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After Tottenham Hotspur finished in 17th place in the Premier League last season, new boss Thomas Frank was always going to have a huge task on his hands – especially without the help of Bryan Mbeumo.

During his time at Brentford, the Dane was able to rely upon the attacker to produce the goods in the final third, which undoubtedly contributed to his impressive tenure across the capital.

The Cameroonian international netted 20 Premier League goals in 2024/25 – the best return of his career to date – highlighting how impressive the 26-year-old was under Frank’s guidance.

Such form led to the 51-year-old trying to sign him after taking over as Lilywhites boss, but the forward decided in favour of a £71m transfer to join Manchester United instead.

There’s no denying that missing out on his signature would have been a bitter blow to Frank, but instead he was able to delve into the market to land another one of his summer targets.

Mohammed Kudus’ start to life at Spurs

In a move that somewhat caused controversy, Spurs landed the signature of winger Mohammed Kudus from London rivals West Ham United during Frank’s first transfer window.

The deal was worth in the region of £55m excluding potential add-ons, with real hope that the Ghanaian would improve the options currently available within the final third.

It may be only early days into his career in North London, but the 25-year-old has wasted no time in impressing the fanbase and looking to be worth every penny of his big-money transfer fee.

Kudus has failed to score to date, but he has been a constant creative threat, often causing the opposition backline no end of problems – whether that be in Europe or domestically.

He’s laid on four assists for his teammates in his nine appearances across all competitions, with his cameo against Bodo Glimt on Tuesday further showcasing his talents with the ball at his feet.

Despite featuring for just half an hour off the bench, Kudus posted a total of five successful dribbles – a tally that was higher than any other player on the pitch.

There’s no disputing that the winger has taken no time in impressing for the Lilywhites, but there’s another player on the books that could be Frank’s next Mbeumo in North London.

The Spurs player who’s Frank’s next Mbeumo

As previously mentioned, Frank was able to get the best out of Mbeumo, subsequently transforming him into an elite-level talent after joining the Bees from French side Troyes back in the summer of 2019.

The duo’s partnership really was something to fear, leading to the Cameroonian ending last year as one of only five players in the division to bag 20 goals or more.

Delving into the market at the first opportunity showcased his desire for new additions to help emulate the talent he had at his disposal at the GTEC.

However, he may already have his next Mbeumo in the form of Brennan Johnson, with the Welshman a player who’s previously been of huge admiration to the boss.

During his time with the Bees, the Dane tried to land the winger on numerous occasions, even placing multiple bids for his services when he was at Nottingham Forest.

Evidently, his attempts to secure his signature were unsuccessful, leading to Johnson moving to Spurs in a £47.5m deal from the Reds back in the summer of 2023.

Whilst he’s come under fire in recent times, there’s no denying the player has been worth the huge money spent on his services, with the attacker often popping up in key moments.

Johnson, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, registered 18 goals in all competitions last season – the highest of any player in the squad – even netting the winner in the Europa League final.

Such a tally showcases the clinical nature he possesses when in front of goal, similar to that of Mbeumo, with the Welshman having the tools to be the manager’s next version of the forward.

Spurs’ top scorers in the PL (2024/25)

Player

Tally

1. Brennan Johnson

11

2. James Maddison

9

= Dominic Solanke

9

3. Dejan Kulusevski

7

= Heung-min Son

7

4. Richarlison

4

5. Pape Sarr

3

Stats via FotMob

The comparison is also evident given their similar roles, with both players able to operate off the right-hand side, or even in central areas – something which is less seen with the Lilywhites star.

Both have also had a knack for often being ineffective before popping up with key goals at crucial moments, as seen by the Spurs star’s performance against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup.

The addition of Kudus has reduced the game time of the 24-year-old in recent months, which could result in fewer minutes and make it harder to replicate his form from the European-winning campaign.

However, given the manager’s previous attempts to sign him, there’s no doubt he has faith in the attacker to be a success during his tenure in charge of the Lilywhites.

Johnson is a player who hugely relies on confidence to thrive, with the manager desperately needing to put his arm around him and back him if he is to match the heights of Mbeumo in the years ahead.

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Theo Walcott couldn't bring himself to put friend and former team-mate Gareth Bale on top of a five-player list of Premier League legends, even when afforded the chance to amend his blind ranking. The two ex-wingers, both known for their blistering pace and energy, shared a flat during their youth days at Southampton but are now retired from playing.

