كشف محمد أسامة رئيس الجهاز الطبي للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، سبب استبعاد لاعب الفارس الأبيض مصطفى شلبي من مباراة اليوم أمام البنك الأهلي، المقرر لها بعد قليل ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.
وتقام المباراة بين الزمالك والبنك الأهلي، على استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة من عمر منافسات المرحلة النهائية لبطولة الدوري.
وقال محمد أسامة في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي: “مصطفى شلبي يعاني من آلام في عضلة السمانة، مما أبعده عن مباراة البنك الأهلي”.
طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل الزمالك أمام البنك الأهلي في الدوري المصري.. ناصر منسي يقود الهجوم
وأوضح: “اللاعب سيخضع لفحوصات طبية خلال الساعات المقبلة للوقوف على حجم الإصابة، وتحديد البرنامج العلاجي الذي سيخضع له”.
ويتواجد الزمالك في المركز الثالث لجدول الدوري برصيد 39 نقطة، متاخرًا بـ8 نقاط عن المتصدر بيراميدز و7 عن الأهلي صاحب المركز الثاني.
على الجانب الآخر، يحتل فريق البنك الأهلي المركز الخامس في ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 32 نقطة.
Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign a speedy new player who Thierry Henry has heaped praise on in the past, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Aston Villa transfer rumours
Unai Emery, Monchi and NSWE appear to be keen on adding to the first-team squad during the January transfer window, with a number of players being linked with moves to Villa Park.
Aston Villa plotting swoop for £21m ace after Monchi watched him in action
Aston Villa are among the teams interested in signing an exciting defender.
ByBrett Worthington Jan 13, 2025
Speaking at the beginning of the year, Emery admitted that the club are looking to “increase” the “level in the squad” in the transfer market.
“Of course, we are in the transfer window as well, and the club is moving forward to try to increase our level in the squad in case we can sign new players and in case someone has to leave, we are open to doing it. But the most important for me is the match tomorrow.”
Reports in Turkey have claimed that Aston Villa had agreed to a deal to sign defender Yasin Ozcan from Kasimpasa, whereas Villa are also thought to be after Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza.
In attack, Donyell Malen of Borussia Dortmund appears to be the main target after making multiple bids, with Villa also interested in signing PSG forward Marco Asensio as another option.
However, Villa may not have to worry about pushing for the PSG man after a development with Dortmund and Malen.
Aston Villa agree £21m+ deal to sign Donyell Malen
According to transfer expert Romano on Monday, Villa and Dortmund have now agreed a fee for Malen. A total package is worth over £21m with add-ons, and the forward has already agreed terms with the Villans.
The 25-year-old now looks set to become Villa’s first marquee signing of 2025 and will leave Dortmund after making 139 appearances across three-and-a-half-years, scoring 39 times and registering 20 assists.
As well as providing another goalscoring threat and option in the final third, Malen looks set to bring plenty of speed to the Midlands, with AVFC Statto stating on Instagram that the Dutchman’s top speed last season (33.77 km/h) was greater than any of Villa’s stars during the current campaign.
Malen also came in for plenty of praise from Henry after starring for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last season. As relayed by The Mirror, Henry said:
“I like Donyell Malen. I like his story. He is coming back to the ground where he won the league six years ago with Eindhoven. He had to battle cruciate ligaments.
“A lot of stories. He was at Ajax as a youngster. He couldn’t cope with it, then he came to Arsenal and couldn’t make it at Arsenal, then he went to Eindhoven and he made a path for himself.
“I had him for a year because I was passing my badges there. It didn’t work out for him at Arsenal. I thought he had some quality, but at Arsenal, you have a lot of quality.
“Then he went to Eindhoven and played for a young PSV. That’s the second team and he ended up doing brilliantly, which I am very happy about because, at the very beginning, people were doubting him. He trusted himself and his qualities, with his family, and he made it happen and won the league with PSV.
“Now, he plays for Holland. He scored tonight. It must have been emotional to play against Eindhoven, a team that he won the league with almost six years ago, so I am very happy for him.”
