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According to broadcast giant ESPN, Arsenal are demanding a major concession from Thomas Partey as talks continue over a new contract for the midfielder.

Thomas Partey could now stay at Arsenal with talks ongoing

The £200,000-per-week star has stayed relatively injury-free throughout an impressive 2024/2025 campaign which has seen him dazzle in multiple roles under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal deal "done" as Berta awaits Kroenkes green-light for £51m signing

The Gunners owners are currently holding up a move.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 24, 2025

Utilised at right-back during the absences of key players, as well as partnering the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in midfield to great effect, Partey’s been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers throughout the season.

Last term, the Ghana international could barely get a look-in due to fitness issues and falling down Arteta’s pecking order, and was widely tipped to leave the club four years after his £45 million transfer from Atlético Madrid.

However, this campaign, Partey has made more appearances than in any of his previous seasons at the Emirates Stadium, now proving indispensable to Arteta.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

Partey’s resurgence has now sparked the club into action, with Arsenal opening talks to extend the 31-year-old’s contract as his current terms are due to expire this summer.

Arteta has confirmed to the press that he wants to keep Partey at the club for next season, with sporting director Andrea Berta now handed the task of agreeing an extension.

“Yes, there is progress with all the players. I’ll leave that to Andrea and the club to decide and to talk about,” said Arteta when asked if there has been progress over a new deal for Partey.

“The intention is very clear. I’ll leave that to Andrea and the club to take a step forward.”

If contract talks go south, Barcelona are among the clubs eyeing a Bosman deal for Partey, so the African won’t be short of prestigious options.

Arsenal demand major concession from Thomas Partey in contract talks

As per ESPN, it is now believed that Arsenal will demand one major concession from Partey in “any” deal for a new contract, despite his exceptional form.

The suggestion is its pretty non-negotiable, with the concession being that the midfielder will need to take a pay cut to remain in north London.

This comes as Arsenal attempt to finalise a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and Berta is widely rumoured to also be negotiating fresh terms with the likes of Bukayo Saka, so it appears the club wish to trim their wage bill where possible.

Partey is keen to remain at Arsenal, according to credible news outlets like The Telegraph, but it remains to be seen whether he’s willing to be paid less than his illustrious teammates – especially considering he’s put in consistently outstanding performances throughout 2024/2025.

Liverpool are cruising to the Premier League title under Arne Slot and have now sent scouts to watch a clutch of potential summer targets, per reports.

Liverpool's summer activity begins to gain traction

The Reds have managed to put themselves in pole position to claim the Premier League, but what comes next after celebrating their second top-flight triumph of the modern era?

Slot appears on the surface as a man who won’t be keen for any complacency to creep in, though he has serious work to do regarding Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s contract situations.

Taking internal matters to one side, Liverpool have Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman on their radar as experience on the flanks becomes a priority to bolster depth across the Reds’ front four positions.

Vasco Da Gama star Rayan Vitor could also be en route to Anfield. Nevertheless, his prospective arrival is likely to be categorised as a long-term commitment while he develops at his own pace.

Darwin Nunez could make way for a new centre-forward amid his frustrating campaign through the middle. Diogo Jota and Luiz Diaz have been ahead of the Uruguayan in the pecking order at times, which hasn’t exactly helped his case in trying to win over Slot.

Related Liverpool ready to sign "powerful" ace who has been compared to Adriano

Arne Slot is eyeing a powerful reinforcement at Liverpool this summer.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Apr 6, 2025

Exploring options to add extra firepower will stand Liverpool in good stead for next season. Salah’s uncertain situation may create a need for someone to fill his goalscoring boots, so it is only fair the champions in waiting do their due diligence on potential targets.

Now, Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on a quartet that could be on their way to Anfield after the Merseyside giants carried out a scouting mission.

Liverpool watch four Premier League stars, one scores under their nose

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool sent scouts to watch Liam Delap score for Ipswich Town against Wolverhampton Wanderers as the England Under-21 international netted under their nose in a 2-1 defeat for the Tractor Boys.

