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Fading away in the Premier League title race last season – the juggernaut of Manchester City unsurprisingly crowned as top-flight champions once more after the Gunners had battled toe-to-toe – Arsenal have not let any festering disappointment from that collapse impact their performances in the infancy of this new campaign.

Mikel Arteta's North Londoners are currently unbeaten in the league to date, only suffering one defeat in all competitions so far this season when travelling to France to face off against RC Lens in the Champions League and leaving empty-handed in a 2-1 loss.

Their most impressive victory of the season so far has to be their 1-0 victory over Pep Guardiola's Man City, Guardiola's understudy in Arteta – Arsenal's Spanish boss once assistant to Pep at the Ethiad – masterminding a gritty win as boss over the side that pipped them to the top-flight honours in May.

Still, not everything is rosy with the Gunners to date. New recruit Kai Havertz has yet to get going in an Arsenal strip, concerns surrounding the German's quality growing with fellow midfielder Martin Odegaard also underperforming of late.

How is Odegaard performing this season for Arsenal?

Compared to last season's high standards, the Norwegian midfielder – who now has the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband for the Gunners – hasn't been quite as instrumental for Arsenal in games this campaign so far.

Scoring a career-best 15 goals during the 2022-23 league season, assisting a further eight, the one-time Real Madrid starlet has matured into an elite talent in England.

It is why his current performances feel so underwhelming in contrast and might be why Arteta didn't even use him as a substitute against Sheffield United last time out, the Gunners convincingly dispatching of the Blades 5-0 even without their main creator centrally.

His displays in recent matches show a player running somewhat on empty, Odegaard nowhere near his best in Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Chelsea in their last away outing – not even registering a single shot on goal at Stamford Bridge all game per Sofascore, the Gunners bailed out by late impact man Leandro Trossard who netted the crucial equaliser.

Yet, even with his three goals and one assist from nine contests, the 24-year-old ace is still head and shoulders above Havertz who is frustrating another set of football supporters in London after departing Chelsea.

How is Havertz performing this season for Arsenal?

Raising eyebrows at the time, Havertz's move to the Emirates for £67.5m felt make or break for the misfiring German after a poor couple of seasons at Stamford Bridge.

"Underwhelming for far too long" in a Chelsea shirt before moving on, according to football journalist Jai McIntosh, Havertz is yet to prove his critics wrong for Arteta's men with his recent performances for the Gunners just giving his naysayers more ammunition.

Averaging a sub-par 6.89 rating for the Gunners from their first 10 games per Sofascore, his only goal so far for his new employers came from the penalty spot versus AFC Bournemouth – Arsenal cruising at 3-0, Havertz afforded the opportunity to convert the penalty to boost his wavering confidence.

Against Sheffield United, Havertz could not capitalise on the Blades' frailties in defence and help himself to a second goal in Arsenal colours.

The German attempted one shot all game and missed a 'big chance', per Sofascore, hitting his effort wide as an Eddie Nketiah hat-trick helped Arteta's men seal an emphatic win versus the Premier League's basement club.

Arteta will still have everything crossed that Havertz can kickstart his career in North London soon, the 24-year-old finding life in the Premier League hard.

But, as was the case with Granit Xhaka and many more that Arteta improved last season with the Gunners, all hope should not be lost that the dud can reach new heights and live up to his billing as the next best thing after starring with Bayer Leverkusen as a youngster.

However, for now, the ex-Chelsea man is worse than Odegaard and is yet to prove that he has the ability to score or assist goals on a regular basis in the way that the Norwegian ace did last season, which is why he must be ditched from the XI for now.

Alyssa Naeher was the undoubted hero for the USWNT in their W Gold Cup penalty shootout win over Canada, as she saved three and scored one herself.

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• Thrilling contest went all the way
• Crazy conditions in California
• Veteran keeper made the difference

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Chicago Red Stars custodian, who has become an international centurion after reaching 100 caps, appeared to have suffered spot-kick agony at the end of an epic encounter that saw Adriana Leon snatch a 127th-minute equaliser in a thrilling 2-2 draw.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Conditions at Snapdragon Stadium in California made life difficult for both sides, with torrential rain making the pitch almost unplayable. That worked in favour of the USWNT at times, especially when Jaedyn Shaw was assisted by a puddle when opening the scoring, but the game would ultimately be settled by a battle of nerves from 12 yards.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Naeher held hers to keep out three of Canada’s efforts – with Leon, Jordyn Huitema and Jessie Fleming all being repelled. Naeher even got in on the penalty-scoring act, as she calmly fired the USWNT’s third penalty low into the bottom corner.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola refuses to believe Manchester United will be easy opponents in Sunday's derby at the Etihad Stadium.

