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Arsenal have privately refused to rule out signing a former Man City forward for manager Mikel Arteta this summer, with new sporting director Andrea Berta and the Gunners hierarchy set for a key transfer decision.

Arsenal cruise into Champions League semi-finals after Real Madrid win

It’s been a sensational week for Arteta and co, who made history by becoming the first ever side in history to win at the Bernabeu on their first two visits – breaking a record which stood for 77 years.

Arsenal given 50% discount for £280k-per-week forward after opening talks

Andrea Berta could now strike a half-price deal.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 18, 2025

Goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli sealed a stunning 5-1 aggregate win for Arsenal in the Spanish capital, making a serious statement to the rest of Europe that they’re genuine contenders to win this year’s Champions League title.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games	Date
Ipswich Town (away)	April 20th
Crystal Palace (home)	April 23rd
Bournemouth (home)	May 3rd
Liverpool (away)	May 11th
Newcastle United (home)	May 18th

A tough test in Ligue 1 champions PSG awaits in the semi-finals, but their tails will surely be up after a potentially season-defining quarter-final tie.

“The feeling that we have is our reality, basically,” said Arteta on the mood around Arsenal after their triumph over Real Madrid.

“And in the feeling that I had before the game, when the players were transmitting and how prepared I could feel the team, that we are ready to compete against anybody. Now we have to continue to do that because I think we have some momentum now.

“Where we finished last year and the way we’re doing it this year, the teams with their eyes on us and the competition, it’s incredible. Big credit to [Madrid}, it was my first time as a coach in that dugout, and today I realised after three minutes in this stadium, anything is possible. They are specialists of creating such chaos and belief, and it’s very difficult to really understand what’s going on in the game and have certainty about how we controlled it. I think they showed a lot of maturity.”

Arsenal refuse to rule out signing Raheem Sterling permanently

Privately, Arsenal are making plans to build the squad further and provide Arteta with new wide attackers.

In the last week, Arsenal have repeatedly been linked with a move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman, not to mention Athletic Bilbao sensation Nico Williams, but there is also the matter of Raheem Sterling and his future at the Emirates.

It hasn’t exactly been a dream loan move from Chelsea for the Englishman, who’s seen precious little game time under his former City assistant coach, with Arsenal paying around £163,000-per-week of his £325,000-per-week salary during his temporary stint.

Berta would need to renegotiate contract terms and a fee with Chelsea to make his move permanent, but according to The Mail, as quoted by TEAMtalk, Arsenal have refused to rule out signing Sterling permanently and are yet to inform him of a final decision.

It would be a bizarre call by the north Londoners at this point, considering the 30-year-old boasts just one goal and five assists all season, but it is believed his stay may not be completely off the table, contrary to reports.

Which one do you pick: the Ben Stokes epic at Headingley against Australia, or the time New Zealand overturned a follow-on to trump Bazballin’ England?

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The ENG-AUS 2019 Leeds Test moves into the quarter-finals.

The Stokes show at Headingley, 2019

A Test that might not have otherwise stayed for too long in the memory, it was the unbroken 76-run stand for the last wicket between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach that lifted it to where the greatest Test matches in history are clubbed together.And, of course, the fact that in those 76 runs, one batter scored 74 (in 45 balls) and the other 1 (in 17 balls)! Not to forget that the winners had scored 67 in their first innings and then hit 362 for 9 in a Test where 246 was the next-best total.Australia won the first Test and the second was drawn, so England wanted to win this one at Headingley to stay in the Ashes contest. But after Australia were bowled out for 179 in the first innings, all England could put up was 67, with Joe Denly top-scoring with 12. Back to Australia, and this time they put up 246.Was the pitch getting better for batting? It didn’t seem so when England were 15 for 2 in their chase of 359, and then 159 for 4 with Joe Root gone, and then 286 for 9. Stokes, the No. 5, was on 61 at the time. Off 174 balls.But with last-man Leach for company, Stokes switched something on. He hit four fours and seven sixes from that point, keeping Leach away from the strike as much as possible, before finishing it off with a flay through the covers off Pat Cummins. Done and dusted!

