Arsenal reporter Charles Watts criticised midfielder Thomas Partey for his role in Manchester City's opening goal at the Etihad on Wednesday evening.

What did Watts say about Partey?

The Gunners travelled to City looking to end their three-game run without a win in the Premier League and continue their push for the title, with Mikel Arteta giving Partey the nod once again in a three-man midfield alongside captain Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka.However, things didn't go to plan for the visitors, who found themselves a goal down early on after Kevin de Bruyne's early effort. John Stones doubled the home side's advantage just before the interval, with De Bruyne netting his second and City's third shortly after the restart and Erling Haaland scoring a fourth in injury time.Partey, who was making his 35th appearance of the season in all competitions, was criticised for his part in the opener, with centre-back Rob Holding also slammed in the media for his display, despite scoring a consolation goal late on.Watts took to Twitter to describe Partey's tracking of De Bruyne's run as "horrendous", adding that Aaron Ramsdale should also have done better with the shot. Members of the media also felt that Partey put in an "embarrassing performance" on the whole for a "fourth game in a row".

How was Partey's performance?

It was certainly an evening to forget for the Gunners, with City now just two points behind the league leaders with two games in hand.As per SofaScore, Partey ended with a match rating of 6.7/10, slightly above Arsenal's player average of 6.48/10. The Ghanaian gave away possession on six occasions, committed three fouls and picked up a yellow card. However, he did make two tackles, registered a key pass, won eight of his 13 duels and completed 100% of his attempted dribbles.It wasn't a performance to shout about, but he did outperform a number of his teammates, but his action in City's opener is what led to plenty criticism from Watts.

Sergio Busquets has now made the decision to depart FC Barcelona when his contract expires at the end of this season, according to a report in Spain.

What's going on with Busquets at Barcelona?

There were months of speculation over the future of the legendary midfielder, with manager Xavi keen on keeping him as well as links with Inter Miami.

It was previously unclear whether the 34-year-old would choose to stay for one more season or depart the club at the end of the season, but he has now confirmed his intention to depart the club.

Busquets has made 719 appearances for the Blaugrana since his debut in 2008, and will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of the club.

A report in Marca revealed his decision, which will mean he does not extend his £630k-per-week contract at the club.

There is now speculation that he could move to Al-Hilal, in what could even be an attempt to lure Lionel Messi to Saudi Arabia, as the Argentinian looks for a new club this summer.

The report highlighted how Xavi wanted Busquets to continue for another season, with the veteran midfielder still a highly useful asset for the club, who are set to win La Liga for the first time since 2019.

Busquets will have had to take a paycut in order to stay at the club, with Barcelona still struggling financially, and this did Xavi no favours when trying to convince his former teammate to remain in his midfield.

How should Barcelona move on from Busquets?

Given the financial troubles the club are facing, with a need to comply with FFP regulations by reducing their wage bill, the departure of Busquets could actually benefit Barcelona given that they will no longer pay his high salary.

However, on the pitch, he has still proven to be an important figure in the midfield alongside Pedri and Gavi, and if they are not able to sign a replacement, an internal solution will have to be found.

Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi has been previously linked, but it remains to be seen whether a deal can be done.

One option would be to play Frenkie De Jong at the base of midfield, and the Dutchman could help replace Busquets given his strong passing ability.

De Jong ranks highly for progressive passes and carries as per FBref, but his weaknesses in defending, as well as Busquets' physical superiority, means that there could be some drop-off once Busquets departs.

Xavi described Busquets as "really important" earlier this season, and there may be worries about how Barcelona will cope with the departure of their captain.

West Ham could receive a considerable return for their efforts in Europa Conference League this season after beating AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the semi-final on Thursday.

Before the game, David Moyes told the press that winning the Conference League would be his career highlight. He said: “I was fortunate to get to a Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United, lost on penalty kicks in the quarter-finals of the Europa League with Everton.

“Last season, I was in a semi-final with West Ham. This year we’re in a semi-final again. So I want to try and take it one step further.”

West Ham fans will of course be deseperate for him to go all the way and win it, and so too will the board as the Hammers could receive a considerable fee for winning the tournament.

What is the payout for winning the Europa Conference League?

If David Moyes and his men are successful, the club will win £37m, Football Insider reports. £17.25m would be awarded for prize money and £19.7m for qualifying for the Europa League as an added bonus of winning the tournament, on top of the smaller rewards of semi-final success.

