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Mikel Arteta has insisted that Declan Rice must improve a key attribute that will take the in-form Arsenal midfielder to "another level".

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Arteta wants Rice to improve key attributeBelieves it will make Rice unstoppableWants the midfielder to reach double figures in both goals and assistsWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has become an integral figure in the Gunners' midfield since his £105m ($137m) move from West Ham United. Although Rice ticks most boxes that one would generally expect from a No. 8, Arteta believes that he must work on his goal-scoring capability to unlock his full potential.

AdvertisementWHAT ARTETA SAID

Speaking to reporters, Arteta said: "He has shown that he has an eye for goals when he is in the opponents’ box. He is a real threat. That is something that can be developed. His leadership skills will naturally grow in the team and club in the years to come. He has other levels to go. I love his presence on the pitch, he’s got something special. Playing as a No 8 he can be an incredible player.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Rice had previously enjoyed a more advanced role in Arsenal's midfield but had to adapt to a deep-lying central position due to Thomas Partey's injury. Notably, at West Ham, David Moyes tweaked the system to allow more freedom to Rice by giving more defensive duty to Tomas Soucek. The midfielder repaid the trust shown in him and made 18 goal contributions in his last two seasons with the Hammers.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Rice has scored three goals this campaign for Arsenal including two stoppage-time strikes against Manchester United and Luton Town and another against Chelsea.

With the deadline for direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup on September 30, and with that luxury given only to the top eight teams including hosts England, West Indies who are at No. 9, are in a precarious position

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2017The new West Indies coach Stuart Law has said his main aim is to make sure the team qualifies directly for the 2019 World Cup.Currently ranked No. 9 by the ICC, West Indies have to improve their position by at least one spot before the September 30 deadline. The top eight ODI sides, including hosts England, on the cut-off date gain automatic entry into the showpiece event while the bottom four will have to go through the rigours of a qualifying competition, where ten contenders fight for only two spots.West Indies’ quest begins with the first of three ODIs at home against England on March 3. Then they take on their nearest competition on the rankings table – Pakistan at No. 8 – in April over three matches, which could prove decisive to which of the two teams end up in the top eight. West Indies also have the cushion of five more 50-over matches against England in the UK before September 30. While winning as much as possible would be the priority of any international cricket team, Law knows it is especially important for his.”The main aim is to qualify for the next World Cup, the 50-over World Cup, so these one-day games are extremely important to us,” he said. “So that’s our main focus really at this stage. I know we have Pakistan coming for T20s, Tests and one-dayers as well but the one-day series probably will take paramount importance.”There is considerable disappointment in West Indies at missing out on the Champions Trophy. They had won the tournament in 2004 but now, for the first time ever, they will not be part of it. Several issues – prominent among them the spat between the WICB and their biggest match-winners – have meant the one-day team, unlike its counterpart in T20s, is rarely at full strength. These concerns, however, are being addressed with the help of Jimmy Adams, the former captain and the new director of cricket in West Indies.”It’s a great little tournament, the Champions Trophy, the mini World Cup and to not be there probably isn’t where you want to be,” Law said. “You want to be in every single one of those tournaments but it is what it is. We’ve just got to make sure we have our heads screwed on for the one-day tournaments we play in upcoming tours and if we can win those, we can get through to qualify for the World Cup. That’s probably the bigger one to worry about.”Law is confident of the men under his charge – “We’ve got power. We’ve got extreme power. Match that with a bit of technique as well, we’re looking pretty good.” – and that helps because he is only into his second month on the job and there are other challenges to navigate as well.”For me, it’s about seeing how it all operates,” Law said “Learning the different cultures from the different islands and how to address people and how to get the best out of the young kids is probably the most important thing for me now. I’m not going to focus on becoming No. 1 in the world at this stage. I’m focusing on building a culture, building a work ethic in the dressing room that will put the little brick in place so that they can become the best they can be.”

Fulham lost away at Manchester City today, but the game was not without drama, with VAR once again coming under scrutiny for failing to disallow the hosts' second goal.

What was the Man City vs Fulham score?

The Cottagers were defeated 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon, in a match they would have been expected to lose, though the way it panned out will still be very frustrating for Marco Silva, as a key decision near the end of the first half changed the game.

