Nottinghamshire head coach had been favourite to succeed Andy Flower in role
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2025
Peter Moores will add Trent Rockets to his list of coaching jobs•Getty Images
Trent Rockets have confirmed the appointment of Peter Moores as their new head coach, following the departure of Andy Flower to take charge of London Spirit.The decision to promote Moores from his role as Flower’s assistant, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, comes as part of the new ownership structure at Rockets, following the purchase of a 49% stake by private equity firms Cain and Ares earlier this year.Moores, who is also head coach of Nottinghamshire, has previous franchise experience in the Big Bash, where he coaches Melbourne Stars, and at the PSL.”It feels like a good time to be taking over the Rockets, and I’m really excited about the opportunity to lead the team,” Moores said. “I see this as a great opportunity to continue on from the strong and successful foundations built by Andy Flower.””The investment and energy that’s coming into the Hundred, and the change of ownership at the Rockets in particular, make it a really exciting time. I’m especially looking forward to the auction, where we’ll be looking to ensure the squad is as strong as it can be as we continue to strive for success.”Rockets finished as runners-up in the 2025 Men’s Hundred, losing in the final to three-time champions Oval Invincibles. Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, won the County Championshp – with Moores becoming the first coach to lift the trophy with three different counties.Rockets were losing finalists in the men’s Hundred in 2025•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty Images
Trent Rockets director of cricket, Mick Newell, said: “We’re really pleased to promote Peter to the role of men’s head coach. It’s no exaggeration to say he’s one of the finest English head coaches of his generation, and his strong existing knowledge of Trent Bridge will be of great benefit in his new role.”His winning mentality, his strong record of improving players, and the experience he gained last year, all make him a superb fit to take over the role from Andy Flower.”Elsewhere, Birmingham Phoenix have renewed Ali Maiden’s contract as women’s coach on a new two-year contract after he took over from Ben Sawyer ahead of last season, despite their seventh-placed finish.”Ali’s impact in his first year as head coach made the decision to extend his contract a straightforward one,” James Thomas, the Phoenix performance director, said. “His proven ability to develop talented young players fits perfectly with our playing strategy, and he is a key part of a strong leadership team that is shaping the Phoenix brand of cricket.”
Rangers’ truly miserable European campaign continues, with their hopes of reaching the knockout stages now hanging by a thread.
On Thursday night, despite taking the lead through James Tavernier’s spot-kick, the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Braga at Ibrox, with the Arsenalists equalising shortly after Rodrigo Zalazar had been sent off for headbutting Nicolas Raskin.
This ended a sequence of seven successive European defeats, the longest streak in the club’s entire history, but they will almost certainly need to beat Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and Porto to stand any chance of reaching the Europa League knockout stages, which isn’t particularly likely.
Having finished eighth in last year’s inaugural league phase, before reaching the quarter-finals, this quite the fall from grace.
Much of the blame lies at those at boardroom level, hence why chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell were both sacked on Monday, much to the delight of many supporters.
Nevertheless, new manager Danny Röhl still has to build a cohesive team with the pieces he has been given, so which of Thelwell’s summer recruits did not impress on Thursday night?
Nasser Djiga at fault once again
The final Tuesday of the final international break of 2025 could prove to be a pivotal day in Rangers’ season.
Mere hours apart, one in Mount Florida and the other in well, Miami in actual Florida, both John Souttar and Derek Cornelius suffered long-term injuries that’ll see them sidelined until Christmas at least.
Thus, just as Röhl had found his first-choice centre-back pairing, he will continue to be without them going into the busiest period of the season, left with no choice but to keep picking Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga, despite the continued poor performances of the latter.
Djiga was massively at fault for Braga’s crucial equaliser on Thursday night, completely misjudging a cross into the box which allowed Gabri Martínez to slot home.
The 23 year old joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Crvena zvezda in January for a reported £10m, but barely featured for the Premier League side, suggesting why that might have been the case since making the loan move north of the border.
It did not start well for Djiga, sent off on his Premiership debut for tripping up Finlay Robertson as the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee at Ibrox, before this inexplicable decision which allowed Romeo Vermant to score the first of Club Brugge’s nine goals in the Champions League play-off round.
Djiga, frankly, is costing Rangers points time and time again, which has to be a concern ahead of three winnable Premiership matches in a week against Falkirk, Dundee United and Kilmarnock, but which other starter from Thursday night may have just played himself out of contention?
