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Plays of the Day from the Group B match between India and Pakistan in Adelaide

Abhishek Purohit in Adelaide15-Feb-2015Sohail’s excitementSohail Khan, playing his first international since September 2011, ran in first ball and thought he had struck Shikhar Dhawan on the pad. His appeal was turned down, but Sohail was so confident he wanted a review immediately. Misbah-ul-Haq stepped in to calm down his charged up fast bowler, and refused to go for the review. Just as well, as replays showed the ball had come right off the bat. Two balls later, Sohail bowled a wide to Rohit Sharma, but he was so pumped up he walked a long way up the pitch towards the striker, and on his way back to his mark, also exchanged a few words with non-striker Dhawan.Yasir’s effortSoon after he came in, Virat Kohli went for the pull in Shahid Afridi’s first over. The ball ballooned up, but towards vacant deep midwicket. Yasir Shah charged to his right from long-on. He put in a dive too, but was in an awkward position as the ball dipped at his legs. He still got his hands down in time, but the ball popped out. It will go down as a drop, even though it was Yasir’s incredible effort that had made a highly improbable chance look so close.Akmal’s dropUmar Akmal had grimaced in disappointment when Yasir failed to latch on to the Kohli chance, but the wicketkeeper was to put down a simpler catch off the same batsman. Kohli had ticked along to 76 when the part-time left-arm spinner Haris Sohail had one dipping and turning to take the edge off a push. It was bouncing but it was not an alarming deviation off the bat. However, it only hit Akmal’s gloves and rolled away.Jadeja’s twin escapeRavindra Jadeja drove one straight to extra cover in the 49th over. MS Dhoni instantly rushed for the single. Jadeja had to run now, but he was not even in the frame when Shahid Afridi, throwing slightly off balance, just missed at the non-striker’s end. Jadeja was still so far out that there was time for Yasir to collect at midwicket and have another go. Even he failed to hit the target, although Jadeja might have just made it in case of a direct hit.Dhoni’s missHaris edged Mohammed Shami to fine third man and wanted a second. He was well more than half way through it but Ahmed Shehzad was satisfied with one. The throw was to Dhoni, who could have easily lobbed it to the bowler’s end but chose to half-collect, half-guide it onto the striker’s stumps in his usual style. Dhoni had his back to Sohail, and later gestured that he did not hear anything in the din, if someone may have called for the ball to be relayed to the other end.

Two single-figure scores on debut, a sitter dropped to start the Sydney Test, a few misfields and everybody feared if we would even get to watch KL Rahul’s normal game. But he got through his nerves and secured a maiden Test hundred

Sidharth Monga at the SCG08-Jan-20156:11

Where did KL Rahul come from?

