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When Liverpool beat West Ham United, responding after losing against Fulham one week earlier, it felt like a corner had been turned. Perhaps that defeat at Craven Cottage was the final twist in the overtures of a certain Premier League triumph.

The ribbons will turn red this season. Later this afternoon, Liverpool have the chance to win the top-flight title against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, should they return to winning ways on the road and second-placed Arsenal fall at Ipswich Town earlier in the day.

Though Mikel Arteta’s attention is almost solely focused on the continental stage, this feels improbable, if not out of the question. In any case, it’s a matter of when, not if, Arne Slot will join an exclusive list of managers to lift the Premier League trophy on their first attempt.

2004/05

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea

2009/10

Carlo Ancelotti

Chelsea

2013/14

Manuel Pellegrini

Man City

2016/17

Antonio Conte

Chelsea

Leicester might be doomed but they still have quality in attack and will look to capitalise on any Liverpool complacency.

Liverpool team news

Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in first-team training after his ankle injury suffered against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield last month.

However, Conor Bradley looks set to reprise his role at right-back, with the under-fire Andy Robertson pushing for a recall after his cameo last week, skewing into his own net off the bench following a mix-up with the skipper.

Joe Gomez remains absent due to an ankle injury, but Darwin Nunez could feature after missing out on Merseyside one week ago.

Nunez might be destined for departure this summer, but his return does boost a Liverpool frontline looking to return to its best.

That’s not to say the Reds have been poor in attack lately, but Mohamed Salah hasn’t scored in five games, Diogo Jota and Nunez are out of sorts and Cody Gakpo hasn’t got going again since recovering from injury.

How Slot can respark Liverpool's frontline

Liverpool looked somewhat back to normal last weekend as they secured victory over West Ham, all but sealing the already overwhelming odds in the title race following Arsenal’s draw at Brentford.

Salah, after renewing his contract, produced a stunning trivela assist for Luis Diaz, the one man in Slot’s attack who is very much on form right now.

However, the Egyptian, 32, will be desperate to return his name to the scoresheet as he looks to build on his haul of 32 goals across all competitions

For whatever reason, it’s not quite clicking for Salah in front of goal. But it will again. With Trent not fit enough to start from the outset, Slot might be inclined to unleash Harvey Elliott in midfield, perhaps replacing Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool enjoy the Hungarian’s tireless running but a more fixed creative point could be the perfect solvent of unfluent play in and around the final third.

Having featured prominently under Jurgen Klopp last year during Liverpool’s injury-hit spell, Elliott has played a reduced part since the spinning of the managerial wheel, yet to even start in the Premier League this year. Still he’s got six goal involvements across the different competitions.

And it’s not as if he hasn’t demonstrated his capacities when given a shot. As per FBref, Elliott ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for all of goals, assists and shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive passes and the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.

This perfectly illustrates his ball-playing game and skill in driving into dangerous positions, but most importantly, it underlines his ability to maximise his output when reaching such junctures, something Salah will be eyeing hungrily.

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As you can see, Elliott’s playing a bit part for the first time since his debut campaign, having only featured six times in 2021/22 but starting on four of those occasions before suffering a season-ending injury at Elland Road.

Elliott, described as a “special talent” by Sky Sports’ Neil Mellor, hasn’t played all that much this season, but he has showcased his vast playmaking skills on numerous occasions. For example, Liverpool might have been abject in their Carabao Cup final defeat against Newcastle United, but subs combined to score a late consolation, the young midfielder expertly playing Federico Chiesa through.

Ultimately, claiming that Liverpool are out of sorts simply isn’t true, having won five of their past six Premier League matches, but fans have been frustrated by the lack of spark in the centre at times this term and Elliott surely deserves a starting berth having been limited to full appearances in the cup competitions.

He’s come up trumps on several occasions, notably scoring the winner in the first leg against PSG, but now the £40k-per-week talent needs a chance to show he can pull strings in the Premier League and bring Salah back into goalscoring form.

Salah doesn’t dribble as much as he used to but he’s hardly averse to an electric burst, and with Elliott’s crisp timing, it could be the perfect tonic for his recent struggles to break the net.

Elliott has acknowledged Salah for “teaching him” over the past several years at Liverpool, and now he has the chance to repay his tutor on what could be a momentous day for the Merseysiders.

Leicester won’t want to repeat some of their dismal displays of late, but if Elliott gets into a creative flow and connects with Salah, the Foxes simply won’t have a say in the matter.

