Tag Futebol

أعلن مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، تمديد تعاقده مع أحد لاعبي فريق كرة القدم، في إطار الحفاظ على العناصر المميزة.

ونجح الزمالك في تمديد عقد أحمد صفوت صانع ألعاب فريق كرة القدم مواليد 2009، لمدة 3 مواسم، حتى موسم 2027 / 2028.

طالع| انفراجة في أزمة سحب أرض أكتوبر من الزمالك

ووقع اللاعب على عقود التمديد في حضور حسين السيد، ومحمد طارق عضوي مجلس إدارة النادي، وبدر حامد رئيس قطاعات كرة القدم بالقلعة البيضاء.

وأكد بدر حامد رئيس قطاعات كرة القدم بنادي الزمالك أن أحمد صفوت من اللاعبين المميزين داخل قطاع الناشئين بالنادي، بالإضافة إلى أنه عنصر أساسي في منتخب مصر مواليد 2009.

وأشار رئيس قطاعات كرة القدم إلى أن تمديد التعاقد مع أحمد صفوت يأتي وفقًا للاستراتيجية الموضوعة للحفاظ على العناصر المميزة بجميع المراحل العمرية، و يتم التنسيق في هذا الأمر مع حسين السيد عضو مجلس إدارة النادي.

كشف المدير الفني لـ منتخب فلسطين، إيهاب أبو جزر، عن غياب 7 لاعبين عن مواجهة ماليزيا الودية بسبب الإصابات.

ويلتقي منتخب فلسطين، مع منتخب ماليزيا غدًا الإثنين على استاد السلطان إبراهيم في مدينة جوهر بحرو الماليزية.

طالع.. خالد الغندور يرد على سخرية سيد عبد الحفيظ: تعلمت الاحترام في بيت المستشار

وأعلن أبو جزر، غياب المهاجم عدي الدباغ إلى جانب ستة لاعبين آخرين عن المباراة الودية أمام ماليزيا.

وأشار أبو جزر في المؤتمر الصحفي الذي عقد اليوم الأحد أن غياب الدباغ جاء بداعي الإصابة، دون كشف أي تفاصيل، لكنه أوضح أن الإصابات التي تعرض لها هؤلاء اللاعبين تعود في معظمها إلى شد عضلي ناجم عن قصر فترة الإعداد للموسم الجديد أو بسبب مشاكل في فترة الراحة.

ويغيب عن فلسطين 7 لاعبين وهم، عدي الدباغ وعميد محاجنة، وعميد صوافطة، وأسد حملاوي، ومحمد حبوس، ومحمد صالح، وأوغسطين منصور.

وقال مدرب فلسطين: “المباراة ستكون فرصة لتجربة لاعبين جدد والوقوف على مستوياتهم، في إطار التحضير لتصفيات كأس العرب وكأس آسيا 2027”.

وأفاد: “المنتخب يمر بمرحلة إحلال وتجديد، وانضم لنا قرابة 10 لاعبين جدد في الأشهر الماضية، ما ساهم في خفض معدل أعمار الفريق بشكل ملحوظ”.

ويلعب الدباغ في صفوف الزمالك، حيث انضم إلى الأبيض خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية.

Match details

USA vs England
Barbados, June 23, 10.30am local time

Big picture – Can USA upset calculations?

If this is the end of the road for USA’s memorable T20 World Cup 2024 journey – they could still squeak into the semi-finals, but the odds are very much against them – then what a stage on which to bow out, facing up to the defending champions with one last chance to cause an upset.England and USA have met at both football and rugby World Cups but this will be their first cricketing encounter of the modern age. Jos Buttler’s side have endured a choppy campaign so far, winning three and losing two to go with a no result in their opening match at Kensington Oval. But they return to Barbados knowing that a convincing performance will go a long way to ensuring their title defence continues into the knockouts.Related

• Buttler: De Kock innings 'the difference' in narrow SA win

• Chase, Hope help West Indies thump USA for NRR boost

• What do South Africa, England and West Indies need to do?