Rangers summer signing who struggled vs Braga
Röhl made a couple of surprise selection decisions against Braga; Connor Barron came into midfield, while Max Aarons got the nod over Jayden Meghoma at left-back.
The Bournemouth loanee has been in and out the team all throughout the campaign, deployed in both full-back positions, but did not stake a claim for more regular minutes here.
The statistics document the Englishman’s tough night.
Accurate passes
26
13th
Passing accuracy %
76%
12th
Key passes
Zero
10th
Attempted crosses
3
4th
Accurate crosses
Zero
7th
Defensive actions
3
16th
Tackles won
3
7th
Interceptions
Zero
12th
Clearances
Zero
19th
Possession lost
17
4th
Touches
59
6th
SofaScore rating
6.8
12th
As the table documents, despite the fact only two Rangers players, namely Tavernier and Fernandez, had more touches of the ball than Aarons, he did very little with all this possession.
The full-back completed just 26 passes, fewer than Braga goalkeeper Lukáš Horníček, was accurate with zero crosses and turned over possession on 17 occasions.
Fair to say, the Rangers support have not been enamoured by Aarons from the very start.
Under Russell Martin, he was controversially starting Champions League qualifiers instead of long-standing captain Tavernier, which most fans were not on board with, especially when Aarons was sent off just eight minutes into their 6-0 annihilation at the hands of Club Brugge at Jan Breydelstadion.
More recently, Aarons has been asked to fill in on the left-side, which he can do, but does not suit him naturally, especially on the ball, having to play on his weaker side.
Thus, for upcoming Premiership matches, where Rangers will dominate possession, expect Röhl to recall Jayden Meghoma at left-back, even if he has been far from convincing either.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
As for long-term, it would be no surprise to see both Aarons and Djiga return to their parents clubs in the new year, or at the end of the season at the very least.
Forget Djiga: Rohl must bin Rangers flop who lost the ball every 2 touches
Following Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Braga in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday, which flop must Danny Röhl axe who was even worse than Nasser Djiga?
West Ham United are now looking to sign a “sensational” £35m midfielder who’s won the Premier League title two times, amid growing uncertainty surrounding his future…
West Ham eyeing new midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta recently admitted that he wanted to return to Brazil during the summer transfer window, saying: “Maybe I shouldn’t even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, in addition to the work he’s doing at Flamengo,”
“I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents.”
Ultimately, the attacking midfielder ended up staying put, however, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances in the Premier League, scoring three goals, most recently finding the back of the net in the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United.
That said, the Hammers won’t be particularly reassured by the fact one of their key players was angling for a move, and they have now set their sights on a new attacking midfielder, who could be brought in next summer.
That is according to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), with a report stating West Ham want to be kept informed about Harvey Elliott’s situation, having failed to make an impact since arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool.
Villa have an obligation to pay £35m for Elliott if he plays ten matches this season, but he hasn’t been getting a look-in as of late, which means Liverpool may recall the Englishman during the January transfer window.
The 22-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Niclas Fullkrug, is viewed as a target for the summer, rather than this winter, but the Hammers may have to fend off rival interest, with RB Leipzig also named as potential suitors.
"Sensational" Elliott could reignite career at the London Stadium
The attacking midfielder’s move to Villa simply hasn’t worked out, but he is still very young, and there are plenty of signs he could be an exciting acquisition for West Ham, having impressed at times during his spell with Liverpool.
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The London-born midfielder made 149 appearances for the Reds, amassing 15 goals and 20 assists and playing a role in his side winning two Premier League titles, while the 28-cap England U21 star has also caught the eye at international level.
As such, West Ham should continue to monitor Elliott’s situation as the season goes on, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer, with the former Fulham man in need of a move to a club where game is guaranteed, if he is going to fulfill his potential.
