O Botafogo ainda busca reforços para a sequência da temporada. A diretoria do Glorioso espera o retorno de seis jogadores pelos quais fez proposta antes do fim da janela. Goleiro do Modena fez golaço decisivo para seu time seguir na briga pelo acesso na Itália. Essas e outras notícias você acompanha em 1 minuto no LANCE! Rápido (assista ao vídeo acima).
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There’s been some frightening sights in the world of football over the years. We’re talking Arjen Robben cutting in on his left foot, Lionel Messi running at defenders, Rory Delap loading up a lethal long throw and now the sight of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice standing over a set piece.
The Premier League hasn’t been this fearful of such scenarios since the days of Tony Pulis, and some may argue that the only difference between Mikel Arteta and the former Stoke City boss is a pair of glasses and a hat.
The Spaniard, for all of the comparisons in jest, deserves great credit alongside set-piece coach Nicolas Jover after becoming experts in something that could finally result in a Premier League title.
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With that said, we’ve taken a look back at every goal that Arsenal have scored from a corner or free kick under Arteta since his arrival as manager.
Rank
Player
Set-piece goals
Gabriel
15
William Saliba
6
Thomas Partey
3
Gabriel Jesus
3
Jakub Kiwior
3
Declan Rice
3
Mikel Merino
3
Martin Odegaard
2
Gabriel Martinelli
1
Ben White
1
Takehiro Tomiyasu
1
Oleksandr Zinchenko
1
Kai Havertz
1
Bukayo Saka
1
Jurrien Timber
1
Leandro Trossard
1
2019/20: 2 goals Arsenal save the set pieces for the top six
Sokratis scores for Arsenal.
Before the days of the Pulis comparisons, Arteta’s Arsenal side were only beginning to find their feet under their new boss in the middle of an era to forget in north London. But they still managed to haunt their Premier League rivals from what we all now know to be dangerous set pieces in the 2019/20 campaign.
Scoring their first under the Spaniard against Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was perfectly placed to head home on the end of Calum Chambers’ knockdown in the 13th minute of a game that eventually saw the Gunners end on the wrong side of defeat, courtesy of Jorginho and a late Tammy Abraham winner.
Their second and last of that season then came against another top-six side in the form of Manchester United. Taking full advantage of David de Gea’s poor attempt to clear his lines from Nicolas Pepe’s corner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos thumped home to set the Gunners on course for a 2-0 victory over the Red Devils.
1
Chelsea
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Corner
2
Man Utd
Sokratis
Corner
2020/21: 8 goals Arsenal begin to find their feet
Granit Xhaka for Arsenal.
As the pandemic struck, Arsenal – though still struggling to find the right results – began to show signs that their strength came in the form of set pieces, scoring eight goals from those scenarios in the 2020/21 campaign.
For a second season running, Chelsea once again struggled to handle Arteta’s side from a dead-ball situation, with Granit Xhaka following in Sokratis’ footsteps by scoring directly from a free kick at the Emirates Stadium.
This time in far more sensational fashion than the season prior, Xhaka stepped up from range to find the top corner of Edouard Mendy’s net to score the Gunners’ first free kick of the campaign. Notably, in the same season, Gabriel Magalhaes found the back of the net on his Arsenal debut from a corner in what was a sign of things to come.
1
Fulham
Gabriel
Corner
2
Rapid Vienna
David Luiz
FK
3
Dundalk
Eddie Nketiah
Corner
4
Chelsea
Granit Xhaka
DFK
5
Rapid Vienna
Pablo Mari
Corner
6
Leicester
David Luiz
FK
7
Fulham
Eddie Nketiah
Corner
8
West Brom
Willian
DFK
2021/22: 11 goals Gabriel becomes growing threat as Jover joins
If Gabriel’s debut goal was a warning, then his three set-piece goals throughout the following campaign should have acted as a giant red flag for the rest of the Premier League, especially after set-piece coach Jover arrived. The central defender more than played his part as Arsenal returned to the European places, scoring 11 goals from set pieces whilst doing so.
