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Arsenal may not have won the Premier League this season, but Mikel Arteta’s squad still have it all to play for in the Champions League.

Though Paris Saint-Germain left the Emirates Stadium with a slender one-goal advantage in midweek, the Gunners have the quality and confidence to create something special at the Parc des Princes.

Some questionable officiating aside, Arsenal know the crux of their issues this season lies with the failure to provide Arteta with an elite-level striker.

Injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz in the new year sapped the Londoners’ strength at number nine, calling for an unconventional but curiously effective stopgap in Mikel Merino.

However, Arsenal need a permanent solution, one which could ease the talismanic burden Bukayo Saka wears around his neck.

Bukayo Saka's season in numbers

To be fair, Saka wears the weight of responsibility rather well, having maintained a confident stream of goals and assists through the campaign while producing influential and energetic performances.

But this only draws to attention the yawning hole at number nine, with a prolific centre-forward certain to take the England international’s game to the next level.

Saka, 23, has scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists for Arsenal this season. The three-month hamstring injury picked up in December has proved the biggest blow to his side’s campaign; Saka’s back now, but he’s still not at his sharpest.

Nonetheless, the winger’s return has restored a deeper degree of balance and fluency that must be allowed to bloom into something truly world-class next season, and a more clinical attacking partner than one of Havertz or Jesus will ensure that happens.

As per FBref, Arsenal’s starboy ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for goal-creating actions and the top 5% for crosses made per 90.

This man is a striker’s dream, and new sporting director Andrea Berta is ready to reward him with one of the finest centre-forwards out there.

Arsenal in talks to sign top striker

We all know Alexander Isak’s the dream. But Isak is going to cost more than £150m to convince Newcastle United to sell, and this would likely prove beyond any interested party’s means.

Instead, Berta is pushing to seal the signing of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres. According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, several talks have already taken place, with the Liga Portugal champions looking for no more than €70m (about £60m) to get a deal done.

Arsenal are confident they can get a deal done, but with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United also keen, they will need to act swiftly.

What Viktor Gyokeres would bring to Arsenal

Isak has been described as “the best striker in the Premier League” this season by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, but he’s not the only deadly goalscorer on the market.

In fact, Gyokeres has the complete take on the centre-forward role and could make it his own at the front of Arteta’s system.

The 6 foot two star’s technical quality, physicality and hunger for success have been hallmarks of his journey in Portugal, scoring 95 goals from 98 matches and winning last season’s Liga Portugal title before being crowned the division’s Player of the Year.

This level of surety in the final third is something that Arsenal have lacked across the campaign, and by instating Gyokeres in the focal role, Saka would finally have the reliable outlet from which he could direct his peerless playmaking ability.

24/25 – Sporting

48 (40)

52

12

23/24 – Sporting

50 (47)

43

15

22/23 – Coventry

50 (47)

22

12

21/22 – Coventry

47 (42)

18

5

20/21 – Coventry

19 (7)

3

0

20/21 – Swansea

12 (2)

1

0

Talk about year-on-year growth. Gyokeres, 26, has yet to make his mark in one of Europe’s recognised top-five leagues but his numbers leave little to the imagination in the best way, especially since he’s only missed 43 big chances across his past three league terms, as per Sofascore, scoring 88 times.

Havertz has his strengths, but he’s not clinical. In the Premier League this season, the German has missed 15 big chances, converting nine strikes. The 28-year-old Jesus, meanwhile, has not been available often enough to warrant Arteta’s trust as his first-choice option.

There’s no doubt Saka is among the finest players in world football, but his game is being impeded by the absence of a partner like Gyokeres. With 20 big chances created in the Premier League this season, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has more – and having played plenty more minutes at that.

Injury pulled from Saka the chance to immortalise his name in the Premier League’s playmaking record books, but the Three Lions sensation’s electric start to the 2024/25 season remains a welcome reminder of the level of player Arsenal have on their hands.

Moreover, it’s an arresting lever Arteta wields in convincing a player of Gyokeres’ ilk that the Emirates project is the best place for him to go from strength to strength and hit the next level in his incredible journey.

Of course, any natural goalscorer would find their game enhanced alongside Arsenal’s main man, but the Sweden star is “the hottest striker in Europe,” according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden, and the partnership might just be something that fixes the issues that have plagued the north London side’s season.

