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His numbers since his international comeback are eye-watering: “it’s been a long journey but it’s not finished yet, hopefully”

Andrew McGlashan27-Oct-20223:46

What makes Rossouw so good against spin?

It has been a remarkable return to international cricket for Rilee Rossouw. After six years away, during which he took up a Kolpak deal in county cricket that did not go down well with CSA, he has now compiled back-to-back T20I centuries, alongside an unbeaten 96, in just seven innings.His numbers for the year are eye-watering: 340 runs at 68 with a strike rate of 184.78. In a way, those figures are made more extraordinary given he made two ducks against India. He has been given the pivotal No. 3 slot and has made it his own.Related

Rossouw ton, Nortje four-for help South Africa demolish Bangladesh

All five of his T20 hundreds have come since 2019. In that time, he has averaged 38.55 with a strike-rate of 156.88; up to the start of 2019, the corresponding figures were 26.16 and 131.07. He is a player transformed in this format.He had come within one blow of a century in the second innings of his comeback, against England. But, against India in Indore, shortly before this tournament, he crunched a 48-ball hundred. Now, less than a month later, he has done it again and there was plenty of emotion on show at the SCG, a ground that had been good to him before. He has batted three times here for South Africa and passed fifty on each occasion.”I’m a very passionate man and getting across the line meant a lot to me, meant a lot to my family back home,” he said. “It’s been a good rollercoaster ride just to play for South Africa again, it’s been amazing. You know sometimes things go your way and this year has been like an unbelievable rollercoaster ride for me. So happy, so proud to be sitting here. Never thought about it in a million years.”

“You’ve got to expose yourself to that type of environment. And I’ve been fortunate enough in the last six or seven years of my career to be in that position, and it’s just made me a better player”Rossouw on his ability against spin

It did not take him long to get going, any joy Bangladesh felt about removing Temba Bavuma in the first over quickly evaporating [that issue is not going away for South Africa]. On his eighth ball, Rossouw deposited Hasan Mahmud straight down the ground for six; in the next over there were two more, swept this time, off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.”If I get a boundary early in my innings I kind of feel like, okay, I could be on here today, and then I just grow from that confidence,” Rossouw said.A brief stoppage for rain did not really disrupt the flow, although there was some brief consolidation after the powerplay with Rossouw not finding the boundary in consecutive overs. Things got particularly ugly for Bangladesh in the 11th over, when Shakib Al Hasan, who had held himself back, was probably left wishing he hadn’t brought himself on when he was twice put into the stands over the leg side – the second off a huge no-ball full toss. To make matters worse, Bangladesh were penalised five runs when the wicketkeeper, Nurul Hasan, took a step back on the free hit, thus changing the field, which is not allowed.”I thought he played it well, played his cards [as he] could,” Rossouw said of Shakib’s decision to not bowl early on. “If I was in his shoes, I also probably wouldn’t want to bowl to myself or Quinton de Kock. He was hoping he could maybe get a breakthrough from one of the other bowlers… the longer it took for him to come into the game, the more attacking we were going to be.””So every moment you’ve got to cherish playing for your country”•ICC via GettyRossouw’s play against spin is among the best in the world: since 2021, only he, Alex Hales and Marcus Stoinis have averaged 35-plus and struck at 150 when facing spin. The amount of league and franchise cricket he has played around the world during his international absence played a key part, developing skills, notably a full range of sweeps, that can often not come naturally to batters brought up in South African conditions.”I think it’s somewhere I’ve definitely improved because I’ve played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent,” he said. “So I feel more comfortable now than what I used to maybe when I was in my 20s. You’ve got to expose yourself to that type of environment. And I’ve been fortunate enough in the last six or seven years of my career to be in that position, and it’s just made me a better player.”Rossouw sped into the 90s with three boundaries in four balls against Taskin Ahmed; the first of them highlighting terrific placement through point, the second brute power down the ground. He was within range of beating his 48-ball effort just a few weeks ago. In the end, the final five runs took a little bit longer – part of a wider slowdown in South Africa’s innings – but a dab into the off side got the run he most wanted. There was time for an eighth six before he found a fielder.”When you give up your right to play for your country, you expect, ‘okay, that’s just going be my last chance’,” he said. “So every moment you’ve got to cherish playing for your country. It’s been a long journey but it’s not finished yet, hopefully.”Rossouw missed out on what could have been a number of his best years at international level, but he’s doing all he can to make up for lost time.