• Bale's immense career not enough to convince Walcott

  Bale is considered one of the most entertaining and dynamic forwards in British footballing history. At club level, he represented the Saints and Tottenham Hotspur on UK shores, before becoming a global superstar at Real Madrid, winning 16 major trophies in the white of Los Blancos before ending his career with a brief stint in Major League Soccer with LAFC. The 36-year-old is also well remembered for his exploits with the Wales national team, becoming their most-capped and highest-scoring player during the Dragons’ golden era which saw them qualify for two European Championships and their first World Cup in over 50 years.

  However, these achievements weren’t enough for close mate Walcott to rank him as his No.1 on a blind ranking of Premier League legends for GOAL Global for Topps FC, despite being given the chance to amend his selections.

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  Walcott explains decisions as Salah comes out on top

  Liverpool’s Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, was the first name put to Walcott to blindly rank. A little conservatively, he put him in the provisional position of second. Bale followed, who had to settle for third. Eden Hazard and Son Heung-min were next up, with Walcott putting them at fourth and fifth respectively as he waited on a name who he believed was definitively better than Salah. Last up was David Silva to take top spot, with Walcott describing the former Manchester City playmaker as an "absolute legend".

  In a show of good faith, Walcott was allowed to rejig the order after completing the ranking blind. This was, however, not enough for Bale to take first place, which instead went to Salah. Nevertheless, the Welshman was upgraded to second, one spot above Silva who dropped into third.

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• Walcott and Bale's relationship explained

  Walcott and Bale are two of the finest products to ever emerge from Southampton’s famed academy, which has also churned out the likes of Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier. In a 2014 interview, Walcott opened up on their relationship and how his fellow wing wizard loved a practical joke.

  "I roomed with Gareth and shared digs with him right up to the day I moved to Arsenal [in 2006]", Walcott said. "He was good company but you were always grateful if you got back to your room unscathed when Gareth was around as he was a bit of a prankster. I had to be wary. He would do stunts like putting water on top of your door to try and soak you as you walked in, and silly things like that."

It has been a slow start to life at Manchester United for Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenian joined the Red Devils over the summer, costing the club £74m, including £66.3m plus add-ons. He signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford.

Yet, the 22-year-old has not really hit the ground running since his big-money move from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. The six-foot-five centre-forward is being eased in by manager Ruben Amorim, and has played just 80 Premier League minutes. He did play a full game in the Carabao Cup defeat away to Grimsby Town, but did not score.

Despite the slow start for Sesko, the same cannot be said for fellow summer signing Matheus Cunha.

Cunha’s start to life at United

Football statistician Statman Dave said it best: Cunha is “going to light up Old Trafford this season”. The Brazilian has started life for the Red Devils in excellent fashion, despite not finding the back of the net yet.

A starter in all four of United’s games so far this term, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers player has added a real spark to Amorim’s attack with his directness and creativity.

He’s come close to scoring several times, with this effort against Fulham one of the closest.

The underlying numbers from Cunha’s time at United so far highlight how well he has started. The Brazil international averaged 1.3 key passes and 1.7 successful dribbles per 90 minutes already this season, as per Sofascore.

Unfortunately for the Red Devils, the 26-year-old picked up an injury in their most recent Premier League clash against Burnley at Old Trafford. It was serious enough for Amorim to substitute Cunha 31 minutes into the game.

At this stage, it is unclear if the Brazilian attacker will be back in time for Sunday’s Manchester Derby at the Etihad Stadium. If not, Amorim has someone waiting in the wings to unleash.

United’s ready-made Cunha replacement

Despite Cunha’s injury, United are not short of options for one of those number ten roles next to Bryan Mbeumo. Bruno Fernandes could be pushed higher up the pitch, Amad could move from wingback, and Kobbie Mainoo could get a well-deserved first Premier League start.

But the ideal option for Amorim to unleash could be Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee. Described as a “monster” of an attacker by football analyst Ben Mattinson, the 24-year-old impressed in the second half of last season, especially as a number ten.

Having featured in 34 games under United’s Portuguese manager so far, Zirkzee has found the back of the net six times and assisted one goal.

One of those strikes came in the 2-2 draw away to Olympique Lyon in the Europa League, a goal which proved crucial given the fact United were 7-6 aggregate victors.

One of Zirkzee’s biggest strengths is his silky link-up play. The attacker, who can play as a centre-forward as well as a number 10, is excellent when it comes to dropping into pockets of space to link play together with quick give-and-go passes.

