Ireland allrounder George Dockrell took part in the T20 World Cup Super 12 match against Sri Lanka on Sunday despite testing positive for Covid-19.In a release, Cricket Ireland said Dockrell has been identified as “potentially positive” and is being “managed in line with current local, national and ICC guidelines”. According to the release, Dockrell’s symptoms are very mild, and a medical staff in the team will manage his movements and interactions in line with tournament and current government protocols. Cricket Ireland has also notified the ICC chief medical officer, the opposition team and stadium staff.Dockrell walked in to bat at No. 6 in the 11th over of the match following Curtis Campher’s dismissal. He made a 16-ball 14 before being bowled by Maheesh Theekshana.According to ICC’s playing conditions, the Biosafety Advisory Group (BSAG) will be the final arbiter as to the Covid status of any player and his consequential availability to participate in a match.A positive Covid-19 test does not impede Dockrell’s ability to play or train, but he will travel separately from the squad on match and training days to keep away from the rest of the squad.In August, Australia women’s allrounder Tahlia McGrath took part in the Commonwealth Games gold-medal match against India despite testing positive. It was the first case in international cricket where a player known to have Covid-19 took part in a match.

Two years on from splashing the cash on the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke – among others – in the January transfer window, Chelsea took a far more measured approach this time around, amid what was a relatively muted deadline day for the Blues.

Indeed, much of the late activity centred around outgoings, with the exiled Ben Chilwell seeking out regular game time on loan at Crystal Palace, while further temporary moves were secured for the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka, Joao Felix and Axel Disasi – the latter trio joining Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Aston Villa, respectively.

While there may be concern at not moving to replace those wantaway stars, with the west Londoners still competing in the FA Cup, Conference League and Premier League, the 2-1 win over West Ham United on Monday night has certainly helped to lift the mood amid what has been a testing last month or so for Enzo Maresca’s side.

That comeback victory has moved the Blues back into the top four amid the heated race for Champions League football, while further positivity can be found in the solitary piece of business that the club did do on deadline day, following the capture of highly-rated teenager, Mathis Amougou.

Why Chelsea signed Mathis Amougou

Reportedly joining from Saint-Etienne for a fee in the region of £10m, the 19-year-old has helped to bolster a key area for Maresca and co, with Chelsea’s midfield options having been somewhat depleted amid the continued injury woes of an unfortunate Romeo Lavia.

While there were reports that the club were considering recalling Andrey Santos from his stunning loan stint at Strasbourg – where he has scored eight times already in 2024/25 – the Blues instead opted to seek out another star of Ligue 1, with Amougou joining on the cheap as the latest addition from France.

Signings of the likes Disasi and Benoit Badiashile from Ligue 1 may be reason for concern – with Disasi now on the books at Villa amid his Stamford Bridge woes – yet the hope will be that Amougou can buck the trend, having been hailed as a “really exciting midfield talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

After enjoying a “stellar” first season in senior top-flight football, according to Mattinson, the midfield machine will be seeking to continue that momentum at the Bridge, tussling for a backup role behind the starting pair of Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

While Maresca isn’t exactly blessed with depth in that department, the signing of Amougou could prove the final straw for one forgotten talent, with that late deal having perhaps shifted a certain Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall even further down the pecking order.

How Amougou's signing could impact the Chelsea squad

The events of deadline day have perhaps shone a light on Chelsea’s summer dealings, with the decision to bring former loanee Felix back to the club still a head-scratching one. Signed on a £46.3m deal from Atletico Madrid, the Portuguese wizard has already sought out pastures news, albeit temporarily, after just six months back in England.

Perhaps the same can be said of the Blues’ move to reunite Maresca with the star of his title-winning Leicester City side in the Championship, with Dewsbury-Hall arriving on a £30m deal, after contributing 27 goals and assists under the Italian last season.

With the new boss having looked to instil new methods at the Bridge, the belief was that recruiting a familiar face would be perfect for the task. Indeed, pundit Adrian Clarke even suggested that the Englishman could ‘lead [the] Maresca revolution at Chelsea’.