Worth more than Huijsen: Slot has hit the jackpot on Liverpool "monster"

Liverpool hope to employ this star for many years to come.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 18, 2025

And in conditions that didn’t offer the bowlers much, this exorcism was distinctly Australian: disciplined, clinical, perfect

Alex Malcolm30-Dec-2024Australia’s cricket team performed an exorcism at the MCG on Monday. They exorcised the ghosts of the Gabba.Modern Australia is one of the most secular societies in the world. Most wouldn’t know what an exorcism is, let alone ever need one performed.Cricket isn’t a religion like it supposedly is in India. But it is fundamental to the national psyche, even if at times Australians show a clear indifference.Related

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• Stats – A sorry end to 2024 for India and Rohit

Regardless, this exorcism wasn’t sacramental. It was very Australian; disciplined, clinical, perfect. A bowling unit working as a collective. No dropped catches. No wasted reviews. Some Joel Wilson decisions got in their way, like at Headingley in 2019. Australia might have exorcised that ghost as well keeping all three reviews intact and overturning two key decisions that made victory possible.It was fitting too that Nathan Lyon claimed the winning wicket. Having been denied at Headingley and nullified at the Gabba, there was special feeling in the celebrations of both his wickets, snaring India’s first-innings hero Nitish Kumar Reddy before pinning Mohammed Siraj lbw for the win.That it all happened in front of a final-day crowd of 74,362, in a week where the Australia-Test-attendance record was smashed, added to the sweetness of the victory for Pat Cummins and his team.”When you take all that into account, it’s probably the best Test match I’ve been involved in,” Cummins said. “Eighty thousand [each] in the first three days, don’t know what the crowd was today but it was huge. It felt like [the Test] swung a lot as well, never felt like we were so far ahead of the game that it [a win] looked certain. So overall, just one of those great wins.”Sam Konstas and Pat Cummins celebrate Australia’s win•Getty ImagesIt was clear that the Gabba ghosts weighed heavily on Australia’s minds. This surface did not appear to suggest a similar chase was possible. Plenty of rational judges thought Australia were exceedingly conservative in not declaring last night, and even batting on again on the final day with 333 already in the bank. But three of the four key bowlers had been in Brisbane in 2021. They knew what Pant was capable of, what India was capable of. Only two days earlier they had India 221 for 7 and Nos. 8 and 9 combined for a 127-run stand to drag them back into the game.In the end Australia had around 13 overs up their sleeve and didn’t even need the second new ball to take all ten wickets.”I thought the wicket was pretty good,” Cummins said. “You saw our tail bat reasonably comfortably on it. So I felt like we needed at least 300-odd. It wasn’t playing too much tricks. You saw today, it didn’t really spin heaps, didn’t play too many tricks.”We had 90-odd overs that gave us 12 or so overs with potentially a second new ball today. So I felt like there was enough time. And also it felt like the way it had played out, [if] we had a good first session and kind of took the win out of the equation for them, then we could really go in for the attack with plenty of catchers, and didn’t have to worry about the runs as much.”

“Eighty thousand [each] in the first three days, don’t know what the crowd was today but it was huge. It felt like [the Test] swung a lot as well, never felt like we were so far ahead of the game that it [a win] looked certain. So overall, just one of those great wins.”Australia captain Pat Cummins

That is where this exorcism was distinctly Australian. Unlike the Gabba four years ago where India made an aggressive start reaching 132 for 1 to set up the chase, Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland sucked the life out of India’s chase with a suffocating spell of sustained fast bowling. For 26.1 overs before lunch the trio hammered away with pristine lines and lengths, and only four overs of support from Mitchell Marsh and Lyon. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma survived 16 overs without losing a wicket, but had progressed to just 25 for 0. Starc, bowling in pain with a sore back, beat the bat eight times, all past the edge of Jaiswal with 140kph outswingers. Boland beat the edge five times and Cummins once.Rohit was 9 off 39 and his patience eventually cracked, slicing a catch to gully trying an expansive whip wide of mid-on. Cummins breached the resolute defence of KL Rahul five balls later. Starc got his reward on the stroke of lunch as Kohli nicked another wide one. Usman Khawaja, who had dropped three critical catches early in the series, pouched two sharp ones at first slip. India were 33 for 3 and going nowhere.”I reckon that first session today was close to perfection from a bowling point of view,” Cummins said. “I thought we were excellent. All the guys didn’t really give any bad balls away. I don’t know what their plan was going to be but, honestly, I don’t think we really gave them a chance to fight back at us too much.Two hours later though the win looked improbable. India were still three-down at tea with Jaiswal and Pant cruising. Australia had one moment where they could have lost all hope. Starc thundered one into Jaiswal’s pad only to see Wilson shaking his head to a huge lbw shout. The review showed two reds and an orange. You could almost see Australia’s souls leave their bodies as the ball-tracking projection showed what looked like 49% of the ball smashing leg stump.Australia fans in the stands react to a close call•Associated PressThe pitch looked slow and flat. On the same surface yesterday Australia had been cruising at 85 for 3 and Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets in 11 balls to change the course of the match. Australia did not have Bumrah. They instead conjured some ethereal magic from an unlikely source: a Travis Head long hop, which Pant hoicked down Marsh’s throat at long-on.It opened the door and Cummins seized the moment. He pulled Head from the attack and brought back Boland. The MCG specialist extracted life from a lifeless surface to spit one at Ravindra Jadeja’s gloves on the way to Alex Carey.Lyon then roared as Steven Smith held a gem at slip to claim Reddy.Then Cummins dug deep as only he can. A brute of a bouncer off the pillow-like surface hurried Jaiswal hooking on 84. Wilson kept his finger down. Cummins, armed with three reviews had no hesitation. Jaiswal protested the third umpire’s finding but even Rohit admitted he had hit it after the match.

