ESPNcricinfo suggests five county players to keep an eye onJoe Clarke (Worcestershire, 21)
“He could be the new Joe Root,” said Worcestershire’s head coach Kevin Sharp about Joe Clarke and considering England’s lack of Test runs they could do with another one. Clarke has got age on his side and his 920 runs last season helped Worcestershire win promotion. Could Clarke play under Root’s captaincy this summer?
Alex Davies (Lancashire, 23)
Another youngster who made waves in 2017 was Alex Davies. Lancashire’s keeper-batsman was the county’s highest run-scorer in the Championship and became the county’s first keeper to score 1000 first class runs in a season. Competition is rife for the England keeping spot, with Ben Foakes the next in line, but Davies can add himself to the shortlist with another strong season.
Jamie Porter (Essex, 24)
If Essex were to credit one player for their remarkable Division 1 triumph in 2017, it would probably be Jamie Porter. Porter and Simon Harmer shared 147 wickets, Porter a shade ahead of the offie with 75 wickets at 16.83 apiece. Porter does not bowl at express speeds – he remains within the 80mph mark – but he can move the ball both ways with surgical accuracy. England’s James Anderson will inevitably have to call it a day and, with options limited, Porter will not have abandoned hopes of Test honours.
Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire, 20)
Matthew Fisher’s career has encountered more injury speedbumps than he would like, but Yorkshire need a strong showing from this lanky pace bowler to offset absences elsewhere. His Yorkshire teammate Tim Bresnan famously predicted: “I think he is going to be an unbelievable bowler” and if he remains injury free he can begin to prove it.
Hamidullah Qadri (Derbyshire, 17)
When he made his debut for Derbyshire in June last year, Hamidullah Qadri became the first county cricketer to have been born in the 21st Century. Besides this unique accolade, Qadri also made headlines for bowling Derbyshire to victory in his very first game. The Afghanistan-born off spinner claimed 5 for 60 against Glamorgan in the second innings. More chances are bound to come as the season progresses.

Sunderland opted to part ways with their 2022/23 Player of the Year on deadline day as Danny Batth joined Championship rivals Norwich City on a permanent basis.

Why did Sunderland sell Danny Batth?

The Black Cats decided not to offer the experienced central defender a contract extension at the Stadium of Light which left him in the last 12 months of his deal.

Instead of spending the rest of the 2023/24 campaign on Wearside knowing that he would be moving on next summer, both parties agreed to find him a new club during the summer transfer window and the Canaries swooped in at the last minute to secure his services.

Journalist Phil Smith suggested in an interview with Norwich-based outlet The Pink'Un that Batth was not going to be a frontline option for Tony Mowbray as the club wants to evolve the team to be more progressive in playing out from the back, which is not a strength of the former Stoke man's.

Who could replace Danny Batth?

Whilst Sunderland do not need a player to step into the XI after Batth's exit, the Black Cats could require someone to step up to be a rotation option and feature on the bench.

The 32-year-old stopper was on the bench for all four of the club's Championship games prior to his exit and played the full 90 minutes of the League Cup defeat to Crewe on penalties in August.

This is where 19-year-old central defender Zak Johnson could emerge as a surprise replacement for Batth, who won 66% of his aerial battles in the Championship last term. The impressive youngster has caught Mowbray's eye and was handed an opportunity to start against Crewe.

Johnson, who predominantly plays as a centre-back, was selected at right-back and showcased his defensive qualities with an assured performance. As per Sofascore, the teenage titan won an eye-catching five of his six duels, which included three of his four (75%) in the air, and made three clearances to go along with one tackle.

The talented gem, who made his first-team bow at the age of 16 against Manchester United's U21s in the EFL Trophy in 2021, has also racked up 35 appearances for the club's U21 side to date.

His form for Sunderland's academy team led to international recognition earlier this year as he made two appearances for England's U18 side in June.

At the age of 17, journalist Josh Bunting hailed Johnson as an "exciting" talent with "key" defensive attributes that could make him one to watch moving forward.

