For the fifth time in the men’s T20 World Cup, a match ended in a tie
Sampath Bandarupalli06-Jun-20242:08
Rapid Fire Review: Where does this rank among the greatest upsets?
5 Number of matches to have ended in a tie at the men’s T20 World Cup, including Thursday’s game between USA and Pakistan in Dallas. The game between Namibia and Oman in Bridgetown earlier this week was the previous tied match.2 Number of teams to have bagged wins in their first two matches at the men’s T20 World Cup, before the USA. South Africa won their first four matches, while Sri Lanka also won their first two. (Considering the results – win or loss – to have come after the tie-breaker – a bowl out or a Super Over)3 Instances of Pakistan losing to an Associate nation in a men’s International, including the defeat against the USA in the Super Over. Pakistan’s two previous defeats came at the ODI World Cup – against Bangladesh in 1999 and Ireland in 2007. Pakistan also played out a tied ODI against Ireland in 2013.3 Pakistan became the third Full Member to be defeated by the USA in men’s Internationals. USA won a T20I against Ireland in 2021 and beat Bangladesh 2-1 in a three-match T20I series last month.499 Difference in the T20I caps of playing XIs of Pakistan (706) and USA (207) on Thursday. Only one team has overcome a higher difference in experience to win a men’s T20I – 555 caps by India in successive matches against Ireland in August 2023.
It is also the highest difference any team overcame to win a men’s T20 World Cup game, bettering the 314 by Sri Lanka (347) when they defeated Ireland (661) in the 2022 edition.
56.00 Babar Azam’s strike rate at the end of the tenth over with only 14 runs off 25 balls. It is the fourth-lowest strike rate recorded by a batter in the first ten overs of an innings at the men’s T20 World Cup, where they faced 25-plus balls. It is also the third-lowest strike rate for Pakistan in the first ten overs of an innings in men’s T20Is.3 Pakistan bowlers dismissed only three USA batters on Thursday. These are the fewest wickets Pakistan have picked up in a men’s T20 World Cup game (Across the 36 matches where they bowled full 20 overs).8 Wins for USA across the nine men’s T20Is they played in 2024. Their only defeat was against Bangladesh in the final game of the three-match T20I series last month. Until the start of 2024, the USA won only 11 of the 21 T20Is they played, including one win in the Super Over versus Canada.
No fancy tactics, big runs are what’s needed as England face hefty first-innings pursuit
Alan Gardner11-Jun-2022First, the good news. England hustled out the last five New Zealand wickets for 57 runs, conjuring the sort of fightback that their bowling coach, Jon Lewis, had hinted was possible after a footslogging (and self-inflicted) first day in the field at Trent Bridge. James Anderson and Stuart Broad were to the fore, as the Trent Bridge crowd engaged in a few lusty choruses of support.The bad news was that this belated display of incision came more than halfway through day two, as Daryl Mitchell’s teak-tough 190 set the tourists up for their highest-ever Test total in England.”They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I wasn’t on that particular job.” Brian Clough, the former Nottingham Forest manager whose statue can be found off the old market square in the city centre, was a man who knew plenty about winning – as well as providing memorable lines. He also had a soft spot for cricket, occasionally making the short trip across from Forest’s City Ground to watch a game at Trent Bridge.Brendon McCullum, at least these days, cuts a humbler figure with his public pronouncements, but he will be starting to get a clearer picture of the “particular job” in front of him. McCullum will have known that England’s Test fortunes would not be completely rebuilt over the course of their three-and-a-bit day win at Lord’s. But to put it in football parlance, the new-manager bounce has already worn off.Lewis had referenced McCullum’s “positive, upbeat” approach when asked how he would try to rally his troops. Doubtless the mood in the dressing room will have remained calm and relaxed, even as New Zealand cruised towards 500 still only five down – far removed from the more colourful approach to man-management preferred by Clough, who used everything from alcohol to physical confrontation to motivate his players.The fiery stuff may well come from Ben Stokes, who continued to charge up his learning curve as England Test captain. If he could console himself on the