Sydney Thunder saw the chance to host a grand final slip away with a poor performance in Melbourne
AAP23-Nov-2024
Hayley Matthews led Melbourne Renegades’ dominant chase•Getty Images
Melbourne Renegades crushed the Sydney Thunder by nine wickets to take top spot on the WBBL ladder.Thunder were bowled out for 133 in 19.1 overs with Renegades spinner Sophie Molineux snaring 4 for 23 at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.Renegades then raced to the target from 14.2 overs with opener Hayley Matthews blasting an unbeaten 60 from 37 balls and Molineux capping a stunning all-round performance with an unbeaten 42 from 29 deliveries with the pair adding an unbroken 95.Renegades moved to 14 points, taking top spot from the Thunder (13 points). Brisbane Heat (12 points) will need a big win over Sydney Sixers on Sunday in the last match of the regular season to jump ahead of Renegades and host the grand final.Perth Scorchers (nine points) hold fourth spot ahead of their last game on Saturday night against the fifth-placed Hobart Hurricanes which will likely decide fourth place entering the finals – unless the Sixers (sixth, eight points) can upset Heat.Thunder struggled to gain traction with the top-order batters failing to capitalise. Phoebe Litchfield top-scored with 30, hitting six fours from her 17 deliveries while No. 7 Sammy-Jo Johnson made 21 from 19 balls.Openers Georgia Voll, Chamari Athapaththu and Georgia Adams all made 11, as Thunder slipped from 95 for 3 in 12th over and lost their last seven wickets for 38 runs.Molineux was superb with her four-wicket haul accompanied by a dozen dot balls in her four overs.
Jason Gillespie, the former Australia cricketer who recently quit as Pakistan’s head coach in Test cricket, said on Monday that he stepped down after being “completely and utterly blindsided” by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).Gillespie, whose contract was set to expire in 2026, resigned last week and he expressed his frustration over the lack of communication, which led him to feel that the Pakistan Cricket Board no longer wanted him in the role.Related
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Gillespie frustrated by lack of clear communication in role as Pakistan coach
“There were certainly challenges. I went into the job eyes wide open, I want to make that really clear. I knew that, you know, Pakistan had cycled through a number of coaches in a pretty short space of time,” Gillespie told “The straw that broke the camel’s back, I suppose, was, as a head coach, you like to have clear communication with your employer. I was completely and utterly blindsided by a decision to not have a high-performance coach.”As ESPNcricinfo originally reported, the PCB first did not renew the contract of Tim Nielsen, who was brought in on the recommendation of the Gillespie, as the high performance coach of the team. This had prompted Gillespie to have doubts about his own future.”Tim Nielsen was told that his services were no longer required and I had absolutely zero communication from anyone about that,” Gillespie said. “And I just thought after a number of other things that had gone on in the previous few months, that was probably the moment where I thought, ‘Well, I’m not really sure if they actually want me to do this job or not.'”Adding to Gillespie’s frustration was the fact that the feedback given to him regarding Nielsen and the team’s performance was positive.”I developed a really close relationship with the Test captain, Shan Masood, and felt we were certainly going in the right direction and things were going really well,” he said. “All the feedback that I’d got or the feedback the PCB got was just how effective, you know, Tim had been in his role as well and the players were getting a lot out of him.”Gillespie guided Pakistan to a 2-1 win against England in October, after losing the first match by an innings and 47 runs. However, after the loss in the first Test, he was informed that a new selection panel would be introduced, and he would not be a part of it.He felt his role as head coach was diminished and even suggested that he often didn’t know the team lineup until the day before a match. This lack of clarity and communication only deepened his frustration with the PCB’s handling of his position.”I felt I was basically hitting catches and that was about it on the morning of a game,” he said. “You want to be able to have clear communication with all stakeholders, with selectors, for instance, knowing what the team is as head coach well before the game, or before at least the day before the game.Aaqib Javed is the interim Test coach for Pakistan for the series in South Africa. He is also the interim coach of both white-ball sides after Gary Kirsten resigned in October.
Glasgow Rangers have been focused on bringing players to Ibrox during the summer transfer window, as they have brought in the likes of Thelo Aasgaard, Emmanuel Fernandez, Djeidi Gassama, and Max Aarons, among others.
However, Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell also have to be wary of the size of the squad and the reality that some players will have to move on, amid interest in some of the fringe members of the team.
