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Arsene Wenger showed a lack of respect and took Monaco lightly according to the Ligue 1 side’s boss Leonardo Jardim, who has torn into the Frenchman following his side’s Champions League victory over Arsenal.

The Mediterranean outfit held on for an away goals win over their Premier League opponents last night, with the Londoners’ 2-0 triumph in the Stade Louis II not enough to overturn the 3-1 scoreline from the first leg.

After the game Wenger was critical of Monaco – whom he used to manage – claiming that Jardim’s side, who failed to register a shot on target in their home ground, did not deserve their spot in the last eight of the competition.

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And Jardim has hit back at his defeated opponent, claiming that he’s shown a lack of respect:

“It’s true in first leg when I wanted to shake a hand, Wenger didn’t thank me and shake my hand. So this time even though Monaco did everything for Arsenal, I decided not to thank him,” he is quoted by The Metro.

When asked if he felt Wenger had been disrespectful, the Monaco boss replied: “I think so and right now we’re celebrating and we think that Arsenal maybe didn’t show all the respect that they should have in the first leg.”

Arsenal were heavy favourites to overcome Monaco when drawn against the Principality side, who are only in their second season back in the top tier of French football.

The Red and Whites are also the lowest scoring team in the hat for the quarter-finals, and Jardim feels that Wenger was cocky and took victory against his side for granted:

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“Arsenal were very happy to play Monaco as we were supposed to be one of the weakest teams. All the teams in the last 16 wanted to play against Monaco. Maybe Arsenal thought they had qualified already.”

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Villa have done well over the years to maintain their ever-present Premier League status, especially considering they’ve endured a couple of difficult relegation battles in their history.

Last year proved tough watching at Villa Park though as they narrowly avoided the drop under Alex McLeish in what was possibly the worst season in the club’s history. This season hasn’t been much better and another relegation battle is before them.

Given the chance, Villa’s fans would probably name last year’s starting XI as the worst to ever take to the field wearing the claret and blue, but looking back over the years, some names stand out that would be enough to make everyone in the Holte End shed a little tear.

Here is the worst XI signings made by Villa during the Premier League era:

Click on Villa Park below to see the Aston Villa Worst Transfer XI

Allrounder takes match tally of sixes to 15 as visitors close in on rare Edgbaston win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Jul-2025 Warwickshire 184 and 55 for 2 need a further 338 runs to beat Worcestershire 333 and 243 (Brookes 87, Roderick 50) Ethan Brookes climbed into Warwickshire’s bowlers again, in record-breaking fashion, to keep Worcestershire on course for a vital Rothesay County Championship victory at Edgbaston.Of his side’s second-innings total of 243, Brookes’ share was a violent 87 from 137 balls. He struck seven sixes which, added to his eight in the first innings, amounted to 15 in the match – a record for any individual at Edgbaston, surpassing the 12 by Ian Botham for Somerset in 1985 and Dean Jones for Australia in 1989.The former Warwickshire allrounder’s barrage left his old team needing 393 to win and they closed the third day on 55 for 2 after losing both openers in the first four overs.Worcestershire resumed on the third morning on 31 without loss, already 180 ahead, but were pegged back by disciplined bowling. The opening partnership reached 80 in 32 overs before three wickets fell for 12 runs in 51 balls. Gareth Roderick (50 off 110) edged an expansive drive at Beau Webster. Jake Libby’s 149 minutes of toil for 25 ended when he pulled Ed Barnard to midwicket. Kashif Ali collected a tortuous 29-ball duck when he pulled Corey Rocchiccioli to short fine leg.As Warwickshire went on the defensive, Rocchiccioli bowling on or outside leg stump, Worcestershire’s batters appeared unsure how to handle such a big advantage. That advantage began to diminish as Ethan Bamber bowled Adam Hose and had Tom Taylor caught at point and Rocchiccioli’s leg-stump probing was rewarded when Brett D’Oliviera tickled a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Kai Smith and Ben Allison nudged to leg slip.Seven wickets fell for 52 runs in 22 overs but Brookes defended diligently as he awaited support. It arrived from Bertie Foreman, who got the scoreboard moving again before edging Webster to second slip, and then Adam Finch. Having added 88 in the first innings, this time Brookes and Finch put on 91.The cricket descended into farce after tea as Warwickshire went ultra-negative. Rocchiccioli wheeled away while Olly Hannon-Dalby bowled far outside off stump to deny Brookes scope to seek the short boundary. Warwickshire’s supporters bore it stoically though if an opposing team had resorted to such tactics some forthright views would have emanated from the stands. The grim spectacle concluded when Brookes hoisted Barnard to deep fine leg and Finch sliced Webster to second slip,Warwickshire faced a target of 393 in a day plus 26 overs, weather permitting, and in moderate light, soon lost their openers. Rob Yates was trapped in front by a rapid shooter from Khurram Shahzad; Alex Davies chipped to midwicket. Dan Mousley and Zen Malik batted assiduously to the close but Worcestershire would be gutted, from this position, not to bank their first Championship win at Edgbaston since 1993.

