Nottingham Forest will be looking to make it two Premier League wins in a row tonight when they travel to face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side come into the meeting off the back of a crucial 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday night, after Chris Wood’s fifth league goal of the season.

The Reds will be looking to build on their excellent league start to the campaign which has seen them lose just once from the first eight outings, boasting the second-best defensive record in the division, with only Liverpool scoring fewer.

However, if they are to make it back-to-back wins and preserve their unbeaten away record, they will have to claim a victory at the home of the Foxes for the first time since 2013.

The hosts also come into the meeting off the back of an impressive 3-2 victory away at Southampton last weekend after being 2-0 at the break.

03/10/2022

4-0

Loss

09/11/2013

2-0

Win

10/11/2012

2-2

Draw

27/03/2012

0-0

Draw

29/11/2010

1-0

Loss

Whilst Forest tend not to class Leicester as one of their rivals, the game will have the added edge throughout, given the circumstances of Foxes’ boss Steve Cooper.

Steve Cooper’s time at Nottingham Forest

No words can quite do the job conducted by Cooper at the City Ground justice, entering the club like a breath of fresh air and transforming the club on and off the pitch.

The 44-year-old replaced Chris Hughton at the helm after a run of eight games without a win at the start of the 2021/22 campaign – before producing his magic and creating a deadly side in the Championship.

The former Swansea City boss dragged the Reds off the bottom of the table, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion, going on to secure a return to the Premier League after a play-off final triumph over Huddersfield Town at Wembley.

Cooper was adored by the fans, reuniting a fanbase after numerous years of failures on the pitch, which was only enhanced by his ability to keep the club in the top flight after promotion, beating Arsenal 1-0 on the penultimate matchday of the 2022/23 season and somehow gelling a squad with 30 new additions together.

However, his third season in charge of the East Midlands side wouldn’t be as successful, receiving his marching orders in December 2023 after a run of eight league matches without a win.

Undoubtedly, it was a difficult decision taken by owner Evangelos Marinakis given Cooper’s achievements during his tenure, but ultimately, he had to do what he thought was right to secure his club’s Premier League status.

Fast-forward nearly a year on from his City Ground departure, the Welshman now leads East Midlands rivals Leicester, looking to get one over his former employers this weekend.

However, if Nuno is to prevent such a feat from happening, he must drop one player from his starting lineup, with the talent failing to produce his best form in recent weeks.

Why Nuno should drop Anthony Elanga for Leicester

Winger Anthony Elanga enjoyed an excellent debut campaign as a Forest player last time out, registering a combined 14 goal contributions in all competitions and helping the club secure survival for the second season in a row.

He ended the campaign just one contribution behind Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White, playing an influential role under Nuno after his appointment at the end of December.

However, he’s struggled to recapture that form in 2024/25, registering just one assist in his first nine appearances – coming in the infamous 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield back in September.

The Sweden international started the last meeting with Palace on Monday but was replaced just after the hour mark after failing to make his mark on the encounter.

Elanga only managed 36 touches, failing to complete both of his attempted dribbles past Tyrick Mitchell, losing all three battles as he was outclassed on the banks of the River Trent.

Minutes played

63

Touches

36

Passes completed

17/22 (77%)

Crosses completed

2/7

Dribbles completed

0/2

Duels won

0/3

Possession lost

16x

Shots taken

0

Ultimately, the 22-year-old hasn’t looked the same since Newcastle United had a £50m bid for his services rejected on deadline day of the last transfer window, failing to demonstrate why the Magpies were willing to fork out such a hefty fee for his services.

As a result, Nuno must take action, needing to drop the former Manchester United talent to the bench for tonight’s clash and replace him with a star who is more than deserving of a first league start.

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The man who should replace Elanga against Leicester

Over the summer, Marinakis once again opened his chequebook and gave the funds to Nuno, allowing him to invest the money where the Portuguese man thought necessary.

Key defensive signings like Nikola Milenkovic were made, but Nuno also spent the cash investing in new wingers, with Jota Silva arriving in a £5.9m deal, before add-ons, from Liga Portugal side Vitoria Guimaraes.

He was an unknown quantity to many at the time of his arrival, only going off the nickname the ‘Portuguese Jack Grealish’, but he quickly demonstrated to the Forest faithful the talents he possesses.

The 25-year-old bagged the levelling goal against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, with many fans calling for a league start off the back of his Man of the Match display.

However, despite registering an assist in the 2-2 draw with Brighton, Silva is yet to make a start under Nuno – coming off the bench once more against Palace earlier in the week.

The winger again showcased his work rate and quality, completing more dribbles and winning duels than the Swede despite featuring for over half an hour less than his teammate.

With Gibbs-White still touch and go ahead of the clash due to his ongoing ankle issue, the Reds have often lacked creativity in attacking areas, something which Jota, the attacking “machine”, as dubbed by journalist Tomas de Cunha, brings in an abundance.

It’s a huge opportunity for Forest to further strengthen their grip on a top-half place, with Nuno needing to opt for Jota if his side are to win a second successive league outing.

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تحدث آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول عقب فوز فريقه أمام ساوثهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتغلب ليفربول على ساوثهامبتون بثلاثية لهدف، ورفع رصيده للنقطة 70 في صدارة ترتيب البريميرليج.

