It usually rains on around 191 days a year in Edinburgh, where Scotland play much of their international cricket. Harare Sports Club sees, by comparison, around 73 rainy days a year, and one of those days brought a soggy end to what was shaping up to be a thrilling match between West Indies and Scotland. Chasing 199, Scotland were 125 for 5, five runs behind the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score, when the rain came down. The result means West Indies have booked their place in Sunday’s final, and thus the World Cup in England next year.Storm clouds could be seen in the distance even as Scotland started their chase, and drizzle started to drift across the ground around the 30th over. Shortly afterwards, Scotland, who were already behind the par score, lost Richie Berrington to a controversial umpiring decision, lbw to an Ashley Nurse delivery that appeared to be heading down the leg side. Clearly aware of the need to get a move on, Michael Leask cracked two fours in his 14, but when the rain arrived in force, Scotland were still behind.While their day ended in heartbreak, Scotland could scarcely have asked for a better start to the match. Opening the bowling from the City End, Safyaan Sharif pitched his first ball on middle and swung it away to find the outside edge of Gayle’s bat. A colossus had fallen, and Scotland were boosted by the belief that, with the Gayle threat safely taken care of, this really could be their day.Things got even better for them when, with the first ball of his next over, Sharif had Shai Hope caught behind for a duck. West Indies were 2 for 2, and Scotland well and truly had their tails up. On a pitch offering bounce, carry and early swing Marlon Samuels shut up shop while Evin Lewis attempted to play something approaching his natural game. Lewis collected his first boundary with a crunching drive through the covers and, once the shine had been seen off the ball, reasserted himself with a pair of sixes off Alasdair Evans.Timing wasn’t a problem for Samuels, but he couldn’t hit the gaps nearly as often as he would have liked. One of his straight drives floored Lewis at the non-striker’s end, and Scotland’s cover fielders were kept busy, but Samuels struggled to rotate the strike with any fluency. At the other end, Lewis found his groove and moved through the 40s with a series of sweeps at the spinners. A flowing drive to the cover boundary took him to a 65-ball fifty in the 23rd over, and a dab to third man brought up the 100 partnership soon afterwards. Despite their shaky start, West Indies had laid a platform and all was set for a charge at the death.Getty Images

Except, it never came. Having extended the partnership to 121, Lewis attempted a huge heave to leg, but missed the ball entirely to be trapped lbw by Brad Wheal for 66. Samuels eventually reached a fifty of his own, but consumed 98 balls for his eventual 51, with 62 of those being dot balls that allowed Scotland’s bowlers to settle into a rhythm. Attempting to make amends for his go-slow, Samuels charged out and carved Leask over the off side, only for Tom Sole to take sharp, sliding catch sprinting around the long-off boundary. With his very next ball, Leask had Shimron Hetmyer caught behind, and the match turned once more.After that dismissal in the 34th over, West Indies hit just two more boundaries and lost a further five wickets to be all out for 198 in the 49th over. Sharif capped his important early wickets with the dismissal of Rovman Powell before he could do any damage, while Brad Wheal’s double-strike ended the innings. Scotland had bowled out every side they had played in this competition, bar Ireland, who managed to get through their fifty overs nine down. After this performance, it was easy to see why.Scotland needed to score at a shade under four in their chase, but more importantly they needed a steady start and cool heads. For the first 10 overs, however, neither was forthcoming. In the third over, Kyle Coetzer threw his hands into a fierce cut, but found Lewis at point. In the fourth, a hopping Matthew Cross deflected a brutal lifter from Jason Holder onto his own stumps, and in the seventh Michael Jones fell into a leg trap, hooking Kemar Roach straight to Powell at long leg. In quick time, Scotland were 25 for 3 and suddenly 199 seemed a long way off.Calum MacLeod and Berrington dug them out of the hole with a steady 42-run stand, foregoing any exuberance for risk-free accumulation. But both men were removed by Nurse, with Berrington’s dismissal proving particularly crucial as Scotland were just beginning to up the tempo as the rain approached. Michael Leask and George Munsey set themselves for a counterpunch, but it was not to be, and the rain arrived to spoil Scotland’s fairytale ending. For West Indies, though, it brought sweet relief.

تتجه الأنظار إلى ألمانيا التي تستضيف منافسات كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024” بدءًا من غد الجمعة وتستمر حتى 14 يوليو القادم.

وتقام المباراة الافتتاحية على ملعب “آليانز آرينا” بين ألمانيا واسكتلندا، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأولى، وتنطلق في العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

هذه النسخة ستكون السابعة عشر لبطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، منذ انطلاق المنافسة في عام 1960، والتي أقيمت في فرنسا.

