Wolverhampton Wanderers missed out on signing a new striker despite sporting director Matt Hobbs working on a number of deadline-day options.

Wolves’ January transfer window

The Old Gold had to deal with working behind the scenes on new signings alongside focusing on their Premier League clash with Manchester United. However, things didn’t go well in the market or on the pitch, with Gary O’Neil’s side suffering a dramatic 4-3 defeat at Molineux and failing to sign a new striker.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

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By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

Talking after the defeat, O’Neil didn’t sound happy when talking about the fact Wolves failed to sign a new striker, saying:

"We didn't manage to get a nine done. There were a few that I really liked and we couldn't afford any. We could afford some, but not ones that I thought would help us. The group is the group and we get to work on trying to maximise it."

O’Neil was then asked if, looking back on things, he would have kept Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva, to which he said: "I don't want to go through what ifs. It's important Sasa plays and I don't think he'd have played much for us. It's important that Fabio plays and he wouldn't have played much for us.”

Attacking midfielder Noha Lemina was the only arrival of the month from Paris Saint-Germain, and updates are coming to light over Hobbs’ search for a new striker.

Wolves striker rumours

A deal for Armando Broja from Chelsea was thought to be close, but as we know, he ended up joining Fulham on loan. Meanwhile, Wolves and Hobbs were also actively looking to sign Yuri Alberto from Corinthians, with reliable reporter Liam Keen of The Express & Star even revealing an agreement was reached before it broke down.

“A deal to bring in Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto on a loan with an option to buy was agreed with the club and player, but Alberto’s agent demanded more money before the deal was finalised and Wolves pulled out of the transfer as a result.”

Alberto has been hailed by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig in the past, who described the Brazilian as a “complete forward”. The 22-year-old has plied the majority of his club career in his native country, alongside a stint at Zenit St Petersburg and could have been a shrewd addition for the second half of the campaign and possibly further if he impressed.

Who knows, a deal could be revisited in the summer, where you’d expect Wolves to remain in the Premier League with O’Neil’s side 11 points clear of the drop zone.

يلعب منتخب مصر، ضد موريتانيا، في منافسات تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، وذلك ضمن عدة مواجهات قوية تقام، اليوم الجمعة 11-10-2024.

منتخب مصر، يتواجد في المجموعة الثالثة لـ تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، بجانب الرأس الأخضر وموريتانيا وبوتسوانا.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع موريتانيا، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثالثة، لمنافسات المجموعة الثالثة، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

ويتصدر منتخب مصر ترتيب مجموعته، برصيد 6 نقاط، حيث حقق الفوز في الجولتين الأولى والثانية أمام الرأس الأخضر وبوتسوانا.

وضمن تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، يواجه منتخب تونس نظيره جزر القمر، والسنغال تلاقي مالاوي.

وفي دوري الأمم الأوروبية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة، يلعب منتخب ألمانيا ضد البوسنة والهرسك، هولندا ضد المجر.

وعلى مستوى كرة اليد، يلتقي النادي الأهلي مع نظيره ميكال الإثيوبي في منافسات بطولة إفريقيا للأندية المقامة في المغرب.

وفي بطولة كأس قطر، تقام مباريات الجولة الرابعة من المسابقة، بدون اللاعبين الدوليين، حيث سيلاقي فريق قطر الذي يتواجد في صفوفه المصري أحمد عبد القادر منافسه الريان (يغيب عنه المصري الآخر محمود حسن تريزيجيه لتواجده مع منتخب مصر). مواعيد مباريات اليوم الجمعة 11-10-2024 والقنوات الناقلةمباريات تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا اليوم

موزمبيق ضد إسواتيني، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

زامبيا ضد تشاد، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

غينيا الإستوائية ضد ليبيريا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

مدغشقر ضد جامبيا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 5 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

مصر ضد موريتانيا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تذاع على قناة beIN Sports 2 HD

طالع | اتحاد الكرة: عاملوا حسام حسن كـ ابنكم.. وأداء منتخب مصر حاليًا أفضل من أيام كيروش وفيتوريا

أوغندا ضد جنوب السودان، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة beIN Sports 5 HD

نيجيريا ضد ليبيا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة beIN Sports 4 HD

بنين ضد رواندا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

الكاميرون ضد كينيا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

جنوب إفريقيا ضد الكونغو، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

السنغال ضد مالاوي، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية

مالي ضد غينيا بيساو، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية

كوت ديفوار ضد سيراليون، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية

أنجولا ضد النيجر، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية

الجابون ضد ليسوتو، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية

تونس ضد جزر القمر، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة beIN Sports 2 HD مباريات دوري الأمم الأوروبية اليوم