Intriguingly, the visiting side had Joao Gomes, Andre and Rayan Ait-Nouri under observation from the Reds. The latter doesn’t have a release clause in his contract at Molineux despite previous suggestions to the contrary.

Liverpool’s next five fixtures – Premier League

West Ham (H)

Anfield

Leicester City (A)

King Power Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Anfield

Chelsea (A)

Stamford Bridge

Arsenal (H)

Anfield

Rated at £50 million in some quarters, Ipswich striker Delap has become a standout in the top-flight after putting forward a return of 12 goals and two assists in 30 appearances.

Ait-Nouri is a target who Liverpool have had eyes on for a while, and Andre has been scouted previously as the club weigh up midfield additions to elevate their exciting talent portfolio.

Heading into the window, it is interesting to see where Liverpool feel they can find value for money on the market. The Premier League is a difficult industry to get plates spinning in, though the fact they will head into 2025/26 as reigning champions bodes well for business.

Darwish Rasooli will once again lead Afghanistan A team at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, previously the Emerging Teams tournament, to be played in Doha from November 14 to 23. The squad includes 10 players from last year’s tournament, which Afghanistan won, including Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar and Qais Ahmad.Atal will have fond memories of the tournament, having scored a half-century in the final to beat Sri Lanka A last year. He is a regular presence in the Afghanistan senior team as well, with 22 T20Is, 12 ODIs and one Test to his name.Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made his T20I debut in September and was part of all three games in the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe, will lead the Afghanistan A fast bowling attack.

ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

Mystery spinner Ghazanfar, 19, came through as a bright prospect and has played all formats for Afghanistan since his debut last year. But he was left out of the T20I squad against Bangladesh in September after average returns. Qais, meanwhile, last played for the Afghanistan national side in 2024. The likes of Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq and Nangeyalia Kharote, who have all played for the senior side, also feature in this squad.Afghanistan A have been placed in Pool B, alongside Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A and Hong Kong. Their campaign will begin on November 15 against Sri Lanka A, followed by matches against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong on November 19.

Afghanistan A squad

:Darwish Rasooli (capt), Sediqullah Atal (vice-capt), Noor Rahman (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab

Rajput hopes his team can bounce back and push for T20 World Cup qualification

Shashank Kishore10-Sep-20252:21

Can UAE take away anything from this thrashing?

UAE coach Lalchand Rajput has said that they were overawed by India’s spin twins after they suffered a nine-wicket defeat in their Asia Cup opener on Wednesday. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy picked up a combined 5 for 11 in 4.1 overs as UAE were bundled out for 57, their lowest T20I total.”To be very honest, it wasn’t a turning track,” Rajput said. “It was a good wicket to bat on, but the skill level these bowlers have got, and especially the wristspinners, they will always turn on any type of wickets. And the way they were bowling, the length they were bowling [did the trick].”Related

• Bruised Pakistan take on UAE in knockout clash

• Alishan Sharafu is learning from the best and using it to make UAE better

• Suryakumar withdraws appeal against Siddique to spark debate

• Kuldeep bags four as India demolish UAE in 17.4 overs

• Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem made 41 of their 57 runs, and the rest of their batters crumbled, failing to read Kuldeep both in the air and off the pitch. Varun, meanwhile, troubled them with the skid when he bowled length deliveries into the pitch.”For our batsmen, to be very honest, they were playing [against this quality of spin] for the first time,” Rajput said. “They were overawed by India’s big names. We should have batted 20 overs. But nevertheless, I think this is a learning process for us.”While taking stock of their defeat, Rajput said the team will be better for the experience. “See, this is a big platform for them,” he said. “It’s a learning process for our players as well. I’m sure these matches will give them a lot of confidence. We just have to move on from here.”While admitting the “batters weren’t patient enough to play out 20 overs that could have got them to 130-140,” Rajput didn’t want to be critical of his team after just one loss. He underlined how they’d shown decent application against spin during the recently concluded tri-series against Afghanistan and Pakistan.”We hardly got out to the spinners,” he said. “It was just one spinner that we got out and that was Abrar [Ahmed, Pakistan legspinner] in the second game [he picked up 4 for 9]. But we really played well in the tri-series. So yes, I think as I said earlier, these spinners are rare because wristspinners, like Varun Chakravarthy, even top players struggle against them.”Alishan Sharafu made a cameo for UAE•AFP/Getty Images

