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There was a momentary delay during the fourth inning of the Tigers-Guardians wild-card series showdown on Tuesday after a foul ball from Angel Martinez careened directly into one of the stadium cameras behind home plate, instantly shattering the lens.

After the pitch was fouled off, the loud and unmistakable sound of glass shattering could be heard on the broadcast. Glass could be seen flying onto the ground behind the plate, and just about everyone looked back towards the camera station in confusion.

Have a look at the bizarre moment in Tuesday's Game 1:

The noise created by the shattering of the camera lens truly sounded like a sound effect straight out of a movie.

The broadcast panned to show the damaged camera, and the shattered lens was visible in the shot. The grounds crew responded quickly and arrived on the scene in order to clean up the area behind home plate and allow for play to resume.

Hopefully, that camera can be replaced and ESPN can get its behind-the-plate angle up and running again.

The fast bowler has a joyous attitude that is really the essence of Bazball

Mark Nicholas10-Jul-2023There is this friend of mine. You know him – a former England captain, steeped in the game.England need 37 to win at Headingley with Harry Brook and Chris Woakes at the wicket and he fires off to our WhatsApp group – that’s five of us who have played and loved the game all our lives.”I’m due at a late lunch with friends down the road, don’t wanna go, wanna go, don’t wanna go, wanna go…”To which comes the old dressing-room response: “Don’t go. In fact, don’t move a muscle…””Christ,” I chime in, “I’m moving muscles (if you call them that). I’m pacing the house as if waiting for the end of the world.”And the reply bounced back, “Which it is, if we lose this game.”Silence for a few minutes and then:”I’m on my way!”He heads out for lunch.Brook and Woakes battle on – 25 needed.Related

• Wood's pace leaves Australia a new challenge

• Mark Wood earns his wings as bombastic display provides Ashes lift-off

• Mark Wood: 'When I'm at full biff, it's like a catapult'

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• Stats – Brook's 1K speedrun and Bazball's chase mastery

Brook cuts Todd Murphy for four.”I’m gonna walk the dog.””No. Stay there!””Can’t, sorry. I’m pacing the house. May as well pace the park”.Twenty-one needed.I decide against the park and turn on the upstairs TV.Brook skies his wild attempt at a pull/hook and is caught by Pat Cummins. Oh Harry of all hope, what have you done?!”FFS.””Just stupid.””No one move!”Mark Wood climbs into a Cummins bouncer and it flies into the bleachers for six as if sent by the angels who first carried forth Lord Botham on the same field in 1981.Twelve needed.Then another bouncer offered by Cummins – wider, higher, harder to hit, but admirably resisted by “Woody”: a splendid fellow and a hero of this Test story every bit as much as the chap in .Then a calm single.”Go, Woody!” What a single can do to settle the nerves. (That, again, from our man steeped in cricket.) His father played for England many times, captained England, in fact, as did he. There must be a television at the lunch.His father played a lot of cricket against West Indies, but he might not have seen a better stroke than the next one. Wood, off the back foot and deep in his crease, drives a full ball from Mitchell Starc through extra cover with such conviction and timing that the boundary rider barely breaks from his blocks. It is a shot straight out of the Caribbean. Had it been played by Conrad Hunte, Basil Butcher or Rohan Kanhai, we’d have taken it for granted. But from Woody, well….”Wow!” From the writer of “Just stupid”.

Now for England confidence will flow as easily as the rivers run. It is a hard thing to get the onlooker to buy into the carefree. Yes, we like to be entertained, but we can do winning Boycott’s way just as easily as Botham’s