New Zealand go from follow-on to victory – Wellington, 2023

New Zealand became only the fourth team in Test history to win after being asked to follow-on when they beat England by one run in Wellington.With Harry Brook and Joe Root scoring hundreds, England Bazballed their way to 435 for 8 declared. In response, New Zealand slipped to 103 for 7 before folding for 209, and were asked to follow on.The second innings was completely different. Led by Kane Williamson’s 132, Tom Blundell’s 90 and Tom Latham’s 83, they set England 258 to win.With more than a day left, England would have still fancied their chances. But they collapsed to 80 for 5 within 22 overs. Ben Stokes decided to drop the anchor, while Root did the bulk of the scoring. They took England past 200 but fell soon after.It came down to the last pair with seven to get. Jack Leach got off the mark with a single, as he had during the famous Headingley Test of the 2019 Ashes. But this time it was James Anderson, and not Stokes, at the other end. Anderson did smash a four but then edged Neil Wagner down the leg side for Blundell to complete a diving catch and the win.

They aren’t old enough to have built a big fan base but can do so now and quickly by defending their title

Shashank Kishore27-May-20232:02

Solanki: Gill has all the qualities of a world-class player

Who owns Mumbai Indians?
“Ambanis! Reliance! Duh, too easy.”Who owns Kolkata Knight Riders?
“What a question! SRK, of course. Shahrukh Khan! SRK-Juhi Chawla.”Okay, what about Gujarat Titans?
“Umm……that company. …some American company…okay, give me a clue?”The IPL’s second-most expensive franchise, which is in its second straight final, trying to defend a crowd they won after being billed as no-hopers in 2022, don’t have a recall value when it comes to their ownership.Related

Hardik is Neymar as Neymar could rarely be

IPL 2023 comes full circle as wily CSK face defending champs Titans – on reserve day

For Showman Gill, it's all about pushing the boundaries

Much of it is down to the owners – private equity firm CVC Capitals – staying away from the limelight – and instead trusting their management group led by Vikram Solanki and Ashish Nehra to call the shots.But ask the same folks who their favorite Titans player is, and they throw out names in a torrent. Hardik Pandya. Rashid Khan. Shubman Gill. David Miller. Mohammed Shami. They say it’s way too hard to pick one, but Gill and Hardik seemed equal on the popularity stakes.This was on Friday, long before Gill inflicted carnage in the second Qualifier. The man who has hit three IPL centuries in his last four games. The man many believe is a once-in-a-generation batter. You could firmly say Ahmedabad brought their Gill-cams with them to the stadium.Right from the kids queuing up at the merchandise store to get a number printed on a miniature jersey to folks lining up inside the ground, having made it through a connection of connections, to be able to watch the teams have a short but sharp net session at the ‘B’ grounds in Motera. It’s as if watching him all season hadn’t been enough. They were back to see him train.They crowded the perimeter of the outdoor nets area to watch them. A number of support staff members were mobbed for selfies too, even Arush Nehra, coach Nehra’s son. In return, all of them sweetly gave into their innocence, and did not crush the fans by saying they weren’t players.Once they saw Hardik, it was mayhem. And in a glimpse of how relaxed the camp was, he settled to play a game of street cricket with Arush and friends, even Rohit Sharma went full tilt in the centre. It told you of a mindset that is as calm and stable in both victory and defeat. It’s something Solanki, their team director, spoke at length about. Their manner of keeping the group together wasn’t about just working on techniques, but about trying to imbibe a winning culture by staying neutral.Gujarat Titans have an impressive trophy to defend•BCCIFor a while, after training had been wrapped up prior to the Qualifier 2, Hardik sat in the middle, eyes closed and soaking in the silence of an empty ground, barring the odd crack of the bat from Rohit. He seemed at ease. He was chatty with the ground staff, posed for pictures with their families and generally resonated with a relaxed vibe. He is the leader, but was the first to talk to the reserves, handhold them and guide them at training.This included a young net bowler Thomas, who now lives in Ahmedabad and hopes to play for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy having moved from Scotland two years ago. Thomas moved to the city after marrying a Gujarati and plays club cricket in the city. He was in awe of how special he was made to feel to the extent that they’re all rooting for Titans all the way from Scotland. Certainly, they have enough support from Afghanistan and Ireland because of the trio of Rashid, Noor Ahmad and Josh Little.When Titans met Chennai Super Kings in the inaugural game, the Dhoni mania outnumbered all else, and while you’d be naive to not expect a repeat, there’s a general sense of how this game will be slightly different. It’s after all a home-grown Gujarati captain leading the local team and having the backing of the same fans who rooted for India’s icon.Hardik is every bit a Dhoni clone. In terms of his mindset, and most definitely in terms of his temperament as captain. That is reason enough to root for someone who is Dhoni-like. Hardik comes from Baroda, and there is some striking contrast in how he has won over another city. Hardik himself has spoken enough about the Dhoni hand in his self-transformation from a “crazy guy” to a polished “cricket nerd” whose thinking for the game goes way beyond what it seem on the surface.In that sense, Sunday’s clash is similar in terms of what one can expect from both captains. The unflinching determination, the wave of authority, the calmness, the energy, the vibe, and more importantly, the colour – it’s all set up for a grand occasion. Titans have an opportunity to do something that has been done only twice before. Winning a title can be hard; defending it even harder. Dhoni has done it, will Hardik follow?Last year, a capacity crowd willed Titans on and then dotted the streets to celebrate an open bus parade that firmly etched the team into the city’s consciousness. The connect they didn’t quite have with Gujarat Lions – who were based in Rajkot – is now there with Titans. A win will firmly cement – no pun intended – this relationship and loyalty.