Derbyshire vs Kent – match abandonedDerbyshire’s hopes of reaching the knock-out stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup were ended by rain and a points penalty.The abandonment of the Group B match against Kent at the Incora County Ground, Derby, left both teams’ chances in the balance with only two games remaining.But Derbyshire have also been deducted two points for all-rounder Mattie McKiernan using a bat which failed a gauge test in the group game against Hampshire at Derby last Friday.McKiernan was charged and accepted a breach of ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3 after he used a bat which failed the test during and after the match due to excessive tape being applied.In a statement the club said: “An Adjudicator of the Cricket Discipline Commission considered McKiernan’s clean record and apology and accepted that it was an unintentional breach of the ECB Directives.”Adjudicating, Ricky Needham decided that the offence, while committed unintentionally, must be dealt with on a strict liability basis, in that it is entirely the responsibility of a cricketer to ensure that the equipment being used conforms to the laws of the game.”It leaves Derbyshire on three points with a home game against Yorkshire at Chesterfield on Sunday and a trip to Northampton on Tuesday to come.Even before the penalty was announced, Derbyshire and Kent needed a win but heavy rain throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning left the outfield saturated and the game was called off after a third inspection at 2.15pm.Kent coach Simon Cook said: “You want to try and carry on momentum so it’s very frustrating.”But when you walk out there you can see the water coming up underneath your feet. It’s an unusual situation where we’ve had that extremely dry weather for the last month, so the water is just sitting in that top inch of turf.”We’re in a position where we need results to go our way and we’ve got to win the next two home games at Canterbury. We’ll be looking forward to Yorkshire and Lancashire.”Derbyshire fast bowler Nick Potts admitted: “We thought it was a game we could attack and be aggressive in so it’s disappointing as a squad that we can’t do that.”We have been going with the mentality that every game is a final and we need to take two points from each one but there’s still a chance to put in two strong performances.”
A Era Luiz Felipe Scolari começou de forma positiva no Athletico Paranaense. Na noite desta terça-feira, na Arena da baixada, em Curitiba, em confronto válido pela partida de volta da 3ª fase da Copa do Brasil, o Furacão voltou a atropelar o Tocantinópolis pelo placar de 4 a 0, gols de Hugo Moura, Khellven e dois de Pablo – 9 a 2 na soma dos resultados, na estreia de Felipão no comando da equipe.
RelacionadasAthletico ParanaenseCom vitória, Athletico encerra série de três derrotas consecutivasAthletico Paranaense10/05/2022Futebol LatinoSan Lorenzo perto de acertar com treinador ex-AthleticoFutebol Latino10/05/2022Athletico ParanaenseFelipão confirma que será o treinador do Athletico até o fim de 2022: ‘Não era o posicionamento inicial’Athletico Paranaense09/05/2022
>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS
PRIMEIRO TEMPO ATHLETICO-PR COMEÇA COM TUDO NA ARENA DA BAIXADA Mesmo com uma grande vantagem construída no primeiro duelo, o Athletico-PR começou com tudo e poderia ter aberto o placar logo no começo da partida, mas Pablo desperdiçou uma chance inacreditável.
O Furacão continuou enfileirando oportunidades de gol. Só que para sorte do Tocantinópolis, o goleiro Jefferson estava lá bem colocado e conseguiu salvar a equipe do Verdão do Norte de sofrer o gol no primeiro terço da etapa inicial.
FURACÃO ABRE O PLACAR O Tocantinópolis fazia o que podia para evitar que o Athletico-PR inaugurasse o placar, mas a enorme pressão do Furacão surtiu efeito e o gol saiu. Aos 26, o goleiro Jefferson deu rebote em finalização de Cuello, Hugo Moura aproveitou e colocou a bola para dentro: 1 a 0.
FURACÃO CONTINUA PRESSIONANDO E MARCA O SEGUNDO O Athletico-PR continuou mandando na partida, criando várias oportunidades para ampliar e aos 39 minutos fez o segundo. Pedro Rocha foi para jogada individual, passou por um adversário, mas acabou perdendo a bola. Só que a bola sobrou, Khellven aproveitou e bateu forte para fazer: 2 a 0.