This time around, it was Everton and Leicester who suffered the most, both conceding two from Arsenal corners, with the Foxes suffering the threat of Gabriel inside the penalty area. Meanwhile, the Toffees could not handle the Gunners’ set pieces on a hot afternoon in May, conceding twice in one game courtesy of Eddie Nketiah and Cedric Soares.
Meanwhile, the one direct free-kick goal that season came courtesy of Martin Odegaard, who struck a superb effort to seal a narrow 1-0 victory over Burnley at the beginning of the season.
1
Burnley
Martin Odegaard
DFK
2
Aston Villa
Thomas Partey
Corner
3
Leeds
Calum Chambers
Corner
4
Leicester
Gabriel
Corner
5
Southampton
Gabriel
Corner
6
Sunderland
Eddie Nketiah
Corner
7
Wolves
Gabriel
Corner
8
Leicester
Thomas Partey
Corner
9
West Ham
Rob Holding
Corner
10
Everton
Eddie Nketiah
Corner
11
Everton
Cedric Soares
Corner
2022/23: 11 goals Set-piece threat not enough to seal Arsenal silverware
Having found their feet under Arteta’s philosophy, Arsenal quickly found themselves in a Premier League title race. In a battle between the student and the master, Arteta at least laid down a marker that his side were there to stay against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side.
But despite matching their 11-goal tally from the season prior from set pieces, the Gunners still couldn’t find a way to dethrone the Citizens.
In truth, however, this was not Arsenal at the peak of their set-piece powers. In fact, it was the first season in which they failed to score more goals from such scenarios than the previous season as progress stalled for the year.
However, there were still non-set-piece goals that came as a result of Jover’s organised chaos, with a prime example being Reiss Nelson’s iconic winner against Bournemouth, which came from the phase of play following a late Odegaard corner.
Once again, Gabriel made his mark inside the area, scoring three times, including goals against Fulham (twice) and fellow London rivals Chelsea.
1
Crystal Palace
Gabriel Martinelli
Corner
2
Leicester
Gabriel Jesus
Corner
3
Fulham
Gabriel
Corner
4
Brentford
William Saliba
Corner
5
Chelsea
Gabriel
Corner
6
Brighton
Martin Odegaard
Corner
7
Oxford
Mohamed Elneny
FK
8
Sporting CP
William Saliba
Corner
9
Fulham
Gabriel
Corner
10
Wolves
Thomas Partey
Corner
11
Wolves
Jakub Kiwior
Corner
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Some will be quick to shoot down the scenes of Jover celebrating every time that Arsenal score from a set piece, but the coach deserves credit for his excellent work.
He has taken Arsenal from being an average side from set plays into becoming the most dangerous team in the Premier League. And last season, it showed more than ever for the first time.
Scoring an impressive 16 goals from set pieces, Arsenal caught each of Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sheffield United twice in the same game, with sides simply unable to handle Jover and Arteta’s setup. By this point, it was of course no surprise that Gabriel proved to be the biggest threat, finding the back of the net five times in all competitions.
It wasn’t enough to win them the title yet again, but the Gunners stole the headlines several times from set plays, perhaps most notably when Declan Rice found the back of the net to secure a last-gasp victory over Manchester United.
1
Man Utd
Declan Rice
Corner
2
Bournemouth
Ben White
FK
3
Sheff Utd
Eddie Nketiah
Corner
4
Sheff Utd
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Corner
5
Burnley
William Saliba
Corner
6
Burnley
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Corner
7
Brighton
Gabriel Jesus
Corner
8
Liverpool
Gabriel
FK
9
Crystal Palace
Gabriel
Corner
10
Crystal Palace
Gabriel
Corner
11
West Ham
William Saliba
Corner
12
West Ham
Gabriel
FK
13
Newcastle
Own goal
Corner
14
Newcastle
Jakub Kiwior
Corner
15
Tottenham
Own goal
Corner
16
Tottenham
Kai Havertz
Corner
2024/25: 18 goals (so far) Arsenal become set-piece kings
Usually, when a team concedes from a set piece, many believe that whoever is in charge of that side will be left incredibly disappointed, as they’re often seen as avoidable goals to concede.
