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Over the last couple of years, Arsenal have been known to offload players off their books, but numerous of which have caused controversy with the fanbase.

Alexis Sanchez is arguably one of the biggest examples in recent history, with the Chilean a star man before his controversial departure in January 2018.

The attacker racked up 80 goals in his 166 appearances for the Gunners, but would depart in a player swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan – subsequently seeing the former join Manchester United.

In the present day, boss Mikel Arteta must wish he had a player of his calibre within his first-team, with a prime Sanchez one of the scariest prospects in the Premier League.

However, he wasn’t the only player to make a huge impact at the Emirates before leaving in somewhat controversial circumstances despite their impressive form in North London.

The real reason why Aaron Ramsey left Arsenal

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey was a hugely influential figure during his time at Arsenal, featuring in over 350 games for the club after joining Cardiff City back in 2008.

His rise to stardom in North London was all the more impressive considering the Welshman suffered a horrific leg break under Arsene Wenger against Stoke City in 2010.

Despite being a deep-lying option, the 34-year-old managed to pop up with key goals in vital moments – none more so than the winner in the FA Cup final against Hull City.

However, he would depart the Emirates in controversial circumstances, subsequently leaving on a free transfer to join Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 2019.

Many thought he left after rejecting a new contract to stay with the Gunners, but in an interview after his departure, Ramsey explained all about his move away from the club.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he stated: “I wanted to commit to Arsenal, but then, for whatever reason, the new manager came in and then the contract wasn’t there anymore.

“When Juventus came calling then in January, you know, I had to sort of think about life after Arsenal and secure that as well. It was an experience I was excited about.”

However, in the present day, Arteta may have his own version of his former teammate in his quest to land the club’s first Premier League title in over two decades.

The Arsenal star who’s a Ramsey-type talent

In their attempts to end their unthinkable wait for a league triumph, Arsenal have spent big in recent times, with the board handing Arteta over £200m worth of funds this summer alone.

The likes of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze have all arrived in North London, massively improving the quality and depth at the manager’s disposal.

Such additions appear to have had the desired effect, with the Gunners currently sitting top of the pile at the second international break of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, other players already at the club will also have a part to play in the coming months, with Mikel Merino undoubtedly a star with a huge part to play between now and May.

The Spaniard joined the club from Real Sociedad last summer, looking to provide added depth and quality to the club’s already stacked midfield department.

He started 2024/25 in such a position, but was rapidly catapulted into a somewhat unfamiliar role as a centre-forward amid the unthinkable injury crisis that plagued Arteta’s squad.

However, he took to the position like a duck to water, subsequently ending his debut campaign on nine across all competitions, six of which came as a striker, sitting third in the club’s top goalscoring charts.

Such a quality is similar to that of Ramsey, who had a habit of popping up with key goals in vital moments – as previously mentioned with his FA Cup-winning effort.

Merino has demonstrated a box-crashing ability to ghost into the opposition box and find the back of the net.

Games played

9

Goals scored

3

Pass accuracy

80%

Dribble success

100%

Fouls won

1.9

Tackles won

1.9

Recoveries made

5.7

Possession won final third

1.1

He’s already showcased his goalscoring ability once again this season, scoring the equaliser in the victory over Newcastle United.

Remarkably, he’s also scored six goals in four World Cup qualifying matches for Spain, notably bagging a hat-trick in the European champions’ win over Turkey. He then also scored twice in a 4-0 win over Bulgaria during the present international break.

In the words of Arsenal writer Adam Keys, “Arteta has unlocked a magnet in the box” and his move to join the Gunners has evidently been an exceptional one to date, with the former Sociedad star showcasing a similar ability to Ramsey with his goalscoring exploits.

Should he continue on such a path and continue to pop up in key moments, there’s no reason as to why he can’t make himself a fan-favourite and lead the club to further silverware.

