He's better than Huijsen: Liverpool want "one of the best CBs in the PL"

The decision for Liverpool to extend the contract of star centre-back Virgil van Dijk is one that has delighted supporters, undoubtedly so given his importance to Arne Slot.

He joined the Reds for a mammoth £75m back in January 2018, providing a leading presence at the heart of the defence – allowing the side to enjoy success in the Premier League.

The Dutchman has featured in every minute of their league season to date, allowing the club to be within touching distance of claiming a record-equalling 20th league triumph.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk

His extension takes him to the summer of 2027, having another two years to try and win even more trophies at Anfield, cementing his place as one of the best defenders to ever play the beautiful game.

However, he could be joined by one player in the backline in 2025/26, with Slot and the hierarchy both working together to complete a deal for an in-demand talent.

The latest on Liverpool’s pursuit to land Dean Huijsen this summer

In recent weeks, reports have emerged linking Liverpool with a move to land Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen during the summer transfer window.

It was stated that the Reds’ hierarchy have already met the Spaniard’s representatives over a potential switch to Anfield, but they aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 20-year-old.

Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen

Chelsea, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have all also been credited with an interest in the youngster, who has a £50m release clause in his current deal at the Vitality.

However, despite the ambitions of landing Huijsen, another defensive name has emerged on their shortlist, in the form of Nottingham Forest talent Murillo.

According to CaughtOffside, the Reds hold a firm interest in his signature, but would have to pay a fee in the region of £70m for his services given the Reds’ potential top-five status come the end of the season.

Why Murillo would be a better signing than Huijsen

There’s no denying that Bournemouth star Huijsen will be at the top of many Liverpool fans’ list of targets this summer, offering Slot another dimension at the heart of his defence.

Bournemouth's DeanHuijsencelebrates after the match

His form on the south coast has seen the Cherries battle for a place in Europe next season, leading to rumours around his future away from the club in the near future.

Given his release clause, it’s highly likely he will depart Andoni Iraola’s outfit this summer, but the Reds need to swerve a deal for his services and prioritise a move for Murillo instead.

Whilst the Brazilian would cost an additional £20m compared to the Spaniard, it’s a cost worth taking, having a much higher ceiling to thrive at the top of European football.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats from the ongoing season, the Forest star has massively outperformed Huijsen in numerous key areas – further highlighting the talent he possesses.

Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson celebrates scoring their first goal with Nikola Milenkovic andMurillo

Murillo, who’s been labelled “one of the best defenders in the Premier League” by one analyst, has kept more clean sheets, whilst also winning more of the tackles he’s entered to date.

He’s also posted a higher tally of blocks made per 90, alongside more clearances made and aerials won – showcasing the defensive ability he possesses, subsequently playing a huge role in Forest’s success.

How Murillo compares to Huijsen in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Murillo

Huijsen

Games played

32

27

Clean sheets

15

7

Tackles won

1.5

1.1

Blocks made

2.1

1.4

Clearances made

7.2

6.9

Take-ons completed

79%

40%

Aerials won

66%

59%

Stats via FBref

The Brazilian has also starred with the ball at his feet, completing more of the take-ons he’s attempted, often catching the eye with his dazzling efforts.

Whilst £70m may be a huge sum for another defender, it’s a fee that is certainly worth it given the performances produced in 2024/25 – potentially being in the league’s Team of the Year.

It would take a lot of convincing to take him out of Forest’s side, given the success they’ve endured this season, but the prospect of moving to Anfield could be one that may tempt Murillo into a huge switch.

Huge upgrade on Jota: Liverpool set to bid for the "best striker in Europe"

Liverpool appear to be readying a mammoth bid for a new attacking talent this summer.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 23, 2025