Time is a beautiful concept in sport. Sometimes you feel you don’t have enough of it. And there is too much if you have to face a genius like Shane Warne towards the end of the day and he makes you wait by having a chat with his wicketkeeper. For the 22-year-old KL Rahul, on debut, in MCG’s Boxing Day Test, at the biggest stage of them all, it seemed there was no time at all.”It was all going too fast. Quite honestly I don’t know myself what was going in my mind,” he said of the three horrible shots he played to get out twice.If good wishes actually bring good luck, there is no surprise Australia’s substitute fielder Pat Cummins threw to the wrong end with Rahul lying on his face in the middle of the pitch with the bat not in his hand. It’s no wonder the spidercam distracted Steven Smith when he got under a top edge. Everybody wanted Rahul to succeed. Or at least, stay long enough to play his game even if he has to fail. By the end of day six of Rahul’s Test career, hardened cynics had gone “surely he is better than this?”, kinder people were like “awww”, his IPL coach said he was tougher and more correct and his team director maintained he was one of the best young talents he has seen.Here was a 22-year-old taking what is now becoming the unorthodox route to Test selection, first-class cricket. Here was a batsman being raved as technically correct by every coach he has played under, and by Rahul Dravid, sharing a name and state side with whom had already brought expectations and pressure. But on his first six days in Test cricket, at the MCG Boxing Day Test and the SCG New Year’s Test, he had let the occasion get to him. Two single-figure scores, a sitter dropped, a few misfields and everybody feared if we would even get to watch his normal game.Rahul had two chances left and everybody hoped he would at least get into his innings. So we could see what his defensive technique is like. So we could see if he cuts as ferociously as the Karnataka batsmen before him. So we could see if he can play time, if he holds the pose when he cover-drives a four, if he reacts when sledged. We hadn’t reached that stage in the first six days. We knew it wasn’t Rahul playing, it was his nerves telling him there wasn’t enough time, telling him people were watching, telling him to hit a boundary, keeping his hands from a giving a little as he attempted a “sitter” at second slip.”Players told me, ‘Give yourself time between the balls and don’t forget to breathe.'” Alexi Murdoch said something similar in the song , followed by, Your life is here. No eleventh-hour reprieve. So don’t forget to breathe.So Rahul didn’t forget to breathe. He told himself “the only way from here is up”. It helped that he was opening the innings, his natural station, where there is little inactive time for the nerves to build. He said he has batted in the middle order for Karnataka, but here he was relieved he could bat immediately after fielding. It helped, too, that he had taken a difficult catch not long before the Australian innings ended on day two. He had come up smiling from the tumble, possibly the first time he had done so since dropping Chris Rogers fairly early on day one.KL Rahul finally settled down to play the innings everyone hoped•Getty ImagesThe nerves hadn’t quite left him when he began to bat, but finally some luck went his way. He played and missed a few times instead of edging. There was a misunderstanding with Rohit Sharma as well. There might not have been a single available, but Rahul had not even backed up. He went up to Rohit, but didn’t talk, just patted the pitch and came back.Soon, he began getting behind the balls. The temperament came through when you compared him with the batsman at the other end, who kept looking for the big shot when tied down. Rahul went 34 balls with just one scoring shot this morning, but didn’t look hurried. He had enough time now.”After I batted last night, I felt the game is [just] a bat-and-ball [game], and I got away with all the nerves I had.””Last night” there was a significant moment. Rahul was 9 off 34. There was a leg gully in place. Mitchell Starc had troubled Rahul a little with a short ball. This time Josh Hazlewood tried it, but the ball didn’t quite get up. Rahul swivelled and pulled, made sure he kept it down, and got his first boundary in Test cricket. You felt this was the moment he felt in, the moment when he began feeling this is “just a bat-and-ball game”.On the next morning, a calmer Rahul arrived. He had some luck going his way, with that run-out and with that meek pull that the spidercam rescued him from. “I wasn’t worried about what happened, I could have easily played a wrong shot after the dropped catch,” he said. “I am very happy that I could bat through and stuck it out.”Rahul speaks little, slowly and thoughtfully. Now that he had made a hundred, he could look back at his debut with honesty and with a bit of a smile. He thanked his team for showing faith in him for another Test, for telling him what happened to him happens to the best of them, for telling him to not forget to breathe.He was asked if he was proud of having scored a hundred at such a big stage, and that after the horror debut. Rahul honestly said he was more relieved than proud, especially after how the second Test had begun.So were those who saw him looking lost, moments after he had dropped Rogers, alone during the drinks break after that and at deep point for the rest of the day. Relieved that he stayed long enough to show us what his actual game, relieved that he didn’t forget to breathe.

Arsenal have had their transfer window dominated by the future of Declan Rice, however, news emerging this week has linked another midfielder to the club in Youssouf Fofana.

Mikel Arteta and Edu will aim to strengthen the title-challenging side of last season this summer, in the bid to keep the Gunners among Europe’s best with Champions League involvement pending.

The Emirates should expect to see a complete renovation of the midfield next campaign, with both incomings and outgoings expected this transfer window.

As reported by the Daily Mail, AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana could be a player eyed by the club.

The report states that the 24-year-old could emerge as a ‘potential alternative option’ should the Gunners fail to land the signing of Rice this summer.

It was added by reports in France that Monaco value their player at €35m (£30m), with Newcastle and West Ham also named as Premier League clubs interested.

What could Youssouf Fofana offer to Arsenal?

In the midst of the transfer saga surrounding the north Londoners’ summer targets, players have been linked with a move away from the Emirates, with both Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey speculated to depart.

Xhaka was given an unofficial farewell by fans in the final game of the season at the Emirates, with news prior to the end of the calendar linking him with a move back to the Bundesliga.

Partey however has been rumoured to be in the view of Saudi Arabian clubs, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that an exit is ‘possible’, sparking rumours that Rice may not be the only midfielder that could make his way to Arsenal.

Hailed as a “powerhouse” by scout Antonio Mango, Fofana could be a perfect suitor for Arteta should he lose the Ghanaian this summer, with the Frenchman possessing similar strengths to the 30-year-old.

