Guyana Amazon Warriors opened their account in Global Super League 2025 with a thumping 66-run win over Central Districts in Providence. The win took Warriors to the top of the points table, at least for the time being, while Central Districts are at the bottom with two defeats in two games.The star of the show for Warriors were their bowlers: Imran Tahir, Dwaine Pretorius and David Wiese. Tahir picked up 4 for 23, Pretorius 3 for 18 and Wiese 2 for 13, as Central Districts were bowled out for a mere 92 in 14.2 overs in their chase of 159.Earlier, Central Districts won the toss and opted to field. They removed Johnson Charles and Moeen Ali cheaply but Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jewel Andrew added 84 off 63 balls for the third wicket. Andrew was run out for 45 off 29 in the 15th over and Gurbaz fell for 58 off 47 in the next. The incoming batters could not step up and Warriors could manage only 28 in the last four overs.Central Districts, though, never got going in their chase. Pretorius removed Dane Cleaver in the very first over and by the end of the powerplay, the scoreboard read 23 for 4. There was no coming back from there.Tahir hurt them further with two wickets in the 13th over. Two overs later, Wiese wrapped up the innings with the wicket of opener Will Young, who top-scored with 26 off 29 balls.
The Kansas City Royals had been thinking about making the move for a while, so when general manager J.J. Picollo approached catcher Salvador Pèrez and asked him to consider playing more first base, the executive was ready with his argument:
Pérez scoffed. , he said.
, Picollo said.
That was all it took. Pérez, a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger at catcher, has spent a third of his time at first this season. (Even on those days, he does not entirely relinquish his role; he sits in meetings with backup Freddy Fermín and still makes mound visits from first base.) The result? At 34, Pérez has put together one of the best seasons of his career and helped key the Royals to a likely playoff berth, their first in a decade. The people around him are talking about enshrinement in Cooperstown. Pérez thinks about that honor—“I think any player [wants that],” he says—but right now, he is focused on one thing.
“What I want so bad is for these guys to make it to the playoffs, because I know when you make it to the playoffs, and you feel that energy, that crowd—next year they’re just gonna want that again,” he says. “ I didn’t know until 2014 how that feels. But after that …”
He smiles. He knows how it feels. And he wants to feel it again.
One of the biggest stunners of the most recent MLB offseason was longtime manager Craig Counsell ditching the Milwaukee Brewers and signing a new contract to be the skipper of the rival Chicago Cubs.
Counsell's contract with the Brewers had expired, but most expected him to join former Milwaukee president of baseball operations David Stearns with the New York Mets. Instead, Counsell—a Milwaukee lifer and the face of Brewers baseball for many years as a player and manager—opted to head 90 miles south to Wrigley Field.
The first year of the Counsell era in Chicago hasn't gone as planned. The Cubs entered Friday with a 78-75 record that has them in second place in the NL Central—but 10 games behind Milwaukee, which officially clinched its second straight division title on Wednesday.
"The message sent is there's a big gap. They're ahead of us by a lot," Counsell said Thursday of the Brewers. "It's a talented team. On and off the field, it's a talented team. But there's a big gap. We've got room to make up, there's no question about it."
Milwaukee entered the 2024 campaign as underdogs in the NL Central. The Wisconsin city is the smallest market in MLB and its team has the 21st-ranked payroll at just under $115 million. The Cubs, meanwhile, hold a $229 million payroll, which ranks seventh in baseball.
"Frankly, that makes it daunting," Counsell said. "They've been good, man. For the whole division, I say that about the other teams, too. They've created a gap the last two years in the division. We've got room to go, man."
Counsell became the highest-paid manager in baseball when he signed with Chicago for five years and $40 million back in November 2023. He has plenty of work to do still to live up to that big paycheck—the top of that list being dethroning his former employer and current division rival.
Many years later, English football will look back fondly at Ange Postecoglou. The Australian tactician ended Tottenham Hotspur’s agonising search for silverware, after all.
But Postecoglou’s tenure was anything but smooth sailing, and though Thomas Frank’s style of play has withdrawn some of the electric attacking play that ‘Ange-ball’ injected in north London, with the 7.4 xG (expected goals) total thus far showing plenty to be desired on that front.
Still, it’s hard to argue that the moves made in the transfer market weren’t positive. Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United for £55m is a fantastic piece of business, and he is proving his worth on the pitch.
Xavi Simons is probably the summer showpiece, even if he hasn’t quite clicked into gear yet. The Dutch playmaker is capable both centrally and out wide, with his right-footed preference lending itself to a place on the left flank when needed.
