Oman pick four uncapped players for maiden Asia Cup appearance

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Oman have named as many as four uncapped players for their maiden Asia Cup appearance next month. Sufyan Yousuf, Zikria Islam, Faisal Shah and Nadeem Khan are the uncapped players in the 17-man squad which will be led by experienced opener Jatinder Singh.”It is real that we are participating in the Asia Cup – a major tournament and a fantastic opportunity for our players to showcase their skills on a global stage,” Oman head coach Duleep Mendis said while looking ahead to their first Asia Cup. “Playing against teams like India and Pakistan is a moment to embrace for any cricketer. Anything can happen in a fast-paced T20 game, where one over of brilliance can change everything.”Our build-up has been strong, with the ongoing National T20 tournament providing competitive exposure, and our training sessions have been intense and focused. It’s not just about skills – in high-pressure games against elite teams, mental strength is equally crucial. We are hopeful of making an impact in this Asia Cup and showcasing Oman as a growing cricketing nation.”Oman enters the Asia Cup with a blend of experience and youth, determined to leave a mark against Asia’s cricketing powerhouses. The tournament will not only test their skills but also their mental toughness on one of the most watched platforms in the sport.”Oman are in Group A and begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 12 against Pakistan before taking on UAE on September 15 and India on September 19.Oman’s most recent appearance was in the Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in Lauderhill in the USA in May. This will be their second appearance in a major multi-nation tournament after the T20 World Cup last year.

Oman squad for Asia Cup

Jatinder Singh (capt), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla, Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedara, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammed Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Karan Sonavale, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Shah, Faisal Shah, Muhammed Imran, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava.

Better than Woltemade: Howe's 9/10 Newcastle talent is an "absolute joke"

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup campaign continues. Eddie Howe’s fine record against Tottenham Hotspur continues. The sense that the Magpies are gearing up for yet another glittering chapter in this incredible story grows stronger.

A pair of headers got the job done against Thomas Frank’s Spurs, courtesy of centre-back Fabian Schar and new striker Nick Woltemade, who arrived from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee in August, replacing Alexander Isak.

The German striker faced his detractors upon that high-profile and much-scrutinised move to the Premier League, but he’s passing each test with flying colours, and he proved his worth once again with a strong performance in the cup.

Nick Woltemade continues to impress

Woltemade, 23, has scored six goals from just 11 matches in a Newcastle shirt. That’s quite the return for a raw, up-and-coming forward trying their hand in a new country for the first time.

Nick Woltemade for Newcastle

Competition

Apps

Minutes

Goals

Premier League

6

482′

4

Champions League

3

86′

1

Carabao Cup

2

92′

1

Data via Transfermarkt

But he’s been immense, and his confident header against Tottenham, latching onto Joe Willock’s cross, underscored the quality and potential still to come.

Woltemade has drawn all the plaudits, with onlookers singing his praises once again as he helped his team advance to the quarter-finals. Yet again, he proved he’s more than just a goalscorer, creating two chances and winning four duels (as per Sofascore).

However, he wasn’t the best player on the pitch, and that’s a testament to the outfit Howe has crafted.

Indeed, there’s one man in particular who is starting to look like one of the very best in the business.

Newcastle's "absolute joke" outplayed Woltemade

Newcastle are defined by their recruitment, and while you could pick any number of Howe signings as jackpot additions, none stand taller than Sandro Tonali, whose rise has been well-documented over the past year, and yet he still shocks onlookers with his quality.

After a tough maiden year in England, the Italy international has grown into his skin and is now one of the Premier League’s best players. He simply has so many dimensions to choose from, and was praised to no end for his Man of the Match performance.

Described as an “absolute joke” who “just keeps getting better and better” by journalist Andy Sixsmith, there’s a feeling across Tyneside that the 26-year-old could be the key to shattering expectations this term, and he took Newcastle that step closer with a controlled performance against the Lilywhites.