Gerardo Espinoza's team defeated Puebla 1-0 in Matchday 16 of the Clausura 2025

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• Érick Gutiérrez scored the winning goal
• Chivas sit in 10th place and will look to secure a spot
• Javier Hernández came on in the 63rd minute

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chivas secured a crucial win that keeps their play-in hopes alive. With a 1-0 victory over Puebla at Estadio Akron, thanks to a 37th-minute goal from Érick Gutiérrez, El Rebaño reached 20 points and will now fight for a postseason ticket Saturday against Atlas in Matchday 17 of the Clausura 2025.

  Despite the much-needed result Tuesday, two key figures were booed by the home crowd: head coach Gerardo Espinoza, who was jeered when the lineups were announced, and striker Javier Hernández, who was met with boos upon entering the match in the 63rd minute.

  Both figures could be facing their final days with the club, depending on how things unfold for Guadalajara in the final stretch.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chivas snapped a five-game winless streak in Liga MX by defeating Puebla in the penultimate round of the Clausura 2025, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the final phase of the tournament. It’s now been eight years since El Rebaño last lifted the league trophy.

  And while a title run under Espinoza may seem like a long shot, having Chivas in the Liguilla is always a boost for Mexican football. To get there, they’ll need to beat Atlas – a team that knocked them out of the play-in just last season.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT GERARDO ESPINOZA SAID

  El Rebaño will play for their play-in spot against Atlas.

  "As if the Clásico wasn’t already special, now with a ticket to the play-in on the line, it becomes even more intense. We expect it to be a passionate, exciting match and hope it’s played at the highest level," Espinoza said.

  He also acknowledged that the team's lack of finishing has been a key factor in why they haven’t secured more points throughout the tournament.

  "Many situations develop in ways you don't expect. We need to raise awareness within the squad that if we want to go further, we have to step it up and close out games more convincingly. In previous matches, we had chances to seal the result, but things didn’t go our way and the points slipped away from us," he explained.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

  Espinoza’s squad will fight for their play-in ticket this Saturday when they visit Atlas at Estadio Jalisco. The last two editions of the Clásico Tapatío have both ended in victories for the Rojinegros.

It is understood Sriram will act as head coach of the T20I side, with current head coach Russell Domingo taking charge of the Test and ODI teams

Mohammad Isam19-Aug-2022The BCB has appointed former India allrounder S Sriram technical consultant for the Bangladesh T20I side, running from the Asia Cup later this month to the T20 World Cup in October-November this year. It is understood that Sriram will act as head coach of the T20I side, with current head coach Russell Domingo taking charge of the Test and ODI teams.Domingo is scheduled to reach Dhaka on Friday, to discuss his future plans, and on Thursday BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that they were going to make “drastic changes” to the Asia Cup-bound side.”We are not a strong side when it comes to T20 matches, and to do something about that, we have decided to bring drastic changes in our thought process and mentality,” Hassan said. “‘We want to start anew from the Asia Cup, and if we don’t do it now, we will face even worse results in the World Cup. We have done appallingly in the last T20 World Cup. We don’t know if we can get out of the circle of substandard results in T20 games. Since the Asia Cup is the biggest stage after the World Cup, we will try to change our way of playing and bring results.”Hassan, however, insisted that Sriram is a consultant and not coach. “The first thing is, Sriram was in our shortlist. He is coming to Dhaka on the afternoon of August 21. He is not taking over as coach. He is definitely not the head coach. He is coming as a technical consultant,” Hassan said.Sriram worked with the Australian team for six years from 2016, as assistant coach and spin-bowling coach, and has a role with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL. In his time with Australia, he had a big impact on Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, and worked closely with Nathan Lyon. He has also worked on developing Glenn Maxwell as a T20 spinner both during his time with Australia and RCB.Sriram played eight ODIs for India between 2000 and 2004, scoring one fifty and picking up nine wickets, and has a long and distinguished first-class career.In a statement, he said he was excited to put his extensive coaching experience to good use with Bangladesh. “I bring with me 25 years of cricketing experience and nine years of coaching at an elite level. I am really looking forward to working with the Bangladesh players. I believe Bangladesh has huge potential in white-ball cricket and the very thought of being involved with such a talented group of players at two high-profile events excites me.”Sriram takes over a team that has won just two out of seven completed T20Is this year, on the back of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, where they lost five out of five games in the second round of the tournament.Among the challenges for Sriram will be to have an impact in a crowded coaching setup. Domingo might not be involved, but the team also has the influential Jamie Siddons as batting coach while board director Khaled Mahmud is team director.

