Skipper calls on his England side to claim their own place in series pantheon on Australian soil

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Nov-20251:17

Swann: Stokes most talented allrounder since Kallis

Ben Stokes wants to join the “lucky few captains” to return home with the Ashes and has called on his England side to create their own history in Australia.Friday’s opener in Perth will be the start of a mission to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. The task at hand is put into context by the 13-0 scoreline across the previous three tours, even with the Australians shorn of two of their stellar bowling attack with skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the first match. They may also feature two debutants in fast bowler Brendan Doggett and opening batter Jake Weatherald.Sir Andrew Strauss was the last of five captains to succeed Down Under since the Second World War, overseeing the 3-1 success in 2010-11. Now 15 years on, Stokes is angling to not only join Strauss as the sixth but become only the second since Ray Illingworth to reclaim the Ashes from Australia. It would also be Stokes’ first win in a five-match series in four attempts, the first of which was a 2-2 draw in the 2023 home Ashes.Related

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“I’ve come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful,” said Stokes. “Personally, I do understand how big a series this is but it’s not putting any more effort into this one than I have done any other series I’ve been captain.”Stokes, as he has done throughout his tenure as captain, is keen to shield his players from any unnecessary outside pressure. On Wednesday, for instance, he and head coach Brendon McCullum named a 12-man squad featuring Shoaib Bashir.It felt like the delaying of the inevitable all-pace attack England are keen to unleash at the Optus Stadium, with Mark Wood available for selection after suffering from a tight hamstring last week. England could of course draft from outside that dozen if, say, Wood suffers a setback between now and the start of the Test to maintain a five-quick set-up.A further example was Stokes’ response when asked if the squad needed to stay grounded rather than consider the sporting “immortality” that comes with winning an away Ashes series: “I can’t say we are going to be immortal because we all die, don’t we?”Ben Stokes and Joe Root train at Lilac Hill in Perth•Getty Images

Stokes, along with Wood, Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, as the only previous Ashes tourists, have been clueing up the rest on what they should expect. But he ceded it would not be right if they did not let themselves feel the energy around the series, and indeed Perth, and confront the scale of what lies before them.”Everyone in the world, everyone in Australia, everyone in England knows how big this series is,” Stokes said. “If we were to come out and not accept that and go on that as just another series, then we’d only be lying to ourselves and lying to the fact of what this series is. In particular this team, for myself, Brendan and for Rob (Key) and facing what that feels like, looking it in the eyes, taking it on, not being afraid of the challenge that we have ahead of us.”We know it’s a huge task coming to Australia and everything that comes with that away from the field, on the field. It is a huge two-and-a-half months for us. Rather than playing it down and not really accepting this moment for what it is, I think maybe we would not really understand what the moment is. So yeah – putting it all out there, letting everyone know the expectations of what it’s going to be like in particular because we’ve got a squad here who have come in and are experiencing Australia for the first time.”Stokes himself will be making his return to action, having not played a competitive match since the fourth Test against India at Emirates Old Trafford. After taking a five-wicket haul and scoring a century in the first two innings, he suffered a grade three muscle tear in his right shoulder in the fourth innings of the match, ruling him out of the decider which India won to earn a 2-2 draw.The last four months have been used to not just recover from the injury – which did not require surgery – but reinforce his body and top-up his skills. Dedicating himself to rehab was easy enough, having already ruled himself out of The Hundred campaign with Northern Superchargers that followed the India series, and all-but retired from white-ball internationals.While rebuilding in the shadows – he did not post any updates on social media, as he had done when rehabbing from his two hamstring tears – he signed a two-year extension to his central contract, which takes him through to 2027’s home Ashes.”[It was] very easy,” said Stokes of the decision to commit to a further two years. “I want to eke everything out of this body I can and I will do that in an England shirt.”

He’s dominated attacks in the IPL and on flat international pitches, but can he do it when there’s seam and bounce? Friday gave us an answer

Sidharth Monga31-Oct-20252:49

What explains India’s batting blowout?

Before the start of the second T20I at the MCG, cameras caught the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head talking to each other. You would pay anything to be a fly on the wall when these two mad geniuses of T20 talk, but all you will get is a laugh, and not insights into their games.”Yeah, I was trying because I knew that he’s not going to give me anything [by way of tips on how to bat in these conditions],” Abhishek said about the interaction, “because he’s the kind of batter that doesn’t think too much. And still I was asking him a bit regarding the pitches and how they are gonna play.Related

