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Mikel Arteta hasn’t faced many troubles during his time as manager of Arsenal but the last five days have been tough.

The Gunners were dumped out of the Carabao Cup in humiliating circumstances as they tasted a 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium before losing back-to-back games on Saturday inside the cauldron of St James’ Park.

Truth be told, Arsenal were not awful against Newcastle but the manner of their 1-0 loss will be a concern.

Yes, the officials played their part with Anthony Gordon’s strike going through four minutes worth of VAR checks before being given, but Arteta’s men never looked like scoring.

Wave after wave of attack came late on and after several corners, of which Leandro Trossard failed to beat the first man, they left the north east with no points.

It is only the first time the north Londoners have lost in the Premier League this term yet they now find themselves three points off Manchester City having both played 11 matches. Arsenal have even beaten City this term. Oh how ruthless the English top-flight can be.

Beyond their position in the table now, Arteta should also be worried about the performance of some of his summer signings. Knowing the Spaniard, he will back his players but he has created a problem in David Raya and Kai Havertz.

The former didn’t cover himself in glory for the goal and in the words of Jamie Carragher, looks “absolutely all over the place” at the moment.

Kai Havertz’s stats this season

The German arrived at the Emirates Stadium a few months ago for a whopping fee of £65m. This wasn’t the way supporters imagined Granit Xhaka’s replacement arriving.

It must be stated that Havertz isn’t like Xhaka. You only need to watch a few minutes of the the former Chelsea star in action to realise that.

His slender and tall frame is something that immediately catches the eye, which when paired with Declan Rice in midfield makes for a powerful midfield. Havertz’s ability to ride a challenge and win earlier battles, therefore, are among his best strengths.

Versus fellow midfield players in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, he ranks within the top 4% of players for aerials won. Xhaka, by comparison, is in the best 33%. The difference is evidently night and day.

That said, the Swiss leads the way for goal involvement. Had you thought of that possibility when Havertz first arrived in England, you’d have been laughed out of the Emirates. The latter was a fine player in the Bundesliga, creating and scoring goals with regularity. In the Premier League, that has been far from the case.

He is in the worst percentile of forwards in Europe for non-penalty goals over the last year, which is hardly surprising when his only strike this season came from the spot against Bournemouth.

It has been a sorry start to the season for the 24-year-old whose expensive price tag is doing him no favours.

The Germany international looks forlorn and is lacking confidence. He is frustrated and can’t seem to nail down a position. It’s a problem of Arteta’s doing, but Xhaka’s own Arsenal experience is a cautionary tale to write someone off before they’ve reached their peak.

Kai Havertz stats vs Newcastle

Truth be told Havertz wasn’t awful against the Toon on Saturday evening. In fact, with Martin Odegaard injured it gave him more freedom to roam in behind Eddie Nketiah. Did it work? Arguably not, but there were some promising signs.

According to Sofascore, the attacking midfielder drew two fouls with his clever forward play and won eight duels. Once more, that physical nature to his play caught the eye again.

However, on another day Arsenal may well have been down to ten men after a “stupid” moment – as Gary Neville criticised him – in the first half nearly let Arteta down.

Havertz, clearly frustrated by the lack of openings in the first 45 lunged in on Sean Longstaff. His right boot was inches away from making contact with the Newcastle midfielder’s shin. Had that happened, it was a straight red. Thank you and good night.

Fortunately, his trailing leg, albeit still in an aggressive manner caught the Toon player and a yellow card was brandished.

What followed was a scuffle on the touchline. Understandably so on the part of the Newcastle team but it led to three of Eddie Howe’s men being booked for their reactions. Well done Havertz, it must be said.

Unfortunately, that ability to rile the opposition was about as good as it got for the former Leverkusen man.

During the course of the game, the young German lost possession of the ball 15 times, the third-highest number on the pitch behind Joelinton and Gabriel Martinelli. His pass success rate of 70% meanwhile, was only worse than two starters in red and white; Nketiah and Raya.

This was another poor night for the £280k-per-week earner and one that has only upped the pressure on his performance levels. For now, Arteta must take him out of the firing line and rely on alternative options.

