but it makes for grim reading nonetheless.

There are some concerns surrounding the tactical fit of Gyokeres in this Arsenal team. We’re not attempting to bash this move, he’s a great signing, but despite the Swede’s power and height – he stands at 6 foot 2 – only around 12.5% of his shots came with his head and he didn’t score a single header in the league last term.

If Gyokeres finds a way to over 20 goals next season then few will care how they come but it does explain why Arsenal were looking at other options too, notably Alvarez.

Premier League-proven, the World Cup winner has been described as a “monster” by Argentine journalist Pablo Gonzalez and remarkably as “the best forward in the world” by reporter Roy Nemer.

His stock is incredibly high and his numbers in Spain last campaign demonstrate why. While Alvarez’s goalscoring record paled in comparison to Gyokeres, he did find the net on 29 occasions and at a higher level too. He also registered eight assists in all competitions.

While concerns surround Gyokeres’ ability to translate his form in Portugal to the Premier League, there will have no such doubts about Alvarez. He’s already dazzled for Manchester City at this level.

Goals

0.49

1.07

Assists

0.21

0.27

Shots

2.90

3.72

Pass success %

78%

72%

Key passes

1.88

1.81

Passes into penalty area

3.38

0.79

Progressive passes

3.40

1.87

Shot-creating actions

3.94

4.50

Progressive carries

2.50

3.89

In 2023/24, his final campaign under Pep Guardiola, the 25-year-old netted 19 goals and assisted 14, demonstrating that he is the complete package.

He’s also been there and done it all despite his age. He’s won the English top-flight on two occasions, he’s won the FA Cup, he’s won the Champions League, he’s won Copa America twice and of course, he’s got his hands on the World Cup trophy.

Despite being 25, Alvarez has quite the CV and there is no doubt that he’d have really taken Arsenal to the next level under Arteta’s wing.

Still, with Gyokeres, a 50-goal striker arriving through the door, few can complain when the club’s main problem last term was scoring goals.

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Sunderland have now made an approach to sign an international defender who has 25 Champions League appearances to his name, reporter Ben Jacobs has revealed.

Black Cats set to have money to spend after Bellingham sale

Despite the Black Cats securing promotion to the Premier League in dramatic fashion at Wembley, Jobe Bellingham decided to forge a similar path to his brother by opting to move to Borussia Dortmund, in what was a club-record £32m deal.

The departure will no doubt be disappointing for Regis Le Bris, given that the 19-year-old was a crucial player last season, making 43 appearances in all competitions, but there should now be additional funds to bring in a suitable replacement this summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Tommy Doyle is one of the players who has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Bellingham, but central midfield is not the only area in which Le Bris is looking to strengthen, having also set his sights on a new left-back.

Aston Villa’s Alex Moreno was identified as a potential target earlier this week, following the Spaniard’s return from a loan spell with Nottingham Forest, and Sunderland have now made an approach to sign a different left-back, namely Atletico Madrid’s Reinildo.

That is according to Jacobs, who took to X to reveal that a number of clubs have come forward to sign the Atletico defender, with Leeds United and Forest making approaches of their own, while clubs from Saudi Arabia and Turkey also retain an interest.

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The 31-year-old’s contract is set to expire after the upcoming Club World Cup, potentially opening the door for a move to the Stadium of Light, and given that he currently earns around £13k-a-week, wages shouldn’t be too much of an issue either.

"Talented" Reinildo needs to leave Atletico this summer

The Beira-born defender is still at an age where he should be playing regular first-team football, but that has not been the case at Atletico Madrid for quite some time, having been benched for all of the Spanish side’s La Liga games since the end of March.

As such, the Mozambique international needs to move on this summer, and the Stadium of Light could be an attractive destination, given that the Black Cats have returned to the Premier League.

There are also some indications the left-back could be a savvy signing on a free transfer, considering Le Bris would be bringing in a player with a lot of experience at the top level, having made a total of 25 appearances in the Champions League.

Once described as a “talented” player by Zach Lowy, Reinildo could be a solid addition to the Sunderland squad this summer, but there may be some justified concerns that he is now past his best, given that Atletico were willing to let his contract run down.

