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Also, what does the series draw mean for Australia, and where do the other teams stand?

Dustin Silgardo12-Jul-2022ESPNcricinfo LtdAre Sri Lanka in with a realistic chance of making the final now?
While Sri Lanka are third, their points percentage of 54.17 needs to improve for them to be contenders. They have four Tests remaining – two at home against Pakistan beginning July 16 and two in New Zealand – the defending champions who are out of the running this time – next year. They need to blank Pakistan 2-0 to be in with a serious chance and would still have to win a Test in New Zealand to take their points percentage to 61.11, which may be enough to qualify if other results go their way. South Africa, currently No. 1, have 71.43, while Australia are on 70.What does the series draw mean for Australia?
The loss in Galle was Australia’s first of this WTC cycle and pushed them to second, behind South Africa. They are still in a strong position. If they win all five of their remaining home Tests – two against West Indies and three against South Africa – they will finish with a points percentage of almost 65 regardless of the result in the four-Test series in India next year. If they lose a Test at home, they will need to win one in India to get to 65 percentage points.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat’s at stake in the Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Test series?
As mentioned, Sri Lanka need a 2-0 win to stay in the hunt. For Pakistan, currently fourth in the table, a 2-0 win would improve their points percentage to 62.96. They would then need to win three and draw two of their five home Tests – three against England, two against New Zealand – to finish above 65 percentage points. If they draw 1-1 against Sri Lanka, they would need to win four home Tests, while losing 0-2 would leave them with no room for error at home.What’s at stake in the England vs South Africa Test series?
The series, starting August 17, is a big one for table-toppers South Africa, who also travel to Australia in December. A 2-1 victory would leave them on a points percentage of 70, meaning even a 1-2 series loss in Australia would still allow them to finish above 65 percentage points as long as they win both home Tests against West Indies. A series loss for South Africa would leave them needing to win 2-1 in Australia to finish above 65 percentage points.Where do India stand?
While India, runners-up in the last WTC final, have slipped to fifth in the table, they will start favourites in the fixtures left in their cycle – a two-Test series in Bangladesh followed by four home Tests against Australia. Winning all six Tests would give India a points percentage of 68.05, which should be enough to make the final. If they lose one out of six, they would finish on 62.50 and would need other results to go their way.

It’s not all wham, bam, thank you ma’am; there’s a science to batting successfully in the shortest format

Aakash Chopra22-Oct-2009We’ve heard it ad nauseam: the Twenty20 format belongs to batsmen. Bowlers are more than bowling machines, serving up balls to be hit to all parts of the ground. If you go by the number of runs being scored in Twenty20, and the economy-rates of bowlers, you’d side with that opinion as well. But let’s look at this game from a batsman’s perspective as well. This is the first part of a mini-series on batting, bowling and team strategy in the shortest format of cricket. I shall be writing about bowling in the next article.Does the quality of the bowling deteriorate in Twenty20?
No, it doesn’t. But good and great bowlers still go for plenty because getting out, which scares the batsmen in other formats, is considered insignificant in Twenty20. In an ODI the top six or seven batsmen are supposed to bat 50 overs, so we see a conservative approach to batting, even in the Powerplay overs, but there’s no such responsibility in Twenty20. In any case one decent partnership is enough to consume the major part of 20 overs, and then the rest of the batsmen can go completely berserk. It’s astonishing to see the kind of shots batsmen – and in some cases even bowlers – pull off when they do not have the fear of getting out.More time than it seems
Let’s look at how batsmen prepare for and look at this format. David Hussey, a successful Twenty20 player, says that there’s more time in a Twenty20 game than one thinks. When a batsman walks in to bat and knows that his team needs nine an over, the natural tendency is to become adventurous from the first ball. But it’s not often that he can hit the first ball for a four or a six. Besides, attempting a big shot before he can see the ball properly would mean a greater risk of getting out and hence putting the team in further trouble. That’s where Hussey’s advice comes handy.You should give yourself at least a couple of balls before exploding. You can always take a couple of singles to rotate strike, and get the blood flowing in the veins. This, in turn, might also ease the pressure and help you assess the situation objectively. There are 120 legal deliveries to be bowled in every game, and if you can reduce the number of dot balls, the pressure that comes from thinking you’ve been holding up the strike and need to hit a big shot is drastically reduced.Balls at a premium
In Test cricket the batsman gets a few overs to get his eye in, in a 50-overs match he gets a few deliveries, but in Twenty20 it is only the matter of a couple of balls. That’s the reason why batsmen in the dugout are always padded up and glued to the game. Information is vital in a Twenty20 game, and hence a batsman, after getting out, informs the remaining players how the track is behaving and what the par score would be. Most batsmen, while waiting for their turn to bat, also make a mental sketch of the areas they would target while facing certain bowlers.