Victory will put them on four points, and a margin of more than ten runs (batting first) will ensure their net run-rate goes above that of South Africa, who then take on West Indies in the final Group 2 game later on Sunday.England’s cushion comes from their convincing win over the other co-hosts West Indies at the start of the Super Eight, and Buttler remained upbeat after his side lost a close game to South Africa in St Lucia. England have rarely been at their best over the last three weeks in the Caribbean but there have been signs that their game is coming together at the right time for a tilt at becoming the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup trophy.Before they get that far, they must avoid a mishap against a USA side that burned brightly at the start of the tournament but has looked to be running low on gas after three defeats in a row against Full Member oppositions. Their success has already put the names of Aaron Jones, Monank Patel and Saurabh Netravalkar in lights. If they can summon one final effort and become the latest former colony to put one over on the mother country, it will add another sprinkle of Hollywood stardust to cricket’s American adventure.

Form guide

USA LLLWW
England LWWWLLiam Livingstone nearly took England home against South Africa•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight – Aaron Jones and Liam Livingstone

Aaron Jones‘ six over midwicket to seal a rousing opening-night win over Canada was the shot that was heard around the World Cup. He followed up a career-defining 94 not out by helping secure the tie that eventually led to USA’s Super Over victory over Pakistan, but has found the going tougher since then, with scores of 11, 0 and 11. Taking on the captaincy, in the absence of the injured Monank, has added to his burden. But he has another chance to impress at a ground where he played in four first-class matches for Barbados during his time in West Indies’ domestic system.An innings of 33 off 17 balls in a losing cause might not sound much, but could it turn out to be the spark Liam Livingstone needed? Livingstone’s attempt to get England over the line against South Africa, helping to revive their chase while adding 78 for the fifth wicket alongside Harry Brook, was only the second time he has scored more than 30 in 22 T20 innings this year. His power when taking down Ottneil Baartman at the death was a reminder of what he can do, and suggested that he may be ready to repay England’s faith that he remains the answer in the finisher role.2:19

Stuart Law: ‘If we’re not winning, we’re learning’

Team news – England unlikely to make any changes

USA have been without Monank since their group-stage win over Pakistan, but head coach Stuart Law suggested he was close to returning from a shoulder injury. “He’s getting better, we’re constantly assessing him,” Law said after the defeat to West Indies on Friday. “Unfortunately, he nearly made it for this one. So, we’re constantly assessing it.”USA (probable): 1 Steven Taylor, 2 Andries Gous (wk), 3 Nitish Kumar, 4 Aaron Jones (capt), 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Shayan Jahangir, 7 Harmeet Singh, 8 Nosthush Kenjinge, 9 Shadley van Schalkwyk, 10 Ali Khan, 11 Saurabh NetravalkarEngland may be unchanged for the third match running, having apparently settled on Jonny Bairstow at No. 3 and Sam Curran as the extra bowling/left-hand batter option. Chris Jordan could replace Mark Wood to add further depth to the batting.England (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan/Mark Wood, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

Kensington Oval is one of only two venues at this World Cup to have seen a 200-plus score, but generally, the pitches have been on the tacky side. The forecast for Sunday has improved although there is still a chance of rainfall interrupting proceedings.

Stats and trivia

• This will be the first meeting between England and USA with full international status in any format
• England have played 13 completed T20Is in Bridgetown, winning six (including the 2010 T20 World Cup final) and losing seven
• Sam Curran needs one more wicket to reach 50 in T20Is

Quotes

“We’ve just got to win the game. We haven’t played them before so it’ll be a good challenge and we’re looking forward to it. The games come thick and fast now so we’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again. We’ve had a great win against the West Indies, a great game today which was a shame not to win but we’re still in it and looking ahead to the next one.”

“I think every match we play, obviously, representing the country is important. So, we’ll definitely go hard against England and try to finish well. Obviously, we can’t advance to the next round. But as I say, I think every match you play for your country is important. So, we’re definitely going to try to win the game for sure.”

Hoping to bounce back from Liam Delap’s rejection, Everton are reportedly alert in the race to sign a Serie A striker who David Moyes “likes” ahead of the summer transfer window.

Everton may need to replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin

As improved as Beto has been under Moyes, there’s no escaping that Everton still need to sign another striker this summer if they are to push beyond relegation concerns at the start of a new era. With Dominic Calvert-Lewin on course to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract next month too, welcoming a player to replace the academy graduate could be the key to success for the Toffees this summer.