وقال سلوت في تصريحاته لـ “بي بي سي”: “إنها علامة على أن الفريق الجيد قادر على الفوز بطرق مختلفة، لقد كان الأداء سيئًا في الشوط الأول، ليس فقط بسبب الطريقة التي لعبنا بها ولكن أيضًا بسبب الطاقة التي جلبناها”.

وأضاف: “الشيء الجيد الوحيد في أول 45 دقيقة هو أنهم وفروا طاقتهم (لمباراة باريس سان جيرمان يوم الثلاثاء)، ولم يركضوا على الإطلاق!”.

وتابع: “أعلم أن هؤلاء اللاعبين قادرون على القيام بالكثير، بشكل أفضل بكثير، هذا ما أتوقعه هذا الأسبوع، لم يكونوا بمستويات الطاقة التي اعتدت عليها مع هؤلاء اللاعبين”.

وحول تقدم فريقه بـ 16 نقطة في الصدارة، أردف: “الفارق 16 نقطة الآن ولكن يمكن أن ينخفض ​​إلى سبع نقاط بحلول الوقت الذي نلعب فيه ضد إيفرتون في غضون أسابيع قليلة (لدى آرسنال ثلاث مباريات في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز قبل مباراة ليفربول التالية في الدوري).

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد صلاح: سلوت كان غاضبًا منّا.. ورقم أجويرو لم يشغلني أمام ساوثهامبتون

واستطرد: “بالنسبة لنا، لعبنا هذا الأسبوع ثم ضد باريس سان جيرمان مرة أخرى ولا يجب أن نخطو خطوة واحدة للأمام ولكن ربما خطوتين أو ثلاث أو أربع أو خمس خطوات للأمام للوصول إلى مستوى الشدة الذي اختبرناه خلال الأسبوع عندما لعبنا ضد باريس سان جيرمان”.

وعن داروين نونيز، أفاد: “لقد كان الأمر صعبًا عليه بالتأكيد بعد أن أهدر الفرصة الكبيرة ضد أستون فيلا، لكنه كان مهمًا بالفعل أمام باريس سان جيرمان عندما قدم التمريرة الحاسمة لهارفي إليوت، كان كلاهما مهمًا اليوم، يمكنك أن ترى بعد الدقائق القليلة الأولى من الشوط الأول أن الطاقة كانت مختلفة”.

وواصل: “لويس دياز تولى مهمة اللعب واحد ضد واحد وهذا خلق الهدف لداروين نونيز، الهدف الثاني، في الفترة التي سبقت ذلك، رأيت رايان جرافينبيرج يندفع للفوز بالكرة الثانية وعدم الابتعاد 20 أو 25 ياردة عن الموقف، كانت الطاقة مختلفة تمامًا”.

وأكد: “الجميع يعرفون عدد اللاعبين الجيدين لدينا ولكن إذا لم تلعب بالطاقة المناسبة، فسيكون كل فريق تواجهه صعبًا ولكن خاصة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ناهيك عن باريس سان جيرمان، لأنه الفريق الأكثر كثافة الذي واجهناه حتى الآن”.

وفيما يتعلق بالتبديلات، أوضح: “هذا هو السؤال الذي لا ينسى، هل كان ذلك بسبب جلوسي في مكان مرتفع (بالمدرجات)؟ أعلم ذلك من التجربة لأن هذه ليست المرة الأولى التي أجلس فيها هناك كمدرب، لأنني شاهدت العديد من المباريات في المدرجات”.

وأتم: “ثم يكون الإيقاع مختلفًا، هذا هو الشيء الوحيد الذي يمكنني التفكير فيه، لم يكن الأمر أسوأ مما كنت أعتقد لكن الاختلاف كان في المكان الذي جلست فيه، لكي أكون منصفًا، أخشى أن الشوط الأول لم يكن بمستويات الطاقة التي اعتدت عليها مع هؤلاء اللاعبين”.

The winter window has slammed shut, and GOAL has passed judgement on all the biggest deals throughout the month

The 2025 January transfer window has been and gone, with clubs around the world having weighed up how they could improve their squads while others look to raised funds by selling fringe players or loaning out youngsters to gain experience.

January is a notoriously difficult time to do business, and it seems that teams are being more careful with their finances than ever before given the threat of punishment for over-spending. Despite that, there were still some headline-grabbing moves over the course of the past month.

GOAL has been here every step of the way to pass judgement on all the biggest deals as they happened, awarding grades to both the clubs involved for the business they did, as well as whether it was the right move for each player.

