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Scorchers were 4 for 25 before an audacious century partnership between Evans and Turner powered them to a competitive total

Tristan Lavalette28-Jan-2022Laurie Evans smashed 76 under pressure then quick Andrew Tye took three wickets as Perth Scorchers won a record fourth BBL title and exacted revenge over shorthanded Sydney Sixers with a crushing 79-run victory at the Marvel Stadium.In a re-match of last season’s decider, Scorchers were in serious trouble at 4 for 25 after being sent in before an audacious century partnership between Evans and captain Ashton Turner powered the hot favourites to 6 for 171.Their star-studded attack then proved irresistible to end Sixers’ bid for a historic third-straight title. Having broken the deadlock for most titles with their arch-rival, Scorchers may have notched their sweetest triumph having been on the road for 50 straight days due to being shut out of Western Australia’s closed borders.They faced a depleted Sixers without openers Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards, who were ruled out with Covid-19, while batter Jordan Silk failed to recover from a hamstring injury sustained against Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday where he controversially retired hurt before the match’s final ball.A third bid for an exemption allowing Steve Smith to play was blocked by the BBL, while Jay Lenton, an assistant coach for Sixers, took the gloves for the second straight match.Scorchers, however, deserved the spoils having dominated all season in a golden summer for the franchise which also won the WBBL title two months ago.Evans and Turner rescue Scorchers
Scorchers endured a horror show early and their worst four-over powerplay of the season, which yielded just 14 runs on a tricky pitch. Worse was to follow with an uncharacteristically reckless Scorchers repeatedly throwing away their wickets under Marvel Stadium’s closed roof due to heavy rain in Melbourne.Mitchell Marsh, who came in with a hamstring niggle, struggled and didn’t get off the mark until his ninth delivery. He didn’t last much longer as Scorchers appeared to be melting on the big stage.Instead of rebuilding, a bold Evans and Turner launched a counterattack and quickly smashed 33 runs off 13 balls after the seventh over to turn the momentum. English import Evans has had an under-the-radar debut BBL season but his energetic batting made him a key cog of Scorchers’ middle order. He played his best innings of the season as he fearlessly attacked Steve O’Keefe and was ably supported by Turner.The red-hot duo each registered half-centuries with sixes before Turner fell shortly after. It didn’t hurt Evans’ momentum as he unleashed several astounding cover drives to lift Scorchers to a total that appeared beyond them after four overs.Andrew Tye struck twice in as many balls but missed a hat-trick•Getty Images

Tye caps superb Scorchers bowling effort
Scorchers were without an ailed Marsh’s bowling, meaning Turner had to chip in with his offspin. He came on after the powerplay and his golden night continued with the scalp of Nick Bertus – just his second wicket of the season.As usual, Scorchers were miserly and overwhelmed the weakened Sixers batting order as all six bowlers claimed at least a wicket. Tye capped a superb season as he ran through the lower order to soon have Scorchers celebrating in style.Sixers never in the hunt
Hayden Kerr produced an all-time great innings of 98 not out to get Sixers into the final but the emerging allrounder couldn’t repeat the heroics. He fell in the second over and Sixers’ hopes slumped at 3 for 46 after the departure of captain Moises Henriques.The burden fell on Daniel Hughes, who returned from an ankle injury, and he looked in good touch although struggled to run between the wickets. But he lacked support and when his gutsy knock ended with a run-out on 42, Sixers ran out of gas as they fell to Scorchers for the fourth time this month.Sixers’ spinners star early
Sixers did start well and an upset was on the cards. They resisted using star spinners Nathan Lyon and O’Keefe in the powerplay and it did the trick.Sixers’ seamers bowled superbly and their accurate lengths outside off stump frustrated a shackled Scorchers, who were unable to target the ground’s short square boundaries. Then O’Keefe and Lyon ran rampant with two wickets each as Sixers gained a stranglehold.But Sixers were rattled by the brave batting of Evans and Turner as they let slip of the initiative. O’Keefe returned in the 16th over and picked up the wicket of Turner to finish with 2 for 43 in potentially his last BBL match.

Sunderland will have everything crossed this off-season that they can somehow keep hold of Jack Clarke ahead of the coming campaign, valiantly fending off any suitors interested in their star-man's services as a positive Championship term awaits.

