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Arsene Wenger takes charge of one last game at Old Trafford with the Gunners on Sunday, and there have been plenty of memorable ones in the past

Getty1March 1998 – Overmars’ scream-inducing Old Trafford winner

Going into the game, champions United led Arsenal by nine points but having played an extra three games. Arsene Wenger, in his first full season at Highbury, knew his side would be landing a significant blow were they to win on Manchester soil.

And with 10 minutes remaining Marc Overmars slid home a now iconic goal, producing scenes of raw emotion in the away end as Arsenal fans began to believe a first title in seven years was within their grasp.

“If they win their games in hand they will go ahead of us, but they’ll start dropping points towards the end of the season, there’s no question about that,” Sir Alex Ferguson claimed afterwards.

Ferguson was wrong. The win at Old Trafford was the second of 10 straight successes for the Gunners, who would wrap up a first title under Wenger with two games to spare.AdvertisementGetty2April 1999 – Giggs' wonder goal

It might be easier to list the things this iconic FA Cup semi-final replay didn't have! David Beckham scored first but the pendulum seemed to have swung to Arsenal when Dennis Bergkamp equalised and Roy Keane was then sent off for a foul on Overmars.

In the dying seconds, Phil Neville brought down Ray Parlour for a penalty, prompting some United fans to head for the exits. But Peter Schmeichel brilliantly saved Bergkamp’s spot-kick to send the game into extra time.

Then came THAT Ryan Giggs goal as the Welsh wizard beat Patrick Vieira, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown and Tony Adams on a wonderful run before striking high past David Seaman and whipping off his shirt in frenzied jubilation.Getty3August 1999 – Keane at the double at Highbury

Freddie Ljungberg’s opening goal was just a taster in this clash as the growing disregard between the two clubs reared its head.

Keane broke through a gap to equalise, but moments later was involved in a flashpoint with Vieira in which the United skipper kicked out after playing a pass and the Frenchman responded with a head-butt. Jaap Stam then grabbed Vieira by the throat as both sets of players flooded in.

After referee Graham Poll decided no cards were warranted, Keane pounced on a deflected Giggs shot to net the winner, but there would still be time for late controversy as Keown’s apparent injury-time equaliser was ruled out for an infringement on Raimond van der Gouw.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty4May 2002 – Wiltord wins the league in Manchester

Their Old Trafford victory in 1998 had felt like a league winner because of the momentum swing but four years on Arsenal would become champions for certain with another memorable 1-0 win.

In a game that was typically bad-tempered at times, with Phil Neville perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch after a particularly bad challenge on Sylvain Wiltord, it always felt like Arsene Wenger’s side were going to find the winner.

It came on 56 minutes, as Mikael Silvestre’s loose pass allowed Wiltord to break and play in Ljungberg. The Swede’s shot could only be parried by Fabien Barthez, and the French front man became the toast of north London by sliding home the rebound.

According to its head of recruiting, the Saudi Pro League will look to sign players "of the highest level" in upcoming transfer windows.

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Saudi chief talks about transfer plansExpects less movement in winter windowLooking to make additions to summer signingsWHAT HAPPENED?

According to FIFA, Saudi Arabian clubs invested £701 million on foreign talent acquisition in the summer. If Saudi teams' offers for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe had been approved, that amount may have been far higher. The Player Acquisition Centre for Excellence (PACE) and director of football for the Saudi league, Michael Emenalo, acknowledged that the league had "competed aggressively" during the summer transfer window and that the emphasis was now on high-calibre additions to the summer signings.

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As the January transfer window approaches, Saudi teams have already been linked with moves for Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho of Manchester United. Champions Al-Ittihad are also anticipated to make another attempt at acquiring Mohamed Salah, having had their September £150 million bid for the Liverpool forward rejected.

WHAT MICHAEL EMENALO SAID

"I’m hoping (the January transfer window) is not very busy, because I think the job that was done has been quite interesting and aggressive, and most of the clubs, I believe, have what they need,” the former Chelsea technical director told the SPL. "And hopefully the attention will now turn to work within the training facilities to improve these players and to allow the time to adapt and perform.