As you can see in the post above from Sacha Tavolieri, there are at least three teams interested in a deal to sign central defender Clinton Nsiala.
Martin has already admitted that the centre-back, who was not included in the squad to face Panathinaikos on Tuesday, could be on his way out of Ibrox this summer, and the former AC Milan man may not be the only one.
Two teams have major interest in Rangers forward
Nsiala is far from the only player on the fringes of the squad ahead of next season, as there will be plenty of people looking at their futures beyond this summer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to the Daily Record, Rangers forward Ross McCausland is attracting interest from a number of clubs ahead of a potential move away from Ibrox.
The report claims that Aris Limassol and two teams in the MLS have a ‘major’ interest in snapping up the Northern Ireland international before the end of the window.
Ross McCausland for Rangers against Celtic.
It adds that they are weighing him up as a potential loan signing, whilst there are also unnamed teams from England monitoring his situation.
Why Rangers should allow Ross McCausland to go
The Light Blues should allow McCausland to leave, whether that is on loan or on a permanent basis, this summer because he is as dispensable as Nsiala, who Martin has already admitted could be on his way out.
Rangers forward Ross McCausland.
In the 2024/25 campaign, the French centre-back started ten of his 11 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, but ended the season as an unused substitute in the last two matches.
McCausland, meanwhile, only started four of his 13 appearances in the division for the Scottish giants, who have since signed Aasgaard and Gassama to play in the attacking midfield positions.
24/25 Premiership
Ross McCausland
Appearances
13
Starts
4
Goals
0
Big chances created
0
Key passes per game
0.6
Assists
1
Red cards
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate offered very little in the final third from a right wing position, with zero goals and zero assists in those 13 games.
He ended the season with more red cards (one) than goal contributions in the league, having been sent off for two bookable offences against Aberdeen in April.
Pundit Tam McManus criticised the “poor” Rangers flop after those mistakes, as McCausland made a rash challenge whilst already on a yellow card to end up being sent off.
The 22-year-old dud is, therefore, just as dispensable as Nsiala is this summer, as both players failed to nail down a place as a regular starter in the league last season, and are now attracting suitors from elsewhere.
Creates room for Rak-Sakyi: Rangers want to sell Dowell & "blistering" flop
Rangers can create space for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi as they look to sell several first-team players.
ByDan Emery Jul 17, 2025
If Martin is willing to allow Nsiala to leave, as he has suggested, then the manager should be willing to allow McCausland, who started even fewer games in the league last term, to go as well.
Smale, Morris half-centuries set up visitors with bat before Stars crumble in chase
ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2024Thunder 250 for 8 (Smale 76, Morris 54) beat South East Stars 130 (Chathli 54, Cross 6-40) by 120 runsEngland’s Kate Cross took List A best figures of 6 for 40 as Thunder beat South East Stars by 120 runs in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham.Batting first, Thunder made 250 for 8 from their 50 overs, Seren Smale top-scoring with 76 and Fi Morris making 54. Ryana MacDonald-Gay was the Stars’ most potent bowler with three for 42 and she also claimed a run out, while Kalea Moore took 2 for 49.Cross, however, did the damage by claiming the key wickets of Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards in successive balls. Despite a batting 54 from Kira Chathli Stars never really looked like chasing down the target and they were all out for 130 from 36.4 overs.Thunder won the toss and chose to bat on a slow Beckenham track, putting on 53 for the opening wicket before Moore bowled Alice Clark for 23 in the 15th over.MacDonald-Gay bowled Emma Lamb for 24 in the next over, but Smale and Morris shifted the momentum with a 96-run stand that was only broken when the latter chipped a Moore full toss to Paige Scholfield at cover.MacDonald-Gay nearly had Smale for 43 in the next over but Chathli couldn’t hang on to an inside edge and she was joined by Ellie Threlkeld, who made 33 before she was cleaned up by MacDonald-Gay. At that point the Thunder were on 205 for 4 with seven overs left but they lost wickets too frequently to mount a serious charge during the death overs.MacDonald-Gay bowled Naomi Dattani for 14 and then ran out Danielle Collins for 1 as she chased a non-existent single, before Smale was smartly run out by Phoebe Franklin going for a second.It was impossible to say who were favourites at halfway but Scholfield was unable to bat in her usual slot due to an injury and the odds tilted further in the visitors’ favour when Cross intervened.Stars skipper Smith went for just 12, caught at extra cover by Clark and Cross’s next delivery bowled Davidson-Richards off the inside edge for a golden duck. Chathli survived the hat-trick ball at the start of the next over and was then dropped off the sixth ball by Dattani when she was on 2.Makeshift opener Chloe Hill made a useful 18 in a partnership of 45 for the third wicket until Sophie Morris had her caught by Clark. Moore was bowled by Dattani for 6 and when Aylish Cranstone was lbw to Fi Morris for 9 Stars’ hopes looked thin.They looked thinner still when the same bowler had Franklin caught for 2 at cover by Cross and wafer-thin when Cross returned at the City End to get Chathli caught at long-on by Fi Morris.In her next over Cross had MacDonald-Gay caught in the deep by Fi Morris for 13 and although Scholfield came in at No. 10, she was batting in visible discomfort and lasted just two balls before chipping Cross to Dattani for 1. An emphatic win was concluded when Cross bowled Dani Gregory for a duck.
