Declan Rice has been handed a custom-made pair of adidas boots to celebrate his 50th England cap, presented by Three Lions legend Frank Lampard.
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Rice celebrates 50th England capMidfielder awarded custom-made bootsLampard hails Arsenal man for "special" achievementWHAT HAPPENED?
The Arsenal midfielder has been handed the captain's armband against Belgium in the absence of Harry Kane and Kyle Walker, marking his half-century for the Three Lions in a special way. And adidas have teamed up with England and Chelsea great Lampard to celebrate the occasion further, with a bespoke boot created for Rice for him to wear in that friendly at Wembley Stadium.
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The design of the adidas Copa boot features the colours of his nation, red, white and blue. That detailing is joined by an embellished '50 caps' message on the side, as well as the national flag positioned across the soleplate of the boot. Three Lions legend Lampard, who racked up 106 caps during his international career, was on hand to present the one-of-a-kind boots and chat to Rice about his achievement.
WHAT WAS SAID
Lampard said of Rice reaching the 50-cap milestone: "Declan shouldn’t underestimate this achievement, every kid playing football growing up dreams of playing for their country, so to hit 50 caps is something very special. I am excited to see what the summer brings for him and this young team going into the Euros."
Rice, too, recognised the significance of reaching 50 international appearances at 25 years old. He added: "It is a massive achievement for me to reach this milestone. Those close to me, know how much playing for my country means, so to hit 50 caps is incredible. I am excited to wear my new boots on the field to celebrate the moment.”
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While his England captaincy role is only temporary – at least for now – Rice revealed that he would be putting his leadership skills to use with fellow Arsenal star Ben White. The defender made himself unavailable for selection to Gareth Southgate for the March friendlies, but Rice says he will try and talk to his club team-mate to change his mind.
Reports suggest prosecutors in South Africa will re-examine the circumstances of Peter Roebuck’s supposed suicide in 2011
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2018South African prosecutors are reportedly set to reopen the inquest into the death of Peter Roebuck, the former Somerset captain turned journalist who died in 2011. Roebuck fell to his death from a hotel room in Cape Town, with local police saying he had committed suicide.Roebuck’s family have previously expressed concern that they were not invited to be present at a closed hearing in 2013. Roebuck, who was in South Africa covering Australia’s Test tour, had been confronted by police while staying at the Southern Sun Hotel over allegations of sexual assault.South Africa’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Western Province, has been reviewing the case for a number of years. In 2016, the original inquest “docket” on the incident, which was believed to have been lost, was discovered and passed on to the DPP.Now, the has reported that the case will be re-examined “in the interests of justice”, although no date has been set for the inquest.David Hood, an English barrister representing the Roebuck family, said in a statement to the newspaper: “From the outset, the family and supporters of the late Peter Roebuck have put their faith in the legal system of South Africa. It is important to all internationally recognised systems of justice that justice is not only done, but is seen to be done.”That could never have been with the death of Peter Roebuck, unless and until the circumstances of his death were examined at a legally convened hearing held in public with witnesses called and questioned under oath.”The inquest is expected to examine a number of questions around Roebuck’s death, including the nature of the injuries he sustained after falling from the sixth floor and how he was able to jump through a window while a police office was supposedly present in the room.
Bournemouth are embracing the fiery side of Tyler Adams, with the United States international being encouraged to “make mistakes”.
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Returned from serious injury issuesHas impressed for club and countryConsidered to be an on-field leaderWHAT HAPPENED?
The 25-year-old midfielder has returned to action after spending the best part of 12 months nursing his way through serious hamstring problems. Adams has undergone two operations, but has caught the eye for club and country since recovering from injury – with the USMNT being helped to CONCACAF Nations League glory.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT IRAOLA SAID ABOUT ADAMS
Bournemouth are now looking for Adams to become a key cog in their Premier League machine, with Cherries boss Andoni Iraola telling the of a player that is still getting to grips with his system despite signing from Leeds in the summer of 2023: “He has to make mistakes. The others also have learned making mistakes and correcting from there. And he wants to go for all the balls. And sometimes you have to keep more discipline to keep the possession, keep to your side, keep your spaces, cover the things that you have to cover. But, he's very instinctive and he wants to cover a lot. He has to work on these things. But it's good that he can improve while he's having the minutes.”
