Aston Villa's Europa League clash with Young Boys was disrupted by ugly scenes on Thursday night at Villa Park. Donyell Malen was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd after scoring his side's opening goal of the match, while the game had to be halted for several minutes just before half-time after violence broke out in the stands among the away supporters.
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Ugly scenes at Villa Park
Malen headed Aston Villa into the lead on 27 minutes but was pelted with missiles from the crowd as he celebrated his goal. One of objects hit Malen on the head and appeared to have caused a cut. The Dutch star bagged another goal just before half-time which brought more ugly scenes and caused the game to be stopped for several minutes as trouble broke out in the away end. Television footage showed seats being ripped up and fans clashing with police. Young Boys captain Loris Benito was seen running over to the stands to plead with fans to behave, with the game eventually restarting after a five-minute delay.
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Malen in great form for Villa
Malen's goals continue his fine form for Aston Villa. He now has six goals so far this season for Unai Emery's side, three of those have come in the Europa League and the other three in the Premier League. Emery had hailed Malen before the game, telling reporters: "Everything he's achieving now you can see it before in the training session. He is helping the team in the structure we have, tactically to do our tasks. He is very important for us."
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Aston Villa enjoying Europa League life
Aston Villa have certainly been enjoying life in the Europa League this season. Emery's side came into Thursday's game having won three of their four matches in the tournament so far. After taking on Young Boys, Villa wrap up their group phase with fixtures against Basel, Fenerbahce and RB Salzburg.
It happened with surprising speed, and the new BCB president Aminul Islam has plenty to do to improve the state and image of Bangladesh cricket
Mohammad Isam02-Jun-2025The change in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) presidency unfolded at an unusual and dizzying pace over the weekend.The country’s sports ministry stripped Faruque Ahmed of his BCB directorship on Thursday following a no-confidence motion tabled by his fellow directors, precipitating his exit as board president after just nine months. Aminul Islam was then appointed as the ministry’s next man on the board and the BCB directors elected him the next president by Friday afternoon.The speed with which the sports ministry completed the process was impressive. It isn’t often that a government body sends out a notice – removing Faruque as its board representative – at 10pm on a Thursday night (Friday and Saturday are the weekend days in Bangladesh).It isn’t common for the BCB directors to act with such initiative either. They submitted a no-confidence motion against Faruque to the ministry on Thursday evening, held video conferences to approve the ministry’s notices regarding Faruque and Aminul later that night, and called an emergency meeting for Friday. Seven of the eight BCB directors who signed the no-confidence motion weren’t this active during Nazmul Hassan’s 15-year presidency.What was in the letter of no-confidence against Faruque?There is no provision for a no-confidence motion in the BCB constitution, but the sports ministry took the letter into consideration when removing Faruque. The three-page letter was released on social media on Thursday evening, hours after Faruque had refused to resign as president.Related
'It is totally performance-based' – Bangladesh's sports adviser on Faruque's removal
Aminul Islam elected new BCB president
Faruque Ahmed removed as BCB president
From the beginning of his presidency, however, Faruque had reportedly been told not to engage with BCB directors who were seen as Hassan loyalists. This left Faruque with only one or two directors to work with, causing problems among the board initially.In the no-confidence letter, Faruque was portrayed as an authoritarian, with Chandika Hathurusinghe’s sacking as Bangladesh’s head coach used as an example. Faruque was criticised for questioning Hathurusinghe’s position in his first press conference as BCB president. Bangladesh were playing a Test series in Pakistan at the time, but Faruque had brought up Hathurusinghe’s future at a board meeting on October 17, attended by the nine other board directors and CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury. This is when the decision to sack Hathurusinghe was made.The same directors were known for their complicity in Hassan’s unilateral decision-making during his long term as BCB president. There were numerous instances of Hassan’s loyalists instructing other directors to approve certain decisions instantly at the time. Occasionally, a board director would question Hassan and was usually admonished. Whether it was the umpiring and corruption scandal in 2016, the clipping of selectorial independence, or Hassan’s direct interference in team matters, no director spoke against him.The BCB directors also accused Faruque of “exercising his power” to bring teams like Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings into last season’s BPL. Rajshahi’s player payment issues are well documented, with the government having to intervene. However, there was no mention of Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, another board director, and his role in the decision-making during last season’s BPL in the no-confidence letter.The BPL fiasco dented Faruque’s reputation. Rajshahi’s local players skipped a practice session and their overseas players missed a match over the issue of unpaid wages. The BCB couldn’t convince the Rajshahi owners to make payments for weeks and government intervention was needed to help the overseas players get out of the country after they were locked into their Dhaka hotel for days.Faruque Ahmed (second from left) was the BCB president for nine months•Tahmid Amit/Jamuna TVAnother major issue was Faruque’s alleged interference in the men’s team. Whenever he was asked about the team, he referred questions to the captain and the coach. The directors accused him of interference, but they hadn’t raised this issue during his presidency. Faruque, interestingly, is widely regarded as Bangladesh’s best chief selector of all time.It is also important to note that after August 5, when the Awami League-led government fell and fled the country, the BCB became a weaker body than it was. It was seen as one of the flagships of the Awami League, with innumerable links to the party. So, when the protests against Shakib Al Hasan having a farewell Test in Dhaka began last October, the BCB couldn’t do much. Shakib, a former Awami League MP, had become a villain of sorts, and the student protests were firm on not letting him play in Dhaka. The usually powerful and influential BCB couldn’t guarantee his entry and exit through their government connections.Why was Faruque made president?During his press briefing on Saturday, sports adviser Asif Mahmud said Faruque had been recommended to him by those he had consulted last August after the protests had brought down the Awami League government. ESPNcricinfo understands Faruque was one of several candidates for the BCB presidency at the time but the interim government wanted someone with a clean image. Faruque’s reputation had grown when he resigned in protest over BCB’s changed selection policy in 2016.That was after he was reappointed chief selector in 2013 following his success in the role from 2004 to 2007, when he brought in the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim to the national team. Faruque had a short international career, even leading Bangladesh in the 1994 ICC Trophy. He was a prolific run-getter in domestic cricket, before taking on the selection role in the early 2000s.Aminul Islam, BCB’s new president, may have to clean up the board’s image first•BCBWhat next for the BCB?Faruque’s successor Aminul could use his experience to stabilise the BCB. He is an administrative stalwart, having worked in the ICC as a development manager for the last eight years. He also worked at the ACC for many years. Aminul has played a developmental role in numerous Asian nations: he was one of the first coaches to take cricket to China. He has worked in professional set-ups in both Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne, where he now resides.Leading a cricket board, though, will be more complicated especially when the organisation is going through turbulence. Bangladesh’s problems on and off the field mean morale is at an all-time low. The men’s national team has slipped to No. 10 in ODIs and have been struggling in T20Is. They won three overseas Tests last year but drew 1-1 against Zimbabwe last month. There are two ongoing investigations into the BPL and the Dhaka Premier League. On top of that, the BCB directors are restive.Aminul has already impressed many in the board with a presentation on his first day in office. He said he had come to play a “memorable T20 innings”, suggesting he would not be in the position for too long but wanted to make an impact.His focus could also swing back to cricket, as he’s known as a pure cricketing man in Bangladesh. There’s a lot depending on him in the coming months. Many may think the board elections will be his priority, but with Bangladesh cricket lurching from one scandal to another, Aminul may have to clean up the board’s image first.
Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has revealed he once broke the club's “body fat record”, admitting he has always loved food and struggled to stay within strict limits at the elite level. The veteran says Robert Lewandowski jokingly mocked him over his physique, adding to a brutally honest reflection on his fitness, longevity and the pain he's endured throughout his career.
Szczesny reveals he broke Barca's 'body fat record'
Szczesny opened up about his physical condition during a wide-ranging interview, where he admitted he once registered Barcelona’s highest-ever body fat percentage. The goalkeeper explained that footballers face strict weight clauses and financial penalties, and despite staying inside the weight limit, his body fat result “broke the record.” He also revealed that Lewandowski once mocked him during a Poland camp, highlighting how teammates used humour to react to his surprising numbers.
