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We have a genuine title race on our hands in Scotland.

On Sunday, in a match branded the biggest club game played on Scottish football for generations, it proved to be an afternoon of celebration for those bedecked in maroon.

Heart of Midlothian beat Celtic 3-1 at Tynecastle, a Dane Murray own goal breaking the deadlock in Edinburgh, only for Callum McGregor to equalise soon after, but quick-fire goals from Alexandros Kyziridis and then Lawrence Shankland secured the points.

This leaves Hearts eight points clear, with Celtic having now lost back-to-back league games, also beaten at Dundee a week earlier, just the second time Brendan Rodgers has tasted defeat in successive Premiership games, after December 2023, the second of which back then was also at the hands of the Jambos.

Falkirk will visit Parkhead on Wednesday, before all eyes will turn to next Sunday’s Glasgow derby at Hampden in the League Cup semi-finals, but which players played their way out of contention for that one with a less than impressive display in the capital?

Celtic's centre-back crisis

Last Thursday’s come from behind Europa League victory over Sturm Graz came at a serious cost, considering Kelechi Ịheanachọ and Alistair Johnston were both forced off with injuries in the first half, but the biggest blow of all was losing Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The American international has been a mainstay in the Celtic team since joining the club from Tottenham in 2021, but could be sidelined until March due to an achilles injury.

In his absence, Murray got the nod to start at Tynecastle, this only the 22-year-old’s 29th senior appearance, 20 of which have come for Queen’s Park.

Well, his inexperience was very much apparent when, with only eight minutes on the clock, he lashed a calamitous own goal into Kasper Schmeichel’s top corner.

Given this woeful error, on what was only his third start for Celtic, he may have to wait a little while for his fourth, with Auston Trusty and forgotten man Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who may as well be on Interpol’s missing persons list at this point, surely better options to partner Liam Scales going forward.

However, which other Celtic starter, who has a much higher profile and cost a hell of a lot more money, also did not impress in Gorgie?

Expensive Celtic signing could be back on the bench

Against both Sturm Graz and Hearts, having been part of the midfield trio to start the campaign, Benjamin Nygren has been deployed on the right-wing, largely due to a lack of alternative attacking options.

His header pinched the points in Europe on Thursday, while the Swede was denied a goal at the weekend on the cusp of half time by a smart save from Alexander Schwolow, possibly paying the price for his indecisiveness.

This positional move has opened up a midfield spot, with Arne Engels returning to the starting lineup, but he certainly has not grasped this opportunity with both hands, and the table below documents his miserable afternoon in Edinburgh.

Shots

1

5th

Key passes

Zero

13th

Big chances created

Zero

3rd

Accurate passes

41

4th

Passing accuracy %

82%

9th

Duels contested

11

7th

Duels won

4

13th

Possession lost

24

1st

Touches

77

4th

SofaScore rating

6

29th

As the table documents, the Belgian’s statistics at Tynecastle do not make for good reading.

While only Murray, Scales and Callum McGregor completed more passes than Engels, he did little with this possession, creating no chances, losing possession a total of 24 times, the most of any player on the pitch, while Kieran Tierney, the next highest Celtic man in that ranking, only did so on 16 occasions.

Engels arrived in Glasgow just over a year ago to sky-high expectations, considering he was replacing Matt O’Riley while costing a club-record fee of £11m.

After an up and down first campaign, the 22-year-old had only started three times this season prior to the last two fixtures, yet to score a goal, while both of his assists have been set-piece deliveries.

Also, central midfield is possibly the only area of Rodgers’ squad with genuine depth and competition for places.

Captain McGregor’s name is written in permanent marker on the team sheet, while Nygren, Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan are all also vying for minutes.

Having been given a chance, Engels may have played his way to the back of the queue for next Sunday’s Old Firm, so it would frankly be a surprise if he was included in the starting lineup for the visit of Falkirk on Wednesday.

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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank hailed Joao Palhinha’s role as emergency centre-half and opening goalscorer in the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Doncaster.

Palhinha’s improvised strike, a Jay McGrath own goal and Brennan Johnson’s stoppage-time breakaway comfortably disposed of League One Rovers.

