Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly a massive admirer of one France international star, who sporting director Andrea Berta has already led an approach to sign, according to a new report.

Arsenal make Premier League return away to Fulham

Arsenal return to Premier League action this weekend with a trip to Fulham, a fixture that offers the Gunners a golden chance to extend their impressive seven-game unbeaten run and solidify their position at the top of the table.

Since their narrow 1-0 defeat at Liverpool earlier in the season, Arsenal have been near-unstoppable, navigating all competitions without tasting defeat – a testament to their growing maturity under Arteta.

This unbeaten streak has been built on a foundation of solid defensive performances and a willingness to battle to the end, with Arsenal’s blend of youthful energy and experienced leadership helping to power them through tough fixtures.

Arsenal’s dramatic 2-1 win away to Newcastle was testament to this, with defender Gabriel clinching all three points through a last-minute header which silenced the boisterous St. James’ Park crowd.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions

Competition

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Premier League

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Champions League

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Premier League

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Carabao Cup

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Premier League

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Champions League

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Premier League

Arteta’s side now sit pretty at the Premier League summit, taking advantage of big-spending Liverpool’s slip in momentum, but Marco Silva’s Fulham won’t be pushovers this weekend.

The West Londoners will be looking to spoil Arsenal’s rhythm on their home turf. Silva’s men have shown resilience this season, despite finishing last summer’s transfer window as the top flight’s lowest-spending team.

Team

Spent

Received

Net Spend

Brentford

£85,000,000

£134,000,000

-£49,000,000

Brighton

£69,000,000

£133,000,000

-£64,000,000

Crystal Palace

£47,000,000

£63,000,000

-£16,000,000

Aston Villa

£37,500,000

£47,000,000

-£9,500,000

Fulham

£34,500,000

£9,000,000

£25,500,000

via Every Premier League Club’s Net Spend

In truth, Silva has worked wonders on a shoe-string budget during his time at Craven Cottage, and Arsenal have won just one of their last four meetings against Fulham — including a draw and a defeat the last two times they travelled to play them.

As Arteta prepares for a tough test, Berta is working on the club’s squad long-term.

The Italian has already tied down Gabriel and William Saliba to long-term contracts since his arrival in March, with talks held over extensions for Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Berta, despite a big-spending summer, could also enter the transfer market once again.

Arteta is a "huge" fan of Khephren Thuram with Arsenal approach made

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, as written in a piece for TBR Football, Arteta is personally a “huge” fan of Juventus star Khephren Thuram, who’s worked his way into the France national team squad after an excellent start to the season in Turin.

The 24-year-old is now deemed “untouchable” by Igor Tudor’s side alongside Kenan Yildiz, with Bailey reporting that Arsenal had a summer approach knocked back for Thuram as well.

The former Ligue 1 sensation racked up 10 goal contributions in 35 Serie A appearances for Juve over his debut season, leaving little wonder that the Old Lady are desperate not to lose him.

Even though Berta has already signed Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard to bolster Arsenal’s midfield, the latter will stay for a maximum of three years before potentially returning to Brondby in Denmark, as confirmed by the player himself.

Thuram would be an exceptional long-term replacement for Norgaard, and amid reports Arsenal are looking at signing another midfielder to challenge Zubimendi, perhaps Berta could test Juve’s resolve in 2026.

With Ibrahima Konate yet to sign a new contract, Liverpool are reportedly prioritising a move to sign the Frenchman’s replacement for Arne Slot in 2026.

Update on Konate's Liverpool contract

If there was ever a time for Liverpool to sort Konate’s contract it is now. The Reds have just lost three games on the bounce under Slot, who faces the toughest task of his Anfield career so far after the international break. And in that run, Konate’s form has been one of several problems.

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His situation mirrors Trent Alexander-Arnold’s last season, before the right-back decided to join Real Madrid as a free agent. As the Spanish giants arrived, the defender’s form dropped and uncomfortable questions came to the fore. Whether or not the Madrid factor did play a part is hard to truly say, but that won’t stop those same questions from coming the way of Konate.

As things stand, no new contract has been signed, but negotiations are reportedly ongoing. As far as Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are concerned, they’ll want things wrapped up before January, when Konate can start negotiating a pre-contract agreement with other clubs.

Whilst his deal continues to tick down, Liverpool will no doubt be on the hunt for Konate replacements ahead of 2026. The main name on that front seems to still be Marc Guehi, who came within hours of signing for the club in the summer.

