Taijul effects a run out and takes a wicket in final hour of day four

Ashish Pant18-May-2022Stumps If day three of the first Test in Chattogram belonged to Tamim Iqbal, the fourth day was all about Mushfiqur Rahim. Not only did he become the first Bangladesh batter to reach 5000 runs in Test cricket, his eighth century in the format also made sure Bangladesh stayed ahead in Chattogram at the end of day four.Mushfiqur’s 105, to go with Tamim Iqbal’s 133, and half-centuries from Litton Das and Mahmudul Hasan Joy helped Bangladesh declare their first innings on 465 for 9, and secure a lead of 68 runs in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 397.Dimuth Karunaratne and Oshada Fernando then started their second innings steadily before the latter was run out needlessly for 19. Lasith Embuldeniya, the nightwatchman, had a few nervy moments but did his job before being bowled off the final ball of the day by Taijul Islam. At stumps, Sri Lanka had reached 39 for 2, still trailing Bangladesh by 29 runs. Karunaratne was unbeaten on 18, and will be joined by Kusal Mendis, in all likelihood, tomorrow morning.The start of the day started was delayed by 30 minutes because of rain but once play resumed, it did not take long for Mushfiqur to reach the 5000-run mark. He began the day just 15 runs away from the landmark and breached the milestone with a deflection off his gloves down to fine leg shortly after the first drinks break. Adopting a cautious approach, Mushfiqur surged ahead and soon reached his century after lunch, his first in Test cricket in more than a year.Bangladesh resumed their day on 318 for 3, with Litton and Mushfiqur picking up from where they had left on the third evening. Both batters were cautious but made sure no wickets were lost as Bangladesh reached 385 for 3 at lunch. The Sri Lankan bowlers, much like the third evening, lacked the bite and could not get much out of the surface.However, the visitors came back well in the second session. Rajitha struck straight after lunch, first removing Litton before uprooting Tamim’s middle stump the very next ball. Litton, in particular, would be kicking himself for missing a third Test hundred after edging an innocuous short and wide first ball after lunch to the wicketkeeper. The ball to Tamim, though, was a good one. Coming back to bat after retiring hurt at tea on the third day, Tamim went for the expansive drive to a fuller delivery. However, Rajitha, bowling from around the wicket, got the ball to angle in and it crept between Tamim’s bat and pad to hit the middle stump.Shakib, having survived a close chance at short leg, was rattled by a bouncer barrage from Asitha Fernando. He was hit by the pacer on the helmet, and soon after was dismissed going for the pull shot for 26.Mushfiqur, meanwhile, held his own at the other end even as things started heating up in the middle. There were a few glares and words exchanged with Asitha, but the batter remained firm. He reached his century with a faint tickle off Asitha down the leg side and celebrated wildly.Mushfiqur’s 282-ball vigil finally ended after tea, when looking to play the sweep against Embuldeniya, he missed the line and found his stumps in a mess. Taijul Islam and Shoriful frustrated the Sri Lankans with a 26-run stand before Asitha sent Taijul back. Bangladesh declared their innings on 465 for 9 after Shoriful, struck on the hand by a bouncer, retired hurt.Sri Lanka toiled away and bowled well in patches, particularly in the middle session on both the third and fourth days. However, a couple of wicketless sessions cost them. Rajitha, who was not even part of the playing XI and came in as a concussion sub for Vishwa Fernando, was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 4 for 60.Sri Lanka started their second innings well with both Karunratne and Oshada looking comfortable. However, a direct hit at the bowler’s end from Taijul sent Oshada packing. Karunaratne also had an escape when he mistimed a drive back to Nayeem Hasan, but replays showed the ball had just fallen short of the bowler.Embuldeniya gave Karunaratne good support, but the surface started to show tricks late in the day with the odd-ball staying low. How Sri Lanka survive the final day remains to be seen.

Everything you need to know about Emil Forsberg's salary at New York Red Bulls

Swedish attacker Emil Forsberg joined MLS side New York Red Bulls in 2023, embarking on a new journey in the USA after spending eight seasons with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

For the Swede, it has been a move from one Red Bull club to another.

Forsberg is rewarded handsomely for his contributions at New York Red Bulls and is one of the top earners in the squad, but exactly how much does he earn playing in MLS?

GOAL delved into the numbers with the MLS salary guide and found out!