For UAE, every game at the Asia Cup is another opportunity to build towards their immediate goal, which is to qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The Asian qualifiers are lined up hot on the heels of this tournament, and Rajput hoped his team would be able to pick up the pieces from a crushing loss quickly.It’s keeping this in mind that the team decided to experiment with their squad, and give fringe players a chance on their recent tour where they were beaten by Uganda. Prior to that, though, they beat Bangladesh 2-1 at home, and ran Pakistan and Afghanistan close in the tri-series, even though they lost each of their four matches.”It’s a process that we always carry forward. And we were really looking forward to the Asia Cup because we qualified after a long time,” he said. “And then we beat Bangladesh, that was a very good series for us. Then we went to Uganda. It was a series where we tried some more players. We beat other teams, but lost to Uganda.”The important thing for us is the T20 World Cup qualifier. We don’t have any much time in between. So Uganda was a series where we could try. And then the tri-series, we should have won a couple of games.”But again, crossing the line, something the better teams always do, we came close but could not. But definitely the players have started believing in themselves. But still I feel that we are a much better team and you will see in the coming matches as well. I’m sure we’ll improve because from here we can’t go low down. We are only going to go up.”

Liverpool are prepared to splash the cash on two Premier League stars in January in a bid to derail Arsenal's title charge. Defeat at Manchester City last weekend means the Reds sit eight points behind the Gunners after the opening 11 matches of the season. However, the club seem willing to back Arne Slot in the New Year as they look to make up the gap on Mikel Arteta's men.

• Liverpool's title defence faltering

  Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku compounded a miserable afternoon for Liverpool as they crashed to a 3-0 loss at Manchester City earlier this month. The result means the Reds have already lost more league games this season than they did last, with their title defence already faltering.

  Liverpool spent big to bolster the squad over the summer, signing Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni. The club also convinced star men Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to extend their star at Anfield, though were unable to retain Trent Alexander-Arnold's services, the right-back opting to leave his boyhood club for Real Madrid.

  Despite a summer of hefty investment, Liverpool are struggling and return to domestic duties this weekend eighth in the table, level on points with rivals Manchester United, having lost five of their last six league matches. Slot will hope to return to winning ways when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Merseyside on Saturday.

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  Reds no stranger to investing in January window

  And while Liverpool were reluctant to splash the cash in the January market following a summer spending spree, the Merseyside powerhouse are prepared to back Slot in the New Year as they look to get their title push back on track and halt Arsenal'w push for silverware. According to DaveOCKOP Liverpool have two Premier League stars on their radar as they seek to close the eight-point gap between themselves and the Gunners.

  Liverpool have previously invested in the squad in the winter window, notably signing Van Dijk, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in 2017, 2022 and 2023. And another winger signing may be on the cards in January.

  DaveOCKOP revealed that "Liverpool will conduct preliminary talks with Bournemouth this weekend over the signing of Antoine Semenyo. Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes, who played a key role in signing Semenyo at Bournemouth from Bristol City for a modest £10.5 million back in 2023, is believed to remain a strong admirer of the 25-year-old. It is thought that the Cherries would demand around £75 million for the Ghana international should Liverpool decide to formalise their interest."

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  Semenyo and Wharton targets for champions

  Semenyo has been a revelation for Bournemouth this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists for the Cherries, though he has failed to directly contribute to a goal in his last four league outings. The Ghana international was linked with a move away from Bournemouth over the summer but instead put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the south coast side.

  Liverpool aren't the only side believed to be interested in Semenyo, with Premier League rivals City, Tottenham and United also credited with an interest in the winger. And Semenyo isn't the only top-flight player the Reds are looking into signing in January if reports are to be believed.

  "DaveOCKOP can exclusively reveal that Liverpool are holding initial talks to discuss signing Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton in 2026," a separate report read. "Just like Semenyo, Wharton has also been a player whose profile has exploded over the past couple of seasons.