The last Bangladesh fast bowler to take a Test-match five-for could have lessons on bowling (and life) for the current bunch

Mohammad Isam05-Jul-2021Robiul Islam is a forgotten man. He lives in Satkhira, a small town in the southwestern corner of Bangladesh, 15km from the Indian border. There, Robiul is taking care of his mother. He played his last competitive match three years ago. He is currently out of work, hoping the Covid-19 pandemic eases up enough for cricket to resume so he can start an umpiring career.Related

• No Robiul, no bowling-attack leader

• Bangladesh's best fast bowler sidelined

• The neglected asset that is a Bangladesh fast bowler

It was a different time in Robiul’s life seven years ago, when he was the toast of the Bangladesh touring party in Zimbabwe. He took 15 wickets at 19.53, bowling 110 overs, the biggest wicket haul and the most overs bowled by a Bangladesh fast bowler in a Test series, ever. He had helped Bangladesh draw the two-Test series, and was adjudged Player of the Series – the only fast bowler in Bangladesh’s Test history to earn that honour. He is also the last Bangladesh quick to take a five-wicket haul in Tests.New Zealand fast bowling coach Shane Jurgensen remembers Robiul’s performance vividly, calling it one of the highlights of his time as Bangladesh head coach.”Robiul bowled absolutely beautifully in Harare,” Jurgensen tells ESPNcricinfo. “His bowling performance against Zimbabwe was probably one of the highlights of my time as Bangladesh coach. I remember the performance mainly because he bowled so accurately. He was a threat to the batter. It looked like he was going to get a wicket off most deliveries. He was aggressive. He used his bouncer well. He bowled amazing outswingers to take the edge. He got a few lbws. It was one of the most outstanding performances for Bangladesh.”Robiul, however, played his last Test in the following year, and was out of reckoning soon after. He’s now a trivia question that pops up when a Bangladesh fast bowler picks up four wickets in an innings. When they have inevitably failed to get a fifth, it becomes yet another reminder of Bangladesh’s pace-bowling record in the last seven years.Bangladesh are in Zimbabwe for another tour now, and the fast bowlers in the Test side are Abu Jayed, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam. They don’t have the greatest numbers but they are part of a pace-bowling collective that has caused a flutter through better fitness and domestic performances in the last nine months. They are, however, far from being finished products.Watching, and reading about, Robiul’s 15-wicket haul might help. It is a reminder of what can be achieved through bowling accurately, by being patient and skillful. Robiul’s story, however, is of greater importance for how his career folded so quickly. Fast bowlers can learn from his mistakes, but there were captains, coaches and administrators who could have shown more patience, technical knowledge and empathy, and less ego.Robiul Islam reaped the rewards of patience, accuracy and skill•Getty ImagesRobiul plowed away in the domestic scene for several years before his 2010 Test debut at Lord’s. He was still not a regular in the Test side for the following three years until he hit paydirt in Harare.”It was my best series,” Robiul tells ESPNcricinfo. “I bowled 110 overs. I enjoyed bowling on the bouncy Harare pitches. I was called up to an unofficial training camp by Shane Jurgensen earlier that year. I wasn’t part of any BPL team that year, so Shane decided to prepare me for tours to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Mushfiqur [Rahim], who used to give targets to every player separately, said that I should always think about bowling economically. I planned to do just that.”Robiul impressed everyone with his skill and endurance, and was picked in the ODI and T20I sides. Bangladesh had found a fast bowler after a long time, many thought.There’s no straightforward answer as to why Robiul’s career went up in smoke so quickly. He wasn’t the fittest cricketer, but nobody could deny his skill and endurance purely as a bowler. Jurgensen acknowledged that Robiul’s fitness was a problem, but he also pointed out how he was never given enough time in unhelpful home conditions.”It was a shame that he didn’t bowl more,” Jurgensen says. “If I can remember correctly, he may have battled some injuries and fitness issues after the Zimbabwe series. He was also not given enough time to adapt his game plans to home conditions. His bowling suited conditions in Harare, New Zealand or England. He didn’t quite get enough time to adapt his bowling to Bangladesh conditions, which can be tough for any seam bowler.”Robiul was wicketless in his first two Tests after the Zimbabwe tour, against New Zealand and Sri Lanka at home during