first day that his decision to insert New Zealand might not have backfired had his players held on to the chances that came their way, the problem on a blustery Saturday was where the opportunities were going to come from. When Mitchell did make a misjudgement during the morning session, lofting a straightforward catch to long-on, Matthew Potts produced the worst drop of England’s lengthy effort in the field.After the chaos of Lord’s, where Stokes was largely able to react to events unfolding at pace – other than during the partnership between Mitchell and Tom Blundell – here the onus was on his ability to pull the strings. “This is when he’ll start to find out about captaincy,” observed Graeme Swann on Sky’s commentary. And it was also where we started to find out how Stokes will tackle the challenge.Certainly, it was no surprise to see him launch into a lengthy spell with the ball – as he has done before in Colombo, Cape Town and Headingley – in an effort to turn things around single-handedly. That, too, despite concerns about his fitness in the build-up. Stokes was fifth into the attack, with England beginning to get desperate in their attempts to break another hefty Mitchell-Blundell stand, but again demonstrated his skill as a swing bowler, rather than battering ram, as well as that famed physical stamina.When the wicket did fall, it was Stokes with the catch at mid-off. The next man in, Michael Bracewell, then survived several close calls as Stokes settled into his work during an 11-over stint either side of lunch. Pragmatism had by now resulted in a cover sweeper being deployed for Mitchell, but when he nevertheless stepped out to crunch Stokes for four, there was a kick at the turf from the frustrated bowler.Another substantial partnership ensued, but England regrouped following a delay for rain. Following initial four-over bursts, Anderson and Broad had been left to their devices in the outfield – their energies largely devoted to England’s many unsuccessful attempts to get the ball changed. Maybe they could have been turned to sooner. But having switched back to the Pavilion End, Anderson successfully preyed on Bracewell’s nerves as he approached fifty, ten dots balls to the debutant followed by an anguished prod to slip.Stokes had begun the day in the cordon, while Joe Root was off the field. But with Potts now deployed on the bumper duty – a role Stokes himself had performed at Lord’s – the captain took up station at deep midwicket. During the right-hand, left-hand partnership between Mitchell and Bracewell, Stokes’ commitment to the role extended to jogging all the way from one side of the ground across to the other.As Broad returned with a two-wicket burst and England began to sense that an end to their toil was near, Stokes could be seen leaning over the boundary to sign autographs between deliveries, content that his players knew what was required. Clearly being all things to English cricket isn’t too weighty a burden yet.For a man as competitive as Stokes, there doubtless will be plenty to pick apart in the debrief. Only twice has a team inserted by England made a higher first-innings total; even Nasser Hussain’s infamous Brisbane call resulted in Australia being dismissed for fewer than 500. But an encouraging start with the bat – aided by New Zealand dropping a couple of chances in return – will aid his sleep tonight. No fancy tactics, big runs are what’s needed. Even Old Big ‘Ead could tell you that.
O Botafogo empatou com o Bragantino em 1 a 1, na noite desta quarta-feira (13), e se classificou para a fase de grupos da Libertadores. Júnior Santos abriu o placar no Nabizão, e Talisson igualou. No placar agregado, o Alvinegro venceu o Massa Bruta por 3 a 2.
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➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo
⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA? O primeiro tempo entre Bragantino e Botafogo foi de dar sono. O Alvinegro buscou segurar o resultado, enquanto o Massa Bruta pouco atacou.
As emoções ficaram para a segunda etapa. Logo no início, Damián Suárez foi expulso após fazer uma falta em Juninho Capixaba. O lateral-esquerdo do Bragantino era o último homem e estava em direção ao gol.
continua após a publicidade
Após a expulsão, o Bragantino partiu para cima, mas foi o Botafogo que abriu o placar com Júnior Santos. Minutos depois, Talisson igualou para incendiar a partida. No entanto, o empate permaneceu e o resultado agregado classificou o Alvinegro para a fase de grupos da Libertadores.