Newcastle United have now submitted a significant bid for an “incredible” player, with Eddie Howe of the belief he would be a perfect fit in his midfield, according to a report.

Newcastle pushing for the Champions League

Regardless of whether Newcastle secure Champions League football, the 2024-25 season will always be remembered fondly by fans, having finally ended their 70-year wait to win a major honour, but they still remain in a strong position to seal a top-five finish.

The Magpies are sitting pretty in fourth place, two points clear of Nottingham Forest with just three Premier League games left to play, although their remaining fixtures are on the more difficult side, with matches against two direct rivals now on the horizon.

Newcastle’s remaining Premier League fixtures	Date
Chelsea (h)	May 11th
Arsenal (a)	May 18th
Everton (h)	May 25th

It could prove to be a difficult task, but should Howe’s side qualify for Europe’s elite competition, they should be able to attract some top players in the summer, with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah and Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo believed to be of interest.

According to a report from Spain, Newcastle are also interested in a new midfielder, having submitted a €25m (£21m) bid for Girona maestro Yangel Herrera, who they are now determined to win the race for.

Atletico Madrid and top-five rivals Nottingham Forest are also interested in signing Herrera this summer, but the Magpies have now taken a firm step towards securing his signature, having put a strong offer on the table.

Howe believes the Venezuelan would fit perfectly into his side, and the manager is looking to introduce some additional quality into an already impressive midfield, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali attracting interest due to their performances this season.

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While Howe is not short on top-quality midfield options, there are clear signs the 27-year-old is a well-rounded midfielder, who could play an important role for the Magpies in a potential Champions League campaign next season.

The central midfielder has caught the eye in front of goal for Girona this term, registering four goals and three assists in La Liga, including a well-taken headed effort against Celta Vigo back in September.

Not only that, but the former New York City FC man impressed with his tackling ability in the early stages of his career, while also catching the eye due to his pass-success rate in the final third during the 2023-24 campaign.

Lauded as an “incredible player” by journalist Zach Lowy, there are plenty of signs that Herrera could be a success at a major European club, so it is a promising development that Newcastle have now made a concrete approach.

Chelsea are now ready to launch a £51m offer for an “unplayable” Premier League forward, according to a report.

Blues looking to bolster attacking options

Enzo Maresca will be pleased that Cole Palmer managed to get back among the goals on Sunday afternoon, with the attacking midfielder ending his drought and bagging his 15th Premier League goal of the season.

However, the manager may feel he is a little short on top-quality attacking options, given that Nicolas Jackson has scored just 10 league goals, and signing a new striker is on the agenda in the summer transfer window.

The Blues have now stepped up their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, making an approach to sign the England international, while they are also in the race for the likes of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap and Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha.

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Delap is an intriguing option, having outscored Jackson despite playing for already-relegated Ipswich, but an even more prolific striker is now in the west Londoners’ sights.

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now ready to launch a €60m (£51m) offer for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, who has caught the eye of Stamford Bridge chiefs with his impressive performances in the Premier League this season.

There is a belief that Mbeumo would be an ideal fit in Maresca’s frontline, having already proven himself in the Premier League, and the Blues are willing to spend big to ensure they win the race for his signature.

It is unclear whether Brentford would be willing to accept an offer in that region, but negotiations could accelerate over the next few weeks, and it is looking increasingly likely that a move across the capital could be on the cards.

"Unplayable" Mbeumo could be upgrade on Jackson

Jackson has spent time on the treatment table this season, but a return of just 10 goals is still below par, so it is no surprise the Blues are looking to bring in an upgrade this summer, and there are plenty of indications the Brentford star could fit the bill.

The France-born forward has been prolific in front of goal this season, picking up 18 goals and six assists, and his performances have impressed manager Thomas Frank, who lauded the forward as “unplayable” back in December.

The Cameroonian, who has 6 goals in 22 caps for his nation, has predominantly featured at right-wing for the Bees, but he has featured through the middle on a number of occasions, scoring while playing at striker in his side’s 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge back in December.

