وصلت بعثة فريق نادي نهضة بركان المغربي إلى القاهرة، استعدادًا لخوض مباراة السوبر الإفريقي أمام بيراميدز.
ويستضيف بيراميدز بطل دوري أبطال إفريقيا نظيره نهضة بركان المغربي بطل كأس الكونفدرالية في الثامنة من مساء السبت على استاد الدفاع الجوي بالقاهرة.
طالع.. علي جبر: بيراميدز لا يشبع بطولات.. وسنقاتل لحصد السوبر الإفريقي
وكان في استقبال البعثة لدى وصولها مطار القاهرة، مندوب من نادي بيراميدز لإنهاء الإجراءات والدخول حتى الوصول إلى فندق الإقامة.
ومن المقرر أن يؤدي الفريق المغربي أول تدريباته مساء اليوم بالملعب الفرعي لاستاد الدفاع الجوي، قبل أن يختتم تدريباته غدًا الجمعة على استاد الدفاع الجوي الرئيسي.
Questions over whether Marsh will retain his place in Adelaide or perhaps play as a specialist batter only have been floating around after he pulled up sore following the Perth Test
Andrew McGlashan04-Dec-20241:31
Lyon: ‘I’m very clear about my role within the team’
Nathan Lyon is confident Mitchell Marsh will be able to play a role with the ball in Adelaide but is ready to take up any extra workload that comes his way should that not be the case.Marsh’s fitness has been one of the key watching briefs around the Australia side after he pulled up sore following Perth. Uncapped allrounder Beau Webster is part of the squad but it appears likely that Marsh will retain his place regardless of how much he can bowl. Since returning to the side in last year’s Ashes, Marsh is the only incumbent batter to average over 40 which appears set to keep him in the side.”I honestly think we’ll see Mitch Marsh bowl,” Lyon said on Wednesday. “I’m not concerned about Bison’s fitness if I’m being honest. He’s been brilliant for us since he’s come back in. He came [back] in that game in Leeds during the Ashes and [has] really dominated so got full confidence in Bison. Happy to bowl his overs.”Related
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While in recent times Lyon has been part of an Australia attack that has featured either Marsh, Cameron Green or sometimes both, he has also featured in a considerable number of sides that have not had a genuine allrounder, instead using the four frontline bowlers with some part-time overs from members of the top order.Lyon’s ability to be both an attacking and defensive bowler means he can play a key role in balancing the bowling unit in the absence of a genuine fifth bowler where, if needed, he can look to control the run rate in the first innings before searching more for wickets as the game develops.”I’m very clear on my role within the team,” Lyon said. “Nothing really changes with me…if I can get the opportunity to bowl more overs, I’ll jump at it.”Lyon expects the Adelaide pitch – which will start with 6mm of grass – will take turn as the game develops. In day-night Tests at the ground, spinners average 24.72 on the third day and 22.91 on the fourth, compared to 113.25 on the first and 60.60 on the second.Lyon was economical in India’s hefty second innings in Perth although was largely nullified by the top order before having Rishabh Pant stumped when the lead was already considerable. This Test brings Lyon back to the ground where he has had most success in Test cricket with 63 wickets at 25.26 from 13 matches, seven of which have been day-night encounters.2:13
Clarke: Mitch Marsh needs to be bowling
“We understand that we didn’t play our best cricket in Perth and India totally outplayed us,” he said. “But with all the other stuff, it’s been quite humorous in a way looking at how much has been said and the reactions of so many different people after one loss.”The beauty of a five-match Test series…is you get the opportunity to turn that around and that’s the challenge of what we face right now. We are coming up against a world-class India side that played an exceptional game of cricket over in Perth but that’s been nine days or so ago now, so come Friday we go again which I’m excited about.”We are humans, we are going to make mistakes, but if we can go out there and try and learn along the journey then we are going to put ourselves in a better position come our next fixture. We’ve got a great record here, playing at one of the best venues in the world on a great wicket, so looking forward to that.”He expressed surprised that both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were left out in Perth with India preferring Washington Sundar. “[It] more than surprises me,” he said. “That’s the quality of Indian cricketers they have in that squad. You’ve got Ashwin with 530-odd wickets [536] and then Jadeja over 300 wickets [319]. It’s pretty remarkable to see the quality of players sitting on the bench.”In an encouraging sign for Australia, Josh Hazlewood was doing some gentle run throughs of his action alongside the other bowlers during the evening training session on Wednesday after he was ruled out of the second Test with a mild side strain. Scott Boland is expected to be his replacement for this Test.