Arsenal's "legend in the making" is their own Kane and it's not Gyokeres

Arsenal already have their answer to Harry Kane in the form of one star, but it’s not Viktor Gyokeres.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 15, 2025

Liverpool are considering making an offer for a “huge talent” in the near future, having sent scouts to watch him alongside interest from some of their biggest rivals.

Neville calls Liverpool underdogs in title race

The Reds’ 2-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon was a tough one to take for the Premier League champions, but it was a result that had been coming, following too many unconvincing performances.

Speaking on Sunday after Arsenal’s late 2-1 win at Newcastle United, Gary Neville hinted that the Gunners are now already favourites after just six games, despite Liverpool beginning the campaign as the front-runners, and still being two points clear at the top.

“Only two teams can win this league: Liverpool or Arsenal. When the first goal went in, I said, ‘big’, and I thought the second one was coming, I genuinely did. I thought I could feel something happening in the ground. Those Arsenal players did too and it did happen.

“I think it’s a big moment. Look, it’s September, it’s ridiculous… it [the title race] doesn’t start until March. But what you’ve got to do along the way is send out some calling cards. You’ve got to send out some clear messages that we’re here and we’re proper, and that’s what I think Arsenal have done today.”

Away from the current on-field action, Liverpool continue to be linked with possible new signings, including one big talent with a huge future in the game.

Liverpool send scouts to watch "huge talent"

According to a fresh claim from journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon, Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Genk starlet Konstantinos Karetsas in action, with an offer potentially being tabled for him soon. The £20m-rated 17-year-old could be sold in January or next summer, with Everton, Sunderland, Newcastle United and Bournemouth eyeing a move for him, too.

Karetsas is a massive talent who is already impressing so much at the age of just 17, scoring three goals and bagging six assists in 53 appearances for Genk.

The attacking midfielder also has two goals in five caps for Greece, having switched his allegiances from Belgium, as well as being hailed as a “huge talent” by scout Jacek Kulig.

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Karetsas would surely love the idea of moving to Liverpool over the other clubs mentioned, with all due respect to them, and he has the talent to be a long-term star at Anfield.

MI brought in pace-bowling allrounder Raj Bawa, who has played two IPL matches before

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2025Mumbai Indians (MI) opening batter Rohit Sharma was injured and ruled out of their away game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on Friday. Captain Hardik Pandya said at the toss that Rohit was hit on the knee before the game, and had to sit out.After MI lost the game by 12 runs in a last-over finish, head coach Mahela Jayawardene said Rohit was hit the day before the game and took a fitness test on Friday.”Ro got a hit on his knee just in the IT (iliotibial) band, he tried to bat yesterday and couldn’t put any weight on it,” Jayawardene said at the press conference. “Again, he came and did a fitness test early today (Friday) to try, and it was discomfort for him to put weight on that so he felt it wasn’t 100% for him to play this game. That’s why we thought we will give him a few more days to try and get through that. Unfortunate what happened in the nets.”Hardik was also asked at the toss when Jasprit Bumrah would be fit again, and he said, “he should be back soon.”In their bowling-first XI, MI brought in pace-bowling allrounder Raj Bawa, who has featured in two IPL games in the past, for Punjab Kings, and plays domestic cricket for Chandigarh. Bawa was India’s second-highest run-getter in the Under-19 World Cup in 2022.Rohit’s form was also under scrutiny so far in IPL 2025, with him having scored only 13, 8 and 0 in the three games. He was present at the ground, though, having a chat near the pitch with Suryakumar Yadav before the toss in his training kit, and also came out of the dugout during a strategic time out when MI were bowling.MI were already without Bumrah for the first few games, and didn’t have Hardik too for their first match. They lost their first two games before opening their account at home against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but now have three away losses to their name.

“Faf has lent on him quite a lot and we’re pretty sure that Rajat will be leaning on him too,” RCB’s director of cricket says

Ashish Pant13-Feb-20252:25

Why did RCB overlook Kohli as captain?