Given that other clubs are now chasing the England international’s signature on a free deal next summer, however, the Reds have reportedly turned towards alternative options.

Liverpool prioritising Diomande deal

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool now see Ousmane Diomande as a key target ahead of 2026 and will target the Sporting Club defender to replace Konate. Represented by the same agency as Virgil van Dijk, the 21-year-old is one of the most promising defenders that European football has to offer. And now, a move to Merseyside could be on the horizon.

Described as a “hybrid” between Arsenal’s Gabriel and William Saliba by analyst Ben Mattinson, Diomande is certainly one to watch. Although he is yet to make his mark on the current Sporting campaign due to injury, his return should see him return to their strongest line-up as they attempt to secure a third-consecutive Liga Portugal title.

يخوض الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، اختبارًا صعبًا، غدًا الخميس، عندما يلتقي نظيره بيراميدز، بطل إفريقيا، في نصف نهائي السوبر المصري.

ويشارك الزمالك في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري بصفته بطل كأس مصر، بينما بيراميدز بدعوة من اللجنة المنظمة للبطولة.

بينما يتواجد الأهلي بصفته بطل الدوري المصري، ويلتقي مع سيراميكا كليوباترا بطل كأس الرابطة في نصف النهائي الآخر.

طالع|معلق مباراة الزمالك وبيراميدز في نصف نهائي السوبر المصري 2025-2026

ويغيب عن الزمالك في مباراة الغد أمام بيراميدز، البرازيلي خوان بيزيرا، بسبب الإصابة، فيما تأكدت جاهزية الثنائي محمد صبحي وأحمد فتوح.

ويدخل الزمالك المباراة بعد الفوز على طلائع الجيش بثلاثية نظيفة، في الدوري، بعد تولي أحمد عبدالرؤوف منصب المدير الفني خلفًا للبلجيكي يانيك فيريرا.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، يدخل بيراميدز، بطل إفريقيا، اللقاء بعد الانتصار على الاتحاد السكندري بهدفين مقابل هدف في الدوري المصري.

ويسعى الزمالك لتحقيق الانتصار والتأهل إلى نهائي السوبر المصري، والمنافسة على اللقب، في البطولة المقامة على الأراضي الإماراتية.

أما بيراميدز، يستهدف التغلب على الفارس الأبيض والتأهل للنهائي سعيًا وراء إضافة لقب جديد لخزائن السماوي، بعد الفوز بالسوبر الإفريقي.

We're two months into the season now, and it feels like things are starting to take shape around Europe. Some title races are looking like they will be closer than others, with some surprise contenders in the mix, while other presumed challengers are beginning to struggle, casting doubt on the futures of their managers and star players.

In terms of headlines, there were shock defeats for some of the Premier League's biggest fish, a dramatic Clasico in Spain and lead changes at the top of both Serie A and Ligue 1. The top two teams met in both the Netherlands and Scotland, too, meaning there were plenty of winners and losers for GOAL to pick from when looking back at the weekend's action…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WINNER: Arsenal

  Surely – – this is Arsenal's year to get over the hump. After three successive second-placed finishes in the Premier League, the Gunners came into the campaign under pressure to finally deliver a first league title since the Invincibles reigned supreme in 2004, and they could hardly have put themselves in a better position through the first quarter of the campaign.

  Mikel Arteta's side have looked a class apart, especially over the past month, though they have also been helped by the failures of others. That was certainly on display over the weekend as, while the Gunners laboured to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace that again came about thanks to a set-piece, all three of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea slipped to defeats. Arsenal subsequently find themselves four points clear at the top, with surprise package Bournemouth their nearest challengers, followed closely by Tottenham and newly-promoted Sunderland.

  There is obviously still a long way to go, but given Arsenal have already got daunting trips to Anfield, Old Trafford and St. James' Park out of the way and come out the other side with a healthy lead, it already feels like it would take an almighty collapse for them to throw this one away.

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• AFP
  

  LOSER: Arne Slot

  The most damaging of those defeats for Arsenal's title rivals was undoubtedly Liverpool's 3-2 loss at Brentford. There had been hope that the Reds had turned a corner following their 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, but the Reds' frailties that have dogged them throughout the opening months of the campaign returned on Saturday as they again defended shambolically while showing little to no cohesion in attack.

  Four successive league defeats has left the defending Premier League champions seven points off the summit and, in some quarters, cast doubt on the future of manager Arne Slot. The Dutchman could do no wrong in guiding Liverpool to the title in their first post-Jurgen Klopp campaign last term, but Slot has looked short of answers so far this term, with it clear he neither knows his best starting combination nor is able to avoid panicking when it comes to trying to change games with his substitutions.