Szczesny further discussed how he has never been the hardest trainer, but has maintained a consistently high level across an 18-year career. His comments come after an extraordinary period that saw him retire at Juventus, then return months later to join Barcelona as an emergency signing during their goalkeeper crisis. Despite this unusual comeback, the 35-year-old remains a key figure for the Spanish champions, continuing to compete at the highest level.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportPolish goalkeeper admits Lewandowski once mocked him
Speaking to GQ Poland, Szczesny revealed: “Footballers aren't allowed to gain weight. Their contracts include severe financial penalties. I like to eat, and although I manage to stay within the weight limit, I broke Barcelona's body fat record. Once, ‘Robert Lewandowski,’ mocking me in the Polish national team's dressing room, said: ‘How could Szczesny have had such a career with that body?’”
“I've never been a player who trained harder than others, but I've managed to maintain the same high level throughout my 18-year career. I may never have been in the top ten, but I've never dropped below eighth either. If I had played at my absolute best, I would have alternated between tens and sixes, but I maintained eights the whole time.”
Unbearable pain caused his earlier retirement from football
Szczesny also revealed how his career-long arm injury continues to cause him severe pain, even after multiple surgeries and the insertion of metal plates that were never removed. He explained that the issue sometimes becomes so intense during training that he loses feeling in his hands and cannot even hold a water bottle. The goalkeeper admitted this was one of the reasons why he originally retired, saying he had “had enough of this suffering” before being persuaded back into football by Barcelona’s crisis.
He described the pain as unpredictable and particularly bad during demanding pre-season workloads, where the discomfort traveled from his wrist to his elbow “as if everything inside my arm is trying to get out.” Despite that, Szczesny still returned to action and played an entire season “for free”, explaining that his Barcelona salary simply covered the fee he owed Juventus for ending his contract early. The veteran ultimately helped the Catalan giants win La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, cementing his extraordinary yet unexpected comeback.
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Getty Images SportSzczesny no longer No. 1 but future remains open
Szczesny remains under contract with Barcelona until 2026; however, this season, he has lost his starting spot to new signing Joan Garcia, somebody he has claimed boasts an enormous talent. The Catalan goalkeeper is currently No. 1 at Barcelona with Szczesny as his backup until Marc-Andre Ter Stegen returns from his injury.
While it is expected that this could be Szczesny's final season as a professional, the question marks surrounding Ter Stegen's future following his summer fallout with the hierarchy could open the door for the Poland legend to continue on for yet another season.
Every part of his game is geared not just towards batting, but to the purpose behind it
Sidharth Monga20-Jun-2025
Yashasvi Jaiswal brought up his fifth Test hundred•PA Images/Getty Images
Yashasvi Jaiswal is insatiable. When he is training in Talegaon in Maharashtra at the Rajasthan Royals High Performance Centre, he can go through more than 100 overs of batting in one day. That’s sidearm, normal bowling, manual throwing, all by different people from different angles with little or no break. In a two-hour net session with teams he is with, he can hog one net for upwards of an hour. He has been talked into being more mindful of other players’ needs, which he has respected. So now he just waits for others to finish and takes the deliverers of balls back into the net at the end of the training.A day before the Headingley Test, after all the media work had been done, all the reels made, he was there in the corner net with net bowlers and one sidearm thrower from the team. Those who work with him worry they need to find ways to help him sustain this voracious appetite despite the lean frame, and a historic nutritional deficiency from when he grew up all alone, far away from home in Mumbai.With some batters, this obsessive nature can be detrimental, but Jaiswal has that balance right. He bats for the business of scoring runs not to perfect batting. He knows how to score runs. In a short career, he has played innings of markedly different tempo and method. As Rahul Dravid, the former India coach, told me once, Jaiswal says in almost every innings “I like scoring runs, I know how to score runs and I’ll do whatever it takes to score runs – sometimes bat aggressively, sometimes bat defensively, sometimes play from middle stump, sometimes play from outside leg stump”.Related