Fulham could be set for a fight to keep hold of one of their star men after it emerged that one has tabled an offer to take him away from Marco Silva’s side in January.

Fulham impressing in the Premier League

Though they were held to a goalless draw by Southampton in their most recent outing, it has been a strong start to the season for Fulham, who recruited aggressively over the summer.

Currently 9th, Fulham have lost just once in their last nine Premier League games, falling to a 4-1 defeat against relegation-threatened Wolves. In that time, they have held both Arsenal and Liverpool to draws, while they face Chelsea on Boxing Day hoping to go one better against their west London rivals.

It comes after Silva’s side broke their transfer record to sign Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe in the most recent transfer window, also adding Sander Berge to their midfield ranks and re-signing Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace, with the trio giving the Cottagers a new-look spine.

But their form has not gone unnoticed, and players are beginning to catch the eye of bigger clubs, with Antonee Robinson the chief suspect amid reported interest from Liverpool in the USMNT star. He is not the only man strongly linked with a move away from west London in the months ahead though.

Club make £16m+ bid for Fulham star

Now, reports in Brazil [via Sport Witness] claim that Fulham are set to be offered the chance to cash in on chief creator Andreas Pereira this winter amid interest from Brazilian outlet Palmeiras.

Pereira hit the headlines in recent weeks for suggesting a move away from Craven Cottage would be “very cool”.

“It would be very cool [to go to Marseille], the way [Roberto] De Zerbi plays soccer. I was watching it with good eyes, but let’s see now in January or at the end of the season if there will be a transfer or if I will stay at Fulham”, he told the media in comments he later claimed were not accurate.

Palmeiras are a potential destination for the Brazilian. Previous reports revealed that the Brazil side had offered a swap deal to try and tempt the Cottagers into selling the ex-Manchester United talent involving Vitor Reis or Richard Rios, but now it is added that this deal was rejected and a fresh offer has been proposed.

This offer, without a player, consists of a flat fee of €20m [£16.5m], which could be raised to €22m [£18.2m] if Fulham reject the initial offer. The initial report claimed that Fulham were holding out for €30m [£25m], which suggests that the new bids may well be rejected out of hand by Silva’s side, though it is claimed that “Palmeiras are optimistic of reaching an agreement” over the midfielder.

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Any sale would come as a big loss to Silva’s side, with Pereira among the top players in the Premier League when it comes to creating chances this season. Only five players provide more shot creating actions than the Brazilian, and though he is yet to register an assist he should have managed two according to expected goals.

Silva is also well aware of his qualities, dubbing him “outstanding” back in 2022 after his arrival at Craven Cottage. “He has been outstanding this season. I know a lot of people had doubts when I decided to sign him but I knew his qualities and his character“, he told Sky Sports.

However, with his £50,000 a week deal set to expire in 2026, his value is only decreasing and Fulham may well look to cash in on him sooner rather than later in a bid to still turn a profit.

