Todd Boehly and his team may already have an eye on the upcoming summer transfer window as they prepare to dip into the market to bolster the Chelsea squad.

The American has already splashed the cash by bringing in the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, and Raheem Sterling, among many others, in recent windows.

However, that does not look likely to stop the Blues from investing in their team once again when the next window opens for business later this year.

The depth of their recruitment could be affected by the remaining three games of the Premier League season, though, as the club does not know what competitions they will be competing in.

Chelsea still have the chance to qualify for either the Europa Conference League or the Europa League, and playing in Europe would require more squad depth to deal with the sheer volume of matches that they could play.

One area the Blues are reportedly looking to strengthen in is the goalkeeper position, which looks set to be bad news for current number one Dorde Petrovic.

Chelsea's interest in Premier League goalkeepers

Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino are eyeing up two current Premier League goalkeepers to potentially arrive at Stamford Bridge as the new first-choice this summer.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are lining up a swoop for Everton and England shot-stopper Jordan Pickford to bolster their options between the sticks.

The report claims that they are also looking at Arsenal number two Aaron Ramsdale, who has lost his starting place to David Raya under Mikel Arteta this season.

It states that they have made signing a new number one a priority for the upcoming summer transfer window and that Pickford and Ramsdale have both been identified as targets.

Football Insider claims that the Gunners back-up is poised to move on from The Emirates after losing his spot in the lineup to the Spanish star, which could open the door to a move to Stamford Bridge.

Whereas, the report reveals that Everton are hoping to price their number one out of an exit from Goodison Park after they avoided relegation down to the Championship.

It remains to be seen exactly how much they are set to demand, though, and their interest in Pickford, as well as Ramsdale, spells bad news for Petrovic and his long-term place as the number one for Pochettino.

Dorde Petrovic's Premier League struggles

The Serbia international fought to win his position in the starting XI in the Premier League this season, after starting the term as the back-up to Roberto Sanchez.

He has started 19 of the club's 35 top-flight matches and kept clean sheets in each of his last two outings in the division – against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

The 24-year-old also made a whopping ten saves and recorded a Sofascore rating of 8.9 in the 1-0 League Cup final defeat to Liverpool earlier this season, but his form in the league has left a bit to be desired.

Appearances

16

Goals conceded per game

1.6

Save success rate

68%

Goals prevented

-0.22

Error led to shot

2

Error led to goal

1

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez made three errors leading to shots or goals for the opposition in just 16 games at the start of the campaign, before being replaced by Petrovic.

The Serbian, however, has let in a staggering 7.44 more goals than expected based on the xG on his goal, compared to just 0.22 more for Sanchez, and this suggests that he has been in poor form as a shot-stopper.

Petrovic has also made two errors that have directly led to a goal for the opposition – one more than the current number two – and this means that he has been a liability with the ball at his feet at times, as well as struggling to make saves.

The interest in Pickford should come as bad news for the young gem as it suggests that Pochettino and Boehly are not prepared to give him time to gain experience and grow into his role as the number one, as they want to bring in an established star to assume that position next season.

Why Chelsea should sign Jordan Pickford

The Blues should sign the England international to bolster the squad as he is a proven Premier League performer who could come in as an immediate upgrade on Petrovic and Sanchez.

At the age of 30, Pickford is an experienced player who has racked up 284 top-flight appearances in his career to date – playing for the Toffees and Sunderland.

This means that he knows the ins and outs of the division and would have a great chance of hitting the ground running, as the talented stopper would not be coming over from a foreign league with no experience in England or the Premier League.

Appearances

16

20

36

Save success rate

68%

66%

70%

Successful run-outs per game

0.8

0.6

0.6

Goals prevented

-0.22

-7.44

2.08

Error led to shot or goal

3

2

1

As you can see in the table above, Pickford has also outperformed Chelsea's two first-team goalkeepers in the league this season, outperforming his xG against tally by 2.08.

This means that the Toffees star, who content creator Josh Wright hailed as having a "monster" campaign last term, has kept out more goals than expected with his high-quality shot-stopping skills.

These statistics suggest that Chelsea would improve their defensive numbers by bringing Pickford in as he has the ability to consistently keep out high xG chances, whilst Petrovic has conceded over seven more than expected in just 20 appearances.

The Everton star also ranks within the top 21% of his positional peers or higher in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (1.38) and the average distance of his defensive actions (16.4 yards) respectively.

