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Max Cleworth is no Paul Mullin in the goal scoring stakes and admits to taking “stick” for his celebration after netting a rare effort for Wrexham.

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Defender grabbed crucial goal vs ColchesterFirst senior effort since December 2021Keeping Dragons on course for top-three finishWHAT HAPPENED?

The 21-year-old is in Phil Parkinson’s side to keep opponents out, with his defensive qualities being put to good use. He did, however, make a crucial contribution at the opposite end of the field when netting a dramatic winner in a 2-1 victory over Colchester.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT CLEWORTH SAID

Said effort was Cleworth’s first in league action, and first of any kind since finding the target against Gloucester City in an FA Trophy tie back in December 2021, and he concedes that scoring does not come naturally. Cleworth has said: “It's definitely not a feeling I have been used to! I was more buzzing with the three points than the goal because it was a massive step for us. I have been banging on about that goal in the Trophy for probably three years! To finally get one in the league after a few years… obviously I have had chances and it is something I need to work on. I was buzzing to score, it has been a long time coming for a league goal and it was a really good feeling. I wanted to contribute in a positive way and help the team more than anything, personally with my performance and try to be the best I can, but if I can contribute with goals then that is what I am aiming to do. I am not in the box all the time but it just found my head and I will take it. I've had a bit of stick for not scoring so it was nice to get one.”

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Cleworth added on the flak that he has taken for a supposedly disappointing celebration: “I was right behind it and could see it going in all the way. The celebration was the worst part. I'm not sure what I did but apparently it wasn't very good! I've had stick for that so it's something I need to work on.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham did not need Cleworth to dig them out of a hole against Crawley in their latest fixture, as Mullin bagged a brace in a 4-1 win, and they have just three games left this season in which to try and wrap up a top-three finish in League Two – with more promotion-winning champagne on ice for Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The former India opener was highest scorer in two World Cup finals, and also led Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Dec-20181:59

