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After tying both Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah down to new deals, Liverpool are now reportedly set to offer another star man a fresh contract in the hope that he stays put.

Liverpool still trying to convince Alexander-Arnold

Although the Reds have plenty to celebrate with Van Dijk and Salah staying put before they sealed their status as Premier League champions last weekend, there still remains questions to be answered in the coming weeks. And the first on everyone’s mind will undoubtedly surround Trent Alexander-Arnold and his future at the club.

Yet to follow in his teammates’ footsteps by putting pen to paper, it seems likely at this stage that the academy graduate will be off to Real Madrid as a free agent when the summer arrives. Liverpool, however, are reportedly yet to give up hope and after Alexander-Arnold received a reminder of what Anfield glory truly feels like, perhaps they are right to hold onto that belief.

Alexander-Arnold, himself, chose to remain reserved when questioned about his future following his winning goal against Leicester City, meanwhile. He told reporters: “I have said all season that I am not going to speak on my situation. I am not going to go into the details.

“But days like today are always special. Scoring goals, playing games, winning games, winning titles — they are special moments for me and I am glad to do my part.”

Revealed: The "exciting" 9-goal winger Liverpool chiefs have enquired about

The Premier League champions could swoop in…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 29, 2025

With that said, the right-back isn’t the only Anfield star who has found himself at the centre of contract headlines, with one of Liverpool’s most important players now reportedly set to be offered a fresh deal in Merseyside.

Liverpool set to offer Ryan Gravenberch fresh contract

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool have now made contact with Ryan Gravenberch’s camp over a fresh deal at the club, as they look to tie down yet another one of Arne Slot’s key men.

The Dutchman, who is currently on £150,000-a-week has been a revelation under Slot, converting from a struggling midfielder to Liverpool’s unlikely solution in the No.6 role – replacing Fabinho at long last.

The Liverpool boss has rarely hidden his admiration for the former Bayern Munich star either, telling reporters earlier in the campaign after his side drew against Fulham: “Impressed, like everyone who was in the stadium or saw the game. Ryan did outstanding again today.

“Without the ball, he was mostly in our last line, had to play sometimes against a nine, against wingers who are really fast. And with the ball, he came into the midfield. An outstanding performance from him.”

With three years left on his current deal, it looks as though Liverpool are keen to ensure that Gravenberch is at the heart of their midfield for years to come and even beyond those three years.

Liverpool moved one step closer to winning the Premier League title, whilst relegating their opponents in the process, by beating Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

The Reds battled hard throughout the game to take the lead, but had to wait until deep into the second half to find the opening strike from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Arne Slot brought the defender off the bench in the second 45 and was rewarded with a match-winning cameo from the academy graduate, who is out of contract this summer.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's match-winning display

The England international came off the bench to secure all three points for the Reds with his goal in the second half, after Conor Bradley started the game.

Alexander-Arnold had only scored two goals in 28 matches in the Premier League before Sunday’s match, yet the full-back stepped up to seal the win with a superbly hit left-footed strike that was too hot for Mads Hermansen to handle.

His match-winning display was not perfect, though, as his use of the ball outside of that goal was not up to usual standards, completing 50% (4/8) of his attempted passes and losing possession eight times from 15 touches.

This could have provided Leicester with a route back into the match late on in the game, as he was consistently giving them the ball back, but the hosts did not have the quality to make anything out of their extra possessions.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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There was a Liverpool player who was even better than the match-winner on the day, as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai made himself undroppable with a superb all-round display from the start.

Why Dominik Szoboszlai is undroppable

The Hungary international was left out of the XI in the narrow win over West Ham at Anfield last time out, as Curtis Jones started ahead of him, but he has just made himself undroppable with an excellent showing.

Szoboszlai should keep his place ahead of the England international after an incredibly efficient and creative display in the middle of the park against Leicester.

The midfield whiz, who was once described as “magic” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, created two ‘big chances’ for his teammates, which they failed to take, and only lost possession twice from 46 touches of the ball.

