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Nick Pike, successor to Rod Bransgrove, believes club is well placed to be a driver of change

Matt Roller09-Jan-2024Hampshire’s new chairman believes that expanding the Hundred “makes good sense” for English cricket and is open to speaking to prospective investors as the ECB and counties continue to debate the competition’s future.The Hundred will remain unchanged in 2024, taking place in a four-week window from late July to late August, but the ECB hope to resolve discussions over its long-term future in the spring, ahead of potential expansion or private investment in time for the 2025 season. The competition will continue in some form until at least the end of 2028, when the ECB’s current broadcast deal with Sky Sports expires.Southern Brave, who are based at the Ageas Bowl, won the inaugural men’s Hundred and are reigning women’s champions and the ECB could transfer a controlling equity stake in the team to Hampshire, under one proposal raised during an extensive consultation process that took place late last year.Hampshire were prominent advocates of a city-based, short-form competition in English cricket under their long-serving chairman Rod Bransgrove, and that stance will be maintained by his successor. Nick Pike, an original investor in the club’s parent company in 2001, formally took over from Bransgrove at the start of the year and said: “The Hundred is clearly important to the game.”Pike told ESPNcricinfo: “Expanding it in a way that is profitable is important: it is good for the watching public and for the brand itself. We’ve got to be honest, there are quite a few pressures on the forms of cricket within the English game, and indeed at the global level. There are more and more short-form competitions around the world.Related

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“We need to have strong venues to deliver that type of quality of product quickly, and we need to have the best players playing in it. Rushing to a solution that doesn’t retain those two things, I think would be wrong. I do think expansion makes good sense as long as it’s managed and thought through from those points of view.”Tim Bostock, Durham’s chief executive, said last month that he is “100% committed” to hosting a team and hinted at the possibility of investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in a potential north-east Hundred team, following their takeover of Newcastle United Football Club in 2021.Both Gloucestershire – who are exploring the possibility of relocating away from their existing ground in Bristol to an out-of-town venue – and Somerset would be in contention to host a prospective south-west team. Pike said that all counties must consider how the Hundred can fit into cricket’s changing global landscape.”To me, it’s like any business: you want to seize that opportunity and to consider potential change. We need to understand income streams, the demands of the public and everything else around the game. So how do we then make that work, given those changes? I think we are well positioned not only to cope with, but maybe be the driver of some of those changes.”Hampshire were part of a short-lived tie-up with Rajasthan Royals back in 2010, a harbinger of the recent exponential expansion of IPL franchises’ global footprints. “The concept was a good one,” Pike said. “There’s significant money in the game now, particularly in the subcontinent. If we don’t recognise that, then we’re playing with our eyes and ears closed.”The Hundred has gone well: the obvious reason is the success [of Southern Brave] on the pitch, but I would also point to the public, families, and new watchers of cricket coming in, which has been very strong. With the talk about ownership of teams… could there be linkages across countries? I’m sure there could well be, yes, but I just don’t know how that is going to shake out.”The majority of counties operate as members’ clubs but Hampshire – along with Durham and Northamptonshire – are an exception. “That means we have control of our destiny and the opportunity to determine which way we go,” Pike said, “but ironically, I think we’re a lot closer to our members than many members-run clubs.”Hampshire have always, in the 20 years I’ve been here, been a progressive club. It’s not a ‘who owns what?’ type of thing: if there are opportunities to change the ownership structure [of Hundred teams] then it is only good if it leads to developing and growing the game. I’d like to think that, at Hampshire, we are very well positioned for whichever way we might move forwards.”

As NWSL returns, league-leading Kansas City Current reportedly get stronger by adding USWNT star Sentnor

Utah will receive $600,000 in transfer fundsKansas City Current at the top of NWSL standingsSentnor selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 NWSL draftGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED

With the NWSL set to resume its season after the international break, the league leaders just got even stronger. The Kansas City Current acquired forward Ally Sentnor from the Utah Royals on Friday, according to The Athletic.

Sentnor, 21, was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. Kansas City are in first place in the NWSL standings, with an 11-2-0 record. Sentnor, who's been with the Royals since being drafted first overall in 2024, will leave the league's last-place team to join the club at the top.

