But captain encouraged the players to focus on what they do in the middle rather than a bigger picture

Andrew McGlashan26-Feb-2022

World Cup captains Meg Lanning, Bismah Maroof, Stafanie Taylor, Heather Knight, Sophie Devine, Mithali Raj, Sune Luus and Nigar Sultana pose with the trophy•Getty Images

Having been inspired by New Zealand’s victory in the 2000 Women’s ODI World Cup, current captain Sophie Devine is conscious that her team has the chance to leave a legacy in a home tournament but has encouraged the players to focus on what they do in the middle rather than a bigger picture.New Zealand’s lone success in a global tournament came 22 years ago when they beat Australia by four runs in the final in Christchurch. It was an early memory for an 11-year-old Devine who has since gone on to be one of the best players in the world and will lead a side buoyed by recent success over India.While crowds are likely to be limited throughout the competition due to Covid-19 restrictions, she hopes the New Zealand people really get behind their team as they did during the men’s run to the 2015 World Cup final when they went undefeated on home soil.”That was probably one of the first games of women’s cricket I watched on TV, it’s not a bad one,” she said of the 2000 final. “There are so many memories. There’s a number of us who were inspired by those players in that tournament and it’s pretty incredible to think here we are, some 20-odd years later, hosting our own World Cup and the opportunity to hopefully replicate what they did well back in 2000.”It’s something we have spoken about as a group. Think when we get too caught up in potentially the outside distractions that come with trying to leave a legacy we can probably get drawn away from what we are here to do.”We know if we play a really exciting brand of cricket that we can get the whole country behind that’s going to leave a legacy, we don’t need to worry about that. Think that’s something the Blackcaps did particularly well in 2015. They really did have the whole country behind them, and we are hoping we can do something similar with igniting that passion that so many Kiwis have for their sport and hopefully they can get in behind us as well.”New Zealand have been honest with themselves in the lead-up to the tournament about the added pressure that can come with hosting a World Cup. The top four teams from the group stage will qualify for the semi-finals.”We were fortunate, we spent some time together before we came into camp for the India series where we were able to talk about these expectations that might be placed on us,” Devine said. “We know people will talk, there will be a level of expectation that we are hosting, that previous winners have been the host country, again for us it goes back to the simple thing of our process and making sure we are doing the same things that we have been doing for the last couple of months. There’s a bit more hype around it being a World Cup but at the end it’s another game of cricket.”New Zealand go into the World Cup on the back of the 4-1 victory over India, their first ODI series since 2018 and the four wins is more than they had managed across the last three years in total, although they have suffered a blow with the loss of Lauren Down to injury. Devine, who was named permanent captain in 2020, said she believed the team was heading in the right direction even when results did not reflect progress.”It’s a huge confidence-builder for us, we played some excellent cricket,” she said. “The thing that was most pleasing for me was the consistency in the group, to score 250 regularly is something that we’ve demanded for the last couple of years and to be able to do that against a world-class side in India, a couple of big chases as well, will hold us in really good stead.”

Matthews hits maiden WC century; Dottin picks up two wickets – and plays her part in a run-out – in manic final over to seal the game