Schar opened the scoring in the first half, but it was Tonali’s inch-perfect delivery that found the Swiss’s head. This is a man of many talents, who won both of his tackles and made seven ball recoveries besides.

But most impressive of all is that the 92-touch Tonali lost the ball only three times on the evening. He was sitting in the centre of the park, and yet he was almost untouchable as he orchestrated and engineered.

The Shields Gazette were blown away by the tireless performance, hailing Tonali’s 9/10 display and drawing attention to his energy and quality. In a sentence: he was peerless in the middle of the park.

Tonali just continues to be so effortlessly good. His football is a work of art, but he’s tenacious and gripping too, absolutely a completely-shaped midfielder.

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali

Woltemade might be the goal-getter, and someone like Bruno Guimaraes the stylish leader, but Tonali is the metronome, making everyone tick.

Not just Joelinton: Newcastle's "true legend" may now be on borrowed time

Newcastle may well part ways with this Howe mainstay at the end of the campaign.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

Catching in focus as Women's T20 World Cup enters the ring of fire

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Nearly 70% of the matches at the tournament will be played under lights, and one venue will pose a specific challenge

Vishal Dikshit03-Oct-2024Megan Schutt, Lea Tahuhu and Fran Jonas in the recent T20Is in Australia, Laura Wolvaardt in the recent T20Is in Multan. S Sajana at short third in the opening game of WPL 2024. Karishma Ramharack at midwicket in the WCPL 2024 opener.Young or experienced, in the 30-yard circle or in the deep, and in any part of the world, the common thread that binds all these names is that all of them put down fairly straightforward catches that went high into the night sky when the floodlights were on. And all these players – picked randomly from a large sample size – will feature in the Women’s T20 World Cup starting October 3.The lights are going to be flicked on in the UAE for that tournament, in which 13 of the 20 league games will start at 6pm local time, and if we include the three knockout games also slotted for 6pm, it will be 16 games out of 23, nearly 70%, to be played entirely under lights. The challenge is that if your eyes aren’t used to following the white ball against the night sky with the lights blinding your vision at times, you won’t be very well equipped to track the ball going up or coming down.ESPNcricinfo LtdAnd even though more and more women’s T20s are being played under lights these days, day-night and night games are less common than in the men’s game. Since the start of 2021 (games for which ESPNcricinfo has data), close to 41% (2046 out of 5019) of men’s T20s have been played partially or completely under lights (day-night or night games) but the corresponding number for women’s T20s is just 18% (319 out of 1779). On average, just one out of five women’s T20s have used floodlights in this period.The encouraging sign is that over 51% (54 of 105) of women’s T20Is between Full Member teams since the last Women’s T20 World Cup (in 2023) have been day-night or night games, which is close to the men’s figure of 57.5% (80 of 139). But the discouraging figure is that since the start of 2021, women have dropped more catches (25.2%) compared to men (17.75%), with similar numbers even in T20 internationals.Related

  • Sloppy fielding and low energy deflate England's campaign

  • 'It can be tough to do both skills full out' but Kapp will do it for South Africa

  • FAQs: The first ever women's T20 World Cup at a neutral venue

  • Young ones to watch at the Women's T20 World Cup

  • Could this be the closest-ever Women's T20 World Cup?