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This shows, along with his shot-stopping, the £125k-per-week titan is an excellent sweeper who comes off his line on a regular basis to clear up behind his defence.

Overall, Chelsea's interest in Pickford should concern Petrovic as the Blues would be bringing in a superior, more experienced, goalkeeper to take his place, leaving him on the bench or in search of a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Raheem Sterling. A player who often splits the opinion of the Chelsea fanbase week in, week out.

However, there’s no doubt that the England international has an abundance of quality, boasting a record of 12 titles throughout his career.

This season, the tricky winger has had to settle for a decrease in game time, but he’s still provided a respectable output of seven goals and four assists in the Premier League.

Even today, although he’s started just 21 league matches, he’s still valued relatively highly, three times more than one current first-team ace.

Chilwell’s early Chelsea career

In the summer of 2020, Chelsea’s search for a brand new long-term left-back led them to Ben Chilwell, who joined the club from Leicester City for a fee of £50m during the Frank Lampard regime.

The England international signed a five-year deal, and according to Capology, his salary stands at a huge £200k-per-week, the joint-third highest wage in the squad.

Chilwell’s first season at Stamford Bridge saw him play 27 times in the Premier League, picking up eight goal contributions, which still remains his best attacking output of his career.

However, the following season was riddled with injuries, playing just seven times in the league and sparking a never-ending injury cycle that haunts him to this day.

Chilwell’s market value in 2024

Unfortunately, fitness issues have also impacted his chances of proving his quality to new boss Mauricio Pochettino, as he’s missed 35 matches through different setbacks.

This means that the number 23 has made just 13 league appearances all campaign, starting nine of those and averaging 58 minutes on the field per game.

The 27-year-old’s most recent start was at the start of March against Brentford, and he was an unused substitute against Brighton & Hove Albion this week, having lost his spot to the ever-improving Marc Cucurella.

Given the sheer number of injuries Chilwell has had to deal with since his arrival, it’s not a surprise to see that his current value has decreased dramatically, to the point where he’s now estimated to be worth just £13m today, as per CIES’ Football Observatory.

Value of the Big 6's Main Left Back

Player

Value

Josko Gvardiol (Man City)

£69m

Destiny Udogie (Spurs)

£69m

Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal)

£17m

Luke Shaw (Man Utd)

£17m

Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

£13m

Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)

£13m

Via CIES' Football Observatory

For context, the former Fox is valued three times less than the aforementioned Sterling, who still has a current worth of £43m, according to CIES, which highlights just how little of an influence Chilwell has had on the team.

On top of that, it makes Chilwell the joint-lowest valued left-back compared to the Big Six’s positional peer, which proves that Chelsea really didn’t get value for money.

Unfortunately, given his track record of injuries, it’s reasonable to presume that the defender’s value will continue to decrease unless he is able to revive his career.

Furthermore, with his Spanish competitor starting to find his feet at full-back, even assisting against the Seagulls, right now, it's difficult to see Chilwell returning to the side in the near future.

Overall, it’s always saddening to see a player suffer from injuries constantly, but spending £50m on Chilwell has sadly become a howler of a deal.

Related Chelsea hit the jackpot with free signing who's now worth more than Caicedo

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Posts ByTom Lever May 14, 2024

Declan Rice has revealed his surprise new hobby as the Arsenal and England star makes waves on Instagram.

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Rice launches photography venturePage already has over 40k followersArsenal stars posts photo of KaneWHAT HAPPENED?

Rice has had an eventful start to the new season. Arsenal are currently unbeaten but they had to fight for a draw against Brighton after the Englishman's controversial sending off. He then scored against the Republic of Ireland during the international break and has now set up a new Instagram account that shows the behind-the-scenes of his life.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The new account gives fans an exciting insight into Rice's life. The first post included photos of England team-mates Harry Kane and Trent Alexander-Arnold as Rice shared some behind-the-scenes snaps from the Three Lions' win over Finland.

DID YOU KNOW?

The page has already gained over 45,000 followers, to go along nicely with the 3.8 million on his regular account. This new page gives fans a much more raw sight of what Rice is like away from football, with another post showing photos from a recent round of golf.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RICE?

Rice will miss the north London derby against Tottenham on Sunday as he serves a one-match suspension. He will hope to start when Arsenal take on Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday.