  "During a period of unprecedented success for Crystal Palace, including both an FA Cup and Community Shield wins for the first time ever, Adam Wharton has been a key part of the club winning those trophies."

  Wharton has been a key man for Palace since his arrival from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024 and his form for the Eagles hasn't gone unnoticed. United have been credited with an interest, while City and Real Madrid are also believed to be keeping tabs on the England international, who made just his second senior start for the national team against Albania on Sunday night.

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• Liverpool out to bounce back from City loss

  Liverpool are back home on Saturday as they take on Nottingham Forest to Anfield in a navigable run of games as the Reds look to build up some momentum. Indeed, they follow up their game against the Tricky Trees with a Champions League tie against Eredivisie outfit PSV before they round off the month with a trip to the capital to take on West Ham.

  Slot's side then kick off December with a home game against high-flying Sunderland before back-to-back away games against Leeds and Inter in the Premier League and Champions League, respectively. 

The dates and the fixtures, the players to watch and the players you can’t watch, draft details and everything else you need to know

Andrew McGlashan06-Nov-2025

When does it take place?

The competition begins with a triple-header on November 9, later than it traditionally does because of the ODI World Cup, with the final on December 13, the day before the BBL begins.

What is the tournament structure?

Last season, the tournament was reduced to 40 games plus finals to bring it in line with the BBL and fit it within a burgeoning women’s cricket calendar. Each club will play ten games during the regular season.The three-game finals format used since 2021 remains in place, with the top four teams from the regular season to qualify. The team that finishes top after the regular season will host the final. The third- and fourth-placed teams will meet in the Knockout on December 9 with the winner to travel and face the team that finished second on the ladder two days later in the Challenger for a place in the final.

Who are the defending champions

Melbourne Renegades won the title for the first time last season when they overcame Brisbane Heat in a rain-affected final at the MCG. However, they have suffered a major blow ahead of their defence, with West Indies allrounder Hayley Matthews, who was Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament, ruled out having undergone shoulder surgery.Melbourne Renegades will miss the services of last season’s superstar Hayley Matthews•Getty Images

How the overseas draft played out

Adelaide Strikers: Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt (pre-sign), Tammy Beaumont
Brisbane Heat: Jemimah Rodrigues, Chinelle Henry, Nadine de Klerk (pre-sign)
Hobart Hurricanes: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt (pre-sign), Linsey Smith
Melbourne Renegades: Deandra Dottin, Alice Capsey
Melbourne Stars: Amy Jones, Marizanne Kapp (pre-sign), Dani Gibson
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine (pre-sign), Paige Schofield, Chloe Tryon (withdrawn)
Sydney Sixers: Sophia Dunkley, Amelia Kerr (pre-sign), Mady Villiers
Sydney Thunder: Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu (pre-sign), Shabnim Ismail

Are there any availability problems or schedule clashes?

Not too many. The tournament itself has been squeezed by the World Cup but, currently, the only conflicting international series is South Africa’s against Ireland. That has seen Perth Scorchers replace Chloe Tryon, who has made herself available to face Ireland, with England’s Freya Kemp.

The squads

Adelaide Strikers
Jemma Barsby, Tammy Beaumont, Darcie Brown, Sophie Ecclestone, Anesu Mushangwe, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura WolvaardtBrisbane Heat
Lily Bassingthwaighte, Bonnie Berry, Lucy Bourke, Nadine de Klerk, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Jemimah Rodrigues, Mikayla WrigleyHobart Hurricanes
Kathryn Bryce, Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Isa Malgioglio, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Linsey Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson, Danni Wyatt-HodgeMelbourne Renegades
Charis Bekker, Alice Capsey, Sarah Coyte, Emma de Broughe, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sara Kennedy, Sophie Molineux, Davina Perrin, Naomi Stalenberg, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Issy WongMelbourne Stars
Sophie Day, Kim Garth, Dani Gibson, Maisy Gibson, Ella Hayward, Amy Jones, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Ines McKeon, Sasha Moloney, Indigo Noble, Georgia Prestwidge, Sophie Reid, Annabel SutherlandPerth Scorchers
Chloe Ainsworth, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Ebony Hoskin, Freya Kemp, Alana King, Katie Mack, Shay Manolini, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Chloe Piparo, Paige Scholfield, Ruby StrangeSydney Sixers
Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Sophia Dunkley, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Elsa Hunter, Amelia Kerr, Lauren Kua, Emma Manix-Geeves, Ellyse Perry, Courtney Sippel, Mady VilliersSydney Thunder
Chamari Athapaththu, Sam Bates, Ella Briscoe, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Laura Harris, Shabnim Ismail, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia WilsonThe MCG could host the final if one of the two Melbourne teams qualify•Getty Images