the 2013-14 season. After Jurgensen resigned from the Bangladesh job in April 2014, Bangladesh’s first Test series was against West Indies a few months later. New coach Chandika Hathurusingha didn’t welcome Robiul.”The selectors told me that Hathurusingha, who had just arrived as head coach, didn’t want me in the team,” Robiul says. “They said that they consider me as the country’s No. 1 fast bowler so I should try to do well in the Test series.”I played one Test in the West Indies. During our transit in Heathrow Airport while coming back home, Hathurusingha told me that my bowling speed wasn’t good enough for international cricket. I dared to ask him which is better – a bowler bowling at 140kph and not swinging the ball, or one who bowls 133-135kph and swings the ball to trouble the batsman? He didn’t have an answer.”When Zimbabwe toured Bangladesh in October that year, Robiul missed a fitness test during a training camp. He proved his match fitness in the tour game, but even so he was dropped – a move that, according to Robiul, surprised even the Zimbabwe players.”I was astounded when I wasn’t picked for the Test series against Zimbabwe, having been the Player of the Series in the previous series against them. I was told it was my fitness, although I bowled 15 overs in the tour match,” Robiul says. “An interesting thing happened during that game in Fatullah. Some of the Zimbabwe players asked me why I wasn’t in the Test side. I didn’t know what to tell them. I said that the head coach told me that I wasn’t fit enough for international cricket.”As fate would have it, Robiul was injured shortly afterwards in a domestic one-day match. It derailed any hopes of a quick comeback. “It took me a year to recover from the shoulder injury. I was never the same bowler again.”Robiul Islam bowled with heart on often unresponsive surfaces•Getty ImagesEven though Robiul had shown he could be a match-winner overseas, he didn’t have much chance to flourish in a Bangladesh environment that valued batters and spinners more. Captains and coaches are focused on winning home ODIs, and sometimes Tests. They know that was achievable through batters and spinners. Since they hardly played overseas Tests, there wasn’t enough of an incentive to create a pace-bowling group with specialist skills.Robiul didn’t do himself a lot of favours with his fitness, but someone like Rubel Hossain, despite a lack of wickets for many years, got regular chances. Whenever Shafiul Islam has recovered from an injury, he has been back in the reckoning. It is a widely circulated belief, particularly within the BCB, that Mustafizur Rahman isn’t keen on Test cricket. Yet, a lot of time, energy and resources have been spent on getting him to work on his inswinger to the right-hander.There is, however, some credit for continuing with Jayed, who has also looked like the most consistent fast bowler over the last seven years. Taskin’s comeback has been commendable too, given that he has worked doubly hard on his fitness and skills after being discarded for three years.

****

Robiul says Jayed and Taskin should be able to do the job in Zimbabwe, where pitches are likely to be on the slower side. “They have to hit the seam in Zimbabwe. It will depend largely on how much backspin a bowler can impart on the ball. It is a crucial aspect of seam and swing bowling,” he says. “But they also have to be patient in those conditions, which can be cold and dry. I am sure they will do well.”Robiul says he has noticed better professionalism from the current lot of fast bowlers than when he was playing cricket. “I was kicked out by using fitness as the excuse,” he says. “Fast bowlers have to keep their fitness up to the mark, but at the same time, they have to do their bowling drills. I used to bowl a lot in the nets, more than the prescribed volume.”Everyone has become a lot more professional these days. There was a time when we used to wait for the BCB even to do gym. Now the players make their own arrangements whenever necessary, particularly during the pandemic.”He is also optimistic about life after cricket. He has begun earning his coaching and umpiring credentials. He is more interested in a career as an umpire, and dreams of one day standing in a Test match.”I have done level-one courses in coaching and umpiring,” he says. “I am leaning more towards umpiring although I couldn’t start officiating due to the pandemic. (Enamul Haque) Moni , our only Test cricketer to stand in a Test match as an umpire, told me that I should take up this profession.”Robiul retains optimism, resilience and good humour. He isn’t keen to expand on his financial difficulties. He knows he will soon be forgotten again, living his life as a piece of trivia in Dhaka and wherever cricket matters. He’s busy fighting a different fight in far-flung Satkhira.