Moyes spoke to reporters about Calvert-Lewin’s future at the beginning of May, revealing that the forward had not been offered a new deal at that point. The Everton boss said: “There has not been a contract offer on the table since I’ve been here. I think the contract offer was here under a different regime.

Everton & TFG in contact to sign "outstanding" Championship star for Moyes

He missed out on promotion.

ByTom Cunningham May 28, 2025

“We want everybody to fight for what they’re doing, show what they’re worth, so there’s a lot of that. We’re taking a little bit of time – we’ve not had loads of time since January but we’ve had some – and unfortunately Dom has been injured for a big part of it, but Dom’s history has been very good so we’ll obviously be taking all of that into consideration.”

Still in need of a replacement, it looked for a moment as though Everton could have pulled off a shock move to sign Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, with talks held, only for the £30m forward to since choose Chelsea over the chasing pack.

The talented striker would have transformed Moyes’ attack and the manager would have been well aware of that when pitching the move to Delap’s representatives. Ultimately, however, Everton were rejected and have reportedly been forced to turn their attention towards a Serie A forward.

Everton now alert in Tammy Abraham race

According to transfer reporter Graeme Bailey, Everton are now alert in the race to sign Tammy Abraham from AS Roma this summer. The former Chelsea striker spent the season on loan at AC Milan, but struggled to make his mark. Now, he could be heading back to English football for the first time since leaving Stamford Bridge in 2021.

Bailey told Everton News: “Everton are one of the clubs aware of Tammy Abraham’s situation. I am told he is one David Moyes likes, and at 27 he is a very good age. An England international – he has a lot left to offer.

“Obviously if Everton want him, then the fact he is already employed by the Friedkin Group – is a bonus, but that only takes you so far – the player will decide his next move.”

Appearances

112

Goals

29

Assists

14

A player who already had Premier League experience under his belt when heading to Italy, but one who now has experience in another top European league, Abraham could prove to be invaluable for a side like Everton. Dubbed “amazing” by Jose Mourinho during his time at Roma, the ex-Chelsea man is one to watch this summer.

Well, it all comes down to this for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side take on Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League final tonight in the knowledge that winning by a two-goal margin will send them to the club’s first final in the competition in 19 years – their second overall.

However, for them to get those two goals, or even to win by one and get through to penalties, the North Londoners are going to have to be at their very best from the first minute to the last, and that means making some personnel changes from the team that lost against Bournemouth.

In particular, there’s one player who has to be ruthlessly dropped by Arteta, a player who struggled just as much as the out-of-form Martin Odegaard did.

Arsenal's poor performers

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth going over some of the other starters who underwhelmed on Saturday afternoon, such as Leandro Trossard.

Chalkboard

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

The Belgian wasn’t terrible on the day, but as can sometimes happen when he starts up top, the natural winger offered little to nothing in attack, earning himself a 6/10 from the Standard’s Simon Collings.

Likewise, it was another worrying showing from David Raya, who once again looked shakey in possession and almost gifted the visitors a goal out of nothing with a poor pass out from the back.

Finally, while he did manage to pick up an assist for Declan Rice’s great goal, it was yet another poor game for Odegaard, as his lacklustre marking of Evanilson in the closing stages saw the Cherries knick all three points and more than justified the 6/10 match rating he received from Collings.

However, while the Norwegian will almost certainly keep his place in the team for tonight’s game thanks to the armband and a lack of other genuine options, there was another starter who simply has to be dropped by Arteta ahead of tonight.

The Arsenal star who has to be dropped

So, while Trossard is likely one of the starters who will be taken out of the lineup for tonight’s game, Ben White should be another.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion star came back into the starting XI on the back of news that Jurrien Timber had picked up a minor knock.

While £50m defender wasn’t terrible on the day, he didn’t convince anyone that he should keep his place now that the Dutchman’s seemingly back in full training.

For example, while the Englishman offered something on the overlap and should eventually get back up to speed, he really struggled with the defensive side of the game and was ‘troubled by Dango Ouattara’s pace,’ per Collings.

Unfortunately, on top of looking shaky and failing the eye test, the Gunners’ “warrior,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also had some pretty terrible statistics from the game.