Regis Le Bris will know, even if Clarke does stay put, that the Black Cats need a sprinkling of firepower in the forward positions, having been far too goal-shy last campaign away from the exploits of the ex-Leeds United winger.

That much-needed quality to lead the line looked to be arriving into the building in the form of SM Caen sharp shooter Alexandre Mendy, but that move has gone somewhat awry, as other options are now eyed up this summer by the Wearside outfit.

Sunderland looking at cheap Mendy alternative

As per a report by Slovenian outlet Planet Nogomet, with this development being further relayed by the Roker Report, Sunderland are one of a number of clubs expected to pounce on Bordeaux's unfortunate bankruptcy as a move for Slovenian striker Zan Vipotnik is considered.

Whoever does end up winning his services, with Hadjuk Split, FC Twente and VFL Bochum named as other interested parties from across Europe, the lucky winner would be gaining Vipotnik for free after his contract with the ex-Ligue 2 team was torn up after the club went out of business.

The Slovenia international will be on the hunt for a new place to call home, therefore, with Sunderland hopeful he will pick England over the other array of potential next onward destinations.

With Mendy's move to the Stadium of Light stuck on hold at this moment in time, the Black Cats might see this swoop as an easier one to get over the line, owing to the 22-year-old's new free agent status.

Starring for Bordeaux before their recent demise, Vipotnik had also managed to garner a reputation for being a reliable striker in the same league as Mendy, but could be snapped up for £0 away from his fellow attacker's bold £4.2m price-tag.

What Vipotnik can offer Sunderland

Le Bris clearly wants to add in top talents from his native country this summer, having come up against these stars in the flesh when he was still Lorient manager, allowing him to get a flavour for how they perform before now swooping in.

Vipotnik managed to bag ten goals last season in all competitions for his now-defunct club, taking his overall career goal tally to 44 strikes from 122 games playing in his home country of Slovenia and beyond.

There is definitely room for the in-demand 22-year-old to develop further and hone in on his skills in front of goal too, with 16 big chances missed for Vipotnik last season, with ten goals an impressive tally overall from just 25 starts.

Only needing 14.2 touches per clash in order to regularly make an impact, the free agent forward could live more up to his billing as a "poacher" – as was handed to him by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – surrounded by the likes of Clarke feeding him chances on Wearside.

The goal above from Nazariy Rusyn last campaign showcases Clarke at his explosive best darting forward for the Black Cats, twisting and turning shirts attempting to shut him out, before finding his Ukrainian teammate to tap home.

Vipotnik could well excel playing in a similar manner, with Rusyn only finding the back of the net a meagre two times last campaign in the second tier, which has left Sunderland hunting for a potent striker.

This means that Clarke could help Vipotnik to shine by creating high-quality chances for the forward to find the back of the net, which is backed up by his 12 'big chances' created in the division last term.

Mendy's 22 goals in Ligue 2 could well have filled that gap, but with that move taking an age to get over the line, seeking out a cheap alternative in Vipotnik could prove to be a shrewd move to ensure that the Black Cats bolster their strike force before the window slams shut.

Move over Mendy: Sunderland could reignite interest in exciting attacker

Sunderland could well have other striker targets in mind away from Alexandre Mendy.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 23, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo has told his doubters that he “still feels the passion”, with the Portuguese continuing to silence those who said he was “finished”.

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• Moved to Middle East as a free agent
• Signed most lucrative contract in world football
• Remains determined to land more trophies

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese superstar has made a career out of proving detractors wrong, with history-making exploits suggesting that he should never be written off. Plenty have done that down the years – particularly when CR7 severed ties with Manchester United in 2022 and opted to head for the Middle East.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo faced accusations of moving to the Saudi Pro League purely for financial gain, as he works on the most lucrative contract in world football, but he sets the highest standards of himself and has registered 74 goals for Al-Nassr through 85 appearances.

• WHAT RONALDO SAID

  There is no sign of the evergreen frontman slowing down at 39 years of age, and he has said in a promotional video for the new documentary all about life in Saudi Arabian football: “I came here to win, to make the league better. I want to leave a legacy. That's what I want. They say I'm finished, that I'm only here for the money… I still feel the passion. They don't believe it, but I'm here to win.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo has won the Arab Champions Cup with Al-Nassr – scoring two goals in the final of their 2023 triumph over Al-Hilal – but is still waiting on the grandest of honours in the Middle East and will see his current contract expire next summer.