Saqib Mahmood has been ruled out of next week’s T20I series against Ireland, and the upcoming white-ball tour of New Zealand in October, after sustaining a knee injury. His place for the Ireland trip has been taken by the Hampshire and Scotland seamer, Scott Currie.Mahmood, 28, played in the second ODI against South Africa at Lord’s earlier this month, going wicketless in England’s five-run defeat, but had not played a part in either of the first two T20Is against the same opponents.In a statement, the ECB confirmed that Mahmood was set to undergo “minor knee surgery” to correct the issue. It is the latest setback for a seamer who missed nearly two years of action with consecutive stress fractures of the back, but who appeared to have restated his credentials in recent months.His recent England performances included nine wickets at 10.55 on the T20I tour of the Caribbean in November last year, as well as a starring role in the 3-0 ODI series win over the same opponents in June. Most recently, he was part of Oval Invincibles’ three-peat-winning team in the Men’s Hundred, claiming the final wicket of the final against Trent Rockets.Currie’s call-up, at the age of 24, comes 18 months after he featured in three ODIs for Scotland, in the World Cricket League Division 2 in Dubai. However, Scotland’s failure to qualify for this winter’s T20 World Cup would appear to have ended his ambitions of further representing the country of his father’s birth.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo on Friday, he explained the rationale behind those appearances, saying he hadn’t wanted to keep turning down the chance to play international cricket “in the hope that maybe an England cap might come one day”.Scott Currie in T20 Blast action for Hampshire•ECB via Getty Images
“There’s plenty of experience to be had out there,” Currie said. “I’ve obviously got [the possibility] that you can flip between the two, and if an England cap ever came then that would be a massive honour.”But certainly, the pride of representing Scotland in those three games that I did, taking the field with my brother [Brad], knowing what it means to my old man and his side of the family, is something that always puts a smile on my face.”Everyone’s favorite word at the moment is the schedule, but it’s tough with the way the schedule is to find those opportunities. Unfortunately, they didn’t qualify for the T20 World Cup coming this winter. But yeah, I do remain in contact with them.”Currie’s call-up comes less than 24 hours after he featured in T20 Finals Day for Hampshire. He claimed two wickets in both the semi-final victory over Northamptonshire and their eventual six-wicket defeat to Somerset, but his decisive role in the final was arguably a key dropped catch at deep midwicket to reprieve Sean Dickson, early in his unbeaten innings.England are set to play three T20Is at Malahide, on September 17, 19 and 21. The squad, which will be missing several multi-format players ahead of this winter’s Ashes campaign, will be captained for the first time by Jacob Bethell.
Leeds United have a full midweek to train and prepare for their next Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX next weekend.
One of the aspects of the team’s play that Daniel Farke may place a big emphasis on is their ruthlessness in front of goal when it comes to taking the big chances that they are creating this season.
Crystal Palace
22
Manchester City
19
Liverpool
19
Manchester United
17
Leeds United
15
Brentford
15
Arsenal
15
Newcastle United
14
Everton
13
Chelsea
11
As you can see in the table above, only four teams have missed more ‘big chances’ than the West Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League this term, which shows that they have been wasteful in the final third.
The Whites have only scored nine goals in nine matches in the top-flight in the 2025/25 campaign, but the number of ‘big chances’ that they have missed suggests that they should be well into double figures by now.
Part of that is down to the quality, or lack thereof, within the squad in the attacking areas of the pitch. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was brought in to be their main number nine, and they need much more from him.
Why Leeds need more from Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The £100k-per-week centre-forward was signed on a free transfer in the summer transfer window after he was released by Everton at the end of last season.
Calvert-Lewin’s only goal for the club in all competitions so far, though, came in the 3-1 win over bottom-of-the-league Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, as he brilliantly guided a header into the back of the net from Jayden Bogle’s cross.
The 11-cap England international was a risky signing for the Whites, despite being a vastly experienced player at Premier League level, because of his form in front of goal for Everton in recent seasons.
Since a 16-goal haul in the 2020/21 campaign, when supporters were not allowed in stadiums for the most part, the English striker has failed to hit double figures for goals in a top-flight season.
24/25
8.85
3
23/24
13.63
7
22/23
6.50
2
21/22
6.22
5
20/21
18.21
16
19/20
16.11
13
18/19
6.17
6
17/18
5.44
4
16/17
1.25
1
The statistics in the table above show that Leeds signed a player who arrived at Elland Road in fairly dismal form in front of goal as a finisher.
As you can see in the graphic below, that form has carried over to his time in West Yorkshire, as he has missed five ‘big chances’ and only scored one goal in the Premier League so far this season.
These statistics show that the Whites need more from the experienced forward, because he is one of the main reasons why they are among the worst teams in the division for missing ‘big chances’.
Leeds considering move for Championship striker
Amid Calvert-Lewin’s struggles as a finisher in the Premier League this season, Leeds are reportedly showing an interest in a striker from the Championship.