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Adams is prepared to make his voice heard at Bournemouth, despite seeing limited game time so far, with the American star considered to be an on-field leader. Iraola added: “Tyler has been always like this. He's a captain with the national team. Even in the trainings, he’s going to be arguing, if he’s losing, he's not going to be happy. He will be demanding with the others. And this is a very good thing to have in the team.”
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Adams played the full 90 minutes for Bournemouth as they secured a dramatic 2-1 over Everton in their last Premier League fixture, but it remains to be seen whether he can handle two games in the space of four days when the Cherries play host to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
Aston Villa were brought back down to earth by Nottingham Forest last weekend as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat that ended a six-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
Unai Emery has built a side which can realistically challenge for the top six spot in the Premier League table this season and winning a trophy of some sort this term can’t be ruled out.
With progress in the Europa Conference League going smoothly so far, this Villa side can certainly go far and Emery has them well-drilled.
The Spaniard will still be looking to strengthen his team though and the January transfer window is fast approaching.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.
Having enjoyed success during the summer window, bringing in players such as Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo and Pau Torres, the former Arsenal coach appears to favour a quality-over-quantity approach and this is working well so far.
With this in mind, he could delve back into the market to bolster his squad in the coming months, especially as he seems to be light in a few areas, most notably at centre-forward.
Aston Villa transfer news
According to a recent report by Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb, Villa are reportedly keen on signing AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham next year.
Tammy-abraham-aston-villa
The Englishman spent a season on loan at the Villa Park side during the 2018/19 season and he scored 26 goals and registered three assists across 40 matches as he helped the club secure promotion back to the Premier League following a three-year absence.
The former Chelsea frontman has a contract that doesn’t expire until 2026 and this could mean Jose Mourinho will place a big price tag on his head regarding any potential transfer.
According to Football Transfers, Abraham is currently valued at €39m (£34m) and with a few years left on his contract, Emery may need to make a bid nearer the £50m mark in order to secure his signature.
The club could face stiff competition for the 26-year-old however, as West Ham United and Fulham are also interested in luring him back to the Premier League according to the report and with Roma signing Romelu Lukaku on loan for the current season, it looks like Abraham could soon be on the move.
The question is, who will be best placed to sign him either in January or next summer? Emery will be hoping their current form and progress in Europe will tempt him back to the Midlands.
Tammy Abraham’s statistics for Roma
Having won the Champions League with Chelsea, the striker decided to move abroad and joined Roma in 2021, becoming an instant hit under Mourinho.
He netted 27 goals across all competitions during his maiden season in Italy and won another European trophy, this time the Europa Conference League.
The goals dried up slightly last term as he managed to score just nine times, yet he displayed his selfless side by grabbing seven assists as the Serie A side finished runners-up to Sevilla in the Europa League final.
Tammy Abraham
A cruciate ligament injury has ruled him out until January at the earliest and this could mean Emery may have to wait until the summer in order to complete a potential swoop for the player.
The Spaniard has been too over-reliant on Ollie Watkins this season however, as the former Brentford forward has featured in every single match so far this term, scoring nine goals in the process and signing someone like Abraham would not only give him some competition, but he would also be an upgrade on Jhon Duran.
Jhon Duran's stats for Aston Villa
The 19-year-old has only been at the club for ten months, joining back in January from Chicago Fire, and it was clear he had bags of potential, having scored eight MLS goals.
Across 12 matches for Villa, however, he failed to get on the scoresheet, proving that the jump from American to England was perhaps tougher than anticipated.