England were given no chance at redemption with the ball after wet outfield and bad light combined to end the day’s play

Alex Malcolm08-Dec-2021The Ashes’ past have been defined by the first ball of the series at the Gabba. Think Michael Slater clattering Phil DeFreitas for four in 1994-95 or Steve Harmison bowling the first ball to second slip in 2006-07.The 2021-22 Ashes series may well be defined by Rory Burns being bowled around his legs first ball from Mitchell Starc as England collapsed to be all out for 147 at tea on the opening day of the first Test, with Australia captain Pat Cummins claiming 5 for 38 after Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat.Related

• England's Ashes horror shows in Brisbane

• Anderson sits out first Test with an eye on Adelaide pink-ball contest

A thunderstorm then washed out the early part of the final session to pour salt into a gaping wound, as England were given no chance at redemption with the ball. A wet outfield and bad light combined to end the day’s play.Root won’t be lambasted for life for the decision at the toss in the manner that Len Hutton and Nasser Hussain have in Ashes Tests of the past at the Gabba. Cummins admitted he might have batted too despite a distinct green tinge to the surface and some moisture both in the pitch and in the atmosphere.But he would have been regretting it after he joined Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss as England captains to make first-innings ducks in Ashes Tests at the Gabba. Root fell victim to a superb piece of bowling from Josh Hazlewood, who now has a stranglehold on the England skipper having claimed him eight times in Test cricket.He also may regret leaving both James Anderson and Stuart Broad out of the side for the first time in five years and the first time in an Ashes Test since 2006, as England’s top order capitulated on a surface that gave the bowlers plenty of assistance. But some played their own part in the procession of wickets that fell in the first hour after slumping to 26 for 4.Burns lost all bearings of where his stumps were stepping way outside off to expose leg stump to Starc who did shape the ball back down the line after it looked to be veering down leg. But Burns will rue the day as his error could be replayed for decades to come. He also claimed two regrettable records, becoming the second man in history to fall first ball of an Ashes series while registering his sixth duck of the calendar year, the most of any Test opener.Hazlewood then went to work testing the defence of England’s top order and they were found wanting. Dawid Malan nicked a ball he could have easily left alone on length handing Alex Carey his first Test catch, while Root wasn’t allowed to breathe for eight unwavering deliveries before one straightened off the seam to catch his outside edge.Joe Root fell to leave England three down inside half an hour•Getty Images

Ben Stokes entered at 3 for 11 needing to produce another Ashes miracle. He was undone after the drinks break by Cummins from around the wicket, squared up by a ball that climbed from a length and Marnus Labuschagne held a very sharp chance diving to his left at third slip.Haseeb Hameed fought impressively in the face of some outstanding fast bowling. Hameed and Ollie Pope steadied the ship momentarily prior to lunch to prevent any further loss. Hameed was obdurate in defence while Pope was busy, pushing balls into the off side with positive footwork and weight transfer to rotate the strike well.But neither could lay a glove on Hazlewood who bowled seven overs in the first session and conceded just three singles while collecting the scalps of Malan and Root.The lunch break did Hameed no favours as Cummins struck again. He went wide of the crease and angled into off stump forcing Hameed to play, a hint of seam movement away caught the edge and again it was well held at slip, this time by vice-captain Steven Smith.England’s only moment of joy for the day came with the arrival of Jos Buttler. Having pledged pre-series to play fearless cricket he followed through on his promise and counter-attacked in typical fashion. While England could barely defend Hazlewood before lunch, Buttler took the long handle to him launching him through and over the offside with control. Buttler and Pope’s positivity changed the atmosphere briefly as Australia turned Nathan Lyon for containment.The pair shared a 52-run stand and Pope passed 1000 Test runs in the process becoming the sixth-youngest English player to do so.But Starc returned and dismissed Buttler with a superb delivery that threatened to shape in but left him off the seam to catch the outside edge. Cameron Green then claimed his first Test wicket to raucous celebrations after going wicketless all last summer. Pope failed to control a hook shot and Hazlewood ran in from fine leg to complete an outstanding diving catch. It was the first of two for him in the deep as he took another to help Cummins complete his five-wicket haul. Cummins returned to take the last three wickets of the innings as England lost their last five for just 32 runs.Cummins became the first Australian captain to take a five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test since Richie Benaud in 1962 and the first captain of either nation to do so since Bob Willis at the Gabba in 1982. It was a day he could not have dreamt up if he tried, as England added another chapter to their horror history at the Gabba.

