Jason Holder was bang in the middle of all good things St Kitts and Nevis Patriots did as they ended a three-match losing streak in CPL 2025 to beat Barbados Royals by 12 runs in Basseterre on Thursday night.Holder first hit a 21-ball 38 to lift an up-and-down Patriots innings that needed a bit of impetus, and then picked up four wickets, including three key strikes at the death when the match got a bit tense.Batting first after Royals opted to field, Patriots were three down quickly, losing Evin Lewis, Rilee Rossouw and Mohammad Rizwan inside the powerplay with just 45 runs on the board. Ramon Simmonds, the left-arm quick did most of the damage, removing Lewis and Rossouw, while Rizwan, in his first match for the franchise, fell to Jomel Warrican.Andre Fletcher had been holding one end up, but he didn’t last too long after the powerplay, falling to Daniel Sams for a 16-ball 25 in the ninth over.Kyle Mayers top-scored for Patriots•CPL T20 via Getty Images
It was then that Kyle Mayers and Holder got together and put up a 49-run stand to bring Patriots back in the game. The two contributed more or less equally to the 30-ball partnership, with Mayers contributing 26 in 16 and Holder 22 in 14. Mayers and Holder fell in the 14th and 16th overs respectively, but quick runs from the Pakistan duo of Abbas Afridi (16 in ten) and Naseem Shah (19 not out in 11) took Patriots to a strong total.It might not have proved enough on another night, though. But Royals, who have now lost both their games this season so far, just couldn’t get a chase going, even though they ended up getting close enough to the target.Unlike Patriots, they got runs from their top order, but the speed of progress wasn’t good enough. Brandon King scored 22 in 17. Quinton de Kock 15 in ten. Kadeem Alleyne, the highest scorer of the innings, hit 42 in 28. Sherfane Rutherford and Kofi James had poor outings, but Rovman Powell, batting at No. 6, chipped in with a 15-ball 21.But there just wasn’t the one big effort that would have made the match close. Wickets fell at regular intervals, Naseem and Navin Bidaisee, the legspinner, picking up two wickets apiece to complement Holder, whose four wickets in 3.2 overs cost him just 14 runs. All of that combined to finish the Royals innings off with ten balls left – enough time to score 12 runs, you’d think, except that they had lost too many wickets too quickly to get to that position.The win, their second in five games, took Patriots to second place on the table behind Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, while Royals are right at the bottom.
Arsenal have gone from strength to strength under Mikel Arteta’s management, and there’s a sense that this year is as good as any as they look to win their first top-flight title in two decades.
Seven matches into the Premier League campaign, the Gunners set the pace, 16 points claimed from 21 possible. Liverpool trail by a single point after successive defeats.
New technical director Andrea Berta has succeeded in bringing over some exciting summer signings, and in particular, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze have caught the eye.
But the £60m striker, Viktor Gyokeres, leaves something to be desired, having arrived to much fanfare after hitting incredible prolific heights in Portugal with two-in-a-row league champions Sporting Lisbon.
Viktor Gyokeres' Arsenal career so far
Gyokeres, at the very least, knows where the back of the net is. However, his performances across the opening weeks of the campaign haven’t been all that serviceable,
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has described him as a “battering ram” who could “beat up smaller teams”, but there’s a sense he might have work to do when pitted against those of an ostensibly higher technical level.
The 27-year-old’s frustrations aren’t limited to the domestic front, though, having blanked across his first two forays into the Champions League as an Arsenal player. During these fixtures against Athletic Bilbao and Olympiakos, he has missed three big chances (data courtesy of Sofascore).
It is also surely worth stressing that we are only two months into the campaign. There is plenty of time for this powerful goalscorer to continue to adapt to life as a high-profile Premier League marksman.
As Neville has alluded to, the contrast between “misfit” Gyokeres and the more technically smooth attacking teammates around him is not necessarily a bad thing, but he will need to sharpen his overall link-up play.
Gyokeres, after all, has the talent to become the Gunners’ finest centre-forward in many years, though whether he would take the cake when peering back at positional rivals over the past ten years or so is questionable.
Indeed, there’s a veteran striker who, having once led the line at the Emirates, has started the season even stronger than Arteta’s new focal frontman.