PABLO FAZ O TERCEIRO Sem sofrer pressão do Verdão do Norte, o Athletico-PR controlava o jogo com muita naturalidade e antes do fim do primeiro tempo conseguiu fazer o terceiro. A defesa do Tocantinópolis vacilou na saída de bola, Pablo aproveitou e aumentou a vantagem para o Furacão: 3 a 0, aos 44 minutos.
SEGUNDO TEMPO PABLO FAZ MAIS UM Assim como no primeiro tempo, o Athletico-PR voltou para etapa complementar controlando a partida e sem dar chance para o Tocantinópolis reagir. Para piorar ainda mais a situação do Verdão do Norte, a equipe paranaense foi lá e marcou mais um. Aos 9, após cruzamento perfeito de Khellven, Pablo cabeceou bem para fazer: 4 a 0.
ATHLETICO-PR DIMINUI RITMO E ADMINISTRA RESULTADO Depois do 4º gol, o Furacão diminuiu a intensidade do jogo e passou a administrar o resultado. O Tocantinópolis até lutou bastante em busca do gol de honra, mas a defesa do Furacão conseguiu se manter firme e garantir a vitória por 4 a 0.
ATHLETICO-PR 4 x 0 TOCANTINÓPOLIS – COPA DO BRASIL 3ª FASE Local: Arena da Baixada, Curitiba-PR Data/horário: 10/05/2022 – 21h30 (de Brasília) Árbitro: Alexandre Vargas Tavares de Jesus (RJ) Assistentes: Carlos Henrique Alves de Lima Filho e Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ) Cartões amarelos: – (ATH), – (TOC) Cartões vermelhos: – GOLS: Hugo Moura (26’/1T) (1-0); Khellven (39’/1T) (2-0); Pablo (44’/1T) (3-0); Pablo (09’/2T) (4-0).
ATHLETICO-PR (Técnico: Luiz Felipe Scolari) Bento; Khellven, Pedro Henrique (Dedé, no intervalo), Nicolás Hernández e Abner Vinícius (Pedrinho, no intervalo); Matheus Fernandes, Hugo Moura (Erick, aos 14’/2ºT) e Marlos (Vitor Bueno, aos 14’/2ºT); Pedro Rocha, Pablo (Matheus Babi, aos 24’/2ºT) e Cuello.
Tocantinópolis (Técnico: Jairo Nascimento) Jefferson; Marcinho, Betão, Wanderson e Chico Bala; Pedro Dias, Rômulo (Bideli, aos 17’/2ºT) e Raí (Da Silva, no intervalo); Alan Maia (Bilaui, aos 36’/2ºT), Bambelo (Jheimy, aos 17’/2ºT) e Elifran (Dedé, aos 39’/2ºT).