ونعود بالزمن 64 عامًا لنلقٍ نظرة على تاريخ المباريات الافتتاحية لكأس أمم أوروبا، بداية من 1960 وحتى النسخة الماضية من المسابقة عام 2020. يورو 1960

البلد المضيف: فرنسا

البطل: الاتحاد السوفيتي

الهدافين: هيويت، وأيفانوف، وبنيدلينك، وجاليتش وجيركوفيتش

استقبلت فرنسا أول نسخة من منافسات كأس أمم أوروبا، وكانت المباراة الافتتاحية على ملعب حديقة الأمراء بالعاصمة الفرنسية باريس.

أقيمت المباراة الأولى في البطولة بين فرنسا ويوغوسلافيا، وشهدت 9 أهداف، وهزيمة للبلد المضيف.

انتهت المباراة بفوز يوغوسلافيا بنتيجة 5-4 أمام فرنسا، ولاحقًا توج الاتحاد السوفيتي بطلاً ليورو 1960.

الهدف الافتتاحي للبطولة سجله لاعب يوغوسلافيا ميلان جاليتش في الدقيقة 11 من عمر المباراة.

وتصدر قائمة الهدافين هيويت من فرنسا، وأيفانوف وبنيدلينك من الاتحاد السوفيتي وجاليتش وجيركوفيتش
من يوغوسلافيا بهدفين لكل منهما. يورو 1964

البلد المضيف: إسبانيا

البطل: إسبانيا

الهداف: بريدا، بينى، ونوفشيك 

النسخة الثانية أقيمت في إسبانيا، ولعبت المباراة الافتتاحية على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في العاصمة مدريد.

ونجحت إسبانيا في تحقيق الفوز أمام المجر بهدفين مقابل هدف، وتوجت في النهاية باللقب أمام الاتحاد السوفيتي.

وأول هدف في البطولة سجله خيسوس ماريا بيريدا في الدقيقة 35 من عمر المباراة أمام المجر.

وتصدر قائمة الهدافين بريدا من اسبانيا، وكل من بيني ونوفشيك من المجر بهدفين لكل منهما. يورو 1968

البلد المضيف: إيطاليا

البطل: إيطاليا

الهداف: زاجيك

استضافت إيطاليا النسخة الثالثة من كأس الأمم الأوروبية، وأقيمت أول مواجهة على ملعب “سان باولو” في نابولي، والملقب الآن بملعب “دييجو أرماندو مارادونا”.

وللمرة الثانية تنجح الدولة المضيفة في التتويج باللقب، حيث توجت إيطاليا بلقب يورو 1968 على حساب يوغوسلافيا.

المباراة الافتتاحية كانت بين إيطاليا والاتحاد السوفيتي وانتهت (0-0).

وتصدر لاعب يوغوسلافيا زاجيك قائمة الهدافين بهدفين.

اقرأ أيضًا | غرائب كأس الأمم الأوروبية | حرب وعملة ولعنة تمنح اللقب.. وكسر عقدة تهديفية يورو 1972

البلد المضيف: بلجيكا

البطل: ألمانيا الغربية

الهداف: جيرد مولر

أقيمت هذه النسخة من البطولة الأوروبية في بلجيكا، في الفترة من 14 يونيو إلى 18 من الشهر ذاته.

شاركت في هذه البطولة 4 منتخبات، وهي، بلجيكا وألمانيا الغربية والاتحاد السوفيتي والمجر.

ولعبت المباراة الافتتاحية بين بلجيكا وألمانيا الغربية على ملعب “بوزيلستاديون” في أنتويرب.

وتعرضت بلجيكا للهزيمة بهدفين مقابل هدف أمام ألمانيا الغربية التي توجت باللقب لاحقًا.

وكان الهدف الافتتاحي عن طريق جيرد مولر في الدقيقة 24، وتوج هدافًا للبطولة بـ4 أهداف. يورو 1976

البلد المضيف: يوغوسلافيا

البطل: تشيكوسلوفاكيا

الهداف: ديتر مولر

كانت يوغوسلافيا هي البلد المضيف لنسخة 1976، والتي ضمت أيضًا منتخبات ألمانيا الغربية وهولندا وتشيكوسلوفاكيا.

هذه النسخة شهدت مباراتين افتتاحيتين، بين تشيكوسلوفاكيا وهولندا في ملعب ماكسمير بزغرب، وتعرضت هولندا للهزيمة بنتيجة 3-1، والأخرى انتهت بفوز ألمانيا الغربية بنتيجة 4-2 أمام يوغوسلافيا.

الهدف الافتتاحي في كل مباراة جاء بالوقت ذاته بالدقيقة 19 من عمر اللقاء.

وتوج الألماني ديتر مولر هدافًا لأمم أوروبا 1976 برصيد 4 أهداف، وبطل المسابقة كان منتخب تشيكوسلوفاكيا. يورو 1980

البلد المضيف: إيطاليا

حامل اللقب: ألمانيا الغربية

الهداف: كلاوس ألوفس

للمرة الثانية تستضيف إيطاليا المنافسة الأوروبية، وقد شاركت للمرة الأولى 8 دول في البطولة على عكس النسخ السابقة التي شهدت مشاركة 4 دول فقط.

