Since taking the Arsenal job, when the club were at their lowest point in a generation, Mikel Arteta has made some seismic changes.

Some of the most significant have come in the transfer market, as the Spaniard spent a massive sum of money building a squad capable of challenging for major honours domestically and on the continent.

In doing so, the former captain has signed an enormous number of players over the years, and while some haven’t exactly panned out, like Willian, Pablo Mari and Nuno Tavares, others, like Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya, certainly have.

In fact, it would be fair to say that one of Arteta’s acquisitions is now comfortably the club’s best signing since Mesut Özil joined the team over a decade ago.

Özil's Arsenal career

It’s a moment that no Arsenal fan who was around at the time will forget, Özil being announced on transfer deadline day 2013, in what was a club-record £42.4m deal at the time.

The German international was leaving Real Madrid to come to the Emirates, and saying that fans were excited about it would be a colossal understatement.

It didn’t take long for the mercurial midfielder to make good on his transfer fee either, as on his debut, away to Sunderland, he provided a brilliant assist for Olivier Giroud.

Throughout his stint in North London, the World Cup winner made 254 appearances for the club, scoring 44 goals, providing 75 assists, and playing a significant role in three FA Cup triumphs.

Unfortunately, after signing his bumper £350k-per-week deal in 2018, things started to go wrong, and he began to face criticism for his perceived lack of work rate, which worsened when Arteta took charge.

However, while things ended poorly, and he eventually left for nothing to join Fenerbahçe in January 2021, it cannot be forgotten that in his pomp, Özil was an incredible footballer to watch and, had the club built around him, he may have led them to league glory.

There have been some great signings made in the years since he left, but one potentially era-defining acquisition under Arteta could be fairly described as the club’s best since the German.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Arsenal's best signing since Ozil

As we mentioned above, Arteta has made his fair share of impressive signings since taking the job at Arsenal, but in terms of needle-moving purchases, the spotlight falls on one player: Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain moved to the Emirates for a club-record fee of £105m in the summer of 2023, and while there was a mountain of pressure on him, he’s since surpassed every expectation people had of him.

In fact, the fans often sing about signing him for half-price, and while that is somewhat tongue in cheek, there is likely an increasing portion of the support that is genuinely starting to believe it.

Appearances

94

Minutes

7640′

Goals

14

Assists

18

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

Minutes per Goal Involvement

238.75′

For example, since moving to North London, the “world-class” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, has made 94 appearances, in which he’s scored 14 goals and provided 18 assists, despite moving between the six and eight positions.

We saw just how devastatingly effective the Englishman can be last night when he scored two stunning free-kicks against Real Madrid to give his side an incredible opportunity to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since the 08/09 season.

On top of his impressive level of output, the 26-year-old also has some sensational underlying numbers.

For example, FBref places him in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, the top 6% for assists, the top 7% for goals plus assists, the top 8% for shot-creating action from dead-ball passes and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Arsenal would have expected Rice to perform to a high level considering his price tag, we are not sure they nor anyone else expected him to be this good, and that’s why he’s their best signing since Ozil.

Arsenal have struck gold on "unplayable" star who's their own Bellingham

The incredible talent looks destined for greatness with Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 9, 2025

Chelsea are reportedly preparing a bid to sign a new striker target who’s been “surprising” on-lookers with his form this year, as manager Enzo Maresca and Stamford Bridge chiefs begin to make transfer plans for the summer.

Chelsea's rumoured striker targets for the summer window

Nicolas Jackson is still yet to score a single Premier League goal this calendar year, while Christopher Nkunku was left out of the matchday squad entirely for Chelsea’s last game against Fulham.

Chelsea join race to sign £43m forward who scored winner at Stamford Bridge

The Blues have set their sights on a Premier League forward who has “blistering pace”.

ByDominic Lund Apr 22, 2025

Maresca’s shortage of prolific strikers has forced the Italian to get creative in recent weeks, with Pedro Neto even being utilised as a centre-forward in that time. Chelsea’s boss will be very eager to fix this hole in the squad ahead of his second full campaign in charge, and it is believed the west Londoners are eyeing a few top striker targets for next season.