➡️ O QUE VEM POR AÍ? Agora, o Botafogo volta a entrar em campo no domingo para enfrentar o Sampaio Corrêa, pelo segundo jogo da semifinal da Taça Rio. A bola rola às 18h30, no Estádio Nilton Santos. Já o Bragantino encarar o Inter de Limeira, às 16h, no Nabizão, em confronto válido pelas quartas de final do Campeonato Paulista.
Tottenham Hotspur did more than just end their interminable trophy drought when defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final last season; Ange Postecoglou opened up a road to the Champions League.
Given that Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, this was quite the saving grace at the end of a campaign that left so much to be desired, and it ensured the Londoners could make a compelling case to potential signings like Xavi Simons.
While Tottenham supporters were overjoyed when signing the Dutch playmaker from RB Leipzig for £51m, after intense interest from Chelsea earlier in the summer, there’s no denying that the 21-year-old has yet to perform on English shores.
Given his big-money profile and the expectation upon his arrival, there’s a concern that Simons is echoing the likes of Tanguy Ndombele before him.
Simons' start to life at Spurs
Thomas Frank hasn’t yet established his vision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his side struggling for form in the final third. Simons has been a part of the problem, but it’s important to remember this is a young talent who has entered a team lacking offensive coherence.
In just two years in Germany, Simons scored 22 goals and supplied 24 assists across 78 matches. He was the difference-maker, and many Premier League clubs were keen.
Spurs won the race, and credit to them, but Simons has yet to prove he has what it takes to raise his game to the next level, thus prompting concerns that he might mimic Frenchman Ndombele, who became the Londoners’ club-record signing when joining from Lyon in a £54m deal in 2019.
Ndombele’s temperament and commitment were among the cruxes of his demise in English football, and Simons cannot be blamed for a lack of effort, but it’s a concern all the same, and one Frank will need to rectify quickly to get his side operating at full creative capacity.
The jury is still out for the Netherlands international, who is young and talented and settling into an outfit that lacks creative direction right now.
There’s actually another Lilywhites man with far more experience who might be deteriorating into Ndombele 2.0.
Spurs' new version of Ndombele
Frank has spoken of his players’ frustrations following their recent run of form, and this was clear to see last weekend when Fulham condemned Tottenham to yet another home defeat.
Pedro Porro was incensed, but the Portugal international might want to direct that anger inwards, given his spate of shambolic displays this year.
The 26-year-old has been in the English capital for almost three years now, and while he is among the most technically gifted players in the ranks, his awareness and accuracy in defensive phases could see him become a disappointment in a similar way to Ndombele, especially when considering he had such a furore about his signature in 2023 that Manchester City came sniffing around last year.
Porro is rudderless. Sofascore record that he has made five errors already in the Premier League this season, and he is among the most dribbled-past defenders in the division thus far.
Most Dribbled-past Defenders in the Premier League (25/26)
#
Player
Stat
1.
Mats Wieffer
19
2.
Neco Williams
18
3.
Pedro Porro
17
4.
Hugo Bueno
16
5.
Matty Cash
16
Data via WhoScored
In fairness, Porro sits among the top 16% of Premier League full-backs this season for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, but his defensive work has been well below the desired standard.
But his lack of focus and misuse of his own athleticism led one Tottenham podcast host to brand him “an absolute liability” last season, and that’s only been underscored since then, with Frank now facing his own Ndombele-like conundrum in working out what to do with this talented but toiling star.
Porro has enjoyed some high points across his Tottenham career, but he’s been culpable for too many poor performances over the past couple of years, and in this, it is he and not the young Simons who is shaping into the London side’s new version of Ndombele.
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The 2025/26 campaign promised a new dawn for Tottenham Hotspur and their supporters.
Before too long, Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy had both been replaced. Thomas Frank was the new manager and Fabio Paratici had even returned for a second bite of the cherry.
