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As the transfer window approaches its fifth week of officially opening, Arsenal have yet to make a new addition to the first team.

In their defence, Edu Gaspar and Co have made David Raya's move permanent, and from reports, it appears that Ricardo Calafiori's imminent transfer is being held up by discussions between FC Basel and Bologna.

However, with less than a month until the Premier League graces our screens once more, the Gunners are risking missing out on their top targets.

That said, recent reports have revealed that Mikel Arteta is currently pushing the club to sign an increible player who has been compared to Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness), Arsenal are still intent on signing Spain star Nico Williams.

In fact, while the Gunners are well aware of the Athletic Bilbao star's preference to join Barcelona this summer, they have identified him as the 'chosen one' to improve their attacking threat next season and see him as the ideal option for the left wing.

The report claims the 22-year-old has a €58m – £49m – release clause in his contract which is proving to be a significant issue for the Catalan side, and while it would still be a hefty fee for the Gunners, it would be well within their financial ability to pay it.

Overall, it may prove challenging to convince Williams to move to North London over Barcelona this summer, but if Arsenal want to make their attack even more potent next season, they'll have to put in the work to do it, and the comparison to Martinelli is just an extra incentive.

Why Williams would be a great signing and his comparison to Martinelli

So, before looking at why Williams would be such a good signing for Arsenal and his unreal form last season, let's take a look at this comparison to Martinelli and where it came from.

It stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues before creating a top ten list of the most comparable players for each one. In this case, they concluded that the Brazilian is the seventh most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Spaniard.

It's not just the fact that they play on the left and love to take players on that makes the two stars so comparable, but also the fact that they produce very similar underlying numbers in a swathe of metrics, including non-penalty expected goals, actual non-penalty goals, progressive carries, passes into the final third, switches and tackles, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.24

0.31

Non-Penalty Goals

0.20

0.27

Progressive Carries

5.70

5.67

Passes into the Final Third

1.04

0.98

Switches

0.12

0.13

Tackles

1.24

1.34

It might seem odd that the player Arsenal want to sign to play off the left ranks so closely to their current left-winger in so many metrics, but it's not just about his underlying numbers.

He showed the world just how effective he can be last season, and along with his impact at the Euros, that's the main reason to believe he'd be incredible in North London.

For example, in just 37 appearances for Bilbao in 2023/24, the Spanish "pace demon", as dubbed by presenter Adam Keys, won the Copa del Rey, scored eight goals and provided 19 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.37 games in what was a historic campaign for the Basque giants.

He followed that up by helping La Roja win their fourth European Championship, scoring twice – including in the final – and providing one assist.

Ultimately, while it may be a challenge to convince Williams to join Arsenal this summer, Edu and Arteta must give it their best shot.

At just 22 years old, the young Spaniard looks like he's already one of the best attackers in Europe, and in a team with Bukayo Saka on the other side, he could achieve incredible things in North London.

Arsenal struck gold on "phenomenal" star who's worth way more than Merino

The incredible player has been a game-changer since his arrival.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 18, 2024

Whilst it's been a fairly positive summer transfer window for Unai Emery so far, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi is now reportedly considering the sale of one of the Spaniard's best players.

Aston Villa transfer news

The sale of Douglas Luiz aside, Aston Villa have arguably won the transfer window so far in the Premier League. The Villans have so far welcomed the likes of Ross Barkley, Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior, whilst their biggest signing could yet arrive in the form of Amadou Onana, with a deal reportedly agreed with Everton.

The Belgian will instantly replace Luiz and hand Emery the ultimate boost for years to come at the heart of his midfield. But as a big-money signing arrives, the Midlands club could be set to show the door to a crucial cog in the Spaniard's attack.

According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Monchi is now considering the sale of Moussa Diaby to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad due to the player being eager to move, which will see the sporting director go against Emery to bid farewell to a player the manager reportedly rates highly.

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The Midlands outfit has been busy indeed this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 17, 2024

Given that Diaby has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Saudi club, Monchi may personally decide it is best to cash in if Al Ittihad match Villa's £60m price tag this summer.

