Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed another injury doubt ahead of their looming derby clash at home to Tottenham, following the now-confirmed news that star defender Gabriel Magalhaes is set for weeks on the sidelines.

The Gunners welcome Spurs to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday brimming with confidence, as Arteta’s side look to extend their remarkable recent dominance over their fiercest rivals and strengthen their grip atop the Premier League summit.

Arsenal enter the 198th North London derby in commanding form despite a late setback at Sunderland ending their 10-match winning streak. They sit four points clear at the top of the table, and history suggests they’re well-positioned to maintain that advantage.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal have won five of their last six Premier League encounters with Spurs, including three consecutive victories – their longest winning run against Tottenham since the late 80s (The Analyst).

Home advantage has proven decisive in this fixture. Indeed, Arsenal have lost just one of their last 32 home Premier League derbies against Tottenham, winning 19 and drawing 12, with that solitary defeat coming in November 2010 (The Analyst).

The Emirates has become a fortress against their arch rivals, with Arsenal having scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Spurs, netting at least twice in the previous eight meetings.

However, Arsenal have had numerous injury doubts to contend with, as they have for most of this season.

Gabriel is now reportedly set for at least a month on the sidelines after injuring his thigh on international duty with Brazil, with Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus have all been missing recently.

Riccardo Calafiori could miss Tottenham as Arsenal dealt another injury doubt

As well as this, star left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far according to Ray Parlour, was nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy.

After checks this week, Fabrizio Romano stated that Calafiori is ready to play with no injuries, just ‘overload’, so Arteta’s latest update actually comes as quite a surprising twist.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, via football.london, Arteta says that Calafiori has been unavailable, and they’ll have to wait and see if he can take part against Spurs, pending another Saturday training session.

With Gabriel already ruled out, losing Calafiori would strip Arsenal of their two most versatile defensive options in one fell swoop.

If the former Bologna star is ruled out, Myles Lewis-Skelly is poised to return at left-back, with one of Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie replacing Gabriel. Calafiori’s been in exceptional form this term, so much so that Lewis-Skelly, one of Hale End’s latest rising stars, has barely got a look-in despite his excellent end to 24/25.

The 23-year-old would be a sore miss for Arteta, who is now facing a real selection headache ahead of one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the year.

Ahead of the Ashes, Australia offspinner says Shoaib Bashir, England’s current No. 1 spinner, “has been okay”

Alex Malcolm31-Jul-2025Australia’s greatest ever offspinner Nathan Lyon believes that left-arm spinner Jack Leach is still England’s best spinner, and says offspinner Shoaib Bashir, England’s currently injured No.1 spinner and likely Ashes tourist for 2025-26, “has been okay”.Speaking at a Cricket Australia sponsorship announcement in Sydney on Thursday, Lyon said former England seamer James Anderson had revealed to him that Bashir had been selected to try and replicate what Lyon does in Australia. But Lyon believes Leach is still the best spinner England has.”I obviously played with Jimmy Anderson last year at Lancashire, and they basically said that they’re picking Bashir to do what I do,” Lyon said. “So I took a little bit of pride out of Jimmy respecting a little bit of what I’ve been able to do in my career. But Bashir has been okay.Related

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“Jacob Bethell is playing this Test match [at The Oval against India], and he looks like he’ll take up the spin bowling from Liam Dawson. But in my eyes, Jack Leach is still their best spinner.”Leach, 34, has not played for England since last year’s tour of Pakistan, where he had a modest series compared Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who spun Pakistan to victory in the final two Tests. Leach’s return of 16 wickets at an average of 31.43 and a strike rate of 50.75 in three Tests in that series were still well ahead of Bashir’s nine wickets at 49.55 and 79.44, respectively.England have since committed to Bashir as the No.1 spinner across their last three series – against New Zealand, Zimbabwe and India. When he suffered a series-ending finger injury in the Lord’s Test of the ongoing series against India, Liam Dawson returned as England’s sole spinner for the fourth Test in Manchester after eight years in the Test wilderness. Dawson has since been left out for the fifth and final Test at The Oval, with England picking four fast bowlers as well as Jacob Bethell as a part-time left-arm spin option in place of Dawson.Leach took 6 for 63 in his most recent outing, for Somerset against Durham at Taunton, in what turned out to be a two-day game on a pitch that was described as “appalling” by Ian Botham. Leach is currently the fourth-leading wicket-taker, and the leading spinner, in division one of the County Championship this season, with 39 wickets at 24.76, including two six-wicket hauls.Jack Leach played three Tests on the last Australia tour in 2021-22•Getty Images