Top-scoring in two World Cup finals stuff of dreams – Gambhir

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir is set to retire from all cricket, calling time on a career that began in 1999-2000, and has lasted almost two decades. His last match will be Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match against Andhra at his home ground, Feroz Shah Kotla, beginning on December 6.Gambhir announced his retirement through a video on social media. He admitted he had been “contemplating” and “dreading” quitting the game, but the “negative noises” were only increasing everyday, eventually forcing him to take the call. “It slapped me hard when I got those three ducks in a row in the 2014 IPL,” Gamhir said. “Then again when I had a dreadful tour to England the same year. In 2016 I was on my knees again. I was dropped after Rajkot Test match against England. I was searching for my confidence in that deep, dark pit but I could only lay my hands on the same sharp, disturbing noise. It said the same: ‘IT IS OVER GAUTI’.”Gambhir’s last appearance for India came in the first Test of the home series against England in late 2016. Overall, Gambhir, 37, played 58 Tests, scoring 4154 runs at an average of 41.95, including nine centuries and 22 fifties. He played 147 ODIs, scoring 5238 runs at an average of 39.68 and a strike-rate of 85.25. Gambhir also played 37 T20Is, scoring 932 runs at a strike-rate of 119.02.Gambhir was part of two World Cup triumphs for India, top-scoring in both finals. He made 75 in the 2007 World T20 final, when India beat Pakistan by five runs. In the 2011 World Cup final, batting at No.3, he scored 97 to revive India after Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar had fallen early. MS Dhoni sealed the title with a six while his batting partner Yuvraj Singh finished as Player of the Tournament, but India might not have crossed the finish line without Gambhir’s steely presence in the top order.ESPNcricinfoGambhir formed one of India’s most stable and durable opening partnerships in world cricket with Sehwag, the duo putting on a record (for India) 4412 runs in 87 innings together from 2004 to 2012. Their tally is the fifth best for any pair of openers in Test cricket. Gambhir was also part of the India team that ascended to the No.1 spot in Test cricket in 2009 under MS Dhoni, and his rich vein of form in 2008 and 2009 earned him the ICC Test Player of the Year award in 2009.Between 2008 and 2010, Gambhir made at least one half-century in 11 consecutive Test matches, equalling the record of Vivian Richards, who had achieved the same feat in 1976-1977. In that period, Gambhir also hit centuries in five consecutive Tests in 2009-10, the joint second-longest such streak. In 2009, he was ranked the No.1 batsman in Test cricket in the ICC’s rankings. During this period, Gambhir also played what is commonly regarded as his greatest Test innings, staying at the crease for 643 minutes while making 137 when India were following-on against New Zealand in Napier. Gambhir’s vigil let India draw the Test and complete a rare series win against New Zealand.Gambhir also led India in six ODIs, a five-match series against New Zealand in late 2010, and a solitary ODI against West Indies in December 2011.Though Gambhir could not make a comeback to the India side after 2016, he continued to play domestic cricket for Delhi. He enjoyed being the mentor more than the performer, and even declined captaincy allowing younger players like Rishabh Pant and Nitish Rana to take leadership roles.However, the old fears returned to haunt him when Gambhir struggled at the start of IPL 2018 after returning to Delhi Daredevils, having been released by Kolkata Knight Riders – a team he had led to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir said he realised then his “time was up” and he could fight no further. “After more than 15 years of cricket for my country I want to retire from playing this beautiful game.”Gambhir said the memories he would cherish were the happier ones, none bigger than being the highest scorer in the two World Cup finals he played in. He also looked back fondly on being part of the No.1 Test team, and winning the triangular CB series in Australia in 2008. “This may sound a little wishful but I’ve seen wishes come true,” he said. “Two World Cups, highest run-getter in the final of both of these games is the stuff dreams are made of.”Somewhere on the top is being the No. 1 Test team in the world. A trophy I’ll look at very fondly is the one I got for being awarded the ICC best Test batsman of the year in 2009. For a purist like me, it is a reward for somewhat knowing where my off stump was. The historic series win in New Zealand and the CB series in Australia will be reflected upon fondly. But I hope the current Indian team Down Under can overshadow our feats.”Among his other domestic accomplishments, Gambhir led Delhi to the Ranji Trophy title in 2007-08. He was also looking forward to the final chapter of his cricketing journey being at his home ground. “It is all coming to an end from where it started at Feroz Shah Kotla. I am a big one on loyalty. I am glad that I could finish with teams that I started my journey with. In this case ending with both Delhi Daredevils and Delhi domestic side has given me immense satisfaction.”Gambhir said he had always valued “timing” in his game and that had gone missing, signalling it was time to move on. “As a batsman I have always valued timing. I know the time is just right. I am sure it’s sweet as well. Goodbye and good luck.”

West Ham United continued their stunning European form in midweek by securing a 1-0 win against TSC in the Europa League, which now affords them the luxury of resting key players for the final match of the group stage.

Since the start of the 2021/22 season, West Ham have won a total of 22 European matches, reaching a semi-final and winning the Europa Conference League in that time, while equalling Real Madrid’s win total in the process.

David Moyes could lead them on another stunning run in the continent after Christmas, but until their knockout stage matches, the focus will be on the Premier League.

They face Crystal Palace on Sunday and having won their previous four games; they head into the tie full of confidence.

The Scot will freshen things up against the Eagles and we at Football FanCast predict that he will make five changes from the 1-0 win during midweek – while also deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation.

1 GK – Alphonse Areola

The first change will be a rotation of the goalkeepers, with the Frenchman replacing Lukasz Fabianski between the posts.

The Pole has played in four European ties so far this season, conceding just two goals in the process, yet has still to make an appearance in the Premier League.

Areola has started all league ties this season, but he will be aiming to secure just his second clean sheet against Palace.

2 RB – Ben Johnson

The Englishman will retain his place from the European clash due to doubts over Vladimir Coufal’s fitness.

The defender was left behind for the midweek tie alongside Mohammed Kudus due to them having “flu-like symptoms”, according to Moyes.

This means Johnson will play twice in four days and Moyes will be hoping this doesn’t come at a cost.

3 CB – Kurt Zouma

Moyes will drop Konstantinos Mavropanos in place of the returning Kurt Zouma for the Premier League clash on Sunday.

The Frenchman was rested against TSC and therefore should be fresh to play a starring role as West Ham go looking for another three points in the league.

Zouma has captained the club in all but two of their domestic ties this term and will take the armband once again.