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

According to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have the likes of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich Town starlet Liam Delap, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké and long-term target Victor Osimhen on their radar.

Sesko is a “very serious” potential signing for Chelsea, following another excellent campaign with Leipzig in the Bundesliga, while Delap is likely to be up for grabs this summer after Ipswich’s relegation to the Championship.

The latter’s contract has a £30 million release clause tied with Ipswich’s relegation, so Delap could be a very astute option after his impressive season in an otherwise struggling team at Portman Road.

However, other elite clubs who are on the look-out for number nines will be fully aware of the 22-year-old’s exit clause too, and Sesko’s, which is rumoured to currently stand at around £62 million.

With Arsenal, Man United and Tottenham also in the market for proven forwards, according to reports, the competition will be fierce, so Chelsea may also have to think outside the box when it comes to solving their striker woes.

Chelsea preparing £43m bid for Como star Assane Diao

According to reports out of Spain, it is now claimed that Chelsea are targeting Como’s new striker, Assane Diao.

The Senegal international only just signed for Cesc Fabregas’ side in January, and has enjoyed a rip-roaring first few months of his Serie A career with eight goals from his last 15 top flight matches.

There is now a belief that Chelsea are preparing a £43m summer bid for Diao after being impressed by his excellent form at Como, with the 19-year-old “surprising” critics after a prolific start.

Liverpool have also been linked with a move for Diao, so he’s clearly turning heads in the Premier League, with journalist Antonio Mango also calling the teenage talent “ridiculous” within his first few weeks as a Como player.

All tournament long, India’s top three had piled up the runs; yet, just as in the 2015 World Cup, they collectively failed at the first knockout hurdle

Sambit Bal at Old Trafford10-Jul-2019Just a heartbeat short. That may well be the enduring memory of this wrencher of a match for Indian fans. A million dreams had already died and been reborn, in a flicker first and then in a flame, but now it lay irretrievably in the ashes, with Martin Guptill having found the stumps from square leg to beat MS Dhoni’s lunging bat by just a few inches.Less than a foot and India’s World Cup hopes were now a farther four years away, and for Dhoni – whose resounding six to win the 2011 World Cup final, India’s first in 28 years, is imprinted on every Indian cricket fan’s heart – it’s probably forever gone. Dhoni, the maker of countless Indian dreams, the mightiest of finishers, for whom no chase has even been over until it’s over, but a man now raging against time and diminished physical – and possibly mental prowess – now makes his forlorn journey from the far end of the pitch with the stadium in near hush, head bowed. Possibly a bit slower than usual, not much emotion betrayed, not even a slight shake of the head, and he is gone, just like that, perhaps for the final time in Indian colours.ALSO READ: Kimber – a semi-final we didn’t think we’d haveA moment as poignant as any. The finish hadn’t been memorable, but it will always be a memory, an aching one, yet defining, because he had played the innings that had represented the final leg of his career. Battling, workmanlike, poised, and yet full of dot balls, with a solitary four and a last-gasp six. He had kept India alive, in the company of Ravindra Jadeja playing the innings of his life, but had failed to haul them over the line when all depended on him. His performance will divide Indian opinion tomorrow and in days to come.From 71 for 5 and then 92 for 6, India would have sunk rapidly without his steadying hand, and yet, despite the 59-ball 77 from Jadeja, the run rate had mounted to over 15 when Jadeja was dismissed. To that 116-partnership, Dhoni had contributed 32 off 45 balls with 20 dots that comprised, remarkably, a few leaves outside off. Without him, the chase would have been dead long before but the question that will linger is: did he not also make it nearly unachievable?But to remember the Indian chase only for Dhoni would be a disservice to Jadeja, who played with the spirit of a lion and the passion of man whose fire had been lit, with stroke-making skills to match. As Kane Williamson was to say later, it was as if Jadeja was playing on a different surface altogether. He hit four sixes, each a clean and emphatic strike, on a pitch where New Zealand had managed only one.