Diaby, of course, only arrived in the Midlands a year ago, before enjoying an impressive debut season. Yet, just one summer later, he could be set to become the latest Premier League player to swap English football for Saudi riches.

"Strong" Diaby was only just getting started

Losing Diaby just a year on from his Premier League arrival would deal Emery and his Aston Villa side a disappointing blow after qualifying for the Champions League last season. The former Bayer Leverkusen man was arguably only just getting started, scoring 10 goals and assisting a further nine in a solid debut campaign. Nonetheless, reports suggest that he has failed to resist the temptations that a move to the Saudi Pro League offers.

The winger will take some replacing, with the praise of Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes summing the 25-year-old up. He said via The Athletic: “Moussa Diaby is an extremely fast, technically strong striker whose qualities suit our game down to the ground."

It seems as though Villa's search for a replacement has already started, however, following links to the likes of Jaden Philogene. The former Villan could reunite with his boyhood club this summer in a full circle moment after an incredibly impressive campaign in the Championship with Hull City. In one swoop, Monchi could make profit and welcome a familiar face back to Villa Park this summer.

The domino effect that Diaby's exit could cause is certainly one to keep an eye on this summer.

The summer transfer window slams shut at the end of next month and Celtic may be hoping that they manage to keep hold of star midfielder Matt O'Riley.

He has been linked with an exit from Parkhead amid interest from Premier League sides Leicester and West Ham United, among others, after a return of 18 goals and 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership last term.

Another midfielder who could move on from Glasgow before the end of the window is academy starlet Daniel Kelly, who has been excluded from the first-team's pre-season plans.

Brendan Rodgers revealed that the teenage whiz has not signed a new contract with the club, ahead of his deal expiring at the end of December, despite being offered "really, really good" terms.

Celtic's interest in midfield prospect

The Northern Irish head coach could forget about the B team star, though, by swooping to sign reported target Jakub Kaluzinski from Antalyaspor.

Football Scotland claimed last month that the Premiership champions are keen on a deal to sign the central midfielder from the Turkish Super Lig outfit.

The outlet revealed that the Hoops have been keeping tabs on the talented prospect, who was dubbed a "high-level" player by analyst Miguel Ruiz, for a while now, dating back to his time in Poland.

It added that it will likely take a fee in the region of £3.5m to secure his services, amid competition from Spanish side Real Valladolid, but it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic are willing to pay that price.

The Hoops must now press ahead with a deal for the Polish maestro as he could come in to replace Kelly as an up-and-coming deep-lying midfielder.

Why Celtic should sign Jakub Kaluzinski

Unlike Kelly, Kaluzinski has a wealth of first-team experience already under his belt and could come in with the potential to make an immediate impact on the pitch.

The current Celtic youngster has only made six senior appearances for the Hoops, which all came last term, after he had played 30 times for the B team.

Whereas, Kaluzinski, who is three years older than Kelly, has made over 100 first-team appearances in his career and played 35 times for Antalyaspor last season.

Appearances

31

Starts

25

Big chances created

5

Pass accuracy

88%

Duel success rate

50%

Aerial duel success rate

52%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old ace showcased his quality in and out of possession last term by holding his own in physical duels and offering reliability and creativity on the ball.

Whereas, Kelly has not had many chances to show off his ability for Celtic, which makes it hard to assess his potential for the club moving forward.

With Kaluzinski, there is clear evidence that he has the potential to be a solid player for the Hoops, as he has proven himself in the top-flight in Turkey, and that is why he could be a superb signing to help Rodgers forget about Kelly.

Celtic could fix Kyogo by signing a star with "aggression and flair"

The Hoops are reportedly interested in a swoop to sign the winger this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 17, 2024

At the age of 21, the Polish gem could be the long-term midfield prospect the manager looks to develop and eventually make a key player, rather than the Scottish youngster – who appears to be on his way out of the club.

Leeds United are currently preparing to embark on a second season in the Championship as they look to earn promotion back up to the Premier League.

The Whites attempted to make an instant return to the top-flight during the 2023/24 campaign but they fell at the last hurdle, losing 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley.