He also excels in one-vs-one situations in tight spaces, able to dance past defenders with his quick feet, often leaving them in the dust. Although he doesn’t possess lightning-quick pace, his superb technical ability shines through.

Indeed, the stats from the Europa League last season back up the theory that those attributes are his very best.

For example, he had a 70% take-on success rate and played 3.4 progressive passes per 90 minutes. Those metrics place him in the top 2% and 6% of forwards in the competition last season.

Zirkzee – 24/25 Europa League

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Expected assists

0.2

86th

Progressive passes

3.4

94th

Key passes

1.19

71st

Shot-creating actions

3.23

79th

Take-on success rate

70%

98th

Stats from FBref

Zirkzee could be the perfect option for Amorim to unleash as one of the number 10s. He has only played an hour or so of football this season, but he is perfectly suited to playing in that same role as Cunha.

It means the likes of Sesko would miss out on a spot in the starting lineup, but Zirkzee’s technical ability might be too good for Amorim to ignore, going into a huge week for the Red Devils.

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Leeds United are looking to force some late deals over the line in the market and were closing in on their next summer capture before being hijacked.

Leeds release Patrick Bamford as space opened for fresh faces

After making it clear that the former England international wasn’t part of his Premier League plans, Daniel Farke took the step to release Patrick Bamford this week to free up space in his forward line amid the Whites’ hunt for reinforcements.

Largie Ramazani has moved on loan to Valencia, and Isaac Schmidt will spend the season at Werder Bremen. However, news that the experienced striker has been let go has become a late talking point at Elland Road.

Addressing his departure, former Chelsea man Bamford admitted he has been left feeling ‘raw’ regarding recent events, though looked back on pride at what he achieved during his time in Yorkshire.

He stated on social media: “Right now, with the way it has come to an end and the way things have been handled recently it is all too raw for me to reflect on immediately. But in the years to come, I will look back at this period of my life with nothing but joy and pride and be super happy with what I have achieved.

“I want to thank all the managers I played under but especially Marcelo Bielsa. I don’t know where the club would be without the foundations he laid.”

With that now said and done, Leeds are lining up a move for Getafe forward Christantus Uche after his move to Wolves stalled. Meanwhile, they have also made a late approach to sign German forward Timo Werner.

Time is running out to conclude deals, though they were moving closer to bringing in a much-needed element of creativity to bolster the ranks.

Leeds hijacked by Chelsea in Facundo Buonanotte deal

Taking to social media platform X, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook confirmed Leeds were closing in on Facundo Buonanotte, offering credit to fellow reporter Ben Jacobs as the Whites near a deal to land the Brighton & Hove Albion attacking midfielder.

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However, since this, it has been revealed that Chelsea have moved to hijack Leeds’ deal for Buonanotte after they missed out on Xavi Simons to Tottenham.

Labelled “huge talent” by Jacek Kulig, the Argentina international spent last season on loan at Leicester City, amassing six goals and three assists in 35 appearances.

Now likely to follow that up with a loan to Stamford Bridge, the 20-year-old could have moved to Yorkshire and offer a degree of versatility in the forward areas, given his capability to feature in the ten role or as a right winger. FBRef claim his play style is similar to the likes of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, with both players thriving on a per 90 minutes basis for defensive metrics.

Indeed, both the Brighton starlet and Bellingham rank in the top 25 per cent for tackles, interceptions, blocks, clearances and aerials won when compared to other attacking midfielders over the last 365 days, offering some insight into the pressing benefits of having him in the team.

Ao Tanaka’s recent injury left a slot for another midfielder to enter Farke’s rotation, and Buonanotte would have allowed the German coach to shuffle things around in the engine room, but Leeds now need to look elsewhere.

Rafael Leao admitted he 'can’t take risks' with his injury, ruling him out against Bologna and leaving AC Milan unsure when their star man will return.

• Leao sidelined with calf injury
• Ruled out of Bologna showdown
• Portuguese star won’t risk setback

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leao picked up an injury during Milan's Coppa Italia tie against Bari last month, which forced him off in the first half. Despite returning to training, the 26-year-old admitted he “can’t take risks” with his recovery, leaving coach Massimiliano Allegri short of attacking options ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Portuguese winger's absence is a major blow for Milan, who have shown mixed form in recent weeks – suffering a shock 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Cremonese before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Lecce. Without their talisman, Allegri will rely on Santiago Gimenez and Christian Pulisic in attack, though both are returning late from international duty. New signing Christopher Nkunku has been training well during the break and could make his Serie A debut, but his fitness is not yet at full capacity.