New Zealand found the perfect storm: overcast skies, a responsive pitch, some swing and two bowlers who didn’t put a ball wrong for nearly ten overs. And, as it often happens with a collapse, it feels like divine intervention

Not part of India’s plans till the last match of the round-robin stage, but a central part of a social-media storm that he himself ignited by reacting sharply to Sanjay Manjrekar’s suggestion that he shouldn’t be in the playing XI on account of being a “bits-and-pieces player”, he was, by some distance, the game’s best performer: the top scorer, the most frugal bowler along with Mitchell Santner, conjurer of as brilliant a run out as that by Guptill, and India’s best fielder. The cruelty of sport is that he will now be remembered as a side story: with a blow or two more, his would have been among the greatest-ever World Cup performances. And the unlikeliest.And to remember the chase by how it fell short will also obscure the real story, which is now part of an eerily familiar pattern that has followed India since the 2015 World Cup. Unbeaten till the semi-final that year, they fell to Australia in their first knockout match; this time, they topped the league stage with only one defeat. In between these, there was the loss to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final. The common thread: the top three batsmen stomp through the league phase as if the stage belongs to them, but fail to turn up in the final.The numbers couldn’t be starker. Put together, the top three contributed 3378 runs in these tournaments at an average of 73 but in the three matches that India needed to win, their total contribution was 109 at 12.1.In 2015, the chase of 328 was derailed when Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were dismissed in the space of 15 runs after a bright start; Rohit and Kohli were gone by the third over in the final of the Champions Trophy, and Dhawan joined them five overs later to leave India at 33 for 3. And here, perhaps in congruence with the relatively smaller target, the top three contributed three runs jointly. No one has scored more runs in chases than Kohli, but his scores in three of India’s biggest matches have been 5, 1 and 1.ESPNcricinfo LtdMohammad Amir found two perfect balls for Rohit and Kohli in the Champions Trophy final, and today, New Zealand found the perfect storm: overcast skies, a responsive pitch, some swing and two bowlers who didn’t put a ball wrong for nearly ten overs. And, as it often happens with a collapse, as indeed it happened to New Zealand against Pakistan in the group game, when the dice turns for or against you, it feels like divine intervention.Rohit had been dropped three times and survived a run-out chance during four of his five hundreds. Here he nicked the first ball that tested him and it was caught; on another day, the lbw umpire’s call would have gone for Kohli, and the ball would have eluded’s Rahul edge; Dinesh Karthik, after defending resolutely against Boult, fell to a stunning catch by Jimmy Neesham. Neesham later dropped a difficult chance off Rishabh Pant, and both Hardik Pandya and Jadeja mis-hit balls in the safe areas. But the match had swung decisively in the first ten, when India had been reduced to 6 for 3, and then 24 for 4.The middle order was India’s known soft spot. At No. 4 to No. 6 today, they had a rookie who was drafted in as a replacement; an x-factor allrounder without demonstrated defensive skills; and the back-up wicketkeeper possibly at the end of an international career that hardly ever took off. All in their first World Cups. The young ones did the team no disservice, but that India remained in striking distance till the final overs was entirely due to a player who was very nearly an afterthought.This was the worst nightmare of Indian fans – a top-order meltdown exposing an unproven middle order and Dhoni, unable to, or unwilling to, shift gears – come to pass at the most inopportune moment. In reality, they were well short.

New Brighton wonderkid Charalampos Kostoulas has revealed his excitement at linking up with Stefanos Tzimas on the south coast.

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• Brighton seal £30m deal to sign Kostoulas
• Signed Tzimas in February
• Two wonderkids excited to play together

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Brighton have secured two Greek wonderkids in the past six months. First, they paid £21 million ($28m) to sign Tzimas from Nuremberg in February, before loaning him back to the German club, and this week, they have secured Kostoulas from Olympiacos in a £30m ($41m) deal.