4 CB – Nayef Aguerd

The Moroccan international has become the preferred partner for Zouma at the heart of the West Ham defence, and they have starred on numerous occasions this season.

He joined the club for £30m in the summer of 2022 and, despite injury problems disrupting his debut season in London, he has become a key figure this term.

5 LB – Emerson Palmieri

Aaron Cresswell started the victory against TSC, yet Emerson will come back into the starting XI for the tie at the London Stadium on Sunday.

The Italian defender has featured in all but two of West Ham’s matches this season, chipping in with two assists and Moyes will be hoping he is at his attacking best against Palace.

6 CM – Edson Alvarez

Moyes signed the Mexican international during the summer transfer window for £35m and it looks like a shrewd piece of business.

Hailed as “tenacious” and a “superb tackler” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his displays at Ajax, Edson Alvarez has enjoyed a solid start to his West Ham career.

Losing Declan Rice was a big blow in the summer, but the 26-year-old already looks like an ideal heir for the Arsenal gem. He has missed only two league ties so far and will be thrust into the squad after being rested against TSC.

7 CM – James Ward-Prowse

The former Southampton starlet has been arguably the best summer signing by Moyes, especially with his attacking output.

Latest West Ham United injury news, return dates and suspensions

FFC keeps you up to date with all the latest West Ham United news involving injuries and suspensions.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 10, 2024

The midfielder has already registered ten assists and scored twice in 19 matches in all competitions and these numbers will continue to get better.

He will form a central midfield partnership alongside Alvarez and Moyes will be hoping their respective qualities can help the club to another three points.

8 RW – Pablo Fornals

With Kudus missing the game against TSC due to illness, Moyes will retain the services of Pablo Fornals on the right wing and avoid taking a gamble with the former Ajax gem.

Fornals played the full 90 minutes in midweek and put on a decent showing. The winger made one key pass, delivered one successful cross and won two of his three dribble attempts.

The Spaniard has started just once in the Premier League all season, but he will be unleashed from the first whistle by Moyes against the Eagles as he won't want to rush Kudus back to action.

9 AM – Tomas Soucek

The Czech midfielder has enjoyed a decent goalscoring run this season, scoring seven times across all competitions, and Moyes will continue to utilise him in an attacking midfield role.

Although primarily operating slightly deeper, Soucek has netted in his previous two Premier League ties whilst playing in an advanced role and Moyes will be hoping for more of the same against Palace.

10 LW – Lucas Paqueta

Said Benrahma started against TSC on the left of a three-man attack, yet failed to showcase his true abilities and this opens the door for Lucas Paqueta to come back into the starting XI.

Five goals and an assist in 18 games is a decent record, but Moyes will be hoping for more from the Brazilian on the left-hand side, especially with his potential to cause chaos against opposition defences.

Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho earned special praise from Rio Ferdinand after helping Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League semi-finals.

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Man Utd crashed out of Champions League group stageRed Devils' loanee Sancho into semi-finals with DortmundFerdinand hails winger for proving his worthWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho returned to Dortmund for a second spell in January, having been exiled from the United team by Erik ten Hag following a public spat. His loan stint at Dortmund has helped to revitalise his career and Ferdinand is delighted that his journey in Germany could potentially culminate in a Champions League final berth.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT FERDINAND SAID

While covering the Champions League for TNT Sports, former United defender Ferdinand said: "We asked for Sancho to put in a performance, a lot to prove and he’s showing it. He’s left Manchester United under a cloud, he’s now in a Champions League semi-final against PSG. Who could have written that script? He wouldn’t have seen that coming."

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Sancho's statistics from Tuesday's game against Atletico may not appear extraordinary as he had just two key passes, two successful dribbles, and one tackle. However, he had 60 touches of the ball and his continuous efforts to influence the game's outcome in the attacking third earned him plaudits from Ferdinand.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Sancho has made it further in the Champions League than any United side has managed since 2011 – as per . If the German giants can get the better of Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals then the English winger will be vying for the coveted silverware at Wembley in June.

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Monday was an unforgettable night for Wolverhampton Wanderers but for all the wrong reasons as Gary O'Neil's side succumbed to a late penalty to lose 3-2 away at Craven Cottage.

