Strong competition among seamers for first Test but balancing XI could be an issue

George Dobell17-May-2021Top orderEngland are likely to pick four men who are seen as contenders for the top three: Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Rory Burns and James Bracey. While Sibley is just coming back from a broken finger – he is playing a 2nd XI match at present – the England management are confident he will be fine and he has enough credit in the bank to retain his place.Of the four, Burns is perhaps the least certain of a spot. Having been dropped in India, he is not “in possession” and with England wanting to take a look at Bracey, he could be squeezed. But he has been in consistent form in the Championship (only Kiran Carlson has reached 50 more often than his five occasions this season) and is seen as being relatively well equipped for the Ashes.The form of Haseeb Hameed (and, to a lesser extent, Adam Lyth) has been noted by the England management, but he will need to sustain it a while longer to win a Test recall. If a Lions squad was required tomorrow, however, he would have an excellent chance of involvement.Middle orderWith Joe Root and Ollie Pope assured of their places, England have to decide whether to play Bracey in the middle-order or stick with Dan Lawrence. Both will be in the squad.WicketkeepingWith Jos Buttler resting, Ben Foakes looks likely to keep the gloves and play his first home Tests. Bracey is also a more than competent keeper and provides back-up if required. Pope’s brief career as a Test keeper – remember the Hamilton Test of 2019? – would appear to be over.Related

Do you get England's rest and rotation policy? I don't

Majority of New Zealand Test contingent arrives in UK

Smith's tenure ends as national selector as role is made redundant

Parkinson: 'I don't just want to be in England squads on potential'

Ollie Robinson senses Test cap is close

SpinJack Leach is now established as England’s first-choice spin bowler and is certain to be in the squad. With an even chance that he will not be required in the first Test, though – Middlesex have claimed one wicket with spin bowling at Lord’s this season, though Leach took four there in the first match of the season – it is likely Silverwood will feel that only one spinner is required. He is also keen to ensure fringe members of the squad play cricket rather than remain part of an enlarged squad.If they do feel the need for a second spinner, Dom Bess (who has nine wickets at 42.66 this season) could be included, while Matt Parkinson (who has taken 19 wickets at 19.21 so far this season) is also a contender. But it is expected that Leach will be the only specialist spinner.SeamGiven the reaction when Stuart Broad was left out of the first Test of last summer, it will be interesting to see how the England management approach this series. They have made it apparent, however, that they want to take a look at Craig Overton (32 wickets at 13.96 this season) and Ollie Robinson (29 at 14.72), so it may be that Broad and Anderson are rotated as they were in the winter and play in one Test apiece. Olly Stone is understood to have recovered from a toe infection and, with Jofra Archer absent through injury, is also likely to rotate with Mark Wood to give England a genuine fast bowler in each Test.Craig Overton sits second behind Simon Harmer on the Championship wicket-taking charts•Getty ImagesBalanceInjuries and the absence of the IPL players renders it tough to balance the side. It means all their viable all-round options (Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes) are unavailable and leaves them with the prospect of either batting Foakes at No. 6, and leaving a long tail but a five-man attack, or at No. 7 to allow six specialist batters and make do with four bowlers. The latter is the more likely scenario and would leave England with the option of either playing four seamers or three seamers and spinner. The four-seamer option again appears more likely.The toughest decision might be over where to bat Bracey. While he generally bats in the top order for Gloucestershire, he could also bat at No. 5 or No. 6 or even do that and keep wicket. He is seen as an unusually versatile player by the England management and may well allow them to only name a 15-man squad.Other options that might have been considered – picking Matt Critchley (averaging 51.20 with the bat and 36.18 with his legspin this season) as a spinning allrounder to bat at No. 6, for example – would appear to have been resisted.Likely squad: Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Mark Wood

With around two weeks of the transfer window left to play, Arsenal are busy trying to conclude a deal for Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino.

Left-footed, capable of winning plenty of duels and possessing lovely crisp passing, he could finally be the man to fill a Granit Xhaka-shaped hole after he departed for Bayer Leverkusen last year.

