Arsenal produced their best performance of the season to beat Tottenham in the north London derby at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta’s side got off to the perfect start, racing to a three-goal lead before half-time, thanks to strikes from Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka.

And while Heung-min Son pulled a goal back late on, there was only ever one winner in the contest, with the Gunners sealing an impressive victory to move ahead of their rivals in the Premier League on virtue of goal difference.

But despite their attacking players clicking and firing on all cylinders, it was arguably their defence, and in particular, Takehiro Tomiyasu who really caught the eye.

The summer signing from Bologna started once again at right-back after being a part of the team that had kept two consecutive clean sheets in the top-flight against Norwich and Burnley respectively.

Facing inarguably his stiffest test of the new campaign against Son down his right-hand side, the Japanese ace imposed his will on the Spurs winger, never letting him have any space or time whatsoever.

As per Sofascore, he won five of his eight duels on the day, including four of five in the air, while he also made one tackle, one interception and three clearances to boot too.

He was also a reliable presence going forward too, boasting the most amount of touches of any player on the pitch with 67, and putting in two crosses too.

There were a number of times where he received the ball deep inside his own half with Spurs players looking to close him down, but his ability to play with both feet ensured the Gunners could beat the press with ease.

Such was the dominance that Tomiyasu imposed on Son, that Nuno Espirito Santo felt compelled to bring on Bryan Gil and have both him, Son and Sergio Reguilon trying to attack down the Japanese ace’s flank in order to somehow beat him.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for Football.London, Kaya Kaynak gave him an eight, saying: “Another really good performance from the Japanese international who looks unbeatable in the air. Looking more technically confident with each game as well and contributed to the attack on occasion.”

It was no surprise that Gunners fans voted him as their man of the match via their official Twitter account, and that’s a real indication of the kind of battling display he put on – despite seeing two of their Hale End academy graduates score, it was the Japan international’s performance at the back that they tipped their hat off to the most.

Dubbed as “magnificent” and a “shrewd signing” by Arsenal legend Ian Wright, Tomiyasu broke Spurs’ spirit with his commanding display. Edu seems to have pulled off a transfer masterclass for the Gunners by bringing him in this summer.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are eyeing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s successor in this star…

As per Calciomercato, it appears West Ham United and new recruitment chief Rob Newman have identified a brand new target as they join the hunt for Club Brugges forward Charles De Ketelaere.

The Lowdown: Newman era begins…

After West Ham officially announced the appointment of Newman, with the club chief now set to oversee a new era of scouting and transfers at the club, they have been linked with a plethora of attackers.

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Over this last week alone, the likes of Raul de Tomas, Andrea Belotti and exciting Man City youngster James McAtee have all been linked with a move to the London Stadium.

New targets are surfacing on a consistent basis as news emerges on yet another one.

The Latest: West Ham join De Ketelaere hunt…

As per Calciomercato, West Ham and Newman have now joined the race to sign Belgium international De Ketelaere who even grabbed a goal against Euro 2020 champions Italy recently.

The 20-year-old forward, who can operate as a second striker as well as an attacking midfielder, is attracting interest from all over Europe – with the likes of Napoli, AC Milan and Everton all eyeing a move.

Now, West Ham have joined the hunt for his services as manager David Moyes seeks to bolster his attacking options.

The Verdict: Exciting talent…

The 6 foot 4 attacker, who has been likened to Liverpool star Roberto Firmino for his style of play as a false nine (Goal), has also been praised as a real all-rounder.

Brugge legend Gert Verheyen told Het Nieuwsblad (via Goal) that De Ketelaere is a ‘complete’ player with a ‘mix of technical and physical qualities’.

Moyes has admitted on several occasions that he would like to bring in promising young players with re-sale value and this exciting forward could certainly fit West Ham’s bill.

In other news: West Ham now plotting big money bid to sign 115-goal striker who Moyes personally wants, find out more here.

