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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta won't rush into selling midfielder Thomas Partey until he has had a chance to fully 'assess' the situation and his potential replacement, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal and who have they been linked with?

According to The Daily Mail, Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli are continuing to pursue Ghana international Partey this summer as he mulls over his future at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are reportedly open to selling the £200k-a-week ace to help recoup funds for new signing Declan Rice and have targeted Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia as a potential replacement.

As per the same outlet, Ajax attacking midfielder Mohamed Kudus is another player of interest to Arteta, who is eyeing a £40 million move for Partey's international compatriot.

Outgoings are said to be the main focus for the Spaniard at present; however, Arsenal haven't ruled out dipping their toe back into the market if they right player becomes available.

Last term, Partey made 40 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, registering three goals along the way in their failed Premier League title bid, as per Transfermarkt.

90min have cited that Partey has joined Arsenal on their pre-season tour of the United States and is said to be someone that Arteta would also be open to keeping hold of despite putting feelers out to gauge interest in his services.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Arteta will take his time to 'assess' the situation before reaching a conclusion in his own time.

Jacobs told FFC: "I think the other thing with Arteta is that he wants first to assess in pre-season, who he's kind of got and where that kind of chemistry is to make sure that they buy in the right position. I think that this is very classic Arteta. If we go back to the Arsenal interest in Youri Tielemans, who's now at Aston Villa, when Arsenal did personal terms with Youri Tielemans, they didn't pull the trigger and they waited because they wanted to assess their squad and their chemistry and their balance because Fabio Vieira had come in.

"Even with Tielemans, it was at the right time to get him in. In the end, they decided that it wasn't and I think the same with Mohamed Kudus because, obviously, he's a different midfielder to Romeo Lavia. So that's the intrigue in all of this, will Arsenal let Partey go and then bring in someone like Lavia, or will they move for an attacking midfielder and winger like Kudus, who's young and has a strong profile, but it's maybe not necessarily what Arsenal need right now in terms of priority."

Have Arsenal got anyone else on their radar at this stage of the window?

The Sun report that Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is a person of interest to Arsenal and it is said that the Gunners could do battle with arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur to try and land the Brazilian enforcer.

Discussions are also underway between Arsenal and Gremio regarding 23-year-old midfielder Bitello, who could be available for a relatively inexpensive fee of £8.5 million this window, according to 90min.

Croatian youngster Martin Baturina, who plies his trade for Dinamo Zagreb, is another target for the Gunners following his exemplary performances at the UEFA EURO Under-21 Championships, as per The Evening Standard.

Only time will tell to see if Arteta has any unexpected aces up his sleeve between now and the close of play in the market as rumours continue to swirl concerning potential incomings at the Emirates.

Alastair Cook insists he has no regrets after giving up the England captaincy, but admitted there were just a couple of poignant moments during the Lord’s Test