Goals
0
2
Assists
0
0
Shots on target per game
0.2
0.5
Big chances created
0
0
Successful dribbles per game
0.1
0.2
Stats via Sofascore
The Englishman could be an instant upgrade on the Colombian youngster, however. According to FBref, Abraham registered a higher percentage of shots on target (45.2% vs 28.6%) while also registering more goal-creating actions per 90 (0.37 vs 0) and winning a higher percentage of aerial duels per 90 (51.9% vs 41.2%), indicating that he could be a more effective option to lead the line.
Abraham also created more big chances (nine vs two) than Duran during his more productive stint at Chicago Fire, while also averaging more key passes per game (0.9 vs 0.3) and succeeding with more successful dribbles per match (0.6 vs 0.4), further evidence of how impressive Abraham was when compared to the youngster.
The former Chelsea gem could add further firepower to the Villa squad and would allow Emery to give Watkins a much-needed rest when required.
Former professional Stephen Elliot hailed Abraham as a “goal machine” back during his spell with the London side and his spell abroad has certainly improved his game.
His ability to create chances for others, evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 5% when compared to his positional peers for assists per 90 (0.29), could be a big advantage for Emery, as he will be able to link up well with others and form a partnership alongside Watkins if required.
The striker also ranks in the top 15% when compared to peers for aerials won per 90 (4.3) and his physical presence and aerial ability would also allow him to thrive in the Premier League once again.
Duran is still young and has lots of raw potential, but Emery will be looking for a more experienced player if he is looking for someone who can come in and settle into life at Villa Park easily.
Abraham has spent a season in the Midlands before and this could be what makes the club stand out from the others who are keen on him with regard to a potential move away from the hustle and bustle of Rome.
Manchester United have won just nine of their 18 matches across all competitions this season so far and this far from the form which will see them claim any sort of success.
Erik ten Hag will use the international break as an ideal chance to rethink just where the club have gone wrong during 2023/24, but it's abundantly clear that he doesn’t have the quality required to make a sustained Premier League title challenge, nor go far in the Champions League.
Despite spending £191.7m during the summer transfer window, is Ten Hag’s squad really any better for it?
Rasmus Hojlund has netted five times in Europe, yet has failed to find the back of the net in the top flight, while Mason Mount hasn’t even registered a single goal contribution across ten league or European ties this season.
Andre Onana was expected to take over the mantle from David De Gea, yet he has conceded 30 goals in 18 matches, keeping just six clean sheets in the process.
Andre Onana
With the January transfer window approaching, could the former Ajax boss rectify some of his summer mistakes by signing a player or two who will change United’s fortunes?
Only time will tell, yet they have been linked with numerous players and there is one who could certainly improve their defence – Jonathan Tah.
Man Utd transfer news
According to the Sun, the Old Trafford side are eyeing a potential move for the Bayer Leverkusen defender in the coming months, yet they could face some stiff competition amid the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the north west.
Newcastle United are also interested in Tah, with Eddie Howe looking for some defensive reinforcements in order to replace Dan Burn and Sven Botman, who are currently injured.
West Ham United are another name which has been mentioned, yet the lure of Manchester would surely trump the other two clubs and Ten Hag must act swiftly if he is to bring the German international to the Premier League.
Jonathan Tah celebrates with Bayer Leverkusen.
He has just 18 months left on his current contract at the Bundesliga side and this could suggest a club will be able to secure him for a lower fee than first anticipated.
According to Football Transfers, Tah is currently valued at €22.4m (£20m) and if United managed to sign him for a fee in this region, it could turn out to be a wonderful bargain.
Ten Hag may have to ship out a few players during January in order to fund any future signings, and Victor Lindelof should be one of the players who is ditched.
Victor Lindelof’s season in numbers
Ordinarily, the Swede shouldn’t be a regular fixture in the starting XI, yet due to injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martínez this season, the former Benfica centre-back has played a prominent role in the first team.
Across the club's 18 matches this season, the 29-year-old has featured in 15 of them, scoring and grabbing an assist in the process.