Having skied an attempted hook and breathed a sigh of relief (Alex Carey, sprinting back, blocks Scott Boland, who is edging forward from third) the scores are suddenly level and Woakes crashes a full ball from Starc past point to win the match in some glory.”Never in doubt,” said the former England captain in the last message of the chain.Five grown men – ageing but forever young of cricketing heart – living it, breathing it, loving it.That’s the Ashes, right there, front and centre of all our lives.In Mark Wood we believe. He is the climate of optimism: there is something elemental to him, like the sun, the wind or the rain. He is the fastest England-born bowler we can recall and evokes a little of the Harold Larwood in us: a good man sent to do the hard yards in the theatre of our dreams.Richie Benaud thought Frank Tyson the fastest he saw through the air; Jeff Thomson the fastest off the pitch. If you watch film of Larwood during Bodyline in 1932-33, you will be surprised at how far back the wicketkeeper, Les Ames, is standing. The defining image of Bodyline is the Australian batter Bill Woodfull reeling back, having been struck over the heart by a fierce short-pitched ball. Later, Bert Oldfield, the wicketkeeper, was hit on the head. At 28, Larwood was at the peak of his performance, “investing his work”, said Wisden, “with plenty of devil”. Much the same can be said of the 33-year-old Wood, from whom a blow to the heart or head is an equally frightening thought.Larwood was 5ft 8in in his socks, with a classical side-on action. On his day, he was too good even for Don Bradman. Wood touches on six feet but is not the tall, bang-it-in type of modern-day fast bowler. There is great strength in his shoulders and back but a worrying pressure on his hips, knees and ankles when he leaps and lands upon delivering the ball. On song, he has a beautiful rhythm, bounding in like a kid in the playground, before exploding into his action with a thrilling combination of power and panache.Some balls he bowled in this match flew over Jonny Bairstow’s head and bounced once before the boundary rope. He was recorded at 95.6mph in his first over of the game and averaged well above 90 throughout it. They say Larwood was around the 95mph mark in the age of no helmets, towels for thigh pads, and gloves with rubber pimples as the only defence. Imagine…Joe Root’s dropped catches, and England’s overall fielding, have been a cause of concern for them in the Ashes so far•Getty ImagesBut what about this climate of optimism? It is, of course, what Bazball is really about. The annoying thing about the term is that it is not self-proclaimed; is disliked by the coach, after whom it is named, and suggests something of show rather than substance. Worst of the lot, it allows a target of comment for the opposition, a point made all the more irritating given it was invented by the English media.The point of the cricket encouraged by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes is that it frees the mind from the spectre of failure. Those of us who watch on condemn statistics telling us that 13 of the last 24 England wickets have fallen to the pull or hook shot. When Woakes swatted at Starc’s short ball in the denouement and was dropped by the running Carey as described above, there was loud cursing at the screen all across the land. Doubtless, the same happened when Brook fell that way too. Stokes, in contrast, would almost certainly applaud them both for taking it on.After Wood’s breathtaking 24 in eight balls on Friday, he passed Stokes on the way back to the dressing room. Needless to say, he was greeted by a smile and pats on the back. Indeed, so moved was the captain that he embarked on something of a blitz himself.Now that England have beaten Australia in this way – a truly exceptional thing, given the mistakes the team is making – confidence will flow as easily as the rivers run. It is a hard thing to get the onlooker to buy into the carefree. We are not in the dressing room for a start. We watch, we marvel; we grumble, we despair. We have not “bought in”. We simply bought a ticket. For that, we want to see the return of the Ashes. Yes, we like to be entertained but we can do winning Boycott’s way just as easily as Botham’s.Botham was Bazball, though he too would not have liked the term. David Gower was thereabouts the same but no one understood. Yet, it was these two who papered over so many cracks in English cricket. One supposes Denis Compton and Ted Dexter were of this ilk, if in the age of black and white.Obviously the current England batters could rein themselves in a little; think more of application to circumstance and wait their moment. But it’s an all-or-nothing ethos that drives the team, only everyone else that doubts it. I’d worry most about the catching, which has gone somewhat pear-shaped. We could bang on forever about Ben Foakes over Bairstow but either way, Joe Root will be at first slip and he’s shelling them aplenty. Weird, given he has taken more catches in an England shirt than anyone without gloves on.There is a nice story about Woody to share. Supporting the charity Chance to Shine, which is bringing cricket back into state schools, he won a cooking competition at the annual Chance to Dine dinner in the Long Room at Lord’s. So thrilled was he at the announcement – “And the winner is… Mark Wood!”- that he leapt into the arms of the host and joyfully asked if he could come back the following year to defend his trophy. Yes, is the answer Woody.As I say, the climate of optimism. It was easy enough to choose Wood as the Player of the Match at Headingley for seriously impressive fast bowling and considerable nous with the bat in both innings and in very different ways. He might have earned it for nothing more than his commitment. He didn’t jump into Michael Atherton’s arms at the post-match presentation; in fact, he appeared charmingly shy and unsurprisingly tired.So it is that the gospel of the Ashes has us in its grip. Three Tests in and the narrative is alive and in fine health for both young and old to play out in their dreams. And in their WhatsApp groups. Just don’t move a muscle.