George Dobell at Trent Bridge12-Jul-2017Alastair Cook insists he has no regrets after giving up the England captaincy, but admitted there were just a couple of moments during the Lord’s Test when he felt a pang for a special job he knows he’ll “never do again”.While Cook, England captain from late 2012 to the start of 2017, described himself as “happy with the decision” to move back into the ranks, he confessed the sight of his successor, Joe Root, walking down the Lord’s steps to take the toss did bring home to him the realisation of everything he had given up.And, later in the Test, when he was moved in the field by Ben Stokes – Root’s vice-captain – it again brought home to him his new place in the England hierarchy.”I am happy with my decision,” Cook said. “The only bit was seeing Rooty walk down the stairs in his blazer and working out you will never do that again.”The shock was when Ben Stokes told me to move fielding positions. That was when I realised that life was different. He told me to swap with Jimmy because he thought Jimmy would be better in that position. So not only did I have Jimmy gloating at me but Ben Stokes telling me where to move.”It was different. More the first couple of days of preparation, having spent three or four years being the focal point of decisions. Even when the 12-man squad was announced, I forgot the thought and effort that went into that. It is very different to being captain.”But I have done my bit. I gave everything to the role and I move on from it. Let’s get behind Joe.”Cook feels the gap between making the decision, at the end of the Test tour of India in December, and the resumption of England’s Test schedule, was crucial in giving him adequate time to adjust mentally. But while he can look back on his time as Test captain with pride and satisfaction, he admits there is an element of regret over his period in charge of the ODI side.”It would have been very strange if I had gone straight from not having the captaincy to playing a Test match two weeks later,” he said. “I was pretty clear coming back from India I wasn’t going to be captain. Those two weeks when I was ‘making the decision’ didn’t change it.”The constant decision-making takes its effect. I don’t miss the media commitments. But I don’t want to sound negative.”And it was a bit strange when it was announced. I don’t want to say I was in mourning as that’s not quite the right word, but it wasn’t relief I felt. It was sadness.”I don’t have many regrets but the way my one-day career finished with England was one. That last 12 months when I couldn’t score a run was not a true indication of my one-day game.”People will remember that period but, for that first 18 months when we got to No.1 in the rankings, I was averaging 50 and striking at over 100. Or something like that, anyway. I played well in the period when I first took over as captain.”In the end, the simple pleasure of playing cricket again proved key to Cook recovering his enthusiasm and his form. He has already made six centuries for Essex in the county season and, on a deteriorating pitch, made the highest score in the third innings of the first Investec Test at Lord’s.”The period in February I had off I didn’t bat at all,” he said. “I was on the farm.”As soon as I got on that plane to go on Essex’s pre-season tour, the challenge of scoring runs and mucking in with the lads made sure any thoughts about the captaincy were quickly forgotten.”I quite like playing cricket, actually. It is an amazing thing what we do and, yes, there are tough times and hard moments along the way.”But you know the thought of playing here on Friday in front of a full house… That opportunity is not going to be around forever so that’s what kind of motivates me.”While Cook reckoned Root was uncharacteristically nervous at the start of England’s training programme ahead of the Lord’s Test, he felt he soon settled.”I thought he was really calm all week,” Cook said. “In that first net session I don’t think I have seen him bat as badly. Normally he hits lots of balls but he said ‘OK, that is it’ and came back the next day and was fine.”Clearly if you get a score like he did, that settles a lot of talk about the captaincy. Often captains come in and think they have to change everything. But we haven’t done too much different. He was really calm all week. It was a very impressive first week from him as a captain and leader.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For Out of the Ordinary thinking visit investec.com/cricket

Derbyshire were 26 runs short of a first Championship win for two years – and in a derby to boot – and then the rain fell in Nottingham

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge05-Jun-2017
ScorecardDerbyshire’s long wait for a win in the Championship continues after they were denied victory over Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire in the most frustrating circumstances.Chasing 216 from 49 overs, they were within touching distance with 36 needed, six wickets in hand and still 14 overs left when darkening skies reached the point at which the light from the floodlights had taken over from the natural light, obliging the umpires to take the players off the field.They brought they back after a little under 20 minutes but the batsmen had faced only seven more deliveries – one of them a no-ball – when the forecast rain arrived and Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman was forced to accept a draw. He had lost one more batsman but the requirement had come down to 26 from eight overs, eminently within their grasp.It was an outcome he would have been happy with at the start of play on Friday but not at that moment, not as close as this to a first Championship victory since July 2015 – and a first win in red-ball cricket for Godleman as Derbyshire captain.Rain had washed out the whole morning session but the run chase was set up with no contrivances, Derbyshire bowling out their hosts for 349 after play began at 1.45pm.Chris Read’s unbeaten 74 gave Nottinghamshire’s bowlers something to defend and created an element of scoreboard pressure in taking the target beyond 200 but in the end the only real source of anxiety for Derbyshire was the weather.The forecast had suggested that the closer the clock moved towards six, the greater the likelihood of further rain and by 5.30 with 44 still to get the clouds were gathering ominously as the umpires began to twitch about the light.A couple of minutes later, the deepening grey of the sky forced them to act.Derbyshire’s disappointment was hardly made easier for knowing they had been on top almost throughout the four days, although at the same time it will be a source of encouragement for the way ahead.Nottinghamshire were not long losing their last four wickets from 313-6.Billy Godleman, Derbyshire’s captain, came close to breaking the winless run•Getty ImagesTom Taylor took three of them in the space of a dozen deliveries as Brett Hutton played round one to be bowled, Luke Wood hooked straight to long leg and Luke Fletcher was leg before to a straight one. Given that only the rabbit Harry Gurney remained, the 22-year-old right-arm seamer must have sensed a five-for was there for the taking but Jeevan Mendis denied him the opportunity as Gurney had a swing but hit the ball straight to point.Nonetheless, largely thanks to Read’s canniness in keeping Gurney away from the ball as much as possible, the Nottinghamshire lead swelled beyond 200, enough to put a little more psychological pressure on Derbyshire.Read’s 74 included 28 of the 36 runs added to the overnight score. He finished with a flourish, damaging Taylor’s figures a little by going four-four-six.Wayne Madsen was in charge two years ago when Derbyshire beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets at Wantage Road and it was he who put his side in with a chance of winning for the first time on this ground since 2002.They had lost Luis Reece and then Godleman in the first 10 overs of the 49, Reece failing to clear mid-on and Godleman caught behind after a nice piece of bowling from Luke Wood, who is turning into a blond version of Jack Brooks in the way he wheels away across the square to celebrate a wicket.Shiv Thakor gloved one through to Read but Madsen scored 61 from 57 balls to take his side so close to the winning line.He will probably reflect that he rather gave his wicket away in the end, aiming a big swing at Samit Patel when such rashness was unnecessary and slicing the ball high in the air to deep point, where Brett Hutton dived forward at full length to take the catch.But Alex Hughes and Gary Wilson picked up the pieces calmly enough. Hughes was leg before to a Fletcher full toss but there was enough batting left for the job to have been completed, had weather permitted. Instead, Derbyshire’s winless run extends to 27 matches.