Annesha Ghosh04-Mar-20221:12

Sophie Devine: To take the game till last over, shows grit of the team

The 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup started with a big upset result on the opening night as Hayley Matthews’ 118 trumped Sophie Devine’s 108, and Deandra Dottin stole the show when she picked up two wickets and played her part in a run-out in a manic last over to consign hosts New Zealand to a shock three-run defeat.The clincher, though, might have been Chinelle Henry’s return catch on her second attempt to dismiss Devine, with New Zealand needing 45 off 29. That helped her make amends – tellingly, as it turned out – for dropping Devine earlier in the night; West Indies’ fielding swung between excellent and poor. The count for shelled chances, five until that point, ended on six.At one point, New Zealand needed just 24 off 17 with Jess Kerr and the experienced Katey Martin on course to avert an upset. The two picked 14 off the penultimate over to bring it down to a-run-a-ball in the final over. Enter Dottin. The result: 1W1WW. Game: West Indies.With that over, her only one in the game, Dottin somewhat stole Player of the Match Matthews’ thunder, but Matthews played a huge role with bat – she became the third West Indies woman to score an ODI World Cup century – and then ball, when she returned 2 for 41. Matthews was promoted to open in the absence of Rashada Williams, who is recovering from a concussion.After Devine opted to bowl, three fours from Dottin in the opening over set West Indies’ campaign rolling. Their first four scoring shots were all boundaries, with Matthews driving a full-toss past cover for her first runs.Deandra Dottin bowled the final over against New Zealand and produced a sequence of 1 W 1 W W to seal the game•Getty ImagesLea Tahuhu, the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with 3 for 57, struck back with Dottin’s wicket first ball of her second over, which, however, cost 13, with Matthews stroking three fours. She displayed her range with the first of many cuts, pulls, and back-foot punches that adorned her century, the first by a West Indies woman in an ODI in New Zealand.Along the way, she strung fifty-plus stands with Stafanie Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation.Apart from the Kerrs – Amelia and Jess – and Hannah Rowe, all the other New Zealand bowlers came in for punishment from Matthews. She was particularly aggressive against 17-year-old Fran Jonas, New Zealand’s second-youngest ODI World Cup debutant, and reached her ODI fifty off just 55 balls, soon after which West Indies lost Taylor for 30.Campbelle joined Matthews in the middle for the rebuild as she transferred her reliance from boundaries to strike rotation. In the 29th over, she upped the offensive again, clubbing Jonas for two fours in the first two balls of the 11-run over. In all, she struck 16 fours, and a six off Devine. Her century would come off a scamper for two.After Matthews fell, Anisa Mohammed’s six-ball 11 in the end lifted West Indies to their third-highest ODI World Cup total.New Zealand had never successfully chased more than 208 in an ODI World Cup, and their chase began on a wobbly note.A deflection by bowler Henry off a Devine straight drive ended Suzie Bates’ six-ball innings in the fourth over. West Indies then frustrated Devine and Amelia Kerr with an off-side-heavy field and backed it up with a persistent outside-the-off-stump line and terrific discipline on the outfield. The home side managed only 41 for 1, as opposed to West Indies’ 54 for 2, in the first powerplay.Sophie Devine struggled at times, but stayed the course to get to her sixth ODI century•Getty ImagesMatthews followed up her success with the bat with a key strike off just her second delivery – bowling with a tweaked left hamstring and Kinesio taped-up right arm, she trapped the in-form Amelia lbw in the 12th over for what was the batter’s first score below 30 in six ODIs.New Zealand reached 114 for 2 at the halfway mark and needed 146 off her final 25 overs, and a slew of let-offs helped them at that stage. First, a run-parched Devine powered Aaliyah Alleyne to Shamilia Connell at mid-on only to be dropped, when on 36. She then gritted out a tough phase with a 76 stand with Amy Satterthwaite and reached her fifty in 70 balls, her first in ODIs since October 2020.In the 24th over, three balls after coming in as the injured Connell’s substitute, Cherry-Ann Fraser handed Satterthwaite a lifeline when on 22 off Mohammed. The veteran offspinner, however, eventually trapped Satterthwaite lbw, becoming the first spinner to pick 300 wickets in international cricket. She took out Tahuhu next ball but was unable to bag a hat-trick.On 66, Devine received a second reprieve when Taylor, stationed at midwicket, couldn’t hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. On 74, it was Henry’s turn to shell another chance off Devine, who reached her 3000th ODI run when she moved to 82.New Zealand needed 66 off the last ten overs. Nine of those Devine scored. Her hundred, second in ODI World Cups and sixth in the format, was all determination and patience, but it wasn’t enough on the night.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has paid an emotional tribute to Carles Minarro Garcia following the death of the club's first-team doctor.

Article continues below

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• Barcelona first-team doctor passes away
• La Liga match against Osasuna postponed
• President Laporta speaks out on club's grief

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Laporta has spoken to the media after the tragic news that first-team Carles Minarro Garcia has died at the age of 40. Barcelona's La Liga game against Osasuna was postponed in the wake of the shocking news, with the team in the dressing room preparing for the game when it was announced the match would not be going ahead.

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  BARCELONA SHOCKED BY NEWS

  Barcelona's president has paid a touching tribute to Minarro and revealed just how loved he was by all at the club. Laporta also offered his thanks to all involved for allowing the game to be called off at short notice as the players and the whole club have been left shocked and saddened by the doctor's untimely passing.