Check out our grades for the biggest deals and let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

• Getty/GOAL
  

  February 3: Nico Gonzalez (Porto to Manchester City, £50m)

  For Porto: An offer too good to turn down. Porto would have preferred to hold onto such an important figure until the end of the season, but City have effectively met Gonzalez's buy-out clause, with the only difference being that the money will arrive in instalments rather than one lump sum. The Portuguese club will also be pleased that they've still managed to make a tidy profit on a player they only signed 18 months ago for €8.5m despite the midfielder's former club, Barcelona (arguably the big winners here), being entitled to 40 percent of the fee because of a sell-on clause in his contract. Once City made their move, Gonzalez was always going to end up at the Etihad. Grade: C

  For City: A new defensive midfielder – at last! Pep Guardiola thought that City could cope without Rodri, but he was wrong. Neither Mateo Kovacic nor Matheus Nunes (who has ended up at right-back!) have proven themselves up to the task of filling in for the best No.6 in world football – and the soon-to-be-dethroned English champions have suffered horribly as a result. That City have signed Gonzalez is something of a surprise, though. They were linked with better defensive midfielders than the Barcelona reject (such as Ederson and Martin Zubimendi), but the mere fact that he was school at La Masia clearly played a part in Guardiola's decision to bring him to Manchester. Grade: B

  For Gonzalez: A dream deal. Gonzalez was let go by Barca in the summer of 2023; now he's just signed for Guardiola's City. As turnarounds go, that's pretty impressive, and it's all down to his impressive performances at Porto. Gonzalez is versatile enough to play as a No.8 and has added goals to his game this season, but the expectation is that he'll be immediately asked to belatedly fill the massive Rodri-shaped hole in front of City's defence. Gonzalez is very confident on the ball, he moves well, has good vision and rarely looks rushed, but this is a massive test of his talent. Gonzalez is not an elite-level midfielder – not yet, at least. He's never even been capped at international level by Spain. So, it will be fascinating to see how he copes with the pressure and demands that come with playing for Pep. Grade: A

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  February 3: Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich to Tottenham, loan)

  For Bayern: An unsurprising decision. Bayern would have been happy to sell Tel now at the right price, given he's barely got a look-in since Vincent Kompany took over last summer, but a loan with an option to buy is not a bad outcome for the Bavarians. There was certainly no point in him spending the second half of the season sitting on the bench. Of course if Tel now tears it up at Tottenham, the Bavarians will lose him for £45m – a fee that could look like a bargain for a 19-year-old forward. At the end of the day, though, it's a risk that Bayern are willing to take as they're not short on quality wide players and there's no guarantee that Tel will realise his potential. Grade: B-

  For Tottenham: A badly needed reinforcement. Spurs have been decimated by injuries in recent weeks, and although a versatile left winger was hardly high on their list of priorities, Tel represents a very welcome addition. Indeed, the word is that beleaguered manager Ange Postecoglou played a pivotal role in convincing the teenager to move to north London, so he clearly believes that Tel can play a big part in turning Tottenham's season around. Managing to negotiate the option to make the move permanent could also prove a masterstroke by Daniel Levy, who simply had to strengthen Spurs' attack and, in theory, that's what he's done by snapping up a player that several other teams were interested in acquiring. Grade: B+

  For Tel: A chance to show what he can do. At 17, Tel was breaking all sorts of records at Bayern, but he's been surplus to requirements this season and it's well worth noting that he's not scored a single goal in 14 appearances in all competitions. He'd undoubtedly argue, though, that he wasn't given his fair share of opportunities by Kompany, having started just four times under the Belgian boss. However, the onus is now very much on Tel to prove his worth in the Premier League. With Dominic Solanke presently sidelined through injury and Ricarlison still terrible, Tel should certainly be afforded more minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than he was getting at the Allianz Arena. He'll need to make the most of them if he's to convince people he's really as good as he believes himself to be. Grade: B+

• Getty Images Sport
  

  February 3: Axel Disasi (Chelsea to Aston Villa, loan)

  For Chelsea: Further evidence of their ridiculous recruitment. Chelsea only signed Disasi from Monaco for £38.5m ($48m) 18 months ago – but he's been a reserve since the start of the season, with his only meaningful minutes coming in the Conference League. The Blues board will, thus, be relieved to have removed an unwanted player from the wage bill until the end of the season, with Villa having agreed to not only pay a small loan fee but also cover his salary in full. It will now be fascinating to see if this temporary switch materialises into a permanent move – and for how much money. Grade: D+

  For Villa: A vital addition in the centre of defence. Unai Emery's backline has been stretched to breaking point by injuries in recent weeks, so Disasi's deadline-day arrival could not have come at a better time. Villa also had to fight hard to get this deal done, as Tottenham were also in the running, and his signing makes this a very successful window for the club, who have hit pretty much all of their targets. Grade: B+

  For Disasi: The move he desperately wanted – and needed. It's worth remembering that he had just broken into the France squad before his ill-fated move to Stamford Bridge, but it's now well over a year since he last represented his country. Disasi's goal will be to turn his career around ahead of the 2026 World Cup – and he could well do that at Villa Park. It's certainly encouraging that he was so keen to join, refusing to even consider signing for Spurs instead. Disasi clearly feels that Villa will provide him with a better platform to prove his worth between now and the end of the season – and he'll likely be proven right. Disasi is still only 26 and should get plenty of game time under Emery. Grade: A

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• Getty Images
  

  February 3: Joao Felix (Chelsea to AC Milan, loan)

  For Chelsea: Further evidence of their ludicrous approach to player recruitment. Felix's arrival from Atletico Madrid, which coincided with Conor Gallagher moving in the opposite direction, was clearly motivated by financial factors rather than any sporting considerations. The Portuguese had done very little during his first loan spell at Stamford Bridge to suggest he was worth signing for £42m, so it's not in the least bit surprising that he's now being shipped out on loan just six months after his 'permanent' move to west London. Chelsea have done well to get Milan to cover his wages and pay a small loan fee for his services for the next six months, but it still seems unlikely that anyone will pay big money for a player that has barely done anything but disappoint since leaving Benfica as one of the most highly-rated teenagers in world football. Grade: D