Daniel Farke's side finished third in the division with 90 points, only three fewer than Marcelo Bielsa's title winners in 2019/20, but could not come out on top in the showpiece clash in London.

The German head coach is now at risk of losing some of his key talent as some stars may not want to play in the second tier for another year, amid interest from Europe's major leagues.

Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich have been credited with an interest in teenage whiz Archie Gray and 22-year-old sensation Crysencio Summerville has been linked with Premier League giants Liverpool.

Italian forward Wilfried Gnonto is another player whose future at Elland Road remains in doubt and Leeds could brilliantly replace him by swooping for one of their reported transfer targets this summer.

Leeds United's interest in South American wizard

The summer transfer window officially opened for business on Friday and the Whites are said to be eyeing up a winger who could become their first signing, if they can get a deal over the line.

It was recently reported by Brazilian media, via the Yorkshire Evening Post, that Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Fluminense forward Jhon Arias in the coming weeks.

The report claimed that the Yorkshire-based outfit have put forward a proposal to the Serie A club but it is likely to be rejected as Premier League side West Ham United are in the driving seat at this moment in time.

It was stated that the Hammers have offered an initial fee of £10.9m with add-ons that could take the total package to a fee of around £14m.

Crystal Palace and Leicester City, who won the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League this season, are also said to have put forward bids to land the right-footed star this summer.

It, therefore, seems like Farke and his team have plenty of work to do in order to win the race for Arias' signature, amid interest from three top-flight sides.

If they can secure his services, though, then they could land a dream replacement for Gnonto if the Italian ace departs Elland Road before the window slams shut.

Wilfried Gnonto's unclear future at Leeds

The young winger had handed in a transfer request last summer in an attempt to secure a move away from Yorkshire after the club had been relegated from the Premier League.

Everton had made an offer worth up to £25m for the Italy U21 international and the player attempted to force Leeds' hand after they turned it down.

He was ultimately denied an exit and stuck around for the 2023/24 campaign in the Championship, but the young forward is now reportedly ready to push for a move again.

It was recently reported that Gnonto is pushing for a transfer out of Yorkshire as he would like to move back to Italy to play in the Serie A, as the Whites star believes that it would improve his chances of breaking into the national team.

This comes after the 20-year-old attacker enjoyed a fairly successful season in the second tier as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the right flank.

23/24 Championship	Wilfried Gnonto
Appearances	36
Starts	19
xG	5.36
Goals	8
xA	3.81
Assists	2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Gnonto was directly involved in ten goals in 19 starts in the division – more than one every other start on average.

His eight goals from an xG tally of 5.36 also speak to the quality of his finishing in the final third, as the youngster rarely passed up a high-quality opportunity to find the back of the net.

These statistics suggest that Leeds will need to get his replacement right as they would be losing a big weapon from their arsenal, and would need to sign someone who can make an equally big, or bigger, impact at the top end of the pitch.

Why Leeds should sign Jhon Arias

The Championship side should now push to beat the three aforementioned Premier League clubs to the signing of Arias as he could be a dream replacement for Gnonto.

Like the Italian ace, the 26-year-old is a right-footed attacker who predominantly plays on the right wing, which suggests that he fits the profile of player Farke would want in that position.

Since joining Fluminense in 2021, the winger has racked up an eye-catching 35 goals and 38 assists in 168 games in all competitions, which shows that he can provide as both a scorer and a creator.

Arias has not had the best start to the 2024 campaign, with zero goals and one assist in seven Serie A appearances, but his form during 2023 and 2022 suggests that the quality is there for him to be a fantastic addition to the squad.

Jhon Arias	2022 Serie A	2023 Serie A
Appearances	33	29
xG	3.45	5.8
Goals	7	7
xA	6.48	4.42
Big chances created	15	4
Assists	10	7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old star caught the eye in both years with his exceptional finishing and creative ability for the Brazilian side.

He scored 14 goals from an xG of 9.25 and racked up 17 assists from 19 'big chances' created in the top-flight, which speaks to both his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate.