Having come agonisingly close in recent years, this would be a signing to complete the craft and finally establish Arsenal as the continent’s team to beat.

It’s not over yet; Arsenal may yet find themselves fighting for the Champions League trophy after turning it around against PSG, but in any case, Gyokeres would turn a great team into an unstoppable force.

Their own Bruno Fernandes: Arsenal holding talks over "exciting" £66.5m ace

The creative maverick could be Arsenal’s missing piece.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2025

Liverpool’s victory over bitter rivals Everton last night saw Arne Slot’s side claim their 22nd Premier League win of the season, pushing them one step closer to the title.

The Reds may have struggled to produce their best display, but Diogo Jota’s strike in the 57th minute secured all three points – making amends for their draw against the Toffees in February.

Slot’s side now have a 12-point buffer over Arsenal with just eight league outings remaining – looking to be in pole position to claim their second title in the last six seasons.

Serious credit should be given in the direction of the Dutchman for his work in 2024/25, allowing for a seamless transition after taking the reins from Jürgen Klopp in the summer.

Numerous players managed to thrive in the Derby Day environment, many of which will have given the manager a selection headache ahead of the last couple of outings.

Liverpool’s star performers against Everton

Curtis Jones was forced to operate in a natural right-back role given the injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley over the last few weeks.

However, the academy graduate produced a superb display, completing 93% of the passes he attempted, whilst also completing 100% of dribbles – thriving with the ball at his feet.

Luis Diaz has been an inconsistent figure in recent months, only netting one goal in 2025, but managed to tee up Jota for the only goal of the encounter.

The Colombian created six chances during his spell on the pitch – the most of any player – whilst also completing five dribbles, highlighting the threat he posed in the final third.

One other first-team member impressed throughout, undoubtedly cementing himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet as a result of his showing.

The Liverpool player who’s now as important as Salah

Mohamed Salah has been a crucial reason for Liverpool’s success in 2024/25, registering a staggering 54 combined goal contributions in his 44 outings to date.

However, the Egyptian’s future remains up in the air with just a couple of months remaining on his contract, with no news yet to be released on whether he will sign a new deal.

Undoubtedly, losing a player of his quality would be a huge loss for the Reds, with the hierarchy desperately needing to prevent losing the star man on a free transfer.

Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has enjoyed a superb rise during his compatriot’s reign, becoming a key player in their success and cementing his place at the heart of the side.

He’s started every single Premier League outing this campaign, notching two assists and forming an excellent partnership with Alexis Mac Allister in recent months.

Last night was no different for the 22-year-old, completing 72 passes at a completion rate of 89%, with ten of his passes going into the final third and finding a teammate.

Minutes played

90

Touches

102

Passes completed

72/81 (89%)

Passes into final third

10

Dribbles completed

1/1 (100%)

Clearances made

2

Interceptions made

2

He also notched a tally of 102 touches, whilst also managing to complete a dribble and looking positive every time he had the ball at his feet.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Defensively, he also managed to impress, making two clearances and two interceptions whilst also managing to make seven recoveries – highlighting his impressive performance at the base of midfield.

As a result of his showing, he was handed a 7/10 match rating by Football Insider journalist Toby Wilding, showcasing how impressive his showing was for Slot’s men.

Given his performance, it’s evident that the former Bayern Munich man has enjoyed a revival at Anfield, looking to be a shrewd addition under his compatriot.

His showing last night was evidence of the talent possesses, undoubtedly being one of the first names on the teamsheet, arguably being as important as Salah to Slot given his emergence this season.

He's better than Frimpong: Liverpool working on deal to sign "complete" RB

Liverpool are already working on a deal to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 2, 2025

Pakistan unravelled after Babar fell on the fourth morning, all down to a plan Harmer had in memory from a county game back in 2019

Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2025While Pakistan preferred to keep their lead left-arm spinner away from the left-handers during South Africa’s last-wicket stand, the visitors had no such qualms about spinning the ball into the batter. With Pakistan having put up late resistance on the third evening after a bruising day, they began the fourth with Babar Azam, one shy of a half-century, along with Mohammad Rizwan in the middle. Faced with two right-handers , Aiden Markram gave the ball to offspinner Simon Harmer.Harmer began the fourth morning with 996 first-class wickets. He’d bowled to just about everyone in every situation over his 16-year first-class career. That included Babar when he had a stint with Somerset in 2019, and remembered what had discomfited the Pakistan batter.”I just felt it was probably more dangerous for him and made him less comfortable when I was bowling from around the wicket,” Harmer said after South Africa’s eight-wicket win in Rawalpindi.There were more game-specific considerations, too. Pakistan had erased South Africa’s lead by now, and were mindful of the value of runs. South Africa knew they could not pack the close field with more men. “In the subcontinent, as an offspinner to a right-hander, you’ve got a lot of turn from outside the line of the stumps,” Harmer said. “So batters can easily take modes of dismissal away. We were obviously very mindful of the lead. We didn’t want it to get away from us. We were trying to attack and not leak runs. So you can’t carry extra catchers around the bat.Related

Rabada: South Africa 'a young team that wants to do the dirty work'

Mahmood bemoans another Pakistan collapse: 'This is not acceptable'

South Africa prove they can win with spin on the subcontinent

Stats – First-class Harmer enters elite wicket-takers' club

Harmer's six-for helps South Africa ease to series-levelling win

“I felt that the ball from that end specifically was spinning from straight. So if I came around the wicket and if they didn’t want to score square, it kept the stumps in play, whereas from over the wicket they could get outside the line.”It also made it trickier for Babar to get himself onto the front foot off any length. Babar clipped the second ball of the day off the back foot into the onside to get to 50. But when Harmer pitched it slightly further up, he still went back. The ball kept low, hitting him beneath the knee roll.With Harmer starting around off, there was enough room to land the ball on middle and spin away from Babar’s bat without deviating too far out of the line of the stumps. Babar reviewed, but the DRS returned three reds. It was the 29th ball Harmer had bowled to Babar around the wicket this Test, conceding nearly a run fewer per over from that angle than from over the wicket.Pakistan’s offspinner Sajid Khan, meanwhile, does not enjoy the same comfort coming around the wicket to the right-hander. He had by far his most subdued series since Pakistan’s turn to spin tracks, taking six wickets across the two Tests and just 1 for 134 in Rawalpindi. Against right-handers, he went around the wicket for just seven balls all Test, and 11 all series. Pitted against Harmer’s experience, Sajid’s ideas for creating opportunities looked rather pedestrian.Babar’s dismissal, though, was only the beginning of a near-perfect day for Harmer. He went on to take six in the innings, getting to 1000 first-class wickets along the way. But it was all unlocked thanks to a little memory holed away from a game in Chelmsford in the late English summer, deployed to clinical effect in the early Pakistani winter.

And have any of their first victims averaged more than Steve Smith?