Twelve runs an over from the last three might sound extremely difficult, but 36 off 18 scoring opportunities doesn’t sound that ominous. If you can manage six hits to the fence in those 18 deliveries, you need only singles from the remaining balls

Since balls are at a premium, players who can hit boundary shots are valuable. You can only go so far with just rotating strike; ultimately you should be able to clear the fence.Calculated risk
While it is good to consume a couple of balls before going big, there are certain situations that demand a different strategy. For example, if your team is chasing over 160 runs, it’s imperative to go after the bowling in the first six overs. In such cases the strategy of the fielding team is to form a ring and bowl on one side of the wicket, which makes piercing the field along the ground extremely difficult. That’s why players like Brendon McCullum, Matthew Hayden and Virender Sehwag, who aren’t scared of taking the aerial route, are more successful in the Powerplay overs.It’s not easy to take singles when seven fielders are inside the circle; it’s either a boundary or a dot ball. Batsmen who manage to play with the bowler’s mind are also more successful than the rest. Gautam Gambhir does that effectively. He walks down the track regularly to get the bowler thinking, and then waits on the back foot for the short ball.Identifying the weakest and strongest links in the opposition bowling is important. For example, if it can be avoided, you wouldn’t want to go after Muralitharan or Daniel Vettori in subcontinental conditions. And in seamer-friendly conditions you’d like to play it a little safe against quick bowlers while targeting spinners.A stable base, and staying away from the ball
Keeping a stable base is extremely important when hitting a long ball. Kieron Pollard, Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma are good examples of keeping a stable base and head while hitting the ball in the air. Most batsmen, including myself, are guilty of losing the shape of the shot when we try to manufacture shots or slog, which eventually end up looking ugly.Since there isn’t much time in Twenty20, batsmen in the dugout are always padded up and glued to the game•Getty ImagesUnlike Test cricket, where the batsman is supposed to use his feet to get close to the ball, the batsman is better placed if he stays away from the ball in Twenty20 cricket. Staying away from the ball allows him to free his arms and also get under the ball to get elevation.Go-to areas
Every batsman must identify his “go-to” areas and shots, at least one each on both sides of the wicket. Once you have mastered these strokes, which could be over covers on the off and over midwicket on the on side, you either wait for the ball that can be hit in those areas or make room or walk inside the line to create that shot. Hussey says that one should back oneself, especially when it comes to hitting balls in his go-to areas. The idea is that if the first ball is bowled in your area you shouldn’t be afraid to go for it.Thinking in balls, not overs
Another thing that batsmen agree on is thinking in terms of the balls remaining, not overs. One must try to break it down even further. For example, 12 runs an over from the last three might sound extremely difficult, but 36 off 18 scoring opportunities doesn’t sound that ominous. If you can manage six hits to the fence in those 18 deliveries, you’ll only need singles from the remaining balls. Putting it that way makes it sound easier, yet we all know it isn’t; but it surely is slightly less difficult than thinking in terms of scoring two runs per ball.Twenty20 has also taught the batsmen to never give up. Even if the asking rate is 15 runs an over in the last five overs, batsmen have started to believe that it can be achieved.There can be a number of theories when it comes to batting in Twenty20 format, but it boils down to how an individual reacts to the situation when he walks in to bat.