Impressively, that is more than Newcastle United will earn from booking their place in the Champions League with a third-place finish.

And for a side looking to invest ahead of the 2023/24 season, West Ham will be relieved they can generate extra revenue without having to sell any more players.

When is the second leg of the Europa Conference Legue semi-final?

West Ham are one step away from booking their place in the final which will be held in Prague on June 7th. Before then, they must overcome AZ Alkmaar again on May 8th at the AFAS Stadium.

After bouncing back from going 1-0 down, the London outfit sealed a 2-1 win on Thursday which puts them in a confident position ahead of the second leg. The tie is by no means over but it’s a huge result which places them in the driving seat to reach the final.

And with safety in the Premier League all but guaranteed, West Ham are now able to focus on Europe.

Manchester United lost 1-0 to West Ham United on Sunday as the race for the Champions League qualification spots heats up once more.

Defeat at the London Stadium is the second successive league defeat for Erik Ten Hag and his men. Much like the display at the Amex Stadium last week, there was a lack of energy, desire and ideas.

What did Mark Goldbridge say about Wout Weghorst?

While United were collectively poor, Weghorst seemed lost and completely devoid of ideas. He did stich play together well on one occasion in the first half but overall, there was no fluidity or creativity from the big Dutchman.

Taking to Twitter to vent during the game, Mark Goldbridge said: "Can't believe he's kept Weghorst on…..We're playing with ten men."

Goldbridge added some extra flavour on TikTok, comparing Weghorst's role in the United side to musical chairs.

He said: "Watching Weghorst play for Man United is like watching somebody play musical chairs and no-one's put the chairs out. It doesn't make sense.

"Lots of effort, lots of running around but the game's never going to go anywhere, is it?"

While Goldbridge may have analysed the situation from a comical point of view, he's not wrong. The Dutchman essentially offered nothing to Manchester United on Sunday.

How bad was Wout Weghorst against West Ham?

It's not really a case of Weghorst playing poorly as much as it's a case of the former Burnley man just not being the right fit for the tactical system being employed by Ten Hag.

Since arriving at United, he has been most commonly deployed as a false nine, where he is asked to float between the lines, stitch play together and follow the ball into the box.

Against West Ham, he played for 57 minutes with no impact on the game. According to Sofascore, he took 28 touches, played 21 passes with an accuracy of 76% and lost the ball seven times – he even took less touches and completed less passes than match-decider David De Gea.

The frustration is that Marcel Sabitzer could deliver far more encouraging performances in the same rolem, so perhaps Ten Hag should consider giving the Austrian more game time in the final four games.

With Liverpool now chasing down United, the pressure is on to deliver. Jurgen Klopp's side appeared to be without a chance of reaching the top four at the start of April but now have a real chance to sneak in through the back door. United are on 63 points with a game in hand while Liverpool are on 62 points – it won't take a whole lot to lose top four from here.

Fortunately, United's next game is at Old Trafford against Wolves on Saturday. Perhaps the home crowd can lift the squad as the end of the season approaches.

ScorecardBen Cox sealed Worcestershire’s victory in the final over•Getty Images

Worcestershire broke the only unbeaten record in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast and moved clear at the top of the North Group when beating Northamptonshire by Worcestershire by three wickets at New Road.Wicketkeeper Ben Cox followed up three catches in Northamptonshire’s 169 for 7 by taking the nine runs wanted from the last over in three balls from Mohammad Azharullah – a reverse paddle for four, a pull for four and a single into the covers.Cox finished unbeaten with 42 from 24 balls, having turned the match in his team’s favour after going in at 102 for 5, but it seemed that Worcestershire had lost their best chance when Tom Kohler-Cadmore was dismissed for 60 by Rob Keogh’s juggling act on the deep extra cover boundary.Keogh, who previously held a one-handed catch at mid-off from Brett D’Oliveira, knocked the ball up before completing the catch.Both sides were handicapped by constant drizzle and poor light in Worcestershire’s innings and at first the game was tilting towards Northants when Azharullah took two wickets in an over to leave the home side teetering on 20 for 3.Earlier, Ben Duckett’s first half-century of the season in the competition was crucial to setting up a challenging total for Northants, but the left hander benefited from two lapses in Worcestershire’s normally reliable fielding.This was rough luck on George Rhodes as the son of the county’s director of cricket made his home debut following an impressive start in the Royal London Cup against Yorkshire earlier in the week.The 22-year-old spinner was in his first over when Duckett, on 6, was dropped by Jack Shantry at short third man and returned later to see the batsman’s second life, on 28, when D’Oliveira fumbled a stringing drive to extra cover. Rhodes had figures of 1 for 11 from his two overs, his wicket coming when Alexei Kervezee at deep square leg held a well-judged catch from Steven Crook.Duckett went on to reach his 50 from 34 balls after hitting three sixes and four fours but without addition to his score he was seventh out at 140, bowled by Joe Leach as Worcestershire’s acting captain finished with 3 for 26.Leach was called on to lead the side when Daryl Mitchell suffered a side strain in the nets, a major blow to Worcestershire, who were already without paceman Matt Henry, but Northamptonshire were even more depleted with Richard Levi, Rory Kleinveldt and Olly Stone on their lengthening casualty list.Wickets fell on a regular basis on a sluggish surface, although Alex Wakely, Josh Cobb and Keogh all had time to deal in some heavy blows.Keogh was brilliantly caught overhead at mid-off as Shantry atoned for his earlier miss but the when he came on to bowl the penultimate over, Graeme White smashed three consecutive sixes.