The Royals will receive $600,000 in transfer funds.

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The Current have everything to gain with this acquisition. For one, their midfield will need some assistance with Vanessa DiBernardo now out because of her pregnancy. When Debinha is back,  Sentnor will have a dream midfield.

Utah, on the other hand, is losing perhaps their only bright light this season. While Sentnor was able to produce some magic for the Royals, she was often limited without much help on all both of the ball. 

For Utah, though, the funds could be instrumental in building out the team before the transfer window closes.

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Sentnor's impact on the senior national team has been nothing short of amazing. The Massachusetts native already has four goals in 12 appearances for the USWNT, and was also named the 2024 U.S. Young Female Player of the Year.

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Getty ImagesWHAT'S NEXT FOR ALLY SENTNOR?

Expectations are that Sentnor will join the Current soon, as the second-half of the NWSL season gets underway.

KKR are at No. 3 on the points table, while RCB are bottom, and have lost their last five games in a row

Hemant Brar20-Apr-20244:10

Bishop: If Narine is available, he walks straight into the WI T20I team

Match detailsKolkata Knight Riders (2nd; W4, L2) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (10th; W1, L6)
Kolkata, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)Big picture – Narine vs RCBWith five defeats in a row, and just two points from seven games, RCB are fighting for survival. They are at the bottom of the points table and a defeat against KKR on Sunday will push them to the brink of elimination.To avoid that, their batters will have to win the battle against KKR’s spinners, especially Sunil Narine.Related

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'Attacking batting and not defensive bowling will win this IPL'

Virat Kohli has been the torch-bearer of RCB’s batting for years, but in the last few years, spin has proven to be his kryptonite in T20s. Since the start of 2020, his strike rate against spin is 113.52. During the same period, he has struck at 145.79 against pace.However, Kohli seems to have addressed this issue somewhat and has scored at a much more respectable 130.09 against spin in IPL 2024. He even dominated Narine (21 off 12) when these two sides met earlier in the tournament. But it will not be easy at Eden Gardens, especially if the pitch is on the slower side. Kohli’s overall record against Narine is not great either: 162 runs off 157 balls with four dismissals.And it’s not just Kohli. Faf du Plessis and Dinesh Karthik have also struggled to score freely against Narine. Du Plessis has a strike rate of 77.14 against him and Karthik 119.29. So far this season, Narine has seven wickets in six games at an excellent economy of 6.87.Narine has been just as exceptional with the bat. Back as opener, and despite the two-bouncer rule, he has scored 276 runs at a strike rate of 187.75. Previously, fast bowlers would get him out with the short ball. This time, too, he has not looked in control against the short ball at all times, but has managed to survive and has made oppositions pay. RCB have already got a taste of that in their previous meeting with KKR.Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli have their jobs cut out•BCCIForm guideKolkata Knight Riders LWLWW
Royal Challengers Bengaluru LLLLLPrevious meetingEarlier in the season, KKR thrashed RCB by seven wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Batting first, RCB posted 182 for 6 with Kohli scoring an unbeaten 83 off 59 balls. In response, Narine smashed 47 off 22 balls and Venkatesh Iyer 50 off 30 as KKR chased down the target in the 17th over.Team news and impact player strategyKolkata Knight Riders
Given the RCB batters’ sub-par record against spin, there is a case to play a third spinner, Suyash Sharma, in place of Vaibhav Arora. One of Suyash and Ramandeep Singh could be the impact player, depending on whether KKR are batting first or bowling.Probable XII: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 , 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Harshit Rana, 12 Royal Challengers Bengaluru
With Glenn Maxwell on a break, Will Jacks is likely to continue at No. 3. RCB may consider bringing in Mayank Dagar for Yash Dayal. Anuj Rawat and Dagar could be their impact pair.Probable XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Saurav Chauhan, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Mahipal Lomror, 8 , 9 Vijaykumar Vyshak, 10 Reece Topley, 11 Lockie Ferguson, 12 Mitchell Starc has started to pick up wickets but is still KKR’s most expensive bowler this season•BCCIIn the spotlight – Mitchell Starc and Faf du PlessisMitchell Starc, the most expensive buy in IPL history, started the season poorly but has started to show signs of settling in. Overall, though, in six games, he has just five wickets and his economy of 10.54 is the poorest among KKR’s frontline bowlers. With no other experienced seamer in the squad, KKR will need Starc to turn his season around sooner rather than later.Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik is having a dream season. He has consistently provided RCB with strong finishes and is their third-highest run-scorer with a tally of 226 in six innings. Among those who have scored at least 200 runs this season, his strike rate of 205.45 is the highest. In fact, in four of his six innings, he has struck at more than 230. If he continues in the same manner, he could even find himself in India’s T20 World Cup squad, which he said will be “the greatest feeling” for him at this stage of his career.Pitch and conditionsSo far this season, Eden Gardens has hosted three games. In two of those, 200 was breached in all four innings. In the third, KKR chased down 162 against Lucknow Super Giants in the 16th over. But it needs to be seen whether it will be another run fest or KKR will dish out a slightly different surface. Given it’s an afternoon game, there will be a temptation to bat first on winning the toss.Dinesh Karthik has brought out his best finisher’s self this IPL•Associated PressStats that matter Kohli has dominated Starc in T20 cricket: 45 balls, 80 runs, no dismissal Karthik has taken Andre Russell for 43 runs off 21 balls without being dismissed Reece Topley has dismissed Phil Salt three times in 16 balls while giving away only 17 runs Till Friday, 32 batters have faced 100 or more balls this season. Among those, Shreyas Iyer’s strike rate of 122.80 is second lowest RCB have the poorest economy rate in the powerplay this season: 10.54. KKR are the second-poorest with 9.83Quotes”It’s not the most talented team that goes on to win the IPL. It’s the most courageous team, that’s willing to fight till the last drop of blood, will go on to win the IPL.”
“The belief is definitely there. If you don’t have belief, there is no point playing a tournament like the IPL. Every year there will be a couple of teams at this stage trying to find their feet and there have been so many instances when they have picked up and won the matches. We believe that if we can do something special and win a few matches, we could get that momentum – that interesting word that always happens in the IPL – and use that to our confidence.”