Chasing 189, West Indies slumped to 100 all out with Shimron Hetmyer playing a lone hand of 56
Sidharth Monga07-Aug-2022
Axar Patel took three wickets inside the powerplay•Associated Press
India thrashed a seemingly directionless West Indies by 88 runs in the fifth T20I to end the series with a 4-1 scoreline. Both sides made four changes each for the dead rubber but West Indies looked like just going through the motions. Their bowlers bowled three no balls, and on more than one occasion didn’t seem interested in fielding the ball in their follow-through, and most tellingly their attack lacked quality: there was no express pace, no point of difference, no accuracy.With their regular openers Kyle Mayers and Brandon King rested, West Indies’ batting order was bizarre. Jason Holder opened, the right-hand batters were bunched together, and Axar Patel feasted on them in the powerplay. A forgettable series for captain Nicholas Pooran ended with a 6-ball 3. Playing their first matches of the series, wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi had some fun against the hapless middle and lower order as West Indies slumped to 100 all out. This was the first time spinners had taken all 10 wickets in a men’s T20 international.Iyer, Hooda set India up Having rested both Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, India opened with Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. On a pitch that was in use for a second day running, shot-making wasn’t as straightforward as Kishan discovered when he went to pull Dominic Drakes in the fifth over but managed only a top edge to mid-on.Iyer and Deepak Hooda, though, made batting look easy during the course of a 76-run stand in 7.2 overs. It helped that West Indies often failed to bowl to their fields. Iyer often got width with the field up on the off side, and gleefully kept hitting over the 30-yard circle. He also played a gorgeous aerial off-drive off Odean Smith for his second consecutive six in the eighth over.He was only to be outdone by Hooda who drove legspinner Hayden Walsh inside-out, into the wind and over extra-cover for India’s third straight six. From 95 for 1 in 10 overs, the two batters showed even higher intent, taking 17 off the 11th over, bowled by Obed McCoy for whom the series has gone south after his six-for in the second match. India were looking for a massive total here.Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with 64 off 40 balls•AFP/Getty Images
The pullback Walsh and Smith made a good comeback in the second half of the innings, which was interrupted for a while with the lightning-threat alarm going off. Under the Florida state laws, no sporting activity can go ahead if there is a threat of lightning in a seven-mile radius of the venue. Even the spectators had to find shelter.On the field, West Indies found some respite with the ball sticking into the surface. Before the break, Walsh went round the wicket with a change of ends, made Hooda hit into the wind on the leg side, and had him caught in the deep. Holder had Iyer caught and bowled for 64 off 40.Smith conceded just 18 off his last three overs – the 16th, 18th and 20th – by bowling into the pitch and varying his pace. He was rewarded with three wickets as India looked for quick runs. Except for the 19th over, in which stand-in captain Hardik Pandya hit Holder for two sixes and four, India struggled to score briskly. The last nine overs produced just 76 runs, but India had an imposing total on the board.Axar owns the powerplay Possibly because India saw two right-hand batters walk in to open, they threw the new ball to Axar, who consistently troubled the right-hand batters with lack of turn. After being hit on the inside half of the bat twice, Holder looked to paddle Axar only to be beaten on the inside edge and have his leg stump knocked back. After a wicket-maiden at the start, Axar took out Devon Thomas and Shamarh Brroks in the fifth over. Thomas looked to cut but the ball skidded on to beat the inside edge. Brooks was stumped, also beaten on the inside edge.Wristspinners take over Hetmyer played a lone hand of 56 off 35 at one end, but at the other, Kuldeep and Bishnoi wreaked havoc. Pooran was done in by a Kuldeep flipper, playing back to a full ball. Rovman Powell and Keemo Paul had no clue about the Bishnoi wrong’un. Drakes and Smith failed to respond to Kuldeep wrong’uns. Only Hetmyer stretched the innings before holing out to long-off off Bishnoi.
Manchester City have struggled so far this season, finding themselves in an unfamiliar position, not only 12 points off top, but also two points outside the top four in the Premier League. The Citizens have only won 10 of their opening 20 games, drawing four and losing six, which is double the three losses they were dealt in the entirety of last season.
Despite conceding just 9.7 shots per game on average (the fewest in the Premier League), the xG being conceded per shot is extremely high, with each shot they conceded averaging a 0.17 xG value (the highest in the division).
Much of this can be whittled down to the injury of Rodri, who has been an ever-present piece for Pep Guardiola since joining in 2019, not only setting the tempo on the ball, but protecting the side in transition (an area they have struggled in so far this campaign).
With these troubles persisting, Manchester City look ready to attack the January transfer market, plugging gaps to improve their defensive record (especially their ability to defend in transition), and put things right with a strong second half of the season.
Manchester City close in on first January signing
According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have ‘agreed personal terms’ with Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis. The package would reportedly be around €40m (£33m) with a deal now ‘advancing fast’ between all parties.
The 18-year-old has been subject to interest from plenty of other clubs (including Brighton) but City look like they are set to steam ahead of the pack, getting ahead of their rivals for the young defender’s signature.