كشف وليد الترهوني المدير الرياضي لنادي السويحلي الليبي، حقيقة التعاقد مع ثنائي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي.

وقال وليد الترهوني في تصريحات عبر قناة “أم بي سي مصر” عن وجود مفاوضات مع الأهلي بشأن ضم كهربا: “نعم كلام صحيح، هناك بعض الاتصالات، لكن لا يوجد أي شيء رسمي حتى الآن ولا يوجد تواصل مع الإدارة، لكن كهربا لاعب كبير ونتمنى أن يكون معنا”.

وأضاف: “نحن بعد أن رأينا الكابتن محمود علاء واحترافيته وطريقة لعبه، قررنا التوجه للسوق المصري واللاعب المصري، ولا أعتقد أنه سيكون قرارا خاطئا، لكن حتى الآن لم نتواصل مع الأهلي، التواصل مع وكلاء اللاعب”.

طالع أيضاً.. جمال علام: لم نخفي خطاب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.. ولا أنكر انتمائي الكروي

وبسؤاله هل هناك ترحيب من كهربا للعب في السويحلي؟ أجاب: “الترحيب موجود واللاعب لم يرفض الفكرة، وأعتقد أن النادي عنده الإمكانيات أن يستقبل النجوم الكبار في السنوات القادمة، واللاعب رحب لكننا لم نتواصل معه شخصيًا بل من خلال وكلائه”.

وبسؤاله، هل ترغبون في ضم كهربا على سبيل الإعارة أم البيع النهائي؟ أوضح: “لم نصل لهذه المرحلة، نحن في مرحلة جس النبض، ممكن غدًا أو بعد غد نتواصل مع الأهلي”.

وواصل: “الأهلي ناد كبير ولن نأخذ أي خطوة إلا بعد موافقته لأن اللاعب عنده عقد مع النادي، وإن شاء الله ربنا يوفقنا في يناير”.

هل هناك رغبة في ضم عمرو السولية؟ أتم: “كنا في مفاوضات رسمية معه قبل ذلك ولكن العقد لم يكتمل، وتعاقدنا مع لاعب وسط، ونحن الآن تركيزنا على ضم لاعب جناح ومهاجم”.

Manchester United are now ready to trigger the release clause to sign an “incredible” midfielder, having recently held talks over a deal, according to a report.

Man Utd searching for a playmaker

While Bruno Fernandes is enjoying an impressive campaign on a personal level, picking up 17 goals and 18 assists in all competitions, few other players have contributed to Man United’s attacking output.

The Red Devils have looked particularly devoid of ideas in the Premier League, having created 59 big chances throughout the campaign, which is just the 13th highest number in the division and below the likes of Fulham, Brentford and Crystal Palace.

As such, it is clear that Ruben Amorim needs a new creative spark in midfield, and work has started to bring in a new number 10, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha edging closer towards completing a move to Old Trafford.

He'd be incredible with Cunha: £40m PL star now keen on signing for Man Utd

Manchester United could be about to land another star forward alongside Matheu Cunha.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 29, 2025

United are also leading the race for Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki, who could be available for the bargain fee of £30m this summer, amid the French club’s ongoing financial issues.

There have been suggestions that Man Utd could be willing to take a punt on Franco Mastantuono too, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of the 17-year-old.

According to a report from TyC Sports (via Sport Witness), INEOS and Man Utd are now ready to trigger the €45m (£38m) release clause in Mastantuono’s River Plate contract, having recently held talks with the Argentine club.

However, rather than shelling out £38m outright, the Red Devils want to pay in installments, and it is unclear whether River Plate would be willing to agree to a deal of that nature.

Moreover, the teenager isn’t showing many signs that he is keen on a move to Old Trafford, with Real Madrid believed to be his preferred destination, despite talks over a move to the Spanish club breaking down last year.

