All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal's growth into Premier League title-chasers has been remarkable, as Mikel Arteta needed only add a few of his own additions to somehow turn them into challengers.

Much of their current outfit were left over from previous regimes, but have only now seen their potential unlocked under the stewardship of a clearly very astute leader.

Given it is his first foray into full management, the Spaniard is owed plenty of credit whether they see the job through or not.

Of those stars who he inherited, arguably few have shone brighter this season than Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian was acquired for just £6m back in 2019, much to Unai Emery's delight, as a highly-rated teenager with a glistening future.

Unfortunately, the former Paris Saint-Germain boss would not get to oversee his growth as he was sacked later that year.

The whole of England are now playing witness to the talent that the 51-year-old foresaw, with the 21-year-old having slotted perfectly into Arteta's youthful, exciting and flamboyant outfit. It seems that, despite the added pressure this campaign has demanded, the wide man has only flourished further.

How good has Gabriel Martinelli been this season?

It is clear that the £124m-rated maestro has improved with each season, as his progression is there for all to see. However, much of his growth can be attributed to the management of the former Everton midfielder, who would likely put Martinelli's emergence down as one of his biggest success stories yet.

Boasting ten goals in all competitions in his debut year, and just a further two given injury troubles the campaign following, it is the past two seasons that have seen the speedster earn that aforementioned astronomical valuation.

However, with 14 league goals already from the left flank alongside a further four assists, outlining him as the club's top scorer in a year where they could claim the title, it was no surprise to see teammate and fellow Brazilian Gabriel Jesus brand him an "animal" just after moving to the Emirates.

In fact, journalist Pete O'Rourke gave his own verdict on what has been such an outstanding campaign for the £90k-per-week menace, that could culminate in the ultimate silverware.

He told Football FanCast:

"He's just gone to another level under Mikel Arteta, he's been electric for Arsenal down that left-hand side this season. A versatile player, you can play him down the middle or out wide. Electric pace, good finisher as well.

"I think he's just going to get better and better so, yeah that £6m will look like an absolute bargain in years to come I think."

Few have overseen such a dramatic rise to the top of the game like the Brazil international, and given his integration into a new country, it even could be seen as a bigger success story under Arteta than Bukayo Saka's.

Either way, it will be capped off should they claim the title they have fought so hard for come the end of May, with Martinelli sure to play a key role akin to the one that has maintained the charge.

Tottenham Hotspur are a club in an aggressive transitional period, given the various managerial upheavals they have endured in recent years. However, considering the calibre of boss they have employed, this is a fact that chairman Daniel Levy should be far from proud of.

Under Mauricio Pochettino, the Lilywhites boasted consistent top-four finishes with a spectacular brand of football that captured the imagination – even resulting in a Champions League final. Now, after their annihilation last Sunday, Europe's prestigious competition seems likely to evade that half of north London.

It marks a depressing fall from grace for a side that perhaps flew too close to the sun in their pursuit of greatness.

This summer marks a huge moment for the Spurs supremo to perhaps alter the abysmal crash course that his club is currently on, by hiring a competent manager and allowing him to reset the failing mentality in the dressing room.

To accomplish this, so many within it needs to go.

Whilst there are many currently at the club who many would rush to lambast, perhaps first they could seek to offload those who are literally offering nothing whilst out on loan; this points towards Sergio Reguilon.

How has Sergio Reguilon got on at Spurs?

Having signed under Jose Mourinho in 2020, the £32m expended to Real Madrid for his signature was expected to be a fine investment in the bright future of their left flank.

However, just 67 games later and the Spanish international has already returned to his homeland in an effort to recapture whatever form enticed Spurs in the first place.

The 26-year-old’s debut season in England boasted a 6.74 average rating, which would increase to 6.92 the year following.

Whilst this might have suggested promising signs, it perhaps masked the defensive insecurities that were not eased by any offensive excellence.

Spurs insider John Wenham even branded him “the worst of the bunch” to Football Insider only last year as the defender continually failed to impress.

With just two goals and nine assists during his time in a Lilywhites shirt, he was far from the attacking revolution he was billed as.