"Now, whatever additional improvement that we need to do for any club, with time on our hands and preparation, we believe will be additions of the highest level. We will continue to support and to see every opportunity we have to bring more talented individuals that want to come to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is open for business."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SAUDI PRO LEAGUE?

As Emenalo reiterated, it is now unlikely that the league will attract any top talents in the winter transfer window but will keep looking to make additions to improve the quality of the league.

The reasons for David Raya joining Arsenal on an initial loan, rather than a permanent transfer, have been explained by the goalkeeper’s agent.

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Keeper bid farewell to BrentfordWas wanted by heavyweight outfitsOpted to battle Ramsdale at the EmiratesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners moved to bolster their shot-stopping department during the summer window when putting a deal in place with Premier League rivals Brentford for Spain international Raya. The north London outfit were able to fend off interest from Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich in order to push an agreement for 2023-24 through.

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Raya’s representative, Jaume Munell, has told of why a loan was put in place: "Arsenal showed interest for the first time three years ago in 2021. They tried to buy him but Brentford didn’t want to sell him at any price. After they bought [Aaron] Ramsdale that was an easier option but David has always been the priority. This summer, he had just one year left on his contract with Brentford and Arsenal was the club that showed the most concrete interest and have always been our priority.

"Tottenham also was interested and made an official bid but it was refused because was lower than the €40m [£35m] that Brentford wanted to sell him, also Bayern Munich was interested and had an amazing offer but with no buy option included and for this reason, we’ve not accepted it. Bayern Munich didn’t understand our refusal because they thought that Raya would have been the back-up keeper at Arsenal but as you can see it’s not like this. Also Manchester United and Chelsea made an inquiry but nothing concrete. The formula of the deal is a loan with the option to buy, Arsenal had some Financial Fair Play issues and this is the reason why they haven’t bought him with a permanent transfer."

WHAT THEY SAID

Raya is competing with Ramsdale for minutes at Arsenal, with both men having filled starting duties and bench roles this season, and Munell says his client is at Emirates Stadium due to the presence of Mikel Arteta and Gunners goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana. He added: “Arsenal is a team with a lot of quality and a lot of young players trained by a top coach Mikel Arteta, they have maximum ambition. Arsenal have a clear identity, and a clear style of play that really works, as you can see by the results. Last year they were close to winning the Premier League, I believe that this year they can win it and try to win the Champions League, it’s tough but they have the quality and the ambition to try to do it. Inaki and Arteta were key for the deal, they have been determined for the choice that we made to play for Arsenal, the club have a project and a philosophy that fit completely for David.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Raya has become Arsenal’s go-to option between the sticks in Premier League and Champions League competition, with England international Ramsdale having to make do with Carabao Cup outings since losing his place back in September.

Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann has been in contact with Arsenal legend Lukas Podolski over a joint project run alongside Germany great Mats Hummels.

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Swiss star set to take part in new competitionInspired by Pique's 'Kings League' in SpainCelebrity coaches will charge of the teams involvedWHAT HAPPENED?

The 24-year-old Switzerland international has confirmed that she will be taking part in the indoor football competition, known as the ‘Baller League’, that is due to take place in January 2024. Lehmann will be joined in said league by a number of former players, celebrities, musicians, streamers and influencers – although anybody is free to apply for participation.

The pair exchanged an interaction on their respective Instagram stories, in German, about Lehmann's confirmed inclusion in the tournament.