  For Milan: The kind of transfer with which the Rossoneri are becoming synonymous. The Serie A side are not the big spenders they once were under Silvio Berlusconi. It's all about Moneyball at Milanello these days, which essentially means taking a punt on unfulfilled talents. Signing Christian Pulisic has certainly worked out well for them and Felix could too, as there is a top player in there somewhere trying to get out. The big question is, though, where are they going to play him? Santiago Gimenez has been brought in from Feyenoord to start up front following Alvaro Morata's move to Galatasaray, while Rafael Leao and Pulisic are considered certain starters when fully fit. At the end of the day, Milan didn't really need Marcus Rashford, so Felix is arguably even less useful. Still, it's been claimed that coach Sergio Conceicao is a fan of his compatriot, so maybe he'll be the man to finally get a tune out of one of the game's most frustrating flops. Grade: C-

  For Felix: Yet another move to a big club that he did very little to earn. There were brief spells at Barcelona last season when Felix looked like he might actually realise his potential at long last, but his loan stay in Catalunya didn't materialise into a permanent move – and the Blaugrana don't have any regrets about that fact. Atletico certainly don't regret getting rid of their record signing either. So, what chance does he have of finally finding a proper home for himself in Milan? Very little on the face of it, as he's joining a terribly inconsistent team that turns up one week before then disappearing for a month. Then again, given Felix is just as flakey, maybe he'll fit right into his new surroundings at San Siro! Grade: B-

Leeds United recently decided to bolster their squad by dipping into the free agent market to add another central midfielder to their options for the rest of the season.

The Whites swooped to sign Josuha Guilavogui, who left Mainz at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, on a free transfer after injuries to Max Wober, Ethan Ampadu, and Ilia Gruev.

Daniel Farke now has an experienced campaigner who can be deployed at centre-back, holding midfield, or central midfield in the months to come.

The 34-year-old Frenchman was an unused substitute, though, as the West Yorkshire outfit were held to a 0-0 draw by Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Leeds are now seven games unbeaten in the Championship but have drawn three of their last five matches in the division, failing to score at the weekend.

After an injury to Largie Ramazani ahead of the clash with the Robins, Farke may be considering his options in the attacking areas of the pitch and could look to bolster his playing squad in the January transfer window by adding another forward player to the group.

Leeds eyeing free agent forward

On that note, The Scottish Sun reports that Leeds are interested in Ryan Kent, who is a free agent after his contract with Fenerbahce was terminated.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Leyton Orient, who are currently 20th in League One, have also made an ‘ambitious’ enquiry to sign the former Liverpool academy prospect.

The report claims that the Whites, meanwhile, have a long-term interest, as they have been admirers of the winger since Marcelo Bielsa’s time at Elland Road, and they now have an opportunity to sign him for nothing.

Back in the summer of 2021, it was reported that Bielsa asked Victor Orta to pursue a deal for the English winger, with a fee of £15m mentioned, but they were never able to get a move over the line for the then-Rangers star.

Kent left the Glasgow giants on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, two years on from Leeds’ failed attempt to sign him for a significant fee and Fenerbahce snapped him up.

His time in Turkey was unsuccessful, though, as the attacker only scored one goal in 19 appearances in all competitions across 14 months or so there.

Fenerbahce ripped up his contract earlier this month, making him a free agent, and that means that he would not be able to play for Leeds until January, if they do sign him, as the winger was released outside of the transfer window in England.

If Farke is patient and waits to land Kent for nothing at the start of next year, the German head coach could secure an upgrade on current loanee Manor Solomon.

Manor Solomon's performances for Leeds

The forward joined the club on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window but his performances have not been befitting of an experienced player who has come from the top-flight.

As a 25-year-old attacker coming down from the Premier League, Leeds may have expected an instant impact from the Israel international in the Championship.

That has not been the case, though, despite a promising start to his career with an assist on his debut. The whiz burst down the left flank with an impressive run and produced a teasing delivery into the front post for Mateo Joseph to score against Hull, in a 2-0 win, but it has been downhill since then.

Manor Solomon

Since Leeds debut

Appearances

4

Goals

0

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Possession lost

29x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Solomon has failed to register a goal, an assist, or a ‘big chance’ created in his four appearances for the club since his debut against the Tigers.

He has also been incredibly wasteful in possession, losing the ball 29 times in that time, and this shows that the forward has been a liability for the Whites, as the Spurs loanee has made little-to-no impact in the final third whilst also giving up the ball far too often.

Kent had a tough time at Fenerbahce in a new country but his form for Rangers over a number of years suggests that the potential is there for him to come in at Elland Road as an upgrade on Solomon in January.

Why Leeds should sign Kent

Firstly, the English speedster could come in as a bargain addition on a free transfer, potentially saving the club from spending millions on a player already with a team.

Secondly, Kent would be able to train with the Whites from now up until the January transfer window, when he would be able to be registered, and this would allow him to build up his fitness and get to know his teammates and the tactics – allowing him to hit the ground running in the second half of the season.

Finally, Farke should swoop for the free agent because he has the potential to be an upgrade on Solomon, given his sublime form for Rangers in Scotland.