• LAPORTA PAYS TRIBUTE

  He told the club's media "I want to announce the death of doctor Carles Minarro, who passed away this afternoon. The players and staff are sad. He was a person we loved very much. He came on trips with the first team. It is very sad what has happened. This should make us stronger. The best thing was to postpone the match. We have asked the president of LaLiga for the postponement, who has understood it. Osasuna has been extremely understanding. They have understood this situation."

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  BARCA & OSASUNA TO REARRANGE FIXTURE

  In the coming days, Barcelona and Osasuna will find a new date for the fixture to be played. A busy schedule means there are few days free and it may not be played until the final week of the Liga season in May.

Aston Villa are going through a bumpy patch at the moment. Unai Emery’s men haven’t won since a 2-0 win over Bologna in the Champions League on October 22.

In fact, the Midlands side have lost their previous four matches. It’s hardly a crisis, but something Emery needs to fix sooner rather than later.

The January transfer window is fast approaching. Could the Spaniard be looking to bolster his first team squad when it finally opens?

Aston Villa transfer news

One area that Emery is looking to improve is his midfield, especially if reports are true regarding him making a move for Chelsea gem Kieran Dewsbury-Hall.

As reported earlier this week, Villa have opened talks over a potential loan move for the player this January.

This would include an option to buy, although the Blues would only accept it if the fee was around £30m.

Emery is proposing a lower fee of just under £20m, which could cause the two clubs to negotiate regarding a deal for the midfielder. Dewsbury-Hall has plenty of talent and could add something extra into the Villa midfield, which has stagnated of late.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, if he did join, he could be Jack Grealish 2.0.

Why Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could be Villa’s next Grealish

Grealish came through the academy at Villa Park before going on to make over 200 appearances for the club, registering an impressive 73 goal contributions in that time.

Manchester City eventually prised him away from the Midlands in 2021, paying a staggering £100m in the process as Villa secured a wonderful profit. Since then, they haven’t quite had an English talent light up the club.

Dewsbury-Hall has the potential to fill that void, that’s for sure. 37 goal contributions for Leicester City across 129 matches is a superb record, especially considering he often played at the heart of the midfield.

Hailed as “sensational” by Brendan Rodgers, the midfielder shone for the Foxes as they claimed the Championship title last term, securing an immediate return to the Premier League in the process.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s Championship stats last term
Goals	12
Assists	14
Big chances created	20
Key passes per game	2.5
Total duels won per game	4.6
Successful dribbles per game	1.3
Via Sofascore

Not only did he create 20 big chances for the club, but the 26-year-old also averaged 2.5 key passes, succeeded with 1.3 dribbles and averaged two shots per game in the second tier last term.

His presence in the midfield helped the club reach their potential under Enzo Maresca and this led the Italian to sign him for Chelsea, joining the Blues during the summer.

Since then, however, he has played just ten matches, including only three in the Premier League, as the Blues’ bloated squad ensures he isn’t getting a consistent run in the starting XI.

At Villa, he could certainly gain more opportunities on the pitch, while having the chance to improve as a player, thus becoming like Grealish.

It remains to be seen if a deal can be worked out between the two clubs, but moving to the Midlands will bolster Dewsbury-Hall’s career. That’s a certainty.

Aston Villa now told £30m enough to secure January signing ahead of Arsenal

He is seen as a future star in the making, and could be Villa’s this January.

By
Ben Browning

Nov 16, 2024

The air of invincibility around Arne Slot’s Liverpool soured somewhat when Fabian Schar arced the ball past the hapless Caoimhin Kelleher’s net, claiming a draw for Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Liverpool’s nine-point lead has been reduced to seven, with Arsenal and Chelsea both winning and then Manchester City just behind.

Slot’s staggering standards have given rise to title dreams, but Liverpool aren’t a perfect team, and were proven to have chinks at St. James’ Park, a stadium known to swallow the mightiest of teams into its maw.

There was always going to come a point when Liverpool would drop points, but it is the manner of the Reds’ draw that rankles. Mohamed Salah inspired Liverpool once again, hauling two goals and an assist, but Schar’s late riposte was a by-product of lacklustre defending.

The backliners aren’t the only culprits, however. Darwin Nunez has long polarised the Liverpool and Premier League communities, and sadly, he did his detractors a favour with a woeful display on Tyneside.

