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They are 27 for 2, chasing an all-but-impossible target of 549, as they head into the final day of the series in Guwahati

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-20252:16

Jadeja: ‘As good as a win if we bat out the entire day tomorrow’

India are 1-0 down against South Africa, with only one day remaining of their two-Test series, and the best they can hope is for the scoreline to remain 1-0. Going into the fifth day in Guwahati, India are 27 for 2. They are chasing an all-but-impossible target of 549.A series loss against South Africa will be India’s second in their previous three home series. Last year, they suffered an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, which ended a proud run of 17 straight home-series wins over a 12-year period.In this scenario, allrounder Ravindra Jadeja suggested that saving the Guwahati Test would be a “win-win situation” for India. Jadeja used the English phrase, and it must be noted that it isn’t his first language.”We will have to bat well, take it session by session,” Jadeja said. “If we don’t give a wicket in the first session, then there will obviously be pressure on the bowlers, that they need to bowl us out. For us, that will be the win-win situation – if we can bat out the full day tomorrow. For us, it’ll be as good as a winning situation.”Related

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This series has flipped the script on India’s previous home series against South Africa in 2019, which they won 3-0. Jadeja suggested South Africa hadn’t done too much differently between that tour and this one, other than winning tosses. India won all three tosses in 2019, and South Africa have won both this time.”I don’t find any difference from what we played against them in 2019,” Jadeja said. “I think they almost have the same squad. In cricket, I feel it’s all about timing. It starts from winning the toss. If we would have won the toss on this wicket, then we would have been in a good situation right now. But that’s part and parcel [of the game]. So, now, [it’s about] what comes next – that is, day five. We have to play good cricket and we have to trust our defence. That’s the key. If we play out day five, then, as I said, it’s a win-win situation for us.”Jadeja was an integral member of India’s teams through their 12-year winning run in home Test series. When asked how difficult it has been to go through India’s ongoing period of negative results at home, Jadeja said it was simply a challenge he and his team-mates had to accept.”See, it’s not difficult. In cricket, it’s always about the situation,” he said. “If you are 312-315 runs ahead in the game, then any batsman can come and play freely. They’re not thinking about spin or bounce, or how the wicket is. But when you’re 300 runs behind and you have to go out and play out a day, defend through it, and know you have a 550-run target, and you know the ball is turning and bouncing, that plays on the mind more.R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were crucial to India’s unbeaten 12-year run at home•BCCI”We’ve also been [in winning situations]. Like, from 2012 to 2024, in 12 years we did not lose a series at home. In that time, we’ve handle these situations well. But the time was such that we won a lot of tosses and we scored big in the first innings. We’ve beaten oppositions by an innings. It has happened a lot of times.”The more you play cricket, the more new experiences you have. So as cricketers, me and the team, it is a challenge we accept. We will not deny it, and ask why we are having to play in this situation. If it has come, we as players have to take the positives and move on from it. Our attitude will be positive and it will help the team. All the individuals will look to give their 100%.”Whichever batter goes to bat tomorrow will look to give their best. But sometimes, even if you don’t succeed, you learn from [the situation] and know the mistakes you’ve made, and what you can improve on in such a situation again.”India have been in transition over the last year or so having lost a number of senior players. Jadeja felt going through a difficult time like this would help the young players in the team learn and grow,”Look, for the youngsters in the team, I think this is a learning phase. Their career is just starting. In international cricket, no matter what format you play, it’s not easy. No matter what format you play, it’s always a little challenging. So, in India, when a situation like this happens, and you play 3-4 youngsters in the team, it feels like the whole team is young and inexperienced. And that gets highlighted.”But when India wins in home conditions, people think it’s not a big deal. You have to win anyway. So people think that if you win a series in India, it’s not a big deal. But if you lose a series in India, it becomes a very big deal. But even the team that comes here and plays against is representing their country.”So that’s the beauty of cricket, there’s always a surprise. Something new happens year by year. So, for a youngster, it’s a learning phase. If they handle this situation well, they will become mature as players, and India’s future will be better.”