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England the next stop in Jaiswal's audacious journey
By the afternoon drinks break on his first day of Test cricket in England, though, Jaiswal’s obsessiveness had begun to catch up with him. The support staff gave his arm under the arm guard a rubdown. His leading arm was cramping three hours into his innings on a pleasant day in Leeds.It had already been an innings in which he had had to change his method dramatically. Jaiswal was 67 off 112 then, but he had had spurts: 19 off 20, then just 12 off 39, then 26 balls in the 40s. England weren’t great with the brand-new ball, Jaiswal had no qualms flashing at them, but when they started bowling straight at his body, his limitations on the leg side showed up.In the first 20 balls that Jaiswal faced, only two balls swung or seamed in. He relished the room and the angle away. Then they started attacking the stumps more with a leg slip in place: 24 swung in or seamed in off the next 92. Add to it Josh Tongue’s angle from around the wicket, tucking him up, hitting him on the body.Jaiswal’s control percentage was 90 in the first 20 balls, it fell to 71 for the next 92 balls. One of the reasons for low control numbers was that he kept missing the cut, but he was going so hard at it that it is hard to see how an edge would go to hand. Otherwise, he just fought through the period, keeping the pull and fend away even as Ben Stokes moved to one of the Bazball fields.Yashasvi Jaiswal loves to bat and bat and bat•AFP/Getty ImagesAnd then came the cramps. Almost unnoticed, the intent went up as he realised he couldn’t keep fighting all day. The first ball after that drinks break was also the first ball of spin. You would imagine a forward-defensive to this full ball – 4.4m in front of the stumps – from almost any other batter, but Jaiswal hung back and managed to cut it for four. A flurry of runs, not visibly hurried, followed. Tongue was upper-cut for six, Shoaib Bashir lofted back over his head. By the time he reached the 90s, Jaiswal had had medical attention three times.The third of those came after a ferocious attempt at a cut that he missed. The umpires had a quiet word with him. Probably telling him he had to make a choice: play on without regular assistance or retire. Just like that, out came two dismissive shots through the covers to reach 99. Then the single to get to a hundred in his first Tests in the West Indies, Australia and England to go with an 80 in his first in India.It wasn’t a free-flowing innings. It had phases of brilliance, spells of knuckling down, and just the sheer physical battle with himself. Only ten of the 101 runs he scored came on the leg side. The limited range of his strokes on the leg side has always been a focus, but not to this extent. He completely shelved the pull and the hook, and sweated on any room. There were periods he was denied room, but he was prepared to wait it out.It was only when he began to cramp that an element of manufacturing shots appeared. It was just exceptional understanding of how to score runs and manage risk. Managing his body and his voracious appetite for hitting balls is an aspect he will still have to look at.
Amy Jones aced the chase after New Zealand’s batters had a disappointing outing
Valkerie Baynes26-Oct-2025
Amy Jones celebrates her fifty with Heather Knight•ICC/Getty Images
England 172 for 2 (Jones 86*, Beaumont 40) beat New Zealand 168 (Plimmer 43, Smith 3-30, Sciver-Brunt 2-31, Capsey 2-34) by eight wicketsAn injury to key bowler Sophie Ecclestone proved no barrier for England as Amy Jones overhauled a meagre target to send New Zealand out of the World Cup with a heavy defeat.Ecclestone injured her bowling shoulder while fielding and sent down just four deliveries, including a wicket, before England bundled New Zealand out for 168 inside 39 overs in their final group game.Her fellow left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith, overcame a difficult start to capture three wickets while part-time off-spinner Alice Capsey and seamer Nat Sciver-Brunt took two each before Jones’s unbeaten 86 took England home with ease.Related