Frank hails Tottenham star Palhinha

On-loan Portuguese midfielder Palhinha, who picks £7m per year, wants to seal a permanent move to north London in 2026. He stepped into an injury-hit back-line while Archie Gray, often forced to play auxiliary centre-back under previous boss Ange Postecoglou, took his preferred midfield role.

“Archie can play centre-back and right-back but I see him as a midfielder and I like to see him there.”

Spurs would have scored more but for two remarkable air shots from Mathys Tel from only six yards out. Tel has yet to find the net since making a permanent switch to north London this summer but Frank said: “I don’t think he’s having a bad run.

“I think it was a step up in terms of performance. He got into good situations.”

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Spurs went ahead in the 14th minute after Rovers goalkeeper Ian Lawlor missed his punch at a corner.

Sean Grehan headed the loose ball off the line but only as far as Palhinha, who hooked an overhead kick back over the defender and into an empty net.

Spurs doubled their lead three minutes later when Wilson Odobert raided down the left and sent in another low cross. Doncaster defender McGrath was unable to sort his feet out in time and succeeded only in bundling the ball into his own net.

Rovers almost pulled one back before the break when Owen Bailey’s Paolo Di Canio-style volley was tipped onto a post by Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky.

That was the only moment of mild peril Spurs faced, however, and Frank was able to shuffle his pack by sending on Lucas Bergvall and Richarlison for the final 30 minutes as well as handing a late debut to 16-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett.

Johnson wrapped things up in stoppage time after being sent racing through on goal by Bergvall.

Rovers boss Grant McCann said: “I was disappointed with the goals we conceded.

“I don’t think we made it hard for them to score against us but in between that, especially in the second half, it was an excellent performance.”

It wasn’t the perfect start to Nuno Espírito Santo’s tenure at West Ham United on Monday night, but it wasn’t far off.

The Portuguese manager’s first game in charge saw the Hammers take on David Moyes’ Everton, and while they fell behind in the first half, they rallied, equalised in the second 45 and could have gone on to win on another day.

However, while it’s not quite as important as the team’s fightback, the coach’s decision to leave James Ward-Prowse back in London suggests he’s ready to make significant changes to the team.

However, there is another member of the squad who isn’t good enough and should be left out, just like the Englishman, going forward.

Why Ward-Prowse's time is up under Nuno

West Ham paid Southampton around £30m to sign Ward-Prowse in the summer of 2023, and aside from a few good performances here and there, and the odd free-kick, it’s a move that can only be described as a disaster.

The former Saints star is not agile, powerful, or quick enough to play as one of the team’s two central midfielders, but at the same time, he has not shown enough in-game creativity to start in the ten, especially not when Lucas Paqueta is still at the club.

The Portsmouth-born ace has been so lacklustre since his move to London Stadium over two years ago that he was sent on a season-long loan to Nottingham Forest, only to be sent back halfway through the campaign, having made a grand total of ten appearances, six of which were starts.

Now, some may claim that with a new manager through the door, all of the players who struggled under Graham Potter should be given another chance, but unfortunately for Ward-Prowse, it was Nuno who refused to play him at the City Ground.

Perhaps the best example of why the 11-capped international has to be moved on as soon as possible are the statistics from his last game for the club.

Minutes

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Accurate Passes

41/48 (85%)

Crosses (Accurate)

5 (1)

Shots on Target

0

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

3 (0)

Lost Possession

14

Fouls

3

Dribbled Past

2

For example, in the game against Crystal Palace, he misplaced four of five crosses, lost eight of nine duels, was dribbled past twice, lost possession of the ball 14 times, and committed three fouls.

In other words, Ward-Prowse was, and is, a liability for West Ham and therefore, should ideally be sold in the winter window, alongside another player who has consistently failed to impress in East London.

The West Ham player who has to be dropped with JWP

The unfortunate reality for Nuno is that, while West Ham do have a number of quite brilliant players in the squad, they also have plenty who should be moved on as soon as possible.

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One of those who, unfortunately, falls into the latter camp is Konstantinos Mavropanos.