The visitors have a cushion of 522 runs to pick up the eight wickets they need on the final day of the Guwahati Test

Sidharth Monga25-Nov-20252:10

Philander: ‘South Africa playing mind games with India’

South Africa ensured their first series win in India in 25 years by building on their lead for nearly five hours. While the declaration, setting India more than they have ever been set at home, seemed a touch conservative, the visitors went to stumps needing eight wickets on the final day to take away all 12 WTC points from this Test and consign India to their second whitewash at home in 12 months after 12 years of spotless series record.As it often happens in such match situations, the same pitch that South Africa batted on, looking untroubled for 70.3 overs, began to look unplayable in the 15.5 India got to play. Marco Jansen didn’t even bother with swing and seam, and began to bounce Yashasvi Jaiswal before getting him out on the cut shot. Simon Harmer, who has out-bowled the home spinners, continued his dream series with a dream offbreak to bowl KL Rahul through the gate, and came desperately close to getting B Sai Sudharsan out lbw.The day began with curiosity around how much South Africa valued the 12 full points from this match vis-a-vis ensuring they give India no chance to threaten their series lead. Turns out they were in no mood for adventure. Especially as the ball started to turn more consistently in the first session of the fourth day than it had done at any point before. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar got long spells in. Jadeja got Ryan Rickelton caught at extra cover, but then India did what they have struggled to do all Test: get wickets on defensive shots. Jadeja beat Aiden Markram’s outside edge and hit the off stump, Washington got one to bite at Temba Bavuma’s glove and settle in the hands of backward short leg.As three wickets fell for 18 runs, South Africa remained slightly cautious. Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi, though, managed to keep the threat of spin out with their sweeps and reverse sweeps. After Rishabh Pant missed a stumping off Stubbs, the No. 3 batter limited his options to just the sweeps whenever he wanted to force the pace.3:49

Can India’s youngsters grind out a draw?

Stubbs and de Zorzi added 101 for the fourth wicket, 41 of those in sweeps and reverse sweeps. Like Stubbs in the first innings, de Zorzi fell one short of a fifty, beaten on the sweep for a change. It was mid-afternoon and South Africa led by 466, but they still continued to bat at normal pace.Related

• Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

• India suffer 68 balls from hell in a hellish year at home

• Jansen reaches great heights and carries South Africa with him

• Live: Harmer six-for seals whitewash, India's heaviest defeat

Only after the lunch break did Stubbs get a move-on to try to complete a Test hundred, but even this charge was not frenetic. The team management gave him all the time as he scored 32 from the last 19 balls he faced, taking the lead past the 542 that Australia attained in Nagpur in 2004. He slog-swept Jadeja to go from 88 to 94, but Jadeja slowed the ball down to beat a repeat attempt. Stubbs still was the highest run-getter in the series (163), and would need a big effort from someone in the final innings to be eclipsed.That effort wasn’t coming from the openers. India have done this to many a visiting side – just when everybody thought they had been too conservative with the declaration, the pitch would magically change its nature and wickets would start falling.Something similar happened when Jansen ran in and started bowling short. In the first over itself, he had Jaiswal fending uncomfortably. One didn’t pop up, the other landed just short of second slip. While Jaiswal managed to ramp him once, he fell to his favourite cut shot again. Since Jaiswal’s debut, nobody has scored more Test runs with the cut off fast bowlers than his 291, but no one has got out as often as his seven times. Nobody has played as many false shots as he has on the cut to the fast bowler: 68. He averages 41.57 on the cut against fast bowlers, but has fallen to this shot four times in his last eight innings.3:19