• WHAT RAFAEL LEAO SAID

  Speaking at the Gentleman Award ceremony, Leao explained: "I'm working to return as soon as possible, but it's an injury that can't be taken risks. As for me, a centre-forward? It's a position I know well. I'll make myself available to the coach to play as a central striker or as a winger."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

  Leao’s return date remains uncertain, with Milan keen to avoid aggravating the issue. The Portuguese forward is expected to sit out at least another game, as the Rossoneri prepare to face Bologna in Serie A on Sunday, September 14. In his absence, Allegri will continue to experiment with Gimenez, Pulisic and possibly Nkunku in attack. Milan will be desperate for their No.10 to recover quickly as the fixtures pile up.

Russell Martin will manage his first competitive game in charge of Glasgow Rangers later this month when his side take on Panathinaikos in the second round of Champions League qualifiers.

The Light Blues have already confirmed their squad list for the two-legged clash with the Greek side, with a number of summer arrivals to Ibrox expected to make their debuts.

Nasser Djiga, Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons, Djeidi Gassama, Lyall Cameron, and Thelo Aasgaard have all been named in the squad and could debut against Panathinaikos.

Rangers supporters may be looking forward to seeing some of the new players in action, as they look to move on from the 2024/25 campaign, which ended trophyless for the club.

Gassama is one of the players who fans may be most excited to see play in these two games, as the French forward is an exciting wide player who can provide quality at the top end of the pitch.

What Djeidi Gassama could bring to Rangers

The 21-year-old flanker has the potential to get supporters off their feet with his direct play on the wing, having ranked in the top 4% of his positional peers in the Championship for successful dribbles (66) last season.

Gassama likes to take on opposition full-backs to burst into space on the left wing, which then opens the space for him to make an impact in and around the box as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

As well as exciting supporters with his dribbling ability, the former Paris Saint-Germain youngster can also score goals and create chances at an impressive rate.

Whilst a tally of just one assist in the Championship last season does not suggest that he is going to be the next Ryan Kent, his underlying numbers paint a different picture ahead of his Rangers bow.

As you can see in the table above, Gassama ranked highly among fellow wingers in the division at creating chances and creating xA, which suggests that he was unfortunate to end the campaign with one assist.

This means that the new Gers signing could bring goals, dribbles, assists, and, of course, excitement to Ibrox with his performances for the club in the 2025/26 campaign and, hopefully, beyond.

Rangers reportedly paid a fee of £2.2m to sign the young attacker, potentially boosted by Sheffield Wednesday’s financial issues after they were hit with an embargo for not paying players or staff on time, and they could repeat their Gassama move with another swoop for one of their players.

Rangers plotting bid for Sheffield Wednesday star

According to TEAMtalk, Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles has emerged as a key target for Kevin Thelwell and Martin this month.

The report claims that the English Championship side’s financial situation has left them open to offers for their players, which is what played a part in Gassama’s move, and the Northern Ireland international is one of the stars who could be on his way out.

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

It states that the Scottish Premiership giants are considering an offer to snap him up from the Owls, as they look to add to their options between the sticks.

TEAMtalk adds that Charles is ‘enthusiastic’ about a potential move to Ibrox and that his ‘confidence’ on the ball makes him an ideal fit for what Martin wants from his goalkeeper next season.

This suggests that personal terms may not be much of an issue, if at all, for Rangers to deal with if they are able to agree a fee with Sheffield Wednesday for the player, should they make the bid that they are now weighing up.

Why Rangers should sign Pierce Charles

The Gers should push to get a deal done for Charles in the coming weeks because it would be a repeat of the blinder they played with Gassama, taking advantage of an unfortunate situation to land a potential bargain.

On paper, a £2.2m fee for a 21-year-old winger who produced exciting performances in the Championship last season looks like a fantastic piece of business by the club, as he is a promising player with a lot of room left ahead of him to grow and develop.

Charles presents a similar opportunity for the Gers, given that the report mentions that their financial situation has opened them up to the possibility of a sale, although it remains to be seen how much money they will have to spend on the EFL gem.

The 19-year-old goalkeeper only became the Sheffield Wednesday number one towards the end of last season, but he has been capped six times by Northern Ireland already.