The 27-year-old ace, who was once dubbed “unplayable” by journalist Andrew Dickson, racked up 33 goals and 56 assists in 218 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues.

In his last three seasons with Rangers – from the 2020/21 to the 2022/23 campaign – Kent registered an eye-catching 43 assists in all competitions, an average of 14 per year.

This shows that the English gem is an incredibly creative left winger who can consistently create high-quality opportunities for his teammates to find the back of the net.

In his last three seasons in the Scottish Premiership, Kent created 28 ‘big chances’ and recorded 25 assists, which suggests that his fellow attackers let him down slightly by failing to convert all of the quality openings he made for them.

Now, imagine the magician consistently creating ‘big chances’ for the likes of Wilfried Gnonto, Joel Piroe, and Joseph to find the back of the net. He could come in as an upgrade on Solomon, who has offered very little in attack, and that is why Farke should swoop for him.

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An elite club have been criticised for allowing Arsenal and sporting director Edu Gaspar to seal a deal for one star with bags of ability, as members of the press call it “crazy”.

Arsenal target strength in depth and new striker for 2025

Manager Mikel Arteta and his Premier League title hopefuls are on the up and remain unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, but a series of injuries to key players have highlighted how quickly the tables can turn on them.

"Terrific" player says he would re-join Arsenal in "fantastic" move for him

He’s only recently left.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 16, 2024

Club captain Martin Odegaard may not return until November, as it is believed he remains out for the best part of four weeks, while the Gunners were also dealt real scares over star forwards Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka during the international break.

This has led to reports that Arsenal are targeting an alternative to Saka, with former recruitment chief Mick Brown, who’s worked for the likes of Man United and Tottenham, stating that the north Londoners are eager to strengthen their back up options.

“I’ve heard the Arsenal hierarchy have held discussions about what happens if certain players get injured, and that includes Saka,” said Brown to Football Insider.

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

“They want to get to a point where they have a solid backup for every player in their starting XI. Long-term, they’ll be planning to strengthen in every position. But that applies to Saka certainly, because a winger who’s always looking to take people on is always likely to get a whack and pick up a knock. This latest blow isn’t so serious, they hope, but with the way he plays, he’ll always pick up these little issues.

“He may always be available at the moment, but I know the club are planning for what happens if that isn’t the case any longer.“

So, despite the fine form of Havertz this season, there are claims that Arsenal are after a new striker in 2025. The likes of Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig), Jhon Duran (Aston Villa), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon) and Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan) have all been linked with moves to N5 in the last few weeks, so the possibility of a fresh number nine for Arteta seems very realistic.

They’ve also been monitoring defensive options, according to reports in the press this week, despite the signing of Riccardo Calafiori in a £42 million deal from Bologna over the summer.

Juventus criticised for allowing Arsenal to sign Calafiori

The Italy international has commenced life at Arsenal in excellent fashion, barring an early-season injury. Edu beat off a few big-name competitors in the race for Calafiori’s signature, including Serie A giants Juventus.

The Old Lady were heavily linked with a move for the £120,000-per-week centre-back, who is widely regarded as one of Italy’s rising stars. Juventus have now been criticised for allowing Arsenal to beat them in the race for Calafiori, with journalist Valentina Ballarini telling Sport Italia, via BianconeraNews and Sport Witness, calling it “crazy”.

“Losing Calafiori was madness. I don’t know how to define it in any other way. It was a madness in our football, the most evident in recent years,” said Ballarini.

“There have been many, it’s true, caused by the economic power that we no longer have for some time, but that of Calafiori drives me crazy in a negative way.”

Since joining Arsenal, the 22-year-old has amassed eight appearances in all competitions and got off the mark for his new club with a stunning curled effort away to title rivals Man City.

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Do India need to tweak their T20 template?

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So a dead rubber it is, for India. Both groups in the Super 12s came down to hitting the eight-points mark eventually and India’s losses in the first two games had made their early exit all but a foregone conclusion. The last day of the group stage will, therefore, be the last day as T20I captain for Virat Kohli, and the end of the road for some members of the coaching staff who will leave with a strong legacy, but one that will be without any major limited-overs trophies.For Namibia, it is anything but a dead rubber. There are no dead rubbers for Associate teams, the chance to play against the top ranked sides so rare that there will always be something to gain at World Cups. Namibia have done stupendously to make it to the Super 12s with a national roster that barely hits 20 players, and they made the first round of next year’s World Cup while they were at it. It is a comment on the lopsided nature of contemporary cricket that they might well have to wait another year before they play so many Full Members at a stretch, so their view come Monday will hardly change – this is an opportunity to prepare for another big 12 months in their calendar. India abandoned their optional nets session on Sunday, but there can be none of that if you are an Associate team.Related