Renegades were 48 for 5 before a record-breaking recovery but Stars pushed hard late in their chase
AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2024Nicole Faltum’s career-best innings and Sarah Coyte’s ice-cool bowling at the death steered Melbourne Renegades to an important nine-run WBBL win over local rivals Melbourne Stars.Faltum blasted an unbeaten 66 from 42 balls to lift the Renegades to 170 for 6 in the second game of Friday’s double-header at the MCG.The wicketkeeper then stumped Stars opener Yastika Bhatia off left-armer Charis Bekker as the Renegades restricted their opponents to 161 for 8 although it became close in the closing stages.Related
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Renegades strangled the Stars early in their run chase, with Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin playing a key role. But Rhys McKenna and Tess Flintoff threatened to pull off a fightback with some quick scoring before Coyte removed both Stars batters in the penultimate over. It left Stars with 18 to win off the last six balls and Matthews closed it out.The result gave Renegades a positive 5-3 record in second spot on the ladder, while Stars are in danger of missing the finals at 2-4.Faltum walked to the crease with the Renegades struggling at 48 for 5 in the eighth over and put on 67 for the sixth wicket with Georgia Wareham. She added another 55 from just 22 balls with Georgia Prestwidge. It set a new WBBL record for runs added after the fall of the fifth wicket.Those efforts helped Renegades pull off another impressive win just four days after reaching a target of 186 away to Adelaide Strikers.”There is just this belief amongst the group that we can win from anywhere,” Faltum said. “We didn’t win our first two games but we still believed that we were right on task. Once you win the belief comes, but I think we had it before then. We’re just really hoping that we can go all the way.”
The duo helped Sri Lanka recover from O’Rourke’s strikes after Chandimal and Karunaratne had laid the foundation earlier
Madushka Balasuriya20-Sep-2024
Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne put up a solid stand•AFP/Getty Images
Sri Lanka 237 for 4 (Dhananjaya 34*, Mathews 34*, O’Rourke 3-37) and 305 lead New Zealand 340 (Latham 70, Mitchell 57, Jayasuriya 4-136) by 202 runsFifties from Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal were followed by steadying knocks from Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva and Sri Lanka stretched their lead to 202 by the close of play on day three in Galle.The latter pair had put together an unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 59 when an extended final session came to a close, as Sri Lanka inched forward their hard-fought advantage – the foundations of which had been sown earlier.Prabath Jayasuriya, ragged on day two, was on the money on the third morning adding three scalps to his overnight tally to end with innings figures of 4 for 136, while Ramesh Mendis grabbed two himself to finish on 3 for 101.Related
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This was then followed by a a 147-run stand between Karunaratne and Chandimal, which had it been allowed to continue longer would have certainly taken the game away from New Zealand.It was brought to an end, partly by the visitors’ persistence with their plans and the wearing pitch. With Ajaz Patel consistently seeking to exploit the growing patch of rough outside the left-hander’s off stump – so much so that even against the right-handers a leg stump strategy was employed – he finally got one to spit and sneak under Karunaratne’s sweep, to crash into the stumps.That gave New Zealand the opening they were looking for as Will O’Rourke was swiftly brought back to attack the new batter. He would dismiss the other set batter in Chandimal, who would flick one straight to leg slip.O’Rourke’s unsettling pace and bounce continued to trouble Sri Lanka’s batters and he ended up with further rewards for his efforts, getting Kamindu Mendis to edge behind. This put him on to eight wickets for the Test, on the verge of a 10-wicket match haul.With the ball turning more prodigiously as the day wore on, neither Mathews nor Dhananjaya had an easy stay at the crease, but they found runs when offered and rode their luck on other occasions.Even as late as the final few overs and over 100 deliveries into their stand, there was a potential Dhananjaya outside edge that flew past the outstretched hands of Daryl Mitchell at first slip, while Mathews survived an incredibly close leg before shout – only surviving on umpire’s call with regard to the line of impact.But when Karunaratne and Chandimal were at the crease, batting seemed a lot easier, while any pitch-related demons were largely in hibernation. Their partnership was a lesson in discipline and opportunism.As New Zealand peppered good lines and lengths outside off, time and again both batters, particularly Karunaratne, refused to engage. When the lines tightened closer to off, he was equally adept at either going back or reaching the pitch to defend. It helped that the pitch also seemed to be easing up under the bright sunshine.Will O’Rourke took three wickets on day three•SLC
