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Arsenal are the best team in the Premier League right now. Four points clear at the summit, Mikel Arteta’s squad are so steely in defence, so well organised and so well oiled across the park.

However, they don’t have Erling Haaland at the front of their system, and the Manchester City centre-forward seems set on challenging the Gunners almost single-handedly for the league title this season.

But this is an elite outfit, and no mistake. Arsenal also sit second in the Champions League, four wins from four and the only side left in the competition to have maintained an impregnable defence.

But Arsenal have an unfair reputation, in a way. They are not just strong protectors of the goalmouth, but among the most dynamic and intelligent when on the ball too.

Premier League 25/26 – Through Balls

Club

Position

Stat

Arsenal

1st

40

Liverpool

8th

36

Man United

7th

35

Man City

2nd

33

Aston Villa

6th

30

Data via FBref

No team has played more successful through balls than the Emirates side in the Premier League this season, and this underrated progressiveness stems from the centre of the park, with Declan Rice proving – again – that he is the main man.

Why Declan Rice is Arsenal's main man

When Arsenal paid West Ham United a club-record £105m fee for Rice’s signature in 2023, some felt it was excessive. For sure, that’s a lot of money. But Rice has repaid the faith and finances invested in him.

You might even say he’s spearheading Arteta’s side in their bid for the Premier League title, having been described as “the best of the best” by statistician Statman Dave.

A big improvement he has made this season is his accuracy in progressing play, not only with his body but his feet too. As per FBref, Rice actually ranks among the top 10% of Premier League midfielders for progressive passes, the top 18% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for touches made per 90.

He also ranks among the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, unsurprisingly, and has notched seven goal contributions across all competitions, his ability to produce a show-stopping strike as firmly intact as it has ever been.

Many players comprise a brilliant team in north London, and Arsenal absolutely have what it takes to lift that elusive title this season. Rice is the cream of the crop, though, the driving force in the centre.

However, having finished as runners-up for three years in a row, it was crucial that technical director Andrea Berta got it right this summer, and he has succeeded in bringing in a player who is now rivalling the Three Lions superstar as the best addition in recent years.

The best Arsenal signing since Rice

Rice was once a centre-back. He has also played plenty of football in a deep-lying midfield berth, but a roaming, off-the-leash midfield role is where he finds his most fruitful form.

That’s where Martin Zubimendi comes in, welcomed in July to sit at number six and organise Arteta’s ball-playing vision. The Spain international arrived with a weight of expectation, and he has not let the club’s fanbase down thus far.

Arsenal signed Real Sociedad’s Basque star for about £60m. He rejected Liverpool last summer, but was won over by the Londoners’ vision, and made the move to England, where he has since been thriving at the heart of a title-challenging project, hailed as the club’s “signing of the summer” by content creator Adam Keys.

It is perhaps a marker of Rice and Zubimendi’s connection in the middle of the park that captain Martin Odegaard has now missed four Premier League matches (and more across tournament fronts) due to the knee injury sustained against West Ham United in October, and yet Arsenal remain

That’s good coaching, but it’s also an illustration of the effectiveness of the midfielders. Each Premier League manager has an understanding of how he wants his team to play, but the symbiosis between coach and player doesn’t always click in a fluent manner.

The 26-year-old is among the most intelligent deep playmakers of his generation. In this, he is “world-class”, as has been acknowledged by Spanish football writer Alexandra Jonson.

Zubimendi is not a player who is defined by statistics, but he has still shone on the data front at Arsenal this season, dominant in the air and composed and active on the ball, at the heart of the Gunners system.

Sofascore record that he has actually won 67% of his aerial duels thus far, completing 89% of his passes and averaging 1.9 tackles per game.

It is the deeper meaning behind Zubimendi’s role that suggests he is the best signing in recent years. His influence and control in the centre of the park has seen him occupy those spaces and feed through those surgical passes, which have added a dimension to Arteta’s tactics, keeping things fresh, maintaining progression and evolution.

The likes of Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres are welcome additions to a high-flying Premier League team. But neither has enjoyed the same impact as Zubimendi across the past several months.

Perhaps we should draw attention to David Raya, or maybe Mikel Merino or Riccardo Calafiori. Fantastic players, the lot of them. But if Arsenal manage to get their mitts on the Premier League title this season, with Zubimendi orchestrating from the middle, the loudest praise must surely fall onto Zubimendi’s back.