That left-hand side is an area Frank will hope to work on, having sold legendary skipper Heung-min Son to LAFC for £20m in August.
In spite of this, Spurs didn’t see fit to purchase Timo Werner on a permanent basis, with the German’s two-year loan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ending rather meekly.
Timo Werner's time at Spurs
Tottenham signed former Chelsea striker Werner on loan from RB Leipzig in January 2024, with Postecoglou in need of an extra dimension in attack. It was a divisive move, but one which proved shrewd enough, Werner scoring twice and laying on four assists across ten Premier League starts in 2023/24.
Tottenham forward Timo Werner.
Fleet-footed and slippery down the left channel, Werner did his job, creating 1.2 chances per game and earning praise from Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson for his “lightning-quick” pace.
The first phase of this Tottenham duology was a decent enough effort, but as with so many unnecessary sequels, Werner’s second season down N17 saw him flatter to deceive, anonymous throughout the second phase of the season after offering very little initially.
Timo Werner in action for Tottenham
Savvy operators, Spurs initially had an option to buy Werner for £15m at the end of the 2023/24 season, but instead engineered an extension of that loan stay. Under the new agreement, an £8.5m purchase option was inserted.
Was this a good move? In hindsight, Tottenham fans would say that it was not. Last December, the 29-year-old was hauled off at half-time against Rangers in the Europa League, and Ange said post-match that the forward’s performance “wasn’t acceptable”, with his body language and application leaving much to be desired.
Wrapping up his time in north London with a return of three goals and seven assists across 41 matches in all competitions, it’s hard to brand Werner as anything other than a failure, having contributed little during the early stage of the European campaign, when he did actually earn some minutes.
Even with three assists from only four Premier League starts in 2024/25 (18 league appearances all told), Werner’s underlying performances did little to suggest he was up to scratch, with Sofascore recording he won just 1.2 ground duels per game, missing two big chances and taking a paucity of shots.
There are fears, even with all the good that is being done under Frank’s guidance this season, that Tottenham have repeated an unwanted trick and signed their next version of the German flop.
Spurs' new version of Werner
On transfer deadline day, when Tottenham beat off competition across the continent to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, it was regarded as a coup for a dynamic and dangerous forward.
The 26-year-old is contracted to the English outfit on a season-long loan deal with no option or obligation to buy.
Hailed as a “superstar” by German legend Lothar Matthaus, the £150k-per-week forward has hit highs and lows in recent years, but he impressed with Juventus last season and was the subject of interest from Spurs only in January, holding talks to sign him but ultimately missing out.
However, injuries have not been kind to the Les Bleus star across the opening months of the season, with the Champions League win over Villarreal the extent of his time on the field so far. Only 13 minutes of action is what he played.
His career has been somewhat up and down, but Kolo Muani undoubtedly has the talent and potential to succeed in the Premier League, though, aged 26, it’s important that he makes a convincing start to life at Tottenham when he does return from his current setback.
If not, the high-salary, injury-prone ace might find himself entering some conversations that liken him to Werner, whose Champions League triumph with Chelsea and prolific returns during his first spell with Leipzig led him to be regarded as an elite talent.
Kolo Muani, too, has enjoyed his most fruitful returns in Germany, hitting 23 goals and 17 assists across the 2022/23 campaign for Eintracht Frankfurt before earning a £73m transfer to the French capital, where the wheels stopped spinning.
Looking across the past 12 months, though, there’s little question that Kolo Muani has the talent to bring it all together. However, much more is needed. And the need at Tottenham for him to do just that is becoming quite significant as Richarlison and Dominic Solanke toil.
Randal Kolo Muani (past 365 days)
Stats
Per 90
Percentile
Goals scored
0.50
Top 33%
Assists
0.13
Top 48%
Shots taken
2.26
Top 58%
Touches (att pen)
6.10
Top 16%
Shot-creating actions
2.26
Top 45%
Pass completion (%)
69.7
Top 58%
Progressive passes
1.45
Top 61%
Progressive carries
1.57
Top 31%
Successful take-ons
1.32
Top 12%
Ball recoveries
2.20
Top 54%
Tackles + interceptions
1.01
Top 33%
Data via FBref
Final judgement will, of course, be reserved until the Frenchman has ample Premier League experience under his belt, but there’s little question that he has started off on the wrong footing.
