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Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil isn’t exactly enjoying the best of times at the moment with his side slumped at the bottom of the Premier League table having won just one point all season.

He will be counting on the likes of Matheus Cunha, Joao Gomes and Rayan Ait Nouri to lead by example and secure the Old Gold their first league win of the campaign sooner rather than later.

For Ait Nouri, if the club are relegated, will this be his final season at Molineux? Especially considering the interest shown in him over the summer?

Rayan Ait Nouri’s season in numbers

The left-back has played every single league match for the club this season, scoring twice and grabbing two assists in the process.

Despite their poor performances, the defender started the current campaign in a similar sort of fashion as how he ended 2023/24, which could see him secure a big money move away from the Midlands sooner rather than later.

Ait Nouri has also created a big chance, averaging 1.4 key passes and 1.1 successful dribbles per game in the top flight, showcasing his attacking qualities.

In terms of his reported salary of £10k-per-week, the youngster is certainly one of the best value-for-money players in the current Wolves squad, that’s for certain.

Rank

Player

Salary

1.

Goncalo Guedes

£90k-per-week

1.

Pablo Sarabia

£90k-per-week

3.

Nélson Semedo

£80k-per-week

4.

Hee-chan Hwang

£70k-per-week

5.

Mattheus Cunha

£60k-per-week

The same cannot be said for another full-back in the first team, who is earning way more than Ait Nouri, but is failing to produce the goods on the pitch – Matt Doherty.

Why Matt Doherty must be sold by Wolves

The Republic of Ireland defender returned to Wolves at the start of last season, making a total of 43 appearances for the club since, scoring three times.

This season, he has made only two Premier League starts under O’Neil, failing to establish himself in the team. During these games, Doherty has lost possession 8.8 times on average, while averaging just a 78% pass success rate.

Going forward, the defender succeeds with just 0.3 dribbles per game while he has delivered zero accurate crosses. It is clear that O’Neil is not a massive fan of the Irishman, and it would make sense for the club to move him on sooner rather than later.

He currently earns a staggering £50k-per-week at the Old Gold, which is 400% more than what Ait Nouri takes home each week. Judging by the performances of both players, it is not a fair reflection on their wages.

Doherty was even criticised on international duty a few weeks ago by Stephen Kelly, who dubbed the current Wolves man as “awful” during the clash against Greece in September.

With 18 months still to run on his contract, there is no doubt that his weekly wage would be best spent elsewhere, either in signing a free agent or investing back in the current squad.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

His recent displays have been poor and O’Neil must look to move him on in January at the earliest.

Wolves star who left in 2023 is now earning £217k-p/w more than Cunha

This former Wolverhampton Wanderers ace is swimming in cash at his new employers.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 22, 2024

Members of the Arsenal camp are now backing a club chief, who’s been called the world’s “best” recruiter, to succeed departed sporting director Edu Gaspar.

Arsenal's rumoured options to replace Edu Gaspar as sporting director

The Brazilian’s exit after five years has left a gaping hole in Arsenal’s boardroom, and it needs to be filled at the earliest opportunity.

Related "Sneakily good" player has now formally told Arsenal that he wants to leave

He’s informed Emirates Stadium transfer chiefs.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2024

Edu was hugely responsible for the deliverance of key Arsenal personnel over his spell from 2019 to this year, including the signings of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Ben White and other crucial members of the first team.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

Edu also played a role in the appointment of manager Mikel Arteta, who transformed Arsenal from a mid-table side to genuine Premier League title contenders, even if their bid for a first domestic crown in 21 years is faltering right now.

“From day one, we’ve been together,” said Arteta on Edu’s departure.

“We both had this special chemistry and I’m very blessed that he’s been part of my life in such a beautiful place, managing this incredible club, and he’s been a massive part of that.

“He’s had an amazing opportunity in a different role and he believes that it’s the right professional move for him. We have to respect that and from the bottom of my heart I think everybody really feels that we want the best for him.”

The appointment of his successor could be pivotal in determining Arsenal’s long-term future, and it is believed the north Londoners have a few options they could consider.

One of them is interim director Jason Ayto, who was present at a meeting in the USA to discuss 2025 transfer plans this week (Charles Watts). Reports claim Ayto could be considered as a candidate to take over from Edu, while others believe Bayer Leverkusen’s Simon Rolfes is in the running to become Arsenal’s new sporting director.

Rolfes helped to build Xabi Alonso’s squad, which made history last season, going unbeaten in the Bundesliga and winning the club’s first ever title.