Chandimal, while not as comfortable defending, sought other methods – primarily the sweep and reverse, to shift the pressure whenever the bowlers sought to settle into a rhythm – while he also was keen to use his feet. Both batters were also swift in punishing anything dragged short – Karunaratne’s most productive shot, in fact, being the cut.While boundaries weren’t a feature of either of their innings, they were used as a tool to relieve any building pressure. But for the most part, it was clever manoeuvring for ones and twos that ensured the pressure valve never reached uncomfortable levels.The important stand helped cement a resurgent day that had begun with Sri Lanka grabbing the final six New Zealand wickets for just 89 runs inside the morning session.Sri Lanka had started the session brightly, sticking to consistent lines and lengths, and forcing the New Zealand batters to make things happen. For the most part, New Zealand were up to the task – particularly Mitchell, who seemed in imperious form as highlighted by a disdainful loft down the ground off Lahiru Kumara. Mitchell’s footwork was also positive, very much in line with the approach New Zealand had utilised to such devastating effect on day two.But the lifeline Sri Lanka were seeking arrived courtesy of an ill-advised single to cover. Glenn Phillips called for the single, but Mitchell, by then on 57, was marginally slow off the mark, and that was all it took to find him inches short at the striker’s end. With Mitchell at the crease, Sri Lanka were staring at a deficit potentially beyond 100, but suddenly they scented blood.The next few wickets fell quickly as Jayasuriya and Mendis ran through the tail. When it was all settled, New Zealand’s first-innings lead stood at 35 after they were bowled out for 340.It’s an outcome Sri Lanka would have snapped up if it were offered to them at the start of the day, one which New Zealand had begun 50 runs behind with six wickets in hand. But by the innings’ close, you wouldn’t have begrudged them a feeling of mild disappointment at having given the visitors so many.New Zealand, by contrast, would be grateful for each of those 35 runs, having lost five wickets for 50 runs inside the first hour of play. Phillips made the difference in that sense, as he plundered an unbeaten 48-ball 49, including some monster hits against Jayasuriya, before the last man O’Rourke was dismissed. Those runs, though, might still prove handy.
Dravid sent a touching message to his successor wishing him luck which featured advice and some humour
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2024″Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people.”Outgoing India head coach Rahul Dravid did what many consider the unthinkable – he made Gautam Gambhir smile with the above message. Dravid sent out a touching message to the new head coach, who takes over with the T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday. In a video posted by the BCCI on social media, Gambhir was made to sit in front of a laptop to play the message which he didn’t know came from Dravid.”As your team-mate, I saw you giving it your all on the field,” Dravid said to Gambhir. “As your batting partner and fellow fielder, I saw your resilience and refusal to surrender. Across many IPL seasons, I noted your desire to win, your assistance to younger players and your drive to extract the best out of your team on the field.”I know how dedicated and passionate you are about Indian cricket and I am sure you will bring all these qualities into the new job.Related
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“As you know, the expectations will be high and the scrutiny will be intense. But even in the worst of times you will never be alone. You will have the support of the players, your support staff, the leaders of the past, the management and never forget for whom you play – for fans who are very demanding but will always be behind the team.”Soon after winning the T20 World Cup final last month in Barbados, Dravid had mentioned the role of “luck” that had helped his team lift the trophy and he hoped the same would help Gambhir too.”I also wish you a little bit of luck, as you know that all of us coaches need to make us look that little bit wiser and smarter than we actually are,” he said.Dravid’s dry humour also gave an appearance to elicit a smile from Gambhir. “Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people,” he said.
“I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.”Gambhir’s reaction to Dravid’s message
“From one Indian cricket coach to another, one last thing. In the most heated of times, exhale, take a step back. I wish you the very best, Gautam. I am sure you will take the Indian team to even greater heights.”Reacting to Dravid’s message which made him “emotional,” Gambhir said there was a lot to learn from his predecessor not just for him but for the entire generation.”I don’t know how to react because this message means so much to me,” Gambhir said. “The reason is not because it comes from the person who I have succeeded but from a person who I have always looked up to when I was playing.”I have always felt that and I said it in a lot of my interviews – I think the most selfless cricketer I have actually ever played with. Rahul has done anything and everything Indian cricket needed.”I think there is so much to learn from, not only for me but for the next generation and the current generation as well. That’s how important Indian cricket is, not me, not individuals.”I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.”It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill. Hopefully, I can do that with absolute honesty, transparency and hopefully, I can make the entire nation and more importantly, the person I have always looked up to – Rahul – proud,” he said.
