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Arsenal appear much more likely to sign one club's high-earning midfielder over the heavily-linked Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, according to reports.

Edu eyeing new midfielder in January

As per widespread rumours in the English press and beyond, signing a new central midfielder in January appears a distinct possibility as sporting director Edu Gaspar makes winter transfer plans.

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Tom Lever

Dec 28, 2023

Thomas Partey has been unreliable with injuries this season, and if fit by early next month, will travel to represent Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, both Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny are set to leave when their contracts expire next summer.

These factors make the need for a new man in the middle of the park all the more important next month. Villa's Luiz is reported to be a dream target for Arsenal (Fabrizio Romano), but Unai Emery's side have been on an upward trajectory this season and may not be willing to sell one of their key players.

Arsenal do have alternative options, with Monaco ace Youssouf Fofana attracting interest from Edu ahead of January. Another interesting name is Everton star Amadou Onana, who has made 15 Premier League appearances as a colossal presence in the Toffees engine room.

The Belgium international is apparently a target for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, as he looks to provide midfield depth and strengthen his side's charge for a first league title in 20 years.

Arsenal more likely to sign Onana

According to a report by journalist Simon Collings of The Evening Standard, who detailed all of Arsenal's "possible" signings in January, Onana making a move to the Emirates is indeed plausible.

Indeed, it is believed Arsenal could have "more luck" signing Onana than Luiz next month, with Villa looking set to dig their heels in over the Brazilian.

Little else is added beyond that, but we believe the £100,000-per-week ace (SpotRac) would be a sure-fire fit for the Gunners. Standing at a colossal 6 foot 4, Onana has been praised by former Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, who hailed his leadership qualities and "unique" traits as a player.

Amadou Onana's best league games for Everton – 2023/2024	Match Rating (via WhoScored)
Burnley 0-2 Everton	8.52
Everton 3-0 Bournemouth	7.69
Brentford 1-3 Everton	7.42
Everton 1-2 Luton	7.33
West Ham 0-1 Everton	7.30

“Really exciting footballer,” said Martinez to Sky Sports.

“I know that sometimes when we speak about players, it’s very difficult to measure their potential. I think we are talking about a 20-year-old boy, who is probably one of the most talented at that age in European football, and that’s how excited we are in Belgium.

“I think it would be a shame if we speak only about his technical and tactical abilities. I think this footballer is quite unique in the way he is as a character; he is a leader, even as a young man, he is affecting others in the dressing room. He has got this incredibly maturity that is not normal to have at such a young age.”

It has been a real Jekyll and Hyde kind of season for Arsenal so far this year. Just a few weeks ago, they were leaving Anfield with a point and spending Christmas Day atop the Premier League table, and yet after back-to-back league losses, they now find themselves fourth and five points off the top spot.

Worse yet, Mikel Arteta's men then crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool to leave their campaign in limbo.

The biggest problem for the team has been scoring goals, and so, with the transfer window now open, they have been linked to a plethora of forwards and the latest, Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee, has been compared to one of the best players of the Emirates era, Alexis Sanchez.

Arsenal transfer news – Joshua Zirkzee

According to a report from the Daily Telegraph's Sam Dean, Arsenal are looking for a new striker in 2024 and are "keeping a close eye" on Bologna's exciting 22-year-old talisman.

However, the bad news for the Gunners is that it will be a pricey move to complete, as the Serie A side are holding out for offers in the region of £50m, and after the summer of spending that Arsenal had, that could prove difficult.

That said, with the north Londoners still just about in the title race, they might push the boat out and get their man, as his nine goal involvements in 18 starts suggest that he could be a real difference maker.

Moreover, the comparison to former Arsenal star Sanchez might be enough to convince Arteta, as he was still playing for the club when the dynamic forward was blowing teams away.

Zirkzee could be Arsenal's next Sanchez and solve their goalscoring woes

Now, while Sanchez's time with the Gunners ended poorly – to put it mildly – when he was on song, he was magnificent, often winning games single-handedly, having scored 80 goals and provided 45 assists in just 166 games for the club.

So, if an Arsenal-linked forward is to be compared to any player, the Chilean star is pretty good going.