علق روجيرو ميكالي المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر الأولمبي على التعادل أمام الدومينيكان في مباراة أمس والتي جمعت بينهما في افتتاح المشوار بـ دورة الألعاب الأولمبية الجارية في فرنسا.

وتعادل منتخب مصر سلبيًا مع الدومينيكان في اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما أمس في إطار لقاءات الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجوعات لمنافسات كرة القدم بـ الأولمبياد.

وقال ميكالي في تصريحات صحفية: “التعادل مع الدومينيكان في بداية المشوار لمنتخب مصر الأولمبي لا يعني خروجنا من المنافسة في أولمبياد باريس”.

وتابع: “حقا صادفنا سوء حظ كبير في مباراة الدومينيكان، رغم أننا لم نقدم أدائنا المعهود ولكن أنا أثق في اللاعبين لأنهم لا يزال يمتلكون الأفضل من ذلك بكثير”.

طالع | مصدر يكشف لـ”بطولات” ماذا قال ميكالي للاعبي المنتخب بعد التعادل أمام الدومينيكان

وأضاف: “ربما اللاعبين تأثروا سلبيًا بالأجواء المضغوطة، لكنهم في الوقت نفسه لديهم من الإمكانات والقدرات ما يؤهلهم لتصحيح الأوضاع وتدارك الفرصة، والمنافسة لا تزال في الملعب ومثل هذه المناسبات الكبري تتسم بحمي البداية”.

وأوضح: “الدومينيكان ليس منافسًا سهلًا كما يردد البعض، فهو يمتلك مجموعة من اللاعبين المتميزين الذين يلعبون في الدوريات الأوروبية ولاعبونا غاب عنهم التوفيق في أكثر من 4 فرص كانت كفيلة بحسم المباراة لصالحنا”.

واختتم: “اللاعبون وأنا سنقاتل من أجل الدفاع عن الأحلام الأولمبية ولا يزال أمامنا جولتين ونحن لم نخسر الجولة الأولى، وأطالب جماهير مصر باستمرار الدعم والتشجيع والقادم سيكون أفضل”.

The stand-in captain told the players before the Asia Cup to perform as if they were playing domestic cricket. He said it was “to ensure there’s no insecurity within”