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“He was like, just go and enjoy. And that’s the thing he’s been doing in SRH as well. So I knew that he’s gonna answer me this, but still I wanted to hear from him.”It wasn’t quite an enjoyable night for batters generally, as Josh Hazlewood put on a clinic in his analysis of 4-0-13-3 and India still managed to take six wickets in their defence of a measly 125.Abhishesk and Head were the only batters who struck at over 180 for an innings of a reasonable length, while Mitchell Marsh went at 176.92. It is fair to say that apart from the trio, all other batters struggled on the early-season MCG pitch.Abhishek’s batting, though, stood out further for it was a solo effort that kept India in the game even though he was isolated for long periods. In the first 17 overs of India’s innings, Abhishek managed to face only 28 balls, but scored 53 of their 110 runs. In the first 10 overs, four of which were bowled by Hazlewood, Abhishek hit all eight of India’s boundaries. In all, he hit 10 of their 15 boundaries.Abhishek hit 10 of India’s 15 boundaries•AFP/Getty ImagesThe lack of strike was one of those things India couldn’t have avoided easily. No one other than Abhishek was able to work the ball around with ease, and India lost five wickets early. The only partnership India put together was between Abhishek and Harshit Rana, of whom the latter can be forgiven for not being able to put Abhishek back on strike against high-quality bowling in testing conditions; during their 47-ball stand of 56, Abhishek only got to face 14 balls.However, this innings of Abhishek will remain a positive for India on a night when they lost yet another toss, but might have misread the conditions in wanting to bat first anyway, playing more spin than pace. Varun Chakravarthy might have further cemented himself as India’s No. T20I spinner with figures of 4-0-23-1 even in these conditions. Nothing will please them as much as Abhishek, though.Conditions in the IPL are geared towards maximise scoring, and before this tour Abhishek’s international cricket had mostly been played in batting-friendly conditions. Here, though, he outshone everyone else, who were made to hop around by the generous seam and bounce on offer.Abhishek didn’t dial back his intent even for one second. This was high-precision attacking batting, which comes from a lot of training just to do that. Abhishek spoke about the hard work that had gone into building this T20 game, once he saw that his conventional game was not getting him into the best combination at the highest level.”It is not usual [this seemingly high-risk game],” Abhishek said. “but with ups and downs in my batting for a fair amount of time, even I was confused. I saw even in the IPL, openers were so consistent. Obviously if you have to take that competition on, you have to do something exceptional.”I felt I could work on my ability to play my shots. I try to execute my shots using my awareness of the field. In the nets, or when I am at home, my focus is to bat with a field in mind. Also I try to play different bowlers all the time, and not similar bowlers. And then the only motive is: play my shots without getting out. That training has helped me a lot.”

Quick Matthew Forde provided a spark in his return from injury before West Indies overcame a late whirlwind from skipper Mitchell Santner to defeat New Zealand in the T20I series-opener. West Indies did eventually clinch the lowest total successfully defended at Eden Park in a T20I, but they were made to work hard after Santner clubbed 55 not out from 28 balls to almost power New Zealand to an incredible victory.Romario Shepherd, however, held his nerve with the ball in the final over to ensure West Indies drew first blood in the five-match series. Roston Chase produced a fine display of spin bowling on a small ground, picking up 3 for 26 to go with the hand he played in West Indies’ two biggest partnerships earlier in the day. He was named Player of the Match.Having been restricted in good batting conditions less than a week after clean-sweeping a T20I series in Bangladesh, West Indies appeared set for a tough start to a tour that comprises all three formats. But Forde was menacing in his return from a shoulder injury as West Indies tore through a meek New Zealand batting effort. It was a disappointing start for New Zealand in their first match since the retirement of Kane Williamson from T20I cricket.It was a major turnaround after West Indies’ batting order had earlier struggled on a surface with much more bounce than in Bangladesh. Captain Shai Hope overcame a slow start in the powerplay to top score with 53 off 39 balls to lead West Indies’ recovery from 43 for 3.This series is seen as important preparation for the short-handed teams as they build towards a T20 World Cup that is just three months away. Meanwhile, there was an old-school feel to the game with DRS not in place due to technical issues.Matthew Forde got 1 for 9 off his first three overs•Getty Images

Forde sparks WI in comeback game

Forde hadn’t played any competitive cricket since July, but showed no signs of rust in a brilliant opening burst. He bowled beautifully with the new ball, especially from around the wicket to trouble Devon Conway with deadly swing.Forde was finally rewarded when he clean-bowled Conway with an inswinger that hit top of off stump. He continued to be all over New Zealand’s top order, finishing with 1 for 9 off his first three overs – marked by 14 dot balls – in the powerplay. But his performance was soured slightly after conceding 23 runs to a rampaging Santner in the 18th over.