وأقيمت المباراة الأولى على ملعب الأولمبيكو في روما، وحققت ألمانيا الغربية الفوز بهدف نظيف أمام تشيكوسلوفاكيا، سجله كارل هاينز رومينجيه بالدقيقة 57.

حامل لقب يورو 80 كان منتخب ألمانيا الغربية وقدد حقق ثانٍ ألقابه، وجاءت بلجيكا في مركز الوصيف، والمركز الثالث كان من نصيب تشيكوسلوفاكيا، والمركز الرابع كان لإيطاليا. يورو 1984

البلد المضيف: فرنسا

حامل اللقب: فرنسا

الهداف: ميشيل بلاتيني

استضافت فرنسا البطولة للمرة الثانية بعد النسخة الأولى من أمم أوروبا، وأقيمت أول مواجهة بملعب “حديقة الأمراء” في باريس.

وحققت فرنسا الفوز بهدف نظيف عن طريق ميشيل بلاتيني في الدقيقة 78 أمام منتخب الدنمارك.

نجحت فرنسا في التتويج باللقب الأول لها، وحققت الفوز على حساب إسبانيا بهدفين نظيفين لبيلاتيني وبيلوني.

بلاتيني كان هدافًا لمنافسات يورو 84 وقد أحرز خلال المسابقة 9 أهداف.

اقرأ أيضًا | “الأرض لا تساعد”.. ألمانيا في خطر قبل افتتاح يورو 2024 يورو 1988

البلد المضيف: ألمانيا الغربية

حامل اللقب: هولندا

الهداف: ماركو فان باستن

هذه النسخة استضافتها ألمانيا الغربية ولعبت مباراتها الأولى أمام إيطاليا على ملعب راين شتاديون.

وافتتح الإيطالي روبيرتو مانشيني شريط الأهداف ليورو 88، وانتهت المباراة بالتعادل 1-1.

لاحقًا توجت هولندا باللقب على حساب الاتحاد السوفيتي، وتوج ماركو فان باستن هدافًا للبطولة بـ 5 أهداف. يورو 1992

البلد المضيف: السويد

حامل اللقب: الدنمارك

الهداف: دينيس بيركامب، توماس برولين، هنريك لارسن، كارل هاينز ريدله

استضافت السويد البطولة ولعبت أول مباراة أمام فرنسا وانتهت بتعادل إيجابي بهدف لمثله، وأول أهداف المسابقة سجلها جان إريكسون في الدقيقة 24، على ملعب “روسوندا”.

وأقيمت المباراة النهائية بين ألمانيا والدنمارك وتوجت الدنمارك باللقب.

أما بالنسبة للهدافين فقد سجل كل من دينيس بيركامب، توماس برولين، هنريك لارسن، كارل هاينز ريدله 3 أهداف. يورو 1996

البلد المضيف: إنجلترا

حامل اللقب: ألمانيا

الهداف: آلان شيرر

عادت كرة القدم إلى موطنها، وعلى ملعب “ويمبلي” أقيمت أول مباراة بين إنجلترا وسويسرا وانتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله، وأولى أهداف البطولة كان عن طريق آلان شيرر.

وحققت ألمانيا اللقب على حساب جمهورية التشيك بهدفين مقابل هدف، وتوج آلان شيرر هدافًا للمسابقة بـ 5 أهداف. يورو 2000

البلد المضيف: هولندا وبلجيكا

البطل: فرنسا

الهداف: باتريك كلايفرت، سافو ميلوشيفيتش

أقيمت أول مباراة في البطولة بين بلجيكا والسويد على ملعب الملك بودوان في بروكسل.

حققت بلجيكا الفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف، الهدف الافتتاحي جاء من تسديدة فردية من بارت جور في الدقيقة 43.

وتوجت فرنسا باللقب على حساب إيطاليا، وهداف البطولة حصده باتريك كلايفرت، سافو ميلوشيفيتش بواقع 5 أهداف لكل فريق. يورو 2004

البلد المضيف: البرتغال

البطل: اليونان

الهداف: ميلان باروس

استضافت البرتغال منافسات يورو 2004 على ملعب “الدراجاو” وأقيمت أول مباراة لها أمام اليونان.

وفاجأ جيورجيوس كاراجونيس منتخب البرتغال بهدف أول ليقص شريط أهداف البطولة في الدقيقة السابعة، وانتهت المباراة بفوز اليونان 2-1.

وبرصيد 5 أهداف كان التشيكي ميلان باروس هدافًا لكأس أمم أوروبا 2004.