The former Arsenal ST outperforming Gyokeres
Gyokeres isn’t exactly a spring chicken, but then Arsenal have signed strikers of a more mature status in the past – and to an emphatic effect at that.
Just take a look at Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund for £56m in January 2018 and scored 92 goals across just 163 matches for the Gunners, assisting 21 strikes too.
The Gabonese goalscorer might have left the club somewhat unceremoniously, but he left his mark on Arteta’s reign, having manufactured the Spaniard’s sole slice of silverware, notching four goals in the late stages of the 2019/20 FA Cup.
Indeed, with Arteta only months into his tenure at the Emirates helm, Aubameyang rose to the occasion in the semi-final at Wembley and scored a brace to down Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Despite arriving at the season’s midpoint in 2019/20, Aubameyang hit the ground running in the Premier League, lashing home ten goals from 13 matches before hitting consecutive 22-goal campaigns in the English top flight.
He was 28 when he first arrived at the north London outfit, and has led a storied career in the years since leaving. In fact, plying his trade for Marseille this term, the now 36-year-old Aubameyang has posted four goals and three assists from seven games in all competitions this year.
Quite remarkably, he’s outperforming a positional rival in Gyokeres, who is nearly nine years his junior and plundered 97 goals across two campaigns in Portugal, including a hat-trick over Man City in the Champions League last year.
When looking at Arsenal’s top goalscorers in the Premier League, year by year, since Aubameyang last played a successful season at the club, it’s clear to see that supporters and critics have been on the money when noting a lack of quality in the final third has been hamstringing an otherwise top-level attacking team.
25/26
Viktor Gyokeres
3
24/25
Kai Havertz
9
23/24
Bukayo Saka
16
22/23
Martin Odegaard
15
21/22
Bukayo Saka
11
20/21
Alexandre Lacazette
13
19/20
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
22
With three goals from his first seven Premier League appearances, it hasn’t been an abject start by any stretch. But Gyokeres has left something to be desired with his performances, for sure, having missed four big chances and averaged under six passes per game at a completion rate of 56%.
Three goals may be under the belt in the English top flight, but Gyokeres still needs to find another gear if he is to rival and surpass Aubameyang as the club’s finest centre-forward in so many years.
Whether he crosses that 22-goal threshold this term is open to question, but Arteta will no doubt expect more from his expensive summer signing, especially when looking at Aubameyang, and how he is still utilising his movement and positioning to score goals with a consistency and ferocity that belies his age.
Sky Sports journalist Dougie Critchley has marvelled at how “one the best finishers of the last 15 years” is still striking true on the big stage.
And given that Aubameyang is still outperforming the Swede for Marseille this season, the argument lingers concerning Gyokeres’ suitability for a side looking every bit the title-challenging force that they have been expected to perform as over the past few years.
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أدلى نجم فريق مانشستر سيتي، عمر مرموش، بتصريحات عشية مباراة القمة ضد نظيره ليفربول، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، مساء يوم الأحد.
ويستضيف ملعب “الاتحاد” قمة منافسات الجولة الحادية عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، بين مانشستر سيتي وليفربول.
وقال مرموش، في تصريحات نشرها موقع مانشستر سيتي: “إنها مباراة مهمة للغاية بكل تأكيد، بالنسبة لنا كفريق، هم من فازوا بالدوري الموسم الماضي، وهم من بين الفرق التي تنافس على اللقب هذا العام، لذلك فهم من الفرق التي يجب علينا التغلب عليها”.
وأضاف: “ليفربول وآرسنال، هناك العديد من الفرق القوية بالطبع، لكن هذه المباريات حاسمة، الفوز يضمن لك البقاء على المسار الصحيح، أنت تقترب من صدارة الدوري مع كل مباراة تفوز بها”.
وبخلاف ذلك، سيكون الجمهور المصري متحمسًا لتلك المباراة والتي ستجمع بين اثنين من نجوم الفراعنة، حيث محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | بـ4 أهداف مميزة.. مرموش يغري جوارديولا قبل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول
وعن ذلك، قال مرموش: “اللعب ضد محمد صلاح أمر بالغ الأهمية بالنسبة لي، بكل تأكيد، أن يكون هناك لاعبان مصريان في الدوري الإنجليزي، يتنافسان على اللقب، لكنني أتمنى أن يفوز مانشستر سيتي، سنرى”.