How much longer will Slot keep him in the mix?

Darwin Nunez continues to frustrate

It’s been an interesting season for Nunez. Though he’s only scored three goals across 18 appearances under Slot’s wing, there’s a fresh, minimised focus to his tactical role, with headway made in dribble and duel success, for example.

However, the 25-year-old continues to be erratic and lacks the potency that his peers like Salah, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and the rest have honed over the years. In a phrase: Nunez leaves plenty to be desired, and endured a torrid evening in Newcastle.

The difference between the Uruguayan and Alexander Isak was steep. Where Isak thrived, Nunez toiled; the Swede showcased keen-edged clinical qualities, his counterpart added more wasted chances to the thick catalogue.

Match Stats: Darwin Nunez vs Alexander Isak

Match Stats

Nunez

Isak

Minutes played

90′

90′

Goals

0

1

Assists

0

1

Touches

25

48

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

2 (1)

Big chances missed

2

0

Accurate passes

8/12 (67%)

19/25 (76%)

Key passes

0

5

Dribbles (completed)

2 (0)

9 (5)

Total duels (won)

13 (5)

16 (6)

Stats via Sofascore

Remarkably, Isak’s goal-and-assist performance against Liverpool also saw him win more duels than Nunez, complete five key passes to his rivals’ zero and, again, five dribbles to none.

You can’t help but wonder if Slot watched Isak strut his stuff with a taste of bitterness in his mouth, jealous of Eddie Howe’s number nine.

Liverpool won’t be breaking the bank for a new centre-forward this winter, but appear to be doing due diligence on an upgrade up top ahead of next summer.

Liverpool eyeing new striker

Earlier this week, Italian outlet Calciomercato revealed that Liverpool are among the contenders for Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram, who has been in fine fettle since moving to Serie A on a free transfer at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Frenchman is athletic, pacy and powerful and has a proven track record of bringing goals home for his employer, crucial in winning the Scudetto last term. However, financial issues are what they are and he would fetch a lucrative reward for Inter.

Though Inter are willing to negotiate his sale, they would certainly be seeking to turn a hefty profit. Thuram’s release clause is understood to be set at €85m (£70m).

Marcus Thuram could be Slot's own Isak

Hailed as a “physical monster” by journalist Herve Renard, Thuram is dynamic and flexible in regard to positional placement. In fact, the Les Bleus star has played across a range of roles over the duration of his career and could be the perfect new weapon to stand proud at the front of Slot’s system.

Marcus Thuram: Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Centre-forward

164

59

42

Left winger

92

23

12

Right winger

6

2

0

Attacking midfield

1

0

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

It’s clear, however, that his goalscoring feats are best realised in a central striking role, where he has been exclusively deployed this season, returning ten goals and six assists across only 17 matches for Nezarruzi.

Aged 27, this would be the perfect time to bring Thuram into the mix, especially given that his movements and energy would make for a fitting Nunez replacement while also providing Liverpool with a new sense of security in the focal frontman.

Salah is an incredible asset, but Liverpool will come unstuck if relying on the Egyptian to bail them out too many times this season.

Sadly, Nunez is into his third campaign on Merseyside now, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to reach the free-scoring levels that clearly were envisaged. Thuram would be the perfect successor, not least because he carries not only similar properties to the South American but Isak too.

FBref record Isak to be a striker of similar likeness to Inter’s attacking titan, with his clinical edge married to a forward-driven mentality, ranking among the top 18% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 15% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

Newcastle’s main man ranks among the top 7% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 18% for pass completion.

Isak is more energetic in his production and boasts a better goal record too. That said, he’s posted just six goals from 14 matches in 2024/25, albeit hitting brilliant form in recent weeks. Still, it’s a testament to Thuram’s levels.

Thuram is perhaps more combative than both Isak and Nunez, for he has not only won 56% of his contested duels in Serie A this season, as per Sofascore, but averaged 4.9 per game too – which is impressive for a striker, Nunez averaging 3.40 (39%) while Isak 2.40 (28%) per fixture.

He’s the real deal, at the height of his game and having developed a taste for silverware. Liverpool would score a winner with this one, and must ensure that they act on their interest, should the stars align, and take the next step in their exciting development under Slot.

