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Arsenal could be set to mimic the success of a rival that led to their Premier League title success…

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

Back in 2017, as Jurgen Klopp sought to truly transform his team into challengers, he unloaded £75m to tempt Virgil van Dijk to join him from Southampton.

Many scoffed at that fee, as they likely will do at the £50m the Saints are now demanding for their young midfielder Romeo Lavia. It seems they will never learn.

Should the 19-year-old have a similarly transformative effect on Mikel Arteta's team that the Dutchman did at Anfield, it would certainly be a deal worth making.

After all, it has been reported by Football Transfers that, due to Thomas Partey's eagerness to exit the Emirates, Edu has now sped up his move to sign the teenage general who could replace the Ghanaian and potentially be the catalyst that earns them untold silverware.

Could Romeo Lavia mimic Virgil van Dijk's career path?

Having just enjoyed his first year in senior football, Lavia is far from the proven stalwart that Van Dijk was when he moved to Merseyside. However, age is no barrier when a player boasts this much quality.

In a Saints side that struggled all campaign, he stood out as one of few shining lights coming out of St Mary's Stadium. His 6.80 average rating made him the club's second-best performing midfielder behind only captain James Ward-Prowse, and this was a figure underpinned by his 86% pass accuracy, 68% dribble success rate, 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

His tackling numbers were only matched by the man he could be set to replace within Arteta's squad, to emphasise his defensive prowess. Journalist Ed Aarons clearly noticed this, branding the star "outstanding" back in January.

Should he be brought under the tutelage of this Spanish tactician, who has made steady progress with each passing year, then it would likely not take long until he can have the same effect that Van Dijk had after he too moved from Southampton to one of the big fish in the Premier League.

The Dutchman has played 222 times since joining the Reds, winning a Premier League, Champions League, FA and EFL Cup amongst other honours. This even merited a double swoop of the PFA Players' Player of the Year and UEFA's Best Player awards too in 2019.

Such prestigious recognition led Michael Owen to brand him "the best centre-half of all time" just last year.

Lavia will be keen to follow in these footsteps should he move to the Emirates, who are in a similar position to Liverpool when they made their big acquisition; if anything they are even more advanced. This pushed them over the edge to make them true challengers to Manchester City, which is exactly what Arteta is striving for now.

Although he would go under the radar amidst more lucrative deals for Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, he could still prove as important as a supplementary defensive midfielder that has once again been given a platform to shine in Southampton.

Former Stoke City star Rory Delap has claimed his long throws could have been worth £20m alone in the transfer market.

Who is Rory Delap?

Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Republic of Ireland midfielder earned himself a reputation as having one of the most feared niche skills in the Premier League.

No, it wasn't a fancy stepover or a thunderous right foot that had defenders scrambling, nor was it an eye for a cute assist or even a penchant for particularly bruising challenges.

Well, we're sure you all remember…

Indeed, his infamous long throw-ins used to terrorise defences time and time again when travelling away to Stoke on those cold, wet and windy nights.

In a recent interview with SPORTbible, the now 46-year-old Delap recalled memories of yesteryear, noting: "We're still talking about it today so I must have done something right.”

Interestingly enough, however, he revealed that instead of spending hours on the training ground with his Stoke teammates working on the set pieces, they'd simply do "two or three on a Friday, the day before a game, same with the corners and the set plays."

Even so, his long throws still frequently caused havoc in opposition boxes – as shown by the fact that Sky Sports have a 4.37 YouTube video dedicated to every goal scored by the Potters thanks to his long throw-ins.

On top of that, Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill once famously gave away a corner out of fear of handing Delap the chance to do damage with a throw-in.

Could Messi do it on a wet and windy night at Stoke?

In the interview, Delap was reminded about how Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed former Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam’s set-pieces were worth £10m.

He was then asked, if this was the case, then how much money would his throw-ins be worth?

“Ahh at least double that,” the 46-year-old said in response, with a huge smile on his face. “I played with Charlie, he had an unbelievable left foot and still does."

On top of all that, he also got onto one of football's biggest questions. Would Lionel Messi struggle on a wet and windy night at Stoke?

Delap certainly seems to think the Argentine would be just fine. He explained: “No, I think the thing you saw with the top players, we made it hard for teams but we never got a result.

“Against [Man] United, they were the top team at the time. With Sir Alex Ferguson, he'd seen it all before with the Wimbledons and the teams of that era. So, you know, he set the team up to go and win and I think they won every game when I was at Stoke so I think the top players don't let stuff like that affect them.