He helped Australia pille up 196 before Scotland were bowled out for 126 with Stoinis and Green picking up a combined 6 for 39

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Sep-2024In conditions where every other batter from both sides struggled for timing, Josh Inglis struck the ball with remarkable fluency on his way to the fastest T20I hundred by an Australia batter. He brought up the milestone in 43 balls, beating the previous record – held jointly by himself, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell – by four balls, and finished with 103 off 49.To put the innings in context, the rest of Australia’s top six scored 89 off 73 balls between them. His innings laid the foundation of Australia’s 70-run win over Scotland and also helped them take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Sent in, Australia set Scotland 197 to draw level after their shellacking in Wednesday’s series-opener. The home side had their moments in the chase, particularly during a 42-ball 59 from Brandon McMullen, but they could never quite keep up with the asking rate. On an occasionally two-paced pitch that offered a bit of seam movement, Australia’s seamers used their height advantage expertly, bowling hard lengths and extracting every ounce of help they could find.Scotland managed the odd spurt of quick scoring – George Munsey whipped Xavier Bartlett for two leg-side sixes in the first over, and McMullen used his feet against the quicks and hit four sixes, the pick of them a front-foot pull over wide long-on off Aaron Hardie – but Australia kept chipping out regular wickets, bowling into the pitch and inducing miscues.When Sean Abbott employed this modus operandi to end McMullen’s charge in the 13th over, the contest was all but over. From there, the end was swift, with Scotland losing their last six wickets for just 20 runs and being bowled out for 126 in 16.4 overs.Take Inglis away, and Australia didn’t do a whole lot better with the bat. Jake Fraser-McGurk, who had fallen for a duck on T20I debut on Wednesday, got off the mark in the format with a first-ball four. But he struggled to middle the ball – and often failed to connect – as his aim-for-the-grandstand methods proved unsuitable for the conditions, particularly against McMullen’s nibbly new-ball medium-pace.Marcus Stoinis picked up 4 for 23 with his medium pace•AFP/Getty Images

He fell for a run-a-ball 16, and Travis Head, who had battered Scotland for 80 off 25 in the first T20I, was out for a first-ball duck, bowled by a peach of an inducker from left-arm quick Brad Currie. Currie was one of five players in Scotland’s XI who hadn’t played on Wednesday.Three of the incomers were bowlers, and the revamped attack continued to make the Australia batters not named Inglis work for their runs. Cameron Green scratched his way to 36 off 29, and Marcus Stoinis finished with an unbeaten 20 off 20. They would eventually have their revenge with the ball, picking up a combined 6 for 39 in 5.4 overs.Inglis, though, seemed to bat on another pitch, against another attack. Where his team-mates seemed to lack options if they were denied room to free their arms, Inglis kept finding the boundary by means of quick feet and quicker hands. He manipulated the field expertly with his movements around the crease and his use of the scoop and reverse-scoop. When the Scotland bowlers tried to cramp him by going short and into his body, he generated incredible bat-speed through his short-arm whips and pulls.Despite this, Australia had only got to 179 when Chris Sole ended Inglis’ innings in the 19th over. Sole, introduced only in the 11th over and bowling just three overs, was perhaps Scotland’s best bowler on the day, quicker than his colleagues and as a result more impactful when he used his pace variations.In the end, Australia got close to 200 thanks to a cameo from Tim David, who clubbed the first two balls of the final over, bowled by Brad Wheal, for six, the second one soaring well beyond the midwicket boundary and landing outside the ground.