Minutes

86′

Expected Assists

0.01

Clearances

6

Dribbled Past

3

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Lost Possession

8

Passing Accuracy

22/28 (79%)

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (0)

For example, while he did well to make six clearances, he was dribbled past three times, lost four of five ground duels, lost the ball eight times, failed his one and only attempted dribble and amassed a dire expected assists figure of 0.01.

Ultimately, if he couldn’t live with Ouattara on the weekend, then there is no way the manager should be looking to start him against potentially Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tonight.

That is especially true now that Timber seems to be fit and back in contention, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described as an “elite 1v1 defender” following his monstrous display away to Real Madrid.

Same agent as Saka: Arsenal lead race to sign £51m upgrade on Nico Williams

The sensational youngster could flourish at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 6, 2025

While Jitesh Sharma and Shubman Gill seem set to take over from Samson, the choice at No. 8 seems a lot less clear-cut

Shashank Kishore08-Sep-20252:54

Morkel: ‘Kuldeep knows how to get himself ready for T20 cricket’

Dubai presents teams with a unique challenge, in that no one is always certain of what the surface will throw up.The main venue has been off-limits for training sessions, so India have had to train at the nearby ICC Academy to acclimatise in the energy-sapping heat. On Monday, after completing a two-hour nets session, they made a quick hop over to the Dubai International Stadium to get a feel of the conditions for the first time. And to hit the ground running, they had their fielding session there, just to be able to get used to the outfield and the stadium’s trademark ring-of-fire floodlights, and to have a look at the pitch, which bowling coach Morne Morkel had heard “had a greenish tinge”.This unique prospect of not training at the ground they will play at has led India to explore all possibilities as far as their combination goes ahead of their Asia Cup opener against UAE on Wednesday. Morkel wasn’t going to spell out the plans, of course, but the training session threw up a few hints.Related

• Asia Cup: Politics, passion and a stage for new rivalries

• India, Pakistan training overlap spikes Asia Cup interest

First up, it seems somewhat clear that Jitesh Sharma is winning the race to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. And that means vice-captain Shubman Gill, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Monday, and who last played a T20I in July 2024, is set to slot back in at the top of the order alongside Abhishek Sharma.Sanju Samson, whose roles Jitesh and Gill appear set to take over, auditioned for a middle-order role during a short stint in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL), perhaps to show he can fit in wherever the team needs him to. But he was largely a bystander during Monday’s session. Across three stints since India started training on September 5, he probably donned the keeping gloves for all of five minutes, and mostly batted towards the end of each session.The other slot India are pondering is the No. 8. Do they strengthen their batting by playing an allrounder like Shivam Dube, who has bowled a fair bit in the nets, or do they get Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana to partner Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball and have Hardik Pandya as their third seamer? Over the course of the past few days, the work the team management has put into their sixth-bowler options, including Abhishek, has been noticeable.

“In terms of planning at the moment, we will be covering all bases and then we’ll make a decision obviously on match day”Morne Morkel

“I’m always pushing for allrounders to work hard on both skills,” Morkel said. “Sometimes guys can get a little bit naughty and practice or focus just on one skill. But here, in this environment, we want to leave no stone unturned.”On the day, we’re going to need somebody to do the work for us and conditions might favour him [Dube] more than somebody else. So, for us, it’s about being professional. It’s about taking that responsibility of putting quality work in there.”The more guys that can give the captain options, that is obviously a great position to have. Yes, we will have our frontline guys that we can attack [with]. But if we can keep on developing guys, part-time guys to do a job, it gives us so many more options in terms of combinations for selection.”With the No. 8 slot up for debate, Harshit Rana (R) is a candidate to partner Hardik Pandya (L) and Jasprit Bumrah in the seam attack•AFP/Getty ImagesDuring the Champions Trophy in March, when they played all their matches in Dubai, India weren’t averse to playing four spinners, with Mohammed Shami as the lone specialist seamer and Hardik as the all-round option. This allowed India to play both Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in their XI. That was in ODIs, of course, where India had a failsafe in Ravindra Jadeja at No. 8. Jadeja is retired from T20Is, leaving India with no such luxuries.”I think when the Champions Trophy was played at that time, there was a lot of cricket on the surfaces here and they looked a little bit tired,” Morkel said. “Tonight [Monday] we will have a first look at the surface. And I believe there’s quite a bit of a grass covering on the square.”So we’ll have a good idea going into the first game in terms of what is sort of a better way to go. But in terms of planning at the moment, we will be covering all bases and then we’ll make a decision obviously on match day.”Given the heat factor, the team will likely have an optional session on Tuesday. India will have the chance to train once more after the UAE game, in the lead-up to their match against Pakistan on September 14.