"Incredible" Mastantuono destined to be future star

Compatriot Enzo Fernandez clearly believes the youngster has what it takes to succeed in Europe, saying: “He’s showing that he has a European future. You can see it.

“He’s an incredible player. He’s doing very well and has shown great talent. In my opinion, he’s a star.”

It is little wonder the starlet could soon be in line for a move to Europe, having put in some top performances for River Plate, most recently scoring a stunning free-kick in the Superclasico against Boca Juniors.

The maestro has also impressed across a range of key metrics for attacking midfielders over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, most notably placing in the top 1% for successful take-ons.

Statistic

Average per 90

Shot-creating actions

6.20 (97th percentile)

Progressive passes

5.33 (81st percentile)

Successful take-ons

3.63 (99th percentile

Mastantuono is showing all the hallmarks of a future star, and Man United will be hoping a Europa League triumph could convince him to move to Old Trafford this summer.

Everton travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon, having won four consecutive games in the Premier League for the first time in three years.

It was also the first time since 2002 that the Toffees won four games in a row without conceding a single goal. However, Sean Dyche’s men were unable to come away with anything from the game as two early strikes from Richarlison and Son Heung-min sealed the win despite a late fightback by the visitors.

While Dyche was aggrieved by certain refereeing decisions, the manager will also be disappointed with some of his players’ displays in London and one man in particular may be forced out of the side through injury.

Idrissa Gueye’s game in numbers

It’s not been a great week for Everton’s double-pivot of Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana. The pair missed their penalties on Tuesday as the Merseyside club bowed out of the EFL Cup in a shootout against Fulham but started together once more at the weekend.

Nevertheless, Everton were two goals down within 18 minutes. The duo played a massive helping hand in both of Spurs’ goals.

Both Gueye and Onana failed to adequately close down Pape Matar Sarr as he slid the ball into Brennan Johnson whose cross reached Richarlison for the opening goal. Meanwhile, the midfield partners were the two closest players to Son as he bagged Spurs’ second and didn’t react quickly enough to stop his rebound strike.

Both men were handed a dismal 4/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo for their performances in the middle of the park which reflects worse on Onana considering Gueye limped off in the 24th minute.

The Belgium international committed three fouls, was dribbled past once, and lost 56% of his total duels and 50% of his tackles, according to FotMob.

Minutes Played

24

79

Passing Accuracy

63%

85%

Touches

9

38

Passes To Final Third

1

4

Tackles

1

1

Defensive Actions

1

7

Recoveries

1

4

Dribbled Past

1

1

Gueye and Onana look awkward as a pair together and will likely be broken up when Manchester City come to town on Wednesday, particularly since Gueye went off injured, although this does mean that Onana may keep his place. Nevertheless, this could work in Everton's favour as it did on Saturday following one man's return.

Andre Gomes’ game in numbers

Andre Gomes’ time at Goodison Park has been blighted with a series of serious and recurring injuries. This season, the former Barcelona man had spent practically the entire campaign on the sidelines but recently began making a return to action with Everton’s U21s.

In a 5-0 win for the reserves against Southampton at the beginning of December, Gomes stayed on the pitch for 60 minutes, with U21s boss Paul Tait describing him as a “top-class player”, commending his composure and quality on the ball.

Nevertheless, due to a hamstring injury to Abdoulaye Doucoure, Everton’s midfield depth was looking quite bare on the bench, meaning Dyche had to throw Gomes into the deep end and the Portugal international certainly swam, grabbing the side’s only goal of the game which was the catalyst behind a potential late comeback by the Toffees, although it wasn’t to be in the end.

However, Gomes showed both Onana and Gueye up, having created two chances during his 66 minutes on the pitch and played six passes into the final third. Additionally, Gomes put a shift in defensively for his side and made five ball recoveries which was the same number as Gueye and Onana combined, as per FotMob.