West Ham came from behind to secure a hard-fought victory over AZ Alkmaar in their Europa Conference League semi-final first leg.

The Irons produced an extremely drab and inspiring opening 45 minutes, which allowed the visitors to take the lead thanks to Tijjani Reijinders’ rasping long-range effort.

The second half continued in the same vein before former Brighton goalkeeper Matt Ryan recklessly collided with Jarrod Bowen to concede a penalty.

Said Benrahma gleefully dispatched the resulting spot-kick and the comeback was completed when Michail Antonio stabbed in the second from a corner.

Unsurprisingly, one player who kept in his head throughout the evening was Declan Rice, who was a pillar of solidity, calmness, and technique in the centre of the park.

How did Declan Rice perform against AZ Alkmaar?

Earlier in the week, it was reported that the hierarchy will only entertain offers over £100m for their club captain, who delivered a splendid performance.

The 24-year-old – who was once hailed as a "machine" by BBC contributor Raj Choban – managed 70 touches with 93% pass completion, which included two key passes, and four accurate long balls.

This contributes to a wider perspective of his precise passing, which is showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 26% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes, averaging 6.28 per 90, according to FBref.

The pivot also provided huge help to the defensive effort, which meant that the Dutch outfit barely threatened in the latter stages of the match. He recorded a mammoth four tackles, the most in the Hammers starting line-up, and won five ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Across the campaign, the 41-cap international has averaged 2.3 tackles per game, the second-highest in the squad.

Attributes such as this have led pundits, including Sky Sports’ Danny Cowley, to describe the skipper as “world-class”, who is set to be the subject of a fiercely competitive transfer saga.

After his formidable showing against Manchester United, the £60k-per-week star is the only player in Europe’s top five leagues with over 30 interceptions, clearances, take-ons competed, aerial duels won, shots, as well as winning back possession more times than anyone else (322).

The Englishman’s physicality and leadership, coupled with the stunning dribbling and chance-creation ability of Benrahma, make for a potent combination for David Moyes.

The Algerian was also in imperious form and deeply troubled his opponents, reflected by his four successful dribbles.

Both these players will be absolutely imperative as the east Londoners bid for their first European trophy since 1965.