The Midlands club conceded two questionable spot-kicks in the second half which head coach O'Neil labelled as "mind-boggling" in his post-match press conference, admitting he has "turned against VAR".

However, one of the manager's greater concerns will be the injury to Rayan Ait Nouri, who has been a key player at Molineux season, having limped off early in the first half with a suspected ankle sprain.

The Algerian defender is still being assessed and his return date is unknown, but it has recently been reported that Wolves could lose the 22-year-old outright in January, leaving O'Neil in a bit of a pickle with regard to his wingback situation.

Rayan Ait Nouri transfer links

Ait Nouri moved to Molineux back in 2020, initially on loan, but eventually signed permanently for £10m from French outfit Angers and was a squad player in his first three seasons with The Wanderers.

However, the Algeria international has grown into his own this term under O'Neil and has become one of the first names on the teamsheet, starting 92% of Wolves' games in the Premier League this season.

However, according to Sports Zone, Ait Nouri has become a top target for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the January transfer window, with Nuno Mendes currently sidelined for another two months, having undergone surgery on a hamstring problem he sustained at the end of September.

The wingback is Wolves' most valuable player and his market value has risen to £21.6m as recent as October, as per Transfermarkt, meaning the club could recuperate more than double the money they paid for him two-and-a-half years ago.

If Wolves lose one of their star defenders, O'Neil could be forced to turn to an old flame in the second half of the campaign.

Potential replacements for Ait Nouri at Wolves

Jonny Otto is one of the only players left at Wolves who featured during the club's first season back in the top flight, having joined midway through the 2018/19 campaign for £18m from Atletico Madrid.

The Spaniard has been a key player for the Midlands side for a large bulk of his time at the club, having featured on the left and right of both a back five and a back four.

However, this season, the 29-year-old has made merely three appearances in all competitions, playing just four minutes of football in the Premier League, casting his future in doubt at Molineux. Despite his limited game-time, O'Neil revealed that Jonny is a "hard-working professional", admitting that the Spanish defender trains really hard.

Nonetheless, there has been a steep decline in Jonny's minutes on the field during his six seasons with the club, particularly in the current campaign.

Season

Minutes In All Comps

2018/19

3,304

2019/20

3,656

2020/21

544

2021/22

1,023

2022/23

1,598

2023/24

184

Stats via Transfermarkt

The Spain international didn't feature much during the 2020/21 and 20201/22 seasons, having torn his ACL on two separate occasions, but was still an important player before and after his spell on the sidelines.

Following Ait Nouri's early injury, O'Neil opted to bring Matt Doherty off the bench on Monday night which didn't pan out as well as he'd hoped. Doherty lost possession 13 times during his 71 minutes on the field, completed merely one tackle and failed to put a single cross into the box as Wolves struggled to create chances, eventually conceding a late penalty to drop three points.

At just 29, Jonny has plenty still left in the tank and could offer much more solidity on the flanks instead of Doherty should Ait Nouri leave in January.

Six years after she pondered retirement, the Norwegian superstar is looking for a third Champions League title as the Catalans prepare to face Chelsea

There has been no better women's player on the planet this season than Caroline Graham Hansen. The two-time Champions League winner has racked up truly insane numbers, 26 goals and 24 assists in 31 Barcelona appearances, and is surely the front-runner for the Ballon d’Or while the Catalans target a first-ever quadruple. But this stage of her illustrious career almost never arrived. At 23 years old, she was ready to quit.

After losing the 2018 Champions League final with Wolfsburg, subbed off at half-time due to injury, Graham Hansen called her family and told them she was done. “I was serious,” she explained. “I was so far down. I was injured again. I couldn't perform at my best level. I didn't have any fun anymore. At that moment, after so many rehabs, I didn't have any motivation to keep getting smashed in the face.”

Fortunately, it wouldn’t come to that and, in the six years since, the injuries have stopped slowing Graham Hansen down, allowing her to play a key role in Barcelona’s development into the best team in Europe, if not the world. As the business end of the season approaches and Saturday’s Champions League semi-final meeting with Chelsea looms, the Catalans boast so many world-class players who can decide a match almost single-handedly. None, though, are as dangerous as Graham Hansen is right now.