Related 0 dribbles, 0 key passes: 4/10 Liverpool man had his worst game under Slot

Arne Slot’s Liverpool dropped points in the Premier League to see their first-placed lead reduced to seven points.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Dec 5, 2024

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة باريس سان جيرمان وأستون فيلا، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وفاز باريس سان جيرمان بنتيجة 3/1 أمام خصمه أستون فيلا، في ذهاب دور الـ8 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، في نظامها الجديد على ملعب “بارك دي برانس”.

طالع.. فيديو | باريس سان جيرمان يحوّل تأخره لفوز ممتع على أستون فيلا ويضع قدمًا في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

وحصل لاعب باريس سان جيرمان، خفيتشا كفاراتسخيليا، على جائزة رجل مباراة باريس سان جيرمان وأستون فيلا، حسبما أعلنت لجنة المراقبة الفنية التابعة للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم.

وحصل اللاعب الجورجي على تقييم 8.9 من 10 في مواجهة باريس سان جيرمان وأستون فيلا، بحسب شبكة “فوت موب”، وهو الأعلى من بين لاعبي الفريقين.

ونجح كفاراتسخيليا في تسجيل هدف باريس سان جيرمان الثاني بالدقيقة 49 من عمر الشوط الثاني، بطريقة رائعة.

وتمكن كفاراتسخيليا من صناعة 5 فرص وقام بالتسديد على مرمى أستون فيلا في 5 مناسبات.

In ruthless fashion, Newcastle United could reportedly show the door to as many as three players when January arrives, which may include Miguel Almiron alongside two of his teammates.

Newcastle transfer news

Having regressed since qualifying for the Champions League in the 2022/23 campaign, now is indeed the time for Newcastle to get ruthless. The Magpies arguably lack strength in depth after failing to recruit fresh faces in the summer and any depth that they do have is arguably deadwood rather than options that will make a difference in pursuit of the Premier League’s top six.

Sky Sports: Newcastle "interested" in move to sign new £16m+ "rising star"

The Magpies want a Fox.

1 ByBarney Lane Nov 19, 2024

The focus should be on funding the funds to reinforce Eddie Howe’s side, who have returned to form as of late and will be looking to pick up where they left off before the international break when they defeated high-flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

The constant name linked with a move away from St James’ Park has, of course, been Almiron. The winger looked likely to leave in the summer window before a move failed to materialise. Now, amid interest from Argentine giants River Plate, the winger could finally be on the move. And he may not be the only one.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Newcastle could also show the door to Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson alongside Almiron in January. The former has lost his place to Tino Livramento in recent weeks, whilst the latter is yet to appear at all in the current campaign amid continued injury problems.

If Newcastle want to make room for upgrades, then both Trippier and Wilson should no longer have a place in Howe’s squad. The Magpies would particularly be wise to cash in on Wilson when the winter window arrives, given that he’s set to leave on a free when his contract expires at the end of the season. Trippier, meanwhile, takes up a fair bit of room on the Newcastle wage bill, earning a reported £120,000-a-week whereas Wilson earns £46,000-a-week.

Newcastle should sell "strong" Trippier

Whilst Wilson looks set to head for the exit door no matter what, there remain questions over Trippier’s future. But Newcastle should remain ruthless in his case as well as Almiron’s. The former Atletico Madrid man is arguably past his best and has been replaced with an upgrade in the form of Livramento as a result. Before he gets the chance to leave on a free in 2026, those at St James’ Park could cash in.

It’s a decision that Howe should understand, despite praising the right-back last season. Amid Trippier’s struggles, Howe told reporters as relayed by the Daily Mail: “Tripps [Trippier] is an incredibly strong character.

“As I’ve said many times he’s a transformative signing. Someone that’s taken the group onto a totally different level. He’s been the heartbeat of that. So when he’s given us so much now it’s our turn to support him and look after him the other way and that’s what we’ll do.”

It’s a patch of form midway through last season that Trippier has simply not come back from since, however, to push him closer and closer to the exit door at St James’ Park.

