Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson was full of praise for his team after a 3-1 win over Grimsby on Saturday boosted their hopes of promotion from League Two.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Wrexham beat Grimsby 3-1Win boosts promotion hopesParkinson happy with his team's displayGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Two goals from Andy Cannon and a Paul Mullin strike saw Wrexham beat Grimsby 3-1 on Saturday in League Two and give their hopes of back-to-back promotions another boost. The victory was a fine response from Parkinson's side after two games with a win, and the manager picked out the two key qualities after the final whistle that helped secure the three points on the day.
AdvertisementWHAT PARKINSON SAID
He told reporters: "It was a good win for us in very difficult conditions. The wind was always going to impact on the game, but our professionalism and game management was very good, particularly in the first half.
“It was important for us to show quality and we did that to create those chances and ultimately take them. After our last game we addressed some things in training and the concentration levels were much better from us and where they needed to be.
“Credit to Grimsby as well because David [Artell] has instilled a spirit there, in the last few games in particular, and they have had some good results. They are a tough team to play against, but we managed the game well and take three points back across the M62 with us.”
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Wrexham are bidding to make it out of League Two at the first attempt following their promotion last season. There are three automatic promotion spots up for grabs with Wrexham battling Mansfield Town, Stockport County and MK Dons for a place in the top three at the end of the season. Wrexham currently sit third, one point behind Stockport in second place and three clear of MK Dons in fourth.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM
Wrexham will now start preparing for a crunch clash against league leaders Mansfield on Good Friday. The Red Dragons will move level on points with their promotion rivals if they can take all three points at SToK Racecourse.
Chelsea and Arsenal don’t just share a desire for supremacy in the capital as Premier League rivals, as there has been a surprising number of players who have donned both blue and red over the years.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the 18 players to have represented both teams since 1992.
1 Nicolas Anelka (Arsenal 1997-1999; Chelsea 2008-2012)
Nicolas Anelka Chelsea
The first name on our list is none other than Nicolas Anelka. While many players on this list enjoyed success with one of the clubs and not the other, Anelka enjoyed significant success at both teams.
He joined Arsenal in February 1997 but failed to make much of an impact until an injury to Ian Wright in the 1997/98 season opened up a spot in the team for him. He was a pivotal player in the club’s double that year and was subsequently voted the PFA’s Young Player of the Year.
He would leave north London in 1999 and spend the next nine years playing for a handful of teams, including Real Madrid, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Bolton, before finally signing for Chelsea in 2008.
He won the Premier League, two FA Cups, and a Community Shield during his time in west London. However, he also missed the decisive penalty against Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final.
2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal 2018-2022; Chelsea 2022-2023)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goalscoring ability and general attitude made him a hit with Arsenal supporters almost immediately when he joined in 2018. That he almost single-handedly won the club an FA Cup during that period – beating Chelsea in the final – also helps.
However, during his final year at the club, his goal-scoring dried up, and he was eventually let go after seemingly falling out with manager Mikel Arteta. The Gabonese forward joined Barcelona in January 2022, so while Arsenal fans were sad to see him leave, they weren’t hurt by the club he opted to join.
However, that very summer, he made a surprise move to Chelsea, which drew the ire of his former fans. He made the situation worse when he filmed a promo for BT Sport (now TNT Sports), essentially taunting Arsenal fans, so when his former side did the double on his new team, fans were quick to mock and jeer him.
Ultimately, his time in west London was a total disaster, and he later left to join Marseille in Ligue 1.
3 Yossi Benayoun (Chelsea 2010-2013; Arsenal 2011-2012)
After a reasonably successful three-year stint with Liverpool, Israeli footballer Yossi Benayoun joined Chelsea in 2010, but regular injuries made it difficult for him to nail down a place in the starting XI, a problem only made worse by the arrival of the incredibly talented Juan Mata.
So, a year after joining the club, Chelsea made the unusual decision to send him on a season-long loan to rivals Arsenal. He played more games for the Gunners in this one loan move than he did at the Blues across his three years there.
Benayoun would end up being an integral part of the side that finished third ahead of Tottenham and a sixth-placed Chelsea – who would, of course, win the Champions League that year. A late winner against Aston Villa and a goal in the qualification-clinching victory at West Brom were among his highlights in red and white.