Merino is one of the toughest midfielders in the game. No player won more aerial duels than he throughout Europe's top five leagues in 2023/24.

So, you can bet that Arsenal will be even tougher to break down, even tougher to stop once the Real Sociedad midfielder arrives in the forthcoming days.

That said, what's next on the agenda for the Gunners? A winger could still arrive, although with some of the price tags being mentioned, it would not be a surprise if they went without.

Arsenal's hunt for a winger

One of Mikel Arteta's primary targets at the start of the window was actually an international colleague of Merino's, Nico Williams.

The winger has been linked with a host of clubs this summer, namely Chelsea, but Arsenal have looked at him too following a dazzling Euro 2024 campaign.

Who are the alternatives? Well, GIVEMESPORTS's Dean Jones claimed a few days ago that Raphinha – a player the Gunners wanted before his move to Barcelona – would be attainable following a topsy-turvy time of it in Catalonia.

Jones also mentioned that Real Madrid's Rodrygo is someone they looked at signing. It's a move that could have legs if he gets caught up behind the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr next season.

As a result, it might not be one for this summer but it could be a deal to monitor moving forward.

How Rodrygo compares to Alexis Sanchez

You won't find many more underrated players on the continent than Rodrygo. Playing in the shadow of Vini Jr in Madrid, you can see why he's often forgotten about.

However, we simply cannot look past his numbers from last season. As Carlo Ancelotti's men won the Champions League yet again, he scored 17 goals and supplied nine assists. To put those numbers into context, only Bukayo Saka scored more for Arsenal in 2023/24.

On that evidence, it's hardly a surprise that the Madrid boss once labelled the Brazilian forward as one of "the best players in the world".

With that billing in mind, he'd likely cost a pretty penny but then Arsenal do need further attackers, specifically a right winger like Rodrygo to compete for minutes with Saka, a player who simply played far too much football last season.

So, why would this move evoke memories of Alexis Sanchez? Well, as analyst Ben Mattinson said on X, he could be "Alexis 2.0" due to the fact that he's "an under-appreciated man at a huge club who’d be the star at Arsenal."

Prior to signing for the Gunners, Sanchez starred for Barcelona but he was in the shadow of Lionel Messi and Neymar. Sound familiar? It's rather like the situation Rodrygo finds himself in at Madrid with Mbappe and Vini Jr.

That said, there are more comparisons than that. Their ability to make things happen out of nothing is rather alluring. They are tricky with the ball at their feet and they know how to beat their man with a clever piece of play. Here's what the numbers tell us.

Goals

0.38

0.32

Assists

0.19

0.21

Progressive carries

6.02

2.79

Progressive passes

3.41

7.74

Shots

3.26

3.04

Key passes

1.74

2.69

Shot-creating actions

4.20

6.04

Succesful take-ons

2.27

2.97

Carries

38

48.1

Carries into final 3rd

4.02

3.18

Progressive passes received

11.4

11.3

So, while there is a notable difference in style when it comes to the way they progress the ball – Rodrygo doing so in terms of carrying and Sanchez doing so in the way he passes – the basic principle of the way they play the game is the same.

Both love taking the ball forward and making things happen for their side. They registered a similar number of carries into the final third, received a nearly identical number of progressive passes and completed a similar number of take-ons.

It's that unpredictable nature that separates the two and outlines why they both shone in LaLiga. Like the Madrid star, Sanchez did no wrong at Camp Nou, contributing 83 goals in 141 outings, but he simply had too much competition.

So, if he did join Arsenal in the future, Rodrygo could finally become a star man, rivalling the likes of Saka on the right and potentially playing ahead of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the left. Those two are mighty fine players but they're not Mbappe or Vinicius, are they?