The Colombia international, who was hailed as an "unsung hero" by South American writer Nathan Joyce, has not been on top form this year but Farke could hope to bring him back to his best, as his 2022 and 2023 levels indicate that he could be a dream replacement for Gnonto.

Alongside Aaronson: Leeds must bring back star who's "too good" for the EFL

The Whites should bring the impressive central defender back to Elland Road next season.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 12, 2024

Leeds could replace the want-away Italian with another right winger who can make a consistent impact in the final third, with goals and assists, by winning the race for his signature.

MatériaMais Notícias

A vitória do Vasco sobre a Ponte Preta por 2 a 0 foi importante para o time voltar a pontuar na Série B. No entanto, ela também foi inesquecível para um jogador em especial: o volante Caio Lopes, que marcou o seu primeiro gol como profissional do Gigante da Colina. Na saída de campo, ele falou sobre esse momento marcante de sua carreira e a semana de treinos que a equipe teve sob o comando do técnico Lisca.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro

RelacionadasVascoATUAÇÕES: Caio Lopes aproveita oportunidade, marca golaço e se destaca na vitória do VascoVasco29/08/2021VascoApós vitória, Lisca cita semana de treino do Vasco: ‘Papel do treinador é melhorar e estabilizar a performance’Vasco29/08/2021VascoAutor do primeiro gol da vitória do Vasco, Andrey comemora: ‘Serve para dar confiança para a equipe’Vasco29/08/2021

– Sobre o gol, estou muito feliz. Um sonho de poder fazer um gol aqui. Eu comecei com cinco anos treinando aqui atrás. então, é um gol muito importante. Mas estou muito mais feliz com a vitória da equipe do que propriamente pelo meu o gol. Dedicar à minha família que está em casa e não deixou eu me abater porque eu quase não joguei no primeiro turno – dedicou o volante.

O jogador também destacou a importância da semana inteira de treinos que o Vasco teve, a primeira desde a chegada do técnico Lisca. Com isso, o atleta foi a surpresa da escalação e acabou sendo o melhor em campo, com um golaço e muitos desarmes ao longo do jogo.

+ATUAÇÕES: Caio Lopes aproveita oportunidade, marca golaço e se destaca na vitória do Vasco

– Quando ele chegou (Lisca), estaca difícil. Jogos de três em três dias. Então, nesta semana ele focou na parte tática. Para a gente não dar tanto espaço e conseguir pressionar como a gente fez bastante no primeiro tempo. Segundo tempo, acho que a gente deu uma pressão, mas em bloco mais baixo – analisou.

O próximo compromisso do Vasco na Série B será na sexta-feira, às 19h, contra o Brasil de Pelotas, também na Colina Histórica. A partida é válida pela vigésima segunda rodada, a terceira do returno da Série B.

Virat Kohli has scores of 100, 84 and 68 in his last three games against the Knight Riders

Sreshth Shah11-Oct-20207:36

Has Chris Morris fixed RCB’s death bowling issues?