GettyGoing again

It’s hard to overstate how much bad luck Graham Hansen endured with injuries in the early stages of her professional career. That it led to her being on the brink of walking away from football while still only 23 perhaps paints the picture better than any words could.

Thankfully, a return to Norway as her season with Wolfsburg came to a close allowed her to reset, refresh and get ready to go again. Mats Moller Daehli, the Norway international who is one of her oldest and closest friends, was also injured that summer, and the two spent time doing some rehab together, which helped.

The influence of Graham Hansen’s family was huge, too. “They supported me, kept me calm and just said, 'Hey, take it easy. We will come back. Don't think so far ahead',” she explained in an interview with GOAL after Barca’s first Champions League triumph. “You can't always win, but it was the way it happened, always being injured. It was not because you weren’t necessarily the best player, or you weren’t performing at your best. I was not performing at my best because I kept being unlucky.

“Of course, that's also part of sport, but you have vacation, you get back and then eventually you find your way again. I did, luckily for me. It's a fun and nice story when you then win the Champions League three years later in the way we did. It makes all the hours you put down really worth it. It's also a motivation to just keep going, no matter what happens.”

AdvertisementGettyReaping the rewards

As Graham Hansen says, powering through those difficult times has certainly paid dividends. She has been one of the best wingers on the planet for most of her career, joining two-time European champions Wolfsburg when she was just 19 years old, but a move to Barcelona has helped elevate her game even further and added new elements to it.

The Catalans were not the dominant power they are today when Graham Hansen first signed in 2019, far from it, and so there were many who questioned her decision to join them from an elite side like Wolfsburg. However, she believed in the project and has played a significant role in its potential being realised, winning 13 trophies in five years, including two Champions League titles.

GettyMaking the difference

That’s despite her style of play not necessarily conforming to Barca’s. The Catalans are renowned for that iconic tiki-taka philosophy, and it is one that Graham Hansen has had the footballing intelligence to understand from day one.

“Her first day, I remember one player told me, 'She is an amazing player'. We were only five minutes in! And doing a very easy exercise,” Barca head coach Jonatan Giraldez told GOAL. "But when the rhythm of the pass, the precision of the pass and the movement before and the timing is so good, when you are coming from another country… It is not so easy for the foreign players. And Caro had it.”

However, it is Graham Hansen’s tendency to, in her own words, “break out” of that which makes her dangerous. “I think I was brought in to bring diversity, to break out of the passing style,” she told GOAL previously. “I'm a very vertical type of player that goes fast in transitions. I can dribble, get out of closed spaces when there's no space to create unbalance in the opposing team.

“When you have a style of play where it's all about controlling the game with passing, you need some players who can break out of that pattern. That's why I'm playing on the wing and I enjoy it so much because I also get put into a lot of situations where I get to contribute with the best parts of my game, too.”

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GettyWorld-class

That’s been seen in spades throughout Graham Hansen’s time in Barcelona, but especially this season. Having had some time out with an injury last year, the Norwegian returned last March and ended the campaign in scintillating form to help the Catalans win the league and the Champions League. It is momentum she carried into the current campaign.

In Liga F, Graham Hansen has 17 goals and 16 assists from just 20 appearances, only 16 of them starts. Unsurprisingly, she leads the division for direct goal involvements by some distance. She tops the charts in the Champions League, too, thanks to her five goals and four assists from seven games.

Asked for the secrets behind such numbers, the 29-year-old told : “Having a good team, so I can enjoy myself. I'm very grateful to my team-mates because in the end, football is a team sport, and if your team plays well, it's easier for things to work out for you. Nothing has changed. I think I was playing very well in the other years too, but because people only look at the numbers, they didn't look at it as much. I've scored more goals and people take notice of that.”

