An "absolutely outstanding" Everton player has reportedly seen a bid accepted for him by a European club, with a medical already being lined up.

Everton transfer news

This summer is a case of the Blues making new signings but also trying to keep hold of important current players, even though that may be difficult for them to comply with the league's PSR guidelines.

Jarrad Branthwaite is one such figure who could be sacrificed, being linked with a move to Manchester United, and Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards has apparently been lined up to replace him, being backed to play for England one day.

Similarly, star midfielder Amadou Onana could also need to be replaced, with a switch to another Premier League club mooted throughout the summer to date, and Leicester City ace Wilfred Ndidi has emerged as a strong option to come in for the Belgian, filling the void left by him in the middle of the park.

Seamus Coleman isn't the force he used to be for Everton at right-back, which is only natural given his age, and Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka is reportedly being lined up to come in during the current transfer window. He found himself behind Diogo Dalot in the pecking order at Old Trafford last season, and his expert one-on-one defending could make him a shrewd addition for Sean Dyche.

"Outstanding" Everton man closes in on exit

According to a new report from Football Insider, Ben Godfrey is on the verge of leaving Everton for Atalanta, with their improved bid for him accepted. It is claimed that the Englishman "will arrive in Milan at 10am on Friday to undergo an Atalanta medical and finalise personal terms", with a fee of "£9m including add-ons" agreed.

This does feel like the right time for Godfrey to move on and enjoy a fresh challenge, not only allowing him more regular football but also ensuring that Everton receive a healthy amount of money for his services.

The 26-year-old hasn't been considered a key man under Dyche, only starting 13 out of a possible 38 Premier League games last season, although there could be a risk in selling the defender, considering Rio Ferdinand once heaped praise on him.

"You’ve got two centre-backs playing at full-backs. Ben Godfrey has been absolutely outstanding. The pace he has shown in the last couple of games…were against Timo Werner, Chelsea, the last game against Arsenal.

"You look at the pace of the kid. Pepe, £72m worth, I am sure Mr Godfrey would be looking at his pocket and thinking ‘where is he? Someone causing me a bit of friction in my pocket."

Everton could axe £25m flop who earns more than Branthwaite

He has struggled to find his feet this season

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 28, 2024

That being said, it is still the right decision by Everton, and it will be interesting to see how the £75,000-a-week Godfrey fares in Italy. He should be remembered as a solid servant for the Blues, making 93 appearances since arriving from Norwich City back in 2020, and the hope is that the funds can be used to bring in a superior replacement.

Lockers once used by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane are to be sold by Real Madrid, with bids starting at £10,000.

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Santiago Bernabeu has been redevelopedIconic artefacts being put up for auctionOpportunity to claim 'Galactico' memorabiliaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

With Santiago Bernabeu having undergone a serious facelift, several artefacts are being put up for auction by the Blancos. A portion of proceeds from the sales will be going to the Real Madrid Foundation, with the Liga giants recouping some of the costs involved in their £500 million ($649m) stadium redevelopment.

AdvertisementTHE GOSSIP

Iconic auction house Sotheby’s are being trusted with presenting and offloading the items that Real are willing to part with. The lots in question include a collection of 24 lockers that have been used by some of the most legendary 'Galacticos' to pass through Madrid – including Ronaldo, Beckham, Zidane, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric.

DID YOU KNOW?

Each locker comes with a reserve price of £10,000, with bidding set to open on November 12. A glitzy exhibition at Sotheby’s London Galleries will allow members of the public to view the items before they are snapped up by fans around the world.

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Other items in Real’s collection include a giant stadium mosaic of the club’s crest, which is three metres wide and comes with a reserve price of £12,000. Metal doors that previously stood in place at the Bernabeu are also up for grabs.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill both fall after promising opening stand.