Newcastle United will host Liverpool and Mohamed Salah on 27th August in the third week of the Premier League season. It's a massive game for both sides.

The Magpies will hope to build on their fourth-placed finish last season, while Liverpool will hope to push them out of the Champions League spots and rebound after a terrible campaign last time out. Of course, the Reds will turn to Salah to lead them.

But how likely is it that he gets one over on Newcastle United? Football FanCast delves into the stats to see just how well Salah plays against Newcastle.

What is Mohamed Salah's goal record against Newcastle?

Salah has played 13 times against Newcastle, with all fixtures coming in the Premier League, though not all of them were for Liverpool.

He actually played once for Chelsea – the Egyptian played 12 minutes in 2014 at Stamford Bridge. That, of course, was a very different Salah as the forward was transformed into a goalscoring machine on his move to Anfield.

And that shows in his record. Salah has six goals in 12 games against Newcastle for Liverpool. It's a great haul, but far from his most dominant – that's actually quite middle of the road in the Premier League for the Reds' star man.

What is Mohamed Salah's assist record against Newcastle?

Of course, Salah isn't just a goalscorer, but a creator too. And he has a fair few assists against Newcastle, with three in his last two games against the club.

In total, he boasts four across his 13 games to go along with his six goals, having been credited with a hand in three of the four scored by Liverpool against the Magpies last term.

What is Mohamed Salah's head-to-head record against Newcastle?

Newcastle have never actually beaten Salah's sides, whether he was on the pitch for Chelsea or Liverpool. His record stands at 13 played, 10 won, 3 drawn and zero defeats.

That record is actually Salah's best against any opponent across all competitions. He's never won more against a team without losing once – in fact, the only team he's ever defeated more than 10 times is Tottenham Hotspur (11).

And given all of his games came in the Premier League, there's a points tally. Salah has picked up 33 points in total against the Mapgies – just six shy of perfection.

What is Mohamed Salah's record at St James's Park?

It won't be a shock to learn that it's very good. Salah has played a total of six games at Newcastle, all coming for Liverpool.

He hasn't lost any of those meetings, of course, and has won four of them, drawing the other two. Though, it is notable that Salah has only ever scored once at St James' – that came back in 2019 and was a game where he also picked up an injury.

His team might do well there, but on an individual level, Newcastle isn't a particularly happy hunting ground for Salah:

Games – 6 Wins – 4 Draws – 2 Losses – 0 Goals – 1 Assists – 1 Who has Mohamed Salah scored against the most?

In total, Salah has scored against 11 teams more than he has against Newcastle. As previously mentioned, that figure of six isn't necessarily a standout for the Egyptian.

Sitting right at the top of that pile is Manchester United. Salah's record against them is incredible, scoring 12 times in 12 games and managing another four assists. Manchester City come next – 11 goals and five assists in 19 meetings.