*

• Emil Forsberg's wages at New York Red Bulls in numbers

  Under his current contract at the New York Red Bulls, Forsberg earns $116,069 (£89,508) on a weekly basis.

  Meanwhile, his numbers annually scale up to $6.03 million (£4.65 m) making him the highest-earner at the club by quite some distance.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in USD	Weekly wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP
  Emil Forsberg	Swedish	$116,069	£89,508	$6,035,625	£4,653,255

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Top earners at New York Red Bulls

  As we saw, Forsberg sits comfortably at the top of the wage bill at the New York Red Bulls. Following him is Scottish winger Lewis Morgan at second place.

  Meanwhile, making the cut at number three is Felipe Carballo, followed by Kyle Duncan and Carlos Coronel at fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in USD	Weekly wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP
  Emil Forsberg	Swedish	$116,069	£89,508	$6,035,625	£4,653,255
  Lewis Morgan	Scottish	$26,562	£20,483	$1,381,250	£1,064,895
  Felipe Carballo	Uruguayan	$22,495	£17,347	$1,169,777	£90,1857
  Kyle Duncan	Paraguayan	$10,687	£8,241	$555,750	£428,463
  Carlos Coronel	USA	$10,570	£8,151	$549,649	£423,760

• Top 5 earners in MLS

  Forsberg is the only New York Red Bulls player to the top five when it comes to the highest-paid players across the league.

  The crown currently belongs to the Argentine icon Lionel Messi.

  Meanwhile, Insigne follows in second place, followed by another former Barcelona star in Sergio Busquets.

  Federico Bernardeschi appears at number four on the list, with Forsberg completing the top five.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages in USD	Weekly wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP
  Lionel Messi	Inter Miami	$393,205	£302,772	$20,446,667	£15,744,191
  Lorenzo Insigne	Toronto FC	$296,153	£228,042	$15,400,000	£11,858,194
  Sergio Busquets	Inter Miami	$168,749	£129,938	$8,774,996	£6,756,857
  Federico Bernardeschi	Toronto FC	$121,065	£93,221	$6,295,381	£4,847,522
  Emil Forsberg	New York Red Bulls	$116,070	£89,540	$6,035,625	£4,660,000

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Highest paid players in the world

  Although MLS players earn substantial wages, their salaries appear modest compared to the world's top earners, with none making the top five list.

  At the top is the ageless Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. In second place is Al Ittihad's Karim Benzema, while Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli secures the third spot.

  Meanwhile, Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly round off the list at third and fourth position, repectively.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages USD	Weekly wages GBP	Annual wages USD	Annual wages GBP
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	$4,166,513	£3,224,935	$215,658,680	£167,696,622
  Karim Benzema	Al Ittihad	$2,083,257	£1,612,468	$108,329,340	£83,848,311
  Riyad Mahrez	Al Ahli	$1,087,460	£841,708	$56,547,915	£43,768,818
  Sadio Mane	Al Nassr	$833,033	£644,987	$43,331,736	£33,539,324
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Al Hilal	$722,890	£559,526	$37,590,281	£29,095,364

“Kohli is central to many of their batting plans as they go later and deeper in the tournament,” says Ian Bishop

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-20222:10

Bishop: Kohli is central to all of RCB’s batting plans

Virat Kohli has been moved to the opening slot by Royal Challengers Bangalore, at least for the Tuesday-night game against Rajasthan Royals. He will open alongside captain Faf du Plessis. And Daniel Vettori, head coach to captain Kohli at the franchise between 2014 and 2018, expects the plan to work, saying that the two “are equals”, and that might free Kohli up to get back among the runs.”I think Virat’s a contemporary [of du Plessis], and someone who is probably on the same level as him,” Vettori said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out. “[With du Plessis as his partner], the focus is not just on Kohli to do the job, and possibly at times he has felt like that – that he has to be the be-all and end-all in that opening partnership. But I think they are equals.”Faf’s record is amazing – he’s captain, [and] the predominant leader – so those two coming together with that mutual respect will take that pressure off Kohli, and hopefully we’ll see him at his aggressive best. Because that’s what everyone wants to see – him be aggressive because that’s when he is at his best.”Kohli was slotted in at No. 3 in all his eight innings this IPL season, and scored just 119 runs at an average of 17. This, despite scoring 41* to start off the tournament, against Punjab Kings, as well as getting 48 against Mumbai Indians. Four out of his seven dismissals have been in single digits, with back-to-back golden ducks in his last two innings.”I am hoping he can make a better fist of it; because if he can’t make a fist of this, they’re in real, real trouble,” Ian Bishop said on the same programme, “because Kohli is central to many of their batting plans as they go later and deeper in the tournament. So they need him in the team, and need him in form.”Kohli opened for Royal Challengers in all 15 innings last season, and his 405 runs came at an average of just under 29 – a stark contrast to him accumulating 973 runs as opener in 2016, including bashing four centuries and striking at 152.