“Arsenal were a great side at that time, maybe it got to them a bit.

“Chelsea, we always struggled against Chelsea. They were the top three teams at that stage. They never really struggled with the cold, wet night there.

"So you're talking about Messi and players like that, I think they're just elite. They're another level. It doesn't matter where they go, they will perform.”

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t able to hide his feelings as he begrudgingly handed Pep Guardiola the League Manager’s Association LMA Manager of the Year award this week.

What happened between Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex?

It’s been a pretty fantastic season for Manchester City as they’ve won the Premier League and still have a Champions League and FA Cup final to play before their campaign comes to an end.

Of course, we shouldn’t forget the numerous charges held against their name amid allegations of breaking financial fair play rules. But while that whole situation remains unresolved, the Citizens continue to dominate English football.

One man who knows a thing or two about rising to the top and staying there is Sir Alex, who of course won the Premier League 13 times – and many other major trophies – while in charge of the Red Devils.

Back then, City weren’t the giant they are now. In fact, commentator Guy Mowbray once remarked: “Sir Alex Ferguson was asked in 2009 if City could ever go into a derby as favourites. He said, ‘not in my lifetime’…

Mowbray brutally then claimed: “Now it’s every time.”

Indeed, times have changed and with Guardiola leading his side to a third successive Premier League title, it was no great shock when the 52-year-old was handed the LMA Manager of the Year award recently.

In footage shared via Sky Sports News, you can see Sir Alex giving Pep the accolade and it’s safe to say he’s not exactly delighted by the whole situation…

The retired manager remarked: “It’s sore isn’t it? It’s really sore…”

Although he did then go on to praise Guardiola, humbling admitting: “He’s created a team that’s improved every year. And winning three championships in a row tells you the story.

“I think their performances in the latter part when they really mean something, they produced top-class performances.”

The City boss accepted the award graciously, claiming that a collection of fellow Premier League bosses also deserved to be recognised – although he did omit Erik ten Hag from that list…

“Thank you so much for this amazing award,” Guardiola said. “I want to share it first of all with my fellow nominees, for all the managers in the UK but especially for Mikel Arteta, for Eddie Howe, for Unai Emery, for Marco Silva, for Gary O’Neil. And more of them of course.

“They have done an incredible job this season.”

South Africa outbatted Australia to beat them 5-0 in the ODI series but stand-in captain Faf du Plessis believes they will need to outbowl them if they are to win the Test series next month. After South Africa went through most of last summer sans Dale Steyn or Vernon Philander, they will travel to Australia with both bowlers plus three other frontline seamers, and du Plessis hopes that collectively, they can carry the team to victory.”For us to have a successful tour of Australia, Dale Steyn will be the guy to make or break that for us because he is a huge player in that Test team. I am confident he will have a really good series,” du Plessis said. “His shoulder looks okay – that’s going to be the challenge. We need to make sure that he stays fit and he can bowl long periods of time. Test cricket is not just 10 overs, he will need to bowl 18 to 20 overs a day for the next month.”Steyn returned, after a broken shoulder kept him out of the England Test and ODI series in January-February, for the World T20, in which he played only two of South Africa’s four matches. He was left out of the triangular series in the Caribbean, officially rested but by his own admission dropped, and given permission to play in the NatWest T20 Blast instead. He took 11 wickets in five matches for Glamorgan and was then included in South Africa’s Test series against New Zealand, where his eight wickets in Centurion secured a series win.Although he has not looked his best with the white ball – he played four of the five ODIs against Australia for five wickets at 50.80 with an economy rate of 6.99 and received treatment on the shoulder throughout the series – Australia still considered Steyn remained a threat. “You’ve always got to respect Dale. He is a world-class bowler, a great athlete and you never want to upset him,” David Warner said. “He is a guy that can really get on top. He has this spark and this spell in him you’ve got to get through that and negate what he throws at you.”At Test level, du Plessis expects that will be even more difficult for the Australians to do. “Dale in Test cricket is a different breed. In one-day cricket, these things are going to happen. KG [Kagiso Rabada] as well, would be the first to say he didn’t bowl at his best. In Test cricket it’s about consistency. When Dale gets that red ball in his hand, he is just a different bowler. He is still our No.1 bowler in Test cricket.”South Africa will look to rise up the rankings again with hopes of having Morne Morkel back for the Tests•AFP