Vitor Reis for Palmeiras
City have done well to lure some of South America’s best young talent away from their homeland in years gone by with Gabriel Jesus one prominent example.
Perhaps the best business they did from that part of the world was Julian Alvarez. Lured from River Plate before selling him on for a huge profit (£81m), this could be a move that goes down equally as well at the Etihad.
How Reis compares to John Stones
Reis is considered to be one of the biggest talents in Brazil, with data analyst Ben Mattinson labeling the defender a “John Stones type” due to his passing quality, “pausa” on the ball and intelligence both in and out of possession.
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Stones has only made 12 appearances for City so far this season, scoring three goals and contributing to three clean sheets in his 673 minutes so far.
But City’s poor run of form started with Stones being out injured, and has continued in his absence, signaling the need for defensive reinforcement.
Vitor Reis vs John Stones comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)
Reis
Stones
Goals
0.05
0.29
Progressive Carries
0.16
2.55
Progressive Passes
3.02
6.55
Passes Attempted
49.8
80.9
Pass Completion %
88.0%
93.5%
Tackles
1.87
1.27
Blocks
0.77
0.55
Interceptions
0.88
0.58
Aerial Duels Won
3.08
2.00
Stats taken from FBref
Reis stands at a similar 6 foot 1 to Stones, but currently has a far leaner frame. However, this doesn’t deter him from getting stuck in, having a brilliant understanding at such a young age of how to use his body in duels, when to be aggressive and when he has to retreat. His defensive actions per 90 highlight this, making 1.87 tackles and winning 3.08 aerial duels per 90.
Whilst Stones currently ranks quite far ahead in passing and progressive metrics, you can identify the skill set of Reis, which could see monumental improvements to his underlying numbers, playing in an elite team who circulate possession more regularly, given he would be getting nearly double the touches/passes attempted per 90 (see Stones for reference).
Whilst the Brazilian centre-back is by no means the finished article, he has all the attributes of an elite-level central defender. Given time to fill out his upper body and coaching under one of/if not the best manager in the world, Reis could become one of the best defenders in the Premier League in years to come.
Big upgrade on Grealish: Man City plotting to re-sign "electric" £37m star
Manchester City could shock the Premier League by re-signing an old winger.
Liverpool were a day late and a dollar short in the Premier League last season, and in hindsight, the great Jurgen Klopp’s decision to stand down looks to have been the correct decision.
Arne Slot is thriving at the helm, lifting a gifted group of players and pushing them toward a top-flight title challenge and perhaps a shot at the Champions League trophy too.
Liverpool managerArneSlot
FSG are stuck with a bit of a reputation for being overly wary in the transfer market, something that was reflected through Federico Chiesa being the only addition to Slot’s project thus far (he’s suffered with injuries and has only started one match).
But January. Ah, January. It’s a month for action, as far as the Anfield bosses are concerned.
Liverpool's best January signings
In recent years, Liverpool have pounced on multiple winter opportunities to strengthen their frontline, bringing in Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in successive January windows. Both have been staples for Slot’s team this season.
Way further back, though, you’ll find the £23m deal to sign Ajax’s Luis Suarez was pulled off on deadline day in January 2011. The Uruguayan might not have lifted any silver but he’s an iconic Redman, one of the very best.
Of course, no January acquisition can confidently claim that they have been better, more transformational, than Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool’s all-powerful captain left Southampton for Merseyside in a £75m deal at the 2017/18 campaign’s midpoint, proving the catalyst for illustrious success.
One of the greatest defenders of his generation, the Netherlands titan is still starring for title-chasing Liverpool and is undoubtedly one of their most iconic players.
Now, Liverpool are eyeing up another exciting winter recruit in Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Liverpool's perfect Kvaratskhelia alternative
Paris Saint-Germain are looking to complete a deal for the Serie A leaders’ wantaway winger this month, but numerous sources – including The Athletic – report that Liverpool are attentive to the situation and could seek to hijack the deal.
Not to be pragmatic, but PSG are in control of the race as things stand, and anyway, Liverpool might be better off launching a bid for a Premier League star instead.