In contrast, he made 35 appearances during the whole of the 2022/23 season, while nine of his 14 Premier League starts came following Martinez’s injury that ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
Manchester United's Victor Lindelof andCasemirolook dejected after Brighton & Hove Albion's first goal
Lindelof currently ranks in a lowly 16th position across the squad for tackles per game in the league (0.6), while also ranking fourth for interceptions (0.7) and ninth for clearances (1.4), suggesting that he hasn’t made the biggest impact when on the field.
He has just a few months left on his current contract, yet it remains to be seen whether Ratcliffe and co will offer him an extended deal, especially as Ten Hag is clearly looking for an upgrade in that position.
Tah would be the ideal candidate, and he has shone for Leverkusen this term after their impressive start to the season.
Jonathan Tah’s Bayer Leverkusen statistics
Since joining the club from Hamburg back in 2015, Tah has gone on to make over 250 appearances for Leverkusen over the previous eight years, firmly establishing himself as a mainstay in the defence.
Under Xabi Alonso this term, the Bundesliga side have won ten and drew one of their 11 matches, and they could realistically challenge Bayern Munich’s hegemony of the league title.
Accurate passes per game
44
66.5
Aerial duels won per game
1.7
1.5
Tackles per game
0.8
1
Interceptions per game
1.2
0.4
Clearances per game
3.5
4.3
Stats via Sofascore.
The German defender ranks fourth across the squad for accurate passes per game (66.5), while ranking first for clearances per game (4.3) and fifth for tackles per game (one), proving to be in excellent form.
He has even won a staggering 74% of his aerial duels in the league this season along with winning 61% of his ground duels, and this aerial strength combined with his excellent physicality could allow him to thrive in the Premier League.
Tah was even lauded by former teammate Christopher Kramer a few years ago, who described him as a “real battleship” and it is certainly further evidence of his wonderful strength.
His passing ability could also endear him to Ten Hag as when compared to his positional peers across Europe, Tah currently ranks in the top 3% with regard to pass completion percentage per 90 (92.7%) while ranking in the top 20% for passes attempted per 90 (67.56) and with the Dutchman preferring his defenders to play out from the back, this attribute could be vital.
Jonathan Tah
The next few weeks could be an interesting time in Manchester, especially with the transfer window fast approaching.
Ten Hag will be desperate to bolster his side and, given their poor run of form recently, perhaps an influx of fresh faces could light a spark in the current squad and enable them to perform much better on the pitch.
Lindelof could be heading into the final few months of his United career, and although he has had to make the step-up this season, it is primarily down to injury issues, as normally, he would be further down the pecking order.
With the interest shown in Tah of late, the Dutchman would be signing a player who looks as though he is just about to enter his peak, and they could potentially secure his signature for a knockdown price.
It is a no-brainer for the manager and Ratcliffe, especially as the former's leaky defence needs fixed as soon as possible.
Harry Kane revealed that he had done his research on David Raya's penalty-stopping skills after beating the Arsenal goalkeeper on Tuesday night.
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Kane scored from the spot to put Bayern aheadHad little trouble sending Raya the wrong wayRevealed that he had studied the keeper's approach before facing himWHAT HAPPENED?
Bukayo Saka's early goal for Arsenal was swiftly countered by Serge Gnabry's equaliser just six minutes for Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Emirates Stadium. However, it was Kane's penalty that stole the spotlight, as he tweaked his approach to catch Arsenal goalkeeper Raya off guard. Instead of sticking to his typical routine, Kane strategically paused during his run-up, causing Raya to commit early and enabling the striker to slot the ball into the opposite corner.
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Kane's unconventional penalty stemmed from meticulous research on Raya's penalty-saving tactics. The striker admitted that he had analysed footage from Arsenal's previous Champions League encounter against Porto, where Raya showcased his shot-stopping abilities during a penalty shootout to propel the Gunners to a memorable victory in the round of 16 stage.