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  Both players have previously featured on Goal's NXGN lists of the best wonderkids in the world, and Brighton have now published a video showing the pair linking up at Brighton's training ground, with both revealing how excited they are to play together.

• WHAT THE PAIR SAID

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Brighton have a friendly against Southampton in August, in which the Greek duo could take to the pitch together.

أكد بيب جوارديولا، مدرب نادي مانشستر سيتي، سعادته الكبيرة بعودة لاعب الفريق من الإصابة التي كان يعاني منها خلال الفترة الماضية، موضحًا أن النادي الإنجليزي افتقد إلى خدماته كثيرًا.

فيل فودين عاد مؤخرًا إلى تدريبات نادي مانشستر سيتي، وذلك عقب الإصابة التي كان يعاني منها خلال الفترة الماضية، والتي أبعدته عن الملاعب لفترة ليست بالطويلة.

ويستعد فودين رفقة بقية لاعبي مانشستر سيتي لمواجهة مانشستر يونايتد في قمة الجولة الرابعة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على ملعب الاتحاد.

طالع .. إصابة عمر مرموش تجبر أموريم على قرار فني أمام مانشستر سيتي

وتمنى جوارديولا خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص باللقاء عبر موقع مانشستر سيتي الرسمي، أن تبعد الإصابات عن فودين، حيث قال: ”نقول لأنفسنا أن فودين سيعود، وبعد أسبوع أو عشرة أيام من إصابته يتوقف ويصاب من جديد، وبعد عودته تأتي إصابة أخرى، على جميع اللاعبين العودة وخوض المباريات يومًا بعد يوم، هذا ما عليه أن يحاوله على أي حال”.

وأضاف جوارديولا في حديثه عن فودين: ”إنه متحمس للمشاركة ويشعر بالسعادة للعودة، يبتسم في كل جلسة تدريبية ويمكنه المساهمة في المباريات، هذا أحد أسباب معاناتنا الموسم الماضي لأننا افتقدناه كثيرًا في الثلث الهجومي الأخير، يتميز فودين بالإبداع وأخلاقيات العمل، إنه من الأفضل”.

وعن لقاء ديربي مانشستر، أوضح: “سأكون سعيدًا بإنهاء الموسم بطلًا للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، هذا ما أحبه ويجب الفوز على مانشستر يونايتد، لكن في بعض الأحيان لا نفوز عليهم، ونفوز بالدوري”.

وأردف: ”بصراحة، ليس لديّ الكثير من الأمور الشخصية، بالطبع، إنها مواجهة مهمة لأنها خاصة، لكنها مجرد محاولة للتركيز على ما يجب علينا فعله”.

وتابع: “أحترم مانشستر يونايتد، أنا لطيف للغاية وأحترم تاريخهم وما قدموه في الماضي، وإرثهم في كرة القدم الإنجليزية”.

وواصل: “في التسعينيات، كانوا دائمًا في المقدمة وربما تغلب عليهم مانشستر سيتي أحيانًا، وفي 27 عامًا، فازوا بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مرات عديدة، في السنوات التسع الماضية، فزنا بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ست مرات”.

واختتم: “الأمر المهم في النهاية، كنا أفضل ومنذ وصولي، كنا دائمًا أفضل منهم في آخر عشر سنوات تفوقنا عليهم كثيرًا”.

da gbg bet： Chelsea have taken a huge tumble in their race for Champions League football next season, after drawing 2-2 with 18th-placed Ipswich Town, having gone in 2-0 down at half-time.

da supremo： The Blues held a whopping 74% possession in the game, generated 2.14 xG, created four big chances and took 34 shots, only converting all of this attacking input into two goals.

Enzo Maresca’s side now sits fifth in the Premier League after 32 games played, one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City and three points behind third-placed Nottingham Forest.

With six games left to play, chances for points are becoming fewer and fewer.

Many will use this result to continue directing their frustration at Maresca, but after two defensive lapses in the first half and plenty of missed chances in the second half, it’s hard to look anywhere beyond the players on the pitch for this one.