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• Guardiola not underestimating United
• 'They have the biggest quality'
• Red Devils reeling after defeat by Fulham

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  United are four places and 15 points behind City in the Premier League and sunk to a disheartening home defeat by Fulham last week. They also are missing key players including Rasmus Hojlund, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire. However, the Catalan pointed out that United had previously been unbeaten in the new year and insisted he was expecting City's rivals to be a threat.

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• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  "They went to Luton and beat them, Wolves and beat them, Aston Villa to go and win a few weeks ago. They have the biggest quality," Guardiola told a press conference. "From one action they create something special with set pieces, transitions. Always have been demanding, when they play good, they will win. In 2024 they lost just one game, the consistency is there. [We will] prepare tactically, what we have to do to get three points."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  New United minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has vowed to 'knock City and Liverpool off their perch' and targeted another league title within the next three years. Guardiola refused to comment on Ratcliffe's ambitions but acknowledged how tough it has been for United to reassert themselves at the top since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013. "Big clubs, you have to win. Not easy for United, an incredible period with Sir Alex. It's not easy," Guardiola added. "The big clubs used to have more patience, now there is a lot of pressure. I don't know the reason why, I'm not there."

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  Guardiola has won 11 of his 20 Manchester derbies, drawing twice and losing seven times, giving him the best record of any City manager against United. He has also turned the Cityzens into the dominant force in English football.

Wasim Akram is in Australia to commentate on the Women’s World Cup and now he knows all about the top women and their rankings

Jenny Roesler24-Mar-2009For the last fortnight, the king of Pakistan cricket has been striding around North Sydney Oval, looking predictably suave in well-fitting shirts and purple-tinted sunglasses. Wasim Akram is in Australia to commentate on the Women’s World Cup for ESPN Star Sports and, ever too cool for school, he refused to do his homework.He arrived here not knowing the names of any players, realising that his co-commentators would give excellent assistance. He notes that he never even studied his opposition when a player, then again when forming a powerful alliance with Waqar Younis, he didn’t have to.Now he knows all the top women and their world rankings. “I’ve been impressed by the standard of the cricket ability, the standard of the fielding, the standard of the talent – they’ve got every shot,” he enthuses. “The fielding was phenomenal. For England, New Zealand and Australia, the fielding was mind-blowing, I was amazed.”It didn’t even take a fortnight for Wasim, who had never seen women’s cricket before – unless you count a brief hour at the World Cup final at Lord’s in 1993 – to become a big fan and an important, if unofficial, ambassador.From the moment he began commentating on the opening Australia-New Zealand match, it was obvious he was impressed, and perhaps even surprised. As Karen Rolton smoked a bullet through point, Wasim asked his co-commentator: “Is Karen mainly an off-side player?”That instant she cracked a sweet pull to square. Within overs, Wasim was confidently announcing, as if he had always known, “Karen, of course, can play shots all round the wicket.” He was smitten.His favourite players are Rolton, Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, Claire Taylor, Laura Marsh and Holly Colvin – notably all batsmen or spinners. One thing he would like to see is batsmen going after the slow bowlers. “I haven’t seen anyone attacking the spinners, playing with the spin, using their feet, apart from a few of the seniors.”The absence of pace bowlers in Wasim’s list of notables is attributable to the fact that they could be even stronger, and so have more speed. “They’re not genuinely sharp, but they can become sharp if they play a longer version of the game – at least two-day cricketwhere they can bowl a lot more overs and, by doing that, their bowling muscles will get strengthened and their pace will increase.”That’s what happens with fast bowlers. If you’ve got to play one tournament in two years or five one-day internationals, you’re not going to improve your pace.”But his dream is likely to remain such. If anything, more one-day and Twenty20 cricket is being played than ever before – with no winds of change on the horizon. For years the only country to play two-day domestic cricket, Australia finally wound up playing such long matches a few years ago, while Tests have been waning.I turned briefly to Wasim’s fellow commentator Belinda Clark, the manager of Australia’s Centre of Excellence, for her comments. “As a player, I think that developing that opportunity to play in all forms of the game is really important,” she agreed. “I think, really, in terms of international exposure, it’s going to come through one-day and Twenty20 cricket for the girls.”I agree with him that [longer cricket] plays a very important role in developing not only bowling skills but the ability to bat for long periods and actually learn the game is done in the longer form of the game. The harsh commercial realities are that that’s going to bedifficult to do going forward.”Wasim Akram, the unofficial ambassador of women’s cricket•AFPFinances have played a pointed part in this World Cup. The best-funded team, England, won the US$45,000 prize fairly comfortably – sending a clear message to other boards.But as well as monetary assistance, the game needs prominent advocates such as Wasim. Australia has an official ambassador in Ian Healy, a perfect fit, as his niece Alyssa is a junior Australia player, and he even flew himself in for the final. More big names actually discovering the game is a big aim, however, which is where Wasim’s opinion really counts.So impressed has he been that he is keen to spread the women’s word among the male bastions. “Of course I will be saying the standard is really good and we should support it – and I will support it all the way.”They just need to play a bit more cricket to get more exposure and then they’ll improve as players as well,” he says. “I think that women’s cricket has a future for sure.”