Leeds United certainly didn't do things the easy way at the Riverside Stadium last time out, just about getting over the line in the end in the barnstorming Championship contest against Middlesbrough to win 4-3.

The seven-goal thriller was an enthralling watch, if a nail-biting one for the Whites away masses, with Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville the stars of the show against Michael Carrick's men by bagging three goals between them.

Away from the top performers in the back-and-forth contest, the likes of Ilia Gruev in the centre of the park notably underperformed and could now face the chop by Daniel Farke for the trip to Queens Park Rangers tonight.

Ilia Gruev's performance vs Boro in numbers

The Bulgarian midfielder has become a vital first-team presence in recent weeks, a reliable head in the centre of the park with 27 Championship appearances now tallied up for the campaign.

Yet, it was clear the 23-year-old was having an off-day against Carrick's men and could now be axed for the game at Loftus Road consequently.

Operating as the only real holding midfielder on the night, with Farke boldly tweaking his lineup to set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, the former Werder Bremen's man lacklustre performance was far more exposed.

Gruev would only accumulate 34 touches of the ball at the Riverside, a far cry away from the 65 touches he managed against Sunderland towards the start of April when the Whites limped to a 0-0 draw.

Even Illan Meslier, who was heavily criticised for his dire showing against Boro, managed more touches playing out from the back at 51 overall.

The Whites boss could well decide to freshen things up therefore, with Gruev handed out a second-rate 6/10 rating post-match by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth who described the ex-Werder Bremen man's first-half showing as lacking 'control'.

That was seen in his lack of touches, alongside the fact he failed to complete a single accurate cross in the 4-3 contest when venturing forward on occasion.

Farke will ponder who to bring in to fill the gap left behind the underperforming 23-year-old, with the experienced head of Glen Kamara potentially coming back into the first-team fold as one option.

The players who could replace Ilia Gruev

The ex-Rangers man looks the most likely candidate to fill in for Gruev if Farke does boldly axe the Whites number 44 for the trip to QPR, having been a steady if unspectacular presence this season for his German manager in the Championship.

Helping himself to four assists from the 37 games he has managed for the Whites this campaign so far, the Finland international will aim to pick up another if selected after being dropped for the last two league clashes.

Leeds vs QPR H2H – last five matches
Leeds 1-0 W	4th October 2023
QPR 1-0 W	18th January 2020
Leeds 2-0 W	2nd November 2019
QPR 1-0 W	26th February 2019
QPR 2-1 W	6th January 2019
Sourced by 11v11

Farke will need his troops to be on their A-Game regardless of who is picked or axed, with Loftus Road not the happiest hunting ground for Leeds in recent times having lost their last three visits to the Hoops in all competitions.

The Leeds boss could decide to move Archie Gray into that lone holding role if he sticks with the 4-1-4-1 look as well, but with Gray impressing at the Riverside with his forward-thinking runs, it would make more sense for Kamara – who is a naturally more reserved figure who can make teams tick – to line up in that spot.

It will, no doubt, be another rollercoaster ride of a match for Leeds in their hunt to win automatic promotion with QPR very much aiming to rain on the Whites parade.

Latest Leeds United injury news, expected return dates, suspensions

FFC keeps you updated with all the latest Leeds news regarding injuries and suspensions.

By
Mark Marston

May 10, 2024

يشهد اليوم الخميس الموافق 5-12-2024، إقامة عدد من المباريات الهامة ضمن منافسات الدوري السعودي والدوري الإنجليزي، وبطولتي كأس إيطاليا وكأس ملك إسبانيا.

كما تنطلق منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري السعودي، بإقامة 3 مباريات قوية على مدار اليوم أبرزها لقاء الشباب والفتح.

بينما يخوض فريق نابولي مباراة قوية أمام منافسه لاتسيو في قمة لقاءات دور الـ16 من منافسات كأس إيطاليا.

وتختتم منافسات الجولة الـ14 من الدوري الإنجليزي، بإقامة مباراتين الأولى تجمع بين برايتون ونظيره فولهام والأخرى تجمع توتنهام أمام بورنموث. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الخميس 5-12-2024 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات الدوري السعودي اليوم

ضمك أمام الفيحاء، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 05:10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 06:10 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتذاع على SSC Extra 1.

الوحدة ضد الأخدود، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 05:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 06:15 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتذاع على SSC Extra 2.