Fast forward just over half a season, however, and the former Foxes star is now largely a bystander to proceedings, having started just one Premier League game in 2024/25 to date.

While he did register an assist on that solitary start against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 25-year-old looks destined for life in the ‘B’ team, with much of his action having come in the Conference League, where he scored twice in six group games.

Stat

Amougou (Ligue 1)

Dewsbury-Hall (PL)

Games

17

6

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

1

Big chances created

0

1

Key passes*

0.4

0.3

Pass accuracy*

78%

88%

Tackles*

1.2

0.3

Interceptions*

0.7

0.2

Total duels won*

46%

36%

Possession lost*

6.4

3.0

As writer Zach Lowy has poetically put it, Dewsbury-Hall is a “strong contender for one of the most pointless signings of 2024”, with it having been no surprise that speculation was rife over an early exit during the winter window.

No such move occurred in the end, yet with Amougou in the door, Dewsbury-Hall’s days look numbered. There is certainly a player in there, as he showcased in 2023/24 at the King Power, but quite whether he’ll ever get to showcase those talents at Chelsea remains to be seen.

A swift summer exit, in truth, looks all but certain…

5/10 Chelsea dud proved why Maresca should have spent big on deadline day

Chelsea secured three vital points against West Ham United last night, taking them back into the top four.

ByEthan Lamb Feb 4, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have held “concrete talks” to sign a £20m+ attacking “monster”, according to a Sky Sports journalist.

Tottenham qualify for Europa League last 16 with win over Elfsborg

Ange Postecoglou’s side got back to winning ways on Thursday evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with youngsters Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi and Mikey Moore all scoring in a 3-0 Europa League win over Elfsborg to book their place in the last 16.

Talking after the win, Postecoglou said: “It was “Made in Tottenham” tonight. It’s brilliant for the club and I’m sure there are academy coaches and players who won’t sleep because they are pretty excited. We’ve got a big week coming up and we’ve got to try to manage the load of our players and try to protect them.

“We kind of knew we would have to rely on some young players tonight and all the way through this campaign to be honest. I thought they stood up really well. The whole group played well but we were going to need some young boys to make an impact and not just the three goalscorers.

“We had a couple of 18-year-olds in there as well who continue to drive us on. So it’s a great night for the club and something the whole academy should be proud of.”

Attention now turns back to the Premier League and the transfer market, with Monday evening’s deadline fast approaching.

So far, Spurs have only brought in one new player in goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, although Postecoglou admitted he could do with more due to the sheer number of injuries in the squad.

Tottenham reach out to agents over signing "remarkably quick" £25m defender

Spurs could still get a centre-back over the line.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 31, 2025

Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel has been heavily linked with a permanent big-money move to north London, with a verbal €60m agreement being reached and Levy travelling for talks. Since then, it has been claimed that Tel will not join Spurs and has informed them of their decision, as per Fabrizio Romano, but another attacker is of interest to Spurs, albeit for the summer window.

Tottenham hold “concrete talks” to sign Tzimas – Sky Sports

According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg in the last 48 hours, Tottenham have held “concrete talks” to sign Stefanos Tzimas, currently playing at 1. FC Nurnberg.

Any transfer would cost around €25m (£21m) in the summer, with top-flight rivals Aston Villa also in discussions with the attacker. However, it is Brighton & Hove Albion who are leading the race for Tzimas at this moment in time.

Tzimas, described as a “monster”, is currently on loan at Nurnberg from PAOK but the German side plan to activate a permanent transfer for €18m before potentially selling the teenager on straightaway.

The Greek forward has been in impressive form during the 2024/25 campaign, scoring 10 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions. That has resulted in praise from German football expert Tobias Kroger, who compared Tzimas to Benjamin Sesko.

“He reminds me a lot of Benjamin Sesko. He has a really interesting all around package for a striker: He’s good in the air but also quick for his height. He is good at making runs into open spaces but is also clinical in one-vs-one situations with the keeper. His link-up play is also very good. His technique is also very good but not elite.”

Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League after the latest weekend of action, having lost 3-0 to Brighton on Friday night. Whilst the Blues are only one point off of a top-four spot, their recent run of form is worrying, and their lack of goals mixed with their vulnerability at the back is not proving to be a good mix.

Enzo Maresca’s side are averaging 58.6% possession (second in the division), taking 16 shots per game (fourth in the division) and have scored 47 goals in 25 games, making them the fifth-highest scorers in the division. That being said, Chelsea’s goal distribution in the Premier League isn’t very well spread.

Player

Goals

Cole Palmer

14

Nicolas Jackson

9

Noni Madueke

7

Enzo Fernández

3

Jadon Sancho

2

Marc Cucurella

2

Pedro Neto

2

Christopher Nkunku

2

Moises Caicedo

1

Reece James

1

Aside from Cole Palmer, who has 14 Premier League goals in 25 appearances, also providing six assists in those games, Chelsea’s two next-highest league scorers are now out injured, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke both picking up knocks in recent weeks.

Nicolas Jackson & Marc Guiu blow

Jackson has made 24 appearances this season in all competitions, scoring nine goals, providing five assists and totalling 1,778 minutes played.

But it isn’t just the goal tally of the 23-year-old forward that Chelsea will miss, it’s also the overall work he does on and off the ball, linking play, making threatening runs in behind to stretch the pitch and working hard to press from the front.

His only natural number nine replacement also went down injured after being substituted on against West Ham a few weeks ago. Marc Guiu has made 13 appearances in total this season, scoring six goals in 578 minutes played.

Without both Jackson and Guiu, Chelsea do not have any senior strikers left, with the closest thing being Christopher Nkunku, who is naturally more of an attacking midfielder.

This could mean if Maresca wants a more traditional striker option, he has to look at the academy lads and see what internal solutions there are.

Cobham could provide Chelsea's centre-forward solution

Maresca could look to turn to Chelsea’s excellent crop of academy players, who currently sit sixth in Premier League 2. 17-year-old Shumaira Mheuka is one talent that is very highly thought of, scoring eight goals in 21 appearances for the U18 and U21 teams this campaign.

The Cobham youngster is blessed with an incredible turn of pace, has brilliant ball manipulation to shift and find a yard to get his shot off and uses his body extremely well to protect the ball and retain possession.

Jacek Kulig labelled Mheuka “one of Chelsea’s biggest jewels”, praising his brilliant month since making his senior debut on the 12th of December against Astana, going on to call Mheuka “Cobham’s finest”.

Whilst the 17-year-old may not be fully ready to be thrown in at the deep end, with Chelsea’s lack of options, this could be a great opportunity to take the pressure off, give Mheuka some first-team involvement in the coming weeks, and see if he can provide an internal solution to their current striker issues.

Their own Mitoma: Chelsea must unleash 19 y/o with the “world at his feet”

Chelsea can unleash their answer to Mitoma who has the “world at his feet”