Regardless of whether Mbeumo is brought in to play out wide or as a centre-forward, there is every indication that he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, and a fee of around £51m seems reasonable, given that he is only 25-years-old.

Celtic have the opportunity to claim a place in the final of the SFA Cup this afternoon when they face off against Scottish Premiership rivals St. Johnstone in the semi-finals.

The Hoops are aiming to retain their crown in the competition after they beat Rangers 1-0 in the final last season, thanks to a last-minute strike by Adam Idah.

Brendan Rodgers will want his team to secure the trophy once again as it is likely to complete a domestic treble for his side, as they are on the verge of winning the Premiership and have already won the League Cup.

The Scottish giants should also come into this game with a fair bit of confidence, despite losing 1-0 to St. Johnstone in the league recently, because they come into it off the back of a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock in the top-flight.

Two goals from Reo Hatate and strikes from Daizen Maeda, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Anthony Ralston secured all three points for the club in emphatic style last time out.

However, Rodgers should still look to make some alterations to his starting line-up for this semi-final clash with St. Johnstone, by bringing Jota and Nicolas Kuhn back in.

Why Nicolas Kuhn and Jota should start for Celtic

James Forrest started the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock on the right side of the front three and failed to do enough to keep his place in the XI, as he ended his time on the pitch with zero goals, zero shots on target, zero key passes, and zero ‘big chances’ created.

The experienced Scottish forward did not provide enough quality at the top end of the pitch to justify his continued inclusion in the team, particularly when there is a player of Kuhn’s quality waiting in the wings to return to the line-up.

Appearances

28

18

Goals

10

0

Big chances created

10

3

Key passes per game

1.7

1.0

Assists

8

4

Completed dribbles per game

1.9

0.5

As you can see in the table above, the German attacker has offered significantly more in the final third than Forrest in the Premiership so far this term, with ten more goals and four more assists.

This suggests that Kuhn has a far greater chance of being a difference-maker in the clash with St. Johnstone this afternoon, because he has proven his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals on the right wing.

Meanwhile, Adam Idah should also drop out of the side in order for Jota to be brought back in, which would allow Maeda to play through the middle, on the left wing.

The Portuguese starlet has scored four goals, created three ‘big chances’, and registered two assists in six league starts for Celtic since his permanent return to the club from Rennes in the January transfer window at the start of the year.

Jota has shown that he can still make a big impact at the top end of the pitch in a Hoops shirt, which is why he should come in for Idah after the striker’s dismal showing against Kilmarnock.

The Ireland international started last time out and played the opening 60 minutes without managing a single effort on goal. He also failed to create any chances for his teammates or complete any dribbles, as the forward failed to offer much, if any, quality in the final third.

Therefore, Rodgers must brutally ditch Idah and Forrest from the starting line-up in order to bring Jota and Kuhn into the team on the wingers, whilst moving Maeda into the centre-forward position against St. Johnstone.

Making alterations to the attacking set-up should not be the only tinkering that the Northern Irish head coach does, though, as the manager must boldly unleash Maik Nawrocki from the start.

Why Maik Nawrocki should start

The Polish central defender has rarely been seen on the pitch for Celtic this season. He has played two matches in the Premiership and made one substitute appearance in the SFA Cup.

Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, and Dane Murray have been selected ahead of him at various points throughout the campaign in the centre-back positions, but he recently got two opportunities to shine against Rangers and Hearts in the league.

Injuries to Trusty, Scales, and Murray provided Nawrocki with a chance to prove that he has what it takes to be a key player for Celtic when called upon, which is exactly what he did.

Minutes

90

90

Clearances

7

9

Blocks

0

3

Tackles + interceptions

5

1

Duels won

7/10

8/9

Dribbled past

0x

0x

Pass accuracy

93%

98%

As you can see in the table above, the former Legia Warsaw star took his chance to prove himself in both of those matches, dominating the Rangers and Hearts attackers whilst being incredibly reliable in possession.