When comparing the two via FBref, it’s clear to see how the 24-year-old could fit into Arteta’s plans, with him adding a significant presence in the engine room with his ability.

Playing in the Spaniard’s title-challenging side, Partey averaged an impressive 8.37 progressive passes per 90 and 1.23 progressive carries, showing strength in areas integral to how Arsenal play out from deep midfield.

The Monaco ace scores similarly to the Ghanaian, making 6.94 progressive passes per 90 and topping Partey in terms of carries with an average of 2.36 per 90, signalling the ways he could flourish at the Emirates.

As per FBref, Arsenal’s number five comes out marginally on top with 2.54 tackles to Fofana’s 2.36 tackles per 90 in Ligue 1, however, the Paris-born gem tips the £160k-per-week star with 1.63 interceptions to his average of 1.10 per 90.

Some of those numbers just so happen to be better than fellow target Rice, who has made 2.17 tackles per 90 and 6.60 progressive passes over the last year.

As claimed by the Daily Mail, the Gunners’ pursuit of the Frenchman could be determined by their success in capturing Rice’s signature, however, there is little to deny that the 24-year-old could add a host of talent to the Spaniard’s depth in midfield.

Are the Liverpool first team, who are flying so high, the sum of Jurgen Klopp’s dynasty or of Arne Slot’s lightning-fast start to life on Merseyside?

To be sure, Slot inherited a top-class team, but he’s inculcated his football philosophy with such slickness and style that it’s as if Klopp has simply shed an outer layer, metamorphosing into an imperious new form.

It’s quite a thing that Liverpool had such a quiet summer transfer window and are operating in the shadow of worrying contract situations concerning Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all into the final year of their deals.

So many players have been at the height of their game, but Ibrahima Konate might just be the Anfield side’s player of the season so far.

Ibrahima Konate's season in numbers

Konate has been a monstrous presence in central defence this season, and he’s actually starting to rival his skipper, Van Dijk, for the prize as Liverpool’s star centre-back, with The Athletic’s James Pearce hailing the “imperious” partnership.

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

11 (10)

Goals

1

1

Assists

1

1

Clean sheets

6

6

Touches*

93.8

70.2

Pass completion

91%

91%

Key passes*

0.5

0.3

Ball recoveries*

3.0

2.9

Tackles + interceptions*

2.4

1.6

Clearances*

4.8

3.6

Total duels won*

4.5 (66%)

4.3 (73%)

Konate might not be as commanding as the other end of Liverpool’s central defensive axis, but he’s certainly starting to showcase his first-class quality with the regularity that fans have yearned for right since he stepped onto Merseyside in 2021, having signed from RB Leipzig for a £36m fee.

Injuries are behind him. Now let’s hope it just stays that way. Federico Chiesa could take a leaf from the hulking defender’s book, but at the moment, the dynamic forward’s future under Slot’s wing isn’t looking good.

Federico Chiesa's bleak start

It’s incredible, it really is. Liverpool spent all summer umming and ahhing, hesitant to launch an official bid at a new player. Martin Zubimendi rejected the Reds, but Ryan Gravenberch has compensated for that failure and then some.

Chiesa was the sole signing, and it’s indeed incredible that he has scarcely played for the club, yet still, they have made significant improvements and perch atop the Premier League and Champions League tables as the November international break gets underway.

With Liverpool’s frontline already well-stocked, Chiesa was not a necessary signing, but rather a unique opportunity. He’s had his injury issues, but Juventus wanted to cash in on a player nearing the final year of their contract, and thus he was snapped up for just £12.5m in August.

It was always going to be a risk, but a comparatively low one. Even so, Chiesa’s injury-ravaged start to life in England offers shades of Klopp’s worst signing: Arthur Melo.

Arthur joined Liverpool from Juventus on a season-long loan on summer transfer deadline day in 2022. Having missed out on Aurelien Tchouameni and failed to entice conversations with Borussia Dortmund, who held onto Jude Bellingham with an iron-fingered grip, this last-ditch attempt to shore up the midfield looked like a panicked move from the offing.

Arthur’s fitness struggles overwhelmed him entirely. He played the final 13 minutes of Liverpool’s Champions League defeat against Napoli, and that was the sum of his competitive action for the Reds’ senior side.