ByConnor Holden Feb 16, 2025

Son of a gun Tagenarine Chanderpaul has boosted his chances of a Test debut against Australia by producing a hard-fought century against the Prime Minister’s XI.Chanderpaul, the son of West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, scored 119 off 293 balls on Thursday to lift his side to 234 for 7 at stumps on day two of the pink-ball match in Canberra.Victoria offspinner Todd Murphy also pushed his case for a spot on Australia’s tour of India next year claiming 3 for 27 in an impressive display, while Western Australia left-arm paceman Joel Paris also claimed three scalps.The PM’s XI made 322 in their first innings, leaving the four-day clash delicately balanced.Chanderpaul was the second-highest run-scorer in West Indies first-class cricket this year, averaging 73.16 while also starring for the country’s A team.The 26-year-old’s knock against the PM’s XI has put his name up in lights ahead of the first Test against Australia at Perth’s Optus Stadium, starting November 30. Even before the tour match began, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite backed Chanderpaul to succeed at Test level.Chanderpaul’s dad carved out a decorated 164-Test career in which he averaged 51.4 and scored 30 centuries. His son now wants to make a name for himself.”I try and be myself,” Tagenarine said. “I can’t be him, so I can only be myself. Fingers crossed [I get picked for the first Test]. I’ll try to get some runs if I’m selected.”The PM’s XI added a further 25 runs to their overnight score of 297 for 9 before Mark Steketee was last man out for 15. Paceman Alzarri Joseph was the pick of the touring bowlers with 4 for 65, while spinner Roston Chase finished with 2 for 72.The tourists made a bright start to their innings, moving to 94 without loss following strong efforts from Chanderpaul and Brathwaite. But when Brathwaite chopped on a Steketee delivery, it sparked a collapse of 4 for 44 as West Indies began to wobble.WA paceman Joel Paris found the edge of Nkrumah Bonner’s bat to send him packing for a duck before spinner Todd Murphy bowled Devon Thomas and then trapped Kyle Mayers eight overs later. Chanderpaul held the innings together, striking 13 fours and one six on the way to posting triple figures.

Nottingham Forest have been nothing short of excellent this season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are flying in the Premier League, and currently sit fifth in the table on 47 points, with a six-point difference between them and fifth-place Manchester City.

Their side has been spearheaded by Chris Wood, who has 17 Premier League goals to his name this term, and Anthony Elanga, who has eight assists in total. Morgan Gibbs-White has also been excellent, with Jamie Carragher describing his performances as “absolutely fantastic”, explaining he has been a “revelation” for the East Midlands outfit.

Another player who has impressed this season is midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Elliot Anderson's 2024/25 campaign

It certainly seems like Forest got a fantastic deal with Anderson in the summer transfer window. He made the move from his boyhood club Newcastle United to switch to the City Ground, with Forest paying a fee upwards of £35m.

The 22-year-old has played 23 times for this club in the top flight so far this term and has one goal and five assists to his name. One of those assists saw him impressively create a last-minute winner for Elanga against Aston Villa to help his side to a 2-1 win.

His manager, Nuno, was full of praise for the Forest number eight earlier in the season. He described him as “an amazing talent for such a young player”.

Alongside the likes of Gibbs-White in the middle of the park, Anderson’s hard-working nature and creative flair have served him well in Garibaldi Red this season. He has certainly been an important cog in the works at the City Ground.

Incredibly, as well as he is playing, the 22-year-old is getting outperformed by a former Forest loanee who struggled during his time at the club.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Expand Collapse The former Nottingham Forest player out-performing Anderson

Despite their success this season, Forest have had a lot of players represent the club since their promotion back to the Premier League in 2022. One of those was Andrey Santos, who struggled to make a mark on the club.

The Brazilian joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea in the 2023/24 campaign but made just two appearances during his stint in red. One of those was in the Premier League, a seven-minute substitute cameo against Liverpool, and the other was a Carabao Cup start against Burnley.

This season, the 20-year-old finds himself on loan at French side Strasbourg, Chelsea’s sister club, where he has really impressed in Ligue 1. In 22 games across all competitions, he has eight goals and three assists, more than Anderson in both instances.

Someone who has spoken highly of Santos this season is Alex Barker, also known as Euro Expert, a content creator for The Athletic. He explained the qualities Santos has could lead to him becoming “an elite ball-playing defensive midfielder” in the Premier League, which must leave Forest full of regret given the lack of opportunities they gave him.

There are also several key metrics via Squawka in which Santos excels over Anderson. Looking specifically at domestic top-flight football this season, the Brazilian has a better conversion rate in front of goal, with 35% compared to 10%, and has a better ground duel win rate, with 68.13% compared to 55.4%.