It just has not been Arsenal’s season this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side were handed a nightmare set of fixtures to kick off the Premier League campaign. Then, they had to deal with several suspensions, only for club captain Martin Odegaard to miss almost two months of football due to an injury picked up on international duty.

Once the Norwegian returned, the North Londoners looked back to their best, but back-to-back draws in the league against Fulham and Everton once again prevented the team from gaining any momentum.

Finally, to round it all off, the Gunners’ poster boy and undoubtedly most important player, Bukayo Saka, is now set to miss “many weeks” of action after suffering a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace on the weekend.

It would be fair to say that, at the moment, without their talismanic winger, Arsenal’s prospect of finally winning the title seems a million miles away.

However, the transfer window is set to open next month, and the club have already been linked with a player this year who could be the perfect solution to their current problem.

Arsenal's internal solutions

So, before we get to the player Arsenal could sign next month to solve the issue of Saka’s absence, it’s worth looking at the possible solutions within the squad, and for our money, two seem the most likely.

The first is what we saw following the Englishman’s substitution on Saturday: Gabriel Martinelli playing off the right.

The former Ituano gem hasn’t been at his best this season, but when playing off the opposite flank at Selhurst Park, he looked genuinely dangerous for the first time in a while and managed to put away the chance Gabriel Jesus missed in the second half.

However, as the 23-year-old is naturally right-footed, that could change how that side of the pitch operates, so another option Arteta could take is starting the left-footed Ethan Nwaneri there.

The 17-year-old is widely considered to be one of the most exciting prospects in the league at the moment, and while the manager would probably prefer to ease him into the side more carefully, this crisis could be the perfect opportunity for him to establish himself as an important player in the first team.

Moreover, while he has primarily played in midfield for the first team this season, he has some experience playing out wide from his time in the youth sides.

With all that said, neither of these options is ideal, so what the club could, and probably should, do instead is sign someone next month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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More specifically, they should sign a star they’ve already been linked to.

The star Arsenal should sign

So, to get straight to the point, the player Arsenal should be looking to sign next month is Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.

The good news for fans is that the club have been consistently linked with the former Everton man since the summer.

However, it would likely be an expensive deal, as some reports suggest the Serie A side would demand around €70m for their man, which converts to about £58m.

Now, that is undoubtedly a lot of money to spend on a player in January, but based on his form for the Bergamo outfit over the last few years, it would be more than worth it.

For example, in just 45 appearances last season, the Nigerian international, whom former professional Nedum Onuoha dubbed “one of the hottest prospects in European football,” scored 17 goals – three of which came in the Europa League Final – and provided ten assists.

This season has been just as spectacular for the 27-year-old.

In just 20 appearances, he has already scored 12 goals and provided five assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.17 games.

Lookman’s recent form

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

45

20

Goals

17

12

Assists

10

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

0.85

All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of being a lethal attacker, the Wandswaorth-born dynamo is also incredibly versatile.

Therefore, he could easily step into Saka’s role on the right while the Hale End icon is out injured and then provide competition for the entire frontline when he’s back.

Ultimately, while there is no perfect solution to losing your best player, signing Lookman next month would be about as close as Arsenal could get.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 23, 2024

خاض فريق توتنهام، مساء يوم الإثنين، مباراة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2024/25، وذلك ضد خصمه فريق نوتينجهام فورست.

واستضاف ملعب “توتنهام هوتسبير” مباراة الفريقين في ختام منافسات الجولة الثالثة والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز نوتينجهام بهدفين لهدف.

