علّق ريكو لويس لاعب مانشستر سيتي على بطولة كأس العالم للأندية التي يشارك فيها الفريق بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وأشاد بصفقة النادي الجديدة.
وتلعب أولى مباريات مونديال الأندية في الثالثة فجر الأحد بتوقيت مصر، حيث يلاقي الأهلي المصري خصمه إنتر ميامي الأمريكي.
وصرح لويس للاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا): “أعتقد أنه يجب علينا استغلال كأس العالم للأندية كفرصة لنكون جزءًا من التاريخ”.
وأضاف: “نعرف طبيعة الحياة في أمريكا مع الجماهير ومدى حماسهم واستمتاعهم بمشاهدتنا”.
ويعترف لويس بأن الحرارة والرطوبة ستجعلان اللعب على أرض الملعب “صعبًا للغاية”، لكنه لا يخشى من تأثير هذه الظروف على أسلوب لعب مانشستر الذي يعتمد على الضغط العالي.
وعزز مانشستر سيتي صفوفه بضم ريان آيت نوري، من ولفرهامبتون، وريان شرقي من ليون، ولاعب الوسط الهولندي تيجاني ريندرز من ميلان.
اقرأ أيضًا | جوندوجان: نلعب للفوز بـ كأس العالم للأندية.. وفرطنا في لقبين
وأفاد لويس: “تيجاني ريندرز كنت أتابعه العام الماضي، وتحدثت مع زملائي عنه، كان أحد لاعبيّ المفضلين في يورو 2024 من حيث لاعبي خط الوسط”.
وأكد: “إنه بارعٌ جدًا في تطوير مهاراته، إنه لاعب خط وسط مانشستر سيتي النموذجي، حيث يحتفظون بالكرة ولا يفقدونها أبدًا، ويمكنك أن ترى أنه يمتلك القدرة على تسجيل الأهداف ولعب تمريرات حاسمة أيضًا، لذا، أعتقد أنه لاعب خط وسط متكامل سيرفع مستوى أدائنا”.
وسيفتتح مانشستر سيتي مشواره بمواجهة الوداد البيضاوي، ثم يلاقي العين الإماراتي، ثم يوفنتوس الإيطالي.
The fast bowling son of a labourer whose “spark” has been noticed by the likes of Rahul Dravid, Nathu Singh will get his chance on a bigger stage against the touring South Africans in a week’s time
Sidharth Monga in Jaipur23-Oct-2015The day the court appointed an ad hoc committee to run Rajasthan cricket, its convenor, Amrit Mathur, received a call from Rahul Dravid. The gist of the conversation was: “this boy” is good, please keep an eye out for him.After the end of the first match, against Delhi, their coach Vijay Dahiya, who joined only from the second match onwards, called Mathur. He had been told about “this boy” by Gautam Gambhir. The gist of this conversation: “we were talking, Gautam mentioned this boy and said that after a long time he has seen new India material, please make sure he is not ruined by over-bowling.”Chairman of national selectors Sandeep Patil happened to watch this boy. Rajinder Hans, another national selector appointed by the court to make sure the Rajasthan Ranji team was selected fairly, obviously saw this boy. And now, this boy, Nathu Singh, son of a labourer in a wire factory, is going to play for the Board President’s XI against the touring South Africans based on “the spark” Patil and team have seen. He has played only three first-class matches.Sometimes a name can evoke the person. Nathu is almost like you know him. Short, endearing. Not quite the immortal “” from the Hindi movie . His pronunciation is different. It’s Naa-thu. The thu is softer too. Until three years ago he used to bowl with a soft ball in the [neighbourhood]. Then a told him he should try a cricket ball because he was too fast for everybody.The first thing you notice about Nathu is the tattoo on his arm. “Mom dad,” it says. His mother and father gambled it all for him. When he took the advice to actually start playing with the cricket ball, he needed to play at an academy. He went to Surana Academy, where the fees was Rs 10,000 for the year. The father had no savings to spare, but he told Nathu: “Whatever I have I will put in. Let’s see for two months how you go.”