  Liverpool have regularly finished games with five forwards on the pitch this season as they chase winning or equalising goals, and things came to a head at the Gtech Community Stadium when, having already made four attacking substitutions, Slot was forced to withdraw Florian Wirtz for the final five minutes and replace him with Joe Gomez as his previous changes had ended up neutralising Dominik Szoboszlai's impact, with the Hungarian having been shifted to right-back in the shuffle.

  With games against in-form Aston Villa and Manchester City to come in the league before the November international break, Liverpool will have to massively raise their game to not fall totally out of the title race – that is, if they haven't already.

• AFP
  

  WINNER: Jude Bellingham

  The biggest game of the European weekend was undoubtedly El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and it was Los Blancos who ran out 2-1 winners to stretch their lead atop La Liga to five points as Xabi Alonso's revolution begins to take shape at Santiago Bernabeu.

  One player who has had to wait patiently to get their season going is Jude Bellingham, but if his performance on Sunday was anything to go by, then the England midfielder is set to become a key piece of what Alonso is trying to achieve in the Spanish capital. For the third time in five La Liga meetings with Barcelona, Bellingham scored the winning goal, though his strike – much like his winner against Juventus in midweek – owed more to being in the right place at the right time to tap home rather than any individual brilliance.

  His assist for Kylian Mbappe's opening goal, however, was Bellingham at his best. Picking up the ball just inside the Barca half, the Madrid No.5 produced a turn that sent Pedri for a hot dog and gave himself the time and space to produce an inch-perfect through-ball for Mbappe to run onto and fire past Wojciech Szczesny.

  That was the highlight of an all-action display from Bellingham, who is showing few signs of any lasting damage from his shoulder surgery over the summer. With that in mind, it is crazy to think that there are those who believe England might be better off without him at this summer's World Cup. Surely Thomas Tuchel isn't one of them?…

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Lamine Yamal

  On the other side of the Clasico divide, all eyes were understandably on Lamine Yamal ahead of kick-off. Not only did the teenage sensation carry with him Barcelona's best chance of victory, especially with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski out injured, he also poked the Madrid bear by claiming in the days leading up to the game that Real are a team who "steals and complains", which many felt was Yamal referencing the pressure Los Blancos regularly put on referees and match officials.

  Unsurprisingly, the Bernabeu faithful did not take well to such comments, and Yamal was mercilessly booed whenever he picked up the ball. Whether that affected the 18-year-old, or whether he is still not fully fit after a couple of injury issues of his own, only he will know, but Yamal was miles off his best level on Sunday. His passing and shooting was wayward and he was mostly locked down by Alvaro Carreras when he attempted to dribble inside and create an opportunity for the visitors.

  Yamal's miserable day was capped when he became the target of Madrid's post-match wrath, as Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr were all seen berating the youngster at full-time, presumably because of the slanderous nature of his pre-match comments. Yamal will be the hero of plenty of Clasicos in his career, but this was one he will look back on with plenty of regrets.

Manchester United are keen to compete on all fronts and could now look to add an experienced full-back to their ranks who could push Patrick Dorgu for his starting spot.

Manchester United look to balance youth and experience

The Red Devils are a club that has always taken pride in developing youngsters from their academy. Balancing the growth of young players with some experienced older heads to learn from will be their best chance of long-term success at Old Trafford.

With that in mind, Manchester United fans will be delighted to hear that Shea Lacey was called into England’s senior squad training before their clash against Wales, and England Under-20 coach Ben Futcher spoke to BBC Sport about the impact he feels the step up can have on his development.

He said: “We have looked after Shea and helped him get some minutes. He is a top talent, has reconnected with the group and I thought he performed really well. I am sure Manchester United have a good plan for him. Hopefully he can stay injury free and fulfil that potential.”

JJ Gabriel and Samuel Lusale are among other promising Manchester United academy gems hoping to one day make their senior breakthrough, and it appears that they are willing to give youngsters a chance.

Patrick Dorgu comes into that conversation under different circumstances since his move from Lecce in January. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old has made seven appearances in all competitions this season, completing four full matches in the Premier League.

Despite his emergence as a positive source of energy on the left-hand side of Ruben Amorim’s backline, he won’t be expected to play every game this season, which could pave the way for a positional competitor to arrive at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim pushing to sign Federico Dimarco for Man Utd

According to Inter Live, Manchester United are pushing to sign Inter defender Federico Dimarco, who is into the final two years of his £142,500 per week contract at San Siro.