The comparison stems from FBref, which lists the ten most similar players for most footballers in their database. These comparisons are made and ranked based on characteristics that stars share with one another.

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So, the most significant similarities between Sanchez and Zirkzee lie in their passing, dribbling, and positional characteristics. For example, the Dutch forward is among the top 15% of strikers in Europe's top five leagues for attempted passes, while the Inter Milan man is among the top 11%.

Likewise, the "elite" Serie A striker, as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, is among the top 17% of forwards for successful take-ons, while the former Manchester United winger is among the top 15%, and these are just some of the ways they mirror one another.

That said, while it is always good to measure up with one of the club's most impressive players of the last decade, how do his underlying numbers compare to Gabriel Jesus? As after all, the Brazilian would be his main competition in N5.

Well, in most of the relevant attacking metrics, it's the "out of the world" Zikzee, as described by Mattinson, that comes out on top.

Joshua Zirkzee vs Gabriel Jesus

Stats per 90

Zirkzee

Jesus

Expected Goals + Assists

0.44

0.60

Goals

0.40

0.29

Assists

0.11

0.10

Progressive Passes

2.71

2.69

Progressive Carries

1.30

2.02

Goals per Shot on Target

0.33

0.09

Aerial Duels Won

1.02

0.96

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

He produces more progressive passes, wins more aerial duels, scores more goals, and produces more assists from a smaller expected goal and assists figure than Jesus.

Ultimately, with the Gunners in real need of a reliable number nine at the moment, Arteta should be pushing hard to get Zirkzee through the door.

Arsenal have been enjoying something of a resurgence over the last couple of years under the management of Mikel Arteta. They have once again come to be defined by free-flowing, entertaining and, above all, effective football.

They have reaffirmed their place near the top of the Premier League as regular title challengers alongside the Manchester City and Liverpools of the world, and perhaps most importantly, the club have once again joined the European elite in the Champions League.

However, it wasn't that long ago that the club were well and truly in the trenches – well, as much as a 'big six' side can be in the trenches anyway – and were relying on their youth products to bail them out of an ever-increasing spiral of footballing despair.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith-Rowe and even Eddie Nketiah, to an extent, all stepped up when it looked like Arteta was heading to the nearest job centre.

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These players have now either become a core part of the starting XI or play an important squad role for the side and yet, there is another Hale End graduate who could come in and make a name for himself in the coming seasons.

One that could ultimately save the Gunners the tens of millions it would take to sign Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz: Charlie Patino.

Charlie Patino's youth Statistics

Patino has firmly established himself as a senior, fully-fledged professional footballer these days thanks to his recent and relatively successful loan spell away from north London, but when he was regularly turning out for the Arsenal youth sides, he was making quite a name for himself.

Across the U18 Premier League and Premier League 2, for example, the "special talent", as described by journalist Phil Smith, scored two goals and provided five assists, but he hasn't just been putting in the work at club level.

From the U15 level to U21, Patino has earned 22 England caps, with his debut for the U21 side coming against Luxembourg in September of this year.

Overall, his time as a club-level youth player was incredibly impressive, and the midfield "maestro", as labelled by football scout Jacek Kulig, certainly justified the hype with his performances.

Charlie Patino last season

After impressing at youth level and making two senior appearances for the Gunners, Patino made his first loan move away from the Emirates and joined Championship side Blackpool for the 2022/23 season.

The 6 foot midfielder made 37 appearances in all competitions for the Seasiders, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

It was a fantastic platform for the former Luton Town youngster to show his quality, and when the club were drawn against Premier League side Southampton in the FA Cup, he took his chance and scored a brilliant goal that caught a lot of attention.

However, it was a rather bleak campaign for the club as a whole, and they ended up getting relegated after finishing in 23rd place.

That said, while the surrounding team struggled to deal with the demands of England's second tier, Patino looked more than comfortable, as if he was destined to patrol Premier League midfields one day; at least, that was how his manager, Michael Appleton, certainly seemed to feel about him when he said:

"We've used him as a six, an eight, even as a number 10 at times. He deals with it, he copes with it, he's got an understanding of the game beyond his years.

"He can deal with the ball and move it, he's got a big future ahead of him."

And there's only one way if Appleton was right.