Hayley Matthews, the West Indies captain and two-time WCPL champion for Barbados Royals, had said in August that the first few games of this year’s WCPL (all played under lights) saw “quite a bit [of] dropped catches from all the teams” because “we haven’t played under lights in a really long time.” When a fair few such chances slipped through in India’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) this year, UP Warriorz coach Jon Lewis, who also coaches England Women, had said even though it was primarily the Indian domestic players responsible for the fielding lapses, it was “a little bit of lack of experience for a lot of players especially under the lights.”A lot of the players – domestic or international – were also not used to the grounds they were playing at in Delhi and Bengaluru in the WPL, and unfamiliar with the dimensions and the deep pockets. “Understanding the angles” takes you some time to get used to as well, as former India quick and Mumbai Indians bowling coach and mentor Jhulan Goswami said.Unfamiliarity with the grounds in the UAE for the T20 World Cup could be another obstacle for at least half of the ten participating teams because Australia, India, England and West Indies have never played T20Is in that country, and the last T20Is played by South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan there were at least seven years ago.Throw in balls going high off top-edges with the floodlights on, and it won’t be easy.”I think whether women or men, if you’re playing under lights, it is a completely different story altogether, only because the background from which the ball comes is different,” Malolan Rangarajan, part of the RCB coaching staff in the IPL and WPL, and head coach of St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the CPL, tells ESPNcricinfo. “When you’re talking about catches being dropped, there’s something called depth perception. When the sky is blue or white, the depth perception is completely different to when the sky is dark and black.”Even though the ball is in contrast to the colour of the sky, the most important thing for a fielder to understand is how high the ball is and at what speed it is coming down [at]. Since it is a darker colour [at night], one needs to get used to it. And once you get used to it…I am not saying it is more difficult or easier. A few fielders might say they find catching the ball easier under lights and a few of them might say it’s difficult.”While teams like Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa played their most recent T20Is under lights and a lot of West Indies players got similar game time during the WCPL, the India squad didn’t hold even one training session under lights in their month-long preparation before the T20 World Cup, and they jumped straight into the warm-up games in Dubai starting at 6pm.The ring of fire around the Dubai International Stadium poses a unique challenge to fielding teams•Tharaka Basnayaka/Getty ImagesThe other challenge in this tournament is the unique design of lights at the Dubai International Stadium. As can be seen above, the ground doesn’t have floodlight poles but a lights all around the edge of the roof, commonly known as the “ring of fire”. Is catching going to be tougher here then?”Only for the high catches because there they have a circular ring of light,” former India Women fielding coach Biju George, currently with Delhi Capitals in the IPL and WPL, tells ESPNcricinfo. “So it’s very difficult to pick the ball. If you have four, five or six floodlights, there are spaces where you are not hindered by the light but in Dubai at every angle, at any point of time, the ball is going to disappear in that space. So your judgment should be spot on.”The flip side, however, is that the ring of fire may not blind you as severely as the conventional floodlights in Sharjah, where the contrast of the block of lights against the dark sky might be starker because it’s a more open stadium.”Fielding under four or six poles of lights is completely different to this ring of fire, as they like to call it,” Rangarajan says. “If you ask me personally, it is easier to still catch the ball when there is a ring of fire, as opposed to when you have one pole with about 20-30 lights and once the ball goes in that [area] it is almost impossible [to catch]. No matter how experienced you are, those few milliseconds or seconds when the ball goes inside, when it’s a pole [of floodlights], it is much more difficult.”Everything will have a downside, but I think, holistically speaking, the lights which are like Dubai Stadium comparatively will be easier for catching high balls, 100%. This is a point only because it is unusual to have lights like that, and that’s why people find it difficult because they’re not used to it. But it doesn’t blind your eye.”The teams at the T20 World Cup won’t be entirely thrown into the unknown. They have all played two warm-up games each before the main tournament, all starting at 6pm, to get used to to the conditions at night. But it may not be enough because the venues for the main matches are Sharjah and the Dubai International Stadium whereas the warm-ups were at the two Academy grounds and the multi-sport Sevens Stadium in Dubai.According to George, who was with DC during the IPL in 2020 and 2021 in the UAE, there are still ways to plan around the ring of fire, by identifying your best fielders, the best positions for them, and the pockets the top opposition batters are likely to target.”First thing is you have to find out who your inner-circle fielders are, who your outer fielders are,” he says. “And second, you have to find out, for every team as an opposition team captain or coach, where the batters’ hotspots are, where they tend to get their runs, where they tend to get out. So I make sure that the best catchers are there.”