IG: alishalehmann7IG: lukaspodolskiAdvertisementGettyWHAT LEHMANN SAID

Lehmann has told of adding her name to the guest list: “I’m really looking forward to the Baller League. This is a great idea that combines a lot of things from today: pure football, entertainment and then making the whole thing accessible to fans via social media – for a generation that sees itself in all of these points. I think the Baller League is very attractive. I grew up with street football and always watched indoor football. During the winter break it was a real experience that I was looking forward to. The idea of offering this football a stage and bringing it back to the field with honest rules and lots and lots of fun – I wanted to be part of that. That’s also my style, my understanding of football and my DNA.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The ‘Baller League’ – which is being pieced together by World Cup winners Podolski and Hummels – is taking inspiration from Barcelona legend Gerard Pique’s ‘Kings League’ in Spain, where teams are managed by celebrity coaches and the likes of Sergio Aguero have taken to the field.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

The ‘Baller League’, which features 12 teams each managed by a well-known personality, will take place at Motorworld in Cologne from January 8, 2024 – with Lehmann able to get involved during the winter break that Villa be enjoying from WSL action.

GOAL predicts how the Lions of Teranga could line up in the semi-final clash against the Stallions at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Wednesday

Senegal will come up against Burkina Faso in the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Wednesday.

The Lions of Teranga are seeking their first-ever Afcon title at the 33rd edition in Cameroon despite making 16 appearances. Below GOAL predicts how coach Aliou Cisse could line up his players.

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper – Edouard Mendy

Despite conceding against Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals, the Chelsea shot-stopper has been in great form since recovering from Covid-19 as he managed to keep clean sheets against Malawi in their final group phase fixture and against Cape Verde in the Round of 16.

He will likely keep his spot as the Lions of Teranga target to reach a second successive final.

AdvertisementBackpagepix.Defender – Bouna Sarr

The 30-year-old, who features for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich has been instrumental for the Lions of Teranga in the right position, where he also overlaps from the wing and he will definitely remain Aliou Cisse's preferred player in that position.

（C）Getty ImagesDefender – Saliou Ciss

Despite being booked in the quarter-final game against Nzalang Nacional, Ciss, who turns out for French Ligue 2 club Nancy, has played a key role for Senegal in the Afcon campaign and will likely keep his position against the Stallions.

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Getty Defender – Kalidou Koulibaly

The 30-year-old Napoli defender missed the first two group matches owing to Covid-19 but has kept his position since making a comeback in the game against Malawi.

Being the captain of the side, Koulibaly will be expected to lead by example and help Seegal reach the final.

Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain was the headline fixture this week – but the chaos was delivered elsewhere on a crazy UWCL matchday.

It was going to take something special for the second round of games in the Women's Champions League group stages to better matchday one – and that's exactly what we got.

While everyone expected the fireworks to come from Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Real Madrid, it was St. Polten and Roma's seven-goal thriller that stole the show, before things again went wrong for reigning champions Lyon, while Bayern Munich came from 2-0 down to win in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Elsewhere, Thursday was an emotional night for Zurich as the part-time Swiss team scored a wonderfully memorable goal in defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, and there were statement victories for Chelsea and Barcelona – the latter featuring a strike that will surely win the UWCL's goal of the season award.

With plenty going on across the continent, here are GOAL's winners and losers from matchday two…

GettyWINNER: Real Madrid

Real Madrid might be in a 'group of death' this year but there was one silver lining to drawing PSG for a second successive season, in that they could be a yardstick for the progress the club has made in the past 12 months.

After losing 4-0 in Paris and 2-0 in Madrid last campaign, their home fixture on Wednesday produced a goalless draw. It was a welcome draw not only in that it was an improvement, but because of how much of a bad point it was for their visitors.

PSG lost at home to Chelsea, the other giant in this group, last week and that made victory in Madrid all the more important. They attacked plenty but Real Madrid rode the storm and even had chances themselves to win the game – a big one in particular falling to France international Sandie Toletti, who fired wide.

It was much closer than they came to hurting the Parisians last season and means that, no matter the results in the third matchday in November, they'll reach the halfway point of the group stages at least level on points with the French giants.

That'll be a promising position to be in given they're underdogs to progress from a group that features two sides that have reached the Champions League final, while Las Blancas are in just their third ever season as a team.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Lyon

With two group stage games played, the eight-time European champions and current holders of the trophy, Lyon, have just one point to their name. It's not what many expected, at all.