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 LeedsUnitedNews, the club are considering a swoop to sign Coventry City centre-forward Haji Wright to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
The report claims that Leeds are keen on a deal to sign the USA international when the January transfer window opens for business, after they also considered a move for him in the summer.
However, the outlet adds that it may be difficult for the club to convince the Sky Blues to part ways with the striker, as they are currently top of the Championship and gunning for promotion to the Premier League.
In January, pundit Carlton Palmer claimed that it could take a fee of around £20m to tempt Coventry to sell him, but it remains to be seen whether or not that would be the case next January.
Why Leeds should sign Haji Wright
Farke should push for Leeds to press ahead with a deal for the USMNT centre-forward when the January transfer window opens for business at the start of next year, because he could be an upgrade on Calvert-Lewin.
As aforementioned, the current Whites number nine has not done enough in front of goal in the Premier League to be deemed a reliable marksman for the German head coach, which may be why Wright has emerged as a possible target.
The Coventry star is unproven in the Premier League, having never played in the division, but his form in the Championship suggests that he has the potential to make the step up and excel at Elland Road.
Wright has racked up eight goals in ten starts in the second tier so far this season for Frank Lampard’s side, per Sofascore, after a return of 12 goals in 21 starts in the division in the 2024/25 campaign.
Appearances
7
11
xG
1.77
7.49
Goals
1
8
Big chances missed
5
6
Conversion rate
7%
29%
Minutes per goal
534
101
Duel success rate
38%
44%
As you can see in the table above, the American centre-forward has scored eight times as many goals as Calvert-Lewin at league level, with a far superior conversion rate.
At his current performance level, Calvert-Lewin would miss 40 ‘big chances’ to hit the eight-goal mark that Wright has reached this season, with just six ‘big chances’ missed for Coventry, albeit at a lower level.
The Sky Blues striker, who was described as a “big, big winner” by former USA international Alexi Lalas, has shown that he can finish chances at an impressive rate, outperforming his xG in the Championship in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns.
Meanwhile, Calvert-Lewin is currently underperforming against his xG for the tenth Premier League season running, which suggests that Leeds cannot expect his fortunes to change in front of goal.
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This is why Farke should be pushing for the club to strike a deal to sign Wright in the January transfer window, as his impressive finishing skills could make him an upgrade on the Englishman at Elland Road.
Zimbabwe will begin their quest to qualify for the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time in their history when they tour New Zealand for a white-ball series in February-March 2026.The three ODIs on the tour, scheduled for March 5, 8 and 11 in Dunedin, will be Zimbabwe’s debut in the ICC Women’s Championship, the primary pathway for World Cup qualification. Zimbabwe’s inclusion has expanded the Women’s Championship from 10 to 11 teams. The 2025-29 cycle, the fourth edition of the competition, will determine qualification for the 2029 World Cup.During the 2025-29 cycle, Zimbabwe are scheduled to play four three-match ODI series at home – against South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Ireland – and four overseas – in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, apart from the one in New Zealand.Related
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This will be the first time Zimbabwe face New Zealand in Women’s ODIs. Zimbabwe have played ODIs against six teams so far, of whom three – Bangladesh, Ireland and Pakistan – are Full Members.Before the three ODIs, Zimbabwe will also face New Zealand in three T20Is on February 25, February 27 and March 1 in Hamilton. These matches will also be Zimbabwe’s first against New Zealand in Women’s T20Is.”It is a proud and exciting moment for us as Zimbabwe Women prepare to compete at the highest level of the global game,” Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Givemore Makoni said. “This is not only a testament to how far our women’s cricket has come, but also a strong endorsement of our vision and investment in developing the women’s game.”With Zimbabwe’s inclusion, the Women’s Championship features 11 of the 12 Full Members of the ICC, with one notable exception in Afghanistan – whose fledgling women’s cricket program was cut short when the Taliban took control of the country’s administration in August 2021.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer praised the “fearless nature” of the youngsters in his side during their run to the IPL 2025 final, which they lost by six runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.”I am very proud of each and every individual who has participated in the team,” Iyer said on the broadcast after PBKS finished runners-up in his first season as their captain. “And a lot of youngsters who have played their first season and the fearless nature that they showed, it was simply phenomenal. I keep on saying the same thing again and again but hats off to every individual who has been here, who has contributed as support staff, management. I think without them, we wouldn’t have reached so far. So kudos to them. And also, you know, job is still half-done and we have to receive the trophy next year.”When asked about the positives from this season, in which they topped the league table with 19 points, Iyer said, “Definitely, the way we turned up to every game, every individual stepping up at the right time and saying that ‘I can win the match’. There are so many youngsters in the team. I think they have gained a lot of experience out of these matches. And I’m sure that next year when they come, they’ll be having immense experience with them. And with that, we can build the tactics and strategies around so that we can play some decent cricket.”Related
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One of the stand-out aspects of PBKS’ run to the final was the performances of their uncapped players, such as openers < Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, middle-order batters Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar and fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak.After the defeat in the final, Iyer thought 200 was a par score, implying their target of 191 was gettable. He said Krunal Pandya's spell was "phenomenal" – the left-arm spinner took 2 for 17 in four overs, the wickets those of Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis."Considering the game we played last against MI [where PBKS chased down 204], I personally felt that 200 was a par score," Iyer said. "But they bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal, the way he came in. He carries a lot of experience. He has done it over a period of time. And even today, the way he bowled, it was simply phenomenal. And I think that was the turning point."