Former Chelsea and Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado has joined Serie A new boys Pisa, extending his playing career beyond the age of 37.

Juan Cuadrado joins Serie A side PisaEx-Chelsea and Juventus man joins aged 37Cuadrado signs one-year contractFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Cuadrado, who turned 37 in May, has put pen to paper on a one-year contract with Pisa. The Colombia international had been a free agent after leaving Atalanta at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

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Cuadrado, who won 116 caps for Colombia, will be hoping his experience can make the difference as Pisa look to avoid relegation this season. Alberto Gilardino's side won promotion back to Serie A for the first time in 34 years with a second-placed finish in Serie B in 2024-25.

DID YOU KNOW?

Cuadrado joined Chelsea from Fiorentina in 2015 but struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge, making just 15 appearances in all competitions. He then spent two seasons on loan at Juventus before joining the Bianconeri permanently in 2017, featuring 314 times and helping the club win 11 major honours.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CUADRADO AND PISA?

Cuadrado could feature for Pisa when they take on Pistoiese in a pre-season friendly on August 14. Gilardino's men then face Cesena in the first round of the Coppa Italia on August 17, before their emotional return to Serie A starts with a trip to Atalanta on August 24.

Abhishek Nayar says the KKR captain has been positive despite all the challenges and disappointments he’s faced in recent months

S Sudarshanan02-May-2024Shreyas Iyer has been on a rollercoaster side. He scored two hundreds and three half-centuries in India’s run to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup in November, then suffered a recurrence his back troubles, had his commitment to red-ball cricket questioned, lost his BCCI contract, and was not even talked about among the contenders for selection to India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad.He also came into this IPL season having missed the last one with injury and took back the captaincy of a team that finished seventh in 2022 and 2023. After nine games, he’s led Kolkata Knight Riders to second place in the points table with six wins, ahead of their contest against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Friday.KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who knows Iyer from the domestic circuit in Mumbai, said he had dealt with his setbacks with a positive attitude.”He is one of the strongest people, mentally, I have ever known, just in terms of how he has accepted certain things that have happened with him,” Nayar said on Thursday. “I would have seen a lot of people cribbing and talking about it, but I haven’t heard him whine about it or complain about it at all. The way he has approached life is in a positive manner – what is in front of you, you try and accept it.”Related

Can KKR end their 12-year hoodoo at Wankhede?