وكانت المباراة النهائية بين اليونان والبرتغال أيضًا ونجحت اليونان في الفوز باللقب بهدف نظيف. يورو 2008

البلد المضيف: النمسا وسويسرا

البطل: إسبانيا

الهداف: دافيد فيا

أقيمت البطولة في النمسا وسويسرا وكلاهما استضافا البطولة للمرة الأولى، ولعبت المباراة الأولى بين سويسرا والتشيك.

لعبت المباراة الافتتاحية على ملعب سانت جاكوب بارك، وانتهت بفوز التشيك بهدف نظيف، والهدف الافتتاحي كان لفاسلاف سفيركوش في الدقيقة 71.

في المباراة النهائية التي أقيمت على ملعب إرنست هابل في فيينا، أصبحت إسبانيا بطلة أوروبا للمرة الثانية وتوجت باللقب أمام ألمانيا بفوز بنتيجة 1-0، وتوج دافيد فيا هدافًا للبطولة بـ 4 أهداف. يورو 2012

البلد المضيف: أوكرانيا وبولندا

البطل: إسبانيا

الهداف: ماريو ماندزوكيتش، ماريو جوميز، ماريو بالوتيلي، كريستيانو رونالدو، ألان دزاغويف، فرناندو توريس

البطولة الرابعة عشرة من بطولة أوروبا، أقيمت مباراتها الافتتاحية بين بولندا واليونان على الملعب الوطني وارسو، وانتهت بالتعادل بهدف لمثله، وافتتح روبرت ليفاندوفسكي أهداف يورو 2021، بهدف في الدقيقة 17.

توجت إسبانيا بلقب يورو 2012 على حساب إيطاليا وحققت الفوز بأربعة أهداف دون مقابل.

خلال تلك البطولة سجل كل من ماريو ماندزوكيتش، ماريو جوميز، ماريو بالوتيلي، كريستيانو رونالدو، ألان دزاغويف، فرناندو توريس، 3 أهداف. يورو 2016

البلد المضيف: فرنسا

البطل: البرتغال

الهداف: أنطوان جريزمان

على ملعب فرنسا، افتتح الديوك البطولة بمواجهة أمام رومانيا وحققوا الفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف، وهدف التقدم سجله أوليفيه جيرو في الدقيقة 57.

وتوجت البرتغال بلقب يورو 2016 بقيادة كريستيانو رونالدو على حساب المنتخب الفرنسي بهدف نظيف، وكان جريزمان هدافًا للبطولة برصيد 6 أهداف. يورو 2020

البطل: إيطاليا

الهداف: كريستيانو رونالدو، باتريك شيك

قرر الاتحاد الأوروبي أن تقام البطولة في 11 دولة أوروبية وقد لعبت بين الدنمارك، أنجلترا، ألمانيا، المجر، إيطاليا، هولندا، رومانيا، روسيا، إسكتلندا، إسبانيا، وأذربيجان.

لعبت المباراة الافتتاحية بين تركيا وإيطاليا على ملعب الأولمبيكو في روما، وفازت إيطاليا بثلاثية دون رد، وسجل ديميرال أولى أهداف البطولة وكان هدفًا عكسيًا في شباك تركيا بالدقيقة 53.

ومباراة النهائي كانت بين إنجلترا وإيطاليا على ملعب ويمبلي وفازت إيطاليا باللقب بركلات الترجيح (3-2).

Confirmation of Glamorgan’s £2.5m payout from ECB comes ahead of an emergency meeting of county chairmen on March 26