Amorim is considered the man behind the effort to recruit the Italy international, and their involvement in persuading him to move to England is reportedly complicating the Nerazzuri’s bid to have him extend his contract.

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Earning 33 caps for his country, Dimarco has registered 20 goals and 37 assists in 198 appearances for the Serie A giants, establishing himself as a key goal threat and presence on the left flank.

Two strikes and three assists in eight outings this campaign has elevated his stock once more, and he may well be the ideal candidate to offer competition to Dorgu after Luke Shaw’s move into a left-sided centre-back role.

Either way, this transfer saga may be one to keep an eye on as Manchester United probe the market for reinforcements to strengthen under Amorim.

Liverpool won the Premier League last season and then underwent major surgery throughout the summer transfer window.

Perhaps you could frame the Reds as a team in transition. This could be asserted for the 2024/25 campaign, when Liverpool pranced their way through the term and, yes, won the league title in Arne Slot’s first year at the helm.

Maybe it could also be argued that this is a transitional year for Liverpool. After all, many ins and outs occurred down Anfield Road this summer.

Regardless of which side of the fence you stand on, none can argue that Slot’s Liverpool are not title contenders once again, having won all five of their opening Premier League fixtures to establish a five-point lead at the summit. It took them until November to achieve that last year.

It is early days, of course, but the Merseysiders are shaping into quite the force, having signed Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz and many more.

However, they are hardly impregnable, with Liverpool’s defensive issues made worse by the ACL injury sustained by Giovanni Leoni against Southampton on Tuesday evening in the Carabao Cup.

How Leoni's injury affects Liverpool

Leoni must be gutted. Impressive on his Liverpool debut after leaving Parma in the summer, the 18-year-old will now recover across his first campaign in England, unlikely to be match fit until the business end.

He had looked calm and assured and confident on the ball. Sadly, this is a significant setback for one so young. It’s about now that sporting director Richard Hughes might lament Crystal Palace’s failure to sign a Guehi replacement at the end of the transfer window, thus ending a move that looked all but complete and a summer in the making.

Such is football, but there’s no question the Premier League champions are now one Virgil van Dijk injury away from alarm bells to start ringing, with a four-front charge for silverware currently underway.

Guehi, too, may be frustrated at how things have panned out, with his chances of regular football at Liverpool almost certain had he indeed finalised that last-minute move.

Hughes and Slot may also be tacitly frustrated that they sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m, with the hierarchy unable to promise the homegrown talent regularity of minutes for the club.

But then there will also be much confidence in Liverpool’s capacity to pull through. The backline has been refashioned over the past few months.

However, Quansah’s isn’t the only signature that may have left with an air of ruefulness. In fact, far more regret could be attributed to the mood when Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid in June.

Alexander-Arnold's value after leaving

Liverpool were hamstrung. Noise coming from the concerning contract situations of Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alexander-Arnold dominated the 2024/25 campaign, Slot’s first at the helm.

It’s small wonder that many felt the Reds would fall apart following Jurgen Klopp’s departure, with the ‘big three’ all slated to follow him out the gates.

That wasn’t the case. The skipper and the attacking talisman both renewed their Liverpool vows, but Alexander-Arnold, 26, left for pastures new and is now a member of Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid team.

Premier League

257

18 (67)

Champions League

60

2 (13)

FA Cup

13

1 (3)

Carabao Cup

10

0 (6)

Europa League

5

0 (2)

Club World Cup

2

0 (1)

CL Qualifying

2

0 (1)

Community Shield

2

1 (0)

UEFA Super Cup

1

0 (0)

Hailed as a “generational” talent by content creator Asim Mahmood, Trent’s range of passing and his vision and inventions on the ball have

He might not be the answer to Liverpool’s central defensive issues right now, but it’s an underpinning of the upheaval that has beset Slot’s backline in recent months.

Having refused FSG’s offers, the England international was set to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer before Florentino Perez decided to bring him over for the Club World Cup, paying the English outfit an £8m fee to release him from his contract several weeks early.

This is some distance below the figure Liverpool recouped from Quansah’s sale, and does at least highlight the club’s expertise at the negotiating table, spending heavily this summer but banking a pretty penny too.

Alas, what’s done is done, but Alexander-Arnold is one of the world’s best, even if he is struggling to click from the off with Los Blancos, in and out of the starting line-up before a cruel injury that has ruled him out of action for the foreseeable.