Birmingham City’s summer transfer activity looks as if it’s finally going to whir into hectic motion.
The runaway League One title winners have dominated so much of the EFL conversation this off-season regarding an ever-extending list of high-profile names being linked to St. Andrew’s, yet Phil Neumann is their only addition to date.
This will change very shortly, however, with Demarai Gray set to rejoin his hometown club imminently, as per an exclusive report by GIVEMESPORT.
Gray’s wealth of Premier League experience means this will be seen as a statement deal when it’s officially announced, but Chris Davies and Co. might not be done there when adding in midfield talents used to the luxuries of the top-flight, as another deal allegedly nears completion.
Birmingham close in on midfield signing
As per a report by Football League World, Birmingham could soon make it a duo of standout additions with Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Tommy Doyle joining the building.
The report states that both Sunderland and Wrexham were in the mix to land the former Manchester City man, but Birmingham have beaten all the competition to land the 23-year-old’s services initially on loan, with the proposed move on the table also giving the Blues an option to buy.
This potential future permanent deal could well mean Birmingham are about to land their next Jay Stansfield, with the Blues’ promotion hero once just a loanee himself at St. Andrew’s, before joining for good at around the £15m mark.
Moreover, much like the ex-Fulham attacker, Doyle has been viewed as a promising young talent for some time now, with Birmingham perhaps the best possible next location that can get even more out of him, having previously starred in the EFL’s top division before.
Why Doyle can be Birmingham's next Stansfield
After all, both Doyle and Stansfield have had to exercise plenty of patience across their unwinding careers to date, with the pair having to grow used to multiple different loan spells when on the books of Premier League sides.
Before the 22-year-old had the luxury of calling St Andrew’s his fixed address, he had to cut his teeth out on loan with League One outfit Exeter City, with Doyle also chucked out on loan to Hamburg, Cardiff City, and Sheffield United in quickfire fashion as a City youngster before settling at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Stat – per 90 minutes*
Doyle
Games played
33
Goals scored
3
Assists
4
Touches*
43.3
Accurate passes*
24.5 (78%)
Big chances created
6
The season before Stansfield would begin to endear himself to the Birmingham masses with 12 goals in the Championship, Doyle was already beginning to strut his stuff in the EFL’s top league with the Blades, as can be seen glancing at the table above.
Indeed, whilst he has gone on to tally up 51 Premier League appearances since this glowing stint in South Yorkshire, the Manchester-born midfielder’s encouraging numbers from this spell will have surely grabbed the attention of Davies’ men even more as they embark on a Championship adventure, with Doyle’s three goals and four assists from the centre of the park helping United progress to the elite league that same campaign.
Before falling down the pecking order at Molineux, too, ex-Old Gold boss Gary O’Neil would also go out of his way to wax lyrical about the 5-foot-8 star, with the now-unemployed manager once labelling him as “unbelievable”.
Unfortunately, Doyle does now find himself at a crossroads, with the 23-year-old clearly capable at a top-flight level.
Stansfield must have felt he was in the same boat when returning to Fulham after his sparkling loan spell at St. Andrew’s.
Yet, with 24 goals under his belt on the way to promotion being sealed, it was very much the right decision for him to move back for good. Doyle will just pray he’s seen in the same eventual glowing light if his expected switch is completed.
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Tottenham Hotspur’s summer recruitment drive hasn’t quite got off the ground yet, mainly due to uncertainty surrounding Ange Postecoglou and his long-term future, but that hasn’t stopped some transfer plans being made.
Tottenham transfer plans after vital Europa League triumph
While Postecoglou is set to learn his fate as soon as this week, according to ESPN and other reliable media sources, technical director Johan Lange, chairman Daniel Levy and the incoming Fabio Paratici will be debating ways to improve the Spurs squad regardless of who is in charge next season.