He left the west Londoners in 2013, moving to Queens Park Rangers for a year before returning to Israel to finish his career.
4 Petr Cech (Chelsea 2004-2015; Arsenal 2015-2019)
Peter Cech dons his protective head guard for Chelsea.
Petr Cech is one of the best Premier League goalkeepers and arguably the greatest in Chelsea’s history. The Czech Republic international was a man mountain and looked impossible to score against during his time in blue.
He was a part of the team for over a decade and ended up winning it all, including the Champions League, four league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields and the Europa League.
When he left Chelsea to join Arsenal in 2015, he did so as one of the most decorated players in the club’s history. However, he wouldn’t enjoy the same success in north London.
Unfortunately, Cech would leave Arsenal with just an FA Cup, and his final game ended up being a humbling 4-1 loss in the Europa League final against Chelsea.
He wasn’t terrible for the Gunners, but he was clearly past his best.
5 Ashley Cole (Arsenal 1999-2006; Chelsea 2006-2014)
While most of these transfers have been relatively uncontroversial, Ashley Cole’s switch to Chelsea in 2006 was the complete opposite.
Cole came up through the Arsenal youth system and made his debut for the team in November 1999. He would go on to win two league titles, three FA Cups and two Community Shields with the club, but in 2006, he did the unthinkable as he signed for Chelsea.
The famous story is that he was driving home from training one day and received an offer for a new deal that he deemed so low he nearly swerved off the road in anger. From there, he signed for the recently wealthy and reigning league champions (amid an alleged tapping-up scandal) and the rest, as they say, is history.
6 Lassana Diarra (Chelsea 2005-2007; Arsenal 2007-2008)
Lassana Diarra, a man more known for his three years at Real Madrid, did play for both Chelsea and Arsenal early on in his career, although, for whatever reason, it didn’t really work out at either club for him.
He joined the Blues in 2005 but only played a handful of games over the next couple of years before being sold to the Gunners in the summer of 2007 before his contract was set to run out in January 2008.
He didn’t fare much better in red, though, as he would sign for Portsmouth just five months later to get more game time.
7 Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal 2003-2011; Chelsea 2014-2019)
Former Chelsea man CescFabregas
Another player that kicked up a storm signing for his second of the two sides was Cesc Fabregas. The Spanish World Cup winner joined the Arsenal youth system from Barcelona in 2003 and made his debut for the senior side in the same year.
While he was at the club during the Invincible era, he was not given a league winners’ medal as he did not make a single appearance in the league. He did, however, win an FA Cup and Community Shield with the club. He was given the captaincy in 2008, but just three years later, left to join boyhood club Barcelona.
After spending three years there, he wanted to come back to Arsenal, but Arsene Wenger famously turned him down, which gave Chelsea the opportunity to sign him up, which they were more than happy to do.
From 2014 to 2019, the former Arsenal captain won two league titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup with the Blues.
10 memorable Cesc Fabregas moments
Following Cesc Fàbregas’ retirement, Football FanCast brings you 10 memorable moments from the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barca midfielder’s career.
ByMark Marston Jul 3, 2023 8 William Gallas (Chelsea 2001-2006; Arsenal 2006-2010)
William Gallas moved to Chelsea from Ligue 1 side Marseille in 2001 and would go on to become a vital part of the Blues team that welcomed in the Roman Abramovich era.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, he made over 150 appearances and won two league titles, a League Cup and a Community Shield.
His move to Arsenal in 2006 was part of the deal that saw Cole move the other way, and it was suitably dramatic as Chelsea claimed that Gallas threatened to score own goals should he not be allowed to leave.
Upon his arrival at Arsenal, he rather bizarrely took the number ten shirt following the departure of Dennis Bergkamp. In the end, though, his time in north London was a massive failure as he left empty-handed and with a rather poor reputation following some fairly public spats, causing him to relinquish the Gunners captaincy to fellow former Blue, Fabregas.
9 Olivier Giroud (Arsenal 2012-2018; Chelsea 2018-2021)
Olivier Giroud joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 outfit Montpellier in 2012 and spent the next six years at the club, winning three FA Cups and three Community Shields. While he was relatively successful in north London, he was also criticised for not being prolific enough in front of goal.