Shashank Kishore in Dubai29-Sep-20180:33

We have ticked all boxes in this tournament – Rohit

Rohit Sharma, India’s victorious stand-in captain, wants those auditioning for the Nos. 4 and 6 spots in the ODI XI to get more opportunities in the next few months, even if team dynamics change when Virat Kohli takes over the leadership.”The guys who were here had the ability to win matches for the team,” Rohit said. “They’ve won matches for their state or IPL teams. No one took extra pressure because some players weren’t available. We want to create an environment where boys come in, play carefree, and not think that this is an international match and we need to change our game.”As a management, it is our duty to give the players that freedom to go play like they play at the club or domestic level. At the start of the tournament, we discussed this and gave them a clear message: ‘treat this like you’re playing for your domestic team, nothing to change.’ It was very important to give them this message, to ensure there’s no insecurity within.”At his pre-tournament press conference, Rohit had advocated for continuity, and he stuck to it through the Asia Cup. India gave six straight opportunities to Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav to further strengthen their cases for a middle-order berth with next year’s World Cup in mind.Among them, Rayudu displayed his versatility in batting at different positions. He scored a half-century apiece as an opener and at No. 3 against Afghanistan and Hong Kong respectively, while Karthik made 146 runs in five innings at No. 4, largely playing the role of an accumulator on sluggish surfaces where batting required a certain degree of patience and calm. Those included scores of 33, 31*, 1*, 44 and 37. Jadhav impressed with his wicket-taking abilities in the middle overs, apart from making a crucial unbeaten 23 in the final despite an injured right hamstring.”I think we pretty much have clarity. Those at No. 4 and No. 6 need to get more games as the World Cup comes closer,” Rohit said. “It’s too early to judge or say they’ve sealed the spot. I shouldn’t be saying that because right now is not the time. The next few tournaments that we’re going to play will probably be ideal for us to judge as a management and see where they stand.Associated Press”When we came here, I wanted to give them the assurance first that they will play all the games. That’s how you make players. You give them the assurance of going and playing freely without taking pressure. If you know that you’re going to be dropped after two games, it’s not easy for anyone. I think it is important to keep that team consistently going, and that is something that we spoke at the start of the tournament. I wanted to give everybody a fair run and play more games. That’s how you will understand a player’s capability because in one-odd game you can’t judge. You need quite a few games.”Rohit himself registered scores of 23, 52, 83*, 111* and 48, thereby proving captaincy had little effect on his batting. He delivered two half-century opening stands and a double-century opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan, all in match-winning causes. The flip side of this consistency was less-than-ideal batting time for the middle order.The near-failed chase against Afghanistan in a tie and their mini-collapse in the final notwithstanding, Rohit was reasonably happy with the middle order’s performances. “As far as the batting goes, middle order didn’t get as many chances as we wanted them to, because the top-order batsmen batted quite a lot in the tournament,” Rohit said. “But whenever they’ve got chances, they’ve shown signs of handling pressure well. It’s a different issue that they didn’t finish it off, but I think they handled the pressure well.”Kathik apart, the only batsman among those who played all matches to have not made a half-century was MS Dhoni. He started the tournament with a duck against Hong Kong, but showed glimpses of solidity in making 33 and 36 against Bangladesh in the Super Four game and the final, respectively. On Friday, Dhoni’s dismissal triggered a lower-order wobble that threatened to pull Bangladesh back into the contest, but India had vital lower-order partnerships involving Jadhav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.Associated PressBhuvneshwar’s 31-ball 21 at No. 8 helped absorb pressure after India were 167 for 5 and Jadhav had hobbled off with a hamstring strain. Bhuvneshwar added 45 with Ravindra Jadeja, with the pair intent on strike rotation without taking too many gambles. In a sign of his improved power game, Bhuvneshwar also drilled an attempted yorker from Rubel Hossain over long-off for six with India needing 26 off 28.In just the one innings, he showed what India had missed all along while he was injured, a solid No. 8 who could provide the team batting cushion in situations like these. “Bhuvi is a very crucial member of the squad. Not just now, but for a few years,” Rohit said. “In Sri Lanka too, he got a fifty and had a big partnership with MS to win the game. Even today, his runs were so crucial.”He understands that the team wants him to bat as well, and not just bowl. If any player in your team can provide you with something else apart from their main skill, it makes your team better, so that’s what we all look forward to from each player. He takes his batting very seriously.”Rohit was effusive in his praise for Ravindra Jadeja, who made an ODI comeback at the Asia Cup after more than a year. In his very first outing, he bagged a four-for, while his fielding and lower-order batting – the knocks where he failed to finish off notwithstanding – providing soothing signs to a unit intent on finding back-ups for every spot. That Jadeja returned was because of Hardik Pandya’s back spasms that ruled him out of the competition.With the ball, Jadeja’s no-frills variety helped deliver crucial breakthroughs, but his impact on the field earned him plaudits. In the final, he intercepted a drive by putting in a full-length dive to his left at cover, before recovering quickly and having the presence of mind to fire a throw to the correct end. This resulted in the dismissal of the in-form Mohammad Mithun, paving way for a lower-order implosion that cost Bangladesh heavily.Rohit quickly corrected a query on Jadeja’s forced ODI break and then explained why he thought those performances mattered. “I don’t think it was a break, Jadeja was out of the team,” he clarified. “When you’re out, you have the fire inside you, that burning desire to make a comeback and prove to yourself, rather than proving to anyone else. I think he’s proved himself in this tournament that he’s much better than what he was before.”I clearly remember, he flew in the night before the first game and got four wickets immediately. Even today, he didn’t bowl 10 overs, but his batting and fielding abilities are very, very crucial to the team. I think what he did on the field, that run-out of Mithun was the turning point. I think that is something that gave us a way to come back into the game. Also as a team we understand what sort of a player he is, what he brings to the table. His batting again today, although he made around 25-odd, it was so crucial. In the context of a match, it was as good as scoring a half-century.”

Arsenal reclaimed top spot in Group B in the Champions League last night, after Mikel Arteta’s side were victorious over Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium on their third outing of the 2023/24 tournament.

The Gunners were tested throughout the contest by the Spanish outfit, however it took two moments of quality for the north Londoners to undo the hosts' hard work and claim the vital win.