Leach played three Tests in Australia on the 2021-22 Ashes tour, taking just six wickets at 53.50, and was left out of the final Test in Hobart. Instead, England picked four seamers in a pink-ball game where Lyon did not bowl a single delivery as Australia won inside three days.Bashir, meanwhile, was sent on the England Lions tour of Australia earlier this year to play three four-day games against Cricket Australia (CA) XI and Australia A, although none of them was played at Test venues.He returned match figures of 2 for 91 and 1 for 109 in the two fixtures against the CA XI in Brisbane. Against Australia A in the unofficial Test at Cricket Central in Sydney, which the Lions lost by an innings, Bashir got 1 for 74 in the only innings he bowled.Lyon himself was left out of Australia’s most recent Test match, against West Indies in Jamaica, as the selectors opted for four quicks in a pink-ball game that ended inside two-and-a-half days. But he believes spinners will have their share of role to play in the Ashes in Australia despite the pitches being very seam-friendly in recent years.”It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for people who haven’t done it in the past in these conditions,” Lyon said. “But I’m not going to let my secrets out so they come out and perform well out here. Our guys know how to play spin really well in this country. That’s probably what helped me produce my skill to where it is at the moment. I know I’ll keep trying getting better, and we’ll see how their spinners go.”

After going just 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5–2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, Shohei Ohtani's five-game home run streak came to an abrupt end. On Saturday evening, however, he wasted no time getting back on the wagon.

Sitting on a 1–1 count to lead off the contest against Garrett Crochet, Ohtani received a 97 mph fastball right down the middle from the Red Sox ace—and made him pay. The Dodgers star ripped the pitch to dead center field for his 38th home run of the season, giving Los Angeles a 1–0 lead.

Here's a look at the dinger:

Crochet seemingly knew it right from the get go, slowly turning around to watch the ball fly to dead center field.

Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernandez also took Crochet deep to give Los Angeles a 2–0 lead in the first, with Boston center fielder Jarren Duran answering in the second with a two-run triple off Clayton Kershaw.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign an “insane” new striker, having identified the need to have greater strength in depth in attacking areas.

Villa keen on new striker amid Watkins' struggles

Villa are very much back on track in the Premier League, having made it five wins in a row courtesy of the 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the weekend, but there are still a few problems for Unai Emery to deal with beneath the surface.

There has been plenty of discussion about the manager’s decision to omit Harvey Elliott from the squad entirely on Sunday, while Jeff Stelling was less than impressed with the decision to substitute Jadon Sancho in the second half, claiming “it was wrong.”

There will also be concerns about some of Ollie Watkins’ performances, with the striker scoring just one goal in nine Premier League games so far this season, and he was once again ineffectual against Pep Guardiola’s side.

The 29-year-old recorded an xG of just 0.13 prior to being replaced by Donyell Malen with just under five minutes left to play, finishing the match with a SofaScore match rating of 6.3, the joint-lowest of any Villa player.

Perhaps with that in mind, Aston Villa have now joined the race for a new striker, according to a report from Caught Offside, which credits them with an interest in Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, amid his uncertain future at Old Trafford.

It has been revealed that Zirkzee wants to leave Man United, having only played a limited role this season, and his current employers could choose to cash in for a fee of around €35m – €40m (£31m – £35m).

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A January exit is deemed likely, and there is no shortage of interest in the centre-forward’s signature, with a number of Serie A clubs set to battle it out, while Brighton & Hove Albion are also keen, and West Ham United have made initial contact.

"Insane" Zirkzee may need fresh start

Despite being lauded for his “insane” quality by scout Ben Mattinson, the 24-year-old has been unable to force his way into Ruben Amorim’s plans, having featured for just 82 minutes across four appearances in the Premier League this season.