For Liverpool to have got anything from a player imminently out of contract is a testament to Hughes’ prowess behind the desk, but, as Transfermarkt record it, his market value has already shot back up to £66m, which stands taller than the £35m figure the Reds were willing to pay for Guehi.

Moreover, when Alexander-Arnold brings it all together in Spain – and he will – this value will only skyrocket further.

In spite of the signing of Frimpong, the continued development of Conor Bradley and Dominik Szoboszlai’s interesting rebrand into a right-back, when called upon, none of them is Trent.

He was truly one-of-a-kind, and the most painful part of all is that all of a red persuasion across Merseyside and beyond felt that he was on the pathway to immortality at Liverpool, sure to replace Van Dijk as club captain and then take his seat, one day, on a plinth beside Steven Gerrard.

“He’s been a superstar,” Alan Shearer said, acknowledging the Three Lions man at the end of his Premier League career.

Alexander-Arnold must always be treasured for his contribution toward a sustained period of success, but he sadly joins a different category now, and it’s one the fans will look back at regretfully for many years.

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The teams have been involved in some of the fiercest battles over 30 years, and now clash for the big title at Lord’s

Alex Malcolm10-Jun-20252:47

Five key questions ahead of the WTC final

Big picture: Is South Africa’s XI more settled than Australia’s?This will be the first World Test Championship final at Lord’s, the home of cricket. But it won’t be the first time Australia and South Africa meet in a Test match at Lord’s. In 1912, the two sides met in the fifth match of a Triangular Test tournament between the only three Test nations in the world at the time, that ran from late May until late August, with England triumphing.Although the tournament was an unsuccessful one-off event, in some ways it was a precursor to the World Test Championship (WTC). For the record, Australia beat South Africa at Lord’s by 10 wickets 113 years ago. They start this week’s final as defending champions and warm favourites, with former South African greats even acknowledging and embracing the underdog status.Those same former greats and the team itself can feel the weight of this final. South Africa are fighting history, with their only previous title being the ICC Knockout in 1998. They are fighting perceptions, too, of having supposedly not earned their place in the decider because of a perceived easy route, despite winning their last seven Tests after winning just one of their first five in the two-year cycle. They are also fighting a familiar foe. South Africa and Australia have played out some of the feistiest and most entertaining Test battles over the past 30 years.Related

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But their most recent meeting in 2022-23 was arguably the most uncompetitive in three decades. And despite some suggestions from Kagiso Rabada, among others, that things could get spicy, the Australia team that will arrive at Lord’s on Wednesday is not a stereotypical one.While South Africa can feel the weight of history and the significance of this final on their Test future, Australia have taken an entirely different approach. Previous Australian teams might have taken a trip to Gallipoli or the Somme to imbibe the spirit of the Anzacs ahead of a final like this. Those days, though, are long gone for this Australian team. Just as they did two years ago ahead of the WTC 2023 final, they prioritised five days of golf in northern Scotland over a practice match as part of another relaxed and bespoke build-up.2:58

Finch: Australia’s batting gives them the edge over SA

Most of Australia’s squad have been there and done it before. They know what to expect and how to handle the occasion, with the core of the group gunning for a fourth world title across three formats in four years. They boast of one of the best bowling quartets of all time, and have one of the best batters of all time in Steven Smith, who has been back near his best this year. Travis Head is also on a streak of consecutive match-winning centuries in his last two global finals.But they had some key questions to answer over the XI. Cameron Green being fit to bat, and in fine form, but unable to bowl is a spanner in the works given he has not played in Australia’s last seven Tests. He will now bat No. 3 for just the second time in his first-class career, in his first Test in 15 months, while Marnus Labuschagne opens the batting for the first time in Test cricket. It will also mean Usman Khawaja will have a fifth different opening partner in nine Tests.South Africa’s batting order has lined up as expected. But most of them will be unknowns of sorts to Australia’s attack, with only Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma having played Test cricket against them before, although Australia’s quicks have seen plenty of Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton in the IPL, with Stubbs and Mitchell Starc having also played together.Form guideSouth Africa: WWWWW
Australia: WWWWD1:05

Finch: The way Labuschagne has been playing is ‘concerning’