Rabada also played in four matches and took five wickets at 52.80 with an economy rate of 7.33. Both Steyn and Rabada were hurt by the game in Durban, where they conceded 96 and 86 runs respectively. Overall, they were overshadowed by Kyle Abbott and Andile Phehlukwayo, who have come to the fore as part of South Africa’s future. “Our bowling attack needs to be fit if we are to win in Australia,” du Plessis said.The other members of South Africa’s pace pack have also had injury concerns. Philander’s rehabilitation from torn ankle ligaments kept him out of action for almost three months but he also made a comeback against New Zealand while Morne Morkel has been on the sidelines since July with a back problem. Morkel returned to action in club cricket in Pretoria earlier this month and is currently playing for Titans against Warriors in a first-class match as a fitness test ahead of the Australia tour. He bowled 26 overs in the first innings, and picked three wickets, so all indications are that he will travel to Australia.South Africa have won their last two Tests series in Australia, in 2008-09 and 2012-13, although in very different circumstances. Both times, they were coming off series wins in England. This time, they are in the midst of a rebuilding process and recognise that Australia pose a tougher challenge than before. They will hope to carry some of their ODI momentum into the Tests. “Against Australia, any mental edge you can get you will take,” du Plessis said. “It’s the one-percenters that matter.”

Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman plotted a route to safety as Durham and Warwickshire both took solace in the draw points that eased their relegation worries

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2016
ScorecardScott Borthwick just missed out on a century as he piloted Durham to safety•Getty ImagesA stand of 151 between Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman ensured Durham were able to hold out for a draw in the Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Chester-le-Street.Durham were only ten behind with eight wickets standing when Stoneman fell for 80 and Borthwick went on to make 91 before he departed five balls before hands were shaken.Rikki Clarke came on bowling off spin and his first ball was so wide of off stump Borthwick could not resist flailing at it, only to get a big inside edge into his stumps.Durham were on 195 for three, 21 ahead with 22 overs still availabel when a draw was declared, Warwickshire taking 11 points and Durham eight.It was a welcome return to form for Borthwick, whose form slumped when he was widely reported to be on the verge of England selection.Things looked ominous for Durham when, with 84 overs to bat, they lost Keaton Jennings for a duck in the fifth, when he pushed forward and edged Keith Barker behind.But Borthwick was soon stroking Barker effortlessly through the covers, while Stoneman had made only one when he whipped Chris Wright over long leg for six.Patel came on for the 14th over and conceded only seven runs in his first nine overs, going closest to a breakthrough when Stoneman missed an attempted cut on 45 and was almost bowled.A repeat of the stroke brought the three runs which took him to 50 as nine runs suddenly came off Patel’s tenth over.Both batsmen completed their half-centuries off 93 balls and continued neck and neck as Durham reached 162 for one at tea, only 12 behind. Stoneman was bowled by Patel without addition.Resuming on 344 for 7 in the morning, Warwickshire added 37 in ten overs, losing Tim Ambrose for 50, before declaring 174 ahead. Barker was unbeaten on 43.Warwickshire captain Ian Bell said: “We came in this morning excited about our opportunity considering the amount of movement there had been in the pitch.”But it was not to be. This was a better day for batting, whereas yesterday would have been a good day to bowl. It seems to be a trend of the season that every time we get in a good position the weather gets in the way.”

ScorecardMark Pettini found Derbyshire’s target appealing [file picture]•Getty Images