Saba Karim: Spinners need long spell to set up batters

Rahul was more traditional in the route he took to fight for a draw. He scored just 6 off 30 balls, but the 30th was a bewitching dipping, drifting delivery, which had him playing well away from where he thought it would originally pitch. In panic, he turned his drive into a flick, but it wasn’t enough to plug the gap created between his body and his bat. Harmer was again level with Jansen for most wickets in the series: 12.Harmer came extremely close to taking the lead when he appealed for lbw against Sai Sudharsan. In all likelihood, the on-field call for not-out was down to an inside edge, but the replay showed the ball had hit the pad first. However, the ball tracking returned an umpire’s call on impact, saving Sudharsan to fight another day.India somehow survived the rest of the day but it looked like a wicket could fall anytime. South Africa now have six hours to take eight wickets because the light has consistently dipped by 4pm, not allowing any extra play.

Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that he will not force Vinicius Jr to play out of position. The Italian coach was seen speaking privately with Vinicius during Brazil’s training camp in London, but Ancelotti later clarified that their conversation was purely personal and not related to tactics or positioning.

• Ancelotti's idea to get the best out of Vinicius

  With Neymar sidelined once again due to recurring injuries, Brazil now look to Vinicius as the talisman of their attack. The winger has grown in importance for the national team and is benefitting from Ancelotti’s appointment as Brazil coach, having already worked under him at Madrid. Despite Vinicius' inconsistent form at club level this season, Ancelotti believes he can reach another level and has encouraged him to adapt to a new role as a centre-forward in Neymar's absence to maximise his output.

  Ancelotti explained to Vinicius the differences between playing as a winger and playing as a central forward. He noted that as a dribbler, Vinicius often needs several touches to create a scoring chance, while as a striker, a single movement can be enough to find the net. Ancelotti said: “I see him either as a winger or as a central striker. Vinicius has the quality to score many goals. I told him, ‘When you play as a winger, you need three or four dribbles and seven or eight touches to score. But in the centre, one well-timed movement is enough to score.’ 

  "He understood it, and he enjoys playing in that position.”

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  Ancelotti explains about his chat with Vinicius

  Recently, Ancelotti was seen speaking privately with Vinicius during Brazil’s training session in London.

  At a press conference, Ancelotti explained that he regularly talks to all his players because he wants to understand their thoughts on every aspect of the game, including tactics. He said: “I have to talk to everyone to understand the players’ thoughts, tactically as well. You have to ask them, talk to them, know what they think; it is very important.

  "I'm not going to force a footballer to play in a position he doesn't want ; I want them to play where they're comfortable. With Vinícius, it wasn't about that; it was another issue, more on a personal level than a tactical one."

  He remains confident that Vinicius can play alongside Rodrygo for the national team, just as he had done under Ancelotti at Madrid.

  "Vinícius and Rodrygo can obviously do it, because they're used to it, because they've done it at Real Madrid," he added. "I see them doing well, I see them focused, in good physical condition, and I'm convinced they can contribute a lot to the national team."

• Brazil's rise under Ancelotti

  The bond between Ancelotti and the Brazil squad has grown steadily, creating a sense of trust and clarity within the team. In six games under his leadership, Brazil have won three and drawn two, results that secured their qualification for the 2026 World Cup with confidence. One of Ancelotti’s major achievements has been expanding the talent pool by integrating emerging stars like Endrick and Vitor Roque, giving Brazil more depth and flexibility in attack. Most importantly, the team has learned to function effectively without Neymar, adapting their style and redistributing creative responsibilities across the squad.  

  Vinicius explained that Ancelotti has helped Brazil evolve by restoring belief and clarity within the squad. He described the renewed confidence the manager has brought when he said, “He has done the same thing everywhere he has gone, instilling confidence and getting the best out of every player in their ideal position. He always says his dream is to make the Brazilian people happy, to bring back the joyful football that defines us, and to win the World Cup.”