These statistics show that Nawrocki, who was once described as “aggressive” by Rodgers, has the defensive attributes to be a rock off the ball, as well as having the qualities on the ball that make him reliable in the build-up, and that is why the boss should use this cup match as an opportunity to bring him back in from the start.

Trusty and Scales, despite being naturally left-footed players who are more comfortable progressing the ball down that side, have shown that they have an error in them this season.

Scales has made one error that led to a shot and given away one penalty in the Premiership, whilst Trusty has made a staggering four errors that have led to shots and one that has led to a goal in the league.

Chalkboard

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

This shows that both of them are capable of making mistakes that can let teams back into games, which was the case when Nawrocki was dropped for Trusty in the 1-0 loss to St. Johnstone. The USA international slipped up down the left and needlessly fouled his man, which led to the winning goal.

Nawrocki has not made a single error that has led to a shot, goal, or penalty in 12 league appearances since the start of last season, which is why Rodgers must boldly unleash him ahead of the two left-footed defenders this afternoon.

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It is now down to the manager to make that big decision to take Scales out of the XI to bring the rarely-seen Polish colossus back into the side today.

Andrea Berta has been making all the Arsenal headlines this week following his official appointment, with Edu Gaspar’s replacement already very busy ahead of a vitally important summer transfer window.

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“I think it’s a big addition to the club, a big addition to the team,” said Arteta on what Berta will bring to Arsenal.

“A team that is already formed with a lot of great people. Richard [Garlick] leading it, obviously. But as well with James [King], with Jason [Ayto], with a lot of people at the club that have been doing such good work.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

TBD

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

“So it’s about building out that chemistry. And I believe Josh [Kroenke] has been fully involved in the process as well. So we are all very excited to have him. You just met him, and straight away the words that come out are always winning, improving and demanding. And he’s a person who is very honest, very straightforward, with a very clear vision of what he wants to do.”

While Arsenal prepare for another Premier League clash away to Everton on Saturday, Berta has already got to work on potential transfers in the background.

Bukayo Saka’s recent injury lay-off, not to mention Leandro Trossard’s uncertain long-term future, has highlighted the need for reinforcement out wide – leading Berta to start laying groundwork on a potential deal for Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams.

The Spain international’s reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards is well known by those within Arsenal, who’ve been repeatedly linked since last summer.

His contract also includes a £48 million release clause, and despite his reportedly sky-high wages at Bilbao, the Gunners are set to try and lure him to England.

Berta is reliably reported to have held talks with Williams’ agents this week, and journalist Graeme Bailey has shared his own update on the situation in a piece for The Boot Room.

Andrea Berta convinced Nico Williams wants to join Arsenal

According to his information, Berta is convinced that Williams is “hugely attracted” to the Arsenal project, following this meeting with the 22-year-old and his representatives in the last few days.

Bailey adds that the £200,000-per-week winger is currently on a long list of winger targets, which includes Mohamed Kudus (West Ham), Matheus Cunha (Wolves), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Alex Baena (Villarreal), Yeremy Pino (Villarreal) and Arda Güler (Real Madrid).

This also follows “constant communication” between Arsenal and the player’s camp over the last 12 months, with Berta outlining during the most recent round of talks with Williams’ agents that he’d be a key player in Arteta’s side.

Berta ended these discussions with the feeling that they’re favourites to sign Williams, if he does opt to finally leave Bilbao this year, so this could come as a very encouraging bit of news for supporters who want to see him at the Emirates.

After warming the bench throughout in England, Kuldeep Yadav picked up a four-for in his first T20I since the 2024 T20 World Cup final

Shashank Kishore10-Sep-20252:21

Can UAE take anything away from this thrashing?