Related After Saka & Rice: Arsenal can hand Tuchel the "biggest talent in England"

The incredible Arsenal gem could become a bigger star for England than Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 14, 2025

Hong Kong gave Sri Lanka a scare, but a slew of dropped chances meant they could not pull off the upset

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Sep-20252:54

Maharoof: ‘Theekshana needs to become a wicket-taking option’

A Pathum Nissanka fifty at the top of the innings, and a Wanindu Hasaranga cameo at the end saw Sri Lanka survive a scare from the group’s lowest-ranked team, Hong Kong.In two disciplines, Hong Kong were valiant. Anshy Rath batted with determination to score 48, and Nizakat Khan with verve to make 52 not out off 38, the pair driving Hong Kong to a total of 149 for 4.The bowlers then created chances right through the innings. They never allowed Sri Lanka to truly dominate a phase, then took three quick wickets, Yasim Murtaza and Ehsan Khan striking to have Sri Lanka at 127 for 6, needing more than a run-a-ball to win.But their catching was poor. Nissanka was dropped no fewer than three times – twice by Ehsan, who couldn’t hold sharp return chances. Kusal Perera was also dropped twice in the same Ayush Shukla over, though one of those chances was exceedingly difficult. Had some of those stuck, though, Hong Kong could truly have made Sri Lanka sweat.In the end, Hong Kong’s bowlers made too many mistakes at the death, and Sri Lanka had the depth to capitalise, Hasaranga making his presence felt from No. 8. He made 20 not out off eight balls. Nissanka had struck 68 off 44.Nissanka sets Sri Lanka up againNissanka was dropped on 43, 63, and 68, but outside of those errors played another efficient innings, finding boundaries before the pressure really built on him, and ensuring that Sri Lanka kept ticking even as Kusal Mendis and Kamil Mishara soaked up balls early. He was especially good at the lap-scoop, targeting that area behind short fine leg when Hong Kong strayed into his pads. This was his third T20I fifty in five innings, in what continues to be a rich year across formats.2:13

Maharoof: Sri Lanka played with a ‘fear of failure’ mentality

Three wickets in eight ballsAlthough it hadn’t been the boundary-fest Sri Lanka would have wanted, owing to some disciplined Hong Kong bowling, they were still traveling swiftly to a comfortable win at the end of the 15th over, when they were two down and needed 32 from 30.Then came a horror sequence. Nissanka was run out at the non-striker’s end, having hesitated on a dodgy second run. Not even a big dive could get him close to the crease. Perera was out lbw having missed a turning delivery from Murtaza next ball. Then second ball of the following over, offspinner Ehsan had Charith Asalanka slicing one to short third.When Kamindu Mendis holed out against Murtaza first ball of the 18th over, Sri Lanka had lost four wickets for nine runs, off 13 deliveries. And they still needed 23 off 17 to win.Enter Hasaranga…Hasaranga got a freebie second ball. Murtaza had overstepped the previous delivery, and the batters had taken a single. So Hasaranga had the licence to go big, and he duly pounded the free hit into the sightscreen behind the bowler. Next over he crashed a four through cover – a favourite area – and finished by drilling another boundary down the ground. Hasaranga has played decent innings for Sri Lanka before, but this one came under some pressure.Nizakat Khan became the second Hong Kong batter to score a T20I fifty in the Asia Cup•Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images

Nizakat and Rath help put up a defendable scoreLong before that late drama, however, Rath and Nizakat had helped Hong Kong make a creditable impression in their last showing of the tournament. Rath played a measured innings, rarely going much faster than a run-a-ball. But it was also an interesting one – only four of his 48 runs came behind the wicket.Nizakat, however, was much more aggressive, using strong wrists to whip the ball to leg, and slice it through the offside. He was dropped twice, but was responsible for Hong Kong’s quicker progress through the final overs. This was his first T20I half cenutry against a full member nation.