The marked tendency to produce result pitches shows they may have underestimated the visiting side

Ian Chappell11-Mar-2023Once again the pre-match media hullabaloo was about Indian pitch preparation.Despite some outrageous predictions, Ahmedabad has provided the best batting surface of the series and opener Usman Khawaja determinedly took advantage to provide Australia with a big first-innings score.If India needed tough practice for the World Test Championship, they got exactly what they wanted. Now they have to rely on other favourable results to reach the final and play Australia at The Oval in June.The pitch furore has showed why it’s annoying when people other than the head curator or groundsman are allowed to have an input into the preparation.Related

• Is the ICC's pitch-rating system fit for purpose?

• Indore pitch rated poor after third India vs Australia Test

• Smith: Can't remember being unsure two days out which pitch I would be playing on

• Why you can't counter good spin bowling by just sweeping

• Australia need to forget the pitch-doctoring allegations and adapt asap

The head curator or groundsman is the best person to produce a presentable pitch. Like players, they are generally competitive and take great pride in their work. Good Test groundsmen all generally say they want to prepare a pitch that gives everybody a chance to display their skill and produces a result late on the last day.The operative words are “a result”. They don’t predict or barrack for a winner.This isn’t happening in India, where some dodgy pitches have been prepared, often at the behest of people other than the ground staff. A good head groundsman in Australia when asked about specifically prepared pitches used to questioner: “B***er off and mind your own business.”India are currently in the spotlight for specially prepared pitches but they are far from the worst offenders. This aspect of Indian culture may well have been developed under English colonisation.I was told in 1968 by ex-Australian cricketer and journalist Jack Fingleton, “Never trust the Poms.” I was sure he was referring to the administrators and not the players. His words were proved prophetic in 1972, following the diabolical Headingley “fusarium fiasco”, where a pitch was specially prepared to negate the effect of Dennis Lillee’s pace and Bob Massie’s swing. Not coincidentally, for the first time in the series, England included left-arm spinner Derek Underwood who was deadly on softer pitches. He claimed a ten-wicket haul in England’s thumping victory.England had previous “form” in special pitch preparation, which included the raging turner at Old Trafford in 1956. In that one-sided affair, offspinner Jim Laker took 19 Australian wickets for a meagre 90 runs in a resounding English victory.

If India needed tough practice for the World Test Championship, they got exactly what they wanted. Now they have to rely on other favourable results to reach the final and play Australia at The Oval in June.

Don’t let anyone tell you that England aren’t among the leaders in specially prepared pitches.Australia may be guilty of administrative failures but pitch-doctoring is not one of them. In general, the nature of an Australian first-class pitch is similar to its Test match equivalent.In the current environment it’s easy to wonder if India have forgotten how they won their last two Test series in Australia. They completed two magnificent upsets by playing good all-round cricket on true, bouncy pitches.India may have underestimated this Australian side. They are not the best Australian team to tour India but they are a good fighting unit, with some solid batters and a frontline spinner. Importantly, they’ve displayed a willingness to attack – albeit sometimes recklessly – at crucial times. They are worthy World Test championship finalists, but this vital competition may have brought to the fore a frailty in the system.There could be a series of bowler-friendly pitches that result in shorter games with results. Current India coach Rahul Dravid made a sensible observation: “It’s really about being realistic about what is a good performance on some of the challenging wickets we are playing on,” he said. “If you look at the last three-four years, all over the world I think wickets have got a lot more challenging,”Dravid’s wise words expose the vast difference between flat white-ball pitches that favour punishing batters and spicy Test surfaces that tend to make batting aggression difficult.There is a need to narrow the gap between the two extremes so that England’s laudable aggression in Test cricket doesn’t go to waste. Test cricket is an endangered species and any viable assistance is welcome.