However, it is always difficult to make an impact when predominantly featuring as a substitute, and there are signs the Dutchman could flourish if given more regular game time, having regularly chipped in with goals and assists for Bologna across the 2023-24 campaign.

Competition	Appearances	Goal contributions
Serie A	34	16
Italian Cup	3	3

That said, the former Bayern Munich man’s unhappiness stems from a lack of game time, so it would be a questionable decision for Villa to sign him, given that Watkins is likely to remain ahead of the United ace in the pecking order.

While the Englishman hasn’t been at his best this season, he is Premier League-proven, unlike Zirkzee, having scored 76 top-flight goals, which indicates it may only be a matter of time before he rediscovers his top form.

India will not host or visit Pakistan for bilateral contests, but their athletes and teams can take part in multi-nation events that also involve Pakistan, clearing the path for their upcoming fixtures in the men’s Asia Cup in September and the women’s ODI World Cup in October.Pakistan sportspersons can also participate in multilateral events hosted by India.The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports set down these guidelines in a statement, clarifying the Indian government’s position on sporting relations with Pakistan at a time of strained political relations between the two South Asian countries. The statement left one question unanswered: whether Indian athletes can take part in multilateral events hosted by Pakistan.Related

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The statement comes less than three weeks from the scheduled start of the Asia Cup in the UAE, where India and Pakistan, drawn in the same group, are set to meet at least once (on September 14 in Dubai), and potentially up to three times. It will be India’s first cricket match against Pakistan since the two countries exchanged cross-border hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.There have been calls, in this climate, for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan. During July’s World Championship of Legends, a tournament featuring retired players, both matches between the teams from the two countries had been abandoned, with the India Champions forfeiting their semi-final against the Pakistan Champions.With the Indian government making its stand clear, India now have official sanction to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup, which was originally to be hosted by India before being moved to the UAE in July.”In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry’s statement said.In a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, calls for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan have grown louder•Associated Press

“With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.”Accordingly, Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India.”To position India as a preferred destination for hosting international sporting events, the visa process for sportspersons, team officials, technical personnel, and office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies shall be simplified. In respect of office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies, a multi-entry visa shall be granted on priority basis for the duration of their official tenure, subject to a maximum period of five years. This shall facilitate their smooth movement into and within the country, in accordance with international norms. Due protocol and courtesies, as per established practice, shall be extended to the Heads of International Sports Governing Bodies during their visits to India.”The statement lays down in unambiguous terms what have been the Indian government’s unwritten guidelines for cricketing engagements with Pakistan for more than a decade. The two countries have not met in a bilateral series in any format since 2012, but they have faced off multiple times at the ODI and T20 World Cups, the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup.Pakistan have visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016 and the ODI World Cup in 2023, but India did not visit Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Their matches, including their semi-final and final, were played in Dubai. The BCCI and the PCB have agreed on this hybrid model for all remaining ICC events in the 2024-27 cycle.

Bayern Munich are optimistic about retaining their star defender Dayot Upamecano beyond 2026, president Herbert Hainer has said. Talks are already underway with the French centre-back as the German giants look to ward off interest from Real Madrid, who are considering a free transfer for the 27-year-old.

Bayern aim to resolve Upamecano's contractual situation

Upamecano could leave the German giants after five years with the club as his contract comes to an end next summer. The defender has been a key force in their back line, further establishing himself as one of the finest defenders in the Bundesliga following his €40 million (£35m/$46m) transfer from RB Leipzig. 

With Bayern pushing to tie him down to a new contract, negotiations have slowed over wage demands, with the Frenchman’s camp pushing for a salary package closer to €15m (£13m/$17m) per year and a significant signing bonus. With other teams interested, the German club may have to bow to his demands or risk seeing him follow David Alaba's example by leaving for one of their European rivals.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHainer optimistic of Upamecano's renewal

Hainer believes the French defender is comfortable at Bayern. The Bavarians are in lightning form under Vincent Kompany this season, and Upamecano's stature in their defence has been of good help to the Belgian's strategy so far. The 71-year-old president commented in an interview with "We are in the process of speaking with Upamecano. I believe he feels comfortable in Munich. It's obviously an important decision for him as well. In principle, he likes it very much at Bayern. We would like to keep him. I am cautiously optimistic."