MatériaMais Notícias

Botafogo e Vasco se enfrentam neste domingo (18), às 16h (de Brasília), no Nilton Santos, pela 9ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca. O jogo terá transmissão de Band, Bandsports e Canal GOAT (YouTube). O Glorioso ocupa a quarta colocação, com 14 pontos conquistados, enquanto o Gigante da Colina é o quinto na tabela do estadual, com 15 pontos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasDicasFlamengo x Boavista: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo pelo CariocaDicas20/02/2024NotíciasCarioca: como foram os últimos jogos entre Botafogo x Vasco?Notícias18/02/2024Campeonato CariocaBotafogo x Vasco: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo pelo Campeonato CariocaCampeonato Carioca18/02/2024

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Botafogo x Vasco
9ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca

Data e horário: domingo, 18 de fevereiro de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Onde assistir: Band, Bandsports e Canal GOAT (YouTube)

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Tiago Nunes)
Gatito Fernández; Damián Suárez, Lucas Halter, Bastos e Hugo; Danilo Barbosa, Newton e Jefferson Savarino; Júnior Santos, Matheus Nascimento e Diego Hernández

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FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Ramón Diáz)
Léo Jardim; Léo, Robert Rojas e Maicon; Paulo Henrique, Zé Gabriel, Pablo Galdames, Dimitri Payet e Lucas Piton; David e Pablo Vegetti

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

Tudo sobre

BotafogoCampeonato CariocaVasco

كشف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، اليوم الإثينن بشكل رسمي، عن تطبيق عقوبة جديدة بإيقاف القيد للمرة الخامسة لنادي الزمالك.

وكان فيفا قد قرر إيقاف قيد نادي الزمالك خلال شهر نوفمبر الجاري، 4 مرات من قبل، بسبب مستحقات متأخرة للاعبين ومدربين سابقين.

وجاء إيقاف القيد للمرة الخامسة ضد نادي الزمالك، هذه المرة لمدة 3 فترات قيد قادمة، وذلك لحين تسوية تلك المستحقات المتأخرة.

طالع | للمرة الخامسة في شهر واحد.. فيفا يعلن إيقاف قيد جديد لنادي الزمالك

وأفاد مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك لـ بطولات: “العقوبة الخاصة بإيقاف القيد الأخيرة تخص مستحقات المدرب السويسري كريستيان جروس مدرب الفريق السابق”.

وأشار المصدر إلى أن مجلس إدارة الزمالك والإدارة القانونية بالنادي تتحرك لإنهاء الملف في أسرع وقت، بالتواصل مع جروس في ظل وجود خمس قضايا مختلفة تسببت في منع القيد.

ومن جانب آخر، كان نادي الزمالك فاز على زيسكو الزامبي، بهدف دون رد، مساء أمس الأحد، في أولى مواجهات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

ويستعد حاليًا، فريق الزمالك لمواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي، في الجولة الثانية من منافسات بطولة الكونفدرالية، وذلك يوم السبت المقبل الموافق 30 نوفمبر.

أعلن أحمد عبد الرؤوف، المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك، تشكيل الفريق الرسمي لمواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

ويلعب الزمالك ضد كايزر تشيفز، في الجولة الثانية من عمر مواجهات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، ذلك على ملعب الفريق الجتوب إفريقي.

ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الرابعة من كأس الكونفدرالية، بجانب كل من المصري وكايزر تشيفز وزيسكو الزامبي.

وكان الزمالك قد حقق الفوز على زيسكو في لقاء الجولة الأولي الذي أقيم في القاهرة، بهدف دون رد، بينما كايزر تشيفز خسر أمام المصري 2-1.

وانطلقت الجولة الثانية من المجموعة، أمس الجمعة، استطاع النادي المصري الفوز على زيسكو بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة الزمالك في الكونفدرالية

ويقود تشكيل الزمالك، ثلاثي في الهجوم شيكو بانزا مع سيف الجزيري وخوان بيزيرا. تشكيل الزمالك اليوم أمام كايزر تشيفز في كأس الكونفدرالية

حراسة المرمى : محمد صبحي.

خط الدفاع: أحمد فتوح – محمود حمدي “الونش” – حسام عبد المجيد – عمر جابر.

خط الوسط : محمد إسماعيل – محمد شحاتة – ناصر ماهر.

خط الهجوم : شيكو بانزا – سيف الجزيري – خوان بيزيرا.

If Daniel Farke is relieved of his duties soon by the 49ers regime, how will he be remembered among the die-hard Leeds United fanbase?