Covid restrictions and the impending arrival of the Hundred threaten to cast a shadow on county T20

David Hopps08-Jun-2021″Data not dates” might have been the UK government’s mantra as it seeks to plot a route out of lockdown, but June 21 remains a date imprinted on the nation’s consciousness – as the government deliberately chose a midsummer’s day celebration how could it be otherwise? – and county cricket has cause to cling to that promised reawakening with more desperation than most.End restrictions on attendances after the first two weeks of the T20 Blast, with about 60% of the fixtures remaining, and the competition can just about deliver financially and in terms of entertainment.But what if the date is put back? Travel, hospitality, and all sports and culture would suffer, in the name of avoiding a third spike in Covid transmissions, but few sporting events would so obviously be hit as the Blast as it seeks to survive the most uncertain summer in its history. Losses to the professional game, already mired in debt, would run into millions.Track back three years and the county game appeared to be relatively settled. The Blast was heading towards a million spectators and corona was something visible during a solar eclipse. Then came the Hundred and Covid-19, tipping county cricket into yet another prolonged bout of uncertainty and soul-searching that will drag on for a good while yet.Related

• Can Notts become Blast's first back-to-back champions?

• Gloucestershire, Sussex seek to stop Surrey strutting into a home quarter-final

• Notts suffer T20 Blast blow as Christian departs for Australia

• Milne joins Kent as T20 Blast replacement for Amir

Gordon Hollins has experienced both sides of the debate. Now CEO at Somerset, one of the counties that will play no active part in the Hundred, other than losing half its players for an entire month, he filled a variety of roles in 12 years at the ECB, latterly the managing director of county cricket.Reflection about the relationship with The Hundred is not his most pressing thought. With the Blast 24 hours away from starting, the possibility that a feared third wave could disrupt the competition will have occupied most of his attention.Interpretation of the data depends a lot upon an individual’s risk aversion and philosophy of life. Positive Covid tests have risen disturbingly to 6,048 with the seven-day average up by 60%. But there is more promising data, too, that suggest the vaccines remain effective: hospital cases remaining steady, daily deaths barely into double figures, and vaccinations rising to 53% twice vaccinated, 77% once.There is little point in Somerset second guessing. Hollins, like every other county administrator, can merely plan and wait.”We have four matches up to 21 June and the next stage of Government unlocking,” he said. “We have sold these four matches at the 1800-2000 restricted capacity and then for the three matches after that we have sold them out to full capacity, planning for success, knowing there is a risk we will have to row back and reduce the capacity if the government’s road map isn’t delivered.”We’ll just have to roll with whatever the decision is but it would be a significant financial cost. We have the unusual combination of a relatively high membership and a relatively small ground. We took the decision to prioritise the membership who have been loyal to us for a number of years, so if the road map is not unlocked, we would not sell any tickets at all this year.”Somerset, like many counties, have already had to impose redundancies.Hollins hopes that will help see them through. “We think over the last 12 months or so we have made some tough decisions. We have had to make a dozen roles redundant. We are actually starting to build again as we look at the blue sky on the horizon, rather than the thunderstorms of the last 14 months, but we think we have managed the financials tightly enough to be able to manage that extra storm if it comes our way.”The big question is how long that lasts. If it is this year only then that’s one thing but if it goes into next year then like so many other businesses, and every other county cricket club, that’s a different situation.”

As to the Hundred, my hope is that when you have a strong England team for example, and you get euphoria around the country, the interest in county cricket goes upGordon Hollins, Somerset CEO