David Hopps22-Mar-2018Glamorgan have confirmed a compensation payment of £2.5m from the ECB in exchange for not applying to host Test matches for a five-year period between 2020 and 2024.Overall contributions from the ECB amounted to nearly £5.2m – a figure which also includes the annual share-out to county clubs from international proceeds, and an additional £1m payment from ECB reserves that all counties received in the past year. The total sum is thought to be a record ECB payout to a county.The revelation, shown in the county’s annual accounts, comes at a tense time for the first-class game with an emergency meeting of county chairmen scheduled for March 26.Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, is under scrutiny after it emerged that ‘compensation’ payments could be habitually paid to some Test-hosting clubs in the years they did not stage a match despite the policy having not been discussed at Board level.It remains to be seen whether other counties will also be identified as having been promised similar sums.Bob Warren, the Sussex chairman, has written to Graves, saying: “The ECB policies are, taking into account the way matches and money are being distributed, going to produce eight super-counties with dire effects for the rest of us.”Glamorgan said of their financial support: “Following discussions with the ECB the club decided not to apply to host Test matches during the 2020 to 2024 period in return for a compensation payment of £2.5m. The Club has agreed that if it wishes to host Test match cricket in the future, it will repay this sum on terms to be agreed with the ECB.”This formed part of the Club’s strategy to become the white-ball venue of choice which resulted in the successful allocation of international T20s and ODIs and the appointment of the SSE Swalec as a venue for the ECB’s new T20 tournament.”The appointment of Cardiff as one of the venues for the ECB’s speculative new T20 tournament was not without controversy as both Taunton and Bristol had ambitions to share the south-west venue and, in the case of Somerset, have expressed the belief that they were given reason by the ECB to expect this would be the case.Glamorgan, meanwhile, are nearly out of the financial woods. At their AGM on March 28, they will announce an EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation and Amortisation) profit of £4.146m.The statement read: “Since 2012 the Club has made EBITDA profits of £4.0m, before debt write-offs and before this recent agreement with the ECB. These profits have been delivered through successful hosting of a number of high profile cricket events, including two Champions Trophies and an Ashes Test match, alongside very close control of costs.The debt burden, not so long ago a crippling £15.1m, which came close to driving Glasmorgan into bankruptcy until the chief executive, Hugh Morris, negotiated a way out of the mess, has been reduced to £2.5m.Glamorgan concluded: “The Club is very focused, alongside a close partnership with Cricket Wales, upon developing the game of Cricket in Wales, producing the highest quality players, and providing top quality entertainment for audiences within Cardiff and around Wales. The sporting, social and financial impact of these aspirations for Wales could be enormous.”Durham are another county who might look askance at the situation. They were relegated at the end of the 2016 season, and suffered other sanctions, in exchange for a £3.8m bale-out by ECB – another county that made the heady rush towards Test status and suffered financial hardship in the process.

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.

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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.

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Arsenal look to be on the journey to something special, as Mikel Arteta continues to grow as a manager alongside his budding squad full of exciting talent.

The Gunners underwent some difficult times at the start of the Spaniard’s reign, at a time when many doubted the limits of his capabilities as a coach as his first two seasons resulted in consecutive 8th-place Premier League finishes.

As time went by and the former Arsenal midfielder was able to fully sculpt the squad to his liking, improvement began to be noticeable, as he took the team to 5th place in the 2021/22 campaign, agonisingly shy of a top-four finish.

2018/19

Unai Emery

5th

2019/20

Mikel Arteta

8th

2020/21

Mikel Arteta

8th

2021/22

Mikel Arteta

5th

2022/23

Mikel Arteta

2nd

It seemed as though the squad took missing out on the top four to their north London rivals personally, as the 2022/23 season began the start of the club’s revolution, as they challenged for the title for the majority of the term.

Manchester City swept the prizes last year, winning the domestic treble, however, Arteta restored the hope at the Emirates for years to come.

During his reign, the former Everton whiz has recruited strongly, welcoming a host of talent through the doors in north London with each new arrival having a significant role to play in his master plan.

One area that needed attention was the defence, which was strengthened by the arrivals of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Oleksandr Zinchenko, paired with the return of William Saliba from his loan spells.

How much did Arsenal sign Gabriel Magalhaes for?

Signed from French outfit Lille in 2020 for £27m, Gabriel arrived in the bid for Arteta to rebuild the foundations of his back four.

The manager lauded his new arrival as a player who could strengthen his squad as a “defensive unit and as a team”, branding him an “outstanding” defender based on his form in France.

It was revealed at the time of the deal being complete that Manchester United were also eyeing a potential move for the Brazilian, with Everton and Napoli also named as clubs that held interest.

Around the time of his move from Ligue 1 to the Premier League, the centre-back had an expected transfer value (xTV) of €15.5m (£13.4m), which has significantly risen since his journey to fame in north London, via Football Transfers.

What is Gabriel Magalhaes’ market value now?

Currently, the Sao Paulo-born ace has a market value of €80m (£69m), as per CIES Football Observatory, showcasing just how much his game has developed, as well as how good of a deal Arsenal struck to acquire him.

In three years, the defender’s value has risen by almost €65m, with his good form and personal development rewarded with an improved contract from the club in 2022, where his deal was extended to 2027.

At the time of his renewed deal, Arteta dubbed his star defender as a “hugely important” part of the squad after establishing himself as one of the Emirates’ first-choice centre-backs.

How much does Gabriel Magalhaes earn?

Along with his stay being extended, the Brazilian saw his wages rise as a result of his revised contract.

The 25-year-old saw his hard work pay off as his salary doubled in value last year, taking his weekly wage from £50k to £100k by putting pen to paper.

From earning £291k-per-year at the point of signing for Lille, the defender’s rise at Arsenal has resulted in him earning £5.2m-per-year, suggesting just how highly he is regarded in north London.

Why is he worth that much?

Praised as being “solid as a rock” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in his debut season, Gabriel’s form has transformed over the years, with it seeming as though the Brazil international has found sanctuary in playing alongside Saliba.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the Brazilian averaged a pass completion rate of 85.4% per 90, as well as making 1.13 tackles and 2.57 aerial wins per 90, via FBref.