Stats

Szoboszlai vs Leicester

Jones vs West Ham

Minutes

71

68

xG + xA

0.37

0.28

Big chances created

2

0

Duels won

2/4

2/5

Possession lost

2x

5x

Dribbled past

0x

0x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Szoboszlai outperformed Jones in that midfield role after the Englishman failed to create any chances, let alone ‘big chances’, in the West Ham clash.

The Hungarian dynamo, who lost possession fewer times than Alexander-Arnold despite playing 52 more minutes, should now be undroppable in that position ahead of Jones, after significantly outperforming him.

Szoboszlai was also more impressive than the match-winner for Liverpool because the rest of the defender’s performance outside of the strike left a bit to be desired, whilst the former RB Leipzig man was excellent on and off the ball throughout his time on the pitch in midfield.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Apr 20, 2025

Slot must, now, keep the creative maestro in the starting line-up for the club’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Premier League next weekend.

The Wankhede crowd found their full voice as Suryakumar walked to the crease, and they weren’t left disappointed

S Sudarshanan12-Apr-20243:13

Dasgupta: ‘Not just a win, it was a statement’

It was hard to make out if the roar was for Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally picking up a wicket. After conceding 101 in just 52 balls, they had managed to see the back of Ishan Kishan, who blazed away to 69 off just 34 balls in Mumbai Indians’ chase of 197. Those in the Sachin Tendulkar Stand and the Dilip Vengsarkar Stand were jumping with joy, and only when the cheers grew louder after the incoming batter’s name was announced at the Wankhede Stadium, did the reason become clear: it was for Suryakumar Yadav.If Rohit Sharma is Mumbai (king of Mumbai), Suryakumar is Surya (elder brother) for the MI fans. ” [Only one promise, Surya brother!]” chanted a group of fans in their twenties as they made their way to the Wankhede Stadium. “SKY for the sky” read a poster by another supporter. The lynchpin of Mumbai’s batting commanded support even if he had played only one match – for a two-ball duck – since returning from a four-and-a-half-month injury layoff.It was only a four-ball wait before SKY opened up. He flicked Akash Deep, playing his first IPL match as a capped India cricketer, through midwicket before pummeling him for three sixes – including his trademark shot over deep-backward square leg.Related

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Mumbai vs RCB stats – Bumrah's record five-for and MI's Wankhede half century

Suryakumar did not spare the experienced Reece Topley either, taking 18 with three fours and a six in the bowler’s third over. Having seen Suryakumar’s on-side prowess earlier, Topley’s attempt to bowl wide from his hitting arc was an understandable ploy. But the Mumbai batter managed to get under one such length ball and carved it over deep point for half a dozen.Suryakumar has done all of it before – accessing parts of the ground that seemed near impossible. But after being sidelined for a lengthy period – first with an ankle injury and then because of sports hernia – the only question was if he could get his touch back. But in smashing a 17-ball half-century – the joint second-fastest for MI in the IPL history – in a high-octane chase, Suryakumar dispelled any doubts in a flash.”When the tournament started, I was mentally here but physically [at the National Cricket Academy] in Bangalore,” Suryakumar told the host broadcaster after the match. “When I came here, it felt like I never left. When chasing 200 at Wankhede, it is important to know the dew factor. If it is there, then you have to take your chances.Suryakumar Yadav brought out his full range of thrilling strokes•AFP/Getty Images”I just try to play the field, I have practised these shots a lot. It is just in my muscle memory – I go and enjoy it. The slice over point for six I enjoyed the most.”Suryakumar’s routine during rehab was “boring” but as he inched closer to returning to competitive cricket, his motivation increased. He is never one to shy away from the spotlight and wanted his comeback to be a bit different. With an impactful knock as Impact Player on Thursday, he ensured that his return to the runs did not fly under the radar.Suryakumar enjoyed every bit of his one hour on the field. After his dismissal, he had a wide smile as he acknowledged the crowd – helmet off and arms aloft – as he made his way off the ground. He knew that a second win was assured for Mumbai after his 19-ball 52 – that featured five fours and four sixes – brought down the asking rate to just a shade over three per over.It was almost like last year when Suryakumar’s 35-ball 83 had helped Mumbai overhaul RCB’s 199 for 6 at the same venue without breaking much sweat. This time, Mumbai won with 27 balls to spare.”When he scored his fifty, I told him, ‘Welcome back’,” captain Hardik Pandya said. “It’s always good to have Surya in your team. I have been opposition captain to him, and it is pretty tough to set the field, because he hits places where I have never seen many batters hit.”After the game, Suryakumar revealed that he never faces Jasprit Bumrah in the nets because “he either breaks my bat or my foot!” Suryakumar versus Bumrah last played out in the open in IPL 2017, when the former was with Kolkata Knight Riders.It is a loss for fans that they may never get to watch these two superstars pitted against each other at the peak of their powers.