The Sri Lanka fast bowler proved he had the heart to go from the most devastating match in his career, to being Man of the Match in the next

Andrew Fernando in Pallekele04-Nov-2012Four Sundays ago, the second ball of Lasith Malinga’s second over was thumped off the pads over midwicket for six. It was the violent beginning to Marlon Samuels’ World Twenty20 final rampage and the delivery upon which the trophy pivoted.For the remainder of the over, Malinga tried sticking to yorkers; the delivery he had worshipped as a teenager before becoming its foremost disciple as a cricketer. He had himself turned matches with that ball; reaped sensational success with the way he got it to dip and swerve well after the batsman had begun playing at it. This time though, his most trusted instrument failed him. Twice he overpitched and was scourged over cover and long on. His next over was no less painful. He has since said it was his most difficult day on a cricket field and blamed himself for his side’s defeat.In the time since he has endured much criticism, and his motivation has been questioned. Whatever Malinga may say about his knee injury, he must accept that Test retirement was not best announced during a lucrative tournament which he would have had to miss part of, if he were to continue playing Tests. Whatever the reason behind that timing, it invited doubt about his commitment to Sri Lanka.But against New Zealand, in his very next international match, Malinga responded to his critics by his performance, the way all the best cricketers do. He was intense at the beginning, skidding through with pace in the channel outside off stump.The Pallekele pitch had lost a great deal of bounce in the five days since the opening Twenty20, and the low carry initially served to further vex the New Zealand openers, neither of whom had seen much of Malinga’s low-arm action. Rob Nicol could barely lay bat on ball in Malinga’s first spell. Often Malinga would bring the ball in, before moving it away a touch off the seam. If Angelo Mathews had been positioned closer to the keeper at first slip, Malinga should have removed him for 4. Tom Latham was not so fortunate. Malinga angled one across him, and the ball kept low and skidded in between bat and pad to clip off stump. In his first five overs, he rarely allowed the batsman to safely leave the ball. The spell cost 12 runs – much of that in edges.He returned to deliver three more during the batting Powerplay. In his first spell, Malinga had gone full and low, but with Ross Taylor batting well, he changed his approach. The fast, uncomfortable bouncers that had been missing almost entirely during Sri Lanka’s World Twenty20 campaign became a feature of his next three overs. He pitched short to Taylor several times in a short period, but as length is more difficult to determine with Malinga’s low arm, Taylor was surprised each time. Once he was hit on the glove, another time, flush on the helmet. Taylor tried to pull and hook, but in the end, the best he could do was to fend him away for singles.At the death New Zealand got Malinga away for one four – only the second he had conceded in the day, and the first had been the edge past Mathews. The yorkers were humming nicely, only without the late swing he used to generate before the rule that made reverse swing obsolete in ODIs. He then put a neat full stop on a plucky performance, when he got one to dip beneath Andrew Ellis’ bat, to take the base of leg stump off the last ball of the innings.Mahela Jayawardene had backed Malinga to the hilt on the night of the final, and had been roundly chastised himself for that decision. Jaywardene is generally a master at sizing up conditions, but on that occasion he had allowed West Indies to have the pace on the ball that Malinga provided on a sluggish pitch, when he still had slow bowling options available. But in their next match together, the relationship between captain and strike bowler had not been shaken. Jayawardene still relied on Malinga to deliver the most high-pressure overs of the innings.”I think I’ve often repaid that trust when he has given the ball to me,” Malinga had said before the match. “I have bowled well in those pressure situations and given the team what it expects. I couldn’t do that in the final, but I think that’s why Mahela gives me the ball in those situations.”For much of his career, Malinga has been a player who has been given the toughest job on the field, and often he has done it well. No one can doubt his form has slipped over the past year, as his figures against India in particular, clearly lay out. But if anyone doubted his hunger, perhaps his 2 for 39 from 10 overs in this match will placate them. It takes heart to go from the most devastating match in one’s career, to being Man of the Match in the next.