Chiesa, at least, has already surpassed that, with three appearances (one start) and one assist to his name at Liverpool. Even so, the Italy international, whose £150k-per-week contract is over double what Konate – £70k-per-week – takes home, will be frightened of becoming a forgotten figure so soon into life on the banks of the River Mersey.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, though perhaps a swift exit – either temporary or on loan – may be the best solution for all parties in January, with reports already rife regarding a winter switch.

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A PSL classic ensured Lahore Qalandars got their first points of the season

Danyal Rasool30-Jan-2022
Fakhar Zaman is often criticised for blowing hot and cold, but against Lahore Qalandars’ arch-rivals Karachi Kings, he was absolutely sizzling. A maiden PSL hundred from the opener saw him rip apart the Kings bowling attack to inflict a third straight defeat for the hosts and get Qalandars’ first win of this season. By the time the innings, a PSL classic, was over, he had scorched his way to 106 of 60 deliveries, and his side only needed a further seven runs to wrap up a six-wicket final-over victory.This game was a continuation of a trend that has defined PSL contests in Karachi since last season: the triumph of the chasing side. Kings were put in to bat and got off to a fast start thanks to an innings of characteristic pugnacity from Sharjeel Khan. His 60 off 39 got the Kings going, though Babar Azam yet again couldn’t quite find the same fluency from the other end. It’s been a good weekend for opening partnerships in the PSL, and here was another one from the Kings; by the time Mohammad Hafeez bowled Sharjeel with a lovely offspinner, the duo had put together 84 in 10 overs.However, though the platform was set, the rest of the order failed to take advantage of it. Mohammad Nabi and Joe Clarke failed once more to keep up the pace Sharjeel had set, and Qalandars began to chip away with inexpensive overs and, as the overs progressed, wickets. Rashid Khan snared Babar for 41 off 33, a few too many balls consumed for not enough runs if the Kings wanted to set a total close to 200. No one outside the top four managed double figures, and three late wickets for Haris Rauf meant Qalandars went in at the changeover needing 171 to win, and momentum on their side.It remains to be seen how a Qalandars batting line-up deals with a big chase because this wasn’t a team methodically running down a target; it was one man taking on 11, and triumphing. Fakhar was happy to be fed the strike from the other end as he crunched fours – a dozen of them – and heaved four sixes away. He barely seemed to notice when Nabi had Abdullah Shafique hole out – or when Kamran Ghulam scooped one to Nabi at mid-on. He was fully focused on the target, with the steely determination of a man who would fetch every last run on his own if that’s what was required.Having frontloaded the economical Nabi and Imad Wasim – both were bowled out by the 14th over – Kings had got the asking rate up to ten, but never looked like getting rid of the man who was capable of strolling to such a target. With seven overs to go, Qalandars still needed 75, but once Fakhar took Imad on with two sixes off the first two balls of his final over, Qalandars’ grip on the game began to tighten. Samit Patel took the singles, Fakhar smashed the boundaries. That was the deal, and both kept their ends of the bargain.A sprinted couple to midwicket got Fakhar his first PSL hundred, and though he sliced one to third man soon after, his work was done. Patel finished off with a couple of fours. Qalandars had their first win, while the Kings – nought from three – still seek theirs.

John Stones hobbled off the pitch injured after just seven minutes against Real Madrid, capping off a nightmare start to the game for Manchester City.

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Mbappe gives Madrid early leadStones then goes down injuredReplaced by AkeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kylian Mbappe gave the home side an early lead, doubling their aggregate advantage to make it 4-2. And City will be forced to seek a comeback in the tie without the help of experienced defender John Stones, who was forced off after colliding with the Madrid goal-scorer and "jarred his leg" according to. The seriousness of the injury remains unclear but the England international was able to walk off the pitch by himself.

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Stones was replaced at the back by Nathan Ake, and while the Dutchman is a capable deputy, things still look bleak for the visitors. The City backline knows how hard it is to contain world-class talents like Jude Bellingham, and on this occasion, the serial Champions League winners may have a little too much firepower for out-of-form City.

DID YOU KNOW?

City's woes are compounded by the fact that they are missing their top scorer in the Champions League this season, Erling Haaland. Only Robert Lewandowski (9) and Serhou Guraissy (10) have more goals in the competition than the Norwegian in 2024-25, but in a huge blow for City's hopes Haaland was forced onto the bench for this fixture after suffering an injury against Newcastle.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CITY?