Charlie Patino vs Douglas Luiz this season

So we have seen the steady progression of Arsenal's promising youngster from youth team gem to Championship star, but how is he faring this season?

Well, he was sent to Swansea City on loan for the 2023/24 campaign, and while the Swans aren't necessarily where they want to be in the table, they are significantly better off than Blackpool were, and Patino has a large part to play in that.

So far, the 20-year-old dynamo has made 14 appearances for the club this season, in which he has scored two goals and provided four assists, which, when broken down, gives him a goal involvement every 135 minutes – not bad from a central midfielder.

In comparison, Luiz has also made 14 appearances, but he has scored five goals and provided two assists, which, when broken down, gives him a goal involvement every 172 minutes of football.

While this difference could certainly be chalked down to the oppositional quality, it still suggests that the Arsenal youngster has the ability to influence his side's attacking threat, starting from a deeper position.

Okay, how about their underlying numbers, then?

Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, Luiz is the more complete player, and his statistics show it. The Brazilian produces more progressive carries and passes per 90, more shot-creating actions per 90 and wins significantly more tackles per 90 than his younger competition.

Stat

Luiz

Patino

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists per 90

0.16

0.31

Progressive Carries per 90

2.39

1.33

Progressive Passes per 90

5.52

4.44

Shots on target percentage

23.8%

25%

Shot Creating Actions per 90

4.04

3.91

Tackles won per 90

1.72

0.67

Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Premier League & Championship Season

However, Patino produces almost twice the non-penalty expected goals and expected assists as the Villa man and is more accurate when he is in front of goal. Furthermore, aside from tackles, the Hale End graduate isn't too far off his competition, especially given the age gap.

Ultimately, the question Arteta and Edu Gasper have to ask themselves is whether they think it's worth spending the £60m plus required to sign the Villa star, who Paul Merson regards as "the most underrated player in the Premier League", or save that money and promote Patino into the first team.

Leeds United are back in Championship action once again as they play host to Coventry City at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon in Yorkshire.

The Whites are hoping to bounce back from the disappointment of their 1-0 loss to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night.

Jobe Bellingham's second half header secured all three points for the hosts on the night and it was a result that has left Daniel Farke's side ten points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

Leeds will look to return to winning ways and the German tactician could make some alterations to the starting XI that lined up against the Black Cats.

With this in mind, here is a predicted Whites line-up, with three changes to the side, to take on Mark Robins' Coventry this weekend…

1 Illan Meslier

Starting off between the sticks, Illan Meslier could keep his position in goal as he has started all 21 of the club's Championship matches this season.

The French stopper made a terrific first-half save from Bellingham with a full-stretched diving stop before the teenage attacker got the better of him for the winning goal in the second half.

2 Luke Ayling

The first change to the XI could come at right-back. Farke has Sam Byram and Junior Firpo out injured and this has limited his options at full-back.

Archie Gray could, therefore, be rested for this match ahead of the busy festive schedule to avoid fatigue and burnout as the 17-year-old has already started 18 games this season.

He showed signs of fatigue against Sunderland as the young defender was dribbled past three times and lost four of his seven duels, which suggests that this would be a good opportunity to bring Luke Ayling in for a rare appearance.

The experienced right-back has not started since the 1-0 win over QPR in October but has been a reliable option when called upon, with 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 53% across 14 appearances.

3 Joe Rodon

Joe Rodon should, once again, keep his place at the heart of the Leeds defence as the Tottenham Hotspur loanee has been in fine form this season.

The Wales international has won 63% of his duels and completed 91% of his attempted passes over 18 Championship appearances for the club.

4 Pascal Struijk

On the left of the central defensive pairing, Pascal Struijk could captain Farke's side. The Dutch colossus won 100% (3/3) of his duels and made two blocks against the Black Cats.

5 Djed Spence

The aforementioned injuries to Byram and Firpo have left the Whites without a natural left-back option and that meant that Djed Spence started as the number three against Sunderland.

He enjoyed a solid display given it was in an unnatural position as the former Middlesbrough ace won nine of his 12 duels and made five tackles and two interceptions throughout his 82 minutes on the pitch.

6 Ethan Ampadu

Wales international Ethan Ampadu should start at the base of the midfield for Leeds as the impressive summer signing from Chelsea has been superb this season.