إستونيا ضد إذربيجان، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودي، تنقل على beIN Sports 6 HD

أيسلندا ضد ويلز، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على beIN Sports 5 HD

تركيا ضد الجبل الأسود، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على beIN Sports 4 HD

سلوفاكيا ضد السويد، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على beIN Sports 8 HD

المجر ضد هولندا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على beIN Sports 3 HD

التشيك ضد ألبانيا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على beIN Sports 6 HD

أوكرانيا ضد جورجيا، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على beIN Sports 7 HD

ألمانيا ضد البوسنة والهرسك، ، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على beIN Sports 1 HD موعد مباراة الأهلي ميكال الإثيوبي اليوم في بطولة إفريقيا لليد

الأهلي وميكال الإثيوبي، تلعب في تمام الساعة 7:00 مساءً، تنقل مباريات البطولة عبر الصفحة الرسمية للاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة اليد على منصة فيسبوك. طالع الصفحة من هنا مباريات بطولة كأس قطر اليوم

الأهلي ضد الشحانية، تقام في تمام الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة الكأس 2.

الريان ضد قطر، تقام في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة الكأس 3.

العربي ضد الدحيل، تقام في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة الكأس 4.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a wonderful 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, and it meant they had recorded a Premier League double over the club in the process.

The Old Gold have lost just twice in 2024 so far and Gary O’Neil will be hoping to maintain this type of form as they play Sheffield United this afternoon.

The Blades are currently sitting bottom of the table on 13 points, conceding a staggering 65 goals across their 25 matches, and it gives Wolves a perfect opportunity to record another win.

With over a week between matches, does the manager make a tweak to the starting XI? Or will he leave it unchanged for the clash today?

Wolves team news vs Sheffield United

The good news for the former Bournemouth boss is he has an unchanged squad to choose from as there are no new injury worries among the team.

Matheus Cunha is still absent, however, and he is unlikely to be back available until after the next international break, which occurs at the end of March.

O’Neil must be happy with the state of play regarding his options, and he could drop Mario Lemina to the bench against the Blades and unleash Tommy Doyle, who could unlock the Blades’ defence.

Tommy Doyle’s season in numbers

Wolves signed the Manchester City gem on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy last summer, and he has proven to be an exciting option for O’Neil to have among his squad.

The 22-year-old was hailed as a “superb midfielder” by talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2022, and he has gained plenty of senior experience in recent seasons, most notably helping today's opponents get promoted back to the top flight last season.

Despite starting just five Premier League matches this season, Doyle has an average pass success rate of 86% and this could be key in unlocking the Blades’ defence today.

Across the top five European leagues in the previous 365 days, Doyle currently ranks in the top 11% for attempted passes per 90 (68.82) and this is yet further evidence that he could be a handful in the heart of the midfield for Wolves.

The youngster has also lost possession just 5.6 times per game, won 56% of his total duels per game and has been dribbled past only 0.2 times per match, indicating that he possesses the required physical strength to succeed in the top flight and this defensive nature could allow the likes of Joao Gomes to push forward more often.

70

50

34/37 (92%)

2/3

7

Despite Sheffield United defeating the Molineux side in the reverse fixture earlier this season, a lot has changed since and O’Neil’s men have gained plenty of morale-boosting wins in recent weeks.

Unleashing Doyle could give him an opportunity to impress from the first whistle and, considering their opponents are weak at the back, it will allow the club to go seeking quite a few goals.

Chalkboard

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

If the 5 foot 7 starlet does shine, it could cement his place in the starting XI for future matches, no doubt about it.

Originally set to be a part of the touring party only for the first two Tests, the former captain has flown back to help the Australians bounce back from the Headingley loss

Daniel Brettig02-Sep-2019

Steve Waugh is back in the Australia camp after missing the Headingley Test•Getty Images