India completed a splendid turnaround after losing the series opener
Sreshth Shah14-Jul-20243:43
Takeaways: India’s future bright as youngsters come good
Zimbabwe kept India to a par total of 167 despite a half-century from Sanju Samson, and they took the upper hand in the chase after a strong powerplay. However, Mukesh Kumar, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube hit back with the ball to sniff out any chance of a Zimbabwe victory, and India sealed a 42-run win to complete a splendid series turnaround in Harare after losing the opening fixture of the series.Sunday’s victory was India’s fourth win in a row, all completed in comfortable fashion.Jaiswal, Abhishek, Gill fall inside powerplayAfter Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss for the first time all series, he sent India in. Yashasvi Jaiswal began with two sixes off the first two balls of the match, including one off a Raza no-ball, but the opener could not maximise his start, and was bowled in the first over itself.That brought in Abhishek Sharma, but his stay was brief too, Blessing Muzarabani getting him caught behind with a length ball angling across him. Shubman Gill followed Abhishek to the hut when a Richard Ngarava short ball got big on him, and he sliced a mis-hit to mid-on.Samson lifts India’s inningsThe three top-order wickets left India at 44 for 3 after the powerplay and forced a rebuild from No. 4 Samson – he was pushed up in Ruturaj Gaikwad’s absence – and No. 5 Riyan Parag, who was batting for the second time this series. They batted together for 56 balls, and even though they added only 65 for the fourth wicket, they ensured India arrested a potential collapse. Parag made a 24-ball 22 and was out to legspinner Brandon Mavuta when he tried to up the scoring rate.Samson, though, made full use of the time he took to get going. At one stage he was on 17 off 18 balls, but when Mavuta bowled in his arc, he capitalised to up the scoring rate. Samson struck four sixes in all, and just the lone four, and when he fell in the deep in the 18th over trying to take Muzarabani on, he was out for a 45-ball 58.With 15 balls to go and India at 135 for 3, the base was set for an aggressive finish. Dube ruined Ngarava’s economy rate by smacking him for 4, 6, 4 in the 19th over in his 12-ball cameo of 26, and Rinku Singh hit a six in the 20th to ensure India finished above 160. Muzarabani picked up 2 for 19 in his four overs, and was the best of the five bowlers used by Zimbabwe.Mukesh Kumar finished with a career-best 4 for 22•Associated Press
Marumani, Myers put Zimbabwe on trackBack in the XI for the final game of the series, Mukesh continued his habit of striking early, taking his third first-over wicket in three outings. This time, Wessly Madhevere was the victim, chopping on off a ball that moved into the right-hand batter sharply to fall for a duck.Mukesh added a second when he tempted Brian Bennett (10) to play over the off side with a full ball swinging away, but the No. 3 could only slice to deep backward point, leaving the hosts 15 for 2 in the third over.Mukesh could have had a third, pegging back Tadiwanashe Marumani’s stumps after a tidy spell to the left-hander from around the wicket, but he had overstepped, and it briefly looked like an expensive mistake as Marumani and No. 4 Dion Myers (34) attacked seamer Tushar Deshpande and wristspinner Ravi Bishnoi.They went particularly hard against Bishnoi, a player Zimbabwe have struggled against all series, and the wristspinner began with a 16-run sixth over that took Zimbabwe to 47 for 2.Washington kickstarts Zimbabwe’s downfallWashington took the ball after the powerplay, and struck in his second over from around the wicket to Marumani, who was lbw trying to slog across the line. That dismissal forced a slowdown, allowing India to drag the game back into their favour with Bishnoi and Washington controlling proceedings.Dube chipped in with a solid shift, picking up a wicket apiece in the 13th and 15th overs, both with short balls. He first dismissed Myers, and then had Johnathan Campbell holing out. In the over in between, he ran Raza out with a direct hit at the bowler’s end. All this left Zimbabwe struggling at 90 for 6.Dube eventually finished with 2 for 25, while Abhishek and Deshpande also picked up a wicket apiece with the game going out of Zimbabwe’s grasp. Faraz Akram (27 off 13) entertained the home crowd with two fours and two sixes late in the innings before being caught behind off Mukesh in the 19th over. No. 11 Ngarava then had no answer to a full, fast delivery, and Mukesh finished with his best T20I figures – 4 for 22.Dube was adjudged Player of the Match for his 12-ball 26 and 2 for 25. Washington claimed the Player-of-the-Series trophy for his eight wickets at an average of 11.62 and an economy rate of 5.16.