They will face Brisbane Heat in the Eliminator on Friday after a rocky chase against Melbourne Stars

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2023Returning allrounder Jason Sangha believes Sydney Thunder can cause some trouble in the BBL finals after sneaking into the top-five.Thunder locked in the last spot in the BBL finals with a tense three-wicket win against the lowly Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Wednesday night.The unconvincing victory allowed the Thunder to jump into fourth to secure a home final, knocking Hobart down to sixth. Thunder will host Brisbane at Sydney Showground Stadium on Friday night.Related

• Finch carries Melbourne Renegades into BBL finals

• Australia's T20I future: who has stood out from the BBL?

• Thunder win low-scoring thriller, will face Heat in Eliminator

“Looking back at our season, it has been a bit of a rollercoaster,” Sangha said. “The one good thing is we’ve managed to find a way in those tight situations, we’re just finding ways to win.”In the finals series, all you need is a couple of things to go your way. For us going forward is just recognising those key moments in a game.”The clash with Thunder was Sangha’s first game since he broke his collarbone on December 18. Despite being named captain for this season, the captaincy was left with Chris Green after the spinner had done the job for most of the tournament.But Thunder are likely to be without paceman Gurinder Sandhu against Heat after the 29-year-old suffered another calf injury. However, David Warner, who has yet to leave a mark on the tournament, will be available and would also play the Knockout if Thunder qualify before flying out to India with the Test squad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Thunder’s appearance in the finals looked shaky at numerous stages throughout the campaign, with the low-point coming when they were all-out for a T20 record low of 15 against Adelaide Strikers.The winner of the clash between Thunder and Heat will back up on Sunday night for another sudden-death match against Melbourne Renegades.Top teams Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers will battle on Saturday night in front of up to 50,000 fans at Optus Stadium.The winner of that match will earn hosting rights for the final on February 4, with the loser to play the winner of Sunday night’s match at Marvel Stadium.

The squad will undergo another test before their opening match against Netherlands on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2021Three Sri Lanka players taking part in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier, which began in Harare on Sunday, have tested positive for Covid-19.According to an ICC release, the entire team was tested after one player showed mild symptoms. Two of the players who tested positive are experiencing mild symptoms, while the third is asymptomatic. All three are in isolation and are under medical care.The other members of the squad have returned negative tests, but the squad are isolating as a precaution and will undergo another test ahead of Sri Lanka’s opening match against Netherlands on Tuesday.Related

• Pakistan, Bangladesh to kick off Women's ODI World Cup Qualifier in Harare

• Covid-19 cases in PNG camp forces team to withdraw from Women's World Cup Qualifiers

“We have playing squads of 15 at the event, which allows for injuries and illness, including COVID-19 to be managed, and in addition teams have had the option of bringing traveling reserves with them.” Said ICC head of events Chris Tetley. “As you would expect, the remainder of the squad are being closely monitored and they will all be re-tested ahead of taking to the field on Tuesday.”The event bio-security plan provides us with protocols to manage positive tests effectively with the intention of enabling the event to proceed whilst keeping all other players and participants safe.”This is the second instance of Covid-19 related to a team taking part in the World Cup Qualifier. Papua New Guinea were forced to withdraw from the tournament, after a spate of infections within their camp left them short of players who could clear the Covid test that would allow them to fly to Zimbabwe.