One of those at fault (again) was Robert Sanchez.

Robert Sanchez's performance vs Ipswich

One of the worst performers for Chelsea once more was the man between the sticks. Sanchez has had a shocking spell between the sticks this term and it only got worse when the Tractor Boys came to town.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

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Indeed, Sanchez only made two saves in the game, of course, conceded two goals and only completed 64% of his passes, often putting his own teammates under pressure.

The 27-year-old had 35 touches and only completed one of his nine long balls attempted. Not only did he put Chelsea under pressure when playing out from the back, but he also didn’t save the Blues to make up for it when Ipswich did get chances, conceding two goals from four shots on target.

The Sanchez issue isn’t a new one in the Chelsea fanbase; in fact, it is one of the most highly scrutinised. But their other highly scrutinised position is centre-forward, and today’s performance won’t help to eradicate any of those concerns.

Nicolas Jackson's performance vs Ipswich

Nicolas Jackson has only recently returned from injury, injecting some much-needed pace to the front line, working hard and giving opposition defenders something else to worry about.

However, after a 5/10 display from the Senegal international, according to The Express, it is clear that Todd Boehly needs to spend big in the summer to add to their striking department.

Jackson vs Ipswich

Stat

Jackson

Minutes

87

Touches

20

Shots

5

Accurate Passes

8/11

Ground Duels Won

1/4

Aerial Duels Won

3/7

Possession Lost

4

Stats taken from Sofascore

Jackson has made 27 appearances this season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists for the Blues. Despite adding much-needed directness from the front since returning to the side, it’s games like this one against Ipswich that highlight exactly why Chelsea need to invest in a different profile of striker in the summer.

The 23-year-old had as many as five shots in the match, with all five of those shots being off-target, as well as hitting the post from a tight angle at point-blank range. Jackson only managed 20 touches in the game, completing just eight of his 11 passes and losing seven of his 11 duels – ground and aerial.

Chelsea had 19 shots from inside the box, had 55 touches inside the box and put 46 crosses into the penalty area against Ipswich, but Jackson failed to make an impact with all of that action.

This proves Boehly and Clearlake will need to spend big this summer, adding a more box-dominant centre-forward to this squad to fight it out alongside Jackson for the striker position.

Related Chelsea can axe Nkunku by unleashing "special" star who's their own Delap

Christopher Nkunku could find he’s out of the Chelsea starting lineup when Ipswich Town come to Stamford Bridge.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Apr 13, 2025

Juventus' on-loan striker Randal Kolo Muani is happy in Turin and suggested he wants to stay at the club despite interest from Chelsea.

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Juventus signed Kolo Muani from PSG on a six-month LoanStriker is happy to stay in ItalyChelsea are also interested in the French strikerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After struggling at Paris Saint-Germain, the striker thrived at Juventus on a six-month loan deal, scoring 10 goals and registering three assists, and the club are reportedly keen on keeping him beyond the initial agreement.

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Juve could offer a one-year loan and an option to buy him for €40 million (£34m/$46m), reports, but they face competition for his signature. Chelsea are also interested in the French striker, but Juventus may have the advantage as the forward has spoken of his happiness in Turin.

WHAT KOLO MUANI SAID

Kolo Muani spoke about his desire to stay at Juve beyond the summer, telling reporters: "I don't know anything about Chelsea. I'm trying to focus on the Club World Cup, which is a very fast competition. Once the tournament is over, we'll see what happens on the market. If it were up to me, I'd stay here: I'm really happy at Juve, I feel great."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR KOLO MUANI AND JUVENTUS ?

Juventus have won two out of two games in the Club World Cup and are set to take on Manchester City in the group decider. Once the tournament is over, Juventus will likely sit down with PSG and a decision on Kolo Muani's future will be made.