Vishal Dikshit09-Jan-2021After a promising opening stand of 71 by India, Australia’s relentless pace attack got rid of both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill within half an hour to remind the visitors that they were still facing an uphill task of not just needing another 309 runs but also surviving 97 overs on the last day. With India 98 for 2, and Ravindra Jadeja dealing with a fractured thumb which may not let him bat, Australia could be only three wickets away from opening the tail and storming their way towards a 2-1 series lead.Related

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Group of fans removed from the SCG stands after Siraj alerts umpires to alleged abuse

Australia propelled themselves into a dominant position with half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith and Cameron Green, who put on a display of belligerent hitting after crossing 50 with the help of four sixes that enabled them to score at 5.65 in the second session. Once Australia declared with a massive lead of 406 at tea, Sharma and Gill gave India a glimmer of hope by stitching a partnership of 71, but Gill fell to Josh Hazlewood’s stifling line outside off and Sharma pulled a short ball straight to fine leg to leave India 92 for 2.Paine sanctioned for dissent

Australia’s Test captain was fined 15% of his match fees for showing dissent at an umpiring decision. Paine expressed displeasure through an expletive-laden outburst after an unsuccessful lbw review against Cheteshwar Pujara in the final session on Sunday. He was handed one demerit point to his offence, his first in 24 months.

Sharma wasn’t unafraid to pull from the very first ball of the innings and the shot even fetched him a six off Green soon after he had unleashed two exquisite cover drives off Mitchell Starc in the previous over. Gill, too, exhibited elegant back-foot punches on the way to his 31 as the new ball barely moved around. India’s 34 overs also saw as many as four reviews taken, all off Hazlewood’s bowling.The first two came within a space of three balls in the eighth over when Hazlewood thought he had Sharma lbw with a delivery that jagged back in. Replays, however, showed the ball was going over the stumps. Two balls later, after Sharma nearly chopped on in between for a single, Tim Paine reviewed when they thought Gill edged one behind but the ball had only flicked the pad.Cameron Green unwinds and unleashes•Getty ImagesThe second set of reviews occurred in the 23rd over and this time Hazlewood tasted success by getting a thick edge off Gill’s bat. Gill somehow thought of reviewing that and lost his team a review. Three balls later, Paul Wilson adjudged Cheteshwar Pujara lbw on a duck but the batsman reviewed immediately after being hit on the thigh pad and was saved by ball-tracking’s projection of the ball going over the stumps.After reaching his half-century with a lofted swing for four off Nathan Lyon, Sharma departed when he pulled Pat Cummins straight to fine leg and walked back in disappointment.Another promising sign for the hosts was the temperament with which Green batted after Smith’s dismissal and switched gears to extend the lead. Three of his four sixes came against Mohammed Siraj after he saw through a tough spell from Jasprit Bumrah. Green looked at ease during his 132-ball stay, especially when scoring was not as easy in the first two sessions because of the slowness and the turn.The change in tempo from Australia was apparent much earlier when Smith started to attack after lunch that saw a Siraj over going for 12. Smith then swept R Ashwin for four and clipped Siraj for another before Ashwin trapped him lbw and used a review to send him back. India could have reduced their troubles had they held on to two dropped catches, both off Bumrah. The second was off Paine, on 7, when Sharma put him down at wide first slip and the first was on the second ball of the day when Hanuma Vihari dropped a straightforward catch off Labuschagne at backward square leg.Paine dealt in boundaries after he was dropped for a quick fifty stand with Green, who got to 50 with a thick edge that gave Ajinkya Rahane a very touch chance at gully off the second new ball. Green’s charge was paused by a crowd incident directed towards Siraj at the leg-side boundary which led to six fans being evicted from the ground. Once play resumed, Green drilled Bumrah down the ground for four and then hooked him for six. Green was closing in on a maiden century but on the last ball of the same over, he was given caught behind even without an appeal from Bumrah when he missed another heave. When Green reviewed, Snicko confirmed a thin edge, and Australia declared during the tea break.The first session belonged to the hosts as well. Labuschagne cashed in after being dropped on 47 and put on another century stand with Smith. He continued to score freely square of the wicket and Smith cracked a few cover drives to also cross 50. It took an excellent spell of 7-1-19-2 from Navdeep Saini, whose high-arm action extracted extra bounce to have Labuschagne caught down leg, and then have Matthew Wade poke at one outside off for 4. Smith steered Australia past 200 but once he was trapped lbw for 81 by Ashwin with a loopy offbreak, Green took over with Paine and flattened India further.