The Greek defender joined the club from Arsenal in the summer of 2023, and once again, while there have been some impressive moments here and there, he’s largely failed to live up to expectations.

We can see this in his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 6% for interceptions in the league among centre-backs last season, but just the top 35% for tackles, the top 56% for shots blocked and the bottom 23% for passes blocked.

In other words, the numbers back up the eye-test, and while it might sound harsh, they lend credence to the claim from journalist Tom Rennie that the 27-year-old is “nowhere near Premier League quality.”

A new manager didn’t make a difference either, as the former Stuttgart ace failed to prevent Michael Keane from opening the scoring on Monday night, despite initially being well-placed to do so.

Now, if there were no other options in the squad to replace him, Nuno might be forced to persevere with the Athens-born titan, but he has summer signing Igor Julio and Jean-Clair Todibo to choose from.

Ultimately, West Ham should look to sell Mavropanos and bring in a replacement in the winter window, as, like Ward-Prowse, he is not good enough to play under Nuno.

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It’s hard work vs natural talent for many, thunderous strikes vs magical moments for others and a debate that has stolen the spotlight for more than 15 years. There has not been anyone close to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in this current era of football and perhaps even history. Separating the two is, therefore, an almost impossible task.

The duo are still very much competing too, even if it’s not for the Ballon d’Or these days. In the September international break, Messi thought he grabbed the headlines with his brace in what could be his final appearance for the national team in his home country of Argentina, only for Ronaldo to swiftly respond by doing the same for Portugal a day later.

Ronaldo, himself, recently spoke about the affection that he has for Messi after years of competing against the former Barcelona star at the very top level.

He told reporters: “Of course I have affection for Leo Messi. We’ve been on stage together for 15 years. I remember translating English for him at the Galas because he didn’t speak English well. He always treated me well and respected me.”

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Messi has also shown the same respect to his rival when speaking to reporters, saying: “I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he’s had and continues to have, because he’s still competing at the highest level.”

It’s a rivalry that is ending with the utmost respect, but also one that almost everyone has had their say on – even former boxing world champion Anthony Joshua.

Anthony Joshua weighs in on Messi vs Ronaldo

Not one for pulling his punches, Joshua admitted that he believes that Ronaldo is better than Messi, because he works harder than the World Cup-winning legend.

It’s perhaps the type of hard work that one of Britain’s greatest boxers can relate to, having gone from narrowly avoiding a prison sentence at a young age to defeating the iconic Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 in front of a packed Wembley crowd.

With five Ballon d’Ors to his name, to say that Ronaldo’s hard work paid off would be an incredible understatement. The Al-Nassr winger, even at 40 years old, has the physical conditioning of a player at the peak of their powers.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, football’s biggest stage could see its two greatest icons collide one final time. It’s then that AJ and others could get their answer as to just who takes the crown.

The mood around Chelsea is undeniably electric at the moment.

Enzo Maresca’s side more than made up for their opening-day stumble at home with an emphatic win away to West Ham United on Friday, and look ready for what should be a massive season in the Premier League and beyond.

The club have more than backed the manager over the last few months, and with the window open for another week, looks set to make at least a couple more additions to his squad.

In fact, if reports are to be believed, Chelsea may be closing in on an international ace who’d be their own version of Eberechi Eze.

Chelsea target their own Eberechi Eze

They haven’t been the biggest spenders in the league this summer, but Chelsea have undoubtedly made the most out of the window so far.

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In attack, the Conference League champions have added the likes of Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, while the defence has been reinforced by the tremendously exciting Jorrel Hato.

Yet, even with all the business the West Londoners have done over the last few months, they now look set to complete another signing, someone who could be their own Eze.

At least that is according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has reaffirmed Chelsea’s interest in Alejandro Garnacho.

More than that, the Italian journalist has revealed that the deal is now “expected” to happen before the window slams shut.

Romano does not mention how much the Manchester United ace might cost, but according to stories from earlier this month, the Blues could try to secure his services for around £25m.

Even if the final fee ends up being higher, Garnacho is worth signing for Chelsea, especially as he could be their own Eze.