Martinelli upgrade: £34m Champions League star wants to join Arsenal

The impressive international would be a smart signing.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 13, 2024

Chloe Kelly's absence against Barcelona in the Women's Champions League has been explained by Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Kelly missed UWCL gameTaylor explains absenceRecently suffered concussionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Taylor's side fell to a 3-0 defeat against the current champions of Europe despite impressive performances from Khiara Keating and Laia Aleixandri. Kelly has struggled for game time at City this season but according to her boss, her absence against Barca was beyond his control and prompted by concussion symptoms felt during training in the week.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The relationship between Kelly and Taylor hasn't exactly been smooth lately, with rumours circulating that the out-of-favour winger could benefit from a move in January. The 26-year-old has been forced to spend much of the 2024-25 season on the bench but her manager has insisted there's space for her back in the team if she continues competing, telling reporters: "What Chloe has to do is work hard every day in training to be ready."

WHAT TAYLOR SAID

Addressing her absence on Wednesday night, Taylor said: “Unfortunately she wasn’t able to train yesterday because of some on-going symptoms. She trained the day before so we were hopeful she would make the trip but the medical team have said that when you have that type of concussion, training can bring it on. For the last two days she mentioned some on-going symptoms that she couldn’t quite shake off."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KELLY?

The City attacker is facing plenty of competition for Kelly's place in Sarina Weigman's England side ahead of Euro 2025 next summer. Some people are of the view that in order to hold down her spot in the team, a January transfer in search of increased game time may be necessary.

Chelsea fans await the end of the international break with bated breath in the hopes all of their stars return unscathed by injuries, but one of their brightest young talents appears to have shone in a slightly new role for his country.

Chelsea players on international duty

The Blues have a whole host of stars jetting off around the globe to play for their nations this week, with Enzo Maresca sure to be watching from behind the sofa ahead of a crucial run of winnable fixtures coming up for his side.

Chelsea's Premier League fixtures

Position in the table

Bournemouth (away)

8th

West Ham (away)

13th

Brighton (home)

3rd

Nottingham Forest (home)

9th

Liverpool (away)

2nd

If they can go into that Liverpool trip with at least three wins under their belt from the previous four matches, the positivity will be flowing around Stamford Bridge, but the first port of call is to escape the international break with a fully fit squad.

Wesley Fofana, Cole Palmer and Omari Kellyman all withdrew from their call-ups before the two-week interval, while the likes of Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto, Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez have all started for their countries so far this break.

Colwill earned his England spot after starting all three of the Blues' Premier League fixtures thus far, and was handed a unique role in Lee Carsley's England set-up against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday.

Carsley played a back four but allowed Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold to roam forward freely, effectively turning Colwill's role into that of both a centre-back and a left-back, with the Three Lions transforming into a back three in possession.

English media say Colwill could be their answer to left-back problems

Gareth Southgate's full-back decisions were the subject of much debate before his departure from the England set-up, as the former 54 year-old shoved Alexander-Arnold into midfield while struggling to find a solution to Luke Shaw's injury woes at left-back, often turning to natural right-back Kieran Trippier in the role.

Colwill, who of course has played as both an out and out centre-back and on the left for Chelsea, therefore seems a perfect fit to slot in on the left and become a back three when Liverpool's playmaker ventures central and further forward, and the national press certainly thought so against Ireland, as shared by The Chelsea Chronicle.

Whether Maresca ever opts to go for a similar style in West London remains to be seen – perhaps Reece James' return could see an identical set-up with the skipper taking up Alexander-Arnold's England role given his own attacking abilities – but one thing is for sure, the Blues were right to slap a £100m price tag on Colwill when suitors came calling this summer.

تحدث مدرب ريال مدريد كارلو أنشيلوتي، في مؤتمر صحفي، قبل مواجهة الديربي أمام أتلتيكو مدريد في منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويحل أتلتيكو مدريد ضيفًا على ريال مدريد غدًا السبت بملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وقال أنشيلوتي عن الديربي: “إنها مباراة مهمة للغاية للفريقين اللذين يتنافسان للفوز بهذه البطولة، الديربي مباراة خاصة للغاية، ضد منافس قوي للغاية، لا يوجد شيء جديد في التحضيرات لهذه المباراة، المنافس الذي نواجهه لديه كل ما يلزم للتنافس”.