Virat Kohli might not be the new Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain, with the franchise opting for Rajat Patidar, but for Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket, Kohli does not need a “captaincy title” to be a leader in the team.”Of course, Virat was an option and that goes without saying and I know that the fans would’ve probably lent towards Virat in the first instance, but we’ve seen a lot of love for Rajat too,” Bobat said in an event in Bengaluru where Patidar was unveiled as the captain for IPL 2025. “Look, my point on Virat would be that Virat doesn’t need a captaincy title to lead. I think leadership, as we’ve all seen, is one of his strongest instincts. I think it just comes naturally to him. He leads regardless.”Kohli led the RCB franchise from 2013 to 2021 before he stepped down from the role. He led the team for three matches in 2023 when regular captain Faf du Plessis was injured and played as an Impact Player.Related

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Rajat Patidar appointed new RCB captain for IPL 2025

Bobat was confident that despite Kohli not being the designated captain, Patidar would lean on him like his predecessor du Plessis did.”Everybody in the country and everyone in the world knows that Virat’s a leader in every sense of the word,” Bobat said. “Andy [Flower, head coach] and I lean on him quite a lot. Faf has lent on him quite a lot and we’re pretty sure that Rajat will be leaning on him too.”Even last year with Faf as captain, we saw every bit of that. He leads as an example with the bat, the volume of runs and the strike rate that he scored at last year was so impressive and so important for us. He set the tone, he leads in the field. I can think of two or three specific instances where he’s actually created run-out chances and wickets from nothing. Everyone in the field knows that they’ve got to be up to their standards because of him. He sets the tone with his energy. Everyone has seen how much he likes a fight and a scrap and how much he wants to be the person getting us over the line.””His experience and ideas will definitely help me in my leadership role,” Patidar said of Kohli•BCCIBobat also said that Kohli was actively involved in discussions surrounding Patidar being named captain.”Andy and I spent some time with Virat earlier this week actually in Ahmedabad and it was really nice getting some time with him and talking things through with him [about captaincy],” Bobat said. “And what was so obvious was he had so much energy and excitement for this decision and this appointment. He’s so pleased for Rajat, like us. He knows how deserving Rajat is of this opportunity and is right behind him.”Kohli was front and centre of RCB turning their season around in IPL 2024. Having won just one out of their first eight games, RCB won six on the bounce to make a miraculous entry into the playoffs. While they went down in the eliminator, Kohli, with 741 runs in 15 innings, won the purple cap. “I think Virat’s energy and motivation and drive is really something special to behold in a 36-year-old cricketer that’s done everything in the game,” Flower said. “I really respect him for it and it’s great role modelling for the younger players and younger overseas players to come and work with him as well. It was nice to watch it from within the same dressing room last year.”My experience with him, particularly in the first half of the last season when we were struggling and he was a huge part of turning that season around for us, in the way that he carried himself in his role modelling of how he works at the day and thinks about the day, that experience with him only made my respect for him grow. And I would say the same thing about our discussions over the captaincy of RCB coming season.”Patidar also said that having had plenty of good partnerships with Kohli over the years, he does not mind leaning on him for suggestions and that it would help him in his leadership role.”It’s a great opportunity for me to learn from one of the best,” Patidar said. “I have had a lot of partnerships with him, so I think I know him very well. So yeah, his experience and his ideas will definitely help me in my leadership role.”

حقق منتخب تونس فوزًا كبيرًا على منتخب ساوتومي، بسداسية نظيفة، ضمن تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم 2026. 

وواجه منتخب تونس نظيره منتخب ساو تومي، في الجولة التاسعة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، على ملعب “حماد العقربي” برادس. 

وتمكن منتخب تونس من الفوز على سو تومي بسداسية نظيفة، وأحرز الأهداف كل من فراس شواط وإلياس سعد “هدفين”، وإسماعيل غربي ومحمد علي بن رمضان لاعب الأهلي “هدفين” في الدقيقتين 68 و90 من عمر اللقاء. 