WHAT KANE SAID
Reflecting on his goal, Kane told : "I did some research on his [shoot-out] against Porto – he really gets to the corners early. So I had to change my style a little bit. It was nice to see him go early and make it easy for me."
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DID YOU KNOW?
The goal marked Kane's 15th strike against Arsenal in 20 appearances. However, it was his first since moving to Germany in the summer with his previous 14 goals coming in Tottenham colours.
The visitors lost their last seven wickets for the addition of only 42 runs and slipped to the lowest-ever first-innings total in Abu Dhabi
The Report by Danyal Rasool16-Nov-2018 Kane Williamson cuts the ball•AFPPakistan may have closed it out at a slightly rocky 59 for 2, but let nothing take away from how disappointing the first day was for New Zealand. Only once had a team batting first lost a Test match in Abu Dhabi, but the way the visitors played, they may already be on course to add to that list. There was precious little resistance with the bat, one solid partnership between Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls excepted, with every Pakistan bowler among the wickets as they skittled Williamson’s men out for 153, the lowest-ever first-innings total in Abu Dhabi.Despite New Zealand choosing to bat first, it was Pakistan who dominated the first hour-and-a-half. New Zealand appeared under pressure from the outset, and the bowling pair supposed to be Pakistan’s most threatening, Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah, delivered on their reputations. Abbas’ nagging accuracy got the better of Jeet Raval in the 11th over, the opener prodding at one he could have left alone and nicking a simple catch to Sarfraz Ahmed.The second wicket came through sheer containment. Bilal Asif prevented run-scoring in his first spell and Abbas at the other end gave the batsmen no room to breathe either, and something had to give. That something ended up being Tom Latham, who had looked to play some release shots in the previous few overs and done well with them, but he failed to get to the pitch of a Yasir delivery and flicked a comfortable catch to short midwicket. If you only watched the highlights, you might have called it a soft dismissal, but it was the build-up of pressure over the previous half-hour that had finally taken its toll.In an extended opening session due to Friday prayers, Williamson rose above the rest as Pakistan prowled. Williamson and Henry Nicholls continued to settle as Pakistan’s bowlers finally dropped their intensity. With the bowlers beginning to tire towards the end of a 150-minute opening session, Nicholls and Williamson almost looked comfortable at the crease, and finished the session looking stronger than they had at any point during it.Incredible as it may seem now, the post-lunch session began with Williamson and Nicholls looking ever more comfortable. The run rate, which had stood at a soporific 2.18 before lunch, had picked up, and for the opening half-hour after lunch, the pair scored at over four runs per over. The pitch looked like it might be flattening out, and New Zealand were well on their way to salvaging the damage of the first hour.It was after the pair were dismissed that it became transparent how hard it was to get in on this pitch, and how easy to get out. New Zealand lost seven wickets for 42 runs to fold meekly for 153, the catalyst for the carnage an exhilarating burst from Hasan Ali that removed two in two. And for all the class with which Williamson and Nicholls had batted, both their dismissals will rankle New Zealand if they end up on the losing side. Having fended off all of Abbas’s deliveries that were at or around off stump, Nicholls lazily reached for one that was well outside, looking to drive it through the covers. A chunky outside edge carried to the keeper, and the softest of dismissals had broken a gutsy partnership.The way Williamson fell was hardly more sophisticated. Hasan had perhaps been the least effective of Pakistan’s bowlers this morning, so when he returned for a spell in the afternoon, there wasn’t a reason for New Zealand’s best batsman to be wary. When he banged one in short, it hardly spat up into the batsman’s face. But Williamson attempted to hook; he had enough time to duck, or indeed execute the shot better. A slight tickle instead went to a diving Sarfraz Ahmed, and suddenly New Zealand’s lower middle order was vulnerable against a buoyant Pakistan.Hasan made it two in two with a fast wicket-to-wicket delivery that smashed into Colin de Grandhomme’s pads, exposing Ish Sodhi in an unwelcomingly long tail. It brought into the game Haris Sohail, who had begun to find sharp turn, and the allrounder trapped Sodhi and, more consequentially, BJ Watling in front to leave New Zealand eight down. Bilal Asif and Yasir Shah shared the last two wickets, the inexplicable leave from Ajaz Patel to a straight delivery that wrapped up the innings summing up a wretched middle session for New Zealand.It left Pakistan with a tricky session to bat out before stumps, and though they didn’t make it out completely unscathed, they did not allow New Zealand to take the bagful of wickets they needed to claim something approaching parity. Both Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez were guilty of poor shot selection, Imam prodding outside off stump to a gentle de Granhomme delivery that was pouched by gully, while Hafeez pulled Trent Boult straight into the hands of midwicket.Azhar Ali and Haris hung on till the end of the day’s play, much as Williamson and Nicholls had done before lunch. New Zealand will have to put in some bowling effort, though, if they are to trigger anything like the collapse that already looks like it might have cost them dear in this first Test.