The central defender has now established himself as a regular for the club's U21 team and earned a place within his country's youth set-up, whilst also making his League Cup debut this season.

However, Johnson has not been named on the bench for any of the side's Championship matches this term so that should be the next natural step in his progress on Wearside.

Mowbray could replace Batth's position on the bench by offering the promising ace the chance to be part of the first-team squad week-in-week-out in order to build up valuable experience, along with having the potential to get on the pitch if needed.

Barring a glitch or two, both teams are extremely well balanced, and the quality of resources at their disposal should mean that Eden Gardens is in for a top-notch contest

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan13-Apr-20183:08

Dasgupta: Gill better than most Indian batsmen in KKR squad

Big PictureForty-eight hours. After barely surviving a rollercoaster against the defending champions Mumbai Indians, that is the time Sunrisers Hyderabad have to recuperate and be back in full swing. It’s another reminder of how punishing the IPL can be, and the challenges teams face in staying fresh through two whole months in the peak of the Indian summer. Moreover, Sunrisers will have to switch cities, as they step out of home into the bastion that is Eden Gardens.With 41 victories, Kolkata Knight Riders are the third-most successful home team in IPL history. That trend extended with a dominant win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening game. Knight Riders are among the most well-balanced teams. Their batting order is full of firepower, and they bat very deep. It came to the fore against Chennai Super Kings, when Andre Russell shellacked an unbeaten 88 off 36 balls to power them to 202, after they were 89 for 5 at the halfway stage.Knight Riders’ only concern at the moment is with the domestic fast bowler’s slot. Vinay Kumar, who is their senior-most player in that department, has fallen flat, having gone at 2.82 runs per ball in the two games so far. After their failure to defend 202 against Chennai, the bowling coach Heath Streak called for better execution from the players. And while Streak placed emphasis on a change in approach over wholesale changes to the XI, Knight Riders may consider testing the Under-19 duo of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in place of Vinay.Like Knight Riders, Sunrisers have a wonderfully-balanced side. Shikhar Dhawan has done his best to make up for the absence of David Warner with a pair of belligerent knocks. Sunrisers’ middle order has never looked stronger, after the acquisitions of Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan. And Shakib Al Hasan has added teeth to an already potent bowling attack. However, Sunrisers lack a quick striker to complement Dhawan at the top. T20 cricket has often shown us that having one partner buckle down while the other tees off isn’t necessarily a winning strategy. And assuming that Kane Williamson will be largely responsible for holding his end up to build the innings, Sunrisers cannot afford to have two slow scorers in their top three.In the newsMitchell Johnson was rested from Knight Riders’ match against Chennai Super Kings due to a “slight niggle”, but Streak confirmed that the left-arm pacer had recovered, and was hopeful of his return. Streak also said that Lynn’s shoulder problem shouldn’t be a concern. On the eve of the match, captain Dinesh Karthik confirmed the same but also said that team decisions would be made on the morning of the game.Bhuvneshwar sat out the Mumbai game due to a sore back. While he is their spearhead, Sunrisers wouldn’t be sweating too much in case Bhuvneshwar doesn’t recover, seeing as Sandeep Sharma, his replacement, fared well with returns of 2 for 25 in four overs.The likely XIsKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 6 Rinku Singh/Shubman Gill, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh NagarkotiSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Siddarth Kaul, 10 Sandeep Sharma/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Billy StanlakeESPNcricinfo LtdStats that matter Of the 48 balls that Siddarth Kaul has bowled this season, batsmen haven’t been in control of their shots against 25 of them. The numbers are identical for Kaul’s teammate Rashid Khan. Kaul has taken a particular liking to the short delivery. He has bowled 11 of them so far – the second-most this season – and to great effect, giving away just nine runs, including a solitary boundary, and picking up a wicket. Sunrisers have never beaten Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Of the five matches these two sides have played here, the home team has won all of them. Among players with at least 600 career IPL runs, Andre Russell’s Smart Strike Rate of 220.40 is, by far, the best. No other player even touches the 200-mark. Glenn Maxwell is a distant second, with 1245 runs at a Smart Strike Rate of 194.79. Contrary to the norm this season, four of the last five meetings between these two sides have been won by the team batting first. Robin Uthappa has an excellent record against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL. Off the 53 balls he has faced from the bowler, Uthappa has scored 65 runs, and is yet to be dismissed.Strategy puntUse your fast bowlers against Narine. Royal Challengers did the mistake of bowling Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar at Narine upfront, and he sunk them with a 17-ball half-century. Chennai, too, turned to Harbhajan Singh for the second over with Narine at the crease. While the move paid off for them, the contrast is telling. Since the 2015 IPL, Narine has averaged 29.7 and struck at 240.5 while being dismissed thrice in nine innings against spin. Against pace, he averages 18.6, while the strike-rate drops to 156.9, and he has got out to them 11 times in 19 innings.Fantasy picksBatsmen at the top are most likely to score the big runs, which makes Chris Lynn an automatic lock. Even if he does end up being dismissed for a low score, Lynn is unlikely to scratch around, which will make the loss of points minimal. Likewise, Narine would make a safe pick, given his batting position and utility with the ball. Since the previous season, Narine has averaged 19.06 with the bat and struck at 186.92; with the ball, he has conceded just 6.85 runs an over: as fantasy as it gets.Quotes”Yes, we’ve got to be careful. He’s not the first bowler, and he won’t be the last bowler who won’t defend 17-20. We’ve seen (Dwayne) Bravo – what he can do. We’ve seen Andre (Russell) hit quite a few overs for those sort of numbers, like 20-plus. It’s tough when you’re defending the last one, but we did the same thing: hit their bowlers for 20-plus.”

