It wasn’t a flawless performance, but Arsenal more than steadied the ship with their Champions League win over Monaco last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side were almost perfect in the first half, and had the likes of Gabriel Martinelli or Gabriel Jesus been at the races, they could’ve gone in with a three or four-goal lead at half-time.

Fortunately, while the Ligue 1 side offered more of a threat in the second half, the Gunners pounced on mistakes and lapses in concentration to extend their lead and eventually ended the game at a canter.

55%

Possession

45%

1.89

Expected Goals

0.38

3

Goals

0

6

Big Chances

0

16

Total Shots

7

3

Corners

1

12

Fouls

7

532

Passes

439

While several players put in good performances for the North Londoners, two really stood out, one of which was, of course, Bukayo Saka.

Bukayo Saka's game vs Monaco

Yes, Arsenal’s talismanic winger once again stepped up and led from the front in a Champions League game and was entirely deserving of his Man of the Match award.

The Hale End icon was a threat throughout the encounter, opening the scoring in the first half, doubling the lead in the second half, and then providing the assist for Kai Havertz’s effort in the closing moments to secure all three points.

Unsurprisingly, the mercurial number seven seriously impressed football.london’s chief Arsenal writer, Kaya Kaynak, who awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time and praised him for producing ‘the difference-making moments’ for the team.

The 23-year-old’s statistics from the game more than justify the praise he received after the game as well.

In his 93 minutes of action, the sensational winger produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.48, took two shots on target, had one shot blocked, took 48 touches, played three key passes, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, created one big chance and made three interceptions and two tackles.

Minutes

93′

Expected Goals

0.41

Goals

2

Expected Assists

0.07

Assists

1

Shots on Target

2

Shots Blocked

1

Touches

48

Key Passes

3

Big Chances Created

1

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (1)

Interceptions

3

Tackles

2

Overall, it was an utterly superb performance from someone who is now his team’s most important player, although there was another starter who was arguably just as impressive, albeit for a slightly different reason: Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Myles Lewis-Skelly's game vs Monaco

Yes, the Gunners’ other stand-out performer from last night’s brilliant win was undoubtedly Lewis-Skelly.

Now, it’s true that, with no goals and no assists to his name, it would be fair to say the 18-year-old was less influential on the result than Saka, but the reason his display was just as impressive is that it was his first start in the Champions League, and he looked right at home.

The Hale End graduate had to start due to the club’s current injury crisis, but from the very first minute, he looked entirely comfortable on Europe’s biggest stage, confident in defence, and decisive in attack.

For example, while Jesus played the ball across the box for Saka’s goal, he only had the opportunity to do so thanks to an incredible defence-splitting pass from the Islington-born gem, whom Arsenal podcaster Will Balsam fairly described as a “different beast” for a similar pass he played in the game against Bolton.

The exciting gem, whom former U18 coach Jack Wilshere proclaimed is capable of doing “things you can’t coach” left an impression on football.london’s Kayak as well, with the journalist awarding him an 8/10 rating and writing that he ‘showed composure beyond his years.’

Minutes

64′

Passing Accuracy

45/47 (96%)

Touches

53

Lost Possession

2

Dribbles (Complete)

2 (2)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Fouls Committed

1

Fouls Won

1

Such composure is visible in some of his statistics, as he maintained a passing accuracy of 96%, took 53 touches, lost the ball just twice, completed 100% of his dribbles, won four of five ground duels, committed a single foul and won one himself.

Ultimately, it was an extremely impressive full European debut from Lewis-Skelly, and as former professional turned pundit Karen Carney said, it’s “scary how good he’ll be”.

Havertz upgrade: Arsenal chasing move for one of Europe's 'best young CFs'

The exceptional talent could help Arsenal become even more of an attacking threat.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 11, 2024

Former Kent and England batter will move from commentary box to ECB head offices

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2022

Rob Key will switch commentary duties for running England’s men’s teams•Visionhaus/Getty Images