Lawsuits, resignations, sackings and more, in our look back at the third quarter of the year

Judhajit Basu and Kanishkaa Balachandran29-Dec-2008July
Ajantha Mendis picked up 6 for 13 in the final of the Asia Cup, which Sri Lanka won by 100 runs © AFP
1 New Zealand totally outclass a threadbare Ireland by a record ODI margin of 290 runs.3 The ICC changes the result of the controversial Oval Test between England and Pakistan in 2006 from an England win to a draw, following pressure from the PCB. Two days later, Michael Holding resigns from the ICC cricket committee, citing the change of the result as the reason.Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, is appointed the new chairman of the ICC cricket committee, following Sunil Gavaskar’s resignation. Samir Inamdar, the chairman of Cricket Kenya, is elected chairman of the Associate and Affiliate members of the ICC, and Marlon Samuels’ two-year ban is upheld among other decisions.6 Ajantha Mendis bamboozles India to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13 and help Sri Lanka win the Asia Cup final in Karachi by 100 runs.Australia complete a 5-0 whitewash in the ODI series against West Indies, winning the fifth ODI in St Kitts by 169 runs.7 Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, is appointed president of the Asian Cricket Council.8 Mahendra Singh Dhoni pulls out of the Test leg of India’s tour of Sri Lanka, citing exhaustion after a non-stop season.The ICC announces an investment of US$300 million over the next seven years for the development of the game outside the 10 Full Member countries.10 Sri Lanka Cricket decides to allow its cricketers to play in the second season of the IPL, though the league clashes with Sri Lanka’s tour of England. The board also agrees to back-date the players’ contract payments from March 1, 2008.The ICC takes the first significant step towards resolving the contentious issue of unauthorised cricket by setting up a high-powered committee.13 A sample taken during random testing at the inaugural IPL tests positive. The player in question later turns out to be Mohammad Asif, whom the PCB subsequently suspends.16 The ECB unveils its plans for an English Premier League starting 2010.Future Test series between South Africa and England are granted “icon” status by Cricket South Africa and the ECB with the support of the ICC.17 The BCCI cranks up the pressure on English counties that have employed players linked with the Indian Cricket League, “advising” its own players to not sign up with such teams. Consequently Piyush Chawla doesn’t sign for Hampshire, or VVS Laxman for Nottinghamshire.23 Joubert Strydom ends his term as the South African chairman of selectors to pursue business interests.26 The New Zealand Emerging Players, aided by Neil Broom’s 62, clinch the Emerging Players Tournament by defeating the Australian Institute of Sports by three wickets at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.29 Jagmohan Dalmiya is elected president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, a position from which he was unseated in December 2006.The BCCI rejects an offer from the ECB to join England’s version of the Champions League.August
Michael Vaughan struggles to hold his emotions in check after resigning as England captain © Getty Images
1 Ashok Mankad, the former India batsman, passes away in Mumbai.2 Hong Kong beat defending champions UAE by three wickets to win the ACC Elite Trophy in a rain-shortened final in Kuala Lumpur.David “Butch” White, the former England and Hampshire quick bowler, dies aged 73.Diteko Modise, the former financial manager of the South African board, is sentenced to 76 years in jail for fraud.Graeme Smith’s unbeaten 154 guides South Africa to a five-wicket win against England at Edgbaston in the third Test, ensuring a series victory for South Africa, their first in England since 1965.Michael Vaughan resigns as England captain. Paul Collingwood also calls it quits as England’s one-day captain.4 Kevin Pietersen is appointed England’s Test and one-day captain.Ireland and Netherlands share the World Twenty20 Qualifiers trophy after the final of the tournament is washed out in Belfast.5 The chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board, Donald Peters