واستكمل: “نحاول أن نبقي هذه الأمور منفصلة عندما نكون مع المنتخب الوطني، نحاول دائمًا المزاح وخلق أجواء بعيدة عن كرة القدم، حيث إن كرة القدم هي محور حياتنا”.
واسترسل: “فعندما نذهب إلى المنتخب الوطني ونتحدث عن كرة القدم مع أصدقائنا، نحاول الاستمتاع والتحدث عن مواضيع أخرى، أشعر أن الناس فخورون برؤية لاعبين مصريين في الدوري الإنجليزي، وكلاهما يلعبان لاثنين من أفضل أندية العالم، حيث محمد صلاح بكل ما حققه، والتاريخ الذي كتبه وما زال يكتبه، أشعر أن الجماهير فخورة بنا”.
وأوضح: “عندما تأتي مباراة كهذه، فإن سعادتهم برؤية لاعبين مصريين على أرض الملعب تكفيهم وتعني لهم الكثير، في النهاية الفائز هو ببساطة من حقق النجاح في ذلك اليوم، هو وفريقه، لأنك لا تلعب بمفردك”.
واختتم: “كل شخص يشجع فريقه، ولكل شخص ناديه المفضل، وهذا ما يُحدث الفارق، لكنني واثق من أن الجماهير تشجعنا جميعًا”.
يشهد اليوم الاثنين 3-11-2025 زخمًا كرويًا كبيرًا على مستوى البطولات المحلية والقارية والدولية، إذ تُقام مجموعة من المواجهات المرتقبة التي ينتظرها عشاق كرة القدم حول العالم، يتصدرها لقاء الهلال السعودي أمام الغرافة القطري في دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة، إلى جانب عدد من المباريات المثيرة في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا.
وتتجه الأنظار إلى الملاعب الآسيوية هذا المساء، حيث يسعى الهلال لمواصلة نتائجه الإيجابية وتأكيد زعامته القارية عندما يواجه الغرافة القطري في مواجهة عربية خالصة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من البطولة القارية التي تشهد أيضًا ظهورًا قويًا لفريقي الدحيل وشباب الأهلي.
أما في القارة الأوروبية، فتتواصل منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بمواجهة وحيدة تجمع بين سندرلاند وإيفرتون، في لقاء يسعى فيه الفريقان لتحسين ترتيبهما في منتصف الجدول، بينما تشتعل المنافسة في الدوري الإيطالي بمباراتين قويتين، أبرزها مواجهة لاتسيو وكالياري.
وعلى الصعيد الدولي، تنطلق اليوم مجموعة جديدة من مباريات كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا، والتي تشهد حضورًا عربيًا بارزًا بمشاركة قطر والإمارات وتونس والمغرب، في مواجهات مهمة أمام منتخبات قوية مثل إيطاليا واليابان وفيجي. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الإثنين 3-11-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم
سندرلاند ضد إيفرتون، الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت HD 1”.
طالع أيضًا | إكسبريس: تصرف محمد صلاح بعد مباراة ليفربول وأستون فيلا يفسّر موقفه من الانتقادات مواعيد مباريات كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا اليوم
جنوب ٱفريقيا ضد بوليفيا، الساعة 2:30 ظهرًا بتوقيت مصر، 3:30 عصرًا بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 2”.
كوستاريكا ضد الإمارات، الساعة 2:30 ظهرًا بتوقيت مصر، 3:30 عصرًا بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس المفتوحة”.
السنغال ضد كرواتيا، الساعة 3:00 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 4:00 عصرًا بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 3”.
اليابان ضد المغرب، الساعة 3:30 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 4:30 عصرًا بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1”.
الأرجنتين ضد بلجيكا، الساعة 4:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 2”.
كاليدونيا الجديدة ضد البرتغال، الساعة 5:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:15 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 3”.
قطر ضد إيطاليا، الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس المفتوحة”.
تونس ضد فيجي، الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإيطالي اليوم
ساسولو ضد جنوى، الساعة 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر تطبيق Starz Play.