Rob Key, the former Kent and England batter who subsequently forged a successful career in broadcasting, has been appointed by the ECB as its new managing director of England men’s cricket.Key will take up the role immediately, stepping down from his TV work with Sky Sports. The 42-year-old, who retired from playing in 2016, will be responsible for the England men’s strategy and performance pathways, as well as a key figure in the high-performance review initiated by Andrew Strauss, currently the interim managing director.Although he has not held an administrative position previously, Key was among the favourites for the job, light-heartedly discussing being in the running while on air during Pakistan’s Test series with Australia last month. Reports that Marcus North had dropped out of contention earlier this week seemingly cleared Key’s path.He takes charge with the men’s game in an unprecedented state of flux, following the resignation on Friday of Joe Root as England Test captain. The ECB does not currently have an elected chair, while one of Key’s first tasks will be to oversee the recruitment of a new head coach.Related

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Key confirms interest in England managing director role

“It is an absolute honour to take up this role,” Key said. “The chance to have an impact and make a difference is an opportunity given to very few and I will give it everything I have to try shape the next great era of English men’s cricket.”I have absolutely loved my time at Sky and I could never have imagined leaving were it not for this incredible opportunity. I’d like to personally thank Bryan Henderson and everyone in the team for their help and support.”Although at this current moment it has been a challenging time in English cricket, I also think it’s as exciting a time as I can remember. With two of our teams near or at the top of the world rankings and an undoubted amount of talent in our game, I hope to try and bring everyone along for the ride so we can all help take English men’s cricket to new heights across all formats.”Key will take the reins from Strauss, who occupied the position between 2015 and 2018 before returning in a temporary capacity after the sacking of Ashley Giles, one of a number of dismissals that came in the wake of England’s 4-0 Ashes defeat this winter. Another series defeat followed in the Caribbean, leading Root to step down from the captaincy after five years in the job.England’s declining Test standards – they have not won for five series in a row and currently sit bottom of the World Test Championship table – have been cause for much concern, amid calls for the red-ball game to be prioritised. Strauss has said that the high-performance review will include the goal of making England “the best in the world in all formats”, although details are yet to be announced publicly.Discussing the appointment of Key, who was capped in all three formats during a 17-year playing career, Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive officer, praised his “approachable nature” and “fresh original thinking”. He also paid tribute to Strauss for his involvement.”Following a thorough recruitment process, Rob stood out in a very competitive field,” Harrison said. “His passion and knowledge of the game at domestic and international level is outstanding. He is a proven leader and combines an approachable nature with fresh original thinking and resilience which will stand him in good stead. He will bring a lot to the role and I am sure players and staff alike will enjoy working with Rob. I have no doubt he will relish the challenge before us.”I’d like to thank Andrew for agreeing to step back into the role on an interim basis. To have someone of his experience and skillset during the transition and recruitment process was invaluable. He remains a huge asset to English and Welsh Cricket.”

أعلن الجهاز الفني لفريق شباب نادي ييراميدز عن التشكيل التي سيخوض مباراة حرس الحدود، في اللقاء الذي يجمع بينهما ضمن إطار بطولة كأس الرابطة.

ويحل فريق شباب بيراميدز ضيفًا على حرس الحدود في السابعة من مساء اليوم الأربعاء على استاد المكس بالإسكندرية، في آخر جولات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر.

 الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور الـ8 من كأس الرابطة (محدث باستمرار)

ويخوض فريق بيراميدز، المباراة، بمجموعة من اللاعبين الناشئين بالنادي، نظرًا لانشغال الفريق بمواجهة أورلاندو الجنوب إفريقي في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا يوم السبت المقبل. تشكيل بيراميدز اليوم أمام حرس الحدود في كأس الرابطة

حراسة المرمى: أحمد ميهوب.

خط الدفاع: يوسف صحاري – حسن هشام – مروان عصام – عمر معلول

خط الوسط: عمر عبد العظيم – زياد شاكر – يوسف علي – علي حمودة – أحمد زهدي

خط الهجوم: هاشم شعبان. بدلاء بيراميدز اليوم أمام حرس الحدود في كأس الرابطة

زياد هيثم – أحمد سعيد – أحمد محمود – أدهم نبيل – يوسف شيكا – حسن طارق – أحمد فكري – بلال مؤمن – خالد حاتم.

MatériaMais Notícias

Qual o impacto que um treinador pode ter de forma imediata em um jogo? Essa resposta teve duas interpretações na derrota do Botafogo para o Fluminense nesta segunda-feira, pela semifinal do Campeonato Carioca. Se as mudanças de Abel Braga mudaram o jogo, as de Lúcio Flávio travaram o ímpeto do Glorioso.

