حقق فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي فوزًا كبيرًا على منافسه العين الإماراتي بنتيجة 3-0 في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم الثلاثاء ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الإنتركونتيننتال.

والتقى الأهلي أمام العين على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من المسابقة القارية.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي، مع المتأهل من لقاء بطل أمريكا الجنوبية مع أمريكا الشمالية في دور نصف النهائي والتي ستقام بدولة قطر خلال ديسمبر المقبل.

ويفتتح الأهلي مشواره في الموسم الجديد من الدوري المصري، بمواجهة قوية أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا ضمن لقاءات الجولة الأولى.

وتقام بطولة الدوري المصري الموسم الجديد، من دور واحد كمرحلة أولى، ثم يتم تقسيم الأندية إلى مجموعتين، بداية من المركز الأول حتى التاسع يتنافسون على لقب الدوري.

طالع | بعد الفوز على العين.. خصم وموعد مباراة الأهلي في نصف نهائي كأس إنتركونتيننتال

بينما الأندية من المركز العاشر حتى الثامن عشر، يتنافسون على البقاء والهبوط، على أن يهبط فريقان فقط بدلًا من ثلاثة إلى دوري القسم الثاني (دوري المحترفين).

وكان الأهلي قد فاز على سيراميكا كليوباترا بنتيجة 2-1 في منافسات دور نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المصري والذي أقيم في الإمارات. موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري المصري

ويلتقي الأهلي في مباراته المقبلة مع سيراميكا كليوباترا يوم السبت 2 نوفمبر المقبل، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign can only be described as underwhelming, with the FA Cup being the only title left to be won.

There are plenty of reasons for the lack of progression this season, but fingers are beginning to be pointed towards Erik ten Hag for his approach and style of play.

In truth, injuries have had a huge role to play in preventing the boss from fielding his best starting lineup, but those who have been given a chance, bar a handful, have failed to perform.

With that in mind, there’s one individual who has struggled to get going this season above all, with his statistics and output speaking for themselves.

What Man United actually paid for Antony

Last summer, Antony followed in the footsteps of Ten Hag by joining Man United from Ajax, but it hasn’t exactly been an easy 18 months in England for the Brazilian.

Arriving with an enormous £82m price tag on his head, the task at hand was as simple as it gets: perform extremely well or receive an endless amount of criticism.

The winger's start to life at Old Trafford couldn’t have gone any better, scoring on his debut against Arsenal and netting in his first three Premier League starts.

However, just a few weeks later, Antony received plenty of backlash for his trademark spin in the Europa League, with pundit Robbie Savage calling the 24-year-old “embarrassing.”

As the campaign progressed, Antony’s performances became more inconsistent, to the point where his value has significantly dropped in just over a year. That's not ideal for a man on wages as high as £200k-per-year and over £10m annually.

Antony’s transfer value in 2024

After a tough first campaign, Antony was supposed to truly make the right-wing position in United’s team his own this season, especially after starring in the 3-1 pre-season win against RC Lens with a goal and an assist.

However, that certainly hasn’t been the case, with the number 21 struggling to have any real impact in attack whatsoever, failing to register a goal contribution in 21 Premier League appearances.

In fact, his only two of the campaign both came against League Two opponent Newport County in the FA Cup, and this has led to him losing his place in the side to Alejandro Garnacho.

Antony’s lack of quality and the fact he’s lost his place in the team has caused his estimated worth to plummet by £52m as per Transfermarkt, and the table below shows his value ranks compared to other first-choice right-wingers in England. it's certainly alarming viewing.

Antony's value vs Big 6 Right Wingers
Player	Value
Bukayo Saka	£102m
Phil Foden	£94m
Mohammed Salah	£55m
Dejan Kulusevski	£47m
Cole Palmer	£38m
Antony	£30m
Via Transfermarkt

Even though he is far less valuable, plenty of the United faithful are calling for Antony to be moved on in the summer, but Ten Hag has still stuck by the attacker, saying:

“He has a big potential. He hasn’t shown it lately, but I know what his talent is. It is about proving his talent. It is about him.”