Santos vs. Anderson key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Santos

Anderson

Non-penalty goals

0.4

0.1

Conversion rate

35%

10%

Forward passes

15.6

13.5

Blocked shots

0.5

0.3

Ground duel success rate

68.13%

55.4%

Stats from Squawka

On reflection, seeing how well Santos is playing must be incredibly frustrating for Forest. Not only is the Brazilian continuing to more goals than Anderson but he leads the way in several key metrics.

This is not to say Nuno would rather have one over the other in midfield, but having both in the squad would have been a real luxury. Unfortunately, he now seems out of reach at the City Ground given how his time there panned out.

Related Nottingham Forest and 8 other Premier League surprise packages

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Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 5, 2024

Jobe Bellingham has been among the best players in the Championship this season, and Real Madrid have apparently been keeping an eye on his progress.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Jobe Bellingham enjoying fine season at Sunderland
• Championship star has caught Madrid's eye
• Younger Bellingham could unite with brother Jude

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jobe Bellingham and Jude Bellingham could feature for the same club team in the near future. According to a report from the Sunderland star has impressed Real Madrid, with the Liga side now keeping an eye on the younger Bellingham. A possible link-up between the Bellingham brothers could become a reality in the Spanish capital, should Jude's employers make a move for Jobe.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jobe Bellingham has made 39 appearances in the Championship this season, scoring four times and assisting thrice. He has been one of the pillars of a Sunderland side who will be featuring in the playoffs for a place in the Premier League next season. His dominant displays from midfield were rewarded, as Jobe won the Championship's Young Player of the Season award.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Madrid are not the only team to be keeping an eye on Jobe. Reports in recent weeks have given rise to speculation that he could follow in the footsteps of his elder brother by making a switch to the Bundesliga. Indeed, RB Leipzig have made it a 'priority' to bring in the Sunderland sensation ahead of the 2025-26 season, while Jude's former team, Borussia Dortmund, have also been credited with an interest in Jobe.

  Meanwhile, Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea have reportedly also joined the race to acquire the young midfielder's signature.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JOBE BELLINGHAM?

  Sunderland are due to play their final Championship game of the season this Saturday, May 3, as they take on Queen Park Rangers. Sitting in fourth place currently, the Black Cats are yet to learn their opponents for the two-legged play-off semi-final. The first leg will take place next Friday, May 9.

MatériaMais Notícias

Durante a reapresentação do São Paulo nesta terça-feira (21), após a derrota para o Palmeiras, Gabriel Sara e Nikão mostraram evolução em seus tratamentos.

RelacionadasSão PauloApós vexame, São Paulo se reapresenta e inicia preparação para novo duelo com o PalmeirasSão Paulo21/06/2022São PauloSão Paulo espera receber R$ 2,5 milhões por contratação de David Neres pelo BenficaSão Paulo21/06/2022São PauloEm clássico, São Paulo volta a sofrer com ‘síndrome do segundo tempo’São Paulo21/06/2022

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>ATUAÇÕES: São Paulo tem setor ofensivo ‘nulo’ no segundo tempo em derrota para o Palmeiras

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> Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Sara, que passou por uma cirurgia recente no tornozelo direito, correu no gramado. Além da continuação do seu tratamento no REFFIS, a cria de Cotia tem intercalado exercícios físicos com corridas leves no campo, junto aos fisioterapeutas do clube.

Já Nikão, desfalque do Tricolor paulista desde maio devido à dores no tornozelo,também fez uma corrida no gramado na manhã desta terça-feira (21).

Andrés Colorado, Talles e Alissonderam sequência ao tratamento de suas lesões no REFFIS. Luan e Caio passarão por cirurgia ainda nesta semana.

Embora Ceni tenha adiantado em coletivas passadas que Gabriel Sara só voltaria no próximo ano, este começo de transição física acende um alerta positivo. O mesmo acontece com Nikão, já que esta evolução pode apontar um possível retorno do camisa 10.

O São Paulo volta a campo na quinta-feira (23), às 20h, contra o Palmeiras. O jogo será válido pelas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil.