As they fight to recover from the setback at Headingley and seal the Ashes with victory at Old Trafford, Australia’s tourists have called back Steve Waugh to help mentor the team after he was conspicuously absent during the Leeds Test.Originally scheduled to be with the team for only the first two Tests of the series, Waugh toyed with rushing back from a prior commitment in Australia to be around for Headingley, but in his absence the touring team got to the brink of an Ashes victory before throwing it away in a mad hour up against a rampant Ben Stokes.It is a measure of how much Waugh’s presence was valued, but also how desperate Australia are to finish this Ashes series on the winning side, that he has been flown back into camp, arriving late on Sunday night in Manchester to help oversee the team’s preparations for the fourth Test. He will also stay on for the final match at The Oval.ALSO READ: Ian Chappell – How do the 2019 Ashes compare to 2005?”He was supposed to come until the end of the second Test but he enjoyed it so much and we saw such great value in having him here,” coach Justin Langer said. “Guys like Punter [Ricky Ponting] and Steve Waugh, not only do they have a great presence in the group, but they are great psychologists. They’ve been in the cauldron before, they’ve seen it all, so to have that those type of guys, we are talking about developing leadership in Australian cricket, to have our guys to learn from people of that calibre is very important short term.”Longer term there is huge value in that (too). He’s been like a kid at Christmas, to come back after such a long time away from the game, his passion and enthusiasm for the game has been brilliant. We asked him to stay for the third Test but he had to go back for a function, he was actually going to fly there, do the function and fly back the next day. That’s how much he is enjoying it and we see great value.”Asked whether or not Waugh’s presence had been missed at Headingley, Langer said that while it was hard to quantify, he was in little doubt that the presence of great former players alongside the current group was a significant encouragement to the team.”You can’t measure it. Would it have made any difference in those last 60 or 70 runs? Who knows,” Langer said. “These things I’ve always felt throughout my whole time in Australian cricket to learn from the Dennis Lillees and the Allan Borders and the David Boons and the Ian Chappells and the Greg Chappells, the list goes on. So any chance we have for our guys to rub shoulders with them is a huge benefit short and long term, but whether that’s the difference between us winning or losing a Test match like the other day, you can never tell.”Certainly the way we have gone about our business for the first three Tests, there’s a bit of steel there and having those sort of people around helps. I don’t think he’d do it full time, a bit like Punter, they have got so many other things in their life, but anytime we can have them with the group… If you could have Punter one day a year you would have him because he has such an impact on the group, same with Tugga.”Having Waugh involved, much like Ponting fulfilled an assistant coaching role during the World Cup, was a priority for Langer after he faced many testing moments during his first home summer as coach. Neither Waugh nor Ponting have come cheaply for Cricket Australia, but there is clearly a desire to have them involved in a semi-regular capacity, especially around major assignments such as the World Cup, the Ashes, or next year’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.Justin Langer chats to Steven Smith at Australia’s training session•Getty Images

“We are setting up this mentoring system where we have these great players coming in and being with the guys,” Langer said. “It’s unsustainable doing it full time, we are seeing that throughout coaching around the world really, but when we can have them we will have them as much as we can.”This is my chosen profession, you feel it as journalists, it’s hard work being on the road all the time but that is our profession, Steve Waugh or Ricky Ponting haven’t chosen to become career coaches whereas this is my job. You ride the highs and lows of that and you learn along the way, that’s why it’s important from a personal point of view to have great friends like Steve Waugh or Ricky Ponting or any of my old team mates, like the other assistant coaches, they share the load if you like.”Waugh inspired part of how Australia tackled the aftermath of Headingley, as Langer insisted upon a ruthless approach to the tour match against Derbyshire while also keeping the whole squad together rather than allowing for those not playing in Derby to take brief breaks elsewhere.”Steve Waugh’s talked about, we’ve talked about the great Australian teams have been pretty ruthless in winning games of cricket,” Langer said. “Before the toss, we said, ‘it’s not a practice game, it’s not a centre wicket hit out, we’re going to play a proper game of cricket; we’re going to try and win the game no matter what’. They won the toss and batted, usually it’s a bigger challenge to do that (win) in a three-day game. The way our guys won the game in two-and-a-bit days was that’s a guide to me they’re up.”They were all together, they trained together, sometimes it can become a bit fractured. It’s not going to be fractured here for the next few weeks. I thought the attitude of the last few days was really good. Because on the back of a World Cup, you’ve got to try and give guys as much mental rest as possible. The physical rest is fine; they’re all fit now except for some of the fast bowlers at stages. It’s always been a philosophy and theme of my coaching is we’ve got to do things together as much as we possibly can.”It might be right, it might be wrong, that’s just a strong belief I have. Everyone was in Nottingham. They were all together, we’ll stick together. There’s only a few more weeks of this tour. It’s been a long hard tour, we’ll stick together as much as we can. Hopefully it’ll give us the right outcome.”The Australians will be without one member of their support staff, though, with assistant coach Brad Haddin returning home to Sydney for personal reasons.