“There’s a lot of good that can come from it if guys have the right attitude,” says former England captain

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-May-2024

Joe Root was positive about using the Kookaburra ball in county cricket•Getty Images

Joe Root has backed the use of the Kookaburra ball in the County Championship, believing it can help upskill domestic cricketers and bridge the gap to Test cricket.The Australian-made ball was used for the first two rounds of the Championship season, in which there were 17 draws across 18 matches. Though a large part of that was down to rain – Durham vs Hampshire and Derbyshire vs Gloucestershire were abandoned without a ball bowled – players complained the flatter seam was ineffective on damp, soft pitches and that the ball lost its shape quickly, compared to the regular Dukes.Those first two sets of fixtures saw a wicket fall every 73.7 balls, compared to 54.9 balls in the first two rounds of 2023. Among a large volume of runs was more playing time for spinners, with Surrey legspinner Cameron Steel topping the wicket-taker charts. The Kookaburra will return for another two rounds in August and September, when better weather should help produce firmer surfaces and lend itself to a fairer assessment.Related

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The Kookaburra trial, one of the recommendations from Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review to encourage fast bowlers and spinners, began in 2023. While panned in some quarters – Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart regards the experiment as “the worst decision ever” – England men’s managing director Rob Key has suggested the Kookaburra could replace the Dukes as the domestic ball of choice.Root, who recently completed a five-game stint with Yorkshire – his first County Championship appearances since 2022 – has plenty of experience with the Kookaburra overseas, particularly in Australia, and sees the benefit of its use in England, not just for the Test side.”I don’t think it’s all about being able to use the Kookaburra ball when you go to Australia or South Africa,” Root said. “I think it’s about finding ways of taking wickets when nothing’s in your favour – and that’s a great skill.””I guess you could look at it and think: ‘there’s been a load of draws’ but also you could think: ‘well, this is an opportunity to upskill’ as well. ‘How am I going to take wickets with this ball in this format on these kinds of pitches? How can I become better?'”I think there’s a lot of good that can come from it if guys have the right attitude.”Root cited England’s progression in limited-overs cricket since 2015 as something that could be replicated by regular use of the Kookaburra. The evolution under Eoin Morgan, which saw ODI and T20I World Cup success in 2019 and 2022 respectively, trickled down and has resulted in a pool of high-calibre white-ball cricketers, many of whom missed out on selection for next month’s T20 World Cup.”Look at the progression and the development in white-ball cricket in this country over a five-year period. Look at the amount of players that we’ve got that can do special things. Look how quickly that transition has been made through the mindset shift in white-ball cricket in our country. I think the same thing can happen in red-ball cricket.”You’ve got to be open minded enough and understand that you might have to go through a little bit of pain to get there.”If we want to keep upskilling and getting the standard as close to Test cricket as we can, it’s not going to happen overnight. But in five, six, seven years’ time, if we can bridge that gap then that transition for guys coming into Test cricket will be a lot smaller.”

Leg-spinner and colleagues not taking selection for granted amid unprecedented squad depth

Valkerie Baynes09-May-2024With a frustrating bout of concussion behind her, England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn is fighting fit once more and ready to face Pakistan in what shapes as a key series in the build-up to the T20 World Cup.Glenn’s preparations took an inopportune pause after she hit her head on the ground attempting to take a catch during England’s third T20I against New Zealand in Nelson towards the end of March and was subsequently sent home, missing the last two T20Is and three ODIs.She didn’t play another match until exactly a month later, for The Blaze in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, but after a total of three games in the domestic 50-over competition including 2 for 36 from 10 overs in a narrow defeat to Thunder on Monday, she is ready to resume her role as part of England’s frontline spin attack alongside Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean.The trio will have a crucial role as England prepare for the T20 Women’s World Cup in Bangladesh in October by hosting Pakistan in three T20Is, starting at Edgbaston on Saturday, followed by three ODIs before New Zealand arrive for a return series in June and July.Related