Former wicketkeeper Katey Martin, who played three ODI and six T20 World Cups for New Zealand and now does commentary around the world, believes you have to tweak your training methods when there are such unknowns with respect to fielding while on tour.”To be honest, a lot of it’s actually out of your control,” she said of playing at new grounds. “So it really is just making the most of those [training] opportunities when you do get to train under lights to do a lot of fielding practice. So sometimes you might end up doing more fielding practice than you would do skills because it’s just the effect of being able to get used to the conditions and teams will turn up to grounds and they’ll have the coaches just literally go around in a circle and then players are on the boundaries. They just take catches in different pockets, just as people get used to it and then obviously cover catches and close [catches].”For me, fielding is all about attitude. So if you’ve got the right attitude, you’re switched on and you have a good understanding of what’s happening in the game, I think you can anticipate.”With plenty of training hours under their belt thanks to recent games or preparatory camps, all ten teams will hope they have the best tools and plans in place. And if they have the attitude of the kind South Africa’s 18-year-old Seshnie Naidu showed with a wonder grab on her T20I debut in Multan not long after being picked in the World Cup squad, we may not see that many chances going down.

Ollie Robinson, Will Rhodes dismantle Sussex

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Keeper-batter’s first List A century for Durham was followed by Will Rhodes’ maiden List A five-for

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025A brilliant century from Ollie Robinson and an excellent all-round effort from Will Rhodes led Durham to a 51-run victory over Sussex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Robinson’s counter-attacking century, which was his first List A ton for Durham, supported by a gutsy innings from Rhodes fired Durham to a total of 310 for 7 from their 50 overs, with Archie Lenham the pick of the Sussex bowlers.Sussex’s chase of 311 got off to a poor start as they found themselves 86 for 4 at one point, but middle order runs from Danny Lamb dragged his side back in the game.However, Rhodes secured Durham the opening day victory with his first ever List A five-wicket haul.Sussex won the toss at a sunny Roseworth Terrace and elected to bowl first and they got off to a great start as Alex Lees edged a Fynn Hudson-Prentice delivery behind to Charlie Tear in the opening over.Rhodes and Emilio Gay settled Durham down after the early loss and reached 50 in the powerplay as the former produced a crunching straight drive for four.Rhodes then reached his half-century from 43 balls on his List A debut for Durham, while Gay started to show some aggression as he took the aerial route to find the cover boundary.Gay then tried to launch a Jack Carson delivery down the ground for six, but he was caught well by Ari Karvelas for 34. Sussex then struck again as Lamb bowled Colin Ackermann for 14 to leave things finely poised.Robinson joined Rhodes at the crease and looked to be proactive as he pulled a Lenham ball for four and he followed that up with a cut shot on the back foot that went for four.Rhodes then hit the first maximum of the day as he gave a Carson ball the treatment with a beautiful slog sweep.Robinson then got his fifty from 47 balls, getting to the milestone with a six, but Rhodes fell four short of his century as Lenham got him caught at deep square. Wickets then came like buses for Sussex as Lamb got Ben Raine for six. Despite the wickets, Robinson kept the scoreboard ticking over and picked up another maximum as he pulled a Henry Crocombe ball over the ropes.Haydon Mustard, making his first appearance of the season, also looked to move Durham towards 300 as he picked up a couple of boundaries including a lovely cut shot.Mustard then fell for a lively 36, but Robinson reached his century off 78 balls to take his side to a big total. The centurion fell for 100 exactly, Ari Karvelas picking up the wicket, but Durham reached 310 for seven at the end of their 50 overs.Tom Haines and Danial Ibrahim started Sussex’s chase of 311, but it got off to a bad start as Ibrahim was caught behind off the bowling of Codi Yusuf for two.Durham cranked up the pressure as George Drissell got Tom Clark caught behind for 14.Haines showed a glimpse of some aggression as he reverse swept Drissell for four, however, Tear departed for nine after he pulled a Mitch Killeen delivery straight to Yusuf in the deep.Killeen then struck again as he got Haines for 23 as he chipped one straight to Ackermann at mid-on.Hudson-Prentice was frustrating Durham and he took a liking to James Minto’s bowling as he smashed one over the square boundary and out of the ground.Durham got the big wicket of Hudson-Prentice for 43 as he went for a second run, but a throw came in from Yusuf and Robinson whipped the bails off with aplomb.Oli Carter then hammered one from Drissell down the ground for six and followed that up with a four off Minto. Danny Lamb then hit Ben Raine for six to boost his team’s hopes and he backed that up with a tidy flick off his legs for four a few balls later.Lamb continued his charge, dragging his side back into the game with some powerful strokes and reached his fifty from 35 balls.However, Carter departed for 38 as Rhodes got him caught behind to halt Sussex’s momentum. Lamb continued his assault on the Durham attack as he pulled a Yusuf ball for four, but Rhodes got another wicket, getting Carson caught and bowled for four.Rhodes got his third, removing Lamb for an excellent 74 to leave Durham on the verge of victory.Rhodes then wrapped things up for Durham to bowl Sussex out for 259 and he finished with figures of 5 for 30.