Leicestershire Foxes kept their T20 season alive by comprehensively dismantling East Midlands rivals Derbyshire Falcons under the floodlights at the Fischer County Ground. A century opening stand compiled by Foxes skipper Mark Pettini and Mark Cosgrove in just ten overs made Derbyshire’s score of 158 all out look what it was: hopelessly inadequate.With eight of the previous nine games involving the Falcons having been won by the chasing side, Pettini had no hesitation in choosing to bowl after winning the toss. The opening over of the Derbyshire innings was an eventful one, as Ben Raine bowled two front foot no-balls in his first three deliveries and conceded 13 runs before Wes Durston attempted to force off the back foot and got an inside edge to wicket-keeper Lewis Hill.If that was a straightforward catch for Hill, the top edge that he held off Hamish Rutherford in Raine’s next over was anything but. Rutherford’s mishit spiralled back over the wicket-keeper’s head, butbHill turned and sprinted 40 yards towards the boundary before flinging himself full length to take the ball two handed a foot above the ground.Raine then picked up a third wicket when he pinned Chesney Hawkes leg before with a well pitched up delivery which swung back in to the tall left-hander, leaving the Falcons on 42-3 in the sixth over, but Neil Broom and Wayne Madsen steadied the ship with a partnership of 54 for the fourth wicket.Broom came into the game having failed to make much impact with the bat for the Falcons this season, but the New Zealander combined judicious placement with some well timed hitting to score his first T20 half-century of the season. Madsen was less fluent but gave Broom good support before steering Kevin O’Brien to short third man, where Mark Cosgrove held the catch above his head.Broom was unfortunate when he attempted to swing Farhaan Behardien’s delivery into the leg side, only to edge the ball into his pad and on to his off-stump, and with wickets continuing to fall, it needed a hard-hitting 45 off 23 balls from Neesham to ensure the Foxes would be required to score at eight an over to win the match.Pettini and Cosgrove quickly made the target look straightforward. Pettini, who had the majority of the early strike, was first to his half-century, hitting nine fours in going to 50 off 32 balls. Cosgrove, once he started to get the strike, was simply brutal, huge maximums off Tom Milnes and Alex Hughes among the four sixes he hit in 1 26 ball 50 before giving Durston a simple caught and bowled.While Pettini continued to play sensibly, Leicestershire’s powerful South Africa international batsman Cameron Delport was able to pick up where Cosgrove left off, hitting two sixes, the last to win the match off Matt Critchley, as Leicestershire crossed the line with more than four overs to spare.

Members of the Newcastle United hierachy love the thought of signing Neymar from PSG to star at the heart of the Magpies' attack.

With Eddie Howe guiding his side into the 2023/24 Champions League, the North East outfit is now able to recruit more ambitiously than they ever have.

The thought of signing Neymar has never been a possibility for Newcastle fans but it's now not entirely impossible.

Have Newcastle United discussed signing Neymar?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Dean Jones claims a source suggests the hierarchy at St. James Park would love to sign Neymar.

He said: “The interest from Newcastle does seem outrageous. I understand that some people will see the rumours about Neymar joining them and disregard them immediately.

"But there is some substance to this, from what a couple of contacts have told me who are usually well-informed about stories like this.

"I'm not saying this is going to happen, I can't go that far, but I was told that members of the hierarchy love this idea, and it wouldn't surprise me if they tried their luck.

“It would be a big change to the type of business they have done so far, and Eddie Howe would need convincing that it will not rock the dressing room and bring any bad vibes to the place.

“But he knows that every season the club will look to become more ambitious.

“He knows that a player with a massive profile will eventually land on Tyneside, and very few in the game are bigger than Neymar.

“It is early days, and we will have to see whether this interest can lead to any genuine progress, but if Neymar wants to come to the Premier League, there will not be many clubs that can afford him or offer Champions League football. It would be a blockbuster.”

Signing Neymar. Is it possible?

From a financial standpoint, there is virtually nothing standing in the way of Newcastle signing Neymar.

Beyond the financials, there are still a myriad reasons why it might not be possible.

Neymar might not want to play in England especially given how injury prone he has become in the latter stages of his career. The pressure is a lot higher in England and before the World Cup, Neymar admitted to falling out of love with football.

Before the FIFA showpiece, he said: "I think it's [Qatar 2022] my last World Cup. I see it as my last because I don't know if I have the strength of mind to deal with football any more."

While that is an understandable position for the player to be in, the demand on players in the Premier League may just be too much for Neymar to handle at this point in his football journey.

تنطلق منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا غدًا السبت، وتستمر حتى 11 فبراير المقبل 2024، وتنطلق بمواجهة للبلد المضيف كوت ديفوار أمام غينيا بيساو.

وتسعى السنغال بقيادة ساديو ماني، للحفاظ على اللقب الذي توجت به أمام منتخب مصر بركلات الترجيح في النسخة الماضية.

وفي المقابل يتطلع المنتخب المصري بقيادة محمد صلاح، لتصحيح الأخطاء واستعادة اللقب المفقود منذ 2010.

ورصدت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية تقريرًا مطولاً عن منافسات أمم إفريقيا، والرحلة التي تنتظر المنتخبات المشاركة في النسخة الجارية. المجموعة الأولى: كوت ديفوار، غينيا الاستوائية، غينيا بيساو، نيجيريا

يبدأ أصحاب الأرض البطولة يوم السبت عندما يواجهون غينيا بيساو، وكانت آخر مرة توجوا باللقب عام 2015.