A sign of how sick cricket at grassroots levels is in India is that Nathu couldn’t find a place in the Jaipur district side, and had to play for Sikkar, hardly known for its cricket
Two months later the coaches at the academy and Nathu’s [mother’s brother] suggested he be given time because they saw that “spark”. The academy subsidised the fee looking at his family background, and by the end of that year he was in the Rajasthan Under-19 side. The MRF Pace Academy happened too, where he impressed Glenn McGrath. Boots and spikes? “I used to arrange from the seniors,” Nathu says. “Deepak [Chahar] and Aniket [Choudhury] helped me a lot.” Two years ago, when Nathu drew his first match fee, he gave it all to his parents. He still does.A sign of how sick cricket at grassroots levels is in India is that he couldn’t find a place in the Jaipur district side, and had to go and play for Sikkar, hardly known for its cricket. The rest of the machinery, though, has been remarkable in fast-tracking him into playing against a quality opposition.The word around is that he has pace, but more than pace his speciality is that he bowls quick when he bowls at a length. Every coach has told him that. The explanation is this: when you strive to bowl fast, when the pace is not natural but through extra effort, you tend to drag the ball down. Nathu doesn’t need to. “The coaches have also told me I am god-gifted,” Nathu says. “There is no need to work on me.”Time to watch him then. There is a Munaf Patel-like lumber to his walk and his batting. He is lbw first ball against Maharashtra. He looks a mug. His turn to bowl against Maharashtra comes after the new-ball bowlers, Chahar and Choudhury, have had a go. They are 21 for 1 when Nathu begins to meticulously mark his run-up to begin the ninth over of the innings. Four steps from the crease, toe next to the heel, and he marks a line there. Then a long leap to scratch another mark, audibly enough for those outside the fence. Then he goes to the top of his mark.Nathu walks four steps, then skips – not as extravagantly as Junaid Khan or Mohit Sharma – and then takes 10 brisk but comfortable steps into his delivery stride. The leap is high, the action is easy and smooth, and then he puts a big effort into the ball. There is pace. It repeatedly thuds into the gloves of wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik. He looks front-on – he calls himself an inswing bowler – and it will need closer analysis to see if he looks over his front arm just before letting the ball go. This puts stress on the back, but also puts action on the ball. Bhuvneshwar Kumar does that.In a week’s time, Nathu Singh will have the chance to meet his hero, Dale Steyn, who always has time for young fast bowlers•Associated PressAs of now, though, despite being green, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has not provided any lateral movement to the quicks on either side. Nathu gets late-cut for three consecutive boundaries by Maharashtra captain Rohit Motwani. He is not bowling his speciality: quick length balls. Probably because this is not quite a seaming surface and you have to hit the deck hard. He creates an opportunity with the other batsman Harshad Khadiwale, but sees a catch dropped. That has for long been the fate of the other India player from Rajasthan, Pankaj Singh. Ordinary slip catching has been the bane of Rajasthan quicks.Nathu bowls four wicketless overs before lunch and goes for four fours. He comes back after lunch and bowls a six-over spell that lasts until the afternoon drinks. Easy there, captain. Remember what Dahiya said. But then again, Chahar is off the field with an injury, and Nathu has had his man, Motwani. Motwani tries to back-cut again, but this time Nathu has bowled the quick length ball, which bounces to take the edge.It will be harsh to draw verdicts on his general accuracy or ability to work batsmen out based on just one day’s play, but the spark that everybody has seen is there. There is pace, natural pace, pace even at the end of the day when bowling his 18th over with a 70-over-old ball. Yet another cricketer from India has come up despite, and not because of, the system. The way people have rallied around him is heart-warming. In a week’s time in Mumbai he will meet another good Samaritan, his hero, Dale Steyn, who is never stingy with time or advice for young fast bowlers.The spark has somehow been given the fuel. It is up to him now to burn bright.
أعلن نادي ريال مدريد في بيان رسمي تعرض فيديريكو فالفيردي لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم للإصابة، وذلك عقب مواجهة ريال سوسيداد.
وفاز ريال مدريد على نظيره ريال سوسيداد بنتيجة 2/0، ضمن منافسات الجولة 38 والأخيرة من الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.
وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ريال مدريد إلى النقطة 84 في المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بينما تجمد رصيد ريال سوسيداد عند النقطة 46 في المركز الحادي عشر.