The pitch looked slow and flat. On the same surface yesterday Australia had been cruising at 85 for 3 and Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets in 11 balls to change the course of the match. Australia did not have Bumrah. They instead conjured some ethereal magic from an unlikely source: a Travis Head long hop

A similar sequence happened when Boland had Akash Deep caught at short leg. Smith then held another beauty at slip to remove Bumrah before Lyon roared again. It was shades of Old Trafford in 2019 when Australia got to celebrate twice, first with Michael Gough’s raised finger and then again when the DRS showed three reds.But just like 2019, Australia’s job is not done. They blew a 2-1 lead with an emotional let down in the final Test on a short turnaround. They face the same challenge here.”It’s a short turnaround,” Cummins said. “I think we’ll definitely savour this one. You work so hard over five days to win a Test match like this, and I’m sure there’ll be a lot of sitting around tonight and a couple of beers, a couple of boys might have a beer, some others might have water and some protein shakes and an early night. But we’ll savour this for a couple of hours at least, and then it’ll be recovery for the next few days. I’m sure the batters will have a hit. The bowlers, I dare say, will be very light on [training], and then you gear up again for the last Test of the [home] summer.”The ghosts of Gabba might have been exorcised, but the Border-Gavaskar series and a World Test Championship final is still up for grabs. A weight has been lifted off Australia’s shoulders for now, but they must put their shoulder to the wheel again in Sydney if they want to claim the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time in a decade.

India’s takeaways from their home T20I series wins against Sri Lanka and New Zealand

Deivarayan Muthu02-Feb-20233:27

Jaffer: Shubman Gill is going to be the next big batter after Virat Kohli

Shubman Gill shows off his T20 skillsT20 was considered to be Shubman Gill’s weakest format, and there were questions about his place as an opener, considering the explosive Prithvi Shaw was waiting on the bench. In his first five T20Is of 2023, Gill had scored only 76 runs, but in the series decider against New Zealand in Ahmedabad , he showed the world he could excel in the shortest format as well.Related

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Gill, Shardul and Kuldeep the winners as India gear up for the World Cup

Gill launched seven sixes, the highlight being a one-handed loft over long-off off Blair Tickner. Against Mitchell Santner, he dashed out of the crease and pumped him into the sightscreen. With an unbeaten 126 off 63 balls – India’s highest score in T20Is – Gill has arrived as an all-format batter and increased the competition for places among India’s T20I openers.Hardik Pandya’s new (ball) roleCaptain. Anchor. MS Dhoni-like finisher. Middle-overs enforcer with the ball. Hardik has juggled and aced different roles in T20 cricket of late. Now, in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, he took the new ball in all six T20Is against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.In the third game against New Zealand, Hardik smartly stayed away from fuller lengths on a pitch that, according to him, became “spicier” in the evening. He ended up dismissing Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips with hard lengths. Even in the Indore ODI, when had India rested their frontline quicks, Hardik had done the job with the new ball. At the moment, Hardik is officially only a stand-in captain for Rohit Sharma, but he’s won two T20I series this year and was Player of the Series against New Zealand too.Rahul Tripathi has batted fearlessly and selflessly in whatever opportunities he has got•Associated PressRahul Tripathi tees offIn the third T20I against New Zealand, Rahul Tripathi, like Gill, also scored at two runs a ball, smashing 44 off 22 balls. But it was Tripathi’s early aggression that gave Gill the freedom to pace his innings. He fearlessly and selflessly hit the ball over the top – both in front of the wicket and behind it in the powerplay – like he usually does in the IPL. Tripathi’s attacking intent and innovative strokeplay was also on show during his 16-ball 35 against Sri Lanka in Rajkot last month. Head coach Rahul Dravid recently suggested that India haven’t moved on yet from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in T20Is, and that the two are just taking a break. But with a little more consistency, Tripathi will present a strong case to be a T20I regular – with or without the seniors.Kuldeep ahead of Chahal?Here we go again. Kuldeep Yadav didn’t play the T20Is against Sri Lanka, but he grabbed his chance against New Zealand: taking two wickets in nine overs at an economy rate of 5.44. If India’s recent white-ball games are an indicator, then Kuldeep seems to have edged ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal as India’s first-choice wristspinner.Kuldeep Yadav’s confidence has been sky-high ever since he made his comeback•Associated PressFormer India spinner and chief selector Sunil Joshi had told ESPNcricinfo earlier this week that he would pick Kuldeep over Chahal in India’s squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup in October-November. The T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA is still 16 months away, but the early signs are that Kuldeep is ahead of Chahal in the T20I pecking order too.Washington Sundar’s white-ball potentialIn the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, Washington Sundar took his chance – both with ball and bat – against New Zealand. He was benched for the T20Is against Sri Lanka and only had a peripheral role to play in the following ODI series against New Zealand, but he played a crucial hand in India winning the T20I series. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, Washington with 168 points was the MVP of the series, ahead of even Gill (162.8).In the first T20I in Ranchi, he bowled un-hittable lengths in the powerplay before scoring a 28-ball 50 from No. 6. His captain Hardik was so impressed with his all-round show that he said the narrative of the match quickly turned into Washington vs New Zealand.When Washington was growing up in Chennai, he was tipped to become the next big opening batter from the city, like M Vijay or Abhinav Mukund. But he has now gone the Dinesh Karthik way and is working towards becoming a specialist finisher in T20 cricket.Ishan Kishan’s form fizzles outIn the absence of KL Rahul, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan had a golden opportunity to enhance his claim to be India’s first-choice T20I wicketkeeper. It was only in December that he had smashed the fastest double-century in ODI cricket, but since then his returns have plummeted. In the T20I series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Kishan’s struggles against spin were evident: he managed just 29 runs off 43 balls against spinners while getting out three times. In all, he tallied 64 runs across six innings at a strike rate of 84.21. With India searching for an opener who can give them blazing starts, Kishan’s performance may force them to look elsewhere.