The inaugural season of the Women’s CPL, featuring three teams, is set to run alongside the men’s event this year. Both the CPL and the WCPL are expected to take place within a month-long CPL window that runs from August 30 to September 30. Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders will be the three teams taking part in the women’s tournament.Over the last two seasons, the CPL has been restricted to one host country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Trinidad & Tobago hosting the 2020 edition and St Kitts & Nevis the 2021 edition. According to a CPL media release, the league stage of CPL 2022 will take place across three countries in the Caribbean, with a fourth set to host the final stages.It is not yet clear what the format of the WCPL will be, and which venues will host it.In the lead-up to the 2019 CPL final, CWI had hosted two exhibition T10 matches featuring West Indies’ top women cricketers. A CWI statement had then hoped this event would pave the way “for a sustainable women’s league in the future.” The WCPL represents a significant step forward since then.”Increasing the opportunities for West Indian women and girls to get involved in cricket is one of CWI’s strategic priorities, and we are delighted that we have been able to partner with CPL to further the expansion plans that we had first unveiled in 2019 prior to the arrival of the Covid Pandemic,” Ricky Skerritt, the Cricket West Indies president, said. “We are confident that all CPL women’s games will be highly competitive and will add quality entertainment to our fans in the region and around the world.”The WCPL becomes the latest T20 league to start a women’s edition. Unlike the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, the Women’s Hundred in England (which replaced the Women’s Super League) and the Women’s Super Smash in New Zealand, however, it does not feature the same number of teams as its men’s counterpart.The BCCI has so far staged three editions of the Women’s T20 Challenge, featuring both Indian and overseas players; the first edition was a one-off exhibition match, while the second and third were tournaments featuring three teams playing each other once and the best two meeting again in a final. After a hiatus in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament is set to return during IPL 2022.The Women’s T20 Challenge, however, is yet to expand into a fully-fledged Women’s IPL, though BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has suggested that its inaugural edition may take place in 2023.Last November, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja had hinted at a possible Women’s PSL, though no time-frame for the tournament has been revealed yet.

Well, after a couple of weeks that suggested things were finally on the up and up, Arsenal managed to drop yet more points in the Premier League yesterday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta’s side made the relatively short trip to West London in the knowledge that a win over Fulham would see them move within four points of league leaders Liverpool thanks to their game being suspended courtesy of storm Darragh.

However, with Raúl Jiménez scoring for the home side within the first 15 minutes, the Gunners were left scrambling, and while they managed to claw one back early in the second half, they had to settle for a single point.

34%

Possession

66%

0.16

Expected Goals

2.03

1

Goals

1

0

Big Chances

4

2

Total Shots

12

0

Corners

6

10

Fouls

9

302

Passes

587

There were disappointing displays from Arteta’s side across the board, but there was one player who was notably poor and must now be seriously testing his manager’s patience.

Arsenal's poor performers

So, before we get to the chief offender, it’s only fair to talk about a few other players who looked significantly off the pace at Craven Cottage, starting with Kai Havertz.

The German international had a game to forget, as he offered practically nothing in attack, taking three shots off target, taking just 26 touches and only picking up an assist because he failed to get his attempt on target from Declan Rice’s corner.

Unsurprisingly, football.london’s Chief Arsenal writer, Kaya Kaynak, was left unimpressed and awarded the former Chelsea man a 5/10 at full-time.

Another particularly disappointing performance came from one of the heroes from mid-week, Jakub Kiwior.

The Polish international was sensational against Manchester United and looked more than capable of being Arsenal’s third-choice centre-back.

However, yesterday afternoon, his poor positioning led to the host’s goal early on in the encounter.

It might sound harsh considering the angle Jimenez eventually scored from, but small mistakes are punished at the top level, and it’s a mistake that will only create doubt in the minds of fans over Kiwior’s suitability to stand in for William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhães going forward.

That said, even though his mistake resulted in a goal and Havertz was blunt in attack, neither have received as much negative attention following the result as their teammate, who put in yet another poor performance and must be testing Arteta’s patience.

The Arsenal star playing himself out of the team

Unfortunately for him, there’s been one Arsenal star under the spotlight following yesterday’s draw, and it’s undoubtedly Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian wasn’t selected in the starting lineup following his underwhelming display against United on Wednesday, and his impact, or lack thereof, off the bench yesterday afternoon more than justified Arteta’s decision.

The former Ituano gem was only on the pitch at Craven Cottage for around 30 minutes but managed to perform so poorly that we’d be surprised to see him anywhere near the starting lineup for some time.