Indeed, as per Sky Sports this month, Liverpool have been monitoring Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and might be tempted into completing a deal, though the Bees would look to claim at least £50m for their prized forward.
Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo
Sky Germany have recently revealed that Arsenal have shortlisted the French forward and Newcastle United are known admirers too. If Liverpool have the funds to spend on such a player, why not act now?
Why Liverpool should sign Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo has gone from strength to strength under Thomas Frank this season, scoring 13 Premier League goals – a haul bettered only by Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
1.
Mohamed Salah
18
2.
Erling Haaland
16
3.
Alexander Isak
13
3=
Bryan Mbeumo
13
3=
Cole Palmer
13
Kvaratskhelia is the bigger name, to be sure, but Liverpool’s shrewdness might just pay off, should they move for Mbeumo. Analyst Ben Mattinson has actually hailed the French ace for emitting “Mane at Southampton vibes,” practically begging for a high-profile suitor to come along and place him in a more prominent position.
The 25-year-old has his prime years ahead of him, as did Mane when Liverpool snapped him up from the Saints for a £34m fee in June 2016, when he was 24.
Former Liverpool player Sadio Mane
Mane scored 120 goals and added 42 further assists across 269 appearances for the Anfield side, winning the whole gamut and being described as a “machine” in the final third by Jurgen Klopp.
Principally playing off the left, the Senegal superstar’s positional flexibility has been one of his main strengths throughout a storied and successful career, something that Mbeumo could emulate as his belated natural successor.
Mbeumo could further mimic the now Al Nassr player by arriving from a ‘lesser’ Premier League club and becoming one of Europe’s superstars, very much in line with the way in which FSG like to conduct themselves in the transfer market.
Moreover, Slot has shown that he’s partial to shuffling his forwards about, with Luis Diaz in particular playing regularly and with great success at number nine. This is something that Jurgen Klopp did with Mane, and Slot could now follow suit.
Mbeumo has properties that are well-suited to the striker’s department and boasts an impressive record when Frank has shifted into the number nine spot. Let’s not forget that Ivan Toney left last summer and took all his potency with him, but it’s scarcely been felt with Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa combining emphatically.
Right winger
60
22
17
Centre-forward
28
10
3
Attacking midfield
29
2
1
As per FBref, the £45k-per-week ace ranks among the top 5% of Premier League positional peers this season for goals scored (0.65) and the top 13% for crosses made (4.92) per 90.
He’s athletic and balanced in the execution of his attacking qualities, with the positional flexibility and, of course, innate goalscoring ability perhaps giving the claim that he’s got Mane-esque talents some substance.
Bryan Mbeumo celebrates for Brentford
Liverpool are looking for a new forward, with Kvaratskhelia as the name in circulation right now. However, Mbeumo might be the better pick, with the skills and style to make him Slot’s very own version of Mane.