India’s captain said he might have played four quicks in the Perth Test even if R Ashwin had been fit
Sidharth Monga in Perth18-Dec-20184:09
‘We were totally convinced about this combination’ – Kohli
India might have gone into the Perth Test without a spinner even if R Ashwin had been fit, their captain Virat Kohli has said.Ashwin was ruled out of the game with a side strain, and India, rather than replacing him with Ravindra Jadeja, the other spinner in their 13-man squad for the Test, went ahead with a four-man pace attack. Australia stuck with their 3-1 combination and their spinner Nathan Lyon won the Man-of-the-Match award for his eight wickets.These events were somewhat similar to those of the Adelaide Test on the 2014-15 tour – Kohli’s first Test as captain – when India had played the rookie legspinner Karn Sharma, who leaked runs with little success, and Lyon had taken 12 wickets.India’s selection came in for sharp criticism, but Kohli defended it, saying the pitch had played exactly how the team management had expected it to.”Yes, we could have considered that (playing four quicks),” Kohli said, when asked if Ashwin would have played had he been fit. “If you see, the rough didn’t have much assistance. It was just the pace on the ball that Lyon bowled that he got the wickets that he got.”We as a team didn’t want to think that we definitely wanted to consider a spinning option on this pitch, especially having a look at the pitch on day one and how we thought it would play on the first three days, and exactly played out that way. We thought a fast bowler is going to be more productive and more helpful for us as a team.”The choice of the fourth fast bowler was also contentious, with Umesh Yadav getting a go ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is usually considered an automatic pick on well-grassed pitches. Kohli said Bhuvneshwar lost out because he had not played much four-day cricket of late.”Bhuvi hasn’t played a lot of four-day cricket recently, and Umesh took 10 wickets in his last Test (against West Indies in Hyderabad), and was in good bowling rhythm. So that was the reason behind picking Umesh over Bhuvi.”Bhuvneshwar’s last first-class match was in Johannesburg, nearly 11 months ago. In England, he aggravated a lower-back injury during the ODI series, and was ruled out of the Test series in the same country, where conditions are considered to be ideal for him to bowl in. He was then rested for the home Tests against West Indies.Umesh Yadav gets to his run up•Associated PressOne of the reasons Bhuvneshwar was missed was his batting. Even in Johannesburg, on a pitch that just escaped being labelled dangerous, he scored 30 and 33 out of India’s totals of 187 and 247. India have often spoken of lower-order runs as one of the major contributing factors to their Test success, and this was the case just last week in Adelaide, where Ashwin scored 25 in a crucial 62-run stand for the seventh wicket. In Perth, India’s Nos. 8 to 11 only contributed 11 runs between them across both innings.”You obviously have two situations that you can think of,” Kohli said. “When you pick another fast bowler, obviously Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja have more ability with the bat, we all know that. It’s a very tricky decision to make, what kind of a bowling option you want to go with or you want to think that that guy can contribute with the bat as well.”So eventually you come to one decision, and we back that decision and went ahead with it. Whether it comes off or not, that’s a different thing, but we were totally convinced in the team that that was our best combination to go with, and the batsmen have to take responsibility. There are lots of variables that can happen during the course of a cricket match but before that, you need to have clarity as to what you want to do. And as a side, we were totally clear that this was the combination we wanted to go with.”The preferred option, Umesh, ended the match with figures of 2 for 139 from 37 overs and consolidated his reputation as a bowler much better suited to Indian conditions where he has reverse-swing to work with. Umesh’s economy rate of 3.75 had two knock-on effects: the part-time spinners bowled 29 overs, and the other three quicks had to keep coming