West Ham United sent one of their top scouts to watch Josh Sargent in action for Norwich City against Birmingham City in the Championship this weekend.

The Hammers have commenced their search for a striker amid rumours that Niclas Fullkrug is likely to leave the club in the January transfer window. The towering German arrived fresh from an impressive Euro 2024 not so long ago, but has since scored just three goals for West Ham in what has been an incredibly disappointing move.

The forward’s agent recently added fuel to the fire by saying when asked about a potential exit for his client: “This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there.”

As much as he’s struggled, however, West Ham will still need to replace Fullkrug if he departs in January. His exit would leave them with just one out-and-out striker in Callum Wilson and it’s no secret that he’s had his injury struggles throughout his career.

If Nuno Espirito Santo is to stand any chance of keeping the Hammers afloat in the Premier League, then the club must simply back him in the January transfer window. To that end, the likes of Adama Traore have already been mentioned as early winter targets and his arrival would certainly be a good start this winter.

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Meanwhile, alongside Traore, West Ham have also set their sights on a key upgrade on Fullkrug, with their scouts sent to watch Norwich star Sargent this weekend.

West Ham send scouts to watch Josh Sargent

As reported by Football Insider, West Ham sent officials to watch Sargent against Birmingham City this weekend. The American has been the only bright spark in a disastrous few months for Norwich, scoring six goals in all competitions ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, and has more than done enough to earn a Premier League move.

Former Norwich boss Liam Manning was full of praise for the forward even as his short spell turned into a nightmare. He told reporters: “He’s a constant handful. I think he’s so intelligent with the positions he takes up, and he’s so sharp over the first metres. He’s the best nine at the level for me. We’re delighted to have him here, long may that continue.”

It’s hard to argue with Manning’s verdict, either. When fit, there’s not many better than sargent in England’s second tier and questions are gradually beginning to be asked about his potential ability to take that form into the Premier League.

West Ham need a consistent striker, Sargent has earned a big move in the face of Norwich’s struggles, and the January transfer window could now present an interesting saga as a result.

Ex-club chief shares why West Ham must avoid Adama Traore after working with him

Wolves chiefs may “cash in” on key midfielder Joao Gomes in the January transfer window, which would be an immediate blow to Rob Edwards’ chances of keeping his side in the Premier League.

Edwards made a losing start to life as Wanderers boss last weekend, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday and admitting it isn’t going to be a quick fix for the top flight strugglers.

“It’s not going to be done in a week. We knew it was never just going to be a click of your fingers and that’s it. There’s probably quite a lot there that has been the story of our season so far, fairly tight, maybe a little bit of a lack of confidence and belief, but not much in the game, and then you get punished.

“We need to try and find that first goal, and you can’t just say, ‘Right lads, we need to score first’. We’ve got to make sure that we do everything right, do the basics really well, and work hard and work harder. We’ve definitely tried to up the intensity, but it was quite a bitty week, we’ve not had all the players in.”

Edwards will know the importance of new signings when January rolls around, but equally it is vital to keep hold of key players, and a new update suggests that one star man could be on his way out of Wolves.

David Ornstein talks up potential Joao Gomes exit

Speaking to NBC Sport, journalist David Ornstein claimed that Wolves may look to sell Gomes midway through the season, in order to receive good money for him, amid rumoured interest from Manchester United.

Losing Gomes, Wolves’ highest earner on £105,000-a-week, is clearly something that Edwards won’t want to happen, but those high up at the club will be looking at the bigger picture, in terms of receiving the highest amount of money possible for him.

The 24-year-old is such an influential figure at the heart of the midfield, starting 10 Premier League games this season, and Mathues Cunha has made it clear that he would love to see him at United.

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Dominic Lund

Nov 24, 2025

Ultimately, it does feel as though Gomes’ future lies away from Wolves, unless drastic improvements are made, but selling him in January would feel like a defeatist attitude in the relegation fight.

