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Declan Rice suffered an unhappy return to the London Stadium as West Ham United put in an excellent performance to stun Arsenal 3-1 and book a trip to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

The Hammers had lost three on the spin prior to this fixture and David Moyes was heavily criticised for his team selections, namely the decision to persist with Michail Antonio as the figurehead of their forward line.

On Wednesday night, however, the Scotsman reshuffled his attack, which worked to devastating effect. Mohammed Kudus was outstanding on the right flank and Jarrod Bowen ran riot as a lone striker.

Jarrod Bowen's statistics against Arsenal

Since arriving from Hull City for £18m in January 2020, Bowen has established himself as one of West Ham's most important players.

He ended last season as their top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions and has already amassed seven in 13 appearances this term, underlying how crucial he is to the Hammers attacking threat.

Bowen is excellent at driving forward with the ball, has the intelligence to make incisive runs and exhumes calmness in and around the 18-yard box – all attributes that point towards him being a dangerous forward.

Throughout his career, Bowen has predominantly been utilised as a right winger, rising to prominence at the Tigers through his devastating form as an inverted winger and carrying that across to east London.

Jarrod Bowen in numbers vs Arsenal

Shots on target

2

Dribble Success

2/3

Pass Success

83%

Cross Success

1/4

Duels Won

10/20

Tackles Won

4

Fouled by the opposition

3x

Stats via Sofascore.

On the occasions he's been used as a forward for West Ham, however, the Englishman has thrived, scoring ten goals and supplying five assists in 24 appearances.

Moyes decided to use him as a striker against Arsenal and it worked a treat, as he contributed to every dimension of West Ham's attack, from supplying the wicked corner delivery that saw Ben White divert into his own goal to his thunderous second-half strike that put the tie beyond the visitors reach.

A constant thorn in the Gunners' side having completed two of his three attempted dribbles and peppered Ramsdale's goal with two shots on target, as per Sofascore, Bowen was in imperious form on the night and also impressed with his defensive work.

He set the standard by pressing from the front, winning nine of his 16 ground duels and was constantly throwing himself into challenges, making four tackles and intercepting once, however, he wasn't the only hero in claret and blue on the night.

Mohammed Kudus' statistics against Arsenal

Kudus' favoured position is on the right flank, but since arriving at the club in the summer, he's been mostly used in a central attacking position.

With Bowen shuffled into the striker role, the Ghanian was moved out to the right wing and he thrived in that position, putting in an exceptional all-round display.

Described as "special" by journalist Dan Woffenden for his goal, which saw him expertly control a Nayef Aguerd switch and calmly slot the ball past Ramsdale, Kudus displayed his touch of class.

That well-taken goal provided ample reasoning as to why West Ham shelled out £38m for him in the summer, while his quality in possession was also complimented by his boundless work rate.

Kudus constantly tracked back for the sake of his team and helped Vladimir Coufal double up on Leandro Trossard, making four tackles, winning six ground duels and intercepting play on one occasion.

Moyes has been put under severe scrutiny for his team selections in recent weeks, but the Scotsman deserves plaudits for getting it completely right in the attacking third on Wednesday night.

With this formula responsible for dismantling Arsenal, he has to continue with it against Brentford on Saturday.

Arsenal have started the new Premier League campaign in similarly blistering fashion as they did the last, as Mikel Arteta is seeking to mount yet another title charge, but actually see it through until the end this time.

His summer additions are expected to provide the edge needed to topple Manchester City, with their win last weekend proving that the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya are already making their mark and offering the step-up needed.

However, to fund such a summer of free-spending, there unsurprisingly had to be a few casualties.

It always felt like Edu and his Spanish manager were building towards a window of such magnitude, having seen big-earners like Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette all banished for the betterment of the team.

After all, shattering the club's previous record transfer by bringing in the former West Ham United captain marked a monster transfer, and one which needed some alternative deals to offset the £105m expended.