The elections in South Africa on April 22, four days after the IPL starts in the country, the crime rate in cities like Johannesburg and the limited time available are some of the key challenges facing the league’s security managers, according to Nicholls Steyn & Associates, who are handling the tournament’s security.Nicholls admitted that moving the tournament to South Africa was a good option from the security point of view because the situation in India had made it “very difficult ” to host the event there. Besides, Nicholls said they were not able to conduct a final assessment of the situation in India for the IPL because of the delays in final decisions.”We were waiting for the feedback from the Indian government about what resources could be made available,” Nicholls told Cricinfo. “There were a lot of delays caused in getting a decision, but we believe that it is a positive sign that those delays were caused because of the desire to keep security first. We were very aware of the fact the security measures that were provided had to be of the highest standards and there were many discussions to see if those required standards could be provided with the other things that were going in India at time.”The IPL’s security template in South Africa will borrow significantly from the World Twenty20 model and the plan during India’s tour of South Africa in 2006 as well as other international tours and events. The South African agency has enormous expertise in providing security to teams and players and is also the ICC’s security consultant. They were roped in by the IPL last year as their central player-security managers.”From the cricketing perspective, it is obviously disappointing [to shift the IPL] because everyone would’ve liked the event to happen in India,” Nicholls said. “But the situation and timing make it impossible to host it there, so from our perspective if it is not going to be in India then we believe that South Africa is a good choice.”Asked whether the firm was confident of providing security in India without central security forces, as the IPL had claimed in a letter to the Indian government, Nicholls said, “It is a difficult question to answer because while we may be told that we do not have central forces, we needed to assess what forces are then actually going to be available. We knew what had to be done and everyone at the IPL agreed that player security was an absolute priority but obviously we didn’t know exactly what the situation was until the decision came from the government.”In South Africa, though, time is the major challenge, Nicholls said. “There is not much time to put everything together. The good thing is South Africa hosted the Twenty20 World Cup in the recent past as well as other large tournaments so there is good history of doing that. We would have certainly liked longer duration for planning but that is just the way it is – we have an X amount of time to do it and we have got to get things in place in the time available. Fortunately we have an experienced team who know what has to be done and have done it before.”Nicholls declined to reveal numbers, in terms of security personnel employed, but confirmed that he would be working together with the South African government. Bangalore Challengers take on Deccan Chargers in Cape Town on April 22, election-day in South Africa, and Nicholls said that he understood that the matter of holding the game on that particular day had been discussed at the “highest” level.”That was something which has been discussed at a very high level,” Nicholls said. “It was a concern, but from my understanding it has been discussed with the South African government and their input was taken into account in planning the schedule.”The crime rate in cities like Johannesburg, which hosts eight IPL matches, Nicholls admitted, was something that would be taken into consideration. “Some countries have a higher terrorism threat and a low crime rate and in others it is reverse where the crime rate is higher,” he said. “Certainly the crime rate is something that has to be taken in consideration for any major event that happens in South Africa.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Bruno Henrique, que chegou ao Palmeiras após o prazo de inscrições na Copa do Brasil e não participou da queda diante do Cruzeiro, foi o escolhido para dar entrevista coletiva nesta quinta-feira. O camisa 9 estava em Belo Horizonte com a delegação e comentou a cobrança de torcedores, liderados pelo conselheiro Carlos Degon, no hotel após a partida.

– Cobrança, desde que não haja agressão física, temos que saber receber, somos profissionais. Nosso grupo está fechado, focado. Sabemos que quando você é eliminado as críticas e as coisas negativas vêm de fora, temos consciência disso. Conversamos e temos que nos fechar porque temos duas competições importantes ainda. Nosso grupo está bem chateado, é claro, mas temos que ter maturidade para absorver essas cobranças da melhor maneira possível e se fechar – disse o jogador.

As cobranças sobre o Palmeiras são motivadas pelo enorme investimento feito para esta temporada. Bruno Henrique, repetindo o discurso usado antes por Cuca e Alexandre Mattos, repeliu o tom de “obrigação de títulos”.

– Todos os clubes fizeram investimentos, contrataram jogadores. É normal no futebol. Não é sempre que você vai contratar e as coisas vão dar certo. Também não vejo as coisas aqui dando errado. Saímos da Copa do Brasil, mas não podemos dizer que as coisas estão dando errado. Quando você traz jogadores tem uma cobrança, sim, isso é normal. Mas no Palmeiras a cobrança será sempre a mesma, o clube é muito grande. Não temos que bater na tecla de que trouxe jogadores e por isso tem que ganhar – declarou.

– O Palmeiras contratou bastante, tem elenco forte, por ter duas, três, quatro competições no ano para jogar. Sobre jogar com reservas, todos que estão aqui estão demonstrando que têm condições, quando jogam estão correspondendo. A equipe está se fortalecendo. Tomamos o gol no fim ontem, e se não tivesse tomado aquele gol a conversa seria diferente, todo mundo elogiaria o elenco. O Palmeiras prioriza todas as competições que joga, é por isso que tem tantos jogadores de alto nível – completou Bruno.