Liverpool approached the recent victory over Luton Town in the Premier League with the knowledge that ceding ground in the title race could be detrimental, Arsenal and Manchester City snapping at the first-placed side's heels.

Firing on all cylinders, normally Anfield would have welcomed the relegation-threatened Hatters with unwavering confidence, but Jurgen Klopp's side were threadbare, a spate of injuries ravaging the squad.

Key talisman Mohamed Salah had aggravated an injury after an emphatic return at the weekend against Brentford, with Darwin Nunez also tweaking his hamstring.

Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones, more seriously, suffered injuries that will keep them out of action for a longer period, compounding an already-bloated list of absentees.

And despite a dour opening, Liverpool prevailed to keep their title challenge churning, thanks in no small part to the talented youth fold that is stretching their influence into the senior set-up.

The likes of Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott started, while 18-year-old forward Jayden Danns made a big contribution on his professional debut off the bench.

Liverpool's "special" £4m star is now worth 1175% more

Jurgen Klopp has shaped this rising talent into one of the Premier League’s most exciting prospects.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 23, 2024

All talented players, immensely so, but possibly the brightest star from the Reds' academy ranks wasn't in on the action. Indeed, Stefan Bajcetic, scarcely involved this season, might just be the cream of the crop.

The fee Liverpool paid for Stefan Bajcetic

Spain U21 international Bajcetic has actually been on Liverpool's books since December 2020, when he was snapped up from his homeland club Celta Vigo for just £224k as a 16-year-old, beating fiery rivals Manchester United to his signature.

Alex Otero, youth coordinator at Celta Vigo, detailed the midfielder's skill set to The Athletic back in 2021, revealing that Liverpool indeed held one of Europe's most talented teenagers in their grasp.

He said: “He has amazing physical characteristics. He is extremely quick, makes good recoveries, has a great spring, is really impressive in the air and carries the ball cleanly out of defence.”

Most Liverpool supporters were unaware at this stage, but after 33 appearances for the club's respective development sides, he was unleashed last season as Klopp sought to manage a shocking collapse, Liverpool's midfield sapped and defence bereft of confidence.

He exceeded expectations.

Stefan Bajcetic's 2022/23 season in numbers

Bajcetic was handed his Premier League debut before his 18th birthday back in August 2022, coming off the bench as Anfield swallowed Bournemouth up and spat the Cherries out on the back of a chastening 9-0 defeat.

His maiden outing at such a young age spoke of the exciting innate ability and evident glowing praise that had been fed to Klopp as he went from strength to strength at youth level, but it wasn't until the festive period that he was handed a second chance to impress – and boy did he take it.

Liverpool were struggling and desperately needed to defeat Aston Villa at Villa Park in the first league match following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with a refreshing 3-1 victory cherry-topped by Bajcetic's surge and finish in the late stage.

Thus paved the way for a brilliant run in the first-team, shining as his senior peers surrounding him toiled, completing the season with 11 appearances in the Premier League, notably completing 79% of his passes and succeeding with 64% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.

#

Player

Opponent

Age

1.

Michael Owen

Wimbledon

17y 143d

2.

Raheem Sterling

Reading

17y 317d

3.

Stefan Bajcetic

Aston Villa

18y 65d

4.

Robbie Fowler

Oldham Athletic

18y 190d

5.

Jamie Carragher

Aston Villa

18y 356d

Unfortunately, Bajcetic, now aged 19, picked up an adductor injury in his thigh last March and missed the remainder of the campaign, though his contribution in stabilising the midfield was vital to the late-season revival that salvaged something from a wretched year.

He returned fleetingly in the early stage of the current campaign to make two displays, starting Liverpool's Europa League opener and coming off the bench against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, but he has missed the majority of the season due to fitness issues, believed to be on an individual program as his body continues to grow.

Stefan Bajcetic's current market value

Described as a "special" talent by journalist Zubin Daver, the young Spaniard continues to recuperate but will be back soon, endowed with the talent and physical development to become a key figure in Klopp's system.

As such, despite injury, his current market value now stands at €10m (£9m), according to CIES Football Observatory, which marks a staggering 3917% increase from that initial bargain fee.

While he's not the main attraction at Anfield right now as far as the youth is concerned – that tag lies with Bradley, who posted a goal and five assists from right-back in January and was crowned the PFA Fan's Premier League Player of the Month – his brilliant efforts last season highlighted his calibre.