لاتسيو ضد كالياري، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر تطبيق Starz Play. مواعيد مباريات دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة اليوم
ناساف كارشي ضد الوحدة، الساعة 3:45 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 4:45 عصرًا بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت HD 1”.
الدحيل ضد شباب الأهلي، الساعة 6:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت HD 1”.
تراكتور ضد الشرطة، الساعة 6:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت HD 2”.
الغرافة ضد الهلال، الساعة 8:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 9:15 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت HD 1”.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــــا
Essex fight back late in day as see-sawing match continues to defy expectations
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Apr-2025
Haseeb Hameed led the way with 92•Jack Bird
With Essex surrendering their five remaining wickets for 66 runs in the day’s opening 90 minutes to claim a bare 20-run first-innings lead, Nottinghamshire threatened to take hold of their Rothesay County Championship Division One match at Trent Bridge.But after Ben Slater, who made 67, and skipper Haseeb Hameed had posted a rapid 113 for the first wicket the home side were pegged back in the final session as Hameed fell 25 minutes from the close for 92 and Kyle Verreynne then came and went for 3.Hameed’s side carry an advantage into Monday of 213 with five men gone but it is hard to see how a declaration can come before lunch is reached, even assuming they get there intact. This intriguing game, however, has repeatedly refused to follow either of these side’s very best laid plans.Having weathered seven probing overs from Jamie Porter and Sam Cook before lunch as sunshine replaced cloud, the Notts openers picked up the tempo in the afternoon, claiming the initiative in finding four runs an over until over-ambition did for Slater, ten overs from tea.The left-hander had belted a brace of sixes, hitting against the spin, before Simon Harmer had completed his first five overs but the offspinner, gaining turn out of the rough, smiled last when Slater bottom-edged a cut into his wicket. His 67 included 56 in boundaries.Harmer soon made it two wickets in eight balls when Freddie McCann, another left-hander, edged low to first slip and went without score. But Hameed, surviving a close lbw call against Harmer, reached a polished fifty from 96 balls and at the interval his side were 142 for 2.Eight balls into the last session, however, another had gone when Porter, summoned for a second spell, immediately produced a beauty that left Joe Clarke off the pitch and had him caught behind for 19. Porter’s next ball also found the edge but the new batter Jack Haynes, destined for an unbeaten 49 at the close, could breathe easy when it fell millimetres short of second slip.Though just 15 came from ten overs, the fourth-wicket pair saw out Porter’s fine burst and accelerated against Shane Snater and also against Matt Critchley’s legspin when he relieved Harmer for three overs of what proved a 27-over stint from before tea.The stand had swelled to 83 when Hameed, attempting a late dab, played Noah Thain on to his stumps and, two overs later, a recalled Cook sent Verreynne’s county batting average plummetting from 379.0 to 189.5 when he edged to the keeper.It remains to be seen whether Notts can reach a declaration and, more to the point, how generous they feel they can be. They are pursuing the perfect start of wins in both opening games of the campaign and would ideally hope to set a target.If rapid runs will be the hope first thing they were a rarity earlier as Sunday started with frantic action. Cloud cover and a freshened pitch helped bring venom to a new ball only six overs old from Saturday’s play. Essex innocently added 13 to their overnight 301 for 5, but – in as many overs – then suddenly lost three batters.Fergus O’Neill had Critchley twitching at one that left him and caught behind for 52 before removing Thain lbw for 33, a Championship best in his nascent career. In between Dillon Pennington’s lift did for Harmer, taken at second slip without score.Lusty blows carried Snater to 12 and Cook to 26 from 38 balls but both perished swinging in three overs from Brett Hutton who finished with three for 61 as Essex ended on 367, with a slender lead but six bonus point to the home side’s five.
Crystal Palace have now made an approach to sign an “incredible” defender, who is being targeted as a replacement for Marc Guehi.
Palace working on replacement for Eze and Guehi
It has been a difficult summer for Palace on the transfer front, with talisman Eberechi Eze leaving to join Arsenal, but it appears as though they have already secured a replacement, with Fabrizio Romano dropping some exciting news on Tuesday evening.