After an historic 5-1 defeat at home to Arsenal last week, they left Italy with only a point on Thursday despite leading Juventus 1-0 in Turin. An own goal from striker Melvine Malard levelled things up at 1-1 and somewhat summed up how things are going for them at the moment.

It wasn't just the result that made this a bad night for Sonia Bompastor's team, though. Damaris Egurrola was stretchered off after getting tangled up in a collision of bodies, adding yet another injury to Lyon's growing list.

Given her ability to play at centre-back, or at least be in a deep midfield position protecting that defence, her time out will be even more significant as the reigning champions have been hit extremely hard in those areas by absences already.

GettyWINNER: Sam Kerr

"A night I will remember forever." – That's how Chelsea forward Sam Kerr described her four-goal performance against Vllaznia on Wednesday night as she bagged her first Champions League hat-trick and revelled in an atmosphere that saw the "awesome" away fans celebrated by all.

It felt like a well-needed 8-0 win for the Blues after a start to the season that hasn't been without significant results – see the triumph over PSG last week – but this was their first statement performance, even if it was against a team they were expected to comfortably beat.

They turned on the style and will have given themselves a ton of confidence in doing so, something which particularly applies to Kerr as an individual. These were her first goals of the season and they put her in a commanding position when it comes to that Golden Boot race, too.

"Three games is a long time for me [not to score]," she said afterwards. "I’m paid to score goals but think I bring a lot to the team when I’m not scoring too. It’s about being patient and getting in my groove. I did tonight and hopefully I can do it again [on Sunday] against Aston Villa."

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GettyLOSER: Berglind Thorvaldsdottir

PSG had a ton of attacking talent on the pitch on Wednesday: from world-class wingers Kadidiatou Diani and Lieke Martens to midfielder Jackie Groenen, winner of Euro 2017 with the Netherlands.

However, once again, what they didn't have in their XI was a centre forward.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto, one of the world's best, will be sidelined for a while still with an ACL injury and the task for PSG is to figure out how to compete against the elite without her.

In Madrid, Diani and Martens put exceptional deliveries into the box, ones begging to be put away, but there was no one in the area to do so.

Among the substitutes, though, was someone who could be the answer: Berglind Thorvaldsdottir. Iceland's starting centre-forward must have been counting the chances she could've scored had she been on the pitch – and she'd have got to a decent number, too.

Thorvaldsdottir might not be on Katoto's level but she has all the attributes that PSG are crying out for simply in her positional awareness and ability to be in the right place at the right time.

With great feet, quality hold-up play and a knack for the spectacular at times, she has even more to bring to the team, too.

All she needs is a chance to show it.

The Premier League table looks a lot healthier for Ten Hag after second-successive win

Manchester United ended a run of seven straight defeats on the road with a 1-0 win against Southampton on Saturday, as Bruno Fernandes' second-half strike secured a first away victory since beating Leeds 4-2 in February.

Erik ten Hag's side have now won back-to-back games after seeing off Liverpool on Monday to put their miserable start to the campaign behind them. Manchester United had lost their opening two games to plunge the new manager's reign into crisis – but the table looks a lot healthier after successive wins, with £60 million signing Casemiro making his debut as a late substitute.

There will be fresh questions about the futures of Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were both left out of the starting line-up again, but that will be a question for another day as the Red Devils will be pleased with their performance at St. Mary's.

GettyThe Winners

Bruno Fernandes:

For a long time it looked like a deeply frustrating day for Fernandes, given his poor use of the ball and failure to take one of two chances during a first half goalmouth scramble.

But he did what he does so well by providing the crucial goal that secured three points for United.

Ten Hag needs to find the best way to incorporate him in his midfield – but he is a match-winner and that is what makes him so important to Manchester United.

David de Gea:

His second half save proved vital when Joe Aribo got the wrong side of Raphael Varane and powerfully headed towards the target.