He signed for Chelsea in January 2018 after the Gunners signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to take his place. While his move wasn’t met with the most enthusiasm by fans, he ultimately proved to be a valuable player for the Blues and left the team with an FA Cup, a Champions League and a Europa League to his name – scoring in the final of the latter against his former club.
10 Kai Havertz (Chelsea 2020-2023; Arsenal 2023-present)
Kai Havertz joined Chelsea from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 with a lot of promise and expectation that he would go on to be a world-beater.
Unfortunately, after three years at the club, it’s probably fair to say he underdelivered on his promise somewhat despite scoring the winner in the 2021 Champions League final.
So it was quite a surprise when Arsenal paid £65m to sign the German in 2023, becoming yet another player to cross the red-blue divide.
ازدادت في الساعات القليلة الماضية أنباء اهتمام نادي الأهلي بضم لاعب وسط بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ، مصطفى أشرف، لتدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم.
ويبلغ أشرف من العمر 20 عامًا فقط ويلعب مع الفريق الثاني لنادي بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ ومازال يتبقى في عقده موسم واحد حتى 30 يونيو 2025.
وخرجت أنباء بالأمس عن عودة مصطفى أشرف إلى رادار الأهلي للتعاقد معه خلال الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل، بعد اهتمام بدأ في فترات الانتقال السابقة.
اقرأ أيضًا | يوسف أيمن: لدي تحدِ خاص مع لاعب الأهلي.. أبو تريكة نصحني وراموس مثلي الأعلى
وتواصل “btolat.com” مع وكالة “The Agency International” من خلال، الوكيل جوران كارانوفيتش، والتي تدير أعمال اللاعب للحديث عن مستقبل مصطفى أشرف، وقال: “نحن في محادثات مع العديد من الأندية في الوقت الحالي وندرس أكثر من عرض”.
وبسؤاله عن نسبة رحيل مصطفى أشرف عن بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ في الصيف الحالي: “الأمر ليس مؤكدًا، لأن ما زال لديه عقد مع الفريق حتى نهاية الموسم المقبل”.
وأتم: “الشيء المهم هو أنه كان مصابًا وتعافى ويستطيع المشاركة في المباريات بالوقت الحالي سواء في بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ أو في أي مكان آخر”.
West Ham United and manager David Moyes are "braced to lose" one player who's been called a "superstar" in January, according to reports.
Who could leave West Ham?
A plethora of Hammers squad members are currently out of contract at the end of this season, a long list which includes Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna. While the likes of Coufal, Antonio and Soucek have options to extend by one-year, it is believed talks with the latter have stalled over this last year, with Football Insider reporting the Czech Republic ace could well be sold in January as a result.
According to club insider Claret & Hugh recently, Fornals, Johnson and Coventry appear set to leave upon the end of their current deals in 2024. While West Ham did manage to tie down star winger Jarrod Bowen with a new deal till 2030, it appears that a mass London Stadium exodus could well occur next year. Indeed, there is also some doubt surrounding the futures of defensive duo Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma.
Nayef Aguerd transfer update
The former, who was reportedly targeted by Man City not so long ago, is attracting "big-money interest" from the Middle East as clubs from Saudi Arabia take interest. That is according to Football Insider, who shared the latest Aguerd transfer update this week. The outlet and journalist Pete O'Rourke say that Moyes and co are "braced to lose" the Morocco international. They're apparently prepared for offers to sign Aguerd, and his teammate Zouma, as Saudi clubs linger.
West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd.
It's added that, if Moyes were to lose either of the pair, that the Scotsman would be "desperate" to sign a replacement. One of the candidates could be Man United defender Harry Maguire, who West Ham are reportedly in pole position to sign if the Englishman does decide to leave Old Trafford mid-season (Football Insider).
Aguerd, called an international "superstar" by Moroccan journalist Mohamed A Salad, has also been called one of Europe's best defenders by former teammate Achraf Sidki.
"West Ham have signed one of the best defenders in Europe. I’m so proud that one of my former teammates will be playing in the Premier League. I’m surprised he didn’t move to England sooner. When we were younger we both had big dreams of becoming professional footballers. Nayef has done well and I’m confident he will be a great signing for West Ham.