Why Garnacho could be Chelsea's Eze

So the first thing to clear up is that no, we are not claiming Garnacho is currently on the same level as Eze.

That would be patently untrue and quite unfair to the United ace, as he’s still just 21 years old.

However, there are several similarities between the two, including their transfers.

For example, if the Argentine international does end up joining Maresca’s blue revolution this summer, then he’d be following the Englishman in joining not just a ‘big six’ side, but one based in London that will be looking to challenge for the Premier League this season.

Away from the deal, another key characteristic the Madrid-born ace shares with the former Crystal Palace star is his ability to play in attacking midfield or out on the left wing.

More than that, he’s also as much of a goal threat as he is a creator.

For example, the “superstar” in the making, as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, was able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes.

Appearances

58

Minutes

3568′

Goals

11

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

That means he was able to average a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes, which is made all the more impressive considering he was playing in a historically terrible United side.

Finally, just as Eze has the ability to pull off the magnificent, so can Garnacho, with his Puskas winning goal against Everton a couple of years ago, the perfect example of this.

Ultimately, it may take some time for the United ace to reach the levels of the new Arsenal star, but the similarities between them are undeniable.

Therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to secure his services as soon as possible.

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دخل نادي برشلونة فترة التوقف الدولي بشكل مخيب للآمال، حيث تعرض لهزيمتين متتاليتين وكانت واحدة في الدوري الإسباني وأخرى في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخسر برشلونة ضد باريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا، بهدفين لهدف، قبل أن يتعرض لخسارة قاسية ضد إشبيلية برباعية لهدف واحد، ما زاد الضغط على الفريق وهانز فليك.

وبحسب صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، فقد قرر فليك وجهاز برشلونة الفني أن يقضي هذا الأسبوع خلال فترة التوقف الدولي، بتحليل لقطات دقيقة لهزيمتي فريقه أمام باريس سان جيرمان وإشبيلية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. يلعب بجوار محترف مصري.. برشلونة يراقب صفقة جديدة لتعزيز صفوفه

وإلى جانب الخسائر الناتجة عن الإصابات وجودة المنافسين الذين واجههم برشلونة مثل فريق لويس إنريكي وضعف أداء لاعبي برشلونة وهذا ما اعترفوا به بعد الخسارة في إشبيلية، فقد كشف فليك عن مجموعة من الأخطاء المتكررة، يجب تصحيحها فورًا.

وتتعلق هذه المشاكل التي اكتشفها هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة، بضعف التنسيق الدفاعي والارتباك في القرارات التكتيكية أثناء المباراة، أكثر من ارتباطها بالإرهاق فقط.

وجاءت الأخطاء ضد باريس سان جيرمان بشكل كبير في لقطات الأهداف والفرص التي أضاعها برشلونة أيضًا، وإلى جانب ذلك، كانت هناك أخطاء عديدة أمام إشبيلية في الدوري الإسباني.

Newcastle United are “looking” at a potential move for another attacking player hailed as a “pure baller” this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Ramsey completes move to Newcastle

The Magpies’ summer transfer window hasn’t been a happy one, with key targets choosing other clubs instead, and the Alexander Isak saga hanging over them.

On the plus side, Newcastle have now completed the signing of Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, with the Englishman looking forward to his new challenge at St James’ Park.

“I’m delighted to be here. It’s been a mad two or three days, but I’m really happy to be here and I can’t wait to get started. This is a big move for me, but as soon as I knew the gaffer was interested and really liked me, it didn’t take much time to decide. His track record of developing players, especially those who have gone on to become internationals here, speaks for itself.

“It was always a tough game playing for Villa against Newcastle – the team is full of energy, so athletic and the fans are so passionate. I feel my game will suit that and I’m excited to be on the other end of it now.”

Now, another gifted young player has also been mentioned as a target for Newcastle, with two weeks of the transfer window remaining.

Newcastle "looking" at move for "pure baller"

Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke claimed that Leicester City ace Bilal El Khannouss is a target for Newcastle this summer, with offers expected to arrive for him from clubs.