Steven Lynch23-Jan-2024Shamar Joseph’s first two Test wickets were Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, who both average over 50. How rare is this sort of start? asked Brian Williams from Australia
The exciting young West Indian Shamar Joseph turns out to be the 11th bowler whose first two Test wickets were a batter with an average of 50 or above (given a qualification of at least 4000 runs at the time). His victims in Adelaide last week were Steve Smith, who ended the match averaging 57.80, and Marnus Labuschagne (52.03). The last bowler to achieve this was another West Indian, Shermon Lewis, against India in Rajkot in 2018-19. He dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli – but India still ran up 649, and Lewis won only one more cap.Pride of place has to go to the old England captain Norman Yardley, whose first two Test wickets were both none other than Don Bradman, who was averaging over 100 at the time. This was during the second and third matches of the 1946-47 Ashes series in Australia, which were Yardley’s fourth and fifth Tests (he didn’t take a wicket in the first three). Again, it didn’t lead to much joy: Bradman had made 234 and 79, and Australia went on to win the series 3-0.Three others dismissed a high-averaging opponent twice to start their careers. Neil Johnson began by removing Sachin Tendulkar in both innings as Zimbabwe pulled off a surprise win over India in Harare in 1998-99. Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews dismissed Younis Khan twice in Galle in 2009 . And Moeen Ali marked his debut for England, against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in 2014, by having Kumar Sangakkara caught behind, and got him again in the next Test at Headingley.Three men started their Test bowling careers by dismissing the prolific Indians Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid: the Sri Lankan pair of Dhammika Prasad (in Colombo in 2008, when his third wicket was Tendulkar) and Suraj Randiv (also in Colombo, but in 2010), and Australia’s Jason Krejza during his debut 8 for 215 in Nagpur in 2008-09.Jonathan Agnew, now a distinguished broadcaster, made a fine start to what was a brief Test career by dismissing the West Indians Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards at The Oval in 1984. And in India’s series in Australia in 2003-04, Irfan Pathan started with the wickets of Matthew Hayden in Adelaide and Steve Waugh in Sydney.Shamar Joseph took a wicket with his first ball in Tests. How many people have done this, and has anyone started with a batter with better numbers than Steve Smith? asked Joey Dimattina from Australia
Following a breezy 36 from No. 11 in his maiden innings in Adelaide last week, the new West Indian find Shamar Joseph then became the 23rd bowler to take a wicket with his first ball in a Test match.His first victim was Steve Smith, who had scored 9526 runs at an average of 58.08 at the time. That’s the highest average of any of the victims – Kumar Sangakkara had 8438 runs at 56.25 when he fell to Nathan Lyon’s first ball in Test cricket, in Galle in 2011. But one man had more runs than Smith: Alastair Cook had amassed 9840 (at an average of 46.85) when he fell to Hardus Viljoen’s opening delivery in his only Test for South Africa, in Johannesburg in 2015-16.I noticed that Mayank Agarwal has scored four Test centuries, all of them in India. Is there anyone whose career included more hundreds, all of them at home? asked V Mohan from India
India’s Mayank Agarwal is one of five men who have scored four Test centuries, all of them coming in home games: the others are Joe Hardstaff junior (England), Guy Whittall (Zimbabwe), and the Sri Lankans Roshan Mahanama and Arjuna Ranatunga. Agarwal’s haul includes two double-centuries; Hardstaff, Mahanama and Whittall all made one.But there are two men who made five Test hundreds, all of them on home soil. The first was the old England player Stanley Jackson. His five included two in the 1905 Ashes series, in which he captained England, won all five tosses, was the leading scorer on either side, and also took 13 wickets. All of Jackson’s 20 Tests came in England, as his Wisden obituary noted: “Unfortunately he could not go on any tour to Australia owing to business reasons, and the presence of Lord Hawke in command of Yorkshire until 1910 prevented him from ever being the county captain, though he was occasionally in charge of the side.”The second batter with five Test centuries all on home soil is Chandu Borde, whose five all came in India between 1958-59 and 1966-67. He did play several Tests abroad, and reached 93 against West Indies in Kingston in 1961-62.Neil Harvey (centre), who turned 95 last year, is still the youngest Australian to score a Test century, at 19 years of age in 1948•Getty ImagesNeil Harvey is the oldest living Australian Test player. Is he still the youngest Australian to score a Test hundred? asked Ian Hugo from France
You’re correct that Neil Harvey is the second-oldest surviving Test player as I write – he turned 95 last October. He’s currently one of 21 Test players who are still alive in their nineties. The only one older than Harvey is the South African Ron Draper, who turned 97 just before Christmas: he played two Tests – against an Australian side including Harvey – in 1949-50.And Harvey is still the youngest Australian to score a Test century – he was 19 years 122 days old when he made 153 against India in Melbourne in 1947-48. That broke the previous national record by a month: Archie Jackson was aged 19 years 152 days when he made 164 on debut against England in Adelaide in 1928-29. The only other teenager to score a Test century for Australia is Doug Walters, who was aged 19 years 357 days when he hit 155 against England in Brisbane in 1965-66.Who has scored the most runs without ever making a fifty in Test matches and one-day internationals? asked Sean Fanning from Australia
The leader on the Test list at the moment is Australia’s Nathan Lyon, who has scored 1427 runs in 126 Tests so far with a highest of 47, against South Africa in Cape Town in 2017-18. In second place is another current player, the West Indian Kemar Roach, with 1165 runs and a highest of 41.It’s not impossible that both Lyon and Roach might yet post a half-century, in which case the record would revert to Pakistan’s Waqar Younis (1010 runs, highest score 45), the only other man into four figures in Tests without a fifty.The record in ODIs is held by India’s Harbhajan Singh, whose 1237 runs included a highest score of 49. Zimbabwe’s Paul Strang made 1090 runs in ODIs with a highest of 47. And Waqar Younis is lurking in third place on this list too, with 969 runs and a highest of just 37.Just to complete the set, the the T20I record is currently held by the New Zealander Jimmy Neesham, whose 900 runs include a highest of 48 not out.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