South Africa batsman Farhaan Behardien has said they were confident at the halfway mark of their match on Tuesday that their total of 189 would be “tough” to surpass for Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2016South Africa batsman Farhaan Behardien has said they were confident at the halfway mark of their match against Australia that their total of 189 would be “tough” to surpass. South Africa opted to bat at the Providence Stadium and were struggling at 112 for 6 in the 29th over, before Behardien’s 62 pushed them to a more competitive score.”The chat [during innings break] was to hang in there and we had a score to bowl at,” Behardien said. “We knew that the Aussie team is full of confidence but we knew that 190 would be tough. They didn’t struggle too much getting the score the other night against the West Indies but it was tough. [Today], the first eight overs, Parnell and Kagiso bowled really well and got those three wickets which put Australia on the back foot. So the chat halfway through was that we had given ourselves a chance and if you bowl really well, which we did tonight, we can win the game and I’m very glad that we did. It’s not easy beating the Australian team.”I thought it was one of those wickets where there was quite a lot happening. Finchy played an unbelievable innings considering the conditions. But we always felt that we were in the game. We went with quite a bold game plan with three spinners, and it paid off on a wicket that offers some assistance for the spinners.”Behardien top-scored for his team with his fifth ODI half-century by building partnerships with the lower order. He first put on 37 with Aaron Phangiso, who scored 9 off 41, for the seventh wicket and then 39 with Kagiso Rabada, who stayed unbeaten on 15. Behardien was satisfied to show a gutsy performance on a pitch that was not easy to bat on.”It’s nice to get a score for the team,” Behardien said. “There was a middle-order collapse against Sunil Narine, he kind of got stuck into us on that particular day. Personally, to be out there and grind it out for nearly 30 overs and…the trend of white-ball cricket over the last year has just been of big scores and free-flowing batting innings and sixes and fours. So for me to pull out that performance was pretty satisfying.”Even as teams have struggled to put on big scores at the bowler-friendly Providence Stadium pitches, Behardien hoped the forthcoming matches in the tri-series would be more batsmen-friendly.”Apparently, St Kitts and Barbados offer a bit more pace and bounce, even and through bounce,” he said. “Guyana was obviously low and slow so they brought all the spinners into play. Similarly, our spinners did really well. Phangi took three wickets against the West Indies the other night and Shamsi, Imran [Tahir] and Phangiso again did really well tonight. There’s a big emphasis on playing spin. Hopefully the tracks will be a little more in favour of the batters in St Kitts and Barbados.”Behardien also sang praises for debutant and chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, who struck in his first over with the wicket of Glenn Maxwell and finished with an impressive 1 for 36 from eight overs that included a maiden. Shamsi had two lbw appeals in his first over – against Finch and Maxwell – but got only one in his favour.”He brings new energy to the group. He made his debut today against the world champions so we had chucked him in the deep end straightaway,” Behardien said. “I played with him at the Titans, my state franchise side, in South Africa. There’s a little bit of mystery to him.”We’ve seen wrist spinners coming to the fore in the shorter formats – [Adam] Zampa’s coming, a lot of the IPL teams have one or two wrist spinners who turn the ball both ways. I think that’s the key going forward as to try and get some back-up for Imran Tahir. And we need somebody to be groomed by him. Tabraiz Shamsi offers a left-arm chinaman in the mould of Brad Hogg, bit of fire in his belly, always up for the game, always keen to put a performance in. It’s always gold dust to have a guy who turns the ball both ways.”He is tough to pick and I hope he will be tough to pick for the next couple of weeks. Like I said, he’s new so teams won’t have too much footage on him and hopefully the wickets will assist him little bit. But as I’ve heard that the wickets in Barbados and St Kitts are a bit more batter-friendly, he’ll have to work hard and work on his lengths. As a team we’re really excited about a left-arm wrist spinner playing in our starting XI. Hopefully he can be a member of our side for the years to come.”

West Ham United have already made contact to sign Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia and have promised to return for his signature.

While they could reach the final of the Europa Conference League, the London outfit has struggled domestically.

They're almost guaranteed safety from relegation but they have been too close to the drop zone all season.

What's the latest on Pablo Maia to West Ham?

Three days ago, Bolavip Brasil, via Sport Witness, reported that West Ham and Fulham have made contact with Sao Paulo for Pablo Maia.

The Brazilian outfit plans to raise funds by selling players and have identified Maia as one of those who could be sold.

This is good news for West Ham and Fulham with both sides ready to accelerate their interest.

According to Andre Hernan, both the Hammers and the Cottagers have promised Sao Paulo they will return to sign Maia.

While covering Hernan's claims, Bolavip Brasil added that the two Premier League outfits will 'return with maximum force' to sign Maia.

Having already made contact with the Brazilian club, they will 'go strong'.

Maia is expected to cost in the region of €11m (£9.6m) but perhaps a bidding war between the two outfits will see that value rise.

Could Pablo Maia be the next talent to arrive in the Premier League?

There are already a number of Brazilians excelling in the Premier League and the Hammers added one over the summer in the form of Lucas Paqueta who has finally begun to find his feet in London.

Last year, Football Talent Scout, Jacek Kulig, shared on Twitter that Maia is a Casemiro-esque player, highlighting his passing, vision, tackling positioning, anticipation and work rate as his strongest traits.

According to Fbref, he ranks in the 92nd percentile for blocks and in the 99th percentile for successful aerial duels won. When players move to the Premier League, one of the concerns is always over whether they will be able to compete physically, although it's doubtful Maia will have that particular issue.