وعن تصريحات تيباس رئيس رابطة الليجا، بأن ريال مدريد فقد صوابه، أضاف: “هذا موضوع لا أحب التطرق إليه قبل مباراة مهمة كهذه، لكن تيباس يجب أن يكون هادئًا لأن أحدًا لم يفقد صوابه، لقد طلبوا فقط تفسيرًا”.

وأردف: “مما سمعته، لا أحد سعيد، ليس الجميع سعداء لأن الجميع يعتقدون أن هذا نظام لصالح مدريد… وعندما يريد مدريد تغيير النظام، فإن الجميع ضده”.

وعن الدفاع، استطرد: “أعتقد أن الجانب الدفاعي يمنحك صلابة، وعندما لا يسجل المهاجمون، تحصل على نتيجة، لقد سجل الأربعة في الهجوم 60 هدفًا، وهو عدد كبير”.

وواصل: “على الرغم من أن الصلابة الدفاعية لا تأتي فقط من أولئك في الدفاع، بل إنها جهد جماعي، يحتاج الفريق إلى المساعدة من الأربعة الذين قاموا بعمل هجومي رائع”.

وأردف: “المشكلة الدفاعية هي مشكلة الجميع، بما في ذلك المهاجمين، إنها مشكلة جماعية، وينسى الكثير من الناس أننا فقدنا لاعبين أساسيين، مثل كارفاخال أو ميليتاو، وعلى الرغم من ذلك، فإننا نقاتل في جميع المسابقات”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ثلاثي ريال مدريد: الفوز بالديربي على أتلتيكو خطوة كبيرة نحو لقب الدوري الإسباني

وأكمل: “سيعود روديجر وألابا قريبًا، لكن لا ينبغي لأحد أن ينسى أننا فقدنا مدافعين مهمين للغاية في هذا الجزء من الموسم، آمل أن نتمكن من العودة إلى طبيعتنا قريبًا، لكننا نتعامل مع حالة طوارئ، وكما قلت، لم يتم إصلاح كل شيء، لكننا حصلنا على بعض النتائج”.

وعن مباراة الغد، شدد أنشيلوتي: “غدًا نحتاج إلى النقاط الثلاث لأنها مهمة، لم نقدم أفضل نسخة منا ضد أقوى المنافسين”.

وأشار: “كانت هناك شكوك حول التشكيلة الأساسية، لوكاس فاسكيز وكامافينجا، لكن تم حلها اليوم، إنهما متاحان، سأضع تشكيلة أساسية يمكنها أن تمنحنا الجودة والالتزام، فهما مفتاح النجاح، ربما كان لدينا هذا العام جودة أكثر من الالتزام، نحن نعمل على تحقيق ذلك”.

وبشأن مطالب ريال مدريد بالحصول على التسجيلات الصوتية للحكام في مباراة ريال مدريد وإسبانيول للقطة تدخل روميرو على مبابي، علّق: “لم نتلقاها ولماذا لا يريدون إعطائنا إياها.. لا أعرف، عليك أن تسألهم، لا أعتقد أننا طلبنا شيئًا سريًا، نريد فقط أن نعرف كيف تعاملوا مع هذه اللعبة”.

وعما إذا كان ريال مدريد يضغط على الحكام؟، أجاب: “لا أعلم، ريال مدريد يريد تغيير نظام لا يعجبه”.

وانتقل أنشيلوتي للحديث عن لاعبه كيليان مبابي، قائلاً: “لقد قلت ذلك عدة مرات، لقد وصل إلى هنا بتواضع شديد، وبطريقة جيدة للغاية، وبدون مطالب، لقد احتاج إلى بعض الوقت، لكنه تأقلم بشكل جيد للغاية مع الفريق، كما فعل الفريق معه، نحن سعداء للغاية به”.