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  Brazil's preparations for 2026 World Cup

  Brazil take on Senegal tomorrow during the international break, and Ancelotti will use these friendly matches to test different permutations and combinations of players in various positions. These games will help him identify the best squad for the 2026 World Cup.

  "We have to keep learning and improving to be ready for the World Cup," Ancelotti added. "I'm happy with what we've done so far, but we're also aware of the mistakes we've made . Because now you can make mistakes, but in the World Cup, if you make a mistake, you're going home."

Their team Timor-Leste has had a tough start to international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2025Timor-Leste’s Suhail Sattar, 50, and Yahya Suhail, 17, are the first father and son duo to play together in an international match. They achieved the unique feat, and batted together, in Timor-Leste’s first international match, against hosts Indonesia in Bali on November 6.Yahya and Sattar, though, are not the first parent and child to play together in an international match. The Switzerland women’s team had a mother-daughter duo – Metty Fernandes and Naina Metty Saju – playing six T20Is together this year.There are other instances of father-son duos playing with each other – as well as against each other – in domestic cricket. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his son Tagenarine played 11 first-class games together for Guyana, with Shivnarine even captaining his son in a game against Windward Islands at Providence Stadium in March 2014.More recently, in the 2025 Shpageeza Cricket League final, Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi played against his son Hassan Eisakhil.Timor-Leste have had a rough start to international cricket, suffering ten-wicket defeats in each of their first three games.

Emmanuel Petit has urged Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to take inspiration from Luis Enrique's attacking approach at Paris Saint-Germain, claiming the Gunners' football has become too cautious. The Arsenal legend believes his former club should adopt a more direct and dynamic style, similar to the one that has transformed Les Parisiens over the last year.

• Club legend believes Arsenal don't play exciting football

  Petit reckons Arsenal’s current approach under Arteta has become overly reliant on possession and set pieces. He praised PSG's evolution under Enrique, highlighting their switch from sterile control to fast, forward-thinking football. He suggested Arsenal need to embrace a similar attacking intent if they want to take the next step.

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  Petit wants Arteta to make Arsenal more like PSG

  Speaking to the , Petit said: "Paris Saint-Germain, they look strong. Again, they started against Atalanta, and beat them 4-0 with some players injured. It's like they were following exactly what they've done for the last six months of the last season. They've been brilliant. The way they play, I love it.”

  He continued: "They control the ball, they control the position of the ball, but they play straight forward, you know. They play fast football. This is something I want to see with Arsenal. Possession is good, but if you don't play forward football, possession can be boring. Give me the ball, I give you the ball, give me the ball, I give you the ball.”

  Petit concluded by pointing to PSG’s turnaround as a lesson for Arteta: "That was the problem with Luis Enrique at Paris Saint-Germain for months. Nobody could understand what he wanted to do. And it changed. He played more direct football and all of a sudden it changed completely."

• AFP
  

  Arsenal have failed in three straight Premier League title races

  Arteta has brought stability and consistency to Arsenal, but questions remain over the team’s attacking spark and whether they can win silverware. The Gunners have been criticised for cautious play and dependence on set pieces. Their inability to win a single Premier League despite being in three straight title races has underlined their failure to get over the line.

• Next up for Arsenal: Olympiacos in the Champions League

  Arsenal return to Champions League action this Wednesday against Olympiacos, aiming to build on their solid start to the season. However, Arteta will face increasing scrutiny if performances remain uninspiring despite positive results.