Chris Richards and Crystal Palace booked their place in the FA Cup quarterfinal with a 3-0 win over Antonee Robinson's Fulham

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Richards and Palace cruise to winRobinson starts after missing USMNT dutyTurner left on benchFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

With U.S. international Chris Richards in the starting XI, Crystal Palace cruised to a clear-cut 3-0 win over Antonee Robinson's Fulham behind a pair of first half goals. Eberechi Eze was the catalyst, netting Palace's opener in the 34th minute before assisting Ismaila Sarr four minutes later to double the lead for the visitors, who added one more for good measure in the 75th-minute when Eddie Nketiah put the game away.

Richards started and played all 90 minutes, helping Palace's five-man backline keep the clean sheet. Robinson, meanwhile, went 71 minutes for Fulham after missing USMNT duty due to lingering injury issues. He had one shot, four crosses attempted, and one chance created.

Matt Turner, Palace's usual cup goalkeeper, didn't see any action as the USMNT starter was left on the bench by manager Oliver Glasnee – opting instead to stick with starter Dean Henderson.

“I talked to both goalkeepers today and I took the decision that Dean [Henderson] will start tomorrow,” Glasner said Friday. “On one side, it was a tough decision. On the other side, it was a very good decision for me to take because [it’s good to choose] between two great goalkeepers with everybody having 100 percent confidence and trust of us."

He added, “Dean is our No. 1, he’s played most of the games. We didn’t have a game for three weeks and I didn’t want to change this [the goalkeepers], that is why he will start tomorrow. [Matt Turner took it] very professionally. We talked two or three times this week because I was undecided for a long time."

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With the win, Palace are into the FA Cup semifinals, becoming the first team to advance to that stage. The draw for the semifinal round, which will be held at Wembley Stadium, will be held on Sunday following the three other quarterfinal matches.

Palace have never won the FA Cup, with their best runs ending in final defeats in 1990 and 2016.

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

This will be Palace's first trip to the FA Cup semifinals since the 2021-22 season, the campaign before Richards made the move to the London club. He joined Palace from Bayern Munich in July 2022, having spent the previous two seasons on loan with Hoffenheim. He made a total of 10 appearances at Bayern, earning medals for a UEFA Super Cup and two DFL Supercup triumphs.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PALACE AND FULHAM?

With the win, Palace will now look ahead to a return to the Premier League on Wednesday when they visit Southampton. Fulham, meanwhile, still have plenty at stake this season. currently sit eighth, only four points out of a Champions League spot, but will now face Arsenal and Liverpool in their next two Premier League matches.

A 54-run win gave Knight Riders a healthy NRR boost while leaving Sunrisers on the brink of elimination