“He isn’t letting the speculation effect him at the moment, he started for Leicester in their opening game of the season and got a couple of assists as well. Newcastle have been looking at him while pursuing Jacob Ramsey. They could potentially sign both to strengthen the squad in that position.

“Eddie Howe needs a bigger squad this season with Champions League football to contend with. Leicester are open to selling him and they’ll face a real battle to convince him to stay in the Championship if he does have Premier League offers. It’s one to keep an eye on before the end of the window. I expect offers to come in for El Khannouss before the end of the window.”

El Khannouss is a huge talent with so many good years ahead of him, so he could be a superb long-term signing in attacking midfield areas.

The 21-year-old has already bagged two assists in as many games in the Championship this season, while analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “pure baller” because of his natural ability.

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Granted, El Khannouss plays in a similar position to Ramsey, so minutes could be hard to come by initially, especially given the quality already in Newcastle’s midfield. That said, he should still feature plenty, and has the potential to be a future star at St James’.

In a few weeks, Arsenal will begin the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, and their eyes will be riveted on the prize.

Having fallen short in each of the past three seasons, the Gunners know that this is a big one, with Mikel Arteta’s side having gone five years without silverware.

But the improvements have been vast, these recent years. A lack of trophies aside, this has been an incredible resurgence for a giant who had been cast to the wayside before.

There’s a strong case for Arsenal’s unfortunate injury record across the 2024/25 term to have impeded them in their pursuit of glory, but Arteta has revised the issues and made some impactful summer signings to take his squad to the next level.

And the months of work have now been crowned by the addition of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Why Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres

Technically, Gyokeres isn’t yet an official Arsenal player, but the centre-forward has been the subject of an agreed £64m deal that will see him stand as Arteta’s chief goal-getter over the coming years.

The Sweden international scored 97 goals and added 28 assists across 102 matches for Sporting, winning the Liga Portugal in both of his seasons at the club.

Aged 27, he’s in the prime of his career, described by former Coventry City coach Adi Viveash as being a “physical machine”. He has what it takes to become one of the leading Premier League strikers of his era, rivalling the best over the coming years.

1)

Viktor Gyokeres

33

39

2)

Kylian Mbappe

34

31

3)

Mohamed Salah

38

29

4)

Robert Lewandowski

34

27

5)

Victor Osimhen

30

26

5=

Harry Kane

31

26

There’s no question that Gyokeres will be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, but there remains that slight uncertainty, for he has yet to ply his trade in the Premier League.

However, Arsenal are lining up another star who could prove to be an even better signing – and that’s not to Gyokeres’ discredit.

Arsenal agree fee for Premier League star

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are confident that they will complete the signing of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze this summer, having agreed to pay his £68m release clause through a series of manageable instalments.

Eze scored the winning goal as Palace won the FA Cup final against Manchester City last season, and has been expected to leave for a new challenge, having already agreed personal terms with the Gunners.

The £100k-per-week talent has also attracted interest from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, but it’s Arteta’s side who are set to enjoy his qualities next season and beyond, should the finer details of the transfer go through without a hitch.

What Eberechi Eze would bring to Arsenal

Like Gyokeres, Eze is 27, and would provide the Gunners with maturity and completeness of development. The Three Lions star’s 2024/25 season proved to the world that he has what it takes to become a star member of one of Europe’s elite outfits.

Pundit Rio Ferdinand hailed his “unique” style of play back in March, going on to claim he could “play for one of the top teams” in the world.

A dribble-happy attacking midfielder, Eze’s low centre of gravity, immense core strength and skilled passing game make him a difficult opponent indeed, with so many different ways to hurt his opponents.

Typically used as a left-sided midfielder by Oliver Glasner over the past 18 months, Eze completed 82% of his passes in the Premier League last term, as per Sofascore, while averaging two dribbles, 1.7 key passes and 4.8 successful duels per game, underscoring his roundedness.

Attacking midfield

74

25

11

Left winger

52

9

7

Central midfield

25

6

3

Right winger

3

0

0

His ability to shift, seamlessly, between the left flank and a more central attacking position bespeaks his sharpness and intelligence. Eze, in this regard, could plug two holes for Arteta, with both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli linked with moves away this summer.