His only saving grace is that Frank’s frontline have struggled for quality so far this season, and if he can rekindle the fitness and form that saw him hit such heights on loan with Juventus last term, Kolo Muani may be able to avoid falling toward a reputation as Tottenham’s next version of Werner.
Spurs star who "gives absolutely zero" is now on borrowed time under Frank
Tottenham’s attacking play has found wanting across the opening months of the season.
West Ham chiefs are already working to try and save Nuno Espírito Santo when the January window opens for business, with Brazil international defender Alexsandro now a key winter target.
According to recent reports, and amid the Hammers’ dire start to 2025/2026, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board are ready to back Nuno to the hilt with new additions mid-season.
Sky Sports reported last week that Nuno has got confirmation funds will be available to spend in January, and West Ham are actively targeting a new defender, midfielder and forward.
Much has been made of their glaring need for a new striker, with Real Madrid sensation Endrick rumoured to be on West Ham’s January shortlist as the east Londoners ponder a loan deal.
However, long-term injuries to Konstantinos Mavropanos and Ollie Scarles have left West Ham desperately short at the back too.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
Mavropanos is expected to be out for up to six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Brentford, while Scarles was forced to undergo surgery on his collarbone and could be missing until 2026 (ExWHUemployee).
If West Ham’s desire for a star new defender to shore up their leaky backline wasn’t already there, it definitely is now.
So far, West Ham have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League, and it is crystal clear that Nuno needs to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Bearing this in mind, Nuno has now got his eyes on Alexsandro.
The 26-year-old has been a mainstay for Lille and his impressive performances in France even attracted attention from Premier League title frontrunners Arsenal in the summer.
Before Mikel Arteta’s side eventually signed Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera as their central defensive additions, credible South American news outlet UOL reported that Arsenal held initial talks over Alexsandro, which eventually went nowhere.
This is good news for West Ham, as Nuno is believed to be extremely keen.
Alexsandro makes key demand to join West Ham in January
According to Hammers News, the Irons boss wants him in the first week of January after identifying Alexsandro as the club’s priority defender signing this winter.
A deal is described by one transfer source as having a “good” chance of happening, and early talks have already been held over the centre-back’s potential arrival.
However, Alexsandro has apparently set out a key condition to join West Ham.
It is believed the Ligue 1 star wants “assurances” that there will be a route out of the London Stadium if West Ham enter the doomsday scenario of relegation, so it appears he’s looking for a safety net before committing.
While Alexsandro has been excellent for Lille overall, as evident by the Gunners’ reported interest earlier this year, he has real disciplinary issues.
Last season, the player was handed a seismic 13 bookings in all competitions, picking up three yellow card suspensions in the French top flight alone.
Nuno would need to try and work this out of Alexsandro’s game if the defender moves to Rush Green at the start of next year, but according to ESPN, he could be available for just £26 million.
West Ham have also held talks to sign two more players from the same club
Bangladesh opener hit 67 off 69 balls in the second ODI but wants to “play long innings”
Mohammad Isam07-Jul-2025Parvez Hossain Emon doesn’t like throwing his wicket away after a good start, but he will not step back from his natural instincts in the third ODI against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Parvez made a rapid 67 in the second game, which Bangladesh won by 16 runs. It kept them in contention going into Tuesday’s match, and also broke their eight-match losing streak.Parvez rued getting out after making 67 off 69 balls, when Wanindu Hasaranga beat him with a subtle googly.”I didn’t bat long in the last match,” Parvez said on the eve of the third ODI. “I was feeling guilty after getting out because I was set and the wicket was beautiful. I could have scored a hundred that day, and I felt bad about it. [Towhid] Hridoy was unfortunate; he got run-out. We have been talking about it. If we get set, we need to play long innings. We have to be consistent. If we score runs early and consistently, it will be easier for the team to do well.”Related
Rain in the way as Bangladesh look for first ODI series win in SL
Tanvir: Mehidy kept telling us we could defend 248
Batting first in the second ODI, Bangladesh were bowled out for 248 with Parvez and Towhid Hridoy getting fifties. The visitors have shown a tendency to play a high-risk shot much before getting to a decent score in this ODI series.Parvez said that he is hopeful of getting a good start in the third ODI at the Pallekele International Stadium, a ground which is regarded as one of the better batting wickets in Sri Lanka. Parvez himself has looked in good form, particularly after his breakthrough century against UAE in the T20I series in May.”I try to assess the situation, and play accordingly, and I try to play my natural game,” he said. “I don’t have any set target. I spoke to the guys who have played here earlier, and everyone is saying this wicket will be good for batting. I will try to play a big innings if I get a start.”Parvez also talked about his dismissal in the second ODI, when Hasaranga beat him with a lovely delivery. He said that he missed the line of the ball, but generally felt comfortable playing the Sri Lanka legspinner.”He is a good bowler, but he didn’t give me much trouble,” Parvez said. “I just missed the line on that delivery. Legspinners are important in world cricket, and Rishad [Hossain] is also doing well for us. I am sure if he gets a chance, he will do well.”Bangladesh’s players have a bit of their confidence back after Saturday’s win in Colombo. Parvez said that they are eager to grab the opportunity for the series win.”This is a big chance for us. If we win the match tomorrow, it will be a great series win,” he said. “Everyone is feeling confident. After the win in the last match, the confidence has been building among us, so we will try our best to win tomorrow.”