Kuldeep Yadav couldn’t resist a bit of mischief at training.After a lengthy bowling session, as he settled in for a refreshment break, he turned to the journalists that had gathered to focus on every single aspect of India’s training ahead of the Asia Cup.Which of his team-mates had matched his Yo-Yo test score, he asked them. He was referring to the chatter he had apparently seen on social media about certain players achieving certain fitness benchmarks. It was all light-hearted fun after two hours of bowling in sapping heat and humidity.Related

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Kuldeep bags four as India demolish UAE in 17.4 overs

Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Kuldeep didn’t stop there. Soon the chatter veered towards Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal and Neymar, the latter his favourite footballer. Kuldeep was effortlessly drawn into a football tangent. Recently, the self-confessed football tragic has even found a new outlet for that obsession in the form of his own YouTube show, .As he bantered with journalists, he looked completely in his element. It spoke of the mindspace of a man at ease with where he is at with India returning to the white-ball formats, where he is more or less assured of a place in the XI. Only two months ago, the England Test tour had felt agonisingly long.He had spent the entire summer warming the bench, often spotted with an earpiece plugged in, listening to commentary when not running drinks. For a bowler at the peak of his powers, it must have taken enormous mental discipline to stay focused, knowing it wasn’t because of his primary skill, but because of the team’s need for batting depth, that he had to sit out.On Wednesday, when the chance finally came, Kuldeep grabbed it with both hands – taking four wickets to run through UAE in India’s Asia Cup opener. It was a nice evening out upon his return to the T20I set-up since that memorable June afternoon in Barbados at the T20 World Cup last year.ESPNcricinfo LtdThat tournament should have triggered another surge in his stop-start career, but a groin injury that was later diagnosed as sports hernia forced him to miss five months of cricket. He returned to play a part in India’s Champions Trophy win, and had a decent IPL – 15 wickets in 14 games at an economy of 7.07 – for Delhi Capitals, but the England tour was a setback of sorts personally.”It was tough for me,” Kuldeep said at the post-match presentation of the time spent sitting out in England. “I was working on my bowling and my fitness with Adrian [Le Roux, India’s strength and conditioning coach], and everything came together tonight. In this format, the length is the key – reading what the batters are trying to do and reacting to it ball by ball.”When Kuldeep came on to bowl, UAE were decently placed. Their only bright sparks came early in the innings when Alishan Sharafu’s audacious lofted drive over extra cover off Axar Patel and a flurry of boundaries from Muhammad Waseem against Jasprit Bumrah had them end the powerplay at 41 for 2.Kuldeep Yadav ran through UAE’s batting order•Getty ImagesBut two boundary-less overs thereafter, including one from Kuldeep, forced the batters to take extra risks. One such mistimed hit against a nicely tossed-up delivery had Rahul Chopra drag Kuldeep to Shubman Gill at wide long-on. Three balls later, Kuldeep picked up another with his trademark fizz, trapping Waseem lbw.He nearly had a third the very next delivery against left-hand batter Harshit Kaushik but the inside edge narrowly missed leg stump. But Kuldeep wasn’t to be denied. He tossed up a wrong’un that dipped, drew Kaushik forward, and ripped past the inside edge to crash into the stumps. The zing bails lit up, as did Kuldeep’s face.He had just taken three wickets in an over, all off different deliveries. It was as if he was laying out one trick after another for everyone to see. He finished with a fourth, off another wrong’un that brushed the batter’s pad on the way to Samson – a fortuitous wicket into his kitty only because UAE had run out of reviews. UAE were bundled for 57, which India knocked off in bext to no time.After a summer spent waiting for his turn, it felt like Kuldeep was finally beginning to revel in the joy of being back where he belongs.

Clashes with other franchise tournaments and withdrawal of marquee names have taken some sheen off the league, but the local stars are still there

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2024It’s February, which means it must be time for the end of the SA20.
No.The ILT20?
Try again.The Bangladesh Pr…
I’m going to stop you right there. The PSL. It’s time for the PSL, the original showstopper of this window in the calendar.My bad. It’s been around for a while now.
Indeed, this season is the ninth season of the PSL, which makes it a veteran among T20 franchise leagues. The durability is truly worth celebrating given the obstacles it faced in getting off the ground and then, once up and running, not able to play out in Pakistan for the first few seasons.Hurrah! The league must be stronger than ever, then.