With Sri Lanka having slipped to ninth on the T20I rankings, this will be the first time they’ll not gain direct qualification into the T20 World Cup

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Auckland10-Jan-2019Once the No. 1 T20 side in the world, Sri Lanka should “never have let things get so bad” that they are now forced to play in a qualifying tournament in order to gain entry to the T20 World Cup proper. So went the lament of Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka’s World T20-winning captain, and a great of the format.With Sri Lanka having slipped to ninth on the T20 rankings after losing 12 of their 16 most-recent matches, the ICC announced earlier this month that they would not gain automatic entry into the “Super 12″ round of next year’s T20 World Cup. Instead, they will have to finish in the top two in a group of four in the opening round of the competition, in order to progress into the part of the tournament into which the eight top teams gain automatic entry.This fate is quite a fall for a team that had a history of performing extremely well at T20 global tournaments between 2009 and 2014. Three times they made the final of the event, losing to Pakistan and West Indies in 2009 and 2012 respectively, before finally going on to lift the trophy in 2014, defeating India in the final. They had also been the top-ranked T20 side between late 2012 and mid-2014, and had wielded one of the smartest attacks in the world, led by Malinga.”It’s really disappointing to need to qualify, because having won the World T20 in 2014, inside five years we’ve slipped lower than No. 8,” Malinga said. “We have a chance to get into the World Cup by playing qualifiers, but we’re not a country that should ever have fallen that far. We’re a country that’s won two World Cups (including one in one-day cricket). We’ve gone wrong somewhere. But if the right people come into the right places, things can be put right quickly as well.”Now tasked with turning the fate of Sri Lanka’s limited overs sides around, Malinga will captain in a T20 international for the first time since 2016, when Sri Lanka take the field against New Zealand in Auckland, on Friday. Malinga was hopeful the recent decline could be arrested.”If you look at the players we have, we can build a good team, but we need to put effort into that,” he said. “We need to cultivate the skills necessary for T20. As captain, along with the team management, I’ve got a responsibility to try and help our players tune their existing skills to the T20 format. We need to know as a team which skills should be used in which match situations.”The bowlers, in particular, could be cleverer in pressure situations, Malinga said. Reputed to be a quick thinker in the shorter formats, this is an area in which Malinga felt he had a role in helping improve.”At some stages the bowlers are confused. We have so much variation in our attack, but bowlers have to understand how to set up an over. Every ball can’t get a wicket. Bowlers have to set up a batsman and take that wicket. They have skill, but they’re not comfortable using those skills while the over is going on, I feel. In the training sessions, they are really good. But in the match situations, they are lacking confidence. I want to help them learn how to improve that aspect of their game. They have a lot to learn.”

Despite not necessarily being at their free-flowing best yet, Arsenal are once again enjoying a fantastic season this year, and following their thrilling last-second win against Luton Town during the week, will remain atop the Premier League table going into the weekend's fixtures.

Mikel Arteta's men have found a way to grind out results this year and, in the process, have put together one of the best defensive units in the country.

However, just like every other team in the league, they too are susceptible to injuries and, unfortunately, are set to be without Takehiro Tomiyasu for up to two months following a calf injury he suffered against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend.

The Japanese international will be a big miss for the Gunners as they look to maintain and grow their lead atop the table, so it's a good thing they have been linked to one of the most exciting up-and-coming full-backs on the continent in his place: Jeremie Frimpong.

Arsenal transfer news – Jeremie Frimpong

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano (via CaughtOffside), the Gunners have been scouting the young Dutchman and consider the right-back position to be one of the priority areas heading into 2024.

The 22-year-old spent his youth career with Manchester City before signing for Scottish giants Celtic in 2019, where he would make 51 appearances in all competitions before joining current side Bayer Leverkusen in January 2019 on an £11.5m deal.

Any transfer in 2024 will likely cost Arsenal an awful lot more than that, with reports that he has a release clause of around £34m in his contract that becomes active in the summer.

Now, that is certainly a lot of money, but for a player who has been described as "breathtaking" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, due to his "speed & acceleration", it still sounds like a good deal for the north Londoners.

The stats to show Jeremie Frimpong would improve Arsenal

The Gunners are relatively stacked when it comes to right-back talent. Besides Tomiyasu, they can rely on Ben White, Jurrien Timber when he is back and even Cedric Soares, who is somehow still at the club – no, we aren't sure either.

That said, neither Tomiyasu, White, nor Timber are natural out-and-out right-backs like Frimpong is. So, his arrival would allow those players to fill in across the backline and provide even more competition on that right-hand side.

But how does the former Celtic spped machine stack up to White and Tomiyasu this season?