After losing against RC Lens in their previous game in the group stage, a win on Tuesday evening took Arsenal back to the top of the group, thanks to the outcome of the duel between Lens and PSV, which ended 1-1 in France.

How did Arsenal play against Sevilla?

It was far from Arsenal’s prettiest performance, as they were constantly asked questions by Diego Alonso’s side, as highlighted by the hosts dominating 56% of possession.

While it wasn’t an elegant showing by Arteta’s squad, it was decisive, as the Gunners made what they could from their depleted levels of possession, recording 2.04 expected goals (xG) to Sevilla’s 0.78, via Sofascore.

It took seconds before the halftime whistle for Gabriel Martinelli to open the scoring on his Champions League debut, with the chance entirely sourced from the brilliance of Gabriel Jesus, who claimed the assist in style.

The former Manchester City whiz then claimed his third goal in three appearances in the competition this season in the 53rd minute, although his individual excellence was quickly muted by Nemanja Gudelj’s header that narrowed the deficit.

The away side weathered the storm that the hosts broke with wave after wave of attack, earning the victory thanks to the expertise of Jesus, who was dubbed “world-class” during the fixture by journalist Charles Watts.

With a goal, an assist and a pass completion rate of 92%, Arsenal’s number nine was awarded the highest Sofascore match rating with 8.5, however he wasn’t the only figure that stood out for the visitors.

How did Declan Rice play against Sevilla?

Lauded as “sensational” by journalist Matt Scott for his efforts, Declan Rice registered another impressive display for the Gunners on Wednesday night.

The midfielder controlled the tempo in a high-intensity midfield for 90 minutes in Seville, proving minute by minute just why Arteta was insistent on spending £105m to capture his signature in the summer.

As usual, the combative and controlled presence of Rice assisted Arsenal in keeping a grip on the game when the hosts challenged, highlighted by him winning 100% of his aerial duels and recording two tackles and one interception, via Sofascore.

While that element of his game is expected, the Englishman showcased his ability to roam into more advanced areas, registering three key passes and claiming an assist for Jesus’ superb goal that prevailed to be the match-winner.

Declan Rice vs Sevilla

Touches

62

Key Passes

3

Successful dribbles

3/4

Aerial duels won

3/3

Tackles

2

Ground duels won

5/10

Via Sofascore

TNT Sports commentator Lucy Ward said during the game that Sevilla “physically could not compete” with the presence of Rice, as the 24-year-old kept things tidy at a time of need in Arteta’s midfield.

A win was essential for the Gunners in the Champions League, and Arsenal got the task done thanks to the brilliance of both Jesus and their £105m hero.

Leeds United are a team in steady form thus far, and will be hoping to kickstart their promotion ambitions once again upon the conclusion of the international break.

However, as stars return to fitness, competition for places is set to soar. As such, Daniel James could see his position come under threat…

How has Daniel James been playing this season?

Even though the Wales international has enjoyed an impressive return to Elland Road, having seemingly failed to reignite a stuttering career on loan with Fulham, there are plenty of other stars who will feel they deserve just as much opportunity as the former Manchester United man to stake their claim.

However, such is the level set by James, they will have to work hard to displace him, given he boasts five goal contributions across just seven Championship starts this term, whilst also managing 2.2 shots, 2.3 key passes and 3.8 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.

The speedster is a man possessed of late, and seems to typify the ideal Daniel Farke winger. Lightning-quick with a work ethic to match, his return to form has been a surprising one, but remains a welcome sight for Elland Road who have been crying out for some kind of return on their £25m investment.

And yet, such is the selection headache that the former Norwich City boss would welcome, he has to decide from an uber-talented pot of stars such as Jaidon Anthony, Wilfried Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville and more.

Perhaps, with an important return to Carrow Road next up for Farke, he could employ the former given his history of dominating their current division.

How good is Jaidon Anthony?

As a last-gasp acquisition as the Whites saw Luis Sinisterra head the other way, the on-loan AFC Bournemouth whiz marked a shrewd coup given how instrumental he had been in the Cherries' 2022 promotion.

After all, whilst James may be performing now, he has years of anonymity to make up for, whereas Anthony has form for shining at this level recently.