That leaves the Hundred – its monetary benefits even more essential, its advocates contend, now that Covid has wrecked the game’s financials. But many county cricket followers are adamant that the Hundred, if successful, is actually a canker that will gradually destroy the 18-team county structure. The battle lines are partly generational, but not entirely so. County cricket is built upon history, community and a deep sense of belonging. The Hundred is a marketing gambit, intended to satisfy a new, made-for-TV global audience which has little interest in tradition, but simply wants the quick fix of big names on big grounds.Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Hollins adopts a positive view about the potential synergies that many – this correspondent included – do not share.”Do I agree with the premise that the Hundred will undermine the Blast?” he said. “I can only talk for myself but I feel we have a really passionate support here who will support Somerset before the Hundred. And having a Somerset team that is competitive to service, or accommodate, that interest is really important. I don’t have any fear that the Blast here will cease to be relevant.”My job as CEO of Somerset is to ensure that the Hundred delivers positive outcomes for Somerset CCC. That’s not just about money, it’s about making sure that if the audience widens as forecast – in terms of the increased number of people who are interested in cricket, and the interest it creates at club level – then Somerset need to pick up the benefits of that, whether it be players playing the game or people attending matches. I believe we can do that. I’ve got to look at it that way.”As to the Hundred in a wider sense, my hope is that if you look at the history when you have a strong England team for example, and you get euphoria around the country about England, what happens really consistently is that the interest in county cricket goes up.”The Ashes 2005 is the ultimate example of that. I was at Durham at that time and Durham’s attendances during that summer went up significantly that summer. I’m hoping that the Hundred does that for county cricket and that it creates the noise and the awareness and pulls in people from lots of different places.”English football could never have got away with the imposition of such a new structure – the quick death of the European Super League is proof of that. But Premier League football is all powerful, and international football knows its limits, whereas, in professional cricket, the international programme has become more and more empowered over the past generation, arranging tours at the last minute, withdrawing players without warning and treating clubs with disregard – the Indian Premier League being the one exception.Getting fans back in grounds for the Blast is essential to county finances•Alan Martin/Action Plus via Getty ImagesBut cricket has no long-term future if it is merely reliant on the same old players traversing the world for another T20 payday, changing countries, clubs and shirts with barely a thought, any sense of loyalty limited to the confines of the dressing room and their own sense of professionalism.The Blast might have suffered its annual rush of eve-of-tournament withdrawals, but it is still a central part of a 18-team professional circuit unmatched in the world. Many of them might not be able to claim a relevance with the entire community (could they ever?), many are over-reliant on the efforts of the private school sector, but they still develop and employ around 450 English-qualified professionals, most of them possessing a deep sense of club commitment.And those who cannot get into the grounds for the Blast can now watch on live county streaming services that are improving every year, with every boundary and every wicket available on video clips, and more online coverage than ever before. We fear county cricket is in a time of crisis, but it might just be entering a golden age.To gaze upon Taunton as crowds returned for the Championship last week was to rediscover a sense of optimism. “I think there is massive expectation,” said Hollins as he observed spectators clearly happy to feel the sun on their backs and hear the sound of bat on ball.”When Championship cricket returned to Taunton after 614 days you could feel the buzz around the ground,” he reflected. “Every time a boundary was scored the whole thing was amplified beyond what it normally would have been. There was so much excitement about being back.”Yes, it’s a slightly different audience for the T20 Blast, but by the number of people desperate to get their hands on tickets for the Blast I’d say the anticipation is greater than ever. I have never subscribed to this death of county cricket scenario. This club goes back to 1875. It has survived two massive world wars. A competition like the Hundred that is well intended is not going to destroy county cricket.”There is such depth to county cricket that I don’t buy that it’s dying at all, I think it can and will go from strength to strength.”

While the glory is yet to arrive, Mikel Arteta has utterly transformed Arsenal over the last five years or so.

He took charge of a team that were stuck in mid-table and, within a few years, turned them into genuine challengers for the Premier League and Champions League.

This incredible evolution is certainly due in part to his philosophy and tactics, but it has also been aided by the exceptional players he has signed along the way.

That said, there is a superstar in the team today, signed by Unai Emery, whose valuation has exploded over the years, someone who has been pivotal to the evolution of the backline.

The evolution of Arsenal's backline

The first game of Arteta’s tenure was away to Bournemouth in December 2019, and to say the backline for that match was underwhelming would be an understatement.

Arteta’s first Arsenal XI
GK – Bernd Leno
RB – Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CB – Sokratis
CB – David Luiz
LB – Bukayo Saka
CM – Lucas Torreira
CM – Granit Xhaka
RW – Reiss Nelson
CAM – Mesut Ozil
LW – Aubameyang
CF – Alexandre Lacazette

In fact, the only player still at the club is Bukayo Saka, and the idea of the Gunners’ now playing their best attacker at left-back is patently absurd.

Fortunately, Gabriel Magalhães was signed from LOSC Lille the following summer to replace Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

The manager still opted for a three or five-at-the-back system for the start of the 20/21 season, which was soon replaced with the four-at-the-back system that fans were clamouring for at the time.