That said, Palace may still have some work to do before the deadline, given that Marc Guehi’s future remains up in the air, with the captain still expected to join Liverpool, although Manchester City were also recently named as potential suitors.
There has been talk about Man City’s Manuel Akanji heading to Selhurst Park, but the Eagles have also now made an approach for more of a left-field target.
That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Crystal Palace have made an approach to sign Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly, who is being targeted as a replacement for Guehi.
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Oliver Glasner’s side have lodged an enquiry over Kelly, alongside Premier League rivals Sunderland, and there is a feeling that a deal could be possible, with the Italian club currently working on a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Beraldo as a replacement.
Having failed to adapt to life in Italy since making a £20m move from Newcastle United, the 26-year-old could well be on the move this summer, considering Beraldo joining Juventus is deemed ‘very possible’.
"Incredible" Kelly needs to leave Juventus this summer
It would be fair to say the Bristol-born defender failed to adapt to life in Italy last season, making just 12 Serie A appearances throughout the campaign, but he has proven himself in the Premier League in the past.
Indeed, the former AFC Bournemouth man was particularly impressive during his time with the Cherries, with ex-Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil once praising him for a solid display in a 1-0 win against Liverpool.
Newcastle United'sLloydKellybefore the match
O’Neil said: “I thought Lloyd was incredible. I think he had a 12-week ankle injury followed by a six-week calf injury. Didn’t have much time in between, and then came back today having not trained much, to play left back against one of the best wingers in the world.
“I thought he showed everything, the potential he has to be a top defender.”
If Kelly is to fulfill that potential, however, he needs to receive consistent game time, so a move to Palace could suit all parties, although the Juventus defender clearly isn’t currently on Guehi’s level, given that he is yet to be capped by England.
CSK’s 12 possible overs of Ashwin, Noor and Jadeja could well decide the outcome with the RCB batters happier bashing pace than spin
Sidharth Monga27-Mar-20251:32
Pujara: Kohli should utilise powerplay to set the base for RCB
Big picture: CSK vs RCB, a one-sided but high-voltage rivalryThis should be a dream match for the hype machine. Two of the three teams that have created a ferociously loyal fanbase at the grounds and on the internet. They represent capital cities of neighbouring states that share a river, often acrimoniously; whose rulers traversed boundaries repeatedly before the borders as we know them came to exist; whose people now build their lives in each other’s states. Both states are given to hero-worshipping their film stars and politicians. Now they have accepted MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for worship even though they are neither from there nor live there.It might still not matter to the ratings, but as cricket rivalry it needs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to catch up. They are 11-22 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overall, and 1-8 in Chennai. The last time RCB beat CSK in Chennai was in 2008, the IPL’s first year. The last time these two sides faced each other, RCB were so ecstatic at winning and making it to the playoffs that they didn’t shake hands with the opposition. Cue more storylines.Related
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You see, the lack of cricketing closeness doesn’t really matter to the ratings when it comes to CSK and RCB. You expect CSK to start as overwhelming favourites in home conditions, which are ignoring the memo that asks for even higher scoring rates than the last year.CSK have put together Noor Ahmad, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin; it is no surprise they put together a game where they completed a chase of 156 in the last over. RCB have built themselves up for higher scores, which showed in their emphatic chase of 175 in the tournament opener. But the Chennai conditions are going to be as big a challenge for them in IPL 2025 as any.New loyaltiesJosh Hazlewood’s last team in the IPL before the break last year was RCB, but for some reason, you picture him in yellow when you think of the IPL. Possibly because his reinvention as a limited-overs bowler began at CSK in 2020 and 2021. He has made a great start for RCB this year with figures of 4-0-22-2.2:56
Cricinformed: Kohli, Patidar and who? Spin trial awaits RCB at Chepauk