Stat

Jeremie Frimpong

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Ben White

Goals

5

1

1

Assists

5

3

1

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists per 90

0.47

0.16

0.18

Shots on Target per 90

0.91

0.30

0.19

Attempted Passes per 90 (Success Rate)

39.5 (77.2%)

65.6 (82.7%)

72.0 (84.6%)

Shot-Creating Actions per 90

2.88

1.82

2.27

Tackles Won per 90

0.68

0.40

0.84

Successful Take-Ons per 90

1.52

0.40

0.39

Crosses per 90

3.03

0.81

1.30

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 League and European seasons

Well, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the "brilliant" young Leverkusen ace, as described by former Hoops boss Neil Lennon, actually comes out on top in the majority of statistics when compared to the Gunners' primary right-backs this season.

His attacking output is leaps and bounds above anything the Arsenal pair have produced so far this season, and you can only imagine the terrifying threat he and Bukayo Saka would create on that right flank.

However, he does seem to struggle somewhat with his passing in comparison, and while he wins more tackles than his Japanese competition, White leads the way in that area.

Fundamentally, there is a slight risk in signing a young prospect from the Bundesliga, but based on his performances this season, it looks like a gamble that would be well worth taking as even if the injury to Tomiyasu isn't too severe, Frimpong offers so much going forward and he could genuinely add that extra firepower the Gunners have been missing this year.

The batsman made a yapping-mouth gesture after reaching his hundred, and later said it was directed at ‘all the people who criticised me over the years’

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-20196:26

‘I won’t lie but this kind of criticism really pissed me off’

Imam-ul-Haq has been more or less a permanent fixture in the side for over a year, but talk of his close relationship with chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq shows no sign of abating. On this occasion, it was Imam himself who chose to bring it to the spotlight following a fiery reaction, after the opener reached his fifth ODI hundred.When Imam got to the landmark with a cut through point off Tabraiz Shamsi in the third ODI at Supersport Park, he removed his helmet, locked eyes with the changing room and made a yapping gesture with his hands before putting his finger to his lips, as if to silence someone. Two balls later, he holed out at deep extra-cover for 101, but by the end of the innings, it was obvious his burning sense of injustice continued to rage.When asked by commentator Mike Haysman about the message he had wished to convey, Imam said, “[That gesture was about] my selection and all that stuff. I am the nephew of the chief selector. To all the people who criticised me over the years, the media and the people, I want to thank them. This has been possible because of them.”Imam has previously spoken of his irritation at the suggestion he owes his place in the side to nepotism. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo last year, he said that suggestion had “really pissed me off”, insisting he had earned his place in the side as much as any other player. Murmurs about his famous uncle and the role he played in getting Imam to the Pakistan side have never quite gone away, though Inzamam has repeatedly claimed he did not push for his nephew’s inclusion.Having been called up to make his international debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka amid immense scrutiny for the same reasons, Imam became the second Pakistan player to score a hundred on ODI debut. He followed it up with another three in the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe last year. Friday’s century means he now has five centuries and four half-centuries in 19 ODIs. Imam reached another landmark in Centurion, becoming the second fastest to 1000 ODI runs – behind only his opening partner Fakhar Zaman.Imam has put a challenging Test series behind him in the first three ODIs, following up his 86 in Port Elizabeth with a hundred. Against the red ball in South Africa, he had found batting a struggle, managing 149 runs in six innings at 24.83. He also made a point of thanking the coaches for helping him stay strong, and without whom he said it would be “difficult to stand here”.”The support staff has backed me throughout to go out and just perform. I want to thank [batting coach] Grant Flower and coach Mickey Arthur for supporting me, too. It was a very special hundred. Coming to South Africa, we believed we could win.”

The Blues suffered more European heartache against Barcelona on Saturday, but that should not impact their manager's legacy when she goes to the U.S.

Saturday was always going to be emotional for Emma Hayes. After all, Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona was her final game at Stamford Bridge as manager of the Blues, ahead of her becoming the new head coach of the United States women’s national team. That it was the first time the women’s team had sold out the iconic ground was fitting, an achievement representative of the growth under Hayes. But the tears that flowed at full-time were of sadness, not joy, after a result that confirmed that Chelsea and Hayes’ story together will not end with a European title.