The most prominent improvement to his game has been his distribution, recording an average pass completion rate of 89.4% per 90, as well as making 1.27 tackles and 2.64 aerial wins per 90 in the 2022/23 season.

Working alongside Saliba seems to complement the former Lille star, with the Frenchman being an extremely competent ball player himself as highlighted by his average pass completion rate of 91.0% per 90 last term.

When reviewing Arsenal’s defence, the combination of Gabriel and Saliba has assisted in balancing the back four, with both showing their strengths in orchestrating the play ahead of them as well as the task at hand.

Twitter X figure Eduardo Hagn was full of praise for the partnership after the Gunners’ emphatic win against PSV on their Champions League return, calling them a “world-class” duo.

What does the future hold for Gabriel?

With 124 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions under his belt, the 25-year-old has all the tools to write himself into history as part of a squad that is destined for glory sooner rather than later.

The Gunners struggled for years to unearth the next capable defensive duo, with the combination of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny arguably the last pairing that consistently succeeded in red and white.

Last season was the first term that Saliba and Gabriel were combined in the heart of the back line, and with such performances marking their first experiences with each other, Arteta’s defence is in safe hands for years to come.

Arsenal are back in the Champions League and among the top side’s in the Premier League, with the Brazilian being an integral part of the journey in the capital.

Away from domestic football, the future looks bright for the former Ligue 1 gem’s international prognosis, as he earned his first cap for his country earlier this month after the disappointment of not being selected for the 2022 World Cup.

Emerging as a top talent in England with Arsenal, and a player recognised at international level for Fernando Diniz’s squad, the Gunners machine is in for an exciting new chapter of his career if his form can continue to flourish.

In signing Gabriel for just £27m, Arteta and Edu struck gold on another Brazilian talent whose value continues to soar in the capital.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez is now closer than ever to leaving Spurs after a development, with a report from the English press sharing some news.

Who has left Tottenham this season?

New Lilywhites boss Ange Postecoglou has watched a plethora of his squad depart this summer, either on loan or permanently.

Indeed, former Spurs superstar Harry Kane joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in one of the most high-profile transfers this year, while Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett all joined him out the door.

Despite the British window closing on September 1, it is believed that further Spurs players could follow them, as Turkish and Saudi Arabian sides can still make signings until a later date.

Saudi clubs have until this Thursday to add to their squads, while sides from the Turkish Super Lig can keep on bringing in players before September 15.

This gives Postecoglou and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy an opportunity to shift more deadwood over the next few weeks, with expensive flop Tanguy Ndombele coming as one of the players who look set to make way in the next days.

Ndombele is said to be on his way to Galatasaray, according to Fabrizio Romano, while Colombia international defender Sanchez is another rumoured to be be nearing a move to the Turkish club.

Galatasaray have apparently set their sights on the 27-year-old alongside Ndombele, with a report by CaughtOffside sharing news on his potential move further east.

Sanchez, who doesn't appear to be in Postecoglou's plans at Spurs, is apparently "closer than ever" to leaving the north London after both the player and Galatasaray reached an agreement over personal terms.

Spurs and the Turkish giants are said to be "edging closer to a final agreement as well", with the former Ajax sensation's transfer looming "fairly imminently".

It is also believed that final details are now being ironed out for him to depat N17, over six years after Tottenham signed him in a past club-record deal from the Eredivisie.

What's been said about Davinson Sanchez?

The South American hasn't been playing at a top level for Spurs in recent years, and his poor peformances date all the way back to Jose Mourinho's tenure in charge.

Speaking to Football Insider all the way back in April 2021, former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan slammed Sanchez for making "schoolboy"-like errors.

"Sanchez hasn’t looked great for a while now," Whelan explained over two years ago.

"We’re talking about fine margins and you look back on goals they concede when he’s in the side and it’s always little mistakes that cost them.

"Jose Mourinho will have been very disappointed to have kept giving Newcastle that hope. That’s not what you need when you’re meant to be going for Europe, is it?

“He’ll be tearing his hair out when he watches the goals they conceded. Schoolboy mistakes, especially from Sanchez. Shocking stuff.”

If Spurs can indeed agree a deal to offload Sanchez, it's arguably the right call, as his potential departure would also free up space for Postecoglou to bring in another defender next year.

It is also looking rather rosy as far as Tottenham Hotspur are concerned, with new boss Ange Postecoglou having enjoyed a stunning start to life in the dugout after picking up four successive Premier League victories to leave his side firmly in the mix at the summit.

The ex-Celtic boss appears to have benefitted from the bold and brave decisions he has made over the last few months or so, notably handing a reduced role to the likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, while also replacing long-serving asset, Hugo Lloris in the sticks.