He is also still younger than his 20-year-old teammate, who is also valued at just €5m (£4m), as per CIES.

It is disappointing that Bajcetic has not been able to strut his stuff this season, but taking this prudent approach to his nurturement and development is the perfect way to go about it.

This time last year, Liverpool were struggling. At present, Klopp has revived Anfield in all its glory, and while he is draping the curtain on his illustrious tenure, the bodywork for a golden new chapter is intact, firmly so.

The stones are in place, and Bajcetic will soon be performing at the beating heart of Liverpool's team, surpassing the myriad prospects peppering Merseyside in red.

Ashley Cole wants Gareth Southgate to drop Bukayo Saka from starting lineup as he wants Phil Foden to shine on the right flank.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Cole wants Saka to be dropped
• Wishes to see Foden play on the right flank
• England face Slovenia in final group game

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Arsenal and Chelsea defender has advised the Three Lions boss to bring in Newcastle United sensation Anthony Gordon on the left flank while shifting Phil Foden to the right. Foden, who was named Manchester City's Player of the Season in the 2023/24 campaign, has failed to live up to the expectations in the ongoing Euro 2024.

  Several pundits have pointed out that the 24-year-old has failed to adjust on the left side as he is used to playing either from the right side or as a number 10.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  If Southgate decides to switch the City attacker's position, he must drop Saka to the bench. However, Cole believes that the Gunners star could use the opportunity to get some much-needed rest. Saka was instrumental in feeding Jude Bellingham with a cross from which the Real Madrid midfielder found the back of the net against Serbia in England's tournament opener.

• WHAT ASHLEY COLE SAID

  Speaking to , the ex-England international said, "I would like to see Anthony Gordon play from the left, I would like to see Foden playing on the right because I feel he’s been unfairly dug out. You can still see it as a rest for Saka. I would like Foden to show the world how good he is because we know.

  "I feel he’s been unfairly criticised playing out of position. People might go well he’s a world-class player, he should be able to adapt. Fair point I understand that. But what I see of him playing for Man City I would like to see him play there."

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• GETTY
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  Southgate's men will aim to end the group stages on a high as they look to secure three points against Slovenia on Tuesday and head into the round of 16 as group toppers.

This one was huge. It meant a lot, an awful awful lot, certainly to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. As Leandro Trossard knocked the ball past Harvey Elliott and raced towards goal, his crisp finish, which took a deflection off Virgil Van Dijk, sent the Emirates Stadium into a frenzy.

Like Jose Mourinho in the prime of his management, Arteta was dashing down the touchline, high-fiving supporters before warmly embracing his coaching staff.

This wasn't the night the Gunners won the Premier League, far from it, but in a game where they couldn't afford to drop points, sealed a 3-1 win that kept their title ambitions alive.

Just a few weeks ago it looked as though the north Londoners were sliding away from things. An FA Cup exit at the hands of Sunday's opponents, Liverpool, condemned them to three defeats in a row. Since that moment, they have now won three on the spin and sit two points behind the Reds. It's evident, then, just how big this was.

Had Arteta's men tasted defeat then they would have sunk eight points behind the Anfield outfit. Goals from Trossard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were enough, but the most praise deserved to go Jorginho's way.

Jorginho's performance in numbers

When the Italian signed for Arsenal a year ago there was despair. Why, supporters wondered, were the Gunners keen to acquire a player who was supposedly past his best and being cast out by?

Well, today's game showed why. This wasn't the first time Arteta has trusted the 32-year-old in a 'big game'. Jorginho started against Liverpool in the cup a few weeks ago and has also played against Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle this term. After arriving in January 2023, he also played in those fixtures last season.

Why? Well, the view of Gary Neville summed it up nicely after he starred versus the Toon in 2022/23: "The reason why Manchester United players and Pep Guardiola have said Paul Scholes is their favourite player was because in moments in the hardest atmosphere in a difficult away game those players are unique. They have the composure, the balance to get the team playing. That’s what Jorginho reminded me of – he was fantastic."

That was precisely the case again this weekend, with the midfield veteran handed the official Man of the Match award after an exceptionally calm display in the middle of the park.

No Arsenal player had more touches than Jorginho's 70, while he completed 87% of his passes and won seven duels. The stats may not look extraordinary for the former Chelsea star but it is hard to quantify just what he brought to the game through numbers alone.

That said, his midfield partner in crime was also "utterly ridiculous", as one analyst noted. Step forward £105m man Declan Rice.