Sidharth Monga14-May-2022Kolkata Knight Riders kept their campaign alive and pushed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s to the brink with a 54-run win, which gave them a decent net-run-rate boost.It took a responsible innings from Andre Russell to take Knight Riders to a challenging total after they decided to bat first. Russell’s 49 off 28 was among his slowest innings of this length or more, but he waited for the spinner’s over, which Sunrisers held back because of his presence at the crease. Then, in the final over, bowled by Washington Sundar, he took 20 runs.Sunrisers’ batting woes continued in the chase with Kane Williamson adding to arguably the worst IPL season for a batter and a captain. Only Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram pushed Knight Riders but not for long enough to threaten a win.Bat first, start slow
This is now the tenth match out of 13 in Pune that the side batting first has won. And yet this was only the second time a team chose to bat first. Even Sunrisers would have done the same, which suggests they expected the pitch to slow down. Before that came a slow start in which Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Marco Jansen gave the Knight Riders openers nothing. Just two boundaries came in the first four overs, which brought 20 runs for the loss of Venkatesh Iyer.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe transformation
All of a sudden, a slow innings went into overdrive. Runs came quickly, wickets fell too. Before the wickets fell, though, Nitish Rana transformed the slow start with 26 off 16. He took 17 out of the 18 conceded in the fifth over by T Natarajan, who was returning from an injury layoff, and then ramped Jansen for a six to end the powerplay.Ajinkya Rahane, though, appeared to do his hamstring, and decided to take higher risks. Then came the high pace of Umran Malik, who took out Rana, Rahane and Shreyas Iyer in his first two overs. And when Natarajan trapped Rinku Singh with a yorker, Russell walked in as early as the 12th over, with Knight Riders 94 for 5.The gambit
Keeping an offspinner back for the death overs is not the smartest idea on paper but Knight Riders were five down and Williamson perhaps hoped to get Russell out before needing to bring Washington back. His quicks were nearly at their best against Russell. Malik, Bhuvneshwar and Natarajan collectively kept Russell and Sam Billings quiet. Russell was 10 off 11 and 30 off 23 at two points in his innings, which is usually a win for the bowling side. Billings eventually went past a run a ball but couldn’t manage major damage before falling to a slower ball from Bhuvneshwar in the 19th over.In the process of looking for Russell’s wicket, though, Sunrisers pushed their spinner’s over right to the end. To his credit, Russell played percentage cricket, not taking extravagant risks when he didn’t get the boundary balls from the quicks.Washington began the last over well with a yorker and then conceded just a single to the new batter Sunil Narine, but a whole over is too long a time for a spinner against these two hitters. Washington missed the blockhole three times out of four in the rest of the over, and Russell hit all three for sixes.Abhishek Sharma scored quickly to keep Sunrisers on track at the start•BCCIAbhishek the lone warrior
In an interview at half time, Russell said 170 would have been a good score, and that Knight Riders had bonus runs. That would suggest Sunrisers would need everything to go their way in the chase. However, Williamson’s wretched run continued with yet another innings under a run a ball. When he finally attempted a ramp, Russell bowled him in the fifth over.At the other end, though, Abhishek took down a second legend this IPL season. After scoring 47 off 23 Rashid Khan balls, he consigned Narine to his costliest over this IPL, costing him 17 runs.At the other end, though, runs hardly arrived. Rahul Tripathi tried as usual but kept finding the fielders, none more frustratingly than the full-blooded drive that ended up as a return catch for Tim Southee. Having faced only 27 balls out of 70, Abhishek eventually took one risk too many and skied Varun Chakravarthy.Hardly anyone has taken Narine on in this IPL, choosing instead to play him out, which showed in just the eight wickets for him coming into this match but also an economy rate of well under six. He went for 30 in his first three but made up for it with his ninth wicket of the season, of Nicholas Pooran, in the fourth.With Sunrisers now needing 102 off 45, Markram had to go for everything. He managed to hit three sixes before playing Umesh Yadav on.The net run-rate boost
It was now all about the margin of defeat because net run-rate can come in handy in the final equation. Shashank Singh and Washington batted normally until the end of the 17th but then Russell and Southee took quick wickets to restrict Sunrisers to 123 for 8.

The one-day series in Pakistan is a chance to assess some younger players ahead of the ODI World Cup

Alex Malcolm22-Mar-2022

Australia’s new men’s head coach is still to be confirmed but limited-overs captain Aaron Finch believes the successful candidate will need to oversee a transition period for the white-ball teams with the 2023 ODI World Cup looming as a natural endpoint for some senior players.Cricket Australia has quietly undertaken a search for a new senior coach over the last month with the aid of a recruitment firm, following the messy departure of the previous coach Justin Langer.Interim coach Andrew McDonald is the warm favourite to take on the role full time but the shape of the coaching structure could well determine who ultimately takes the role or roles should CA choose to split the head coaching posts along red and white-ball lines.Finch confirmed he is eyeing the ODI World Cup in India next year as the endpoint of his international career “should he get there”. More than half of Australia’s first-choice team will be well over the age of 30 by the end of that tournament.Finch is about to lead a young ODI and T20I squad to Pakistan with David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Kane Richardson all missing.Related

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Kane Richardson ruled out of Pakistan tour with hamstring injury