Arsenal, however, have turned the avoidable into the inevitable, making goals from set pieces a happy habit. The Emirates watches on as if Saka or Rice are stepping up to the penalty spot when they place the ball on the corner quadrant, raise a hand up and deliver an unstoppable delivery.
Having beaten the previous season’s record of 16 goals from set pieces, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to suggest that the Gunners pose a greater threat from those scenarios than they do from open play.
Arsenal have made club-to-club contact over signing a striker for manager Mikel Arteta, as the Gunners look to potentially take advantage of the player’s talks over fresh contract terms hitting a brick wall.
Arsenal open to signing new striker in January alongside winger
Much of the noise ahead of January’s imminent transfer window has centered around the acquisition of a new winger to replace Bukayo Saka, who is out for over two months after undergoing hamstring surgery.
Arsenal battling to keep £200k-per-week star as Barcelona plot move for him
The Catalans have identified him as a target for 2025.
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The likes of Barcelona star Dani Olmo and PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani have been repeatedly linked in the build up to next month as Saka alternatives, but credible media sources have refused to rule out Arsenal bringing in a new number nine as well.
Brentford (away)
January 1
Brighton (away)
January 4
Tottenham (home)
January 15
Aston Villa (home)
January 18
Wolves (away)
January 25
The Athletic claim that Arsenal are open to the possibility of signing a centre-forward in the winter, even if they are aware that a prolific option will come at a premium in what is an historically tricky window to navigate.
There are suggestions that Arsenal are monitoring Victor Osimhen’s situation, as his Galatasaray loan deal includes a rumoured break clause, which would allow certain interested sides to swoop mid-season and cut his spell in Turkey short.
Gabriel Jesus recently hit a serious purple patch of form over two matches against Crystal Palace, scoring five goals against the Eagles in a single week, and Kai Havertz has proved himself reliable in a makeshift centre-forward role.
However, it remains to be seen whether their current options will be tenable long-term, and Arsenal have been tipped to bring in a proven goalscorer for quite some time now.
Arsenal attempted a proposal to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig in the summer, but the Slovenian rejected their advances in favour of remaining in the Bundesliga, for another season at least.
Benjamin Sesko scores for Slovenia
The north Londoners could go back in for Sesko in 2025, as it is believed he has a “gentlemen’s agreement” to leave Leipzig either next year or in 2026.
However, Sesko isn’t the only Bundesliga striker on their radar.
Arsenal make contact with Eintracht Frankfurt over signing Omar Marmoush
According to CaughtOffside, Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush is attracting interest from N5. The Egyptian sensation is enjoying a phenomenal 24/25 campaign right now with 18 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. Arsenal have made contact with Eintracht over signing Marmoush, moving ahead of other Premier League sides in the race for his signature, as they look to pounce on his precarious contract situation.
Omar Marmoush for Frankfurt.
The 25-year-old is thought to be dissatisfied with recent talks over a new deal, putting a host of clubs on red alert, including Arsenal, who could look to take advantage.
It is unclear whether his exit could happen in January, but the rumoured price tag for Marmoush is set at around £50 million.
Everything you need to know about Riqui Puig's salary at LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy's highly-rated midfielder Riqui Puig is one of many gems produced by Barcelona's youth academy La Masia.
Coming through the ranks at the Blaugrana club, Puig was destined to become a top midfielder at Barcelona. However, after spending four seasons with the first team at Barcelona, the then 23-year-old made a surprising decision to embark on a new journey in MLS.
Since his arrival at the club, Puig has become an integral part of the dressing room, even leading the Los Angeles-based club to the MLS Cup title in 2024.