Stats: Nawaz smashes fastest T20I hundred for Pakistan

Pakistan chased down 205 in just 16 overs – another record

Sampath Bandarupalli21-Mar-202516 Overs Pakistan needed to chase down 205 against New Zealand in the third T20I in Auckland. It was the earliest any team completed a 200-plus chase in T20Is. The previous fastest was in 17.4 overs by South Africa, who chased down 206 against West Indies in the opening game of the 2007 T20 World Cup.2 This was Pakistan’s second-highest successful chase in T20Is. The 208 they chased against West Indies in 2021 in Karachi remains their highest.4 This was the fourth time New Zealand failed to defend 200 or more in T20Is. Three of those games were played at Eden Park.ESPNcricinfo Ltd44 Balls Hasan Nawaz took to bring up his hundred, the fastest for Pakistan in T20Is. The previous record was 49 balls by Babar Azam against South Africa in 2021.4 Batters, including Nawaz, who followed up successive ducks with a century in men’s T20Is. Rilee Rossouw (100 vs India in 2022), Rohit Sharma (121* vs Afghanistan in 2024) and Sanju Samson (109* vs South Africa in 2024) are the other three. Nawaz is the only one to start his career with two ducks and score a hundred in the third game.7 Sixes hit by Nawaz, the joint-most by a Pakistan batter in T20Is alongside Mohammad Rizwan, who also hit seven against South Africa in 2021.12 Sixes hit by Pakistan in their innings, their joint-second-most in a T20I, behind 15 against Ireland in 2024.ESPNcricinfo Ltd75 for 1 Pakistan’s powerplay score on Friday, their highest in this phase, bettering the 73 against England in 2016. After ten overs,Pakistan were 124 for 1, 15 runs more than their previous best at that stage.Pakistan reached 100 in 8.1 overs, 150 in 12.2, and 200 in 15.5 – all fastest for them. They also equalled their fastest team fifty in the format, in four overs. Their previous fastest team hundred came in nine overs against New Zealand last year, while their quickest 150 was in 13.5 overs against South Africa in 2013. The fastest 200 was in 17.5 overs against South Africa in 2021.3 Instances of a team successfully chasing down 200 or more with nine or more wickets in hand. All three are by Pakistan. They previously chased down 204 against South Africa in 2021 for the loss of one wicket, and secured a ten-wicket win against England in 2022 while chasing 200.84 Runs scored by Pakistan between deep third and fine leg, making most of Eden Park’s short boundaries behind the wicket. These are by far the most a team has scored in that region in a T20I (where ESPNcricinfo has data). The most before Friday was 70 by Australia, also at this very ground during their 244 chase against New Zealand in 2018.

Dhoni and CSK recreate old Chepauk magic

A crowd of about 35,000 got to watch a massive opening stand, wickets from the CSK spinners, and, of course, the good old Dhoni show

Deivarayan Muthu04-Apr-20234:36

‘Dhoni rises to the occasion for his fans’

Shivam Dube has just launched wristspinner Ravi Bishnoi for back-to-back sixes over wide long-on in the 14th over. A crowd of about 35,000 at Chepauk screams: (Hey, Dube get out). A similar chant rang around at Chepauk earlier this week during the intra-squad practice game that was thrown open to the public, who thronged the ground just to watch MS Dhoni smash sixes.Once Dube got out during that practice game, the Chennai crowd got what it wanted. But in Chennai Super Kings’ first home game in four years, they fear that they might not get to see their bat. When Moeen Ali belts Avesh Khan for a triptych of fours next over and when Ben Stokes smokes the fast bowler over mid-off for another four, the crowd becomes even more restless.Super Kings are 203 for 5 after the 19th over. Mark Wood has Ravindra Jadeja skying a pull and even before Bishnoi settles under it, the roof is blown off Chepauk. The DJ plays from Kamal Haasan’s recent blockbuster movie . Over the past four years, Chennai has had to live with only memories of Dhoni. Now, it finally gets to see Dhoni in the flesh.Related

  • Dhoni: No-balls and wides are hurting CSK 'really bad'

  • Gaikwad, Conway and Moeen give CSK a happy homecoming

And Dhoni gives the Chepauk fans what they want. Wood, England’s speed demon, hits 149kph and hides the ball away from Dhoni’s reach. It finishes a set of stumps outside off, but Dhoni still reaches out and scythes his first ball flat and hard over point for six. He will turn 42 this July, but his hand-eye coordination and his power is incredible. Chepauk goes wild. Wood goes wide of the crease next ball and bangs a bouncer into Dhoni’s arm pit. He swiftly swivels on the back foot and hooks one of the fastest bowlers in the world into the top tier over square leg for a bigger six. Chepauk loses it once again.Shaik Rasheed, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who have all never seen Dhoni do this at Chepauk before, are up on their feet, clapping in almost disbelief. But for the Chepauk faithful, this was old magic, even though Dhoni holed out next ball.