Man Utd's teenage Saka replica could be the star to replace Antony

The exciting prospect has already made his mark on the first team.

By
Tom Lever

Mar 6, 2024

In truth, Antony’s future as a Man United player is completely up in the air, and that’s the case for lots of players due to the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe. But one thing is certain: the Red Devils massively overpaid for the Brazilian.

Late-stage drama has been a prominent factor behind the respective campaigns of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town, with the typical contrasting results coming into play when the teams clashed on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, Heung-min Son bagged a late winner after Tottenham had fallen behind in the early stage, with the skipper's deflected strike spinning a bleakly familiar narrative for the valiant Hatters on their first campaign back in England's first division.

Ange Postecoglou's side had restored parity early after the break after Issa Kabore turned into his own net following Brennan Johnson's cross.

The Wales international was introduced after the break, and while Son took the limelight with his late winner, Johnson deserves all the plaudits for his difference-making display.

Brennan Johnson's performance vs Luton

Son bagged to take his seasonal tally up to 15 goals and eight assists from 26 Premier League appearances, taking Harry Kane's mantle as the club's talisman with resounding success this year.

The South Korean star was the man to initiate the late winner, but it was Johnson who cleverly crafted a pass to set his skipper on his way.

Signed from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m last summer, Johnson has now chalked up four goals and seven assists from just 15 top-flight starts in a Lilywhite shirt, really turning the tide after replacing Dejan Kulusevski at half-time.

Minutes played

45'

Assists

1

Touches

29

Accurate passes

15/21 (71%)

Key passes

3

Duels won

2/3

Tackles

1

Kulusevski has so often been essential to Tottenham's performance this season but Johnson might just have played himself into his teammates' position, influential yet again.

Dejan Kulusevski must be ruthlessly dropped

Kulusevski has been a key component of Tottenham's efforts this term but he faltered against Luton, and after being hooked for Johnson at half-time, Postecoglou clearly played the right move given the Welshman's influential moments.

As per Sofascore, Kulusevski took 32 touches across his 45 minutes of action but completed just 67% of his passes – albeit making three key passes for his peers.

The Sweden international also won just three of his eight contested duels, was dribbled past and failed to make a single dribble himself, but he was wasteful and ineffective on too many occasions and will be displeased with his effort.

Football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold was particularly scathing in his post-match comments, branding Kulusevski with a 4/10 match rating and writing: 'A poor pass in a great position early on set Luton away for their early goal. Did play Werner through with a good pass about 10 minutes later and played Son through to hit both posts, but his passing was otherwise off though and he did not reappear for the second half.'

While the one-time Parma man has received much praise this season for his energy and enthusiasm, even described as the "engine" of Postecoglou's system by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, it's hard to ignore Johnson's continual impactful performances right now.

The shrewd recruitment since the end of last season enables Postecoglou to bench such a player as Kulusevski – who is considered Tottenham's most valuable player by CIES Football Observatory.

Luton are deceptively tricky customers and Spurs should be delighted with a hard-fought victory to continue the fight for Champions League football.

Kulusevski has been integral this season, but he's fallen from form and Johnson must now be provided with centre stage. He's really starting to come into his own.

Spurs lining up their answer to Haaland in move for £30m “machine”

Ange could complete his team by signing this priority target in the summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 29, 2024

West Ham United supporters have been treated to another rollercoaster of a campaign under David Moyes and there is much to fight for heading into the business end, with it all to play for in the Premier League and out on the continent.

Seventh in the standings, three points behind Manchester United, West Ham have made a pleasing resurgence domestically after finishing 14th last year and selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m.

Also, having won last year's Europa Conference League, the Hammers are fighting in the Europa League and face Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals next month, with Xabi Alonso's side unbeaten in all competitions this season.