If West Ham are successful in signing him this summer and keep most of their players, the 21-year-old could have a big impact on their play.

Maia would give the Hammers more protection in transition, allowing the likes of Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma more space to build attacks from.

And with the future of Declan Rice under serious speculation ahead of the summer window, perhaps he could be the ideal replacement for the Irons.

It’s been a season of reflection for Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have followed on less promisingly from their 10th place finish last year to sitting in 14th currently as the 2022/23 Premier League campaign comes to a close later this month.

There have been lots of talking points for Wolves, as a squad bursting with talent has underperformed in a climate of changing managers and playing styles.

There’s no denying the influx of quality that Nuno Espirito Santo introduced to Wolverhampton from Portugal, however the Portuguese manager missed a trick in not developing one particular star into the system.

Pedro Goncalves signed for Wolves from Valencia U19 to join the clubs’ academy with the hope to blossom into a Premier League starter.

His aspirations were cut short as he returned to his home country two years later, having made just one appearance for the first team in the Carabao Cup against Sheffield Wednesday during his stay.

The winger was sold to Famalicao for peanuts in 2019, where he was shortly after snatched by Sporting Lisbon for around £5m, and the rest is painful viewing for Wolves.

What could have been for Pedro Goncalves at Wolves?

The 24-year-old has broken onto the European scene in dramatic fashion, showing those in the Midlands what they’re missing in a player that has had an outstanding season.

Playing as both a left-winger and central midfielder, the "astonishing" Goncalves – as lauded by The Times' Henry Winter – has scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists in 47 appearances for Sporting this season in all competitions.

To put such goal scoring form into context, his former club have found the net just 29 times themselves in the Premier League so far this campaign. Now flaunting a release clause of €80m (£70m), Wolves are left with a nightmare of what could have been had the Chaves-born star had time to flourish at the club.

The versatile attacker has flexed his ability against English opposition three times this season already, sparking the conversation as to what he could’ve added to the Premier League.

He was the talk of the tie as Sporting knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League, assisting in the first leg and scoring a wonder goal at the Emirates back in March. Prior to his Europa League involvement, the 24-year-old featured in the Champions League, where he assisted against Tottenham Hotspur.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but not so much for Wolves who let an overly encouraging young talent slip from their grasp.

During his time in the Midlands, the Portuguese attacker spent his time with the club’s development squad, where he was managed by Rob Edwards. Edwards spoke to Sky Sports earlier this season on Goncalves’ rise in Europe, admitting that the budding star’s success did “not come as a surprise” to him following their time together in England.

Coming towards the end of the season, it has become more evident as to what the youngster could’ve given Wolves, however, the outcome has seen a talent that suffered a confidence denting move find his potential on the biggest stages in Europe.

تعرف على موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة موريتانيا والرأس الأخضر اليوم في كأس أمم إفريقيا.

تستكمل اليوم الإثنين مباريات دور الـ16 (ثمن النهائي) لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 بمباراة موريتانيا والرأس الأخضر.

المباراة من المقرر إقامتها على ملعب استاد فيليكس هوفويت بوانيي، من أجل البحث عن بطاقة الصعود لدور الثمانية.

ترتيب هدافي كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 بعد هدف مصطفى محمد أمام الكونغو

وكان منتخب الرأس الأخضر قد فاجأ الجميع في دور المجموعات، باحتلاله صدارة المجموعة الثانية التي ضمت إلى جواره منتخبات مصر وغانا وموزمبيق، برصيد 7 نقاط.

أما منتخب موريتانيا، فقد صعد للدور الإقصائي ضمن أفضل 4 منتخبات بالمركز الثالث، بعد أن حصد 3 نقاط بفوز على الجزائر، ليتأهل لأول مرة في تاريخه للدور الثاني.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب الفائز من تلك المواجهة، مع المتأهل من موقعة المغرب وجنوب إفريقيا، في الدور ربع النهائي لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا. موعد مباراة موريتانيا والرأس الأخضر في كأس أمم إفريقيا

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والثامنة بتوقيت السعودية والخامسة بتوقيت موريتانيا. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة موريتانيا والرأس الأخضر اليوم

من المنتظر أن تذاع المباراة عبر قناتي beIN Sports HD 1 Max وbeIN Sports HD 3 Max.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.