Tottenham's 18 meetings with Salah have seen them ship 11 goals, too, along with a single assist. Meanwhile, Arsenal, West Ham United, Watford and Leeds United have all conceded nine times to the Liverpool star.

Bournemouth have been the unlucky opponent on eight occasions, while Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Southampton have all shipped seven.

How many goals does Mohamed Salah have in August?

Sticking to the Premier League, Salah has scored 12 goals in the month of August. It's a fantastic haul that, on the face of it, averages out to two August goals each season for the Egyptian.

It's actually slightly better than that, however. There were no August games in the 2020/21 Premier League season, which kicked off in September. If you count that as the equivalent of August in a regular season, you can add three more to Salah's total, with the winger bagging a hat-trick on the opening day against Leeds United).

What is Mohamed Salah's overall Liverpool goal record?

Salah was never really known as a goalscorer in his younger professional days – even his record with Basel was so-so. But once he left Chelsea for AS Roma, the Egyptian started to find his feet as a true goal threat.

29 goals in two Serie A seasons suggested something was there, but no one could have foreseen his explosion at Liverpool. Salah immediately broke the Premier League's goalscoring record for a 38-game season, scoring 32 times in his debut campaign.

Overall, the forward heads into the upcoming campaign with 137 Premier League goals for Liverpool, all coming in 218 games. That stretches to 186 in 305 across all competitions.

In all, he's one of the most dangerous forward players on the planet and has been for some time. Even if, for whatever reason, Newcastle usually find a way to handle him at home.

What is Mohamed Salah's Premier League record?

Salah's 137 Premier League goals for Liverpool, combined with the two he got for Chelsea in his brief spell there lead to a grand total of 139. It's an incredible haul – only 13 players have managed more since the start of the league in 1992.

And so, even if Salah matched his lowest goals total for Liverpool in a single year (19) this coming term, he'd move onto 158 goals. That would be enough to leapfrog Michael Owen in 10th on the all-time list. He likely won't have reached this point by the time he faces Newcastle – but he'll hope to draw closer against the Magpies.

What is Mohamed Salah's assist record?

Salah's 139 Premier League goals are a fantastic amount – but they're not all he can boast about. He's also claimed 59 assists in England's top flight, with two of those coming in Chelsea blue.

That has him sitting in 22nd place all-time and Salah will almost certainly enter the top 20 in the coming season. As Newcastle know very well, he doesn't just hurt you by scoring goals.

What is Liverpool's record against Newcastle?

Liverpool and Newcastle have met a lot over the decades – their history as opponents dates all the way back to 1893. And as with just about everyone else in English football, the Reds boast a good record.

They've competed 185 times in their history, with Liverpool winning 91 of those. Newcastle have then won 50 themselves, leaving 44 games without a winner.

But what about in the Premier League? There have unsurprisingly been a fair few meetings since England's top flight rebranded – 56 in total – with Liverpool taking the vast majority of those points.

The Reds have won 33 of the 56, with Newcastle settling for a mere 11. In fact, the Toon have drawn more than they've won, with the points splitting 12 times.

What are Liverpool's recent results against Newcastle?

Liverpool have been dominant in recent times against Newcastle. Even last season – a campaign where the Reds struggled and the Magpies shone – Jurgen Klopp's side won both games.

The most recent was a 2-0 win at St James' Park that followed a dramatic 2-1 win at Anfield – Fabio Carvalho squeezed in a winner with seconds to play. In fact, Liverpool have won the last four clashes, having taken the points on both occasions in the previous season, too.

There were a couple of draws before that – 0-0 in Newcastle in 2020 and 1-1 in Liverpool in 2021. But you're probably noticing that there isn't a single win for the Magpies to mention here.

That's because you need to head all the way back to 2015 for the last time Newcastle beat Liverpool. That game finished 2-0 at St James' and was the second consecutive year that the victors wore black and white.

When is Newcastle vs Liverpool?

Newcastle will host Liverpool on Sunday, 27th August at 4.30pm UK time. It promises to be one of the biggest games of the season's early stages, with both sides looking to make a big statement.

Newcastle need early momentum if they're to prove that last season wasn't a fluke. It won't be easy, however – this isn't even their first big test. It comes one week after a trip to Manchester City as the Magpies face as tough an early test as you can get.