وسُئل أنشيلوتي عن تغريدات أتلتيكو مدريد الساخرة على مواقع التواصل الإجتماعي، وتجاهل الأمر قائلاً: “سأشرح ما فعلناه، أولئك الذين لعبوا في الكأس قاموا بالتعافي والتمارين الرياضية والسباحة، الباقي، عمل مكثف. واليوم، بعض العمل التكتيكي، ولكن ليس كثيرًا”.

وأردف: “حوالي 10-15 دقيقة، غدًا سنشاهد مقاطع فيديو وسأخبرك بالتكتيكات، ولا شيء آخر، هذا ما فعلناه، سأشاهد التليفزيون للاسترخاء”.

واسترسل: “عندما تتحدث معي عن شبكات التواصل الاجتماعية، فأنا من الجيل القديم، الشبكات الاجتماعية، في بعض الأحيان، تثير الحجج والمناظرات… دون أي معنى، لأنها، في رأيي الشخصي، غير مرئية، أشخاص لا أعرفهم، وأفضل ألا أعرفهم، أريد أن أضع وجهًا لكل من ينتقدني”.

وعن غضب مودريتش من فينيسيوس في المباراة الماضية بسبب سوء تصرفه الدفاعي، أكد أنشيلوتي: “إنها مشكلة يتعين علينا حلها، عندما يتعين علينا الضغط، نحن مقتنعون بأننا قادرون على إصلاحها، إنه أمر مهم للغاية لأننا سنلعب غداً ضد أحد أفضل الفرق في هذا المجال”.

وعن مواجهة أتلتيكو مدريد، شدد: “ستكون مباراة صعبة ومعقدة، ولكن هذه هي المباريات التي تحب أن تشارك فيها، سيكون هناك الكثير من الضغط، ولكنها ستكون مباراة رائعة، نحن نتحدث عن مباراة تنافسية للغاية وقاسية، هذه ليالٍ للاستمتاع بها ثم… الاستمتاع أو المعاناة”.

وأتم بشأن اختيار سيرجيو راموس للرقم 93 مع فريقه الجديد مونتيري المكسيكي، تخليدًا لهدفه في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا مع ريال مدريد: “لا أعرف لماذا حصل على هذا الرقم (يضحك)، لكننا جميعًا نعلم أنه أسطورة النادي، لا أستطيع إلا أن أتمنى له التوفيق وأعلم أن الشعب المكسيكي سيستمتع به”.

GOAL reviews key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Reyna's big goal and Robinson's effort vs Liverpool

Even without Christian Pulisic taking the field, it was a big weekend for Americans Abroad. From much-needed goals to big performances in big games, there was plenty to be excited about.

Gio Reyna stole the show, no doubt, scoring a monumental goal for Borussia Dortmund. It was his first since May 2024, and it certainly felt like a turning point for the young American. With that goal, he now has 14, the most by a U23 American in a top five league, surpassing even Pulisic. It was a reminder of how young Reyna is and, at his best, how good he can be.

Speaking of the best, zoom in on Antonee Robinson, who stood tall against Liverpool. The Reds came all the way back for a draw, but Robinson was fantastic with two assists and one lockdown defensive performance against Mohammed Salah.

Things are trending upwards for the USMNT's big stars heading into 2025, particularly if Reyna can get going. GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The Premier League's best left-back

  The social media chatter has been particularly active: “Antonee Robinson is the best left-back in the Premier League.” Some said it with their hearts. Some said it with statistics. On Saturday, anyone who wasn’t saying it saw it with their very eyes. 

  Where do you even begin? Is it with the two assists in Fulham’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool? Is it the tireless work rate? Is it with the defensive masterclass against Mohammed Salah, the best attacker in the Premier League? Robinson did it all with the world watching. 

  It’s not something said in jest – Robinson IS the Premier League’s best left-back. Often overlooked due to his consistency, he can’t be anymore. Perhaps he deserves to be playing at a higher level, but in other ways, there’s no chance he could be playing at a level higher than he is right now.

