Only 20.2 overs required for home side to chase down meagre target

ECB Reporters' Network01-Aug-2021

Luke Fletcher’s four-for set up a big win for Notts•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire advanced their Royal London Cup ambitions in ruthless style, cruising past Leicestershire by seven wickets with almost 30 overs to balls to spare in front of an appreciative audience at Welbeck Cricket Club.Skipper Peter Trego hit two sixes off pace bowler Chris Wright in his 31-ball 39, Ben Slater picked up six boundaries in his 38 and the young South African batter Matthew Montgomery made 27 not out, reaching a target of 145 in 20.2 overs.Earlier, Luke Fletcher had taken 4 for 30 and Dane Paterson 3 for 25 as Leicestershire were bowled out in 43.1 overs, 16-year-old legspinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed top-scoring with 35 not out, the highest score of a fledgling senior career, as he and Ben Mike shared a 70-run stand for the eighth wicket.In overcast conditions after Nottinghamshire had won the toss, Fletcher had Rishi Patel edging to second slip and nipped one back to bowl Harry Swindells in his first three overs, as well as having Lewis Hill dropped at second slip before he had scored.Fletcher removed Marcus Harris, the Australian left-hander nicking behind for 16, and Hill had another escape a couple of balls later as a miscued pull fell just out of the reach of midwicket.Paterson dismissed George Rhodes via a low catch to second slip before Fletcher, who ultimately bowled through for his full 10 overs, picked up his fourth wicket as an Arron Lilley prod outside off lodged in the gloves of the wicketkeeper. When Louis Kimber edged Paterson to first slip, Leicestershire were 53 for 6 in the 18th, which became 68 for 7 as Hill departed for 25, a third victim for ‘keeper Dane Schadendorf a day after his 19th birthday.Ahmed and Mike fought back, adding 70 for the eighth wicket with the teenager looking entirely unfazed in only his third senior game, but once Mike had been caught on the midwicket boundary, Slater parrying the ball into the air before ensuring his feet were the right side of the rope as he took the catch, the innings ended quickly, Ed Barnes playing across one from Trego before Chris Wright was caught behind.Sol Budinger set the tone for the Outlaws chase by smashing three of his first 11 balls for four before edging behind as he went for another expansive drive, with Slater and Trego soon rattling along at a similar pace as the Powerplay overs yielded 62 for 1 compared with the Foxes’ 21 for 2.Trego pulled Wright for six and picked up another maximum from a steepling top edge and though both fell to quick succession, the double breakthrough won merely a stay of execution for Leicestershire before Montgomery and Lyndon James added 48 runs in 39 balls to finish the job.After Trego feathered a catch behind shaping to cut Ahmed’s legspin, Slater perished in similar fashion to Mike, having timed the ball superbly until then. Remarkably, it was the first time in seven completed innings in List A matches for Nottinghamshire that he had failed to pass fifty.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou sees no long-term future for a "quality player" in his squad, and his levels are said to have "significantly" dropped behind the scenes.

Tottenham vs Arsenal – team news and injury updates

Spurs supporters will be anxiously waiting for Postecoglou's official team sheet ahead of their looming North London Derby on Sunday, with the Lilywhites set to host cross-city rivals Arsenal in a mouth-watering clash right after the international break.

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Both teams come into the contest on a similar run of form, with Tottenham winning one, drawing one and losing one of their opening three Premier League games so far. An opening weekend draw away to Leicester City was followed by a dominant 4-0 win over Everton, but Newcastle continued to be an unhappy stomping ground for Spurs, with the Magpies inflicting a 2-1 defeat on Postecoglou's men at St. James' Park.

Arsenal were dealt their first dropped points of the new campaign a fortnight ago, drawing 1-1 with Brighton at the Emirates, which will encourage Postecoglou – alongside Mikel Arteta's array of absentees this weekend.