It has been pleasing to see West Ham United show proactivity in the transfer market this summer, instead of biding time and being forced into reactive moves after one disappointing development or another.

Technical director Tim Steidten clearly held some positive talks at the maiden stage with Julen Lopetegui, who has replaced David Moyes, for teenage winger Luis Guilherme has been signed for £25.5m and centre-back Max Kilman has been welcomed to the rearguard for £40m.

More is yet to come. The fact remains that signing a striker is the east London outfit's most pressing concern, and if reports are to be believed, the transfer cannon has been levelled in that direction.

West Ham bid for new striker

West Ham have submitted a bid to sign FC Metz striker Georges Mikautadze, who was one of the standout performers for Georgia during their impressive Euro 2024 campaign.

It was Football Insider with the reveal, though they do stress that interest is thick and it would take an offer of €25m (roughly £21m) to convince the Ligue 1 outfit to sell.

With a throng of suitors eyeing up the dynamic striker, Steidten better kick on with negotiations to ensure that Mikautadze moves to the London Stadium.

The Georgian isn't the only striker the Irons could bring to the capital this summer, however, with Aston Villa's Jhon Duran a player said to be on their radar. Fabrizio Romano has even suggested that personal terms have been agreed with the player.

What Mikautadze would bring to West Ham

Rumour has it that Danny Ings is heading back to Southampton, with the respective Premier League sides currently haggling over a £6m figure. The 31-year-old hasn't exactly been brilliant for the Hammers, scoring four goals from 52 appearances.

Moreover, Divin Mubama has left the club after his contract expired and Michail Antonio is now 34, starting just 21 Premier League matches last year as he battled against injuries.

Mikautadze, 23, would be a brilliant addition to shape the frontline with fresh clay, ranking among the top 11% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

The Georgian ace was in prolific showing in the French top flight last year, scoring 13 goals and supplying four assists across just 20 appearances, averaging 1.1 key passes, 2.1 dribbles and 4.3 successful duels per game to boot, as per Sofascore.

If there have been concerns in the past concerning how the nimble star's skills would translate to life on the major stage, he has dispelled such notions with his talismanic efforts in Germany over the past month, hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as the "living legend" of his nation.

Georgia, a nation with less than half the population of London, earned the loftiest of laurels during their historic run to the round of 16, defeating Portugal to rise from the group stage for the first time in their history. They achieved this illustrious feat not through regimented pragmaticism, but through the breezy, free-flowing football of an awe-inspiring side.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deservedly takes the plaudits as Georgia's prized possession, but Mikautadze proved that he is a figure of similar importance, notching three goals and an assist across four outings.

It might not be the easiest of deals to engineer, with Monaco pressing to complete a deal and a host of further suitors lingering, but West Ham will hope that the allure of the Premier League and the promise of a starring role as the Irons spearhead could tempt the 5 foot 9 forward to make the move to London.

Matches played

4

Matches started

4

Goals

3

Assists

1

Pass completion

83%

Shots per game

1.5

Key passes per game

1.3

Dribbles per game

1.8

Duels won per game

4.5

Given Mikautadze's athletic ability, he must be prioritised as the top target to fight for a place as United's focal frontman, and Lopetegui must discard interest in Sevilla's Youssef En-Nesyri to get the move over the line.

How Mikautadze compares to En-Nesyri

As per Spanish reports in June, West Ham have been considering a swoop for their long-term target, who has been transfer-listed for an affordable €20m (£17m) by the Spanish club with his contract set to expire in one year.

The 27-year-old has been described as a "pure goalscorer" by Kulig and indeed would arrive off the back of a sharp scoring season, posting 20 goals across 41 fixtures in all competitions.

He's an imposing target man at 6 foot 3 but not quite the most mobile of players, and as the chart below will show, the Morocco international is one of the lowest-ranking forwards regarding his passing metrics.

Lopetegui will strive to implement more of a passing focus at West Ham than that of his predecessor, with a balanced but flexible structure opening up fluid passing play.

Mikautadze would be the perfect player to add to the mix in this regard, not least because of his crisp and creative emphasis. The Georgia star, further to the point, is progressive and would be able to effectively influence attacking sequences through his driven, penetrative approach into the final third.