Liverpool, of course, need to make a statement of their own. They were truly awful at times last season, falling out of the title race almost immediately and then struggling to even compete for European spots. A late charge saw them briefly battle for fourth, but they'll be a Europa League side this season.

The winner will take a huge confidence boost from this one, then, and the Reds will turn to Mohamed Salah as their leader up top. His record in Newcastle isn't exactly sparkling, but he almost always returns home a winner.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Posteocoglou and star striker Harry Kane are set for "crucial" sit-down talks as reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano shares an "important update".

Will Harry Kane leave Spurs?

The 29-year-old, once again, is at the centre of a transfer saga – two years after treble-winning Man City attempted to prise him away from Spurs in 2021.

Pep Guardiola's side lodged bids over £100 million for Kane that summer but chairman Daniel Levy was in a strong position to refute any advances for Tottenham's star player.

Fast forward to now, and the situation is far more precarious, as the England striker's current deal is due to expire in the next 12 months. Interested sides could sign Kane on a Bosman deal next summer if he doesn't pen fresh terms, motivating the Lilywhites to make him a mammoth new contract offer recently.

Kane, however, apparently won't sign it this transfer window and his future remains up in the air – with German giants Bayern Munich chasing the forward.

According to Romano, who spoke to CaughtOffside recently, Kane is set for "crucial" sit-down talks with Postecoglou after Bayern's latest approach to sign him.

While Tottenham remain firm in their desire not to sell him, Bayern have no intention of quitting, as Spurs have still received no update from Kane over his future intentions.

"An important update from Tottenham," said Romano.

“From Bayern’s end, they remain convinced that Kane is prepared to make this move, but again it really depends on Daniel Levy and at the moment there is no green light. Kane will also speak to new manager Ange Postecoglou in the next days. Tottenham have received no communication yet from Kane over his future or his plans, so these talks will be crucial.”

How good is Harry Kane?

Scoring 30 league goals in 38 games last season, Kane also stood out as Tottenham's best-performing player by average match rating, with there being no queastion he is their most crucial asset.

If Postecoglou were to lose him, either this summer or next, it would come as an almighty blow to Spurs – regardless of whether they do in fact recieve a fee for him.

There are few alternative strikers in world football who can replicate Kane's quality, and certainly not for an achievable price, as reports suggest the likes of Victor Osimhen could cost an eye-watering fee.

For all Yorkshire’s history, no Yorkshire batsman has ever made two hundreds in a Championship match. Gary Ballance has gone one better – a hundred and a double hundred – to defy Hampshire