During Arsene Wenger’s celebrated reign as Arsenal manager, he was the pioneer for a whole host of things, not least diet and nutrition, but his approach in the transfer market has inspired many.
Wenger was one of the first to aggressively scout overlooked regions like France and Africa. In doing so, he signed young up-and-coming players on the cheap and developed them into legends of the English game.
Think Freddie Ljungberg, who Wenger revealed that he signed from Swedish side Halmstad, having watched him playing for his country on television just twice.
“It was one of my great moments of madness”, the French boss later admitted.
A certain Kolo Toure was signed from Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas for just £150,000, eventually becoming a stalwart of the club’s backline over many a year.
Yet, two of Wenger’s biggest success stories remain all-time club record goalscorer Thierry Henry and former captain, Patrick Vieira.
Henry was signed from Juventus for just £11m. Initially arriving as a left winger, Arsenal’s great manager transformed him into one of the best strikers the game has ever seen.
Vieira, meanwhile, was signed for just £3.5m. Adjusted for inflation, Totally Money’s Transfer Index reckons Henry’s move in 2025 would be worth around £50m while Vieira’s move from Milan would be worth around £35m.
The biggest bargains of the Mikel Arteta era at Arsenal
While the Gunners spent a colossal amount of money this summer, ending the window as the second-highest spenders of all Premier League clubs, they have secured some notable bargains since Mikel Arteta arrived as Arsenal manager.
One of the biggest was undoubtedly Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian penned terms in 2021 on an initial loan deal before signing for just £30m in the summer of that year.
Arsenal's MartinOdegaardcelebrates after the match
While the playmaker hasn’t hit top form over the last year, scoring just three times in the Premier League throughout 2024/25, his rise to stardom in English football has been immense.
In 2022/23, no midfielder scored more than Odegaard’s haul of 15 goals in the league. He’s also now the club captain and while he may not be as vocal as someone like Declan Rice, his actions speak volumes.
He’s always the first to lead the press and he really does coach some of his teammates through a match.
Speaking of leaders, William Saliba and Gabriel, arguably the finest centre-half partnership in English football, are perhaps the biggest bargains of the Arteta era.
Arsenal'sGabrielMagalhaes and WilliamSaliba
Gabriel arrived from Lille in a deal worth just £23m and since then he has become a colossus at the back.
Since 2019/20, no defender has scored more than the Brazilian’s haul of 17. He’s a goalscorer but he’s also a rock of a defender. As Jamie Carragher once said, “I think Saliba is the better player but Gabriel is the better leader.”
For large parts of their partnership, the French defender has indeed been seen as the better player. Whether or not you agree with that is up for debate, but he cost just £27m and is on track to become “the best defender in the world” in the words of Rio Ferdinand.
But, speaking of Saliba, here lies what looks like Arsenal’s biggest bargain since the Wenger era.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Arsenal have struck gold on £13m arrival
The Gunners spent lavishly this summer on bolstering their squad.
The arrival of a shiny new centre-forward in the form of Viktor Gyokeres has raised the levels at the Emirates. His signing was a necessity rather than a luxury. Arsenal needed a goalscoring striker and they have found one. The big Swede already has three goals in his first four matches.
Alongside him, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke serve as upgrades in attack. Madueke may not be an upgrade on Saka but as far as back-up is concerned, the Englishman certainly is.