Arsenal camp backing Luis Campos to replace Edu

Now, according to The Boot Room, an illustrious name in high-ranking PSG chief Luis Campos is being mentioned behind-the-scenes. Interestingly, Campos was once linked with the job at Tottenham, but they eventually landed Fabio Paratici with Johan Lange then replacing the Italian after his worldwide ban by FIFA.

TBR state that those within Arsenal’s camp are backing Campos to replace Edu, which would be quite a coup when factoring in his reputation as the world’s “best” talent-spotter.

Of course, tempting him away from an already high-profile job at the Parc des Princes will be no easy feat, but perhaps the temptation of working in England could be an important factor.

East London was in concert on the day that it happened. David Moyes had triumphed in re-signing for West Ham United in a managerial capacity and not only lifting the club away from the pit of the Premier League but completing three successive seasons in Europe and winning the Conference League in 2022/23.

West Ham have enjoyed riches that every club outside of the so-called ‘big six’ can only dream of, Leicester City aside, no team other than one of the big six has tasted major silverware in England for over a decade. But Moyes had clearly reached the end of his tenure and it was widely agreed that it was time for him to move on.

It’s remarkable that the Irons have reached such soaring heights without properly shaking off the curse at centre-forward, with the role of chief goalscorer something that has floored many a talented forward across recent years.

Jarrod Bowen actually claimed first place in West Ham’s goalscoring charts last season, operating in a kind of hybrid role that saw him flit between number nine and his regular right-flanking role given the absence of a recognised striker.

But he’s not an actual striker in the traditional sense of the word.

West Ham's striker curse

It’s familiar territory. West Ham completed the signing of Niclas Füllkrug from Borussia Dortmund this summer in a deal worth £27m, with the German international arriving off the back of an excellent Euro 2024 campaign and a season with the Yellow Wall that saw him post 16 goals and ten assists across all competitions.

Füllkrug’s start to life in London has been met with adversity, yet to score or assist and missing the past five matches due to injury. The 31-year-old has ample time to turn it around but he’d do well not to look back at the path previously travelled by Hammers strikers.

In 2019, West Ham announced the club-record signing of Sebastian Haller from Eintracht Frankfurt in a move that cost them £45m – the Ivorian lasted a season and a half before moving to Ajax, having only scored ten times in the Premier League.

Presently, Danny Ings has flattered to deceive during his time in east London, joining from Aston Villa for £15m in January 2023 but only scoring five times from 54 matches, which is hardly befitting a player of his proven calibre in English football.

However, Gianluca Scamacca is surely the pick of the wilted bunch here, proving to be such a let-down after creating great fanfare when moving from Italy to the London Stadium.

How much Gianluca Scamacca cost West Ham

It was quite the signing. Moyes had earned plaudits for the improvements that he had made at West Ham, but after cashing in on Haller well before, a new star up top was needed.

Scamacca, who had bagged 16 Serie A goals from 36 matches the previous year with Sassuolo, was truly a signing to get excited about, but his time as an Iron proved to be anything but auspicious.

He scored eight goals in all competitions for West Ham, but given four opponents were Viborg, Silkeborg IF, Anderlecht and AEK Larnaca, it’s hard to claim that he popped up in the biggest moments, notching three goals from 16 games in the Premier League. The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas called the whole ordeal a massive “disappointment”.

Moreover, Scamacca wasn’t exactly a low-cost employee on the wage bill, with his £90k-per-week earnings costing West Ham over £5m in salary fees across just the one year that he spent at the club. Of course, his homesickness and want to leave saw him complete a £21m transfer to Atalanta back in Italy.

This marks good business from United, who saved some of the money that was spent on bringing him to the side in the first place, but even so, that is cash that could have been spent elsewhere and might have had a significant effect on the club’s season, had it been more efficiently applied.

You might notice that there are a couple of notable absentees on that wage bill above. Bowen, who earned £60k-per-week at the time, must have been somewhat disgruntled by the Italy international taking home a heavier purse while putting in only a measure of the performances.

Moreover, midfield general Declan Rice was also earning about £60k-per-week before completing his seismic £105m transfer to Arsenal at about the same time Scamacca jumped ship. Such revelations only highlight the wayward purchase for a player who initially promised so much more.

Despite only being on the books for one year, Scamacca drained West Ham’s finances. His £35.5m transfer fee, combined with the £5m’s worth of earnings that he pocketed across his sole season, make it around £40m of cash splurged.