The 23-year-old battler has consistently won possession back for his team with 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game over 21 league starts.

7 Glen Kamara

Farke should stick with his trusted midfield pairing of Ampadu and Glen Kamara for this clash with Coventry, particularly after the Finnish whiz enjoyed a solid performance last time out.

The former Rangers maestro won three tackles and made two interceptions to go alongside a pass success rate of 92% against the Black Cats.

8 Wilfried Gnonto

The second change to the line-up could come on the right side of the attack. Wilfried Gnonto could be unleashed in place of winger Dan James, who struggled against Sunderland.

The Wales international lost three of his five duels and failed to manage a single effort on target, completed dribble, or any key passes for his teammates.

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Whereas, Gnonto came off the bench with 15 minutes to go and completed 100% of his attempted dribbles (1/1) and passes (15/15) to go along with a 67% duel success rate (2/3).

These statistics suggest that the 20-year-old whiz offered more than James in his short time on the pitch, which is why he could be unleashed on Saturday.

The Italy international, who was once hailed as a "diamond" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced one goal and one assist in six Championship starts so far this season.

9 Mateo Joseph

The third and final alteration to the XI could see U21 star Mateo Joseph finally unleashed as part of the attack in place of Dutch forward Joel Piroe.

With the busy festive schedule coming up, Farke could look to rest some of his players to ensure that they do not suffer any muscular injuries and the former Swansea ace's performance against Sunderland has opened the door for him to be ditched for this game.

He failed to score and did not create a single chance for his teammates in 90 minutes on the pitch, and this lacklustre display could allow the manager to drop him to the bench.

This could then present Joseph with the chance to start a first Championship match after coming off the bench in the last two outings. The 20-year-old marksman has recorded two goals and two assists in three U21 games in all competitions so far this season.

10 Crysencio Summerville

Farke could keep his star forward in place out on the left wing as the Dutch whiz has been a fantastic performer for the club so far this season.

Crysencio Summerville has contributed with nine goals and six assists in 18 matches in the league and could be the difference-maker against Coventry.

Tottenham Hotspur made some changes over the summer, and while chairman Daniel Levy hasn't always had the Lilywhites support singing his praises, there are clear signs that the club is headed in the right direction.

Despite foundering to an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, Spurs have blitzed into the ascendancy this year and topped the table after ten matches, and while Ange Postecoglou has now suffered successive defeats against Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers, there is much optimism that the side has entered an exciting new chapter.

Appointing the Australian just feels right, with his possession-based, fearless style aligning with the exciting style of football that became the staple of the halcyon days of Mauricio Pochettino's time at the helm.

And while successive losses were a bitter pill to have swallowed after such a brilliant start, injuries and suspensions more than played their part and inhibited Spurs from maintaining their lead at the forefront of the Premier League pack.

Before this recent slump, there was almost an air of invincibility enveloping the Spurs squad, who secured statement victories over the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool and left the Emirates Stadium with an impressive draw against Arsenal.

Postecoglou deserves all the plaudits for instilling his philosophy and doing so to resounding success, with his leadership nurturing formerly struggling stars such as Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma to the fore.

The same could be said for Heung-min Son, who is now thriving as the star centre-forward in Harry Kane's wake, but such successes have only been realised with the integration of top-class talents.

James Maddison and Micky van de Ven are the salient examples, but Destiny Udogie has been equally instrumental in crafting Tottenham's resurgence, and while he was actually signed over a year ago, he has slotted perfectly into the new system.

Why Tottenham signed Destiny Udogie

An Antonio Conte-led Spurs side completed a swoop for Udogie in August 2022 for an initial £15m, but while the young Italian boasted more than a hint of promise, it was felt that his development would be best served away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at that stage and he was loaned back to his outfit, Serie A side Udinese, for the 2022/23 campaign.

Last season, the 6 foot 1 gem certainly grew into his skin in Italy, posting three goals and four assists across 33 Serie A outings and producing performances that left little choice but to welcome him to the fold down the N17.

It was a prudent move from Levy and his transfer team, with Udogie lined up as the long-term solution to the left-back quandary at the club, with Ivan Perisic ageing and not considered the starring, multi-functional star to make the position his own and Ryan Sessegnon plagued by injury problems.