Yet, rather like it did with Ange, things have unravelled all too quickly for Frank. There’s one word for it: Spursy.
The North Londoners began the season brilliantly. Their new Danish manager had engineered more security and better organisation at the back.
From the remarkably high line of Ange-ball to the more sedate Frank ball, excusing the Super Cup defeat to PSG, Spurs kept five clean sheets in their opening seven games of the Frank regime. How times change, eh?
Tottenham have now won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions and have shipped 18 goals in that time.
While Spurs may not be in 17th place, the position Postecoglou steered them to, a number of players have regressed.
The biggest issues of Thomas Frank's reign
The Dane moved from west to north London over the summer and while his appointment did not garner the level of fanfare a certain Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho attracted, it was viewed as a smart appointment.
From Championship to the top half of the Premier League, what Frank achieved with Brentford was first-class.
Yet, he is no longer with the Bees and Spurs fans demand more. They demand good football, they demand that they challenge for honours.
Well, despite Postecoglou’s tenure now a thing of the past, Spurs look no closer to achieving their goals under Frank.
The defence improved for a limited amount of time but the biggest issues have emerged in attack.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Brennan Johnson ended last season as Spurs’ top scorer with 18 strikes to his name but he has put in a number of abject performances of late. The Welshman has found the net just once across his last 12 matches, a dire run that’s caused frustration.
Up top, Dominic Solanke has rarely been seen due to injury and the same can be said of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
Without them, Spurs have a creativity problem. According to FBref, their expected goals tally sits at just 11.9, the fourth-worst record in the division. That’s hardly a surprise considering that they rank 18th in the Premier League for key passes (88), and 16th for expected assists (8.1) across the campaign so far.
That’s even with marquee signing Xavi Simons in the team. Their failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze is well documented and how Frank must wish they’d secured a Premier League-proven creative midfielder instead.
That said, their full-backs are not offering enough either. Pedro Porro, usually so creative and dangerous, particularly over a dead ball, has only carved out 1.39 key passes per 90 minutes, down on last season’s tally of 1.97 per 90.
His partner in crime on the left isn’t faring much better either. In fact, his drop off has been somewhat reminiscent of Dele Alli.
Spurs star is heading down the Dele Alli path
When analysing the right back position at Spurs, it’s clear that improvement is needed. Perhaps Archie Gray or Djed Spence could profit from Porro’s lack of form.
Likewise at left-back, Destiny Udogie is enduring a tough season. He spent early parts of the term out injured but is now back in action. However, he’s largely disappointing.
It was only a few years ago that the young Italian was described as “one of the best left-backs” in the league by pundit Clinton Morrison but that now couldn’t be further from the truth.
In many senses, Udogie’s rise and fall mirror that of someone like Dele, like a Tanguy Ndombele. He’s got all the talent in the world, all the raw attributes to thrive at this level.
We’ve already seen that. In 2023/24, the wing-back collected two goals and three assists. Not jaw-dropping numbers sure, but this was a player well on his way to cementing himself as a future hero in these parts. He’d get into “nearly every team in the world” remarked journalist Hunter Godson.
Sadly for the 23-year-old, he’s regressed big time under Frank, much like the aforementioned Dele did under Mourinho. While Frank hasn’t called Udogie “lazy”, which was the criticism the ‘Special One’ handed to the England international, his performances have begun to decline.
Like Dele, this was a player with the world at his feet. He looked like a world beater, one of the best young talents in England. Now, however, it’s all gone pear-shaped.
Udogie’s last two performances, in particular, have proven to be a problem. In the defeat to Fulham last weekend, Football.London’s Alasdair Gold noted how the defender ‘didn’t offer too much going forward’ and made an untimely slip when Harry Wilson found the net.
His display against Newcastle United on Tuesday, a 2-2 draw, left plenty to be desired too.