طالع.. قائمة منتخب تونس لمباراتي ساو تومي وناميبيا في تصفيات كأس العالم.. موقف بن رمضان

ويتصدر منتخب تونس المجموعة برصيد 25 نقطة، بينما يحتل منتخب ناميبيا المركز الثاني في ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 15 نقطة.

وكان منتخب تونس حسم صعوده إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، في الجولة الماضية من التصفيات. 

ويقع منتخب تونس في المجموعة الثامنة من التصفيات مع ناميبيا وليبيريا ومالاوي وساو تومي وغينيا الاستوائية. 

ومن المقرر أن يختتم منتخب تونس، مبارياته في تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم بمواجهة ناميبيا يوم الإثنين المقبل، في الجولة العاشرة والأخيرة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.  أهداف مباراة منتخب تونس وساو تومي اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

يلتقي فريق النادي الأهلي لكرة اليد “رجال”، مع نظيره برشلونة، مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، في مباراة قوية ومرتقبة ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد.

ويلعب الأهلي ضد برشلونة، في إطار منافسات دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد المقامة في مصر خلال الفترة الحالية.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد بعد الخسارة أمام فيزبريم

وكان الأهلي تأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد، باحتلاله المركز الثاني في ترتيب مجموعته كأفضل مركز ثاني من المجموعات الثلاثة للمونديال.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، تأهل فريق برشلونة كمتصدر للمجموعة الثالثة لبطولة كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد، بالفوز على الزمالك وتوباتي البرازيلي. موعد مباراة الأهلي وبرشلونة اليوم في كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد

تقام مباراة الأهلي وبرشلونة، اليوم الثلاثاء، 30 سبتمبر، في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وبرشلونة اليوم في كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد

تنقل مباراة الأهلي وبرشلونة، عبر قناة أون سبورت.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

The PCB’s stance remains unchanged, stating there is “no chance” of a hybrid model for the tournament

Osman Samiuddin12-Nov-2024

The PCB has written to the ICC and asked them to provide a written confirmation from the BCCI that they are unable to play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, as well as giving a reason for it.The PCB was told last Friday by the ICC that the BCCI has not been given permission by the Indian government for the Indian team to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, scheduled to be played across three venues in Pakistan from February 9. But the PCB wants it in writing from the BCCI that they are unable to attend, as well as the justification for it.That ICC communication came three days before what would’ve been the official launch event for the tournament in Lahore, starting a 100-day countdown. Instead, the event has been postponed, with uncertainty now swirling around the eight-team tournament.Related

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Akram urges India to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

The PCB’s stance at the moment remains unchanged: the entire tournament will be played in Pakistan with a senior PCB official reiterating to ESPNcricinfo there is “no chance” of a hybrid model being considered. Such a model, used once for the Asia Cup in 2023, would allow India to play their games outside of Pakistan. There has been speculation about the UAE being used as a second venue in this instance but the PCB has unequivocally ruled that out. The tournament is scheduled to be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi between February 19 and March 9.As well as that stance, there is also a growing realisation that with the Pakistan government now involved, any decisions on hosting and hybrid models may not be driven by the PCB but will be firmly in the government’s hands.One of the reasons the PCB is standing firm at the moment is because they feel aggrieved by events last year. After they were forced to use a hybrid model in hosting the Asia Cup, Pakistan agreed to travel to India for the World Cup. That decision was taken after consultation with the government and permission was ultimately granted – despite considerable opposition – on the hope that it would lead to India reciprocating by visiting for the Champions Trophy.The same government remains in place in Pakistan and Mohsin Naqvi, a senior figure within it as the country’s interior minister, is now the PCB chairman.The PCB has also pointed out that the tournament was awarded to Pakistan three years ago and no objection was raised at the time, or has been raised since. The PCB is believed to have provided a progress report at the ICC’s board meetings in October including the intention to go ahead with the 100-day launch event on November 11, with no concerns raised.The ICC has been approached for comment.