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The result meant that England secured the No. 2 spot behind Australia, meaning that in the unlikely event of their semi-final against South Africa being washed out in Guwahati on Wednesday and on the subsequent reserve day, they would progress on the basis of holding a superior position on the table.It also ensured there would be no fairytale farewell for New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, who has played her last ODI in a match where New Zealand’s batters collectively failed convert starts and their bowlers struggled to put dents in England’s top-order.On the face of it, England had an easy ride into their semi-final campaign, but Ecclestone’s injury was cause for concern and they had to overcome a wayward start with the ball and in the field while their re-jigged middle-order went untested.The openers Jones and Tammy Beaumont broke the back of the run chase with a 75-run partnership and Jones combined with Heather Knight for an 83-run stand that took England within 11 runs of victory.England’s top four have all scored runs at this tournament, with Knight and Sciver-Brunt posting centuries and Beaumont and Jones reaching fifty before this game. Down the order they brought in the vastly experienced Danni Wyatt-Hodge for her first match of the tournament, replacing Emma Lamb who has struggled at No. 6.Knight’s dismissal, lbw to Devine for 33, prompted England to send Wyatt-Hodge in at No. 4 ahead of Sciver-Brunt to give her some exposure in the middle ahead of the knockout phase, although it was limited as she faced seven deliveries for 2 not out.Sophie Devine waves farewell after her final ODI•ICC/Getty ImagesBeaumont raced to 26 off 20 balls, with four of her five boundaries up to that point coming in one Jess Kerr over. Back-to-back fours off Amelia Kerr put Beaumont in touching distance of 40 but, once she arrived there, she was struck on the pad by a Lea Tahuhu nip-backer right in line with middle stump.Knight carved the next ball expertly through backward point for four and, having overturned an lbw dismissal to New Zealand’s bemusement as Melie Kerr’s delivery was shown to be going over the stumps, Knight advanced down the pitch to power a huge six over long on in her next over.All the while, Jones had been steadily creeping towards her half-century with excellent timing and she brought up the milestone with six off Suzie Bates. Jones upped the tempo and helped herself to three fours in a row off Rosemary Mair before eventually bringing up the winning runs with consecutive boundaries off Devine, who left the field through a guard of honour from both teams.Earlier, Ecclestone took a tumble trying to intercept a boundary from Bates off the second ball of the match and jarred her shoulder after running from mid-off to chase Capsey’s misfield at extra cover.Bates only managed to reach 10 before spooning a waist-high full toss from Smith straight to mid-off where Lamb stood as a substitute for Ecclestone.Struggling to grip the new ball, Smith continued to serve up some wayward lengths and, after Bates had failed to capitalise, Kerr did with four boundaries on the trot as she set about rebuilding through a 68-run partnership alongside Georgia Plimmer.Sophie Ecclestone picked a wicket in the four deliveries she bowled before going off with injury•Getty ImagesWith Smith pulled from the attack and Ecclestone still off the field having her injury assessed, Capsey entered to make a crucial strike as Kerr sought to go big down the ground and picked out Charlie Dean, who then struck with the first ball of the next over, pinning Plimmer on the pad for 43 as England wrested back control.Ecclestone returned briefly to remove Brooke Halliday, caught by Sophia Dunkley at deep midwicket, but then Dunkley bowled the remaining two balls of the over as Ecclestone, feeling more discomfort in her shoulder, left the field for the remainder of the innings.So it fell to Devine to make one last stand with the bat, even more so when Capsey took an excellent diving catch off her own bowling to remove Maddy Green – although she dropped another off Izzy Gaze next ball – but it wasn’t to be. Devine managed 23 off 35 before she strode forward to a Sciver-Brunt off-cutter which kissed the inside edge before landing in the glove of wicketkeeper Jones.Smith returned in the 29th over and, more comfortable with the worn ball, removed Gaze playing around a slow, full delivery that angled in to hit the top of off stump.Sciver-Brunt grabbed her second wicket by pinning Mair lbw and Jess Kerr was run out by a good throw from Dean at extra cover to Jones to put New Zealand on the brink of being bowled out. Dean finished it with a superb catch over her shoulder while running back at mid-off to remove Tahuhu and give Smith her third.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have now held exit talks over another key player as well as Joao Gomes, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United.