Apart from being a top player, Puig is also one of the highest earners at the club.
GOAL delved into the numbers with the MLS salary guide and found out just how much the Spaniard is on!
*
Riqui Puig's wages at LA Galaxy in numbers
Under his current contract at LA Galaxy, Puig earns $89,272 (£68,741) on a weekly basis.
Meanwhile, his numbers annually scale up to $4.6 million (£3.5m) making him the highest-paid player at the club.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in USD
Weekly wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Riqui Puig
Spanish
$89,272
£68,741
$4,642,188
£3,574,543
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Top earners at LA Galaxy
As we just saw, Puig is the highest earner at LA Galaxy. Following him on the list is Ghanaian winger Joseph Paintsil, whose salary numbers are not very dissimilar to Puig's.
Meanwhile, at numbers three and four are South American stars Gabriel Fortes Chaves and Diego Fagundez, respectively.
Finally, rounding off the top five list in the fifth spot is German forward Marco Reus, who joined the club in 2024.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in USD
Weekly wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Riqui Puig
Spanish
$89,272
£68,741
$4,642,188
£3,574,543
Joseph Paintsil
Ghanaian
$80,423
£61,926
$4,182,000
£3,220,192
Gabriel Fortes Chaves
Brazilian
$47,288
£36,413
$2,459,000
£1,893,460
Diego Fagundez
Uruguayan
$27,096
£20,864
$1,409,000
£1,084,947
Marco Reus
German
$25,192
£19,398
$1,310,000
£1,008,716
Top 5 earners in MLS
Despite being the top earner at LA Galaxy, Puig fails to make the top five across the league. The crown currently belongs to his former team-mate, Argentine maestro Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, Insigne follows in second place, followed by another former Barcelona star in Sergio Busquets.
Federico Bernardeschi comes in fourth, while Emil Forsberg appears at number five on the list.
Player
Club
Weekly wages in USD
Weekly wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Lionel Messi
Inter Miami
$393,205
£302,772
$20,446,667
£15,744,191
Lorenzo Insigne
Toronto FC
$296,153
£228,042
$15,400,000
£11,858,194
Sergio Busquets
Inter Miami
$168,749
£129,938
$8,774,996
£6,756,857
Federico Bernardeschi
Toronto FC
$121,065
£93,221
$6,295,381
£4,847,522
Emil Forsberg
New York Red Bulls
$116,070
£89,540
$6,035,625
£4,660,000
Getty Images Sport
Highest paid players in the world
Although MLS players earn substantial wages, their salaries appear modest compared to the world's top earners, with none making the top five list.
At the top is the ageless Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. In second place is Al Ittihad's Karim Benzema, while Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli secures the third spot.
Meanwhile, Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly round off the list at third and fourth position, repectively.
كشفت تقارير صحفية، منذ قليل، أن المدير الفني لفريق ريال مدريد كارلو أنشيلوتي، أبلغ المحيطين به في النادي الإسباني بقراره النهائي حول مستقبله.
ويعاني أنشيلوتي من ضغوط هائلة في الموسم الحالي، خاصة بعد الخروج من دوري أبطال أوروبا على يد آرسنال من دور ربع النهائي.
وزاد الأمر بعدما خسر ريال مدريد في نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا، أمس أمام برشلونة، بعدما فاز الأخير بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين.
ومن المقرر أن ينتهي عقد أنشيلوتي مع ريال مدريد في 2026، وارتبط مؤخرًا بإمكانية الرحيل وتدريب منتخب البرازيل، مع رغبة الأخير في الاستعانة به.
وحسبما ذكرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية، فإنه من المقرر أن يغادر كارلو أنشيلوتي النادي وسيتولى تدريب منتخب البرازيل.
وأوضحت أن مصادر في ريال مدريد، التي رفضت الكشف عن هويتها، أفادت أن أنشيلوتي أبلغ بالفعل أعضاء غرفة الملابس في النادي بنيته الرحيل.