With the 2024/25 season coming to a close, clubs have been fighting it out for the major trophies. The EFL Cup was wrapped up in February, with Newcastle United winning their first gong for 55 years, while the FA Cup went to Crystal Palace as they secured their first major trophy.
Both clubs overcame top opposition at Wembley to defy the odds on their way to silverware, with Liverpool and Manchester City on the wrong end of painful defeats under the arch.
Liverpool and Arsenal were the ones fighting it out for the Premier League crown, but it was the Reds who prevailed, in the process winning their 20th top-flight title.
And Tottenham Hotspur won the battle of the Premier League strugglers in the Europa League final, with their first major honour for nearly two decades coming at the expense of Manchester United, who will finish in the bottom region of the league table alongside the Lilywhites despite their progress in Europe.
Meanwhile, Chelsea lifted the Conference League and the first edition of the newly expanded Club World Cup.
Here, we take a look at the most trophies won by English clubs, with a detailed look at the top 11.
For this list, minor competitions like the Community Shield and the Intertoto Cup have not been taken into consideration, while ‘European cups’ does not include the UEFA Super Cup, though these are counted alongside honours such as the Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Rank
Team
League titles
Domestic cups
European cups
Others
Total
Liverpool
20
18
9
5
Man Utd
20
19
5
3
Arsenal
13
16
2
0
Chelsea
6
13
7
4
Man City
10
15
2
2
Aston Villa
7
12
1
1
Tottenham
2
12
4
0
Everton
9
5
1
0
Newcastle
4
7
1
0
Blackburn
3
7
0
0
Nottingham Forest
1
6
2
1
11 Nottingham Forest 10 trophies
Nottingham Forest'sMurillocelebrates scoring their first goal with Nottingham Forest's AnthonyElangaand Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood
Nottingham Forest enjoyed their finest season in decades, finishing seventh in the Premier League table and qualifying for Europe. They haven’t won a major trophy since the League Cup back in 1990 under the leadership of Brian Clough, the most successful manager in the club’s history.
He led the team to their first and only top-flight title in 1978, before claiming back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980. Add in four League Cups, and it is no wonder why so many loved Cloughie. Forest have also won two FA Cups and a European Super Cup, taking their total to 10 major trophies won.
Competition
Times won
Last won
First Division
1
1978
FA Cup
2
1959
League Cup
4
1990
European Cup
2
1980
European Super Cup
1
1979
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Blackburn Rovers haven’t been in the top flight since 2012, but they rank joint-10th with Forest in terms of most successful English clubs.
All but two of their major trophies came before 1930, winning two league titles and six FA Cups. They ended an 81-year drought for a league title by winning the Premier League in 1995, while Graeme Souness won the League Cup during the 2001/02 season.
This remains the last time the club lifted silverware.
9 Newcastle United 11 trophies
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe reacts
Before winning the EFL Cup in 2025, Newcastle United had the longest drought of any club in England that has won at least one major trophy. Indeed, the last time Newcastle had lifted silverware before 2025, the Beatles were still together and the Vietnam War was ongoing as the Magpies won the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
The Toon have won four league titles in their history, along with claiming six FA Cup titles. The last of these came in 1927 and 1955 respectively.