Timo Werner

RB Leipzig (loan)

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth

Archie Gray

Leeds

Wilson Odobert

Burnley

Lucas Bergvall

Djurgarden

Min-hyeok Yang

Gangwon FC

Declan Rice won't be involved through suspension, while Arsenal summer signing Mikel Merino is also set to miss their trip to Tottenham after picking up a shoulder injury in training. Gunners captain Martin Odegaard could be sidelined for the next four weeks with an ankle injury too, so he won't be playing any part in north London.

For Spurs, there is optimism that Postecoglou could have a near-fully fit squad at his disposal. Star defender Micky van de Ven, summer signing Dominic Solanke and Richarlison missed their loss to Newcastle, but at least two of the aforementioned men could feature against Arsenal.

Postecoglou stated before their trip to the North East that Richarlison could be out for weeks after a training injury, but both van de Ven and Solanke may return for Spurs this weekend. However, there is a worry surrounding midfielder Yves Bissouma.

Bissouma was hauled off injured in midweek, during Mali's 1-0 win over Eswatini, and some reports suggest he could be a doubt to face Arsenal, depending on the severity of his issue.

Postecoglou could freeze Sergio Reguilion out at Tottenham

There is also a debate whether Postecoglou will call upon Sergio Reguilon for his matchday squad, with the Spaniard yet to feature this season after failing to seal a summer move.

The left-back, reported to be on around £120,000-per-week, could still seal a move to Turkey with their transfer window open at the time of writing, but he is running out of time.

GiveMeSport claim that Postecoglou sees no long-term future for Reguilon at Tottenham, and it is believed that the 27-year-old's levels have "significantly" dropped behind the scenes, which won't do him any favours.

Jose Mourinho's Fenerbache are reportedly interested in Reguilon, coming after the Portuguese originally brought him to Spurs from Real Madrid in 2020, but it is unclear whether the former Sevilla starlet will get a Süper Lig lifeline so late in their window.

Called a "quality player" by former Leeds striker Noel Whelan, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Reguilon, and whether a move could open up for him in January instead.

Manchester United have endured a very difficult few weeks, with Erik ten Hag’s side suffering some embarrassing results in the process.

The Red Devils have failed to win any of their last four matches in all competitions in a run that has included one defeat and three draws.

Whilst on the face of it, the run may not seem as awful as many have made out, the club have thrown away victories against FC Twente and Porto in the Europa League after leading in both encounters.

The defeat against Tottenham Hotspur was a real blow, with Ten Hag’s side being outclassed by Ange Postecoglou’s men at Old Trafford – sending them to their third league defeat already in 2024/25.

One player in particular was disappointing during the defeat, whilst also producing a just as embarrassing display in the Europa League earlier this week.

Bruno Fernandes’ stats against Porto

After his sending off against Spurs last weekend, midfielder Bruno Fernandes went into the meeting in his home nation with a point to prove and make up for his dismissal at Old Trafford.

Whilst his red card was rescinded after a review by the Premier League’s panel, it would’ve undoubtedly been playing in the back of his mind for the clash in the Europa League.

However, in a game of redemption, Fernandes failed to make a positive impression for Ten Hag’s side – often looking clumsy and wasteful in possession.

The 30-year-old managed 67 touches during the draw, losing six duels and losing possession ten times – as he failed to turn the game in the Red Devils’ favour.

His misery was compounded late on, receiving a second yellow card for a high boot – with Fernandes seeing red for the second time in as many fixtures.

It’s safe to say that his actions in recent games aren’t those of a club captain, with his leadership role potentially coming into question, which could allow one player to take the reins in the near future.

The man who could replace Fernandes as United’s captain

Andre Onana endured a tricky first few months at Old Trafford, bringing his addition into question after the club forked out £47m for his signature last summer.

Pundit Chris Sutton was among those firing criticism the way of the former Inter Milan star last autumn, suggesting that he was a “downgrade” on his predecessor, David De Gea. By the goalkeeper’s own admission, it took him six months to “feel good” in Manchester.