An error-prone New Zealand fell short after dropping three catches

The Report by Daniel Brettig27-Feb-2020India squeezed past an error-prone New Zealand into the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals and probable tournament favouritism, after Shafali Verma added to her tournament highlight reel and and then Harmanpreet Kaur marshalled her bowlers to suffocating effect at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Sent in to bat by Sophie Devine, India benefited from another whip-crack start thanks to Verma, who cashed in on two dropped chances on her way to 46 off 34, after scores of 29 and 39 against Australia and Bangladesh. While the innings faded at its back end, the bowlers had been given more than enough to defend on a sluggish surface that rewarded canny slow bowling against a New Zealand side eager to get to grips with the turning ball.After Shikha Pandey struck first, Suzie Bates and Devine perished to deliveries they needed to wait just a fraction longer before hitting, and from that early loss of three wickets it was always going to be a game of catch-up. Amelia Kerr threatened when she took 18 off Poonam Yadav in the 19th over, but Pandey kept her nerve to send India through as New Zealand scored 29 off the last two overs when they needed 34.Hurricane Verma blows into Junction OvalThere was absolutely nothing dull about Verma’s latest appearance, although it was at times on the scrappier side as both sides adjusted from the pace of Perth to the slower Junction Oval surface. A few early plays and misses gave way to boundaries, and then the sign that Verma was really in when she deposited successive deliveries from Anna Peterson over the straight boundary for sixes, when an obliging half volley was followed by an even more generous full toss. All was not well at the other end, however, after Smriti Mandhana dragged Lea Tahuhu onto the stumps and then Taniya Bhatia’s sound supporting innings was ended with a square cut off Rosemary Mair that arrowed straight to Kerr.Verma’s innings was also to grow more ragged, as she was twice put down by New Zealand at long-on and then midwicket. Further wickets, as Jemimah Rodrigues front edged a full toss and then Kaur offered the tamest of return catches to Leigh Kasperek, contributed to a sense of claustrophobia, and Verma’s stay was to end with a catch to long-off. Spectacular as some of her shots had been, the innings was petering out.Kerr restricts IndiaDespite a greenish tinge on the pitch, New Zealand loaded up on spin after the early overs, as Devine called upon no fewer than seven bowlers in her efforts to slow down India. Best of the bunch was Kerr, not surprisingly, who twirled her legbreaks and variations with typical skill and was rewarded with the wickets of Verma and Veda Krishnamurthy lbw on the sweep after New Zealand opted for the recourse of the DRS.Having been 1 for 68, India declined as far as 7 for 111 before Pandey and Radha Yadav scrounged some vital runs at the death, including the only six of the innings not fired off by Verma. New Zealand were left feeling mixed about proceedings: they would probably have taken a target as low as 134 at the start of the match, but their profligacy in missing numerous chances – a trend for several teams in the tournament so far – left a sour sense of opportunity spurned.Slow bowling, fast exitsPatience is a virtue when facing India’s spinners, not only in terms of waiting for the bad ball but also in terms of waiting for each individual ball to actually arrive. For New Zealand’s top order, this wait proved too much under World Cup pressure, as Bates and Devine played too presumptuously and too soon at balls whirring slowly down at them. Pandey’s mediums gained the first breakthrough as Priest, having already found the boundary, aimed for midwicket and could only offer a skier to be caught inside the fielding circle after it swirled tantalisingly in the breeze.Bates, spoiling to go on the attack herself, made a pre-movement across her stumps that gave Deepti Sharma a split second in which to slow her pace further, and have the New Zealand No. 3 rushing through her shot and bowled behind her pads. Devine, having dominated against all comers recently while churning out six consecutive half-centuries, waited and waited for Poonam’s full toss to reach her, only to mistime it for another simple catch.New Zealand suffocatedDespite a salvaging stand between Maddy Green and Katey Martin, the required rate drifted up and up over six, seven, eight, nine and 10, as an expectant Indian-centric crowd anticipated a victory.Fifty-seven runs were still required off 35 balls when Green finally decided that attack was her only available path and ran down the pitch to Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who had artfully held one back just enough to gain the drop and turn required to spin past the bat and offer Bhatia a simple stumping. From there only a brilliant rearguard from Kerr, who scooped 18 from Poonam’s final over, gave the Indians some jitters, before Pandey delivered an exceptional final over to close it out.

Southampton are set to return to action in the Championship on Saturday as they prepare to host struggling Huddersfield, who recently sacked Darren Moore, at St. Mary's

The Saints progressed through to the next round of the FA Cup during the week as they secured an emphatic 3-0 win over fellow second division side Watford at home.

Russell Martin's side will now be hoping to retain their place in the top two of the league and could extend their advantage over Ipswich Town if the Tractor Boys drop points against West Bromwich Albion in the early kick-off.