🟣🎥 تقرير خاص | في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ارتقى نوتنغهام فورست إلى المركز الثالث بعد فوزه على مضيفه توتنهام هوتسبير
🎙️تقرير | خالد سويدان @alsuwaidan73 pic.twitter.com/2wzGFgA1Wj — beIN SPORTS الإخبارية (@beINSPORTSNews) April 21, 2025

تقدم نوتينجهام فورست بهدف بعد مرور 5 دقائق من بداية الشوط الأول، والذي سجله اللاعب إليوت أندرسون.

وفي الدقيقة 16، تمكن كريس وود من تسجيل الهدف الثاني لصالح نوتينجهام فورست، لتزداد معاناة توتنهام هذا الموسم.

ونجح توتنهام في تقليص الفارق في الدقيقة 87 بعدما سجل اللاعب ريتشارليسون هدفًا، ولكن ذلك لم يكن كافيًا في النهاية، لتذهب النقاط كاملة إلى نوتينجهام.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد نوتينجهام فورست إلى 60 نقطة في المركز الثالث، ليتراجع مانشستر سيتي من جديد إلى المركز الخامس.

في حين تجمد رصيد توتنهام عند 37 نقطة في المركز السادس عشر في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي لهذا الموسم.

ويخوض توتنهام مباراة صعبة يوم الأحد المقبل على ملعب “الأنفيلد” ضد ليفربول في الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين من البطولة.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Série B começa para o Bahia no próximo fim de semana e um dos últimos reforços apresentados pela diretoria foi o goleiro César.

Após ficar anos sem uma chance de titularidade no Flamengo, ele desembarca em Salvador repleto de esperanças e mostrou uma personalidade forte durante a apresentação.

‘Eu nunca me conformei com a reserva. Existe uma coisa que é respeito e a minha obrigação como funcionário, como profissional de futebol. Eu tenho os meus objetivos, sempre estar preparado para jogar. E sempre que fui solicitado, graças a Deus, a gente conseguiu fazer bons trabalhos. Então esse é o meu objetivo. Nem sempre consigo ter uma sequência grande, é um só que joga. E tem diversos goleiros que disputam esse lugar. O que eu posso dizer é que estou sempre fazendo tudo meu possível e estou à disposição para sempre estar evoluindo, crescendo, para que eu possa dar o melhor dentro de campo e, quando for a minha vez de estar ali, poder representar bem o Bahia’, afirmou.

Vale citar, que no Bahia, César terá a concorrência de Danilo Fernandes, que foi titular do Tricolor nos últimos tempos.

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Liverpool have now made contact over a potential move to sign a new attacker in 2025 as they look to bolster their ranks under Arne Slot and continue their epic start to life under the ex-Feyenoord man.

Liverpool have a Mo Salah problem

Currently leading the Premier League goalscoring charts and with the second most assists in the division behind only Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah is enjoying another phenomenal season at Anfield.

The Egyptian’s form is the key to Liverpool’s early season success, with the Reds two points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand, and already qualified for the next stage of the Champions League thanks to six wins from six games, a feat that no one else can match.

Of their 31 Premier League goals, Salah has contributed to 22, meaning a mammoth 71% of his side’s goals are either scored or assisted by the winger. Though an impressive figure, he will need more support from players across the Reds frontline across the remainder of the campaign should Slot bring silverware back to Anfield in his first season, with only Luis Diaz having managed more than three goals besides Salah in the Liverpool squad.

Player

Appearances

Goals

Assists

% of goals involved in

Mohamed Salah

15

13

9

71%

Luis Diaz

15

5

2

23%

Diogo Jota

8

3

2

16%

Cody Gakpo

15

3

1

13%

Darwin Núñez

12

2

2

13%

Federico Chiesa

1

0

0

0

Even if Salah is to agree a new contract, something that is reportedly increasingly likely, the Reds will need to find a way to take some of the goalscoring and creating burden off him in the months to come, and could turn to the transfer market to do so.

Liverpool in contact for in-form forward

Now, a fresh report from Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that Liverpool have made contact with Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, possibly in a move as early as the January transfer window, as the Nigerian, previously of Everton, continues to impress in Serie A.

Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in the final to win the Europa League for La Dea last May, has managed eight goals and four assists in Serie A so far this season, as well as three goals and an assist in five Champions League outings, contributing to a goal or an assist roughly every 65 minutes as he helps spearhead Atalanta’s title charge.