Trailing the San Francisco Giants by eight runs entering the bottom of the eighth, the Chicago Cubs threw in the towel in the form of letting catcher Reese McGuire stride out to the mound and lob some eephus pitches. Few things are more exciting in sports than watching non-pitchers lob pitches that would work in slow-pitch softball to the best hitters in the world and confound them into looking quite mortal.

McGuire did the job just fine, surrendering just one run in the frame and getting the game over quickly.

The catcher explored all the space above the strike zone before dropping moonshots in, including this 35-MPH job that Rafael Devers could only watch.

Beautiful stuff.

Now, the little ball icon would tell you this was very high. But that thing is calibrated for pitchers who are throwing very fast and not letting gravity do the work. It's entirely possible that this thing came from the sky and did cross part of the plate in the strike zone before finding the catcher's glove. Or the ump understandably just wanted to get things going.

The Premier League is the most watched league on the planet and home to the greatest players in the world.

Mohamed Salah cemented himself as one of the best wingers of all time last season, picking up the PFA Player of the Year award for a record third time. But who is the best player in the English top flight right now?

Ranking factors Current form Importance to team Reputation and honours 50-41

50. Samuel Chukwueze

Fulham

49. Ruben Dias

Man City

48. Omar Alderete

Sunderland

47. Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

46. Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

45. Yankuba Minteh

Brighton

44. Ismaila Sarr

Crystal Palace

43. Gianluigi Donnarumma

Man City

42. Ruben Dias

Man City

41. Jan Paul van Hecke

Brighton

40. Josko Gvardiol

Man City

The notable fallers this week, understandably, include two Liverpool players. Salah has gone from being the best player in the top-flight to someone Arne Slot can afford to drop. The Egyptian falls out of the top 50 after a week in which he claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus”. He has been on the bench in the last three games and will be off to AFCON soon.

Times are also tough for centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who looks a shadow of his former self in defence. Against Sunderland in their 1-1 draw, he allowed Chemsdine Talbi the freedom of Anfield to get his shot away. The forward’s effort deflected off Van Dijk and flew into the net. It was a moment that summed up the Dutchman’s campaign, later going on to concede three against Leeds as well.

40-31

40. Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Leeds

39. Lewis Hall

Newcastle

38. Iliman Ndiaye

Everton

37. Martin Zubimendi

Arsenal

36. Sandro Tonali

Newcastle

35. Malick Thiaw

Newcastle

34. Jeremy Doku

Man City

33. Riccardo Calafiori

Arsenal

32. Bryan Mbeumo

Man Utd

31. Granit Xhaka

Sunderland

Dominic Calvert-Lewin deservedly shoots up the rankings this week. He has struggled to find his form in recent years but has now scored in three successive games for Leeds. Has Daniel Farke finally found someone capable of saving them from relegation?

Newcastle defenders Malick Thiaw – a scorer of two goals a weekend prior – and Lewis Hall both feature inside the top 40.

30-21

30. Pedro Neto

Chelsea

29. Nico O’Reilly

Man City

28. Rayan Cherki

Man City

27. Matty Cash

Aston Villa

26. Jack Grealish

Everton

25. Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool

24. Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea

23. Nick Woltemade

Newcastle

22. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Everton

21. Antoine Semenyo

Bournemouth

Antoine Semenyo is one of the biggest fallers in recent weeks. During the opening months of the term, the Cherries winger looked like one of the best players in the league. Now, however, he’s failed to register a goal involvement across his last seven matches.

Elsewhere, Nico O’Reilly soars up the rankings following an impressive few weeks for Manchester City while Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is into the top 30 having netted three goals in his last four games.

20-11

20. Jean-Philippe Mateta

Crystal Palace

19. David Raya

Arsenal

18. William Saliba

Arsenal

17. Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

16. Eberechi Eze

Arsenal

15. Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal

14. Daniel Munoz

Crystal Palace

13. Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

12. Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest

11. Mikel Merino

Arsenal

The most underrated player in world football right now is quite possibly Mikel Merino. Mikel Arteta has transformed the Spaniard from a duel-winning monster in midfield to an elite number 9. He has scored vital headers against Chelsea and Brentford across recent game weeks and features inside the top 20.