The former Scotland international could now look to make a number of changes from the starting XI that lined up against the Hornets in the cup in midweek, after offering opportunities to a host of fringe options.

With this in mind, here is FFC's predicted Southampton side to take on the Terriers in Hampshire this weekend…

1

Gavin Bazunu

Joe Lumley has been the go-to back-up option in the FA Cup, and kept a clean sheet against the Hornets. Gavin Bazunu should now return to the starting XI for league action on Saturday.

The Ireland international has kept nine clean sheets in 29 Championship matches so far this season but has conceded 2.69 more goals than expected based on the Expected Goals he has faced.

He will be hoping to improve his shot-stopping between now and the end of the campaign to play a key role in a promotion to the Premier League.

2

Kyle Walker-Peters

Summer signing Shae Charles started against Watford and Martin must now bring Kyle Walker-Peters back into the line-up as the English whiz has been an ever-present for the Saints.

He has started all 29 of the club's league matches so far this season and has contributed with two goals and nine 'big chances' created, to go along with a pass success rate of 91%.

3

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

The third change to the starting XI could come at the heart of the defence with Jack Stephens being replaced by Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

He has dominated opposition attackers in the Championship this season with an excellent ground duel success rate of 67%, which shows that players rarely get the better of him on the deck.

The English colossus was promoted to the top-flight with Burnley last term and a win on Saturday will be another step in the right direction to another successful year at this level.

4

Jan Bednarek

Alongside the England U21 international, Jan Bednarek could keep his place at the back. The Poland international has started 26 league games this term and helped his side to keep a clean sheet during the week, which could see him start once again.

5

Ryan Manning

At left-back, U21 gem Jayden Meghoma could drop out after his start against Cardiff to allow regular first-team full-back Ryan Manning to return to the team.

The former Swansea dynamo has racked up 4.21 xA and been rewarded with two assists in the league this season, which suggests that his teammates have let him down in front of goal.

He has the quality to provide impressive creativity from left-back, having assisted ten Championship assists for the Swans last term, and could be a difference-maker against Huddersfield.

6

Flynn Downes

In the middle of the park, Flynn Downes could retain his place as the West Ham United loanee has been a consistent performer for Martin this term.

The summer signing has started 21 times in the Championship and boasts a sensational pass success rate of 94%, which shows that he rarely gives the ball away.

7

Will Smallbone

Next to Downes, Will Smallbone is another player who could start again after playing a part in the 3-0 win over Watford. The academy graduate has produced four goals and six 'big chances' created in 22 league starts.

8

Stuart Armstrong

Stuart Armstrong could complete the midfield by coming in for Joe Rothwell, who joined on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth in January.

The January addition is yet to start a game in the Championship for Southampton, with two substitute appearances so far, and Martin could go with the experience of the former Celtic man instead.

9

Adam Armstrong

On the right of the attack, 17-year-old sensation Tyler Dibling, who started against Watford, could drop out for Southampton's star man Adam Armstrong.

The former Blackburn star was hailed as "incredible" by Martin earlier this season and his statistics in the Championship back that claim up.

As you can see in the table above, Armstrong ranks very highly in a number of key attacking metrics among his positional peers in the Championship this season.

He is crucial to Southampton's attack with his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals, which is why he should be unleashed from the start against Huddersfield.

10

Che Adams

One of the few players who could retain their place in the starting XI is Scotland international Che Adams, who produced a goal and two assists against Watford.

The former Birmingham marksman has racked up an impressive tally of six goals and two assists in his last ten appearances for the Saints in all competitions.

Bayern Munich got their Bundesliga campaign off to a perfect start by beating Wolsfburg 3-2 in a thrilling encounter.

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• Bayern begin Bundesliga campaign with 3-2 win
• Musiala opened scoring in first half
• Gnabry grabbed winner late on

• TELL ME MORE

  In typical Bayern fashion, they dominated possession in the match, pushing their opponents into their own half for the majority of the game. It took 19 minutes before the Bavarians took the lead, with full-back Sacha Boey delivering a perfect cross for Jamal Musiala to tap into the net. However, it was not a completely straightforward afternoon for them as Wolfsburg won and converted a penalty early in the second half, courtesy of Lovro Majer.