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Cheteshwar Pujara resists with 49* but youthful team are picked apart by Division leaders
ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2022Nottinghamshire 240 and 301 (Hameed 94, James 56, Robinson 5-60) beat Sussex 143 (Paterson 5-43, Pattinson 5-56) and 142 (Pujara 49*, Paterson 3-14, Pattinson 3-47) by 256 runsNottinghamshire wrapped up a 256-run over Sussex with almost a day and a half to spare to consolidate their place at the top of Division Two in the LV=Insurance County Championship ahead of the September run-in.Bowled out for 301 in their second innings soon after the start of the third day, giving Sussex a target of 399 to pull off the least likely outcome, Nottinghamshire shot out their youthful opponents for 142 in 47.3 overs.Overseas fast bowlers Dane Paterson (three for 14) and James Pattinson (three for 47) each raised their individual hauls to eight wickets in the match.Without a number of players through injury and illness, Sussex realistically needed Indian Test star Cheteshwar Pujara to post a substantial score to give them any chance of taking the match into a fourth day. He finished unbeaten on 49 but no one could stay with him to build a partnership.To compound their woes, Sussex left Trent Bridge with no points, their three bowling bonus points from the first innings cancelled out by a three-point deduction for a slow over-rate. Nine wickets in the match for England’s Ollie Robinson on his return from a back injury and other issues therefore counted for nothing.With two of their remaining matches at home – against Leicestershire and Durham – and a visit to struggling Worcestershire in their other fixture, Nottinghamshire now look odds-on to seal promotion.Bowling with a new ball after Wednesday’s play ended with the first one exactly 80 overs old, Sussex at least needed only 25 deliveries with it to see off the Nottinghamshire tail.Brad Currie bowled Liam Patterson-White with one that kept a touch low before Robinson had a tentative Luke Fletcher leg before and dismissed Pattinson via a miscue to cover.Robinson finished with five for 60, enough to move him ahead of Henry Crocombe as Sussex’s leading wicket-taker on 17 at 15.64, despite this being only his third match of the Division Two campaign.It left Sussex with a mighty task by anyone’s standards, let alone a team with six players aged 21 or under.Tom Clark, almost run out without scoring, edged behind in Fletcher’s third over, but Ali Orr, who came into this match with almost 650 first-class runs for the season, made another good impression.For a while it looked as though he might be the one to help Pujara make Nottinghamshire work for their win until he ran into a snorter from Pattinson that he could only fend away from his head, the ball looping off his glove for short-leg Ben Slater to claim the catch.Fynn Hudson-Prentice – at 26 one of the senior Sussex batters – was at least with Pujara at lunch, but he departed a couple of overs later, nicking to the keeper as Paterson found some movement on a pitch still giving the bowlers something to work with.Oli Carter perished to a poor shot, caught behind down the leg side off Fletcher, before Pattinson saw off the two 18-year-olds in consecutive overs as James Coles reprised Carter’s mode of dismissal and Archie Lenham, who had stuck around stubbornly for a brave 31 in the first innings, perished to his third ball as the Australian quick zipped one through to send stumps flying in all directions.Robinson fell to a leading edge off the medium pace of Steven Mullaney, caught at mid-off, where the ever-popular Fletcher delighted both his team-mates and his fan club in the Radcliffe Road stand by throwing his not-inconsiderable frame to his right to take a diving catch.Sussex’s abject afternoon continued when Pujara changed his mind about scrambling a single to midwicket off the final ball of a Patterson-White over, leaving Ari Kavelas stranded as Lyndon James made a direct hit with his throw in, before Paterson wrapped up the win at 3.25pm as Currie followed Sean Hunt back to the pavilion as a second lbw in consecutive overs.
No fewer than 29 awards will be handed out on April 23 and the nominees for four of the 'On the Pitch' accolades have been revealed
Later this month, the first ever Festival of Women's Football Awards will take place, celebrating the best of women's football in the elite English game and at grassroots level. Curated by experts across the sport, nominees for the 'On the Pitch Player' categories have been announced, while the 'Off the Pitch' categories will focus on everything away from the 90 minutes.
There will be 11 accolades dished out to players on awards night, which will take place in London on April 23, and the nominees for seven of those have been released. Those are Goalkeeper of the Year, Overseas Player of the Year, Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, with the latter two set to be split into three positional awards.
So, who is in the running for these accolades? GOAL runs through the nominees known so far for this year's FOWFA…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper of the Year
There are six nominees for the Goalkeeper of the Year award, five of whom ply their trade in the Women's Super League. Sheffield United's Sian Rogers is the lone representative from the Women's Championship, a league she leads in saves made this term.
Player
Club
Courtney Brosnan
Everton
Hannah Hampton
Chelsea
Sian Rogers
Sheffield United
Kinga Szemik
West Ham
Phallon Tullis-Joyce
Manchester United
Daphne van Domselaar
Arsenal
AdvertisementGetty ImagesPlayer of the Year – Defender
There are nine nominees for the Player of the Year award in the defender category. The WSL boasts five of those nominees, with four coming from the Championship.