  So put some respect on Robinson’s name. He continues to earn it in the biggest games.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Reyna creates his own momentum

  He sure needed that, didn't he? Given the chance to start for Dortmund, Reyna scored exactly the type of goal to get himself back on track.

  Just seconds into the second half, Reyna smashed home his first goal in more than a year, giving Dortmund a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim. They were unable to protect that lead, conceding a goal in the 91st minute, but, in terms of Reyna, this was a great day for the big picture.

  After having a few decent moments against Barcelona midweek, Reyna finally made an emphatic statement. By crushing that goal, Reyna announced that he can be a real contributor for this Dortmund team. One swing of the foot doesn't erase how difficult it has been, but it's one hell of a start.

  Now, it's all about how Reyna builds on this momentum. Can he hold onto this newfound starting spot? That's the aim. Reyna is still very much in prove-it mode, but, thanks to Sunday's goal, he has reason to feel confident heading into 2025.

• AFP
  

  Champions League highs, Serie A lows for Juventus

  It was ann odd week for the Americans at Juventus. Midweek was the highest of highs. The weekend? Well, it wasn’t that. 

  After a Weston McKennie-Tim Weah connection led the way in a win over Manchester City, Juve’s poor run in Serie A continued on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Venezia. With that result, Juventus have now drawn four consecutive league matches, which isn't the formula for winning a Scuddeto now, is it?

  McKennie was largely solid in midfield, continuing to build on his goal against City midweek. Weah couldn't quite make his mark in the attack, with Kenan Yildiz being more of a focal point on the other side. Meanwhile, fellow American Gianluca Busio stepped up with a good performance for Venezia, helping the relegation favorites steal a point from a visit to one of the league's giants.

  Venezia will take that point and run, while Juventus will be extremely frustrated. Fresh off their biggest win of the season, Juve failed to carry on that momentum. Now, despite still being without a loss in the league, they sit nine points behind league-leaders Atalanta. Too many draws, too few points, and that lesson was driven home once again this weekend for Juventus.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Pepi situation gets weirder

  Entering the weekend, Ricardo Pepi had scored 10 goals in 613 Eredivisie minutes. PSV benched him on Saturday anyway. It proved costly. Pepi came on for the final 23 minutes, but was unable to save PSV in a 1-0 loss to Heerenveen.

  It was just PSV's second loss of the league season, with the only other coming against Ajax in November. That Ajax game, conveniently, was when Luuk de Jong scored his most recent goal. The Dutch veteran has been PSV's starter since Pepi arrived and, despite the American's goalscoring run, seems to remain the preferred option up top for the Dutch giants.

  Will that remain the case? Can PSV afford to not continue riding the Pepi train? Saturday showed that they may not be able to continue on without the striker, who has been too good to ignore all season long.

The BCCI will contribute 2000 10-litre oxygen concentrators towards India’s efforts in fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic. India is currently facing a second wave of infections, recording 250,000 new cases every day on average for the last seven days.”Over the next few months, the board will distribute the concentrators across India with the hope that critical medical aid and care will be provided to the needy patients and this initiative will reduce the havoc unleashed by the pandemic,” the BCCI stated in a release.Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, said the board acknowledges the role the medical and healthcare community has played and continues to play in dealing with the pandemic. “They have truly been frontline warriors and have done whatever possible to shield us,” he was quoted as saying in the release. “The oxygen concentrators will provide immediate relief to those affected and will help in their speedy recovery.”The BCCI secretary Jay Shah too hoped that the board’s effort would “help in narrowing the demand-supply gap that has been generated across the country” and urged everyone eligible to get vaccinated. In March 2020, during the first wave, the BCCI had contributed Rs 51 crore to the ‘PM Cares Fund’.Meanwhile, Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – are also dispatching oxygen concentrators to the centres dealing with the crisis.”This new batch of Oxygen Concentrators are being dispatched to Covid centres with prayers in our hearts for everyones speedy recovery,” Krunal tweeted on Monday.