Unfortunately, there are no better sales to be made than from the academy, marking pure profit as they go down on the books as created for free. As such, the widespread interest in Folarin Balogun proved too good to be true, and having arrived at the perfect time to cash in.

Why did Arsenal sell Folarin Balogun?

Whilst the desperation for funds likely played a big role in sanctioning the of their promising 22-year-old marksman, given the £35m they would eventually recoup marked a huge fee for someone who had only made ten senior appearances for the Gunners, there were naturally other factors that fed into the deal.

Having enjoyed a blistering loan spell with Stade Reims, where he scored 21 goals across 37 Ligue 1 showings, the young American had truly put himself on the map.

His manager during that period, Will Still, would unsurprisingly rush to praise the man who was spearheading his unlikely push for Europe: "He’s unbelievable, he has real talent but he is also just a top person. He’s trying to learn the language – we have a bit of banter because his French is terrible (but) I think he realises: being good here will allow him to get the spotlight and attention he needs."

Having now moved permanently, his language learning will certainly have to improve, as he seeks to maintain that newfound spotlight by continuing his fine form.

So, upon returning to the Emirates, he was bound to want more play time, which was a concern he has voiced since leaving: "Football is a competitive sport, and of course, the manager sometimes makes choices: sometimes there are opportunities for some players, and sometimes it’s a bit difficult. I wanted to play, I wanted to prove to people that I can compete at this level."

"I think the decision was natural, but I wouldn’t say there is any regret. As a young player, I want to play".

Clearly, with Gabriel Jesus returning from injury and Eddie Nketiah viewed as a solid backup, a starting first-team spot was massively unlikely. Whilst the sale was hardly received well, as few fans enjoy seeing academy stars offloaded, it was one which Arteta sought to justify: "We didn’t have space for him in the squad to give him the minutes that he needs.

"He was doing well last year in his loan period. He’s evolving the right way and wanted the chance to continue developing his career. He’s going to a really good club that has huge experience of developing talent, as everybody knows. So I’m really happy for him as well."

How is Folarin Balogun playing?

Since making last season's loan permanent, Balogun has shown little signs of slowing down. Even if Arteta's men may be flying too, as they sit top of the Premier League alongside rivals Tottenham Hotspur, they would certainly benefit from the exploits of the youngster, especially given the mini injury crisis suffered recently.

Seeing Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both absent from the starting XI in that aforementioned win over Pep Guardiola's outfit, a new setup had to be enforced which saw Jesus pushed out to the left wing, with Nketiah through the middle.

Whilst the former is a passable option, the latter cannot be trusted to lead the line for an extended period of time, with former Gunners defender Gael Clichy supporting such a notion: "Arsenal need a backup for Jesus, someone young who can push him to score more goals.

"Eddie Nketiah has scored some big and important goals for Arsenal, but he's not as good as Gabriel Jesus. Nketiah has proved he can be a difference-maker, but I don’t know if he's a player who can take Arsenal to the title. That's why I think Mikel Arteta should bring a top backup striker to compete with Jesus."

Unfortunately, they already had one in Balogun, who has managed to post three goals and one assist in five Ligue 1 games, boasting a conversion rate of 23%.

How good is Gabriel Jesus?

This kind of form even puts Arsenal's Brazilian forward to shame, who despite having been deployed out of position on occasion, remains nowhere near as proficient as the four-cap international.

After all, whilst the former City star may have endured an injury-hit term last year, he was also largely very profligate, having scored 11 in the league from an expected goals of 14.16.

GK

Bernd Leno

LB

Kieran Tierney

CB

Ben White

CB

Pablo Mari

RB

Calum Chambers

CM

Granit Xhaka

CM

Albert Sambi-Lokonga

CAM

Emile Smith Rowe

LW

Gabriel Martinelli

RW

Nicolas Pepe

ST

Folarin Balogun

It seems that this campaign will be no different, as he only has one goal in the Premier League after six games. Given how the former City man started last season, recording nine goal contributions in his opening 11 league games, he faces an uphill battle to finish on an admirable tally.