Real Madrid interested in defender

Since Xabi Alonso's tactical takeover from Carlo Ancelotti this summer, Real Madrid have made it a priority to sign defensive reinforcements. In the summer, they acquired the services of young Spanish defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. However, another addition seems mandatory with Antonio Rudiger possibly leaving at the end of the current campaign. Their focus appears to have shifted to Germany for Upamecano with talks reportedly already in progress. The Bavarians' sporting director, Christoph Freund, has already declared that retaining the French international is their prime objective. For him, it is no surprise that clubs like Madrid or even Liverpool from the Premier League are interested in Upamecano. 

"It's no secret that our main goal is to extend Upamecano's contract," he said. "It's also not surprising that many clubs, I don't know which ones, are interested in Upamecano because he's simply performing really, really well, is a great guy, and one of the best centre-backs in the world." 

The 27-year-old is at the peak of his career and club legend, and former CEO Oliver Kahn believes it could be 'very expensive' to perform such an extension. 

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Getty Images SportBayern's recent mind-boggling form

Bayern enjoyed a record-breaking start to the 2025-26 campaign, managing to win all of their first 16 competitive matches before that run was halted by Union Berlin in their latest Bundesliga encounter. The game saw the Bavarians go down in the 27th minute before Luis Diaz scored the much-needed equaliser before the end of the half. In the 83rd minute, Doekhi completed his brace, only to see Harry Kane restore parity in the 90th minute to save Bayern's night and help them leave the pitch with a point. 

This draw comes as a setback to Kompany's side just before the international break. When they return to the pitch, they will have crucial fixtures in the form of Freiburg and St. Pauli in the Bundesliga. Between these two games, they'll need to travel to London to take on Premier League giants Arsenal in a much-awaited encounter in the Champions League. 

Bayern sit top of the European table, but Arsenal and Inter are level on points with them, while Pep Guardiola's Manchester City linger two behind.

Tottenham Hotspur have now received a response from West Ham United after approaching their London rivals over a January deal to sign Jarrod Bowen.

Tottenham have already raided West Ham for one forward in recent memory, signing Mohammed Kudus during the summer, with the 25-year-old joking he was always Spurs at heart during his medical.

The Ghanaian has gone on to make an impressive start to the Premier League season, amassing six goal contributions in ten outings, finding the back of the net for the first time in the 2-1 victory against Leeds United last month.

However, some of Thomas Frank’s other forwards haven’t been quite as potent in front of goal, with his side failing to score in three out of their last four matches in all competitions, most recently looking devoid of ideas in the 1-0 home defeat against Chelsea.

Frank said: “I’ve never been in charge of a team that created that little in one game, never. So that, of course, I will look into what we can do to make it better.”

One way in which the Dane could help turn things around is by signing a new forward in the January transfer window, and the Lilywhites have now made contact to sign a Premier League star…

Tottenham receive response after making approach to sign Jarrod Bowen

According to a report from The Boot Room, Tottenham are looking to sign a new wide forward in the January transfer window, and they have informed intermediaries they want to sign Bowen from West Ham.

Spurs have asked about signing the England international a number of times, but their London rivals have made it clear they will not consider sanctioning a departure this winter.

Journalist Graeme Bailey adds: “Tottenham love Bowen, but they are not alone and whilst I don’t see him going in the New Year, come the summer – it’s going to be hard to see West Ham keeping hold of him.”

West Ham have found it very difficult to get going this season, currently sitting in the Premier League relegation zone, but the English forward has continued to be a shining light, chipping in with three goals and an assist.

Josh Bunting was also left enamoured by the 28-year-old’s performance in a 2-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.

Having proven himself over a number of years in the Premier League, picking up 59 goals and 44 assists in 210 games, it is no surprise that Tottenham want to sign Bowen, and it is disappointing he won’t be available this winter, given their current options’ struggles in front of goal.