Touches

41

Passing Accuracy %

81

Chances Created

2

Expected Assists

0.11

Expected Goals

0.07

Passes Into Final Third

6

Defensive Actions

3

Dribbled Past

1

Ball Recoveries

5

Despite his limited game-time this season, the £120k-per-week star looked levels above Everton’s starting double pivot, and with Gueye potentially out through injury, the 30-year-old could find himself back in the starting lineup quicker than anticipated, with Dyche's side set to take on league champions Manchester City on Wednesday night.

Brighton and Hove Albion are shrewd operators in the transfer market and that has been evinced on the pitch, with several unearthed gems now bearing fruit for the Seagulls.

Roberto De Zerbi's side finished sixth in the Premier League last term and are now plying their trade in Europe for the first time in their history.

The South Coast club, who were in League One 12 years ago, have leveraged themselves into a position where they were able to land the signature of a Barcelona superstar, Ansu Fati.

The Spanish loanee is due to return to the Catalan giants next year, as Football FanCast takes a look at the four Brighton and Hove Albion players who are leaving on a free next summer.

4 Ansu Fati

Left-winger, 21-years-old

Okay, this one is cheating a bit.

Ansu Fati's arrival from Barcelona in the summer caused quite a stir around the Premier League, as fans couldn't quite believe the Seagulls were able to attract his services.

That's not a knock on Brighton, of course, who were electrifying last year under the stewardship of De Zerbi and a home for talented youngsters to develop.

The Spaniard made his debut for Barca at the age of 16, becoming the second-youngest player to ever play for the club. He was once regarded as a future Ballon d'Or winner but injuries somewhat stunted his rocketing trajectory.

Read more: 10 potential future Ballon d'Or award winners

Nonetheless, Fati is still a quality operator and has evinced that already, netting four times whilst laying on one assist across 13 outings for Brighton.

The Amex will be his stage to shine for the remainder of the season before his one-year loan deal expires.

Ansu Fati's career in numbers

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Trophies

Spain

10

2

1

1

Barcelona

112

29

10

3

Brighton

13

4

1

0

3 Adam Lallana

Attacking midfielder, 35-years-old

Former Liverpool and Southampton playmaker Adam Lallana was brought in on a free transfer in July 2020 and has amassed 82 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring four goals whilst laying on three assists.

The 35-year-old has started four league games this term which indicates he is still very much a part of De Zerbi's plans, though, there doesn't appear to be any discussions over extending his stay.

Speaking in March after penning a one-year extension, Lallana said: “It’s no secret that I’m really enjoying myself at this football club. Although I’m not getting any younger, I still feel that I can contribute a lot.

“The club and especially Roberto made that very clear, so it made my decision very easy.”

Lallana joined up with the England under-21s in September as a player-coach – perhaps revealing his future aspirations.

“It was an amazing insight for me into what may lie in the future, I was delighted with the opportunity and thankful to Brighton and Roberto (De Zerbi) for not just being happy for me to go, but excited that I got the opportunity," the former England international said.

Lallana's career path

Date

Left

Joined

Fee

October 1st, 2007

Southampton

Bournemouth

Loan

November 1st, 2007

Bournemouth

Southampton

End of loan

July 1st, 2014

Southampton

Liverpool

£26.9m

July 27th, 2020

Liverpool

Brighton

Free

2 James Milner

Midfielder, 37-years-old

James Milner left Liverpool in the summer and made the move down south to pen a one-year deal with Brighton on a free transfer.

The veteran has the option of a further year and that may well be exercised after starting eight matches across all competitions this term.

Milner has operated at left-back, right-back and central midfield, evincing his tremendous versatility – which is an increasingly popular trait in today's game.

Milner's career in numbers

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Trophies

England

61

1

6

0

Liverpool

332

26

46

7

Manchester City

203

19

44

5

Newcastle United

136

11

19

0

Aston Villa

126

22

26

0

Leeds United

53

5

1

0

Brighton and Hove Albion

10

0

0

0

Swindon Town

6

2

0

0

1 Danny Welbeck

Striker, 32-years-old

Danny Welbeck joined the South Coast club in October 2020 following a brief spell with Watford. The former Arsenal forward signed a one-year deal at the time, which perhaps suggests maybe the Seagulls weren't totally convinced.