Dissecting the key moments in the Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals game

Matt Roller06-Oct-2020Why did Jasprit Bumrah open the bowling for Mumbai?Simple: Jos Buttler and Steven Smith. With the Rajasthan Royals’ batting line-up particularly top-heavy, and the recalled Yashasvi Jaiswal out second ball to Trent Boult, the Mumbai Indians knew that they could kill the game with early wickets.What’s more, Bumrah’s career numbers are particularly good against Buttler and Smith. Coming into this game, he had dismissed Buttler three times in 23 balls in T20s, with only 27 runs conceded, while he had kept Smith quiet, conceding only 54 runs in 45 balls and dismissing him twice.That meant Bumrah, whose first over had been the fourth, fifth or sixth in Mumbai’s previous matches in this tournament, shared the new ball with Trent Boult, and made an immediate impact: his first over went for two runs, accounted for Smith, and saw the Royals’ win probability dip to 10.7% according to ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster, having started the run chase at 24.2%.When did Smith turn into a slogger?After a year of batting with impressive tempo in T20Is to put questions about whether he was an automatic pick for Australia to bed, Smith has been frenetic in the powerplay this IPL. Three games in a row, he has been out playing ungainly slogs: first, he inside-edged Pat Cummins behind in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders; next, he chopped on while throwing his hands at a ball wide of his off stump from the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Isuru Udana; tonight, he lined up a huge swipe with no foot movement against Bumrah, with Quinton de Kock taking a simple catch behind the stumps.The Royals appear to have asked Buttler to bat through the innings while getting Smith to make the most of the fielding restrictions inside the first six overs, and if that’s indeed their plan, it doesn’t seem to be working after three defeats on the bounce. They return to Sharjah for their next game against the Delhi Capitals on Friday, where ultra-aggression is the order of the day, but after that they will need Smith to find his rhythm rather than swing wildly.How did Mumbai’s top order manage to play with so much intent?With the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard due to come in at No. 5-7, and Ishan Kishan finding his feet in the middle order, Mumbai’s top three had the freedom to attack tonight – particularly with Jofra Archer held back to bowl at the death and their middle order in supreme hitting form.Coming into this match, Rohit Sharma’s strike rate in his first 20 balls over the last three years was a relatively cautious 127.2, but he raced to 35 at that stage of his innings tonight, tucking into Ankit Rajpoot, Shreyas Gopal and debutant Kartik Tyagi.Suryakumar Yadav, at No. 3, managed to do what only the best ‘anchor’ batsmen can: combine a high level of control – ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data suggested that he was in control of 85% of the balls he faced – with a quick strike rate of 168.08.ESPNcricinfo LtdTowards the end of his innings, he played deftly by sweeping, ramping and reverse-flicking the seamers into the ‘V’ between fine leg and third man, scoring 37 of his 79 runs (46.8%) in that region. Only Rishabh Pant, in his 128* against Sunrisers in 2018, has scored more runs in that region in a single IPL innings.Why did Shreyas Gopal bowl before Archer?For the second game in a row, Smith used Shreyas inside the powerplay, this time to bowl the second over of the innings. It was a decision influenced by match-ups: Sharma has struggled against legspin early on, being dismissed four times in 20 balls against legspin in the powerplay, while Quinton de Kock also struggles against spin.ESPNcricinfo LtdBut it was a surprise not to see Archer used until the fourth over, by which time the Mumbai Indians openers had found their groove. With the ball no longer swinging, de Kock carved him for four and six, after Rajpoot – in for Jaydev Unadkat – had been wayward in his first two overs. While Shreyas was a good match-up early on, Smith could have given Archer the first over, as he did in the Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers fixtures; after Bumrah and Boult’s new-ball breakthroughs, it seemed as though he had missed an opportunity to land the first punch.Why was Krunal Pandya promoted to No. 5?After hitting 20 off four balls against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Krunal Pandya came in at No. 5 after Shreyas had taken two wickets in two balls, the second of them being the left-handed Kishan. It was a decision made in order to maintain a left-right combination at the crease, batting coach Robin Singh said, with the Royals’ two legspinners operating in the middle overs.But Krunal’s record against legspin is not great – between the start of the 2018 IPL and the start of this game, he averaged 13.80 and scored at a 130.18 strike rate against it – and as a bowler with plenty of variations, Shreyas is comfortable bowling to left-handers. The result was that Krunal was tied down, chewing up balls that Hardik and Kieron Pollard could have faced, and was then dismissed looking to force the pace against Archer.What has happened to Sanju Samson?After hitting 74 and 85 in his first two innings of the tournament, Sanju Samson has made 8, 4 and 0 in his last three. It is a familiar tale for him: in both 2018 and 2019, over 40% of his tournament runs came in his first three innings of the season.The explanation this season is simple: he struggles when the ball is short. That is not so much of a problem in Sharjah – where he made big scores in the first two matches this season – where mishit pulls can fly away for six and he feels able to take bouncers on, but his weakness against short balls has been his downfall in two of those three failures.Were the Royals one batsman short?Tom Curran had only once batted above No. 8 in the IPL, so it was a surprise to see him come in as high as No. 6. It was a necessary move, since the Royals had dropped two middle-order batsmen (Robin Uthappa and Riyan Parag) and a seamer and brought in an opener and two quicks, but their balance looked off with Buttler having to do things single-handedly in the chase following three early wickets for the fourth game running.That will change soon, with Ben Stokes due to return next week and likely to bat in the top four, but perhaps Parag should be given one more chance in Friday’s game in Sharjah.ALSO SEE: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals live score, October 6 2020