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+ Patrick de Paula já fala como jogador do Botafogo, vai ver o jogo contra o Fluminense e pensa em Libertadores

O contexto foi de um jogo pouco inspirado por parte do Botafogo no primeiro tempo. Fora uma boa chance com Chay no começo, o time pouco ameaçou – algo que foi recíproco no Fluminense. Contudo, vale lembrar que a vantagem do empate para a classificação é do Tricolor pela campanha na Taça Guanabara.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

A postura no segundo tempo mudou e o Botafogo soube chegar com mais qualidade ao ataque principalmente por conseguir atacar o espaço entre os volantes e os zagueiros do Fluminense. Sem Felipe Melo, que geralmente ocupa este setor, o Tricolor não teve um atleta necessariamente designado para ficar ali e as coisas começaram a andar para o Alvinegro.

Foram duas chances claras: Matheus Nascimento finalizou para fora sozinho dentro da área e Erison parou em grande defesa de Marcos Felipe. Aí vem a virada de chave da partida: Abel coloca Yago Felipe, Ganso e Nonato e esse espaço outrora ocupado pelo Botafogo passa a ter cobertura.

O Botafogo, que então dominava o segundo tempo, simplesmente parou e viu o Fluminense dominar praticamente todas as ações da partida. As mudanças de Lúcio Flávio foram ‘seis por meia-dúzia’, optando por colocar jogadores nas próprias posições que já estavam no campo.

Se Abel melhorou o Fluminense, Lúcio Flávio sucumbiu e viu o Botafogo piorar. Nomes como Chay e Luiz Fernando pouco contribuíram durante todo o jogo e, mesmo assim, terminaram a partida em campo. O Alvinegro até teve momentos animadores na partida e não pode dizer que foi derrotado pelas próprias limitações técnicas – o time bateu de frente. A questão foi saber como responder taticamente.

ESPNcricinfo’s experts laud the Punjab Kings seamer for his astute reading of the game and ability to keep calm under pressure

Shashank Kishore28-Apr-20227:47

‘Arshdeep Singh knows when to bowl what’ – Ian Bishop

The bare stats will tell you Arshdeep Singh just has three wickets in eight games at IPL 2022. It won’t tell you how well he has bowled at the death. It won’t tell you how he’s gone from being a 130s kph bowler to a 140 kph bowler. It won’t tell you the kind of pressure he has built up front with the new ball with his late swing in.His economy of 5.66 in the death overs, across 36 deliveries, are the best in the competition. A clear understanding of plans, ice-cool approach, and the confidence to nail yorkers at will have all contributed to his development as one of the key personnel for Punjab Kings. Could this translate into something bigger, like being rewarded with an India call up in the T20I format? Ian Bishop and Daniel Vettori see no reason why it can’t happen.”I think when India picks their team, they are going to look at who picks up wickets in the powerplay and who’s going to close down the game at the death and they probably have their powerplay bowlers in the likes of (Jasprit) Bumrah,” Vettori told ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time-Out.”And I think Harshal Patel, Bumrah, Arshdeep are the guys they can look at at the back end because of their death prowess. And they’re going to use their spinners through the middle. So, anyone who can come to the fore and offer a credible death-bowling option has to be an option. Because that’s how Harshal Patel has forced his way into the team, his death bowling, and there’s no reason why Arshdeep can’t be like that as well.’India have tried out several left-arm seamers over the past five-six years, – Barinder Sran, Jaydev Unadkat, Khaleel Ahmed and T Natarajan among them. Now, Arshdeep could have an opportunity to not just join this club but do what none of the others in the list have managed to – sustain their run of form to not just force their way into national contention but remain there for a lengthy period.”If you break down that death bowling, it’s his execution, it’s the ability to chop and change exactly what he wants to do,” Vettori said. “It’s like he’s got a calmness at that back end. That’s the thing that stands out the most and then you step back and look at the powerplay bowling where he’s swinging the ball, he’s taking batsmen on, but it’ll be the death bowling that people talk about more than anything.”Ian Bishop, who first saw Arshdeep live at the Under-19 World Cup in 2018, is impressed with his street smartness. Like Vettori, he was effusive in his praise for his death bowling skills.”Clever kid,” Bishop said. “A couple of things: I won’t talk about the upfront bowling; I’ll focus more on being one of the most economical death bowlers in the tournament this year and he’s been edging that way for a while. He’s not picking up a lot of wickets, I think just three wickets, but his yorker a lot of the time… which is something that is gold in this tournament.”As we even saw in the game where Marco Jansen, not long ago, travelled – that’s an example of guys not nailing their yorkers. He’s got that. He knows when to bowl what, which is a critical component of a bowler.What do I mean by that? When do you go yorker? When do you go slower ball? When do you bowl wide? When do you bowl straight? He’s got great awareness. And one thing I think he said this week, he’s trying to bowl quicker, he’s trying to improve his arm speed, which will allow him to bowl quicker, which will perhaps make him a little bit more effective in different phases of the game, although we haven’t seen that kind of wicket-taking ability so far this season.”Vettori believes Arshdeep’s astute reading of the game and ability to keep his calm under pressure makes him a captain’s delight. “I think what Bish touched upon there was his sequencing at the death” Vettori explained. “You think about a batsman like AB de Villiers, you say he always knew what the bowler was about to bowl so therefore he was on top and therefore he could get a read on what they were going to do. I think it’s the reverse with Arshdeep Singh – he’s on top of the batsmen, so he’s got the read, he sets the tone, and therefore he controls the overs.