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It’s been a long time since the mood around Arsenal has been this positive.

Mikel Arteta’s side are through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup, flying high in the Champions League and currently top of the Premier League.

Moreover, even with the injustices they’ve had to contend with, the Gunners have looked far and away the most assured and confident team in the country.

However, the North Londoners cannot rest on their laurels and have the chance to put more pressure on their rivals with a game against Burnley this afternoon. To ensure his side gets all three points, Arteta must drop one of those who starred on Wednesday night.

The changes Arteta should make for Burnley

Starting at the sharp end of the pitch, and for as well as they did against the Seagulls, Arteta should obviously take Andre Harriman-Annous and Max Dowman out of the team for Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka.

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The latter is simply the side’s talisman, and the former, while he hasn’t scored enough in the league, does stretch opposition defences and create space for his teammates.

On the left, with Gabriel Martinelli confirmed to be out of contention, it would make sense to bring Leandro Trossard back into the team and move Eberechi Eze back into the midfield.

The former Crystal Palace star scored last time out in the league, and while Ethan Nwaneri looked good on Wednesday, Arteta will want more of a controller in the middle of the park in Martin Odegaard’s absence.

Coming into the midfield alongside the 27-year-old has to be Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi, as the former’s deadball wizardry should come in handy against a Clarets side that will likely sit deep, and the latter could help kickstart attacks from deep.

Finally, while they performed well in the week, Arteta should consider replacing most of his defensive unit for this game.

While David Raya, Jurrien Timber, and Gabriel Magehele pick themselves, the manager will have a decision to make for his second centre-back, as William Saliba remains a doubt for the game.

Fortunately, Cristhian Mosquera has been incredible this year, and therefore should start a second game in succession, as risking the Frenchman at this point would be foolish.

Last but not least, Arteta has a decision to make at left-back.

Arteta must start Arsenal's player of the season

It might sound harsh considering his sensational performance against Brighton, in which he provided an assist, but Arteta should drop Myles Lewis-Skelly, who club insider Hand of Arsenal has dubbed a “future captain,” for Riccardo Calafiori.

There are a few reasons why he should make this decision, but the primary one is the simple fact that the Italian has, in the words of Ray Parlour, one of Arsenal’s “players of the season.”

After a disappointing campaign last year, in which he was blighted by injury, the Italian international has come back like a man possessed so far this year and become a key part of the team in defence and attack.

For example, he has played in every league game so far, helping the team concede just three goals.

Additionally, he scored the only goal in the match against Manchester United and provided two assists against Leeds United for good measure.

Moreover, even though Arteta has a reputation for being a somewhat conservative coach, he allows the former Bologna star to maraud all over the pitch, so much so that the Telegraph’s Sam Dean described him as a “wild horse” and journalist James Benge called him “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment.”

Such appraisals of the 23-year-old are proven accurate by simply watching him play, but they are also more than backed up by his underlying numbers.

Shots Total

2.20

Top 1%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.13

Top 1%

xG: Expected Goals

0.25

Top 4%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.25

Top 4%

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.26

Top 4%

GCA (Shot)

0.13

Top 4%

Goals + Assists

0.39

Top 7%

npxG + xAG

0.31

Top 7%

SCA (Shot)

0.39

Top 7%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.65

Top 7%

Touches (Att Pen)

3.50

Top 7%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.13

Top 10%

Assists

0.26

Top 13%

npxG/Shot

0.11

Top 16%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.39

Top 16%

Goals

0.13

Top 19%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.13

Top 19%

Passes Completed (Medium)

18.78

Top 19%

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of full-backs in the league for total shots, the top 4% for expected goals, the top 7% for goals plus assists, the top 10% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while dropping Lewis-Skelly might seem harsh, Arteta simply has to start Calafiori in the league, as he has been nothing short of sensational this season.

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تحدث آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول عن لقاء فريقه أمام آيندهوفن، في الجولة الخامسة بمرحلة الدوري لدوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز العاشر برصيد 9 نقاط في مرحلة الدوري بفارق 3 نقاط عن صاحب المركز الأول بايرن ميونخ.