الشباب أمام الفتح، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتذاع على SSC 1. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم

فولهام أمام برايتون، الساعة 09:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 2”.

بورنموث ضد توتنهام، الساعة 10:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:15 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1”. مواعيد مباريات كأس إيطاليا اليوم

لاتسيو أمام نابولي، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 11 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة AD SPORTS Premium 1. مواعيد مباريات كأس إسبانيا اليوم

كاسيرينيو أمام أتلتيكو مدريد، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

أتلتيكو سبتة ضد أوساسونا، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

اوريهوليا ضد خيتافي، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

كونكينسي أمام ريال سوسيداد، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 11 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

أولوت ضد إشبيلية، وتنطلق في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الساعة 11 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. موعد قرعة كأس العالم للأندية 2025 اليوم والقنوات الناقلة

وتنطلق فعاليات قرعة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 9 بتوقيت السعودية، وتذاع عبر قنوات أون تايم سبورتس، أبو ظبي الرياضية وبي ان سبورتس الإخبارية.

يُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Mikel Arteta is scrambling around for a trio in the middle of the park ahead of some extremely tricky fixtures

Mikel Arteta would love to have a team of Ben Whites. Few players encapsulate the Spaniard's footballing philosophy better than the defender. He's intense, aggressive and scarcely makes a mistake on the ball.

However, the quality of White's that Arteta will have been wishing extended to his entire Arsenal squad this week is his refusal to play international football. While the ex-Brighton man has been recuperating following a hectic start to the Premier League campaign, a sizeable contingent of his team-mates jetted off around the world to represent their respective countries.

The international break is always a tense time for club managers – particularly those as obsessive as Arteta – as they are forced to watch their prized assets risk injury and add to their game load in pursuit of national glory. And on Monday, the Gunners boss' worst fears played out in front of his eyes.

• Getty Images
  

  'Captain Fantastic' goes down

  It happened with just over 20 minutes of normal time left in Norway's Nations League victory over Austria. Martin Odegaard was involved in a clash with Christoph Baumgartner. Immediately, the signs were not good.

  The Gunners skipper was soon writhing around on the ground in evident agony. And after receiving some treatment, he trotted off with tears streaming down his face. Norway manager Stale Solbakken's post-match comments did little to lift the mood either.

  "It looked bad in the dressing room too. He didn't have the nerve to continue. It is not certain that Arteta will call me tonight and praise me," he said.

  Baumgartner did at least apologise for his challenge. "I would like to sincerely apologise to Martin Odegaard. It was never my intention to injure this fantastic player. I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery! Come back stronger," he wrote on Instagram.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Timing could not be worse

  Once the reality of Odegaard's injury began to set in, thoughts turned to just how long he would be out for. And the dearth of concrete information quickly led to a string of worst-case scenarios being dreamt up.

  The principle concern was whether Odegaard had suffered a fracture, which might have left him sidelined for several months. Thankfully for Arteta, an update did eventually emerge in the form of a newspaper interview conducted by Norway's team doctor just after the midfielder was pictured using crutches to board a private plane back to London.

  "Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks," Ole Sand told . "Anything other than that is just a bonus and then it can take longer. What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle. Arsenal are almost certain there is no breach, but this may still take some time. In the event of a fracture, we are talking about being out of action for six weeks-plus."

  So, even if the knock heals as quickly as possible, Odegaard is all but guaranteed to miss some of the Gunners' biggest games of the season. On Sunday, they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the North London Derby. After that, they kick-off their Champions League campaign against Atalanta. And then, on Sunday 22 September, they head off to the Etihad Stadium for the toughest of all Premier League tests.

• Getty Images
  

  Freak accident

  Losing your midfield talisman for this intimidating trio of games is bad enough. However, it's not just the quality of opposition to come that makes Odegaard's absence so damaging. His injury has coincided with one of his possible replacements also falling foul of the injury curse.

  Arsenal were patient in their pursuit of Mikel Merino, eventually confirming the €38.5m (£32.5m/$42.4m) deal a few days before the transfer window slammed shut. The destructive Spaniard might have played a part against Brighton, but was struck down by a freak accident in training.

  "It's unfortunate. He has a shoulder injury and it looks like he will be out for a few weeks. He landed on the floor and Gabi [Gabriel Magalhaes] landed on top of him, it's a fracture probably," Areta revealed.

  Since then it's emerged that the summer signing will likely be out until November, removing him from the running to replace Odegaard in the short-term.