While Eze has become more potent over the past few years, he remains a robust physical profile who could dynamise the club’s overall attacking build-up.

As per FBref, he ranked last season among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for ball recoveries per 90.

There’s no question that Gyokeres would bring to Arsenal a newfound degree of goalscoring quality, but there’s also no doubt that Eze has a skill set so impressive that he could come to nail down a starting berth on the left flank and emerge as one of Arteta’s most trusted lieutenants.

Will Arsenal’s soon-to-be-sealed striker hit the ground running in England’s top flight? Will he manage to retain that same level of destructive brilliance in tougher conditions, against steelier defenders?

These are the questions, and we shall soon find out. In any case, Eze has built himself up over a number of years in Europe’s highest-quality division, and, of course, with Gyokeres as a target man in the middle, both could enjoy the fruits of each other’s labours.

In Gyokeres, Arsenal will secure the centre-forward they have desired over the past several years. However, Eze might prove to be the better signing, all things considered.

His higher fee reflects that, and so does the consistency for Palace in the Premier League over the past five years, even leading analyst Ben Mattinson to call him a “superstar”.

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Bangladesh’s chances of making the semis took a big hit after they faltered with both bat and ball

Srinidhi Ramanujam10-Oct-2024

Karishma Ramharack took 4 for 17•ICC/Getty Images

Karishma Ramharack’s four-wicket haul and Hayley Matthews’ quickfire 34 helped West Indies coast to an important eight-wicket victory against Bangladesh, in Sharjah. Having chased down the target of 104 in 12.5 overs, West Indies, with their second win in three matches, moved to top of Group B. Three teams from this group are now in contention for the two semi-final spots with South Africa and England also on four points, but the latter have played only two matches.Bangladesh succumbed to their second straight defeat in three matches and their chances of advancing to the knockouts took a big hit. Batting once again hurt Bangladesh as they lost six wickets for 27 runs after they were sent in to bat.Ramharack rips through BangladeshWest Indies used as many as seven bowlers but it was Ramharack who stood out by taking a wicket each in her four overs across different phases of the game. The offspinner struck with her very first delivery when opener Shathi Rani tried to sweep and missed. Shemaine Campbelle took the bails off in a flash to effect a stumping. In her second over, the last one in the powerplay, Dilara Akter moved across to sweep but missed, only to expose her middle stump and be bowled. When Ramharack came out to bowl in the 13th over, she mixed her lines well but kept the ball outside off. She had Sobhana Mostary stumped by making her come down the track to an outside offstump delivery. That ended the 40-run third-wicket stand for Bangladesh.Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews added 52 for the opening wicket•ICC/Getty Images

Just when Nigar Sultana and Ritu Moni were looking to stitch a stand during the death overs, Ramaharack came back and knocked Moni out. Chinelle Henry took an excellent running catch after the batter came down and miscued a lofted shot to deep midwicket. Ramharack finished with 4 for 17.Sultana’s slowdownBangladesh showed positive intent with the bat early on, with the openers charging down as early as the second over to go aerial. Nigar started briskly after the openers fell in the powerplay. She particularly took legspinner Afy Fletcher on and smacked three fours off her second over and moved to 20 off 17 balls. However, once Mostary fell in the 13th over and Fletcher struck twice in the 15th, Nigar, who was on 27 off 27, slowed down despite West Indies’ sloppy fielding. Her next 17 deliveries fetched just 12 runs and eventually, she fell to Matthews in the final over attempting a big heave towards deep midwicket.Matthews steers WI’s chaseBangladesh struggled to pitch the ball up and got punished as they erred on the shorter side. It allowed the West Indies batters to rock back and play their shots. Matthews, in particular, pounced on this opportunity in the powerplay and blunted the Bangladesh attack. After being on a run-a-ball seven, Matthews lined up the left-arm spin of Nahida Akter with a punch off the backfoot, piercing the gap between cover and extra cover. Two balls later, Nahida bowled short again and received the same treatment.Legspinner Fahima Khatun, after having given away just four runs off her first over, bowled short on off stump in the fifth over and Matthews stayed back and punched uppishly to find her third boundary on the off side. Marufa Akter overpitched the last ball of the powerplay, which Matthews drove through cover to bring up her sixth boundary. But she was bowled by a nip-backer from the fast bowler in the eighth over for a 22-ball 34. At the end of Marufa’s over though, West Indies needed just 49 off 72 balls which was taken care of by Stafanie Taylor – before she limped off retired hurt – and Deandra Dottin, who smashed an unbeaten 19 off just seven balls.