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The entire evening was about Super Kings recreating the old magic on their grand homecoming.It had all started with Gaikwad and Conway providing a throwback to M Vijay-Michael Hussey during their 110-run opening partnership. Much like Vijay back in the day, Gaikwad lined up the offspinner (K Gowtham in this case) and pumped him for three sixes in one over. After the powerplay, Conway took Hussey-esque trips down the pitch and took calculated risks against both spin and pace.Of course, there was a spin choke later in the evening, but it was a slightly unfamiliar one in a high-scoring fixture. The pitch on Monday wasn’t a turner, but Moeen and Mitchell Santner extracted enough turn and denied the Lucknow Super Giants batters easy access to the shorter boundary on one side. After being on 79 for 0 inside the powerplay, Super Giants fell to 130 for 5, thanks to Moeen and Santner.The crowd knows that Super Kings’ spinners have got this. But the presence of Nicholas Pooran at No. 6 for Super Giants prompts Dhoni to hold Jadeja back. However, with Deepak Chahar and Stokes leaking runs, Dhoni brings Jadeja into the attack for the 15th over. Pooran immediately smashes the left-arm fingerspinner out of the attack with two imposing sixes.Pooran’s hits hush the Chepauk crowd, but they soon find their voice once again when Tushar Deshpande has Pooran holing out in the 16th over and follows it up with a boundary-less 18th over.Super Giants need 37 of 12 balls. Super Kings are still waiting for the arrival of their death bowlers Sisanda Magala and Maheesh Theekshana after finishing their national duties. Hangargekar had conceded 6, 4, 4 to Pooran in his first over, but Dhoni backs an unheralded Indian seamer to do the job for him under pressure. The likes of Mohit Sharma and Sudeep Tyagi used to do the dirty job for him back in the day.3:13

Moody praises Moeen, Santner on their smart use of Chepauk dimensions

Having stacked the off-side field with his best fielders – Jadeja, Gaikwad, Santner and Stokes – Dhoni asks Hangargekar to bowl wide yorkers and pitch the ball away from the hitting arcs of both Badoni and Gowtham. Hangargekar, who is playing only his second game for Super Kings, marginally misses his line and gives up two wides in the over. But he doesn’t veer away from his plan and concedes just nine runs overall in the penultimate over to all but kill off Super Giants’ chase.The endgame at Chepauk has to feature Dhoni. He ticks that box as well by tracking down a skier from Badoni despite being wrong-footed initially.”[It] does mean a lot to be back here,” Dhoni said at the toss amid deafening cheers. “IPL started in 2008 but we’ve not played a lot of cricket here. Only about five-six seasons we’ve been here. This is the first time the full stadium will be operational, a few stands were empty earlier. Really glad that we get to play all our home games here at Chepauk, means a lot.”It certainly meant a lot to the Super Kings fans too.As the clock ticks past 12am, Dhoni has a reunion with former Super Kings Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa, who are on commentary for this IPL, capping a memorable return to Chepauk.

PSL postponement: Operational fiasco casts doubt on organisers' positions

PCB’s over-reliance on testing and mistakes in key moments under scrutiny

Osman Samiuddin06-Mar-2021The PCB is scrambling to find a window to reschedule the curtailed sixth season of the PSL, with June in Karachi as one option. June is not usually part of Pakistan’s home season (though they did host the 2008 Asia Cup then) and windows in May and September have been talked about, but in a busy year for international cricket, space is at a premium.The board is keen to host it in Karachi, and though the UAE has been mentioned as a potential host, the fear is that if they do go that way, it would squander all the groundwork done in convincing international teams to play in Pakistan.Whenever and wherever the season is completed, the planning and implementation of a biosecure bubble will almost definitely be outsourced to a specialist firm. That will be a tacit acknowledgment by the board of the failures of this season – the board’s head doctor and the man in charge of those protocols Dr Sohail Saleem has on Saturday offered to resign – which was called off on Thursday after a spate of Covid-19 positive tests among players and staff.The outsourcing will be a key factor as they try to move ahead, even as the dust is far from settled on the events of the last week, the impact of which one senior Pakistan international has privately compared to the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan team in 2009.Related

Covid-19: Franchises ask PCB to move remainder of PSL 2021 from Karachi to UAE

ICC biosafety head: 'We don't want to cancel tournaments, we just want to have them safely'