Santner’s near miraculous heist

After a horrific collapse of 7 for 37 from 70 for 2 in the tenth over, New Zealand appeared set for a crushing defeat at 107 for 9 in the 17th. But Santner turned the chase on its head by smashing seven boundaries and a six in a nine-ball flurry as the sparse crowd started to find its voice.With New Zealand needing 20 runs off the final over, Santner could not score off the first two deliveries bowled by Shepherd – although the second ball should have been called a wide due to height – before clubbing a six to give New Zealand hope. But it ultimately proved too tough a task despite a record tenth-wicket partnership for New Zealand in T20Is.Shai Hope rebuilt with a half-century after three early wickets•AFP/Getty Images

Hope fires after slow start

Having come off tours of Bangladesh and India, West Indies had the tough task of quickly acclimatising to the different conditions in New Zealand. Their top order made a rough start, struggling to handle the extra bounce as Brandon King, Alick Athanaze and Ackeem Auguste holed out after miscues.Hope had to steady the innings, and he entered the match after solid performances across formats in south Asia. But he was sluggish to begin with, unable to find timing much to his frustration on a true surface. Hope scored only 11 off 17 balls in the powerplay, with West Indies making just 32 runs off the first six overs. He finally decided to go for broke against Jimmy Neesham in the seventh over as the run rate finally lifted over six an over.It got him going, with Hope starting to clatter the smaller boundaries and bringing up his half-century in style by clubbing Zakary Foulkes for six over long-off. But Hope was clean bowled on the next delivery, undone by Foulkes’ variation as he missed an attempted swipe over the leg side.West Indies’ innings never truly got rolling, but it did receive a lift from Rovman Powell, who smashed a couple of huge sixes after being dropped twice in the outfield by Michael Bracewell.Jacob Duffy struck in the first over•AFP/Getty Images

Duffy shines in NZ’s disciplined attack

New Zealand are assembling a deep and talented pace pack, with competition for spots hotting up as the T20 World Cup looms. With Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke and Lockie Ferguson on the sidelines, New Zealand didn’t miss a beat, with Jacob Duffy the standout of an attack that kept a powerful West Indies batting order in check.Duffy was outstanding in the powerplay, removing King in the first over to start an opening burst that yielded figures of 1 for 10 off three overs. He later bowled Chase with a superb yorker after coming back at the death.Duffy showcased his variety, bowling a mixture of length and full deliveries to concede just one boundary in four overs. Kyle Jamieson bowled well in his return from a side strain, while Foulkes had a mixed bag but did claim two wickets.

It’s understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz Ahmed in a role that aligned closely with his own responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable

Danyal Rasool19-Nov-2025Azhar Ali has resigned from his position at the PCB as selector and head of youth development, ending a 12-month stint in that role. The departure, which was not publicly announced by either Azhar or the board, has been confirmed by ESPNcricinfo.ESPNcricinfo has learned Azhar’s departure came after an extended period of simmering differences in outlook between the former Pakistan captain and the board. Matters eventually came to a head after Sarfaraz Ahmed was reportedly appointed – though, again, not officially confirmed by the board – as the head of Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 sides, with his remit extending to the organising and managing of tours, as well as conducting training camps.It is understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz in a role that aligned closely with his own set of responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable. He sent in his letter of resignation earlier this week, which the PCB accepted.Azhar, who captained Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, was first brought into the PCB as a member of the selection panel for Pakistan’s men’s national side in October 2024. A month later, he had the role of youth development head tacked on, one which was publicly announced by the PCB at the time.The official announcement of his appointment on the PCB’s website stated that he had been “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”.The next major assignment for a Pakistan age-group side comes at the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which runs from January 15 to February 6, and will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Co-hosts Zimbabwe, Scotland and England are in Pakistan’s group at the competition, which Pakistan have won twice – in 2004 and 2006.

Australia will start the Ashes without Cummins and Hazlewood and have two debutants in the XI but they aren’t fretting it

Alex Malcolm20-Nov-20251:55

Starc confident in replacements for Cummins and Hazlewood

Steven Smith projected a sense of calm sitting in front of a huge media throng as Australia’s captain on the eve of a home Ashes series.He’s been there and done this many times before. But this is a little different. That Smith was sitting there as the stand-in captain was not plan A for Australia.That they are playing without two of their big three fast bowlers, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, in a home Test for the first time since 2022 was definitely not plan B.That they have picked two players, Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald, to debut in the same Test for the first time since 2019, and a seventh different opening partner for Usman Khawaja in 16 Tests, was not even plan C.Australia are unsettled and vulnerable. But while there is a popular belief, at least externally, that England must win in Perth to have any chance in the series, there is no sense that Australia feel Perth is make or break. The lessons of last year’s loss to India in Perth before winning the series 3-1 are fresh in their minds.”I think you want to try and win the first Test match and get yourself ahead of the game, I suppose, or the series,” Smith said on Thursday. “But I think either way we look at last summer, we lost the first Test match and we were able to claw the series back.”We’ve got a lot of belief in that change room, if the result doesn’t go our way this week, that we can turn it around. We saw it last year. So ideally, we play well this week, and we’ve got potentially Patty on the table next game. Josh, I don’t know, but I think we’ll see how this week pans out.”Steven Smith: There’s always so many words said before the [Ashes] series•Getty Images