However, he’s rapidly turned his fortunes around, producing numerous moments of magic so far this campaign, which includes a brilliant penalty save away at Southampton and a tremendous double save against Crystal Palace which secured Ten Hag’s side a vital point.

Whilst the defence admittedly hasn’t been up to the standards required so far this season, he has the “leadership” qualities and the “presence” that are required of someone to lead the club out of the current tricky period – as previously hailed by pundit Shaka Hislop.

His subsequent personal displays led to Statman Dave dubbing the shot-stopper as United’s “most important player” so far this season, with his performances saving United on many occasions.

Andre Onana’s PL stats for Manchester United (2024/25)

Statistics

Tally

Games played

6

Saves

18

Goals prevented

2.9

Clean sheets

3

Penalties saved

1

Pass accuracy

81%

Errors leading to goals

0

Stats via FotMob

Given Fernandes’ recent lack of leadership with his back-to-back dismissals, his position as captain must surely come into question, with his careless nature in certain situations restricting the club from emerging out of their current rut.

Onana would be an excellent choice to take over the armband, demonstrating all the qualities the Portuguese international lacks in that department, potentially handing him the added confidence boost and helping the backline transform their recent fortunes.

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West Bromwich Albion have come out the other side of a frantic summer transfer window reinvigorated and eager to win promotion back up to the Premier League, as Carlos Corberan’s side currently sitting top of the early Championship standings.

It was an off-season of much upheaval – as first-team stalwarts such as Brandon Thomas-Asante, Conor Townsend and Okay Yokuslu all departed to name a few – but the Baggies don’t look too damaged for it at the moment, with no defeats next to their name from six league clashes to date.

West Brom would have been hurting when this former star walked away from the Hawthorns in 2021 too, after a whirlwind couple of seasons saw this exciting attacker become a firm fan’s favourite.

Pereira's time at West Brom

Pereira would constantly get fans out of their seats when donning a Baggies strip over two seasons, with his heroics during the 2019/20 campaign helping West Brom win promotion up to the Premier League.

The Brazilian trickster would amass a ridiculous eight goals and 20 assists across that full campaign, as then Baggies boss Slaven Bilic must have been so relieved to have such a creative machine in Pereira in his ranks toying with second-tier defences for fun.

His powers wouldn’t wane when making the gigantic step-up to the top-flight either, with the now 28-year-old midfielder picking up 12 goals and six assists in all competitions, before sealing a move away from the Hawthorns after the club were immediately sent back down to the second tier.

He was even labelled as “unbelievable” by one of his former coaches in Nate Weiss around this time, who helped to oversee his development at 1. FC Nürnberg, before he exploded into life in England.

Pereira upping and leaving must have been extremely disappointing news to take at the time, with the exciting midfielder swapping West Brom – where he had become a beloved favourite – for pastures new in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, who must have been offering the South American star a hefty wage increase.

The Middle East outfit also secured Pereira’s services for a reported £16m fee, which might have been seen as a low amount in 2021 considering the fact the former Baggies number 12 was just fresh off a top personal season in the Premier League, even as his side succumbed to relegation.

Now, however, West Brom will be glad that they did decide to cash in when they did, with Pereira’s valuation plummeting to way below that £16m in 2024.

Pereira's value in 2024

According to Football Transfers, the 28-year-old’s value now comes in at a lesser £2m, compared to his once grand £16m price-tag.

Of course, Pereira has aged since his days at the Hawthorns, but he did still find his time with Al-Hilal rather troubling after his electric stint in England, with only three goals picked up from 42 games playing for the Saudi club, before he moved back to his native Brazil this year after an initial loan spell with Cruzeiro.

Date

Transfer value

September 2024

£2m

August 2023

£2.6m

November 2022

£4.5m

August 2021

£16m

Sourced by Football Transfers

Even with his form picking up playing in Brazil, with ten goals and 14 assists registered so far playing for Cruzeiro, that hasn’t stopped Pereira’s value falling to a low £2m.