De Gea's used quick reflexes to push the shot away from close range to maintain Manchester United's lead.

He was at fault for at least two goals in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford – but here he was ensuring Manchester United held on for the win at St Mary's.

Tyrell Malacia:

There is a lot to like about the left-back – and it hasn't taken long for him to force his way into the starting line-up ahead of Luke Shaw.

Tenacious defensively and ambitious going forward, right now it is his position to lose.

United might have unearthed a gem in the Netherlands international, who cost just £13 million.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Harry Maguire:

Left out for the second game in succession after Ten Hag warned him the captaincy wouldn't guarantee a starting place.

These are early days in the season, but the signs aren't good for the England international – especially ahead of the World Cup.

Ten Hag wants to establish a consistent centre-back pairing and Varane and Martinez are the ones being given the chance to stake their claim.

Marcus Rashford:

Given another shot at the point of attack – but was nowhere near as effective as he was against Liverpool.

Looked lost at times in the first half and was barely a threat on goal.

Should have gambled to get in the box to meet a wicked cross from Eriksen, but was nowhere to be seen.

Cristiano Ronaldo:

That's three games out of the first four this season that Ronaldo has been left out of the starting line-up.

His lack of pre-season was the reason for his absence on the opening day of United's campaign against Brighton – but he has had three weeks since then to work on his conditioning.

He is now out of the team for tactical reasons, which will not sit well with the Portuguese legend.

Will he still be here when United are next in action – against Leicester on transfer deadline day?

Getty ImagesManchester United Ratings: Defence

David De Gea (7/10):

Stunning save denied Aribo from close range. Needed that after his nightmare at Brentford. Still a great shot-stopper.

Diogo Dalot (8/10):

Growing into his role as first choice right-back. Pushed high up to keep United on the front foot. Picked out a clever cross for Fernandes to score and late clearance also denied Southampton.

Raphael Varane (7/10):

Good anticipation in the air when Southampton were more direct – but had to rely on De Gea when allowing Aribo to get goal-side of him.

Lisandro Martinez (9/10):

Good aerially and utterly dominant on the ground. That Brentford game is well behind him now. Looks a fixture in the heart of defence.

Tyrell Malacia (7/10):

Loves to engage and threw himself into everything, either in the air or on the ground. Got forward well in support.

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@ManUtdMidfield

Scott McTominay (6/10):

Won some important headers in the air and tried to run beyond Southampton's midfield. Good energy and put in a defensive shift as United were pushed back late on.

Christian Eriksen (8/10):

Precise passes helped in congested areas – and his first half cross deserved to be finished by someone. Unfortunate to see effort blocked during goalmouth scramble.

Bruno Fernandes (7/10):

He is a game-changer and his goal did precisely that. Still questions over his use of the ball and ability to retain possession – but the quality of his finish was beyond doubt.

Charlotte FC boss Dean Smith was hilariously reminded postgame by players that he owes them a bottle of wine for keeping a clean sheet.

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Charlotte FC defeat NYCFC 1-0Dean Smith earns win in MLS coaching debutManager shares hilarious moment with squad postgameWHAT HAPPENED?

After defeating New York City FC 1-0 Saturday evening, courtesy of an eight-minute winner from Adilson Malanda, the locker room was all smiles for Charlotte FC. New boss Dean Smith – who had stints across England with Aston Villa, Norwich City, Brentford and Leicester City – was joking with media postgame, while revealing a cheeky promise he made to his defenders.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementUSA Today Sports WHAT DEAN SMITH SAID

Speaking about the result postgame, while mentioning how happy he was with his defense on keeping a clean sheet, the Englishman dropped news that he promised his defense a bottle of wine if they kept the opposition scoreless…

Speaking to media, he said "they reminded me" in hilarious fashion.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Charlotte FC scraped into the playoffs last season, but underwhelmed across the board throughout the campaign. After parting ways with manager Christian Lattanzio, and eventually two Designated Players in Karol Swiderski and Kamil Jozwiak in the offseason, they're a re-invented side in 2024.