Big pictureTwo teams on an upward surge meet on Monday when Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Dinesh Karthik’s Kolkata Knight Riders, with both men hitting half-centuries in their respective last outings.Kohli has returned to form after a slow start to IPL 2020, with an unbeaten 90 against the Chennai Super Kings. That has helped the Royal Challengers stay inside the top four despite Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal and AB de Villiers losing steam over their last few matches. Washington Sundar’s bowling in the powerplay has been another plus, and the addition of Chris Morris has added experience to their pace unit.ALSO READ: KKR vs RCB Fantasy Pick – Make Kohli captain and Morgan vice-captainThe Knight Riders have had many players chipping in with match-winning performances, starting with Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi with the bat and Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Prasidh Krishna with the ball. But there are question marks over the West Indies duo of Narine and Andre Russell, and how the Knight Riders navigate through that situation could decide if they can complete a hat-trick of wins or if the Royal Challengers go past them on the points table.In the newsThe Knight Riders’ most experienced overseas players, Russell and Narine, have given the team management something to ponder about. Against the Kings XI Punjab on Saturday, Russell injured his knee while fielding – after which he did not bowl – while Narine was warned for a suspect bowling action. If he errs again, he will be banned from bowling this season altogether.Likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 Gurkeerat Singh Mann, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 6 Andre Russell/Tom Banton, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Shivam Mavi, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Varun ChakravarthyStrategy punts The Knight Riders could bowl spin with the new ball because Finch has struggled against that style of bowling this season. He has faced spin in five innings and has been dismissed four times, while averaging just 14.8. They could perhaps even play Kuldeep Yadav to target Finch first up: across all T20s, Finch averages just 6.3 against the left-arm wristspinner, having been dismissed four times in five innings by him. The Royal Challengers could save Yuzvendra Chahal for Eoin Morgan, and ask the legspinner to bowl slower to him than usual. Morgan loves spinners who bowl quicker at him, and the numbers back that up. Morgan hasn’t been dismissed yet this season by spin bowling at over 90kph, but averages just 5.70 when spinners slow it down. Stats and trivia With 223 runs, Kohli has scored the most runs among non-openers in IPL 2020. He is one among three non-openers to average over 50. Since 2018, Kohli’s best numbers in the IPL have come against the Knight Riders: most runs (283), highest average (94.3), highest strike-rate (154) and the most fifty-plus scores (three). His last three scores against the Knight Riders are 100, 84 and 68. This season, AB de Villiers has averaged 53 when the Royal Challengers have batted first, but only 24.55 while chasing. His strike-rate fluctuates too: 189 in the first innings compared to 144 in the second. The Knight Riders have won three games batting first this season. The last time they achieved this feat was back in 2014 where they won the title.

The door has opened for Manchester United to sign a player who has been tipped to "reach the summits", according to a fresh transfer update.

Man Utd manager & transfer news

The Red Devils are edging closer to a transfer window that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will crave this summer, as he looks to truly make his mark on the club after becoming part-owner earlier this year.

There is still a chance that Erik ten Hag could be sacked at the end of the season, especially if United are beaten by Manchester City in the FA Cup final, and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has been linked with replacing him this summer. The Englishman has just guided his team into the Premier League, sealing back-to-back promotions, and he was formerly Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's assistant at Old Trafford.

In terms of possible signings, the Red Devils are reportedly looking to sign Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo from under the noses of Newcastle United. The 26-year-old will likely leave Craven Cottage on a free transfer at the end of the season. Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg has also been backed to complete a move, with the teenager seen as Kobbie Mainoo's long-term partner in midfield.

A new striker could be needed to provide sterner competition for Rasmus Hojlund, too, and RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko continues to be seen as a target, with his agent present at Old Trafford recently.

Man Utd boosted in pursuit of young star

According to Give Me Sport, Manchester United and Ratcliffe have been boosted in their efforts to sign Leny Yoro this summer, with the Lille star now more likely to move on.

The report says that there are now "doubts over whether Real Madrid are willing to meet Lille's £52million valuation when the transfer window reopens" which will "open the door" for the Red Devils to "make their move as they seek a replacement for Raphael Varane".

This is a really encouraging claim, at a time when United have to be focusing on signing new central defenders, heralding a new era in that area of the pitch. None of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans represent the future, with the former confirmed to be leaving this summer.

In Yoro, Ratcliffe could have a wonderful option, with the 18-year-old already a key figure at the heart of Lille's defence, starting an impressive 29 Ligue 1 games this season, and enjoying a 92.1% pass completion rate in that time.

He is also a far cry from the high paid superstar names United have been signing and failing with in recent years – his £6k-a-week wage comes out at a whopping 58 times less than Old Trafford top earner Casemiro. And while that number would of course be improved if the young defender moves to England, it is unlikely he would jump to near the top of the wage list.

Former United player Angel Gomes has been firsthand how good the Frenchman is, playing alongside him at Lille and saying: "As soon as he arrived in the group, I understood that he was going to reach the summits. When I discovered the pros at the age of 16 at Manchester United, I understood that it was different. He already had the right temperament. And that’s not normal for a 16- or 17-year-old player arriving. It’s like he’s already an experienced player."