Man City went 1-0 up just after the half-hour mark, with Julian Alvarez opening the scoring, before Tim Ream equalised just two minutes later, giving the visitors hope about taking something from the game.

On the stroke of half-time, however, Nathan Ake found the back of the net for City, heading past Bernd Leno to restore his side's lead in controversial fashion.

Although the goal was not ruled out initially, Man City journalist Sam Lee was taken aback by VAR's decision not to overturn it upon review, with Manuel Akanji appearing as though he had interfered with play.

Lee said: "Goal given! I am very surprised by that, would have been very easy to say Akanji was in the way of Leno imo."

Fulham podcaster Sammy James was even more critical of VAR's failure to restore parity, after what appeared to be a blatant offside, saying: "That is one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. If Akanji isn't there, Leno saves it. An absolute joke."

Speaking live on Sky Sports, former referee Mike Dean also expressed his shock with the decision, saying: "It just can't stand. He's jumped over the ball, he has to be interfering,

"It just has to be disallowed."

Such was the Fulham players' frustration with the costly decision, some outlets reported that they initially refused to restart the game, with it ultimately proving to be a game-changing moment, as Man City ran out 5-1 winners.

How did Fulham play against Man City?

Although the Cottagers ultimately lost 5-1, there were some positives to take from the game, particularly their performance in the first half, during which they recorded two shots on target, and a higher xG value than City, indicating they were creating good chances.

However, the game turned on its head in the second half following the bizarre decision from VAR, with the hosts going on to dominate possession and score three goals from three shots on target, with Leno putting in a poor display.

The German recorded a Sofascore match rating of just 5.7 – the joint-lowest on the pitch alongside Antonee Robinson, who also struggled for large periods of the game. Only Raul Jimenez received a rating above seven.

As such, while the VAR decision ultimately changed the course of the match, Silva will also be frustrated with the performances of some of his players, as the second-half performance was subpar.

Up next for Fulham in the Premier League is a home match against Luton Town next Saturday, in which they will be hoping to bounce back with a victory.

The Western Australia captain stitched three solid partnerships to steer the total past 300 on the opening day in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2017
ScorecardMitchell Marsh guides one onto the leg side•Getty ImagesCaptain Mitchell Marsh’s 141 propelled Western Australia as they posted a solid 355 for 7 against Queensland on the opening day at the WACA.The hosts lost their opener Jonathan Wells for a duck in the second over to seamer Luke Feldman, after having elected to bat first, but the 72-run second-wicket partnership between William Bosisto (60 off 131 balls) and Hilton Cartwright (42 off 45 balls) put them in a strong position. With Brendan Doggett breaking their stand, it was Mitchell Marsh at No. 4 who stitched three solid partnerships to further bolster his side – 92 runs with Bosisto, 56 runs with Ashton Turner and 98 runs with D’Arcy Short – to steer Western Australia past 300, before Feldman struck again to dismiss him.Shortly before stumps, Short (59 off 88 balls) and Andrew Holder lost their wickets in the space of four overs to Jack Wildermuth, who finished with 3 for 69 on the day.

Gerhard Erasmus followed up his final-over heroics from a day earlier to partner Craig Williams for a 95-run sixth-wicket stand that set up Namibia’s 17-run win

The Report by Peter Della Penna13-Feb-2018ICC/SportsfileBatsman Gerhard Erasmus followed up his final-over heroics from 24 hours earlier with his second consecutive half-century, teaming with allrounder Craig Williams for a 95-run sixth-wicket stand as Namibia handed Canada their first loss of the tournament, by 17 runs at United Cricket Field.At a ground that has been a bowler’s paradise in the opening hour of play, Canada won the toss and unsurprisingly sent the hosts in. But they struggled to break through, as Stephan Baard and Lohan Louwrens survived the Powerplay with a 47-run opening stand. Navneet Dhaliwal, whose part-time medium pace ripped apart Kenya on Sunday, struck twice in the 12th over to bring Canada back.But Williams produced Namibia’s highest score of the tournament – 82 off 89 balls – before departing in the 48th over. Erasmus had been with him for much of the way, and once again took Namibia into the last over to forge a commanding total of 268.Ruvindu Gunasekera, the tournament’s top-scorer with 207 runs, continued his stellar run with another half-century. Dhanuka Pathirana and Dhaliwal steered the chase after Gunasekera’s departure, and with 87 to win with 10 overs to go and seven wickets in hand, Canada were favorites, given the United’s short boundaries.But left-arm medium pacers JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck bowled sensational spells to rip out Canada’s middle order. The pair bowled eight of the final ten overs and took four wickets. They were at their best in the final 12 balls. With 28 needed to win, Smit conceded six singles in the 49th. Frylinck began the final over conceding just two singles over the first three balls, effectively clinching victory.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to bolster the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