Eddie Howe’s charges will now surely have their eyes on further success, particularly as they return to Europe and look to place themselves among Europe’s elite for the foreseeable future.
8 Everton 15 trophies
Everton have enjoyed brief periods of success during their history before going through long droughts.
Up until the 1940s, the Toffees had won five league titles and two FA Cups prior to enduring a quiet period. League titles in 1963 and 1970 sandwiched an FA Cup triumph in 1966.
Since then, only four more trophies have been won by the Goodison Park outfit, with the last one coming in 1995. They will have to wait until next year to end this drought.
7 Tottenham Hotspur 18 trophies
Much was made about Tottenham Hotspur’s trophy drought, which stretched back to 2008, as a club of their size should have claimed a couple of major honours since.
It took them 17 years to taste cup glory since Jonathan Woodgate’s winner saw them beat Chelsea in the EFL Cup final, with their 2025 Europa League final against Manchester United handing Ange Postecoglou the chance to break the club’s hoodoo – one that he took.
Brennan Johnson’s scrappy goal in Bilbao ended that long wait for major silverware, with Spurs lifting the Europa League trophy for a third time, with their latest triumph their fourth on the continent, having won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963.
Overall, Spurs have won 18 major trophies throughout their history, with their other 14 being domestic honours, including eight FA Cups. Almost bizarrely, they have not even been in an FA Cup final since 1991, yet have played in two European finals in the time that has followed.
Meanwhile, their league titles tally stands at two, with their last one coming in 1961. Only time will tell if their Europa League triumph proves to be a catalyst for more success in the future.
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ByRoss Kilvington May 22, 2025 6 Aston Villa 21 trophies
Aston Villa’s main period of success came during the late part of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century. The club won six league titles and six FA Cups during this period.
Arguably, their finest achievement has been winning the European Cup in 1982, defeating Bayern Munich in the final. This came after they had secured their seventh top-flight title the season before.
A total of 21 major trophies have been won by the Midlands side, but you’d have to go back to 1996 for the last time they lifted anything of note.
5 Manchester City 29 trophies
Manchester City have benefited from being taken over by wealthy owners as, before the takeover in 2008, City had won just nine major honours.
The last 17 years have seen the club claim eight league titles, three FA Cups, a Champions League title and six League Cup trophies.
Pep Guardiola turned City into arguably the finest team of the Premier League era, but the club’s struggles in 2024/25 were summed up by a second successive FA Cup final defeat – most recently to Crystal Palace – when victories would have seen them tie with Arsenal in the overall list.
4 Chelsea 30 trophies
Chelsea’s success during the first 20 years of the 21st century was undoubtedly down to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Between 2003 and 2022, the Blues won 20 major trophies, including five Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns.
It wasn’t until 1955 that the club won their first league title, while they had to wait until 1970 to win the FA Cup. Recently, Enzo Maresca led the club to a Conference League triumph and the expanded FIFA Club World Cup title in his first season.
3 Arsenal 31 trophies
While Spurs and Newcastle get flak for their respective trophy droughts, Arsenal have won just one FA Cup in the last eight years.
Overall, though, the Gunners have won a total of 31 major honours since their formation in 1886, including a record 14 FA Cup wins.
Furthermore, they have also won 13 league titles throughout their history, along with two European trophies – the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.
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ByRoss Kilvington Oct 30, 2024 2 Manchester United 47 trophies
Manchester United rank second on this list, courtesy of winning a staggering 47 trophies in their history. Two managers won the bulk of these honours – Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Indeed, Busby won eight major trophies, culminating in the 1968 European Cup triumph, 10 years after the Munich air disaster. The Red Devils went through a slump until Ferguson managed to work his magic. By 2013, he had won 28 trophies throughout an iconic spell.
They have some work to do to reach number one, however…
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As they did at the start of this season, Arsenal will go into next year as one of the clear favourites to win the Premier League.
While such an expectation now feels entirely normal, it wasn’t just a few years ago, as the 22/23 campaign marked the first season in a long time that the Gunners mounted a serious challenge for the title.
Mikel Arteta’s side failed to even qualify for the Champions League the year prior but came flying out of the gate and came painfully close to becoming champions with the exciting wing play of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, two of the club’s stand-out players.
While the former has only improved since then, the latter has struggled to match the 22 goal involvements he produced in 46 games, but the board might be about to sign a centre-forward who could help him get back to his best.