ويقود منتخب كوت ديفوار سيرج أورييه لاعب نوتنجهام فورست، ويضم المنتخب نجومًا آخرين مثل إبراهيم سانجاري وويلي بولي وفرانك كيسي.

وسوف تتطلع نيجيريا إلى فرصها رغم الإصابات التي توالت على الفريق وخروج ثلاث لاعبين من القائمة حتى الآن.

طالع | الإصابة الثالثة.. استدعاء لاعب جديد لقائمة نيجيريا قبل انطلاق أمم إفريقيا 2023

تضم نيجيريا نجوما أمثال فيكتور أوسيمين لاعب نابولي الذي توج مؤخرًا بجائزة أفضل لاعب إفريقي لهذا العام، ويعزز هجوم المنتخب صامويل تشوكويزي وأديمولا لوكمان.

من ناحية أخرى تسعى منتخبات غينيا الاستوائية وغينيا بيساو للبحث عن فرص التأهل إلى الدور التالي. المجموعة الثانية: الرأس الأخضر، مصر، غانا، موزمبيق

فازت مصر برقم قياسي بسبعة ألقاب في كأس أمم إفريقيا ولديها أفضل لاعب في المسابقة وهو محمد صلاح جناح ليفربول.

وإذا وصل صلاح إلى أعلى مستوياته فسيكون لدى الفراعنة فرصة لتقديم أداء أفضل مما فعلوا في عام 2021.

محمد صلاح يائس من أجل التتويج باللقب وتعزيز مسيرته الاحترافية بلقب مع المنتخب الوطني.

اقرأ أيضًا | ليفربول يوجه رسالة لـ محمد صلاح قبل انطلاق كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023

وأعلن صلاح عن رغبته في الفوز بالبطولة، وسيحتاج إلى كل الدعم الذي يمكنه الحصول عليه مع محمود تريزيجيه، ولاعب خط وسط آرسنال محمد النني، وأحمد حجازي لاعب الاتحاد، وغيرهم من اللاعبين البارزين.

أكبر منافسي مصر في المجموعة الثانية غانا والتي يقودها نجمها محمد قدوس لاعب وست هام، مع مهاجم كريستال بالاس جوردان أيو، ومهاجم أتلتيك بلباو المتألق إيناكي ويليامز، ومحمد ساليسو، ودانيال أمارتي.

فيما تسعى منتخبات موزمبيق والرأس الأخضر إلى التأهل كأحد أفضل المنتخبات صاحبة المركز الثالث. المجموعة الثالثة: السنغال، الكاميرون، غينيا، جامبيا

السنغال هي حاملة اللقب بعد فوزها بالبطولة للمرة الأولى بعد تفوقها على مصر في النسخة الماضية، لكنهم يتواجدون في مجموعة الموت هذا العام.

يقود السنغال ساديو ماني لاعب النصر السعودي، وتمتلك السنغال أيضًا نيكولا جاكسون لاعب تشيلسي وهي المرشحة إحصائيًا للفوز باللقب مرة أخرى، متقدمة على الدولة المضيفة كوت ديفوار والمغرب الذي وصل إلى نصف نهائي كأس العالم.

وفي المجموعة الثالثة أيضاً تقع الكاميرون، وهناك ضوء مسلط على حارس مرمى مانشستر يونايتد أندريه أونانا، والذي اختلف مع المدير الفني ريجوبيرت سونج ورئيس اتحاد كرة القدم الكاميروني، صامويل إيتو، في كأس العالم 2022.

وتلقى منتخب الكاميرون ضربة بسبب إصابة الكاحل التي تعرض لها لاعب برينتفورد بريان مبيومو، والتي أبعدته عن البطولة.

المجموعة تشهد تواجد المنتخب الغيني ويعد أبرز لاعبيه سيرهو جيراسي، وسجل المهاجم 19 هدفا في 16 مباراة مع فريق شتوتجارت الألماني هذا الموسم.

أما جامبيا الفريق الأقل تصنيفاً في المجموعة، لكن لا ينبغي الاستهانة بها بعد وصولها إلى ربع النهائي في المرة الأخيرة التي أقيمت فيها البطولة، بفوزها على غينيا في دور الـ16. المجموعة الرابعة: الجزائر، أنجولا، بوركينا فاسو، موريتانيا

تتطلع الجزائر إلى التعافي من مشوارها البائس في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2021 حيث احتلت المركز الأخير في مجموعة تضم ساحل العاج وغينيا الاستوائية وسيراليون.