Before Gomes: Edwards must sell Wolves star who's made them a "worse side"

The Impact Player has marginalised players like him, but Sunday night gave him a chance to remind the IPL of his quality

Sidharth Monga06-Apr-20251:55

Bishop: ‘Surprised by how dominant Washington was’

Washington Sundar has had a curious career arc. He first drew attention at the senior level with his tight powerplay bowling during IPL 2017, which didn’t last when he landed in other teams with other ideas. The next big step was in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when a surprise debut as India’s lone spinner ended up as a showcase for his batting ability against a top Test attack in an unforgettable series win. He plateaued again before becoming more of a regular last year as India began preparing for life after R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.And yet, among the 20 or so players playing T20Is regularly for India, Washington was the only one struggling to get an IPL game. Put it down to the Impact Player rule. Not only does it disincentivise developing allrounders, it takes out of the game the imperfect allrounder, the nearly-there jack of all trades. Washington might disagree but he is not quite a specialist batter and arguably not in the league of Ashwin to play as an offspinner alone.The nearly man played just two IPL matches last year. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) then let him go, and his new team Gujarat Titans (GT), already a strong bowling unit, again didn’t have a slot for him. He nearly played against Mumbai Indians (MI), though, when he was padded up all innings as a possible Impact Player when GT batted first, but they eventually chose a specialist bowler in Ishant Sharma. The story of Washington since the introduction of the Impact Player: losing out to a combination of players – Ishant and Sherfane Rutherford – whom he might have edged out if it was an 11-man team and not 12.Related

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It was when Washington’s former team SRH rolled out a dream pitch for the visitors – slow and low – that GT went in for the extra spinner, which brought Washington in. This may have also been driven by match-ups, with three left-hand batters in SRH’s top three. Even so, GT realised the pitch was doing more for tall, into-the-pitch quicks than spinners, so Washington didn’t get a bowl even as GT restricted SRH to 152.Washington Sundar hit Simarjeet Singh for two fours and two sixes in a match-defining sixth over•BCCIThen fate took a turn. GT lost two early wickets, their captain was out in the middle, and their coach asked Washington to go in at No. 4. Possibly because they wanted to keep the right-left combination going, or perhaps because Washington’s Tamil Nadu team-mate Shahrukh Khan hasn’t had a great start to this year’s IPL. Whatever it was, Washington saw an opportunity and grabbed it with an innings that was head and shoulders above any other on a testing pitch bar that of Rutherford, who arguably batted when the game was almost over and dew had made things easier.Three balls into his innings, Washington started to exploit the powerplay fields, displaying both classic batting chops and T20-style innovation. The 20 he took of Simarjeet Singh in the sixth over put GT on their way. He dominated the third-wicket partnership with Shubman Gill, scoring 49 in a 90-run stand and giving Gill time to get a measure of the pitch. According to ESPNcricinfo’s smart stats, Washington played the most valuable innings of the match, although Mohammed Siraj was rightfully adjudged Player of the Match for his 4 for 17.Washington will hope he has shown enough to convince GT to make him more of a regular, but he will also know that they are a team driven more by process than results. A certain set of conditions brought Washington in, which suggests they look at him more as a bowler than a batter. Their next game is at home against Rajasthan Royals. If they play on a black-soil pitch again – they did so against MI and it turned out to play slow and low – he could stay in and keep the extra fast bowler out.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action in the Premier League this weekend as they prepare to welcome London rivals Fulham to North London on Saturday night.

Spurs are looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in their last two games, losing 5-3 to the French giants in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Lilywhites have not won in the Premier League since they beat Everton 3-0 at the end of October, with one win in six in all competitions since, which is why it is so important for Thomas Frank’s team to win this weekend.

They will have to get one over Fulham in order to do so, though, and it is a club that they have many connections to through players who have played for both.

Ranking Fulham players who have played for Spurs since 2010

Counting all players who played for Spurs since 2010, there have been ten players who either played for Fulham before or after their time in North London.

Perhaps most notably, given that Dimitar Berbatov left Tottenham in 2008, is central midfielder Mousa Dembele, who played 240 matches for Spurs between 2012 and 2018, after signing directly from the Cottagers.