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Their triumph in the Europa League final has opened many doors for Spurs, with the Lilywhites set to compete in next season’s Champions League as one major positive of their victory against Man United in Bilbao.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
The greater transfer market pull and financial windfall that comes with competing in Europe’s most prestigious competition will undoubtedly assist Levy when it comes to bolstering the team this summer, with Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge reporting that Spurs want to strengthen the entire squad in all areas bar goalkeeper.
“Spurs don’t have to sell to buy, with Champions League qualification huge for the club,” said Bridge.
“All areas, apart from the goalkeeping department, will be looked at. Midfield and forward would be the priority if Cristian Romero stays.”
Dejan Kulusevski’s lengthy injury lay-off, combined with uncertainty surrounding the long-term futures of Richarlison and even Mathys Tel, means a new attacking player or two could be highly likely at Spurs.
Tottenham are considering the sale of Richarlison after another season marred by injury for the Brazilian, while there are some reports that Tel could return to Bayern Munich if Spurs make significant progress on a deal for Leroy Sane.
Sane has been heavily linked with a move to N17 in the last week, with the Bayern winger out of contract at the end of this month. He recently employed super-agent Pini Zahavi to help negotiate a new deal with Vincent Kompany’s side, but no agreement has been reached, so the representative could assist in finding him a new club instead.
Leroy Sane "wants a move" to Tottenham from Bayern Munich
Spurs face competition from north London rivals Arsenal, who are also believed to be in talks with Zahavi, but Levy has been handed a fresh boost in their rumoured pursuit of the 29-year-old.
Once valued at £137 million by Man City, the winger could soon be available at zero transfer cost, with Tottenham News sharing an update on the Lilywhites’ chances of beating Arsenal to his signature.
The outlet reports that Sane “wants a move” to Tottenham after they qualified for the Champions League, and they’re current favourites to win the race in light of the forward’s fresh stance on joining.
This is also regardless of whether Postecoglou is at the club next term, so it appears Sane is pretty keen on a switch to Spurs.
That being said, the former Schalke star was thought to be after a £192,000-per-week base salary plus £2.5 million in bonuses to remain at Bayern, so Spurs may have to offer him a similar pay packet to join them instead, which would make him their highest earner above Son Heung-min.
Desperately hoping to turn things around at the London Stadium, Graham Potter has reportedly set his sights on signing a defensive addition for West Ham United this summer.
Potter turnaround must start against Tottenham
Whilst neither Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham have anything to play for in the Premier League with four games remaining, there’s no taking away from the importance of a London derby and Potter should use that to his advantage.
So far, Potter’s West Ham tenure has been full of moments to forget. In an instant, his side stagnated without any true new manager bounce, but the visit of the Lilywhites could change that.
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Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference, the former Chelsea boss said: “Spurs have had a tough season in the Premier League, because of injuries and other reasons. That just shows that in this league, nothing’s forgiven.
“But, they’ve done well in Europe, and hopefully they can get the job done and get to the final. This is the most important game for us, because it’s the next game. And then you add on the fact it’s a London derby, and the added importance for our supporters.
“I feel for our supporters because they’ve had a tough year. That’s the reality. They’re frustrated, understandably so, and we want to try and give them something back.”
West Ham United managerGrahamPotterbefore the match
Likely doing himself no favours by wishing his rivals well in their pursuit of European glory, Potter must ensure that all the talk is around an excellent West Ham performance rather than his pre-match words and another afternoon to forget on Sunday.
Meanwhile, with little to play for, the Hammers have already turned their attention towards the transfer market and some much-needed upgrades in Potter’s first summer in charge. And that could yet see an impressive defender arrive.
West Ham pushing to sign CJ Egan-Riley
According to GiveMeSport, Potter is now determined to revive his West Ham spell by signing CJ Egan-Riley this summer. The Burnley defender is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, presenting the London club with an ideal opportunity to swoop in and land a bargain deal. At just 22 years old, there’s no doubt that he would be an impressive signing too.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
CJ Egan-Riley
Max Kilman
Starts
39
34
Progressive Carries
26
29
Progressive Passes
127
106
Ball Recoveries
180
135
The stats paint quite the picture for the Burnley man, who has played a vital part in his side’s sensational defensive record in the Championship this season. Next to Max Kilman at West Ham – a defender who has also done well in possession – Egan-Riley could form quite the partnership.