For one, they understand bowling, which is key for decision-makers on the field

Ian Chappell03-Jul-2022Much recent talk in cricket circles has centred around captaincy and retirement.No one should be shocked by the success of Ben Stokes as captain. He’s an allrounder who understands bowling. On the field his main priority is taking wickets, and despite Joe Root’s dazzling success as a batter, Stokes is the most inspirational England player on the field.The former cricketer and excellent captain Imran Khan declared that a good captain understands bowling. Stokes is such a player, and the team believing in his approach is a huge positive for the England side.When Eoin Morgan announced his retirement from the England limited-overs captaincy, the timing of it reaffirmed former Australia captain Richie Benaud’s thoughts on how to make the decision on when to step down. “You’ll know,” was his typically succinct and wise comment on the touchy subject. The best summary of it came from another former Australia allrounder, Keith Miller, who in reply to a question said, “I wanted to retire while people were asking why did you, rather than them saying why don’t you.”Related

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Despite all the talk of consulting partners, grandmas, and other assorted gurus, retirement should be a selfish decision: it is made to satisfy only one person.When England coach Brendon McCullum discussed Morgan’s retirement with him, he said: “You’ll know. It will be a feeling that just comes and hits you. Just make sure you recognise it when it comes.” Morgan recognised the sign and made the correct decision.Perhaps looking to emulate the success of captains Pat Cummins and Stokes, India appointed fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as captain for their current Test with England. This is a courageous appointment and speaks volumes for Bumrah’s on-field nous.Like with Stokes, no one should be surprised by Cummins’ success. He leads a varied attack that contains very good bowlers and he utilises them wisely. It also doesn’t hurt that Nathan Lyon is a very experienced and long-time spinner.

If a captain has a competitive team who believe in his methods, a lot of good things happen. The players tend to expect, and consequently produce, a good outcome

Part of Cummins’ success as captain comes from recognising Australia’s ability to handle an opposition assault, and how he maintains his composure. Australia also have enough good batters to mount a challenge, and their superiority helped them demolish a weak Sri Lankan side this week. Handling opposition assaults and not spreading fields senselessly is one sure way to gain an advantage in Test cricket.This is an area where Stokes scored over New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Fast bowler Trent Boult was the only New Zealander who maintained a semblance of control under assault, especially from the destructive Jonny Bairstow. The fact that Williamson had a very inexperienced spinner in Michael Bracewell didn’t help.If a captain has a competitive team who believe in his methods, a lot of good things happen. The players tend to expect, and consequently produce, a good outcome.One of the main things a player has to deal with in cricket is the strain that develops when the opposition goes on the attack. England have performed brilliantly with the bat in this aspect, and Stokes’ own aggressive batting shouldn’t be underestimated. While he will have to slightly temper that aggression, it has rubbed off on the other players. As the best slip fielder, being in the slips is also Stokes’ best fielding position.England have also started gradually picking their best players for a position, with wicketkeeping being a priority. However, they have to ditch the nonsensical bouncer barrages, and they need a varied bowling attack rather than an all-right-arm-seam squad. They’ll also come to understand that Jack Leach is not the spinner to withstand an onslaught from the better batters.Nevertheless, they have improved immensely under Stokes’ positive guidance. While Root remains a top-class player, his captaincy, although afflicted with bad luck in regard to his faster bowlers, was going downhill fast and the team had lost faith in his tactics.Now it remains to be seen how much Stokes’ imagination and positivity can help England against a tested team. His leadership battle with Bumrah will be a fascinating sidelight to what will be an entertaining game.