With the Euros out of the way and another season of Premier League football on the horizon, will it be third time's the charm for Arsenal in 2024/25?

After two seasons of challenging Manchester City at the top of the table, Mikel Arteta and his squad of talented players must take that next step before they begin to lose momentum.

The best thing that Edu Gaspar and the club at large can do to help them in that endeavour is to bring in some quality additions in the transfer window.

Luckily for fans, that may well happen, as the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates has been compared to Leandro Trossard and would be the perfect rival for Bukayo Saka on the right – oh, and he's already played for the club before.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from German publication Bild, Arsenal are interested in Borussia Dortmund's Dutch attacker, Donyell Malen.

The report claims that the 25-year-old dynamo is considering his future and eyeing a challenge away from Germany, and in an interview from earlier this year, he opened the door for a return to N5, where he spent several years as a youth player before moving to PSV in 2017.

The good news for the Gunners is that this potential signing wouldn't cost them an arm and a leg, as the report has revealed that Dortmund are prepared to sell him for around £34m.

It wouldn't be a bargain, but given his performances last season, the comparisons to Trossard and the potential that he could offer Saka a real challenge on the right, £34m doesn't seem too bad.

Malen's comparison to Trossard and Saka

Now, before assessing how Malen stacks up against Saka and how effective he could be as a challenger to the incredible Englishman, let's look at this comparison to Trossard.

It stems from FBref, which compares every player in Europe's top five leagues based on their position and then creates a list of the ten most comparable for each player and, in this case, they have identified the Belgian as the most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Dortmund ace across those five competitions.

The easiest way to see this similarity is by looking at the underlying numbers where the pair rank quite closely, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals and assists, progressive carries and passes received, key passes, aerial duels won and shot-creating actions, all per 90.

That said, while the comparisons to the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace are now far clearer, how would the "sizzling" Dutchman, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, get on as a rival to the Gunners' Hale End superstar on the right?

Well, the first thing to say is that while he would likely be talked about as a rival for the Englishman, in reality, he'd probably end up becoming a backup, which, given the Ealing-born superstar's tally of 20 goals and 14 assists in 47 games last season is not a slight at all.

However, even as a de facto backup for the 22-year-old ace, the former PSV winger would still get plenty of game time across all the competitions Arsenal are set to play in next season.

Moreover, considering he scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 38 games last season, he'd be an incredible weapon off the bench for Arteta.

Ultimately, Malen proved that he was more than good enough to play for a top team last season, and while he would almost certainly remain behind Saka in the pecking order at the Emirates, he'd still end up getting a fair amount of game time as the Gunners look to attack on all fronts next season.

Moreover, if he's the player who can finally allow the North Londoners' number seven to get some genuine rest during the season, then his importance to the team would stem from more than what he can do on the pitch. Therefore, Edu and Co should do what they can to bring him to the club this summer.

Arsenal chasing £60m England star who's more exciting than Martinelli

The impressive international could make the Gunners even more dangerous.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 16, 2024

Carey makes 101 off 93 for South Australia, but Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald does not know yet who will play the first Test against England

Alex Malcolm28-Nov-2021As clear as the decision was on Tim Paine’s successor as Australia’s Test captain, the decision to find his successor behind the stumps remains up in the air according to assistant coach Andrew McDonald, as Alex Carey and Josh Inglis appear neck and neck in the race to be named for the first Test against England.It was announced on Friday that Paine would be stepping away from cricket indefinitely for a mental health break on the same day Australia announced Pat Cummins would replace him as captain.But in the 48 hours since the Australia selectors, George Bailey, Justin Langer and Tony Dodemaide, have been mulling over the choice of Carey and Inglis to make their debut in Brisbane with McDonald none the wiser as to which way they are leaning.”I think it’s really still up in the air,” McDonald said. “I think if it was clear then there would have been an announcement, so I’m sure that the selectors will be taking all the information in the last game today, I think, domestically before we switch out our focus into the Test match.”We’ve got plenty of time before the first Test match, but I’m sure once they’re clear that there’ll be an announcement because we’ve got an Australia game and obviously Australia A game as well. So the preparation will split into sort of two camps from [December 5] onwards, so that’ll be something that will become clearer I would say over the next few days for us as coaches and then communicated externally.”Carey made a statement today scoring 101 off 93 balls in the Marsh Cup clash with Queensland at Adelaide Oval. It was his second limited-overs century of the season after making 128 not out against Western Australia. He also scored a match-saving 66 not out against Queensland in a Sheffield Shield clash in October batting at No. 5 but his form with the bat in red-ball cricket has been abysmal with the bat since with scores of 0, 7, 6, 2, and 3 in his last five Shield innings. However, his century today certainly came at the right time.Related