Iyer missed IPL 2023 after undergoing a back surgery. He made a comeback in the Asia Cup but suffered back spasms before the match against Pakistan. He made a comeback to play the ODI World Cup, where he scored 530 runs at a strike rate of 113.25 batting at No. 4.After scores of 31, 6, 0 and 4 not out in the Test series in South Africa, Iyer warmed up for the home series against England with a 48-run knock in the Ranji Trophy match against Andhra. But following returns of 35, 13, 27 and 29, he was dropped for the last three Tests against England. He then missed the Ranji Trophy quarter-final, despite BCCI’s directive against skipping it, due to a back spasm but returned for the semi-final. After scoring 95 in the first innings of the final against Tamil Nadu, Iyer complained of back pain and missed the rest of the game. He then linked up with the KKR squad and has played game so far.”Certain things are not in under his control but his fitness is in his control, and he is feeling a lot better now,” Nayar said. “He is great on the field, he is batting longer hours, he has trained really hard. Our S&Cs (strength and conditioning) and physios have worked hard with him.”Mentally, to have a mindset like that after being rejected or not getting his due, he has taken it very positively. Even when he talks about it, he is not negative, he understands he needs to go back and do well.”Iyer has not had a terrific time with the bat in IPL 2024, but he hasn’t been poor either: he has 251 runs -third most for KKR – at a strike rate of 137.15. He has largely batted at Nos. 4 and 5 and has had the luxury of coming in after one of the most explosive opening combinations this season – Phil Salt and Sunil Narine – has done its thing.”His mindset is to score runs, whether he plays the IPL, the Ranji Trophy or for India,” Nayar said. “He looks to score runs, it has affected him but the way he has handled it, kudos to him because I can imagine a lot of people reacting very differently than he has.”The floodlights had taken full effect at the Wankhede when Iyer geared up for a final stint in the nets on Thursday. He focused on power-hitting with Andre Russell slanting the ball full and wide outside off stump from around the wicket. Iyer took a moment to reflect after facing every delivery from Russell as well as the other bowlers, before joining MI captain Hardik Pandya, KKR bowling coach Bharath Arun, and KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit – all standing right behind the nets Iyer was batting in – for a chat.Iyer may not be part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, or the reserves, but his immediate challenge is to try and lead KKR to victory at a venue where success has eluded them for 12 years.

Visitors prosper after being inserted as John Simpson returns to haunt his former club

ECB Reporters Network24-May-2024Cheteshwar Pujara plundered runs against Middlesex’s bowling attack yet again as Sussex posted 295 for 4 after being inserted in the battle between the top two sides in Vitality County Championship Division Two.The India Test veteran, who scored 231 on Sussex’s last visit to Lord’s in 2022 – along with a century against Middlesex at Hove earlier that year – ended the opening day unbeaten on 91. Pujara’s patient knock formed part of an unbroken stand of 131 with his captain and ex-Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson, who struck 71 not out on his return to the county where he spent 15 seasons.Ethan Bamber claimed two wickets for the home side, with Ryan Higgins and Henry Brookes taking one apiece.Middlesex’s decision to bowl after winning the toss initially looked questionable as Tom Clark and Tom Haines bustled along at around five an over, with the latter dispatching five consecutive Bamber deliveries to the rope. Bamber was hastily switched to his preferred Nursery End and, despite Haines immediately drilling him to the cover fence once more, he had the final say by bowling the Sussex man through the gate for 40.That broke the opening partnership of 66 and slowed the scoring rate significantly as the home side claimed two more wickets before lunch, with Higgins having Clark caught behind off a bottom edge. Having also seen Tom Alsop put down off his bowling in the cordon, Higgins then pulled off a blinding catch when the left-hander edged Brookes to third slip, twisting to his left to clasp a sharp chance just above the turf.Higgins, whose first delivery to Pujara beat the bat, also tested the 36-year-old with the occasional bouncer before he settled down to make steady progress with James Coles in a partnership of 72 after lunch.Coles was eventually undone by static footwork when Bamber had him caught behind for 33 and the bowler found a consistent line against former team-mate Simpson, back at Lord’s for the first time since his switch to Hove.Despite some early playing and missing, Simpson settled down with a classy cover-driven boundary off Brookes, keeping Pujara company while he advanced beyond his half-century for the third time this season.Middlesex rotated their seam quartet, all of whom bowled from each end at some stage and it took them until three overs before tea to introduce spinners Nathan Fernandes and Luke Hollman into the attack. It looked as though that move had paid off early in the final session when Simpson, on 25, slapped a full toss from Hollman straight to Max Holden in the deep – only for the umpire to signal a no-ball.The Sussex skipper capitalised on that escape, dancing down the track to slam Hollman to the boundary and chopping him through gully for two to secure the visitors’ first batting bonus point.There was another let-off for Simpson soon after passing 50, fencing a rising delivery from Tom Helm to gully, where Hollman was unable to cling on – and the visitors continued to build a strong platform until bad light ended play with six overs unbowled.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has named the "priority" position that his side must strengthen ahead of the summer transfer window shutting.