Destiny Udogie's market value now

Described as "sickeningly good" by footballJOE's Hunter Godson, who also remarked that Udogie "gets into nearly every team in the world already", it's clear that this fast-improving gem has been a stellar investment for Tottenham.

Still aged only 21, Udogie was one of the standout performers in the early phase of the current Premier League campaign before a reckless lunge at Raheem Sterling two weeks ago handed Chelsea a two-man advantage to condemn Postecoglou to his very first defeat in the English top-flight.

As per FBref, the Italian ranks among the top 18% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 19% for assists, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.

Evidently one of the most compelling and progressive in his position right now, Udogie has been sensational since linking up with the Spurs squad in the summer, with journalist Carlo Garganese remarking that he has been "taking the best league in the world by storm."

The 6 foot 2 defender's exploits had been instrumental in establishing Tottenham as a formidable force in the top-flight this season, with the £45k-per-week dynamo bagging two assists from ten matches so far, completing 88% of his passes and making 2.7 tackles and 6.2 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.

It's not surprising that his market value has shot right up, with CIES Football Observatory currently valuing the dynamic defender at €60m (£52m).

This represents a 247% increase in value for a player still so young, with his current market value even surpassing the fee that was paid to sign Maddison in the summer.

Why Tottenham signed James Maddison

After Leicester City suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, it was always going to be inevitable that Maddison would depart, having established himself as one of English football's standout creators over the past years.

In what appeared to be a coup for Postecoglou's outfit, Tottenham wrapped up a £40m deal for the 26-year-old's signature in July to provide an exciting addition to boost the hopes of returning to prominence.

(per game)

22/23

23/24

Apps

30

11

Goals

10

3

Assists

9

5

Big chances created

12

6

Shots taken

2.8

2.5

Key passes

2.3

2.9

Pass completion

79%

85%

*Sourced via Sofascore

As the table delineates, Maddison has maintained all of his core creative attributes while honing the crispness of his craft; he's effectively on course to match last season's goal tally right now and is playmaking at a far greater rate, roughly 33% more effective.

He's been absolutely sensational and the fact that he is sidelined until the new year threatens to be a detrimental blow to Spurs' aspirations of disrupting the title race, as evidenced by the past few weeks.

While he is the fulcrum in the middle, the charger of the offensive engine and the conductor in attacking transitions, Udogie has been equally immense under Postecoglou's guidance and his absence was definitely felt against the Old Gold last time out.

It's frightening to imagine how good the 20-year-old could become over the coming years but given that CIES Football Observatory already value him at higher than Spurs paid for Maddison just a few months ago is a testament to his meteoric rise.

Ben Amarfio, CA’s general manager of broadcasting, digital media and commercial has also been sacked amid major changes