PCB accepts Dr Sohail Saleem's resignation, looks to revamp medical department

PSL 2021 to resume in June

Non-playing PSL franchise member left bubble despite testing Covid-19 positive

Whether it becomes as seismic as that remains to be seen, but there is clear concern within the board that it could hit both the PSL and potential touring sides later in the year.Franchises and boards, meanwhile, are still sifting through the wreckage, the former beginning to detail their experiences inside the bubble and its loopholes.Though not alone, scrutiny will be on two-time winners Islamabad United, where in Fawad Ahmed, the first positive test after the tournament began was recorded. Three other players from the franchise have tested positive since. The franchise – and the PCB – has already had to defend itself over protocols followed during a social media shoot.In communication that is expected to be sent to the PCB, the franchise reveals that despite complaining of feeling unwell after the evening game on Saturday, February 27, Ahmed wasn’t given a Covid test until the following evening, at 9pm, despite repeated requests. The franchise claims when Ahmed initially consulted the PCB doctor, informing him of a stomach pains, he was told it didn’t fit Covid symptoms. The doctor was unable to see him the next morning because of another unrelated medical incident.Though Ahmed was put into immediate isolation, it isn’t clear whether the rest of the squad, as close contacts, went into isolation – and if they did, for how long. There are conflicting reports on this, but both the PCB and Islamabad tweeted only that Ahmed had been put in isolation when they eventually made his result public and that other members had all since tested negative.The question of isolation becomes especially significant in light of a birthday party held for Azhar Mahmood, fast-bowling coach with the Multan Sultans, on the same evening as Ahmed complained of feeling unwell. Hasan Ali, Ahmed’s team-mate, attended that party (in the same hotel) as well as a number of other players from other franchises.

Ostensibly, that party didn’t breach protocols because it was only attended by people already within the bubble – as Islamabad reiterated in the same thread. And it is also unknown whether Ali was aware at the time that Ahmed was unwell, or that he had been put in isolation. But as a close contact of a player who did test positive, he was now in a room with a number of other players and officials – some of whom, like Babar Azam, would go on to play a game the next day.It is the response to this first positive case – and during the build-up to it when Ahmed was unwell – that are likely to bear most focus. In particular, questions will be asked as to why it took so long for Ahmed to be tested after his initial complaint; and why, once it was confirmed he was positive and on the basis of Ali’s appearance at the party, the attendees of that party were not asked to isolate or take any kind of precautions.The responsibility of who was supposed to have conducted that kind of track and trace has slipped through the cracks between league management and franchise management: both have suggested to ESPNcricinfo the other should have been responsible but it is clear that there was no communication to those at the party.Fawad Ahmed’s positive test left the league at a critical juncture•Getty ImagesIn retrospect, the decision on Monday (the day Ahmed’s positive test was made public) to simply reschedule Islamabad’s match for the following day, rather than locking down the league for a few days there and then, seems a fatal moment.In fact, in one franchise’s breakdown of that day, communicated to the PCB, they describe a state of panic among players as the match was initially delayed and then postponed. Some international players, in that account, called for the league to be shut down for three days.The PCB’s rationale for going ahead was that all players involved in the game had cleared at least two tests since Ahmed’s positive test – one rapid test and then a PCR test for all franchises. Given what is widely known about the incubation period of the virus this seems misplaced – and to some extent borne out by the fact of Ali emerging as one of the positive tests the day the league was called off. He had been at the party only a few nights previous and had even played a game in that time.Testing, in fact, appears to have been the central – and at times, it has felt, only – plank in the PCB’s coping with the effects of the pandemic on cricket. That was evident in the Peshawar Zalmi incident at the start of this PSL when, on the basis of two negative tests in 48 hours, Wahab Riaz and Daren Sammy were allowed to reintegrate into the squad despite breaches of protocol.Towards the end of last year, the board highlighted that it had conducted nearly 3000 tests across the domestic season. But the fragility of measures alongside it – such as biosecure bubbles and protocols – was evident in, for example, the number of players turning up with positive results in New Zealand; more relevantly, it was evident in the number of cases that emerged from the playoffs of the PSL’s fifth season, played last November.Franchises are expected to highlight a number of complaints about what went on in the Karachi hotel bubble over the next few days: from quarantine periods being considered too short at three days, to daily glitches like elevators not being secured for those inside the bubble alone, to questions about the cutlery being used to serve those in the bubble, or whether the hotel’s kitchen and service staff were all part of the bubble and even to how the exit of players was handled. Once again, the PCB has relied on tests cleared to let people leave the hotel and travel back, overlooking the fact that the virus can incubate for several days before it shows up in a test, or through symptoms.What is emerging is a picture of an operational fiasco above all, where the SOPs (standard operating procedures) and protocols in place were not sufficiently secure and where the implementation of them was worse. Pressure will build for heads to roll – Dr Sohail Saleem looks set to be the first, but is unlikely to be the last.