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• Getty
  

  No Rice either

  To make matters even worse, Odegaard's partner in crime, Declan Rice, will not even be able to pick up the slack against Tottenham this weekend. Although he navigated his way through England's two Nations League games without suffering an injury, he is suspended for the derby clash after his controversial red card against Brighton before the international break.

  The circumstances of his red card have been debated to death, but this doesn't change the brutal reality Arteta has been left to deal with as a result. Not only is his most creative player missing against Spurs, Arsenal's midfield engine will also be watching on from the stands.

  That Rice played so well for his country, scoring and grabbing an assist against Ireland, will only rub salt into Arteta's wounds. Now, the Gunners boss will have to get creative to solve his midfield crisis over the next few weeks.

MS Dhoni has marginally edged out Sourav Ganguly as the more impactful captain in a Star Sports survey, in which two of India’s most successful captains were judged across a number parameters developed in collaboration with ESPNcricinfo.While Dhoni was rated the best ODI and home-Test captain by significant margins, Ganguly was the clear winner in the away-Test captaincy category. Ganguly was also rated the better captain in terms of the team he developed from the players he inherited.A jury comprising former players, journalists and broadcasters from across the globe scored each player out of ten in eight different categories: red-ball captaincy at home and away, white-ball captaincy, batting record as captain, how they transformed the teams they inherited and the quality of the teams they left behind, their major achievements, and each captain’s overall impact. After totalling up all the scores in each category, Dhoni was the winner by 0.4 points.MS Dhoni brought major trophies to India. Sourav Ganguly gave them match-winners of the highest quality•Raveendran/AFP/Getty Images

The most closely contested categories were batting record as captain, the teams the two left behind, and overall impact, with Dhoni nicking the first category and Ganguly edging him out in the other two.Among the former players who voted in the poll were former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara and former India openers Gautam Gambhir and Kris Srikkanth. Here’s what they have to say on why they voted how they voted.Tests Home
Survey results Dhoni (8.2) beats Ganguly (7.4)

Gambhir: Sourav had Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh bowling in tandem. MS Dhoni had only Harbhajan Singh, so he had to find a second spinner. So probably MS Dhoni [fared better] because he did not have Anil Kumble in his armoury.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Tests Away
Survey results Ganguly (7.2) beats Dhoni (5.5)

Srikkanth: In difficult conditions, he started winning Test matches. That’s when India believed we can beat England in England, Australia in Australia and Pakistan in Pakistan. That belief came from Ganguly.Sangakkara: Ganguly did not like losing. You saw his emotions coming out in various stages. But it was not just destructive. It came out because he really hurt when India lost.Gambhir: The expectations after winning the [2011] World Cup… we just couldn’t deliver. If we had gone with an open mind, thinking that even if we lose, the world won’t come to an end, we probably would have given ourselves a better chance. If our first intent had been to go out and win, we just didn’t have that.Smith: Ganguly brought a hardness and a toughness to Indian cricket. He certainly was a huge pillar in the strength of Indian cricket and where it’s gone to today. And I always felt, even though MS had some success and India had some success, they were always lacking that one element of aggression.1:54

‘India had belief to win overseas under Ganguly’ – Sangakkara

ODI captaincy
Survey results: Dhoni (8.1) beats Ganguly (6.8)

Sangakkara: It was about the ability of MS winning those important moments by taking very simple decisions. He had a lot of clarity and a lot of confidence not just in his decision but also in trusting the player to deliver and he left the over-thinking to the opposition. But I think Dada had to work much, much harder, with the team that he had, to get into those big moments.Smith: If Dada had had an MS type player, his team was slightly more developed, I think you would have seen his team win more trophies.Transforming teams
Survey results: Ganguly (8.6) beats Dhoni (7.3)

Srikkanth: Ganguly transformed the mindset of the Indian team. Then the fantastic winning combination was given on a platter and said: Here, Dhoni, you have a fantastic team; just continue what we started.Smith: People only see what they can see. A lot of work goes behind the scenes as leader and one is identifying players and bringing them through, taking a chance on talent, and I think Dada did that really well.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Teams left behind
Survey results: Ganguly (7.8) beats Dhoni (7.6)