Enduring such a low-scoring run of form unsurprisingly has seen his goal conversion rate drop to a lowly 14%, nowhere near that of Balogun's. Perhaps, had Arteta not been so quick to offload the forward, he might have provided some real competition for Jesus, and actually usurped him for a period had such profligacy continued.

Although the funds they received marked a massive sum, coming at an incredibly useful time, in the long run it could actually prove to be a thoughtless move that might have set them back in the striker department.

Tottenham Hotspur have already enjoyed a fine start to life under Ange Postecoglou, but he will be far from one to rest on his laurels.

Back-to-back Premier League Manager of the Month awards will mean nothing to the Australian, who encouraged his fans to let their imaginations run wild following their fine start to the new campaign: "No, no, no, let them go, let them enjoy it. I've said this before, my role is not to burst peoples' bubbles. Let them get excited and ahead of themselves, that's the beauty of being a supporter."

Much of this fine form is owed to the transfers made over a revolutionary summer, with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven having combined at both ends of the pitch to help spearhead their run to the top of the league.

However, it seems that could already be set to look ahead to January, with one in-form ace already on the Australian's wish list.

Who could Spurs sign in January?

Having unloaded £40m for the former Leicester City creator, and handed Wolfsburg a further £43m to pry the Dutch defender, it is clear that this regime is set to perhaps be a more free-spending one as Daniel Levy hopes to inject enough impetus to turn them into challengers once again.

So, even if Serhou Guirassy has only moved in the last window, thus likely making his prospective price tag even more inflated, if that is what Postecoglou desires, the chances are they will acquire him.

That is at least what journalist Dean Jones expects, who told the Ranks FC Podcast earlier in the week that the Lilywhites were keeping an eye on the Stuttgart striker who will see a £17m release clause become active next summer.

Whilst that alone would mark an incredible coup, it is a move made even more likely given the £100m they acquired late on for Harry Kane's sale last summer, which actually went unspent. It will take one hell of a footballer to possibly replace the England international, but given the blistering form that the 27-year-old is enjoying in Germany, there is every chance that he could achieve such a feat should he translate his form to England.

What did Harry Kane achieve at Spurs?

Although his departure is still fresh in the memory, it is always worth outlining just how good the 30-year-old was for Lilywhites, having burst through the academy as an unknown youngster.

Few could possibly have predicted the levels that the 86-cap superstar would reach, eventually growing to become both the club and his country's all-time leading scorer, surpassing legendary figures such as Jimmy Greaves and Wayne Rooney in the process.

He departed north London having amassed a mouth-watering tally of 278 goals and 64 assists, and actually hit double figures in nine consecutive Premier League campaigns.

It therefore should come as no surprise that pundit Jamie O'Hara rushed to praise him before his exit, telling talkSPORT (23 March, 10.30 pm): I’ll put it out there; I think he is the greatest striker English football has ever produced.

"He is immortal in the game of football. You are always going to remember Harry Kane for what he achieved for Tottenham, for England and in the Premier League."

He was a creative leader and a goalscoring leader, but no longer are both of those fields required. The former has been more than filled by Maddison, but the latter could now be filled by Guirassy.

Who is Serhou Guirassy?

There is not a player within Europe's top five leagues that has scored more league goals than the France-born finisher, who is sitting on an unparalleled 13 Bundesliga goals after just seven appearances.

That is the level being upheld by the clinical forward, who has unsurprisingly been a lightning rod for praise after such a mesmeric start to the season that is perfectly mirroring Spurs'. Amiens SC coach Luke Elsner once noted: "Serhou is a young player and he also makes mistakes on the field. But he has been so valuable in many matches.

1

Serhou Guirassy

13

2

Lautaro Martinez

9

3

Erling Haaland

8

4

Jude Bellingham

8

5

Harry Kane

8

Stats via One Versus One.