It’s a far cry away from Pereira at his Baggies peak, with the likes of West Ham United and Aston Villa once sniffing around for the standout West Brom man, who is now been largely forgotten about.

This tale might well have been different for the Brazilian if he stayed put at West Brom past those two electric campaigns, but the Baggies won’t be too bogged down by their former star’s struggles, as they aim to return to the top division come the end of the season where Pereira once shone.

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ByKelan Sarson Sep 24, 2024

Lionesses and Arsenal star Leah Williamson has admitted that she wants to fight for every ball even when she watches the men's team play.

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Williamson talks about the north London derby Wants to fight for every ball when watching men's team playHopes that the Arsenal men's team can win trophiesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Williamson grew up in London supporting Arsenal through her childhood before joining the Gunners' youth system in 2006. The Lionesses captain has stayed with the North London side growing into the player she is now. She keeps up her Gunner spirit still and even makes trips to the Emirates Stadium for the men's team's matches, where she talked to TNT Sports about the men's team and the famed North London derby.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT WILLIAMSON SAID

Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, Williamson said: "Watching the North London Derby. I've got a split household Spurs and Arsenal. So it was quite feisty when I was younger but I just remember coming with my grandma, my mum to the Emirates every chance and obviously this fixture was one that we'd always want."

When asked how optimistic she is for the rest of the season: "You know what's happened here over the last couple of years? The whole club? It's been great. It's been great to be a part of as a player and a member of staff but also as a fan as well. And I think that this year it's not been the easiest but I hope there is silverware for Arsenal. I think we need that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

When asked if the men's team's lack of form affected her and the women's team. She answered: "Yeah, I mean it doesn't affect us on the pitch. We got our own job to do. But I think as an Arsenal fan and a lot of the girls and you know what it's like, you play for a club and you adopt the role of a fan anyway.

"So I think that everybody's, everybody wants it to turn around and a lot of the girls are here tonight to support the boys as well. So yeah, as a whole club we want to turn it around. Yeah."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMSON?

The Lionesses captain is well known for her passionate playing style and Williamson admitted she felt the same way when watching the men's team play.

"Yeah, no, I, I'd say when I was younger like I said, I got an early taste of what this fixture was, but even just coming to watch the boys anyway, it's a tough watch for me because you almost want to kick every ball with, but I'm not the best person to sit next to, so I will try and keep my head."

He had recently taken up the Afghanistan batting coach role but backed out following the Taliban’s takeover of the country

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Sep-2021Former Sri Lanka batter Avishka Gunawardene has been named Sri Lanka’s Under-19 coach until the end of 2022.Gunawardene had been approached by the Afghanistan Cricket Board for the post of batting coach, and he had in fact agreed to take up the position temporarily, for the series that was meant to be played against Pakistan, in Hambantota, this month.However, it is understood that Gunawardene had always hoped for a long-term role within Sri Lankan cricket, rather than an overseas appointment. The uncertainty around Afghanistan’s cricket programme following the Taliban’s takeover of the country in August had also prompted Gunawardene to back out of the role, leaving him free to take up the Under-19 job in Sri Lanka.Related

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“The next Under-19 World Cup is just in January next year, so I’ve only got about 100 days to prepare the boys for that,” Gunawardene told ESPNcricinfo. “A lot of these boys haven’t played for the last 18 months [because of the pandemic], so there’s work to do.”This will be Gunawardene’s first major coaching role since being cleared of corruption charges by the ICC in May. Gunawardene has had previous stints with Sri Lanka’s Under-19 team, and had also been the Sri Lanka A coach for several years, before being suspended after the ICC indicated he was under suspicion.Gunawardene maintained his innocence right through the process. He remains the only figure to have had all charges against him cleared, from among the recent raft of former Sri Lanka players who have attracted such attention.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na última sexta-feira (10), um dia após o término do Campeonato Brasileiro, oPalmeirasacertou a renovação do lateral direito Gustavo Garcia, de 19 anos. O jovem, que tinha vínculo até o fim de 2023, terá seus direitos econômicos pertencentes ao Verdão até julho de 2024.