From a frustrating lack of activity a few weeks ago to a new piece of news seemingly dropping on the hour, this summer is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting one for Arsenal.

Instead of second-guessing Mikel Arteta’s vision following a third successive second-placed finish in the Premier League last year, the board are doubling down on their support for the Spanish manager.

It’s not even pre-season yet, but the club has already announced Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Norgaard is expected to be announced any day now.

Moreover, after years of fans crying out for it, the North Londoners are finally reinforcing the attack, with Viktor Gyokeres looking like the man to lead the line and Eberechi Eze being able to fill in off the left as well as in attacking midfield.

Yet, that’s not all, as reports are now linking Arsenal to another Premier League star, someone who’d be loved by the Swedish and English stars.

Arsenal eye attacker to help Gyokeres and Eze

The big topic of discussion regarding Arsenal’s transfer dealings over the last few days has undoubtedly been Gyokeres.

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After months of deliberation over who was going to be the club’s new number nine, it looks like the Sporting CP star is the man, as he’s reportedly agreed personal terms with the Gunners and the Lisbon outfit appear ready to accept an offer of around £70m.

Things are marginally less advanced with Eze, as while he has supposedly agreed terms with the North Londoners and is incredibly keen on making the move, less progress has been made with Crystal Palace.

Stories from earlier this week claimed that Andrea Berta and Co are preparing to make an offer of £60m in three £20m instalments, but it remains to be seen if the Eagles accept anything less than the 27-year-old’s £68m release clause.

That’s not all, though, as the Premier League runners-up have also been linked with another attacking dynamo, Bryan Mbeumo.

Yes, on the latest episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, journalist David Ornstein revealed that Arsenal have “explored” a move for the Brentford star this summer.

If this is a move the Gunners are still keen to complete, they may need to hurry things along, as Manchester United remain incredibly eager to bring him to Old Trafford.

In terms of how much he’d cost, reports from earlier this summer claimed that the Bees want a fee in excess of £65m for their star attacker.

It would undoubtedly be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line for Arsenal, but given Mbeumo’s ability, it is one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a dream teammate for Eze and Gyokeres.

Why Gyokeres and Eze would love Mbeumo

Well, the first and arguably most crucial reason Gyokeres and Eze would love playing alongside Mbeumo is his output.

After all, goals win games, and he sure scores a lot of them.

In 42 appearances this season, totalling 3577 minutes, the Bees’ “mini-Salah,” as dubbed by pundit Jason Cundy, scored 20 goals and provided nine assists.

Appearances

42

Starts

39

Minutes

3577′

Goals

20

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

Minutes per Goal Involvement

123.34′

That comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.44 games, or one every 123.34 minutes.

Just imagine how many assists Eze would be able to chalk up playing behind the Cameroon international, and for Gyokeres, he’d make full use of the 25-year-old’s creativity.

Moreover, the sheer weight of goals the former Troyes gem scores would force opposition defenders to pay him a great deal of attention, which in turn should help free up more space for the Swedish hitman to operate in.

However, it’s not just the output that would make the Avallon-born ace a great teammate for the former Coventry City star, but also his versatility.

For example, while the United target does spend most of his time off the right, he can play up top, or even as a second striker, which means he’d be able to fill in for the Stockholm-born goal machine when he’s in need of a rest.

This would help prevent him from burning out in what is likely to be an incredibly intense season for the North Londoners next season.

Ultimately, while it may be unlikely, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Mbeumo, as well as Gyokeres and Eze, this summer.

The Brentford star’s proficiency in front of goal and positional versatility could help them play even better.

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1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 8, 2025