The 23-year-old would muster a whopping 45 appearances during that 2021/22 campaign, scoring eight and assisting seven. Such a fine return was dressed up in his signature elegance and creativity, as he would in fact forge 18 big chances, averaging 1.6 key passes and 1.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Clearly boasting that same work rate that saw the 25-year-old lauded, it should come as no surprise that Scott Parker was effusive in his praise for the winger just last year: "Jaidon Anthony’s a player that goes under the radar massively, what he does for this team is nothing short of incredible at times.

“In possession, we see his qualities, his calmness, his silkiness when he makes good decisions but the stuff that goes unnoticed is his defensive side, what he brings to this team."

With the Bournemouth academy graduate having made just one league start since joining the Whites, averaging just 26 minutes per game, perhaps this weekend could mark the perfect time to hand him his first chance to shine.

After all, the raw pace that James boasts would likely be far better suited to emerging from the bench to terrorise tired legs, made so exhausted by the relentless trickery of Anthony.

Sunderland could be set to lose one of their up-and-coming talents, with a reliable journalist revealing that he will be targeted by a huge club in January.

What's the latest transfer news at Sunderland?

On Friday, Tony Mowbray was handed a huge boost after goalkeeper Anthony Patterson signed a new long-term contract that will keep him at the club until at least 2028, but whilst some players are committing themselves to the cause on Wearside, multiple youngsters have been linked with an exit, one of whom has already departed.

At the Academy of Light, Zak Johnson recently joined National League side Hartlepool United on a one-month loan deal, whilst Tom Watson is again being pursued by the Premier League’s Nottingham Forest, who failed to prise their target away from the Championship over the summer.

Now, another exciting talent who could be heading for the exit door is shot-stopper Matty Young, who has worked his way up through the various ranks to become a popular name among the youth teams in the northeast having been at the club for the whole of his career.

Despite never making a senior appearance on a competitive basis, the 16-year-old was handed his first-team debut during the 3-2 victory over New Mexico United in pre-season so he is clearly impressing the boss, but with more exposure comes more outside interest, which is exactly what he’s attracted.

Is Matty Young leaving Sunderland?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Premier League side Manchester City have “set their sights” on signing Young. Sunderland’s teenager has already established himself as Tony Mowbray’s third-choice goalkeeper despite his age and is a regular feature for the club’s U21s, with his performances there having caught the eye of the hierarchy at the Etihad Stadium.

Before any other potential suitors are able to join the race, Pep Guardiola’s side want to “snap him up”, and there’s a chance that he could be permanently sold with him being represented by one of the industry’s leading agencies.

How many clean sheets has Matty Young kept?

Since the start of his career, Young has kept eight clean sheets from 17 outings so it’s clear to see why he is a player of interest to Man City, but for the same reason, it’s vital that Sunderland do everything they can to retain his services because he is a real star in the making.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the colossus even earned the praise of Mowbray following his outing in pre-season, who said: “We are a bit frustrated that we lost two goals in the last four minutes because it would have been fantastic for Matty, who had a brilliant game and in the first half was amazing, to get a clean sheet on his first start.”

Should the Blues come in and table a respectable offer for Young, it’s understandable that the Black Cats could want to cash in, but if he carries on the way he’s going, he may be worth a lot more in a few seasons if he continues to force his way into the fold, so chiefs should hold out on sanctioning his sale.

Sarfraz became the youngest cricketer to ever receive the award, with only four cricketers bestowed the honour in Pakistan’s cricket history

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2018Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed had a Pakistan Day to remember, as the 30-year old was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the third-highest civilian honour in Pakistan, by Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair.March 23 is known as Pakistan Day, and is a national holiday across the country, with widespread celebrations and awards of varying prestige handed out by civilian and military officials.Sarfraz became the youngest cricketer to ever receive the award, with only four cricketers bestowed the honour in Pakistan’s cricket history. They were Javed Miandad in 1992, Inzamam-ul-Haq in 2005, Mohammad Yousuf in 2011, and Saeed Ajmal in 2015.Sarfraz, who led Pakistan to their maiden Champions Trophy title last year after beating India in the final, told Geo.tv, “It is matter of great honour for me and my family. Whatever I am today is because of Pakistan and I will continue to serve my country in every capacity I am in.”Former Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi were also nominated for the award this year.