Gers boss Michael Beale has been backed by the board over the last few months as he has made nine new signings; including Abdallah Sima, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Danilo, Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jose Cifuentes, Leon Balogun, and Jack Butland.

According to the Daily Mail, the Light Blues are one of several sides eyeing up Peterborough United central defender Ronnie Edwards as the English head coach looks to improve the depth of his side.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The report claims that Premier League trio West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth, and Crystal Palace have also been keeping tabs on the 20-year-old centre-back.

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony is also quoted as saying that "three" Premier League teams will bid for him before the deadline, whilst Rangers appear to be eyeing their own swoop for his services.

How good is Ronnie Edwards?

The superb 5 ft 11 brute is an excellent young defender who has caught the eye with his performances in League One over the last 12 months or so.

Edwards' displays in the third tier of English football last season suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on current Rangers prospect Leon King in that position at the heart of the defence.

The Posh enforcer only turned 20 in March of this year but was able to start 40 league matches for his club during the 2022/23 campaign, which shows how much faith his manager had in him.

Edwards averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.04 across those 40 games as he delivered consistently impressive displays at the back. Meanwhile, King averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 over 15 outings in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues.

In fact, Connor Goldson (7.29) was the only Rangers centre-back who averaged a higher rating than 6.96 for the club last term, which illustrates how well the Peterborough star performed – albeit at League One level.

The Gers target made 3.4 tackles and interceptions combined per league match for his side – more than any of Beale's players managed – and won an outstanding 73% of his ground duels throughout the campaign.

King, on the other hand, made 1.6 tackles and interceptions per game and won 67% of his battles on the deck for the Scottish giants.

These statistics suggest that Edwards has the potential to make more defensive interventions than the Scottish battler whilst being more efficient in doing so, which speaks to his physical strengthdespitef his age.

The Peterborough warrior, who was dubbed a "Rolls-Royce" by his club's director of football Barry Fry, has showcased his ability to dominate opposition attackers whilst also winning possession back for his team regularly.

His performances for the English side suggest that the potential is there for him to be a big upgrade on King for Rangers if he can translate his form over to Scottish football, which is why this could be a shrewd signing for Beale this summer.

Aston Villa are reportedly still in the hunt for Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney, as Unai Emery eyes a reunion with another former player.

The Spaniard has already reconnected with Pau Torres, whom he coached at Villarreal, however more defensive reinforcements could still arrive at Villa Park this transfer window.

What is the market value of Kieran Tierney?

Valued by Football Transfers at €33.5m (£28.8m), the Gunners’ valuation of their full-back is a good representation of his worth, with the north Londoners speculated to want £30m for the Scotsman.

Villa’s reported interest in the 26-year-old was first raised back in June, with the club named as one of those interested in the star this week.

As reported by Newcastle World, both the Villans and Newcastle are keeping tabs on the Arsenal defender’s availability, with the player himself giving an interesting update on his future.

Speaking during pre-season activities, Tierney left talks of a potential move open by saying:

“It’s not really up to me, I’ve not had any discussions with the manager, and I’m just working hard every day and trying to do as well as I can.”

How good is Kieran Tierney?

There’s nothing to speculate in terms of Emery’s admiration for the full-back, whom he signed from Celtic at the Emirates back in 2019.

The Spaniard spoke highly of his new acquisition after securing his signature, lauding him as a “very talented player who will continue to improve.”