First and foremost, there will likely always be some fondness towards the German from the Elland Road faithful for being the manager who delivered a promotion back up to the Premier League, having collected the Championship title on a mighty 100 points.

But, in the here and now, that title success – and the subsequent parade that merrily went through Leeds city centre – feels like a lifetime ago, with the ex-Norwich City boss continuing to struggle in the Premier League as a head coach.

A change could soon come then, with the Whites now five defeats from their last six league games and stuck in 18th spot.

Unfortunately, though, Leeds haven’t always got it right when getting right of celebrated promotion winners in the past, with Marcelo Bielsa’s replacement coming in the form of Jesse Marsch, who could only muster up a weak 11 wins from the pressurised dug out.

On top of that, his track record in the transfer department left a lot to be desired when he was situated in West Yorkshire, with all of his hits, followed by a large list of poor misses.

Leeds’ top five most expensive signings

Player

Cost

The manager who signed them

1. Georginio Rutter

£35.5m

Marsch

2. Brenden Aaronson

£28.5m

Marsch

3. Rodrigo

£26m

Bielsa

4. Dan James

£25m

Bielsa

5. Luis Sinisterra

£21m

Marsch

Sourced by FFC

Ranking Marsch's signings at Leeds

Amazingly, Marsch would sign off on Leeds’ two most expensive captures of all time during his whirlwind 12-month stint in England.

Georginio Rutter never really kicked into gear at the Whites under the unpopular American’s management, but considering he managed to put away eight goals and 18 assists in the end, largely under Farke, he is definitely seen as a success story, having also banked Leeds £40m when he moved to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Another standout success story from Marsch’s spending is Wilfried Gnonto, even if he is not now a regular under the current regime.

Landing the tricky Italian for just £3.8m continues to stand out to his day as an almighty bargain, with the ex-FC Zurich attacker even managing to star under Marsch, when collecting three goals from just 12 games under his methods, which included this fierce effort being thumped home.

Unfortunately for Marsch, this is where his positives in the transfer department begin to dry up, with a vast majority of the ten other signings made under his short-lived tenure no longer at the club.

Luis Sinisterra would at least manage to bag a promising five league goals at Elland Road, to somewhat justify the lavish £21m dropped on his services, but much like Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, and Marc Roca who all joined the Leeds ranks together at the same time, this wave of disappointing pick-ups couldn’t leave the building any faster after relegation was confirmed.

Weston McKennie has also left a bad taste in the mouth up to the present as a failed loanee under Marsch, with the American midfielder registering just one forgettable assist from 20 appearances, which led to the ex-Juventus man labelling the short stint as one of the “lowest” points of his varied career.

The elephant in the room now is, of course, the fact that the current Canada boss was the figure who first brought Brenden Aaronson to English shores, with the former £28.5m purchase a constant source of frustration.

Marsch couldn’t quite get a tune out of the ex-Union Berlin man, despite working closely alongside him at RB Leipzig, with just one sorry goal all he could muster up, before his fellow compatriot’s dismissal.

Thankfully, Farke has managed to get the best out of the 25-year-old in flashes, particularly in the Championship. Yet, with just one goal and one assist all he wrote this season in the Premier League so far, the consensus will be that Leeds overpaid back in 2022 when securing the hit-and-miss playmaker’s services for £28.5m.

Aaronson’s record under Farke

Season

Games

Goals + Assists

25/26

13

1 + 1

24/25

47

9 + 2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Still, Aaronson does have his nine strikes to fall back on during Leeds’ phenomenal promotion journey.

Whereas this summer recruit has little to cling onto, as he already looks to be an even bigger waste of money than Aaronson’s much-talked-about arrival.

Leeds have made a bigger error than Aaronson

Much like the West Yorkshire giants showed off during Marsch’s reign, significant wads of cash were also dropped in the off-season to try and prepare Leeds for the gigantic leap up to the Premier League.

A position that was in dire need of upgrading was definitely in between the sticks, with Illan Meslier overstaying his welcome as Leeds’ number one goalkeeper by the time a top-flight return was officially clinched, having become error-prone during the Whites’ vital promotion run-in.

Therefore, Leeds must have thought they’d hit the jackpot when they secured the services of Lucas Perri for a substantial £13.9m, with the Brazilian ‘stopper previously being tipped to be one of the “best in the world” in his position by his former manager Paulo Fonseca.