Ratcliffe must banish Man Utd ace who's worth 12x less than McTominay

The Man Utd star has been put up for sale by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

By
Tom Lever

May 17, 2024

The threat of Real Madrid is always great, as they look to build an incredible team, likely signing Kylian Mbappe this summer, but if Ratcliffe can sell the long-term picture to Yoro at United, he could be a magnificent addition for many years to come.

For years, whenever England have struggled in the field, the call has been for pace. Whether struggling for penetration at Chennai or Lord’s or Adelaide, the suggestion has always been that, with a bit more pace, England would be able to extract more life from the surface and have the ingredient their attack has been lacking.Well, here they had plenty of pace. Indeed, Mark Wood produced what is thought to be the quickest display of bowling by an England player across an innings at home in the past 15 years. And what did it earn him? One tailend wicket for 74 runs.He wasn’t alone, either. Jofra Archer, we know, can bowl as fast as anyone. And while here he tended to concentrate on control – this surface hasn’t offered a great deal of help for pace – there were still some quick deliveries across his 22 overs. He finished wicketless.It was telling that Ben Stokes, like so many England captains before him, relied on James Anderson to deliver the most overs. Anderson is 37 now and generally operates at a speed just above 80 mph. But, such is his control and skill, he remains the most dangerous bowler more often than not. And while he was not, by his high standards, quite at his best, he still delivered 11 maidens in his 25 overs. England’s three other seamers delivered 10 between them.It’s no coincidence that the most successful bowler in the match to date, Jason Holder, operates at a similar pace to Anderson. He derived his success by pitching the ball a bit fuller than the England bowlers and extracting movement – especially swing – that the hosts could not replicate.But England have longed for this pace. For years they have been on the wrong end of attacks containing quality fast bowlers. Now, at last, they have some firepower of their own and they couldn’t resist the temptation to play them. They were like the man taking his new sports car out in the snow; or desperate to use his new skis in mid-summer. They haven’t exactly picked the wrong attack. But they might have picked the wrong attack for the conditions.James Anderson appeals for the wicket of Roston Chase•Getty Images

England’s hearts probably sank when they opened their curtains on Friday morning. After batting in grim, overcast conditions, they were greeted by the sort of bright, sunny morning that suggested batting could be easier. But that is the risk you take when you choose to bat first in the gloom and England would have hoped to have an attack to cope with most conditions.As it transpired, it looked just a little ill-balanced. Another old-school England seamer – the likes of Matthew Hoggard, perhaps, or even Chris Rushworth or Alan Richardson – might have proved the perfect foil to Anderson. It’s surely too early to jump to conclusions but maybe, just as England’s football team rarely found a way to accommodate Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the same side, their cricket team might find the best use of Wood and Archer is by rotating them?There will be those who suggest Stuart Broad would have made all the difference. And it is true that Broad, at this stage of his career, with his determination to make batsmen play, might have been well-suited to this surface. But we have to be careful not to make the same mistake we have with pace: presume that quick and easy solutions would make all the difference. Broad has, no doubt, had a magnificent career. But in his most recent 28 home Tests – that’s a period going back almost five years – he has taken only one five-wicket haul.ALSO READ: Broad ‘frustrated’ and ‘angry’ at Test omissionEngland also have to be careful not to over compensate in Manchester. If conditions there look as if they may favour pace above seam – and they may well – it will probably pay to stick with these bowlers. Their fault may have been playing an attack ideally suited for Brisbane in Southampton.There are other options within the England squad, too. For all Broad’s virtues, he is another right-arm fast medium bowler. Sam Curran, with his left-arm angle and ability to swing the ball, might offer more variation. You could, at a push, even make a case for playing him in place of one of the batsmen. His Test batting average (27.34) is only about two below that of Joe Denly (29.55).But whoever plays, whatever their pace, they have to bowl with more accuracy than England managed here. It wasn’t that they were awful, by any means. But compared to the West Indies’ bowlers, they were just a little short, just a little leg side and just a little unable to build or sustain pressure.”Obviously you need control,” Anderson said. “We saw West Indies bowl well. They had a couple of bowlers who offered control in Holder and Roach and that gave the quicker guys the freedom to bowl fast. You need a balance.”In many ways, Wood’s performance was admirable. His pace hardly dropped in his 22 overs. Right to the end, he was passing 90 mph regularly. But by bowling too short, he failed to generate the movement that proved so dangerous for Holder. On a different surface – maybe the surface in Manchester; maybe even the fourth-innings surface here – Wood will be a huge asset.Archer, too, was only slightly off his game. He squandered one wicket through overstepping – an infuriating waste, really – and also strayed on to the batsmen’s legs more often than he will like. But his real issue was struggling to generate the movement that might have been expected of him.And, while England may feel they allowed West Indies to get a few above par, it probably was only a few. England’s first innings score of 204 has, not for the first time, asked a little too much of their bowlers. In both innings, a score of around 250 might be considered par.In truth, West Indies have so far batted and bowled better than England. Kraigg Brathwaite played later and straighter than England’s top order while Shane Dowrich, despite never looking comfortable against the short ball, battled hard in contributing a vital half-century. The discipline and skill with which they evaded the short ball has perhaps made England’s bowling effort seem rather less good than it was.So this was a slightly dispiriting start to life with Wood and Archer in tandem. But there will be other surfaces, many of them, when the pair are the perfect solution. But just because you’ve bought a fine new hat, it doesn’t mean you need to wear it in the shower.