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Form guideIndia WWLLL ((last five completed matches; most recent first)
Namibia LLLWWPlayers to watch
This is a major juncture in Indian cricket and the eyes will be, as ever, on Virat Kohli as he leads India for the last time in this format. Kohli has the odd reputation of both being India’s best batter in the format over the last decade, and someone who hasn’t necessarily moved India’s T20 game forward. None of that baggage will follow him onto the field on Monday and while he is still captain, India’s last match will be Day Zero of what will be a new era. With his Royal Challengers Bangalore duties out of the way as well, it will also be Day Zero of an era where Kohli will play this format as a pure batter for the first time in years.Ravi Shastri will leave with a strong legacy, but one that will be without any major limited-overs trophies•BCCIDavid Wiese has played against and alongside some of these Indian players. The 36-year-old has been critical to Namibia’s path this year, and he will be critical on Monday as they take on one of the sternest tests in the World Cup. There can be no doubt that Wiese is a central figure to the team behind the scenes, but he will be keen to lead their challenge on the field on Monday. They’ve beaten one Test-playing nation this World Cup, and beating a second – WTC runners-up, no less – would be a heck of a way to sign-off; Wiese must deliver for that to happen.Team news
India may look to test their bench with qualification out of reach. That could mean a rest for some of their all-format stars.India: (possible) 1 KL Rahul, 2 Rohit Sharma/Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Mohammed Shami/Shardul Thakur, 10 Jasprit Bumrah/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Rahul Chahar/Varun ChakravathyNamibia captain Gerhard Erasmus has soldiered through the World Cup with a broken finger, and although it looks unlikely, this might finally be when he rests. Jan Frylinck missed their last game due to dehydration, and should be good to be back for their last day.Namibia: (possible) 1 Stephan Baard, 2 Michael van Lingen, 3 Craig Williams, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 David Wiese, 6 JJ Smit, 7 Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 8 Zane Green (wk), 9 Jan Frylinck/Karl Birkenstock, 10 Ruben Trumpelmann, 11 Ben Shikongo/Bernard ScholtzPitch and conditions
The temperature is slated to dip under 30 degrees celsius by the time this evening game begins, so it should be among the more pleasant nights during this tournament. The Dubai pitch has aided those who have sought big runs over the last few games, and is likely to go that way again, particularly for the team batting second.Stats and trivia
This will be the first time India and Namibia play each other in this format. The last international fixture between the sides was in the 2003 ODI World Cup Namibia are loaded with left-arm seamers and that will be handy. India have averaged less than 15 and have scored at only 5.7 per over against left-arm pace in the powerplay since 2020. They are the worst team in that regard during that period India will be playing their 150th T20I match. They’ve won 94 and lost 51 of those, making their win percentage of 64.8% second only to Afghanistan’s 68.1%Quotes”Going forward, I think India’s talent is exciting, with the likes of Mohammad Siraj coming in, and Prasidh Krishna and a lot of exciting fast bowling talent in the country. With the workload management in place, which I’m sure is going to go forward, I think we would be a force to reckon with in the near future as well.””Tomorrow’s a platform for any player to face the best in the world. A platform where you should treasure that moment. You should be up for it. And it’s no doubt that this team is going to be up for it. Tomorrow’s a classic game where you go in and you need to hold your own, you need to take brutal accountability for what you’re going to bring to the team. It’s the last little push.”

To outperform the Australian quicks on their home soil was among India’s standout achievements on their recently concluded tour of the country. That is the view of Smriti Mandhana, who also singled out the lower-middle order’s contribution in the seven-match multi-format series, which Australia won 11-5 on points, as a reflection of how “we are all working very hard on batting”.”We had so many positives,” Mandhana, the highest run-scorer in the series, said during a Clubhouse session on Thursday ahead of the final of Red Bull Campus Cricket’s first-ever women’s edition. “Everyone did well, especially the bowling. Pace bowling was one department where we were way better than the Aussies, which is a huge thing for an Indian team to come to Australia and outplay their bowlers, outplay their pacers, which was so amazing to watch”Mandhana, who was India’s vice-captain across formats with Harmanpreet Kaur missing the ODIs and the Test, heaped praised on their quick bowlers whose spectacular display of swing and seam kept the pressure on Australia’s vaunted line-up for extended of periods of play in the three ODIs, the standalone Test and the two matches of the three-T20I series India bowled in.”The way Jhulan [Goswami] bowled, Pooja [Vastrakar] and Meghna [Singh] bowled, and Renuka [Singh] and Shikha [Pandey] bowled in the T20 format… It was amazing to watch our bowlers dominate the Australian batters, so for me that was the biggest positive.”Equally significant are the handy cameos that have started to come from India’s lower order ever since their tour of England this June. Champion teams usually have resources all the way down to No. 11 and Mandhana was well aware of it.Smriti Mandhana finished as the top-scorer of the multi-format series against Australia•Getty Images