Ranking Fulham stars who’ve played for Spurs since 2010

Rank

Player

1

Mousa Dembele

2

Scott Parker

3

Clint Dempsey

4

Joao Palhinha

5

Carlos Vinicius

6

Lewis Holtby

7

Paulo Gazzaniga

8

Manor Solomon

9

Josh Onomah

10

Ryan Fredericks

As you can see in the table above, academy players like Ryan Fredericks and Josh Onomah rank at the bottom, with several less notable Spurs players before the top four.

It is hard to say anyone other than Dembele should be at the top, given that the Belgian star, renowned for his ability on the ball, is the only player on the list to play more than 100 games for the club, with 240, per FBref.

He was once ‘irreplaceable’ for Spurs, as shown in the post above from 2018, and Frank can unearth his own version of the midfielder by playing Lucas Bergvall on Saturday night.

Why Lucas Bergvall could be Tottenham's next Mousa Dembele

One of Dembele’s most notable attributes during his time with Spurs was his dribbling. Speaking about his former international teammate, Youri Tielemans once said: “His dribbling was amazing, you just couldn’t take the ball off him.”

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He was brilliant at carrying the ball up the pitch from the middle of the park, and Bergvall is a central midfielder who can offer similar qualities for Spurs in the present day.

Per FBref, the Sweden international ranks within the top 9% of his positional peers in the Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive carries per 90 (2.30) and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.55).

This shows that he is one of the most productive dribblers among central midfielders in Europe, which is why he could develop into being Frank’s own version of Dembele in the middle of the park.

Bergvall, like the Belgian, does not carry a huge goal threat, having scored once in the Premier League this season, but he can get the team up the pitch with his ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet.

The Swedish star, who was dubbed a “generational talent” by the club’s head of scouting Rob Mackenzie, started as part of a box midfield against PSG earlier this week, but playing further up the pitch ahead of Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur restricted how much he could drive from deep.

Therefore, unleashing him in a midfield three against Fulham on Saturday could allow him to provide supporters of both teams with a reminder of a player who once starred for them.

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Bergvall only attempted one dribble, which he completed, against PSG, and playing him further back on the pitch to use as a threat in transition could help Spurs to win their first Premier League game of the month this weekend.

Most runs in a series, most hundreds in a series and more

Shubham Agarwal08-Jul-20251:56

Aaron: Gill showing signs of a great leader

Shubman Gill has made a terrific start to the ongoing five-Test series in England. Leading India for the first time, Gill has smashed three hundreds (which includes a double) in two matches, and already has 585 runs at an average of 146.25. His twin tons in Birmingham helped him take down several records, including the highest match aggregate for an Indian batter and many more. Here are more records that he can break with three more Tests to go.Most runs in a series as captainGill is in line to break Don Bradman’s 88-year-old record for most runs as captain in a Test series. Bradman amassed 810 runs in five Tests in the 1936-37 Ashes, averaging 90, including three hundreds. Gill is 225 runs away from Bradman’s mark.Coincidentally, that was also Bradman’s first Test series as captain. Hence, Gill will also rewrite the record for most runs in a debut series as captain if he passes Bradman’s tally. Bradman had a top score of 270 in that series and Gill has already scored 269 in the ongoing series in England.The record for the most runs in a series for an Indian captain is with Sunil Gavaskar, who scored 732 in six Tests against West Indies in 1978-79. Gill needs 148 more to get past Gavaskar.Most runs in a seriesAlthough a little farfetched, another Bradman record is in sight for Gill. Bradman hammered 974 runs in the 1930 Ashes, which is the most by any batter in a Test series. Gill need another 390 runs to break that record.Gill has a head start advantage over Bradman, who scored only 394 runs in the first two Tests of that Ashes, compared to Gill’s 585.The same record for India belongs to Gavaskar. He scored 774 runs playing four of the five Tests against West Indies in 1971. Gill is 189 runs behind.Shubman Gill is in the middle of a highly productive Test series•Getty ImagesMost hundreds in a seriesThe West Indies great Clyde Walcott made five centuries in a home series against Australia in 1955. Gill is two hundreds short of levelling that feat with three Tests to go. Like Gill, Walcott also scored three tons in the first two Tests of that series – 108 in Kingston followed by twin hundreds in the second Test in Port-of-Spain. Walcott then scored twin hundreds again in the fifth Test in Kingston to take his century count to five.Related