Declan Rice's performance in numbers

Jorginho arguably outshone his mega-money partner in the centre, something that demonstrated his immense performance levels.

However, as Rice has been all season long, he was outstanding against Liverpool again on Sunday.

Playing in a double pivot means he doesn't have to do all of the defensive work himself. He's given extra freedom to play forward and that layer of his game certainly gives the Gunners an extra level.

It was a performance inspired by his colleague too. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the former West Ham star noted: “Before I signed for Arsenal, the prospect of playing with him (Jorginho), [Thomas] Partey – Playing against them before, knowing how he controls games. I think he’s got qualities that not a lot of midfielders have.”

Again, it's hard to justify just how good Rice was via numbers alone, but to put things simply, he was everywhere, winning four tackles, making two interceptions and completing 86% of his passes.

Minutes played

90

Touches

66

Accurate passes

43/50 (86%)

Key passes

2

Long balls

4/5

Duels won

6/11

Fouls

2

Interceptions

2

Tackles

4

So good was Rice that he was handed a highly impressive 9/10 match rating by the Evening Standard's Simon Collings, who wrote at full-time: "Was everywhere and bossed the midfield. Continues to deliver in the biggest games for Arsenal. Worth every penny of the £105m Arsenal paid."

That summation was just about perfect. Here was a man more than justifying his price tag. If £105m ever felt cheap, then you only need to look at the awe-inspiring level of performance he's dropped since signing.

He was largely signed to strengthen the midfield but he has been so complete that late winners have even been scored against Manchester United and Luton Town.

If Arsenal do win the league at the end of the season they'll owe a huge amount to the 25-year-old.

The loudest roar in Nottinghamshire’s game at Trent Bridge on Sunday came as Joe Clarke knocked two off Jordan Thompson – there was nothing remarkable in the shot, but 70 miles up the M1, Ben Stokes was completing an outrageous heist at Headingley.While reports of Stokes’ antics causing Sunday’s Blast games to stop are largely exaggerated, the stands emptied at the Ageas Bowl and Edgbaston as fans crowed around the big screens in the concourse, and in the Kia Super League game at Guildford, a cheer went up between balls, and Sarah Taylor and Nat Sciver punched the air to celebrate England’s success.It is remarkable that if Stokes had managed to hit Trent Boult’s last-ball full toss in the World Cup final for two rather than one, a number of county cricketers would have missed both of the dramatic moments of the summer.In addition to the Blast games yesterday, there was a full round of Championship matches starting on the same day as the World Cup final, and play was still going on as Stokes tied the game. There were exuberant scenes in dressing rooms across the country following the Super Over victory, but in an alternative timeline, the next best hundred or so players in England would have missed England’s moment of triumph.***As the ECB gathers evidence on the hybrid pitches being tried out in the Blast this season, the most disturbing findings will be coming from Chester-le-Street where Durham have used the same pitch three times and suffered a couple of embarrassing collapses.On both occasions, their openers D’Arcy Short and Scott Steel gave them a vigorous start against the new ball only for their innings to grind to a halt as the innings wore on.Against Worcestershire, Durham were 79 for 1 off 11.4 overs, but failed to chase down Worcestershire’s 117 for 7 by three runs. Little more than a week later, their target against Yorkshire was 147 and again the openers excelled, this time with 70 off 7, only for Durham’s last seven wickets to fall for 16 in five overs against the unlikely Yorkshire spin duo of Jack Shutt and Adam Lyth.All of which is a reminder that a five percent plastic weave in a surface might help hold it together for an extra match or so, but it is not about to work miracles. Hybrid pitches can’t be blamed for bad shots or a lack of tactical acumen. And if the square is slow and low to start with then slow and low is doubtlessly what you’ll get.County traditionalists would be better hoping that conclusions about hybrid pitches are favourable. If not, it won’t be too long before a marketing bod with an unhealthy regard for artificial pitches proposes that it is time for the ultimate solution.***Ollie Robinson celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Sussex retain strong hopes of a home quarter-final in the Blast even if their bowling attack is under a little strain with Tymal Mills out for the season and Jofra Archer only playing two matches thus far as his England career takes over.One player Sussex will hope will makes an impact in their remaining games is Ollie Robinson who made good use of the random round of Championship matches in mid-August by taking 14 wickets against Middlesex – the best Sussex match aggregate for 55 years.Jason Gillespie, Sussex’s coach, says he cannot speak too highly of Robinson. “I think being away with the England Lions has made him realise that he’s a little bit closer to international recognition than he thought he was – and seeing how that professional environment works helps,” he said.”He’s as competitive a cricketer as I’ve seen. He researches the opposition. He spends hours poring over the footage, looking for ways to impact. He has also improved his general professionalism, the work-rate, in the gym, the recovery protocols. He’s stepped up and now he’s getting the rewards.”I see a big tall bloke of 6′ 5″ who runs in and hits the ball hard, nibbles it both ways, can swing it both ways at a brisk pace. His height is a real weapon. He wouldn’t be out of place at the next level.”***Colin Ackermann appeals for a leg-before shout•Getty Images