The teenage sensation, who was described as an “amazing” player by former youth teammate Anthony Elanga, could be an upgrade on Jack Butland at Ibrox, if he can build on the promising form he displayed in eight games in the Championship.

As you can see in the table above, Charles has the potential to offer more to the team between the sticks as a shot-stopper, a claimer of crosses, and as a distributor.

His long pass accuracy, in particular, is an interesting statistic to highlight because it suggests that he is far more efficient at picking long passes out and executing them to get the team up the pitch, which may be useful when Martin wants his team to evade a press.

Butland is not as efficient with his long passing and that could lead to situations where Rangers are forced to cough up possession too often if the opposition try to press Rangers high and force the Englishman into launching it back to them.

Add in Charles’ superior shot-stopping statistics, which suggest that he could prevent more goals from being scored past him, and it seems as though Rangers could have a huge talent on their hands if they are able to bring him to the club.

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Therefore, Rangers could repeat their seemingly impressive Gassama signing by swooping to agree a potentially cut-price deal for Charles, who could be a fantastic addition to the squad, for now and for the future.

Arsenal could finalise a deal to sign a “world-class” player this weekend, alongside Chelsea’s Noni Madeueke, according to a report.

Madueke deal edging towards completion

Fabrizio Romano has revealed the Gunners’ deal for Madueke is now very close to completion, with the winger jetting back from the Club World Cup to seal a move across the capital.

However, a section of the fanbase isn’t exactly overjoyed by the news, with some fans even signing a petition in a desperate attempt to stop the move going through, which has angered former Manchester United man Rio Ferdinand.

Weighing in on the issue, Ferdinand said: “It’s fine for fans to disagree with signings or decisions made at their football club but the way some fans have publicly voiced their opinions and those who have gone a step further in publicly joining a petition for this player not to be signed by their football club is beyond me. I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I don’t ever again.”

A good way of getting the fans back on side may be to finally get a striker through the door, and there has now been a suggestion that a deal for Viktor Gyokeres could be wrapped up in the very near future as sporting director Andrea Berta ramps things up a notch at the Emirates.

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According to a report from The Guardian, Sporting CP retain feint hope the deal with Arsenal could be finalised this weekend, with Gyokeres making it clear he has no interest in remaining at the Portuguese club.

The Sweden international has failed to return to pre-season training, in order to try and force through a move to the Emirates Stadium, but a deal will not be cheap, with president Frederico Varandas holding firm on a total package of €80m (£69m).

"World-class" Gyokeres could be final piece of Arsenal jigsaw

While some Arsenal fans have been left angered by the decision to spend big on Madueke, there should be less outrage over signing the Sporting striker, given that he is clearly ready to make the move to a top club.

At 27-years-old, the Swedish forward should now be in his peak years, and he was lauded as “world-class” by members of the media after putting in a fantastic performance against Manchester City in the Champions League last season.

The Sporting star scored a hat-trick in his side’s 4-1 victory over City last November, which should allay some fears about whether he would be able to make the step-up to the Premier League.

Gyokeres is clearly determined to seal a move to the Emirates Stadium, and his exploits in the Liga Portugal indicate he could be a real difference-maker in Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title next season.

أعلن سامي الطرابلسي، المدير الفني لمنتخب تونس، التشكيل الرسمي الذي سيخوض به مواجهة غينيا الاستوائية، ضمن الجولة الثامنة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، والتي تقام على ملعب مالابو.

ويدخل منتخب تونس اللقاء متصدر المجموعة الثامنة برصيد 19 نقطة، بعد الفوز الكبير في الجولة الماضية على ليبيريا بثلاثية نظيفة، ويأمل نسور قرطاج في حصد النقاط الثلاث لحسم تأهله رسميًا إلى المونديال المقبل المقرر إقامته في الولايات المتحدة وكندا والمكسيك.

ويعتمد الطرابلسي في التشكيل الأساسي على الثلاثي فرجاني ساسي، السخيري والمجبري في وسط الملعب، بينما يقود الهجوم إلياس عشوري بجانب أسامة السعدي وهيثم المساوري.

وشهدت قائمة البدلاء تواجد محمد علي بن رمضان لاعب الأهلي، حيث فضل الجهاز الفني إبقائه على دكة الاحتياطية في بداية اللقاء.