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With Arsenal clearly needing another striker as far back as last summer, the club have been linked with a whole host of free-scoring forwards this year, from Alexander Isak to Benjamin Sesko.
Transfer Focus
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The former would probably be most people’s preferred option, as he’s proven in the Premier League and has been in incredible form this season, scoring 27 goals and providing six assists in just 40 appearances for Newcastle United.
However, with reports from earlier this year claiming that he could cost in excess of £150m, it seems incredibly unlikely that this is a deal that gets done.
Sesko, on the other hand, could cost around £58m this summer, and considering he’s managed to rack up a tally of 21 goals and six assists in 43 appearances for RB Leipzig, that might just be a reasonable fee.
Yet, as the Slovenian is still just 21 years old, the North Londoners might want a more senior marksman leading the line next year, which is where Viktor Gyokeres comes in.
According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in the Sporting CP superstar ahead of the summer transfer window.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners have now made an opening bid of €60m for the Swedish superstar, which is about £51m, and considered likely to be too low.
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokerescelebrates after the match
The good news is that the Portuguese giants are willing to sell him for less than his €100m – £85m – release clause, but the bad news is that the likes of Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan are also all keen to secure the 26-year-old’s services.
It would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Gyokeres’ immense ability in front of goal, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as he could get Martinelli back to his best.
Why Gyokeres could get Martinelli back to his best
Let’s say that Arsenal have their bid accepted, or they increase and get their man that way; why would Gyokeres help get Martinelli back to his 22/23 best?
Sporting Club's Francisco Trinaco and Viktor Gyokeres.
Well, while there are a few different reasons, they fundamentally all come back to one thing: his output.
For example, in 50 appearances last season, totalling 4169 minutes, the prolific “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Alex Turk, scored 43 goals and provided 15 assists.
Appearances
50
49
Minutes
4169′
3948′
Goals
43
52
Assists
15
12
Goal Involvements per Match
1.16
1.30
Minutes per Goal Involvement
71.87′
61.68′
That means he averaged 1.16 goal involvements per game for the entire campaign, or, in other words, he produced one every 71.87 minutes.
However, if that wasn’t good enough, he’s doing even better this season, as in 49 appearances, totalling 3948 minutes, the Stockholm-born sensation has scored 52 goals and provided 12 assists.
Such an incredible level of output means the 26-capped international is averaging 1.30 goal involvements per game at the moment, or one every 61.68 minutes.
Just imagine a striker as unbelievably efficient as him starting to the right of the Gunners’ number 11; his goal and assist numbers would explode.
Moreover, the sheer presence of someone so clinical in the frontline will force opposition defences to focus more attention on him, thus opening up more space for Saka and the rapid Brazilian to exploit.
Ultimately, Arsenal should do all they can to sign Gyokeres this summer, as not only would his goals make a significant difference on their own, but he’d also surely help Martinelli get back to his very best.
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Arsenal have a huge summer ahead of them if they are to finally make the step-up and end their generational wait for a Premier League title triumph.
Mikel Arteta has led the Gunners to a second-placed finish in each of the last two seasons, looking increasingly likely to finish in the same position once again this time around.
Additions are needed in the summer if they are to push for a title battle, with squad depth needed in key areas of the pitch to prevent a repeat of the situation that has occurred this campaign.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetareacts
Injuries have plagued the squad, leading to various players having to operate in unfamiliar roles, restricting the progress the Gunners have made under the Spaniard’s guidance.
However, with the summer rapidly approaching, new sporting director Andrea Berta has wasted no time in identifying targets to improve the squad and help mount their title ambitions.
The latest on Arsenal’s pursuit of new attackers this summer
In recent days, Arsenal have taken the lead in the race for Athletic Club’s Spanish forward Nico Williams, with Barcelona pulling out of the running to land the 22-year-old.
The youngster has been on the club’s radar over the last couple of years, but it appears Berta looks set to reignite interest in his signature over the coming months.
Athletic Bilbao'sNicoWilliamscelebrates scoring their third goal
A previous report has claimed that the Gunners are willing to trigger his £50m release clause within his current contract in an attempt to bolster Arteta’s forward line ahead of 2025/26.
However, other names have already been thrown into the mix, with Real Betis winger Jesus Rodriguez the latest name touted with a summer deal to the Emirates.