However, the top-flight newcomers have yet to see the calm and assured version of Perri that regularly shone for Lyon – with ten clean sheets falling into his lap last season in Ligue 1 – with the South American receiving plenty of pelters, instead, particularly when he conceded this Morgan Rogers free-kick last time out, as he bizarrely remained rooted to his spot.

Off the back of leaking this effort from Rogers, Perri has now given up a costly eight goals across his string of depressing clashes in November, with the underlying numbers overall – away from just goals conceded – also pointing in the direction of the number one being a colossal waste of cash.

Indeed, it’s unclear now if Leeds have even upgraded on a wobbly Meslier, with Meslier arguably a better option at this point, with his 21 clean sheets in the tough division to date an impressive tally, weighed up next to Perri’s two so far.

The drop-off from his standout Ligue 1 campaign last season is also extremely worrying, with Perri averaging a 74% pass accuracy in the French top division, compared to him now regularly mis-hitting passes, at a far lesser average of 57%.

Of course, the defenders do have to share their load of the blame here for the recent porous displays, but the backline cannot be confident whatsoever, having a ropey Perri behind them, with ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome rightly suggesting that Farke and the 49ers had “wasted funds” after the demoralising 3-1 defeat at the City Ground.

In another reality, Leeds might well have been better sticking with what they had over splashing £13.9m on Perri, with Aaronson at least putting in bright performances here and there this season, while the new ‘keeper has routinely suffered.

Indeed, one Leeds content creator would even hail his showing against West Ham United as “his best in a Leeds shirt”, with eight duels won against the Hammers, standing him in good stead for any relegation scrap that comes, away from also firing an effort home.

The relegation-threatened side would have hoped they’d moved past notable blunders in the transfer department when Marsch left the building, but it looks as if Perri could now be seen in the same light as failed faces such as Sinisterra and Adams down the line, particularly if relegation is grimly served up and the Whites struggle to offload him.

Related Leeds in one of the biggest transfer battles of all time for England midfielder

He could add so much quality and bite to the midfield.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

Sri Lanka put in a spirited display, but couldn’t stop England from going top of the table

Madushka Balasuriya11-Oct-2025

Nat Sciver-Brunt brought up a scintillating century•ICC/Getty Images

Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 10th WODI hundred and a four-wicket haul from Sophie Ecclestone helped England brush past a spirited if flawed Sri Lankan side in Colombo completing a dominant 89-run win, as they made it three wins in three at the World Cup – and with it go top of the group. It was Sri Lanka’s second defeat in as many games, though they have a point on board courtesy their washed out game against Australia.Here, Sri Lanka were up against it with just 17 runs on the board when Chamari Athapaththu was stretchered off the ground after she pulled up with what looked like hamstring strain in the sixth over of the chase. It was later revealed to be nothing more than cramps impacting her right calf, allowing her to bat later in the innings, but at that point Sri Lanka might have been fearing the worst.As it transpired the rest of Sri Lanka’s top order responded admirably. Vishmi Gunaratne struck consecutive boundaries off Lauren Bell to kickstart the chase, but before she could do any real damage she was done in by a ripper from Charlie Dean, turning sharply through bat and pad.This brought Harshitha Samarawickrama to join Hasini Perera in the middle, and the pair set about stitching together Sri Lanka’s best partnership of the innings – 58 off 66. During this period, you wouldn’t have blamed the boisterous crowd, one filled with several young fans, from entertaining thoughts of a famous victory.Sri Lanka had moved to 89 for 1 after 18 overs by the time Ecclestone – the number one ranked bowler in WODIs – was brought into the attack, but it wasn’t until her second over that she would begin to tighten her stranglehold on the game.The first to go was Perera, who chipped one to straight to mid-on. That over would be a wicket maiden – one of three maidens she would bowl – as Ecclestone proceeded to almost singlehandedly end Sri Lanka’s chase.Sophie Ecclestone derailed Sri Lanka’s chase•ICC/Getty Images