وتمكن برشلونة من حسم لقب الدوري الإسباني هذا الموسم 2024/25، بعد أن فاز على إسبانيول بهدفين دون رد، في منافسات الجولة 36 من البطولة الإسبانية.
اقرأ أيضاً.. رسميًا | تشابي ألونسو مديرًا فنيًا لـ ريال مدريد.. وموعد تقديمه
وأكد نادي ريال مدريد في بيان رسمي على تعرض لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، فيديريكو فالفيردي، للإصابة عقب مباراة ريال سوسيداد.
وأشار إلى أنه تم تشخيص إصابة فالفيردي من قبل الجهاز الطبي للنادي الملكي، وتبين أنه أصيب بآلام أسفل الظهر
وبحسب ما ورد في الصحف الإسبانية، فإن إصابة فالفيردي ليست خطيرة، وسيغيب لمدة أسبوع واحد فقط، وسيكون جاهزاً للمشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية 2025.
ويتواجد ريال مدريد في المجموعة الثامنة بمنافسات كأس العالم للأندية، بجانب الهلال السعودي، باتشوكا المكسيكي وسالزبورج النمساوي.
وشارك فالفيردي هذا العام في 59 مباراة مع ريال مدريد بجميع المسابقات، حيث أحرز 9 أهداف وقام بصناعة 8 أهداف هذا الموسم.
Parte médico de Valverde. — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 25, 2025
Liverpool made it two wins from their first two Champions League games this season, thanks to a 2-0 win over Italian outfit, Bologna. Arne Slot’s side were dominant throughout the game, and never really looked troubled, sealing the points thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and the inevitable Mohamed Salah.
Mac Allister, a World Cup winner with Argentina, scored a simple tap-in, but it was superb play in the buildup. The midfielder linked up play nicely, before making a late dart into the penalty box and getting on the end of a teasing cross from Salah, to give the Reds the lead.
Salah’s goal doubled the lead for the home side with 15 minutes to go, cutting inside onto his left foot and lashing it into the top corner. It was a goal that capped off a dominant showing from Slot’s men, who sit fifth in the table of the new group phase.
There were certainly some standout performances throughout the evening at Anfield. Not least from Mac Allister, who was one of the stars of the show for Liverpool. However, it will come as no surprise to hear that one of the standout players once again was Salah.
Salah’s stats vs. Bologna
It was another vintage display from Liverpool’s Egyptian king at Anfield, and he once again put on a show for the Liverpool supporters. The winger was at his brilliant best, creating chances and looking like a constant threat on the attack.
His goal was superb, a trademark Salah finish. The Reds’ number 11 cut inside on his left foot, dummying with a clever drop of his shoulder, before driving into the Bologna penalty box and firing home into the top left-hand corner, as pinpoint as you could ask for. That goal went along with his superb assist for Mac Allister in the first half.
He received an impressive 9/10 rating from Ben Fleming, a journalist for The Metro. He hailed Salah’s performance which ultimately made the difference for Slot’s side, calling him ‘the architect’ of the Reds’ dominant win.
Indeed, his superb contribution was reflected in his Sofascore stats at full-time. Salah had a surprisingly low 37 touches of the ball but managed to provide three key passes and create one big chance, as well as creating the opener and sealing the three points with his wonder strike.
Salah’s performance was mightily impressive, but there was arguably a player who stood out more than the winger. That player is Ryan Gravenberch.
Gravenberch’s stats vs. Bologna
Since he was given the task of playing as a number six under Slot, Gravenberch has gone from strength to strength in a Liverpool shirt, and Wednesday night’s performance against Bologna was no different.
It was a superb, metronomic display at the base of the Reds’ midfield from the Dutchman, who has previously been deployed in more advanced roles. However, he seems right at home as a number six, dictating play with ease, and using his 6 foot 2 frame to his advantage, gaining an upper hand physically against opposition midfielders.
His stats from the game show just how impressive he was. The former Bayern Munich midfielder had 58 touches, two more than Liverpool’s first goalscorer Mac Allister. He was effective on the ball, creating two chances and completing three out of four dribbles. The Dutch international also won four out of six ground duels.