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The most hundreds in a series as captain belongs to Bradman – four centuries against India in 1947.For India, Gavaskar again holds both these records with four hundreds each against West Indies – in 1971 as a player and in 1978-79 as captain.Fastest to 1000 runs as captainAnother Bradman record that Gill could possibly break. Bradman took 11 innings to complete 1000. Gill needs 415 runs in six innings to topple him.The Indian record is with Gavaskar. Beginning his captaincy stint with a hundred against New Zealand in 1976, Gavaskar took 14 innings to complete 1000 Test runs as captain. He racked up five hundreds in this span with a top score of 205. Gill has nine innings in hand to beat Gavaskar’s record.Most runs in a series against EnglandYashasvi Jaiswal has the record for the most runs by an India batter in a series against England. He pummeled 712 runs in a five-match home series in 2024, averaging 89 with the help of two double-hundreds. Gill is in contention to get past that tally, needing 127 more.The record for most runs in a series in England for an Indian batter belongs to Rahul Dravid who scored 602 in 2002 with three tons. Gill is in touching distance of that – only 18 runs short.Virat Kohli sits on top of the list as captain, scoring 655 runs leading India in a home series against England in 2016. Gill is 91 runs away.

Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda delivered an honest update on Neymar's latest injury setback after the forward's withdrawal from the Brazilian Serie A clash with Internacional. Neymar had just returned from a hamstring injury and was slowly settling into playing again for Santos, but a fresh knock forced him back onto the sidelines.

Neymar's fitness issues continue

Neymar was optimistic about making a fresh start and reviving his career when he joined his boyhood club Santos in January 2025. He had just recovered from an ACL injury that kept him out of action for nearly one and a half years, which prompted Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal to mutually terminate the star winger's contract.

 His comeback, however, has not gone as planned. A return of seven goals and three assists in 25 matches across all competitions does not make for great reading, and the 33-year-old has repeatedly been out injured during his second spell at Santos. His constant injury setbacks have also delayed his comeback to the Brazil national team and with only one international break left in March before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, he is facing a race against time to prove himself to Carlo Ancelotti.

After recovering from a recent hamstring injury, Neymar had featured in Santos' starting lineup in their last three Serie A matches but right before the Internacional clash on Monday, reported that he had been dealing with knee discomfort throughout the week. 

AdvertisementGettySantos boss delivers update on Neymar

After a 1-1 draw against Internacional, Santos boss Vojvoda told reporters: "The plan is for him to be in the match against Sport. I have to talk to him, I'm not in his physical presence and I will respect Neymar's decisions. But his commitment is to be there, he always wants to be there. Before the Mirassol game, he felt discomfort in his knee. He also felt it during the game. The following day he was experiencing significant discomfort in that knee. 

"We know we have games every three days. With travel, we'll arrive in Santos tomorrow afternoon… He's a player we need for all three rounds and he'll help us. He's our leader on the field. He'll be there. He felt he wouldn't be able to meet the demands of today's game."

Will Santos offer new contract to Neymar?

Neymar's current contract expires at the end of this year and he has yet to meet with Santos officials to negotiate a new contract. There is a possibility that the winger could consider returning to Europe, although club president Marcelo Teixeira appears confident a deal can be struck. He said earlier this month, "Neymar's project is the 2026 World Cup. If there's consensus, he will extend. There is great trust between him and the club, and I believe we'll find a solution at the right moment."

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AFPCan Neymar play at the 2026 World Cup?

At the moment, Neymar's participation at the World Cup seems like a distant dream, considering he has played in only four matches since September. However, Selecao boss Ancelotti still remains hopeful that he will be able to include the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star in the North America-bound squad next year. 

The Italian recently said: "Neymar is on the list of players who can go to the World Cup. He has six months to make the final list. Neymar has recovered, but he needs to show performance. When the Brazilian league ends, he’ll have some vacation time, and then he must show his quality and physical condition again." 