In the spotlight: Kagiso Rabada and Marnus LabuschagneKagiso Rabada has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons over the last few months, and it will be intriguing to see how he performs in the WTC final. He looms as Australia’s biggest threat, given he dismantled England in his last Test appearance at Lord’s, and has tormented Australia down the years – especially when the ball swings and seams. The break from the IPL may have done Rabada a favour in terms of freshening up for the final. Australia collared a tired Rabada in flat conditions in the last two Tests of the 2022-23 series. But coming in fresh with a chip on his shoulder, and brandishing a brand-new Duke’s ball under dank skies at Lord’s, he looms as a potential match-winner for South Africa.Marnus Labuschagne is under the most pressure he has ever faced in his Test career. Nearing his 31st birthday, with 57 Tests and over 4000 runs to his name, he should have been in the prime of his career and at the peak of his powers. Instead, Labuschagne is fighting for his immediate future. He is now being asked to bat out of position for the first time in six years. His performances in three innings for Glamorgan last month would have done little to allay any fears about his overall form. Labuschagne’s last first-class century came opening the batting for Glamorgan, but it was over 12 months ago. The selectors, though, are banking on his experience shining through in the final.Team news: Ngidi the third quick; Konstas made to waitSouth Africa’s same top six that faced Pakistan in January has been retained at Lord’s, with Wiaan Mulder continuing at No. 3. Tony de Zorzi, though, misses out. There also appears to be no temptation to throw an all-out pace attack at Australia. Lungi Ngidi, meanwhile, has got the nod ahead of Dane Paterson.South Africa : 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickleton, 3 Wiaan Mulder, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 David Bedingham, 7 Kyle Verreynne, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi2:03

Smith: Top-order batting ‘as tricky as I’ve seen’

Australia, extraordinarily, will try a new batting combination in the final, with Labuschagne opening and Green batting at No. 3. Green won’t be able to bowl, so Beau Webster will provide the extra seam overs if required. Josh Hazlewood has returned in place of Scott Boland as the third quick despite Hazlewood breaking down with injury in each of the last two Tests he played, which left Australia with a three-man attack on both occasions.Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Marnus Labuschagne, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodPitch and conditions: Look up and look downIt had been a very dry start to the English summer up until the last week. Neither Australia nor South Africa have much experience of playing at Lord’s in early June, and there will be some guessing about the conditions. Given the dry spring, the surface is on the drier side which could mean more of an impact for the spinners. The forecast looks good with warm temperatures coming, although there is a chance of a few thunderstorms.Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood are the first four-man attack in Test history to play together with 250 wickets each•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Stats and trivia Australia and South Africa have met three times in neutral Tests, with all three played in 1912. Australia won two of those Tests at Manchester and Lord’s. The third at Nottingham was drawn. Pat Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the first four-man attack in Test history to play together with 250 wickets each. But Rabada alone has 327 wickets at a better average and strike rate than all four of them. Australia have played 40 Tests at Lord’s for 18 wins, seven losses and 15 draws. South Africa have played 18 there, winning six, losing eight and drawing four. Quotes”You only get a few opportunities if you’re lucky in your career to try and win one. It’s a trophy we’ve spoken a lot about over the last couple of years. We wanted to be in this final. Personally, I think that 2023 World Cup title is going to be tough to beat, but this is a good one. Test cricket is my favourite format.”
“In our preparation, a lot of it has been emotive. It has been about understanding what the occasion is about, being here at Lord’s, and from a motivation point of view, there’s not much that I can do. If players needed to be motivated, then that would be a problem. Now it’s just kind of getting down to the fact that we actually need to play the game. Let’s play what is in front of us. Let’s not get caught up into too much of the story and what could be. And just be ready for what’s to come.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O amor e o futebol compartilham uma conexão profunda que transcende as barreiras do esporte, tornando-se uma linguagem universal de paixão e emoção. Assim como no amor, o futebol é capaz de trazer à tona sentimentos intensos no coração do torcedor, que está disposto a cometer loucuras por sua equipe.

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+ É CAMPEÃO! Compre agora a camisa que entrou para a história do Tricolor com o cupom LANCEFUT.

Este é o caso de Guilherme Guerra, 29 anos, residente do bairro Cohab 2, em Itaquera, Zona Leste da capital paulista. Apaixonado pelo São Paulo, Guilherme prometeu uma semana antes da partida de ida, em Aparecida do Norte (SP), que caso o Tricolor conquistasse o título inédito da Copa do Brasil, andaria de sua casa até o estádio do Morumbi – trajeto de aproximadamente 35 km.