ألونسو: لن أرد على جوارديولا.. وهذا ما أعجبني في رودريجو

تحدث تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن خسارة فريقه أمام مانشستر سيتي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخسر ريال مدريد أمام مانشستر سيتي بثنائية مقابل هدف في المباراة التي جمعتهما أمس، الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقال ألونسو، في تصريحات عبر صحيفة “آس”: “لا أحد منا يلوم نفسه، لقد حاولنا حتى النهاية، بدأنا بشكل جيد وتقدمنا ​​في النتيجة لكن في بعض الأحيان تكون الانتكاسة مؤلمة أكثر وهذا ما حدث”.

وأكمل: “في غضون عشر دقائق، من ركلة ركنية وركلة جزاء، تقدموا في النتيجة، في وقت كانت فيه المباراة قوية وتنافسية لكننا استقبلنا هدفًا، لم نسيطر على تلك المواقف جيدًا ثم حاول الفريق مرة أخرى، سواء كان ذلك جيدًا أم سيئًا، فقد حاولنا حتى النهاية وأتيحت لنا فرص لكننا افتقرنا إلى اللمسة الأخيرة لتسجيل هدف، ليس لدي ما ألوم أي شخص عليه”.

وأضاف: “عندما تكون في موقف حرج ليس فقط من حيث أدائنا بل أيضًا بالنظر إلى المباراة السابقة والإصابات التي نعاني منها حاليًا، تشعر بأنك أقل تماسكًا وهذا ما سمح لهم بالعودة بسرعة كبيرة”.

وتابع: “في مثل هذه المباريات، عليك ألا تستقبل الكثير من الأهداف وقد فعلنا لكن ذلك لم يكن كافيًا لهم، قلبوا النتيجة لصالحهم، كانت لا تزال لديك فرصًا للتسجيل، بعضها في الشوط الثاني لكننا لم نستغلها”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فرص ريال مدريد في التأهل لدور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الهزيمة أمام مانشستر سيتي

وأتبع: “صافرات استهجان جماهير برنابيو؟ مررنا بلحظات كثيرة، بعضها كان تشجيعًا ودعمًا حتى النهاية، لقد بذلنا قصارى جهدنا ومن الواضح أننا غير راضين عن أدائنا الحالي لكن ليس لدي أي لوم على اللاعبين، ولا ألوم الجماهير أبدًا فهم شاهدوا الكثير ويعرفون الكثير عن هذا الأمر”.

وحول الجدل التحكيمي، استطرد: ” في الهدف الأول، منعوا كورتوا قليلًا، حسنًا هذه لقطات أفسرها بشكل مختلف من وجهة نظري، الحكم رآها كذلك، وكان قراره حاسمًا، لا أعرف لم أتمكن من مشاهدتها مرة أخرى”.

وعن عناق رودريجو له بعد تسجيل الهدف: “أنا سعيد جدًا لأجله لأنه كان يمر بفترة صعبة ولم يكن يلعب كثيرًا واليوم كان رودريجو رائعًا، لعب بشكل ممتاز، وكان له تأثير كبير على مجريات المباراة وسجل ذلك الهدف وهو أمر في غاية الأهمية بالنسبة له، من أفضل الأشياء التي حدثت اليوم أننا رأيناه يلعب وظهر جيدًا للغاية ثم هناك دعم الجماهير والفريق، كل هذا موجود ومعًا سنقلب الأمور رأسًا على عقب، أنا ممتن لذلك”.

واسترسل: “أكثر ما أعجبني هو أداء رودريجو، رؤيته بتلك الجودة الفردية وتلك القدرة على المراوغة، بالإضافة إلى الهدف، كان أمرًا إيجابيًا للغاية”.