South Africa appear on course for a semi-final spot, even though they seem to be a team filled with top-order players

Firdose Moonda02-Nov-20212:24

Kagiso Rabada: ‘It feels good to take wickets, especially in the powerplay’

Give them some green and some swing, and South Africa’s attack goes from impressive to almost unplayable. That’s just as well, because the same can probably be said about many pace bowlers, including Taksin Ahmed, who caused some wobbles in what should have been a straightforward chase of 85. Amid South Africa’s continued batting concerns. their bowlers have kept their knockout hopes alive, with all of them having found some form, including Kagiso Rabada, who took a career-best 3 for 20 against Bangladesh.Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the US. Match highlights of Bangladesh vs South Africa is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Crucially, all of Rabada’s wickets came in the Powerplay, where he has not been as effective as would have been expected. Though Rabada had taken 39 T20 wickets in the UAE before today, the third-most for any bowler in the last three years, he had only taken four in the Powerplay. Now, that’s up to seven wickets out of 42 although of the 22 bowlers who have that number of Powerplay wickets or more, Rabada’s strike rate is the worst.That’s all much of a muchness when you consider how effective Rabada has been outside of the Powerplay. His 35 wickets from overs 6 to 20 in the UAE have come at an average of 16.6 and strike rate of 11.8, and that may be a result of how he has been used. “In the past, I was asked to bowl more in the middle overs. Now, I am bowling a lot more in the Powerplay so I have to find a way in the Powerplay,” he said. “Different captains use me at different times. I know I can bowl at any phase of the game and I will be expected to bowl at any phase of the game. Wherever I am asked to bowl, I try to make the most out of it.”Rabada is right in that his use in the Powerplay had decreased and is only just going back up. Up to 2017, 55.8% of the deliveries he bowled in T20s were in the Powerplay. In 2018 and 2019, that went down to 28.9% and 22.6% respectively. In the last two years, Rabada has bowled just over 30% of his T20 deliveries in the Powerplay. Although that’s still some distance off what it was, it seems that under Temba Bavuma, and in specifically helpful conditions, his role in that period could increase. “I bowled three overs upfront and there was a bit of bounce, a bit of seam movement and some swing. The conditions were in my favour and all I had to do was get the ball in the right area,” he said.On a green top, with humidity at over 70% – the highest it has been for several days – Rabada found late swing and good bounce. His headline delivery was the inswinging yorker that beat Soumya Sarkar’s defensive push and struck him on the front boot. With Anrich Nortje, who also bagged a career-best with his 3 for 8, South Africa has an attack that could get them into the knockouts. But they need their batting to inspire a little more confidence in following suit.Kagiso Rabada has come storming back into form for South Africa•ICC via GettySouth Africa have too many top-order players and not enough middle-order batters in the line-up. Although they insist their strength is flexibility, they’re really just moving opening batters around and may need to sacrifice one of them to make room for their only other option: Heinrich Klaasen. But which one?Quinton de Kock has not contributed much besides the biggest controversy of the tournament so far, but his reputation makes him undroppable. Aiden Markram is doing well at No.4 and contributes some overs while Rassie van der Dussen has been in the runs and is relied on as steadier. That may mean Reeza Hendricks, who has been rewarded for stepping up when it mattered, but hasn’t done enough since. Even if Hendricks is left out, Klaasen’s run hasn’t been much better. He scored 11 and 14 in the warm-ups and 13 against Australia, compared to Hendricks’ 7 in the warm-up, 39 against West Indies and 11 and 4 since then.Ultimately, that means South Africa have to hope that Temba Bavuma’s form will continue. Bavuma is not known for being a particularly quick run-getter but his run-a-ball 46 set South Africa up to beat West Indies and he struck at over 100 against Bangladesh. He also seems comfortable coming in lower down the order and bulletproof to the many questions that are asked about his credentials. And he has his defenders, like Rabada.”With Temba… the results are there. There is nothing more to say about that,” Rabada said. “You will always have critics and it’s something we make peace with. You can’t take the good without the bad.”So far at this tournament, there has been much more good than bad to Bavuma’s leadership. Apart from his runs, he handled the de Kock issue with diplomacy and empathy and he has been creative in his field placings and clever with his bowling changes. He has made sure South Africa have ticked the boxes they have wanted to, including in their win against Bangladesh, where they have taken their net run-rate into the black. “We tried to finish the game as early as possible. There was a clear instruction that we should try to finish the game before 15 overs and we did that.”South Africa knocked off the 85 runs they needed inside 14 overs and now have their fate in their own hands. Their match against England on Saturday is effectively a quarter-final, albeit only from South Africa’s side. Victory will more than likely see them through, even if Australia win their remaining two matches because of their positive net run-rate. Even defeat could get them into the last four, which is more than many would have expected when they came into this tournament and may be a sign that things are not nearly as bad as they seemed.