Furthermore, the electrifying support of stars such as Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and the earlier-mentioned Guilherme makes for the perfect, balanced frontline that would see Mikautadze thrive.

While West Ham have already been active in the transfer market this summer, there's no hiding from the fact that signing a new centre-forward is the priority.

Mikautadze could be the poster boy for years to come, with so much yet to give but so much already showcased. Steidten and Co need to get this one completed with dispatch.

West Ham enquire about £32m striker who'd make Kudus unplayable

East London could finally land a top-class centre-forward by sealing this signing.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 5, 2024

Touring India, assuredly, is much more than Phil Tufnell’s poverty and elephants

Bruce Taylor06-Feb-2021Touring India, assuredly, is much more than Phil Tufnell’s poverty and elephants. Newcomers must adjust not only to a country of vast contrasts and stunning diversity but also to pitches and match atmospheres unlike any other in the world. In the second of the My India Tour series, Bruce Taylor, the New Zealand allrounder, talks about his Test debut at Calcutta on the 1964-65 tour of India , when he hit a century and took a five-for – the only time this has been achieved by a debutant.I had no time to get nervous about my debut because I only came into the side when Barry Sinclair fell ill and was unable to play. The first thing I remember about the game is John Reid hitting four sixes before lunch – the ground was chocka [full] with 30,000 to 40,000 people. I was pretty nervous before going out to bat but as I went I out I remember Polly Umrigar, then the manager of Indian side, wishing me good luck.I was 10 or 12 overnight, then the next morning Sutty [Bert Sutcliffe] andI played a few shots. After a while Sutty came down the wicket to me andsaid: ‘Listen, son – you could score 100 here if you keep your head down.’Then I hit the next ball for six and Bert just shook his head. The bowlingwasn’t as strong as it is nowadays and there was not as much pressure on meas you might expect now. I had a few swings and misses. But I becameconscious of how close I was to a century as we were in the last over beforelunch. I managed to score it before the break.We had a couple of hours bowling at them before stumps that day and I picked up a couple. We thought the wicket would take a bit of spin but we got most of our wickets through our medium pacers.I was particularly pleased with getting Bapu Nadkarni’s wicket. He scored 75against us in the first Test and I came around the wicket to him and got himfirst ball. The next morning I got the Indian captain, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.He had batted fairly well, with a fair bit of luck. He got to 153 but hadbeen dropped a few times. He got a big top edge to one of mine and Iremember going for the ball as it came down near the point area. I thought,’If no one else can catch them I might as well try.’I actually collided with our wicketkeeper John Ward who had run across totake the catch. Fortunately, he held it.I don’t think what I did in that match sunk in until years later. It wasn’tas if we could go out and celebrate with a few drinks being in India.Other
‘The dinner service was all gold’ – John Reid’s tour in 1955-56.
Much more than cricket – Glenn Turner’s tour in 1969-70.
‘It was like a sauna’ – Richard Hadlee’s tour in 1976-77.

Arsenal employees have cast their eyes on a Euro 2024 star recently, following some concerns within the club over a £250,000-per-week duo in Mikel Arteta's squad.

Edu and Arteta targeting new defenders for Arsenal this summer

Over the coming weeks, it wouldn't be a surprise to see one or two defenders come through the door at Arsenal, as various reports have suggested that is a serious possibility.

Arsenal now offered £50 million PSG star as Bayern Munich consider talks

The Gunners could also beat PL rivals to his signature…

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 29, 2024

Sporting director Edu Gaspar continues to be linked with new centre-backs, who would come in as alternatives to star defensive duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. The pair have been crucial to Arteta's on-field success in the last two years, but if injury or absence were to befall either of them, it would spell trouble for the Gunners boss.

Arsenal have been considering a bid for Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, according to some media sources – coming amid his impressive individual campaign for England at the Euros. The 23-year-old has been one of the major plus points for Gareth Southgate this tournament, and he'll be a sore miss for Switzerland on Saturday due to suspension.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are also believed to be in the race for Riccardo Calafiori, who also impressed for Italy at the Euros before Luciano Spalletti's side crashed out last weekend.