Tea England backed up their captain Ben Stokes taking a five-for with an unbroken opening partnership of 77. Those runs came at over five an over, taking a big bite out of India’s 358 all out on the second day in Manchester.It was a disappointing bowling performance from the visitors, particularly in helpful conditions and to follow a display of great bravery from Rishabh Pant who came out to bat on a fractured foot and scored a half-century.England weren’t particularly keen to score so quickly. Zak Crawley needed 13 balls to get off the mark and those runs came with a reminder of the danger the pitch still posed as a Jasprit Bumrah delivery rose up sharply to rap him on the bottom hand. Crawley displayed excellent judgment outside his off stump and ironically only started to look vulnerable once he had runs against his name, the confidence of seeing off the new ball coaxing him to play away from his body and could have been bowled off the inside edge.Ben Duckett didn’t need to be so careful, at any point in his innings. India fed him on his pads and he tucked in with glee. All his seven boundaries came on the leg side and he stands on the cusp of completing a half-century at almost a run a ball. Duckett welcomed Anshul Kamboj with three fours in his first over of Test cricket, the debutant chosen to open the bowling ahead of Mohammed Siraj.India must pick themselves back up again because they showed great heart in getting to an above-par total. Pant put his body on the line – literally because Stokes targeted that broken front foot of his – and had enough in him to hit a 90th six in Test cricket, putting him level with Virender Sehwag for the national record. He also went past Alec Stewart for most runs by a wicketkeeper in a Test series in England. The mere fact that he was able to walk – let alone bat – moved the fans at Old Trafford who gave him a rousing ovation.Stokes found similar approval from the crowd when his tireless and relentless display was rewarded with a first five-for in eight years. He was a threat when he bowled full because he was getting both ways movement – Shardul Thakur found that out when he was caught at gully for 41 – and he was a threat when he went short – which did Washington Sundar in. Stokes has 16 wickets in the series now, a career-best for him going past the 15 he took in the 2013-14 Ashes when he made his debut.
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has described out-of-favour Joel Piroe as “the best finisher I’ve ever worked with” and says the striker has a crucial role to play this season.
Farke paid tribute to Piroe before Saturday’s lunch-time kick-off against Tottenham at Elland Road having left the Dutchman out of his side’s previous four starting line-ups.
Piroe’s 19 league goals helped fire Leeds to promotion last season, earning him the Sky Bet Championship’s Golden Boot, but he did not even make Farke’s squad for last month’s defeat at Fulham.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has emerged as Leeds’ first-choice striker, while Farke has given fellow summer signing Lukas Nmecha the nod off the bench ahead of Piroe in recent matches, with the Whites boss going into Piroe’s versatile ability.
Farke also described Piroe as a “top professional”, adding: “I’m pretty sure that we will see him on many occasions on the pitch and hopefully he can deliver.”
Leeds will bid to extend their unbeaten home league record to 24 matches on Saturday against Tottenham.
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Farke’s side last lost a league game at Elland Road in September last year – 1-0 against Burnley – while a third Premier League win of the season could lift them into the top half of the table.
Tottenham, who have won five of their last six encounters with Leeds, sit fourth after last week’s 1-1 home draw against Wolves and drew 2-2 in Norway against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday in the Champions League.