Chelsea lose player to injuryMaresca wants more coverBeat Leverkusen in friendly winFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea are facing a defensive headache as Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are sidelined and fellow centre-back Levi Colwill will be out for a long time with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Despite reports suggesting the Blues won't try and sign a replacement, Maresca has said otherwise.

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After Chelsea's 2-0 pre-season win over Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, he told Channel 5: "It is a priority [signing a new defender] for me. Levi is a fantastic player. What we achieved last season is because of him. He played a lot of games with me, I love him. We are going to miss him. We are also trying to find different solutions."

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Colwill is arguably Chelsea's best centre-back, and even when he was in the team, the Blues looked a bit shaky at the back at times last season. If Maresca's side want to push on this season, they need to sign a quality defender, particularly if they have desires about winning the Premier League.

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As Chelsea try and find a new defender before the transfer window shuts in just over three weeks, the west London outfit take on AC Milan on Sunday in their final pre-season game before kickstarting the new Premier League season at home to Crystal Palace on August 17.

Chelsea's new strike partnership both scored at Stamford Bridge as the Blues saw out pre-season with a well-deserved 4-1 victory over AC Milan.

Chelsea beat AC Milan 4-1Pedro and Delap both on targetMilan's Coubis with own goal and red card in first halfFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

A great summer for Enzo Maresca's Chelsea continued as AC Milan were soundly beaten 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in both sides' final match of pre-season. New striker Liam Delap scored twice off the bench while Joao Pedro was also on the scoresheet for the Blues in a confident display by the whole team. Young Milan defender Andrei Coubis scored a fifth-minute own goal and was sent off for a last-man foul on Pedro which left his side with a mountain to climb.

Chelsea began rapidly and took the lead after mere minutes, as 21-year-old Coubis scored an unfortunate own goal from a dangerous Reece James free-kick. After the delivery floated over several Milan heads, Coubis could not sort his feet out in time to avoid diverting the ball past Mike Maignan.

After just eight minutes it was two, Pedro continuing a rapid start to his Blues career with a smart header from Pedro Neto's cross from the right. Milan had come into the game on the back of a positive pre-season which included victory over Liverpool, but they did not know what had hit them. Things went from bad to worse before the 20-minute mark as Coubis completed a day to forget with his dismissal for dragging down Pedro after a ball over the top left him with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Cole Palmer began to put his stamp on proceedings against the 10 men, a clever nutmeg on Youssouf Fofana sandwiched between two free-kick attempts, one of which struck the post while the other went inches wide. The 23-year-old then saw an audacious scissor-kick volleyed attempt flash just over the top corner of the Milan net with Maignan well-beaten. Rafael Leao had a goal disallowed for offside as the visitors rarely threatened in the first period.

Luka Modric came on for his Milan debut at half-time as the Italians looked to get back into the game. They should have got a goal back when Fofana rounded Robert Sanchez, but the French midfielder combined with Alexis Saelemaekers to pass up the golden opportunity. The game was soon taken away from the away side when substitute Estevao was dragged down in the box and Delap stepped up to confidently fire home from the spot.