Arteta's side actually boasted the most superior defensive record out of any Premier League side last season, but if they're to challenge Man City again and potentially go that one step further, it is arguable they need more strength in depth.

Arsenal

29

Man City

34

Liverpool

41

Everton

51

Man United/Crystal Palace

58

The north Londoners have Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko as their current makeshift left-back choices as well, but it is believed Arteta is keen on bringing in a more natural option for the position.

Turkey defender Ferdi Kadioglu, who is set to face off against Austria on Tuesday in the Round of 16, has been repeatedly mentioned as a target for Arsenal by sections of the press.

Reports have claimed that the 24-year-old, who has starred for Fenerbahce at club level, is subject to interest from Hale End. Turkish media even stated last month that Arsenal made an opening £17 million bid for Kadioglu, which was rejected out of hand.

Arsenal run rule over Kadioglu amid Tomiyasu and Zinchenko concerns

News outlet Football Transfers don't go that far, but do claim Arsenal have run the rule over Kadioglu at Euro 2024, following concerns over Tomiyasu and Zinchenko.

Arteta's side apparently hold fitness worries about the Arsenal duo, who earn a combined £250,000-per-week at the club. Indeed, there is doubt over their reliability in terms of injuries – prompting scouts to cast their eye on Kadioglu ahead of a potential move.

Arsenal are not alone in their admiration for the Turkish Super Lig star, though, as Erik ten Hag and INEOS have dispatched Man United scouts to watch over Kadioglu as well – given the Red Devils' similar dilemma over Luke Shaw.

As campaigns go, last season was one full of ups and downs for Tottenham Hotspur as new boss Ange Postecoglou got to grips with life in the Premier League.

The Australian had his side playing incredible football at times, but a mixture of injuries and a collapse in form towards the back end saw the Lilywhites slip from a nailed-on Champions League place to the Europa League.

To make sure the same thing doesn't happen again this year, Daniel Levy and Co must bring in some quality additions to the squad over the coming weeks who could come in when players start to dip or even start games at times.

The good news is that, based on recent reports, it appears they are doing just that, as the latest player heavily touted for a move to N17 would be the ideal Son Heung-min rival and, interestingly, has been compared to Gabriel Martinelli in the past.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Italian journalist Gianni Balzarini, Tottenham are incredibly keen on signing Juventus star Federico Chiesa this summer.

Balzarini claims that the Lilywhites are ready to make an offer in the region of €30m – £25m – for the dynamic winger, a fee that would more than please the Old Lady.

It wouldn't be a cheap transfer, but in the modern market, it does feel like a reasonable fee for a full international.

Moreover, as the intention may well be to use him as competition or Son, Levy and Co should definitely get over the line on this transfer – his comparison to Martinelli is just a nice bonus.

How Chiesa compares to Son and Martinelli

The first thing to look at here is this comparison to Arsenal's Martinelli. While he might not be the most popular of characters on the white side of North London, he is a talented player.

For example, even with a slightly down campaign last year, he scored eight goals and provided five assists in 44 games for the Premier League runners-up.

So, while the pair's most apparent similarity is that they play on the wing, this comparison, in particular, stems from FBref.

They examined players in similar positions in the 2022/23 Europa League, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each position, and concluded that the Brazilian was the eighth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Chiesa.

This conclusion was reached by looking at how closely the pair ranked in several underlying metrics, including assists, progressive carries, shots, short passing accuracy, shot and goal-creating actions and carries, all per 90.

Assists

0.22

0.18

Progressive Carries

3.78

3.64

Shots

2.23

2.37

Short Passing Accuracy

87.0%

86.1%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.85

3.87

Goal-Creating Actions

0.48

0.39

Carries

30.9

34.4

With all that said, how well does the Genova-born "wizard", as dubbed by football media personality Roger Bennett, stack up to the player he'll be tasked with rivaling?

Well, unsurprisingly, the Lilywhites' captain does come out on top when it comes to output, but that isn't to say the Juve ace is an unproductive player.

In 36 appearances last season, the South Korean superstar scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, whereas the Italian scored ten goals and provided three assists in 37 games, which would've been enough to make him the joint-fourth most effective attacking player at Spurs last season.