With Smith at the helm – and two open DP slots – anything now feels possible for the Eastern Conference side. However, first things first, they need to figure out what kind of Wine they'll be celebrating with Saturday evening…

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DEAN SMITH AND CHARLOTTE FC?

The CLT FC boss and his squad will take on the Vancouver Whitecaps in week two of the MLS season. They'll be looking to make it six points from two matches as they travel to the Canadian side next Saturday.

Nepal have hit some heights recently but they were unable to sustain the dizzying altitude achieved by winning their first World T20 match as they came up against the hosts, Bangladesh

Alan Gardner in Chittagong18-Mar-2014Nepal have hit some heights recently – coming from “the roof of the world” should mean they can handle them – but they were unable to sustain the dizzying altitude achieved by winning their first World T20 match as they came up against the hosts, Bangladesh, who had the bit between their teeth during an eight-wicket win.Victory against Hong Kong, although by a huge margin, had been founded on steady batting followed by disciplined attack with the ball against nervy opponents. Bangladesh were always going to ramp the pressure up a few notches, with reputation as well as qualification on the line, and although Nepal put in another solid display after being inserted they were unable to achieve the required upwards curve at the end of their innings.Nepal’s coach, Pubudu Dassanayake, was understandably pleased with the way his team had acquitted themselves in their first encounter with a Test-playing nation but regretted that the batting fell away again, this time to more costly effect.”They went through the plans well,” he said of his players. “We wanted to be 90-100 for not too many down in the 15th over. They did what we asked of them. But what we lacked was a good finish. If we had got 140-145 things might have been different. Overall I’m very happy with the quality of shots they played and the aggression that they showed. It was a good game for us, despite the result.”Nepal were 86 for 3 after 15 overs, with Paras Khadka and Sharad Vesawkar well set after coming together with the score on 39. Fourteen runs came in the 17th over but they otherwise struggled to find the boundary, a situation compounded at the end when Al-Amin Hossain conceded just a single and a wide from the final six balls.As happened two nights ago, Khadka was forced to rebuild after Nepal’s openers perished for insubstantial scores. Dassanayake said that Al-Amin’s dismissal of No. 3 Gyanendra Malla for 13 was key and backed Subash Khakurel and Sagar Pun to continue developing into an effective partnership at the top of the order.”In the last two games I’ve been happy with the way Subash and Sagar shaped up,” he said. “We’ve had an issue with the openers for a while but we started believing in them and they have begun to play as a pair, as a partnership. They are showing the quality, but still they have to get more runs. That will come. Paras is leading from the front and showing his quality at this level. We missed Gyanendra a bit today, when he was dismissed early. He’s another one who can score at this level.”Nepal first planted a flag in world cricket by winning the Plate Championship at the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, with a team featuring Khadka, Vesawkar, Malla and spinner Basant Regmi, who claimed 1 for 14 from three tidy overs against Bangladesh. All of Nepal’s players are homegrown, in contrast to many Associates, and Dassanayake praised the system that has underpinned their impressive rise through the tiers of ICC competition, culminating in what has been a hugely impressive debut World T20 appearance.”Looking at Nepal, the national team and the youngsters, they’re very sound technically,” he said. “The most important part is that they train very hard and play very hard. That is what we are, our brand of cricket. If you saw the qualifiers in Dubai, we fought in every game to the last ball. Top-quality fielding, the bowlers stuck to plans, the batsmen were well aware of what was needed in a chase, how to plan an innings. Today was a bit different, because of the occasion of playing against a Full Member country.”Dassanayake stressed Nepal would not be looking beyond Afghanistan, their final opponents, but qualification for the Super 10 is still not beyond them, should Bangladesh suffer a shock against Hong Kong on Thursday. The way the hosts clinically disposed of Nepal suggests that is unlikely, with a significant swing in run rate required, and the coach was happy that his side had prevented the contest becoming a mismatch.”Batting 20 overs comfortably against a top quality team that is also the home side is an achievement,” he said. “We did have a few plans that we could not execute during the bowling part of the game but this is part of the learning process. The boys have shown that they are up to it.”