Gambhir: When MS Dhoni finished [his captaincy stint], he hasn’t given enough quality players to Virat Kohli, apart from Virat Kohli himself and Rohit Sharma, or Jasprit Bumrah now. There are not too many world beaters, or probably people who win you tournaments. But look at what Sourav Ganguly gave to Indian cricket: Yuvraj Singh, Man of the Series in two World Cups [Yuvraj was only Man of the Series in the 2011 World Cup; Shahid Afridi was Man of the Series in the 2007 World T20], Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag – these kinds of world beaters.Batting record as captain
Survey results: Dhoni (7.8) beats Ganguly (7.4)

Gambhir: In white-ball cricket, MS Dhoni hands down. But in Test cricket, Sourav Ganguly, because MS Dhoni, away from home or away from the subcontinent, doesn’t even have a hundred. And Sourav Ganguly has got a hundred at Lord’s, [and] in Australia.Smith: It’s almost impossible to move away from the impact MS Dhoni had on the game, on world cricket. His ability to finish, to handle the pressures in the almost gladiatorial moments in his career will leave an everlasting memory. I agree that when it comes to Tests, you always felt you had an opportunity to work him over, especially away and out of India. When it comes to Test cricket, I’ll have to sit with Dada, but [in] one-day cricket, MS is my man.1:55

‘Dhoni’s achievements the dream of every player’ – Sangakkara

Achievements
Survey results: Dhoni (8.5) beats Ganguly (7.2)

Srikkanth: Come on man, World Cup 2011, the Champions Trophy, wins in Australia, Sri Lanka, of course the T20 World Cup. So as a limited-overs captain, Dhoni had a huge, huge impact both as a captain as well as a player and as a wicketkeeper – don’t forget that.Gambhir: Purely from the trophies point of view, it’s MS Dhoni. But if you see the impact during those tournaments, MS didn’t have such a big impact as a player. But in the 2003 World Cup, Sourav Ganguly had a fabulous World Cup. If you see the 2007 T20 World Cup, MS didn’t score too many runs [154 from six innings, which was still India’s second best] and neither did he score too many runs in 2011 as well. But yes, as a leader when you talk about winning trophies, yes MS Dhoni. He’s won both the World Cups, T20 and 2011, and the Champions Trophy [in 2013]. Sourav hasn’t won anything apart from the Natwest Trophy. [India were also joint winners of the 2002 Champions Trophy under Ganguly after the final was washed out on two consecutive days].ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Overall impact
Survey results Ganguly (8.1) beats Dhoni (7.9)

Gambhir: Both these guys have taken Indian cricket forward. Yes, MS Dhoni got it a little easier than Sourav Ganguly, but purely from the impact point of view, I can only talk about MS Dhoni because he was very, very serious about taking Indian cricket forward. People actually always used to think that he was not too serious about Test cricket, but he was equally serious about Test cricket as well. That was one of the reasons why we reached No.1 as well.Smith: Sourav made such a big impact in Indian cricket in terms of the talent he brought, the mentality he brought… I think that like Allan Border probably did in the early days of Australian cricket, setting them up for the success, I think you’ve got to look for Dada here and say what he did for Indian cricket was iconic. He did the hard yards and all these wonderful players and captains followed.

Broad will miss a home Test for the first time since 2012

George Dobell07-Jul-2020English cricket could be witnessing a changing of the guard with Stuart Broad set to miss out on a place in the first Test against West Indies.Broad, a veteran of 138 Tests and taker of 485 Test wickets, has not missed a home Test since 2012, a run of 51 matches in succession. The last time he missed one – the Edgbaston Test against West Indies – he was rested with the series already won.But England, and their stand-in captain Ben Stokes, are thought likely instead to opt for the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood with James Anderson back with the new ball after suffering injury in South Africa. Chris Woakes is the other player set to be left out from their 13-man squad.England had originally planned to name their Test team on Tuesday evening. But although it is understood the players have been notified of the final XI, the team management reasoned that, with poor weather around and the possibility a bowler could sustain an injury in the lead-up to the match, there was no need to commit to anything at this stage.If Broad is, indeed, left out, there may be a temptation to write his career obituary, but that would be premature. England are set to play six Tests in little more than seven weeks and some rotation of the seam attack is inevitable. There is a decent chance he could return as soon as next week for the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford. He could still become just the fourth seamer to claim 500 Test wickets.ALSO READ: ‘Do it your way’ – Root’s message to StokesHe has been left out before, too. At the end of 2018, he played only one of the Tests on England’s tour of Sri Lanka while he was also omitted from the side for the first Test of the series in the Caribbean 18 months ago. He demonstrated his undimmed enthusiasm for the challenge, though, by tinkering with his technique – in particular, he shortened his run-up and bowled a fuller, more probing line and length – and enjoyed personally successful series against Australia (in which he claimed 23 wickets at a cost of 26.65 apiece) and South Africa (in which he claimed 14 at 19.42). It would probably pay not to write him off now.But this is another sign that England are looking to the future. And while Broad might have struggled to retain his status as a first-choice bowler in overseas conditions, this is the first time in the best part of a decade that he has not been considered among the first-choice attack in England.