Team news and likely XIIsCSK love their allrounders, but it won’t take long for question marks to appear over Sam Curran if he doesn’t improve drastically from his start this year where he could bowl just one over and scored 4 off 9. This is in keeping with the dip in his form overall, which has resulted in his exit from the England team. As an overseas player, he keeps out Matheesha Pathirana, although a direct switch means Dhoni has to bat at No. 7, which CSK or Dhoni don’t quite fancy.Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 Khaleel AhmedBhuvneshwar Kumar missed the previous game with a reported niggle. RCB will want him in if he is fit. They could think about legspinning allrounder Mohit Rathee or left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh if the pitch is expected to be heavily spin-friendly.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Rajat Patidar (capt), 4 Devdutt Padikkal/Mohit Rathee, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Rasikh Salam/Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Swapnil Singh, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash SharmaBig questionHow do RCB handle the possible 12 overs of Noor, Ashwin and Jadeja? Mumbai Indians (MI) went 5 for 70 in 11 overs against them. Captain Rajat Patidar will be the key because around him are batters that can be shut down by slow bowlers.In the spotlight: Noor Ahmad vs Rajat PatidarThis is the contest that could direct the whole match. Noor Ahmad has started off beautifully for CSK with figures of 4-0-18-4 against MI. RCB are a team of pace-hitters. If Rajat Patidar can attack Noor, he can set the cat among the pigeons, which could even result in Jadeja not bowling out. If Patidar gets out early, CSK could choke RCB.Pitch and conditionsChennai is one of the venues that works in synergy with the franchise. So expect the conditions to continue helping the slower bowlers.1:12
Cricinformed: Patidar, a menace for spinners
Key stats Ashwin vs Kohli is a fascinating contest between two alphas of Indian cricket. You can see neither wants to lose: only one dismissal in 147 balls but a strike rate of only 123.12. Despite being a left-hand batter, Rachin Ravindra averages 11.63 and strikes at 120.75 against orthodox left-arm spin. That makes Krunal Pandya important.Next three fixturesCSK will travel to Guwahati on Saturday and play Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday before they return home for Delhi Capitals (DC) and then travel to Mullanpur to play Punjab Kings (PBKS).RCB’s next match will be their first of the season at home, against Gujarat Titans (GT). Then MI at Wankhede Stadium and DC at home. Three high-voltage and potentially high-scoring matches to follow.
Alessia Russo has opened up on her footballing journey, admitting that the sport has shaped her life but also teaching her that there is more beyond the pitch. The Arsenal and England striker reflected on the bold decision to leave home for college in the United States, her close bond with Lotte Wubben-Moy, and the painful memory of the 2023 World Cup final defeat.
Russo opens up on difficult journey
Russo explained that moving to North Carolina for college football was a pivotal point in her career. She admitted she was homesick but described those three years as the best of her life, both for football and personal growth. It was during this period that she learned resilience, independence, and that 'football isn’t everything'.
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Russo on her United States move and bond with Wubben-Moy
In an interview with the BBC, Russo said: “I think when I went to America and played three years out in college. I was very much a home bird. I used to hate going to my friends for sleepovers because I just wanted to be at home with my family. That was a big decision for me to go out there and live in North Carolina – the other side of the world – and play football in a surrounding I have never known. It was a really tough decision, but when I look back on my life, it was the best three years ever.
“I learned so much about myself. When you move out anywhere, you have to grow up quickly and I was on the other side of the world. The only person I knew there was Lotte [Wubben-Moy], who is with me now [at Arsenal], so it's nice to reminisce with her. Those three years changed me as a person. I understood a bit more about myself and my body and I went through my first injury out there. I also learned that football isn't everything, although it does feel like it. I found joy in other things and made friends for life.
“I've known Lotte since I was about 12 or 13 through England youth camps. She was at Arsenal and I was at Chelsea and Charlton in the academies. She is like the big sister to everyone – she knows what to do in stressful situations and handles things so smoothly.”
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The one result Russo would change in her career
“The one result I would change in my career? The 2023 World Cup final against Spain. It hurt a lot after winning the Euros, and knowing how that felt, to get so close to the World Cup but then so far away at the same time. It left a hole in us as a team, but the way we bounced back in the Euros, maybe wouldn't have happened if we had won. I feel like everything happens for a reason.”
When questioned about which game she would like to relive without the result changing, Russo added: "I'm going to say the Euro 2022 final. That whole year and that tournament, and the impact that changed after that win was something we could never have imagined. The whole process of winning that tournament in England and then seeing the change, seeing the growth in the game, seeing everyone become a fan of women's football after… that was something I will always live with. The impact we had in that tournament… every player in that squad will tell you it was more than we ever imagined and we were just in our little bubble. Me and Tooney talk about it a lot. Going from nobody really knowing us, to pretty much overnight you are this England footballer that suddenly has won the Euros and the paparazzi are after you and you are getting these amazing opportunities that you would never have imagined pre-tournament. For both of us, that whole tournament completely changed our lives."