You could argue that since West Ham won the Conference League, such qualms are forfeit, but Scamacca only featured twice past the group phase that United breezed through, bagging once against Larnaca in the round of 16, though given that it was a 6-0 aggregate victory, his contribution was hardly definitive.

He was branded “miserable” by pundit Chris Sutton, and perhaps that’s an apt phrase to coin his time in the Premier League, clearly disinterested and casting maudlin gazes back at his homeland.

Given that the Italy international is clearly a striker of high-class quality, it’s a real frustration that he didn’t adapt to life under Moyes’ wing, especially since he technically cost West Ham £5m per goal across his sole year.

Left for £1.2m: West Ham have already sold the perfect Antonio replacement

The Hammers may regret moving on one rising star on the cheap…

2

By
Connor Holden

Oct 12, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Pelo Grupo 1 da Copinha, o Bahia deu seu pontapé inicial na competição empatando com o Atlético-MT por 2 a 2 nesta terça-feira (4). O jogo aconteceu no Estádio Municipal Dr. Plínio Marin, na cidade de Votuporanga.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

O início de jogo foi complicado para o tricolor já que, além de cometer muitos erros na criação, viu o time de Mato Grosso abrir a contagem com Lucas, em cobrança de pênalti.

Porém, com o desenrolar da partida, principalmente a capacidade do Bahia em diminuir os espaços na saída de bola do adversário foi primordial para a virada no marcador ainda na etapa inicial.

Além de Raí empatar o confronto em passe espetacular de Hiago, Everton recebeu passe dentro da área e bateu forte, contando com a “colaboração” do goleiro João Vitor, para fazer o segundo tento baiano.

Na etapa final, o aspecto físico parece ter pesado bastante na partida em situação onde o Atlético se mostrou mais inteiro do que o time de Salvador e fez uma considerável pressão em busca da igualdade. E, apesar da bola no travessão em cobrança de falta além de Léo bater forte em excelente defesa do goleiro Gabriel, o gol da igualdade da equipe pantaneira veio somente aos 45 minutos.

Após receber passe de Gabriel, Pablo Juan abriu espaço e bateu de fora da área, superando o arqueiro do Bahia e decretando o resultado final do confronto no Plínio Marín.

Celtic’s incredible start to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign continued on Saturday as they secured a 2-0 win against Hearts at Parkhead.

The Hoops have kept five clean sheets in their five league matches so far, winning all five games, and are sat at the top of the division, having also won the title in Brendan Rodgers’ first season back in Glasgow.

Summer signing Arne Engels opened the scoring for the Scottish giants from the penalty spot after Nicolas Kuhn’s cross was handled by a defender, which provided the Belgian with a chance to roll the ball past Craig Gordon.

The veteran Jam Tarts goalkeeper may have been disappointed with his part in the second goal for Celtic. Luke McCowan, also signed in the summer, came off the bench and fired a left-footed effort Gordon’s way from the edge of the box and it was helped into the back of the net by a weak hand from the shot-stopper.

Whilst it was another impressive showing from the Hoops, who have continued their near-perfect start to the league campaign, there were some underwhelming performances, including Daizen Maeda on the left flank.

Daizen Maeda's struggles against Hearts

The Japan international was selected to play on the left flank, after his goal against Rangers before the international break, and struggled to make a significant impact at the top end of the pitch.

As ever, Maeda was full of running and constantly looking to threaten in behind and down the sides of defenders to get on the end of long passes and through balls.

However, none of his runs resulted in a clear goalscoring chance for the forward, with Gerald Taylor’s sublime sliding challenge in the first half preventing him from going one-on-one with Gordon.

The 26-year-old forward did create two chances for his teammates throughout the game, but neither of them were ‘big chances’ and he did not register an assist for either of the goals.

He also lost two of his three physical duels during the match, and only completed one dribble, in what was a fairly underwhelming showing from the winger.

Maeda had very little say in the match from an offensive perspective and did not do much defensive work to help to preserve the clean sheet, as shown by these statistics.

However, he was not the worst performer on the pitch for Celtic as Kyogo Furuhashi endured a frustrating afternoon and must now be finally ditched from the starting XI by Rodgers.

Kyogo Furuhashi's frustrating performance against Hearts

The 29-year-old striker scored his first goal of the season against Rangers before the international break but his struggles in front of goal returned for this clash with Hearts.

Rodgers kept him in the starting XI after his strike against the Gers and was not rewarded with a strong performance from the Japanese marksman, who struggled on and off the ball.