Gravenberch stats vs. Bologna
Stat
Number
Pass accuracy
91%
Touches
58
Passes completed
41/45
Ground duels won
4/6
Dribbles completed
3/4
Chances created
2
Stats from Sofascore
Gravenberch received an 8/10 from Fleming for his efforts against the Italian side on Wednesday. The journalist explained he ‘continues to thrive; as a number six, and explained that he ‘bossed’ the midfield at Anfield.
Slot will no doubt be delighted with the progress his side are making; the Reds have six points from six in the Champions League and are currently top of the Premier League. They look to extend their five-match winning run against Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.
Liverpool wanted to sign £50m star for Klopp but ended up with Szoboszlai
Would he have been the better fit for Arne Slot’s side?
كشف هشام آيت منا رئيس نادي الوداد المغربي، حقيقة المفاوضات لضم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو لاعب نادي النصر، للمشاركة مع الفريق المغربي في كأس العالم للأندية.
وسيشارك نادي الوداد المغربي في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية التي تقام في منتصف الشهر المقبل، بالولايات المتحدة الإمريكية، ممثلاً عن القارة الإفريقية بجانب أندية الأهلي والترجي التونسي وصن داونز الجنوب إفريقي.
ويوجد الوداد المغربي في المجموعة السابعة بكأس العالم للأندية 2025، مع أندية مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي ويوفنتوس الإيطالي والعين الإماراتي.
طالع | تقارير: الوداد يتعاقد مع صفقة جديدة لتدعيم صفوفه قبل كأس العالم للأندية
وقال هشام آيت منا خلال تصريحات عبر صحيفة “الاقتصادية السعودية: “النادي على استعداد لفتح أبوابه أمام كريستيانو رونالدو لاعب نادي النصر، للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، بشرط ترجيب النجم البرتغالي بالانضمام إلينا، دون شروط مالية ضخمة”.
وأضاف: “من المستحيل تحمل نفس قيمة راتب رونالدو الحالي مع النصر (نحو 16 مليون يورو شهريا)، لكن أهلًا به إذا أراد الانضمام إلينا في كأس العالم للأندية لأننا نعرف أنه نجم ليس هدفه حصد الأموال فقط”.
وأكمل: “إذا كانت لدينا فرصة 1 بالمليار للتعاقد مع رونالدو لخوض مونديال الأندية، فسنتحرك من أجلها”.
يذكر، أن عقد رونالدو ينتهي مع النصر بنهاية الموسم الجاري، ويتقاضى اللاعب 200 مليون يورو سنويًا كأغلى راتب في تاريخ كرة القدم.
An incident involving a tackle on a Wolverhampton Wanderers player in the build up to Manchester City’s goal has emerged, putting a bigger shadow over referee Chris Kavanagh after Sunday’s controversy.
Gary O’Neil and his Wolves side are still without a win in the Premier League, but they will be pleased with their performance against the Blues, with their anger directed at the performance of Kavanagh rather than any of the players.
91% passing, 6/10 rating: The Wolves star who was even better than Larsen
Wolves star performed even better than Larsen despite the goal.
ByConnor Holden Oct 20, 2024 Wolves’ wait for a Premier League win continues
Wolves came into the game against Pep Guardiola’s side sitting at the bottom of the table, and an easy win for the away side was expected. However, Wolves made sure that wasn’t the case, as they took an early lead and put in a very impressive display. Josko Gvardiol levelled the away side, and then a dramatic and questionable goal from John Stones in the last minute sealed the win for City.
The incident at the end of the game has been the talking point, with O’Neil believing there “could be an unconscious bias” towards the bigger teams in the league when it comes to refereeing decisions: “I can categorically tell you they don’t mean to.
“They are 100 per cent honest. I just know from a human point of view it’s tough. I feel different playing Manchester City than someone else in the Carabao Cup first round. I’m sure they feel it; they are human. I don’t know if I’m miles off; it just feels there could be.”
He added: “If I had to upset someone in the street and there’s a big and little guy in the street, I’m upsetting the little guy. There is something in there, and they don’t do it on purpose and are doing the best job they can. Maybe there’s something which just edges it in that direction when it’s really tight.”