During her 12 years in charge, Hayes has helped the club win the lot in the domestic game and they’ve done it multiple times over. Six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cup triumphs and two Continental Cup victories are bolstered by a league title during the WSL’s ‘Spring Series’ and a Community Shield win. The missing piece is the Champions League and a place for it in Chelsea’s trophy cabinet will remain there to fill for whoever has the unenviable task of following Hayes.

The 2-0 defeat at the Bridge to Barca was a huge disappointment, especially after all the great work Chelsea had done to secure an historic 1-0 win in Catalunya only a week earlier, and it capped a really difficult four-week period for Hayes and her team. Less than a month prior, there was talk of a quadruple, however, via a Conti Cup final loss to Arsenal, defeat in the FA Cup semi-finals at the hands of Manchester United and Barcelona’s turnaround in Europe, there is now just one trophy left on the table – the WSL.

Yet, the latest disappointment in what has been an underwhelming end to Hayes’ illustrious tenure should not taint her legacy, as what she has done for this club is much bigger.

GettyStarted from the bottom

When Hayes was first welcomed into this club, there was no major success to talk of on the women’s side. Chelsea’s honours at that point were lower-league titles and County Cups. Though the Blues were a real power in the men’s game, and had just been crowned champions of Europe, there was a lot of work to do in the women’s department – and Hayes was one of the key figures in ensuring that work was done.

“Emma came in and said, 'We are Chelsea. When we take part, we win’. The directors and the owner got completely on board,” Chelsea Women chairman Adrian Jacob told GOAL. "It was at the same time the WSL became more professional. We brought in more players. Everything we asked for from the club, we got, but it was bit by bit. We became good.”

AdvertisementGettyEngland's dominant force

Over time, it came together. It wasn’t just about building a good squad, it was about facilities, resources, staff – support in all departments, really. Hayes pushed for it, the club backed her and the results have been seen on the pitch.

For the last four years, Chelsea have been champions of England, all of the last three FA Cup titles have been won by the Blues and when they reached the Women’s Champions League final in 2021, they became the first English side to do so since Arsenal back in 2007. They’ve become the dominant force in the country – and that is not an easy status to maintain, especially when the WSL has become more and more professional, clubs have increased their investment and some have even sprouted up women’s sides that didn’t exist when Hayes first took this job.

Between 2019 and 2023, Chelsea won nine of the 12 major domestic trophies on offer and they reached the final in two of those three competitions that were won by others. To always be there or thereabouts when English women’s football is so competitive at the top deserves huge credit. Chelsea have raised the bar and that’s at least part of the reason why they’ve fallen short in recent weeks, as others have improved massively to chase them down.

GettySmall fish in a big pond

But while Chelsea’s long-term investment in women’s football has helped them to power ahead in England, their competitors on the continent have been doing the same for as long or even longer. They too have financial backing, all-encompassing support and world-class players who are part of a well-structured project.

To bridge that gap needs experience, and it has taken time for Chelsea to accumulate that. Their first two seasons in Europe saw them run into two-time champion Wolfsburg in the early rounds, which stopped them in the tracks, but then five of their Champions League campaigns since have ended in a semi-final defeat to a former winner, be it Wolfsburg, Lyon or Barcelona.

How different would things be if they could’ve found a way to win the 2021 final? It’s a difficult hypothetical as Barcelona had been Europe’s best team all season, they were much the better team on the day and they deserved to be crowned champions. But since then, they’ve built on that and become even better, especially in their mentality, and that is the next step that Chelsea need to take. They are so close – but have again fallen just short.

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GettyGrowing with experience

There is more to it than just experience, of course. It’s about having the right game plan, executing it correctly and taking your chances when they come. But Chelsea’s second-leg defeat to Barca on Saturday did also feel like they were short in the experience column.

“The way we handled the first leg was excellent with the discipline and I think that's what let us down today, our lack of tactical awareness in terms of taking the fouls when we needed to,” Jess Carter, the Blues defender, explained. “We let them dictate the whole way through unfortunately. We've got to get better on the ball. We can't expect to win a Champions League when you give the ball back to Barcelona for 90 minutes, which is exactly what we did today.”

Barca, on the other hand, ground out the win. They weren’t at their best but they stuck to their task and their world-class players produced moments of quality when they were needed. That’s a very good team, but also an experienced one.