“There were so many times he saved the team when we played together. That’s when I realised he was very good. I remember one occasion we played against a team called Tetouan.
“We needed to win and it was probably Nayef’s best game for the club. He was man of the match and after the game, I told him, ‘One day you will make it to the Premier League. You don’t know how good you are’."
Jude Bellingham left a touching comment on Gio Reyna's latest post celebrating the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League triumph over Mexico on Sunday.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
USMNT win CONCACAF Nations League
Reyna dazzles and scores fine goal
Bellingham shouts out former team-mate in comments
Getty Images
WHAT HAPPENED?
The England international was full of love for his former Borussia Dortmund team-mate after his starring role in the United States' Nations League triumph on Sunday night. Reyna scored the second goal of the game after some delightful work from Christian Pulisic, crashing home a flying volley to make it 2-0 on the night. Reflecting on a memorable victory, Reyna posted a celebratory message on Instagram, with Bellingham one of many stars responding in support.
Advertisement
WHAT WAS SAID
Reyna uploaded an Instagram with the words "About last night", and Bellingham commented "Cream always rises to the top". The pair spent three years together at Dortmund after the Englishman joined from Birmingham City in 2020.
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Reyna's effort in the final versus Mexico added to his two assists in the semi against Jamaica, which helped save the USMNT from an embarassing elimination. As a result of two incredible performances the 21-year-old picked up the Nations League Golden Ball award as player of the tournament. He will now be hoping such displays on the international stage will earn him some game time at Nottingham Forest. Thus far it has been a loan to forget, with Reyna accumulating just 38 minutes of football since signing in January.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
DID YOU KNOW?
During their time at Dortmund, Bellingham and Reyna celebrated a DFB-Pokal win in 2020-21. As for the international stage, Sunday's triumph marks the second successive Nations League win for the USMNT, and the third since its inauguration six years ago.
He sustained a broken thumb while batting in the WACA Ground nets ahead of their opening match against Western Australia on Tuesday
Daniel Brettig18-Sep-2018New South Wales suffered a major blow on the eve of their first match of the domestic season, after the captain Peter Nevill sustained a broken thumb while batting in the notoriously speedy WACA Ground nets ahead of their opening match of the One Day Cup against Western Australia on Tuesday.Nevill has duly been ruled out of the whole tournament, with a recovery plan geared at getting him back to full fitness in time for the start of the Sheffield Shield in mid-October. Named as full-time captain of the Blues during the pre-season, Nevill now hands leadership over to the left-handed batsman Kurtis Patterson, who recently returned from the Australia A tour of India.Wicketkeeping duties will be taken over by Jay Lenton, the Sydney Thunder gloveman, who will fly across the country from NSW to play in Perth on Tuesday. “It’s obviously very disappointing to break your thumb,” Nevill said. “But we are confident there is no surgery required, it should heal well, and I am hoping to be back for the start of the Sheffield Shield season.”I want to be around the group, we have worked very hard to be in a good position. I’ll be hanging around in Perth for the first few games to help out in any way I can, and hopefully watch the boys have a successful couple of games here.”We are very fortunate to have Kurtis Patterson, it will be a seamless transition for him. Jay kept very well in our internal trial matches a few weeks ago and will come in and do a very good job for the team.”Phil Jaques, the NSW coach, was understandably frustrated to lose Nevill after the pair worked assiduously together over the off-season to reshape the Blues programme after several years of underperformance, particularly in the Shield. “It’s never ideal to lose your skipper on the eve of the tournament,” Jaques said.”Nev has put in a lot of hard work throughout the off-season and he will be sorely missed. It’s a great opportunity for Kurtis. We named him vice-captain at the start of the pre-season, and that was a well-deserved appointment for Kurtis. It will be great for him to step up and get some experience in the captaincy role. It’s a good opportunity for Jay to put his name forward and play a role in the JLT One-Day Cup. We know that Jay is a very good player and he will do a good job in Nev’s absence.”Another injury removed the South Australia swing and seam bowler Daniel Worrall from calculations early in the tournament, as the Redbacks prepare for their opening match, also against NSW in Perth on Thursday. SA’s team performance manager Tim Nielsen said that escalating back pain had forced Worrall out of the squad, his place taken by the young allrounder Luke Robins.”Daniel’s been experiencing lower back pain which escalated at training this past week, and he will now return to Adelaide for further assessment,” Nielsen said. “We are disappointed for Daniel but by returning to Adelaide the medical team can investigate the cause of the injury and the best direction for his return to play.”We now welcome Luke Robins into the squad who is an exciting allrounder and was the leading wicket-taker in the Futures League last season.”Western Australia, meanwhile, will be missing Marcus Stoinis, D’Arcy Short and Matthew Kelly for the opening game. Short suffered a freakish injury – bitten by his dog – but the other two have more conventional complaints. “All three players will be reassessed prior to Saturday’s game against South Australia, and are on track to be available for selection early in the tournament,” the WACA sports science manager, Nick Jones said.”D’Arcy had an unlucky incident two weeks ago while playing with his dog, where his hand got in the way of a dog toy and the bite caused a deep laceration to the palm of his hand. He needed a few stitches and surgical washout but has returned to batting and catching balls this week, and is on track for selection in round two.”Marcus and Matt are both very close to being cleared to play, but we would prefer not to rush anyone back at the beginning of the season and want to ensure they have fully recovered from injury before returning to play.”Simon Mackin, Will Bosisto and Sam Whiteman have taken the temporarily vacant places in the squad.