O São Paulo sagrou-se campeão do torneio mata-mata no dia 17 de setembro, após segurar o empate em 1 a 1 com o Flamengo na partida de volta da decisão, e levantou o último troféu que faltava em sua extensa galeria. Como promessa é dívida, Guerra partiu rumo ao estádio tricolor para completar a última etapa de sua própria ‘jornada do herói’.

PEREGRINAÇÃO

Às 4h30 (de Brasília) deste sábado (30), Guilherme Guerra deixou sua residência localizada em Itaquera rumo ao estádio do Morumbi. Durante o trajeto que demorou aproximadamente 10 horas, o fanático torcedor passou por diversos pontos da capital, como o Parque Estadual do Belém, o Brás, a Avenida Paulista até chegar na Avenida Francisco Morato, localizada nos arredores da casa Tricolor.

Exatamente às 14h59 (de Brasília), Guilherme chegou nos portões do estádio e concluiu sua peregrinação de mais de 58 mil passos. Após finalizar sua missão, o torcedor conversou com a reportagem do Lance! e contou sobre o desafio.

AMOR PELO SÃO PAULO

Filho de pai palmeirense, Guilherme Guerra não teve a oportunidade de partilhar do amor pelo futebol com seu progenitor. Infelizmente, aos dois anos de idade, Luis Guerra, pai de Guilherme, faleceu em decorrência de complicações de saúde. A reportagem do Lance!, o torcedor brincou que “espera que seu pai não esteja chateado, mas que ele soube escolher o time certo”.

Com nove anos, por influência de sua irmã mais velha, Guilherme passou a acompanhar alguns jogos do Tricolor pelo rádio. Porém, somente anos depois, em 2005, o São Paulo conquistou de vez seu coração. Na data, que marcou o terceiro título mundial do clube, Guilherme apenas ouviu a histórica conquista, e foi nas ruas de Itaquera, durante a celebração, que o jovem se declarou Tricolor.

O célebre torcedor começou a frequentar o Morumbi apenas em 2012, muito por conta do alto preço dos ingressos. No entanto, ele acompanhou a conquista da Sul-Americana no arredores do estádio e, desde então, compareceu a mais de 90% do jogos da equipe.

*Vitor Palhares e Izabella Gianolla participaram sob a supervisão de Tadeu Rocha

What could Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim have wished for after enduring a fairly long time without Test centuries? Couple of helpful pitches in Sylhet and Chattogram, perhaps. But those had come and gone. Under pressure, Shanto and Mushfiqur broke free from their barren run on Tuesday on a Galle pitch that allowed them to play freely yet kept them honest to the fact that they couldn’t just play their shots freely.On the eve of the first Test against Sri Lanka, Shanto had pointed out how Galle is at its best for a batter on the first couple of days before the spinners take charge. However, Bangladesh were reduced to 45 for 3 on the first day itself as ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake and seamer Asitha Fernando struck early. But Shanto and Mushfiqur added 247 for the fourth wicket, and went back undefeated on 136 and 105, respectively.It was Mushfiqur’s 12th Test hundred, and his first in 14 innings since August last year. His highest score in this period was 40 against Zimbabwe. After play on the first day against Sri Lanka, Mushfiqur recalled his first innings in Galle from 12 years ago, when he got Bangladesh’s first double-hundred in Tests.Related

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“I think I get a pretty good wicket every time I have played in Galle,” he said. “I have seen how some other Tests here had a lot of purchase for spinners. We knew that one of us out of the seven batters had to capitalise on the first two days in Galle. If I am not wrong, myself and [Mohammad] Ashraful batted the whole day here in 2013. It was my plan this time too; I was telling Shanto that we need to bat the whole day.”It was Mushfiqur’s fourth century against Sri Lanka, and his second in the island nation. He said that he had told his younger team-mates about what to expect from Sri Lankan pitches.”After Bangladesh, I [most] love playing in Sri Lanka,” Mushfiqur said. “There is always a sporting wicket, whether it is the red or white ball. If you apply your strength here, you can do well – whether you are a batter, quick bowler or spinner. I was telling this to a few of our young players who are playing their first Test in Galle.”I like to play with wind around. I have to adjust when the newer ball turns a bit, or against the older ball. It is really special to play in Galle. I love batting here.”Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim added an undefeated 247 for the fourth wicket•Associated Press