returns to work after being sent on leave in July following a dispute with Julian Hunte, the board president.7 Robin Brown is fired from his position as national coach by Zimbabwe Cricket. Andy Pycroft, the Zimbabwe A team coach, is also shown the door.9 Bob Cunis, the former New Zealand medium-pacer, passes away, aged 67.11 Sri Lanka make their way to a comprehensive 2-1 Test series win, their first over India since 2001, winning the third Test by eight wickets.Chris Gayle withdraws his letter of resignation as West Indies captain, written at the end of July, and says he is set to continue leading the side.16 Walter Chawaguta, the former Zimbabwe Under-19 coach, takes charge of the national team.18 Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the PCB, resigns from his post on the same day that the patron of the board, Pervez Musharraf, resigns as president of Pakistan.Rain washes out the fifth and final women’s ODI between England and South Africa at Chesterfield, handing the hosts a 4-0 series win.19 Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif’s B sample from the IPL tests positive for nandrolone.20 Zimbabwe confirms they will not take part in the ICC World Twenty20 in England in 2009, following meetings with the ICC in Dubai.Steve Harmison comes out of ODI retirement to strengthen England’s bowling against South Africa in the five-match series.22Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire, tenders his resignation with the ICC in order to take up a coaching role.Xavier Marshall hits the most sixes in a one-day international innings, 12, as he demolishes Canada’s bowlers in a tri-series match in King City.23 The BCCI working committee proposes to pay an annual sum of Rs 25 lakh to each national selector, making the job a fully paid one instead of the existing honorary system.24 The ICC postpones the Champions Trophy, due to begin in Pakistan from September 12. The decision to defer it to October 2009 is taken at a teleconference among board members the next day.25 Marcus Trescothick admits in his autobiography to using mints to help shine the ball during England’s 2-1 Ashes victory in 2005.26 The Stanford 20/20 for 20 match between the Stanford Super Stars and England comes under threat when West Indies team sponsor Digicel brings an injunction against the WICB in the High Court in London.27 India seal their maiden bilateral ODI series triumph in Sri Lanka with a 46-run win in the replayed fourth ODI at the Premadasa Stadium; they take an unbeatable 3-1 lead.Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner, announces his retirement from county cricket due to persistent knee trouble.29 Samit Patel’s all-round performance at The Oval helps England win the ODI series against South Africa, taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.30 The BCCI technical committee says state associations will now be permitted to include four “guest players” (from areas outside their jurisdiction) in their squads from the 2008-09 season onwards, up from three previously.Andrew Symonds is banished from the Australia squad to take on Bangladesh in the first ODI in Darwin after he goes fishing and misses a team meeting.
Darren Gough bids farewell in his final first-class game © PA Photos
1 On the 40th anniversary of Garry Sobers hitting six sixes in an over, Floyd Reifer , the former West Indies batsman, emulates the feat in a match in the Barbados Cricket Association’s Twenty20 league.2 Graeme Hick, the former England captain, announces his retirement from first-class cricket at the age of 42.3 England thrash South Africa 4-0 in the one-day series at home. The fifth and final ODI in Cardiff is washed out.4 The ICC announces ODI Player rankings for women, set for an October launch.5 The three founding members of the Champions League announce that the second edition of the tournament will be held between September 25 and October 10, 2009, and will feature 12 teams.Col Egar, the former Test umpire and Australian cricket administrator, dies in Adelaide at the age of 80.6 Australia sweep the one-day series against Bangladesh 3-0 in Darwin. Bangladesh collapsed to 125 all out, chasing 199.7 South Africa reject a proposal to host a tri-series featuring South Africa and Sri Lanka after