Gloucestershire reply with gusto through Charlesworth and Phillips but still trail by 378
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Chris Green made a career-best 160 for Lancashire•Getty Images
Gloucestershire 179 for 1 (Charlesworth 104*, Phillips 60*) trail Lancashire 557 (Green 160, Hartley 130, Hurst 106, Zaman 4-85) by 378 runsChris Green and Tom Hartley produced record-breaking performances with the bat as Lancashire assumed the upper hand on day two of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match against Gloucestershire at the College Ground, Cheltenham.Both made their highest individual first-class scores, Green raising a superb 160 from 199 balls with 13 fours and eight sixes, and Hartley 130 via 153 deliveries with 14 fours and six sixes as the Red Rose county posted a formidable 557 in their first innings. Together, the pair staged Lancashire’s biggest ever ninth-wicket partnership of 212, eclipsing a long-standing record set by Australians Les Poidevine and Alexander Kermode in a match against Sussex in Eastbourne way back in 1907.Opening-day centurion Matty Hurst made a career-best 106, while Gloucestershire seamer Zaman Akhter and spinner Graeme van Buuren claimed figures of 4 for 85 and 3 for 117 respectively as their side waged a campaign of damage limitation on an essentially sound if slow Festival pitch.Demonstrating character aplenty, Ben Charlesworth and Joe Phillips launched a spirited counter-attack thereafter, staging an impressive unbroken alliance of 159 in 43.3 overs as Gloucestershire reached the close on 179 for 1, trailing by 378 runs. Charlesworth produced a dazzling display of stroke-play to score the fastest century of the match so far and finish on 104 not out, while Phillips played the supporting role to perfection, posting a stubborn undefeated 60 from 135 deliveries to dampen Lancashire’s hopes of forcing a second consecutive victory in the red-ball format.Again without the services of injured paceman Marchant de Lange, Gloucestershire deployed four spinners, van Buuren taking two wickets in four balls to check northern progress after Lancashire resumed on 290 for 6.Hurst had added just one run to his overnight career-best 105 when he pursued a wide delivery and sliced to Akhter at backward point, while Jack Blatherwait miss-timed a drive and skied to mid-off as the visitors slipped to 302 for 8.That was as good as it got for Gloucestershire. Pulling and driving with growing confidence, Green raised 50 from 87 balls and, together with Hartley, helped secure a third batting bonus point. Putting Todd Murphy under pressure for the first time, Green pulled the Australian Test spinner for two successive sixes over mid-wicket, in the process causing some among a healthy Festival audience to seek cover. No slouch himself and especially strong off the back foot, Hartley also opened his shoulders to good effect as the eighth wicket alliance realised 50 inside 12 overs.Green raised the hundred partnership in 151 balls with an imposing six over square leg off Singh Dale as Lancashire went past 400.Hartley brought up his 50 via 78 balls with a single on the leg side off Singh Dale as Lancashire reached lunch on 415 for 8. Their partnership was already the highest for the ninth wicket for Lancashire in matches against Gloucestershire, improving upon the 107 staged jointly by Billy Tyldesley and Bill Huddlestone at the Spa Ground, Gloucester in 1914 and by Alan Wharton and Malcolm Hilton at Blackpool in 1951.Tom Hartley celebrates his maiden first-class hundred•Getty Images
Green went to his hundred from 156 balls in the first over after lunch, the Australian driving Murphy through the off-side for the ninth four of an increasingly authoritative innings. When Hartley nudged a ball from Murphy into the covers and ran a single to move the score onto 445 for 8, he and Green had established a new Lancashire record ninth-wicket partnership. The occasion was marked by a gentle ripple of applause from a small handful of aficionados in front of the pavilion.By now slog-sweeping with impunity, Green plundered a further two sixes off Murphy to establish his highest first class score, surpassing the 121 made against Derbyshire at Chesterfield last month. Not to be upstaged, Hartley posted a career-best score of his own moments later, eclipsing the 73 not out made against Essex at Chelmsford in 2023. Green’s sixth six at the expense of Murphy carried him to a maiden 150 and, six runs later, he claimed the highest score by a Lancashire number eight, eclipsing the 155 mustered by Wasim Akram and Glenn Chapple in 1998 and 2001 respectively.Amid the blizzard of landmarks was a small success for the home side, Charlesworth bowling Green to offer respite. It proved short-lived, Hartley driving Charlesworth to the long-off boundary to register his maiden hundred from 145 balls with his 13th four later in the same over. The England spinner then launched a murderous offensive, smashing a further 29 runs in eight balls, including a quartet of sixes, before hoisting Charlesworth to long-off.Gloucestershire’s suffering continued, Cameron Bancroft shuffling in front of a straight delivery from Jimmy Anderson as the home side lost their first wicket with 20 on the board. Charlesworth and Joe Phillips mustered stubborn resistance thereafter, as tea was taken with the score 59 for 1.Charlesworth then went to a 54-ball half century in style, straight-driving Hartley for six as the second wicket pair continued to frustrate the bowling in the final session.Phillips offered staunch support, eschewing risk and compiling steadily as the Kookaburra ball softened. The hundred partnership occupied 161 balls, after which Charlesworth allowed his natural attacking instincts to take over, the 24-year-old left hander going to his fourth career first-class hundred from just 123 balls with 16 fours and a six. Rather more sedate in his approach, Phillips raised a chanceless 50 from 111 deliveries.