طالع أيضًا | حازم إمام يُدافع عن تريزيجيه: كان أفضل من محمد صلاح.. والهجوم ضده مبالغ فيه تشكيل منتخب تونس أمام غينيا الاستوائية في تصفيات كأس العالم

في حراسة المرمى: دحمان

خط الدفاع: بن وناس – منتصر الطالبي – ديلان برون – ياسين فاليري

خط الوسط: فرجاني ساسي – السخيري – المجبري

خط الهجوم: إلياس عشوري – أسامة السعدي – هيثم المساوري بدلاء تونس أمام غينيا الاستوائية في تصفيات كأس العالم

فاروق فرحاتي، بلال السعيد، محمد الهادي محمود، نعيم سليتي، فخر الدين الشواشي، ياسين مرياح، معتز بالله بن حميدة، علي الغرام، محمد علي بن رمضان، سيف الدين التونكتي، أيمن الغربي، مكرم النفاتي.

Big picture: Will spin play a role in Kingstown?

A tournament of firsts has an addition: this is the first time South Africa and Nepal will meet on the international circuit. And they do so from opposite ends of the group’s points table.South Africa advanced to the Super Eight after the Nepal-Sri Lanka washout, but would have likely made it there anyway. They have won all three of their matches so far – two by close margins – and are looking like one of the form teams.Nepal have yet to win a match – and have in fact only played one full game – but they might feel they have already enjoyed some success. A 7000-strong crowd in Dallas, made up almost entirely of their supporters, cheered Nepal through their opening game against Netherlands. But their batting wilted under pressure from the Netherlands seamers, which does not bode well for them coming up against South Africa, whose fast bowlers have been exceptional.Related

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South Africa’s main concern coming into the tournament was the form of Anrich Nortje, but he is back to, and perhaps even better than, his previous best. Nortje has reached speeds of 150kph-plus, has shown off a good slower ball, is taking wickets, and is now two away from Dale Steyn’s record as South Africa’s leading bowler in men’s T20 World Cups. Nortje and Ottneil Baartman, with all his variations, have formed a formidable first and second change and have eclipsed Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.It is yet to be seen how much of a role the spinners will play – and remember South Africa have included three specialists in their squad but only used one, Keshav Maharaj, so far – and the trip to the Caribbean might reveal that. Should things take a turn in the direction of the spinners, Nepal are well resourced with the addition of Sandeep Lamichhane for the West Indian leg of the tournament.

Form guide

Nepal: LLLWW
South Africa: WWWLLAiden Markram, as well as Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks, are woefully short of runs•Getty Images

In the spotlight – Sandeep Lamichhane and the South Africa top order

Sandeep Lamichhane, Nepal’s best-known player, has not played an international match since November last year after being convicted of and then acquitted for rape. The latter came ten days before participating teams had to name their final squads for the tournament and his name was not on Nepal’s initial list. Cleverly, they only included 14 players. But Lamichhane was subsequently denied a visa to enter the USA and had to miss Nepal’s first two games, but has reached St Vincent.All this for what, you may wonder? Well, Lamichhane is match-winner, who was the fourth-leading wicket-taker in ODIs last year, and played a key role in Nepal reaching the World Cup Qualifiers. He has described playing at a World Cup as “fulfilling my dreams and the dream of all cricket lovers”, and big things are expected of him.The one aspect of South Africa’s game that needs improving is the performance of the top-three batters, who have collectively scored just 61 runs from nine trips to the crease. That may be due to the difficulties of the New York surfaces, where they played all their matches, and could change if conditions are less tricky in the Caribbean. Still, Quinton de Kock, who is likely playing his last international event, Reeza Hendricks, who was overlooked in 2022 and may feel the pressure to prove why that was the wrong decision, and Aiden Markram, who is captaining, will want to do better. De Kock and Markram have both made some starts but Hendricks is particularly short of runs. With Ryan Rickelton in the squad, he will know he has some competition.