Any new regulations we need to know?

CA has strengthened in-game over-rate penalties. As per previous seasons a countdown timer will be in place for each innings. Once time expires, teams are required to bring an additional player inside the fielding restriction circle immediately. The timer will immediately reset (5 minutes for BBL, 5:45mins for WBBL) after hitting zero and if time expires again before the conclusion of the innings, full powerplay conditions will exist for the remaining deliveries.

Are the major stadiums being used?

Largely, no. The Stadium Series, which took matches to the MCG, SCG and the Gabba, has been shelved for this season although Adelaide Oval will still host one Strikers’ match as part of a double-header day on November 28. Cricket Australia said it was down to scheduling and they could return in the future.”Due to scheduling reasons and needing to optimise those games in those big stadiums, we haven’t found the right slot for them this year,” head of Big Bash Leagues Alistair Dobson said. “That’s not to say we won’t be back there in the future, because [playing] the world’s best cricket league in the world’s best stadiums is still a part of our thinking going forward, but not for this season.”There remains a chance the MCG could host the final if either Melbourne team qualifies because it is scheduled to be a night game and Junction Oval won’t have its new lights installed in time.

Players to watch

Tess Flintoff, who has made a crosstown move from Melbourne Stars to Renegades, is one of the emerging allrounders in Australian cricket. She was awarded a central contract earlier this year, perhaps somewhat surprisingly given her numbers. “Certainly looking at her performances, you’d go, why?,” national selector Shawn Flegler said at the time. “She hasn’t really banged the door down with wickets or anything, but there’s something about her that’s probably a little bit different.” After last season’s returns of three wickets in nine games and a batting average of 9.83, this is a season to show why she is so highly regarded.Laura Wolvaardt comes into the WBBL after topping the run chart at the ODI World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesLaura Wolvaardt comes into the competition on the back of a magnificent World Cup for South Africa where she produced one of the all-time great innings in the semi-final before another century in the final that wasn’t quite enough. After consecutive 400-run seasons in Strikers’ back-to-back titles, last summer was more of a struggle for Wolvaardt with 193 runs in nine innings. Her challenge this season could be refocusing after a few weeks of incredible personal success, but ultimately another World Cup final heartbreak.Sianna Ginger, a 20-year-old allrounder, only has six WBBL games to her name but is quickly emerging as a player to keep an eye on. She earned Australia A selection over the winter where she was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the T20s against India A, and struck a century in the four-day game against India A.Davina Perrin is one of the breakout stars of English cricket, having carved a magnificent 101 off 43 balls for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred Eliminator final. The 19-year-old is already being talked about for national honours as England coach Charlotte Edwards looks to the future after the semi-final exit in the World Cup. Perrin was a late signing by Renegades and will be tasked with, partly at least, filling the huge shoes of Matthews.Laura Harris has made the move from Brisbane Heat to Sydney Thunder after signing during the WBBL’s first trade window, which was introduced last season. One of the hardest strikers of a cricket ball, Harris has made her name as a power surge specialist. Her overall T20 strike rate of 173.92 is far and away the best in the world for anyone with at least 1000 runs.

Harry Kane has urged his Bayern Munich team-mates to defend set pieces better against dead-ball specialists Arsenal. The ex-Tottenham striker is all set to take the field against his old north London rivals as Bayern face the Premier League leaders in a huge Champions League clash at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, and has admitted to being afraid of the Gunners' deliveries.