Arsenal are well equipped to go all the way in their battle for the Premier League title this season, having brushed up their squad after three successive second-place finishes.

But while the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze have all established themselves as star members after big-money summer transfers, Mikel Arteta has ensured the Hale End academy has remained as important and influential as it has ever been, with some talented teenagers intermingled with the senior squad in north London.

Under Arteta’s wing, Arsenal have made incremental progress, with silverware the only thing missing since the Spanish coach replaced Unai Emery in 2019 and took his squad to the FA Cup final and won the trophy.

He has maintained his upward trajectory by entrusting Arsenal’s academy with regular opportunities.

Arsenal’s Youngest Prem Debutants under Arteta
Player	Opponent	Age
Ethan Nwaneri	Brentford	15 years, 5 months, 28 days
Max Dowman	Leeds	15 years, 7 months, 23 days
Myles Lewis-Skelly	Man City	17 years, 11 months, 27 days
Marquinhos	Brentford	19 years, 5 months, 11 days
Folarin Balogun	Brentford	20 years, 1 month, 10 days
Data via Transfermarkt

Arsenal have so many exciting stars looking to establish themselves as the next Bukayo Saka or the new Declan Rice. The latter might not have cut his teeth with the Gunners, but they are certainly reaping the rewards.

Declan Rice's journey to superstardom

Rice is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is one of the first names on the team sheet for both club and country, and, aged 26, he has matured into a leader as well as a technical and athletic phenomenon.

It all started at West Ham United.

David Moyes nurtured his young protege to the fore and shaped him into the player he is today. Arsenal paid £105m for the Hammers man’s signature in 2023, with Rice having led his side to the Conference League title a month before.

Once a member of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, Rice is unquestionably one of the most talented Englishmen to have emerged in recent years, having evolved from a defender to a six to a first-class all-rounder.

The north London club are well stocked in the engine room, but with the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri all emerging from Hale End in recent years, it might be nice to see an all-action midfielder burst onto the scene and help continue Arteta’s remarkable rise.

After all, who better to learn from than Rice?

Jack Wilshere’s declaration that Rice is a one-of-a-kind player and an inspiration and teacher for someone like Dowman is right on the money, but there’s actually an exciting Hale End midfielder who could more beneficially absorb the fruits of the Three Lions star’s labours over the coming months and years.

Arsenal's new version of Rice

Rice is one of the best English midfielders of his generation, and it’s for this reason that teenager Ife Ibrahim will be keen to take a leaf or two from the 26-year-old’s book as he looks to make his way from the Emirates academy into Arteta’s senior squad.

The London-born prospect has attracted praise for his performances at youth level this season and has enjoyed his first two caps for England U18s, having made his bow only a few weeks ago.

With the right moves over the next few years, Ibrahim could be just the player to learn from Rice and develop into a similarly special midfielder at the highest level, with the 17-year-old having already edged his way into U21 action at Arsenal despite his youth an inexperience.

Said to have a bit of “Vieira and Diaby” about him by analyst Harvey Diamonds, the rangy midfielder is adept at breaking up play and keeping things ticking from the base of the centre. He might not be the flashiest, but this is the kid of counterpoint you need against, say, someone like Nwaneri up ahead, creating and adding to the attack.

Whether Ibrahim even scratches the same ballpark as Rice in the future is, of course, another question entirely, but he has the physicality and progressive nature to succeed in the Premier League and learn some tricks from the superstar’s trade.

Having featured 54 times for Arsenal’s various development levels, Ibrahim has plenty of experience under his belt and has even featured three times against senior oppposition, in the EFL Trophy, this season, with data from Sofascore showing us that he won 59% of his duels across those three outings, averaging two interceptions per game and completing 87% of his passes. The teenager’s heat map suggests he covered plenty of ground across the midfield, stretching back to cover his defenders and barrelling forward when the chance presented itself.

This is all to say that Arsenal have a gem on their hands, one of many glittering underneath the surface level of Arteta’s squad. Given the need for a physical profile at number six to contrast with the elegance of Zubimendi, it might just be that Arteta strikes the jackpot once again with a talented academy star, free to grow into their skin and feeling the trust from the boss.

As with Rice (and Vieira, for that matter), Ibrahim appears to have a propensity for using his muscular frame and sharp bursts of pace to hold off opponents and dart upfield.