Australia have learnt some clear lessons from 12 months ago. Despite their public protestations after copping a shellacking from India in Perth that caused a firestorm of criticism from home fans, they knew internally they had been undercooked going into that series.Related

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Every member of the squad bar Khawaja played the most recent Sheffield Shield round to prepare for the opening Test, something that didn’t happen last year. Every member of the chosen XI bar Travis Head and Mitchell Starc have played at least two first-class games in the last month, which again was not the case last summer. Perth golf courses have been frequented this week, but quantifiably less often than in the training period last year.The hype has been unprecedented. On another scale to last year, even with the inflation that India can bring. But for Smith, entering his ninth Ashes series as a player and his fifth on home soil, it has felt like par for the course.”It’s pretty standard,” Smith said. “I’ve been involved in a few now, and there’s always so many words said before the series. But for us, I think it’s about just ignoring the outside noise, concentrating on our processes, what we do well as a team and trusting and backing that throughout. It’s exciting that we’re starting tomorrow. Everyone’s been raring to go for the last few days of training and even before that.”Australia have maintained their own bubble. There were no leaks to the media of the initial Ashes squad. There was no leaks of the XI until Thursday morning, which was a pretty good achievement given the binary nature of the choices the selectors had.Even the public pontifications on how Bazball will fare in Australia have been left to ex-players, the media and the punters. Australia’s current players have consistently spoken kindly this week about the quality of England’s team and the brand of cricket they play.There were moments in the 2023 Ashes in England when Australia did look “rattled” in the field as England’s Bazballers swung momentum violently at times as only they can.The proof will be in the pudding, but Smith certainly portrayed a sense that Bazball is not “in their heads” as the Barmy Army’s song suggests.”I think it’s just playing the tempo of the game that needs to be played at each certain time,” Smith said. “I’ve no doubt throughout this series, there’s going to be periods of the game where a few of their batters get off and they score some runs quickly. And for us, it might be about being a little bit defensive in those moments. And then finding the moments where we can attack a bit more and just playing the game, really, that’s in front of us, and not letting it drift too far before we implement the plans that need to be played at that certain time. I guess that’s as simple as I can put it right now.”There are as many unknowns about Australia as there are about England ahead of this series. But it is clear Australia are not gripping the steering wheel tight in Perth. The result will be the result. Reinforcements are almost certain to come soon given how good Cummins looks in the nets.It might be the calm before the storm. But even if the storm comes, an understrength Australia appear prepared for it.

It was another chapter in the rivalry where the suspense thrived, but the surprise never really came

Danyal Rasool29-Sep-20253:23

‘Clueless batting from Pakistan’

After all these years, it is remarkable that an India-Pakistan contest somehow manages to retain both its jeopardy and its inevitability. Long after India has cemented its status as cricket’s shepherd that corals its flock and drives it any way it might want it to go, Pakistan still manage to run off into a rogue field and cause brief mayhem. That order will eventually be restored, though, has never been in doubt, and in a final that never revealed its hand until the end, the people have played this game long enough to know the cards it concealed. And they knew it well before Tilak Varma’s arcing swipe found the midwicket stands rather than the fielder stationed just in front.That Pakistan came as close as they did, though, must have plenty more to do with this rivalry, still very much alive despite the lopsided win count of late or the Indian captain’s attempt to dismiss it as one. It is often said in football that local derbies fling form out of the window, and those games are impossible to learn anything from or read much into. That principle is all that looks to have tipped Sunday’s final into a thriller. Because, on the balance of what Pakistan had to offer against an Indian side that last lost a T20I in the Bronze Age or how much Pakistan even appeared to understands their own side’s capabilities and limitations, their proximity to glory – 11 days after they had to scrap to avoid elimination against the UAE – stretches credulity.Related

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It must be a strange thing to be Saim Ayub, a man who looks like he perpetually just woke up after his mother shooed him out of the house and funnelled him straight into the Pakistan team. He is both in the worst form of his life, but his dismissal also appears to act as his side’s trigger for absolute implosion. For the second Sunday in a row, Sahibzada Farhan – who had never played India a fortnight ago and has now scored more than a quarter of his international runs against them – got Pakistan off to the start of their dreams, before Saim popped in and tried to play himself into a bit of form.He lost his wicket shortly after, but Pakistan were still in almost the precise desirable position they found themselves in the previous week, given a precious do-over in the final. On that occasion, they’d sent in Hussain Talat, a player whose T20 game carries about the same excitement as a robot with a sore throat reading War and Peace. This time around, in the Mohammad Haris sweepstakes, this was the moment he was sent in – three wildly different uses of the same player on three different Sundays. The first time around, he was batting in the first over; last Sunday, he did not bat at all. In the final, with India’s torturously relentless spinners beginning to find their groove, out strode Haris.3:35