Injuries have plagued City all season, with Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder Rodri out for the whole campaign and several other stars — now including Stones — hampered by injury concerns at different points. If Guardiola's side can mount a huge comeback against Madrid, they will still be without some key personnel in the round of 16.

“We have really got to get to the bottom of this once and for all now and make sure the debate is answering the questions we are asking”

Andrew Miller14-Jan-2022Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, has acknowledged the need to “reset” England’s red-ball fortunes in the wake of an “exceptionally difficult” Ashes campaign, after insisting that “our priority is Test cricket”.Speaking to reporters in Hobart, Harrison echoed the sentiments of England’s Test captain, Joe Root, who had called on the ECB to match the efforts they put into white-ball cricket in the wake of the 2015 World Cup – a focus that, four years later, delivered victory on home soil in the 2019 event.And while England continue to excel across one-day formats – despite falling in the semi-finals at the T20 World Cup, they are the No. 1-ranked side in that format and No. 2 in ODIs – they are currently rock-bottom in the World Test Championship, and have won just one of their last 13 matches, with nine defeats.Related

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England’s draw in Sydney last week was only their second non-defeat in 14 Tests in Australia, dating back to the 2013-14 whitewash, and came after a humiliating innings defeat in Melbourne in which England had surrendered the Ashes in just 12 days.”Our priority is Test cricket,” Harrison said. “We want to be successful at white-ball cricket, of course we do, but we absolutely need to be successful at Test cricket.”It feels like this is a moment to reset the importance of red-ball cricket in our domestic schedule, for us to recalibrate how we play first-class cricket in the UK. It’s a brilliant opportunity for us to come together as a game and really sort that once and for all.”A review of the series is due to be compiled by Ashley Giles, the managing director of men’s cricket, and Mo Bobat, the performance director, and Harrison will take the recommendations to the board, after it has been ratified by Andrew Strauss, the chairman of ECB’s cricket committee.With Giles having hinted that cosmetic changes will not resolve the game’s deep-seated issues, the recommendations are likely to include the retention of Root at Test captain, even though he has now overseen consecutive defeats on Ashes tours – the first England captain to do so in more than a century.Harrison’s tenure began in the wake of the 2015 World Cup, and he has since staked his reputation on the establishment of the Hundred – a competition that runs at the height of the English summer and which has caused the County Championship to be pushed ever further to the margins of the season.

“We have really got to get to the bottom of this once and for all now and make sure the debate is answering the questions we are asking. We must not be afraid of some of these questions”Tom Harrison

And despite some attempts to reposition red-ball cricket in the 2022 domestic schedule – which is due to be published next week – England’s failure to compete on equal terms at any stage of the Ashes has underlined how critical the Test team’s fortunes have become.Speaking earlier in the week, Zak Crawley blamed the standard of county pitches for England’s batting struggles in the course of this series, while the use of the Dukes ball, with its propensity to swing for longer periods than Australia’s Kookaburra, is another factor that Harrison said would have to come into consideration.”Sometimes the ability to effect change on something as complicated as our schedule is when you have a performance-related issue, and we have one now,” Harrison said. “This has been an exceptionally difficult tour. I don’t think we can get away from the fact that it has been another very disappointing episode in our ongoing attempt to win the Ashes in Australia.”We have really got to get to the bottom of this once and for all now and make sure the debate is answering the questions we are asking. We must not be afraid of some of these questions. Let’s have the right balance of red and white ball, let’s look at when we play red-ball cricket, the pitches we play on, the ball we use.”England’s recent problems have been exacerbated by factors beyond the ECB’s direct control – most particularly the onset of Covid-19 and the need to operate in bio-secure environments – but the crammed international schedule is an aspect of the modern game that Harrison acknowledged would have to be reviewed, even if a reduction in fixtures comes with a financial hit.Tom Harrison: “We have the opportunity to come out of this crisis with a roadmap that demonstrates that we are absolutely serious about tackling discrimination in our sport”•Getty Images”We do have to look at the schedule – everyone knows that,” Harrison said. “The way we manage player workloads is clearly going to be a matter of premium concern as we go forward in 2022. Internationally, when we get out of the immediate aftermath in the wake of Covid, we’ve got to look at how we manage fixture workloads.”This is something that the chief executives’ committee at ICC need to tackle. It is a difficult challenge for world cricket.”The ECB is also dealing with the fallouts of the racism inquiry at Yorkshire, with the department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee concluding that the sport has a “deep-seated” problem, and warning that it needs to “clean up its act” if it is to qualify for future government funding.”We welcome the scrutiny,” Harrison said. “It’s been a difficult few months for us. We have the opportunity to come out of this crisis with a roadmap that demonstrates that we are absolutely serious about tackling discrimination in our sport, not just racism.”Despite the heightened scrutiny on his tenure, Harrison would not be drawn on the issue of the £2.1 million bonus pool that the ECB’s senior management are set to share among themselves after the launching of the Hundred.”That is a question about an employment contract,” he said. “The board set the criteria on which we are judged and that’s a matter for them.”