their leading players say they aren’t interested in playing after a hectic tour of England.9 England Women beat India Women 4-0 in the home one-dayers. The fifth and final ODI in Hove was washed out.10 Shivnarine Chanderpaul is named the 2008 ICC Cricketer of the Year at the annual ICC Awards in Dubai. For the full list of awards click here.11 The 10-year commercial rights to the Champions League are sold to ESPN-Star Sports for US$900 million.13 West Indies pull out of the four-nation Twenty20 tournament in Canada in October after their request to postpone it by two weeks is turned down.14 Murray Goodwin secures the Pro40 title for Sussex by hitting the final ball of a gripping winner-takes-all clash against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge for six.Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, announces he will be standing down at the end of the season following 11 years in charge. The allrounder Michael Yardy takes over in his place.Six Bangladesh players inform the BCB that they intend to retire from international and domestic cricket. There’s speculation all are set to join the ICL, which is confirmed the next day when the ICL unveils the Dhaka Warriors team. Habibul Bashar is named captain.Cricket Australia confirm Australia’s tour of India will go ahead, despite increased fears over security following a series of bomb blasts in New Delhi.17 Norman Arendse quits his post as Cricket South Africa’s president, saying he never enjoyed the full trust and confidence of Gerald Majola, the CEO, and all 11 affiliates.The Bangladesh Cricket Board announces a ten-year ban for all 13 of its players who joined the ICL.18 Xavier Marshall and Tonito Willett, from Leewards Islands, test positive in drug tests conducted during a two-week camp in Antigua in August.SNGPL become the first Pakistan team to win the Mohammad Nissar Trophy after the game against Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla ends in a draw. SNGPL take the title based on their first-innings lead.19 Sri Lanka Cricket lifts the ban on five cricketers and an umpire who in 2007 signed up for the ICL; all are allowed to participate in domestic cricket.20 Stanford organisers reject Digicel’s compromise offer to the WICB regarding branding for the Stanford 20/20 for 20.22 Darren Gough bows out of first-class cricket after being omitted from Yorkshire’s squad for their match against Sussex at Hove. Gough played in 58 Tests and 159 ODIs, taking 229 and 234 wickets respectively.24 Sri Lanka Cricket revises its stance on ICL cricketers playing domestic cricket after a meeting with the sports minister Gamini Lokuge, saying the players were only allowed to play the upcoming Premier League Cricket Tournament 2008.25 The ICC gives the ICL the opportunity to present its case for official sanction, and Subhash Chandra, the owner of the league, agrees to meet ICC president David Morgan in London in the October.Warwickshire secure the Division Two title in the County Championship by claiming bonus points against Glamorgan at Edgbaston .26 Kris Srikkanth heads India’s first-ever paid national selection committee. The committee also comprises Yashpal Sharma (North), Narendra Hirwani (Central), Surendra Bhave (West) and Raja Venkat (East).Moin Khan sues the Pakistan board over its claims that he was involved in recruiting Mohammad Yousuf for the ICL. He demands 100 million Pakistan rupees (approximately US$1.3 million) as compensation for damage to his reputation.27 Durham claim their first-ever County Championship title after beating Kent by an innings and 71 runs at Canterbury.The PCB replies strongly to Moin Khan’s legal notice and asks him to pay Rs 250 million rupees (approx US$3,210,891) in damages.28 Khaled Mashud, the former Bangladesh captain and wicketkeeper, announces his retirement from all forms of international cricket.30 Derek Underwood, the former England spinner, begins his one-year tenure as president of the MCC, taking over from Mike Brearley.Martin van Jaarsveld, the former South Africa batsman, is named the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year.The ICC amends the Powerplay rule, allowing the batting team to decide when to use the third Powerplay. The rule is to come into effect from October 1.