Not so much. In large part this is because of the administrative flux within the board over the last few months. Nobody’s been in charge long enough to really take charge of this season. Plus, polarising general elections in the country last week have taken up plenty of the national bandwidth.Ah right. Still, some big-name regulars on the global T20 circuit will perk things up.
All the big local stars are there, of course, from Shaheen Shah Afridi to Babar Azam to Mohammad Rizwan to Shadab Khan. And in Shane Watson (Quetta Gladiators), Mike Hesson (Islamabad United), Phil Simmons (Karach Kings) and Daren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) the league has a high-profile head coach roster.Related

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• Shamar Joseph lands PSL deal with Peshawar Zalmi

• Mohsin Naqvi elected PCB chairman for three years

• Injured Topley pulls out of Pakistan Super League

• 'A broken sport': Franchise free-for-all compromises players' incentives

I’m sensing a ‘but’…
Well, the star quotient in the foreign player roster seems to have taken a hit this season. A number of high-profile names have either pulled out entirely (Rashid Khan, Lungi Ngidi, Reece Topley, Noor Ahmad and Tom Curran) or have limited availability (Rassie van der Dussen, Tabraiz Shamsi and Wanindu Hasaranga).But there’s also a broader sense that with more money on offer in the ILT20 and SA20, and in more attractive destinations, the PSL might be the league the bigger names choose to skip in this cramped window.Now I’m sensing an ‘although’ here.
, like the CPL, the accent at the PSL has always been towards its local players. Think of the number of established local players it has given a platform to, as well as the frenzy each season as a new kid is unearthed. Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Zaman Khan and so, so many others are inextricably linked with the league.Similarly, this season will be driven by the prospects of Saim Ayub stepping up, the bigger stage for the tall and rising fast bowler Mohammad Zeeshan (both at Peshawar Zalmi); Faisal Akram, a rare (for Pakistan) left-arm wristspinner (Multan Sultans); the allrounder Arafat Minhas at Karachi Kings; or even the long-awaited return from injury of Naseem Shah, now with Islamabad United.Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan are among the key players for Islamabad United•PSLThose are the players – which teams should I be looking out for?
One of the endearing attributes of the PSL is how even the playing field has always felt. Each of the six franchises has won the league at least once but none have yet established a dynasty proper. As defending champions, Lahore Qalandars have a legitimate shot at it, having made the final three out of the last four seasons and won the last two. Without Rashid though, they’re missing a quality spinner, though those pacers (Shaheen, Haris and Zaman) eh?Multan have been the other powerhouse in recent editions (runners-up the last two seasons) and last season were a single run away from forcing a Super Over in last season’s final. They look good again this season though most intriguing might be the step up for Abdul Rehman as head coach; Pakistan don’t often do right by their local coaches but Rehman has worked his way up assiduously.And the others?
Islamabad are the data divas’ dream and roping in Mike Hesson as coach will do nothing to dispel that. The arrival of Naseem Shah alone would be a game-changing upgrade for a pace attack that last season looked a little lightweight (Fazalhaq Farooqi apart). But the other two Shah brothers Ubaid (among the leading wicket-takers at the just-concluded U19 World Cup) and Hunain as well? Your social media timelines are going to be blowing up with highlights.Quetta will be the most interesting. Once the league’s most consistent side, they’ve swiftly become its least successful over the last four seasons. But this feels like a season of change. Shane Watson is in as head coach, Shaun Tait as the bowling coach, Sarfaraz Ahmed is out as captain, PSL legend Rilee Roussow is in, Mohammad Amir’s smarts will be more than handy and Abrar Ahmed should be a focal point in the bowling attack. Suddenly, they’re feeling a lot fresher than they have for years.Karachi and Peshawar are not bringing up the rear exactly, but they do feel somewhat less shiny than the others. Karachi have new leadership in Phil Simmons and Shan Masood; Peshawar have Shamar Joseph. But Peshawar’s attack apart from Joseph feels light and Karachi look like they’ve erred too far on the side of experience.My mouth, it is watering. Hit me with the who, what, when and where.
Kicks off Saturday with Lahore taking on Islamabad, 34 matches over the next 30 days, across four venues in Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi and Karachi.