Everton are "monitoring" a hugely exciting player ahead of a potential move to Goodison Park, according to a new update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Everton transfer news
The January transfer window is continuing to edge closer all the time, at which point Sean Dyche could have the opportunity to boost his squad options. Much of that may depend on the takeover situation at Goodison, however, with the saga continuing to rumble on, and a "mystery Indian group" now in the mix to buy Everton, following a new update over the weekend.
There is also a chance that Dyche could be content with the options he currently has at his disposal, and while that may be unlikely, their recent form in the Premier League has been promising, with four points picked up from an away clash with West Ham and a home meeting with Brighton.
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has been linked with a January move to Everton, however, as he looks to enjoy regular playing time ahead of Euro 2024 next summer, and someone of his ilk could be ideal for the Blues, giving them more quality and energy in the middle of the park.
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
Now, a fresh update suggests that the Merseysiders could be eyeing a move for a big young prospect, perhaps focusing more on the long-term than the here and now.
Everton want Anton Matkovic
Taking to X on Sunday, renowned journalist Romano said that Everton are keeping a close eye on Anton Matkovic, with the 17-year-old a big young talent at NK Osijek:
"Interest growing in 17 year old Croatian talent Anton Matkovic. NK Osijek striker, attracting important clubs from Europe – understand Everton are monitoring him. Also RB Salzburg and Sassuolo are interested, no time for decision yet but one to watch for sure."
Matkovic is clearly not a household name yet, but the striker is making waves in his homeland for Osijek, being seen as arguably one of Croatia's brightest young talents at the moment.
In fact, Matkovic's stats are pretty limited at the moment due to a lack of first-team minutes, but he is a two-time capped Croatia Under-17 international, and while he is still awaiting his debut for Osijek, he has appeared for their Under-19s regularly from a very young age.
While Everton fans will no doubt want signings who are ready to come straight in and hit the ground running for Dyche's team, immediately improving their chances of avoiding relegation this season, it is always exciting to see a top teenage talent being linked with the Blues.
1. James Vaughan
16 years, 8 months and 27 days
2. Wayne Rooney
16 years, 8 months and 27 days
3. Michael Ball
16 years, 8 months and 27 days
4. Bert Llewellyn
17 years, 8 months and 17 days
5. Jack Rodwell
17 years, 6 months and 17 days
They have had some outstanding young attackers in the past, from Wayne Rooney to Francis Jeffers, and the hope would be that Matkovic comes in and is eventually added to that list.
The lure of the Premier League could give Everton and advantage in the race to sign the 17-year-old, and there can be no harm in taking a punt on him, should those in charge of transfers at Goodison see something special.
Arsenal are back in action this evening in the Champions League, as Mikel Arteta’s side look to go within touching distance of the last 16, with Sevilla welcomed to the Emirates.
It’s the fourth fixture of Group B, and with the Gunners sat at the top of the table, a win against Diego Alonso’s side would all but seal the Premier League outfit’s progression into the next round.