حرص المحترف المصري محمد النني على توجيه كلمات الشكر إلى نادي آرسنال والمدرب ميكيل أرتيتا، بعد إعلان رحيله بشكل رسمي اليوم.

كان محمد النني، قد أعلن في وقت سابق من شهر مايو الماضي، أنه سيغادر صفوف آرسنال هذا الصيف حيث سينتهي عقده.

وأثنى آرسنال، عبر موقعه الرسمي، على محمد النني بعد السنوات الثماني الماضية التي قضاها في ملعب “الإمارات”، حيث أكد النادي أن جهوده الرائعة ستعيش طويلًا في الذاكرة.

وقال محمد النني في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للنادي: “لقد كان وجودي هنا لفترة طويلة يعني الكثير بالنسبة لي، لقد كانت أفضل ثماني سنوات في حياتي، أحب هذا النادي كثيرًا، وأحب الجماهير، وأحب كل شيء يتعلق بـ آرسنال”.

وأضاف: “الأمر حطم قلبي (رحيله)، ولهذا السبب رفضت النزول إلى الملعب (في الممر الشرفي في مباراة آرسنال الأخيرة الموسم الماضي ضد إيفرتون) لأنني كنت ممتلئًا بالعاطفة”.

وواصل: “لكن هذه هي الحياة، لقد انتهى وقتي هنا وأنا فخور جدًا بما فعلته لهذا النادي، أنا أحب هؤلاء المشجعين وقدمت كل ما أملك، أقدر كل ما فعلوه من أجلي، في اللحظات الجيدة والسيئة، وسيظلون دائمًا في قلبي إلى الأبد”.

وأردف: “لقد لعبت مع أرتيتا لمدة ستة أشهر قبل أن يعتزل ويصبح مدربًا، لقد استمتعت باللعب معه وهو يدربني لأنني تعلمت منه الكثير، أقدر كل ما فعله من أجلي ومن أجل هذا النادي”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أرتيتا يثير الغموض حول مستقبله مع آرسنال.. ويصرّح: نحن الأفضل في الدوري الإنجليزي

وأكد: “كان أرتيتا ذكيًا عندما كان يلعب، وكان لديه الكثير من المدربين الجيدين الذين عمل معهم، يمكنك أن ترى قيادته وأنه يمكن أن يكون شيئًا مميزًا”.

واستمر: “لم يسبق لي أن رأيت مجموعة من اللاعبين بهذه الطريقة، الجميع يدعمون بعضهم ويحبون بعضهم ويعملون كعائلة، سأفتقدهم، لقد كانوا أصدقائي لفترة طويلة”.

واختتم: “سنكون أصدقاء إلى الأبد، سأدعمهم الآن أمام التلفزيون، وفي بعض الأحيان سأحضر إلى الملعب لمشاهدتهم، أنا متأكد من أنهم سيحظون بعام رائع الموسم المقبل أيضًا لأنهم يستحقون ذلك”.

Do you find those dull middle overs of T20 too much? Well, turn your attention to the UAE this week