Finch revealed he had a couple of meetings with the recruiting firm that is conducting the coaching search although he was not consulted who he thinks should be the coach.”That was just more on my thoughts on where the team’s at at the moment and where we see the team going in the future over particularly the next 18 months to the 50-over World Cup,” Finch said.”I think it’s a really interesting transition. It will be over the next probably two years because no doubt we’ve got a very experienced side at the moment when everyone is available, or a very experienced squad, so no doubt over the next couple of years there’ll be quite a bit of turnover. Having someone who can manage that transition of players will be really important.”The white-ball players not in the Test squad have gathered in Melbourne to train prior to travelling to Lahore for the three ODIs and one T20I with former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori taking charge of their preparation as he prepares to join Australia’s coaching staff for the limited-overs portion of the tour in a temporary assistant coaching role.Australia have only played three ODIs since December 2020 and just 14 since the 2019 World Cup. Finch himself hasn’t played since December 2020 having missed last year’s three ODIs in the West Indies due to a knee injury.Alex Carey captained the team, while Josh Philippe, Moises Henriques, Matthew Wade, Ashton Turner and Dan Christian all played in Australia’s last ODI team yet none were selected for the upcoming tour of Pakistan despite a large number of absentees. Australia are using the tour to begin their planning towards the ODI World Cup.”I think with a lot of the decisions that are being made around the makeup of the squads, that’s with an eye to the 50-over World Cup and trying to link anything that we do back to giving us as much information as we can get for that tournament,” Finch said. “But the main goal is to still win the series. You pick a side that you think can win every game and a squad that can win every series. That’ll be tough no doubt. Pakistan are a great side.”Finch himself is looking forward to getting back to 50-over cricket after a lean run in T20Is recently. He scored just 78 runs in five T20Is against Sri Lanka and battled for rhythm throughout the series. He played two 50-over Marsh Cup games for Victoria in recent weeks but after a first-ball duck against Tasmania, he produced a fighting 67 against Western Australia.”I feel really good,” Finch said. “I feel as though I’m batting quite well. It was a difficult wicket out here at the Junction to play against a really good WA attack, and to be able to get 60-odd on that wicket was nice. Just a couple of slight technical tinkers that I’ve been trying to work on since the Big Bash. But they feel like they’re starting to bed down nicely.”Finch will also join Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL after the tour of Pakistan as a replacement player for Alex Hales.

The Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to be renamed the SK Warne stand in perpetuity following the sudden death of Australian cricket legend Shane Warne at the age of 52.Warne died while on holiday in Thailand on Friday leading to a global outpouring of tributes and emotion.On a grey dreary Saturday in Melbourne, not dissimilar to the one where Warne claimed his 700th Test wicket in front of adoring fans in the Southern Stand at the MCG on Boxing Day 2006, Melburnians gathered around his statue outside the Members’ at the MCG to lay flowers, cricket balls, beers, pies and cigarettes as a tribute to Warne.Related

• Shane Warne, Australia's legendary legspinner, dies aged 52

• A magician and a match-winner

Victoria’s minister for tourism and sport, Martin Pakula, confirmed that he had consulted with Victoria premier Daniel Andrews, MCC Trust chairman Steve Bracks and MCC CEO Stuart Fox and they had resolved to honour Warne by renaming the Southern Stand in his honour.”We will be renaming the Great Southern Stand the S.K. Warne stand and we’ll be doing that as soon as we possibly can,” Pakula said. “I can think of no finer tribute to the greatest cricketer this state has produced than to rename the stand the S.K. Warne stand and no matter whatever happens to that stand in the future whether it’s rebuilt, refurbished, renovated, it will remain the S.K. Warne stand in perpetuity because his legend will live in perpetuity.”Cricket Victoria is also looking at ways it can honour Warne as there were already plans to potentially rename a stand at the Junction Oval in his name prior to his passing.Premier Andrews and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison have also contacted the Warne family to offer a state funeral but the family has been given some time to work out what they would like to do.Cricket Australia chairman Dr Lachlan Henderson confirmed he had spoken to the Prime Minister directly on Saturday regarding Warne and believed renaming the Southern Stand at the MCG was a fitting tribute.”That would seem a very appropriate acknowledgement of Shane Warne,” Henderson said. “He’s been an icon of the game, obviously with St Kilda Cricket Club, Victoria, our Australian team for so many years. He also played cricket all around the world. So it’s a very fitting tribute.”Right here this morning, driving past a junior cricket ground in Victoria, I saw a young leg-spin bowler bowl a beautifully flighted ball that beat the bat and I’m sure someone was looking down on that young bowler as he embarks on his career.”The Australia women’s team wore two black armbands in memory of Warne, and Rod Marsh, who also passed away Friday, and observed a minute’s silence ahead of their Women’s World Cup opener against England in New Zealand. England also wore a black armband in tribute to both men.Henderson confirmed that Australia’s men’s team, who wore a black armband and observed a minute’s silence ahead of day one of the first Test with Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Friday in memory of Marsh, would do the same for Warne ahead of day two on Saturday.