The series had been in doubt after Zimbabwe were suspended, but a late confirmation from Zimbabwe Cricket has kept it alive

Mohammad Isam07-Aug-2019Zimbabwe are set to play in a T20I tri-series in Bangladesh – with Afghanistan as the third team – next month, which will be their first assignment since the ICC suspended them last month. The series was part of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) schedule for the 2019-20 season, and they waited till Wednesday evening for confirmation from Zimbabwe Cricket. The series was meant to have given Zimbabwe preparation for the World T20 qualifiers later this year from which they were removed on Tuesday.Bangladesh’s 2019-20 home season will open with their maiden Test against Afghanistan, in Chattogram from September 5 to 9, before they play the tri-series from September 13 to 24. The double-league phase will be played in Dhaka and Chattogram, with the final to be held in Dhaka on September 24.”We are holding the tri-series as planned,” said BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury. “We had to wait till now for them to confirm their participation. The ICC has clearly stated that they are allowed to play against member boards.”ESPNcricinfo has learned that additional ODIs against Zimbabwe, following the T20I tri-series, have not been ruled out by the BCB. These matches, or even a single ODI, could well be Mashrafe Mortaza’s farewell from international cricket, but talks of a fitting send-off are still on within the BCB.

Queensland’s Brendan Doggett and Marnus Labuschagne will also be travelling to India while Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh were named captains

Daniel Brettig30-May-2018Usman Khawaja’s long-running battle to improve his methods against spin bowling may well reach a crucible on the Australia A tour of India in August and September, where he will be the most experienced member of a touring party chosen with an eye on the Test series against Pakistan in the UAE that follows.Struggles against spin bowling have caused the national selectors to drop Khawaja in the recent past, most notably when he was not picked for any of the four Tests in India in 2017 and then dropped again after one match in Bangladesh where he was twice dismissed cheaply. In between times, Khawaja has been an outstanding No. 3 batsman for Australia on home soil.

Australia A squads

Limited overs: Travis Head, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth
Four-day games: Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain

While other Test batting candidates such as Glenn Maxwell and Joe Burns are believed to have been left out of the Australia A squad because the selectors did not think they needed to learn anymore about them in Asian conditions, Khawaja’s inclusion strongly suggests the panel – now featuring the new coach Justin Langer – are seeking signs of progress and improvement before they commit to playing him against Pakistan.”We’re really pleased with the squads we have assembled for this tour,” the selection chairman Trevor Hohns said. “We’ve got a couple of really experienced international cricketers, a large group who have had a taste of playing for Australia already, and some emerging players who have performed strongly and we believe have the potential to one day play for their country.”It’s an extremely important tour, as we look for players who can adapt and find ways to excel in sub-continent conditions. With Australia’s series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates fast approaching, it’s a chance for some players to push for selection for that series, and for all players to gain experience in subcontinent conditions.”Brendan Doggett finished with four wickets in the first innings•Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Another notable choice for the tour is that of the indigenous fast bowler Brendan Doggett, who has turned plenty of heads with his sheer pace and wicket-taking capacity for Queensland. Given the current injuries to Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, the selectors are eager to broaden their stable of super fast bowlers, with Doggett and Billy Stanlake the leading names. Another Bull, Marnus Labuschagne, has gained his first representative call-up after strong recent displays in the domestic limited-overs competition.”Marnus and Brendan both came through the National Performance Squad program last year, and performed strongly for Queensland last summer,” Hohns said. “Brendan is an exciting fast bowler with genuine pace, who has impressed with his wicket-taking ability in the Sheffield Shield. Marnus has put together some really good performances with the bat over the past 12 months, particularly at one-day level.”Given the bans being served by Steven Smith and David Warner, the next generation of leaders in Australian cricket is also starting to emerge. South Australia’s captain Travis Head leads the limited overs squad, while Western Australia’s skipper Mitchell Marsh is in charge of the long-form team. The wicketkeeper and former Greater Western Sydney football club captain Alex Carey serves as deputy in both formats.”We’re looking for leaders for future Australian teams, and Travis, Mitch and Alex are all very impressive young men,” Hohns said. “Travis and Mitch both have captaincy experience at state level, and this is an exciting opportunity for them to lead a new group of players in different conditions. Alex, as our Twenty20 vice-captain in the UK and Zimbabwe, is also someone we rate very highly as a leader, and this is another opportunity for him to develop those skills.”