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl24-Apr-2017
ScorecardA draw that felt like a victory. That’s how Yorkshire ranked this encounter: scoreboard pressure from the off, England’s Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow scoring 18 between them across both innings and Hampshire hellbent on knocking more county noses out of joint. Not only did Yorkshire leave with a share of the polls, but Gary Ballance’s unbeaten 203 on the final day ensured he had a few things to celebrate.With 108 in the first innings, Ballance became the first man to score twin hundreds in a match as captain of Yorkshire. A remarkable feat considering they have been led by a few who could hold a bat.It was also the second time he has brought up centuries in both innings of a first class match – the first coming against Surrey in 2013. He is now the second Yorkshire batsman to score a century and double century in the same match after Younis Khan, who just yesterday brought up 10,000 Test runs for Pakistan, did so against Hampshire in 2007.We’re just into the last week of April and Ballance already has 508 Championship runs from five innings. If he continues on this path England selection, he says, will take care of itself. Andrew Gale, gestured to the Yorkshire dressing room where Root was readying himself for the long journey north and said: “There’s a captain in there that rates him.” Ballance knew one thing for sure: he was knackered. Understandably so.The pillar of Ballance’s hundreds – the second brought up today off 210 balls; the double off 384 – was stubbornness. Yorkshire were damned if they were going to lose two games to Hampshire in three weeks.”We showed what Yorkshire cricket is about, if you can’t win, don’t get beat,” said Gale and Ballance, leading with distinction, was a shining example of that. Across both innings, he batted for 12 hours and 52 minutes, facing 582 balls. Across four days of cricket, he was only off the field for 12.3 overs. So set was Ballance as he plotted Yorkshire’s final escape route that, if anyone had removed him, they might have been made King of England.For Hampshire, it is the second home game in succession that they have ended up with the rougher part of the draw. In the last fortnight, they have had Middlesex and Yorkshire, County Championship trophies from 2014, 2015 and 2016 between them, on their knees. Both were able to escape relatively unscathed.Hampshire’s recruitment over the winter has, objectively, been excellent. To be able to tie down a bowler of Kyle Abbott’s quality, who toyed with Root and Bairstow throughout the match and removed them both in the follow-on innings, is a masterstroke. Their squad depth is impressive: soon, they will have to decide how to get Rilee Rossouw and George Bailey into their batting line-up. Reece Topley’s return, despite not much reward with figures of two for 143, can be charted as a success given he bowled with good pace and has not lost his ability to move the ball both ways. Precocious leg spinner Mason Crane has yet to play a game. But ultimately, personnel may not prove a deciding factor on how this season goes, even if they do sit third.Quite simply, they do not have the pitches to force results. Across the country, as teams convert draws to wins – and occasionally loses in pursuit of those wins – Hampshire are at risk of standing still. It feels counter-productive that, having been saved from relegation by the financial mismanagement of others and working hard to “future proof” their squad for the rigours of Division One, they may find themselves held back as individuals, as a team and as a county by docile, unresponsive wickets. Teams that do well in the Championship tend not to draw too many games.With so much resting on the new ball, Abbott and Gareth Berg performed admirably. They decimated Yorkshire in the first innings by reducing them to 19 for four. In the follow-on, they had them 20 for two. Then, with the first delivery of the second new ball, Abbott drew Bairstow forward and, with the help of a fresh seam, moved the ball off the pitch and into the hands of James Vince at third slip. But, just as they found last week, when they reduced Middlesex for 44 for three in their follow-on innings, prising out the remaining wickets was an arduous task. Over the last two days of this match, only 10 Yorkshire wickets fell across both innings.There were a couple of moments that might have Hampshire thinking: ‘what if?’ Peter Handscomb, who shared a stand of 88 with Ballance that took Yorkshire into the lead for the first time in the match, was dropped on 33 by Jimmy Adams at point, which would have made it 236 for 4 – a lead of just 12.Then, in the 91st over, when Bresnan was 10 off 29, Vince dropped a chance in the cordon off Abbott, which would have meant a lead of 58 with four more wickets to get. The hosts also had to make do without the zippy Brad Wheal, unable to bowl after injuring his side on day three, the seriousness of that not yet known.”It was a frustrating day,” said Hampshire director of cricket Giles White. “You turn up and hope things go your way and you get a win but it didn’t go our way. We knew it would be hard work, it was a good wicket and remained a good wicket all the way through.”White is almost certainly the one who could ask the groundstaff for more to work with. His players are certainly doing their bit.

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, stopped short of proclaiming the Sri Lanka tour Bangladesh’s best-ever abroad, but mentioned that victories in the country were “rare”

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Apr-2017Freedom was the hallmark of Bangladesh’s victory in the second T20I, said Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who top-scored for his side with a 31-ball 38, before claiming 3 for 24, having opened the bowling.That Bangladesh played without fear was clear in the first six overs of the match: Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes cracked eight fours and three sixes inside the Powerplay, fetching 68 runs. Shakib subsequently consolidated the innings alongside Sabbir Rahman and Mosaddek Hossain. Even though Bangladesh lost quick wickets towards the end of the innings, 176 for 9 always seemed a formidable score.The 45-run victory was Bangladesh’s first in the format since they beat Oman in Dharamsala in March last year.”We played with more freedom in the second T20I, compared to the first game,” Shakib said. “I think it is a positive sign. We have to play like this in T20s. It is important because we hadn’t won the last eight games. The Asia Cup last year was our last good tournament. It was a big challenge for us in this game, as we had lost the first game. This is a satisfying win.”Though Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza didn’t have an especially memorable game himself – he got out for a golden duck, and then returned 1 for 30 from his four overs – his team was intent on sending their captain into retirement with a win, Shakib said.Furthermore, despite being the frontrunner to take over the reins from Mashrafe as the new T20I captain, Shakib said he was “not thinking about captaincy” at present. Instead, he chose to dwell on Mashrafe’s legacy.”Mashrafe is a special figure in the dressing room,” Shakib said. “Naturally, everyone will miss him. We need support on and off the field, and there’s no one more helpful than him. Nobody can play forever, so I wish him all the very best in life. I would want him to continue in the ODI team for a long time, and take Bangladesh cricket forward.”Shakib stopped short of proclaiming the Sri Lanka tour as Bangladesh’s best-ever abroad, but mentioned that victories in the country were “rare”. All three series were drawn 1-1.”We made huge improvements in the Test series after losing the first game. In ODIs, we showed the consistency of the last couple of years. We didn’t bat well in the third ODI, but overall we had a mindset change in Tests and T20s. We don’t often win like this abroad.”