Udogie vs Newcastle
Minutes played
90
Touches
52
Accurate passes
30/36 (83%)
Key passes
0
Accurate crosses
0/2
Successful dribbles
0/1
Shots
0
Tackles won
1
Interceptions
0
Ground duels won
2/7
Aerial duels won
0/2
Stats via Sofascore.
The aforementioned Gold slated the Italian for having a few ‘sloppy moments’ while flagging that Newcastle got a lot of joy down the Tottenham flanks.
Safe to say his numbers don’t particularly paint a very vivid picture either. Udogie won just two of his nine duels and failed to register a single shot, supply a key pass or successfully complete a dribble.
All in all, it was a poor day at the office for the Italy international and he must improve moving forward.
He’s a talented player, one of the best young talents we’ve seen in the division across the last few years. Under Frank, however, it’s heading in the same way as Dele under Mourinho. Both had immense potential, but their talents could go to waste.
Thomas Frank may have just found Spurs' new Mousa Dembele vs Newcastle
Tottenham battled back to claim a draw against Newcastle at St. James’ Park.
There’s a strong case to be made that Arsenal are the best team in Europe right now. Certainly, the win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening underlined the credentials of Mikel Arteta’s multi-title challengers.
The Gunners have mastered their game. Some have ridiculed Arteta and his side for finishing second in the Premier League three seasons in a row, but this has only hardened their resolve and will to win, concurrently deepening the tactical layers Arteta has spent so much time developing.
This is the result of everything coming together over multiple campaigns. Hard work and perserverance. Now, Arsenal have the luxury to add elite quality to an already fearsome outfit, and technical director Andrea Berta has found his man.
Arsenal's transfer plans
After such an impressive summer transfer window, table-topping Arsenal aren’t expected to be all that busy in the January transfer window. However, the Londoners will react if the right opportunity presents itself.
Juventus playmaker Kenan Yildiz remains a long-standing target, and attacking midfield is indeed a position the Emirates outfit is likely to target in the coming windows.
However, a recent report from Caught Offside suggests Berta is gearing up to launch a move for Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento, with the 23-year-old also attracting strong intrigue from Manchester City and Manchester United.
Livramento has been one of the Magpies’ standout players this season, and his club know it, having responded to growing interest in his name by listing him at £80m.
What Tino Livramento would offer Arsenal
Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle since first arriving on Tyneside, having joined the club from Southampton in a deal rising to £40m in 2023.
Last season, he played an instrumental role in securing the Carabao Cup title, something Gunners fans might remember after his tremendous performance at the Emirates in the first leg of the semi-finals.
Tino Livramento against Arsenal.
A modern and dynamic full-back, Livramento’s positional versatility has seen him play ample on his unnatural left flank for United, with his surpassing technical quality leading Newcastle-focused content creator Kendall Rowan to hail him as a “superstar” of a prospect.
Given that Manchester City also have a vested interest, you could say that Livramento would emulate Declan Rice by completing a big-money move from a title-winning Premier League rival like Newcastle, Rice having completed his £105m transfer to north London from West Ham United in 2023, since transcending his role as a superstar.
Right-back
91
1 + 6
Right wing-back
37
3 + 11
Left-back
24
0 + 2
Left wing-back
6
1 + 1
Right wing
1
0 + 0
As Arteta’s troops march their way through the campaign, indomitably, irrevocably, Rice is the most trusted lieutenant, now one of the best central midfielders in the world after several years lauded as an elite talent with room for growth.
In this way, Livramento would mimic him, completing a move to north London and rejecting Pep Guardiola on the way to the Emirates.
Moreover, the likes of Theo Walcott have praised Newcastle’s star full-back for his potential to become something even more, suggesting that his athleticism and ability to play across a range of positions make him someone akin to Gareth Bale.
Bale was a superstar, alright, and this is evidence that Livramento falls into a bracket of world-class players.
Newcastle are bound to play hardball over one of their biggest, most profitable talents, but Arsenal have shaped their stadium into quite the desirable destination, and Livramento would have the chance to emulate Rice in rising the Premier League ladder and becoming a superstar under Arteta’s wing.