وعن حالة مبابي: “من المبكر جدًا معرفة ما إذا كان سيكون متاحًا لمباراة الأحد، من الواضح أنه لم يتمكن من اللعب اليوم، افتقدناه اليوم كثيرًا رغم أننا أتيحت لنا فرص كافية لتسجيل هدف ثاني لكنها لم تدخل المرمى”.

وبسؤاله حول تواصل فلورنتينو بيريز، رئيس ريال مدريد معه أجاب ألونسو: “لا لم نلتقي”.

حول ما قاله بيب جوارديولا عنه في المؤتمر الصحفي قبل المباراة، أوضح: “نحن نعرف بعضنا البعض جيدًا وهو يعلم جيدًا ما كان يقوله ولا داعي للتعليق على تصريحاته”.

وأتم: “قلق حول مستقبلي؟ أركز على المباراة القادمة، الأهم هنا هو ريال مدريد، الأمر يتعلق بالفريق واللاعبين وكيف يمكنني مساعدتهم، الأمر لا يتعلق بي أبدًا”.

Nick Browne named as Essex women's batting coach in club overhaul

Former opening bat takes first step into coaching following retirement this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2025

Nick Browne retired from first-class cricket after Essex’s 2025 campaign•Getty Images

Nick Browne, Essex’s former opening batter, has taken his first step into a post-playing career by joining the club’s women’s set-up as assistant coach and batting lead.Browne, 34, announced his retirement at the end of the 2025 County Championship season, having amassed nearly 10,000 runs across all formats, including 22 centuries and a best of 255 against Derbyshire in 2016.His appointment follows that of Stephen Parry, the former left-arm spinner, who was last week announced as Essex Women’s new head coach, following the departure of Andy Tennant earlier this year. Cath Dalton, the club’s former academy coach, has also been named as seam-bowling lead to complete the squad’s overhaul, after a disappointing maiden season as a Tier 1 women’s team last year.Browne said: “I am really enthusiastic at this new challenge and chapter. I spent some time with Essex Women during the summer and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so to be offered the role full-time is really exciting.”Following my retirement at the end of the season, I was determined to get into coaching and share some of the knowledge I have gained over the years.”To be given this role by the club is extremely fortunate and I want to thank everyone involved in trusting me as I embark on the next stage of my career.”The group we have here is very talented and I hope that I can help deliver success for the Essex Women in the short and long term.”Chris Silverwood, Essex’s director of cricket, said: “Nick was the perfect fit to take on the role as Essex Women’s assistant coach and batting lead and we are really happy that he has agreed terms to his new role at the club.”Throughout his playing career Nick displayed a tremendous amount of professionalism and dedication to his game and Essex Cricket. His professionalism, calm leadership, and deep understanding of the game makes him a more than ideal mentor for our Women’s team.”Nick will offer the ability to develop players both technically and mentally and I have every confidence that his influence, alongside Stephen Parry, will elevate our group of Essex Women cricketers and inspire them to reach new heights.”

حلمي طولان: تذاكر مباريات منتخب مصر نفدت.. ونراهن على دعم الجماهير في كأس العرب

تحدث حلمي طولان المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني المشارك في بطولة كأس العرب، عن آخر استعدادات الفراعنة لانطلاق بطولة كأس العرب في قطر. 

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق منافسات بطولة كأس العرب يوم 1 ديسمبر في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة. 

وأسفرت قرعة بطولة كأس العرب عن تواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة مع الأردن والإمارات والكويت.

طالع.. مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر في كأس العرب 2025

وقال حلمي طولان في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “كأس العرب بطولة قوية، يكفي أن منتخبات آسيا جميعها ستشارك بالقوام الأساسي، وشمال إفريقيا تستعد وأقل منتخب مكون من أربعة سنوات مثل المغرب والجزائر نفس الشيء، وتونس تلعب بالفريق الأساسي”.

وأضاف: “تذاكر مباريات منتخب مصر نفذت بالكامل ونسبة الحضور عالية هي ومنتخب قطر، أعتقد الجماهير سيكون لها دور كبير جدًا مع منتخب مصر”.

وتابع: “أتينا من أجل خدمة منتخب مصر لمهمة محددة ونرحل، والفضل لهاني أبو ريدة، يقف مع المنتخب بشكل قوي، وأشكره بشدة”.