It’s been a trickier few weeks for the Gunners, hence why the likes of Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes have both dropped out of the top ten.

10 Marc Guehi – Crystal Palace

Denied his move to Liverpool in the summer, Guehi has responded in emphatic fashion at Crystal Palace. He’s one of the finest centre-backs in the country and has even added goals to his game this term, scoring that last-gasp winner against Fulham last weekend.

9 Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle

There are not many more influential midfielders or captains in the Premier League right now than Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes. He scored from a corner against Burnley last weekend, only cementing himself as a true icon at St James’ Park.

8 Jurrien Timber – Arsenal

Is there a better right-back in world football right now than Timber? We don’t think so. The Netherlands international has made Arsenal’s right flank his own and has been tremendous across the last few weeks, notably registering an assist in the Gunners’ big win against Spurs and then even filling in at centre-half against Brentford and Aston Villa.

7 Moises Caicedo – Chelsea

Caicedo may well have been sent off for a late challenge on Merino during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with the Gunners but he’s still very much one of the best in the division. Red card aside, he has been phenomenal in 2025/26.

6 Igor Thiago – Brentford

Only second to Erling Haaland in the Premier League’s scoring charts, Igor Thiago is enjoying quite the season as Keith Andrews’ leading man. He has scored nine goals in his last ten outings for the Bees.

5 Reece James – Chelsea

All of the talk this season has been about how good Declan Rice and Caicedo are but James has more than proven he’s a match for both players in midfield. delivering a man of the match performance against Arsenal a few weeks ago.

4 Phil Foden – Manchester City

When Phil Foden is on, he is on it. The 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Year had a quiet campaign by his standards in 2024/25 but he’s finally rediscovering his mojo. Foden scored a brace against Leeds United and Fulham before finding the net versus Sunderland last weekend.

3 Bruno Fernandes – Man United

Put a little quality around him and suddenly you see the real Bruno. The United skipper has easily been one of the finest assets in the top-flight this term and his performance against Wolves proved it. During that game he scored twice and also registered an assist as Ruben Amorim’s side won 4-1 at Molineux.

2 Erling Haaland – Man City

While the fierce Norwegian has blanked in recent matches against Newcastle, Leeds and Sunderland, he did score in that ridiculous 5-4 win over Fulham, also assisting twice. Haaland is absolutely unstoppable and is on track to obliterate the record for goals in a 38-game Premier League season.

1 Declan Rice – Arsenal

Adding end product to his game over the last 12 months, Rice is perhaps the standout midfielder in world football at present. Adding another assist to his tally against Tottenham, Arsenal’s number 41 dominated proceedings in the North London derby and his partnership with Martin Zubimendi looks virtually unplayable.

The Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off the 2025 MLB season on Tuesday, taking on the Chicago Cubs across the Pacific Ocean in the Tokyo Series. In the first game of the year with first pitch early in the morning, the defending champion Dodgers defeated the Cubs, 4–1. Reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani picked up right where he left off, recording two hits and two runs in the victory.

Afterwards, Ohtani got reflective about playing in his home country and made a surprisingly honest admission: He was nervous out there.

"I was actually pretty nervous," Ohtani said while speaking to MLB Network's Harold Reynolds after the win through an interpreter. "It's been a while since I was nervous. But today, definitely felt it.

"It's a very unique environment, a unique situation where I do feel the fans expecting me to get some hits. So that was a little bit different."

It's shocking to hear if only because Ohtani has accomplished just about everything under the sun as far as the game of baseball is concerned. He's won a World Series, multiple MVPs and won the World Baseball Classic while playing for his country. How could he possibly get nervous about playing on his home turf?

As he explains, though, Tuesday was different. All of Tokyo Dome fell silent when Ohtani was at the plate, with tens of thousands intently observing the international superstar working at his craft. There were no cheers or boos. Just an entire country holding its breath every time Ohtani was at the plate.

Can't blame the guy for being nervous, through that lens.

تحدث كمال درويش، الرئيس الأسبق لنادي الزمالك، عن أهمية التخصص والكفاءة في العمل الإداري داخل الأندية، مؤكدًا أن الإدارة الرياضية علم قائم بذاته.

وقال كمال درويش في تصريحات عبر أون سبورت: “أنا أستاذ متخصص في الإدارة الرياضية، وبدأت مسيرتي الأكاديمية منذ عام 1983، أي أنني (شيخ) هذا المجال”.