• Australia likely to ditch three-day intrasquad game due to bad weather

• Inglis receives some Dutch intel ahead of journey into unknown

• Pat Cummins confirmed as Australia's new Test captain

• Paine out of Ashes after taking indefinite break from the game

“It’s white-ball cricket, but any form is good form as we like to say,” McDonald said. “Obviously we’ve got Josh Inglis in camp with us at the moment, so he starved for match opportunities. Alex Carey was named in Australia A squad as a keeper as well. So we’ve got some options.”And that’s the beauty of it, it’s always better to have options than no options. So look forward to whichever way that goes and the start of someone’s career.”Carey does have a distinct advantage over Inglis having already played three years of international cricket, including in the cauldron of a World Cup in 2019. He has captained Australia in ODI cricket as recently as this year and has led Australia A twice in first-class matches. He had long been seen as the natural successor to Paine both as a wicketkeeper but also as a leader.Inglis hasn’t yet played an international for Australia but has come with a rush into national calculations over the last few months. He took Carey’s spot as the second wicketkeeper in the T20I squad for the World Cup and is currently with the team in quarantine on the Gold Coast. But he has not played any official fixture since Australia’s T20 World Cup warm-up game against New Zealand after one Shield match against South Australia prior to heading to the UAE.Carey’s toughness and temperament has long been his great strength and he bats No. 5 in South Australia meaning he is exposed to tougher batting conditions than Inglis is batting at No. 7 in a very strong Western Australia team.Alex Carey celebrates a 90-ball century against Queensland•Getty Images

While both men have solid first-class records with the bat, the debate among the selectors appears to be around their glovework with a clear preference to pick the best gloveman for the role, as was proven by Paine’s four years in the team having been recalled from near obscurity in 2017.Inglis is regarded among the players and coaches on the domestic circuit as a slightly superior gloveman, although Carey’s work can’t be undersold as he does hold the record for the most dismissals in a Shield season with 59 in 2016-17.The pair could be set to face off on opposite sides if the three-day trial game in Brisbane starting on Wednesday goes ahead although the weather could force Australia’s hierarchy to reconsider their plans. After washing out England’s first practice game, heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast in Brisbane on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.Meanwhile, Jhye Richardson looks increasingly likely to play a part in the Ashes series at some stage after taking 23 wickets in his first four Shield games this season. Although he does still appear to be behind the big three of Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in the pecking order for the first Test at least.”Really positive return clearly on the back of some shoulder issues last year, so it’s great to see him up and running,” McDonald said. “George Bailey, has been casting a keen eye along with Tony Dodemaide following that form line very, very closely.”There’s no doubt that he’ll be putting some pressure on across the summer, whether that’s the first Test match, whether that’s later on in the summer, but, you know, there’s three very handy ball is in front of him at the moment.”

Jamal Musiala unleashed a rocket to give Bayern Munich the lead against St Pauli in the Bundesliga.

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• Musiala scored from distance vs St Pauli
• Gave Bayern lead in Bundesliga clash
• Bavarians bidding to extend lead at top

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As Bayern looked to break the deadlock in an important clash against St Pauli, the man to step up was young Musiala. Until his moment of magic, the visitors had struggled to break down their opponents and get the likes of Harry Kane involved in the game. But the 21-year-old picked the ball up outside of the box and hit the ball sweetly with his laces. It flew towards the goal, dipping over goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj and smashing the crossbar on its way in.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Musiala's goal was his sixth in five games and the youngster is proving to be a catalyst to Bayern's attacking play as they hunt down silverware in Kompany's first season. They may have been exposed against Barcelona but in Germany, the Bavarians look formidable and well on track to restore their status as champions.