Most of the signings made since the end of last season have been effective, but one player who has unquestionably struggled to perform is Kalvin Phillips, who fell from prominence at Manchester City and saw a route to east London as a route toward resurgency.

Halfway through this stint, it has been anything but…

Why it's gone wrong for Kalvin Phillips at West Ham

Phillips joined Manchester City from Leeds United in a £45m package in 2022 and won the treble in his maiden campaign, though starting just two Premier League matches – both coming in May – and being labelled "overweight" by Pep Guardiola hardly spoke of success on a personal level.

Fortunes did not improve during the current campaign and, if it wasn't already, it became crystal-clear that the England international needed to leave the Etihad fold, and with Moyes' side in need of some extra bodywork in the centre of the park, a loan move was organised – with discussions over a permanent transfer anticipated to follow during the off-season.

However, the 28-year-old has nosedived, going from paltry match action to chastening displays on the field, making a streak of errors in his first matches against Bournemouth and Manchester United.

He's now chalked up six Premier League performances for United but was an unused substitute during the recent draw against Aston Villa, having been withdrawn at half-time against relegation-threatened Burnley the match before, 2-0 down and later branded with a 3/10 match rating by The Evening Standard's Malik Ouzia, with the reporter writing:

'Another rotten afternoon. Started slowly, failed to close Fofana for the opener and then dragged at half-time.'

It's hardly likely that West Ham will be eager to fork out a sum to bring him to the club for good, and especially so when a homegrown talent such as George Earthy now sits on the cusp of a regular role in the first-team.

Why George Earthy could be a star at West Ham

19-year-old academy star Earthy made his senior debut off the bench during West Ham's 5-0 thrashing over Freiburg in the Europa League this month, also sitting on the bench during three of the club's last four Premier League outings, still yet to grace the field.

A creative, forward-thinking midfielder, Earthy has been lauded for his "brilliant" displays by club insider ExWHUemployee and boasts a stunning return of eight goals and seven assists from 18 fixtures in the Premier League 2 this season, of which the young Hammers are placed second.

Moreover, the teenager is blessed with elite technical quality and this is evidenced through his efforts in the EFL Trophy this term, complementing a four-goal-contribution return from five games with a 90% pass success rate and an average of three ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.

While he's blessed with some pace, Earthy is not the kind of player to weave past opponents en-route to the box, instead focusing on his ball-playing skills and striking ability, with impressive spatial awareness and composure in key moments.

Naturally, this can be translated into different facets of the midfield game, with Earthy competent in deeper midfield positions despite being utilised in a No. 10 deployment with regularity throughout his formative years.

Earthy has everything that he needs to blossom into a real star on the Premier League scene, and while he will never have the raw defensive talent of Phillips, Edson Alvarez is as good as any in the holding midfield position and his ability on the ball could blend wonderfully with the Mexican's tough-tackling expertise.

vs Bournemouth (H)

1-1 draw

4/10

vs Manchester United (A)

3-0 loss

4/10

vs Arsenal (H)

6-0 loss

4/10

vs Nottingham Forest (A)

2-0 loss

3/10

vs Everton (A)

3-1 win

6/10

vs Burnley (H)

2-2 draw

3/10

Moyes must seriously consider giving Earthy some more game time, and some first minutes in the Premier League, to kickstart his development into a regular presence in the senior set-up in what would be a triumph on a personal level, severing Phillips' prospects of rising to the fore at the London Stadium.

No West Ham supporters wishes to see Phillips fail, but the one-time Leeds centrepiece has failed his audition in the capital and it's harder to envisage a turnaround before the campaign's completion.

Alvarez anchors the midfield brilliantly, while Lucas Paqueta is an elite playmaker and Tomas Soucek is as industrious as they come.

There simply isn't space for a player who would cost a pretty penny, earns a healthy salary at £150k-per-week and is actually having a detrimental effect on West Ham's fluency and spark.