تستمر الإثارة في بطولة يورو 2024، بعدما حضرت في ملعب هامبورج بين المنتخب الكرواتي ونظيره الألباني، بانقلاب كبير في النتيجة لصالح الكرواتيين.

شوط المباراة الأول انتهى بتقدم المنتخب الألباني، وفي ظرف دقيقتين قبل ربع ساعة من نهاية المباراة، سجلت كرواتيا هدفين.

الهدف الأول جاء عن طريق كراماريتش بعد تسديدة رائعة في الزاوية القريبة للحارس ستراكوشا في الدقيقة 74.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو | كاظم لاتشي يفاجئ كرواتيا بهدف أول لـ ألبانيا في يورو 2024

بعدها أهدر المنتخب الكرواتي هدفًا محققًا عن طريق بودمير، قبل أن ينطلق اللاعب ذاته ويرسل عرضية لـ كراماريتش، لترتطم الكرة بـ ديميستي وكلاوس، وتتحول للهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 76.

الهدف الذي سجله كلاوس هو الهدف الذاتي الرابع في بطولة يورو 2024، وقد يقود المنتخب الكرواتي للنقاط الثلاث الأولى في اليورو.

إذا انتهت المباراة بتلك النتيجة سيصبح رصيد المنتخب الكرواتي 3 نقاط، ويبقى المنتخب الألباني في المركز الأخير بدون نقاط. هدف كرواتيا الأول أمام ألبانيا في يورو 2024

هدف كرواتيا الثاني أمام ألبانيا في يورو 2024

When Mikel Arteta took the manager’s job almost six years ago, Arsenal were in a sorry state.

Since then, he has turned a club that were sliding down the table into consistent Premier League challengers and a serious threat in the Champions League.

While this change has in part been down to his tactical approach and philosophy, it’s also been down to a recruitment strategy that has generally worked out.

However, every manager is going to have their misses in this regard, and Arteta’s signings could end up going down as Arsenal’s worst since Shkodran Mustafi.

Arsenal's worst signings in the Emirates era

Now, an element that has to be considered when discussing a team’s worst signing is how much they cost.

Chalkboard

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

After all, if a cheap or free player ends up being a flop, it is generally less of a problem than a big-money player flopping.

With this in mind, the first transfer dud who comes to mind is Lucas Perez, who joined the Gunners for around £17m in the summer of 2016.