Player
Club
CJ Bott
Leicester
Riva Casley
Portsmouth
Neve Herron
Birmingham City
Sophie Howard
Leicester
Maya Le Tissier
Manchester United
Ruby Mace
Leicester
Ashleigh Neville
Tottenham
Lexi Potter
Crystal Palace
Amber Tysiak
West Ham
Getty ImagesPlayer of the Year – Midfielder
Five players are nominated for the Midfielder of the Year award, including two names from Manchester City. Sofia Jakobsson, of the London City Lionesses, is the Championship's lone representative.
Player
Club
Yui Hasegawa
Manchester City
Lauren Hemp
Manchester City
Sofia Jakobsson
London City Lionesses
Vicky Losada
Brighton
Jordan Nobbs
Aston Villa
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Getty ImagesPlayer of the Year – Attacker
Seven players are nominated for the attacker award, including England stars Alessia Russo and Aggie Beever-Jones.
Wednesday night felt like a turning point in Arsenal’s season.
Mikel Arteta’s side went into the North London derby off the back of two cup defeats and in real danger of falling out of the Premier League title race altogether.
Yet, an own goal from Dominic Solanke and a sensational strike from Leandro Trossard saw the Gunners come from behind and close the gap on league leaders Liverpool to just four points.
However, while the game was just what the team and fanbase needed after a gruelling couple of weeks, it also highlighted how badly attacking reinforcements are required, and while Yoane Wissa was linked with the club within 24 hours, he’s not the calibre of player fans are after.
Fortunately, recent reports have once again touted a far more impressive striker for a move to the Emirates, a striker who is way better than the Brentford star.
Brentford forward Yoane Wissa celebrates
Arsenal chase sensational striker
According to a recent report from Italian publication Calciomercato, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović.
The report has revealed that the Italian club are desperate to get his lofty £361k-per-week wages off the books and that, so long as a reasonable offer is made, he’ll be free to leave.
Now, the story does not clarify what that fee would have to be, but reports from earlier this month claimed that an offer of around £55m could be enough to get the Turin side to sell.
It would, therefore, require a significant investment from Arsenal to get this transfer over the line, but given Vlahović’s ability, it would undoubtedly be worth it, and he’d be a far better signing than Wissa.
How Vlahović compares to Wissa
So, if the board at Arsenal are currently looking at signing Wissa or Vlahović, why should they lean towards the latter? Especially as the former has experience playing in the Premier League.
Well, the first reason is a simple one: their output.
For example, in his 124 appearances for the Old Lady, the Serbian superstar has scored 53 goals and provided 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.93 games.
In contrast, the DR Congo international has scored 41 goals and provided nine assists in 132 appearances for the Bees, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 2.64 games.
Moreover, it’s not just a case of playing for the better team either, as when we compare their output from their time with their prior clubs, it’s still the Belgrade-born “machine,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who comes out on top.
Vlahović vs Wissa
Wissa
Lorient
Brentford
Appearances
128
132
Goals
37
41
Assists
17
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.42
0.37
Vlahović
Fiorentina
Juventus
Appearances
108
124
Goals
49
53
Assists
8
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.52
0.51
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, in just 108 appearances for Fiorentina, the 24-year-old monster scored 49 goals and provided eight assists, which comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.89 games.
In comparison, during his time with FC Lorient, the 28-year-old scored 37 goals and provided 17 assists in 128 appearances, which comes out to a solid but less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.37 games.
Finally, aside from his raw output, the Juve ace is also 6 foot 3, which would help him deal with the physical nature of the Premier League and make the most of the Gunners’ legendary set-pieces, whereas it’s hard to imagine Wissa getting his head on too many crosses at just 5 foot 9.
Ultimately, while the Brentford star is a brilliant player and has shown as much this season, Vlahović has the more impressive record, is more physically imposing and is four years younger to boot.
Therefore, while he won’t be cheap, Arsenal should do what they can to bring him to the Emirates this month, as he could be the key to them overtaking Liverpool and lifting the title come May.
In talks with his agent: Arsenal eye big move to sign their own Kulusevski
The superb attacker could be a game-changer for Arsenal.