Ultimately, for the reported fee, signing Chiesa to provide some more competition for Son feels like a no-brainer, and while the Spurs faithful don't particularly like, the comparison to Martinelli is a positive sign.

Deadline set: Spurs race to land "sensational" £40m ace who's like Havertz

The impressive talent could be a serious boon to Postecoglou’s squad.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 25, 2024

Hakan Calhanoglu scored the only goal of the game from the spot as Arsenal fell to their first European defeat of the season

Goal-shy Arsenal suffered their first Champions League defeat of the season after Hakan Calhanoglu's penalty in first-half stoppage time saw them beaten 1-0 by Inter at San Siro on Wednesday night.

The visitors dominated large chunks of the game, but once again struggled to create clear chances, with Gabriel Magalhaes going closest to scoring when his header was cleared off the line in the second period.

At the other end Inter rarely threatened, but the penalty they were controversially awarded just before the interval when Mehdi Taremi flicked the ball onto the arm of the unfortunate Mikel Merino was enough to give them the win, with Calhanoglu sending David Raya the wrong way from the spot. Merino was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty himself beforehand after being punched in the head by goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

The loss is Arsenal's third in six games in all competitions and they have failed to find the net in all three of those defeats.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from San Siro…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  Quiet evening. Was relatively untroubled. Went the wrong way for the penalty.

  Ben White (6/10):

  Got forward when he could, but was sloppy in possession at times. Not at his best.

  William Saliba (7/10):

  Relatively untroubled. Dealt well with the Inter attack. Could have done better with a header from a corner early in the second half.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (7/10):

  Good battle with Lautaro Martinez which he won fairly comfortably. Saw one header cleared off the line from a Bukayo Saka corner.

  Jurrien Timber (7/10):

  Did well up against the pacy Denzel Dumfries, solid display.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Bukayo Saka (6/10):

  Could have done better with one effort in the first half which he put straight at Sommer. Wasn't able to get on the ball enough in dangerous areas to really hurt Inter.

  Thomas Partey (7/10):

  Lost possession in a dangerous spot early on, but grew into the game after that and was probably Arsenal's standout player in the first half.

  Mikel Merino (4/10):

  Poor first half. First touch was awful at times. He was unlucky to give away the penalty, but was replaced by Jesus at half-time.

  Gabriel Martinelli (6/10):

  Some moments of quality. Put in a couple of dangerous crosses in the first half and looked like the most likely to make something happen. Faded after the break.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Kai Havertz (6/10):

  Did well holding the ball up and winning his duels, but never really threatened the Inter goal aside from one late shot that was deflected wide. Needs to show a bit more anticipation at times when the ball comes into the box.

  Leandro Trossard (4/10):

  His poor form continues. Sloppy in possession early on, looks like he is trying to force things when he gets on the ball.

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• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Gabriel Jesus (6/10):

  On at half-time and his arrival sparked a better Arsenal performance. Never really got a sight of goal though.

  Oleksandr Zinchenko (N/A):

  On for the final 10 minutes.

  Ethan Nwaneri (N/A):

  Lively late cameo. Sent one shot over. Needs to be given more minutes.

  Martin Odegaard (N/A):

  On in injury time – good to see him back.

  Mikel Arteta (5/10):

  A much better performance from his side than at Newcastle, but the same result. Needs to try something new in attack. Should have brought Nwaneri on earlier.