A dynamic midfielder of Earthy's potential, however, deserves a shot, featuring regularly and sharpening his tools as he edges closer toward a starring spot in the club's ranks.

Glasgow Rangers are preparing for the final furlong of the 2023/24 season, with ten important matches left (11 if they reach the Scottish Cup final).

Philippe Clement has done a remarkable job since joining the Ibrox side in mid-October, losing just three games while leading the club to a League Cup triumph and to the last 16 of the Europa League.

It is in the Premiership where the most improvement has been made as Rangers were eight points adrift of Celtic after just seven games.

Michael Beale led the club to three league defeats in their opening seven matches, and he was dismissed following the 3-1 loss to Aberdeen at Ibrox.

This result summarised Beale’s tenure to a tee. A gutless performance by a group of players who delivered yet another woeful display, and it was clear that the Englishman failed to improve his squad during the transfer window.

Not only did some of his summer signings look downright bizarre (Sam Lammers), but his decision to allow several first-team players to leave for nothing at the end of 2022/23 proved to be a mistake.

Filip Helander was one, as the defender is enjoying a new lease of life at his current club.

How much Rangers paid for Filip Helander

Following a trophyless debut season in charge of Rangers, Steven Gerrard spent the summer of 2019 attempting to bolster his squad to give Celtic a better challenge for the league crown.

New arrivals included Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent, and Steven Davies, while Helander was also signed midway through the transfer window.

Rangers transfer business: 2019 summer

Player

Club joined from

Ryan Kent

Liverpool

Joe Aribo

Charlton Athletic

Filip Helander

Bologna

George Edmundson

Oldham Athletic

Greg Stewart

Birmingham City

Steven Davies

Southampton

Jack Hastie

Motherwell

Jordan Jones

Kilmarnock

Sheyi Ojo

Liverpool

Brandon Barker

Man City

Andy King

Leicester City

Via Transfermarkt

Gerrard splashed £3m on the Swedish centre-back to lure him from Bologna as he looked to strengthen his defensive options.

“At £3m, we’ve done really well to get Filip,” said Gerrard. “He naturally gives us balance as a left-footer. That enables us to play with a two or with a back three. He will be able to defend our box and be a threat at set pieces.

“He is comfortable on the ball. He’s a good man, he’s a leader. We do need more voices out there if we want to challenge for the top prizes.”

It didn’t take long for him to make an impact at the Light Blues, forming a solid partnership with Connor Goldson.

Filip Helander’s Rangers career in numbers

Although he only made 18 appearances during his first season, Helander looked assured at the heart of the defence. He suffered a foot injury against Celtic in the League Cup in December 2019 and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Swede returned for the 2020/21 campaign, playing 28 games in all competitions as the Gers won their first league title in a decade, conceding just 13 times across 38 league matches.

Helander and Goldson were formidable at the heart of the defence, but this was to be as good as it got for the Swede, as injury problems started to mount.

During his final two seasons, he missed a grand total of 99 games through injury, failing to even make a single senior appearance throughout 2022/23, and he was released when his contract expired last May.

On the surface, it sounded like a logical decision, yet since leaving Ibrox, Helander has found himself a new club and is currently shining abroad.

Where Filip Helander is playing in 2024

During the summer transfer window, Helander made the move to Danish side Odense Boldklub following his release from the Gers, since playing 16 times for the club.

His form in Denmark led to the defender receiving a call-up to the Swedish national side for the first time since 2022, making another four appearances for his country, showing how impressive he had been.

The 30-year-old currently ranks in the top ten players among the squad for accurate passes, accurate long balls, tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, further evidence of his return to form since leaving Glasgow last summer.

Filip Helander's salary in 2024

Offering the defender a one-year deal to prove his fitness might have been an ideal option for Beale, and there is no doubt he fumbled badly on a player who is now earning significantly less than a Gers defender in Ben Davies.