If you break down that death bowling, it’s his execution, it’s the ability to chop and change exactly what he wants to doDaniel Vettori

“You see a batsman not being quite as aggressive because they’re not sure what’s going to come. And if they do pick what’s going to come, his execution takes over and he nails it every time. So, it’s a rare quality because we are not talking about many other death bowlers. We saw the example of Marco Jansen last night… He [Arshdeep] gets his sequencing right, he’s ahead of the batsmen and therefore producing these sorts of performances.”All said, Bishop hoped finding ways to pick wickets upfront would be the next stage in Arshdeep’s development as a T20 bowler, and that he was far from a finished product.”Of course, Arshdeep himself will tell you I’ll be a greater asset to my team if I can come and get wickets in the powerplay but still bowl economically… so we’re talking roles, depends on what his role in different teams is,” Bishop explained.”If he can get wickets in the middle, which is a phase you have to be very clever and almost be an enforcer type – and that’s why I think he’s trying to improve his pace. It will take time when you’re learning a new skill for it to have an impact, but it’s certainly why he’s trying to improve his pace. So he’s more effective across phases.”

Everything you need to know about former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino's salary playing for Saudi side Al Ahli

Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino finally left Liverpool after spending eight seasons with the Reds at Anfield from 2015-2023, opting to make the move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ahli.

Following his move to the SPL side, Firmino has formed a lethal attacking partnership with fellow former Premier League stars like Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney.

He is being nicely rewarded for his contributions, but but exactly how much does the Brazilian earn playing for the Saudi side? Let's have a look!

GOAL delved into the numbers from Capology and found out!

*

• Roberto Firmino's salary in numbers

  Firmino under his current contract earns just over £300,000 ($390,000) playing for the Saudi side, while on an annual basis his wages reach close to £16 million ($20m).

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Ivan Toney	English	£306,369	$395,819	£15,931,179	$20,582,575

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Top earners at Al Ahli

  Firmino is currently the third-highest earner at Al Ahli.

  Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez acquires the top spot in the wage bill, while Ivan Toney is also ahead of the Brazilian at second position.

  Former Barcelona and AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie comes in at number four, followed by Spanish youngster Gabri Veiga at fifth position.

  Top 5 highest paid players at Al Ahli

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Riyad Mahrez	Algerian	£841,708	$1,087,460	£43,768,818	$56,547,915
  Ivan Toney	English	£411,340	$531,439	£21,389,704	$27,634,815
  Roberto Firmino	Brazilian	£306,369	$395,819	£15,931,179	$20,582,575
  Franck Kessie	Ivorian	£225,745	$291,656	£11,738,764	$15,166,108
  Gabri Veiga	Spanish	£193,496	$249,991	£10,061,797	$12,999,521

• Top earners in Saudi Pro League

  Although Firmino is one of the top earners at Al Ahli, he fails to make the top five spots when it comes to the highest paid players across the league.

  Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Ittihad's Karim Benzema take the top two spots with astronomical wages, while Mahrez makes an appearance at third position.

  Acquiring the fourth and fifth spot are Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly respectively.