Arsenal could potentially explore a deal for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby this summer according to journalist Dean Jones.

How much does Moussa Diaby cost?

Reports have stated that the German side are holding out for £51m for one of their star assets

The report also mentions that Arsenal are joined in the race for the Frenchman by Manchester United, Newcastle United, and the forward's former side Paris Saint-Germain.

It's claimed the 23-year-old has his sights set on a move to the Premier League as his next career step after four successful seasons in Germany.

Leverkusen already seem to be preparing for the French international's potential departure, with the recent signing of German winger Jonas Hoffman from Borussia Monchengladbach paving the way for the forward's possible departure this summer.

According to Jones, who was speaking on The Football Terrace's Done Deal show, Diaby has been angling for a move away from the Bundesliga since January, and should the Gunners want to act upon their interest, they will have to wait until the "second phase" of the transfer window:

"Diaby, amazingly, still looking for a club. He's been linked with everyone since January and has not actually tied anything off. Definitely someone who has been of interest to Arsenal, so I wouldn't rule it out, especially if this window wears on, and he is still looking for a club.

"Moussa Diaby is someone that Arsenal do like, but again that would be for the second phase of this window. The focus has been so heavily on getting these three guys [Havertz, Rice, Timber] through the door that there is no certainty over who they go for in that position yet, so let's wait until the mini-clearout starts to take place."

Will Diaby play with Saka?

Should the north London side complete a deal for Diaby, he will offer some incredible competition for Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side.

One complaint that some Arsenal fans had last season was the lack of real competition and rotation for the Englishman, who played a whopping 3195 minutes in the Premier League for the Gunners. The winger ended the season having clocked up 4169 minutes across all competitions for club and country and the effects of fatigue were really showing, managing just two goals and one assist in the final eight games of a really grueling campaign.

The arrival of the Frenchman in conjunction with the new deal for academy graduate Reiss Nelson should allow manager Mikel Arteta to properly rotate his right-wingers, allowing Saka to focus on the biggest games and the biggest moments for the Gunners next season across both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Diaby – hailed a "beast" – shares a very similar play style to Arsenal's number seven, with both forwards very direct in nature, whilst having the ability to create and score chances almost at will, as showcased by the pair's goal contribution numbers, with the Leverkusen man managing 14 goals and 11 assists in 48 games whilst the Gunners star produced 15 goals and 11 assists in 48 games.

The former PSG player is also a very versatile attacker, having played across the entire front three for his club last campaign, as well as in attacking midfield. This flexibility opens up a whole range of possibilities regarding the setup of Arsenal's attack and could allow both Saka and Diaby to play together.

No formal hearing was needed since both players accepted the sanctions proposed by Graeme La Brooy, the ICC match referee

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2017Afghanistan’s Dawlat Zadran and Mohammad Nabi have been warned by the ICC for breaching the Code of Conduct in two separate incidents during the side’s inning and 172-run win over Ireland at the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Greater Noida last week.Dawlat fired a throw that hit Peter Chase, Ireland’s No. 11, on his leg in the first innings. The action was deemed offensive as Chase, firmly inside the crease, wasn’t trying to attempt a run. In addition to the reprimand, Dawlat also had three demerit points against his name.Nabi, meanwhile, was found guilty of breaching a code that deals with “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.” The incident occurred early in Ireland’s first innings when he appealed and celebrated a catch that popped off Andy Balbirne’s bat even though he had clearly grassed the opportunity.No formal hearing was needed since both players accepted the sanctions proposed by Graeme La Brooy, the match referee. Nabi was given one demerit point for the offence.Four or more demerit points within a 24-month period will be converted into suspension points. Players with two suspension points against their name stand to earn a ban from either an ICC Intercontinental Cup match, two ODIs or two T20Is, depending on whichever comes first.