Certain pundits and fanbases might be trying to hold their set-piece dominance against them, but it’s currently an excellent time to be an Arsenal fan.
Mikel Arteta’s side are undefeated in the Champions League, flying high at the top of the Premier League, and look like the best defensive side in world football.
Yet, the Gunners cannot rest on their laurels as their next opponent is the always dangerous Brighton & Hove Albion in the Fourth Round of the League Cup.
With that said, Arteta will need to make some changes to his team for the game, including dropping the talismanic Bukayo Saka.
Why Arteta should drop Saka
Now, there is undoubtedly an argument to be made that Arteta should keep Saka in the team for Wednesday’s game in a bid to help him build up more match fitness and momentum.
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However, such an argument loses a lot of weight when you consider that the Gunners’ next three games are against Burnley, Slavia Prague and Sunderland.
In other words, while those won’t be easy matches, they should be that bit more straightforward than a clash with the Seagulls and, in turn, even better opportunities for the 24-year-old to find some rhythm.
Moreover, and this interlinks with the main reason the manager should be dropping the Hale Ender: they are far more important games.
Following the last three years of almost getting there, it is far more important for Arsenal to win the Premier League or the Champions League; therefore, they need to play their best players in those competitions, not risk injury in lesser competitions.
Saka’s injrury record
Season
Days Out
Games Out
25/26
26 days
6
24/25
122 days
25
23/24
36 days
10
21/22
6 days
1
20/21
13 days
2
19/20
13 days
0
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Were this a couple of years ago, then perhaps it would be fine to play the Hale Ender in all four games.
Still, after he missed almost four months of action with a hamstring problem last season, and has already missed a month of action this year with another, it would be unwise to do so today.
Furthermore, with Noni Madueke and now Gabriel Martinelli out of action, risking the Ealing-born gem feels like it would be even more foolish than usual.
Finally, Arteta can happily rest Saka for the game against Brighton because, even with the other injuries, there is one player who could step in.
The Arsenal player Arteta must start over Saka
With Madueke and Martinelli out, the player who should and probably will come in for Saka against Brighton is Ethan Nwaneri.
The Hale End gem might be seen more as a central player in the long term, but last year proved he is more than capable of filling in for Saka on the right.
For example, in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes, the “phenomenal” game-changer, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, managed to score nine goals and provide two assists.
That works out to a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which is a rate of return many seasoned professionals can’t even match.
Moreover, the manager knows he can deal with the Seagulls, as the Enfield-born gem scored a brilliant goal at the Amex in the league last season.
Additionally, it’s not like he was just lucky last season, as the 18-year-old’s underlying numbers were just as impressive as his output.
According to FBref, he ranked in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league last season for successful take-ons, the top 6% for take-ons attempted and carrying distance, the top 8% for crosses, the top 9% for non-penalty goals and more, all per 90.
Nwaneri’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Goals – xG
+0.28
Top 1%
Non-Penalty Goals – npxG
+0.28
Top 1%
Successful Take-Ons
3.72
Top 2%
Successful Take-On %
59.7%
Top 2%
Take-Ons Attempted
6.23
Top 6%
Total Carrying Distance
286.79
Top 6%
Crosses
5.43
Top 8%
Non-Penalty Goals
0.40
Top 9%
Crosses into Penalty Area
0.60
Top 9%
Touches (Att 3rd)
34.09
Top 9%
Progressive Passes Rec
11.36
Top 11%
Progressive Carrying Distance
133.64
Top 11%
Goals
0.40
Top 12%
Goals/Shot
0.17
Top 12%
Goals/Shot on Target
0.44
Top 12%
Passes Completed (Short)
21.72
Top 12%
Carries
36.70
Top 12%
All Stats via FBref
Finally, regardless of the rest of the team, the manager should be looking to start the teenager in this game, as he needs more minutes to keep him content with his squad role at present.
Ultimately, Arteta should drop Saka for the game against Brighton and start the incredibly exciting Nwaneri in his place.
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