Mushfiqur, though, acknowledged that he wasn’t as comfortable this time. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva changed the field several times, often putting catchers in different positions and asking the bowlers to switch from conventional lines. Mushfiqur spent 23 balls in the nineties, before reaching the three-figure mark in the 86th over.”These are not easy runs. I took a lot of time in the nineties, as they were not giving me a freebie,” Mushfiqur said. “It shows that they are a tough side to score against. They made smart bowling changes and field placements. I trust my process when I am batting with control. Usually, we see that our opponents send a fielder to the deep after two or three boundaries. Sri Lanka change their fielding according to the conditions. You have to bat patiently against them.”Mushfiqur insisted that taking plenty of singles allowed him and Shanto to put the pressure back on Sri Lanka. He also praised Shanto, who got to his first Test century since November 2023, for dominating proceedings at the other end without giving a sniff to the opposition.”I think rotating the strike is important – maybe as much as hitting fours or sixes,” Mushfiqur said. “Rotation of strike causes problems for the bowlers, especially when there’s a left-hander and a right-hander [combination] in the middle. It is very important to pick singles as the fielding side have to constantly change their placements. This is why we are always in training so that we remain fit.”Shanto has been in good form for a pretty long time. He has a good Test record. He is a good batter. It was nothing special. I was really impressed by his control factor today. He scored a hundred in Kandy some years ago, but I thought this was the right approach. It is important to play a chanceless innings, when you are mostly in control. It is going to give confidence to the next batters.”Mushfiqur said that Bangladesh must look to take advantage of such a start by batting long on the second day.”It is obviously a satisfying effort. Nobody wants to get any less runs after playing for so many years for your country,” he said. “You can’t get runs in every game, but when you do the right things over and over, hopefully the big score will come soon enough. When it does come around, you have to make sure to make it count. I am not finished yet. I will try to maximize tomorrow.”

The Sri Lanka captain is likely to take the vacant No. 4 slot following Angelo Mathews’ retirement

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Jun-2025Sri Lanka might be facing an 11-month Test hiatus after the second match against Bangladesh, but that won’t stop Dhananjaya de Silva from putting his mark on this team. This is the first World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for which Dhananjaya has the reins from the outset, and he’s doubling down on some of his strategies.Through the last two years, he’s been insistent that Sri Lanka have to blood seamers at home, so they are prepared for overseas assignments. In the second Test, they may even play three seamers.Related

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“We’ve got 12 in the squad, and we’ve got options, because our weather is changing from time to time as well,” he said on the eve of the Test. “We were hoping to go with three seamers, but it’s hard to tell exactly – the pitch also looks flat.”Part of Sri Lanka’s thinking seems to be that Bangladesh are more likely to lose wickets to their seam bowlers than spinners. In the last series these two teams played, for example, their top three seamers (Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Kasun Rajitha) took 29 wickets between them, placing first, second and third on the series wicket-takers’ list.For this match, Asitha Fernando is almost certain to play, while Rajitha and Vishwa may also enter the XI. Isitha Wijesundara, an uncapped right-armer, is in the squad as well.”Not just in the last series in Bangladesh, even in the previous one it was pace that got a lot of wickets,” Dhananjaya said. “We talked a lot about how the seamers got about 70% of their wickets. But it’s not easy to play seamers on these pitches, but we’re trying to play three. Let’s see what the pitch is like tomorrow morning.”Dhananjaya de Silva averages 43.95 from No. 6 but 20.33 from No. 4•AFP/Getty ImagesThere is also the question of who will play in place of the retired Angelo Mathews at the newly-vacant No. 4 position. Dhananjaya himself will leap up the order to second drop. Though he’s clearly been effective at No. 6, averaging 43.95 in that position, a move up the order is something of a risk. In six innings at No. 4, Dhananjaya averages 20.33 so far.”If you think I’m good enough, I’m ready to bat at four,” Dhananjaya joked when asked who’d fill the gap. “I’m set to bat there.” He had also batted at No. 3 between 2017 and 2018 with mixed results. He played an impressive match-saving, second-innings hundred against India from that position, but over 18 innings there, he averaged 32.88 with two hundreds and two fifties.He’s been an improved batter in the last several years, however. Since 2020, Dhananjaya has averaged 43.85, compared with a pre-2020 average of 34.47. Which leaves the question of who replaces him at No. 6?Another of Dhananjaya’s hallmarks has been to blood young players, with both Lahiru Udara and Tharindu Ratnayake having made their debuts in the first Test. In this game, Sonal Dinusha, the left-arm spin allrounder with 99 first-class wickets and seven first-class tons, seems set to play his first match.”With the wicket the way it is and if we need a spinner, I think Sonal is the best option,” Dhananjaya said. “For now there’s a big chance he will play.”