The last few months have been unusual and a little unfortunate for Arsenal.

The North Londoners didn’t go all out in the summer transfer window like many thought they would, instead adding Neto, Riccardo Calafiori, Raheem Sterling and Mikel Merino to their ranks, and the football on the pitch hasn’t been up to their usual standards either, which has seen them fall nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been more porous at the back and less cutting in attack than they were last year, and while Calafiori has looked good in the moments he has played, Sterling and Merino have been more than a little rusty.

Calafiori (£42m)

Smith Rowe (£34m)

Merino (£31.6m)

Nketiah (£30m)

Raya (£27m)

Ramsdale (£25m)

Sterling (Loan)

Vieira (Loan)

Neto (Loan)

Elneny (Released)

Okonkwo (Released)

Tavares (Loan + £5m)

Nelson (Loan)

Lokonga (Loan + £10m)

Hein (Loan)

Soares (Released)

Fortunately, recent reports have now linked the club with another star midfielder who’d add more quality to the Gunners’ squad and help the former Real Sociedad ace get back to his best from last year.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from the Independent’s Chief Football Writer, Miguel Delaney, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.

Delaney has revealed that Arteta wants to add another six to his team and that the club view the Spanish international, who still has a €60m – £50m – release clause in his contract, as an ideal candidate.

Moreover, while the 25-year-old turned down the chance to join Liverpool in the summer following pleas from La Real not to follow the swathe of other players that left the Basque outfit, the report claims he was promised that should a suitable offer come next summer, he’d be allowed to depart.

It could prove a complicated and expensive transfer to get over the line, but given Zubimendi’s ability, it is worth pursuing, especially as he could help Merino get back to his best.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Why Zubimendi would help Merino

Okay, so let’s get straight to the point with this one, as it’s relatively straightforward.

The primary reason that signing Zubimendi would help Merino get back to his best is that his best performances came in a Sociedad shirt while he was playing alongside the 25-year-old at the base of midfield.

For example, according to FBref, which compared players in similar positions across La Liga last season, the Gunners’ newest recruit ranked in the top 1% of midfielders for aerial duels won, the top 11% for clearances, the top 12% for tackles, the top 15% for non-penalty goals and progressive passes all per 90.

Moreover, he racked up a tally of eight goals and five assists in 45 appearances across all competitions and, according to Squawka, was the only player to win over 300 duels across Europe’s top seven leagues, demonstrating that his dominance was not limited to just Spain.

The 28-year-old flourished like this as number eight alongside his younger teammate in the six role, whom Spain manager Luis de la Fuente dubbed the “best CM in the world.”

While that might be a tad hyperbolic, his underlying numbers stack up brilliantly against the North Londoners’ current options in his role, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey.

For example, according to FBref, the San Sebastián-born star isn’t blown away in any metric and comes out ahead in more than he doesn’t, including actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, shots on target, passes into the final third, live passes, blocks, successful take-ons, carries and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Progressive Carries

1.76

0.37

2.61

Progressive Passes

7.28

6.02

6.52

Passing Accuracy

86.2%

87.0%

80.7%

Key Passes

0.72

0.65

1.52

Passes into the Final Third

6.56

4.26

4.24

Shot-Creating Actions

2.00

1.85

3.35

Tackles

2.56

2.96

1.52

Interceptions

1.12

1.20

0.98

Successful Take-Ons

0.72

0.37

0.65

Carries

35.4

34.0

28.6

Ball Recoveries

4.16

3.89

5.11

Aerial Duels Won

1.76

1.20

0.87

Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Arsenal should look to sign Zubimendi in 2025, as he’s already shown an ability to work with and get the most out of Merino in the past, and when compared to the Gunners current midfield options, he looks every bit as talented, if not more so in certain metrics.