'It was forbidden for him to leave' – Mikel Arteta admits he forced Leandro Trossard to turn down summer transfer after Belgian kickstarted Tottenham thrashing

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted after his team's north London derby win over Tottenham that he prevented Leandro Trossard from leaving the club in the summer transfer window. Trossard was linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners invested heavily in their squad, but Arteta did not want him to depart. The Belgium international has been in good form so far in the 2025-26 season and shone again in the win over Spurs.

  • Eze and Trossard down Spurs

    Trossard opened the scoring for Arsenal against Tottenham in the 36th minute on Sunday at the Emirates before Eberechi Eze bagged a hat-trick to complete a 4-1 win. The victory moves Arsenal six points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table as Arteta's men aim to end their long wait for the title. Eze was one of a host of big-name signings at Arsenal this summer, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke also arriving, leading to speculation Trossard could move on. Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce and Besiktas were just some of the clubs believed to be interested in Trossard, however, the 30-year-old ended up staying and has even been rewarded with a pay increase and a new contract that runs until 2027.

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    Arteta refused to let Trossard go

    The Arsenal manager spoke about the situation after the game at the Emirates and admitted there was "no chance" he would have sanctioned an exit for Trossard. He told reporters: "For me it was forbidden for him to leave. No chance. I know the player that he is, and surrounded with the players that we have, he's a player that is going to make a difference for us. I fully agree. It was one of the best games, so aggressive with and without the ball, so effective, he could have scored another one or two goals, and he was involved in so many positive actions. So that's what we need. As I said, I think individually the players were excellent today."

  • Trossard enjoys 'perfect night' against Spurs

    Trossard could not hide his delight after victory over Spurs and admitted it was a perfect day for the Gunners. He told the club's media: "I enjoyed that a lot! I think it was important to get that goal. After that it gave us the edge to go on and score more goals, to create chances. I think we were dominant before, but obviously that gives you that extra bit of confidence to go and win the game. It was a perfect night for us. It was a really good game overall in every aspect, from defence to attack. We're really happy with all the goals we scored as well.

    "It was just joy. Everyone was cheering, there's not much to say about it. That's what we really wanted and it's nice that we could give this back to the fans. The atmosphere was amazing, it was so good, they pushed us forward as well. So yeah, it's a really good night today.”

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  • Arsenal unbeaten when Trossard scores

    Trossard's goal continued an incredible record for the Belgian for Arsenal. The 30-year-old has now scored 32 goals for Arsenal and has never been on the losing side when he has found the back of the net for the Gunners. Arsenal have won 24 and drawn eight of the games in which Trossard has struck since his arrival at the club from Brighton in 2023.

Max Fried’s Decade-Old Tweet About Derek Jeter Resurfaces After Yankees Deal

The New York Yankees didn’t waste time after being snubbed by a certain superstar outfielder and got a big offseason pickup of their own on Tuesday, signing former Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried to a massive deal.

Fried agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract, the largest guarantee for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history.

Yankees fans were understandably elated about the signing this week. Many of them started digging into Fried’s past and unearthed a 2014 tweet in which the then-Braves lefty paid his respects to Yankees legend Derek Jeter after Jeter decided to hang up his cleats.

“When it's meant to be. It's meant to be #RE2PECT,” Fried wrote on X.

Fans had a feeling Fried was going to be a great fit for the team:

Fried, 30, is a two-time All-Star who recorded a 3.25 ERA in Atlanta this past season and owns a 3.07 ERA across his eight-year MLB career. He’ll slide in nicely behind ace Gerrit Cole in the Yankees’ starting rotation and potentially help the defending AL champions make another deep postseason push. 

Reignite Chloe Kelly's form, create chances for Alessia Russo & six changes Arsenal must make to get out of their slump and make Women's Super League title push

After winning an unprecedented Champions League title back in May, expectations were high for this Arsenal side coming into the 2025-26 season. Could the Gunners use their European success as a springboard and really challenge for the Women's Super League title this time around? Could they finally end Chelsea's incredible dominance which has now seen them claim each of the last six league crowns, as well as 13 of the last 18 domestic honours?

So far, the answers to those questions appear to be unchanged and, as such, negative. Before the international break, Arsenal endured a four-game winless run for the first time since January 2022, and although they were able to stop the rot with wins over Brighton and Benfica before players headed off on national-team duty, neither performance was particularly convincing. As they prepare to resume WSL action this weekend, the Gunners are five points behind leaders Chelsea, having won just three of their first six games, and sit fifth in standings, behind north London rivals Tottenham.