Such was her impact she ended up bowling her entire 10 overs in a single spell, during the course of which she picked up the wickets of pretty much the entire Sri Lankan top order.Samarawickrama was the next to fall, top edging a sweep off Ecclestone to short fine. Kavisha Dilhari then missed an arm ball, before arrived the coup de grace – one that dipped and turned, luring the recovered Athapaththu into a drive, before turning it viciously through bat and pad to crash into the stumps.That last wicket silenced the crowd for good, and the remaining wickets fell with little fuss – even Sciver-Brunt was able to get in on the action, rounding out her day with the wickets of Anushka Sanjeewani and Dewmi Vihanga. Sri Lanka eventually folded for 164.It was the proverbial icing on the cake for Sciver-Brunt who had earlier been on a one-woman mission to help her side overcome a tough pitch and Sri Lanka’s army of spinners.England were helped by a host of misfields littered throughout their innings, though perhaps the defining moment occurred in the 14th over.Sciver-Brunt was on three at the time, when she whipped one from Inoka Ranaweera hard and straight to Udeshika Prabodhani at midwicket, who just couldn’t hold on. It was the only drop of the innings, but ended up costing Sri Lanka north of 100 runs.England had started strong, going at around five an over in the opening powerplay, thanks to Tammy Beaumont’s 32 off 29, but an ill-advised single saw the back of Amy Jones before Beaumont herself sliced one high to point.From that point on though Sciver-Brunt was the common denominator as England strung together a spate of partnerships through the middle overs.Nat Sciver-Brunt gave the England innings momentum•Getty Images

The highest was 60 from 73 between Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight, a stand that had threatened to take the game away from Sri Lanka as the pair worked the field expertly, utilising deft sweeps and dabs, allied with calculated risks over the infield.The partnership was broken against the run of play as Knight gloved a reverse-sweep to slip. It was given not out on the field, but keeper Sanjeewani petitioned heavily for the review to be taken – and it was eventually, with just two seconds on the clock.That wasn’t Sanjeewani’s only intervention, as she also effected two sharp stumpings and helped complete a run out, in what was a consummate day out.Like against India, Ranaweera once more shifted the momentum of the innings, this time through a jarring intervention in the 35th over. Emma Lamb was first bowled around her legs, before a sharp bit of glove work from Sanjeewani saw Alice Capsey short of her crease after she had been deceived in the flight.Suddenly from 141 for 3 in the 31st over, England found themselves 168 for 6 a little over three overs later.Prior to this England had been eyeing up a total in excess of 270 but just as they had been looking to accelerate, they had to hold back. It meant that between the 40th and 48th over just two boundaries were struck, as England and Sciver-Brunt prioritised inching the total up to decent territory, if not imposing.The first real show of intent at the death came in the penultimate over, when Sciver-Brunt struck a sumptuous inside-out six over extra cover – to bring up her century – and followed it up with another loft down the ground.The final two overs brought more runs, as England struck 28 runs in that patch to boost their total past the 250-mark, and in the end it proved to be more than enough.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Cruzeiro está próximo de anunciar Alexandre Mattos como novo diretor de futebol. O profissional se reuniu na manhã desta segunda-feira (29) com Pedro Lourenço, futuro proprietário da SAF mineira, em um supermercado localizado na região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte, e deve ser anunciado pelo clube nas próximas horas.

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Mattos aceita o convite menos de 15 dias depois de ser apresentado como executivo de futebol do América-MG, rival da Raposa. As informações foram divulgadas inicialmente pelo portal no ataque.

O executivo, que não possui multa rescisória prevista em contrato, deve avisar ainda hoje a decisão para a diretoria do América-MG. Em nota, o Coelho informou que ainda não foi comunicado do desligamento do profissional.

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O Presidente da SAF Marcus Salum informa que o profissional ainda não procurou o Clube para tratar do assunto.

Uma eventual rescisão contratual depende exclusivamente do Diretor, que tem compromisso com o América até o fim desta temporada.

RETORNO AO CRUZEIRO

Alexandre Mattos retorna à Toca da Raposa. O profissional trabalhou no clube entre março de 2012 e dezembro de 2014, antes de aceitar o convite do Palmeiras. No período, conquistou o bicampeonato Brasileiro (2013 e 2014).

Em 2020, Mattos voltou ao Cruzeiro, mas sua passagem durou apenas quatro dias. Na ocasião, ele foi procurado pela diretoria para ajudar na montagem do elenco que disputaria a Série B do Brasileirão.