ويعد رياض محرز، الذي يلعب الآن في الأهلي السعودي، هو نجم المنتخب الجزائري وسيكون حريصًا على إثارة الإعجاب فيما يمكن أن تكون آخر بطولة دولية كبرى له.

ومن بين اللاعبين البارزين الآخرين للمنتخب الجزائري حسام عوار لاعب روما وإسماعيل بن ناصر لاعب ميلان وريان آيت نوري لاعب ولفرهامبتون. 

في المجموعة ذاتها يتواجد منتخب بوركينا فاسو والذي سبق ووصل إلى الدور نصف النهائي في النسخة الماضية.

ويتطلع منتخب بوركينا فاسو مرة أخرى إلى إحداث مفاجأة مع لاعبين أمثال إدموند تابسوبا لاعب باير ليفركوزن، وبرتراند تراوري لاعب أستون فيلا ودانجو واتارا لاعب بورنموث.

الفريقان الآخران في المجموعة هما أنجولا، وموريتانيا التي ربما تكون الفرق الأقل حظًا في المجموعة. المجموعة الخامسة: مالي، ناميبيا، جنوب إفريقيا، وتونس

ربما تكون المجموعة الخامسة الأضعف من بين الستة، وربما تكون تونس أقوى فريق في المجموعة.

المنتخب التونسي حقق الفوز على فرنسا خلال منافسات كأس العالم الأخيرة في قطر 2022، وفي كأس الأمم الأفريقية الأخيرة، فازوا على نيجيريا في طريقهم إلى ربع النهائي، لكنهم احتلوا المركز الثالث في مجموعتهم وخرجوا على يد بوركينا فاسو.

المجموعة مفتوحة للغاية وستتطلع مالي وجنوب إفريقيا إلى الاستفادة من تجنب بعض المنتخبات الأصعب في البطولة.

وتفتقد مالي بعض اللاعبين الكبار بسبب الإصابة، مثل شيخ دوكوري لاعب كريستال بالاس، والبلال توريه لاعب أتالانتا، وإبراهيم كوني وجناح ساوثهامبتون السابق موسى جينيبو.

أما جنوب إفريقيا فقد عادت للمشاركة منذ غيابها عن البطولة الماضية بهزيمة واحدة فقط في آخر 13 مباراة.

ناميبيا هي الفريق الأضعف بعد أن احتلت المركز الأخير في مجموعتها في المرات الثلاث السابقة التي شاركت فيها في كأس الأمم الأفريقية.

اقرأ أيضًا | عز الدين أوناحي يسخر من منتخب مصر قبل انطلاق أمم إفريقيا: يتقدمون بهدف ثم يسقطون يمينًا ويسارًا المجموعة السادسة: الكونغو الديمقراطية، المغرب، تنزانيا، زامبيا

المنتخب المغربي المرشح المفضل بالنسبة للكثيرين للفوز باللقب، بعد أدائه المذهل في كأس العالم 2022 في قطر.

وحقق أسود الأطلس إنجازًا غير مسبوق بالتأهل إلى الدور نصف النهائي حيث خسروا أمام فرنسا، لكنهم أصبحوا أول دولة إفريقية في التاريخ تصل إلى تلك المرحلة من البطولة.

المنتخب المغربي بقيادة مدربه وليد الركراكي يسعى لإنجاز جديد والتتويج بالبطولة التي لم يفز بها منذ عام 1976.

ويمتلك المدرب وليد الركراكي تشكيلة قوية تضم مدافع باريس سان جيرمان أشرف حكيمي، ومن المتوقع أن يذهبوا لأدوار بعيدة في المسابقة.

وستؤثر مباراة المغرب مع جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية في 21 يناير تأثيرا كبيرا على من سيتأهل إلى صدارة المجموعة الخامسة.

ويتمتع الفهود بخبرة كبيرة في أمم إفريقيا وسبق واحتلوا المركز الثالث في عام 2015.

تنزانيا هي ثاني أقل الفرق تصنيفًا في البطولة، وفي الوقت نفسه، ستتطلع زامبيا إلى التقدم كواحدة من أفضل الفرق التي تحتل المركز الثالث. لاعبون تتطلع لمشاهدتهم في أمم إفريقيا 

فيكتور أوسيمين (نيجيريا)

ساديو ماني (السنغال)

محمد صلاح (مصر)

محمد قدوس (غانا)

سيرهو جيراسي (غينيا)

رياض محرز (الجزائر).