Pakistan’s shot selection, understanding of situation need to be better – Urooj

Haris is what might happen if a box of firecrackers were accidentally set off all at the same time: dazzling brief drama with bleak nothingness to follow. He opted – off just his second ball – to play the only inside out drive of the game, trying to caress Axar Patel on a surface that was stopping. Pakistan had lost two in four balls, and were rushing to fill in the lines in the pattern they had carved out last Sunday.Having had a week to ruminate on this precise scenario, Pakistan demonstrated they still had little idea how to deal with it. Fair play if you can accurately recall the Pakistani order in the wake of that Haris wicket, because it might as well just have been anyone at any time. It was, for the record, Salman Agha, who showed up next, a player Babar Azam could be compared to if he chewed gum and lost his cover drive. And of course, in a lot of ways, it really is all about Salman Agha.There’s little to dislike about Salman Agha the man, who has worked his way into international cricket at a relatively advanced age after toiling through the domestic circuit for a decade. He’s generally affable in his post-match interactions, and there’s a real sincerity to his everyman image and the seemingly informal elocution which media training has mercifully not yet modulated.”There have been ups and downs,” Agha said, in an assessment that might put a fortune cookie to shame. “There have been lots of positives and lots of things to work on. The good thing is we know what we did well and what we didn’t. We’ll try to do better with the things we did wrong, and to keep doing the things we did right.”But watching him walk out in the final began to feel like one of those things that Pakistan appeared to be doing wrong, and a moment when the emperor’s lack of clothes become impossible to ignore. This tournament has seen 28 batters score more runs than the Pakistan captain, all at over a run a ball. Agha’s strike rate in the Asia Cup is less than 81, and 110 over his career, dropping every time he seems to play an opposition of note. Against India and Australia, he has scored a combined 33 runs in 44 balls, averaging just over six. Even against the UAE on spinning tracks – his supposed strength, three games produced 32 runs at a strike rate of 78.09.It was off his seventh ball that he decided he wanted to launch Kuldeep Yadav out of the ground. Like a toddler biting off more chocolate than they can chew ability didn’t seem to come into it. He sputtered at the ball with the ungainliness of a wedding dancer thrust into the Bolshoi Ballet. It fizzed straight up and Sanju Samson was happy to collect.A dejected Pakistan side after the loss in the final•AFP/Getty ImagesFour balls earlier, Talat, also at the crease because the fall of wickets was no longer an event as much as an inevitability, had also taken his leave in similar circumstances, power-hitting with no power and offering the wicketkeeper catching practice. The two anchors had made little headway to Pakistan’s total, and hadn’t done much anchoring, either. A few overs later, Pakistan were bowled out for 146, nine wickets falling for 33 runs. 113 now is the highest total in T20I history upon which a side lost their second wicket and found themselves bowled out under 150.Perhaps there is a more charitable explanation for it all; that Pakistan simply have no tools to take India on when in full flow. An intentional slowdown the previous week, precisely to guard against a capitulation last night saw them fall well short anyway. In the final, they kept trying to hack at the spinners; they played aggressive shots to 40% of the balls they faced to India’s slower bowlers, and yet that trio allowed just 86 in 12 overs, picking up eight of Pakistan’s wickets. There is pain and misery whichever way you twist.But Pakistan are not setting this T20 side up, for now, anyway, to compete with India. No matter how close they felt to that mirage of an Asia Cup trophy, the chasm between the two sides remains tremendously large. Just flip the roles and picture Pakistan chasing last night, and see if there are any points in the chase you’d back them as favourites. Pakistan have set themselves a longer-term project that may involve short term pain for a side set up to reap longer term rewards. It is why Babar and Rizwan are out in the cold even if, as has been pointed out, they may ironically have been perfectly suited for the conditions this tournament offered up, and with whom Pakistan have a 2-1 winning T20I record against India in Dubai.Haris Rauf and Salman Agha plot a surprise•Associated PressWhile doing away with those two, though, Pakistan appear to have replaced them, simply further down the order, with decisively inferior options. After praising Hasan Nawaz as a generational power hitter whose non-Powerplay strike rate this year is inferior only to Dewald Brevis and Tim David, they turned once more to Talat, very much not in the mould that coach Mike Hesson has insisted Pakistan will look to relentlessly pursue. With the uncertainty of Haris’ role, or indeed Shaheen Afridi’s with the bat, Pakistan have spent the last month showing they may be willing to wound, but at the moments that usually matter, they have been afraid to strike.And that sounds very much like the side that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan used to lead. Against India where they somehow both overperformed and underperformed, it is anyone’s guess what lessons Pakistan will take as they continue on with what they still consider to be a revolution. But, as far as jeopardy and inevitability go, this is, after all, that most characteristic way of Pakistani revolutions, one where the establishment structure doesn’t quite seem to change.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared an update on Declan Rice and his condition heading into their crucial Premier League clash at Aston Villa this weekend.