That trio are not the only figures to have suffered from the 58-year-old's appointment, with Brazilian full-back Emerson Royal another to have slipped down the pecking order of late down the right flank.

How much did Tottenham pay for Emerson Royal?

The former Barcelona man – who arrived from Camp Nou back in the summer of 2021 – has started just a solitary league game this season after losing his place to Pedro Porro at right-back, with the 25-year-old unable to build on his mini-resurgence last term.

The £25.8m signing overcame his early woes in English football to prove a standout figure in the second half of last season's tumultuous campaign, with club insider John Wenham suggesting that it looked as if the defender had initially been "spurred on" by the signing of Porro.

While also described as "unbelievable" by Wenham following his display against Manchester City earlier this year, it may be hard to forget the £40k-per-week man's prior grim performances, however, with talkSPORT's Jamie O'Hara branding him a "disaster" back in November.

Journalist Josh Bunting was even more critical of the one-time Real Betis man the previous month, having stated that Emerson is "maybe the worst player to play for Tottenham in my lifetime", such were the "dreadful" nature of his performances.

For all his possible improvement since then, there were still claims made over the summer that Spurs were looking to cash in on the player, hence why it may not be too long before he is replaced in Postecoglou's squad.

If the Greek-Aussie is looking to find a suitable alternative to challenge Pedro Porro at right-back, then he may want to consider academy sensation, Tyrell Ashcroft…

Who is Tyrell Ashcroft?

Previously described as "promising" by journalist Andy Preston after joining the north Londoners from Reading last year, the 18-year-old had been handed four senior appearances for the Royals prior to that departure, receiving hefty praise from then-boss Veljko Paunovic:

"He is a fantastic lad, young, confident and has quality. He has an engine and is a very intelligent kid, so he has it all. I think he has a big future for our club. He is a big asset so we have to keep nourishing his talent and provide him with the best possible support so he can keep growing."

While yet to feature for the first team in his new surroundings, the hope will be that the teenage right-back can also have a 'big future' at N17, having notably started all four Premier League 2 games so far this term for the club's U21 side.

That consistent run of games will come as a real bonus to the talented youngster following his injury setback last term, with the full-back having missed the majority of the campaign after suffering an ACL injury in September 2022.

Thankfully for both his sake – and for Spurs – Ashcroft is now back fit and firing in the youth set-up, with the aforementioned Emerson likely needing to watch out if the Englishman can replicate the strong early impression that he showcased during his time at Reading.

With Postecoglou already putting faith in the likes of Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr this season, it would be no surprise if another youngster, like Ashcroft, is brought into the first-team fold sooner rather than later.

Heino Kuhn has become the latest South Africa international to take the Kolpak route into county cricket after signing a contract with Kent

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2018

Heino Kuhn presses forward to defend•Getty Images

Heino Kuhn has become the latest South Africa international to take the Kolpak route into county cricket after signing a contract with Kent.Kuhn, the Titans wicketkeeper-batsman, opened for South Africa in all four Tests on their tour of England last year, although he only averaged 14.12 with a top score of 34 and has since been replaced by Aiden Markram. Kuhn, 33, has also been capped seven times in T20Is. He will be available for Kent in all formats.”I’m delighted to get the opportunity to play county cricket and I’m looking forward to joining the Kent squad,” Kuhn said. “I want to contribute positively to the team and bring my experience from winning trophies in South Africa.”Kent have been in need of a top-order batsman after the departure of Sam Northeast and will be strengthened by the arrival of a player who has scored almost 10,000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 43.48, with 23 hundreds.He will join another South Africa-born top-order batsman, Sean Dickson – who has a UK passport – at Canterbury, as well as former fast bowler Allan Donald, who has recently started in the role of Kent’s assistant coach.Paul Downton, Kent’s new director of cricket, said: “We’re delighted to welcome a player of Heino’s quality and experience to the club. We believe Heino can complement our talented batsmen across the three formats and serve as a mentor to those coming through the ranks.”The South African game has seen a drain of players giving up on their international careers in order to take advantage of the financial security offered by county deals. Last year, Kyle Abbott was the most prominent Kolpak departure, while Morne Morkel has been linked with several clubs after announcing his South Africa retirement last month.