يحل فريق مانشستر سيتي ضيفًا على خصمه كريستال بالاس، مساء يوم الأحد، وذلك في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في خضم منافسات الجولة السادسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي لهذا الموسم، على ملعب “سيلهرست بارك”.

ويدخل مانشستر سيتي تلك المباراة وهو يمتلك 21 نقطة في المركز الثاني، في حين أن كريستال بالاس لديه 26 نقطة في المركز الخامس.

وتُعد تلك المباراة هي الأخيرة للنجم عمر مرموش قبل أن يتجه إلى معسكر منتخب مصر للمشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا في المغرب، في وقت لاحق من شهر ديسمبر الحالي. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي المتوقع أمام كريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: دوناروما.

خط الدفاع: ماتيوس نونيز، روبن دياز، جفارديول، نيكو أوريلي.

خط الوسط: نيكو جونزاليس، ريان شرقي.

خط الوسط الهجومي: تيجاني ريندرز، فيل فودين، جيريمي دوكو.

خط الهجوم: هالاند.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

There are no other changes to the squad that recently played Afghanistan at home

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2025

Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani has been ruled out of Zimbabwe’s upcoming T20I tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka due to a back injury. Left-arm seamer Newman Nyamhuri, yet to be capped in T20Is, has been named his replacement.There are no other changes to the squad that recently played Afghanistan at home, which Zimbabwe lost 0-3. Muzarabani, who had missed the last two T20Is of that series, picked up 2 for 41 in the first T20I.Nyamhuri, 19, has played four Tests and four ODIs, having made his international debut in December 2024. He was named in the T20I squad for the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in July but did not feature in any of the games.Led by Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe will open their campaign against hosts Pakistan in Rawalpindi on November 17, before facing Sri Lanka at the same venue on November 19. Zimbabwe will then travel to Lahore, where they will meet Pakistan again on November 23 and Sri Lanka on November 25. The top two teams on the points table will contest the final on 29 November in Lahore.Zimbabwe squad for T20I tri-series: Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Brendan Taylor

MatériaMais Notícias

Recordista brasileiro em número de participações seguidas na Libertadores 2024, o Palmeiras recebe o Independiente Del Valle nesta noite de quarta-feira (15), no Allianz Parque, podendo chegar pelo oitavo ano seguido nas oitavas de final da maior competição do nosso continente.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

Desde 2017, o Verdão se coloca entre pelo menos as 16 melhores equipes da América do Sul, e agora o time de Abel Ferreira busca chegar nas quartas de finais pelo sétimo ano seguido, ultrapassando o Boca Juniors que entre 2000 a 2005 chegou entre os oito melhores em todas as edições.

O Palmeiras é o clube brasileiro com mais participações em oitavas de finais de Libertadores, ao lado do Grêmio, com 16 participações entre os 16 melhores do continente.

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Clube brasileiro com mais jogos, mais vitórias e mais gols na história da Libertadores, o Verdão vai em busca do tetracampeonato para confirmar de vez a sua hegemonia na competição nessa última década.

➡️ Faça as suas apostas na Libertadores 2024: quem será o campeão? Vem pro Lance! Betting!

Na era Abel Ferreira, o Palmeiras já fez 22 jogos de fase de grupos de Libertadores, com 19 vitórias, um empate e duas derrotas, e nos três tropeços, o atual bicampeão brasileiro atuou com um time alternativo.

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Chelsea have made a solid start to the season under Enzo Maresca despite being presented with a fair few obstacles, and the Blues briefly climbed to second in the Premier League table last weekend.

Maresca’s approach has been defined by extensive squad rotation, a strategy that has drawn both praise and criticism.

The Italian has made 93 changes in total this season, a staggering number and more than any other Premier League side. This rotation policy could reflect Chelsea’s depth and ambitions to compete on all four fronts, even if Maresca reportedly isn’t completely satisfied with the squad right now.