وأشارت إلى أنه من المتوقع أن يُكمل أنشيلوتي موسم الدوري الإسباني وينضم إلى البرازيل في يونيو المقبل.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تشيزني: هذا ما فكرت به قبل تسجيل كوندي هدف فوز برشلونة أمام ريال مدريد
هذا الأمر يعني أن أنشيلوتي لن يتولى مسؤولية تدريب ريال مدريد في كأس العالم للأندية، في نسخته الجديدة في أمريكا الصيف المقبل.
وسيتعين على إدارة ريال مدريد اختيار من سيخلف أنشيلوتي في قيادة الفريق في كأس العالم للأندية، إما مدرب مؤقت، حيث سيكون سانتي سولاري مدير كرة القدم هو الأنسب، أو مدرب جديد مع العلم أن تشابي ألونسو هو الخيار الأبرز.
ومن المتوقع إجراء المزيد من المحادثات مع ريال مدريد في الساعات والأيام القادمة، لحسم تفاصيل رحيل أنشيلوتي.
ووفقًا للشبكة نفسها، قرر ديفيد أنشيلوتي، نجل كارلو أنشيلوتي ومساعده في التدريب، بدء مسيرته كمدرب مستقبل، ولن ينضم إلى والده في البرازيل، إلا إذا لم يتلق عرضًا مناسبًا من جهة أخرى.
من جهة أخرى، من المقرر عقد اجتماعات أخرى الأسبوع المقبل بين أنشيلوتي ومسؤولي الاتحاد البرازيلي لكرة القدم، وإذا سارت الأمور حسب الخطة، فقد يوقع الإيطالي عقدًا.
ومن غير المتوقع أن تكون الصفقة طويلة الأمد، وأشارت مصادر إلى أنها ستكون أقل من أربع سنوات.
Middlesex suffer first defeat of campaign in rain-affected chase at Hove
ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2022Ravi Bopara’s captain’s innings of 54 not out off 36 balls at Hove helped Sussex Sharks to inflict a first defeat of the Vitality Blast campaign on Middlesex.Bopara was joined in a decisive sixth-wicket unbroken stand of 58 in 6.5 overs by Harrison Ward as Sussex won a rain-affected contest by five wickets with three balls to spare to draw alongside their South Group opponents with a third victory – albeit having played one match more than Middlesex.Ward hit Toby Roland-Jones over long on off the back foot for six in a 14th over costing 16 and in which both Ward and Bopara also collected legside fours.And a crowd of more than 4,000 at the First Central County Ground lapped it up when, with 10 needed from the last over, Bopara swung Martin Andersson’s fast-medium high over long on and followed it next ball with a leg-glanced four to complete the win.West Indian left-arm seamer Obed McCoy, meanwhile, claimed 4 for 30 in Middlesex’s 163 all out, in which Joe Cracknell hit two sixes and eight fours in a 49-ball 68.Rain delayed the start of Sussex’s chase, leaving them to score 146 from 17 overs to win on Duckworth Lewis Stern regulations, and Roland-Jones struck with his first ball to have Luke Wright caught for 5 at deep mid wicket.The Sharks were 20 for 2 when Jason Behrendorff bowled Ali Orr for 10 and an even shakier 37 for 3 as Roland-Jones returned to have Tom Alsop caught in the deep for 8.New Zealand keeper-batsman Tim Seifert played attractively for a 21-ball 35 on his Sussex debut, with six fours and a six pulled off Luke Hollman’s leg spin, but he was leg-before to a Martin Andersson near-yorker and two overs later, in the 10th, Delray Rawlins was pinned lbw for 10 by Chris Green having just smeared the off spinner for six.But Bopara and Ward made an equation of 46 from the last five overs look relatively simple, with Bopara finishing with a six and seven fours and Ward unbeaten on 22.Earlier Steven Finn took 3 for 29 against his former county, striking with his first ball of the evening when Max Holden lifted a square drive straight to the fielder on the cover boundary to go for 5 in the second over.Stevie Eskinazi also played well for 31, from just 18 balls, but after slashing Finn and driving Rawlins for sixes he fell to the last ball of Middlesex’s powerplay – making room to hit Finn away for what would have been a third four of the over but thin-edging instead to keeper Seifert.Middlesex were 101 for two at the halfway mark of their innings, but instead of pushing on to something intimidating they fell away in disappointing fashion, losing their last eight wickets for 56 runs in 9.1 overs.McCoy began the slump, picking up the wickets of Jack Davies and Andersson in his second over, the 11th. Left-hander Davies went for 14, slashing high to deep cover, and Andersson edged behind for 1.Finn, with his first ball back, then made it 113 for 5 at the start of the 13th over when John Simpson, slicing a back-foot force, was spectacularly caught right-handed by a diving Wright at short third man to go for 2.Cracknell did pick up Tymal Mills for six behind deep square leg, having earlier plundered three fours from McCoy’s opening over to take Middlesex racing past 50 in the fifth over, but later in that same 16th over the 22-year-old skied an attempted big hit against a slower ball and Mills accepted the caught and bowled.McCoy removed both Hollman (5) and Roland-Jones (1) when recalled for over number 17, Rawlins catching them both, first on the cover ropes and then running in from deep mid wicket respectively.Thilan Walallawita fell to Mills for a duck in the next over, weakly chipping to cover and Middlesex were still well short of par despite Green (22 not out) driving Mills for six and also pulling him for four in a final over in which the bowler later ran out non-striker and last man Behrendorff for 2 after stopping another Green drive – to leave two balls of the Middlesex innings unbowled.