Endrick tells Real Madrid he wants January exit amid Man Utd interest

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Manchester United have improved drastically in the forward areas this season, though they could now be prepared to offer a platform for Real Madrid star Endrick to shine ahead of the World Cup if circumstances align.

Benjamin Sesko has endured a mixed time since joining the Red Devils. Two goals in 11 matches haven’t exactly set the house on fire, though he has been an impressive presence within build-up play under Ruben Amorim.

Nevertheless, his recent performances have not escaped Gary Neville’s attention, who told NBC Sports that the ‘jury is out’ on whether he will be the right fit through the middle long-term.

He said: “I’m no further forward with him. The jury is out. He’s well off it compared to the other summer signings that Man United made up front in Cunha and Mbeumo.

“He looks awkward, he had a couple of really good opportunities in the first half – when balls got played over the top. And his touch wasn’t quite right.”

Quite clearly, Sesko has the potential to come good. Other than him, Joshua Zirkzee has had limited minutes at Manchester United this season, and he is now reportedly in the sights of Everton with the World Cup taking place next summer.

At this point, it is unclear whether he will be allowed to leave in January. If he is permitted to go, the Red Devils will likely target another forward to pick up the shortfall for the second half of the campaign, even temporarily.

As the transfer window draws closer, Manchester United may now have a plan in place to land a world-renowned talent to bolster their attacking options.

Man Utd target Endrick tells agent he wants loan from Real Madrid

According to The Daily Star, Manchester United target Endrick has told his agents that he will seek a loan move in January, with the only way of that being likely to change if his minutes improve at Real Madrid.

The Brazil international has been frozen out by Xabi Alonso and has played in a single match this season. Aston Villa have also come to the table if uncertainty over his future is set to linger.

Endrick since joining Real Madrid

Appearances

38

Goals

7

Assists

1

West Ham United and Juventus have been mentioned in dispatches as alternative suitors, with the 19-year-old fearful that a lack of games may prohibit his chances of going to next year’s World Cup.

In the scenario where any deal is concluded to send Endrick on loan, Real Madrid want his next club to pay his wages in full for the duration of a spell away from the Spanish capital.

Man Utd are also pushing hard to sign an England international

Mid-season always promised to be an important time of year at Old Trafford, and it now remains to be seen whether they can secure the youngster in a deal that would make headlines across the world.

Northern Superchargers beat Oval Invincibles to go level with table leaders

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Superchargers join Invincibles on 20 points, both vying for direct qualification to the final