Arsenal travel to Aston Villa as Arteta sweats over key men

Arsenal travel to Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime with Arteta sweating over the availability of multiple key players following Wednesday night’s hard-fought victory over Brentford.

Gabriel Magalhaes remains sidelined with a thigh problem that has kept him out of recent fixtures, while William Saliba continues battling what Arteta described as a “very bizarre” injury that forced him to miss the last two matches.

The Arsenal manager suggested Saliba’s absence would only last “a matter of days,” raising hopes he could return for this crucial early kickoff against Unai Emery’s resurgent side.

Cristhian Mosquera’s situation, though, presents greater concern.

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The summer signing landed awkwardly on his ankle after an aerial duel against Brentford and couldn’t continue past halftime, requiring further assessment this week.

Arteta admitted Mosquera’s ankle issue represents the most complex problem facing his medical staff, describing it as “more complicated” than the other defensive doubts ahead of Saturday’s encounter.

Leandro Trossard also remains doubtful after missing midweek with an unspecified muscular complaint.

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Like Saliba, the Belgian winger should return within days according to Arteta’s latest briefing, though his participation against Villa hangs in the balance until today’s final training session provides clearer answers.

Kai Havertz will miss out completely as he continues his recovery from a knee problem, with no return anticipated for weeks.

The German’s absence could force Arsenal to continue relying on Mikel Merino in an unfamiliar striking role, as Viktor Gyokeres steadily works his way back to full fitness after his own recent injury.

Merino has surprisingly flourished with 21 goals this calendar year for club and country, becoming Arsenal’s unlikely top scorer in the process.

Mikel Arteta shares Declan Rice injury twist out of Arsenal

The greatest concern, however, surrounds Rice after he limped off late against Brentford with a calf problem.

Interestingly, the midfielder confirmed to Sky Sports that he was fine and ready to go against Villa, as pointed out by Fabrizio Romano.

However, there has now been a twist to the tale.

When asked about the £240,000-per-week star’s condition, Arteta explained that Rice is in fact a doubt to play against Villa.

Much like Saliba and Trossard, the player will be subject to a late fitness test.

This contradicts what Rice told Sky, with Arteta seemingly taking a cautious approach when it comes to his star midfielder.

The former West Ham captain has become Arsenal’s most indispensable player this season, anchoring their midfield with relentless energy and robustness that nobody else in Arteta’s squad can replicate.

His ability to break up opposition attacks, control possession and cover defensive gaps has proven crucial to Arsenal’s title challenge, making him one of the first names on the team sheet every week.

Not having Rice available for one of their toughest games of the festive period would be an almighty blow, with Arteta hoping he can in fact take part in the Midlands.

As a Real Madrid stalwart who was fiercely loyal to Jose Mourinho, Xabi Alonso did not seem like an obvious signing for Pep Guardiola, and yet the pair got on famously during their two years together at Bayern Munich. Alonso’s experience helped Guardiola win two Bundesliga titles while the veteran player sought to tap into the Catalan’s knowledge as he prepared for his own career on the touchline.

Alonso’s playing career was just about the perfect apprenticeship for moving into coaching as he worked under some of the biggest names in the game, each with their own unique style. His five years at Liverpool were spent with Rafa Benitez, the arch strategist. His long spell at Madrid saw him work with three vastly different coaches in Manuel Pellegrini, Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. He ended his career working under the master of modern positional play in Guardiola for two years, before one final year reunited with Ancelotti.

Guardiola could instantly see that Alonso was cut out for a successful career in the dugout, remarking: "Every single coach who ever had the marvellous pleasure of training Xabi as a player knew without any doubt that he'd become a coach," and working alongside Guardiola was clearly an insightful time for Alonso.

“I learned a lot in three years in Bayern,” he said. “I was 32, I had made a lot of my career but in two or three years, I learned so, so much.”

Alonso’s time with Guardiola evidently helped him succeed at Bayer Leverkusen, where he ended Bayern’s 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga title and lifted the DFB-Pokal during an unbeaten domestic campaign. But it did not necessarily set him up well for life at Madrid, and as he prepares to meet his former mentor in the dugout for the first time when Los Blancos face Manchester City on Wednesday amid a run of just two wins in seven matches, there is a feeling that defeat could spell the end of Alonso’s time at the Bernabeu.

Getty ImagesDownward spiral

Guardiola’s coaching mentor was Johan Cruyff, and in his very first season as a coach with Barcelona’s B team he approached the legendary Dutchman about a dilemma: His best two players were undermining him. Cruyff’s message was clear: “Get rid of them.” Guardiola did as Cruyff advised and his team overcame a slippery start to storm to the title.

Alonso has been confronted with a similar dilemma in the form of Vinicius Jr. According to , Alonso’s dispute with the Brazil forward began during the Club World Cup, when Vinicius was furious with his coach for playing him on his less favoured right side in the 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint Germain in the semi-final. 