  Top 5 highest paid players in the Saudi Pro League

  Player	Club	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	£3,224,935	$4,166,513	£167,696,622	$216,658,460
  Karim Benzema	Al Ittihad	£1,612,468	$2,083,57	£83,848,311	$108,329,340
  Riyad Mahrez	Al Ahli	£841,708	$1,087,460	£43,768,818	$56,547,915
  Sadio Mane	Al Nassr	£644,987	$833,303	£433,539,324	$43,331,736
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Al Hilal	£559,526	$722,890	£25,095,364	$37,590,281

• Al-Nassr
  

  Highest paid players in the world

  The top earners in Saudi defenitely earn insane sums of money in the league, but how do they fare in the highest-paid players across the world? Well, it turns out that the top five of the Saudi Pro League are also the top earners across the footballing world, leaving Europe's big guns and any MLS pretenders in their dust by some distance.

  Top 5 highest paid players in the world

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Portuguese	£3,224,935	$4,166,513	£167,696,622	$216,658,680
  Karim Benzema	French	£1,612,468	$2,083,257	£83,848,311	$108,329,340
  Riyadh Mahrez	Algerian	£841,708	$1,087,460	43,768,818	$56,547,915
  Sadio Mane	Senegalese	£644,987	$833,303	£33,539,324	$43,331,736
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Senegalese	£559,526	$722,890	£29,095,364	$37,590,281

Glasgow Rangers finally confirmed the appointment of their new chief executive officer with the arrival of Patrick Stewart, who will officially arrive next month.

James Bisgrove left the role six months ago and it has taken half a year for the Scottish giants to find his successor, with this appointment of the former Manchester United chief.

He worked with the Premier League side for almost 20 years and, therefore, arrives at Ibrox with knowledge of how a big club operates and makes ruthless decisions.

Nils Koppen was recently confirmed as the club’s new technical director and Stewart will work with him, alongside the rest of the board, to make key decisions on the club’s future.

The former Manchester United chief does not come in at the easiest of times at Ibrox, however, as the team have been struggling on the pitch in recent weeks.

Rangers dropped points in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee United in Glasgow, and it has led to more speculation over the future of manager Philippe Clement.

The case for Philippe Clement to be sacked

RangersReview recently reported that Stewart will have the biggest say on day-to-day operations at Rangers and that his first decision upon his arrival, in the middle of next month, will be whether or not the manager will keep his job.

Football Insider have also claimed that the Light Blues will not make an immediate decision on the head coach’s future, after the draw with Dundee United, and that could be because they are waiting for the new CEO to start.

The issue is that the Gers play six times before Stewart’s start date, including a Europa League clash with Tottenham Hotspur and a League Cup final against Celtic.

So far this season, Clement’s side have lost three times and drawn twice in their 12 Premiership games and find themselves a whopping 11 points adrift in the title race, which has led to speculation around the head coach’s position.

Rangers vs the current top 5 (Premiership)
Motherwell	5th	2-1 win
Celtic	1st	3-0 loss
Dundee United	4th	1-0 win
Aberdeen	2nd	2-1 loss
Dundee United	4th	1-1 draw
Via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Rangers have only won two of their five games against the other teams inside the current top five in the Premiership, losing two and drawing one.

Clement’s team were also knocked out by Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League play-off in August, adding further fuel to the fire, and that coupled with the dismal form in the league is why Stewart must ditch the manager when he arrives next month.

It is not just the manager who should be ditched by the incoming CEO, however, as striker Cyriel Dessers is one player who must be moved on when the January transfer window opens for business in just over a month.

Cyriel Dessers' form for Rangers last season

In the summer of 2023, former Rangers head coach Michael Beale swooped to sign the Nigeria international from Cremonese for a reported fee of £4.5m.

Chalkboard

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

He ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of 22 goals and nine assists in all competitions, which sounds like a very solid return on paper. However, the underlying numbers behind his performances suggested that it was a difficult season for the former Serie A marksman.

In the Europa League, Dessers scored one goal in seven games and struggled badly out of possession. He lost a whopping 74% of his duels in those seven outings, which shows that opposition defenders found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.

23/24 Premiership	Cyriel Dessers
Appearances	35
Goals	16
Big chances missed	27
Conversion rate	16%
Pass accuracy	70%
Duel success rate	33%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old forward was incredibly wasteful in front of goal with a staggering 27 ‘big chances’ missed in the Premiership.