Having put himself in the history books by becoming the first bowler in world cricket to take seven wickets in a T20 innings with his astonishing 7 for 18 against Birmingham Bears on August 7, Leicestershire’s Colin Ackermann might have anticipated he’d be basking in the glory of it for some time. He had, after all, claimed a best-figures-in-an-innings record that had stood for eight years.Imagine how he must have felt, then, last Friday night, when news came through that the India A offspinner Krishnappa Gowtham, who for the last two seasons has been part of the Rajasthan Royals team in the IPL, had taken an unbelievable 8 for 15.South African offspinner Ackermann had, in his own words, “struggled to get my head round” being a being a world-record holder and now it seemed he wasn’t one even before it had properly sunk in.But if the Foxes captain was feeling a little bit miffed at being knocked off his perch after just 16 days, it turned out he need not have.Gowtham’s eight-for, playing for Bellary Tuskers against Shivamogga Lions, came in the Karnataka Premier League, which has eight franchises and big-money sponsorship deals and creates a substantial income stream for the Karnataka Cricket Association – yet is classed as a state competition.Only national tournaments and international cricket count towards the official records, even though Karnataka, a region in the south-west of India, has a population of 61 million – more than Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka combined.So Ackermann can continue to bask and Gowtham must content himself with a tournament record only.Amazingly, it was not the only tournament record Gowtham set in that one match, having earlier smashed the fastest KPL hundred (39 balls), achieved the highest individual score (134 not out) and blasted the most sixes in a single innings (13). A decent night at the office.***Plenty of counties are sick of the sight of Tom Banton after seeing him pile on the runs against them this year, but it might just be that the worst is yet to come.While domestic players will soon be spared playing against Banton as his inevitable rise to international honours continues, Tom’s younger brother Jacques might well be on his own route to stardom by then: after piling on the runs for Worcestershire’s academy sides this summer, he has broken into the second team, and hit 107 off 99 balls for Barnt Green in the Birmingham Premier League on Saturday, all at the ripe old age of 18.It was a good day for Tom all things considered – his own club side, Taunton St Andrews, got a win, and his cameo against Glamorgan took Somerset to a much-needed victory.***Adam Zampa’s last-ball run-out of Sam Northeast in Essex’s game against Hampshire confirmed that this season’s Blast will be a record-breaking one.The competition has had more ties than your local Marks and Spencer’s, currently sharing the honours with the 2011 FLt20 as the season with the most such results (4).Those results, along with a vast number of no-results and abandonments, have combined to make both groups very bunched: going into the final week of games, Gloucestershire were second in the South Group having won five games, while Surrey were down in eighth with only one victory fewer.

Adam Lyth hits 48 and takes five wickets, but ends up on losing side as Gurney and Luke Fletcher close out tense win