إيف بيسوما (مالي).

أشرف حكيمي (المغرب).

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to continue their fine recent home form as they take on struggling Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.

Cristian Stellini's side have won their last five Premier League home games in a row and will be targeting another three points against the Cherries this weekend as they look to boost their top-four hopes.

Spurs were perhaps fortunate to defeat Brighton last time out after a number of controversial VAR calls but will still be confident against a Bournemouth side who have shipped the most goals in the Premier League so far this campaign with 57.

How should Spurs line up against Bournemouth?

Here is how Football FanCast expects Stellini to line his side up on Saturday afternoon, with two changes from the team that started last time out against Brighton:

(5-2-3) Lloris (GK); Porro (RWB), Sanchez (CB), Romero (CB), Lenglet (CB), Perisic (LWB); Hojbjerg (CM), Skipp (CM); Son (LW), Richarlison (RW), Kane (ST).

Although he looked suspect on a number of occasions against Brighton, Hugo Lloris looks unlikely to lose his spot in between the sticks for the visit of the Cherries.

After another game without a clean sheet, however, Stellini should shake up his defence and bring in Davinson Sanchez for Eric Dier, in the hope that the Colombian's pace can help to counteract Bournemouth's counter-attacking threat.

He starts on the right-hand side of the defence with Clement Lenglet on the left, which allows Cristian Romero to return to the centre in the hope that he can return to his best form.

Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic both retain their starting spots in the wing-back positions, with the absence of Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon through injury meaning there is little competition in that position for Spurs right now.

Similarly, with Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur both still sidelined, it would be a surprise to see anyone other than Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp starting in the middle of the park this weekend.

However, one change Stellini could make is to re-introduce Richarlison to the starting side after his return from injury, in place of the misfiring Dejan Kulusevski, as the Sweden international has managed just one assist and no goals since the beginning of February.

While Richarlison has also struggled, with no Premier League goals to his name, Lloris has described him as a "genius" in the past, and a game against relegation candidates such as Bournemouth could be the ideal time to kickstart his Spurs career.

He supports the deadly duo of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in the attack, with both forwards getting on the scoresheet with impressive finishes against Brighton.

Chelsea's main problem this season has been putting the ball in the back of the net, and it is something of a surprise that Graham Potter has persisted with Kai Havertz as his main man throughout the campaign.

There is no doubting the German international's ability but he is far from consistent in the final third, with just seven league goals to his name so far this term, as he has continued his trend of underperforming on his xG in every season so far at Stamford Bridge.

Potter should instead consider unleashing Mason Burstow, who is continuing to catch the eye in Chelsea's academy, having become the final signing of the Roman Abramovich era when he joined from Charlton Athletic in February 2022.

Who is Chelsea starlet Mason Burstow?

The Blues secured the signing of Burstow having submitted a 'substantial bid' for the teenager last year, after he had broken into the first team with the League One club, notching six goals in his first 14 senior appearances.

He would return to The Valley on loan for the rest of the 2021/22 campaign and finished the season with six goals and three assists in 23 appearances.

Former Charlton boss Johnnie Jackson sang the young striker's praises last year after his instant impact in Charlton's first team, which remarkably saw him score with his first touch in senior football in a 6-1 thrashing of Crawley Town in the EFL Trophy.

He said: "He is a great kid. He is so confident I had no qualms [about bringing him on against Plymouth]. It was a big game to come on, a big crowd – there was quite a lot of weight on his shoulders. I was happy to fling him in because I think he can handle that.

“I’ve got confidence in him and he’s got confidence in himself. He is a good player."

Unsurprisingly, the 19-year-old is finding U21s football a little easier given his experience of senior football in England's third tier, and he boasts ten goals and four assists in just 26 appearances for the Blues so far this campaign.

Amid an injury crisis in January, Chelsea opted to keep Burstow at the club in case he was needed for the first team, which suggests that he is already in Potter's thoughts as he considers how to improve the Blues' woes in front of goal, which has seen them muster just 29 in the top flight this season.

With Havertz continuing to misfire in a Chelsea shirt, Potter should perhaps consider giving the 19-year-old Burstow his first-team debut in the coming months, as the £2.9k-per-week striker's goalscoring nous could just push the Blues back up the Premier League table.