He was also, as was the case in Europe, dominated by opposition defenders on a regular basis, which meant that Rangers did not have a reliable outlet to hit in the number nine position.

Why Cyriel Dessers should be sold

Stewart could seal an instant masterclass at Ibrox by parting ways with the manager and then cashing in on Dessers when the January transfer window opens, as his struggles have continued into the current season.

The £27k-per-week striker has not kicked on and improved in his second campaign with the Light Blues. He is still struggling with the same issues that he had in the 2023/24 campaign, as his finishing has been wasteful and his play out of possession has left a lot to be desired.

In the Europa League, Dessers has scored one goal from 2.57 xG and missed five ‘big chances’ in just four outings, whilst losing 68% of his duels with opposition defenders. This means that he has scored two goals in 11 games in the competition since the start of last term.

Unfortunately, the experienced marksman has also failed to provide consistent quality on the pitch in the Premiership, with one goal in five games against the other teams inside the top five.

24/25 Premiership	Cyriel Dessers
Appearances	12
Goals	4
Big chances missed	6
Pass accuracy	72%
Duel success rate	34%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Dessers has only scored one goal in every three matches on average and, again, missed more ‘big chances’ than he has scored goals, whilst also being dominated out of possession.

The Nigerian centre-forward has scored 20 goals and missed a whopping 33 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, which illustrates how wasteful he has been in front of goal.

With this, and his £27k-per-week wage, in mind, one of Stewart’s first tasks must be to work with Koppen to find a suitor for the striker in January, as Rangers must find an upgrade on him in the number nine position to improve their form domestically and in Europe.

Rangers signed their own Kante before he left after one forgettable year

Glasgow Rangers thought they had their own version of N’Golo Kante, then he flopped.

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It would be an instant masterclass from the new CEO if he can brutally ditch Dessers, alongside Clement, and land a more reliable centre-forward for the Ibrox giants.

تحدث مدرب آرسنال ميكيل أرتيتا، عن وضع فريقه في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ودوري أبطال أوروبا، والمصابين في صفوف الفريق.

ويستعد آرسنال لمواجهة إيبسويتش تاون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وحال هزيمته وفوز ليفربول على ليستر سيتي، سيفوز متصدر الترتيب باللقب.

ويتصدر ليفربول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بفارق 13 نقطة عن آرسنال صاحب المركز الثاني.

وتأهل آرسنال لنصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا على حساب ريال مدريد، وسيلاقي باريس سان جيرمان.

وقال أرتيتا في مؤتمره الصحفي: “لا يزال جورجينيو يعاني”، وأشار إلى أنه من السابق لآوانه الجزم بمشاركته في مباراة ذهاب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد باريس سان جيرمان، قائلا :”ربما يُترك هذا السؤال للأطباء”.

وفيما يتعلق بـ ريكاردو كالافيوري، أضاف أرتيتا: “إذا سارت الأمور على ما يرام، آمل أن يكون جاهزًا لمباراة باريس سان جيرمان، ربما قبل ذلك بقليل”.

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت: لا أفكر في لقب الدوري الإنجليزي.. وليفربول ينتظره صيف رائع

وعن خططه لمباراة ذهاب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، في ظل إيقاف توماس بارتي وصعوبة استعادة زميله في خط الوسط جورجينيو لياقته، أجاب: “لدينا بعض الخيارات، لن نكشف عن أي شيء”.

وحول أهمية ما تبقى من مباريات آرسنال في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، علّق: “علينا أن نضمن الفوز في المباراة ضد إبسويتش وأن نضمن عدم فوز ليفربول باللقب هذا الأسبوع”.

وسُئل أرتيتا عن دور ديكلان رايس القيادي بعد أدائه المميز في مباراة دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد ريال مدريد، ورد: “إنه يتعلم أكثر فأكثر، أداؤه، كما في مباراة الإياب ضد ريال مدريد، جعله في مستوى مختلف، لهذا السبب تعاقدنا معه هنا”.

وأكمل: “ولهذا السبب نطالبه أيضًا بالمزيد، الأمر يتعلق بالحفاظ على هذا المستوى من الثبات والثقة، لا شك أن دوره سيزداد أهميةً يومًا بعد يوم”.

وتقام مباراة الإياب بين آرسنال وباريس سان جيرمان على ملعب الفريق الفرنسي، وعلّق أرتيتا: : “لطالما كنتُ أفضّل لعب مباراة الإياب على أرضنا، مباراة الإياب جنونية، قد تُحسم في أي مكان”.