As for Eze’s late £60m arrival last month, there was much fanfare, understandably so too. Eze has been lighting up the Premier League for a number of years now and their performances in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest was electrifying, earning comparisons to Saka and Smith Rowe.
Further back, however, Cristhian Mosquera deserves every ounce of praise for his performances since moving to the Emirates.
During the summer months, Berta worked hard to secure the 21-year-old’s signature. He had entered the last year of his deal at Valencia and as such, the Gunners were able to agree a cut-price fee of just £13m.
Well, the Spanish side must feel as though they’ve been robbed. When he first signed, Berta was delighted. Revealing his admiration for the young centre-back, the Italian stated: “We identified Cristhian as one of the strongest young defenders in European football, and he is an important signing for our future.”
Well, he’s certainly living up to that tag. That £13m spent is a bargain, an even bigger one than the likes of Odegaard, Saliba and Gabriel. You perhaps have to go back to the days of Vieira, Henry and Toure to find a better bargain.
While Mosquera was well known to LaLiga audiences, he wasn’t known at all in England. Berta really did take a leaf out of the Wenger playbook here and what a signing he already looks to be.
Club insider Hand of Arsenal described the youngster as a “monster” after his display against Forest, while Gunners writer Dan Critchlow noted that “it’s unbelievable we [Arsenal] didn’t face huge competition for him and pay a lot more”, suggesting he is an “incredible signing”.
So, why all the hype? Well, think of Gabriel and Saliba and in Mosquera, you have elements of both. Like Gabriel, he’s aggressive and front-footed. Like Saliba, his recovery pace is tremendous and his composure is remarkable for someone so young.
His introduction has been seamless and swift, swifter than anyone thought too. That has been born out of Saliba’s injury.
Mosquera vs Liverpool & Forest
Stat
Liverpool
Forest
Mins played
85
90
Touches
62
92
Accurate passes
47/51
75/82
Clearances
3
4
Interceptions
0
2
Tackles
4
2
Ground duels won
4/5
2/2
Aerial duels won
0/0
1/2
Stats via Sofascore.
The French centre-half limped off in the opening minutes of the defeat to Liverpool but Mosquera came on and looked unfazed. Arsenal may well have lost but the summer arrival didn’t put a foot wrong, winning four of his five duels and completing 92% of his passes.
Against Forest, his first clean sheet as an Arsenal player, he was equally as dominant, completing 91% of his passes and winning three of his four defensive duels.
To sign the defender for just £13m was remarkable; he really does look as though he boasts the potential to become one of the finest players in his position in the Premier League.
£115m Arsenal duo look like they could be the new Saka and Smith Rowe
Arsenal have unearthed another exciting duo at the Emirates duo.
Birmingham City has seen their positive start to the brand-new Championship season unravel somewhat in recent games.
Indeed, the Blues raced out of the blocks very quickly after promotion with two wins and a draw, kickstarting their season on an unbeaten footing.
However, since an unexpected EFL Cup exit at the hands of Port Vale, the usually confident side have lost their way, as seen in the unfamiliar feeling of back-to-back defeats greeting Chris Davies recently.
Birmingham now find themselves all the way down in 11th position in the early league standings off the back of these two losses, with Davies praying he can get a tune out of his underperformers again very shortly, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield – in particular – looking uncharacteristically rusty.
Birmingham's woes in attack this season
Birmingham are no longer the feared team in the division, having once bagged a weighty 86 goals on the way to lifting the League One title on a resounding 111 points.
Now, they find themselves in a middle-of-the-road position in the league above, with their recent attacking performances leaving a lot to be desired, arguably.
Frustratingly, since being in the right place at the right time to convert a golden opportunity back in August, summer arrival Kyogo, has regularly fired blanks.
Indeed, his lacklustre showing against Leicester City at the end of the month saw him make no accurate passes, while also struggling to catch out Jakub Stolarczyk with a goal-bound effort.
Having cost a reported £10m to bring to St. Andrew’s this summer, there will be a lot of worries already in the air that the former Celtic attacker isn’t cut out for the intense pressures of the EFL, and he will be viewed, down the line, as a costly mishap.
It’s not just new signings who have failed to settle up top, however, with Birmingham’s usually dependable number 28 in Stansfield also misplacing his shooting boots.
His last three outings in the cup and league have seen goals pass him by, with just 69 touches coming his way across those clashes, as the ex-Fulham youngster recedes into his shell.