Wolves could be set to lose Joao Gomes in January
Gomes has recently emerged as a transfer target for United, with Ruben Amorim’s side keen to bring in the Portuguese midfielder this winter, and a €50m (£44m) fee has been touted.
It would certainly be a risk for the Old Gold to sell one of their key players, considering their Premier League status is already under major threat, having taken just two points from their opening 12 matches.
However, given that the central midfielder’s value will decrease if Rob Edwards’ side are unable to avoid the drop, it could make sense to cash-in and re-invest the money into other areas of the squad.
Gomes is not the only Wolves player who could be moving on in January either, as revealed by the Tenias Que Haber Tirado podcast on X, who state that Celta Vigo are now “considering the return” of former player Fer Lopez, who only arrived at Molineux in June.
The La Liga club have held talks over a loan move in the upcoming transfer window, which could make sense for all parties, given that Lopez hasn’t exactly made a flying start to life in the Premier League…
"Incredible" Lopez yet to prove himself in England
Wolves would’ve had high hopes after signing the attacking midfielder in the summer, considering the rave reviews from former coach Paul Grainger, who said: “I have seen some of the best players in the world play football. I have never seen a footballer like him. He was literally incredible. From the first day, I knew he was going to be a superstar.”
However, the 21-year-old is yet to reach those lofty heights, having started just one Premier League game this season, which was the 3-1 home defeat against Leeds United, and the youngster hasn’t received any minutes since the 2-0 defeat against Sunderland last month.
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What a great signing he would be.
ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025
In fairness, the Spaniard was one of very few players who impressed against Leeds, setting up the Wanderers’ only goal in style, and he is still young and adapting to life in the Premier League, so it would be way too early to sanction a permanent move.
However, if Lopez isn’t a part of Edwards’ plans, there is little reason to keep him around, and a loan move could make sense for all parties in the January transfer window.
In the almost six years since he took the job, Mikel Arteta has helped to utterly reshape Arsenal.
He’s pulled a team out of midtable mediocrity and turned them into serious contenders for the Champions League and Premier League.
Now, part of this transformation is down to his philosophy and tactics, but also to the sensational players he has promoted and signed.
In fact, one of his signings is now undoubtedly one of the world’s best players and arguably Arsenal’s best since the likes of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry.
Vieira and Henry's Arsenal legacies
Arsenal signed Vieira from AC Milan in the summer of 1996, after a season in which he sat on the bench watching the Italian giants win the Scudetto.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, he certainly wasn’t a bit-part player in North London; he ended his first campaign having made 31 Premier League appearances, and as the years went by, he only became more and more important to the Gunners.
For example, following Tony Adams’ retirement in May 2002, Arsène Wenger made the all-action midfielder the club’s new captain, and in the eyes of many, he is one of the best to ever wear the armband.
By the time the Dakar-born monster left the club for Inter Milan in 2006, he had made 405 appearances, in which he scored 32 goals, provided 47 assists, won three titles, four FA Cups and led the North Londoners on their legendary invincible campaign.
Now, for most clubs, the iconic midfielder would probably be considered their greatest ever player, but for the Gunners, there is only one man who can hold that title: Henry.
The legendary forward joined the North Londoners from Juventus in the summer of 1999, and while it sounds absurd today, he didn’t have the best of starts.
He failed to score a single goal across his first eight appearances for the club and later revealed in an interview that he had to “be re-taught everything about the art of striking” during that period.
Whatever Wenger taught him in those few months must have been pretty special, as he’d end his first season in red and white with a tally of 26 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances.
By the time the Les Ulis-born superstar left the club for Barcelona in 2007, he had chalked up a frankly astounding tally of 226 goals and 104 assists in 370 appearances and won two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups.
He returned for a brief spell in the 11/12 season, scoring twice in seven appearances.
Overall, when it comes to Arsenal legends, few players can match up with Henry and Vieira, but one of Arteta’s best signings is undoubtedly on his way.
Arsenal's future legend
The good news for Arsenal fans is that the squad is full of players who could go on to become club legends, but when it comes to someone performing at a world-class level, it’s hard to ignore Declan Rice.