وعن أداء آرسنال في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث يتأخر نيوكاسل، صاحب المركز الثالث، بأربع نقاط فقط عن آرسنال صاحب المركز الثاني، أشار: “الأولوية الآن هي الفوز بمباريات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، كنا في وضع أفضل بكثير، لكن التعادلين الأخيرين غيّرا ذلك بشكل كبير”.

وأكد: “أُشيد بمستوى نيوكاسل الحالي وأسلوب لعبه، علينا أن نكثف جهودنا ونبدأ بالفوز بمباريات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز”.

وحول إمكانية عودة كاي هافرتز لمباراة نصف النهائي أمام باريس سان جيرمان، حيث يغيب عن الملاعب منذ 5 فبراير بسبب إصابة في أوتار الركبة، أوضح: “أعتقد أن هذا قريب جدًا، ولكن لو اضطررت للمراهنة عليه قبل الموعد المتوقع، لقلت نعم”.

واسترسل: “بالطريقة التي يبذل بها جهدًا كبيرًا في صالة الألعاب الرياضية، لا يُمكنك أن تستبعده لفترة أطول”.

وعن انتهاء عقد لاعب خط الوسط توماس بارتي في الصيف، أتم: “مع جميع اللاعبين، أترك القرار للنادي، النية واضحة جدًا، وأترك ​​الأمر للنادي لاتخاذ خطوات للأمام”.

The England defender has arguably been the best performer in the Women's Super League this season, and she is now looking to replicate that in Europe

There was no more interesting duel in Saturday's Women's League Cup final than that between Millie Bright, the Chelsea centre-back, and Khadija Shaw, Manchester City's star striker. At the opposite end of the pitch, Mayra Ramirez's overwhelming success in her battle with Laia Aleixandri proved to be a big difference-maker in the Blues' 2-1 win – but Bright's ability to lock down Shaw, who managed just one shot on target all match, was perhaps just as significant.

While Bright didn't win every header and every little duel with Shaw (arguably no defender could), she limited her effectiveness massively, so often getting in the way to block shots and restrict her space in the box to prevent the Jamaica international from impacting the game. Combining well with Nathalie Bjorn to prevent City having many clear cut chances, Bright was one of Chelsea's best performers on the day, and her reward was the opportunity to lift the League Cup for the first time in four years.

However, the England star's display was simply a continuation of what she has shown all season. Now, after some real bad luck with injuries, the Chelsea captain is primed to be fully involved in the final stretch of the season again and, for the first time in four years, has the opportunity to make a real difference in their quest for that elusive Women's Champions League title.

GettyMaking up for lost time

The last time a fully-fit Bright played a significant role in the knockout phase of the Champions League was way back in the 2020-21 season, when she helped Chelsea reach the final for the first time. After a difficult group-stage exit the following year, the Blues were in the quarter-finals again in the 2022-23 season, but it was in the first leg of their win over Lyon that Bright limped off with a season-ending knee injury.

Last season, it was quite the opposite situation, with Bright sidelined for five months and actually making her return in the Champions League in late April, albeit only as an 84th-minute substitute in the second leg of Chelsea's semi-final loss to Barcelona. Thrown on as a makeshift centre-forward as the Blues desperately searched for a goal to keep them in the competition, she could not impact the tie as she would've hoped to.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesIn flying form

But now, in her first campaign of full fitness since 2021-22, Bright has reminded everybody of her incredible quality. She has been immense all year long and should certainly be a strong contender for top honours when the end-of-season awards come around.

Ranking among the top five players in the Women's Super League for most successful passes, aerial duels won and interceptions made, Bright is also among the top three Chelsea players for winning tackles, duels and possession, while leading the Blues' squad for blocks made and most successful long passes. Only Manchester United have conceded fewer goals than Sonia Bompastor's still undefeated side this term, and their captain has been a big part of the reason why.

"Her performances have been great," Bompastor said of Bright on Saturday. "She's really having an impact on the team. I'm really pleased for her because she's a really good player, but also a good person. It's always positive when one of your leaders, and the main leader in Chelsea, is performing at that level. I think she just sets the tone for everyone else and as a captain, she shows the example."