Arsenal have risen through different levels under Mikel Arteta, and though there have been some ridiculous claims of the Spanish tactician harnessing the so-called dark arts in recent weeks, you can’t argue against the magical job that has been made over the past several years.

Arteta inherited a squad that was failing to inspire confidence, fill the Emirates Stadium, continue Arsene Wenger’s legacy in a positive and fitting fashion.

He’s pieced the London club back together, brick by brick, and though the Gunners have fallen short, so agonisingly short, in each of the past two Premier League title battles against Manchester City, it’s important to look back at where Arsenal have come from.

A range of distinctive improvements have converged to form a fearsome new whole, with the backline among the finest that European football has to offer at the moment.

Arsenal's defensive overload

Arteta and Arsenal’s sporting director Edu deserve all the plaudits for their success in trimming the fat at the Emirates over the past few years and signing players fit for purpose within an elite-level outfit.

This has been displayed through the loping strides taken at the rear, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes combining to stand as one of the meatiest and most formidable partnerships around.

Indeed, last season, Arsenal great Lauren even said: “There isn’t a better centre-back partnership than Gabriel and William Saliba in the Premier League, in my opinion.”

23-year-old Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth might muddy the present view, but then football fans are fickle, and one blot on the France star’s copybook does not negate the stunning work that he has plied in recent years, rivalling the likes of Virgil van Dijk as Europe’s prized centre-back.

Great teams carry more than just one or two high-class stars, and Arsenal have strengthened well over the past several windows, but there is now something of an overload of left-footed defenders.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has completed 70 appearances since joining from Pep Guardiola’s City in a £30m deal, but injuries and a loss of form have seen his playing time diminished, leading to more recent captures of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.

With youngsters such as Ayden Heaven pushing for a breakthrough, outcasts like Kieran Tierney will be looking for a way out, especially after interest was drummed up this summer.

He’s not the only one. Though Jakub Kiwior has earned a bit of game time this season, he’s not inspiring confidence and may well be given the boot in 2025.

Jakub Kiwior's performance vs Bournemouth

Arsenal signed Kiwior from Italian club Spezia during the 2022/23 winter window, purchasing him for a £20m fee. There’s no question that the Poland international is a talented player, but he’s perhaps failed to quite bring it all together as Arteta would have hoped.

Saliba might have been dismissed against the Cherries but he’s been a pillar of rock-hard strength in recent years for the Gunners and was certainly not the only defender culpable for the team’s first defeat of the season.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, football.london’s Kaya Kaynak branded Kiwior with a 5/10 score, saying: ‘Had been doing OK defensively but his weak pass back to Raya for the penalty was really poor.’

Kiwior suffered the ignominy of being withdrawn at the 80-minute mark, having been introduced seven minutes before half-time, replacing Raheem Sterling after Saliba was dismissed for a last-man obstruction.

It wasn’t a dreadful performance from the 24-year-old, all things considered, but he displayed rustiness in possession and will be frustrated with his manager’s decision to hook him after being introduced past the hour mark.

The dynamic defender must not be judged on one performance alone, but nonetheless, for the good of his career, it’s perhaps high time for him to search for pastures new.

Why Arsenal should sell Jakub Kiwior

Kiwior has been praised in the past for his “extraordinary” qualities by his countryman Robert Lewandowski, who’s rather good in front of goal and thus knows a talented defender when he sees one.