Having spent the year with Atletico Madrid, an average rating of 6.66 is suggestive that little to no progression has been made that would merit a triumphant return.

For comparison, even the often criticised Emerson Royal has enjoyed a higher rating this campaign (6.85) despite journalist Josh Bunting once writing he was: "Maybe the worst player to play for Tottenham" in his lifetime.

Should the new manager want to stick with a wing-back-driven tactical system, surely the likes of Udinese loanee Destiny Udogie or Ryan Sessegnon would draw more preference than the toothless Spaniard out on the left flank.

This summer should really mark his last in north London, with Levy likely to be keen to recoup some of the mouth-watering fee that it took to pry him from the LaLiga giants.

Aston Villa have deployed chiefs to watch Real Betis forward Luiz Henrique ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Henrique to Aston Villa?

The Midlands outfit have Bertrand Traore out of contract next summer meaning that the upcoming window will present the final opportunity for them to cash in, and should that be the case, Unai Emery might have already identified his replacement in the form of the 22-year-old.

The Brazilian only arrived at the Benito Villamarin Stadium in July 2022 so his deal isn’t set to expire for another five years, but having impressed during his 39 appearances to date, has caught the eye of the Spanish boss.

The Daily Mail credited the Villa Park side with an initial interest in the winger at the start of the new year and claimed that the board were weighing up whether to submit an official offer, and whilst they decided against it at the time, they have already begun preparations to take a second bite of the cherry in the weeks and months ahead.

According to Spanish outlet AS (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have Henrique on their “radar” ahead of the 2023/24 season. NSWE and Emery have “sent their scouts” to assess their left-footed target and they are name-checked to be “one of the most interested” potential suitors. The £8.1k-per-week ace is expected to be on the move “sooner rather than later”, and his club are hoping to make a profit from his sale on the €7.5m (£6.6m) they initially paid for him last summer.

Should Aston Villa make an offer for Henrique?

Henrique has been dubbed a “game changer” since an early age by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and as an individual that already has experience playing in the Europa League which is where Aston Villa are aiming to end up, they should definitely consider testing the waters at the end of the season.

The Adidas-sponsored star has posted ten goal contributions (seven assists and three goals) during his debut season at Real Betis and has recorded a total of 42 shots since the start of the term which is the second-highest throughout the whole of his squad, as per FBRef.

A versatile operator, Henrique additionally has the flexibility to play in an outstanding seven various positions, including anywhere across the frontline and even in the midfield, so this deal really is a no-brainer to complete should the opportunity present itself in the summer.

Chelsea's manager candidate Mauricio Pochettino is an appointment that could go down 'very well' at Stamford Bridge, says journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Mauricio Pochettino?

As per BBC Sport, Chelsea are in 'advanced talks' to appoint Pochettino as their new manager following an extensive search for a permanent successor to Graham Potter.

The report states that former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann was also in the running alongside contenders Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany; however, it now looks like it will be the former Tottenham Hotspur man that will take the reins at Stamford Bridge.

Seemingly, Pochettino has already started to lay down his authority in west London despite still not being officially appointed, with The Telegraph reporting that the 51-year-old will ask forgotten man Romelu Lukaku if he wants to try and revive his career at the club next season.

Of course, the Belgium international was sent on loan to Inter Milan at the start of 2022/23, though he could now be set for an unexpected second chance if Pochettino is duly installed as the man to lead the Blues forward.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones reckons that Pochettino could be an exciting appointment at Stamford Bridge.

Jones said: "The Pochettino appointment is going down very well at Chelsea. I've spoken to a lot of season ticket holders that are excited and think this is the right decision. Inside the club they are excited too. At first there was some apprehension, because this is not the first time they have wanted him.

"The difference this time is that the manager role is vacant, Poch seems very assured that this is better timing for him, and any concerns were quelled quite fast. He's very open to working with this squad, I was told the young talent they have been buying is something that impresses him and he is keen to make those signings work.

"The plan to keep having Academy players involved is important too and Pochettino is totally onside with that and the identity they need to build and the reconnections that need to be built between the players on the pitch and the fans in the stands.

"This is a good step in that direction and the timing of all this allows the season to end in optimism.