Andrew McGlashan and Dan Brettig07-Nov-2018Pat Howard and Ben Amarfio, two of Cricket Australia’s most polarising executives, have been jointly ousted by the new chief executive Kevin Roberts amid a significant management restructuring in the wake of a scathing cultural review of the governing body.Howard, who took his role in 2011 in the wake of the Argus review, had indicated he would not renew his contract when it expired next year, but now Roberts has hastened his departure, which will now take place next week. Amarfio was key to the new AUD1.18billion broadcast deal that was struck earlier this year, a move that took some of Australian home cricket off free-to-air-TV.The creation of the win-at-all-costs environment that was highlighted in the Longstaff review has fallen significantly at Howard’s feet.”It’s a time for reflection and learning, a time for us to deepen our relationships. It’s important we show leadership, that we aren’t about words but about actions,” Roberts said. “Pat in particular had determined that he intended to leave the organisation and we just discussed an alternative leaving date. I think it’s important we give cricket a fresh start and we start looking forward so we can heal.”It continues the high-profile exits around Australian cricket which in recent days has seen chairman David Peever resign and long-serving board director Mark Taylor stand down. James Sutherland also recently brought an end to his 17-year tenure as CEO.The Longstaff review was highly critical of the board and team culture that had been created and Roberts had been a key executive figure during the time as COO, notably around the heated MoU debate, but he said the findings had shown enough successes in his role – pinpointing The One Team initiative to bring state and territories together, gender pay equity and community cricket – to mean he was the man to take CA forward.”If you look at the Longstaff review it’s independent and objective, they have called out at least three key positive involvements I’ve had and one that wasn’t so positive,” he said. “On balance, none of us are perfect, we are all human, and I’ll do my best to keep improving.”The CA board has been having multiple phone hook-ups on a daily basis of late while working with Roberts to work out solutions to the current crisis and Roberts said it would be the last of the major changes for the time being.Belinda Clark, the former Australia captain, will take on an interim role as executive general manager of team performance while a recruitment process has been undertaken to replace Howard.Stephanie Beltrame, previously the general manager of media rights, will move into a new role as interim EGM Broadcasting and Commercial. She has been at CA for as long as anyone and been passed over numerous times for executive roles, most notably after her key role in securing the 2013 rights deal between Nine and Ten.The CA digital team, previously under Amarfio, will be moved to the Events and Leagues department under Anthony Everard with the department being renamed Fan Engagement. It was Everard who tweeted the image of the Australian dressing room in Perth last week that revealed the term “elite honesty” which has since provoked much debate and no little ridicule.”It is clear that we need to deepen our relationships with fans, players and the broader cricket community,” Roberts said. “We are committed to making cricket stronger and developing closer connections with the community and greater alignment across the organisation. Everyone at CA is focused on rebuilding and moving forward after what has been a turbulent year in Australian cricket.”

Alessia Russo has added "another element" to Arsenal, believes skipper Kim Little, who has been impressed with plenty in the England striker's game.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Russo joined Arsenal from Man Utd last summer
• Gunners skipper Little praises her impact
• Highlights new 'element' England star has added

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Russo joined the Gunners on a free transfer from Manchester United in the summer, just a few months after the London club had tabled a world-record bid for her in the January window. It was clear that Arsenal rated her highly, then, and the squad Russo has joined this season has been impressed with her ability, too.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It has been a difficult campaign at times for the England star, and she herself has even opened up on the challenge of adapting to a new team, but there have been some memorable moments, too. A star performance against Chelsea in the Women's Super League just before Christmas was a particular highlight, as well as the decisive goal she scored in the north London derby in March.

• WHAT LITTLE SAID

  Asked what Russo has brought to the Arsenal team, captain Little said: "Less is one of the best technical players to receive the ball and her touch, I think she is one of the hardest players to get the ball off, I think you can all see that when any kind of speed or type of ball is hit up to her. She's also got one of the cleanest strikes I've seen as well, when you're watching her in training every day.

  "I think she adds yet another element to the team and has brought that this year, which is fun for all of us. I think we have such a kind of dynamic team and versatile team, we have Stina [Blackstenius] who has such great attributes in lengthening the game for us and making the channel runs, being really explosive and powerful, and then Less complements that in a way with her technical ability and close control. I think both of them have performed and scored in really key moments this year."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Little has often played in a more advanced midfield role this season, which means she has had to work closely with both Russo and Blackstenius, the Gunners' Swedish striker.

  Speaking about the relationships she is building with both on the pitch as a result, Little said: "With Less coming in, she's an incredible player and likewise with Stina. I've played a number of times with Stina as the No.9 as well and I think that's a challenge. It's part of the game to be able to build these connections with different players and bring out their strengths.

  "Stina and Less are very different players and my role is, what can I do to bring out their strengths most and then also allow me to do what I'm capable of? I've enjoyed it. I enjoy playing football and the challenge of trying to win a game, whether that's in a 10 position or an 8 or whatever I'm asked, it's how can I do that as best as I can to get the win."