"What I liked enormously is that, despite the fact that his match didn't go as he would have liked, he didn't let up. He made defensive efforts, he tried to make up for it when he lost the ball. He doesn't always score, but in terms of mentality, he is irreproachable."

That kind of attitude will go down well with Postecoglou, who would love to add such a red-hot forward to combine with Maddison.

Having also only moved in the summer, the 26-year-old magician has taken like a duck to water in north London, with his seven goal contributions in just eight games a fine return and further backed up by his 3.3 key passes and 2.4 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.

It therefore should come as no surprise that former Chelsea ace Joe Cole sought to laud such fine business: "The more I think about it he could be the best signing of the summer. I am so excited for him, especially the way Ange plays. Look at the players that have played that position at Spurs, [Glenn] Hoddle, [Paul] Gascoigne, [Luka] Modric. Ange giving him the VC shows how astute and clever he is. James is a leader."

He is arguably the in-form player in the Premier League, and yet Guirassy is arguably outperforming him, boasting a truly astounding goal-conversion rate of 42% alongside the 2.1 key passes he too is recording per game, as per Sofascore.

It seems that the Guinea international boasts the creativity that saw Kane lauded as well as his proficiency, and could not only help finish off the numerous chances that Maddison forges, but even give the midfielder some additional opportunities to score himself.

The Stuttgart star could provide an additional injection of firepower needed to help push them over the line, realising those lofty ambitions that Postecoglou wants his fans to retain.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has been at the club for almost two years, but a reliable journalist has shared an update on his future due to him being monitored for another job away from St. James' Park.

How have Newcastle started the season?

In the Premier League, the northeast outfit have had a mixed start to the new campaign where having won two and lost three of their opening five matches, they find themselves 12th in the top-flight table having taken six points from a possible 15.

At St. James’ Park, Howe was appointed back in November 2021 and the positive change that he’s made to the spirit around the building both on and off the pitch are clear to see, but following an underwhelming opening this term compared to the last, questions have been asked as to whether he is still the right man for the job.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the 45-year-old is currently not under immediate pressure with the owners fully supportive of his position and there isn’t any concrete update at this stage that would suggest they are thinking of relieving him of his duties.

Is Eddie Howe leaving Newcastle?

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, however, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs named Howe as a candidate who is currently being considered by The FA for the England job should Gareth Southgate decided to step down from his position next year. He said:

"Southgate won’t be sacked. That’s not an option being considered, and rightly so in my view. It’s just a case of whether he stands down after Euro 2024. His contract expires in 2024 as it stands. The FA are already considering options.

“Graham Potter will definitely be a candidate. He was the leading choice for the next England manager prior to joining Chelsea. But the way he handled that (albeit difficult) job may have given The FA a few doubts.

“Eddie Howe is another name on The FA’s radar. I just don’t see Howe wanting to leave Newcastle, though, next year if everything goes according to plan this season.

"And Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is an interesting one to watch. The FA would love to have him. If Manchester City again dominate, could Pep be tempted by a fresh challenge?"

What is Eddie Howe's record at Newcastle?

Since joining Newcastle, Howe has taken charge of 80 games, during which he’s secured 40 wins, 20 draws and the same number of defeats, whilst averaging 1.75 points per match, via Transfermarkt, so it’s vital that the board do everything they can to retain his services.

The Wasserman client, who has a preferred formation of a 4-3-3, has also received the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award on two occasions whilst in the dugout in the northeast, and the individual recognition he's getting for his work on the sidelines is what he deserves.