Davies has struggled at Ibrox since joining from Liverpool during the summer of 2022, making 50 appearances for the Light Blues, but failing to really have an impact in the starting XI.

He is certainly not one of Clement’s favourites, as the Englishman has made just four starts under the Belgian and this could very well be his final season in Glasgow, especially if the former Club Brugge manager aims to bring in his own signings.

Davies is currently picking up a hefty wage of £27k-per-week, which places him as the third-highest earner in the Rangers squad, behind Goldson and James Tavernier.

Considering his form and lack of meaningful impact at the Gers, it is clear that this wage could be more appropriate elsewhere.

Helander, on the other hand, is earning £3.3k-per-week at Odense, as per Salary Sport, and this represents a massive difference from what Davies is taking home every week.

There is no doubt that when both players are fully fit, Helander is the better of the two, yet injury problems wrecked his spell at Rangers and meant he failed to enjoy the sendoff that he really deserved.

Testament to his character, however, as he has managed to get himself back to full fitness and secure a return to the national team late last year.

Helander would have been an excellent option for Clement to call upon rather than Davies, especially when fixture congestion was looking like it could derail their ambitions a few months ago.

At his peak, the Swede regularly delivered solid and reliable performances for Rangers, with Gerrard being able to trust the player in a variety of situations without having to worry about the club conceding.

Having signed a one-year deal with Odense last summer, could Helander potentially be back on the move again at the end of the current season? Only time will tell.

MatériaMais Notícias

O futuro de Ganso no Fluminense continua incerto.O Santos quer ter o jogador de volta e, inclusive, já procurou o Fluminense para iniciar as negociações pelo meia. No fim do mês de maio, a reportagem do LANCE! confirmou que depois de demonstrar um interesse inicial, o Peixe planeja ter o camisa 10 do Tricolor por empréstimo.

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​No entanto, apesar dessa situação, o técnico Roger Machado, em entrevista coletiva, após a vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Red Bull Bragantino, no Maracanã, destacou que “conta muito” com Ganso. O treinador elogiou a atuação do meio-campista na partida de ida da Copa do Brasil e disse que ele é a opção imediata na ausência de Cazares, que serve a Seleção Equatoriana.

– O Paulo é minha opção imediata na ausência do Cazares. Entrou hoje e muito bem, oferecendo o que tem de qualidade. Tenho buscado ajustar o posicionamento dentro do que eu entendo para aquela função. É uma posição um pouco mais desgastante para o meia atuar no tripé. Mas ele até aqui no Fluminense, com o Diniz, já jogou de volante. Tem essa capacidade e com uma qualidade que poucos têm. Quando entrou achou muitos passes, roubou bolas, demonstrou que está motivado. Conto muito com ele – afirmou Roger.

>Começou o Brasileirão! Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Pelo lado do Santos, as portas estão abertas. Após a vitória sobre o Cianorte, também na Copa do Brasil, o técnico Fernando Diniz classificou a possível transferência de Ganso para o Peixe como “bom para todo mundo”, mas salientou que o assunto é tratado internamente.

– É um assunto interno. Resolvemos internamente. Ganso teve grande participação comigo no Fluminense. Se puder voltar, seria bom para todo mundo, mas tratamos disso internamente – disse Diniz.

O nome de Paulo Henrique Ganso divide opiniões no Comitê de Gestão do Santos. Além da questão técnica, há dúvidas sobre uma volta do jogador ao clube pela saída forçada para o São Paulo, em 2012. Depois de um possível acordo nas condições com o Fluminense, o acordo ainda teria de ser votado no Comitê de Gestão.

Revelado nas categorias de base do Santos, Paulo Henrique Ganso viveu seus melhores dias da carreira na Vila Belmiro, onde ganhou três vezes o Campeonato Paulista, uma Libertadores, uma Copa do Brasil e uma Recopa Sul-Americana. Em 2012, ele foi para o São Paulo e depois esteve no Sevilla (ESP) e no Amiens (FRA), em passagens bem apagadas, antes de desembarcar no Fluminense.