Arsenal youth correspondent Jeorge Bird has already confirmed that Arteta has welcomed the youngster into some senior training sessions over the past year, clearly with a view toward full integration down the line.

It wouldn’t be the first time Arteta has done such a thing.

After Saka & Rice: Arsenal can hand Tuchel the "biggest talent in England"

The incredible Arsenal gem could become a bigger star for England than Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 14, 2025

With Kagiso Rabada missing the Kolkata Test with a rib injury, the visitors have bolstered their fast bowling stocks

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2025Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has been added to South Africa’s squad for the second Test against India in Guwahati which starts on Saturday.Ngidi’s inclusion suggests Kagiso Rabada, who missed South Africa’s sensational victory in Kolkata with a rib injury, is a doubtful starter again. The visitors’ other fast bowling options on tour are Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder.Ngidi joined the team at their Kolkata hotel on Tuesday before their scheduled departure to Guwahati on Wednesday.Ngidi has played 20 Tests in his career so far, but only three since making a comeback in Cape Town against India in January 2024. His last red-ball appearance was the World Test Championship final against Australia in June. He has played just one Test match in India, going wicketless in Ranchi in 2019.Related

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Ngidi does have overs in his legs having been part of South Africa’s ODI and T20I series in Pakistan in October and November. Last week, he played a game for Titans in the CSA T20 Challenge.At Eden Gardens, South Africa’s quicks sent down 40 overs and returned six wickets as the team registered their first Test win in India since 2010. That Kolkata pitch provided enough assistance for the seamers but it is still unclear what the conditions in Guwahati will be like given the venue has never hosted Test cricket before.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Athletico pretende manter o meio-campista Patrick para a próxima temporada. O jogador tem contrato de empréstimo até o final do ano e não será aproveitado pelo Santos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalPróximo do Athletico, volante se despede de time rebaixado à Série BFutebol Nacional11/12/2025São PauloSão Paulo: Arboleda entra na mira do AthleticoSão Paulo10/12/2025Futebol NacionalAthletico avança por volante da seleção da ColômbiaFutebol Nacional10/12/2025

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Patrick possui acordo com o Peixe até o fim de 2026 e não está nos planos do técnico Vojvoda. Pelo Santos, o meio-campista fez apenas 11 jogos, sendo 10 em 2024 e um neste ano, com uma assistência.

Contudo, por ter investido 1 milhão de dólares (R$ 5,1 milhões, na cotação da época) junto ao Atlético-MG, a diretoria santista tem a ideia de pedir uma compensação financeira para liberá-lo em definitivo. O Furacão quer novo empréstimo, com salário dividido.

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A direção do Santos, contudo, refuta emprestá-lo mais uma vez no momento. Já a cúpula atleticana decidiu que não vai investir pela compra de Patrick e ainda avisou que o atleta teria que reduzir o vencimento, caso consiga rescindir amigavelmente com o Peixe.

Vale destacar que Athletico e Santos ainda não abriram negociações por Patrick.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Em 2025, Patrick disputou 41 jogos, sendo titular em 28 deles, com duas assistências e nenhum gol no Athletico. Ele foi ‘homem de confiança’ do técnico Odair Hellmann, principalmente na campanha de recuperação para conquistar o acesso na Série B. O comandante atleticano feito esforço para o clube mantê-lo.

continua após a publicidadeCarreira de Patrick

Criado e revelado pelo Operário-PR, Patrick estreou profissionalmente em 2011. Ele passou por Marcílio Dias, Caxias e Comercial-SP até se firmar no Goiás, em 2015, sendo bicampeão goiano.

Após duas temporadas e meia, o jogador teve uma passagem pelo Sport e jogou no Internacional de 2018 a 2021, com 26 gols e 16 assistências. Depois, jogou 55 vezes pelo São Paulo, que pagou R$ 3,2 milhões por 30% dos direitos econômicos – fez nove gols e deu oito passes decisivos em 2022.

No ano seguinte, foi vendido ao Atlético-MG por R$ 8 milhões por 80% dos direitos econômicos. No Galo, foi bicampeão mineiro, fez 48 partidas, com um gol e duas assistências, até chegar ao Santos.

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Athletico mira volantes no mercado

Próximo de anunciar Jadson, ex-Juventude, o Athletico tem outros nomes na mira para o setor: Bruno Gomes, do Internacional, Otávio, do Fluminense, o argentino naturalizado paraguaio Andrés Cubas, do Vancouver Whitecaps, do Canadá, e o boliviano Gabriel Villamíl, da LDU, do Equador.

Na posição, o técnico Odair Hellmann conta com Felipinho, Élan Ricardo, Raul, Zapelli, João Cruz e Dudu, além do recém-contratado Alejandro García. A direção ainda avalia se algum deles será emprestado ou vendido – veja o balanço.

De olho em 2026, o Furacão iniciará os treinos online em 24 de dezembro e marcou a reapresentação no CT do Caju para 2 de janeiro, quando está marcada a pré-temporada. O time sub-20 jogará o Campeonato Paranaense com alguns jogadores do time principal, enquanto o Athletico estreia no Brasileirão em 28 de janeiro.