The Amersham-born coach, of course, has additionally led the side back to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years and they did extremely well to secure an opening 0-0 draw against AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday night, so Howe being dismissed or leaving for England duty would really be a shock.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quarta-feira, depois de cinco jogos sem vencer, o Corinthians reencontrou o caminho das vitórias ao bater o Athletico-PR por 1 a 0, aos 49 minutos do segundo tempo, com um gol de Everaldo. No entanto, o grande herói da partida foi o goleiro Walter, que fez seis grandes defesas e garantiu que o time não fosse vazado, mesmo jogando 20 minutos com um a menos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoCom um a menos, Corinthians marca no fim, bate o Athletico-PR e deixa Z4Brasileirão14/10/2020CorinthiansATUAÇÕES: Walter e Everaldo são os destaques do Corinthians em vitóriaCorinthians14/10/2020CorinthiansDanilo Avelar passa por cirurgia no joelho e deve retornar em oito mesesCorinthians14/10/2020

Na estreia de Vagner Mancini, o Timão não fez boa partida, principalmente no segundo tempo, e foi pressionado pelo Furacão durante a maior parte dos 90 minutos. Naturalmente, a meta corintiana foi insistentemente ameaçada, mas para isso lá estava Walter, que da melhor forma possível substituiu Cássio, suspenso após expulsão na derrota para o Ceará, no último domingo.

Ao todo foram nove defesas do arqueiro alvinegro, segundo o SofaScore, mas seis delas foram mais complicadas. Sendo quatro nos primeiros 15 minutos do segundo tempo, quando o Corinthians não conseguia jogar. A mais difícil das nove aconteceu aos 15 minutos, quando Renato Kayzer recebeu belo passe de calcanhar de Geuvânio e ficou cara a cara com Walter, que fez um “milagre”.

Por essas e outras, ele recebeu o troféu de melhor do jogo, fornecido pela TV Globo, mas humildemente dividiu os méritos com a equipe e classificou a vitória como a “cara do Corinthians”, como pediu Vagner Mancini.

-Foi uma vitória com cara de Corinthians. No final do jogo. Dedicação de todos, um a menos e não nos abatemos. Fomos premiados no final. Esse prêmio é do grupo todo, dos que não estão, também. Só agradeço a Deus pelo momento.

No próximo domingo, às 16h, diante do Flamengo, na Neo Química Arena, Walter deve retornar ao banco de reservas, pois Cássio volta de suspensão, mas sua participação, mesmo que tenha sido por uma partida fez toda a diferença. Com a vitória, o Corinthians foi a 18 pontos na tabela, subiu para a 14ª posição e deixou a zona de rebaixamento na 16ª rodada da competição.

continua após a publicidade

And in their chase, Peshawar Zalmi cruised to a ten-wicket victory courtesy a hundred-run partnership between Kamran Akmal (57*) and Tamim Iqbal (37*)