Milan did get on the scoresheet when Fofana found the net at the near post following a slipped through-ball by Saelemaekers. Chelsea gave an opportunity to several new boys late on, Estevao particularly impressing in his cameo off the bench, before Delap scored his second with the last kick of the game to ensure the Blues ended their pre-season campaign in good spirits.

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Chelsea were strong across the pitch with a standout first-half performance by Palmer amongst others, but the man who has won the day is no doubt Delap. To score in front of your new supporters for the first time is a big moment for any striker, to do it twice within half an hour is the perfect way to set up a strong season in front of goal. His celebration after finding the net from the spot showed how much it meant to the 22-year-old to get off the mark at Stamford Bridge. Pedro also scored once again and the Blues look to have a devastating new strike-force on their hands.

NEW FACES

Jamie Gittens made his first start for Chelsea and showed glimpses of threat, though his end product was not quite there when given three good opportunities in front of goal. Delap and Pedro continued impressive starts to life in Blue, while 18-year-old Estevao shone with several moments of quality after he came off the bench on the hour mark. Jorrel Hato and Dario Essugo also made cameo appearances late on.

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AFPONES TO WATCH

While there were no young academy prospects on show from the start, the likes of 19-year-old Josh Acheampong, 16-year-old Reggie Walsh and 19-year-old Tyrique George appeared off the bench in the second half as the Blues continued to show the strength of their academy. The number of young players on the pitch by the end really epitomised what Maresca is trying to do at the club – and so far it is working.

The strikers will be the headline acts in Sunday's blockbuster match at Old Trafford but they could easily have ended up at opposite destinations

Cesc Fabregas throwing pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson. Gary Neville scissor-tackling Jose Antonio Reyes. Roy Keane telling Patrick Vieira "I'll see you out there". Peter Schmeichel taking on Ian Wright after having his leg stamped on. It was rarely a dull affair when Manchester United met Arsenal.

But as well as the vitriol, the epic clashes between the clubs in the late 1990s and early 2000s were remembered as meetings of fearsome forwards. And the best moments belonged to Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy, the two leading marksmen who spearheaded the pitched battles between the teams for five seasons.

The rivalry never really truly recovered from their eventual departures and United-Arsenal was eventually overtaken by Manchester City versus Liverpool as the Premier League's biggest fixture. 

But this summer both United and Arsenal have broken the bank to land leading strikers and when they meet on Sunday at Old Trafford, all eyes will be on Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko – two lethal centre-forwards who both clubs hope will take them to the next level.

Getty/GOALTrading places

The names Gyokeres and Sesko have been the lips of United and Arsenal fans for the last year, as both clubs had kept a keen eye on the two most coveted strikers in Europe. Gyokeres' career finally lifted off under the tutelage of Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP, so when the Portuguese coach moved to Old Trafford last November it seemed natural that the new boss would want to take his super-striker with him. But it soon emerged that Gyokeres only wanted a club that would be able to offer him Champions League football, which played to Arsenal's advantage. 

The Gunners, though, remained very interested in Sesko. The player’s agent, Elvis Basanovic, was a guest at their final home game of the season against Newcastle and at the end of May reports suggested that they were going to pick him to be their new No.9. The news stories were met with a lot of anger from Arsenal fans online as Gyokeres was felt to be the safer option, a guarantee of goals rather than a project. Those fans needn't have worried as Arsenal eventually agreed to pay Sporting up to £63m ($86m) for the 27-year-old after new sporting director Andrea Berta urged them to change direction and go for the Sweden frontman instead of the Slovenian.

Sesko, meanwhile, was left without the big move to the Premier League that he had been craving. United were still on the lookout for a striker, however, after Chelsea beat them to Liam Delap and Liverpool landed Hugo Ekitike at their expense. They logically turned to Sesko, who they had explored signing in 2019 when he was 16, then again in 2022 and once more last year before eventually signing Joshua Zirkzee.

With Arsenal out of the picture, it was a straight choice between Newcastle United and the Red Devils for Sesko. He immediately opted for the 20-times league winners over the Magpies, rejecting the chance to play Champions League football at St. James' Park.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe missing piece

United and Arsenal have been crying out for a reliable centre-forward for some time, hence why they both committed so much time and money to their new recruits. A top-level striker, in theory, is the last missing piece for Arsenal after finishing second in the league for three years in a row and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.