"Of course, there are players that will have to leave, but nothing is fazing him right now. I think the PSG experience has given him a toughness that means he feels totally ready for turning Chelsea around. It is a good time to go in – let's face it, things really can not get much worse."

Can Mauricio Pochettino turn Chelsea's fortunes around at Stamford Bridge?

Pochettino looks like he could be a solid appointment for Chelsea and the fact he has a proven track record of turning teams around, such as Tottenham, shows that he could be the missing link at Stamford Bridge to turn the Blues' fortunes around.

In his time at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Argentinian coach managed to take the Lilywhites to four consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League and also led his former side to the Champions League final in 2019, unfortunately losing out to Liverpool in the final, as per Sky Sports.

His spell in charge of Paris Saint-German yielded the Ligue 1 title in 2021/22 alongside picking up the Coupe De France and French Super Cup in 2020/21, as per Transfermarkt.

Moving forward, Pochettino could be the man to get Chelsea back in a position to challenge for silverware regularly heading into 2023/24.

However, it is apparent – on the back of this season – that there will be a lot for the Argentine to sort out before the club can return to lifting trophies.

Ireland will be without pace bowler Craig Young for their two ODIs against Sri Lanka next month after he suffered an elbow injury that could require surgery

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2016Ireland will be without pace bowler Craig Young for their two ODIs against Sri Lanka next month after he suffered an elbow injury that could require surgery.Young seems to have become the latest victim of the Hampshire injury curse. The 26-year-old was drafted in by the county after they lost four frontline bowlers in April but only played three games for the 2nd XI.Ireland, who host Sri Lanka on June 16 and 18, still hope to have Young available for the subsequent ODI series against Afghanistan, which begins on July 10.A Cricket Ireland spokesperson said: “Craig will undergo further investigative tests on the injury to decide whether he will require surgery. He will miss the games against Sri Lanka, but we would be hopeful he will play a full part in the five-match ODI series against Afghanistan in July.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager target Julian Nagelsmann is 'interested' in taking the job, according to The Evening Standard and reporter Dan Kilpatrick.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

The north Londoners have a succession of candidates on their radar to replace Antonio Conte, with chairman Daniel Levy apparently completing the due-diligence process of his search.

Spurs are now reportedly set to open more talks with a wide range of managers, both in work and unemployed, with Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim among the coaches of interest.

The Lilywhites have reportedly already made contact with both Nagelsmann and former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique in their search, but now they are set to expand their net.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot and Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, according to reports, are also among the coaches who Levy admires – with Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Celtic's Ange Postecoglou contending too.

Levy's managerial shortlist appears to be getting longer and longer as reports suggest Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter aren't out of the frame (90min).

Now, as per The Standard and Kilpatrick, one of the club's top targets in Nagelsmann is interested in taking the Spurs job and could be keen to join them.

However, that hasn't handed Tottenham a totally free run, as the German is believed to hold reservations of the club's structure and lack of a sporting director.

Nagelsmann has already ruled himself out of the running to become Chelsea manager as the Blues and Todd Boehly close in on ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

What could Nagelsmann bring to Spurs?

BBC Sport writer Raj Chohan has heralded Nagelsmann for his in-game tactical decisions, calling him 'crazy' in that regard, and his brand of intense, high-pressing football has potential to excite Spurs supporters.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola has also praised the 35-year-old and backed him to be a success all the way back in 2018 during his Hoffenheim days.

The City head coach, speaking before his side took on Nagelsmann in a Champions League group stage game, said this on the tactician (via Bundesliga):

“I’m really, really impressed [with Nagelsmann]. Taking over Hoffenheim in such a bad situation so young. He will have a lot of success in his career. He’s already at a good team in a top competition. It’s the first time we meet, but hopefully it won’t be the last.”

Appointing the former RB Leipzig coach would be a stellar appointment for Spurs and excellent Conte replacement.