Team news: SA will field their best XI

Nepal will have to leave someone out to make space for Lamichhane, if he is available for selection, and it could be left-arm spinner Sagar Dhakal, who was economical but went wicketless against Netherlands.Nepal: 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Anil Sah, 4 Rohit Paudel (Capt), 5 Kushal Malla, 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Sompal Kami, 8 Gulshan Jha, 9 Karan KC, 10 Sagar Dhakal/Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Abinash BoharaUnlike Australia, who may or may not empty their bench against Scotland, South Africa are not considering anything other than fielding what they believe is their best XI. White-ball coach Rob Walter was clear that the top three will be given the opportunity to get some runs, while any changes to the attack will only be conditions-based.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich Nortje

Pitch and conditionsMuch like Eisenhower Park, this surface is also fairly unknown because of the scarcity of cricket here. On the evidence of the Bangladesh-Netherlands game, the surface is conducive for run-scoring and could offer a change from what South Africa experienced in New York. There are 58-metre boundaries on one side of the ground which means the big hitters will feel right at home.It’s expected to be humid, sunny and slightly windy during the game. Stats and trivia:

• Not only is Lamichhane Nepal’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, he is also two wickets away from 100 in the format. He also has the seventh-lowest bowling average in T20Is overall (and the second-lowest among bowlers playing the World Cup
• Heinrich Klaasen is two sixes away from become the leading six-hitter in T20s this year. So far, he has stuck 80 in 33 matches, two fewer than Nicholas Pooran, who has played two more matches
• There have only been two T20Is hosted in St Vincent before, both in 2013 in a series between West Indies and Pakistan played in July. Pakistan won the first match chasing 153 and the second after they defended 135

Quotes

“It’s easy to be chipper when you’re winning. Everyone is just pretty chuffed that they come out on the right side of the results and the way that we fought as a unit. We’ve got to celebrate a few wins, which has been great, and celebrate being part of the next phase of this competition. But we want to have a clean sweep of our pool round. That’s certainly something we’ll be focusing on and then taking that into the Super Eights.”
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Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League semi-final last night with a sensational 2-1 win over defending champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The victory secured a 5-1 aggregate win, putting a stop to the Spanish outfit’s chances of making it back-to-back European triumphs after their win at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund last season.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s second-half strikes were enough for Mikel Arteta’s men to advance to the next stage of the competition, subsequently setting up a tie with French giants PSG.

It was a superb showing from the Gunners in Madrid, restricting Carlo Ancelotti’s side to limited opportunities and preventing his star-studded side from making yet another miraculous comeback.

Numerous players starred during the victory, playing a pivotal role in their chances of landing their first-ever European trophy in the coming months.

Arsenal’s star performers against Real Madrid

Mikel Merino once again started as Arsenal’s main centre-forward, not looking out of place and producing yet another impressive showing at the top end of the pitch.

The Spaniard registered two assists in the win and completed four passes into the final third, providing numerous opportunities for other attackers, as seen by his assist tally.

Declan Rice picked up where he left off from the first leg, completing 96% of the passes he attempted, three of which were into the final third, starring with the ball at his feet.

Out of possession, the 26-year-old was just as impressive, winning 100% of the tackles he entered, whilst making four interceptions, restricting the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior for large spells.

Despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other player hugely impressed at the Bernabeu – easily walking into Madrid’s side after such a showing.

The 8/10 Arsenal star who showed he would walk into Madrid’s team

For many years, Madrid have been the golden boys of European football, as seen by their tally of 15 titles – the most of any side in the competition’s history.

Six of their victories have come since 2010, but Arteta’s side produced an incredible showing over two legs to stop their chances of extending their record as the most successful side in history.

Given the stature of the club, only the best talents in the world could be able to cement their place in the squad, but Gunners full-back Jurrien Timber certainly wouldn’t look out of place within their side.

The Dutchman produced a sensational showing against the Spanish outfit last night, arguably his best since returning to action after missing the majority of his debut season through injury.

Timber featured for 89 minutes of the clash, limiting Vini Jr to minimal chances throughout the contest, making four recoveries to stop their Brazilian.

Minutes played

89

Touches

42

Passes completed

10

Passes into final third

5

Ground duels won

3

Times dispossessed

1

Tackles made

2

He also made five passes into the final third, with such a tally being 50% of all the passes he completed during the game, offering Arteta’s side a quick transition on the counterattack.

His impressive showing didn’t stop there, winning three ground duels, only being dispossessed once in what was a superb all-round performance from the 23-year-old – leading to one content creator labelling him as “phenomenal”.

To top off his excellent showing, he was handed an 8/10 match rating by the Evening Standard’s Simon Collings – further highlighting how much of a key role he played at the Bernabeu.

Given Madrid’s issues in the right-back role, there’s no denying the Dutchman would be able to star in their side, with the Gunners having a huge talent on their hands.

If they are to go all the way and win the competition this season, Timber will undoubtedly play a key role, potentially providing the difference in the next couple of rounds.

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