Andrew McGlashan11-Dec-2017Do you find those dull middle overs of T20 too much? Well, turn your attention to the UAE this week for the inaugural Ten10 league. Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, sees the tournament as potentially ‘ground-breaking’ and a possible route for a further push to take cricket into the Olympics.Morgan is among the marquee players signed for the competition which will take place from December 14 in Sharjah, the ground which holds the record for hosting the most one-day internationals. The 10-over-a-side matches will last 90 minutes and include two-over Powerplays.The debate around cricket and the Olympics has rumbled on for a long time. The case for advancing the game to larger audiences in new markets has been tempered by the reluctance of some of the major cricket boards to relinquish any control, while the conditions attached by the IOC have been prohibitive, even before practical issues have been addressed, such as a lack of infrastructure in countries where the game is less extensively played.T20 had at least provided a format that, time-wise, could be more feasible than one-day cricket – and even beach cricket has been throw around as an idea – but Morgan believes T10 could be an even better vehicle.”I think T10 could be something you could potentially propose to an Olympic committee,” Morgan told ESPNcricinfo. “When you look at T20 game, it goes for a little bit longer, so if you are talking about playing a role in the Olympics then you’d probably have ten teams or more and that would probably last five or six weeks, but a 10-over league could be done in about eight days which could be right.”Cricket has seen shorter formats – for example the Hong Kong Sixes – but in terms of retaining the eleven-per-side element of the game, this is as brief as the game has ever gone without the intervention of the weather.”I think we have reached a limit, I think T10 is as short as the game can go but certainly there is huge potential for a T10 game,” Morgan said. “It’s 90 minutes, very exciting entertainment and exposing the game to different people around the world who would not come and watch one-day or T20 cricket.’In the first tournament there will be multiple matches played in the course of a single day, so for fans who choose to see more than one match, it will remain more than a 90-minute commitment at the ground. The Sharjah ground is often the best attended of the UAE venues when Pakistan play their international matches in the region.”It will be interesting to see how well we sell the game,” Morgan said. “We still have to create a good product and also put on a good show around it for those that buy tickets. Everyone has a part to play but it’s potentially ground-breaking if it goes well.”With just 60 legal deliveries available in a T10 innings, can we expect any player to score a century in the course of the tournament? “Well, Shahid Afridi is playing and he had one off [37] balls so if you hog the strike, maybe,” Morgan said.

Nottingham Forest could welcome a new face to the City Ground this summer, with a new target revealed this week as one that could bolster Steve Cooper's side.

The Welshman will be hoping for a more assured season in the Premier League than their return campaign last year, which saw them confirm survival on the penultimate day against Arsenal.

Last term's joy against the Gunners was not transferable in the opening fixture of the 2023/24 calendar, as Forest began the season with a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates.

However, the Tricky Trees could get one back on the north Londoners, with reports linking one of Mikel Arteta’s talents to the club.

Who could Nottingham Forest sign this summer?

The Reds have recruited well so far this window, capturing the signatures of four talents addressing all areas of the pitch coming in the form of Anthony Elanga, Chris Wood, Ola Aina and most recently Matt Turner.

The former Arsenal shot-stopper made his debut against his former club on Saturday in what was an impressive piece of business by the Midlands side, in their bid to replace Keylor Navas, who returned to Paris Saint-Germain at the expiration of his loan.

Now, Cooper has been tipped to delve back into business with the Gunners, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that Forest have opened negotiations with the club over left-back Nuno Tavares.

Taking to social media, Romano said:

“Nottingham Forest submit formal proposal to sign Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares on permanent deal. Forest trying top signing as new fullback as negotiations are still ongoing also on player side."

A previous report from football.london, meanwhile, suggested a price tag for the 23-year-old whiz could be in the region of £10m, with him having two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates.

What is Nuno Tavares’ playing style?

Having once been lauded as a “superb talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, Tavares was snatched from Benfica back in 2021, when Arsenal signed him at just 21.

Identified by Arteta at the time as having the ability to bring “energy on the left side”, the full-back has excelled since making the move to the English giants, however his best performances have come away from north London.

Last season, the Portuguese ace spent the campaign on loan in France with Marseille, becoming a regular for the Ligue 1 outfit and flexing his ability as an attacking full-back.

The dynamic defender netted six goals for Marseille in the league, exerting himself as a favourable attacking outlet from the left side of the defence, making him a particularly exciting acquisition for Cooper to target.

His performances last term saw him likened statistically by FBref to Chelsea full-back Reece James, who has been praised as a “very high level” player in the position by former boss Thomas Tuchel.

A superb outlet progressively, the Arsenal defender ranked within the top 3% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for his one-versus-one strengths, averaging 2.12 successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, via FBref.

The Lisbon-born ace’s numbers in Ligue 1 display his similarities to James, with the two showcasing innate ability in both defensive and offensive duties.

Tavares averaged 2.18 tackles per 90 to the Englishman’s 2.24, as well as making an average of 1.80 passes into the penalty area to the Blues skipper’s 1.74 per 90 in last season's Premier League.

Cooper could capture his own version of the highly-rated full-back this summer by acquiring Tavares, who would undoubtedly bolster Forest’s efforts in both attack and defence.