Victory will be far from easy, as Arteta will be aware of from their last test in Seville in the match that ended 2-1 to Arsenal, and with key players missing, the Spaniard could be set to shuffle his side once more in the bid to collect three points.
Arsenal team news vs Sevilla
After a disastrous week, the north Londoners will be eager to get back to winning ways, following defeats against West Ham United and Newcastle United in the previous two outings.
Arteta has a host of squad problems to solve ahead of tonight’s showdown at the Emirates, with injuries to key members of the XI hitting hard during the bustling schedule.
In terms of absentees, Emile Smith-Rowe, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus and Jurrien Timber will certainly be out of contention for this evening’s fixture, leaving options in the midfield alarmingly thin as the games pile up.
To add to the strain in the middle of the park, the manager confirmed in his pre-match press conference that captain, Martin Odegaard, is a doubt as he continues to recover from an underlying hip problem.
Journalist Mark Mann-Bryans noted that Eddie Nketiah was not present in Tuesday’s training session, claiming that the Englishman will undergo a late fitness test to determine his stance ahead of the Champions League challenge.
Luckily for Arteta, the front line is where he has several options to rotate, with one name the ideal replacement for Nketiah, whether he is deemed fit or not.
The stats that show Leandro Trossard must start against Sevilla
Prior to his hat trick against Sheffield United, many were concerned about the 24-year-old’s lack of conviction in the final third, which was noise he silenced with a heroic three-goal display in the Premier League.
Eddie Nketiah since his hattrick
Statistic
Figure
Shots on target
0
Shots off target
4
Possession lost
10
Big chances missed
1
Successful dribbles
0
Figures via Sofascore
Since then, it seems Nketiah has gone back to his usual ways, as highlighted in the table above that displays his form over the two games since Arsenal’s 5-0 dismantling of the Blades.
By dropping the Englishman, or losing him to injury, Arteta could use the opportunity to unleash Leandro Trossard, who has proved a point when in action in the Champions League already this term.
Lauded as “absolutely clinical” by journalist Phil Costa during the Gunners’ opening fixture in the competition, the Belgian needs little opportunity to score, as highlighted by his stellar 50% conversion rate in the Premier League this term.
In Trossard, the manager has an established goal scorer, with a prolific nature when creeping into the box, making him almost impossible to defend against if he is able to get his shot away, while the former Brighton and Hove Albion man can also chip in creatively, having registered ten assists in just 22 games for the Gunners last term – more than Nketiah has achieved in his entire Arsenal career (6).
Regardless of the latter man's fitness status, Arteta must drop the 24-year-old in favour of the £90k-per-week star to promote healthy competition and give the Belgium international the chance to shine once more on the biggest stage.
ScorecardSummer clings on in Sussex but the county’s thin hopes of promotion have been scattered on the blustery wind. Having arrived at the ground this morning sustained by the envision that they might challenge Warwickshire’s first innings 440 and then embarrass their visitors in the second half of the game, Ben Brown’s players eventually left the field with their opponents 238 runs to the good and all their wickets intact. A few hours earlier Kent had secured promotion and their match at Edgbaston next week seems certain to be a First Division title decider. The bad light that ended the cricket 13 overs early probably seemed rather fitting for home supporters.And it was grimly ironic that Will Rhodes, the player who helped make Warwickshire safe in this game, was recommended to his new county by the current Sussex coach, Jason Gillespie, who had been responsible for the all-rounder’s development when in a similar post at Headingley. Rhodes’ unbeaten 76 in Warwickshire’s second innings took his total of championship runs this season to 850 at an average of 42.5. As Yorkshire’s supporters sigh with relief at their own county’s survival in the First Division they may reflect how much easier that passage might have been had their batting been strengthened by Rhodes’ unflappable presence.Certainly the opener’s good footwork and thumping drives have been features of Warwickshire’s season and his unbroken first-wicket stand of 141 with Dom Sibley, their third century partnership in six innings, finally