وأكمل: “ومن ثمّ يجب الالتزام بقواعد الإدارة السليمة، وقواعد الإدارة السليمة تعني منح الصلاحيات وجلب أشخاص أكفاء، وهذه هي الطريقة التي تُدار بها الأمور بشكل صحيح”.

وتابع: “كنت حاضرًا بنفسي عندما كنت رئيس نادي الزمالك في ملفات التعاقدات، لأنني رجل متخصص، ولست مجرد أستاذ أكاديمي فحسب؛ فأنا أيضًا مدرب منتخب مصر لكرة اليد ونادي الزمالك سابقًا، ولم يستطع أحد التفوق عليّ في الدوري، إذ حققت اللقب لمدة 15 سنة”.

وأردف: “الآن، أين المدير الرياضي؟ وما هي مؤهلاته؟ نحن بالفعل بدأنا في كليات علوم الرياضة إعادة تصحيح هذا الوضع، لأن هناك احتياجات كثيرة لا يتعلمها البعض، وبالتالي لا يُتقنون العمل الاحترافي كما يجب”.

طالع | مصدر بـ الزمالك يكشف لـ “بطولات” حقيقة رحيل حسام عبد المجيد في يناير

وواصل: “هناك أيضًا من يعتزل كرة القدم ثم يتولى الملفات الإدارية لمجرد حصوله على دورة قصيرة أو شهادة من النقابة بممارسة المهنة، وهذا ما يحدث حاليًا”.

وزاد: “الاتجاه العالمي، وفي الجامعات عمومًا، ويقوم على تجهيز برامج متخصصة للوظائف، وإما من خلال سنوات دراسية كاملة، أو بكالوريوس، أو دبلومة، أو مجموعة من الدورات التدريبية، ولذلك جرى تغيير اسم كلية التربية الرياضية إلى كلية علوم الرياضة، لأن المحتوى العلمي أصبح متداخلًا ومتطورًا، وينتج عنه في النهاية أخصائي على مستوى عالٍ”.

وأضاف: “أما من لم يدرس لكنه (شاطر)، فعليه أن يستكمل تعليمه ليصبح أكثر كفاءة؛ قد يكون شاطرًا بالخبرة أو العلاقات أو موقفه داخل النادي أو الاتحاد خلال الانتخابات، لكن وجود العلم يُعطي دائمًا نتيجة أفضل”.

وأتم: “لا أعرف تحديدًا إمكانيات جون إدوارد، لكن الفكرة نفسها من حيث الشكل جيدة، وأنا أوافق عليها، ولكن يجب أن تكون تحت مراقبة شديدة”.

Jack Taylor’s second fifty in three matches made it three wins in a row for Gloucestershire to spark hopes of retaining the Men’s Vitality Blast.Gloucestershire had begun their defence with five straight defeats but victories over Kent Spitfires, Hampshire Hawks and now Essex have given hope they can sneak back to finals day via the back door.Captain Taylor had dragged his side to a par score of 184 with 50, to go with Ben Charlesworth’s 47 not out, before Josh Shaw’s three for 29 made sure the Eagles fell 13 runs short.The 2019 champions Essex remain winless, with their only points coming from a wash-out. They can now only get a maximum of 22 points with fourth placed Glamorgan already on 20 points.For the third home match in a row, Simon Harmer chose to bowl first but it was Gloucestershire who edged the powerplay.They managed 58 runs, par for the first six overs at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, but lost Miles Hammond just about caught at slip by a juggling Paul Walter and Cam Bancroft attempting back-to-back sixes.But Essex demonstrably won the middle overs by holding the visitors to just four boundaries from the end of the seventh over to the start of the 16th.Darcy Short failing to kick on from reaching 33 and Ollie Price barbequing himself didn’t help their cause, but tight bowling closed off their scoring options.Taylor’s hard running dragged Gloucestershire back into the innings before his hard-hitting got them closer to a defendable score.Firstly, he took Matt Critchley for three fours in an over and then he carted Luc Benkenstein for two huge sixes – one of which smashed a press box window.It helped the Gloucestershire skipper reach his seventh T20 fifty in 34 balls.A wicket in each of the last three overs kept the away side to 184, with Mohammad Amir taking two of them to return three for 33, while Charlesworth’s useful 31-ball cameo left him unbeaten on 47.In the two previous games at Chelmsford, Essex had been set targets of 221 and 220 and it had quickly been apparent the chase would be above them.On this occasion, they stayed in the fight despite losing regular wickets. Michael Pepper and Jordan Cox each went big then got out in the powerplay, while Dean Elgar suffered a tortured nine balls in a half-hour spell in the middle.Paul Walter threatened to be the man to put Essex in complete control with a spritely 39 but he and Benkenstein fell in the same Charlesworth over leaving the hosts needing 82 in eight overs.Critchley and Charlie Allison clubbed 21 and 17 off the 14th and 15th overs, but then Critchley was bowled by Shaw as the momentum swung like a Newton’s cradle.But Harmer clothed to point, Allison holed out, Noah Thain picked on long on, and Amir was run out as the game fell out of Essex’s grasp as Gloucestershire squeezed at the death.