Lancashire Lightning ended a run of nine consecutive Trent Bridge defeats against Notts Outlaws by dismissing the home side for 91 – equalling the lowest score in their T20 history – and sending them crashing to a 87-run loss in this Vitality Blast North Group match, their heaviest defeat in the competition.Outlaws felt their bowlers had done enough to give them a chance of taking the points as the visitors, 88 for 1 after 10 overs, finished on 178 for 7, Keaton Jennings top-scoring with 55.But after a catastrophic start to their reply that saw them 11 for 4 after 11 balls, they were dismissed inside the 15th over. It was only through a late thrash by Luke Fletcher, who cleared the ropes three times in his 22, that they managed to drag their total to level with the 91 that Lancashire dismissed them for at Old Trafford in 2006.Outlaws lost Joe Clarke to a catch at long-on in left-arm spinner Tom Hartley’s opening over and then three in four balls in a calamitous over bowled by Richard Gleeson. The Lancashire seamer, who took a career-best 5 for 33 against Worcestershire Rapids on Sunday, had Ben Duckett caught behind, Samit Patel flicking straight to fine leg before Steven Mullaney was run out by a direct hit from mid-off after setting off for a single that was never there, all in the space of four deliveries.More trouble followed as Tom Moores was brilliantly caught behind off his former team-mate Luke Wood – called up earlier in the day by England – and the home side stumbled out of the powerplay at 34 for 5.Alex Hales, scratching around for form so far this season, offered hope of a recovery with three boundaries but managed only to pick out midwicket as he tried to dispatch a poor ball from Liam Livingstone, and after adding 22 with Dan Christian, Matt Carter was leg before to Hartley trying to pick up a second consecutive four.Christian was caught at deep backward square, Jake Ball holed out to long-on and Fletcher, who clubbed sixes off Matt Parkinson and Livingstone twice, fell victim to a third excellent outfield catch by Steven Croft as the rout was completed.After being asked to bat first, Lancashire had emerged in good shape from the powerplay at 56 for 1, although it should have been for two, Jennings given a let-off on 27 when Outlaws keeper Moores failed to take what should have been a routine catch after Ball had found the edge.Clubbed for four and six by Jennings in the same over, Ball could not hide his frustration, sensing he had a second wicket after dismissing Phil Salt via a catch that Moores did take. With Livingstone looking in the mood at the other end, smashing Dane Paterson for six over his head and pulling Fletcher for another, Lancashire were well set at 88 for 1 after 10 overs.But the second-wicket partnership was broken two balls into the 11th as Livingstone, who has an international T20 century on this ground, tried to clear the ropes again off Paterson but merely sent the ball upwards, Christian making himself rock steady to hold the catch at extra cover.After a 20-minute stoppage for rain, Tim David had picked out deep midwicket off slow left-armer Patel, and then Paterson picked up another big scalp as Jennings sent one soaring into the air behind square on the leg side, Fletcher watching it swirl around in the floodlights before completing the catch, keeping the ball firmly in his grip despite hitting the ground with a thud.Although Ball went for 17 in the 17th, the last five overs mainly demonstrated Outlaws’ strength at the end of an innings. Fletcher, mauled for 27 in his first two overs, gave over only 14 in his last two, picking up the wickets of Dane Vilas and Croft for good measure, Ball wrapping up with a much better final over as Lancashire finished with fewer runs than they probably anticipated at the halfway stage, although ultimately more than enough.