A career-best 3 for 31 from Doug Bracewell and a ninth ODI ton from Martin Guptill set New Zealand up for a dominant, series-leveling victory in the second ODI

The Report by Firdose Moonda23-Aug-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:50

Our bowling made all the difference – Guptill

A career-best 3 for 31 from Doug Bracewell cancelled out a fighting 70 from Farhaan Behardien, and set New Zealand up for a dominant, series-leveling victory in the second ODI. On a slow surface, New Zealand’s attack squeezed and then strangled South Africa with tight lines, pace off the ball and some reverse swing, none of which the home side could replicate.New Zealand cantered to victory without many concerns. Martin Guptill and Tom Latham starred in the highest first-wicket partnership for New Zealand against South Africa, beating the previous record of 114 set by Latham’s father Rod and Mark Greatbach at the 1992 World Cup. Guptill went on to score his ninth ODI century and his first against South Africa, with the runs scored authoritatively and all around the ground.South Africa’s first error came at the toss when AB de Villiers decided to bat first despite chasing being the preferred option in Potchefstroom. Their next mistake was the over-eagerness of the openers, who both fell playing aggressive shots and exposed the middle order earlier than they would have liked. New Zealand could see straight through South Africa and plucked most of their middle order in the period between overs 16 and 33 before clipping the tail in the last five overs.South Africa’s twin collapses – 4 for 66 in the middle period and 4 for 16 at the end – were held together by Behardien, but even he could not get really get going on a pitch New Zealand understood better.Pace seemed puerile, but Adam Milne enjoyed the early success. He steamed in and offered width to Hashim Amla, who threw his bat at it, forgot to move his feet and was caught at third man. Milne could have had Rilee Rossouw out two balls later when a low full toss was driven straight back to him but he could not hold on. He did not have to wait too long to make another incision, though.Morne van Wyk tried to cut the last ball of Milne’s second over and chopped the ball onto his offstump. As if losing both openers inside four overs did not put enough pressure on South Africa, that was immediately followed by the only maiden over of the innings, delivered by Ben Wheeler.South Africa’s two cleanest hitters were at the crease but neither de Villiers nor Rilee Rossouw could really get going. Rossouw looked comfortable and timed the ball better than any of this team-mates but Doug Bracewell and Ish Sodhi were difficult to get away and ultimately, that frustrated him. After a six-over stretch in which only 21 runs were scored, Rossouw tried to clear mid-off off a full delivery from Bracewell, but found only Kane Williamson.David Miller had an opportunity to end his lean run, which has now now reached ten innings without an ODI half-century, but never looked comfortable. He was surprised by a Bracewell delivery that reared up a touch, closed the face of the bat too early and got a leading edge to short cover. De Villiers was also done in by some extra bounce, from Grant Elliot, and was caught at mid-wicket, as South Africa’s trouble deepened.By then, Behardien had made some measure of conditions and realised he would need to bat responsibly. He searched for singles, even though he seldom found them, and managed not to get frustrated. Almost. After 11 boundary-less overs, he pushed a delivery back at Milne and could have been caught in the follow through but with power behind his push, Milne had to react quickly and could not hold on.The exasperation still hung over South Africa. David Wiese only lasted five more deliveries before he was given out lbw off Sodhi. Replays showed the ball had pitched marginally outside leg stump.With only the bowlers to come, Behardien tried to up the ante. He struck the innings’ only six with a pull over mid-wicket off Sodhi to bring up his half-century off 62 balls, but was soon forced to quieten down again with the introduction of Colin Munro followed by Wheeler and Elliot.Another lean six-over period followed with just 16 runs scored, and with the innings into the final five overs, Behardien felt he had to do something. However, he holed out to Bracewell, trying to drove down the ground, to leave the seamers to bat out the remaining overs. A trio of run-outs saw South Africa finish three balls short and well short of a competitive total.De Villiers tried to be innovative in his defence and opened the bowling with a spinner, Aaron Phangiso, but Guptill made a mockery of that plan. He took four boundaries off Phangiso’s opening two overs and gave one chance – a return catch which Phangiso could not hold on to.Dale Steyn replaced Phangiso and searched for swing without much success. Then Wiese took offer but bowled a poor line and strayed onto the pads. Steyn tried again from the other end but went too wide. All the while, Guptill and Latham took advantage, steering the ball behind square, and driving and cutting with confidence to bring up New Zealand’s fifty inside nine overs.Imran Tahir managed to slow them down and could have had Guptill out twice – once when he was on 37 and offered a return catch and a second time when he was on 39 and put down at long-off – but New Zealand made steady progress. Latham’s fifty came first, off 57 balls, and Guptill’s soon followed, off 86 balls.New Zealand lost their first wicket when Latham top-edged Tahir to Rossouw at deep square leg but by then, the game was already won. Guptill batted through to the end, when his race to reach his hundred was against the total and not the bowlers. Guptill was on 97 when New Zealand needed four to win and on 99 when New Zealand needed just one. He sent a loopy full toss to the extra-cover boundary to seal his century as well as the win, setting up for a finale on Wednesday, which New Zealand will be more confident going into than South Africa.Jimmy Neesham, who did not play this match, earlier in the week warned that New Zealand had become expert comeback kings once they have had a chance to assess conditions. New Zealand lost the first ODIs in both England and Zimbabwe before winning the next two matches and in the case of Zimbabwe, the series. South Africa will be aware that the same could happen in Durban.