Club embraces mood of optimism as young players and old heads savour the ride

Andrew Miller13-Sep-2024A theme of regeneration and renewal is gripping English white-ball cricket at present, even if – on the early evidence of their T20I series with Australia – England’s rebooted team remains a work in progress. Down on the south coast, however, where one of the stories of the summer has been unfolding, Sussex have already shown how quickly teams can flourish when the right culture is put in place.Barely 18 months ago, Sussex were perceived as a club in crisis. Whether it was a conveyor-belt of departures at player, coach and executive level alike, or a grim first-class haul of three wins (and 19 defeats) in as many seasons, there was little cause for cheer among the deckchair-dwellers of Hove.Now, however, the mood has been transformed. Sussex are riding high at the top of the County Championship’s second tier, with promotion firmly in their own hands, and the confidence that has given to a young, pared-back squad has rubbed off on their T20 Blast campaign too. A solid second-place finish in the South Group, and a rousing quarter-final win over Lancashire, propelled them to Finals Day for the first time in three seasons. And now, as Paul Farbrace, the club’s head coach put it, Sussex aren’t just off for “a nice weekend in Birmingham”.Related

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Tymal Mills: Blast schedule is 'stupid' with England players missing Finals Day

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“Yes, we’re delighted to be here, but we haven’t come to make the numbers up,” Farbrace said. “It’s very English to talk about, ‘oh, it’d be nice to do okay’ … we’re here to win the tournament, and we’ve got to win two more games to do that. If we don’t, and somebody beats us, well, good luck to them. They’ll have deserved to have won it. But we’re definitely here to win.”The current mood around the club is, quite literally, infectious. “We started well in the Championship, so that had a knock-on effect into the T20 side,” Farbrace said. “And then, when we went back from T20, we won the two Championship games in the middle. So the belief is there among the players, and there’s an expectation to win.”It’s a common theme among this year’s Finals Day attendees. With the exception of Gloucestershire, whose surge into the last four came at just the right time, the three other teams still in contention have enjoyed stellar seasons across formats. Surrey are still on course for a third consecutive County Championship title, despite Thursday’s thrilling loss to their closest rivals Somerset, who are themselves eyeing a rare treble, with the Metro Bank final against Glamorgan to come next week.”Sometimes you can say, well, we haven’t quite got the squad, so we can only compete in one format. No, you can compete in both,” Farbrace said. “And the expectation isn’t just about our first-team performances. The commercial team, the people in the office, the groundstaff … everybody is excited by the progress the team’s making. It makes their jobs a damn sight easier because they’re not getting stick from people that they might have done two years ago.”

“Once I’d put myself forward for the captaincy, it wasn’t with the aim to solidify, it was to win. And a lot of our players have surprised themselves with how good they could be in T20 cricket”Tymal Mills