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England face tantalising prospect of setting a tricky target if they can weather Australia’s next barrage

Andrew McGlashan10-Dec-2021The new ball never came into the equation in England’s first innings, but both teams know it shapes as a potentially crucial period on the fourth day at the Gabba after Joe Root and Dawid Malan ate significantly into Australia’s advantage.There will be 10 overs to go in the morning with England 58 behind and the tantalising prospect that if they can weather the next barrage from Australia’s three frontline quicks that they could yet set a tricky final-innings target.When Root won the toss and opted to bat he noted that the pitch was starting slightly soft and he thought it may cause indentations that could become tricky. Malan indicated that was happening – Root himself was hit by a vicious delivery from Pat Cummins that climbed from a length – although the paltry 147 and a deficit of 278 gave them a mountain to climb to exploit it.Related

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“It has hardened up a little and a few more divots,” Malan said. “There’s that big period now and then that second new ball is going to be crucial for them and hopefully we can counter that.”It has got a little more inconsistent… there’s really big divots in the wicket. It’s still coming through really nicely but it’s slightly two-paced and the odd one hits the back of a divot and bounces a bit more. It’s a little bit tougher to judge the bounce.”That first hour will be really important tomorrow then we can start thinking about how well we can play. But we need one more good hundred-run partnership to put a good score on the board, then who knows what can happen.”Dawid Malan ducks under a bouncer•Getty ImagesThere were eyebrows raised that Josh Hazlewood was only used for eight overs on the third day – particularly given his record against Root who he has dismissed eight times – but the indication from the Australia camp was that it was with an eye on that second new ball even though he was not used beyond the 29th over.”Hoff’s fine. We’re just making sure we’re prepared really well,” Marnus Labuschagne said. “We know that there’s some times at the Gabba where there’s not as many wickets that fall and we’ve just got to hold in that period and make sure we rotate our bowlers well so we’ve got someone fresh.”With home-ground knowledge of the Gabba, Labuschagne remained confident that Australia would be able to break the back of England.”I certainly think there’s enough in the pitch,” he said. “If they keep batting well and putting runs on then we’ll need to go to plan B,C and D but the key for us is building pressure. I’ve played a lot here at the Gabba, we know the format, we know the template to take wickets.”

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was dealt yet another injury blow in the build-up to the 0-0 draw with Bristol City in the Championship on Saturday.

Largie Ramazani suffered an ankle injury in the win over Watford and is now set for a spell on the sidelines, joining Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Max Wober.

The Whites head coach opted to go with Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James on the wing against the Robins, and both missed a ‘big chance’ in the goalless draw.

Manor Solomon was brought off the bench in the second half of the game in an attempt to make a difference but the Tottenham Hotspur loanee struggled to make an impact.

Manor Solomon's recent struggles for Leeds

Since registering an assist on his debut for the Whites against Hull City, the Israel international has failed to record a goal or an assist in four appearances.

In 19 minutes off the bench against Bristol City, Solomon failed his only dribble attempt, did not register a shot on goal, and failed to create any chances for his teammates.

In his last four Championship outings for the West Yorkshire outfit, the Spurs loanee has scored zero goals and not created a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates.

Farke could move on from the struggling flop, however, by unleashing one of his other stars in a new role. Junior Firpo has thrived in an attacking role for his country and could be deployed further up the pitch, to make an impact on the wing ahead of Solomon in the pecking order.

Why Junior Firpo should be unleashed in a new role

Firstly, Sam Byram came in for the suspended Firpo against Bristol City and put in a fantastic performance at left-back in his place for Leeds.

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The English ace won 100% (7/7) of his duels in the game, making five tackles in total, and showcased his creative quality with two ‘big chances’ created, which shows that he can more than do a job in that position when needed.

Byram’s quality at left-back would allow Firpo to push up into a left wing position, where he has shown plenty of quality in the final third for the Dominican Republic.

Appearances

4

Goals

3

Assists

1

Key passes

15

Big chances created

2

As you can see in the table above, the former Barcelona man has produced four goal involvements in four appearances as a winger for his country in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League this season.

Firpo has also racked up ten assists and created 16 ‘big chances’ in 30 starts as a left-back in the Championship since the start of last season, which shows that he does have the attacking quality to make an impact for Leeds at league level.

The £30k-per-week star, who was once dubbed “immense” by content creator Conor McGilligan, has shown that he can play as a forward at international level and Farke must now unleash him in a new role – in terms of his Leeds career – to move on from the struggling Solomon.

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