According to a report from CaughtOffside, Arteta’s men are leading the race for the 19-year-old’s signature but also face stiff competition from Liverpool and Chelsea for the star, who has a £42m release clause.
Why Rodriguez would be better than Williams for Arsenal
Williams will undoubtedly be top of many fans shopping list ahead of the summer transfer window, with his figures at the top level of LaLiga nothing short of sensational.
Spain star Nico Williams
He would undoubtedly provide the options which the manager has been hunting for in recent months, offering a solution to their ongoing injury issues.
However, the same could be said for fellow target Rodriguez, with the compatriot potentially a better and cheaper alternative than the Athletic Club sensation.
It’s been the 19-year-old’s breakthrough year as a professional, playing a key role in the club’s hunt to claim Europa Conference League glory come the end of the season.
When comparing their respective stats from the current season, Rodriguez has managed to outperform fellow target Williams in numerous key areas – highlighting how much of an impressive addition he would be in North London.
Games played
15
27
Goals & assists
1
10
Shot-on-target accuracy
37%
36%
Pass accuracy
72%
70%
Tackles won
1.6
1.2
Take-on success
97%
36%
Carries into final third
3.4
2.6
Fouls won
3.6
1.6
The winger, who’s been labelled “outstanding” by analyst Ben Mattinson, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has managed to notch a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate – showcasing his clinical nature in attacking areas.
He’s also managed to complete more take-ons this season, whilst also registering more carries into the final third per 90, highlighting the threat he carries with the ball at his feet.
Rodriguez is a threat at both ends of the pitch, winning more tackles per 90, having the defensive quality and work ethic to regain possession should the Gunners find themselves under the cosh.
Either winger would massively bolster the attacking department in North London, certainly providing the reinforcements Arteta has craved over the last couple of months.
Real Betis'JesusRodriguezcelebrates scoring their second goal
But given the age difference and contrast in quality, the hierarchy must certainly push for Rodriguez’s signature, desperately needing to pursue a move to avoid missing out on him to an English rival.
Imagine him & Gyokeres: Arsenal leading the race to sign £50m sensation
Arsenal could be about to massively improve their forward line ahead of 2025/26.
Matthews has had a patchy season with the bat, but found her form in a 133-run stand with Sciver-Brunt
Sruthi Ravindranath14-Mar-2025Bat in the top three, bowl four overs, and do all of it consistently well. That’s a dream player for any T20 side. Mumbai Indians (MI) have not just one, but two of them.Nat Sciver-Brunt has been in an extended purple patch with the bat. Coming into the WPL Eliminator against Gujarat Giants (GG), she had been averaging close to 70 after eight innings with a strike rate of over 150. So GG’s plans might have centred on how they were going to attack Sciver-Brunt.But there was also Hayley Matthews. For most parts this season, she had looked scratchy with the bat. Her strike rate was around 119, and she had two fifties, but she was getting off to slow starts. She started similarly on Thursday. She also got a life when on 5 off nine balls in the second over. GG would have wanted to quickly make up for that.Related
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Sciver-Brunt, Matthews power Mumbai Indians into second WPL final
But then a bit of that purple from one rubbed off on the other, and GG’s plans just fell through.It started as soon as Sciver-Brunt came to the crease. A few fours had been hit till then, but MI had made only 31 off their first five overs. Only two runs had come off Tanuja Kanwar’s first five balls in the sixth over, but when she dished out a tossed-up delivery on length, Sciver-Brunt shuffled across and swatted the ball behind square. It was a shot that showed she had got her eye in.It was Danielle Gibson’s turn to bowl next. Gibson and Sciver-Brunt have played together for England. She probably knew how well Sciver-Brunt plays the short ball and that she wouldn’t let a freebie go unpunished. She bowled it anyway, and was pulled solidly between square leg and fine leg, while the slot ball was lofted over mid-on.Sciver-Brunt has always been a reliable player, but she’s also been getting off to stronger starts this season. She has mostly gone out to bat earlier than usual given the opening pair hasn’t clicked for MI this season. Before the Eliminator, she was striking the ball at 145 in the powerplay as compared to the 2023 season where her strike rate in this phase was 130. In this match, despite the openers – Yastika Bhatia was the other – scoring a few boundaries, MI were 37 for 1 in the powerplay but Sciver-Brunt took them to 89 for 1 at the end of ten overs along with Matthews.Matthews was on 17 off 22 balls at the end of seventh over. The two convened for a chat in the middle