Possession
22.4%
77.6%
Shots
3
22
Shots on target
2
7
Shots off target
1
7
Total touches in the box
0
8
Goalkeeper saves
5
1
Aerial duels won
14
13
Fouls
8
5
Corners
1
18
Meanwhile, on the positive front for Wolves, former Premier League player Nigel Re-Coker hopes the Midlands side take the same “desire” shown against Man City into their other games this season. But while Wolves may be just about calming down from Sunday’s match, a new incident has emerged in the lead up to City’s goal.
Chris Kavanagh missed a clear foul before Man City's goal
As stated, Man City claimed all three points away at Wolves on Sunday in a fashion that has been labelled controversial. Now, footage has emerged of a tackle on a Wolves player before that goal that could have been blown up for a foul and therefore seen the game end all square.
Goncalo Guedes was carrying the ball towards the City goal when, it appears, he was pushed to the ground before losing the ball. City had a couple of corners between this and the goal, so it wasn’t an incident that led directly to the goal, but it all happened within the space of a couple of minutes.
This is footage that will annoy Wolves fans even more and raise even more questions after O’Neil’s comments about unconscious bias towards the bigger Premier League teams.
Arne Slot might have a bit more tactical nous than his predecessor, and that's not to discredit the exceptional management skills of Jurgen Klopp, whose Anfield appointment proved to be the start of a miracle that rained illustrious success down on Liverpool.
The Dutch head coach has got off to a flyer in the Premier League but let's not forget that he has inherited an elite crop of players, with the exploits of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah on the attacking flanks evidence of the title-capable quality.
Luis Diaz & Mohamed Salah's stats this season
Liverpool's attack petered out toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign, a core part of the nosedive that pulled Klopp's swansong away from contention for titles in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup, falling to the eventual champions in the latter two.
Now, though, a shift in style under Slot appears to have revitalised both, with Salah nominated for the league's Player of the Month award for August. His Colombian peer's dominant display against Manchester United came a day late for the monthly award, but puts him in good stead for the second.
Premier League 24/25: Mo Salah & Luis Diaz
Stats (*per game)
Diaz
Salah
Matches (starts)
3 (3)
3 (3)
Goals
3
3
Assists
1
3
Touches*
42.7
50.7
Shots (on target)*
2.7 (1.3)
3.3 (2.0)
Pass completion
86%
80%
Key passes*
2.3
1.7
Dribbles completed*
2.3 (58%)
1.3 (50%)
Ball recoveries*
4.3
2.3
Total duels won*
5.7 (44%)
3.7 (44%)
All stats via Sofascore
Both players are performing at quite an exceptional level, and though Diaz is more athletic, combative and energetic than his 32-year-old teammate, Salah has that Midas touch, with the eye test also underscoring his unrivalled influence in the Premier League.
Liverpool's forward success flows through Salah, who is currently valued at £46m by Transfermarkt, channelled toward goal with the ferocity of a waterfall. His deal is up at the end of the season but Richard Hughes will be working night and day to convince the Egpytian to extend his £350k-per-week contract.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah
Diaz's contract has also been a topic of conversation in recent months, though that door is closed (for now) following the conclusion of the transfer window. Barcelona had had a vested interest in the 27-year-old but were unwilling to meet Liverpool's demands of a payment well in excess of £50m.
There is, however, a current Premier League winger who is valued well above both Anfield stalwarts. Yes, Anthony Gordon could be plying his trade in his home city right now but instead remains at St. James' Park. Unknown to many, a return to Anfield would have actually been a homecoming for the England international.
Liverpool must rue letting Anthony Gordon leave
Hailed as a "menace" of a player by scout Antonio Mango, Gordon has enjoyed a steady rise to prominence in the Premier League, demonstrating clear talent at Everton but suffering due to the Toffees' turbulence, forcing his way out and signing for Newcastle United in a £45m deal in January 2023.
He had a slow start to life as a Magpie but soared throughout his first full season, winning the club's Player of the Year award after posting 12 goals and 11 assists across all competitions, hailed for his "unbelievable" performances by Bruno Guimaraes.
Liverpool target Anthony Gordon in action for England at EURO 2024.
Such efforts turned Liverpool's head among others, and due to Newcastle's PSR concerns, Eddie Howe was set to lose his wide talisman in a £75m deal, agreed with Liverpool but not coming to fruition after alternative, less costly means were found to combat the situation.