  The Croatian midfielder was at it again six minutes later, capitalising on a lapse in concentration from Kim Min-jae and sliding the ball past Manuel Neuer to give his side the lead. But the Wolfsburg lead lasted only 10 minutes before Jakub Kaminski turned the ball into his own net, with plenty of time still left on the clock. Serge Gnabry rescued Bayern with a pinpoint finish off the far post to give the away side all three points and a winning start to the 2024-25 campaign.

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  THE MVP

  There has still been no major silverware for Harry Kane since leaving Tottenham last summer, but the England captain looked at his very best as he played the role of architect during Bayern's win on the opening weekend. His header across goal initially got the German giants on level terms in the second half, before producing a perfect turn and pass to lay off Gnabry for the final say late on.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Despite Bayern securing a late win, it was a day to forget for Kim Min-jae in defence. The South Korean centre-back gave the ball away for Wolsfburg's second goal and struggled to win his duels when his side were on the back foot. He was eventually hooked in the 81st minute and replaced by Eric Dier as the Bavarians looked to see things out.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Bayern were able to match rivals Bayer Leverkusen by winning their opening match, but it is a long road ahead in the quest to take back the Bundesliga title from Xabi Alonso's men. Next up for Kane and Co. is a return home to the Allianz Arena when they host Freiburg.

Over the last few months, Arsenal have built a reputation as intelligent operators in the transfer market.

For example, the arrivals of Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, and even David Raya have all proven to be brilliant moves that have dramatically improved the team's quality.

However, while Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have bought well, they've also sold well.

Just a few years ago the pair sanctioned the sale of a Hale End gem for £25m whose value has since cratered and is now worth less than Eddie Nketiah.

Eddie Nketiah's transfer valuation in 2024

Nketiah joined the Gunners as a 14-year-old after being released by cross-city rivals Chelsea and has since become an important member of Arteta's squad.

The academy graduate made his debut for the first team in a Europa League match against Bate Borisov in September 2017, but he made his full debut the following season in the same competition, as Arsenal beat Vorskla Poltava 3-0.

He would make sporadic appearances over the following years and even spend six months on loan with Leeds United in the 2019/20 season before getting a real chance in the first team in the latter half of the 2021/22 campaign, scoring ten goals and providing one assist in 27 appearances as Arsenal came close to securing top four.

The following year, he was just as crucial in the club's title charge when Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for several months with a knee injury, scoring nine goals and providing three assists in 39 games.

However, as valuable as he was last year, the 24-year-old's opportunities have been severely limited this season with the arrival of Kai Havertz.

With his role reduced in the team and his £100k-per-week contract set to run until June 2027, Arsenal appear set to sell their academy product, with West Ham United one of several clubs heavily touted for his signature at a price of around £43m.

It wouldn't be the first time they have successfully cashed in on an academy gem either, and if Nketiah's career mirrors Joe Willock's, then the club could be playing a blinder.

Joe Willock's transfer value after leaving Arsenal

Like Nketiah, Willock fought his way through Arsenal's various youth sides before making his full debut for the first time in the Europa League clash against Bate Borisov in September 2017.

Over the next few seasons, the Waltham Forest-born midfielder made 78 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists before being sent on loan to Newcastle United for the second half of the 2020/21 campaign. In that period, he scored eight goals in just 14 games.

This excellent run of form saw the Magpies spend £25m to secure the Englishman's signature that summer.

However, in the 85 appearances since, the 24-year-old has scored just seven goals and provided six assists, which would explain why his valuation has plunged since the transfer, with the Football Transfers' Expected Value model pricing the Toon star at just €23m, or £20m, which is £5m less than he was sold for and a whopping £23m less than the price Nketiah could fetch.

West Ham signing Eddie Nketiah now possible as Arsenal make decision

The Hammers are a serious destination for him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 17, 2024

Ultimately, Arsenal's decision to sell Willock was the right one, and if they can repeat the trick with Nketiah this summer, they must jump at the chance.