The Spaniard was a talented striker; his time in La Liga proves as much.

However, he failed to make a mark in England and was loaned back to Deportivo La Coruna in the 17/18 season, then sold to West Ham the year after, with just seven goals and five assists to his name in 21 games.

An attacker who made a greater impact at the club but cost the club much more was Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivorian international joined Unai Emery’s Gunners for a then-club record fee of £72m in the summer of 2019 following a season in which he scored 23 goals and provided 12 assists in 41 games for LOSC Lille.

It would be fair to say that there was an awful lot of expectation on his shoulders then, an expectation he wouldn’t be able to fulfil.

Despite a reasonable enough first season, in which he produced a tally of eight goals and ten assists in 42 appearances, the dynamic winger would end up leaving the club by mutual consent in the summer of 2023 following two loan spells and with a middling tally of 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 games.

Last but not least, the player many fans consider to be one of the worst big-money signings made during the Emirates era: Mustafi.

The German centre-back joined the North Londoners for an astounding £35m in the summer of 2016, and at the time Arsène Wenger described him as a “very focused player who can play with the ball as well.”

Unfortunately, that couldn’t have been much further from the truth, as while he started off well enough, the former Valencia star would soon prove to be something of a liability.

In fact, it got so bad that after a couple of years, he was labelled the “King of the blunders” by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit.

As if that wasn’t enough, Martin Keown slammed him for “schoolboy defending” after a 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace in April 2019.

The 33-year-old was eventually phased out of the team by Arteta and left the club altogether in 2021.

In all, Arsenal have made their fair share of costly transfer blunders in the Emirates era, and the bad news is, they may have done so again in the summer.

Arsenal's worst signing since Mustafi

The good news for Arsenal is that, so far anyway, most of the summer signings have looked pretty good this season.

The bad news is that due to their broad success, one has stood out as being comfortably the most underwhelming and, if he doesn’t improve quickly, could become the club’s worst signing since Mustafi: Viktor Gyokeres.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, there is, of course, every chance that the Swedish marksman will come good for Arteta and Co, but it cannot be denied that, so far this season, he has been poor.

For example, despite ending last season with 67 goal involvements in 52 appearances, the former Sporting CP star has scored just six goals in 19 appearances, totalling 1273 minutes.

That comes out to a poor average of a goal involvement every 3.16 games, or every 212.16 minutes, which just isn’t good enough for someone who cost around £63m.

Moreover, while some might make the argument that his teammates haven’t created enough chances for him, the counter to that was his performance against Wolves on Saturday.

Appearances

19

Minutes

1273′

Goals

6

Assists

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.31

Minutes per Goal Involvement

212.16′

The 27-year-old was beyond poor against the Premier League’s bottom side, be that due to his total lack of box movement or his lacklustre attempts when he did have a chance.

As content creator and analyst James B put it, the star striker simply “looks way off it.”

Ultimately, the fans and team will rally behind Gyokeres over the next few months, but unless he improves, and significantly at that, the word flop will be impossible to ignore, and he’ll join the likes of Mustafi and Pepe.

£45m star who plays a "bit like Henry" could end Gyokeres' Arsenal career

The incredibly talented Arsenal star could spell trouble for Gyokeres.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 5 days ago

Haaland is a name making headlines near enough every week at the moment, but it isn’t Alfie that is doing so.

Alfie Haaland is a retired footballer who played in a couple of different countries and is now best known for the exploits of his son.

FootballFanCast have decided to answer all of the questions that the internet are asking about Erling Haaland’s father Alfie.

Who is Alfie Haaland?

As has been mentioned before, Alfie Haaland is the dad of Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland.

Haaland senior had his days in the sun though, playing football professionally from 1989 to 2003 as well as playing with a couple of smaller teams in 2011 and 2012.

What nationality is Alfie Haaland?

Alfie Haaland is from Norway. He was born in Stavanger which is the fourth-largest city in the Nordic country and then raised in the nearby Bryne.

The latter is where he first made a name for himself on the football pitch.

What is Alfie Haaland's height?