That season saw Gabriel start most games, and then, depending on who was fit, it would be David Luiz or Robert Holding next to him, with Hector Bellerin or Maitland-Niles on the right and, again, when fit, Kieran Tierney on the left.

That summer saw another key figure join the club in Ben White, who, for the 21/22 campaign, became the other regular starting centre-back alongside the Gunners’ current number six.

The Englishman would move to the right-back position just a year later, the same summer Oleksandr Zinchenko joined the club.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

However, his defensive fragilities would see him start to lose his place within 18 months and then altogether with the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly and the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori two years later.

Finally, the defence everyone recognises today was completed upon the return to fitness of Jurrien Timber, David Raya making the goalkeeping role his own, and a certain signing made by Emery, who is now worth a king’s ransom.

The Emery signing now with a fortune

Arsenal’s defence is now a beast but there’s one man, despite Gabriel’s best efforts, who always maintains the same standards.

That man is William Saliba, who joined Arsenal for around £27m in the summer of 2019 when, remarkably, Emery was still in charge.

He didn’t actually play a competitive game for the club until the start of the 22/23 season, when his arrival saw White move to the right.

Impressively, the Frenchman is now valued at a staggering €103m by the CIES Football Observatory, which works out to around £89m, or 229% more than he cost the Gunners over five years ago. To put that into context, CIES believe that he is the most valuable player in the whole squad, even ahead of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

That is an incredible increase, but it’s one that his performances and potential more than justify.

For example, in just his first game for the club, away to Crystal Palace, he helped the team to keep a clean sheet and was named the Man of the Match.

He then went on to play a crucial role in the North Londoners’ surprise title challenge, which unsurprisingly started to come apart following his back injury against Sporting CP towards the end of the season.

Since then, he has undoubtedly become an even better defender, someone who is as capable of putting in a last-minute goal-denying challenge or pinging the ball from the defence up to Saka to create a chance.

William Saliba’s Arsenal Career
Competition	Appearances
Premier League	106
FA Cup	3
League Cup	6
Champions League	22
Europa League	4
Community Shield	1
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 1% of centre-backs in the Premier League last season for pass completion, the top 4% for live-ball passes, the top 6% for total shots, the top 8% for passes blocked and more, all per 90.

Moreover, he has also helped the Gunners produce the best defence in the league for the last two seasons, and considering they’ve conceded just three goals in seven games this year, it may well be three in a row come May.

It cannot be overstated just how vital the Bondy-born “monster,” as dubbed by content creator Connor Humm, is to Arteta’s project, and so the news that he signed a five-year contract extension last week was as exciting as a new signing.

Ultimately, Arsenal have created arguably the best defence in Europe over the last three years, and Saliba has been a massive part of that.,

"I can guarantee" – Arsenal player reveals exit timeline with next club already decided

He’s made an admission about his future.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 8, 2025

تستمر الإثارة في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وفولهام ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث شهدت المواجهة تسجيل هدفين آخرين لتصل الأهداف إلى 9 من الفريقين.

ويحل مانشستر سيتي ضيفًا على فولهام، في إطار مباريات الجولة الرابعة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، البريميرليج، لموسم 2025-2026.

وتمكن فولهام من تسجيل الهدف الثالث في شباك مانشستر سيتي، وقد تم احتسابه بعد العودة لتقنية الفار للتأكد من صحته.

الهدف جاء بعد عن طريق صامويل تشوكويزى، بعد كرة عرضية لصالح فولهام، واصطدمت الكرة ببرناردو سيلفا لتصل إلى تشوكويزى ويسجل في شباك مانشستر سيتي بالدقيقة 72.

اقرأ أيضًا | ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد هدف هالاند في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وفولهام

ثم أضافت تشوكويزي الهدف الثاني له والرابع لفولهام في الدقيقة 78، بعد ركنية نفذت وتصدى دوناروما لترتد وتصل إلى لاعب فولهام ويسجل في الشباك.

وشهدت المواجهة 7 أهداف من قبل، بواقع 5 لصالح مانشستر سيتي عن طريق إيرلينج هالاند، فيل فودين (هدفين)، تيجاني ريندرز، وجيريمي دوكو، و2 آخرين لفولهام عن طريق سميث رووي وأليكس إيوبي.