Sussex’s turnaround in fortunes isn’t just down to luck, however. From the moment of Farbrace’s arrival in February 2023, the club focused on red-ball cricket as a means to shore up their basic discipline, but, after a season of steady improvement under Ravi Bopara, the appointment of Tymal Mills as T20 captain has gone on to turbo-charge their ambitions in the Blast.”There’s been a lot more role clarity, there’s been a lot more clear thinking, and clear planning,” Farbrace added. “We’ve got the right people in the right places, which is no disrespect to Ravi, because he scored an awful lot of runs and took a lot of wickets. But the addition of Dan Hughes [as overseas player] has been absolutely outstanding, and the non-selection of Ollie Robinson for England has helped us enormously.”But Millsy’s done a fantastic job on and off the field as captain. I think every game we’ve gone into, we’ve been exceptionally well prepared because of the work he did in the winter with Luke Dunning, our analyst, and James [Kirtley, T20 coach] … what needed to improve, the collation of all the stats, and talking to every player about what their game looked like, and where they needed to get to.”Mills, now 32, knows of what he speaks. In 2018, he played under Luke Wright as a key member of the last Sussex side to reach the Blast final, and though they lost on that occasion to Worcestershire, that team is still recalled as one of the greatest in the format’s history – featuring luminaries such as Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Rashid Khan, not to mention a young Phil Salt, England’s current (stand-in) T20I captain.”That team we had five or six years ago was an awesome team, and we turned up to every game expecting to win, because of the players we had on paper,” Mills said. “But it dissipated quite quickly, and it probably wasn’t a viable way of running a club the size of Sussex, with probably six or seven players only playing T20 cricket.”Daniel Hughes is currently the Blast’s leading run-scorer•Getty ImagesBut now, as a rare single-format squad member, he will arrive at Hove, as Farbrace puts it, “chomping at the bit” to get stuck into the competition, and making sure everyone is ready to raise their game.”The club rightly had to shift focus towards Championship cricket, but once I’d put myself forward for the captaincy, it wasn’t with the aim to solidify, it was to win,” Mills added. “And a lot of our players have surprised themselves with how good they could be in T20 cricket.”It is a game that you can’t just turn up and play, and hope to do well. Maybe 15 years ago, you could see how you go and have a laugh. But T20 is proper business now, and if you want to be good at it and you want to be successful at it, you’ve got to put in time, and you’ve got to put in effort, and you’ve got to think about it.”So that’s something that I think we’ve changed now at the club, especially with our batters, who have started to scratch the surface of what they can do in T20 cricket. The club’s in a good place, because the boys have started really well in the four-day stuff, so we had a lot of players scoring runs, taking wickets, winning games. That puts you in a good place, and you haven’t got half your squad who are out of form and nicking off, and not confident or comfortable with their technique.”One disappointment for Sussex is that they will be denied the chance to deploy one of the modern greats of T20 cricket during Finals Day, with Archer tied up on international duty. It’s a situation that Mills decried as “stupid” in the wake of their quarter-final win, but as Kirtley acknowledged, his absence isn’t exactly a novelty for the club.”Jofra is a world-class act and, realistically, he can’t be replaced,” he said. “But for 14 games, we played without him and qualified. So, it’s actually far easier to plan not to have him, and when he does play, it’s a bonus.”We also lost Danny Lamb, who was doing the workload up the hill at Hove… no one can replace those shoes. But, we’ve played some really good cricket, and different individuals putting their hand up at various times, and I expect them to do the same tomorrow.”Kirtley singled out Hughes for particular praise, not simply for his competition-leading haul of 595 runs at 42.50, but also for his calmness off the field and the manner in which he has helped to nurture other key performers such as Harrison Ward, his opening partner. And similarly, with Mills and Robinson providing the wise heads in the bowling attack, the team’s belief comes with some justifiably solid foundations.”You want to come to Finals Day, and the younger players will want to have a bit more of this,” he said. “Some of them have only just turned 20. This is what it’s about. These experiences of big days out can only bode well for Sussex in the future.”