ECB Media23-Aug-2025

Harry Brook led the way with 56•ECB/Getty Images

Northern Superchargers 198 for 4 (Brook 56, Crawley 49) beat Oval Invincibles 182 for 7 (Ferreira 41, Lawes 2-22) by 16 runsThe blockbuster tie at Headingley between the Hundred’s top two saw Northern Superchargers overcome the Oval Invincibles with a spectacular six-hitting blitz from Harry Brook and Zak Crawley.In a competition which has tended to favour teams who chase, the Superchargers bucked the trend, going hard immediately to set an ultimately insurmountable target. Crawley was irresistible, smacking three maximums and five fours in his 25-ball stay, only miscuing a Nathan Sowter legbreak to long-off with a fifty at his mercy.He dominated an opening stand of 76 with Dawid Malan, the two yet again complementing each other beautifully to careen to 49 from the Powerplay, before Brook took over the latter stages with another display of outrageous strokeplay, with a one-handed scythe for six over the deep-third boundary one of five sixes struck from his 27 balls at the crease.Brook tumbles across to scoop•ECB/Getty Images

Sowter was the pick of the Invincibles bowlers, going for just 29 from his 20, but the Curran brothers, Tom and Sam, were treated mercilessly, giving up 83 runs between them from just 35 balls.In reply, Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye got off to a flyer, but when Jacks miscued a leg-side flick to be caught on the offside for an 11-ball 25, giving Jacob Duffy the first of his two wickets, the game shifted back to the home side.The combination of Jordan Cox, one of the breakout stars of this year’s competition, and Sam Curran briefly threatened another extraordinary heist. But when Cox was outfoxed by Tom Lawes to hole out in the deep for 24 and Curran edged Matthew Potts to Michael Pepper, the task became impossible. Even a violent 15-ball 41 from the big-hitting Donovan Ferreira was not enough.Tellingly, Ferreira’s four sixes made up half of the Invincibles’ total tally of maximums, against 14 struck by the Superchargers – which also featured a hat-trick of sixes from David Miller in the final set of five. In a game of monstrous hitting, the home side prevailed to take a statement win.”I thought the boys batted beautifully on a good pitch with a fast outfield, and to get a score near enough to 200 was the perfect start to the first innings,” Brook said. “I’m not one – and the team isn’t one – for searching for scores, we assess the conditions as quick as possible and try and communicate off the field what we think is the best score.”I thought our bowlers did a great job there. We were a bit unlucky at times, but they toiled really well there. It’s a beautiful win tonight and we’re happy with the momentum we can take into the next game.”

موعد مباراة بيراميدز القادمة بعد الفوز على باور ديناموز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

انتهت مباراة بيراميدز مع باور ديناموز، منذ قليل، ضمن منافسات دور مجموعات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا 2025 – 2026.

وحقق بيراميدز، الفوز على باور ديناموز، في المباراة التي جمعتهما في زامبيا في دور المجموعات، بهدف نظيف.

طالع.. بيراميدز يوافق على انضمام لاعبه إلى منتخب مصر في كأس العرب ورفع بيراميدز، رصيده إلى 6 نقاط متساويًا مع نهضة بركان المغربي في المركزين الأول والثاني من المجموعة.

ويلتقي بيراميدز في مباراته القادمة مع كهرباء الإسماعيلية، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز. موعد مباراة بيراميدز القادمة بعد الفوز على باور ديناموز

وتقام مباراة بيراميدز مع كهرباء الإسماعيلية الأربعاء 3 ديسمبر، في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

Berta poised to hand Arsenal star record-breaking pay rise as £75m claim made

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Arsenal chief Andrea Berta is continuing his mission to tie down Mikel Arteta’s most crucial stars with brand-new deals, and the Gunners are now prepared to do something they’ve never done in their history.

Arsenal favourites for Premier League title after near-impenetrable start

Right now, Arsenal aren’t just Premier League title contenders — they’re the team to beat.

Arteta’s side sit pretty atop the table, and it’s no surprise given how they’ve combined defensive solidity with set-piece menace to frustrate opponents week after week so far.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Opposition sides have found it near-impossible to carve out clear chances against an Arsenal side who’ve leaked just three goals in all competitions this season, the best record of any team in Europe right now.

Surprise Serie A title contenders Roma have also conceded just three in the league so far, but unlike Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, Arsenal are just as unbreakable in Europe as they are domestically.

Arsenal’s threat from dead balls has also been a nightmare for teams to deal with.