back for spells when they may not have been at their freshest.Kohli was, however, happy with the fast bowlers’ performance overall.”Especially yesterday, the first session, giving away only 56-odd runs without getting a wicket,” Kohli said, when asked if he was satisfied with the control he had on the game, in the absence of a spinner. “I think it was outstanding bowling, and obviously [Mohammed] Shami did what he did in the next session with the ball (he took six wickets in the second innings), which was again wonderful to see. So, yeah. I think they executed their plans to 95% of what we expected.”I think you definitely can be happy with that. In the past when we have played four quicks, we definitely haven’t been as consistent as we were in this game. So, I think they were pretty accurate, pretty consistent, and as I said we were pretty convinced about going in with four fast bowlers looking at the conditions. I think they did pretty well.”
Manchester City and Manchester United will face each other in the FA Cup for consecutive years, the first teams to do so since 1885.
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United & City to meet again in Cup finalFirst consecutive final between same teams in 139 yearsBlackburn, Queen's Park faced each other in 1884 & 1885WHAT HAPPENED?
United booked their place in next month's showpiece with a nerve-shredding penalty shootout win over Coventry City, a day after Man City scrapped their way to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea. It will be the first time the same teams have faced each other in back-to-back FA Cup finals for 139 years.
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The only time the same teams have faced each other in consecutive finals was all the way back in 1885, when Blackburn Rovers beat Scottish side Queen's Park 2-0. They had beaten the Glaswegians 2-1 a year earlier. United and City will therefore become the first English teams to meet in consecutive FA Cup finals.
DID YOU KNOW?
United and City had never faced each other in an FA Cup final until 2023, when Ilkay Gundogan scored the fastest ever goal in the history of the final. The German gave City the lead after just 13 seconds and restored their advantage in the second half following Bruno Fernandes' equaliser from the penalty spot.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD & CITY?
Erik ten Hag's side can celebrate reaching successive finals but not for too long as they host Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday, when they will be looking for their first league win since beating Everton on March 9. City visit Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday.
Arsenal head into December with a seat at the top of the table, with Mikel Arteta's side taking advantage of Manchester City and Liverpool's draw last weekend by beating Brentford and bouncing ahead to first place in the Premier League.
Some have claimed that Arsenal's awe-inspiring attacking flair from last season has dissipated like dust in the wind: Wednesday's 6-0 romp over Lens in the Champions League answered that one.
Fair enough, the Gunners are currently sixth in the English top-flight's scoring charts with 27 goals but have demonstrated their title-winning credentials with a rock-solid base, with their ten goals conceded the best in the division.
£16m Arsenal star deserves as much credit as their six scorers after Lens
One Arsenal man shone despite not scoring in their 6-0 rout of Lens.
ByMatt Dawson Nov 30, 2023
It's a testament to the team that Arteta has meticulously created over the past several years that some question the snap and the wow factor while forgetting to factor in the unadorned certitude that this is a fantastic set of players with enough quality to compete and triumph in both the Premier League and Champions League.
Arteta would be the first to acknowledge in the transfer room that the work is hardly done, with technical director Edu believed to be working on a fresh addition to augment and improve the existing ranks.
Arsenal transfer news – Ousmane Diomande
According to Portuguese outlet Record – via Sport Witness – Arsenal are in pole position to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande in 2024, having failed with a €35m (£30m) offer already.