Ele tem boas chances de ser titular contra o Avaí, às 19h de sábado, no Allianz Parque.

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Hampshire opened their season in fine style with a seven-wicket victory against Worcestershire

David Lloyd at The Rose Bowl17-Apr-2009Hampshire 216 and 107 for 3 (Carberry 58) beat Worcestershire 132 (Cork 4-10) and 189 (Solanki 73, Tomlinson 3-53) by seven wickets
ScorecardMichael Carberry helped Hampshire to their target with a half century•Getty Images

It may have taken Hampshire a little longer than had seemed likely on the second day, and they stumbled just short of the finishing line, but their seven-wicket victory over Worcestershire was still emphatic enough to delight acting captain Nic Pothas.”This was a clinical performance and comes on the back of a very good pre-season,” said Pothas after his team completed their task with four sessions to spare. “There are obviously areas which we need to touch up on but it’s early and we are still getting into the swing of things. But I’m ecstatic to win.”Needing 106 to polish off Worcestershire, Hampshire might have wobbled if Daryl Mitchell had managed to hold one of two difficult slip chances which came his way, off the bowling of Kabir Ali, when Michael Carberry had made four and 15. Neither stuck, however, and despite losing James Adams (8) – lbw, playing down the wrong line against spinner Gareth Batty – Hampshire were never seriously troubled.Carberry went on to score 58 and should have completed the job with John Crawley. Instead, he played on against medium-pacer Mitchell, who then made it two wickets in five balls with Michael Lumb spooning a gentle catch to backward square leg. That completed a pair for Lumb but, at 99 for three, Hampshire were almost home and dry.The hosts have power to add, too, with Australia’s Marcus North arriving next week, captain Dimitri Mascarenhas returning after the Indian Premier League and last season’s leading bowler, Imran Tahir, due to replace North as overseas recruit come June. As for Worcestershire, they can only hope their Australian – just arrived fast bowler Ashley Noffke – can make a difference, but it is their batting, without the retired Graeme Hick, which looks thin.”It will take time to replace Graeme but I’m happy with the look of the top six,” insisted beaten captain Vikram Solanki. “But we have to work harder to ensure we bounce back from this defeat.”The efforts of Solanki and Chris Whelan, who added 97 for the eighth wicket on the second evening, underlined just how poorly most of their top order colleagues had performed while Worcestershire were crumpling to 53 for seven. And the defiance continued on Friday once light drizzle relented after an hour’s delay.Indeed, it all looked rather comfortable for 20 minutes, not only when Solanki was facing but also for his latest partner, No 10 Matt Mason, as Chris Tremlett and James Tomlinson huffed and puffed without seriously threatening to blow anyone down. No wonder, then, that Solanki berated himself after gifting Hampshire his wicket.The visiting captain moved to 73 – the top score of the match – with the help of a crashing off drive and a scything pull against Tomlinson. But when the left-arm paceman served up a short, wide offering outside off stump, Solanki cut it straight and true to Michael Carberry at point. Still, at least Worcestershire’s No 3 had put some fight back into his team with that 159-ball innings, and last man Imran Arif battled on with Matt Mason until, almost inevitably, Dominic Cork struck with the final delivery before lunch.Cork, always willing to try something different, bounced Mason. It was an outrageously slow slower ball, though, that ended the innings, bowling a bemused Mason for 25. Cork looked mighty pleased with himself – and why not after a highly successful debut which contributed six wickets and 25 handy runs to Hampshire’s cause. Plenty more of both are likely to follow.

Rangers travel to the Czech Republic on Thursday as they come up against Sparta Prague in the Europa League group stages.

Steven Gerrard’s side are currently on zero points in their group after they lost 2-0 to Lyon at Ibrox in their opening match.

With the Gers attempting to win their first match in the group, Gerrard could make some changes to his XI to freshen the side up and give his team the best chance of winning.

One player who he must unleash on Sparta Prague is summer signing Fashion Sakala, who was on the bench against Dundee FC at the weekend.

Gerrard must select Sakala from the start and change the formation from the win over Dundee. Ianis Hagi started behind Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe, but bringing Sakala in could allow Rangers to go with a 4-3-3 and play him and Roofe either side of Morelos in an attacking trident.

Hagi struggled against Dundee, with a 6.6 SofaScore rating, and Sakala coming in for him could be a shrewd call from the manager. Sakala has the potential to be a game-changer for the Gers, whilst his versatility also means that he can be used in a variety of ways.