Time and again, they’ve capitalised on corners and free-kicks, with Gabriel already racking up four goal contributions as a direct result from set pieces this term.

The arrival of Gabriel Heinze to Arteta’s coaching staff has been pinpointed as a key reason why Arsenal have built themselves into even more of a rock-solid force at the back, and if they continue in this fashion, a first league title in 22 years looks pretty inevitable.

While their guerrilla tactics from dead balls and long-throws aren’t exactly easy on the eye, with pundit Jamie O’Hara boldly claiming that Arsenal are ‘killing the Premier League’ with this style of play, Arteta won’t be caring in the slightest right now.

Excitement around the Emirates Stadium is brewing, and the future is looking very bright as Berta looks to convince Arsenal’s star men to commit their futures at N5.

The Italian, who led a near-£270 million spend on summer transfers in the last window, has already managed to tie down the likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel and William Saliba in the last few months alone.

Berta also rewarded the likes of David Raya and Leandro Trossard with pay rises, showcasing a determination to acknowledge certain members of the squad for their fine form, while it is believed that talks have been held over fresh terms with Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber as well.

However, their most vital contract discussions have centered around star winger Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal poised to hand Bukayo Saka record-breaking pay rise

The England international is back to his best and playing week in, week out after hamstring problems, with Saka causing Atlético Madrid nightmares in the Champions League this time last week.

While Saka is yet to register his first assist of the campaign, he’s already netted crucial goals against the likes of West Ham and Olympiacos to put those games beyond doubt, and the 24-year-old is vital to the way Arteta likes to play.

The Hale End academy superstar’s current deal expires in 2027, and it is imperative that Berta seals his extension sooner rather than later.

Reports suggest that Arsenal are optimistic Saka will pen an extension by Christmas, and according to journalist Wayne Veysey, the club could break a record by doing so.

Writing for Football Insider, Veysey reports that Arsenal could make Saka the club’s first-ever £300,000-per-week player, with talks ongoing over a new deal that will likely make the winger their new highest-paid star above Kai Havertz, who is on £280,000-per-week.

Over a potential five-year contract, Saka is apparently in line to earn over £75 million, which doesn’t even take into account performance-related bonuses or other add-ons.

Negotiations are said to be progressing well, and Saka is likely to sign in the “upcoming period”.

'It's crisis time' – Roy Keane rules out 'really weak' Liverpool's Premier League title chances after Manchester City thumping

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Roy Keane believes Liverpool can no longer be considered Premier League title contenders, saying their 3-0 thumping at Manchester City proves they are in a "crisis". Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku saw Pep Guardiola’s City confirm themselves as the likeliest challengers to league leaders Arsenal, in what was a damaging defeat for the reigning champions.

Haaland, Gonzalez & Doku all on target against lacklustre Liverpool

All eyes were on the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as City and Liverpool aimed to not only dent each other’s title hopes, but equally close the gap on an Arsenal side who were held to a 2-2 draw with Sunderland the previous day.

And on the 1,000th game of Guardiola’s illustrious managerial career, it was City who outlined their title credentials, roaring past a Liverpool side for whom it looked like it was one game too many in their mini-revival following victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

Haaland, Gonzalez and man-of-the-match Doku did the damage for City, who are now second in the table and just four points behind Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. Meanwhile, Liverpool remain eight points adrift of the Gunners, having lost a fourth consecutive away game in the league for the first time since 2012.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportManchester United icon Keane lays into Slot's Reds after the game

And such was the sluggish nature of Liverpool’s loss at City that Manchester United legend Keane feels Arne Slot’s men are now unlikely to defend the title which they claimed last season.

In the immediate aftermath of the match, Keane told "You can't be considering Liverpool for the title. That was a sore defeat. But this reminded me of [the] City of old. They were outstanding. They are back in the mix."

He then said it is "crisis time for Liverpool," adding: "It's okay to lose to a club like Man City – it's a tough place to come. But to lose seven in ten – five league losses already – It has to be a crisis for a club like Liverpool.