It was only five months ago that this Arsenal team, under new head coach Renee Slegers, stunned Barcelona in the Champions League final having enjoyed an historic comeback victory over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals before battering eight-time European champions Lyon in their own backyard in the semis. So why have they been unable to build on that at the start of this season and what can they do to reignite what has so far been a sluggish and disappointing campaign? 

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    Be temporarily pragmatic

    One of the most notable struggles Arsenal have had in the early stages of this season has come in the form of high-profile mistakes when playing out from the back. That's been a particular issue amid the absence of Leah Williamson, whose quality in possession is a big reason why the Gunners are usually so good in building out from the defence, and whose spell on the sidelines has certainly had a negative impact on that facet of the team's game thus far this season.

    Encouragingly, Slegers took steps to address these errors, explaining after the win over Brighton: "We’ve been working on the build-up and, when the ball is in our own half, how we can have more forward intent so we don’t have to go backwards and teams can just go high and player for player and everyone is under pressure."

    It has had an immediately positive impact, not just because Arsenal have won their last two games but because they've kept two clean sheets in them, at least in part due to the fact that they've not been putting themselves in precarious situations in possession.

    A few days later, Slegers explained that she saw this as a "medium- or long-term" measure. "We want to find ways to beat that press but also not to invite the press and that is what we have been working on," she added.

    It's vital that, despite turning things around a little in recent weeks, Slegers sticks with this for the time being and doesn't allow those errors to creep back into Arsenal's game, especially while Williamson remains sidelined. If those issues return, it would be seriously problematic. 

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    Show more positivity and urgency in the final third

    Arsenal have been underwhelming in attack too, particularly with the lack of urgency shown in the opposition's half. Take the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, for example, where the Gunners were 1-0 up until a late, late equaliser from their visitors punished them for not finishing the game off.

    "I just don’t think we have the intensity and urgency in and around the box to kill the game, because we get an early goal," Slegers noted after that result. "But as long as it’s 1-0, the opposition always feels like they’re still in the game. You only need one moment and that’s what happened today."

    That felt like the case in the 1-0 win over Brighton, too, despite Arsenal's lead coming about as a result of a rather lucky own goal. Fortunately, the Seagulls were unable to make them pay for that lack of chance creation as the Gunners ended their winless run.

    But Slegers' side should absolutely not be resting on their laurels in these games. If they want to really turn that form around and reel off the results that are needed to get them back into the WSL title race, while proving that they can put up a sturdy European title defence, they have to show more urgency and positivity in the final third and a greater will to get shots off when the space opens up, rather than passing up the opportunity to get a strike on goal, regardless of the scoreline.

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    Create chances for Russo

    It's especially important for Arsenal to look more dangerous in the final third because Alessia Russo, who had her best goal-scoring season to date last term, has been starved of service. In the WSL, the England international ranks 16th for shots and 31st for shots on target, per 90 minutes, with her able to score just one goal from open play, and one penalty, in the competition as a result. That simply has to improve if the Gunners are to return to their best.

    It's not really on Russo, either. To watch Arsenal is to watch some great build-up and some especially electric wide play, only for the final ball to disappoint. So often, the crosses from the wings are particularly poor, which has been frustrating given how great a lot of the work before that is. Russo's movement, positioning and awareness in the box has come on leaps and bounds, and her team-mates need to improve balls into the area for her to allow her to continue to showcase that and make Arsenal a more efficient and effective team going forward.

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    Reignite Kelly's form

    Factoring into the need for that service for Russo to improve is the form of Chloe Kelly, which Arsenal need to reignite to make themselves a more dangerous attacking prospect. The England star was outstanding after signing for the Gunners on loan back in January, providing a series of game-changing moments and performances during her four months back in north London, so much so that the club opted to make the move permanent in the summer.

    Despite continuing that theme of being an elite difference-maker at the European Championship, where her heroics were key to England's second successive continental triumph, Kelly has struggled for form at the start of this new season. That is clearly down to fitness to some degree, with some heavy strapping on her knee visible earlier this month. If the Gunners can nurse her back to full health, though, she could provide a real boost to a team that has lacked attacking spark on more than one occasion, with her quick-thinking assist for Russo in the win over Benfica just before the international break a great reminder of as much.

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