Gaga Slonina says his primary goal is to be the U.S. men's national team starter in time for the 2026 World Cup

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• Slonina sets sights on World Cup spot
• Goalkeeper explains Pochettino expectations
• Currently on loan at Barnsley

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  For years, Slonina has been hailed as one of the brightest young goalkeepers in the world, which is what prompted Chelsea to sign him following his breakthrough with the Chicago Fire. Slonian is currently on loan at League One side Barnsley, having spent last season adjusting to European soccer while on loan with Eupen in Belgium.

  Slonina has starred for the U.S. youth teams and has earned one cap with the senior team but, with the World Cup less than two years away, Slonina's main goal is to take a major leap up the depth chart. The 20-year-old goalkeeper wants to compete with the rest of the pool to take the starting spot, which has been held by Matt Turner.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT SLONINA SAID

  "For the 2026 World Cup, I think every goalkeeper has the goal to be the starter for that," Slonina said on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. "So that's definitely my goal, and what I'm going to be working towards until that moment. That's the most important personal goal."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The USMNT is reportedly set to enter a new era under Mauricio Pochettino, and Slonina may begin with a leg up. He has previously played under Pochettino, albeit briefly before Chelsea loaned him to Eupen last summer.

  There's a familiarity there, and Slonina knows what to expect under the Argentinian manager.

  "Camps are going to be tough for sure, because he's a guy that pushes his players to work off the field," Slonina said. "How you train is how you play, and I think that's the mindset he goes into it.

  "He's a very tactical-minded coach, so I think it's going to be difficult to adapt to that and everything, but the players will take it on. There are class players with the U.S. men's national team. So it's going to be a change for sure, but one that we will be able to adapt to."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

  The U.S. is set to play a pair of friendlies in September, their first since this summer's Copa America disappointment. Up first will be a match with Canada on Sept. 7 before they face New Zealand three days later.

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular do Confiança, o meia-atacante Willians Santana quer a equipe crescendo de produção na temporada. Segundo o atleta, com passagens pelo Vitória, Bahia, Palmeiras e Fluminense, o desejo de todos é fazer grande segundo semestre.

Veja os melhores memes da derrota do Flamengo para o Juventude

– Estamos fazendo bons jogos, buscando essa evolução e melhorando no dia a dia. Temos que manter uma intensidade agora para chegarmos aos nossos objetivos neste segundo semestre. A equipe está muito focada nisso. – disse.

VEJA TABELA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DA SÉRIE B DO BRASILEIRÃO

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Segundo Santana, individualmente tem sido um grande ano.

– Estou trabalhando para ajudar o Confiança nesta temporada. Tenho lutado para melhorar meu rendimento em campo nos treinos e jogos para fazer um grande segundo semestre com todos aqui. – afirmou.