The captain credits the camaraderie among the pace pack for the side’s phenomenal success

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2019Virat Kohli’s India have blown away oppositions at home – just ask South Africa and Bangladesh who were at the receiving end recently. And armed with an incredible bowling attack, they’ve also established themselves as a serious team overseas, including winning a historic Test series in Australia in January earlier this year. So, are India the best team in the world now?India have been perched at No. 1 on the ICC’s Test rankings for a few years now, and Kohli also believes that they’re one of best teams overall.”If you look at teams across formats now, I would say we’re in the top-two teams in the world,” Kohli told . “And we’re very proud of that because we started off with a young bunch and transition is never easy but the guys have slowly understood the importance of belief and understanding their role in taking Indian cricket forward. So, insecurity about their own game has vanished. If you see we enjoy each other’s success and company and everyone is just wanting to help one way or the other for the betterment of Indian cricket team and in return the betterment of Indian cricket as a whole.”India have chalked up consistent performances across formats, but Kohli is yet to lift a global trophy as captain. India have not won an ICC global tournament since 2013, when MS Dhoni’s team clinched the Champions Trophy. Incidentally, that was Kohli’s second global title after being part of Dhoni’s 2011 World Cup-winning team.The missing global title was something that the newly-appointed BCCI president Sourav Ganguly also pinpointed in October.Kohli conceded that winning an ICC title was “like an obsession” with the public, but prioritised processes over results and numbers. He also said that his side relished being under pressure and finding a way past it.”You could say winning an ICC tournament is like an obsession or like a wish that people have, which is a beautiful thing to wish for because it’s seen at a global level and every cricketer would want to win that,” he said. “But if you ask me, honestly I didn’t ever think I would be part of the winning World Cup team in my first World Cup or two years down the line we will win the Champions Trophy as well. I never thought of these things but it happened. So, it was meant to happen for us.”But, in hindsight, you can look at a lot of things. We obviously have the desire to win big tournaments and big series and we want to give our best effort possible. But, if you focus on things which are only based on success and numbers and results, you don’t enjoy the process. We play well as a team because we enjoy the process.”Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav are all smiles•BCCIKohli has been the central figure behind India’s bumper run ever since he took charge as captain in all formats in 2016. In his quest to make India the best team in the world, he has been very particular not to compromise on his fitness. Working on his diet and monitoring his sleeping habits, Kohli said, has helped him be more energetic on the field. But how does he maintain peak intensity at all times?”Basically, I hate losing in anything,” he said. “That’s how a sportsman is made up. That’s the make-up of any sportsman competing at the highest level. So, that’s a given. No one is fine with losing or failing. You accept it, you process it – that’s different. But, the most important thing for me to do anything on the field is I don’t want’ any maybes or what-ifs.”One of the key ingredients behind India’s unprecedented success in recent years is the depth in their attack, especially the well-rounded fast bowling contingent. In the recently-concluded home Test season, both Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were unavailable, but Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav fired collectively, helping the team notch up four successive innings victories.Kohli said that while there is “healthy competition” among the pace pack, it is the camaraderie they share with each other that makes the attack special.”No one is wanting to outdo someone else,” he said. “They’re like a bunch of friends wanting to help each other. [There’s] healthy competition but the trust they’ve on each other, I’ve never seen them have an argument… a serious one. No jealously. Zero. That’s their biggest strength. They don’t care whether a Shami is at No. 7 now, Jassi [Jasprit Bumrah] is at whatever ranking he is or Ishant is not. Ishant is happy , he has played 90 Tests and he understands he’s a very important part of team India – of inspiring the next lot of fast bowlers. That to him is more special than a ranking of ten players in the world and so on and so forth. So, full credit to these guys for being able to create this aura around them because of that friendship, belief and the intent being in the right place.”Earlier this week, Rahul Dravid, the head of cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), reckoned that India’s fast-bowling renaissance at the international level has inspired the next generation of quicks too.”Every year now in Under-19 cricket, we’ve had some very good fast bowlers. Last time, we had three of them in Kamlesh [Nagarkoti], Shivam [Mavi] and Ishan [Porel]. This year also you will see some good fast bowlers in the team,” Dravid had said.”When you have role models and you have heroes like the senior team… I think what Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bumrah are doing, is they are actually in a way becoming role models for a lot of younger generation of boys who believe now they can be fast bowlers. They can bowl fast and be successful in India. It’s great to see that. Obviously we had people like Kapil [Dev], Sri [Javagal Srinath], Zaheer [Khan] and all in the past. But as a group, this is probably one of the best fast-bowling attacks we have ever had. I think that’s a great inspiration for a lot of these young boys.”