The BCCI has decided that players who have represented India in one Under-19 World Cup cannot take part in another edition of the tournament, even if they meet the age criteria to do so

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2016The BCCI has decided that players who have represented India in one Under-19 World Cup cannot take part in another edition of the tournament, even if they meet the age criteria to do so. The board approved this suggestion of its junior committee in the BCCI working committee meeting on Friday.The working committee has also decided that players who enter the system at the Under-19 stage can play a maximum of two seasons of Under-19 cricket.Though the BCCI did not specify the reasons behind the move, it can be seen as an attempt to crack down on overage players, which has been a thorny issue over a number of years in Indian cricket. The former India captain Rahul Dravid, who is now head coach of the India A and India Under-19 teams, had made age-fudging a central topic of his MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture in December 2015.”I think of this overage business as dangerous and even toxic and to me, gives rise to a question: If a child sees his parents and coaches cheating and creating a fake birth certificate, will he not be encouraged to become a cheat? He is being taught to lie by his own elders,” Dravid had said. “At 14, it may be in the matter of the age criteria, at 25 it may be fixing and corruption. How are the two different in any way? In both cases, is it not blatant cheating?”A number of players have represented India at more than one Under-19 World Cup. Three members of their squad in 2016 – Avesh Khan, Sarfaraz Khan and Ricky Bhui – had also played in the 2014 edition. Examples from the past include Ravindra Jadeja (2006 and 2008) and Vijay Zol (2012 and 2014).

Arsenal’s hopes of clinching a historic Premier League title from Manchester City’s grasp were unofficially dead and buried as they were beaten 3-0 by high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Defeat for Mikel Arteta’s side means that the defending champions can secure a third straight triumph against Chelsea next weekend, regardless of the Gunners’ result against Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners can somewhat feel hard done by with a poor standard of inconsistent officiating resulting in some moments of misfortune, notably an incident that saw Gabriel Martinelli withdrawn early in the first half after Moises Caicedo escaped a booking for a disappointing lunge from behind.

However, it’s not as if the Spaniard’s chosen XI was at the races either because several of his key stars let him down, including central defender Jakub Kiwior, who went down injured instead of standing his ground until the whistle for the Seagulls’ first effort – a header from 5 foot 6 dynamo Julio Enciso.

The Brazilian’s replacement, Leandro Trossard, then squandered possession in no man’s land to gift a late second to fellow substitute Denis Undav before Pervis Estupinan slotted home a third in added time to compound a disastrous outing from the Gunners.

They weren’t the only ones though…

How did Ben White do against Brighton?

It was a tough outing from Ben White at right-back too as he was regularly torched by Brighton’s tricky wide man Kaoru Mitoma. The Japanese speedster skinned the Englishman to provide the initial ball into the box for the visitors’ opening goal.

Indeed, the neat footwork and acceleration of the 25-year-old saw him register two successful dribbles, having also won five duels up against White, who himself was graded as the Gunners’ third-worst player, per Sofascore ratings (6.4).

To make matters worse, GOAL journalist Charles Watts tweeted about the £50m defender’s woes.

He said: “Ben White is going to be having nightmares about Mitoma later.”

Similarly, these were sentiments echoed by The Evening Standard’s Simon Collings, who wrote in his post-match ratings column: ‘It is not often you see the right-back struggle like this, but Karou Mitoma gave him a torrid time, skinning him on more than one occasion.’

White was dribbled past on two occasions, whilst he lost four duels, including 100% in the air, which certainly suggests that Mitoma regularly got the better of him throughout the encounter.

The £120k-per-week star also struggled on the ball, having failed to find an Arsenal player with his two inaccurate crosses and from 49 touches, he lost the ball on seven occasions, via Sofascore.

Having accrued the fifth-most minutes of any other player before kick-off, White has often been a player that Arteta has trusted and relied upon but up against a tricky opponent in Mitoma, he was woefully exposed at right-back, so perhaps it gives the Spaniard some food for thought now second place is all but rubber-stamped.

Once questioned for being a “liability” to this side at the start of the season, it seems as if such a statement has come true at the worst possible time as City are now very likely to be crowned champions once more, leaving White and co with those aforementioned nightmares for weeks to come.

Tottenham Hotspur's search for a new manager is reportedly close to reaching its conclusion, with former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique having reportedly spoken to Daniel Levy about the position.