"I thought Liverpool looked like a really weak team today. The manager said he was pleased with the second half, but the game was over! It's easy to play well when you're not playing for anything. 

"I thought [Slot's] assessment of the game was spot on. City looked stronger, technically better and more physical than Liverpool today. [Liverpool] still had moments, they've always got quality, but the goals they're giving away – their decision making  – was not good enough. There was a lack of intensity, a lack of energy. The subs, when they came on, looked really soft. I think it is a crisis for Liverpool."

Van Dijk stops short of getting involved in debate over disallowed goal

While Liverpool were second best for the majority of the match, they will feel aggrieved they did not register at least one goal in the game. 

The Merseysiders thought they had delivered a sucker punch in the first half when captain Virgil van Dijk headed home from Mohamed Salah’s corner, but the goal was ruled out after Andy Robertson was adjudged to have been interfering with play from an offside position.

However, Netherlands international Van Dijk refused to get embroiled in a debate over the decision, saying "it doesn’t matter what he thinks about the incident."

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Getty Images SportNetherlands centre-back insists 'it doesn't matter' what he thinks

When asked about his disallowed goal after the final whistle, Van Dijk told "In football the officials are deciding the key decisions and we have to deal with it on the pitch. There is no point discussing this from my point of view. The reality is that we lost 3-0 and that is a big blow.

"It doesn't matter what I say [about the goal] because anything I say will be in the media and the whole international break will be about my comment on the decision. I just focus on the fact we lost. You guys can debate if it should have stood.

"It's about finding consistency and carrying on. Now we go to our countries, stay fit and be ready for a big run after. We are not going to give up whatsoever. We are in November and we are ready for a long season and a big fight."

Leeds eyeing "unbelievable" midfielder whose teammates compare him to Maradona

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a move for an “unbelievable” Premier League player in the January transfer window, as he looks to boost his World Cup chances.

Aaronson hails impressive "mentality" at Leeds

The Whites continue to battle well in the Premier League this season, with last Friday’s 2-1 win at home to West Ham leaving them 15th in the table at the end of the weekend.

One player who is enjoying his football at Leeds is Brenden Aaronson, with the American hailing the mentality on show under Daniel Farke after scoring against the Hammers, and lauding the competition for places.

“It was huge for us today to keep the mentality. I think that was the message all week. Late minutes in the game, stay on top of it and get the result which we needed today to hold the 2-1 win. Defensively, we were good today. We handed a lot of crossing situations from them. West Ham is a team that has a ton of quality so it was definitely a difficult game. I am just proud of the group.

“I think we have this next-man-up mentality where I think everybody is ready to play and everybody is winning their chance. I think the biggest thing for me is getting in the box and the ball bounces your way but that is all about positioning and reacting. I am really happy with the goal and I am happy with the group and the atmosphere.”

But Leeds will know that there is still a huge amount of work to do this season, in terms of avoiding relegation back to the Championship, and new signings in January wouldn’t go amiss.

Leeds eye January move for "unbelievable" Barkley

According to The Leeds Press, Leeds and Farke are keen on signing Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley on loan in the January window.

The 31-year-old is seen as “an option amongst several other players” midway through the season, with Farke “keen to add a creative midfielder to his squad in January”. The player himself is “keen for more game time”, with a move to Elland Road giving him an “outside chance of a place in the England World Cup squad” next summer.

Barkley could be a shrewd creative loan option for Leeds in attacking midfield, scoring 37 Premier League goals in his career and being lauded by former Luton Town teammate Andros Townsend, who even once compared him to the legendary Diego Maradona.

Farke has found a new Dallas-type player in “unbelievable” Leeds star

Daniel Farke has now stumbled upon Leeds United’s next Stuart Dallas-type figure in this unbelievable star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 27, 2025

Barkley has a point to prove and a big World Cup aim with England, which would only be a good thing for Leeds, and if the loan move didn’t work out, he would simply return to Villa at the end of the season.

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