Alfie Haaland stands at 1.86cm, which is roughly 6 foot 1. So, his son certainly has the edge on him there at 6 foot 4.

What is Alfie Haaland's age?

Alfie Haaland is now 50 years old, having retired from club football over a decade ago now and last playing at the highest level 20 years ago.

Where Alfie Haaland now?

Haaland has been a proud and vocal supporter of his son in his pursuit of greatness, from Norway to Austria, from Germany and now to England.

He has done some punditry work with various outlets and has also regularly been spotted at Manchester City games.

Earlier this year he got into hot water after some back-and-forth with Real Madrid fans. Haaland was escorted from his seat in the Bernabeu for riling up the Los Blancos faithful via a number of different gestures and it was even “suggested he threw food at the supporters.”

What is Alfie Haaland’s net worth?

Alfie Haaland’s net worth is reported to be in the ballpark of $5 Million Dollars, which equates to roughly £4 million.

Although, no one really knows apart from him, so it's only speculation and guessing.

Who did Alfie Haaland play for?

As previously mentioned, Haaland plied his trade in a couple of countries, these being Norway and England.

He first played for Bryne FK, where he grew up, joining as a young child and then going on to make his first-team debut at just 17.

After a few years there, he earned his first major move with the second division as his destination. He was pursued by Nottingham Forest under their management of Brian Clough but when he arrived at the City Ground, Frank Clark had since taken over and come his first full season there, they were back in the Premier League.

He enjoyed a few years of PL football in Nottingham and then went on to do the same with Leeds United, scoring 7 league goals in his first season which was his best-ever return.

George Graham was the man in charge when he arrived at Elland Road and he also got the chance to play under David O’Leary. With Leeds, Haaland played a part in their journey to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, known now as the Europa League, and helped them qualify for the Champions League as well.

His last taste of football in England came in Manchester, and more specifically, on the blue half of the city. He joined for a fee of £2.5m and it was here that the feud with Roy Keane became such a prevalent force in the Premier League.

Alongside his time playing for these aforementioned clubs, Haaland made 34 caps for the Norwegian national team between 1994 and 2001 including the 1994 FIFA World Cup that took place in the United States of America.

What happened between Alfie Haaland and Roy Keane?

Sadly, the name Alfie Haaland is most closely associated with that of Roy Keane for one treacherous tackle and various other incidents, as opposed to people focusing on his individual exploits.

As a Leeds player Haaland was chasing down a ball alongside the Irishman and the latter sustained an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a year. The matter wasn’t helped by the fact that the former wasn’t particularly impressed with Keane and instead believed he was faking it all.

A total of an eight-game ban and £155,000 fine ensued for Keane years later when he deliberately tried to injure the Norwegian. At first the punishment wasn’t all that severe, but the Manchester United man had the bravery to admit to it all being pre-meditated in his autobiography.

It was said that this horror tackle from Keane on Haaland ended the Man City man’s career but that actually turned out to not be the case. Problems with his other knee were instead the reason for his premature retirement.

Manchester City considered legal action against Keane but Haaland, to his credit, set the record straight and so nothing came of it in the courts.

Alfie Haaland stats, how many Premier League goals did he score?

As previously mentioned, the 7 goals in 32 Premier League appearances for Leeds in the 1997/98 season was the best attacking return from the versatile defender-come-midfielder.

In total, he managed 18 goals in the English top flight, 7 for Nottingham Forest, 8 for Leeds and then 3 for Man City.

He made the most PL appearances for Forest on 75, coming just one ahead of the 74 he made for Leeds. Many associated him most with the Citizens but he only amassed 38 league outings for them.