  Bundesliga/BeinSportsBundesliga/BeinSports

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The strike was Musiala's fifth Bundesliga goal of the season but by far his best. The German midfielder already has 12 goal contributions across 13 games in all competitions and looks like he means business as Bayern look to reclaim their league crown.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  A win for Bayern will take them onto 26 points from their first eight games. Augsburg are next up for the Bavarians but the players and fans will have one eye on the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain after the international break.

Tougher challenges await for England and there are a couple of areas to sort out, but the series victory against West Indies highlighted their solidity as a Test side

George Dobell at Edgbaston11-Jun-2012Sometimes on a long journey it is worth pausing to reflect on what progress has been made. There was a time, not so long ago, when a 2-0 series victory by England over West Indies would have been celebrated as little short of a spectacular.But, in the last couple of years, England have climbed to the top of the Test and Twenty20 rankings. It speaks volumes for their improvement – and West Indies’ decline – that this series result surprised nobody. It was not always like this and it will not always be like this in the future. Indeed, in years to come and despite the bumps in the road experienced in the UAE, we may reflect on this as the golden age of English cricket.Whether that age is to be sustained remains to be seen. Certainly the next 18-months contains tougher tests and how England come through them will define the legacy of the team. Quite apart from the Ashes and the South African challenge, they have serious questions to answer about their adaptability to Asian conditions.However, they can look back on this series against West Indies and congratulate themselves on an efficient job. England were pushed hard at times, but there were very few real periods of tension. England, persistent, disciplined and relentless, may not be the team with the most flair in Test cricket. But they make fewer mistakes than most. With their long batting line-up and an excellent first choice bowling attack, they remain tough to beat in England, at least.It is worth reflecting, too, on some of the questions that hung over the side heading into the series. Most pertinently, there were doubts – quite reasonable doubts – over Andrew Strauss’ future as a Test batsman. To a lesser extent, there were concerns over Ian Bell, too, doubts over who should fill the No. 6 position and who should be the third seamer.We have enjoyed fewer than 11 full days of Test cricket in this series, yet all but one of those questions has been answered with reassuring confidence. Strauss, with two centuries in the first two Tests, proved his worth and won the Man-of-the-Series award for England. Bell averaged over 100 and produced three half-centuries, including some sublime strokes at Edgbaston and some calm batting under pressure at Lord’s. Tim Bresnan won the Man-of-the-Match award at Trent Bridge with an all-round performance that underlined his worth to the team.Only Jonny Bairstow failed to take the opportunity. While he has not looked out of place in the international environment, he failed to score the runs that might have guaranteed his selection for the series against South Africa. It would be premature to reach conclusions about a 22-year-old with only three completed innings behind him, but the fact is that four of England’s top seven made centuries on Test debut and, after three Tests, Bairstow averages 12.66. International sport is brutal and impatient.Andy Flower offered encouraging words for Bairstow, however. “We should be careful not to judge him too harshly,” Flower said. “He’s a really good young man. A strong, hungry young cricketer and he has a very high ceiling. None of us know if he’ll be a successful international cricketer or not but he’s played a couple of limited-overs games already where he’s helped win games for England. He’s a quick learner. There’s a history of good young cricketers coming in getting a taste of international cricket and coming back stronger, even if they’ve not had a hugely successful start.”

England, persistent, disciplined and relentless, may not be the team with the most flair in Test cricket. But they make fewer mistakes than most