Josh Philippe may well have secured a trip to New Zealand with Australia’s T20 side after producing yet another dazzling display with the bat to entrench Sydney Sixers in top spot on the BBL table with a comfortable win over Perth Scorchers.Philippe, the tournament’s leading runscorer, made light work of what could have been a tricky chase of 164 showcasing his full array of skills in an innings of 84 from 52 balls. He shared a 106-run stand with James Vince who scored an equally classy 52 from just 35 as the Sixers cruised to victory by seven wickets with seven balls to spare.The Scorchers only have themselves to blame after inviting the Sixers back into the game. At the ten-over mark of the first innings, they were for 1 for 103 having won the toss and batted first. Liam Livingstone lit up Manuka Oval with some phenomenal striking, launching six balls into the stands in a blistering 38-ball 67. But they boldly took the Power Surge in the 11th over and Livingstone holed out first ball to spark a stunning collapse. They lost 6 for 60 in the last 10 overs with Dan Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, and Jake Ball strangling the Scorchers middle order taking two wickets each.The Sixers moved nine points clear on top of the BBL table, while the Scorchers remain in third thanks to the Bash Boost point.Living dangerouslyLivingstone was dropped first ball in the last game against the Hobart Hurricanes and made them pay with a half-century. He was dropped fifth ball off Steve O’Keefe and made the Sixers pay a heavy price. It was a straightforward chance at mid-off which Daniel Hughes made a mess of.The Scorchers scored just nine runs off the first two overs before Livingstone teed off. Jackson Bird’s line and length was treated with disdain as he clubbed two fours a six in one over. O’Keefe then suffered the ignominy of conceding the most runs in an over in this BBL season. Livingstone plundered 26 off the bat, including three sixes, two of which were struck one-handed down the ground, while O’Keefe delivered a wide as well. The Scorchers took 53 off the powerplay and kept rolling.Livingstone brought up his half-century in the seventh over off just 29 balls with his fifth six. Even the loss of Jason Roy didn’t slow him down as he cleared the rope for a sixth time. The Scorchers were 1 for 103 after 10 overs but incredibly, Dan Christian bowled the eighth and 10th over and conceded just 10 runs while picking up Roy.Liam Livingstone launches into one of his sixes•Getty Images

Power FailureThe Scorchers took the Power Surge immediately and it triggered a collapse as they lost 4 for 18 in four overs. Livingstone later blamed himself after chipping the first ball from Jake Ball to mid-off, and Ashton Turner holed out later in the over. They managed to score just 9 runs from the Surge with Ball and Christian tying them down with some excellent yorkers and slower balls. Colin Munro watched his teammates come and go and struggled for fluency against some clever bowling and fell to Carlos Brathwaite for 34 off 32. The Scorchers scored just 60 off the last 10 overs and lost six wickets.Philippe firesPhilippe continued his outstanding form on a day when Australian T20 captain Aaron Finch suggested he was being looked at closely for national duties. He got off the mark with a streaky outside edge past slip but was flawless thereafter, feasting on Andrew Tye in the third over taxing three overpitched deliveries in a row. The chase stalled a touch when Philippe and Vince didn’t score a boundary for four overs after Justin Avendano fell to Jason Behrendorff in the midst of a tidy spell from the left-armer. But Tye returned and Philippe pumped him through midwicket to bring up a very comfortable half-century off 31 balls.He then stepped on the accelerator and Vince went with him. The pair struck six fours and two sixes in 30 balls without taking the Power Surge. They called for the Surge in the 16th over and brought up a century stand and Vince’s half-century in the same over. They couldn’t finish the game off themselves. Philippe was hit in the helmet trying to pull a slower ball bouncer off Jhye Richardson and lost his middle stump next ball trying to paddle scoop fine. Vince played all around a leg break from Fawad Ahmed in the next over but Hughes and Christian scored the last 16 runs without error.

The reasons for Benjamin Sesko’s reluctance to complete a transfer to Arsenal have been revealed, with the Gunners still tracking the RB Leipzig star.

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Gunners wanted to land more firepowerPresence of Havertz worked against themRemain keen on Slovenian frontmanFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The highly-rated striker emerged as a target for Premier League heavyweights during the summer window of 2024. Mikel Arteta was eager to bring another goalscorer into his ranks alongside the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

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According to the , it is the presence of Germany international Havertz at Emirates Stadium that led Sesko to shun any interest from north London. The 21-year-old frontman has said to have had "concerns he would be second choice".

DID YOU KNOW?

Sesko ended up signing a new contract with Leipzig, with there a buy-out clause within those terms that interested parties can trigger if they are prepared to part with £55 million ($71m). A number of clubs across Europe are said to be mulling over their options.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Arsenal are still among the interested parties, despite Sesko’s initial reluctance to head down that career path. He has registered a further seven goals this season, after hitting 18 in 2023-24, and the Slovenia international may yet end up in English football.