Form guide (most recent match first)

Delhi Daredevils: lost to Chennai Super Kings by 13 runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 55 runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by four runs
Rajasthan Royals: lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 11 runs, beat Mumbai Indians by three wickets, lost to Chennai Super Kings by 64 runs

Big Picture

We are reaching a stage in the IPL where a defeat can all but eliminate some of the sides. Barring extreme circumstances, with four points from eight matches, Delhi Daredevils, who will be happier coming back home after their defeat in Pune, need to win all their remaining six matches. Or at least five of them. If they do manage to make this match one of those five or six, it will leave their opponents Rajasthan Royals in a similar situation. They still sit at less than 50% success rate, with three wins in seven matches. A win for Royals will put them at No. 4 alongside Kolkata Knight Riders, and make them genuine contenders to make the playoffs. Needless to say, margin for error for either side is minimal.Daredevils are only just recovering from what turned out to be a mistake: having Gautam Gambhir as captain and opening batsman. The rejigged side after his stepping down looks a bigger threat to the opposition. Royals themselves are benefitting from Jofra Archer’s inclusion two matches ago. Both the sides will love a match-winning effort from their big overseas buys. Daredevils’ Glenn Maxwell and Royals’ Jos Buttler have scored 126 and 120 runs respectively in seven matches, which is not what the sides bargained for.

In the news

Mahipal Lomror played ahead of Shreyas Gopal – who has five wickets this season at a decent economy of only 7.06 – in Royals’ last game. It will be interesting to see if they persist with the combination.

Previous meeting

Their last meeting was the first time a side successfully defended a total this IPL. It was a rain-shortened game, and Daredevils failed to chase 71 in six overs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Likely XIs

Delhi Daredevils: 1 Colin Munro, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Vijay Shankar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Liam Plunkett, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Trent BoultRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Mahipal Lomror, 7 K Gowtham, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Dhawal Kulkarni, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Jaydev Unadkat

Strategy punt

Royals could think of playing two legspinners: Maxwell has had his share of troubles against that variety of bowling, including against Ish Sodhi, who has dismissed him twice in 28 balls for only 31 runs.Expect Daredevils to hold back spin until they dismiss Ajinkya Rahane, whose strike rate against pace this year has been 117.2 as opposed to 143 against spin.

Stats that matter

• Daredevils last beat Royals in 2012, and have lost to them seven times since then
• Royals’ specialist overseas batsmen have the worst strike rate among all teams this year: 116.4
• Amit Mishra has bowled almost exclusively in the middle overs, going at an excellent economy rate of 6.7
• Avesh Khan has bowled only seven Powerplay overs so far, but he boasts a good economy rate of 7.1
• Jofra Archer comes into the match with a death-overs economy rate of 4.8 in this IPL. He has bowled only four overs in the stage, but in finding a way to score runs off him lies a big challenge for Daredevils

Fantasy pick

Colin Munro looks like he is hitting form after a slow start to the tournament. He has batted 16 and 18 balls in his last two innings; if he goes on to face 30, his strike rate should get you enough points.

Quotes

“We need to win six out of six, which is the only motivation we can take into the remaining games. We are really effective in home games and, if we can keep the team stable, that should serve us well.”

Newcastle United are finally in a position where they can beat mega clubs to top signings, and a recent update suggests that could happen with one exciting young star.

Do Newcastle need more signings?

The Magpies have made giant strides with Eddie Howe in charge as manager, quickly becoming a real force in the Premier League, and finishing fourth in the table last season. That saw them return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, and they will begin their campaign in Europe's biggest club competition later this month.

Granted, Newcastle have made a surprisingly poor start to the season, losing three of their four league games, but it must be stressed that their opening to the campaign has arguably been tougher than any other team's.

New players have arrived at St James' Park, in order to go up another gear, with the likes of Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento adding more quality and depth to the squad.

The money is there for Newcastle to continue spending well into the future, however, and the hope is that further upcoming arrive in the January transfer window, giving them an extra boost of quality heading into the second half of the season.

It could be that attacking reinforcements are looked at as a priority, giving the Magpies as much firepower as possible, and it looks as though they are turning to La Liga for a potential signing.

Will Newcastle sign Nico Williams?

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are battling with Barcelona for the signing of Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams, who continues to shine for the Basque club. They could trigger his €50m (£43m) release clause in January, in order to beat any free agent auction when the 21-year-old's current deal expires at the end of this season.

Liverpool are also mentioned as potential suitors in the report, as are Aston Villa, but the Magpies appear to be showing the most interest and intent, with Barca more keen on signing him for free next summer.

Williams could be an exciting signing for Newcastle in January, should they be able to convinced him that a move to England is best for his development, rather than a switch to Barca.

At just 21, the Spaniard is still very much an improving player with a high ceiling, but that's not to say he hasn't already become a key figure for Bilbao, being hailed as "simply amazing" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Strong dribbler

Inconsistent delivery

Versatile across the attack

Defensive contribution

Possesses blistering pace

Inconsistent finishing

Williams has already registered 23 goal contributions (12 goals and 11 assists) in 89 appearances for the La Liga side, despite his tender years, and he has also netted twice in ten caps for Spain, showing that he can cut it at international level.

Predominantly a left-sided attacking player, the Bilbao ace could provide competition for the likes of Barnes and Anthony Gordon, while his versatility allows him to play on the right-hand side and in a central role, which should be seen as an added bonus for Howe.