Earning plenty of praise from Scott Parker as a result of his performances, the Burnley boss told reporters after Egan-Riley scored his first goal for the club: “I’m pleased for CJ. CJ’s been immense since he’s come in – a young boy that’s probably not had a lot of opportunities since he’s been at the football club. And he deserved that goal tonight.
“He’s been the backbone, and a driving force with this back four, back five. In terms of the clean sheets, and the defensive work of this team, CJ has brought a lot of quality. He deserves his opportunity, and he’s taking it with both hands. I’m really, really pleased for him.”
Arsenal might be second in the Premier League and in a Champions League quarter-final, but their biggest weakness, aside from injuries, is evident: scoring goals.
Mikel Arteta’s side produced the best defence in the league last season and look set to do the same this year, but as things stand, they have scored 15 goals fewer than Liverpool and as many as Tottenham Hotspur, which is not good enough for a team who want to win it all.
So, it’s no surprise then, that since Andrea Berta was announced as the club’s new Sporting Director last week, the rumours coming out of the Emirates have all been around signing a new striker, with Viktor Gyokeres the most prominent link of the lot.
The Swedish international would be an incredible addition to the side, but one that might not have been necessary had Arteta and Co not sold their own promising forward in the past.
The strikers sold by Arteta
So, before we get to the striker in question, it’s worth going over a few of the others sold or let go during Arteta’s tenure, starting with Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun.
Now, to give the manager credit, the sale of both Hale Enders now looks like excellent business, as since his £30m departure last summer, Nketiah has only scored five goals and provided two assists in 28 appearances for Crystal Palace, which is not what they would have been hoping for considering his price tag.
Likewise, while Balogun started life with AS Monaco well enough, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 32 appearances last season, he has since added just three goals in 12 games this year, which, again, is not the sort of output the club would have wanted from a £34m purchase.
Now, a striker who has thrived since his departure from the Emirates in the summer of 2022 is Alexandre Lacazette.
In his first season back at Lyon, the Frenchman racked up a sensational haul of 37 goal involvements in 39 games, then managed 26 in 35 last season and has so far amassed 16 goal involvements in 35 games this year.
However, while having the Lyon-born poacher in the squad over the last few seasons would have been useful, he came to the end of his contract when he left, and it was clear he wanted to return to his former club.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to see any logical reason why the striker, who could have been the Gunners’ own Gyokeres, was sold last summer.
The striker who could have been Arsenal's Gyokeres
While the most notable sale of a forward from Arsenal last summer was that of Nketiah, Arteta and Co also sanctioned the sale of Mika Biereth to Austrian outfit Sturm Graz for just £4m plus a 25% sell-on clause.
Now, there is an argument to be made that considering the Dane had never even made a competitive appearance for the club, getting a fee like that for him was good business.
However, the counter to that was the fact that he had just come off a season in which he scored 15 goals and provided nine assists across loan spells with Motherwell and Sturm Graz, suggesting he was a promising goalscoring talent.
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Unfortunately for the Gunners, it appears as if the fee they got wasn’t great as in the first half of this season, the “crazy” talent, as dubbed by former GOAL reporter Robin Bairner, reached another level and scored 14 goals and provided five assists in just 25 appearances.
This incredible run of form was enough to turn heads in Ligue 1, and AS Monaco decided to sign him for just £10.8m plus £1.75m in add-ons in the winter window.
Biereth’s 24/25
Team
Sturm Graz
AS Monaco
Appearances
25
14
Minutes
1971′
1026′
Goals
14
12
Assists
5
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.76
1.07
Minutes per Goal Involvements
103.73′
68.4′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Since moving to a top-five league, the Danish marksman has gotten better and has so far scored 12 goals and provided three assists in just 14 appearances.
That means the 22-year-old phenomenon has managed to rack up a sensational haul of 26 goals and eight assists in 39 appearances, totalling 2997 minutes.
In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.14 games, or even more impressively, every 88.14 minutes.
It’s this obscene rate of return, plus the fact they are both 6 foot 2 and Scandinavian, that makes the former Arsenal ace so similar to the Sporting CP star.
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokerescelebrates after the match
Ultimately, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and Gyokeres may well be just what Arsenal need in the summer.
However, had they not sold Biereth for such a small fee last year, signing a new striker might not even be a necessity.