Dedé faz exames no Botafogo, Abel fecha com o Fluminense, Palmeiras anuncia dupla de reforços… Veja o Dia do Mercado!

A renovação de Garcia tem um motivo: segundo apurou o LANCE!/NOSSO PALESTRA, a diretoria do Palmeiras acredita que o jovem deve ocupar a condição de titularidade em, no máximo, dois anos, dando sequência ao processo de renovação do elenco, fazendo companhia para Mayke e Marcos Rocha, que são as opções do clube para a função na nova temporada.

Por mais que o nome de Giovanni González, do Peñarol, tenha sido procurado, a tendência é que o clube vá, ou ao menos inicie o ano, com as opções que já tem em casa. Uma oportunidade de negócio pode alterar o cenário, mas é visto como improvável por pessoas da direção de futebol.

Veja a tabela completa do Mundial de Clubes

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasValber Huerta é reprovado em exame e contratação será reavaliada pelo PalmeirasPalmeiras15/12/2021PalmeirasGrêmio não exerce compra de Borja e Palmeiras pode negociar atacante com qualquer clubePalmeiras15/12/2021PalmeirasObservado pelo Palmeiras, Wesley Moraes elogia clube e não descarta transferência: ‘Nível altíssimo’Palmeiras15/12/2021

Rocha e Mayke tem moral com a comissão técnica, com o grupo e com a direção do clube. Nos aspectos técnico e pessoal, a dupla agrada e será mantida.

Garcia renovou recentemente seu contrato com o Palmeiras até 2024 e declarou estar muito satisfeito com a fase vivida no Verdão.

– Muito Feliz pelo momento que estou vivendo, e ainda mais motivado para dar continuidade no que vem sendo trabalhado dia após dia! Deus e família em primeiro lugar e a Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras em confiar e acreditar em meu trabalho, seguimos em busca de grandes objetivos…Gratidão – destacou nas redes sociais.

Um dos destaques das categorias de base do Verdão, o jovem soma 25 partidas na temporada do Sub-20, com um gol marcado. Enquanto isso, pelo profissional de Abel Ferreira, o lateral já atuou em 11 oportunidades, sendo aproveitado no Campeonato Paulista e na reta final do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Com certa experiência no time principal, o camisa 32 deverá ganhar mais minutos com o time no Paulistão de 2022. Tendo as disputas do Mundial de Clubes e Recopa Sul-Americana em fevereiro, o Verdão deverá entrar no certame estadual com um plantel recheado de Crias da Academia.

In May 2020 Australia were ranked No.1 in Tests and T20Is. The Test team had retained the Ashes away and won seven consecutive Tests at home. They had also won four consecutive T20I series including away victories in India and South Africa. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit they have lost five consecutive T20I series and a home Test series to India with reports of tensions between coach Justin Langer and the players running rampant in the media. Here’s how it unfolded.September 2020Australia toured England for three T20Is and three ODIs with a full-strength squad, their first assignment since Covid-19 halted world cricket. In the first T20I they needed 39 runs from 39 balls with nine wickets in hand and lost. Australia also dropped the second game to lose the series but won the dead rubber. They then won the opening ODI before succumbing to another batting collapse from a winning position in game two. Langer gave the group a verbal lashing post-match for not learning from their mistakes in the opening T20I. It secured the desired response in the decider with Australia pulling off a stunning chase off the back of twin centuries from Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey to win the series, which the coach described as one of the best series wins he’s been involved in.November 2020 Australia thumped India in the first two ODIs of the home summer thanks to two masterclasses from Steve Smith to win the ODI series with a game to spare.Steven Smith made back-to-back centuries against India•Getty Images

December 2020-January 2021 Injuries and the need to rest players from the biosecure bubbles saw Australia lose the T20I series with Aaron Finch, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, and Marcus Stoinis missing matches. Australia were back to full strength for the Test series and won the first match in Adelaide when they bowled India out for 36. But they lost the series from there against a second-string India side with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and R Ashwin all missing the decider at the Gabba. Australia’s batters failed twice in Melbourne, they dropped critical catches on the final day in Sydney to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory, before the bowlers ran out of gas at the Gabba with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant engineering a famous chase to claim the series.Related