The tension between player and coach then came to a head in October after the player’s furious reaction to being substituted towards the end of the Clasico win over Barcelona. Vinicius released a grovelling apology on to “all Madridistas, my team–mates, the club and the president“. Tellingly, he did not apologise to Alonso. Nonetheless, Vinicius was in the line up for Madrid’s next outing against Valencia. 

They won that game easily 4-0, but then their problems began. They lost at Liverpool, drew three consecutive league games at Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona, and then scraped past Olympiacos. They did easily beat Athletic Club 3-0 in their best performance of the season, only to follow it up with Sunday’s ill-tempered defeat at home to Celta Vigo.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportUnrelenting questions

Alonso’s lenient treatment of Vinicius, which contrasted with Arne Slot dropping Mohamed Slot from the Liverpool squad following his rant about being "thrown under the bus", was twice mentioned during his press conference on Tuesday ahead of facing City. Despite the coach taking no action against Vinicius, the player is still apparently furious with his coach, and has decided to delay talks regarding a contract renewal until the summer, by which time Alonso could be gone.

Alonso looked surprised when he was asked on Tuesday if he regretted taking Vinicius off in El Clasico. “I don’t know what the question is getting at. It was a decision in the moment and now we’re in another moment.”

It was far from the only uncomfortable question he was asked, either, as queries from the assembled media ranged from, “Do you have the support of the whole squad?” to, “Do you feel alone?” and, “How do you cope with all these rumours about your future?”

AFP'Thinks he's Guardiola'

The rift with Vinicius is believed to just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Alonso’s relationship with the players. Another report in recounted how Alonso told his squad soon after taking charge that they would have to run more and work harder. Alonso’s staff had spoken of “many bad habits” setting in under Ancelotti and the new coach established a new set of rules for the squad, emphasising the importance of punctuality and maintaining intensity in training. 

Alonso’s hands-on approach was in total contrast to that of Ancelotti, who was barely involved in training sessions, delegating them to other members of staff. And it rubbed players, many of whom had won multiple La Liga titles and Champions League crowns, up the wrong way. 

The most damning quote in the report came from a source close to a senior player, which read: “He thinks he’s Pep Guardiola, but for now he’s just Xabi.”

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AFPNot a safe haven for coaches

The truth is that even Guardiola, leaving aside his past as a Barcelona player and coach for a second, would struggle to succeed at Madrid. The club has never been a safe haven for coaches. This is a club that has repeatedly sacked managers who have won La Liga or the Champions League, sometimes the very next day.

While Barcelona venerated Cruyff and Guardiola and, for a couple of years, Frank Rijkaard, Madrid prefer their coaches to be lower key. It is why Mourinho, the ultimate rockstar of the management world, was such a divisive figure in the Spanish capital. By the end of his chaotic tenure, Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa were the only allies the Portuguese had left after he fell out with Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

While Mourinho and Guardiola were sworn enemies when they were in charge of Spain’s biggest clubs for three years and are often painted as polar opposites, Alonso thought they were not so different after all, saying in 2016: “They are both very similar in that they are hard workers and extremely ambitious. On the football side, they have different approaches and style. What you get with both is huge charisma and leadership.”

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy got off to the worst possible start with a 2-1 defeat to Hearts at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership in his first match in charge.

The Hoops head coach was thrown in at the deep end, after Martin O’Neill’s interim tenure, and failed to oversee a positive result in his debut in the dugout.

A late goal from Kieran Tierney in stoppage time was too little too late for the hosts, who created three ‘big chances’ in the match (Sofascore), as the Jam Tarts held out for all three points.

Nancy will have learned a lot about his squad in his 3-4-2-1 shape, which was immediately implemented, and one thing that he should have learned is that Daizen Maeda should not play as the striker.

Why Daizen Maeda should not play up front

The Japan international was selected to lead the line for the Scottish giants with Hyun-jun Yang and Sebastian Tounekti as the wing-backs, with Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren as the two attacking midfielders.

Maeda missed two ‘big chances’ early on in the game, per Sofascore, scuffing both efforts in presentable situations, and then struggled with the physicality of the match.

Per Sofascore, the Japanese attacker lost all five of his ground duels and three of his four duels in the air, which shows that it was too easy for the Hearts defenders to get the better of him more often than not.

Chalkboard

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However, to his credit, it was his challenged header at the end of the game that created Kieran Tierney’s goal, so some good did come from his physical output.

His overall struggles physically, though, are why the new Celtic boss should use Kelechi Iheanacho or Johnny Kenny, natural number nines, in that position moving forward, with Maeda in one of the roles behind the striker to take some of the physical burden off him.

Maeda was not the only poor performer on the day for the Scottish giants, though, as Arne Engels is the first player who should be ruthlessly dropped from the starting XI by Nancy.

Why Nancy must drop Engels for Celtic

The new Celtic boss must drop the Belgium international from the starting line-up because he was even worse than Maeda in the defeat to Hearts on Sunday.