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Antes de assumir o cargo de diretor de futebol no América-MG, Alexandre Mattos passou pelo Vasco, de onde foi desligado no fim do mês de março.

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Alexandre MattosCruzeiro

تمكن فريق بيراميدز من الفوز على نظيره فريق باور ديناموز الزامبي، ذلك ضمن منافسات دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وواجه فريق بيراميدز نظيره فريق باور ديناموز، اليوم السبت، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية من مباريات المجموعة الأولي للبطولة القارية.

ويتواجد بيراميدز في المجموعة الأولي من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا بجانب أندية نهضة بركان المغربي وباور ديناموز الزامبي وريفرز النيجيري.

وفار فريق بيراميدز على فريق باور ديناموز بهدف دون رد، أحرزه محمد رضا بوبو في الدقيقة 50 من عمر الشوط الثاني. 

وبهذه النتيجة وصل بيراميدز إلى 6 نقاط، في المركز الثاني في ترتيب المجموعة بالتساوي مع فريق نهضة بركان المغربي المتصدر، الذي يملك نفس العدد من النقاط. 

وكان فريق نهضة بركان المغربي فاز على ريفرز يونايتد النيجيري، بهدفين لهدف، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من دوري أبطال إفريقيا، مساء الجمعة.

طالع.. فيديو | بيراميدز يقتنص فوزًا ثمينًا أمام باور ديناموز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

1- نهضة بركان، 6 نقاط من مباراتين.     

 2- بيراميدز، 6 نقاط من مباراتين.

3- باور ديناموز،  بدون نقاط من مباراتين.

4- ريفرز يونايتد، دون نقاط من مباراتين.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has set his sights on a Real Madrid target who Mikel Arteta personally thinks is perfect for his system, according to a new report.

Arsenal prepare for Premier League blockbuster against Chelsea

The mood around N5 could hardly be more positive right now after a phenomenal week.

Arsenal dismantled North London rivals Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium last weekend and immediately followed that up by inflicting Bayern Munich’s first defeat of the entire campaign on Wednesday.

It was the perfect few days to set up a tantalising encounter with London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Arsenal now having the chance to go nine points clear of Enzo Maresca’s side.

Chelsea pose yet another tough test for Arsenal, especially after the Blues thrashed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League, but Arteta’s side go into the contest on an all-time high.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Arsenal have also welcomed back Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard from injury, with the former two getting on the scoresheet against Bayern to round off a superb win.

Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus missed the victory over Bayern, alongside star defender Gabriel Magalhaes, but young defender Cristhian Mosquera did a ‘superb’ job filling in for the latter.

Arsenal’s strength in depth is testament to Berta’s excellent recruitment drive last summer, with their near-£270 million outlay on new signings paying dividends for Arteta.

The Gunners could hardly be any stronger right now, but Berta will be paying close attention to unmissable market opportunities.

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One of them could be Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, who is rumoured to have a tempting £17.5 million release clause in his contract amid comparisons to Pedri and Barça legend Sergio Busquets.

Arsenal hold 'initial talks' to sign Rodrigo Mendoza from Elche

That is according to TEAMtalk, who also report that Arsenal have positioned themselves as the frontrunners to sign Mendoza in January.

Arteta has apparently identified the 20-year-old as an ‘ideal’ addition to strengthen his title-chasing squad, with Arsenal already holding ‘initial talks’ to sign Mendoza after ‘exploratory’ contact.

TT sources indicate that Arsenal are prepared to test Elche’s resolve before Christmas as they look to bolster their midfield options for the second half of the campaign.

However, Arsenal face significant competition for his signature. Three other Premier League heavyweights have all made contact with the player’s representatives too, setting up a four-way English battle, and Real Madrid are believed to be targeting Mendoza too.

Sources close to Mendoza’s camp apparently state that, while multiple English clubs have registered interest, Arsenal’s early moves give them a distinct advantage.

The modest release clause represents exceptional value in today’s inflated market, particularly for a Spain Under-21 international who has progressed through every youth level.

Mendoza has nine La Liga appearances and one goal to his name so far this season, and helped Elche achieve promotion back to the Spanish top flight last season.

For just £17.5m, Arsenal could sign one of Spain’s newest rising stars, with Arteta’s apparent eagerness making this transfer one to watch.