FootballFanCast previews Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge at Chelsea, a Stamford Bridge clash against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on the first Sunday of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

When is the match and is it on UK TV?

The match takes place on Sunday, August 13th, with the game slated to kick off at 4:30pm GMT.

Whilst the official UK broadcasters are yet to be confirmed for this game, based upon the timing of the match and the fact that it is two 'big six' teams facing one another, it is assumed that Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will be the channels to watch the game on.

Who is Chelsea's key player?

Despite being 38 years old, Thiago Silva is still the rock that Chelsea builds their defensive success upon.

His reading of the game is still exemplary, and his leadership skills help to bring the best out of those around him.

Whilst Pochettino will be working on fixing the club's misfiring attack, having Silva maintain the side's strong defence will be vital for the Blues

Who is Liverpool's key player?

Mohamed Salah has lit up the Premier League since the day he arrived at Merseyside, and his consistency and threat are so important for Klopp's side.

The Egyptian has recorded an insane 199 goal contributions in 218 games for the club in the Premier League.

His fantastic dribbling quality in addition to his world-class finishing ability and chance creation could be the difference for the Reds on the opening day against a strong Chelsea defence.

How will Chelsea line up?

Predicting Chelsea's lineup for the opening day is incredibly difficult, with factors such as the new appointment of Pochettino as well as the potential sales of a number of previous starters making it a tough task.

The London side is heavily linked with Brighton's Moises Caicedo, who would replace the outgoing pair of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, as well as young forward Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal. T

he club is also linked with moves for a goalkeeper, additional midfielders and a forward as they look to replace a number of their rumoured outgoing players; which include Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech and more.

The Blues will be hoping that new addition Christopher Nkunku will be fit and ready to play after an injury-hit season with RB Leipzig and can help solve their goal-scoring problems, while both Benoit Badiashile and Armando Broja will be hoping to come back from their long-term injuries.

Pochettino has shown a lot of tactical flexibility in the past and could make a return to the 4-2-3-1 system he utilised at Tottenham Hotspur.

Should he choose to employ that system, Chelsea could line up like this:

Kepa Arrizabalaga; Reece James, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku.

How will Liverpool line up?

The big question with Liverpool's lineup is whether Klopp will stick with the new system that he used at the backend of last season, which involved Trent Alexander-Arnold inverting into midfield, or return to his more traditional 4-3-3 system.

The Reds recently announced the signing of Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, whilst also being heavily linked with moves for Khephren Thuram, Kouadio Kone, Ryan Gravenberch, Gabri Veiga and Nicolo Barella to bolster their midfield. Reports have also stated that the Merseyside outfit is interested in a centre-back this summer as well.

The return from injury by Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic will be massive for the side, with both Spaniards impressing last campaign, however, they may only be fit enough for a place on the bench.

Should Liverpool stick with their inverted system which brought them success at the back end of last season, they could line up like this:

Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Fabinho, Alexis Mac Allister, Khephren Thuram, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez.

What were the last 5 league meetings between the two teams?

The last 5 league clashes between Chelsea and Liverpool have resulted in only one win; for Chelsea in March 2021 when Mount scored the only goal at Anfield.

Since then the two sides have played out four consecutive Premier League draws, six consecutive draws in all competitions, with the most recent two league games being goalless affairs.

The best game between these two clubs in the Premier League recently was the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in January 2022, when the Blues came back from 2-0 down thanks to goals from Kovacic and Christian Pulisic to earn a point in an end-to-end contest.

April 2023: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool January 2023: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea January 2022: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool August 2021: Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea March 2021: Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea

Every Opening Day Premier League Fixture in FULL

Who is going to win?

It looks set to be an entertaining clash between two close-matched sides, however, the amount of uncertainty within Chelsea due to the new manager, the poor 2022/23 campaign and the potentially massive squad overhaul opens the door for a more settled Liverpool side who showcased that they can still perform at their consistent standard at the end of last season to take control of the match and win their first league game at Stamford Bridge in three years.

FFC predicts: Liverpool win