• After week of stress, Australia might only have papered over the cracks

• Cricket Australia give backing to under pressure coach Justin Langer

• Finch: Dressing room leaks about Langer 'disappointing' and 'not ideal'

• Langer addressed 'confronting' team review with squad ahead of tour

• Team rumblings are a 'wake-up call' which Langer won't ignore

February 2021 Reports emerged in the papers in Australia of tensions boiling over between the players and the coach during the Gabba Test match suggesting players were concerned about the team environment. Langer was shocked by the media reports but said it was “a wake-up call”.Australia then had to select two squads for simultaneous Test and T20I tours in South Africa and New Zealand respectively. Langer was to take charge of the Test squad while senior assistant Andrew McDonald was tasked with leading the T20I squad. A first-choice Test squad was chosen but the tour of South Africa was abandoned due to Cricket Australia’s concerns over South Africa’s biosecurity protocols. Australia lost the opening two games in New Zealand before Finch and Maxwell stood tall to level the series at 2-2. But the batting failed to fire in the decider and they lost the series 3-2.There wasn’t always much to cheer for Australia’s T20 side•Getty Images

June 2021 Langer joined the contracted players at a pre-tour camp on the Gold Coast ahead of back-to-back limited-overs tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh. The findings of an internal review into Australia’s performance against India, conducted by leadership consultant Tim Ford, were presented to the group. Langer addressed the findings with the players, something Finch described as “confronting” for the coach but Finch the meeting was successful and the group was “behind him 100 percent”.July 2021 Australia toured the West Indies for five T20Is and three ODIs minus, Warner, Cummins, Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, and Daniel Sams who all withdraw due to bio-bubble fatigue or injury following the postponement of the IPL. Australia’s selectors opted to leave Marnus Labuschagne in England and Cameron Green at home and a host of others with international experience weren’t selected. The T20I team again disintegrated from a winning position in the first game of the tour and loses the series 4-1. Finch suffered a knee injury and was forced to withdraw from the ODI series. Carey was promoted to captain one of the most inexperienced ODI teams Australia has ever fielded and they claim a series win 2-1 despite the series being interrupted due to a Covid-19 scare.Australia’s last five T20I series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

August 2021 Australia traveled to Bangladesh without Finch who headed home to have knee surgery. Matthew Wade took over as captain but the side capitulated on difficult batting surfaces to lose the series 4-1. They would have lost 5-0 save for an onslaught from Dan Christian in the third game and were bowled out for 62 in the last match.Two days after Australia arrived home, with the players and staff in hotel quarantine, the published a report of an incident that took place in Australia’s team hotel during the Bangladesh tour. Australia team manager Gavin Dovey was involved in a heated exchange with Cricket Australia’s digital journalist who was inside the Australian team’s bio-bubble as part of the touring party. Dovey was upset that a video had been posted on Cricket Australia’s website of Bangladesh celebrating their first-ever series win over Australia. Langer, a close confidant of Dovey’s, spoke briefly but firmly to the journalist in the immediate aftermath before the pair cleared the air the following day.The report sparked a flurry of media speculation about Langer’s coaching style and of tensions between the coach and the players resurfaced. Finch said the leaks from the dressing room were “disappointing” and “not a good look.” It led Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley to issue a statement supporting Langer and confirming he would continue on through the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Hockley and CA chairman Earl Eddings held an emergency zoom call with Australia’s three playing leaders Tim Paine, Finch, and Cummins to discuss the tensions with the coach.Paine spoke on his SEN podcast two days later vowing that the players would work with Langer for the summer ahead.

West Ham United claimed their first-ever point away to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, but the pressure is mounting on Julen Lopetegui’s back.