“I’ve been dreading it for the last two or three days, telling the unfortunate guys. It’s not a nice conversation to think about”Ben Stokes

It is, perhaps, also an indication that the England management are looking to Wood and Archer, in particular, as the nucleus of the attack that they feel can help them win the Ashes in Australia in around 18 months’ time. Both are blessed with sharp pace and would appear well-suited to the hard wickets anticipated in Australia. Wood also claimed a nine-for in his most recent Test – against South Africa – and took his maiden Test five-for the last time England and West Indies met. Wednesday’s first Test will be their first in the same XI.It might also be relevant that, for the first time in many months, England are blessed with a surfeit of fit, fast bowlers. By the end of the South Africa tour, England were without Anderson and Archer due to injury. Perhaps, had all been available, this decision may have come earlier.Stokes admitted on Tuesday that having five seamers fit and ready to go had presented him with “an absolute nightmare”, and said he would be “dreading” delivering the bad news to the two players that missed out.Mark Wood and Jofra Archer have yet to play a Test together•Getty Images”You can only pick so many but it’s a great place to be,” Stokes said. “To have so many to pick from is great as a team, I’d rather be in this position. With the amount of cricket we’ve got coming in the next seven weeks I think all the guys will get opportunities. That’s a hell of a workload especially taking into consideration the time we haven’t been on the field. You’ve got to realise there’s no cricket behind anybody.”To play six Tests in seven weeks would be a huge ask for any bowler, but if we are going to rotate it’s not going to affect the standard. The guys we’ve got here are all unbelievable and they’ve all put a good case forward.”I’ve been dreading it for the last two or three days, telling the unfortunate guys. It’s not a nice conversation to think about and I can’t wait to give Joe the armband back for that reason, but that is leadership. It’s great to tell guys they’re playing but with that comes the fact that you have to deliver the bad news. It’s never nice.”Stokes also said that the prospect of Wood and Archer bowling together was “exciting”, adding that it would be difficult to leave Wood out given his “transformation” in the past two years.”The transformation of Mark Wood, more from a mental side, has been phenomenal. He’s obviously had his troubles in the past with injuries. I’m so excited with where he’s at with everything – all the worries and troubles that he would have had two or three years ago about his body seem to have just disappeared.”The skills that he possesses are very, very rare to have in a bowler. There’s been a lot of thought put into the team that we’re going to select.”England were also set to confirm that Joe Denly will bat at No. 3, with Zak Crawley at No. 4.Probable England XI for first Test: 1 Dom Sibley, 2 Rory Burns, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Zak Crawley, 5 Ben Stokes (captain), 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Dom Bess, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson

The Gunners won at the home of their local rivals for the third successive season to stay on the heels of champions Manchester City

Gabriel Magalhaes’ bullet second half header gave injury ravaged Arsenal a fabulous 1-0 victory at bitter rivals Spurs and moved them within two points of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta’s side were without seven senior players for the first North London derby of the season, including captain Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, but they coped excellently despite their high profile absentees to edge a tight and scrappy affair.

Gabriel’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner 20 minutes after the interval proved to be the difference between the sides, with the hosts unable to find a way through Arsenal's defence as the clock ticked down.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (8/10):

  Made a couple of important early saves as Spurs started quickly. Really confident when dealing with crosses. Excellent again.

  Ben White (7/10):

  Tough battle with Son, who got the better of him at times as you would expect. But he stuck to his task well.

  William Saliba (8/10):

  Made one superb block in the first half to deny Dominic Solanke. Both he and Gabriel seemed to relish the pressure in the second half.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (9/10):

  Bullet header to give Arsenal the lead in the second half. Made some excellent blocks defensively, especially after the interval.