Should the Spanish manager take over in north London it could just be enough to keep Harry Kane at the club, as his pedigree with some of the top strikers in world football suggests that he could get the best out of the Englishman and potentially inspire the Lilywhites to a trophy.

What's the latest on Spurs' manager search?

According to The Telegraph, Levy made contact with the former FC Barcelona boss recently in Spurs' ongoing search for an Antonio Conte replacement, but no significant progress has been made since then.

The likes of Arne Slot, Ange Postecoglou and Roberto de Zerbi are also name-checked as potential options but none possess the experience of Enrique, who would win everything there is to win with Barcelona before managing Spain for three years between 2019 and 2022.

A disappointing World Cup campaign saw the former Celta Vigo boss sacked but it seems only a matter of time before the 53-year-old finds his next job and at Spurs, he could potentially convince Kane to stay and smash the Premier League goalscoring record with his boyhood club.

Would Harry Kane break the record under Luis Enrique?

As things stand, the 29-year-old Kane remains 50 goals behind Alan Shearer in the all-time top scorer list, having recently overtaken Wayne Rooney to move into second place overall.

Despite a woeful season for Spurs, which will end with no trophies and a potentially unwanted Europa Conference League spot for the 2023/24 campaign, the England captain has produced some more phenomenal performances.

Across 36 top-flight appearances, the world-class talisman boasts 27 goals and three assists, which would have surely been enough for the golden boot without the seemingly-robotic Erling Haaland as his closest competitor.

Kane's 7.47 average rating from WhoScored also sees him comfortably ranked as the top performer in Spurs' squad, so it could definitely be argued that he has been let down by his teammates once again, and it is perhaps easy to understand why there are so many reports linking him with a move away.

However, the powerful 6 foot 2 forward need only look at the record of a top striker such as Luis Suarez, who notched a remarkable 120 goals and 67 assists in just 140 games under Enrique.

Having once been dubbed a "remarkable" manager by former Arsenal stalwart Arsene Wenger, the Spaniard's work at Barcelona suggests that he is able to get the best out of a world-class front three, as Neymar, Lionel Messi and Suarez would all flourish under his management.

If he could get similar results out of the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski next season, then the number of goalscoring chances for Kane would surely increase, and the 50 goals he needs in the Premier League could perhaps still be achieved in a Tottenham shirt.

The PCB has bought four bulletproof buses in a bid to improve the security of visiting teams

Umar Farooq14-Jul-2016The PCB has bought four bulletproof buses as part of its effort to provide the “best possible arrangements” in terms of security for players visiting the country. The board hopes the additional measure, first proposed during the chairmanship of Zaka Ashraf in 2012 and sanctioned last year, will help in convincing overseas players and teams to tour Pakistan.Barring Zimbabwe’s limited-overs tour in May 2015, Pakistan have not hosted an international game since the attacks on the touring Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009. In that incident, gunmen shot at the team bus near Gaddafi Stadium, injuring five cricketers and killing six security personnel and two civilians.The PCB has since struggled to convince teams to tour the country and Pakistan have had to play their “home” matches at neutral venues, mostly in the UAE, which has been their base for the past several years.”We have bought these four Coaster buses as part of our efforts to revive international cricket in the country,” a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “There will be high expectations from teams willing to visit Pakistan and we want to ensure that we provide them with the best possible arrangements. Having these bulletproof vehicles would play a major part in convincing teams [about security arrangements].”The PCB relies heavily on the government for security arrangements for visiting teams and the bulletproof buses will be an additional safety measure for teams travelling within the city. The buses were initially sanctioned at a PCB governing board meeting in 2012, but with the change of leadership the purchase was delayed. The matter was taken up again by PCB executive committee head Najam Sethi last year.”We are actually planning to host the PSL final in Lahore, but this requires us to convince overseas players to come,” the PCB spokesman said. “We have to have discussions with the players about their safety and security and I think this new addition in our security facilities will definitely give us an edge. Our ultimate goal is to revive international cricket, and we are doing our best to make sure we can.”The PCB has suffered financially from having to arrange matches in the UAE and from missing out on bilateral series against India. This prompted PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan to suggest that the Pakistan board should receive a “higher percentage of the income” from matches against India at ICC events.