The Report by Danyal Rasool03-Mar-2018In a nutshellThe template doesn’t change for Lahore Qalandars. They got off to a blazing start in the Powerplay again with Fakhar Zaman smashing 25 in the first two overs. Once the first six overs had ended, they began to lose wickets and the wheels came off rapidly. Peshawar Zalmi skittled them out for 100, the lowest total in the PSL this year. Soon after, they became the fifth team to inflict defeat on Brendon McCullum’s beleaguered side. This was the most resounding one yet, the first 10-wicket defeat in the history of the PSL.The collapse this time was even more dramatic than previous games, tempered only by its predictability. After reaching 57 for one at the end of the Powerplay, they failed to build on it through the middle overs, continuing to go for rash shots and losing wickets rapidly in the process. Before you knew it, the tail was in, and Peshawar, further strengthened by the return of Hasan Ali, prowled ominously.The chase was everything Lahore are not: calm, clinical, mature and professional. It required just openers Tamim Iqbal and Kamran Akmal to brush aside Lahore. Kamran scored a 47-ball 57, while Tamim was unbeaten on 36 as the chase effectively became a stroll early on. Lahore’s bowlers were toothless, their fielding uninspired, their captain out of ideas – and their side very likely out of the tournament already.Where the match was wonA chase of 101 isn’t daunting by any means, but many teams thought processes get muddled while assessing how to go about a small chase. Not Peshawar Zalmi, whose openers were as assured as could be hoped in the situation. They got their eye in for the first couple of overs, not letting the lack of runs worry them. Inevitably, the runs came once they were settled at the crease. Lahore weren’t good enough in the field either, dropping a catch early on, and allowing themselves errors they could ill-afford. It wasn’t Lahore’s charity to give, and Peshawar didn’t need it at any rate, the opening pair ensuring no one else in the dugout was disturbed.The men that won itHasan Ali hasn’t bowled for over a month, but he didn’t look any worse for it. Skiddy, quick and consistent, he bowled in the Powerplay when Fakhar was in blistering form, keeping that over to just three runs. He got rid of the McCullum, and was instrumental in orchestrating Lahore’s collapse, cleaning up Sunil Narine and wrapping things up with a third wicket for good measure.Another newcomer into the side didn’t do much worse either. Liam Dawson was brought in to replace Darren Sammy. It doesn’t bear repeating that those are big shoes to fill. But Dawson was up to the challenge, ripping the Lahore top order apart with his left-arm spin. He dismissed Fakhar and Dinesh Ramdin off just his second and third deliveries, and overall figures of 4-0-20-3 suggest he’s more than just a back-up in Peshawar side.Where they standLahore look to have taken out a lease on the basement of the table, firmly sixth after their fifth successive defeat. Peshawar are third, having won three of their five games.

MatériaMais Notícias

Ao adotar uma postura mais ofensiva na volta do intervalo, o Flamengo se expôs mais e foi castigado pelo Independiente Del Valle. Essa foi parte da explicação dada por Domènec Torrent após a derrota do Flamengo por 5 a 0, em Quito. O treinador espanhol ainda apontou um “equilíbrio” na primeira etapa. O volume, a posse de bola e finalizações dizem o contrário, contudo.

-Eles criaram poucas oportunidades no primeiro tempo porque estávamos com três no meio. Quando analisamos, vimos que sempre atacam nos espaços. No segundo tempo decidimos atacar, jogamos mais abertos… mas aconteceu que com mais espaço eles (Del Valle) jogaram muito melhor – afirmou Dome.

A derrota incontestável manteve o Flamengo no segundo lugar do Grupo A, mas agora a três pontos do líder isolado Independiente Del Valle, que soma nove pontos após três rodadas. O Junior Barranquila é o terceiro com três, enquanto o Barcelona de Guayaquil, próximo adversário rubro-negro, é o lanterna, ainda zerado. Confira abaixo os números do 5 a 0 no Casa Blanca.

RelacionadasFlamengoAnálise: Flamengo não progride e, agora, precisa de resposta imediataFlamengo17/09/2020Futebol Latino‘Humilhante’, ‘aula de futebol’ e muito mais; Imprensa equatoriana repercute goleada do Del Valle contra o FlamengoFutebol Latino18/09/2020FlamengoDome lamenta ‘desastre’, mas já projeta sequência do Flamengo na Libertadores: ‘São três pontos’Flamengo17/09/2020

Confira os números do 1º tempo da partida entre Del Valle x Flamengo:

Posse de bola
Del Valle – 58%
Flamengo – 42%

Finalizações (no gol)
Del Valle – 9 (6)
Flamengo – 1 (1)

Escanteios
Del Valle – 1
Flamengo – 0

Defesas
Pinos – 1
César – 5

Confira os números do 2º tempo da partida entre Del Valle x Flamengo:

Posse de bola
Del Valle – 59%
Flamengo – 41%

Finalizações (no gol)
Del Valle – 11 (5)
Flamengo – 4 (1)

Escanteios
Del Valle – 3
Flamengo – 1

Defesas
Pinos – 1
César – 1

Goalkeeper David Raya has a slightly awkward tattoo that may raise some eyebrows as he edges closer to a summer transfer to Arsenal.

What's the latest on David Raya to Arsenal?