The talented defender is understood to have an €80m (£69m) release clause embedded in his contract, with the Leões certain to demand a figure in that ballpark for his departure.
Real Madrid are also interested in a deal, which only accelerates the urgency surrounding a prospective transfer, though with the Gunners 'guaranteed' to return with a bid in 2024, Arteta may well get his man.
Diomande's style of play
Aged just 19, Diomande has already amassed 33 appearances for Sporting, having broken into the first-team across the latter half of the 2022/23 season, making 17 displays across all competitions.
Notably, the teenage titan played both legs in Sporting's Europa League knockout ties against Arsenal and Juventus last season, completing 91% of his passes, averaging two tackles and clearances per game, succeeding with 100% of his dribbles and remarkably winning 73% of his contested duels, as per Sofascore.
Such metrics are just a representation of his imperious skill set, which he has built and sculpted into something even greater this season, sustaining a noteworthy level of performance that has compelled Arteta to further his intrigue, moulding it into something solid and imminent.
Statistic
#
Apps
11
Starts
11
Goals
1
Assists
1
Pass completion
90%
Key passes per game
0.5
Tackles per game
1.7
Recoveries per game
5.7
Clearances per game
1.6
Dribble success
73%
Duels success
65%
*Sourced via Sofascore
One of the most exciting modern-styled centre-backs around, Diomande ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Liga Portugal for goals, the top 4% for pass completion and progressive passes, the top 6% for progressive carries and shot-creating actions, the top 5% for successful take-ons and the top 11% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
Effectively, such metrics showcase the celestial precocity that has arrested the intrigue of Arsenal and Los Blancos; moreover, the “Ivorian Jewel” – as he has been dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has started all 11 matches in the Portuguese top-flight, and a forthcoming role in a squad such as Arsenal's may well be attainable.
FBref even lists Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber as Diomande's most comparable player, which only strengthens the notion that the 6 foot 3 colossus would be a worthy addition to a youthful Gunners side, still burgeoning and coursing toward more silver-laden success under Arteta's wing.
How Diomande compares to Jurrien Timber
The one-cap Ivory Coast international is first-class with his distribution and frequently seeks to drive the ball forward by playing out from the back, instigating promising passages from deep while also driving up the pitch himself.
Such skills are indeed similar to Timber's, who signed for Arsenal from Ajax for £38m in the summer after impressing in his native Netherlands, completing 121 matches and even being branded a "generational superstar" by journalist Antonio Mango for his labours.
Sadly, the 22-year-old managed just 50 minutes on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest before being forced off with a serious knee injury, which required surgery and ruled him out for the lion's share of the 2023/24 campaign.
Dynamic and fluid in his positional value, Timber ranks within the top 5% of central defenders across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie for shot-creating actions, pass completion, progressive passes, progressive carries, successful take-ons and passes attempted per 90. Similar to Diomande indeed.
While such statistics are not applicable in comparison to Premier League players, the £90k-per-week whiz is still evidently one of the most creative and athletic defenders around, slotting into Arteta's system like a dovetail joint.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Aerial duels
Dribbling
Tackling
Concentration
*Sourced via WhoScored
While Timber is comfortable playing centrally and out wide, something that, so far, Diomande has not shown signs of emulating, the Sporting starlet still boasts many similar qualities that make Arteta's vested interest in his signature more than understandable.
Last season, in the Netherlands, Timber completed 92% of his passes in the league, with security in possession and crispness and creativity in distribution seemingly staples of Arteta's reign.
And such a method speaks for itself, with the Gunners perched in first place after flirting so tantalisingly with the Premier League title last campaign.
There has been a discernible growth; a maturity, perhaps, that bespeaks Arsenal's ability to vanquish the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool and win the trophy.
By signing the "elite talent" that is Diomande – according to Kulig – the strength in depth could give the club's Spanish manager the ingredients to stir Arsenal towards success.