One Celtic player is starting to become a target overseas ahead of the New Year, with another club making an offer for his services.

Celtic transfer update

The Hoops were busy over the summer following Brendan Rodgers’ return to Parkhead, with a number of additions being made in multiple areas of the pitch.

Celtic summer window signings

Fee

Gustaf Lagerbielke (IF Elfsborg)

£3m

Odin Thiago Holm (Valerenga)

£2.5m

Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)

£2m

Hyun-Jun Yang (Gangwon)

£2m

Hyeokkyu Kwon (Busan I-Park)

£1m

Maik Nawrocki (Legia Warsaw)

£4.3m

Tomoki Iwata (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Undisc.

All fees according to Sky Sports

Alongside all the arrivals, there were also some departees, and the club actually made a profit in the summer, mainly due to Jota’s big-money exit to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad. As well as Jota, Celtic also received fees for Carl Starfelt, Albian Ajeti and Conor Hazard, and by the looks of things, the club could soon bring in cash for another player in 2024.

Celtic outcast Yosuke Ideguchi made the move back to Japan earlier this year, joining Avispa Fukuoka back in February. Since then, reports have claimed that the J1 League want to secure his services on a permanent deal.

However, in a new Celtic transfer update from Japan, relayed by The Glasgow Times, the Hoops have already received an offer from Avispa Fukuoka and now fellow Japanese side Vissel Kobe are also said to have made a "formal offer" for the midfielder.

Yosuke Ideguchi's career at Celtic

Ideguchi arrived in Glasgow back in January 2022 and is under contract until 2026, however, things haven’t worked out for the Japan international. He has missed a number of games through injury since putting pen to paper in Scotland and has made just six senior appearances in green and white. His injury issues have continued while on loan at Avispa Fukuoka.

Yosuke Ideguchi injury history

Injury

Games missed

Season

Broken ankle

17

2022/23

Fitness

12

2022/23

Knee

7

2021/22

Unknown

10

2020/21

Former Greuther Furth boss Damir Buric previously heaped praise on the player, though, saying:

“In regards to Yosuke, I can only speak the best. He is an outstanding person with great character. First of all I was very impressed with the way he came back from that serious injury. What impressed me most was the way he was working during his time out with the injury.

“It was just unbelievable, almost like soldier. He showed such a great attitude and positive approach. He was extremely disciplined, took in every additional training session of physical rehabilitation and invested all of his time in getting back as soon as he possibly could.”

He appears to be a player with quality when fully fit, however, unfortunately, Celtic haven’t seen that version of the player enough, so a permanent exit could make sense for all involved in 2024, whether that be with Avispa Fukuoka or Vissel Kobe, making this one to watch.

Following reports of an ankle ligament injury for midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, it's now believed another Tottenham star is set to be out till 2024.

Spurs injury list growing and growing

As many as ten Spurs players are currently unavailable, with one suspended and a seismic eight on the treatment table. Cristian Romero is serving a match ban, but the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Ashley Phillips, Pape Matar Sarr and, now, Bentancur are all sidelined through injury.

At the start of November, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou was enjoying a 10-game unbeaten run after winning consecutive Manager of the Month awards. Now, the Australian is fresh off the back of three losses in a row, and a plethora of his squad members are unavailable for selection.

Bentancur's ankle problem will come as an especially sore one to take for supporters and Postecoglou, as the Uruguay midfielder had only just returned from a nine-month injury absence sustained last season.

"It wasn't a great tackle," said Postecoglou on Bentancur after Tottenham's loss to Villa.

"I thought he started the game so well and I think it was the reason we got a real good foothold on the game. He's such a creative player. It's the last thing we needed, another injury. So disappointed to lose him but we're yet to see the extent of it."

The South American could've provided some real steal in the Spurs midfield for looming encounters against league champions Man City and London rivals West Ham, not to mention Champions League qualification rivals Newcastle United.

Solomon now out until 2024

This week, Spurs appeared to be slowly approaching the return of winger Solomon at one point, but now the Isreali will join Bentancur as a sidelined star till 2024. The Standard previously estimated a December return for Tottenham's summer signing, but the same outlet and journalist Nizaar Kinsella have some bad news on that front.

Indeed, they claim Solomon is now expected to miss the rest of 2023 and won't return until the new year. The former Fulham winger has provided two assists over his limited appearances in a Spurs shirt and would've been a wonderful option to call upon in the festive period.

Alas, Postecoglou will have to cope without Solomon's presence for a while longer yet, as the Tottenham boss also ponders how to get the very best out of his limited squad.

The 24-year-old has been praised as a "special" player by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant, but he'll be forced to watch on from the Spurs sidelines until next year.

Being called "among the best" for his one-v-one ability, Postecoglou really could've done with him.

“Manor is a special player; he was excellent at Fulham,” said Grant to Ynet. “I spoke with him, and he’s thrilled to be at Tottenham; he has improved his killer instinct. What sets him apart is his amazing one-on-one ability; he’s among the best. He is a Premier League player in every sense."

Sunderland may be flying high in the Championship at the moment, but they are at risk of losing an influential figure in 2024, according to a new update.

Sunderland heading for Championship playoffs

The Black Cats equipped themselves impressively on their return to the Championship last season, arguably faring a lot better than many had expected. Tony Mowbray's side only just missed out on a place in the playoff final, which was a great effort after being in League One the previous year, and big things were again expected this time around.