Gers chief Ross Wilson hailed the beast as a determined player, citing his pace and power as two of his biggest strengths. He said:

“Fashion has had an excellent season in Belgium and we believe he will develop further still working with all of our staff at the training ground. Fashion is a determined, humble and positive guy and we are sure he will fit the group here.

“We wanted to add more pace and power to the group across January and the summer and I am pleased that we have done that, firstly with Scott Wright and now with Fashion Sakala. I know Steven and the coaches are excited to work with Fashion and I am sure that he will further enhance his growing reputation here with Rangers.“

He scored 16 goals for Oostende in Belgium last term and has scored once in two Scottish Premiership starts for Rangers. This shows that he has the quality to score goals on a regular basis, which means that he has the ability to be a game-changer for the Gers.

If he starts against Sparta, he could make a telling contribution in front of goal to win Rangers the game or earn them a point. That is why Gerrard must unleash him from the start against the Czech side, to give him the opportunity to prove his worth.

AND in other news, Wilson must secure Rangers January deal for “natural goalscorer”, fans would love it…

تسبب نجم فريق مانشستر يونايتد كريستيانو رونالدو في حالة من الجدل لدى الصحف التركية، بسبب ما فعله عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع إنستجرام.

وما زال مستقبل رونالدو مع الشياطين الحمر غامضًا حتى الآن، حيث من المعروف أنه يود الرحيل عن الأولد ترافورد هذا الصيف من أجل المشاركة في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ورغم ارتباط رونالدو بأكثر من نادِ، مثل تشيلسي، بايرن ميونخ، باريس سان جيرمان وأتلتيكو مدريد، إلا إنه لا يوجد أي نادِ حتى الآن قدم عرضًا للظفر بخدماته.

وتتزايد حدة التكهنات حول مستقبل صاحب الـ37 عامًا بمرور الوقت في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، خاصة مع انطلاق الموسم الجديد من الدوري الإنجليزي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إريك تين هاج يوضح موقف رونالدو من مباراة مانشستر يونايتد وبرايتون

ولكن الأمر تسارع بشكل أكثر بعد منشور لأحد الأشخاص عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع إنستجرام، والذي طالب من خلاله بقدوم كريستيانو رونالدو إلى فريق جالطة سراي التركي.

وتفاجأ هذا الشخص بتفاعل رونالدو مع منشوره، حيث قام البرتغالي بالضغط على زر الإعجاب، وهو ما نشرته الصحف التركية المختلفة مساء اليوم.

Gary Kirsten, the India coach, says mental fatigue will be his team’s biggest challenge during the World Twenty20 in England next month

Ajay S Shankar08-May-2009Gary Kirsten, the India coach, says mental fatigue will be his team’s biggest challenge during the World Twenty20 in England next month. The event starts on June 5 but India play their first warm-up game on June 1, just seven days after the IPL ends in South Africa. Kirsten also believes India, the defending champions, will be under added pressure during the ICC tournament but says the team has shown it is capable of handling such situations.”The Indian players have been on the road for a long time and the biggest challenge will be mental fatigue,” Kirsten told Cricinfo. “But they have enormous pride when representing India and have become a tight unit over the past few months. I’m sure they will look forward to reuniting and playing for their country.”The Indian players have been almost living out of their suitcases since they left Mumbai for the New Zealand tour on February 20. They got a few days off after the series ended on April 7 before leaving for the IPL, which began on April 18. They return home for a few days again when the IPL ends on May 24 – the entire 15-member World Twenty20 squad is playing in the league – before leaving for England to play their first day/night warm-up game against New Zealand at Lord’s. India take on Bangladesh in their first game of the tournament on June 6 in Trent Bridge.But Kirsten, who took over as India coach in 2008, said he was confident the team would be able to handle the pressure when defending the title they won in 2007. “When you are defending champions there will always be added pressure,” Kirsten said. “That goes with the territory of high-performing teams. This team has played in many pressure situations since the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and has shown what they are capable of.”How different would the conditions be in England for the World Twenty20? It’s something all international teams, he said, have to come to terms with. “Every country has its own unique conditions which each team and individual needs to comes to terms with,” he said. “The players are aware of those conditions and what is required to give themselves the best chance of performing. Most of the Indian players have played in England and know what to expect.”India have sported a stable look over the five Twenty20 internationals they have played since the 2007 world title victory – winning two and losing three. In fact, there have been only two changes in the team from the 16-member squad for the last two games they played in New Zealand, and the 15-member World Twenty20 squad that was announced on Monday.There is an argument that such stability could also lead to complacency among players in the team but Kirsten was quick to dismiss such suggestions. “Experienced players understand the demands and pressures of World Cup tournaments,” he said. “Throw in a few talented and fearless young players and you have a great mix in the team. There is certainly no danger of complacency within the Indian team. We pride ourselves in taking each game as it comes and giving 100% on a daily basis while representing Team India.”Giving a hint of the team’s gameplan for the world event, Kirsten said he believes spin will play a major role in Twenty20 cricket. India have only two fulltime spinners – Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha – in their World Twenty20 squad but have a rich variety of part-time options to choose from: Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Virender Sehwag, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma.Moving on to the ongoing IPL, Kirsten, who is based in Cape Town, said the tournament has benefited young Indian cricketers immensely. He put forward the growth of Yusuf Pathan’s game at the last IPL, as an example. “The IPL provides a great opportunity for young Indian cricketers to show what they are capable of in a high-profile environment,” he said. “They also get to mix with, and learn from, successful international cricketers. This can only be of benefit to Indian cricket. Performances during the IPL can definitely be a stepping stone to achieving higher honours. Yusuf Pathan was one example of that last year.”What is evident from the league, he said, was that the best team on paper is not necessarily the most successful one. “There will always be new ideas and new thinking in every IPL,” he said. “What is of interest to me are those teams that are able to win consistently and why they are able to do it. It isn’t always the best team on paper.”Asked about Buchanan’s captaincy theory for the Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL team that he coaches, Kirsten said: “In the dynamic world we live in, innovative thinking is important to try and stay ahead and push the boundaries of performance. I think it is important to balance out what is already working and what can improve performance. MS Dhoni has proved a highly effective and capable leader for India and I’m sure that will not change for some time to come.”