Kyogo was presented with one ‘big chance’ to find the back of the net when he was sent one-on-one with Gordon and the striker fired his effort wide of the post, which was one of the four shots he failed to find the back of the net with.

The former Vissel Kobe number nine only had seven touches of the ball in 72 minutes on the pitch and completed two passes, to go along with his four shots on goal, and did not create any chances for his teammates.

He was also a liability out of possession for the Hoops. Hearts defenders came out on top against them in all three of his physical duels at Parkhead, which shows that he struggled with the physicality of the match as he lost 100% of his duels.

These statistics show that he was even worse than Maeda, who at least created two chances for his teammates and won one of his three duels, for Rodgers.

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo’s showing against Hearts was not out of touch with his form from the previous four appearances in the division.

The experienced forward has struggled in front of goal throughout the season so far, which comes after he missed 24 ‘big chances’ and scored 14 goals in 38 league outings last term.

These statistics show that Kyogo has been an incredibly wasteful finisher for Celtic over the past 13 months or so, whilst also offering very little outside of his goals, due to his weak play out of possession and lack of creativity.

With all of this in mind, Rodgers must finally ditch the striker from the starting XI for the club’s first Champions League clash of the campaign against SK Slovan at Parkhead on Wednesday night.

Kyogo, who scored two goals in six Champions League matches last term, must be ruthlessly dropped from the line-up to make way for Adam Idah.

Why Adam Idah should be unleashed

The Ireland international is yet to score since his return to the club on a permanent deal from Norwich City this summer but was unfortunate to have a goal ruled out by VAR for offside on Saturday, due to an offside on Greg Taylor in the build-up.

His form during his loan spell at Parkhead during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign suggests that the potential is there for the 6 foot 3 star to come in as an upgrade on Kyogo for this clash with Slovan.

As you can see in the table above, Idah outperformed the Japanese attacker in the Premiership, with a higher conversion rate and greater goals to ‘big chances’ missed ratio.

The former Norwich academy graduate also won a significantly higher percentage of his aerial duels and this suggests that he could be more useful in European matches, where Celtic may need an outball when they are under pressure to get up the pitch.

Therefore, Kyogo should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI after his poor showing against Hearts and Idah should be unleashed against Slovan.

£5m Celtic flop who was sold by Rodgers is outscoring Kyogo this season

The Hoops allowed the centre-forward to move on from Parkhead last summer.

1

By
Dan Emery

Sep 11, 2024

It’s a great time to be an Arsenal fan at the moment, as while things looked bleak just a few weeks ago, the Gunners are now level on points with Manchester City, having already played them, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur away in the Premier League.

Not only that, but Mikel Arteta’s side came away from their tricky trip to Atalanta with a point in hand and then dominated Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup with a heavily rotated lineup.

However, just because it had eight changes does not mean it was a weak side, as it was full of tremendously exciting and talented Hale Enders, including Ethan Nwaneri.

The young midfielder looks destined to become the next sensational superstar to come out of the North Londoners academy, but another youngster who could be just as good is no longer at the club.

Nwaneri's exciting rise

It’s been over two years since Nwaneri became the youngest Premier League player of all time against Brentford in 2022, and while he hasn’t featured in too many first-team games since then, he has been tearing it up in the academy.

For example, in his 52 appearances across the club’s various junior sides, the 17-year-old phenom has scored 27 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement once every 1.40 games, which is frankly ridiculous for a midfield player.

However, he’s not just impressing with the youth sides. The Enfield-born ace made regular appearances during the club’s preseason tour of the US in the summer, and over the last few weeks, he has become increasingly involved in first-team action.

It was in the game against Bolton that the Hale Ender opened his account with the club, scoring a brace and coming painfully close to a hat-trick, but it’s in the league games that we can gain a better understanding of how highly the manager rates him.

For example, when the team were 1-0 up away to Spurs, he turned to the exciting prospect to inject some more life into the midfield, and when it looked like his side were going to drop points against Leicester City, he once again turned to the teenager, and while he didn’t score, he came very, very close to doing so.

Overall, while we are still a season or two away from seeing Nwaneri regularly making it into the starting lineup, it’s clear that he’s an exceptionally talented footballer and one destined for the very top, much like a youngster the club lost this summer.

Chido Obi Martin's massive potential

Yes, the player who Arsenal lost during the summer is Danish youth international Chido Obi Martin.