A wrap of the fourth day of the third round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group A

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2012
Scorecard
Gujarat entered the final day at Eden Gardens staring at a certain defeat, but thanks to a century from Rujul Bhatt and a battling 83 from Rakesh Dhurv, they held off Bengal to avoid defeat. Gujarat began the day at 18 for 4, and lost the experienced Venugopal Rao on the first ball of the day. The scores of the top five read: 0, 4, 0, 12, 2. Gujarat’s resistance began with a 48-run stand between Rush Kalaria and Manprit Juneja, before Bhatt and Dhurv took over. The pair put on 149 for the eighth wicket to frustrate Bengal’s bowlers. It was Bhatt’s second century on the trot, but while the previous one against Saurashtra came on the flattest of tracks, this was a more testing surface and the match situation was also tougher. Bengal are now on six points, joint second place with Mumbai and Saurashtra, but those two teams have played a game less.
Scorecard
Saurashtra declared on their overnight score, giving themselves the whole of the final day to try and bowl out Hyderabad, but couldn’t pull off an outright win. Saurashtra’s decision to set Hyderabad a target of 345 in 90 overs was adventurous by Ranji standards and Hyderabad’s openers began positively, scoring 49 off 12 overs. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who took six wickets in the first innings, however removed both of them after which Hyderabad gave up trying to chase down the target. No. 7 Ashish Reddy struck a brisk 56 to raise the home side’s hopes briefly but after he was bowled by Jaydev Unadkat, Hyderabad’s primary task was doggedly playing out the remaining overs.
Scorecard
In a game with little to play for on the final day, Amit Paunikar went on to make his career-best score of 166 to push Railways to 353 in their second innings against Punjab. The other Railways batsman to make a substantial contribution was their captain Sanjay Bangar, who was unbeaten on 62. By the time Railways declared, with little more than a session for Punjab to bat out, the match was meandering along. Karan Goel was retired hurt, and Mayank Sidhana and Mandeep Singh fell early, but Punjab’s in-form batsmen Jiwanjot Singh and Uday Kaul played out the final 15 overs before the play was called off. Punjab continue to top the table with 17 points, opening up a 11-point lead over the second-placed teams.
Scorecard
At the KL Saini ground in Jaipur, in another of the group’s matches that was heading for a draw even before the start of the final day, there were no surprises. Madhya Pradesh helped themselves to some batting practice after having given up a hefty first-innings lead. Beginning the day 77 ahead, MP couldn’t declare too early to avoid the risk of an outright defeat; that meant they closed their innings only at tea, setting Rajasthan a target of 344 in one session. After having gained only two points from their two matches, defending champions Rajasthan picked up three from this match.