• Arsenal's set-piece prowess

  Arsenal have earned the 'set-piece kings' tag since the 2024-25 campaign for their amazing goal-scoring prowess from dead-ball situations. In the current season, 12 out of the Gunners' 39 goals across all competitions have come from set-pieces as they have maintained a 30.77 per cent conversion rate.

  However, in their last Premier League fixture, which saw Mikel Arteta's side clash against rivals Tottenham, the league leaders did not need a single dead-ball situation to register a dominating 4-1 win over Thomas Frank's side. 

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  Kane sends warning to Bayern colleagues

  Bayern and England's star forward Kane has admitted that he is wary of Arsenal's set-piece skills ahead of their Champions League fixture, as he told reporters: "Of course I follow the Premier League. Arsenal have done well so far in that department. We've prepared for Arsenal as usual. The best thing will be to not give them any set pieces, to control the game – and we need to defend better than we have recently when we do concede set pieces."

• Arteta loves scoring from set-pieces

  While Arsenal comfortably overcame the derby hurdle against Spurs without requiring a single dead-ball situation, Arteta later admitted that he loves watching his team score goals from set-pieces. "I am upset we didn’t score with a set piece. I want to score with a set piece as well," Arteta told reporters after the match. 

  Bayern have dominated the 2025-26 Bundesliga race so far, but have conceded six goals from dead-ball situations, and will need to heed Kane's warning in order to conquer the Gunners.

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  How are Arsenal planning to stop fiery Kane?

  Kane has displayed terrific form once again in the 2025-26 campaign as he has already scored 24 goals in 18 matches across all competitions. When Arsenal star Jurrien Timber was asked about their plans to silence the England captain, he said: "That is not going to be easy, of course. I think he is an amazing striker, everyone knows that. He has so many qualities. He has been doing it for such a long time already, and now at Bayern Munich he has been one of the best players in the world. So, it is going to be a nice challenge for us as a team, as defenders, to stop him tomorrow. I think when you face an opposition with Harry Kane as the striker, he is a topic and you discuss him as defenders, because he is one of the dangerous players. It is the same with any other game, we discuss their players and the way they play. For tomorrow, it is the same."

With higher honours seemingly around the corner, Glenn Phillips’ brother is adding to his set of skills and trying to live up to the potential he has always had

Deivarayan Muthu22-Aug-2025Glenn Phillips can do incredible things in the field and with the bat. His younger brother Dale Phillips isn’t too bad either. Just look at this. And like Glenn, Dale can also play some trick shots, including the scoop, which he was honing during his stint at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in June.Leaving the fear of failure behind and expanding his range have put Dale on the radar of his national team. After training in Chennai during the New Zealand winter, Dale is now set to travel with the New Zealand A team to South Africa, his country of birth, to play three one-dayers and two four-day games.”I think my role was different earlier. I was conservative and getting out of the box opened up a lot more options,” Dale told ESPNcricinfo during his stint in Chennai. “People may see the scoop as a high-risk option, but for me if I get out scooping and I’ve got the right theory behind it [that’s okay], and I’m not going to get a slap on the wrist. I think being fearless and not being worried about getting out helps when you’re playing aggressively. As soon as you start to worry about [getting out], that’s when the poor things start to creep in.”Related

• Super Mariu stops by for lessons in Chennai on journey to great things

• Dale Phillips moves to Auckland ahead of upcoming season

• Glenn Phillips finds secret to his success

• Glenn Phillips 2.0 takes centre stage with New Zealand

Dale credits his former coach at Otago, Ash Noffke, for helping him realise his white-ball potential in the previous domestic season. In the Ford Trophy, he was the second-highest scorer with 457 runs in ten innings at an average of 45.70 and strike rate of 86.38. Dale also fared well in the Super Smash, coming away as Otago’s second-highest scorer, with 210 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of nearly 155.”With me being a bit of a shorter player, I found scooping a good option,” Dale said. “I think last year with my coach [Noffke], we really worked on it as an attacking option to be able to score especially in the powerplay. If you scoop, then it puts the bowler off and opens up a bit more access to the rest of the ground.”Dale has always been strong on the front foot, and in his quest to become a better-rounded batter, he was looking to find ways to score risk-free runs on the back foot on a variety of pitches, including black and red, against a variety of spinners in Chennai.”I think the main one was I wanted to really nail my strike-rotation options,” Dale said. “I’m relatively good at playing down the ground off the front foot but being able to do it off the back foot and being able to get a good reach to rotate the good-length balls through the covers and midwicket and straight as opposed to just defending them – that was the learning.”