Mikel Arteta's side had the best defence in the Premier League last term, conceding just 34 goals compared to champions Liverpool's 41. They were let down by their attack, scoring 69 goals compared to 91 the year before – when they missed out on the title to Manchester City by two points – and 88 in 2022-23.

No Arsenal player managed double figures last season, with Bukayo Saka's long absence after injuring his hamstring in December proving a big factor in their blunt attack. Kai Havertz finished as their top scorer with nine goals, his season ending in February after tearing his hamstring during a warm-weather camp in Dubai. It forced the Gunners to play central midfielder Mikel Merino up front for the remainder of the campaign. 

Even without a natural centre-forward, Arsenal rarely struggled to create chances. Converting them was a different matter. Their wastefulness was a big factor in them drawing 14 games last season. In 12 of the 18 matches in which they dropped points, they had a higher expected goals (xG) than their opponents.

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Arsenal have not had a consistent out-and-out striker since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored 22 league goals in back-to-back seasons between 2018 and 2020. It was hoped that Gabriel Jesus could have a similar impact after signing from Manchester City in 2022 but a strong start to his first campaign in north London was derailed by a knee injury at the World Cup and he suffered a similar problem last season. He has scored a total of 18 Premier League goals in his three seasons.

Arsenal could not have signed a more prolific striker than Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting. He scored 39 goals in the league, averaging 1.25 strikes per start. That's more goals per start than the entire United squad managed. 

He ranked second in the European Golden Shoe rankings, only losing to Kylian Mbappe because the Portuguese league was given a lower weighting than La Liga as it is outside of Europe's top five leagues. The lack of quality beyond the major three sides in Portugal has to be considered, but it is worth stating that no player in Portugal had scored as many goals as Gyokeres since Mario Jardel in 2002.

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Amorim warned that Gyokeres will have to adapt to a different and more physical league but he is not an English football novice. He joined Brighton when he was 20 but never made the first team. He did have success in the second tier of  English football, though, when being loaned to Coventry City, and after making the move permanent he scored 21 goals in the Championship, leading to him signing for Sporting for a club record €24m (£21m/$28m).

"He already was in England, let's not forget that. He was at Coventry, he couldn't do it at Brighton. So, you can see a guy who already knows what struggling is and comes back from that," said Thierry Henry, Arsenal's all-time top scorer. "He's more confident, and you can see from his body the way he's looked after himself, the way he's changed. You have a guy that's a killer in the box – numbers don't lie – and you have a team that creates a lot of chances, so it should be the perfect match."

While Arsenal see Gyokeres as the missing link between them and a first league title in 22 years or even a first major trophy in six, Sesko has a different remit at United. He has been brought in to help the team rise from the ashes of their lowest league finish, lowest points total and lowest goal count (just 44 strikes) in 51 years. 

A lack of goals, however, is not a new problem for the Red Devils. Even when they finished third under Erik ten Hag they only scored 58 times. And they have only scored more than 70 times in one season since Ferguson retired in 2013. No player has scored 20 goals in one campaign since Robin van Persie in that same season. Cristiano Ronaldo has come closest with 18, with Marcus Rashford hitting 17 in two campaigns.

Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton has hit the front pages in Spain, with Real Madrid reportedly eyeing a move for the in-demand midfielder.

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According to AS' front page, Madrid are monitoring the Palace ace, with the Spanish giants looking to improve their midfield following the exits of veterans Toni Kroos and Luka Modric over the past 15 months.

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The report adds, however, that Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool are also keeping tabs on the England international, whose contract runs until 2029. Madrid will only be able to move for the 21-year-old if they make an 'important sale' this summer but even then, they may not be able to sign him. 

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Palace are said to value Wharton at around €80 million (£69m), and that is a 'problem' for Madrid, who like his player profile and age. The Eagles are said to be very aware of the Premier League trio's vast wealth, with United leading the charge to sign him.

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With Palace set to lose Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, along with Marc Guehi's uncertain future, the Croydon outfit will not want to see Wharton depart this summer as well. However, Madrid may consider trying to sign him in 2026.