There were a couple of other areas of concern for England. The first session of the fourth day at Edgbaston represented, arguably, England’s worst session in the field for several years. While it would be unwise to read too much into one session when a tailender played the innings of his life on a pristine batting surface, it does seem fair to conclude that James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s positions as first choice bowlers remain unquestioned. Graham Onions, in particular, bowled impressively, but he will, for now, remain reliant on rotation and injury for his opportunities.”One of the things about missing a couple of your senior players is it makes you realise what role they do play in the side,” Strauss said afterwards. “It also allows you to see what role the other guys could play in the side. I think the picture is a lot clearer now.”We came to this Test with every intention of Broad playing. It was a last-minute thing that he didn’t play. Although we didn’t play brilliantly, I am very comfortable and happy that we made that decision, because it will serve us well come the South Africa series. Onions and Steven Finn both showed that they are definitely Test quality bowlers.”Perhaps England also missed Paul Collingwood. Maybe that sounds strange – Collingwood has not played Test cricket since the Ashes in early 2011 – and it was not so much for his determined batting or occasional bowling that was missed. But his excellent catching at third slip has not been replaced and, with Ian Bell dropping two chances in the position at Edgbaston, it is an area England must improve before South Africa arrive.Had England taken their catches on the third day, they may well have wrapped up the West Indies’ first innings before stumps that evening. If they drop Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis or AB de Villiers, it could well cost them a Test. Anderson, excellent in all fielding positions, cannot be there all the time as he will often be bowling.”The catching was disappointing,” Strauss admitted. “That’s something we need to get better at. The third slip area is one where we need to develop someone to do an all-round job, rather than chopping and changing. We’ve got a number of guys with great hands in our side. Bell fields at slip for Warwickshire and Alastair Cook has got good hands, but it’s about someone getting used to that position and you’ve got to give them time to do that. That’s something we have to work on.”But I think by and large we are very happy to have won the series. The West Indies have got some dangerous players, but we were able to overcome that challenge and we obviously go into our next Test assignment in good fettle and feeling confident. We are also aware that there are definitely areas in which we need to improve.”We played enough good cricket in those first two Tests to win reasonably comfortably. This Test was frustrating for all sorts of reasons. Clearly the rain wiping out the first two days doesn’t help with the intensity of the cricket and we certainly didn’t get everything right when we were out there in the field. There are definitely areas we need to sharpen up on. Obviously we dropped a few catches and you don’t want to be in a situation where their No. 11 gets 95 all that often. We’re probably aware that we need to improve our standards a bit before that South Africa series starts.”With Strauss not involved in England’s limited-overs teams or Middlesex’s Friends Life t20 side, he will spend some time in the nets over the coming weeks. As Middlesex only have one first-class game – against Nottinghamshire at Uxbridge from July 11 – there remains the possibility that he will once again be ‘loaned’ to Somerset for a two-day game against the South Africans at Taunton on July 9 and 10.

Edu is prepared to make an Arsenal offer for a £102 million striker, who could actually leave for less than this if they open negotiations.

Edu targeting new striker for Arsenal before start of pre-season tour

The Gunners will commence their pre-season tour of the USA on July 24 and will begin their 2024/2025 preparations that day in Los Angeles against Bournemouth.

Arsenal cast eye on Euro 2024 star after concerns for £250,000-per-week duo

The north Londoners hold worries over two members of Mikel Arteta’s squad.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 2, 2024

This comes after reports that Arsenal wish to sign a prime new striker before their pre-season tour kicks off, meaning the north Londoners have just a few weeks to get one over the line if they're still aiming for a quick summer deal.

Mikel Arteta's side bagged an impressive 90-plus goals in the Premier League last season, which helped to score them 89 points on the board as they narrowly missed out on their first title in 20 years to Man City.

However, it is widely believed that a star centre-forward could be the final missing piece of Arteta's jigsaw. Arsenal tried to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko this summer, even submitting an offer for the Slovenian, but he instead chose to remain at his current club and pen a new contract.

The 21-year-old would've been an astute purchase, as reports at the time indicated he was available for the value of his previous £55 million release clause, after a season where he scored 18 goals in all competitions.

Arsenal unfortunately missed out on what could've been a very good signing, and a host of strikers have been linked since. The Gunners reportedly have their eyes on Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres and Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee as two alternatives to Sesko, and another could be Napoli star Victor Osimhen.

The latter is Serie A's most prolific goalscorer, racking up 65 goals in 108 league outings for Napoli since he joined from Lille in a £69 million deal four years ago. Arsenal and Chelsea have been named as Premier League contenders for Osimhen since the turn of the year, as explained by journalist Ben Jacobs in February.

“We still can't rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen," said Jacobs.

"It’s also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe’s departure. I'm still told by sources that Osimhen’s priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal. He would be looking for about £250,000 per week, which Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG would all be happy to pay.”

Edu prepared to make Arsenal bid for Osimhen

According to a report from Spain this week, they're very much still in the race for him. Indeed, it is believed Edu and Arsenal are willing to make an offer for Osimhen, who could leave for less than his £102 million release clause if clubs open talks and force Aurelio De Laurentiis' hand.

Arsenal would have to push the boat out in terms of salary, as his rumoured £250,000-per-week wage demands would make Osimen the third-highest earner at Hale End.