“You have to adapt your game to be successful in different areas. Over here in Chennai and Bangladesh, it’s more spin-friendly and you have to develop your spin game more. South Africa [conditions] will be different. So, I think it’s a great experience to be able to play cricket around the world”Dale Phillips

Earlier, Dale used to bowl seam-ups but recently he has switched to offspin. He is eager to improve his secondary skill with help from Glenn, who had refashioned himself into an offspin-bowling allrounder from being a wicketkeeper-batter.”Back in the day I was bowling seam-ups, and I think it got to a point where I didn’t grow taller and at the pace that I was bowling if I wasn’t as accurate it was a lot easier for the batters to hit,” Dale said. “So I decided to change it up to bowl spin, which was maybe more suited to the kind of bowler I could be.”He [Glenn] has always been a pretty good mentor to me. We’re constantly chatting before and after games both technically and tactically. I think we’re slightly different bowlers. He’s obviously a little bit taller than me, but the general skillset is still the same, so he’s definitely a good help.”While Dale has emerged as a “player of interest” for New Zealand in white-ball cricket, his red-ball game has taken a back seat. After scoring a chart-topping 686 runs in 15 innings in the 2023-24 Plunket Shield, his numbers dipped to 427 runs in 15 innings in the following season. Dale hopes to remedy that and re-establish himself as an all-format player.”I think my white-ball game kicked off in the Ford Trophy and T20s in the last season, so potentially because of that development my Plunket Shield took a bit of a hit,” he said. “Now it’s about how I can adapt and make all three [formats] have a good season for me.”Dale Phillips is a “player of interest” for New Zealand in white-ball cricket•Getty ImagesAfter the Chennai camp, Dale returned to New Zealand and completed his move from Otago to Auckland, where his family lives. He is looking forward to working with coach Rob Nicol in the upcoming domestic season.”I enjoyed my time playing for Otago but for my family, with the kids, it’s the right decision to move to Auckland,” Dale said. “It was a good time to move, and I have a good relationship with Rob, and he’ll be able to keep me on the right track as I look to grow my game.”Having travelled to Bangladesh with the New Zealand A team and Chennai with Adi Ashok, Rhys Mariu and Tim Pringle during the New Zealand winter, Dale was looking forward to playing in South Africa.”Being able to play in different areas is cool,” he said. “You have to adapt your game to be successful in different areas. Over here in Chennai and Bangladesh, it’s more spin-friendly and you have to develop your spin game more. South Africa [conditions] will be different. So, I think it’s a great experience to be able to play cricket around the world. That’s the kind of stuff you want to be doing.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Vitória e Bahia se enfrentam pelo jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Baiano, neste domingo (31), às 16h (de Brasília), no Estádio do Barradão. O jogo terá transmissão do SBT e por streaming no canal “Nosso Futebol”.

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
VITÓRIA X BAHIA
CAMPEONATO BAIANO – IDA (FINAL)
Data e horário: sábado, 31 de março de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília);
Local: Estádio do Barradão, em Salvador (BA);
Onde assistir: SBT e por streaming no canal Nosso Futebol;
Árbitro: Bruno Pereira Vasconcelos;
VAR: Diego Pombo Lopez.

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
VITÓRIA (Técnico: Léo Condé)
Vagner, Arnaldo, Rafael Vaz, Guilherme Matos e Diego Matos; Sousa, Marco Antônio e Patrick Allan; Luiz Paulo, Kauan Maranhão e Cléo Silva.

continua após a publicidade

BAHIA (Técnico: Rogério Ceni)
Marcos Felipe; Arias (Gilberto), Kanu, Cuesta e Luciano Juba; Jean Lucas, Caio Alexandre e Everton Ribeiro; Biel, Everaldo (Estupiñan) e Thaciano.