The fact that fans are ruefully casting gazes back to David Moyes serves as a good yardstick to determine the Spaniard’s start, for Moyes was near-universally driven to the exit after West Ham fizzled out like a disappointing firework.

The Scotsman’s illustrious success was swallowed and superseded by the gloomy pragmaticism that rankled fans. Look at Mohammed Kudus; look at Jarrod Bowen – and Lucas Paqueta, too. These are players fit for purpose in a slick and stylish system, and Moyes did not bring that to the table. The timing was right for him to leave at the expiry of his contract in May.

But Lopetegui’s start has been limp and lacklustre. His firework isn’t in danger of fizzling out given that it hasn’t yet flickered and ignited.

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

Tomas Soucek bailed the Hammers out at Brentford, netting after an (admittedly) wonderful team move after the interval to cancel out Bryan Mbeumo’s early goal. West Ham’s new-found spark quickly tapered off, however, and a draw was claimed to lift the club from four points to five, now with six games played.

Who was culpable for another stodgy showing? Guido Rodriguez certainly didn’t produce the right kind of performance.

Guido Rodriguez's performance vs Brentford

The pace of the Premier League is a beast that claims many a hopeful arrival, and Rodriguez, who is aged 30, needs to bring himself up to speed with haste.

He’s a talented passer and a tenacious defensive option in the centre of midfield, but Rodriguez lacks mobility and roving athleticism, having failed to complete a dribble across each of his past four league matches, as per Sofascore.

He’s started all six of West Ham’s Premier League fixtures at the heart of the field but has left plenty to be desired. Edson Alvarez’s poor start to the season has compounded this, with the Mexican also starting just two times in midfield thus far.

Rodriguez showcased some sharp defending against the Bees, winning seven of his ten contested duels and making four tackles and seven interceptions, but he also looked sluggish and was not quick enough in sweeping forward balls on the transition.

The Evening Standard certainly weren’t impressed with the Argentine’s efforts, awarding him only a 5/10 match rating and writing: ‘Has not proven a shrewd signing as yet. Another difficult afternoon for the Argentine.’

16th

Bournemouth

5

9

17th

Southampton

5

9

18th

Leicester City

6

8

19th

Wolverhampton Wanderers

6

8

20th

West Ham United

6

5

Five big chances created across six games are dismal and point toward a tactical plan that has not settled in at all so far. Rodriguez is not a playmaker but his lack of authority and enterprise in the middle of the pitch has contributed to the issues, and it might now be time for change.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Rodriguez's potential replacement at West Ham

Andy Irving has already earned something of a cult status at the London Stadium despite having only played 31 minutes of football this season – spread across three cameos.

The 24-year-old earned the Man of the Match award as West Ham defeated Dagenham & Redbridge in July, a pre-season fixture. It was a performance that showcased his composure and cultured approach, with a ball-playing game that could make a real difference for the Irons throughout the campaign.

He’d previously claimed an assist against Hungarian side Ferencvaros, and after Lopetegui’s poor start to life in London, could now find himself lined up for an unlikely starting berth, potentially even ahead of new arrival Carlos Soler.

A nomadic footballer – walking the path less trodden, to say the least – Irving found a home in Austria with SK Austria Klagenfurt after leaving Turkey in 2022, and chalked up 64 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, scoring 16 goals and adding 14 assists.

He was excellent last season, posting nine goals across 23 league starts, averaging 1.2 key passes, 1.8 tackles, 4.4 ball recoveries and 4.8 successful duels per game, emphasising a robustness and rounded skillset that could bear dividends for a West Ham side that appears to move at a glacial pace at times.

West Ham signed him for a small fee of just £1.6m last summer, and he returned on loan to Austria for the duration of the 2023/24 campaign – a decision which proved auspicious as he enjoyed arguably his finest career term to date.

The clip just above highlights his ball-playing ability, chipping the ball through for Nayef Aguerd to finish during pre-season, and underscores the dimension that would be added from midfield, for his nine-goal return last year shows that he can find the back of the net himself too.