His pace and potency down the left would be perfect for Slot's side, but would you know, he actually played for the Reds way back when, released from the academy as an 11-year-old before earning a second bite at the cherry with Everton, where he rose through the ranks.
Speaking to Everton's club website, Gordon said: "It was another chance for me to grow. But that was hard. It affected me mentally and dented my confidence. I had to pick myself up and go again.
“When I got to Everton, I never looked back.”
Given that Liverpool were willing to enforce a high-cost transfer to bring the 23-year-old back to Merseyside this summer suggests that there is an element of ruefulness about letting him go in the first place, for a little more prudence could have seen him rise through the ranks in the same way that Trent Alexander-Arnold did.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon
Would it be far-fetched to say that there's a sense Gordon could yet grace the Anfield pitch in Liverpool red? FSG's interest is genuine and the England star isn't exactly going to fade into the background any time soon, impressing for club and country.
And the fact that he's more valuable than both Salah and Diaz right now does highlight his high potential, something that Liverpool will need to pay the big bucks for if they do wish to bring him home.
However, Diaz is proving that he's the man for the job on Slot's left flank. Who knows what will happen in the future, but certain Liverpool figures might rue letting Gordon leave in the first place – just imagine a wing boasting both Diaz and Gordon as the options…
He's out on loan: The Liverpool "prodigy" who can one day replace Salah
Speaking to the media this week, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler confirmed that Joao Pedro will not be available to take part in the Seagulls’ trip to face Chelsea on Saturday. The Brazilian was spotted in crutches after the 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest, and his return date has not been specified.
Fantasy Premier League managers who wildcarded in GW4 and those playing their chip in GW6 are now all asking the same question – who is the best cheap striker after Pedro’s latest injury? Football FanCast have taken a look at five players who could be the answer.
5 Danny Welbeck, Brighton, £5.8m, 19% owned
The easiest answer is a quick switch to Pedro’s teammate Welbeck. The former England international could be in line for a return to the Three Lions set-up if his form this season continues, as he’s already racked up three goals and one assist, only failing to provide a goal involvement in two games so far.
Welbeck is ever so slightly more expensive than Pedro at £5.8m instead of £5.6m, but for managers with a bit of spare change looking for a straight swap, Welbeck’s 0.46 expected goal involvements per 90 is the obvious solution. The one downside to picking the former Manchester United and Arsenal star is his upcoming fixtures, with Brighton facing Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle, Wolves, Liverpool and Manchester City next, with the home fixture against Wolves the only one with a 2 fixture difficulty rating (FDR) or better.
4 Raul Jimenez, Fulham, £5.4m, 2% owned
For managers looking for more of a differential – and one they can swap to from Pedro without making other transfers – Jimenez has sneakily become one of the best options available. The Mexico international was expected to serve merely as back-up for last year’s FPL breakout star Rodrigo Muniz, but has taken over starting duties in the last two gameweeks, scoring in both starts against West Ham and Newcastle, racking up 0.3 and 0.5 expected goal involvements in those two games.
Jimenez could well be on penalty duty, has the creativity of Adama Traore and Emile Smith-Rowe behind him, and faces some relatively kind fixtures after Fulham’s trip to Manchester City in GW7, with no more matches above a 3 FDR until December.
3 Jhon Duran, Aston Villa, £6.1m, 5% owned
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran
For the risk-averse managers, a striker who is yet to start a game in the Premier League this season feels like a disaster waiting to happen, but there is plenty of reason to believe Duran’s move into the first XI is just a matter of days away, with Unai Emery saying as much last week.
The numbers behind his start to the season are frankly ridiculous, as his expected goal involvement per 90 stands at a whopping 1.52, scoring in four of his five appearances from the bench and facing newly promoted Ipswich Town in GW6.
2 Jamie Vardy, Leicester, £5.7m, 11% owned
While the GW6 trip to Arsenal is an obvious hit to Vardy’s claim as the number one option to replace Pedro, Leicester’s fixtures after that are quite remarkable – the Foxes star doesn’t face another FDR above 3 until a trip to Newcastle in GW16, and the clash at the Emirates is followed by Bournemouth at home and then the other two promoted teams sandwiched either side of Forest at home.