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What stands beyond football for Russo?
Russo admitted she already imagines life after her playing career, even if it feels far away right now.
“I do. It's hard in the moment because it is so intense. When you are in football, all you want to do is win every trophy you can. But one day after football, I'd like to have another career. We can't play forever. I'd love to have children and live on a beach somewhere. I'd love to have my own vineyard and live in Italy with my family and have loads of kids and switch off and just be away from football and watch it for fun and enjoy a whole other life. But I don't think that will ever happen.”
“I look forward to after football and achieving everything I want to achieve in terms of trophies. I do look forward to having another career. I suppose it's a new phase of life after you play football.”
Queens Park Rangers are now among the teams keen on signing a £2.2 million striker who manager Julien Stephan has worked with before, according to a recent report.
QPR targeting multiple forwards
The West London side have added four players to their squad so far this summer, with the additions strengthening their defence and wide areas. Now the club’s focus has switched to their forward line, as they look to give Stephan the firepower he needs to avoid any threat of relegation and look upwards rather than over his shoulder.
QPR plotting move to sign 14-goal EFL striker as possible Kelman replacement
QPR are now interested in signing a League Two striker.
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Brett Worthington
Jul 23, 2025
It looks increasingly likely that two strikers are set to leave the Championship side in the coming weeks, as it’s been reported that Alfie Young is set to leave on loan, while Luton Town have made an offer to sign Charlie Kelman, and the Rs are willing to cash in on the player for the right price. This comes after the centre-forward enjoyed a successful loan at League One side Leyton Orient last season.
QPR have already identified possible replacements for those two players, as it’s been reported that they are in talks to sign Pape Meissa Ba from German side Schalke 04. Those talks are said to be at an advanced stage.
Meanwhile, the Hoops are also interested in signing Samson Tovide from Colchester United. They want to add some youthful exuberance to their frontline, and they believe Tovide fits the bill, but they won’t stop there.
QPR in a race with Derby to sign Timothe Nkada
According to The Sun, QPR are interested in signing Timothe Nkada from French side Rodez.
The report states that as well as the Rs being interested, Derby County and Blackburn Rovers are also chasing the striker, who finished as the joint-top goalscorer in Ligue 2 last season with 17 goals.
The former France under-20 international is under contract until 2027 at Rodez, but the French side have placed a price tag of £2.2 million on his head, as interest could soon gather pace. Nkada, who is mainly a striker but can also operate on either the left or right-hand side of the attack, joined Rodez in August 2024 and produced his best numbers to date, as 17 league goals surpassed the nine he scored in the previous campaign at FC Koper.
Timothe Nkada’s Rodez AF stats
Apps
32
Goals
17
Assists
5
His goal-scoring exploits have placed him on the radar of a few Championship teams, but the Rs may hold an advantage when it comes to signing Nkada. Indeed, QPR boss Julien Stephan worked with the striker during their time in the youth setup at Rennes. Nkada netted 14 goals in 23 academy games in the 2018/19 season, and his relationship with Stephan could help the Rs get a deal over the line.
Just as you thought Arsenal’s start to the summer was quiet, they have roared into life over the last fortnight to welcome in a batch of new acquisitions.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has signed from Chelsea (yes, another one), Christian Norgaard has arrived from Brentford and the headline addition so far has been £55m Martin Zubimendi.
The trio have already got to work during the club’s warm weather training camp in La Manga and it’s not long now until the Gunners head to Asia, more specifically Singapore, for their pre-season tour on July 19th.
Before then, Mikel Arteta will hope for more new faces. Here’s the latest on that.
Arsenal's summer transfer window: the latest
This could be a busy old week for Andrea Berta and Co as he aims to bring in a few more fresh signings before that trip to Singapore.
The first is set to be Noni Madueke. Whether you like it or not, the Chelsea winger is due to be announced as an Arsenal player this week after undergoing a medical this weekend.