The South African Cricketers’ Association has prepared its position, but sources say negotiations have not begun with the deadline of April 30 looming

Firdose Moonda16-Apr-2018

Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) are yet to reach an agreement on their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which expires at the end of April. Failure to reach common ground by then will leave most of South Africa’s international and franchise cricketers – apart from those on two-year deals – out of contract, a situation which has left SACA “extremely concerned,” according to their CEO Tony Irish.ESPNcricinfo understands discussions have not been entered into in earnest, though SACA has prepared its position and will ask for status quo to remain. SACA is hopeful the terms of the MoU will stay the same as they have been for the last four years, which includes a revenue-sharing model for the players that CSA executives had initially indicated they would move away from.In December last year, acting CEO Thabang Moroe and president Chris Nenzani had said the model would be up for review, but by March, they recommitted to revenue-share. At the March briefing, Nenzani also said CSA was “ready to commence negotiations” with SACA in advance of the MoU expiring. However, there are now only nine working days until April 30 – April 27 is a public holiday in South Africa – and fears that the parties are running out of time are mounting.One source told ESPNcricinfo that unless an agreement is reached by this Friday, April 20, the chances of completing the negotiations before the MoU expires are slim. CSA appears to agree with the timeline, but could not put a firm date on when the new MoU will be concluded. “If we can possibly seal the MoU in a week, then we will strive for such but that all depends on the negotiations,” Moroe told ESPNcricinfo.The SACA negotiations are not the only thing taking up Moroe’s time. CSA has been trying to finalise an FTP schedule for 2019 to 2023 and the board is yet to confirm all their fixtures with other member countries; but most pressingly, a decision on whether the Global T20, South Africa’s proposed franchise T20 tournament, will go ahead is also pending. CSA initially had a deadline of March 31 to make a call but now aims to make an announcement by the end of May.”The board gave the management the support of a committee, to which the management would report,” Moroe said. “The feedback given to the committee has encouraged them to allow the management to continue with the negotiations and the planning of the league.”Key questions include whether the tournament will be privately owned – and whether the existing franchise owners will continue to be involved – how many teams will be included in the league, and whether CSA can secure a broadcaster and sufficient sponsorship to make the event financially viable.Last year, in the absence of a broadcast and sponsorship deal, CSA postponed the inaugural edition of the competition after forecasting losses of USD 25 million, and Moroe indicated they could wait another year, if needed.”If the need to postpone to next year arises, all parties involved will communicate as such and further questions can be asked,” he said.

Tottenham Hotspur boast a rich history of academy production and youth acquisition, with some of their most famous names having been cultivated as youngsters and developed into world-class stars.

The outstanding name that springs to mind is Harry Kane, who emerged from N17 to become both the club's and England's all-time leading scorer, and a £100m man at the age of 30, drawing the interest of Bayern Munich in the summer.

However, it cannot also be forgotten that Gareth Bale was another who serviced the latter of those two devices, having been brought in from Southampton as a 17-year-old left-back, converted to a right winger, and transformed into one of the Premier League's elite stars.

He too would command a hefty fee, leaving for a world-record sum in the summer of 2013.

The hope will be that under Ange Postecoglou, who has already enjoyed a fine start to life in north London, they can continue their rich history of youth development, handing the Australian a crop of perfect starlets ready to grow and underpin a brighter generation at the club.

Whilst there are numerous standouts within the academy, with stars like Jude Soonsup-Bell, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett all knocking on the first-team door, another in Tyrese Hall could go under the radar, but will surely soon be a part of an elite group of youngsters.

Who is Tyrese Hall?

Having joined the club from Chelsea as a schoolboy, the versatile 18-year-old boasts plenty of attributes that the former Celtic boss would adore in a forward or a midfielder.

With a deft touch of class to partner his immense work rate and defensive contribution, it should come as no surprise that such a well-rounded individual was bound to feature all across the field.

In fact, journalist Alasdair Gold sought to outline this, writing for football.london: "A versatile mainstay of the U18s, 17-year-old Tyrese Hall can fill in wherever called upon due to his high technical ability. The teenager, who made his debut for the U18s last season while still a schoolboy, can play in central midfield, in an attacking or defensive role, he can play up front and he can also do a job on the wing."

However, his proficiency must also be noted, having ended last season with three goals in the final three games of the U18s Premier League, adding to his two assists for the campaign too. He would also put the U17 Premier League Cup beyond doubt too, with a late driven effort to secure the silverware.