Jos Buttler to take charge amid ongoing fitness doubts over England white-ball captain
Matt Roller22-Jun-2022
Matthew Mott and Eoin Morgan compare notes at training•Getty Images
Eoin Morgan will sit out of England’s third ODI against the Netherlands on Wednesday due to a “tight groin” as concerns over his form and fitness continue to dominate the narrative around England’s white-ball sides. Jos Buttler will take over as captain.Morgan finishes the series with no runs and two dismissals from the eight balls he faced and while it is hardly unprecedented for him to rest himself for part of a series, his fitness has become a mounting issue this year.He said at the start of this tour that he would rest himself for at least some of England’s international fixtures this summer due to his concerns about playing games on consecutive days, something he has made a point of avoiding in the T20 Blast for Middlesex after suffering a thigh injury during the T20I series in Barbados earlier this year after playing back-to-back games.Morgan also said that he hoped to play all three games in the series “if possible” but his right groin, which he tweaked while playing for Middlesex last month and felt during Sunday’s second ODI, has left him unable to do so. He missed their optional training session on Tuesday and was ruled out of the third ODI on the morning of the game.England did not pick a spare batter in their squad so one of their allrounders – Moeen Ali or Sam Curran – will bat in the top six. David Payne, the Gloucestershire left-arm seamer, also makes his international debut.Morgan has hit a single half-century – against Sri Lanka in July 2021 – in the last 18 months across both international and domestic cricket in both 50-over and T20 cricket and his back-to-back ducks have furthered the impression that his latest form slump could be terminal.He insisted that he can “still contribute to a World Cup win” and intends to lead the side in the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year but has admitted that leading England’s defence of their 50-over title in India in 2023 feels “a long way away”.Buttler, his heir apparent, will be captaining in his ninth ODI having regularly deputised in Morgan’s absence over the past six years.
Marcus Rashford says he is "playing better" at Aston Villa after his FA Cup heroics sent them into the semi-final at Preston's expense.
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Rashford joined Villa on loan in JanuaryPutting Man Utd struggles behind himEnjoying his football once againFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Rashford scored twice against Preston as Villa sealed a comfortable 3-0 win the FA Cup quarter-final. They will now play Crystal Palace in the last four, and Rashford admits he is enjoying his football once again after leaving Manchester United, albeit on a short-term deal.
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The England international now has two goals and four assists to his name across 10 games for Villa in all competitions; at United, he scored seven and registered three assists in 24 games as he struggled for form and consistency.
WHAT RASHFORD SAID
Rashford told : "It's a great feeling. It's always nice for a forward to get a goal, so hopefully it continues. I feel like I've been getting fitter and playing better football since I've been here. I missed a lot of football before joining up with them. My body feels good and I'm enjoying my football for now."