If you're looking for a few bets to place for Saturday's MLB action, you've come to the right place.

I have three wagers locked in for today's slate, including one against the Toronto Blue Jays, who make winning baseball games seem like a near-impossible task.

Let's dive into them.

MLB Best Bets Today

Reds -155 vs. MarlinsBraves +110 vs. PadresDiamondbacks -130 vs. Blue JaysMarlins vs. Reds Prediction

Now might be the time to invest in the Reds. They have had the best offense in baseball over the last week, batting .286 with an OPS of .902.

Meanwhile, the Marlins continue to run cold. Things will get worse for them today with Edward Cabrera (6.84 ERA) on the mound. This game could get ugly and I'm surprised we're able to get the Reds at -155 odds.

Braves vs. Padres Prediction

Be careful, the Padres rank dead last in the Majors in OPS over the last week. Something may be going on with their offensive flow and now they have to take on Reynaldo Lopez and his stellar 1.71 ERA.

Even though the Braves have been slumping offensively the past month, they still outrank the Padres in virtually every single offensive metric. We should be jumping at the chance to take Atlanta as an underdog in this National League showdown.

Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks Prediction

You're telling me the Blue Jays bullpen blew another late lead last night? Color me (not) shocked. The Jays bullpen ranks 29th in the Majors in bullpen ERA this season at 4.87. Only the Rockies, who play their home games at Coors Field, rank worse.

Offensively, the Diamondbacks rank sixth in OPS over the last 30 days while the Blue Jays come in at 19th.

At this point, you'd have to be a masochist to be betting on Toronto.

South Africa won their first toss in India in eight attempts but Bumrah put it out of the equation with a five-for

Sidharth Monga14-Nov-20253:22

How is Bumrah still unplayable on a dry surface?

It was pitches in 2015-16, it was the tosses in 2019-20, but India took the pitch and the toss out of the equation in dismissing South Africa for 159 on the first day of the 2025-26 series. The visitors won the toss on a decent batting surface at Eden Gardens, raced away to 57 for 0 in 10 overs, but then became victims of Jasprit Bumrah’s 16th five-wicket haul and excellent support work from Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj. India, with a new No. 3 in Washington Sundar, were 37 for 1 in 20 overs possible before stumps.Guilty of playing too little bowling in the past, India went in with six of them as Washington moved to No. 3, making room for Axar Patel in the XI. For a while, as Siraj struggled for rhythm and Axar was taken down, it seemed India would need all the bowling they could muster.However, Bumrah had been excellent at the other end. Out of those 57, he had conceded only nine runs in five overs. He pushed himself for two more overs in that first spell, and produced two near unplayable deliveries. He went round the wicket to swing one in to Ryan Rickelton and then nip it away a touch to take the off stump. In his next over, he got Aiden Markram with one that kicked off a length. Bumrah ended his spell with figures of 7-4-9-2 out of a score of 62 for 2.Related

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It might not have been an unplayable pitch, but it had enough to keep bowlers interested. Kuldeep found that with some quick turn in his first spell. Accordingly, he and Shubman Gill went for a backward short leg as opposed to one in front of square. In no time he had Temba Bavuma edging one there for a sharp catch for Dhruv Jurel, who handed over the big gloves to the returning Rishabh Pant but retained his spot in the XI on the back of a century against West Indies and two against South Africa A.Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder somehow saw South Africa through to lunch, but immediately after they had to face the double trouble of Bumrah and Kuldeep. In just six overs, both had been sent back for an addition of just 15. Mulder, who got off the mark with a reverse-sweep off Kuldeep, fell lbw on the same shot for 24. De Zorzi got a similar delivery to the one that Rickelton did, but this one nipped in and beat him on the inside edge.The ball had just started to reverse for Bumrah, and Siraj took over to continue the nightmare for South Africa. Kyle Verrreynne’s big back lift was always an invitation for Siraj, who eventually hit him pad first right in front. In the same over, he hit the top of off of Marco Jansen.Axar Patel, 3-0-20-0 in his first spell, now returned to find some turn. With his long arms and low release creating an extreme angle, Axar becomes dangerous once he gets one to turn. He now had Corbin Bosch playing for the non-existent turn and had him lbw with what proved to be the last ball before tea.Jasprit Bumrah is congratulated by his team-mates after completing his five-for•Getty ImagesTristan Stubbs, the specialist batter, didn’t farm strike and left the two spinners Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj at the mercy of Bumrah, who had them both in one over to go level with BS Chandrasekhar on five-fors and into India’s top five. It consigned South Africa to their second-lowest score against India in the first innings of a match.Batting wasn’t quite straightforward for India either, which is where South Africa dearly missed Kagiso Rabada, who was out with a rib injury. In fading east Indian light, Jansen was on the money but couldn’t quite find the length with which he could threaten the stumps. He still got the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal on the cut.KL Rahul and Washington had to be watchful with little to gain really. In the brief period of spin possible, Maharaj came close to bowling Rahul, and Harmer showed he was a much-improved bowler from the one that toured India in 2015-16. That Bumrah five-for began to look even more important with a few puffs of dust towards the end of the day.