  Jurrien Timber (8/10):

  His best performance yet in an Arsenal shirt. He was up and down the pitch all afternoon and epitomised the spirit Arsenal needed to play with given the players they had missing.

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  Midfield

  Jorginho (7/10):

  It was surprising to see him push forward as much as he did. Solid display in the first half considering this was his first appearance of the season. Struggled in the minutes after the interval as Spurs looked to pressure him, but he did not stop working and finished the game well.

  Thomas Partey (7/10):

  Couldn't get on the ball as much as he or Arsenal would have liked. Took some risks in the first half, but seemed to sit back and just protect the back four after the interval. Solid.

  Kai Havertz (8/10):

  Really strong performance playing in a deeper role than usual. Worked so hard and caused van de Ven problems at times. Really good display yet again.

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  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (7/10):

  Looked a threat on the counter down the right, but just wasn't in the game enough in an attacking sense at times. Wonderful set piece delivery to set up Gabriel's goal though to become only the fourth player in Premier League history to register an assist in each of the opening four games of the season. Also did his bit defensively to help out Ben White.

  Leandro Trossard (5/10):

  Couldn't really get into the game and took some risks when in possession. Arsenal could have done with more from him.

  Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):

  Set up Havertz for a good chance after a nice break down the left and then saw his own shot saved soon after. Caused Porro problems when he ran at him.

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  Subs & Manager

  Raheem Sterling (N/A):

  Introduced late on for his debut as Arsenal tired.

  Gabriel Jesus (N/A):

  Back after injury for the final 10 minutes.

  Ethan Nwaneri (N/A):

  Replaced the injured Saka in the last few minutes.

  Mikel Arteta (7/10):

  Changed the system given his high profile absentees and his players did him proud. He is now the first Arsenal manager in history to win three successive Premier League games away at Tottenham.

Celtic are plotting a move to sign a "world-class" talent who is earning £10,000-a-week with his current club.

Celtic eye new goalkeeper

Earlier this year, Celtic no.1 Joe Hart announced that he would be retiring at the end of the Scottish Premiership season, ending his career on a high after the Hoops clinched yet another title.

"I wanted to get the message out, as of June I am going to stop playing football", Hart explained in February. "This is something that I have thought about for a while, there's no right or wrong time is there?

"There is obviously a conversation around the goalkeeping position for next season and I think it's really important that with the blessing of the club we get the message out and it takes one thing out of what people are going to speculate over.

"I have gone down every avenue to keep myself in the best possible shape to give my all on game day and I do really think I am at that peak, but I am aware time waits for no man and I don't want my body to be retiring me. That was one of the key factors, thinking I can smash through the finish line."

Following news of Hart's impending exit, the Scottish champions have been linked with a number of new keepers heading into the summer. Celtic have reportedly made an offer of around £6.4m for the services of Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, who has been a long-term target for the Scottish outfit. Southampton shot-stopper Alex McCarthy is also being monitored ahead of him becoming a free agent this summer.

Elsewhere, Middlesbrough shot-stopper Tom Glover appears to be of interest, while Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly is said to be on Celtic’s list of summer targets, although rivals Rangers are also keen.

Report: Celtic ahead of Rangers in bid to sign 24 y/o who "does everything"

What an addition this could be at Parkhead.

ByHenry Jackson May 24, 2024

Now, however, another name, arguably of a much higher quality, has seemingly caught the eye of those at Celtic Park.

Celtic plot move to sign £10,000-a-week player

According to Football Insider, Celtic are long-term admirers of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and are plotting their move. Crucially, it is added that the goalkeeper views this summer as the ideal time to move if he is to become the first choice at another club and also the first choice for the Republic of Ireland.

Kelleher, who earns £10,000-a-week on his current deal, which runs until 2026, was handed a more regular starting berth for Liverpool across the 2023/24 season following injury issues with Alisson. He made 26 appearances across all competitions for the Reds, keeping five clean sheets in the process and there have been claims recently that he is pushing to leave Merseyside.

Said displays earned the 25-year-old high praise from Liverpool and Netherlands stopper Virgil van Dijk. Speaking alongside Kelleher after being named man of the match in the League Cup final versus Chelsea, the Dutchman said:

“He should have got it. I’m probably one of his biggest fans, I think. I have always said he is world class and he stepped up today, again. It’s good to see. He’s a good boy, good goalkeeper and that’s what we need at a club like Liverpool.”