Sunderland haven't disappointed in 2023/24 to date, sitting fourth in the table after 11 matches and picking up some superb victories, including a memorable 5-0 win at home to Southampton. It hasn't been perfect, not least a shock 4-0 defeat against local rivals Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light earlier this month, but Mowbray's men look in a strong position to finish in the playoffs.

For that to happen, the Black Cats will need to keep all of their most influential players fit and in form for as much of the campaign as possible, and there are key figures everywhere you look, whether it be Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham or Jack Clarke, to name just a few.

Now, a worrying exit update has emerged regarding one of the first names on Mowbray's team sheet, acting as a possible major setback for Sunderland.

Sunderland transfer news: Bellingham linked with Real Madrid

A Bellingham to Real Madrid claim has emerged in a report from Spain, with billionaire owner Florentino Perez keen on bringing Jobe to the club to play with his brother Jude, who has made a stunning start to life at the La Liga giants.

It is stated that Perez "asked Juni Calafat to send his scouts to bring a full report of Mark and Denise Bellingham's second son", who "caught the attention of those present" when watching England's Under-19s in action, not least because of his likeness to his brother in terms of style of play.

There is no doubt that this would be a massive blow for Sunderland, with Bellingham already such an important presence in the team, despite only being 18 years of age. Mowbray himself clearly loves him to won't want to read a single sentence of the rumours, once saying of him:

"He is very mature for his age. He acts like a seasoned pro, and demands standards. Even in small-sided games, he wants to win. You can see he has a very focused, driven thought pattern on where he is going and how he is going to get there.

"And that is to try to be excellent in everything you do. It's a great mentality. He is not in the team because of his name, it is football ability and his competitive edge and athleticism and technique."

The lure of joining his brother at Madrid could obviously be great for Bellingham, however, allowing him to settle in easier, not to mention play for arguably the world's biggest team, and Sunderland will just hope that he stays loyal to them for as long as possible.

Bellingham's stats this season speak for themselves when outlining his importance, with starts coming his way in all 11 Championship matches, not to mention scoring twice and averaging 1.7 clearances per game.

Newcastle United's home St. James' Park is the favourite to host the inaugural Over-35s World Cup.

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St. James' could host Over-35s World CupEight teams to take part in the inaugural editionCould be held in the first week of JuneWHAT HAPPENED?

The first-ever edition of the Over-35s World Cup is all set to be held in England in June with Newcastle United's home ground St. James' Park likely to host the matches, according to the Daily Mail. The Elite Player Group, who are organising the tournament, recently met representatives of the Magpies and the local council of Newcastle city.

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The tournament is all set to feature eight teams – England, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Uruguay – all past champions of the FIFA World Cup. Players who are aged 35 or above capped by their country or with 100 top-flight appearances are eligible to participate in the competition.

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All eight teams have already revealed their respective captains for the tournament. The leaders will be Steve McManaman (England), Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina), Emerson (Brazil), Christian Karembeu (France), Kevin Kuranyi (Germany), Marco Materazzi (Italy), Michel Salgado (Spain) and Diego Lugano (Uruguay). Full 18-man final squads will be announced soon.

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While the dates of the competition are yet to be finalised, the tournament could be tentatively hosted in the first week of June with the final taking place on June 11 or June 12.

With the tournament scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10, SLC is also attempting to lure second-string India players to participate

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Apr-2018

Russel Arnold, the former Sri Lanka batsman, and commentator, has been appointed tournament director for the Lankan Premier League, to be played in August and September. Having officially signed on several days ago, Arnold’s work begins in earnest in May.”We consider bringing in a person in the caliber of Russel as the Tournament Director of the LPL will help the process of making it a successful tournament, especially considering his experience as a player and also his knowledge in promoting the game,” said Thilanga Sumathipala, the SLC president.Although planning remains in the early stages, Sri Lanka Cricket is also attempting to lure second-string India players to the tournament, with Sumathipala having repeatedly stated that he plans to appeal to the BCCI about the issue. The presence of Indian players – even those of lesser renown – would be a substantial boon, particularly as LPL match times will be ideally suited for Indian viewers. The BCCI has never allowed its players to participate in foreign leagues, although SLC hopes to change that given the recent co-operation between both boards.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva also said that the board would insist that all its players take part in the LPL instead of the Caribbean Premier League, which is set to take place at the same time.SLC has not had a high profile T20 tournament since the SLPL, which had a lukewarm reception on the island in 2012, and was never played again. The LPL is scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10.