England have received a major injury scare ahead of the Ashes after quick Mark Wood experienced stiffness in his left hamstring during their only warm-up match in Perth.Wood had bowled two four-over spells against the Lions at Lilac Hill in his first competitive match in nine months since surgery on his left knee. He left the field after his second four-over spell midway through the second session.Related

• Stokes six-for highlights England's first day of pre-Ashes action

• Mark Wood puts 'boring' rehab behind him as he gears up for bowling return

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“The plan for Mark Wood was for him to bowl eight overs today,” an ECB statement said. “He has some stiffness in his hamstring, which has kept him off the field for some time during the second session of the first day and will undergo a precautionary scan tomorrow.”He is expected to bowl again in two days’ time. It is unlikely he will return to the field today.”England have taken a cautious approach with Wood’s rehabilitation from the knee injury that he sustained at the Champions Trophy in February. He had initially hoped to feature in the final Test of their summer series against India, but a setback in training ended up ruling him out of the entire home season.Wood had bowled several lively deliveries on a relatively sedate surface, conditions far different to what is expected in the first Test at Optus Stadium. He is part of an all-out England pace attack against the Lions, with offspinner Shoaib Bashir not selected in the main XI.”That’s not ideal, but that’s part of being an extremely fast bowler,” Harry Brook said after the day’s play. “I haven’t seen him yet and spoken to him, so I don’t know his current situation. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”There was further frustration for England’s pace attack with Brydon Carse unavailable on the first day of the warm-up match due to illness, prompting him to stay at the team’s hotel.Captain Ben Stokes had been the standout bowler, with four of the five wickets to fall before tea in an encouraging return in his first match since late July.The development comes just a day after Australia quick Josh Hazlewood was cleared of a hamstring injury. But fellow Ashes Test squad member Sean Abbott was withdrawn from the squad after scans on his left hamstring confirmed a moderate grade strain.

كشف فويتشيك تشيزني، حارس مرمى نادي برشلونة، عن الحديث الذي دار بينه وبين زميله في الفريق الكتالوني، عقب خروج البلوجرانا من نصف نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم الماضي.

برشلونة ودع بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم الماضي من دور قبل النهائي، وذلك عقب الهزيمة ضد إنتر ميلان 4-3 في لقاء الإياب على ملعب جوزيبي مياتزا.

وعقب نهاية المباراة دخل لاعبي برشلونة في حالة من البكاء الشديد بالفعل، حيث كان البارسا قريبًا بشدة من الصعود إلى النهائي.

وأشار تشيزني في تصريحات نقلتها ”Barcauniversal.com”، أن لاعب برشلونة، جيرارد مارتن، قد طلب منه الوقوف بجانبه بعد الخروج أمام إنتر ميلان، موضحًا أن الظهير الأيسر طلب مساعدته.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفاندوفسكي يرفض الانتقال إلى نادي تركي.. وعملاق أوروبي يترقب

وقال تشيزني: “سألت جيرارد مارتن وقلت له لماذا تبكي؟ فأخبرني أنه خسر نصف النهائي في دوري الأبطال”.