Like the Japanese striker in the first half, Engels was guilty of missing a huge opportunity in front of goal in the game, as he could only guide his close-range header straight at Alexander Schwolow.

The £11m signing from Augsburg was also incredibly sloppy with his use of the ball throughout the game. Per Sofascore, the central midfielder lost possession a staggering 23 times, whilst Maeda only gave the ball away seven times in total.

Engels was criticised for his “wayward” passes by Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton during the live coverage of the first half, after a couple of sloppy balls forward that went straight back to the away side.

Minutes

90

90

Touches

86

31

Possession lost

23x

7x

Key passes

2

3

Assists

0

1

Shots

3

2

Big chances missed

1

2

Pass accuracy

76%

85%

As you can see in the table above, Engels had 55 more touches and gave the ball away 16 more times than Maeda across the 90 minutes, yet created fewer chances for the team than the Japan international.

These statistics illustrate just how sloppy the Belgian flop was in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants, and why he should be the first player who is ruthlessly dropped from the team by the manager.

Their respective performances tie into how Nancy could drop him because Maeda moving back into one of the attacking midfield positions would allow Reo Hatate to drop deeper into midfield, with Iheanacho or Kenny essentially replacing Engels in the line-up.

The former Bundesliga talent should not be completely written off under Nancy already, of course, but this period of matches is about the new manager learning about his squad, which means that he needs to look at other players and see who is best suited to his style of play.

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Engels was not good enough against Hearts on Sunday, unfortunately, but he will get more chances to prove himself to the French tactician in the future.

Former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy played a major role in stopping one ex-Spurs star from sealing what was a dream switch to Chelsea, with the player making a candid admission.

Tottenham post-Daniel Levy as problems remain at N17

It’s been three months since the Lewis family decided to force Levy into resigning as Lilywhites chairman, following a topsy-turvy 25-year stint in the role.

Levy was barely ever away from the headlines and attracted plenty of criticism, particularly towards the end of his tenure, when fans turned out in droves to protest both his and ENIC’s stewardship of the club.

His exit marked the end of the longest chairmanship in Premier League history, a tenure defined by extraordinary infrastructure development yet marred by agonising near-misses.

His business acumen transformed Tottenham into a financial powerhouse, culminating in the £1.2 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which opened in 2019 and revolutionised the club’s commercial capabilities.

Real Madrid

£1.2 billion

Man City

£727 million

PSG

£700 million

Man United

£668 million

Bayern Munich

£664 million

FC Barcelona

£659.5 million

Arsenal

£621.5 million

Liverpool

£620 million

Tottenham Hotspur

£533 million

Chelsea

£474 million

via Deloitte Money League

Under his stewardship, Spurs competed in Europe over in 18 of the past 20 seasons, establishing themselves among England’s elite despite chronic underinvestment in recruitment compared to their rivals.

The club’s net spend during Mauricio Pochettino’s first four years totalled just £29 million, while Tottenham infamously became the first Premier League side to complete an entire summer window without a single signing in 2018.

That cautious transfer approach became Levy’s defining characteristic, and it drew fierce criticism, alongside their barren trophy haul.

Tottenham reached the Champions League final under Pochettino in 2019, only to dismiss the Argentine four months later despite Spurs’ constant transfer budget restrictions.

Levy’s final season proved very turbulent, with Ange Postecoglou sacked shortly after delivering Europa League glory. Fans had grown tired of the constant managerial churn without meaningful silverware, despite Levy’s long list of appointments including serial winners José Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

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Levy’s departure triggered a major restructuring, with former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham arriving and Thomas Frank replacing Postecoglou.

Peter Charrington assumed the newly-created non-executive chairman role to jump into Levy’s stead, though in a far less involved capacity, with co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange making up the new leadership team.

Levy, despite his unpopularity among much of the fanbase, undoubtedly left a mark on Spurs which will be remembered for decades to come.

Now, ex-Tottenham favourite Luka Modrić has revealed how the former chairman stopped him from joining London rivals Chelsea.

Luka Modrić reveals Daniel Levy blocked Tottenham transfer to Chelsea

Speaking on the Neuspjeh prvaka show, via ESPN, the now-AC Milan midfielder says that he was eager to join the west Londoners, but Levy told him there was ‘no chance’ that Modric would be allowed to go.

The Croatia legend, who went to enjoy a fantastic season at Tottenham right afterwards, then admitted that it eventually worked out for the best.

Modric is now the most decorated player in his country’s history after a glittering career at Real, with Levy eventually green-lighting his exit to the Bernabeu for £30 million in 2012.

The 40-year-old, who is incredibly still playing at an elite level, made over 150 appearances for Spurs, scoring 17 goals, and comes as one of the best signings of Levy’s tenure for just £16.5 million from Dinamo Zagreb.