The £105m man has been incredible for the club since his move in 2023, but towards the end of last season, and especially this year, it feels like he has taken another step forward.
Whether it’s hunting opposition players to steal the ball from them, marauding up the pitch with it at his feet or creating chance after chance with his outrageous set-piece delivery, the Englishman is operating at a truly unbelievable level.
In fact, he’s playing so well and has become so important in everything the Gunners do that it’s become increasingly hard to disagree with Thomas Frank’s assertion that he is among “the best in the world.”
That might sound hyperbolic to some, but it really, truly is not, and for those still unconvinced, you only need to look at his underlying numbers.
Rice’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Goals + Assists
0.49
Top 3%
Corner Kicks
3.15
Top 4%
Assists
0.27
Top 5%
Progressive Carries
2.75
Top 5%
Crosses
4.92
Top 5%
xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals
0.22
Top 6%
Non-Penalty Goals
0.22
Top 7%
Shots from Free Kicks
0.18
Top 7%
Key Passes
1.92
Top 8%
Switches
0.69
Top 9%
All Stats via FBref
According to FBref, he ranks in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goals plus assists, the top 5% for progressive carries and crosses, the top 8% for key passes and more, all per 90.
Moreover, something else that will help him reach the levels of Henry and Vieira is his mentality.
The England international is clearly someone who gives everything in every performance, and while he hasn’t got the armband, he is also undeniably a leader and will be a big reason for the Gunners winning anything this season.
Ultimately, while he needs those medals to get the respect he deserves, Rice is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world and will become an Arsenal legend.
He's becoming a Saka & Eze hybrid: Arsenal have signed an "agent of chaos"
The increible international has the ability to be as important as Saka and Eze for Arsenal this season.
West Ham chiefs are looking to back new manager Nuno Espírito Santo with key additions in January as they attempt to stave off the looming threat of relegation.
The Hammers were gifted a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal start to the Premier League season just before this international break, winning back-to-back home games for the first time since October last year against Newcastle and Burnley.
While the two wins provide plenty of encouragement for Nuno after inheriting a squad bereft of confidence and form, reports suggest that the east Londoners will look to January for much-needed reinforcements to bolster their head coach’s squad.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
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West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
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Everton 1-1 West Ham
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West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
West Ham 3-2 Burnley
According to Sky Sports, Nuno has been told that funds will be available for West Ham to spend when the window reopens, and it is believed they’d ideally like a new defender, midfielder and forward.
With Niclas Fullkrug poised to leave West Ham in January, following a lacklustre spell marred by injuries and underwhelming form when available, it is more likely than not that a striker will be arriving at Rush Green, with Fabrizio Romano confirming their intention to sign one.
Romano also said recently that West Ham are in the mix to sign Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo amid his links to Napoli, so a new midfielder remains on the cards, but there are now suggestions that a winger could come in too.
West Ham could strike 'cut-price' January move for Adama Traoré
Indeed, according to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham have been handed the opportunity to secure Adama Traoré on a bargain deal in January, with Fulham willing to accept a cut-price offer rather than lose the winger for free next summer.
Traore is in the final year of his contract and is not going to agree a new deal at Fulham, meaning January is their last chance to cash in if they sell him. The 29-year-old’s contract situation leaves the Cottagers vulnerable to low-ball bids, with Nuno apparently keen to reunite with a player he previously transformed at Wolves.
Before Nuno joined the Hammers, he tried to reunite with Traore at Nottingham Forest too, highlighting his long-standing admiration for the Spain international.
That being said, the forward has never quite reached the same heights he once hit under Nuno’s tutelage at Molineux, which included a failed spell at Barcelona.
During his best Premier League campaign to date, Traore bagged 13 goal contributions in 37 appearances for Wolves back in 2019/2020, finishing that campaign as their best-performing player on average whilst completing a seismic five successful take-ons per 90 (WhoScored).
Traore has enjoyed flashes of brilliant form at Craven Cottage too, with Marco Silva calling him an “almost unstoppable” player on his day.