But he's established himself as a key figure under De Zerbi and his predecessor, Graham Potter, who awarded him with a new contract in August 2022.

Welbeck has made just shy of a century of appearances for Brighton, scoring 20 goals and providing 10 assists and has started seven league games this season before sustaining a long-term injury.

The 42-cap England international was stretchered off against Manchester City last month with what appeared to be a knee injury, though, his boss was not prepared to disclose the specifics.

"Unfortunately it's a very tough injury – football is like this and injury can happen. It's not my job to inform you about the injury, I know we've lost an important player for a long time but I don't want to cry because sometimes managers do when they lose players," De Zerbi said.

Welbeck's deal at the Amex is due to expire next summer and the extent of his injury could have a bearing on whether he's offered new terms.

Welbeck's Brighton career

Season

Appearances

Goal

Assists

2020/21

24

6

3

2021/22

27

6

3

2022/23

37

7

4

2023/24

11

1

0

Tottenham Hotspur are now set to one of their key players a new contract, and he is keen to stay due to the impact new manager Ange Postecoglou has made at the club, according to a recent report.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Although the January transfer window is still a long way off, Tottenham have already started to identify potential targets, and they are now eyeing a surprise move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, who has not made the best of starts in France.

However, Spurs will have to do battle for the Frenchman's signature with Arsenal and West Ham United, with their London rivals also being credited with an interest, and they may also have to fend off competition from elsewhere for Brentford's Ivan Toney.

Arsenal and Chelsea have also made it clear they are interested in signing the England international, who is prepared to leave the Bees soon, as he bids to make his return this winter, and Brentford would be willing to sanction his departure for a fee of £60m.

Not only are the Lilywhites keen on new attacking options in January, but they are also looking to tie down one of their key players to a new deal, with Football Insider reporting they are now ready to break their wage structure to offer fresh terms to Son Heung-Min.

Tottenham are set to activate the one-year extension in their captain's contract, prolonging his stay at the club until 2026, and they are then prepared to offer him a bumper new deal, which is likely to include a "huge" pay rise.

Son is now regarded as the main man at Spurs, after Harry Kane opted to move to Bayern Munich in the summer, and they are keen for him to extend his stay in north London, which he is more than happy to do.

The 31-year-old has been particularly impressed with Postecoglou since he arrived from Celtic back in the summer, and he is keen to be a part of the project the manager is implementing at the club, indicating he will be willing to put pen to paper on a new deal.

Is Son Heung-Min staying at Tottenham?

All the signs indicate the forward is willing to sign a new deal, which is very good news for Tottenham, especially considering he was made club captain in the summer, with Postecoglou praising his "leadership qualities."

Not only that, but the South Korea international has been fantastic for Spurs ever since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, and he has now reached the 150-goal mark, after a very impressive start to the Premier League season.

The former Leverkusen man has scored five goals in his opening six league games, most recently impressing against Arsenal in the North London Derby, in which he received an 8.6 Sofascore match rating, the highest of any player.

Having been lauded as "incredible" by members of the media, it is great news that Son is in line for a new deal, and Tottenham will be hoping he is willing to commit his long-term future to the club.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is looking at signing a new striker in the January transfer window, with a report revealing one of the main targets he has in mind…

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are already running the rule over potential targets ahead of the January transfer window, with it recently emerging they have set their sights on Real Sociedad's Igor Zubimendi, who could be brought in to refresh Arteta's midfield options.

Not only is a new midfielder of interest to the north Londoners, but they could also look at signing a new winger, and Club Brugge's Antonio Nusa has now been named as a target, with contact already being made by Arteta to discuss a deal.