Tudo sobre

AthleticoAthletico ParanaenseAthletico-PRBrasileirãoFutebol NacionalMercado da BolaSantos FC

Ngarava’s maiden Test five-wicket haul handed the hosts their first innings win since 2001

Sreshth Shah22-Oct-2025It took Zimbabwe less than three hours on the third day to claim their first home Test win since 2013, their first innings win since 2001 and their biggest Test win. Richard Ngarava was the star, where in overcast conditions he took his first five-wicket haul in Tests. His movement through the air and off the pitch never looked exaggerated, but it was relentless enough to break the game open and leave Zimbabwe with a win by an innings and 73 runs against a listless Afghanistan batting unit.The day began with Zimbabwe’s Test squad lining up for a group photo, a clear suggestion they were keen to finish the contest on Wednesday itself. And they started with a surprise by giving the ball to Tanaka Chivanga ahead of Blessing Muzarabani.It turned out to be a good decision as Chivanga’s third over of the morning saw Rahmanullah Gurbaz flicking one down the leg side, and Tafadzwa Tsiga, alert behind the stumps, did the rest. Three overs later, Ngarava produced almost the same dismissal when Ibrahim Zadran, who had reached 42 with measured strokes, flicked another ball going down leg, and Tsiga took his second of the morning.Hashmatullah Shahidi lasted briefly. A full delivery from Ngarava drew a hard-handed push that went to Craig Ervine at slip. Bahir Shah and Afsar Zazai then gave the innings some momentum. Bahir found six boundaries but his counter-attack ended after Muzarabani cramped him with a short ball. The fend popped up and Ben Curran swooped in from short leg. Zazai followed soon after, easing a half-hearted drive to backward point to end the morning session at 127 for 6.The sun broke through after lunch but offered little relief to Afghanistan. Chivanga thought he had Ismat Alam caught, only for a front-foot no-ball to intervene. Ngarava corrected it soon after with a length ball outside off that induced a cut from Alam. Tsiga flung himself to his right and pulled off a one-handed catch that drew gasps even from the slips. Two overs later Sharafuddin Ashraf edged to second slip, giving Ngarava his fifth.Muzarabani, quiet through much of the innings, finished it off with precision. First he flattened Khalil Gurbaz’s leg stump, then beat Ziaur Rahman with a yorker that split middle stump. Those wickets gave him six for the match and ended a game Zimbabwe had controlled from the second hour of the first day.Ibrahim Zadran top-scored for Afghanistan with 42•Zimbabwe CricketNgarava’s five, Chivanga’s pace, and Muzarabani’s closing spell combined for a win that was both rare and easily earned. Curran’s day-two performance of 121, which earned him a Player-of-the-Match award, and Sikandar Raza’s 65 were the other highlights of their comfortable win.After the game, Zimbabwe captain Ervine said a win in their final Test match of the year was satisfying.”I’m ecstatic. A lot of credit to the boys for fighting and winning to end a tough year of Test cricket,” Ervine said. “The way we started, in the first hour of day one wasn’t good, but the way the boys pulled things back was excellent. Then with the bat, Curran’s innings – full of composure and discipline – was outstanding.”The wicket offered something throughout, so the boys did well to put on some good partnerships. The boys have learnt with the Test cricket they’ve played in the last six-seven months to find their game. Brad [Evans] with the five-for in the first innings and Richie [Ngarava] stepped up in the second innings. TK [Chivanga] was superb and Bless [Muzarabani] was unlucky not to take a few more wickets.”Shahidi, the Afghanistan captain, rued the batting collapse on the first day when Afghanistan slid from 77 for 1 to 127 all out.”They played really good cricket, it was supporting the fast bowlers,” Shahidi said. “Ball was seaming around but overall, we didn’t play good cricket. We started the Test well with 80 for 1 [77 for 1] in the first innings, but that collapse let us down. I feel the lack of our Test-playing experience cost us since we kept losing back-to-back wickets. In Test cricket, winning the first day is very important.”The two teams now meet for the three-match T20I series starting October 29.

Liverpool have now reportedly taken their first step in the race to sign Bundesliga defender Konstantinos Koulierakis, who has been compared to Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven.

The Reds have been back to their best in the last week, beating Aston Villa to end a four-game losing run in the Premier League before suffocating Real Madrid at Anfield to stop the rot once and for all. Victory over the Spanish giants certainly came at a good time too, with a trip to the Etihad to face Manchester City now awaiting Arne Slot’s side this Sunday.

The Dutchman spoke about the Real Madrid win and looked ahead to Liverpool’s clash against Man City this weekend, telling reporters: “It was impressive because we played against an incredible side that is in an unbelievable run of form. So to beat them is very positive but we can say we beat them because of a set piece. We have scored four in the Champions League.

“If we had scored as many in the Premier League we would have more points than we have now, but we have scored none and conceded five. If that is your balance you are not going to pick up many points.

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“Sunday is another game coming up against a very strong team. We have lost too many points in the Premier League but in the Champions League we are doing well. We need to do better and that is what we are going to try and there’s a lot of games coming up for us to show that.”

Meanwhile, as they return to winning ways on the pitch, those at Anfield have reportedly taken their first step towards what would be quite the win away from the action.