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“Obviously whacking my head in the last series wasn’t ideal but I was really happy with how I started the last series, even though it was just the first couple of games, I felt I played my role really well,” Glenn said on Thursday.”With concussion it’s really hard to switch off so I ended up just having some downtime to myself and then when I got home, just having another week or so just trying to switch off as much as I could and then from there, just built it up gradually, started to reintroduce some skills and get the brain working a little bit more.”Then I managed to play a few regional games. That helped me build up, ready for this series, just to get a bit of confidence in the middle. It’s been quite a gradual process as concussion’s quite a frustrating injury, but I’ve been looked after really well and I’m excited to get going with Pakistan.”While Glenn, left-armer Ecclestone and off-spinner Dean are England’s first-choice spinners, they are well aware of those in pursuit. Linsey Smith, another left-armer, returned to England’s ranks for the first time in nearly five years during the tour of New Zealand and has kept her place in the T20 squad to face Pakistan. Smith took 2 for 12 from four overs for an ECB Development XI which defeated Pakistan in a T20 warm-up match on Thursday.Also part of the Development XI were quick Issy Wong, who was omitted from the senior side along with batter Sophia Dunkley. Dunkley has scored 67 and 130 in the RHFT immediately after being challenged by England head coach Jon Lewis to rediscover her best form “away from the bigger limelight” of the Pakistan series. She scored 1 opening for the Development XI alongside Danni Wyatt, who made 57 before joining the senior squad.”Even though those amazing players were left out, they still feel so part of the group and they could come in at any minute and it also feels like anyone could be dropped out at any minute,” Glenn said. “It is a special place to be in terms of how competitive it is and how much that’s growing the game forward and it really makes you work hard on your game.”I definitely feel like we’re quite a strong trio at the moment but… it does feel like you can just make a swap at any point. We’ve seen so many talented spinners in the regional set-up performing consistently so the pressure’s kind of always on to keep our place.”Even though it might appear solid at the time, we know deep down that we’ve just got to keep performing and keep doing our part for the team to retain our spot.”Sarah Glenn prepares to face Pakistan•PA Images via Getty Images

While England inevitably have one eye on the T20 World Cup already, Glenn was careful not to look too far ahead to what the pitches in Bangladesh could offer while playing in very different conditions at home.”It’s a spinner’s dream to play there but, personally for me, I’ve also never been there myself and I’ve got no experience in Bangladesh,” Glenn said. “So I think when I get out there it’s just [about taking] what’s in front of me and trying not get too giddy and expect so much, just keep sticking to what I’m doing. I’m just excited to see how it plays out.”We’ve not played Pakistan for a while so we’re going to come across different batters who play different ways. What would be really crucial for our spinners, but also as a bowling attack, is keeping the communication up in those pressured moments about what’s needed for us right now, because there are going to be those moments where we do feel under the pump and we want to get out the other side of that.”After the series we’ll be reflecting on what worked and what we could take forward going then into the New Zealand series and, I think, as long as we keep doing that, we’ll just keep developing our game ready for the World Cup.”

Albert Trott is best remembered for his six that cleared the Lord’s pavilion, but there was a lot more to him, as a new biography reveals

Alan Gardner27-Jan-2018There are two things that are most likely to come to mind when you hear mention of the name “Albert Trott”. One is that he is supposedly a distant relation of Jonathan Trott. The other, that he was the first – and so far only – man to hit the ball over the pavilion at Lord’s.The latter feat is rightly responsible for his enduring fame, more than a century after it took place. But while clearing the iconic old terracotta building at cricket’s most famous venue goes some way to sketching the outline of Trott’s appeal as a charismatic showman of the late-Victorian era – cricket’s original one-hit wonder – it does not come close to telling the full story of his life and career; which is where by Steve Neal, winner of the 2017 Cricket Writers’ Club Book of the Year award, comes in.Neal has painstakingly researched the first biography of this “neglected cricket hero”, going right back to Trott’s Antiguan ancestry, his upbringing in Collingwood, Melbourne, amid the threat of “typhoid, diphtheria and measles”, through to an untimely death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 41 and burial without ceremony in Willesden, north London – a sadly ignominious end for a man who played Test cricket for both Australia and England. It was not until the 1970s that Middlesex, the club he served as a professional for 12 years, arranged a headstone for his grave.There ought to have been no shortage of positive reasons to remember him. “Albatrott” was a high-flying bird: (still) holder of the record for best innings figures by a Test debutant; the first man to score 1000 runs and take 200 wickets in a county season (which he did twice in a row); the first man to take two hat-tricks in the same innings; one of a select few to play Tests for two countries.Albert Trott’s grave in Willesden Cemetery in London•Getty ImagesPerhaps the root of Trott’s tragic demise lay in his early rejection by Australia. Having made scores of 38 not out and 72 not out, batting at No. 10, he claimed 8 for 43 on debut against England in Adelaide in 1895, a match that sparked Australia’s comeback from 2-0 down in the series (although they ultimately lost 3-2). After three Tests, Trott averaged 102.50 with the bat and 21.33 with the ball; however, he was subsequently overlooked for the tour of England in 1896. Tom Horan, the former Test batsman and chronicler known as “Felix”, summed up the mood:

“His fame is trumpet tongued to the world not only as a batsman but as a bowler and field, and now the famous selection committee… give him the cold shoulder and proclaim him unfit to represent Australia on the cricket fields of England. I have seen some queer things done by selection committees in my time, but this caps all.”

No matter, Trott would make the trip regardless. Having already received offers to ply his trade in England, he secured a contract with MCC, which would allow him to serve a two-year qualifying period to represent Middlesex. He quickly made an impression, his changes of pace and ability to curve the ball – learned from playing baseball – making him a particularly canny operator in English conditions. “He became known as one of the best all-round men in England,” Neal writes, “but it was his bowling that was dominant at this point.”Pitch PublishingA couple of summers later, in 1899, now a Middlesex player, Trott scored 1175 runs and took 239 first-class wickets; but it was to be one big hit, against the country of his birth, that secured his legacy. The ball rose until it was “a pea in the sky”, before landing in the garden of the Lord’s dressing-room attendant, who lived behind the pavilion (meaning the shot was only worth four, since sixes had to be hit clean out of the ground). No one has yet managed to emulate Trott, though Kieron Pollard came close for Somerset in 2010, and in recent years Middlesex players have lined up to have a crack in laboratory conditions to publicise the T20 competition.Trott had by then abandoned his allegiance to Australia completely, having made two Test appearances for England under Lord Hawke on the 1898-99 tour of South Africa. He was 26 and should have been at the peak of his powers, but after scoring 1337 runs and taking 211 wickets (including all ten in an innings against Somerset) during the 1900 season, his decline was steady.A teetotaller in his younger days, Trott had acquired a taste for beer (often bought for him by a well-wisher). After a brief return to the spotlight with his unprecedented feat of taking two hat-tricks in an innings during his benefit match in 1907, he was quoted by a newspaper as recommending “dry ginger ale” when bowling. “This was a little rich from a man who enjoyed nothing more than ‘a cooler’ during and after a game,” writes Neal. After being effectively sacked by Middlesex in 1910, Trott’s health worsened and he suffered badly from the build-up of fluid caused by oedema – or dropsy, as it was known.Financial issues also weighed heavily and another blow was to come when Trott’s wife and two children left to return to Australia without him. When he took his own life, during the summer of 1914, he had £4 to his name and left a will written on the back of a laundry ticket. An inquest recorded the verdict: “Suicide during temporary insanity.”But let that not be the final word on “Dear Old Trottie”. Over once more to Neal, author of this meticulous and sympathetic portrait:

“His life was shaped by his character and temperament, the man within, as much as his skills with the bat and ball. Over the years, he was someone who struggled to come to terms with his own cricketing talent. In the process, he brought about his own downfall, suffered a reverse of fortune, losing everything – a last desperate act, the life of an Edwardian cricketer tinged with shades of the Shakespearean tragic hero.”

Over and Out – Albert Trott: The Man Who Cleared the Lord’s Pavilion
By Steve Neal
Pitch Publishing, 2017
£12.99, 224 pages