GettyLeader and a performer

That's the other element of Bright's value that cannot be quantified. Her leadership is immaculate, as further evidenced by the fact she earned her the role of England captain when Leah Williamson was ruled of the 2023 Women's World Cup, and led the Lionesses to the final there.

England have a lot of depth at centre-back and there are a lot of differing opinions among observers about who should be starting at this summer's European Championship. Many have long wanted to see Alex Greenwood in there regularly, owing to her world-class displays over the last few years, while Jess Carter has always been solid when she given the opportunity. Then there is Williamson, the captain and a player who has looked good for Arsenal in the second half of this season. Others, such as Esme Morgan, Millie Turner and Maya Le Tissier, will also hope to throw their hats in the ring over the next few months. It's one of the most competitive areas in the entire team.

Right now, though, it's hard to argue against Bright being the most in-form centre-back at England's disposal. She has been the most outstanding player in that position in the WSL this term and Sarina Wiegman will certainly hope she carries that momentum into the summer.

GettyStepping up

That's been especially important lately, too, as Chelsea have endured some serious bad luck in the position. Kadeisha Buchanan suffered a devastating ACL injury back in November, thus curtailing her season. When the January transfer window opened, the Blues strengthened in the position in the most emphatic manner possible, signing United States international Naomi Girma for a world-record fee. However, she arrived with a knock and has not played since limping off during her eventual debut over two weeks ago. Maelys Mpome has also been out since mid-February, leaving Bompastor with just Bright and Bjorn as her only natural centre-back options.

Fortunately, both have been superb. "It's really important, especially having the chemistry between these two players in the back line," their coach noted at the weekend. It was no surprise that their strong understanding on the pitch was top of mind for Bompastor, given the comments came shortly after the pair had worked together to deal so well with Shaw's threat.

There are other players who have deputised in the heart of defence when absolutely necessary, be it the incredibly versatile Sjoeke Nusken or England's Lucy Bronze, and Bompastor did admit she may need to think about those options in the coming weeks, if others do not return soon, in order to give Bright and Bjorn some rest.

For now, though, neither look to be feeling any negative effects of the increasing importance of their top form and instead look primed to simply continue it as the big games come thick and fast.

Former Aberdeen chief Keith Wyness has discussed potential “great news” regarding the future of Rangers manager Philippe Clement.

Clement battling to save Rangers job

The Belgian has only been in the job at Ibrox for a little over a year, taking over from Michael Beale back in October 2023, but he is already battling hard to remain in charge.

Rangers have made a largely disappointing start to the season, beginning with being dumped out of the Champions League in the qualifying rounds, before allowing themselves to fall 11 points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race. Even Aberdeen are nine points clear of them, albeit having played one game more.

On Thursday evening, the Gers won 4-1 away to Nice in the Europa League, in what was a much-needed result for Clement, potentially giving him some leeway for the time being.

On Sunday, he faces another must-win game, however, with Rangers making the trip to St Johnstone in the league. Their opponents are sitting ninth in the table currently, so failure to beat them would be a significant blow, especially to the manager.

Former chief makes big Clement claim at Rangers

Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness claimed that Rangers could allow Clement to take the Belgium job without compensation, saying it could be “great news” for the Scottish giants if they managed to bring in £3m.

“It’s a funny story. The rumours are that there’s a £3million compensation clause in his contract. I think Rangers fans would say: forget the compensation, just take him. I’ve been arguing that he has to remain in place, and I still think he’s a good manager – with a squad like Belgium’s, he could do well.

“I don’t think there’ll be any compensation if Belgium do come in. This may be a situation where both parties decide to move on. If there is to be a change, it will likely come around Christmas. If Rangers get £3million from Belgium, it would be one of the more shocking things I’ve seen in football. It would be great news for the club.”

Rangers supporters are sure to be split when it comes to Clement’s future, with a section of the fanbase showing patience and still seeing him as the right man for the job. There may well be plenty who feel that a change in boss is needed sooner than later, in order to salvage the Gers’ season and keep up their faint chances of catching Celtic in the title race. That may be wishful thinking at this point, but a change in the dugout may freshen things up.

Should Belgium want Clement, though, Rangers should consider not standing in their way, especially in terms of potentially bringing in £3m to aid their financial situation.

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More may become clearer at the end of this weekend, with the St Johnstone game feeling big for the manager, but huge improvements are needed if he is to remain in charge in the long-term.