Samit Patel claims not to have any thoughts of an England recall but after a stalemate at Taunton his Notts coach, and now England selector, Mick Newell, said it was too early to write him off

Alex Winter at Taunton07-May-2014
ScorecardSamit Patel has a clean slate, according to Mick Newell•Getty ImagesSamit Patel claims not to have any thoughts of an England recall but in this match gave the best impression of the potential that England could call upon in their new era under Peter Moores.Patel breezed his way past fifty on a particularly mediocre final day which brought personal satisfaction for Phil Jaques as he added 95 on the day to reach an unbeaten 150, but which long before his six-and-a-quarter hour stint was over was heading inexorably towards the second tame draw in succession at Taunton.Patel also had a second century in the match laid before him, only to sweep a full delivery from Johann Myburgh and be bowled for 75. But the innings continued a smart run of form that suggests, at 29, he may be approaching his peak. It is only 15 months ago since he last played for England.”I don’t think the door should be shut on Samit,” Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket and new England selector said. “He is a potential international cricketer still. He has been in and around the edges for a number of years. He has to score heavily and he needs his bowling to be of a level where he offers both I think, because of the potential for an allrounder who is a spin bowler rather than a seamer.”He is nearly 30 now, and he’s got to have an opportunity, but he has got to churn out regular scores. He has played very nicely in two innings this year – 90 against Lancashire when it was doing a lot, and the innings here. He’s a very attractive batsman to watch when he’s batting like that.”Newell described the England team as “more of a clean slate than it has been for a number of years” and suggested a number of players should be hopeful of a recall if they perform. Nick Compton being one of them. Discarded before the Ashes last summer, despite two centuries against New Zealand, Compton could be considered again with England requiring a new opener and potentially a No. 3 for the Sri Lanka Tests and India series to follow.”People who have played recently like Craig Kieswetter and Nick Compton will feel they have a good chance of playing,” Newell said. “And they certainly do. But it’s not just about scoring three hundreds to get in, it still comes down to opinion and belief as to who will score the most when you put them on to the bigger stage.”Here, Compton suffered a poor dismissal – caught behind cutting to the gentle seamers of Steven Mullaney for only 25 – but a century at Durham in the second match of the season could be the innings to fulfil the criteria Newell describes. Craig Kieswetter’s three dropped catches – he also put down Phil Jaques on the final day – were disappointing but with Johnny Bairstow not convincing as England’s next-best wicketkeeper and a fitness cloud around Matt Prior, Kieswetter could be one of a number of gloveman to consider.James Taylor, a player Newell has been able to keep a closer eye on, was similarly handled to Compton in being dropped by England without doing too much wrong. Taylor was again part of the England Lions touring party in the winter and enjoyed a strong tour of Sri Lanka including a first-class best 242 not out.”Both of them have had a taste, and both of them will feel they want some more,” Newell said. “That’s the whole challenge. If you want some more, you have to show everyone you really are hungry. You’ve got two blokes there who really love batting, who want to churn the runs out.”For the most part it is going to come down to scoring a volume of runs. Someone like Gary Ballance has pushed himself forward with the runs that he has got this season. The challenge to Nick and James is to make the volume but also to make the important innings, the match winning innings.”Taylor had little chance of a match-winning innings at Taunton on such a tame wicket that only yielded 23 wickets in four days but he was visibly disappointed to be lbw for just 5 three overs into a final day where Phil Jaques made a first century for his new county.”James is 23 going on 47 I think. He’s very mature, and he’s very well organised about how he goes about his practice and training – a pleasure to have in your team. He’s hitting the ball nicely, and I thought he was playing very well in his first innings. He feels he can compete with these guys for that middle order spot that might be going up for grabs.”