However, a report from TEAMtalk has now revealed that Arsenal's priority in the January transfer window could be signing a new striker, depending on how the season is going, with Arteta keen on adding some more versatile players to his squad.

The manager already has Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah at his disposal in attack, but they are similar players, and Charles Watts believes a more physical option could be looked at in January or next summer.

Brentford's Ivan Toney is named as a potential target by Watts, who believes the Englishman could take the Gunners "to another level", with the journalist also highlighting Victor Osimhen as an option, as there has been interest in the Napoli striker for some time.

Talks have previously been held over a deal for the Nigerian, whose agent has been over at the training ground, and Watts has revealed he will still be on Arsenal's list of targets, simply because of how good he is.

However, there is likely to be fierce competition for the forward, as he is going to be at the top of pretty much every club's list, and he will command a huge fee, indicating that a deal may be difficult to orchestrate.

The 24-year-old is set to put pen to paper on a new contract with Napoli, but Watts believes there will be an agreement in the deal allowing him to leave if a certain fee is met.

How good is Victor Osimhen?

The Lagos-born striker played a vital role in Napoli's title-winning 2022-23 season, weighing in with 26 goals and five assists in 32 league games, while he also showcased his ability in the Champions League, scoring five in six matches.

Hailed as "world class" by members of the media, the Napoli star has made the perfect start to the current campaign, scoring three goals in as many games, and he ranks in the 99th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

It is still very early days in the Premier League season, but Manchester City have made a perfect start, winning their opening four games to cement their place at the top of the table.

As such, Arsenal may be in need of a signing to help bridge the gap in January, and Osimhen is a top-level striker, who could take them to the next level.

ESPNcricinfo understands that he is the same person who had allegedly made a corrupt approach on Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed in October 2017

Umar Farooq10-May-2018The ICC has charged a long-serving Sharjah Cricket Council (SCC) coach Irfan Ansari on three counts of breaching their anti-corruption code. Ansari, also a tournament organising committee member, was suspended from every position he holds in UAE cricket and has 14 days, from May 19, to respond to the charge sheet.ESPNcricinfo understands that he is the same person who had allegedly made a corrupt approach on Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed after the third ODI against Sri Lanka in October last year. The ICC had launched an investigation into the matter and, according to them, Ansari refused to cooperate with the Anti-Corruption Unit. In light of those failed meetings, in October 2017 and February 2018, the ICC felt compelled to charge him.”Ansari is party to the code through his position as a person who is affiliated to a team that participates in International Matches and the Coach of the One Stop Tourism and Multiplex international teams who participate in domestic matches in the UAE,” the ICC said in a statement. “He has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect after been charged with three counts of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.”An important voice in Sharjah cricket affairs, Ansari had been working alongside the SCC for the last three decades. He had been in charge of the Al Dhaid Cricket Village, where he mainly helped organise tournaments that take place in the city. He had been the head coach of the Sharjah Cricket Club until he was axed last year as part of a revamp, and had also been actively involved in Sharjah’s Ramzan tournaments.

Exactly one year after Shohei Ohtani played his final game with the Los Angeles Angels, he returned to his former home ballpark for the first time on Tuesday night as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While Angels fans' reactions in Anaheim may have been mixed, the Angels’ scoreboard operator left no doubt as to where he stood on the two-way star. During the Dodgers’ 6-2 win, he used quite the snarky line to describe Ohtani on the scoreboard.

“Used to work here.”

Just those four words. It was a picture-perfect moment to hang in the Louvre.

Though the scoreboard operator may have been feeling some type of way that night, the Angels did honor Ohtani with an emotional tribute video shared on social media.

Ohtani’s six-year career with the Angels may not have amounted to much playoff glory, but he definitely made his mark on an organization that was naturally sad to see him leave in free agency. During his time in Anaheim, which saw him win two AL MVPs and three All-Star nods, Ohtani racked up 171 home runs and 437 RBIs while also pitching to an impressive tune with a 3.01 ERA.