Yuvraj Singh, the former India allrounder, believes that 100-ball cricket could have an impact on the game similar to that of T20s.The Hundred is set to be launched in England next year, with the ECB deciding to promote a new format as part of its bid to attract fresh audiences. Although Yuvraj is not due to be involved – only one Indian player, Harbhajan Singh, entered the draft and he subsequently withdrew – he praised it as an exciting concept that may come “close to a revolution like T20″.Yuvraj, who retired from international cricket and the IPL in June, is currently participating in the Abu Dhabi T10, which got underway on Friday. Speaking to Maratha Arabians media, he suggested that 100-ball cricket was of interest to him.”I think the new 100-ball format will be an exciting format, because it’s not T10, it’s not T20, it’s about 100 balls,” he said. “That I feel could be an exciting format, close to a revolution like T20 – but we have to wait and watch.”While Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain who is also playing in Abu Dhabi, has described T10 as cricket’s perfect vehicle for Olympic Games inclusion, Yuvraj said The Hundred could also be an option.”If the tournament [Olympics] is over about two weeks, I think 100-ball would be perfect,” he said. “If the tournament is, say, ten days, then obviously T10 would be perfect. Depending on the timeframe of the Olympics. I think an Olympic gold is very prestigious, so it has to be something in which an athlete should be able to bounce back in situations, so you have to decide that.”As for the merits of ten-over cricket, Yuvraj said he was uncertain about whether it would spread further, because “you don’t have any time to get set and get going”. Yuvraj made a run-a-ball 6 in the Arabians’ defeat against Northern Warriors as the T10 league opened for its third edition.”It’s definitely an exciting tournament but I’m not sure, in terms of pacing yourself in a match – 50-over, Test match, T20 also you have time to pace yourself, but in T10 you don’t have time,” he said. “So I’m not sure, is it going to expand or is it not? T10 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai has been very popular, and the crowds have been huge, so I’m sure it’s something to look at.”

The tournament has already undergone revamps in its first three years, and there are more changes afoot