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BahiaFutebol NacionalVitória

Liverpool’s disastrous run in the Premier League this season has shown no signs of coming to an end in recent weeks, with the showing against Sunderland once again highlighting their frailties.

Arne Slot’s men were only able to secure a point against the newly promoted outfit at Anfield, something which would have been a crazy statement during the title-winning season.

The drop-off has been astronomical from this time last season, with the Reds now already sitting 11 points off the summit despite playing just 14 league matches.

Wednesday’s clash against the Black Cats further showcased the creative struggles within Slot’s side, with Florian Wirtz’s deflected effort just one of four shots on target during the 90-minute display.

The performances of numerous Reds players no doubt contributed to the failure to secure all three points on Merseyside for the third straight home league outing.

Liverpool’s poor performers against Sunderland

During Wednesday’s draw with the Black Cats, winger Cody Gakpo had yet another performance to forget, with his lack of impact resulting in a half-time withdrawal.

The Dutchman only managed to complete a total of seven passes against Regis Le Bris’ men, with none of his being made into the final third – subsequently highlighting his lack of creativity in attacking areas.

The 26-year-old was also only able to register a singular effort on goal, but it didn’t trouble the opposition goalkeeper – with his substitution at the break certainly warranted.

Joe Gomez was once again asked to operate in an unnatural right-back role due to the injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, but he was massively dominated by the visitors prior to his substitution.

The Englishman entered nine duels during his 65-minute showing, but only managed to come out on top in one of them, resulting in a measly 11% success rate.

He also got dribbled past twice whilst also only completing 20% of the crosses he attempted, highlighting how lacklustre at both ends of the pitch on Merseyside.

Liverpool star is becoming a big problem

The decline of Liverpool in 2025/26 is certainly something to behold, especially after winning the Premier League title under Slot not even seven months ago.

After securing the club’s Premier League title, the Dutchman spent £440m within the transfer market during the summer, but numerous of the big-money additions have so far failed to deliver.

Wirtz’s effort eventually went down as a Nordi Mukiele own goal, which has extended his goalless run, with the German now without a goal in any of his 13 league outings this campaign.

Milos Kerkez has struggled to dislodge Andy Robertson from the starting left-back role, while Frimpong has struggled with injuries and has subsequently been restricted to just four league outings.

Alexander Isak was the most expensive of the summer arrivals, as the Swedish international joined the club in an English-record £125m transfer from Newcastle United.

He no doubt arrived at Anfield with high expectations given such a transfer fee, but also due to his goal tally, which saw him net 23 league goals last campaign.

The striker’s spell on Merseyside to date has been nothing short of a disaster, with the 26-year-old scoring his first league goal at West Ham United last weekend at the sixth time of asking.

As a result, Isak was handed another start against Sunderland last night, but he was once again unable to deliver despite the faith shown in him by the manager.

He featured for 86 minutes of the contest, but could only complete a measly tally of two passes, whilst also losing possession of the ball on three separate occasions.

Alexander Isak – stats against Sunderland
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	86
Touches	14
Passes completed	2
Possession lost	3x
Duels won	1
Shots on target	0
Touches in opposition box	2
Chances created	0
Stats via FotMob

The Swede was largely dominated by the opposition at Anfield, as shown by his duels won tally, with the forward winning just one out of a possible six battles that he entered.

He was once again unable to register a shot on target, whilst managing just two touches in the opposition box – subsequently unable to get on the scoresheet once again.

To top off his disappointing display, Isak only registered a total of 14 touches on Merseyside, a tally fewer than goalkeeper Alisson, who managed to notch a total of 34.

As a result of his showing against the Black Cats, the striker was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, further showcasing his struggles after his big-money move.

After such a showing, there’s no doubt that Slot must drop the forward at the weekend, with Hugo Ekitiké needing the chance to start at the top end of the pitch again.

Just one goal in his first seven league games is nothing short of embarrassing, with the record addition desperately needing to find form to kickstart his Reds career.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 3, 2025