Despite already having Aaron Ramsdale as the club's number one shot-stopper – and only giving him a new contract back in May that runs until 2026, with the option of a further year – the Gunners are closing in on a deal for an alternative option between the sticks.

Indeed, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the latest news is that Brentford's Raya has "completed" the main part of medical tests at London Colney and so is set to officially sign shortly.

In terms of the financials, it's expected that the Spaniard will join for an initial £3m loan fee with the option of making the switch permanent for a further £27m next summer (via The Athletic).

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

This seems like pretty good business for Mikel Arteta and co, especially as they have been forced to ask fast in the market with backup goalkeeper Matt Turner heading to Nottingham Forest for a reported £10m transfer fee this week.

Interestingly, however, Raya has a tattoo which actually references a game he once played against Arsenal, and it may not go down well with many fans.

What is David Raya's tattoo?

As you can see in the image below, on the back of his neck, the goalkeeper has been inked to reference his Premier League debut.

The tattoo is of a date – "13-08-21" – the 13th of August 2021. Unfortunately for Arsenal, this happened to be the day they famously travelled to take on newly promoted Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League and were soundly beaten 2-0 with Raya keeping a clean sheet.

The Gunners were hit by a series of positive Covid tests shortly before kick-off with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and Alex Runarsson all ruled out of the game at the last moment, leaving manager Arteta surprised as to why the game was postponed.

The Bees took full advantage, however, in what turned out to be a miserable night for the North London outfit. BBC journalist Phil McNulty summed it up in his match report, writing: "Brentford celebrated their return to the top tier after a 74-year absence with a memorable, magnificent victory over woeful Arsenal as they opened their Premier League campaign in style."

Seeing as this was the first time Raya had played in the English top flight, and his team won so convincingly, you can see why he would want to commemorate the event with a tattoo.

However, this was a real low point during the Arteta reign, so Arsenal fans and players alike won't want to be reminded of it whenever the camera pans to show their new goalkeeper.

Still, so long as the 27-year-old can put in some strong performances for the club – potentially even taking the number one shirt from Ramsdale – then this small issue will likely be forgotten.

For now, it will certainly be interesting to see how often Raya plays over the course of the season with Arteta having two first-team quality goalkeepers to pick from every week.

Manchester United could yet lose the race to sign Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat, according to reports, after they left him waiting despite agreeing personal terms with the midfielder.

Even as the Premier League season approaches, The Manchester club are yet to actually launch a bid for the Moroccan.

What's the latest on Sofyan Amrabat to Manchester United?

As per La Repubblica, via Sport Witness, Amrabat has had his bags packed and has been ready to go for weeks having already agreed a salary with United, but has been left waiting due to Manchester United's failure to make their first bid to Fiorentina.

The Red Devils may want to get a move on, however, given that Juventus' reported sale of Denis Zakaria to Monaco for €20m (£17m) has given the Serie A giants the money and squad space to pursue a deal for Amrabat this summer, according to Sport Mediset, via Sport Witness.

With that said, unless United speed up their negotiations, reports suggest that Juventus are now unexpectedly overtaking them in the deal to sign the Fiorentina midfielder this summer.

The Premier League giants have reportedly been weighing up a €25m (£22m) offer, in a saga that is expected to carry on until the final days of the summer transfer window.

Should Manchester United sign Sofyan Amrabat?

Given the fact that Manchester United will have Champions League football to contend with on top of domestic action in the forthcoming campaign, adding depth to their midfield wouldn't exactly be a bad idea.

So far this summer, Erik ten Hag has welcomed Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund in what has been a fairly successful window. Signing Amrabat would be the cherry on top, however.

Last season, the Red Devils were left without adequate backup for Casemiro on too many occasions, as the midfielder missed eight games through suspensions, alone.

In those eight games, United suffered defeats against both Newcastle United and Arsenal, with Ten Hag unable to plug the hole left by Casemiro.