It’s admittedly a shallow data pool but Irving has completed all 31 passes he has attempted in competitive fixtures for West Ham, further highlighting the technical skill that could partner his avidity, desperate to make his mark and prove the doubters wrong.

Rodriguez is more experienced and industrious from a deep-sitting standpoint, sure, but his role in Lopetegui’s system is proving counterproductive at the moment, and given that the forthcoming Premier League fixture at home to Ipswich Town is a must-win, change might be worthwhile.

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After defeat to Newcastle United last time out it's unlikely confidence will have been too high in the Tottenham camp.

Indeed, this has been a tricky opening to the new campaign for Spurs who lost at St James' Park almost a fortnight ago and have already drawn with newly-promoted Leicester.

They did, at least, put Everton to the sword. Silver linings and all that, eh?

So, if you had supporters name one team they didn't want to face early doors it was probably title contenders Arsenal. The Gunners are unbeaten but come into this weekend's contest without a number of key players.

Perhaps Ange Postecoglou's team could be in the running for a win, after all?

Team news ahead of Spurs vs Arsenal

Declan Rice has been ruled out of the game through that controversial sending-off against Brighton last time out. From an Arsenal perspective, the less said about that the better.

Either way, with Rice out and Mikel Merino also nursing a shoulder injury that he sustained in his first training session, it leaves a hole in Mikel Arteta's midfield.

That has been worsened by the news that Martin Odegaard could now miss the next three to four weeks of action after picking up a nasty-looking ankle injury in Norway's win over Austria on Monday evening. The Arsenal skipper twisted his ankle and had to be helped form the field.

That said, Postecoglou is also waiting with bated breath over the fitness of a few of his key men.

Micky van de Ven should be back after missing the defeat to Newcastle but the fitness of Dominic Solanke is still uncertain after he sat out the last two matches.

The latest news is that Yves Bissouma could also be absent for the derby after he was substituted in Mali's 1-0 win over Eswatini in midweek. He was forced to limp from the field following a heavy challenge.

Why Odegaard's injury is great news for Spurs

If you were a Tottenham player and you could pick three players to be out injured for a north London clash you would probably pick Bukayo Saka, Rice and Odegaard.

Well, they'll only be coming up against one of them in what is a colossal boost to their chances of claiming victory on Sunday afternoon.

Why? Well, both players are among the nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or award. That says it all, doesn't it?

To go more in-depth, Odegaard is the beating heart of this Arsenal team. His combination play with Saka down the right-hand side is one of the biggest reasons for their success over the last couple of years.

Last season, only two players in the whole top flight registered more assists than Odegaard (10). That's Cole Palmer (11) and Ollie Watkins (13). Meanwhile, only four players in the Premier League – Mo Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes and Heung-min Son – created more chances over the course of 2023/24.

Spurs vs Arsenal (last 6 meetings)
Date	Result
28th April 2024	3-2 Spurs defeat
24th Sept 2023	2-2 draw
15th Jan 2023	2-0 Spurs defeat
1st Oct 2022	3-1 Spurs defeat
12th May 2022	3-0 Spurs win
26th Sept 2021	3-1 Spurs defeat

So, what does this mean for Spurs? It's good news as far as the club's leaky defence are concerned. Arsenal's frontline are likely to be provided with fewer opportunities to score from.

That's music to the ears of the robust Cristian Romero, a man who is usually all over a derby day game like this one.

Having made two errors against the Toon, charging away from his position to press Newcastle's more creative players, it lessens the likelihood of that eventuality occurring again.

Without Odegaard, it's anyone's guess at to what solution Arteta will identify. He could go with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, a contest Romero would no doubt relish against a lightweight player.

It could also mean that Kai Havertz is forced to operate in a deeper position, thus occupying the Spurs defence – chiefly Romero – on a far less regular basis than he initially would have.

Truth be told, Tottenham have been gifted an ideal route to claiming all three points here. They must respond well to Arsenal's messy midfield situation.

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