وأضاف: ”ذكرت مارتن بقصته وقلت له أين كنت قبل عامين؟ كنت تلعب كرة قدم عادية في أي ملعب قديم، واليوم يا صديقي لعبت في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأوضح: “قلت له ستخسر مئة مباراة مهمة وستفوز بمئة أخرى، لكن انظر أين أنت اليوم، يا صديقي هذا هو سان سيرو، واليوم كنت تلعب في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، تقول إننا خسرنا، حسنًا لقد خسرنا، لكن انظر إلى أي مدى وصلت”.

وأردف تشيزني: “استنشق نفسًا عميقًا وانتظر، كان عليه أن يستوعب الأمر وأخيرًا، قال: يا إلهي، حتى أنني صنعت تمريرة حاسمة اليوم، ولم يعد يبكي”.

واختتم: ”إنه يعرف من هو، كانت تمريرته حاسمة في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، وعندما خرج من الحمام هذا ما شعر به تمامًا، كان يعرف كيف يقف بشموخ ويرفع رأسه عاليًا”.

Dropping points away to Sunderland was far from ideal, but even so, Arsenal are flying this season.

Unlike last season, Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t finding it hard to score goals, and thanks to their unreal defence, they rarely concede any.

This combination sees them sit atop the Premier League table, four points ahead of Manchester City and eight points clear of reigning champions Liverpool.

While there are several candidates, it would be fair to say that, so far, Gabriel Magalhães has been Arsenal’s player of the season, and Andrea Berta has already signed another version of the Brazilian.

Gabriel's development at Arsenal

Gabriel joined Arsenal from LOSC Lille for around £27m in the summer of 2020, and since then has developed significantly in practically every way imaginable.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Now, the Brazilian wasn’t a bad player in his first season for the Gunners, but he wasn’t one of the first names on the teamsheet.

For example, he made just 32 appearances across all competitions for Arteta, of which 23 were in the league, averaging 1.57 points per game.

He would become more of an ever-present member of the backline over the following seasons, but even during the early stages of the 22/23 season, he was seen as someone who could be a liability.

In fact, following a game away to Leeds United, in which he had a penalty incident overturned, Rio Ferdinand pointed out that “every week he’s in the headlines or he’s in underneath with a little bullet point next to his name and a bad incident.”

Fortunately, towards the end of that year and in the campaigns since, the former Lille star has become increasingly dependable, to the point that he occasionally wears the captain’s armband and has been the club’s standout performer this year.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.06

0.21

Shots

0.64

0.93

Passing Accuracy

85.3%

88.6%

Key Passes

0.11

0.34

Shot-Creating Actions

0.53

1.23

Goal-Creating Actions

0.04

0.27

Tackles Won

0.51

0.53

Shots Blocked

0.82

1.30

Passes Blocked

0.32

0.48

Dispossessed

0.32

0.00

Aerial Duels Won

2.59

3.22

Another way to see his growth is to compare his underlying numbers from his first season to those of today.

Doing this shows that the 27-year-old now wins more tackles, blocks more shots and passes, makes more clearances, wins more aerial duels, completes more of his passes, is a greater goal threat, and is far better at creating chances for his teammates.

In all, Gabriel has been able to channel his natural passion over the years and is now arguably the club’s most important defender, so it’s excellent news that Berta signed someone who could develop just like him.

Arsenal's new Gabriel

Arsenal are blessed with an abundance of extremely talented defenders, but when it comes to the one most likely to develop down a Gabriel-esque path, it’s impossible to ignore Cristhian Mosquera.

Andrea Berta signed the Spanish centre-back from Valencia in the summer, for a fee of just £13m, which one content creator fairly described as “a steal.”

Now, the 21-year-old certainly has some of the elegance of a William Saliba, and could certainly be that ball-playing passing machine at the back, but it still feels like he is going to evolve to be more like the Brazilian.

One of the main reasons is that, despite being so young and having only just joined the team, he already appears mature beyond his years, as exemplified by his unfazed performance against Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season.