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Despite this form, however, Atalanta are reportedly happy for Lookman to leave and have told him that should a suitable offer come in they will not stand in the way of his departure. The former Everton man, who made 48 appearances for the Toffees, has been on the radar of clubs around Europe since last summer, but is keen to return to England, the report adds, and to that end, the Reds are one of several Premier League sides who “have already contacted his entourage” about a potential move.

It is added that the club “will not discuss” any offers below €50m (£41m) which could prove an obstacle to any potential transfer, while Liverpool’s current stable of forwards would likely need to be rebalanced to allow for Lookman’s arrival.

The move may be one that waits until the summer then, but with Lookman’s deal in Bergamo expiring in 2026, a departure seems likely in the near future, and Liverpool have thrown their hat into the ring for the ex-Everton man.

Aston Villa sent scouts to watch a 19-year-old midfielder in action last week, according to a recent report. The Villans’ poor run of form continued over the weekend, as they were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea, making it eight games in all competitions without a win. Three defeats in their last four Premier League games have seen Unai Emery’s side fall down the table, and given their expectations, it could mean they are in for a busy January.

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Emery could have a vital advantage…

ByTom Cunningham Dec 2, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news

Emery will be keen to stop this poor run of form as soon as possible, but with the January transfer window on the horizon, he will have his eye on one or two additions to freshen up his team. One player Villa may now be interested in signing is Milos Kerkez from AFC Bournemouth.

The left-back has been an impressive performer for the Cherries and could now be open to a move away from the club, as they value the defender at £40 million. Kerkez is not short of interest, as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Villa are all interested in securing his services. As well as looking at Kerkez, Villa have also made an enquiry over the signing of Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven.

The USA international has made a fantastic start to this season, and already there have been several enquiries made over a possible winter transfer. The transfer news doesn’t stop there for Villa, as club scouts have been in place to watch a young midfielder in the last week.

Villa scouts watch 19 y/o being tracked by nearly 30 clubs

According to journalist Alan Nixon, relayed by Inside Futbol, Aston Villa sent scouts to watch Reims midfielder Valentin Atangana in action. The 19-year-old has been at Reims for his entire career, playing for their under-17s, under-19s and B team before moving into the first team in July 2023.

Atangana played 15 times for the French side last season in Ligue 1, following seven appearances in the league during the 2022/23 campaign. Despite the midfielder not scoring for Reims or registering an assist, he has been catching the eye of teams across Europe with his performances.

The report states that Villa had scouts in place last week to watch Atangana, but they were not the only English club tracking the young player, as Tottenham, Brentford, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United also had scouts in attendance at the game.

Apps

13

Minutes per game

85

Shots per game

0.8

Touches

48.8

Key passes per game

0.4

Accurate passes per game

31.9 (90%)

Interceptions per game

1.2

Tackles per game

1.9

They were joined by Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, who also had representatives present, as no fewer than 26 teams have been tracking the teenager.

Atangana is under contract at the French side until 2027, meaning as 2025 closes in, some of these teams could look to test Reims’ resolve. Signing Atangana would add another midfielder option to Emery’s team, and his youthful, energetic style could be ideal for the Premier League side as they try to get back on top.

Arsenal today are practically unrecognizable from the team Unai Emery left Mikel Arteta in December 2019.

The Aston Villa manager was tasked with leading the Gunners into a post-Arsene Wenger world in the summer of 2018, and while he got some things right, he got more things wrong.

The team was poor in attack, even worse in defence and looked like they were sleep-walking into a bottom-half finish in the Premier League when he was eventually given the sack.

PL table when Emery was sacked
#	Team	Played	GD	Points
1	Liverpool	13	19	37
2	Leicester City	13	23	29
3	Man City	13	23	28
4	Chelsea	13	9	26
5	Wolves	13	2	19
6	Sheffield Utd	13	4	18
7	Burnley	13	-1	18
8	Arsenal	13	-1	18
9	Man Utd	13	4	17
10	Tottenham	13	2	17
11	Bournemouth	13	-1	16
12	Brighton	13	-4	15
13	Crystal Palace	13	-7	15
14	Newcastle	13	-9	15
15	Aston Villa	13	-1	14
16	Everton	13	-7	14
17	West Ham	13	-7	13
18	Norwich	13	-15	10
19	Southampton	13	-18	9
20	Watford	13	-18	8
Via the Standard

However, for all the dreadful performances and confusing decisions he made in North London, the Spaniard was responsible for a few great signings, including one whose valuation has exploded since.