Many Everton fans have been left slamming the display of Jonjoe Kenny as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup third round stage on Tuesday night.

Two goals from former Premier League striker Charlie Austin were enough to take the Goodison Park faithful all the way to a penalty shootout, after Lucas Digne and Andros Townsend had to draw them level twice.

Rafa Benitez’s side then lost on penalties 8-7 after Tom Davies missed a crucial spot kick.

Stepping in for Seamus Coleman, Kenny really struggled at right-back against the Championship outfit, losing out on five of his duels as well as recording no blocked shots or interceptions, while losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 14 separate occasions, the third-most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Everton fans on Kenny display

These supporters of the Merseyside club slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that he was ‘shocking’:

“Davies & Kenny need shipping out of the club in January. Don’t care if they’re Evertonians, they simply aren’t good enough”

Credit: @SOS1878

“Kenny is worse than 99% of right-back’s in the Football League. His Dad must be on the board or something”

Credit: @g4j4s4

“Kenny, Holgate, Davies, Gomes, Iwobi, Rondon. All nowhere near good enough…”

Credit: @BigWoodsey

“What is a Jonjoe Kenny?? Certainly isn’t a footballer”

Credit: @JayKennedyEFC

“Jonjoe Kenny is genuinely the most invisible player on the pitch every single time he plays”

Credit: @ollyellisefc

“It’s quite something when the likes of Kenny, Davies, Holgate and Rondon have been outclassed by QPR players. Truly shocking performances.”

Credit: @SK21878

In other news, find out who EFC have recently signed here!

يغيب النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي للمرة الأولى منذ 17 عامًا، عن قائمة الـ30 لاعبًا المرشحين لجائزة الكرة الذهبية “بالون دور” للعام 2022.

وأعلنت مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” اليوم الجمعة، عن اللاعبين المرشحين لجائزة الكرة الذهبية للعام 2022.

ويغيب ميسي للمرة الأولى عن القائمة منذ عام 2005، وهو الأكثر تتويجًا بالكرة الذهبية.

وفاز ميسي بالكرة الذهبية سبع مرات في مسيرته الكروية كأكثر اللاعبين فوزًا بالجائزة التي تمنح لأفضل لاعب في العالم.

وكانت آخر جائزة توج بها هي النسخة الماضية، متفوقًا على روبرت ليفاندوفسكي وجورجينيو. 

وشهدت القائمة تواجد المصري محمد صلاح جناح ليفربول والفرنسي كريم بنزيما نجم ريال مدريد، وكذلك السنغالي ساديو ماني جناح بايرن ميونخ بالإضافة للنجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو مهاجم مانشستر يونايتد.

يمكنك مطالعة قائمة الثلاثين لاعبًا المرشحين للكرة الذهبية من خلال الرابط.