ويحتل آيندهوفن المركز 24 برصيد 5 نقاط في مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا أيضاً.

وقد أعلن آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول تشكيل الفريق يتكون من: “مامارداشفيلي، سوبوسلاي، كوناتي، فان دايك، كيركيز، جرافنبيرخ، ماك أليستر، جونز، صلاح، إيكتيكي، جاكبو”.

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وقال سلوت في تصريحات نشرتها “Anfield Sector” عبر منصة “إكس” حول اللاعب الذي سيلعب في مركز الظهير الأيمن اليوم: “كورتيس جونز وليس سوبوسلاي”.

وأضاف سلوت حول ما فكر فيه هذا الأسبوع قبل لقاء أيندهوفن: “كان تركيزي يدور حول بعض اللحظات، استحوذنا على الكرة بنسبة 75%، وهذا يعني أنه لا داعي للدفاع كثيراً ولكن في بعض اللحظات التي اضطررنا للدفاع فيها، لم ندافع بنفس طريقة دفاع فورست الذي دافع 25 مرة في مناطقه”.

وواصل: “مهما كانت جودة أدائك ومهما طال وقت وصولك، إذا اندفع الفريق الآخر نحو الكرة وقام بالتصدي بكل تسديدة وعرضية فلن يكون الفوز مضموناً”.

وتابع: “قلت إنني لا أستطيع لومكم كثيراً من الناحية الكروية ولكن في المرات الأربع أو الخمس التي اضطررنا فيها للدفاع علينا بالتأكيد أن نتحسن”.

واختتم عن إيزاك الذي لا يشارك أساسياً اليوم: “لعب 30 دقيقة في الأسابيع الأربع الماضية، ثم لعب معنا 70 دقيقة، في مباراة لم تكن حماسية لأننا سيطرنا على الكرة كثيراً لكنني أعتقد أنني أدركت أنه لم يكن من السهل عليه إدارة نفسه خلال تلك الدقائق السبعين، لذا إذا كان لدينا تسعة لاعبين آخرين جيدين جداً فمن المنطقي إشراك اللاعب الآخر وهو هوجو إيكتيكي الليلة”.

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ECB Media07-Aug-2025

Zak Crawley struck a 29-ball half-century•PA Photos/Getty Images

Zak Crawley shone under the lights at Headingley to make an unbeaten 67 and lead Andrew Flintoff’s Northern Superchargers to an assured eight-wicket win over Welsh Fire.The England man hit five fours and four sixes across his enterprising 37-ball stay at the crease to see the Superchargers to a brace of home wins on their opening matchday of the Hundred, following the women’s team’s win earlier in the day.Crawley was accompanied by captain and fellow England star Harry Brook to hit the winning runs at the end, book-ending a game that started with Jonny Bairstow and Steve Smith putting on 62 for the opening wicket for Welsh Fire.The pair were booed on their way to the crease but they looked as if they’d get their own back on their crowd, before Smith was bowled by Matthew Potts and the Fire innings began to lose its heat.Fire fought their way to 143 for 9 from their 100 balls but Crawley, David Malan (41) and Brook (25*) made light work of the chase – knocking off the runs with 11 balls to spare.Brook signalled his arrival at the crease with a first-ball six over mid-off and his innings brought plenty of cheer to the Headingley crowd, who on this performance may have plenty to celebrate across the Hundred this season.Crawley said: “I loved it. The boys are great, and coming here with Freddie [Flintoff] – the guy’s a legend. It’s a great place to play your cricket and an awesome wicket to bat on, so I loved it.”It felt a really good wicket for us to bat on and the outfield was rapid so the game-plan for us was to play strong shots, and it came off. The boys kept them to a really good total with the ball, and we felt like we could chase that and it was a good performance.”I felt like me and Dawid complemented each other quite nicely, we hit in different areas, so that was good. And obviously the skipper came in and does what he does. He’s a proper player so that made it easy for me at the end.”The bowlers got us off to a great start. They’ve got a couple of top players at the top for them but we managed to take regular wickets, which is what we talked about before the game, and the boys did brilliantly to keep them to 140-odd and that was very chaseable.”