Emery's smart signings

Before we get to the player in question, let’s look at a couple of other intelligent acquisitions made by Emery, starting with one who’s no longer at the club but made a good account of himself during his time at the Emirates: Bernd Leno.

The German goal-keeper joined the Gunners in June 2018 for a fee of around £19m, and while he wasn’t necessarily a household name at the time, he quickly proved his worth for the North Londoners, with his brilliant shot-stopping.

Over the following three seasons, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace made 117 appearances for the Gunners, in which he kept an impressive 34 clean sheets for a team that were far less solid at the back.

However, the 32-year-old was limited to just eight appearances in the 21/22 campaign due to the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale and was eventually sold to Fulham in August 2022 for around £8m, where he has been an unequivocal success and has already amassed 91 appearances, in which he’s kept 20 clean sheets.

Another of Emery’s brilliant signings during his time at the Emirates came in the summer of 2019, when the club splashed £6m on an unknown teenager from Brazil named Gabriel Martinelli.

The now 23-year-old has struggled at points during his time with the Gunners, notably last season, as a drop in output from the campaign prior led to questions over his place in the team, questions which some may still hold today.

However, the fact he’s racked up an impressive tally of 45 goals and 27 assists in 192 appearances for the club, 135 of which have been starts, makes it impossible to describe his transfer as anything other than a roaring success, especially when you take into account the minuscule transfer fee he initially cost the club.

Martinelli’s Arsenal record
Appearances	192
Starts	135
Minutes	11,867′
Goals	45
Assists	27
Goal Involvements per Match	0.37
Minutes per Goal Involvement	164.81′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

With that said, there was another teenager signed in the same summer, and it would be fair to say he’s been an even bigger success than the Brazilian, as evidenced by his enormous valuation.

Emery's best signing at Arsenal

With it now somewhat narrowed down, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the player in question is none other than centre-back extraordinaire William Saliba.

The French international joined Arsenal in a £27m deal from Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne in July 2019, although he wouldn’t play for Emery. In fact, he wouldn’t play a competitive game for the Gunners until the 22/23 season.

This was because he was sent back to Saint-Étienne on loan for the 19/20 season, and then Arteta opted to send him on loan to OGC Nice and Marseille for the subsequent seasons, leading some to question whether the Bondy-born ace even had a future in North London at all.

Fortunately, the club took no notice of such speculation and finally incorporated him into the team for the 22/23 season, and lo and behold, the highly-rated defender picked up the Man of the Match award on his first start for the club on the opening day of the Premier League season, away to Crystal Palace.

From that point onwards, the 6 foot 4 “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been indispensable for the Gunners.

Saliba’s Arsenal career
Season	22/23	23/24	24/25
Appearances	33	50	18
Goals	3	2	0
Assists	1	1	0
Points per Game	2.12	2.18	2.06
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In fact, the only time he’s been out of the team has been when he picked up an unfortunate back injury against Sporting CP in March 2023, which is often pinpointed as the moment the club’s surprise title challenge fell apart that season, highlighting just how crucial he is.

In all, the “world-class” defender, as dubbed by Fabrizio Romano, has made 101 appearances for Arsenal, in which he’s scored five goals, provided two assists and been named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2023 and 2024, validating U23 scout Antonio Mango’s assertion that he’s “one of the best in the world.”

Unsurprisingly, such a rise has seen his valuation skyrocket, and according to the CIES Football Observatory, he’s now worth a whopping €106m, which converts to around £88m, which represents a massive increase of around 225% from the price he initially cost Arsenal in 2019.

Ultimately, while Emery got a lot of things wrong during his year and a bit in North London, signing Saliba was not one of them, and fans should still be thankful he pulled the trigger on that transfer when he did, as they now have one of the very best defenders in the world in their team.