Ontem, segunda-feira (3), ocorreu a quarta edição do Leilão Beneficente do Instituto Neymar, no Clube Monte Líbano, em São Paulo. O craque, que está no sétimo mês de recuperação de uma da ruptura no ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho esquerdo, respondeu algumas perguntas logo na sua chegada e esfriou qualquer possibilidade de voltar para o Brasil em 2025.
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Sonho do presidente Marcelo Teixeira e da torcida santista, Neymar garante que fica no Al Hilal, da Arábia Saudita, por mais uma temporada.
➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos
– Não (existe a possibilidade de voltar ao Santos ano que vem). O que falaram é totalmente mentira. Não tem nada planejado. Tenho mais um ano de contrato com o Al Hilal. Espero poder fazer uma grande temporada. Fiquei fora essa última. Vamos viver pouco a pouco. Tem muito tempo pela frente. Óbvio que o Santos é o time do meu coração, um dia quero voltar, sim, mas não tem nada planejado na cabeça.
O camisa 10 da Seleção Brasileira afirma que conversou com Vinicius Junior antes e depois da final da Liga dos Campeões da Europa, e acredita que o atacante do Real Madrid será eleito o Melhor Jogador do Mundo.
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– Quanto ao Vini, obviamente a Bola de Ouro é dele. Estou na torcida. Mandei mensagem antes do jogo, pós-jogo. É um menino que eu amo de paixão. Grande amigo que o futebol me deu. Com certeza, será coroado com a Bola de Ouro. Ele está incrível, carregando a bandeira do nosso país ao redor do mundo. A gente fica muito feliz e torce por ele – disse Neymar.
Confira as outras respostas de Neymar:
Recuperação da lesão
– Tá indo (a recuperação). É dolorido. Muito sofrimento. Mas estou me recuperando. São sete meses já da lesão. Faltam alguns ainda. Mas estamos indo.
continua após a publicidadeAusência na Copa América
– Vai ser triste (acompanhar a seleção de longe). É muito ruim ficar fora, obviamente, mas estamos na torcida, como vocês. Espero que o Brasil possa ganhar. Tem time para isso, jogadores de muita qualidade. Estamos na torcida. Espero que o Dorival faça um grande trabalho com todo mundo. Estarei na torcida.
كشفت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الإثنين، عن تطورات جديدة بشأن مستقبل تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني لنادي ريال مدريد، والذي يمر بوقت عصيب خلال الساعات الأخيرة.
ريال مدريد مني بهزيمة جديدة في الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى، حيث تعرض الميرنجي لخسارة قاسية ضد سيلتا فيجو بهدفين دون رد يوم أمس الأحد على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.
وابتعد ريال مدريد بفارق أربع نقاط عن برشلونة متصدر ترتيب الدوري حاليًا، بعدما كان الميرنجي صاحب المركز الأول بفارق خمس نقاط.
اقرأ أيضًا .. حكم مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي في دوري أبطال أوروبا
وبحسب ”onefootball”، نقلًا عن el mundo، فإن مستقبل ألونسو مع ريال مدريد أصبح على المحك بعد الخسارة أمام سيلتا فيجو، حيث اتخذت إدارة الفريق الملكي إجراءات فورية بعد الهزيمة أمس.
وأضاف المصدر، أن إدارة ريال مدريد عقدت اجتماعاً صباح يوم أمس الأحد، وذلك من أجل مناقشة مستقبل تشابي ألونسو مع الفريق الإسباني.
وأوضح المصدر، أن ألونسو يواجه خطر الإقالة من تدريب ريال مدريد حال خسر الفريق ضد مانشستر سيتي يوم الأربعاء المقبل في منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، والتي قد تكون المواجهة الأخيرة للاعب خط الوسط السابق.
واختتم المصدر قائلًا، أنه حال غادر ألونسو تدريب ريال مدريد، فإن زين الدين زيدان، ويورجن كلوب، هما المرشحين الأبرز لتدريب النادي الإسباني.