The former Real Madrid boss also offered some words of advice for the Brazilian great, as he added. "The truth is that soccer today asks for many things, not just talent. Also, physical condition, intensity. Hopefully, Neymar can be at his best level. He needs to play more centrally, not as a winger. Wingers in today’s soccer are players you need to help also defensively. When you play a little bit more inside the defensive work is much less than if you play as a winger."

The Athletics rookie All-Star Jacob Wilson was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, retroactive to July 26, with a a fractured left forearm.

The shortstop missed the past three games because of the injury. This update comes as he's been already dealing with a left hand contusion he suffered on July 8 after being hit by a pitch. He missed three games with that injury as well.

Wilson's absence will be a tough loss for the Athletics, as they look to turn their season around. The A's are in last place in the AL West with a 46-63 record, and 15 games back from the Astros, who lead the division.

Through 94 games this season, Wilson's averaged .312/.354/.439 with 115 hits, 46 runs, 45 RBIs and 10 home runs.

There really is nothing like the World Cup. Even just qualifying generates a level of nationwide excitement that the club game simply cannot match, which is why we witnessed truly joyous scenes all across the globe during the November international break, as 14 more countries booked their seat at next summer's festival of football in North America.

It obviously came as no surprise to see the likes of France, Spain and Germany secure their spots at the finals, but Curacao's qualification was absolutely incredible, while Scotland, Norway and Austria are all bound for their first appearances at a World Cup since 1998. Of course, there are still six slots to be filled but it's fair to say that we now have a much better idea of who will be contention to lift the most famous trophy in sport at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. 

So, who's looking like a potential victor and which countries still have a lot to work to do between now and the opening game in Mexico City on June 11? Below, GOAL assesses the prospects of the three co-hosts (United States, Mexico and Canada) and the other 39 teams to have confirmed their participation in the 2026 World Cup ahead of Friday's group-stage draw in Washington DC…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  42New Zealand ⬇️

  FIFA's decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed spot at the 2026 World Cup made New Zealand's qualification for the finals for the first time since 2010 a formality, as they have nothing remotely resembling worthy rivals in OFC. As defender Michael Boxall said after the All Whites progressed with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia, "We've gone through heartbreak in [previous campaigns] but once the tournament expanded, we expected this of ourselves."

  The question now is whether they can make any kind of impact in North America next year. Much will obviously depend on their group-stage opponents, and a recent draw with Norway offered some grounds for optimism – but it's hard to be confident about the prospects of a team that has now slipped to 86th in the world rankings after a run of seven games without a win.

  Indeed, they've still only won 11 games against non-OFC opposition in the past 15 years, and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood is the only truly top-class player in New Zealand's squad.

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• AFP
  

  41Qatar ⬇️

  After underwhelming everyone on their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022, Qatar will be aiming to leave a much more positive impression on the tournament four years on. However, their qualification was shrouded in controversy, with the two-time Asian champions inexplicably allowed to play both of their fourth-round matches on home soil and, after holding Oman to a scoreless draw in Al Rayyan, they beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 at the same venue to clinch top spot in their three-team group.

  Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui oversaw the conclusion of Qatar's campaign after taking the manager's job in May, and did a good job shoring up a defence that conceded 24 times in 10 matches during the third round of qualification. In striker Almoez Ali, Lopetegui is also in possession of a prolific striker who scored more goals (12) than anyone else in the AFC section.

  Still, getting out of their group in North America is likely to be a tall order for Qatar, who lost a friendly against Zimbabwe in Doha last month and are presently struggling on home soil in the Arab Cup.

• AFP
  

  40Jordan ⬇️

  Jordan made history on June 5 by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, sparking wild scenes of celebration all across the country. A 3-0 win over Oman, which came courtesy of a hat-trick from Ali Olwan, left Al Nashama on the verge of clinching a spot at the finals, and a top-two finish in AFC Group B was ensured thanks to South Korea's 2-0 win over third-placed Iraq later in the day.