Liverpool take first step in Koulierakis race

As reported by The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have now sent scouts to watch Konstantinos Koulierakis, who has been compared to Spurs’ Van de Ven. The latest Wolfsburg defender to impress, Koulierakis is still just 21 years old and standing out despite his side’s poor start to the Bundesliga campaign.

The Greek defender wouldn’t be the first centre-back to swap Wolfsburg for the Premier League, either. Of course, Van de Ven is now thriving at Spurs and Maxence Lacroix is also a stand-out at Crystal Palace these days. Now, Koulierakis could be the next in line to make the switch and to the biggest club yet in Liverpool.

Described as “powerful” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Koulierakis could end Liverpool’s search for a centre-back in 2026 and act as an immediate replacement for Ibrahima Konate if the Frenchman fails to sign a new deal at the club.

What we learned: Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways on Tuesday night when they secured an impressive 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League, after their defeat to Chelsea at the weekend.

Thomas Frank’s side put in, arguably, their best performance of the 2025/26 campaign as they created a whopping eight ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net.

That is the most ‘big chances’ the Lilywhites have created in a single game under the former Brentford head coach, per Sofascore, and they did so despite going down to ten men when Brennan Johnson was sent off.

Spurs are yet to find consistency in their creative play in the Premier League, though, as they rank 12th for ‘big chances’ created (17) and 15th for xG (10.1), per Sofascore and FBref.

Frank needs to find a way for his team to create chances in the way that they did against Copenhagen on a regular basis in the Premier League to improve those rankings.

The North London outfit rarely used to have a problem with creating chances when they had Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen in their side.

Why Spurs need their next Christian Eriksen

The Lilywhites need their next version of the Denmark international, who is currently at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, because he provided a consistent creative presence in the middle of the park.

Signed from Ajax in 2013, Eriksen hit double figures for assists in four of his seven Premier League campaigns with Spurs, per Transfermarkt, which speaks to his consistency in the final third.

The right-footed playmaker produced 69 goals and 88 assists in 305 matches for the club in total before his departure in the summer of 2020. He offered a goalscoring threat to go along with his impressive creativity.

The former Manchester United central midfielder is, undoubtedly, one of the most creative players to have worn a Spurs shirt in the Premier League era.

Only Heung-min Son (71) has assisted more Premier League goals for Tottenham than Eriksen (63), but he played 107 more matches to assist eight more goals, per Transfermarkt.

Heung-min Son

71

Christian Eriksen

63

Aaron Lennon

49

Harry Kane

46

Dele Alli

34

Robbie Keane

31

Gareth Bale

27

Erik Lamela

23

Dimitar Berbatov

22

Jermaine Defoe

22

Eriksen’s eye for a pass and ability to execute all kinds of passes made him a constant threat with the ball at his feet and a joy to play with for any forward with intelligent movement, because they knew that he would be able to find them.

The Danish maestro had the quality to create high-quality chances on a regular basis, as evidenced by his impressive assist haul for the club, and that is what Spurs need in the Premier League in the present day.

Frank, though, does have a player within his Tottenham squad who has the potential to be Eriksen 2.0 for the Lilywhites this season, and beyond.

Chalkboard

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

Dutch attacking midfielder Xavi Simons put in an impressive performance against Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and showed that he does have the quality to be the club’s next Eriksen if he can add consistency to his performances.

Why Xavi Simons can be Tottenham's new Christian Eriksen

The Netherlands international created three ‘big chances’ in the first half of the 4-0 win, the most by any Spurs player in a Champions League match for the best part of a decade.

Per Sofascore, the former RB Leipzig star ended the night with four key passes, three ‘big chances’ created, and one assist in 61 minutes of action, before he was withdrawn after Brennan Johnson’s red card.

The Dutchman registered his assist by playing a brilliant through ball for Johnson to race onto and slot into an empty net after dribbling past the goalkeeper.

After the win over Copenhagen, Spurs writer and content creator Mitch Fretton claimed that Xavi is “going to be an elite player for Tottenham”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment, despite his rocky start in the Premier League.

The £52m signing from RB Leipzig has yet to set the world alight since his move from Germany, as he has produced no goals and one assist in the top-flight so far.

xG

0.28

Bottom 20%

Goals

0.00

Bottom 3%

Shots on target

1

Bottom 13%

xA

0.60

Top 46%

Assists

1

Top 46%

Chances created

6

Top 49%

As you can see in the table above, Xavi has yet to provide consistent quality in the final third in the Premier League, but his performance against Copenhagen was a glimpse at what he can produce at his best.

The 22-year-old star assisted 11 goals in 48 matches for PSV and racked up 24 assists in 78 appearances for RB Leipzig, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has provided consistent quality as a creator for his previous clubs.

Xavi also scored 22 goals each for PSV and RB Leipzig in that time, before his move to Spurs, and can offer a threat as a scorer as well as being a creator when he is on form.

Frank will now be hoping that his brilliant creative display against Copenhagen will allow him to kick on and make an impact in the final third on a consistent basis.

As good as Simons: 8/10 star had his "best performance in a Spurs shirt"

Spurs put in their best display under Thomas Frank yet against Copenhagen in the Champions League.

ByDan Emery Nov 5, 2025

If the Dutch playmaker can replicate the level of consistency he showed at PSV and Leipzig, Spurs could unlock their next version of Eriksen in the middle of the park.