According to Henry Winter, he looks set be followed through the door by Valencia centre-half Cristhian Mosquera. A deal had gone quiet over recent weeks, but the journalist shared that things should be wrapped up soon.
And then there’s the centre-forward, the elusive striker. Will Viktor Gyokeres finally head to the Gunners?
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Well, things are becoming rather toxic between him and Sporting at the moment. The Swede has regularly told his club that he will never play for them again and has made it clear he won’t attend pre-season training.
Sporting president Frederico Varandas, has since hit back at the striker, saying: “If they [Arsenal] don’t want to pay Viktor’s fair market value, we’re very comfortable with that for the next three years. This strategy is also making it more complicated for the player to leave. Nobody is above the interests of the club. Whoever they are. We’re calm. Everything will be resolved with the market closing, a hefty fine and an apology to the group.”
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokereskisses the trophy as he celebrate after winning the Taca de Portugal
Sky Sports reports that the Portuguese giants are looking for around £69m, add-ons included. Despite the war of words here, the former Coventry star is still confident of getting his move, so much so that he expects to be in London this week.
That’s according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who said: “Gyokeres considers his Sporting career over, having agreed personal terms with Arsenal. Sources have also told me that he hopes to be in England early next week to complete his move.”
The impact Viktor Gyokeres could have at Arsenal
In recent years, it’s safe to say that Arsenal haven’t exactly got their squad building 100% nailed on.
They’ve signed good players, of course, but since Arteta became Arsenal boss, he has only signed six attackers; Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Willian and Marquinhos.
It’s hardly an illustrious list of names and therefore, the signing of Gyokeres could transform this Arsenal side.
Let’s cast our minds back two years a moment. In the same week of the 2023 summer window, Declan Rice was putting pen to paper on a club-record £105m move at the Emirates Stadium and Gyokeres was completing his switch from Coventry to Sporting.
Since then, the duo have become two of the best players on the continent. Rice has totally transformed this Arsenal team and it was his performances that propelled them towards the Champions League semi-finals.
No one will forget that night in north London when Arsenal hit three past Real Madrid. Rice was the hero, scoring two stunning free-kicks. It felt like his transfer fee had been paid back in one night, if it hadn’t already.
Rice went on to dazzle in the Bernabeu too, with Rio Ferdinand noting that the England international “stood up against the holders of this trophy” and “ran the show in both games”. The former defender exclaimed that the midfielder has now “put himself in another bracket.”
Well, if Rice was one piece of the puzzle that was missing, then Gyokeres could be the final piece that completes the jigsaw. He could be the Rice-like signing that catapults this Arsenal team to greater things, and by greater things, we mean finally winning a trophy.
Arteta may have the FA Cup to show for his efforts, but the Premier League and Champions League continue to elude him.
Rice has now taken Arsenal close but Gyokeres could help across the finish line. Why? Well, he’s one of, if not the best centre-forwards in Europe right now.
2020/21
34
5
1
2021/22
47
18
5
2022/23
50
22
12
2023/24
50
43
15
2024/25
52
54
13
Forget Alexander Isak, forget Erling Haaland, what the Swedish powerhouse has done over the last two years is nothing short of remarkable.
In 2023/24, the striker bagged 43 goals in 50 outings and went even better throughout the latest campaign, netting a stunning haul of 54 goals in 52 appearances.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that that tally is pretty damn good, and considering how Arsenal struggled in offensive areas of the pitch last season, he could be game-changing.
Arteta’s side didn’t lack creativity. No player registered more expected assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League than Bukayo Saka in 2024/25. As a club, they had the sixth-highest number of shots in the division and produced the fifth-most key passes.
However, despite that, they found it difficult to put the ball in the net. For the first time since 1923/24, the Gunners failed to find a player who scored double figures in the league.
As a result, signing a man who has scored 97 goals at club level over the last two campaigns ought to fix the problem.
Gyokeres might not be a club-record move like Rice was but his impact on the field of play is likely to be just as significant. Dare we smell another Arsenal title charge? Time will tell.
Eze's dream CF: Arsenal in talks to sign £69m "monster" & it's not Gyokeres
Arsenal could still change their mind on Viktor Gyokeres.