That being said, injuries and suspensions have significantly tested that depth this term.

Levi Colwill remains a long-term absentee after sustaining an ACL injury during pre-season training in August, ruling him out for most of the campaign and likely England’s Euro 2026 preparations. Superstar forward Cole Palmer has also been sidelined with a niggling groin injury since September, with Maresca initially expecting him to return shortly after the last international break before the recovery timeline was extended by six weeks.

The England international missed a full month of action and was targeting a return in December, but he is now expected to return before the end of this month and could feature against Barcelona in the Champions League.

The striker department has been particularly affected by injuries. Summer signing Liam Delap sustained a hamstring problem early in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August, leaving him out for two months, and following his return from a lengthy layoff, the forward’s comeback quickly turned into a disaster.

Delap picked up two needless yellow cards against Wolves, prompting fury from Maresca, who labelled his conduct ’embarrassing’.

After Roméo Lavia’s latest in a long line of injuries since joining from Southampton, Chelsea’s medical room is starting to feel overcrowded again, but the west Londoners have done well to navigate it with Colwill, Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all missing at various points.

Chelsea became the first team in history to win all five UEFA club tournaments back in May, and as Maresca looks to build upon that feat, their form on paper suggests the club have every chance of doing so.

BlueCo’s ownership appears to finally be reaping dividends, but it hasn’t always been this way.

There’s been a fair few trial and error, high-profile mistakes since Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly took over the club in 2022, not least their deal for ex-Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang admits Chelsea transfer was a "big mistake"

Speaking to YouTube content creator Troopz, via ESPN, Aubameyang himself has now admitted that joining Chelsea was a “big mistake”.

Aubameyang signed for Chelsea in September 2022 for a reported fee of around £10 million, reuniting with his former boss at Borussia Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel. However, Tuchel was sacked just days after the Gabonese’s arrival, setting the tone for a disastrous spell.

He was handed his first Premier League appearance in October, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-1 away victory over Crystal Palace. The now-Marseille striker made 21 appearances in all competitions for the Blues, scoring just three goals, and all three of them came in the space of ten days that October.

By February, he was dropped from the Champions League squad by Graham Potter, highlighting his fall from grace, and he didn’t fare any better under Frank Lampard either. Aubameyang struggled for form and consistency, and just 10 months after signing, the 36-year-old left Chelsea and signed a three-year deal with Marseille on a free transfer.

He’ll go down as one of, if not the worst signing of BlueCo’s tenure — so the feeling of regret will be pretty mutual in London.

A major injury update has now emerged on Gabriel ahead of the North London Derby, with Arsenal set to host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Gunners are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, four points clear of nearest-rival Manchester City, but injuries once again risk derailing their title charge, with Mikel Arteta being forced to contend with a number of setbacks already this season.

Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz have all spent time on the sidelines in recent weeks, and there has been more bad news during the international break, with defender Riccardo Calafiori being forced to drop out of the Italy squad.

Fortunately, Calafiori is expected to be available for the big game against Tottenham at the weekend, but a more concerning injury update has now emerged on one of Arteta’s other key players.

Gabriel now a major doubt for North London Derby

As reported by The Guardian, Gabriel is now a major doubt for the North London Derby, with recent scans revealing the defender suffered a thigh injury on international duty with Brazil, and there are concerns he may be facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old has returned to London for treatment, having not travelled with Brazil for their upcoming friendly against Tunisia, with the Gunners planning to take their time to assess the extent of the injury.

There are concerns the Brazil international could be sidelined during a busy period, with a number of tough fixtures on the horizon for Arteta’s side over the next few weeks.

Should the centre-back be unavailable for quite some time, it would be a major blow for Arteta, given that he has been one of the manager’s key players so far this season, with the Spaniard saying: “I adore Gabriel: his attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he’s willing to do for the team.”

The £150k-a-week defender has formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba at the heart of defence, with the Gunners shipping just five goals in the Premier League this term, the fewest of any side.

That said, Piero Hincapie has proven he could be a solid replacement for Gabriel, having impressed in the 2-0 EFL Cup triumph against Brighton & Hove Albion, receiving an 8.2 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player, after winning six duels and recording a 94% pass-completion rate.

Gabriel has been named as one of the best centre-backs in the world

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By
Charlie Smith

Nov 20, 2025