Newcastle United fell to their third Premier League defeat of the season this afternoon, with Danny Welbeck’s double securing a 2-1 win for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Eddie Howe’s side must have thought they secured a point after Nick Woltemade netted his fourth goal in just five league outings after his summer arrival from Stuttgart.

However, it wasn’t meant to be, as the aforementioned star’s effort was in vain after Welbeck’s goal secured Fabian Hurzeler’s side all three points at the AMEX.

The Magpies now sit in the bottom half of the table at present, with just two wins to their name – needing a huge reaction in the coming games to get their campaign back on track.

Such a result will likely leave the manager bitterly disappointed, but more so, the failure to impress of numerous players who were handed chances to impress from the off.

Newcastle’s disappointing performers against Brighton

Despite being under fire for his lack of impact of late, Howe decided to stick with Brazilian international Joelinton as part of his three-man midfield.

However, his showing against the Seagulls was a hugely disappointing one, with the 29-year-old subsequently being withdrawn from the contest at the break.

He failed to create any chances for his teammates despite completing 21 passes, whilst also losing 100% of the aerial battles that he entered on the South Coast.

Joelinton wasn’t alone in failing to deliver against Hurzeler’s men, with full-back Dan Burn unable to help the Magpies secure all three points against his former employers.

The 33-year-old only managed to win four of the 14 duels he entered during his 90-minute performance, subsequently being dribbled past twice by former Newcastle star Yankuba Minteh.

Despite the showings from the aforementioned duo, one other first-team member produced an afternoon to forget, with Howe desperately needing to take action.

The Newcastle star who needs to be dropped after Brighton

After the sale of Alexander Isak during the summer window, it was vital Newcastle invested well into the squad to avoid a drop off in the Premier League standings.

As previously mentioned, Woltemade has hit the ground running for the Magpies, already looking like the club’s most threatening option within the final third.

The opposite end of the pitch also received hefty investment, with Malick Thiaw joining in a £40m deal from AC Milan – subsequently cementing his place in the starting eleven in recent weeks.

However, fellow summer addition Anthony Elanga has struggled to produce the type of displays that saw the hierarchy fork out a fee in the region of £55m for his services.

The Swede has failed to score or assist in any of his ten outings across all competitions, with his showing against the Seagulls highlighting his lack of impact to date.

He was named in the starting eleven for the clash against Hurzeler’s men this afternoon, but once again failed to match the faith shown in him by his manager, Howe.

Like Joelinton, Elanga was hooked at half-time due to his lack of impact, with his underlying figures showcasing how dismal he was during the Magpies’ latest defeat.

Anthony Elanga – stats against Brighton

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

45

Touches

20

Passes completed

12

Crosses completed

0

Dribbles completed

0

Duels won

50%

Dribbled past

1

Match rating

4/10

Stats via FotMob

He failed to complete any of the dribbles or crosses that he attempted, with only one of his attempted passes being made into the final third of the pitch.

Elanga also came out on top in just 50% of all the duels he contested, even being unable to create any chances for his teammates during his 45-minute outing.

To further highlight his lack of impact, he only achieved a total of 20 touches, a tally lower than that of goalkeeper Nick Pope, who achieved a total of 40.

As a result of his performance, Elanga was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Newcastle World journalist Jordan Cronin – further showcasing his lack of impact.

Given his display, Howe desperately needs to get the winger firing, which should see the 23-year-old being dropped to the substitutes’ bench in the coming matches.

His mammoth price tag has certainly increased the pressure on his shoulders, but time needs to be handed his way to allow the attacker to adapt to the demands in the North East.

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Posts ByWill Miller Oct 17, 2025