More crucially, though, the 6 foot 3 “monster,” as club insider Hand of Arsenal dubbed him, seems to relish the more physical side of the game.

Sure, he can play it safe, but as respected analyst Ben Mattinson points out, he very clearly “loves to battle with physical attackers” and “thrives in ground duels due.”

Further described as an “absolute cheat code of a player” by Arsenal content creator Harold Hickman, he has already proven himself to be something of a leader.

For example, in his recent games for Spain’s U21 side, he has had the responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband.

Ultimately, it’s still early in his career, but thanks to his composure, ability to compete in physical duels, and passion for doing so, it looks like Arsenal have themselves another Gabriel in Mosquera.

The new Alexis: Arsenal ready to spend £80m to sign "world-class superstar"

Arsenal could spend £80m to sign their new version of Alexis Sanchez.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 13, 2025

Left-hander belts 53-ball hundred to maintain Yorkshire’s relentless march towards knockouts

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Aug-2025

Yorkshire 354 for 7 (Bean 102*, Wharton 84) beat Durham 142 (White 3-24) by 212 runsFinlay Bean broke Yorkshire’s record for their fastest-ever List A century with a 53-ball hundred in a landslide 212-run win over Durham at Scarborough to maintain their relentless march towards the Metro Bank One-Day Cup knockouts.Bean, batting at No. 5, boosted the Group B leaders to a total of 354 for 7 with a destructive innings of 102 not out off 57 balls, with eight fours and six sixes. James Wharton also contributed a dynamic career best 84. In only his second appearance of the competition, Bean’s maiden List A hundred set Yorkshire up for the fifth win in six matches.Durham then crumbled to 142 all out in 36 overs, losing their fourth game in seven to all but end their knockout hopes. This was their heaviest-ever List A defeat by runs margin. New-ball seamer Jack White returned 3 for 24 from eight overs for the hosts.Yorkshire started solidly under an overcast sky on a pitch with pace and bounce, reaching 99 for 2 after 20 overs. Imam-ul-Haq was caught behind pulling at Ben Raine’s seam for 22 – his lowest score in five One-Day Cup matches – and Adam Lyth caught at deep backward square-leg for 37 following a top-edge against former team-mate Will Rhodes.Having reached 123 for 2 after 25 overs, Will Luxton and Wharton looked to accelerate, and did so for a period as they shared 88 in entertaining fashion. Luxton pulled Raine for six over deep backward square-leg and Wharton also pulled with authority en route to a 54-ball fifty.Almost immediately afterwards, Luxton – on 46 – miscued the pace of Sam Conners to midwicket with the score on 169 in the 33rd. But that only served to bring Bean to the crease, and what followed was sensational. He shared a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket with Wharton.Best known as a determined red-ball opener, Bean reached 50 off 33 balls and scored his second fifty off 20. All of his sixes were leg-side as he beat the previous record for Yorkshire’s fastest List A hundred by seven balls. Lyth, on this ground in 2016, reached his hundred in 60 balls in a two-wicket win over Northamptonshire.Wharton fell short of his own maiden List A hundred as the White Rose scored 174 in the last 15 overs.Durham’s chase then got off to a nightmare start at nine for two in the fifth over, which included two wickets for Ben Coad’s seam and the visitors failing to score off the first 22 balls of the innings.Coad bowled Alex Lees for nought and had Emilio Gay caught at second slip but walked off the field immediately after the second wicket with a suspected hamstring injury. Still, it didn’t hamper Yorkshire in the short term – even if it may do in the next month and a bit.Durham’s race was run before it had got going, with them sinking to 32 for four in the 10th over. Matt Milnes had an uppercutting Colin Ackermann caught behind and White forced captain Ollie Robinson to miscue to Bean at point. George Hill and captain Dom Bess then removed Scott Borthwick and Robbie Bowman before Durham reached 50.Rhodes and George Drissell were Durham’s only two batters to reach 20, with 27 and a consolatory List A best 46 respectively. Rhodes was caught at short third off Lyth’s offspin before Drissell skied White to mid-on, leaving the score at 131 for 9. White finished things off by trapping Codi Yusuf lbw.