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Villa face Brighton on Wednesday before taking on high-flyers Nottingham Forest next weekend.
Stumps Sri Lanka’s experienced Test batters and their newest member combined to earn them a handy lead on the third day in Galle as they aim to square the two-Test series. Dinesh Chandimal made his 13th Test hundred and Kamindu Mendis marked his debut with an innings full of classy touches, the pair joining for a fifth-wicket stand of 133, to ensure Australia endured a long day in the field.Overall, Sri Lanka’s batters from No. 2 to No. 6 all contributed a half-century or better and it was the first time five of them had scored fifties or more in the same innings against Australia. With a lead of 67 and two days remaining, Sri Lanka have the chance to put considerable pressure on Australia’s second innings, although the loss of Kamindu and Niroshan Dickwella in the final session dented hopes of a more substantial advantage, and batting last could yet be a fraught task.Chandimal brought up his century, his second against Australia, from 195 balls when he dabbed Nathan Lyon into the off side, punching the air has he ran through. It was an innings largely compiled with low-risk batting, except for the occasional moment of outright aggression such as an early six against Lyon and launching Mitchell Starc over mid-off.After a collectively poor show in the first Test, notwithstanding the challenging conditions, Sri Lanka’s senior batters responded. Not for the first time, however, Australia were left to regret burning their reviews. When Chandimal was on 30, he edged Starc behind but it was given not out by Kumar Dharmasena, and Australia had no recourse to the third umpire having used up their reviews shortly before the 80-over mark: first, they went up for an lbw against Angelo Mathews but there was a thin bottom edge, and then for a catch at silly point against Chandimal, but there was only pad.Another opportunity came their way when Kamindu was on 43 and advanced at Lyon, was beaten by the turn, and Alex Carey couldn’t gather the stumping chance. Carey had earlier missed an almost impossible stumping chance offered by Chandimal on 10, then late in the day a le-side one against Ramesh Mendis. On 34, Kamindu had also edged a very tough chance to Steven Smith at slip, but it would have been a brilliant catch wide, and low to his left.Kamindu Mendis marked his Test debut with an innings full of classy touches•AFP/Getty Images
There were not many options Pat Cummins did not use through the day, including periods of short bowling, 7-2 off-side fields to try and stem the scoring rate, changes of ends and the part-time spin of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. Lyon had a huge workload, clocking up 56 overs, and briefly left the field for treatment for cramps. Late reward came his way when Dickwella, a batter who could have taken on a tired attack, clubbed to mid-on.Chandimal had arrived in the third over of the day when Lyon made an early breakthrough by trapping Kusal Mendis lbw with one which spun sharply from outside off. It came shortly after an almost-identical appeal had been declined by Michael Gough with it remaining umpire’s call on height by the narrowest of margins. Chandimal immediately made a statement by taking on Lyon’s attacking line with consecutive shots through the off side for four and six as he and Mathews set about building their 83-run stand.The partnership was broken shortly after lunch when Mathews got an inside edge into his pad attempting to work Starc to the leg side, which popped out into the on side and was smartly held by Labuschagne at short leg. It did not prove costly, but replays showed that he, too, could have been lbw on review against Lyon shortly before he was out.In Starc’s next over, Chandimal survived his edge behind, but by and large he and Kamindu were untroubled for lengthy periods. Kamindu, who holds a first-class batting average of 61, looked at ease almost from the start, getting underway with a back cut against Lyon, and was not flustered when the quicks went short at him. Some of his timing was exquisite, with a straight-bat punch through midwicket, a square drive off Cummins and an off-drive against Lyon especially eye-catching.He fell attempting to slog-sweep Mitchell Swepson out of the rough, which opened the door for Australia late in a long day, but he had done enough to suggest he will be hard to leave out for the series against Pakistan which follows. First, though, there are two huge days ahead for Sri Lanka. To take a drawn series after what happened in the first Test, and from the strong position Australia found themselves early in this match, would be a significant achievement.