Now, we say lost, as while it looks like the Gunners will be making some money on his move to Manchester United following the Premier League’s green light over the move late last week, there is no doubt that they would have rather kept him over making a few million pounds if that is what it ends up being.

The reason why? He has an incredible goal record and sky-high potential, scoring ten goals in one game for Arsenal U16s against Liverpool. Yes, ten goals. It’s easy to see why he was generating even more excitement than Nwaneri at times last season.

In 24 appearances across the Gunners’ U18 and U21 sides last season, the unreal “goalscoring machine”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, found the back of the net 32 times and provided three assists for good measure.

That means that, despite still being just 16, the Glostrup-born gem maintained an average of a goal involvement once every 0.68 games, which explains why the North Londoners were so keen on keeping him.

Chido Obi Martin’s 23/24

Appearances

24

Goals

32

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

1.45

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, the 6 foot 2 poacher has also excelled at the international level, racking up 11 goals in 18 games for Denmark’s U17 side and one goal in two games for their U18 team.

Ultimately, Arsenal are blessed with the number of talented youngsters coming through the academy at the moment, Nwaneri chief among them, but the loss of Chido Obi is undeniably significant.

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Former Real Madrid scout Manolo Romero has warned Vinicius Junior that Florentino Perez would sell him as he prefers Kylian Mbappe over the Brazilian.

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Vinicius warned Mbappe is Perez's favouritePerez would sell Brazilian for the right priceSaudi Arabian clubs interested in ViniciusFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid president Perez finally got the chance to complete his dream signing of Mbappe in the summer after the Frenchman's contract ran out at Paris Saint-Germain. However, the 26-year-old's signing seemed very unnecessary with Vinicius and Rodrygo being settled into what was one of the best attacks in the world.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe has struggled to consistently show his best form for Real Madrid following his move to the Santiago Bernabeu as he has been made to play through the middle of the attack as Vinicius occupies the preferred left-wing. Former Real Madrid scout Romero says that Perez would sell Vinicius if the price is right as Mbappe is the club chief's "darling."

WHAT ROMERO SAID

Speaking to the SPORT, Romero said: “I was convinced that he [Vinicius] would leave. If they come with more than €300 million, I am convinced that Florentino will sell him, that he even takes him to the airport in his car.

“The thing is that €300 million is a lot of money. I think Florentino’s darling is going to be Mbappe. He has been behind him for seven years.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS?

The Brazilian has been linked heavily with a move to the Saudi Pro League, however, it is seems unlikely he will leave Europe while he is still in his prime.

Manchester United have reached an agreement with one of Erik ten Hag's star men over a huge new contract that could be worth as much as £72.8m.

Man Utd transfer news

There have been plenty of false dawns at Old Trafford in recent years, but there is a feeling of positivity among the fanbase currently, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe makes a good early impression as part-owner of his boyhood club.

Not only has he hired Dan Ashworth as United's sporting director, snapping him up as a highly-rated transfer guru from Newcastle United, but he has also ensured that some hugely exciting business has been completed. Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee have already come in and added long term potential, while Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are also expected to arrive from Bayern Munich.

It would arguably be a surprise if that was the end of the Red Devils' summer spending, however, and Brighton ace Evan Ferguson has emerged as a potential long-term acquisition, with a £50m move for the Republic of Ireland striker mooted.

A new top-level central midfielder is also needed between now and the end of the summer transfer window, but United are believed to have made an unsuccessful bid for Barcelona maestro Frenkie de Jong. The La Liga side are demanding far more than the £42.7m they have offered, reportedly wanting as much as £73m for his signature.

Now, a big update has emerged regarding a current Old Trafford hero – one that will be met with great optimism by supporters.

Bruno Fernandes agrees new Man Utd contract

Taking to X, Romano claimed that Manchester United have an agreement in place over a new deal for Bruno Fernandes until the summer of 2028.

A report from talkSPORT reveals that the new deal will land Bruno a whopping £350,000 per week by putting him on a par with Marcus Rashford as the highest-earning player at United. That's £18.2m per year for Bruno, totalling £54.6m until 2027 and an overall tally of £72.8m, assuming the the fourth year option is taken up.

In truth, Fernandes is worth every penny of this to United, considering what a consistently excellent performer he has been ever since joining from Sporting CP back in 2020. The Portuguese star has registered 146 goal contributions (79 goals and 67 assists) in 234 appearances for the Red Devils, which highlights what a relentless provider of end product he is, and his level of availability also makes this extension a no-brainer.