Minutes

30′

Expected Goals

0.00

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots

0

Dribbles (Successful)

4 (1)

Key Passes

0

Crosses (Accurate)

6 (1)

Duels (Won)

10 (2)

Touches

25

Lost Possession

12

It’s an opinion backed up by the stats, as in his 30 minutes of action the 23-year-old amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.01, took zero shots, failed in 75% of his dribbles, failed to play a key pass, misplaced five of six crosses, lost eight of ten duels, took 25 touches and lost the ball 12 times, or practically every two touches.

That’s not all, though, as he somehow managed to stray offside for what should have been the Gunners’ late winner in a moment that saw journalist Con Harrison slam him for being “lazy.”

To top it all off, he also picked up a stupid yellow card for an argument in the 82nd minute and was incredibly lucky not to receive another one a few minutes later for petulantly throwing the ball at Kenny Tete.

Now, if the Guarulhos-born dynamo was in scintillating form and scoring for fun, this sort of performance could be ignored and put down to a bad day at the office, but in 20 appearances this season, he’s only scored four goals and provided three assists, which is hardly earth-shattering.

Ultimately, while Martinelli possesses undeniable talent, he has continued to underwhelm this season, and yesterday’s cameo against Fulham was so dire that we wouldn’t be surprised if Arteta was beginning to lose his trust in the young Brazilian.

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Everton felt the effects of a manager bounce in the Premier League this afternoon. Sadly, it was Manchester United who enjoyed the fruits of a new head coach, blowing the Toffees away 4-0 at Old Trafford.

The ice is rapidly thinning beneath Sean Dyche’s feet, with honking defensive errors and a total disjointedness sending the visitors tail-spinning back to Merseyside.

December has arrived, and so too has a forbidding run of fixtures that could prove too much for Dyche’s slipping grip on the manager’s seat.

There’s little to be positive about, candidly, albeit with some promising attacking efforts on show in the first half. At the back, however – misery.

Everton's defenders toil

The Theatre of Dreams served up a nightmare for Everton, whose absence of confidence and cohesion was evident through the battering handed out by United’s regenerated frontline.

Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski formed one of the steeliest defensive axes in the English top flight last term, but such solidity has melted away since the summer, and shortcomings were brutally highlighted against a United attack that demonstrated a hitherto unseen clinical edge.

Neither centre-back did themselves justice, shipping four and both at fault for goals. Branthwaite looked like a titanic star worthy of the £75m price tag that dissuaded Man United from signing him in the summer, but he was pickpocketed by Amad Diallo to make it 2-0.

Minutes played

90′

82′

Touches

57

62

Accurate passes

47/50 (94%)

48/50 (96%)

Key passes

0

0

Dribbles (completed)

1 (1)

0 (0)

Tackles

2

4

Interceptions

0

1

Clearances

1

3

Total duels (won)

5 (4)

7 (6)

Errors leading to goal

1

1

Tarkowski, conversely, struggled throughout. The screech of the final whistle proved to be a blessing for the 33-year-old, making two errors and being lambasted for his “embarrassing” efforts by journalist Dave Downie.

Both centre-halves flattered to deceive, but neither was actually the poorest defender of the afternoon – after all, contrary to plausibility, they won ten out of 12 contested duels between them.

The weakest link would be Vitalii Mykolenko.

Performance in Numbers

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Vitalii Mykolenko might have cost Dyche his job

Mykolenko has started 11 Premier League matches this season, but he’s struggling to lay down his marker for the left-back berth in the coming years.

If Dyche’s days are indeed numbered, the Ukrainian’s might be too.

Voting him as the worst performer of the day, The Liverpool ECHO branded Mykolenko with a dismal 3/10 match rating, with correspondent Chris Beesley brutally claiming that he was ‘hopelessly out of position on far too many occasions,’ also criticising his ‘personal nightmare on a day of collective woes.’

Wandering into lands uncharted and leaving acres of space for orchestrator Bruno Fernandes to exploit, it was a terrible showing from the full-back, whose inability to stand firm in the duel – losing four of five battles, as per Sofascore – exacerbated his struggles and then some.

It’s pouring for the Toffees alright. With such a tough run of fixtures up ahead, Everton might find their manager hoisted from his seat in short time, with the horror shows of players such as Mykolenko rendering his tactical ideas negligible, and closing the door, perhaps, on a bleak era.

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