Vardy is as nailed as can be to take penalties, has scored twice already this season, and most importantly has very little competition for his place with Odsonne Edouard clearly unfavoured having played just seven minutes in the last three games and Patson Daka injured for the forseeable future.
1 Iliman Ndiaye, Everton, £5.4m, 0.5% owned
Everton's Iliman Ndiaye
Don’t tell us we haven’t delivered on our promise for low owned players! Ndiaye is hardly a name on many FPL players’ lips at the moment, but ask any Everton fan and they’ll tell you the the Senegal international is just about the only bright spot in their season so far.
Playing on the left-wing, Ndiaye found his first Premier League goal against Leicester in GW5, is by far his team’s most talented and dangerous player, and now faces an unbelievable run of scorable fixtures, including two of the promoted sides, an out of sorts Man Utd, Newcastle in terrible away form and a West Ham side who have conceded eight times in their last two games.
Crystal Palace (H)
2
Newcastle (H)
3
Ipswich (A)
2
Fulham (H)
2
Southampton (A)
2
West Ham (A)
2
Brentford (H)
2
Man Utd (A)
3
Wolves (H)
2
So… how’s that for a proper differential? Let us know who you’re bringing in by commenting below!
Acting Ireland captain says bubble life leaves players feeling like they’re being “manoeuvred on a chessboard”
Matt Roller12-Jan-2022Paul Stirling has said there is “no doubt” that large numbers of players will pull out of tours and tournaments if they continue to operate in tight biosecure conditions, suggesting that Covid bubbles no longer feel like they are about “our health and safety” and instead are only in place for “financial reasons for companies, organisations and franchises”.Stirling has played overseas in the Hundred, T20 Blast, PSL, LPL and Abu Dhabi T10 in the last two years as well as touring regularly with Ireland. He contracted Covid-19 in Florida at the end of December following their T20I series, and has now joined up with the rest of Ireland’s squad – minus four Covid-positive team-mates and their interim coach David Ripley – in Jamaica ahead of Thursday’s second ODI against West Indies.With Andy Balbirnie among the positive players – along with Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh and Ben White – Stirling will stand in as captain for the rest of the series. Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, he said that while his introverted character meant he had coped with bubbles, there is “not too much rope left” for many players around the world.Related
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Remaining West Indies-Ireland ODIs rescheduled, T20I called off
“Will players pull out? One hundred percent,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. I think the restrictions are now no longer as much to do with our health and safety as they are to do with making sure that competitions go ahead and financial reasons for companies, organisations, franchises and making it work from that point of view.”When that starts happening and that transition is so apparent, and you feel as a player that you’re just being manoeuvred on a chessboard, that’s I think when people are going to be pulling out, fairly swiftly. That’s probably not far away, or else rules will be broken as you go.”As a whole, we’ve done pretty well. Not that you can blame anyone else but it would seem like we’ve had our camp in a good way, our discipline was good, we were sticking to the rules which is easier said than done sometimes.”We had a pretty good record and I think whenever cases came out, we nipped it in the bud. This is the first time where it’s lingered. I don’t know any teams that have completely avoided it, so it’s maybe time to start moving on in that direction a bit quicker.”Ireland’s players are in a strict bubble in Jamaica but were not at the start of their tour in Florida, where they had to abide by Covid protocols as part of a “managed environment”. It was not enough to keep the virus out of their camp, with their ODI series against the USA abandoned at short notice after players’ family members tested positive, but Stirling denied that the decision to avoid draconian protocols had been a mistake.”I don’t think the tour would have gone ahead [in a strict bubble],” he said. “Going away over Christmas in a different country – if you’re going to propose that with a full bubble like we’re in now, who’s going to say yes to that? It could only be relaxed.”And I say relaxed: it’s being allowed outdoors, it’s eating outdoors, it’s 15 minutes in places to get your essentials. I wouldn’t say it was extremely enjoyable. It was certainly the way that we see it going forward – that as an absolute bare minimum as to what we’re allowed to do.”Everyone reacts differently to news of positive tests. Even if you’re negative, you’ve got that anxiety of ‘will it be me next?’ This just seems to be one of those ones where it feels like our turn. It is tough if you’re not used to it. You’re away from home, you’re not sure if you’re going to get home.”Hopefully this is going to ease out with time this year. I don’t think there’s too much rope left with the players with having these bubbles as we go forward. The next three-four months, an easing of these sort of protocols would be pretty high on our list.”Stirling said that he was fit to play on Thursday despite suffering from “two dodgy days” while self-isolating in Miami, and feeling like he was “in the Highlands in South Africa” while jogging at his first training session in Jamaica.”From a health point of view, I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m glad it’s over – the people who have had it are so glad they’ve already had it because that takes you off for six months [due to natural immunity] where we can focus on cricket. We’ve got [T20 World Cup] qualifiers coming up [in Oman in February] and the last thing we want is this sort of environment where people are unsure.”Andy McBrine (concussion) and Mark Adair (foot) are both expected to be available for Thursday’s game, while Singh and White could be available for Sunday’s third ODI if cleared by medical staff.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta now appears set to promote one very highly-rated teenager to the first team, as a senior member of the Spaniard's squad faces a fresh injury setback.