Davies does have Marvin Ducksch as an alternative option in this department, but he will surely be resentful of Birmingham’s decision in the summer to part ways with this EFL-experienced marksman, who is now outperforming both Kyogo and Stansfield.
Kyogo & Stansfield being outperformed by ex-Blue
An unfortunate consequence of promotion glory is the rash decision-making that follows, as certain individuals are cast aside for flashier purchases who they hope will star in the league above.
In all fairness, there was plenty of logic behind Birmingham’s decision to part ways with electric goal machine Alfie May this summer, considering the hard-working veteran has never fired home a goal in the challenging Championship across his lower-league career to date.
Still, unwanted records like that are meant to be broken, and with May fresh off a promotion-winning return of 16 goals and eight assists in the third tier, Birmingham might well have been better placed to persevere with their experienced 32-year-old and see what he could do if given a chance up a league.
Birmingham’s loss has ended up being Huddersfield Town’s gain, though, with the brand-new Terriers number 26 now outperforming both Kyogo and Stansfield, situated back in League One, as he prepares to be yet another driving force for a side attempting to push back into the EFL’s elite division.
May at Huddersfield
Championship stats
May
Games played
6
Games started
4
Mins per game
64 mins
Goals scored
2
Assists
2
Shots per game
2.4
Big chances missed
2
Stats by Sofascore
When looking at the table above, in league action for Lee Grant’s men this season, May boasts one more goal involvement than both the Englishman and the Japan international, with those four goals and assists coming about despite making just four starts.
His ability to be a “wonderful” option from off the bench – as he was once labelled by ex-boss Nathan Jones – would certainly boost Birmingham right now, with Davies no doubt now growing impatient with the wasteful displays of both Stansfield and Kyogo.
Of course, there’s no guarantee May would come back into the fold and be an instant success in such a daunting division.
But, there are certainly worse shouts out there, as Davies now tries to get his team firing again to ensure they don’t slide down the competitive league even more.
"Strange" – Reaction as Birmingham linked with signing 29 y/o free agent
أعلن قائد ونجم فريق إنتر ميامي ومنتخب الأرجنتين، ليونيل ميسي، إطلاق النسخة الأولى من بطولة جديدة تحمل اسمه، وتتضمن مشاركة 8 فرق، على رأسهم برشلونة ومانشستر سيتي.
وحسبما أعلن ميسي، فإن النسخة الأولى من كأس ميسي ستكون عبارة عن بطولة دولية لكرة القدم للشباب، في جنوب فلوريدا، بالتعاون مع شركته الإنتاجية 525 روزاريو، في الفترة بين 9 و14 ديسمبر المقبل.
وقال ميسي: “يسعدني أن أشارككم هذا أخيرًا، ستستضيف ميامي في ديسمبر المقبل بطولة كرة قدم مميزة للشباب، بمشاركة نخبة من أفضل الأندية العالمية”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. هالاند يتفوق على ميسي ورونالدو ومبابي بعد هاتريك النرويج في تصفيات كأس العالم
وأضاف:”سيكون مستقبل اللعبة جليًا وواضحًا، الأمر أكثر من مجرد مباريات، لدينا بضعة أيام رائعة مخطط لها مع العديد من الأنشطة الأخرى المثيرة، إنها بطولة تُعنى بالجيل القادم، أتمنى أن تنال إعجابكم! إنها كأس ميسي”.
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وأوضحت شركة 525 روزاريو أن الهدف من البطولة هو رسم ملامح مستقبل هذه الرياضة، مضيفة: “إنها أكثر من مجرد بطولة، إنها سلسلة من الفعاليات المباشرة ومنصة رقمية تجمع بين الرياضة والثقافة والابتكار”.
وتتكون البطولة من 18 مباراة، وتشارك فيها ثمانية أندية، هي:”إنتر ميامي، برشلونة، مانشستر سيتي، ريفر بليت، إنتر ميلان، نيويلز أولد بويز، أتلتيكو مدريد وتشيلسي”.
ستُقسم الفرق الثمانية إلى مجموعتين من أربعة فرق، ثم ستتنافس فيما بينها بنظام الدوري خلال الأيام الثلاثة الأولى من البطولة، وستقام بعد ذلك جولة إقصائية لتحديد المراكز النهائية، حيث تُقام فيما بعد مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث والمباراة النهائية في ملعب تشيس.