Spurs' top academy prospects

Age

Jamie Donley

18

Alfie Devine

19

Alfie Dorrington

18

Rio Kyerematen

18

Although far from the most outstanding finisher in the world, his pure desire to make things happen could see him succeed under Postecoglou, who sought to praise the toothless Richarlison in pre-season: "He is someone who has got all of the attributes that I look for in a striker, in that he has got the strong work ethic, he is always in the right areas and he is presenting himself and making a presence of himself in the right areas for the way we play."

Hall, whilst still incredibly inexperienced, has also been earmarked for future success by Lilywhites academy expert John Wenham: "I really want to give a shoutout to Tyrese Hall,

"The game against Norwich last week was the best I have seen him play. He was demanding the ball, passing first time and making some really positive movements. I am really pleased with him. I want him to settle in and really make that space in the team his own. I think he has a really big future at Tottenham."

It remains to be seen where his prediction comes true, but the early signs are positive. Whether it is in central midfield or up front, Hall could certainly grow into the perfect player for Postecoglou.

How good was Wayne Rooney?

Whilst many might suggest this to be quite a lofty comparison, there are lots of similarities between Spurs' teenage maestro and the way Wayne Rooney played at the back end of his incredible career.

Having starred largely as a central striker whilst with Everton and Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson would recognise the work rate and exceptional equality the 37-year-old boasted, and often used the Liverpool-born finisher to plug gaps.

Dropping into a no.10 role or even deployed in central midfield, nothing would stop him from scoring goals, and in the end, he called time on a glittering spell at Old Trafford having won five Premier League titles, one Champions League and a host of other domestic honours, whilst also becoming the club's all-time leading scorer with 253 strikes.

However, as he grew older and his powers waned, that versatility earlier in his career allowed him to drop into midfield again with ease, remaining as technically proficient as ever but limiting the amount of explosive running required.

Louis van Gaal praised his ability to shift roles in 2014: "He has the lung capacity to run 90 minutes as a midfielder, so that’s why I use him as a midfielder. But I can also use him as a striker. But for the team, at the moment, it is better that he plays in midfield."

Funnily enough, the legendary Scottish tactician would say the same just three years earlier: "[Wayne] Rooney was fantastic in central midfield. His awareness of people around him and choice of passing was really good. He did very well for us but I think it's a short-term thing at the moment. It's difficult to say".

Having become a Red Devils legend across his 13 years there, eventually returning to Merseyside for a solid stint back at Goodison Park, it is fair to say that Rooney conquered football with the records he broke and silverware attained.

After all, the growing praise from former teammate Gary Neville says it all:

"Wayne Rooney was the best centre-forward I ever played with at Manchester United. I do not hesitate to say that because he had everything. He could defend; he could press; he could fight; he could score; he could assist.

“He was a massive player for the club. It shouldn't be underestimated, the impact Wayne Rooney had on that team that won four or five Premier League titles in a very short period of time. The greatest period in United's history was when Wayne Rooney was a centre-forward in the team.

“Wayne Rooney is one of the greatest English football players that's played in the last 150 years of football. Simple as that.”

Postecoglou will hope that Hall can enjoy half as successful a career as Rooney did, given the shared assets he boasts with the versatile marksman, and develop into someone capable of spearheading his own revolution that brings a similar level of title success to north London.

أعلن نادي الزمالك رحيل لاعب فريق الكرة الأول، محمود علاء متمنيًا له التوفيق في الفترة المقبلة.

وكان “بطولات” قد كشف في وقت سابق عن اتفاق نادي الزمالك مع محمود علاء على الرحيل بالتراضي، مع اقتراب انتقاله للخليج السعودي.

خاص | الزمالك ينهي التعاقد مع لاعبه.. والخليج الوجهة الأقرب

ونشر الزمالك عبر حسابه الرسمي بموقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك” قرار رحيل محمود علاء مع توجيه الشكر له.

يذكر أن محمود علاء صاحب الـ 33 عامًا قد عاد لصفوف الزمالك في الصيف الماضي بعد رحلة إعارة في صفوف زعيم الثغر.