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Blake Snell is off the market early this offseason.
On Tuesday night, the two-time Cy Young Award winner agreed to a five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per multiple reports. The deal will average $36.4 million per year.
The 31-year-old left-hander opted out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants on November 1. He signed a two-year, $62 million deal in March but exercised his right to hit free agency instead of fulfilling the second year of the contract.
During the 2024 season, Snell went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 145 strikeouts in 104 innings over 20 starts. That followed a brilliant 2023 campaign with the San Diego Padres where he went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 234 strikeouts in 180 innings.
Snell joins a potent Dodgers rotation that already includes ace-level starters in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Those three will boast contracts worth a combined $622 million.
The defending World Series champions just got stronger.
The Tampa Bay Rays won't play at their home ballpark, Tropicana Field, for a long while due to the excessive damage brought by Hurricane Milton. Repairs to the roof and other key parts of the stadium won't be finished until 2026 and will cost as much as $55.7 million.
On Monday, the Rays released photos from inside the stadium that showed the utter devastation which took place under the Trop's roof in early October.
Tropicana Field was set to be a shelter for first responders and other storm workers before the roof was damaged. In the new photos, you can see the emergency beds that were set up in the outfield and throughout the field's foul territory. Those bunks are still sitting there, amongst the mess. A truly sad sight.
Pieces of the shredded roof are scattered everywhere throughout the stadium. From where major leaguers stepped up to the plate to the dugouts and all the areas where fans enjoyed their hot dogs and popcorn.
Hurricane Milton landed about 70 miles south of Tampa with 100-plus MPH winds on Oct. 10 as it ripped the roof off of Tropicana Field and devastated all that's inside.
With a horrible scene left behind, the Rays will go elsewhere for their home games in 2025. The team will play the next season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., the 11,000-seat ballpark and spring training home field for the New York Yankees.
England accused Gill of hypocrisy after he took issue with their time-wasting tactics in a dramatic final over
Matt Roller12-Jul-2025
Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley were involved in a heated exchange•Getty Images
England accused India’s captain Shubman Gill of hypocrisy after he took issue with their time-wasting tactics in a dramatic final over on the third day at Lord’s.Gill, who spent several minutes lying down and receiving treatment during India’s fielding innings on the second day, appeared to tell Zak Crawley to “grow some f***ing balls” after he twice pulled out while Jasprit Bumrah was running into bowl the first over of England’s second innings, which started around six minutes before the close of play.Crawley called for treatment two balls later when he was struck on the glove, prompting several India fielders to walk towards him while clapping sarcastically. Both Gill and Crawley pointed fingers at one another in a heated exchange and Tim Southee, England’s bowling coach, suggested that Gill had no right to complain about time-wasting.
“It’s always exciting to see both sides animated towards the end,” Southee said. “I’m not sure what they were complaining about when Shubman Gill was lying down getting a massage in the middle of the day yesterday. It’s obviously part of the game [when] you’re near the end of the day. It’s an exciting way to finish the day.”England successfully wasted enough time to ensure that they faced a single over on the third evening, much to India’s frustration. “We wanted to bowl two overs,” KL Rahul said. “There were six minutes left. It is a no-brainer that any team will bowl two overs with six minutes to go, but it was a bit of theatrics at the end.”Related
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Rahul said that India were already “pumped up” even before Crawley’s time-wasting, sensing an opportunity for a late wicket. “We know how difficult it is for a batter to come to bat for two overs when you’ve been in the field all day,” he said. “A wicket at the end of the day’s play would’ve been perfect for us. Tomorrow, even without that, I think we would’ve been fired up anyway.”He also said that England’s time-wasting was understandable in the circumstances. “What happened at the end is just part of the game now,” Rahul said. “I understand from an opening batter’s point of view. I know exactly what was going on, and everyone knows exactly what was going on. But an opening batter will understand completely what happened in the last five minutes.”Southee dead-panned that Crawley would be “assessed overnight” after being hit and said that the final over showed the “energy” of the series. “Both sides have played some good cricket and in a good spirit, and tonight was just a bit of energy towards the end of the day,” he said. “It’s been a long three days, and it was good to see the energy still there from both sides.”He also defended the slow over-rate across the first three days, with 32 overs lost already. “It’s never ideal, I don’t think, but it’s obviously been hot so there’s been probably more drinks than usual,” Southee said. “There’s been a number of stoppages with the ball also, and DRS takes its time… But yeah, to lose that much, it’s probably at the extreme level.”