Arsenal prepare to face Wolves in opening Premier League game
Following their two month-plus break from action, Arsenal are now gearing up for the new Premier League season and another opportunity to loosen Man City's stranglehold on the title.
Talks ongoing: Arsenal believe they'll sign £55m ace soon, he wants to join
The Gunners are still trying to make their third signing of the window.
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By
Emilio Galantini
Aug 13, 2024
The Gunners have fell just short of City in the last two campaigns, pushing Pep Guardiola all the way to the final day last term, but not quite possessing enough to leapfrog their arch rivals.
After signing Italy international defender Riccardo Calafiori, and potentially Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino soon (Pete O'Rourke), Arsenal chiefs will be hoping Arteta's side can go that one step further and usurp City as the champions of England come next May.
Arsenal host Gary O'Neil's Wolves on Saturday in their bid to make the best possible start, with an array of tricky fixtures awaiting Arteta soon afterwards.
Arsenal's opening fixtures of the new Premier League season
Team
Date
Wolves (home)
August 17
Aston Villa (away)
August 24
Brighton (home)
August 31
Tottenham (away)
September 15
Man City (away)
September 22
Arsenal will also be hoping for a near-fully fit squad for their clash at the Emirates this weekend, but it is believed versatile £100,000-per-week defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could well be on the treatment table.
Arteta set to promote Myles Lewis-Skelly after Tomiyasu injury at Arsenal
According to Football Transfers, Tomiyasu is facing a fresh injury setback which will keep him out for another month, resulting in a potential opportunity for 17-year-old academy gem Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The young midfielder, who featured often in pre-season preparations, could come in to replace Tomiyasu in the matchday squad. Indeed, Arteta is apparently expected promote Lewis-Skelly to the Arsenal first team following Tomiyasu's recent problem, where he will hopefully have a chance to impress.
The Englishman, who is yet to make his professional senior debut for Arsenal, is very highly rated at the club.
“You know when you see a player and you think, ‘yeah, you’re just a little bit different’," said journalist Charles Watts on his YouTube channel last year, after Lewis-Skelly's excellent performance against Man City in their FA Youth Cup semi-final win (via TBR).
“That’s the kind of impression you get when you sit there and watch Lewis-Skelly. His close control, his ability to get himself out of tight situations, the way he runs with the ball. Just his presence on the pitch, he’s got something special.
myles-lewis-skelly-ethan-nwaneri-arsenal-opinion
“You can see why there’s so much excitement about him at Arsenal. If anyone at Arsenal was going to get the winner last night, and deserved to get the headlines, it was probably him, as he was very good.”
Meanwhile, former Arsenal midfielder and Hale End academy coach Jack Wilshere has tipped the teenager for a very bright future at the club.
“We give him the tools he needs to develop, but you see certain moments that are not coachable," said Wilshere on Lewis-Skelly.
"Certain players can’t do that, only certain players can but there’s much more that comes with it like how he lives. He’s a top kid but he has to manage that going forward when he gets a bit more attention. He comes from a great family which is massive, and I know that they’ll steer his journey and be present throughout that, a bit like me with my dad and family. That’s so important.”