He's outscoring Saka in PL: Arsenal want "super" Havertz rival in £40m star

The incredible talent would make Arsenal’s squad so much better.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 29, 2024

Royal Challengers Bangalore halted a run of three consecutive defeats to boost their play-offs hope thanks to a scrappy win against Chennai Super Kings in Pune, iced by a death-bowling masterclass from Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel.Super Kings needed 56 runs off 30 balls with six wickets in hand when the final strategic timeout was taken in their run chase but then lost their way, losing three wickets for 25 runs across the next five overs. Harshal was hit for two sixes in the final over to close the margin of defeat but in dismissing Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja, he had already won the game for them.Royal Challengers had scrapped their way to 173 for 8 after being asked to bat first, as five batters passed 20 but Mahipal Lomror top-scored with 42 off 27 balls. They had started brightly, with their highest opening stand and highest powerplay total of the season, but floundered against spin in the middle overs.Lomror’s 44-run stand with Rajat Patidar kept them ticking before Maheesh Theekshana struck three times in the 19th over, but Dinesh Karthik took 16 runs from the final over to take them to a defendable total.Super Kings are mathematically still in contention for the play-offs but will need a miracle after seven defeats in their first ten games, while this result sees Royal Challengers return to the play-off positions for the time being – though with a poor net run-rate and having played a game more than their nearest contenders, they will need to finish the group stages strongly.Royal Challengers lose their wayFaf du Plessis and Virat Kohli made a nervy start, both picking up streaky boundaries via the edge of the bat as MS Dhoni used his seamers with the new ball, but then pushed on: Kohli launched Simarjeet Singh for six over the covers, while du Plessis cashed in against Mukesh Choudhary, taking 18 runs from his third over.But as has often been the case this season, they struggled against spin with the fingerspinners finding some grip from a good length: du Plessis holed out to deep midwicket off Moeen, while Kohli’s own struggles with the bat continued.After calling Glenn Maxwell through for a single that was never there and seeing him run out by Robin Uthappa, he was bowled through the gate by a sharply-spun offbreak from Moeen for a scratchy 30 off 33 balls. From 51 for 0 after five overs, Royal Challengers had stuttered to 79 for 3 after 10.Lomror, Karthik lead rebuildLomror was promoted to No. 4 after a cameo finishing the innings at No. 7 against Gujarat Titans and started brightly, hitting Moeen back over his head for four and slog-sweeping Theekshana for six after knocking the ball around alongside Patidar. Choudhary’s brilliant catch at deep square leg brought in Karthik with 4.5 overs remaining, but Dhoni had planned accordingly.Clearly conscious of Karthik’s strength against pace and relative weakness against spin – as well as his seamers’ inexperience at the death – Dhoni held Theekshana’s final two overs back for the 17th and 19th. He conceded only eight runs – six of them scored by Karthik, off seven balls – and struck three times in his final over, removing Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed.But Lomror had hit Pretorius for four and six – and been dropped by Jadeja – in the 18th to keep the scoreboard moving and after surviving an incredibly tight review for lbw off the first ball of the final over, Karthik whacked him over deep midwicket twice to take Royal Challengers to 173.Devon Conway raises his bat to celebrate his half-century against RCB•BCCI

Conway’s cruiseDropped one innings into his IPL career, Devon Conway marked his return to the side with 85 not out against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday and made it back-to-back half-centuries on Wednesday night with a fluent 56. He started brightly, reverse-sweeping then sweeping Shahbaz for fours in the first over of the chase, and put on 51 for the first wicket alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad.As Royal Challengers had done, Super Kings lost their way through the middle overs against spin, and Maxwell in particular who bowled four tight overs and removed both Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu, cramping them for room from around the wicket. But with Conway there and the required rate intact, Super Kings were always in the game.Hazlewood, Harshal finish the jobdu Plessis held Harshal back until the 13th over, then ensured he would bowl three of the last five by throwing the ball to Hasaranga for the 15th. He had been expensive, hit for three sixes in his first two overs, but du Plessis’ gamble paid off: Hasaranga went full, but Conway could not clear Shahbaz at deep backward square leg.Moeen looked as though he had found his rhythm when he lofted Hasaranga’s final ball down the ground for six, but Super Kings capitulated after the time-out. Bowling his variations from around the wicket, Harshal had Jadeja well caught by Kohli off a skier and Moeen pouched at extra cover, the ball after swiping him for six over the leg side.When Hazlewood had Dhoni caught at deep midwicket with the first ball of the 19th over, the game was effectively over and his four overs had been crucial: he went for only 19 runs, bowling his hard lengths in the powerplay and at the death; Pretorius’ top-edged pull off his penultimate ball was the only boundary he conceded.