“Australia have always had good batting depth,” she said. “Big thanks to Big Bash, which has had a huge role to play in that,” she said. “I actually never knew, until I played in the Big Bash, that Sophie Molineux is an opener. Last season (2018-19) when I came over [to play for Hobart Hurricanes] and saw her open for Melbourne Renegades, I was, like, ‘Oh, she bats No. 8 for Australia.’ Then I realised that their batting depth is amazing.”It’s a conscious effort from all of us to have good batting depth. Especially in T20 and ODI formats because in white-ball cricket we might lose a few wickets and it shouldn’t always be top heavy. We should have a lot of contributors. Our lower-middle order is contributing a lot and has done amazingly in the last two-three series. And you could see that [in how] Jhulan finished the match for us in the third ODI, which was really amazing. It showed we are all working very hard on batting, especially getting our Nos. 7, 8, and 9 to bat.”Mandhana finished the tour with a chart-topping 352 runs. Her maiden Test century helped put India in a commanding position to win India first-ever day-night Test before it culminated in a draw partly because of bad weather.”[If] Results would have gone differently for us, it would have been better for the Indian team. Rain played a bit of spoilsport in the Test match and also the first T20I, which we were in a very good position to win. Not blaming the rain, but things would have been maybe different if the rain would have not happened, Mandhana said, jogging her mind back to finishing 20 short of her hundred on day one of the Test in Carrara.”Rarely do we find ourselves remaining unbeaten overnight in Test [because of the rarity of women’s fixtures in the longest format]. Especially knowing me as a batter, for me to be on 80 not out at the end of the day is very rare, in any format,” she said. “It was like a first experience for me to be 80 not out [overnight] because I had no prior knowledge of how to approach the next day: should I start from zero, should I start from 80? How do I warm up, because we are used to starting from zero? So, I barely slept that night. I could sleep maybe till 3:30-4am after which I was just staring at the walls.”Mandhana batted for more women’s Tests, especially if they can be slotted within the multi-format structure, where white-ball games are worth two points and red-ball games worth four.Smriti Mandhana is pleased with the way India are progressing in limited-overs cricket•Albert Perez/Getty Images

“We, as women cricketers, just love playing red-ball cricket and now with the pink ball as well, so, it will be cool to have a lot more of Tests, especially multi-format series, she said. “It will also give a lot of substance to the only Test match because it has four points, which adds a lot of value to it.””We were happy we got two Test matches in the span of three months. It was a good experience of playing one in England and one here. I’m absolutely in love with this multi-format series. I think it gives substance to all the matches we play, whether it is three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is. Sometimes you lose two matches and think the series is lost, but in multi-format series you go into every match thinking there are two points to gain.”Asked about the experience of playing a day-night Test, Mandhana said it was the fulfillment of a long-harboured “dream”.”The best thing about playing a day-night Test was we didn’t have to wake up early to play the Test,” he quipped. “Jokes aside, it was a new challenge for all of us, we really didn’t get a lot of time to practice with the pink ball. We got only two days before the match. It was really, really amazing to get out there.”When I used to watch men’s pink-ball Tests, never did I think I’d get a chance to play a Test, let alone one with the pink ball, day-night. Oh, wow! That was, like, crazy. The experience of playing under lights, in whites, with the pink ball, was a dream come true even though I am in the eighth year on the international circuit.”

رد حلمي طولان المتحدث الرسمي وعضو اللجنة الفنية لـ اتحاد الكرة المصري، على الجدل الذي أثير عقب تصريحاته التي صدرت ضد المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر حسام حسن.

ويرى حلمي طولان أن حسام حسن ليس الأجدر بقيادة منتخب مصر، حيث قال:”أنا شخصيًا لست مقتنعًا بناءً على أسس، وليس مجرد عدم اقتناع لأمور شخصية، المفترض أن يكون مدرب منتخب مصر له مواصفات خاصة، حسام حسن (لا يعرف كيف يدرب ولا كيف يتحدث)”.

طالع | حلمي طولان: حسام حسن “مبيعرفش يدرب ولا يتكلم ولا يصلح لمنتخب مصر

وعلق طولان خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “بوكس تو بوكس” المذاع على قناة ETC : “هذه التصريحات قديمة جدًا، قبل انضمامي للجنة الفنية، لكن بعد أن انضممت للجنة الفنية وأصبحت أحد المسؤولين لا يجب أن يكون هذا موقفي من مدرب منتخب مصر، أنا قلت قبل ذلك رأيي الشخصي شيء ورأيي وأنا في موضع المسؤولية مختلف”.

وعن سؤاله هل أنت مقتنع به الآن، أوضح: “رأيي شيء، ومسؤوليتي شيء آخر، الأمر مختلف الآن، من خلال موقعي كعضو للجنة الفنية أنا أساند المنتخب المصري”.

وأكمل: “أنا لي وجهة نظر خاصة جدًا، لكن من خلال موقعي في اتحاد الكرة يُحتم علي أن أساند كل المنتخبات، وهذا واضح جدًا من كلامي بعد أن توليت المسؤولية، ونحن كلجنة فنية بعيدين عن المنتخب الأول”.

وتابع: “نحن نساند المنتخب مساندة كاملة، أنا لم ألتق بـ حسام حسن خلال الفترة الأخيرة، لأن اللجنة الفنية ليست لها علاقة أبدًا بالمنتخب الأول”.

وواصل: “نحن كلجنة وضعنا أسسا لكيفية اختيار المديرين الفنيين للمنتخبات، وقمنا بإلغاء الإشراف على المنتخب، لأنه لا يصح أن تكون خصما وحكما، وتركنا حرية كاملة لكل مدير فني للعناصر التي تساعده، وهذا لم يكن موجودا، لأن كان كل عضو مجلس إدارة يضم أصدقاءه لأجهزة المنتخبات، وأيضًا نقوم بعمل كوادر، وأوصينا أحمد حسن وعبد الظاهر السقا بمتابعة جميع منتخبات الناشئين ورفع التقارير بشأن اسلوب المدرب مع اللاعبين واستجابة اللاعبين، وينقلان الصورة للجنة الفنية”.