That's where Amrabat could come in. Statistically speaking, the Fiorentina man is more than able to step into fill the void left by the Brazilian should it be needed.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

According to FBref, compared to Scott McTominay last season, Amrabat made over double the amount of progressive passes per 90, as well as more progressive carries, and enjoyed more goal involvements.

It is the type of depth that can result in trophies, making United's pursuit of Amrabat one which must end with the midfielder holding up the famous Red Devils' colours.

The Morocco international has earned plenty of praise in the last year, too, with Micah Richards saying on Match of the Day during the World Cup, via Manchester World: “It was the epitome of this team, brilliant. He’s been outstanding, not just off the ball, on the ball, dictating play, starting attacks from midfield. Great.”

Amrabat, of course, played a large part in his country's shock progression into the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, where they crashed out against France. If United can secure his signature and get such performances out of him at Old Trafford, then they'll have themselves some player.

Morne Morkel produced a searing opening burst to carve up Bangladesh’s top order and severely dent their chances of saving the first Test in Potchefstroom

The Report by Mohammad Isam01-Oct-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAFPMorne Morkel produced a searing opening burst to carve up Bangladesh’s top order and severely dent their chances of saving the first Test in Potchefstroom. By tea on the fourth day, Bangladesh had been reduced to 49 for 3, leaving them still requiring an improbable 375 runs to get with four sessions left in the Test. They were saved from batting out some of that time, with the light deteriorating and rain forcing the covers to come on shortly after the break. It refused to let up, washing out the final session and forcing an early stumps.Morkel, however, walked off the field towards the end of the session, and it was later confirmed that he had suffered a side strain which could leave him unlikely to bowl further in the innings. He will be sent for scans on Monday morning.For as long as he was on the field, though, Morkel troubled Bangladesh, getting the new ball to prodigiously swing around. In his first over, he flattened Tamim Iqbal’s off stump by angling one in from wide of the crease. Two balls later, he found movement in the air and pinged the pad of Mominul Haque, who chose not to review the decision despite replays later showing that the ball would have comfortably missed leg stump.Bangladesh’s only consolation is that they still have Mushfiqur Rahim, one of their most experienced batsmen, at the crease, unbeaten on 16. But even that was down to South Africa’s own undoing: Morkel drew the Bangladesh captain forward and burst through the defences but replays indicated that he had oversteppedThree overs after that, Imrul Kayes was thrown a lifeline when Kagiso Rabada swung one across the left-hander and made him reach out to send an outside edge to Faf du Plessis, who put down a regulation catch at second slip. Kayes continued to stand on shaky ground, taking on short balls and getting away often despite timing his shots poorly. Along with Mushfiqur, the two just seemed to be getting a partnership going, but Maharaj broke through before the association could translate into a meaningful recovery.Maharaj had varied his lengths with the first two deliveries of the over, first getting a length ball to kick up off the rough and then drawing Kayes forward with a fuller one. The follow-up was on an in-between length that left Imrul in two minds as he withdrew his bat late to edge to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps.Earlier in the day, South Africa took rapid strides towards establishing a big lead, adding 193 runs to their overnight 54 for 2 in just 241 balls. Du Plessis and Temba Bavuma did the bulk of the scoring, putting together 142 for the fourth wicket. They came together after Hashim Amla edged behind an offcutter from Mustafizur and pushed up the run-rate, punching 149 runs at 5.12 per over in the morning session as Bangladesh’s bowlers created minimal impact.Du Plessis zoomed to a 100-ball 81, while Bavuma benefitted from a reprieve on 8 and ran up 71 off 107 balls. They got out either side of a 48-minute rain break; du Plessis leg-before to Mominul after being beaten on the sweep and Bavuma to a brilliant leg-side catch by Liton Das, who moved before the batsman had even made contact with the ball. Mominul then struck for a third time when he removed Quinton de Kock, courtesy a smart stumping by Liton.