after that over and fist bumps were exchanged. And the first three balls of the next over off Priya Mishra were dispatched to different parts of the ground for fours with ease by Matthews.”Apart from this tournament, I haven’t really batted with Hayley, but we seem to click pretty well from the first year,” Sciver-Brunt said after the match. “So today she probably wanted to get off to a bit of a quicker start, but it was good that she stayed there and didn’t give her wicket away because we know how powerful she is. We had the time-out and then she probably did time it a little bit better after that. So [I was] just reassuring her that she only needed to time it, [there was] no need to absolutely whack it.”Nat Sciver-Brunt was quick out of the blocks•BCCIBefore this game, Matthews had also lost her wicket to spinners five times in eight innings this WPL; Priya Mishra and Kanwar had dismissed her cheaply the last two times these teams met. But Matthews looked better against spin on the day, having hit both Ashleigh Gardner and Kanwar for boundaries upfront. Gardner also didn’t bring herself on to bowl after her first two, despite her lesser experienced spinners being taken to the cleaners.Mishra was once again at the receiving end of Matthews’ brutal hitting, being taken for 6, 6 and 4 in the 16th over, just two balls after the batter was dropped a second time.Power and timing aside, Matthews also showed off her excellent footwork frequently to access all parts of the ground. It was only fitting that she deposited a short ball from Kanwar over deep midwicket to complete her fifty. The two came together to bump their fists once again, this time with big grins on their faces.Sciver-Brunt said after the match that the pitch was not as batting-friendly as it had looked, and that the pair had relied on their power to work around it.”I could see that it [the ball] probably wasn’t coming on as well because we played the other day and it came on a bit nicer,” she said. “But I felt like it was a bit stoppy. So I guess that played into our hands with the back-foot shots, that are both mine and Hayley’s strengths, I guess. As soon as we worked that out, it probably unlocked us a little bit more. Yeah, working together to get to that point was important.”Hayley Matthews contributed with bat and ball•BCCIIn between those overs, Sciver-Brunt had settled in comfortably and GG’s bowlers were only making her life easier. The pull is one of Sciver-Brunt’s go-to shots and they gave her several chances to play it. This season in the WPL, she’s scored 123 out of her 493 runs playing the shot. Since January 2023, she has averaged 125.75 playing the pull in T20s and has been dismissed playing it just four times in those 65 games. It was Gibson who was punished again, when she bowled two consecutive short balls to her which were dispatched for sixes, the first of which also gave Sciver-Brunt her fifth fifty of the season. Before the match against RCB the day before, Sciver-Brunt had hit 61 fours and no sixes. Her four sixes this season have come in the last two games.”I’ve stuck to my strengths quite a lot and played what’s in front of me,” Sciver-Brunt said. “The quick outfields have helped, and they are nice wickets to bat on as well. I’m really happy that I’m taking advantage of those conditions. Because form goes up and down, that feeling when you’re not so confident isn’t that nice. So taking advantage of it when you are is good.”To top it off, Matthews also picked up three wickets to take her tournament tally to 17, the most for any bowler in a season of the WPL. She dismissed the dangerous Gardner in the powerplay, the big-hitting Bharti Fulmali in the 16th over, and ended GG’s innings getting Meghna Singh out in the 20th over – effective in all phases of the games.”I think I tried to just control one side of the field really well and vary my pace, which is something that I’ve been working on a lot,” Matthews said at the presentation ceremony. “I think the last time we played GG, we were bowling in their hit zone quite a bit and they punished us for it. Definitely a lot of learnings from that. Glad I was able to execute better today.”MI had perhaps been over-dependent on one star allrounder through the season, but they had yet another of them step up on the day, and they have one more in their ranks – Amelia Kerr – who is yet to have her best season with the bat. They will have to prep for the final in less than 48 hours, and will hope that some of that purple off on Kerr too.
The pod team preview England’s ODI series in South Africa and muse on the ever-expanding global T20 circuit
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2023With England Men due back in action this week for their three-match ODI trip to South Africa, the pod team get together to discuss the start to the new year. Alan Gardner, Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah preview the South Africa series and Jofra Archer’s international return, weigh up the waning status of bilateral cricket and marvel at just how many English county players are currently in action in overseas T20 leagues.