New Zealand also have many concerns, especially about their powerplay returns with both bat and ball

Himanshu Agrawal21-Nov-20226:03

Jaffer: Hardik is not the sort of captain to play it safe

Big pictureThe third T20I between New Zealand and India will be their last game in the format this year, and they would want to head into 2023 with more answers than questions.New Zealand’s inability to gain any momentum with the bat chasing 192 on Sunday further highlighted their lack of assertiveness in the powerplay. In their last five T20Is, they have scored 40 or fewer four times in the period, and have hit only two sixes – both by Finn Allen – despite losing more than two wickets only once.Related

How do India get the best out of Pant the T20 batter?

Bal: India's T20 approach needs a reboot, not a refresh

'I'm enjoying batting this way' – Suryakumar after his 111* off 51

Williamson to miss third T20I against India because of a medical appointment

Indications are that Martin Guptill’s time is up, with Allen locked in for the immediate future. But they do need to get the best out of Devon Conway and Kane Williamson to make that top order solid. Williamson, by the way, will miss the third T20I as he has a medical appointment, so no answers on that front on Tuesday.In the bowling department, Trent Boult is out of the picture for the moment, and no more a certain starter. And even when he did play in four of New Zealand’s last five games, they went wicketless in the powerplay thrice. Tim Southee, stand-in captain for Napier, is just days short of turning 34, with the next T20 World Cup one-and-a-half years away. It is probably the best time to look ahead for New Zealand if things don’t start going their way soon.India, too, needed a fresh approach with their top-order batting after the semi-final exit at the T20 World Cup, but they couldn’t achieve it in the second T20I. Hopes were pinned on the opening pair of Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan to get them off to a big start, but Pant struggled to 6 off 13 balls while Kishan took 31 deliveries for 36, despite 26 of those coming in boundaries.

Watch India tour of New Zealand LIVE on Prime Video from Nov 18 to 30

India came into this series happy to experiment with their batting, rejigging their line-up to accommodate those on the fringes. But as has been the story in the recent past, only Suryakumar Yadav really played his part – and how! – with a blazing century.This was a series with comparatively lesser pressure than at a World Cup, and with one more game to go, India would hope the young players take away at least some of the burden from the shoulders of the management, and Suryakumar. After all, no one knows who the next set of selectors will be, and what their plans are going to be.Form guideNew Zealand LLWLW
India WLWWL
In the spotlightJames Neesham’s last five scores in T20Is read 0, 16*, 0, 6 and 5. The fact that he has batted at No. 6 and comes in with little time means he has often had to go slam-bang from ball one. That makes his job tough, sure, but it’s what he has to do, and hasn’t been able to. Like Boult, he has opted out of a central contract too, and might need to do something big to stay in contention.Across 20 innings this year, India have tried Rishabh Pant four times as opener, where he sparkled briefly only twice. Two of those four innings came with India testing him at the top, including in Mount Maunganui. If India feel his best place in the XI is as opener, he now has Kishan to compete with. Nevertheless, once Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli return, the question will still stand even if Pant goes big in Napier: what do India do with him?Team newsNew Zealand can at best level the series, something they will have to attempt without Williamson. Southee is set to lead, with Mark Chapman likely to find a slot in the side.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Lockie FergusonKane Williamson will miss the third game, and Tim Southee will be in charge of the team•Associated PressIndia might not want to tinker with their XI even if that would mean multiple players don’t get a chance in the T20Is. If that does happen, Shubman Gill will have to continue to wait for his debut in the format, and Sanju Samson for his next opportunity with the national side, despite scoring 2*, 30* and 86* in his last three innings for India, though in ODIs.India (probable): 1 Ishan Kishan, 2 Rishabh Pant (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPitch and conditionsThe match starts at 7.30pm local time, and it is expected to be pleasant and cloudy in Napier in the evening, with some rain around. The last T20I at McLean Park was washed out, and scores batting first have functuated in the four completed games. The highest of those was England’s 241 in 2019.Stats and trivia Suryakumar scored 54 runs off 16 balls in the last four overs in Mount Maunganui, despite not facing a ball in the final over. Only Yuvraj Singh with 58 has scored more for India during that phase in a T20I. Three wickets – all of them part of a hat-trick – in the second T20I took Southee to 132 wickets, four ahead of Shakib Al Hasan, the next highest wicket-taker in T20Is. This will be India’s first T20I in Napier, having played seven ODIs and two Tests there in the past.Quotes”Everyone watched some of his shots in amazement. We have had a few discussions already, and will have some more tomorrow morning before the game around how we can combat him.”