It’s been a gruelling start to the season for Arsenal so far.
In their five Premier League games, Mikel Arteta’s side have played Liverpool and Manchester United away from home, and hosted Manchester City at the Emirates.
Then, in the Champions League, they kick-started their campaign away to Athletic Bilbao, who finished fourth in La Liga last season.
Fortunately, the Gunners’ opening League Cup fixture tonight is against what should be easier opposition in Port Vale. As such, Arteta has the chance to make some changes, including the dropping of Viktor Gyokeres, but not for Mikel Merino.
Why Gyokeres should be dropped
Now, while there are undoubtedly going to be some fans who want to see Gyokeres start tonight, there are several reasons why we think that is a bad idea, notably the state of the squad.
Jesus
Knee
01/26
Havertz
Knee
11/25
Madueke
Knee
11/25
Odegaard
Shoulder
09/25
Hincapie
Groin
N/A
Arsenal are already going through an injury crisis at the moment, and one of the players who is out of action and looks set to be out for some time longer is Kai Havertz.
So, while other players could start league games up top, the former Sporting CP star is the only natural option who plays there, and therefore, should be protected in a game like this.
Moreover, while some might argue that it’s the perfect fixture to help play the Swede into some form, the struggles of other top sides against lower opposition in recent weeks should serve as a warning that it may not be as easy as some expect.
In other words, if the Stockholm-born star starts and then doesn’t score against Port Vale, the narrative around his ability and suitability in this side will reach new levels and could totally derail his integration into the team.
Anyway, should the Gunners find themselves a couple of goals to the good late on in the game, Arteta could always bring him off the bench for 25 mins or so to run at a tired defence and grab a goal or two that way.
With all that said, then, the Spaniard has to drop Gyokeres to the bench tonight and go with another one of his attacking stars and not Merino.
The Arsenal star Arteta should start in place of Gyokeres
So, if Arteta does decide to start Merino in place of Gyokeres tonight, it wouldn’t be a terrible move, as we’ve already seen that he can do well up top.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, we think that the far better option for this game would be Gabriel Martinelli.
Yes, it’s not something he’s done all that often over the years, but the manager should play the former Ituano gem through the middle, and there are a few reasons why.
Firstly, the Brazilian is probably the club’s most inform attacker at the moment, as coming off the bench in Spain, he scored the opening goal and then provided an assist for Leandro Trossard to get the second.
Then on the weekend, as it looked like Man City were going to get all three points, he once again came off the bench to score a wonderful chip and prevent what would have been a minor disaster so early on in the campaign.
So with the 24-year-old being directly involved in the team’s last three goals, the manager should reward him with what would be just his second start of the season.
Another reason why he should be in the starting lineup is that, over the last few years, the rapid “monster,” as journalist Mark Mann-Bryans once dubbed him, has proven himself to be a real confidence player.
In other words, not only would starting him be the right thing to do as a reward for his form, but it’d also be best for the squad overall, as Arteta would have another inform free-scoring option he can call upon on the bench in league games.
Ultimately, Gyokeres should be rested tonight, and while Merino would likely do a fine job leading the line, Martinelli is in red-hot form in front of goal and deserves his chance to lead the line – it might just prove to be a game-changing development for Arsenal.
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Arteta could turn to the incredibly exciting talent for Arsenal’s game tonight.