  Obviously, not much will be expected of Jordan at the finals. The majority of Jamal Sellami's side ply their trade in their homeland, though star winger Mousa Tamari has spent the majority of his career in Europe, and left Montpellier for Rennes earlier this year.

  Jordan, who are ranked 66th in the world, have also been steadily improving over the past few years and even upset South Korea on their way to a runners-up finish at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, but recent friendly defeats to Bolivia, Albania and Tunisia underline that their World Cup campaign is likely to be a hard slog.

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• AFP
  

  39Curacao 🆕

  Curacao have improved enormously over the past 10 years, rising from 150th to 82nd in the world rankings, but their qualification for the finals is nonetheless astonishing. Indeed, it still looked unlikely during their decisive group game against a heavily-fancied Jamaica side, who hit the woodwork three times in last month's clash in Kingston and also had an injury-time penalty overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

  However, despite also being shorn of the services of coach Dick Advocaat, who missed the game for personal reasons, Curacao held firm to claim the point they needed to become the smallest nation – both in terms of size and population – to ever qualify for the World Cup. So, while The Blue Wave is unlikely to make a big impact in North America with a low-profile group of players (Manchester United academy product Tahith Chong will be the most familiar face to Premier League followers), it doesn't really matter. Curacao have already made history.

To say Arsenal are in form at the moment would be an understatement.

Mikel Arteta’s side are flying and, following their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League, are starting to get the recognition they deserve.

Moreover, while there is still a long way to go before anything is settled, the Gunners could go a long way in cementing their grip on the Premier League title race by beating Chelsea on Sunday.

However, it will be a tough game, and on top of Estevao, Arsenal may have to be on their toes regarding a certain Cole Palmer, who’s previously been compared to another international star the Gunners have been linked with.

Arsenal team news

Arsenal’s recent run of results and performances have been hugely impressive, and are made only more so by the fact that the team have been plagued by injuries.

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For example, the team tore Tottenham Hotspur to pieces without a recognised number nine on the pitch, or bench for that matter, and without Gabriel Mageheles, who has arguably been their player of the season so far.

Fortunately, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard are all back in contention again, with all three coming off the bench against Bayern.

Moreover, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta revealed that there is “a potential chance” that Leandro Trossard could be available for the game this weekend.

He was a little less clear when it came to Gabriel Jesus, as he confirmed that the striker took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly, but said “We have to see” when it comes to his availability for Sunday.

Finally, while it seems unlikely, the boss didn’t rule out the possibility of Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz making it into the squad, saying, “We have another day tomorrow, so let’s see how everybody is tomorrow.”

So, it’s mostly good news on the injury front for the Gunners, but the Blues have also received a big boost, with Enzo Maresca confirming that Palmer is now available to start the game.

The Englishman is a world-class player, and based on reports from earlier this month, Arsenal could potentially sign someone who has been compared to him in the past.

The Palmer-like star Arsenal could sign

Arsenal have already been linked with a host of seriously exciting players over the last month or so, but arguably the most exciting and the one who has been compared to Palmer is Michael Olise.

Now, it should be said that the two internationals, of course, have their differences, but according to FBref, the Englishman was the third-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman in the 23/24 Premier League season.

To gain a better understanding of how this conclusion was reached, you can take a look at the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked so closely.

These metrics included things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key and live passes, shot and goal-creating actions, passes into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

In other words, both players were attacking monsters, both from a goalscoring perspective and a creative one.

Now, on top of the undeniable statistical similarities between them, they can also both be described as entertainers; they are players who’ll produce the output, but will also get the fans on their feet with a piece of skill and trickery.

Moreover, the pair of them are quite nonchalant in the way they go about their business on and off the pitch, making the former Crystal Palace star someone who’d probably fit in quite well at the Emirates.

Ultimately, while the comparisons to the Chelsea star are great, the Gunners should be looking to sign the Bayern Munich star regardless, as in just 74 appearances for the German giants, he has already produced 62 goal involvements, which more than justifies Serge Gnabry’s claim that the 23-year-old is “one of the best players in the world.”

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By
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