Half-centuries for Moeen, Mousley and Hain before spinners tie chase down

ECB Reporters Network14-Jul-2024

Birmingham Bears booked a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast by comfortably beating Derbyshire Falcons by 44 runs at Edgbaston.Bears piled up 198 for 2 thanks to powerful half-centuries from Dan Mousley, Sam Hain and Moeen Ali.A modest start (21 from four overs) turned into a daunting total of which Falcons fell well short at 154 all out from 19.2 overs. No-one passed 30 as spinners Danny Briggs and Jake Lintott dismantled the top and middle orders to take their combined T20 wicket tally to 379.Bears can now look forward to a home tie in the last eight in which they will aim to avoid the choke which has afflicted them at that stage in the last three seasons. Despite this damaging defeat, Falcons can still qualify but are under pressure to win their last two games, starting at Worcester next Thursday.Put in, Bears made a subdued start, taking just seven runs from the first 15 balls. Mohammad Amir produced a beauty to have Alex Davies caught behind and Bears hit only four fours in the powerplay which they ended on 41 for 1.Moeen than exploded into aggression. Having meandered to 25 from 23 balls, he thundered to 50 in just another five with four sixes in five balls off Samit Patel and Alex Thomson. Pat Brown unfurled a clever slower ball which Moeen gloved behind but the impetus created by the captain was emphatically taken up by Mousley and Hain in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 111 in 62 balls.Mousley reached his eighth T20 half-century, and second in successive games, from 39 balls. Hain followed to his 33rd T20 half-century from 29 balls, one of which was smashed for arguably the most glorious six in the history of T20, over extra cover off Amir.Falcons enjoyed a strong powerplay, reaching 60 for 1 for the loss of Luis Reece, who skied George Garton to mid-on, but thereafter the scoreboard pressure took its toll.David Lloyd lifted his first ball for six but was bamboozled and bowled by Briggs’ first ball. Lintott also struck in his first over when Aneurin Donald sought the crowd over long-off but found only Mousley just inside the boundary.Wayne Madsen and Patel have the talent to tackle the biggest chases but when they perished in the space of four balls Falcons’ challenge was over. Patel hit three sixes on his way to 28 but then sliced Lintott to extra cover. Hain collected that catch and was there again when Madsen lifted a drive at Briggs.The potentially destructive Ross Whiteley fell lbw slog-sweeping at Briggs and Falcons drifted further and further behind the required rate in a fixture that it unlikely to feature on the back pages of tomorrow’s papers.

A “sensational” goalkeeper has now been identified as Aston Villa’s top target to replace Emiliano Martinez this summer, according to a report.

Martinez's time at Villa could be coming to an end

After being a peripheral figure during his time with Arsenal, Martinez’s career has gone from strength to strength since making the move to Villa Park, most notably playing a key role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, scooping up the Golden Glove award.

The goalkeeper’s impressive performances for his country go hand in hand with some top displays at club level, recently winning the Premier League Save of the Season award for a remarkable stop against Nottingham Forest.

However, the 32-year-old’s time with the Villans could now be coming to an end, amid growing interest in his signature, with Manchester United currently showing the strongest interest, while Atletico Madrid have also been named as potential suitors.

As such, Unai Emery may be tasked with bringing in a replacement between the sticks this summer, and a new top target has now been identified by recruitment chiefs, namely OGC Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka.

Indeed, according to a report from The Boot Room, Bulka is now emerging as Aston Villa’s first-choice option to replace Martinez, should the goalkeeper move on this summer, although Marseille and some other unnamed clubs could provide competition for his signature.

Nice had been hoping the shot-stopper would be willing to commit to a new contract, but discussions have not progressed, and if he doesn’t sign a new deal, the French side will look to cash in this summer, potentially opening the door for a move to Villa Park.

"Sensational" Bulka impressing in Ligue 1

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has singled the Pole out for praise in the past, describing him as “sensational” for his performances at club level, most notably putting in a remarkable performance against Paris Saint-Germain back in April.

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He’s a wanted man.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jun 8, 2025

The 25-year-old achieved a Sofascore match rating of 10, courtesy of a fantastic display against the Champions League winners, making a number of important contributions as his side ran out surprise 3-1 winners at the Parc des Princes.

Statistic

Number completed

Clearances

2

Saves

12

Saves from inside the box

9

Goals prevented

2.53

French journalist Julien Froment was also left impressed by the Poland international’s performance, hailing the £6k-a-week goalkeeper for his “colossal” contribution to his side’s shock victory, which suggests he could now be ready for a big move this summer.

That said, while Bulka could be a fantastic signing for Aston Villa, they will still be hoping that Martinez is willing to remain at the club, having won two Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper awards during his time at Villa Park, most recently scooping up the 2024 award.