Report: Man Utd now considering £50m move for Premier League star

His finishing has been described as “phenomenal”.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 12, 2024

Admittedly, Fernandes does turn 30 later this year, but there is no reason why he cannot remain an influential captain and performer well into his 30s, such are his fitness levels. Essentially, this could be as important as any new signing for United this summer.

Mikel Arteta has responded to Dimitar Berbatov labelling Arsenal "the new Stoke City", insisting he sees it as a compliment.

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• Arsenal kings of set-pieces this season
• Beat Man Utd 2-0 in midweek
• Arteta responds to Berbatov comments

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0, with both goals coming from set-pieces, ex-Red Devils star Berbatov joked that the Gunners are "the new Stoke", in reference to Tony Pulis' famously direct Potters side. The north London side have scored seven goals from dead ball situations this season, more than any other team.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ironically, Arsenal had a dismal record against Stoke during the Premier League era, with Arsene Wenger's sides often coming unstuck at the Britannia Stadium. One run of games saw them win just once in seven trips between 2008 and 2012.

• WHAT ARTETA SAID

  Asked about Berbatov's comments, Arteta replied: "I understood very well what Dimitar Berbatov said, I was in the best possible way. We take it as a big compliment [because Stoke were so good at it]."

  On Arsenal's reputation as 'kings' of set-pieces, he added: "Well we want to be the kings of everything, on set pieces, the best in the world, on high press the best in the world, attacking in open spaces, the best in the world. Best atmosphere and stadium, the best at everything. Before it was we didn’t score enough, we didn’t challenge, we didn’t win big games for 20 years. We want to be the best at everything.

  "The best academy, the best individual development for players. We want to be the best of the best. Recruit the best players, the best coaches, that’s the aim."

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Arsenal face Fulham in a Premier League London derby this weekend, before taking on Monaco in the Champions League in midweek.

The number of points on offer for a draw in the County Championship has been increased from five to eight, after England’s Test captain Joe Root called for changes in the competition’s regulations to incentivise teams to make games last longer.In the 2019 edition of the County Championship, teams were awarded 16 points for a win, five points for a draw, and up to eight bonus points for runs scored and wickets taken in the first 110 overs of their first innings.In last summer’s Bob Willis Trophy, the number of points for a draw was increased to eight “to help mitigate against the impact of weather in a shortened competition”, according to the ECB, and that change has been extended into the 2021 season, with the Championship due to be played in a revamped conference-style system.Following England’s 3-1 series defeat in India, Root had called for draws to be made “more appealing” in order to help batsmen and bowlers develop the skills required in Test cricket.”They need to find ways of making games last four days, giving spinners the opportunity to bowl and learning to bowl at different stages of the game,” Root said. “They need to learn to hold the game in the first innings if it’s not spinning and things are not in your favour so they can give the seamers some respite. Then they need to be able to attack and to really deal with that pressure of trying to bowl a side out.”It’s not just spin, it’s seam as well, and the batting group. For example, you want guys to come into this environment of Test cricket and have that knowledge of what it’s like to go out in the second innings and know the opposition have 450 on the board. They need to be able to ignore that scoreboard pressure, put it to the back of their mind and get a score, and go beyond another team’s score to make sure you’re massively in the game when it comes to the second innings.”It’s the same with the seamers: you want them to have a range of skills that can exploit flat wickets. Can they change their angles round? Can they go up and down the gears in terms of pace? Have they got a five-over spell in terms of short-pitched bowling? They’re all the things that will improve the game and Test cricket for England in the long run if the games go longer.”The playing conditions for the 2021 Championship were published by the ECB this week. The second new ball will be taken after 80 overs, having been pushed back to 90 in last season’s Bob Willis Trophy, while the ban on saliva being used on the ball and the introduction of Covid-19 replacements have both been retained.The specifics of the divisional structure have also been confirmed. Each team will play the five teams in their group home and away in the group stage, with the top two in each group qualifying for the top division in the second phase, the third and fourth-placed teams qualifying for the second division, and the fifth and sixth-placed sides going into the bottom division.Teams will carry the points accrued against the other team that qualifies from their initial group forward into the divisional stage, rather than playing them for a third time in the season, and will play four matches each in the divisional stage. The winner of the top division will be awarded the County Championship, while the top two teams in the top division will qualify for the Bob Willis Trophy final.The final will be staged over five days at Lord’s from September 27. In the event of a drawn final, the side with a first-innings lead will be awarded the Bob Willis Trophy.