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Nearly two years after a life-threatening accident, he will be back where he belongs, playing Test cricket for India
Alagappan Muthu16-Sep-20241:35
Pant’s Test comeback, India’s next-in-line spinners excite Manjrekar
There’s this really cool thing that legspinners do at the top of their mark. They give the ball a biiiiiig rip with one hand and – as it goes off on a loop, starting down low and surging up high – they keep in contact with it using the other, palm fully open. The most crucial part of this gimmick is they never look at the ball. Even though its in the wrong hand and is barely being held. Because they don’t need to. It’s bound to them. Eventually it’ll end up where it needs to end up.In the Delhi Premier League last month, Rishabh Pant began the 20th over of the chase with this routine. He put a lot of flight – maybe too much, it became a full toss – and got a lot of drift into the right-hander, presenting the opportunity for a simple tap to long-on for the match-winning single. This was day 596.On December 30, 2022, Pant was in a car crash. It was a miracle that he survived. At the time, there was no telling if he would ever play cricket again. Now he isn’t just back, he’s got room in his life for new experiences.Related
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But as fun as bowling in a T20 game might have been, there is something even better on the horizon and Pant’s been working really hard for it. In fact, it was hard to pick out another player who spent as much time as he did out in the middle during India’s three-hour training session on Monday in Chennai. He was everywhere, diving this way and that during a fielding session with the slip cordon. Facing Jasprit Bumrah on the main ground. Leaving it to go into the nets and take some throwdowns. Pausing – for barely a moment – to cool off in front of a giant, portable fan (temperatures in Chennai are approaching record levels for September). Going to the main ground again to face the spinners. It’s almost like he’s missed this.Now usually when Pant is added to a mix that includes a bat, a ball and other people, there’s a decent chance of shenanigans. Last week during the Duleep Trophy, he barged in on the opposition team’s pre-game huddle, and after play got underway, demanded promises that they wouldn’t score any runs. It was different here.Three days out from the start of India’s new Test season, he was on his best behaviour, getting tips from the head coach Gautam Gambhir, doing group studies with his wicketkeeping bro Dhruv Jurel. It wasn’t until R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav were tossing the ball up or dragging them down that he went to his more recognisable shots, one of which travelled from the pitch on the furthest side of the square on the off side all the way to the wide long-on boundary.Rishabh Pant is all smiles after guiding India home to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2021•Getty ImagesTaking down spin is a big part of Pant’s game. His cat-and-mouse battle with Nathan Lyon is up there among the best passages of play in modern-day Test cricket. An attacking batter who couldn’t care less that the ball turning away from him meant he was at a disadvantage and a masterful spinner who didn’t need anything but his stock ball to pose a threat, headlined the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21. For the first four years of his career, Pant was keeping pace with Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, who were India’s best players in the format. And while it may be fanciful to expect him to reach those same heights immediately, it seems more likely that he will show his best form in red-ball cricket.India have managed Pant very carefully and although he is yet to produce a big innings, there have been increasingly positive signs. Day 450 since the car crash. He made his first runs. Day 457. He scored his first fifty. Day 523. He returned to the Indian team. Day 538. He was world champion.”It’s a remarkable comeback, honestly,” Ricky Ponting, who has worked very closely with Pant at Delhi Capitals, told . “If you can even see his leg now, and if you listen to the stories he tells about what he confronted when he woke up on the side of the road having been thrown out of his car 40m up the road at 200kph, I mean…”Even just thinking about the mental side of coming back [is hard], but physical side of it, the rehab he went through. I didn’t think he’d play last year’s IPL and that’s why I was on the phone with him because we had the auction coming up and we needed to know what to do. Right from 12 months before that, he said don’t worry about me. I’ll guarantee you I’ll be right for the IPL and we thought okay, he’ll be able to bat, we might have to manage him, use him as a Sub player. [Shakes head]. Kept every game, one of our leading run-scorers, batted No. 3 in the World Cup, part of the World Cup winning team. It’s a remarkable comeback.”You’ve all seen him play. You’ve heard him on the stump mic. He’s an infectious character to have around the group. He loves his cricket. He’s a winner. He doesn’t just play to make a few runs and be out there for the fun of it. He must have four or five Test hundreds already and he’s got about nine [six] 90s as well. You know, [MS] Dhoni played for, what 120 Tests [90] and made three of four [six] hundreds. This is how good this guy is.”And after 629 days, he’s back.