وأردف: “كل ما انتشر عن خلاف حول الراتب مع اتحاد الكرة، غير صحيح إطلاقًا، هذا الكلام خرج من شخص في اتحاد الكرة وأنا أعرفه، هو ليس عضوًا في اللجنة الفنية ولا مجلس الإدارة، لكنه شخص من داخل الاتحاد”.

وعن مباراة القمة، بين الأهلي والزمالك، قال: “هذه المباراة ليست لها أي ضوابط أو كتالوج، تخضع فقط لحالة اللاعبين في المباراة، الفريق الجيد الذي يمتلك هدفا ويلعب بأسلوب وفكر واستراتيجية هو الذي سيفوز”.

واستطرد: “مؤكد الضغط على الحكم يُشكل حملا رهيبا عليه، الضغط القوي عليه يتأثر به، أنا كنت أفضل الحكم الأجنبي لإدارة مباراة القمة منعًا للقيل والقال”.

وأتم: “كرة القدم لا تعرف التوقعات، لكن هناك أمنيات، أنا كزملكاوي أتمنى أن يفوز الزمالك”

Northern will take on Southern Punjab instead of Balochistan in Wednesday’s evening game

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2021

Lahore is hosting the second leg of the domestic T20 tournament•Getty Images

Four Balochistan players participating in the ongoing National T20 Cup have tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the PCB to move their October 6 evening game at the Gaddafi Stadium against Northern to October 9. The match will be swapped with the Northern and Southern Punjab game.The players who tested positive are placed in a 10-day quarantine while the remaining squad, who tested negative, will continue to participate in the tournament with a minor tweak in their schedule.The first leg of the National T20 Cup was played in Rawalpindi before the six teams travelled by road to Lahore for the remaining games of the tournament; the final will also be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on October 13.Despite the hiccup, Balochistan will continue to play Thursday’s game against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa according to the original schedule. But the squad led by Imam-ul Haq will have to rebuild their team with new players being picked from their Association Championship three-day tournament side. Players coming in as replacements can move from one bubble to another.”All other participants and their families underwent testing on Tuesday and have returned negative,” the PCB wrote in a statement. “The PCB continues to monitor the situation and is retesting all participants and their families. It has also been decided the frequency of testing will be increased for the remainder of the tournament.”The PCB has created a biosecure bubble for the National T20 Cup but the players selected for the upcoming T20 World Cup won’t play in the domestic tournament from October 8 and will be shifted to a new bubble being set up by the PCB as per the ICC’s regulations. The World Cup squad will depart on October 15 from Lahore.

Chelsea Supporters' Trust are enraged over Todd Boehly's financial ties to a ticketing platform selling match tickets at highly inflated prices.

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Boehly is a stakeholder at Vivid SeatsUK law prohibits the unauthorised resale of ticketsCST demands Boehly to address the growing concernsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Boehly, who led the consortium that purchased Chelsea in 2022, is also a director and investor in Vivid Seats, an American ticket exchange that enables non-UK users to buy and sell tickets for concerts and sporting events. Chelsea supporters have raised serious concerns over the potential conflict of interest, given that Boehly's financial involvement with Vivid Seats suggests he may be indirectly profiting from a practice that his own club has officially condemned.

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CST have demanded that Boehly address the growing concerns, emphasising that Chelsea tickets should not appear on resale platforms.

“Vivid Seats currently lists hundreds of Chelsea FC General Admission tickets at significantly inflated prices,” a spokesman said. “As these tickets are not sold by the Chelsea FC website, they are considered by the club to be ‘illegal sales’. Within the recent CST ticket touting survey, many CST members suggested that Mr Boehly’s connection with Vivid Seats is a ‘breach of trust’ and could be a conflict of interest.

“These recent reports are very disappointing, and it is within Mr Boehly’s best interests to investigate these issues and address supporters’ concerns — we do not believe it is appropriate for any Chelsea tickets or wider Premier League tickets to be listed on the Vivid Seats website.”

HOW HAS VIVID SEATS RESPONDED

Following the backlash, Vivid Seats issued a statement on Wednesday, clarifying its position and denying any wrongdoing. They said: “As a global business, we are always respectful and cognisant of local regulatory policies and procedures that are in place in any market to ensure we are compliant.

“As such, our policy restricts the sale of EPL [English Premier League] tickets from UK sellers. We can confirm that we do not have any UK sellers listing EPL inventory on our marketplace. Additionally, Vivid Seats does not and has never directly marketed or advertised Premier League tickets to UK customers. Regarding pricing, Vivid Seats does not set the base price for tickets sold on its marketplace or receive any revenue from that base price; only the seller sets and receives the base ticket price.”

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Chelsea have previously taken a firm position against ticket touting, warning that season-ticket holders found reselling seats for profit could face serious consequences.

“Supporters found to be selling their ticket for more than face value will be subject to a club investigation and sanctions, including the removal of season tickets, memberships and access to the away match ticket scheme,” they said in a statement last year.

“This unfortunately occurs more often than you would expect, and the club has been forced to ban many members and season ticket holders. In some cases, the matter will be reported to the police for criminal prosecution. The only place to purchase general admission tickets is via official Chelsea FC channels, including the club website and ticket exchange. Ticket holders can only transfer a ticket to a friend or family member for no more than face value.”