Nuwan Seneviratne will help India deal with several left-arm quicks they will come up against in the Asia Cup

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Sep-2018India will have an additional hand helping them out at the Asia Cup in Dubai. It would be the left hand of Nuwan Seneviratne, a throwdown specialist from Sri Lanka, who has played two first-class matches. The idea behind hiring Seneviratne is to primarily counter several left-arm fast bowlers the Indian batsmen will face in the six-nation Asia Cup, which gets underway from Saturday.India already have a throwdown specialist in Raghavindraa, popularly known as Raghu, who has been credited by many Indian batsmen, including Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, for his high-intensity pitches.Twenty-year-old left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed is part of India’s squad in the Asia Cup, but they have not found a long-term left-arm prospect yet. Hence, the Indian think-tank felt they needed assistance from. SeneviratneIn last year’s Champions Trophy final, Pakistan’s new-ball pair of Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan tormented India in a one-sided match. Amir packed off India’s top three – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli – while Junaid dismissed Ravindra Jadeja in a match India lost by 180 runs.Pakistan have four left-arm quicks in their squad in Amir, Junaid, Usman Khan and Shaheen Afridi; Bangladesh have two left-arm seamers in Abu Hider and Mustafizur Rahman while Afghanistan have one in Sayed Shirzad.Seneviratne could also help India prepare for the Australia tour where Mitchell Starc is likely to be a dominant force with the ball.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio está na semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Na tarde desta quarta-feira, o Tricolor venceu o Cuiabá por 2 a 0 e despachou uma das maiores surpresas da competição.Apesar dos gols marcados por Diego Souza, o atacante Pepê foi o garçom da tarde e ajudou o seu time a construir a vitória.

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Na saída de campo, o camisa 25 vibrou com a classificação e espera colocar o Tricolor na decisão do mata-mata nacional. Além disso, ele espera ter uma semifinal mais feliz do que na temporada passada, quando errou o pênalti diante do Athletico e viu o Grêmio ser eliminado.

– Conseguimos um belo resultado, mais uma semifinal. Agora é foco total no Brasileirão. A gente sabe do que aconteceu no ano passado, levo como aprendizado. Evoluí bastante. Com certeza vou dar meu melhor para ajudar o Grêmio – disse o jovem.

Na semifinal da Copa do Brasil, o Grêmio encara o vencedor do confronto entre São Paulo e Flamengo.

Tottenham's incoming new sporting director Johan Lange is said to absolutely love one player, and Spurs could go for him in January as a result.

Will Spurs sign anyone in January?

Lange will commence his role under Chief Football Officer Scott Munn on November 1, but reports suggest that the Lilywhites have already been busy plotting ways to strengthen Ange Postecoglou's ranks at Spurs. Having failed to bring in a second centre-back after Micky van de Ven in the summer, Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson, Juventus star Gleison Bremer, Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly and Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba are all reported transfer targets to reinforce Postecoglou's backline.

As well as this, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could well depart north London amid a lack of starting roles, meaning Spurs could sign a replacement for the Dane. Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, who has since become a regular starter for Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge, has been named as one of Tottenham's rumoured transfer targets to succeed Hojbjerg.

Despite their free-scoring start to the season, Tottenham may also look to bring in a new striker to replace Harry Kane once 2024 comes around; leading to reported interest in the likes of Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord) and Ivan Toney (Brentford).

Kalvin Phillips transfer update

Another player who Spurs have been linked with as a potential replacement for Hojbjerg is Man City and England international star Kalvin Phillips. On a reported £150,000-per-week (SpotRac), the former Leeds star has found life difficult at Eastlands since his multi-million pound move in 2022. He was recently handed a couple of more chances by Pep Guardiola, who praised Phillips after a second-half performance against Nottingham Forest.

“He played really good today," said Guardiola after City's 2-0 win

"For the type of game that we needed, defensively and keeping the ball and run, he was amazing."

However, the return of Rodri from suspension looks set to relegate Phillips to the side once again, with January coming as a possible way out. Juventus and Newcastle are said to be admirers of his, while Spurs' incoming transfer chief Lange is also a "big fan". As a result, if Hojbjerg departs, Spurs could well make a move. That is according to reliable journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, who shared an important update on Phillips' future at City.

Former Leeds midfielder Andrew Hughes, speaking to The Athletic, once called him a "very special" player.

"He’s one-paced but he’s made that work for him and, in the end, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been lucky enough to watch training at Leeds and you see it with the midfielders — out early before the main sessions and making sure whichever team they’re going to be playing, they know where to take the ball and where to pass the ball. It’s about intelligence.

"The only way to get someone who can cover and do the same job perfectly is to spend £50 million, at least, that’s what a player like him costs. Rather than talking about how other players match up, you just have to accept he’s very special.”