David Hopps at Trent Bridge25-Aug-2019There are few trickier death bowlers in the Blast than Harry Gurney and Jordan Thompson now knows that more painfully than most. Three times in the last four balls, Thompson swung at Gurney and missed, giving Notts a three-run win to take them along with Lancashire into the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast and eliminating Yorkshire in the process.Gurney, who had been short of his best, had to defend 12 from the last over, and Yorkshire again were in the ascendancy when Will Fraine, playing against his former county, launched the first ball over long-on for six. But Fraine then fell at backward point and, although Thompson did middle one delivery to long-on for two, the dominant sound was a swishing and a cursing.Luke Fletcher also played a fine hand at the death. His first two overs had leaked 25, but a fine boundary-saving pounce at short fine allowed him to begin the 19th over with Yorkshire still needing 18 off the last two overs. He yorked Jack Leaning with his first ball and Tim Bresnan with his last to send emergency signals blaring in what had always been a tightly-judged chase.Trent Bridge was packed almost to capacity as nearly 14,000 turned up on a baking summer’s day to see Notts reach the last eight, but much of the Notts innings was little more than a backdrop because for all but the most ardent supporter it was inevitable that thoughts would stray to Headingley.The biggest ovation of the day came when Notts were 76 for 2, not because of anything before their eyes, but for news of an astounding victory at Headingley where Ben Stokes had added a heroic Ashes innings to his exploits in the World Cup final to confirm himself as one of the greats of the game. Trent Bridge felt like a part of a great cricketing family.”It got a little bit interesting for me when they hit six off the first ball of the final over but I’m always confident when you’ve got double figures to defend in the last over,” Gurney said. “I’m not sure we’ll be grabbing the back pages tomorrow but we’re all England fans in our dressing room apart from Dan Christian – and he’s getting plenty of stick.”On a slow, low Nottingham surface, nobody was thinking much about greatness. Until a thrilling climax, it was a largely desultory afternoon on a sluggish pitch in 30C heat when adequacy was hard enough and slow bowlers held sway.Notts laboured for most of their innings. Joe Clarke’s half-century held them together even though he was not at his most fluent and was dropped on 3 – he did not field later because of cramp. When Clarke and Tom Moores fell to Lyth in successive balls, Notts had declined to 99 for 5 off 16, but posted 148 for 7 with 43 coming off the last three overs.Joe Clarke swings through the leg side•Getty ImagesPerhaps Christian, Notts’ Australian captain, had been working off a bit of Stokes-derived frustration. His unbeaten 31 from 16 balls shook Notts into some sort of order, 16 of three balls off David Willey in the 18th over finally achieving an impetus they had struggled to achieve. Fletcher’s six off the penultimate ball, from Lyth, was another decisive intervention from the big fella before Lyth had him caught in the deep from the last ball to return startling figures of 5 for 31.Lyth’s all-round prowess with bat and ball might not have been the most obvious route for Yorkshire to have sought to revive their Blast season, but he produced one of the best bat-and-ball displays in the county’s T20 history.He had only taken 10 T20 wickets in 110 previous appearances before he stepped out at Trent Bridge, but his gently-flighted offspin suddenly seemed to have taken on new guile. He later struck 48 from 51 balls in orderly fashion before he squirted a back-of-the-hand delivery from Gurney to backward point. With Yorkshire needing 49 from 38 with seven wickets left he had cause to hope he had done enough.Yorkshire’s T20 season has adopted many forms this summer, few of them convincing, but this was the second time in a week that an unsung offspinner made a striking intervention. Five wickets for Jack Shutt at Chester-le-Street had helped them beat Durham three days earlier, a match in which Lyth also picked up three.”We should have got over the line but credit to Notts, they grind those sorts of results out on their own patch and we crumbled a bit under the pressure at the end,” said Yorkshire’s coach, Andrew Gale. “I think 85 percent of the game we played some smart cricket.”That sums up our one-day cricket, we can’t get over the line. We’ve tied three games and lost by a run in one of them and until we stand and take responsibility in key moments under pressure then we are where we are.”Three runs was another tight margin and Gale’s frustration was understandable, but it only told half the story. Yorkshire are now nearer to solving their perennial shortcomings in T20 cricket and, outside their top three, they lack star quality.Three runs or not, that it was Notts who proceeded to the last eight felt entirely appropriate.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em partida válida pela sétima rodada do Campeonato Paulista 2021, Guarani x Palmeiras se enfrentam nesta sexta-feira (23), às 20hs (Horário de Brasília), no Estádio Brinco de Ouro da Princesa, em Campinas-SP.

ATUAÇÕES: Palmeiras vence com Veiga inspirado e Renan heroico

O Verdão está terceira colocação do torneio com 9 pontos conquistados e vem de um empate contra o Botafogo-SP, em Ribeirão Preto-SP. Já o Bugre, por sua vez, também está em terceiro lugar com 8 pontos e, na última rodada, venceu de virada a Ferroviária em Araraquara-SP.

Guarani x Palmeiras terá transmissão AO VIVO para todo o Brasil no Premiere (pay-per-view), com narração de Luis Carlos Jr., comentários de Ana Thais Matos (por vídeo) e Pedrinho, Sandro Meira Ricci na Central do Apito e Gustavo Biano nas reportagens.

>> Veja a tabela completa do Campeonato Paulista e simule os próximos jogos

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Outra alternativa para acompanhar a partida é não só pelo tempo real do Nosso Palestra, como também também pelo perfil do NP no Twitter, com a hashtag #trNossoPalestra.