As the cliche goes, ‘goals win games, but defence wins titles’. In the case of Arsenal, the Gunners boast a pretty mean defence it must be said, having conceded just 21 times in 23 Premier League games thus far.

It could be argued then that the north Londoners are doing everything right to finally end that long wait for the title, but there remains that nagging feeling. That itch that can’t be scratched. The signing of a striker…

With Gabriel Jesus seemingly ruled out for the season, the Emirates outfit only have Kai Havertz to call upon in that number nine berth, with question marks still surrounding the German despite his 14 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25.

Signed initially to replace Granit Xhaka in the left-eight berth, the former Chelsea man is not an orthodox number nine, but the hunt is still on to fill that longstanding void before Monday’s deadline.

Arsenal's search for a striker

If recent evidence is anything to go by, the Gunners won’t panic. Indeed, it was around this time last year that there were calls to sign a certain Ivan Toney, yet Mikel Arteta and co held firm, rather than acting in desperation.

That said, that desire for a proven Premier League marksman has not abated it would seem, with reports earlier this week revealing that a £60m bid had been lodged for Aston Villa talisman, Ollie Watkins.

While that offer was flatly rejected by the Midlands side, the Daily Mail has reported that the Englishman – who is a boyhood Arsenal fan – is still open to making the move to the Emirates before the end of the window, if an agreement can be reached.

Transfer Focus

As per the report, Arsenal are ‘now weighing up a second offer’ for the former Brentford man, albeit with the situation a complex one amid Jhon Duran’s exit to Al Nassr.

Arsenal could land their next Aubameyang

With Duran moving on, all hope may be lost for the Gunners, although amid talk that Marcus Rashford could be set for a surprise switch to Villa Park, might Arteta’s side still have a chance of snapping up Watkins?

There may be a desire to plump for a younger, more long-term target to lead the line, yet at 29, Watkins is a ready-made, plug-and-play option, who has proven himself in the Premier League for a number of seasons now.

Since joining Villa in the summer of 2020, the England international has scored 69 top-flight goals, and registered a further 31 assists, while scoring at least ten goals in each of his five league campaigns at the club.

Stat (*per game)

Watkins

Havertz

Games

24

20

Goals

10

8

Assists

5

2

Big chances missed

19

14

Big chances created

4

2

Key passes*

0.9

0.8

Pass accuracy*

78%

79%

Touches*

20.9

39.1

Total duels won*

37%

39%

The signing of such a consistent goalscorer could evoke memories of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Arsenal back in January 2018, with the £56m signing having arrived at the peak of his powers from Borussia Dortmund.

The Gabonese marksman – who was 28 at the time, just a year younger than Watkins – made the switch after netting 141 goals in 213 games in Germany, supplying Arsene Wenger with a reliable and experienced number nine to spearhead his attack.

Capable of operating centrally or off the left – like Watkins – Aubameyang went on to rip it up in an Arsenal shirt, bagging 92 goals in 163 games in all competitions, before departing for Barcelona after a fall out with Arteta.

Hopefully, Watkins would enjoy a far smoother ride in north London than his centre-forward counterpart, although he would certainly mirror the now-veteran in being a proven option who could deliver the goods for at least three or four seasons, if not the long term.

Yes, looking at a young, high-potential striker – in the mould of Benjamin Sesko – would be appealing, but Watkins, who Conor Coady hailed as a “nightmare to play against”, would surely be able to slot in seamlessly.

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