Barny Read22-Nov-2019

The eight captains pose after arriving for T10•Abu Dhabi T10

In just its third edition of its existence, it is fair to say the Abu Dhabi T10 is still a work in progress. As a result, there are still tweaks to be made, issues to be ironed out and a lot of trials to be carried out.From being a four-day, round-robin format played out between six franchises in its inaugural edition, the tournament went from 13 matches to 29 the following season as it welcomed two new teams into the fold. That second season stretched the competition to 12 days and while the same structure was retained this year, it has found a ten-day slot in its new home in the UAE capital.The Super League stage has remained in place, but with every team playing each other bar their opposite number in the other group (for example, Deccan Gladiators and Maratha Arabians avoided each other in the Super League stage having topped Group A and B respectively and so on), there is little jeopardy as the tournament moves into its second stage.And this existing league structure is something Abu Dhabi T10 owner-cum-chairman Shaji ul Mulk says he and his team plan to address after Sunday’s final.”It’s possible [that the tournament format changes],” Shaji told ESPNcricinfo. “Because we have eight teams, we could be doing seven games a team so that we have a full round-robin. That would probably need us to increase the duration by another two days.”Delhi Bulls captain Eoin Morgan, who has been involved with the tournament since its inception, also sees the potential for adjustments. “There are a couple of things but I don’t have a solution for them yet,” Morgan said. “We’re only in our third year, things will continue to evolve, maybe even more teams still in a shorter space of time.”The group stage has also become a topic for conversation over its lack of tie-breakers, such as a Super Over, to ensure results in every match. They are in place for the knockout matches that begin on Saturday but after two ties this year, their absence has been notable.When you throw in Wednesday’s rain that produced one farce and two no results, the difference between shared points and full points is something that cannot be ignored. And while the rain cannot be helped, other things can be.”We’ve seen two ties already and I think all coaches agree we need to see a result, whatever form that’s in whether it’s a Super Over or how that’s determined,” Team Abu Dhabi coach Trevor Bayliss, whose side was hit by both abandonment and T10’s first-ever tie, told ESPNcricinfo. “A result in every match would be good for everyone involved, not just the players but obviously the fans and the viewers at home as well.”Morgan, like Bayliss, knows the finality of a Super Over more than most after this year’s ODI World Cup final and he would rather a ten-over game had a conclusion. “If we played in a tied game and we ended up a point short the argument is: would you rather have a result than one point each and I’d always err on the side of having a result,” Morgan said.Shaji puts the fast turnaround of games as a reason behind the lack of Super Overs until the qualifiers and final, his argument based on the fact that one of T10’s greatest USP is its 90-minute game-time. When you factor in slots on TV schedules and advertising space, it is no easy thing to balance.”We will be looking at it from next season onwards,” Shaji said. “Now that we’ve had two ties, we will probably consider changing those playing conditions. We want something innovative like two bowlers, three balls each.”One thing the Abu Dhabi T10 will be hoping to sustain is the strong crowds that have turned out so far. The UAE is a notoriously difficult place to pull in supporters despite a cricket-mad diaspora. To combat it this year, organisers invested in buses from across the emirates to provide transport for people that otherwise would have found it difficult to source.The result has been remarkable as evidenced by Friday’s enormous crowd-swell, and Morgan hopes that, in future, the showpiece events are scheduled to tie-in with what is a non-working day for the majority of the country.”You look at the crowd today given that it’s the weekend here and that’s fantastic to see. Probably one of the things would be having the final on a weekend [Friday or Saturday] as opposed to [Sunday]. But it’s still great to see crowds like that today.”

Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko has decided to drop the No.35 shirt in favour of No.17 ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

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Zinchenko will wear No.17 this seasonUkrainian takes Soares' old numberEntering third Gunners seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

Zinchenko wore the No.35 shirt in his first two seasons at the Emirates but has decided to switch things up for 2024-25. He will wear No.17, which was available following the departure of Cedric Soares earlier in the summer – with the Ukrainian explaining why his new number is special to him.

AdvertisementWHAT ZINCHENKO SAID

“The number 17 is a very special number to me. It was the number I wore as a young player, and I’ve always requested to wear 17 when playing for my country," the versatile defender said, per Arsenal's website.

“With 17 being free since Cedric left, I asked if I could change, and thanks to everyone at the club for supporting me.

"It’s also very important to say that if anyone has bought this season’s new shirt directly from the club with my name and 35 on it, they can get an exchange to my new number.”

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

You have to go back to 2015-16 for the last time Zinchenko wore No.17 at club level. It was his final season at Ufa before he was handed 35 upon his arrival at Manchester City. He will now marry his club shirt number with the same one that he wears for Ukraine.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ZINCHENKO?

Zinchenko is busy preparing for the new season with Arsenal, with friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon to come before their opening game of the Premier League campaign against Wolves. The arrival of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna and return of Jurrien Timber from injury leave questions about the former Man City ace's involvement in his third season in north London.