stamped on any notions Brown’s bowlers might have hatched of taking early wickets and inducing panic. Rhodes’ fearless batting – he slog-swept Danny Briggs for six in the twelfth over – confirmed he has made a success of leaving Yorkshire, the county he had represented since the age of ten. It is a trick few players manage to pull off. Gillespie, of course, will congratulate Rhodes and be pleased for him but he may also reflect on his praise with a wry smile. “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is / To have a thankless child” exclaims King Lear.Yet anyone who expected Sussex to subside in an unsightly heap once their promotion chances became fanciful underestimated the culture of enjoyment and achievement that Gillespie has encouraged at Hove. They also failed to allow for Brown’s competitive instincts and that is normally a grave oversight. This was proved in the first hour of the day’s play when he and David Wiese extended their sixth-wicket stand to 196. Brown’s method is quiet but it captures the attention. There are normally four taps of the bat in the crease, often in two sets of two, and then a firm crack of bat on ball even if the shot is defensive. Obduracy comes as standard.Wiese is hewn from similar rock and the pair looked secure until he was bowled by a ball from Chris Wright which nipped back but also kept low. He was seven short of what would have been a deserved century and his dismissal was crucial to Warwickshire’s progress. None of the remaining batsmen scored runs with Wiese’s unfussy ease and the hour’s cricket before lunch was characterised by close-set fields and a throttled run-rate.Immediately after lunch Jeetan Patel switched himself to the Sea End and this change proved decisive. A couple of sharpish off-spinners prompted Brown to push forward tentatively for a third and he edged an arm ball to Jonathan Trott at slip. He had made 99. Nearly but not quite. It seemed to sum up Sussex’s season. And home supporters had barely got over their misery at the dismissal of their skipper when Chris Jordan top edged a sweep off Patel to Ryan Sidebottom at backward square leg.With Tom Haines’ ankle ligament injury rendering him for the rest of this game, Joffra Archer and Ollie Robinson became their side’s last pair and Archer’s innings was ended on 16 when he edged a very rapid delivery from Olly Stone to second slip, where Sibley took an unnervingly good two-handed catch above his head. Sibley then trotted off to the pavilion with Rhodes and ten minutes later the pair strode out purposefully to begin what may be any team’s final innings at Hove this year.
Provável titular do Palmeiras nesta terça-feira (8), quando o Verdão abre as quartas de final da Libertadores 2020, diante do Libertad-PAR, no Defensores Del Chaco, Gabriel Veron chegará com a confiança ‘lá em cima’ para mais um grande desafio com a camisa alviverde.
Com três gols nesta atual Libertadores, o camisa 27 ganhou a eleição feita pela Conmebol e garantiu o prêmio de melhor jogador da rodada de volta das oitavas de final da maior competição de futebol do continente.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasEscalação do Palmeiras: Verdão tem reforço de última hora para enfrentar LibertadPalmeiras07/12/2020PalmeirasRaphael Veiga: ‘Palmeiras não vai priorizar a Libertadores’Palmeiras07/12/2020PalmeirasLibertad x Palmeiras terá arbitragem do argentino Fernando RapalliniPalmeiras07/12/2020
🔝🇳🇬 #BestOfTheWeek! Com 2⃣ golaços e 1⃣ assistência na goleada do @Palmeiras, @gabrielveron00 foi eleito o craque da última semana na #Libertadores.#BOTW @BridgestoneBR pic.twitter.com/vul6PIOwb2
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@LibertadoresBR) December 7, 2020
A apresentação diante do Delfín-EQU no Allianz Parque, foi talvez seu maior jogo na curta trajetória como profissional, quando, merecidamente, o ‘Raio’ levou o prêmio de ‘Man of the Match’ para casa após marcar dois golaços (um de cobertura e outro de voleio) e ainda servir Willian com uma assistência.
Com apenas 18 anos, Veron, além de ter um início de carreira mais goleador do que Gabriel Jesus, também bateu um recorde que era do seu xará, ao se tornar o palmeirense mais jovem a balançar as redes na competição continental.
>> CONFIRA O CHAVEAMENTO DA LIBERTADORES
No empate em 0 a 0 diante do Guaraní-PAR, no Defensores Del Chaco, ainda pela fase de grupos, Gabriel Veron foi titular do ataque palmeirense, mas acabou substituído por Luxemburgo na segunda etapa.
Com oito gols e quatro assistências, o melhor jogador da última Copa do Mundo Sub-17 também é o atleta das categorias de base que mais participa de gols pela equipe profissional do Verdão nesta temporada.