وشارك محمود علاء في 4 مباريات فقط هذا الموسم مع الزمالك من أصل 21 لقاء خاضها الفريق في بطولة الدوري المصري، أمام الجونة وإنبي والبنك الأهلي وبيراميدز.

Arsenal come into Sunday's north London derby full of renewed optimism, swagger and purpose.

The Gunners won at Goodison Park a week ago for the first time since 2017 and then dispatched PSV with ease on their return to Champions League action in midweek, winning 4-0.

However, they now come up against one of the best Spurs teams in recent memory. Not since the days of Mauricio Pochettino have we seen a Tottenham side with such energy and excitement, yet that's what Ange Postecoglou has achieved within just months of being the manager.

The fixture's top scorer in Harry Kane may no longer be there to wreak havoc upon the Gunners, but the Lilywhites still have threats, notably in the forward line.

Declan Rice will have to be at his best to disrupt the rhythm of James Maddison, with the midfield battle set to be key.

It feels like the game could be won or lost there, with Martin Odegaard's own radiant qualities shining through in Europe last Wednesday, where he scored a sumptuous goal to round off proceedings.

However, who sits alongside Rice and the club captain remains up for debate. Fabio Vieira earned his first start of the campaign against Everton but Kai Havertz was back in from the start last time out.

How has Kai Havertz performed at Arsenal?

Eyebrows were raised across English football when the German moved across the capital.

In the words of editor Jai McIntosh, the 24-year-old had been "underwhelming" at Chelsea, even if he was the man to score a Champions League final-winning goal.

The problem with Havertz is that he's never really been able to find his best position. At Leverkusen, where he became known as a wonderkid, he produced 46 goals and 31 assists in 150 outings from largely an attacking midfield position.

That was a goal contribution rate of one every 1.9 fixtures, but that dwindled at Chelsea. Often fielded as a make-shift striker or centre-forward, the Germany international became less creative, laying on just 15 assists but scoring 32 from 139 outings. That saw him register a goal involvement once every 2.9 matches.

Now, at Arsenal, his ability to influence play in the final third is waning again, having yet to register a goal or assist in his seven appearances from central midfield.

That isn't due to a lack of trying, however. Against Manchester United prior to the international break, he was gifted with a glorious opportunity from six yards out but scuffed his kick. Against PSV, he then fired an effort over the bar from inside the box, albeit on his weaker right foot.

Havertz has picked up good positions but is simply lacking the end product. Chelsea fans will tell you that was the story of his stint at Stamford Bridge.

That said, could brighter times be around the corner?

How did Havertz perform against PSV?

According to some renowned figures in the Arsenal social media space, the German had his "best game yet" when the Dutch side came to town a few days ago.

It was a solid response from Havertz who had been dropped for the visit to Goodison Park, with Vieira replacing him and ultimately starring. It was the young Portuguese's delicious through ball that set Gabriel Martinelli on his way to open the scoring. So they thought anyway, only for VAR to adjudge Eddie Nketiah offside in the build-up.

There was a fear that the diminutive Vieira, who stands at a slight 5 foot 7, would get eaten alive up against the likes of Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure. After all, Havertz is a great deal taller at 6 foot 4 and would have relished the physical contest, We were wrong; Vieira got on just fine.

That could well mean that Arsenal's new £65m man could struggle to get back in the side, even if he did look good in Europe.

No player won more duels (9) during the game than the midfielder, an aspect of the game that Mikel Arteta loves to see, as he made four tackles.

Havertz also played two key passes and maintained a pass success rate of 93%. Yet, his ability to coast through games without being too noticed was evident in the fact that goalkeeper David Raya had more touches during the contest (57 to 46).

Against Spurs, the £280k-per-week earner;s work rate may be able to see him keep track with the willing runners from midfield, but if it's creativity they are seeking, Vieira simply has to start.

It feels harsh on Havertz, but he has done little to warrant his selection in the league yet, having withstood a largely underwhelming start to his Arsenal career so far.