But we need to be realistic, and with the Pole featuring 20 times at left-back last season, moved from his natural role in the centre due to the Gunners’ imperious and immovable (unless one gets sent off) partnership, it’s hard to see where he fits in, Arteta having spent around £42m on Euro 2024 star Calafiori.

As with the earlier-mentioned Tierney, Kiwior was the subject of transfer attention this summer, with Arteta seemingly considering his departure in August.

The £58k-per-week ace has room for growth and a slick passing game that makes a convincing comment on the strategy behind signing him, influencing Arsenal’s defensive structure, but his pitch time this season has been almost negligible, introduced against Bournemouth only because of dramatic circumstances.

He’s one of the lowest-paid first-teamers on the books but has still cost Arsenal around £5m in wages since being signed back in January 2023. Partner that up with the transfer fee, and he’s cost the club £25m without having properly established himself, even leading Arteta’s train of thought toward his exit only a matter of months ago.

Arteta has had no reservations about cutting players loose who are not going to enhance the project over the past several years, and he must do so again with Kiwior in 2025.

The 5 foot 11 star doesn’t look like he’s going to displace any of his highest-profile defensive teammates, but this simply bears testament to the job that Arteta has done. It would be best for his career path if he took the first steps of a new journey in 2025.

Fewer touches than Raya: Arsenal must axe 4/10 flop after Bournemouth

Arsenal suffered a rare Premier League defeat on Saturday evening.

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 21, 2024

Arsenal are now reportedly weighing up a January move to sign a new forward, and may have identified a new name to bolster Mikel Arteta’s ranks as they look to get their season back on track.

Arsenal stumbling in Premier League title race

Heading into the November international break, Arsenal are a massive nine points off the early season Premier League leaders Liverpool, and five behind Manchester City after a run of poor form. Arteta’s side dropped yet more points as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a result that leaves them below Enzo Maresca’s side in the table, and one of four sides on 19 points from their opening 11 games.

£130k-p/w star just dropped his best performance in an Arsenal shirt

There were a few positives for Arsenal despite dropping points against Chelsea.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 11, 2024

They have won just one of their last five Premier League outings, in a run of form that threatens to take them out of the race for the title entirely should it continue after the international break.

Central to their issues has been an ability to score goals, with the Gunners having misfired on several occasions and six sides having scored more than Arteta’s side, a strong break from last season when only Manchester City could match their goalscoring prowess.

Though it has coincided with the absence of playmaker Martin Odegaard, there have also been concerns with the attackers at the club as several gilt-edged chances have gone begging, and the likes of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus have proved ineffective at best when offered the chance to prove that they deserve more opportunities at the Emirates Stadium. A new striker has long been on the club’s wishlist, and now they may have identified their man.

Arsenal look to Serie A for striker solution

That comes as Caught Offside claim that Arsenal have identified Mateo Retegui as a potential alternative signing to Viktor Gyokeres as they look to bolster their frontline. The Gunners have not scored enough so far this season, with Kai Havertz the club’s top goalscorer with just four Premier League goals. Retegui, meanwhile, has started the Serie A campaign in red hot form for Atalanta, netting 11 goals already, one more than Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli combined.

Mateo Retegui’s impressive Serie A season

Appearances

12

Goals

11

Assists

3

Yellow Cards

1

Minutes per goal/assist

56

The report claims that though “Atalanta don’t want to sell Retegui”, €50m (£42m) may be enough to persuade them to sell the in-form forward in January, a fee which would be relatively modest in the landscape of other strikers Arsenal have been linked with in recent months.

His wages would not be a major obstacle either, with his current deal seeing him take home just £45,000 a week in Bergamo.

Now 25-years-old, Retegui has been tipped for success by former Italy legend Christian Vieiri, who dubbed him a “tremendous” talent with a knack for being perfectly positioned.

“In the penalty area, he is very skilled. He knows how to free himself from marking, always being in the right place at the right time. This is a tremendous quality. He constantly seeks to score; on every rebound, he is always there,” Vieiri explained.

Arsenal have long been crying out for a striker able to do just that, and a signing like Retegui could be the man to fire them back into the title race.