While the move at the time was highly anticipated, things haven’t worked as smoothly for the Scot in north London as hoped, as he has suffered recurrent injuries and slipped down the pecking order.

The arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko tarnished the 26-year-old’s chances of being first choice, as the Ukrainian played out an outstanding first season at Arsenal in an inverted role unfamiliar to Tierney.

With his future unconfirmed, Emery could make a bold swoop for his former player, in a move that would significantly bolster Villa’s depth at the back ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Hailed as “outstanding” by former Arsenal gem and pundit Paul Merson, the intricate left-back could have an effect greater than just his defensive strengths at Villa Park.

The capture of Moussa Diaby has the feel of a marquee signing at Villa, in a player that made 31 goal contributions in the 2021/22 season. Now, Emery could bolster the winger’s strengths in the Midlands by obtaining Tierney.

With the ability and experience to play on either flank, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace could benefit from the progressive prowess of the Gunners star, who could be a strong support option on the overlap behind the 24-year-old.

Averaging 4.08 progressive passes and 2.83 progressive carries per 90 last term, via FBref, Tierney could be the lively full-back to bounce off Diaby at Villa.

The Frenchman received an average of 8.60 progressive passes per 90 in the Bundesliga last season, showcasing the dangerous positions the winger is accustomed to taking up, in a role that could please the attacking spark of the Arsenal defender.

The 26-year-old has seen first-hand the success of having an inverted full-back can be on a winger, with him learning from Zinchenko, who he dubbed as a "prime example" of how to play the role.

The Ukraine international bolstered the attack at the Emirates last term, providing a positive outlet for winger Gabriel Martinelli, using skills that could Tierney could learn from to benefit Villa and Diaby.

Rangers are interested in completing the signing of a hugely exciting British player who has shone at academy level, according to an update from reliable journalist Mike McGrath.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers have enjoyed a new lease of life with Philippe Clement as their new manager, with the Belgian making an immediate impact after the sacking of Michael Beale.

On Sunday afternoon, Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action as they make the trip to Aberdeen looking to keep the pressure on Celtic in the title race.

The Scottish giants conducted some important transfer business during the summer window, signing the likes of Danilo, Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers, but there is still room for improvement in the squad, meaning that Clement could yet delve into the market in January.

Clement could secure an ideal Balogun heir in Rangers swoop for 6ft "revelation"

Rangers could be set to make a signing or two in January

ByRoss Kilvington Nov 24, 2023

Rangers have been linked with a move for Everton centre-back Ben Godfrey, which could be an exciting piece of business, while Motherwell youngster Lennon Miller is also seen as a target for the Gers. Now, a fresh transfer update has emerged, with another prospect potentially heading to Ibrox in the near future.

Rangers want Mason Cotcher

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, McGrath stated that Rangers are keen on acquiring the signature of highly rated youngster Mason Cotcher following his exit from Sunderland:

"England U17 forward Mason Cotcher has been training with the 1st team squad at Arsenal after leaving Sunderland. Rangers are also interested in signing the 17yr old and moving cross-border to Scotland would be for much lower compensation."

Considering he is still only 17 years of age, Cotcher would clearly be a signing for the future as far as Rangers are concerned, but he is someone with such long-term potential that a move to Ibrox would be eye-catching.

The Gers transfer target has won two caps for England's U17s, which immediately says a lot about the level of talent that he possesses, and he has scored and assisted once apiece for Arsenal's U18s in two appearances. Meanwhile, during his Sunderland days, he netted nine times in 27 outings at youth level.

While predominantly a centre-forward, Cotcher is capable of excelling on either flank, further adding to his appeal, with his versatility something that can be priceless for any squad player in the modern game.

Granted, the teenager isn't someone who is going to suddenly inject further life into Rangers' season at senior level, but bringing in one of the most exciting British talents around would be impressive long-term planning, rather than simply focusing on the present and not thinking enough about the future.

In an ideal world, Cotcher would come in as an academy player to begin with, perhaps even being loaned out elsewhere to continue to learn his trade, before eventually maturing into a first-team player and one of the first names on the teamsheet.

There is no doubt that more senior transfer targets also need to be looked at, however, with failure to strengthen Clement's squad in the January window acting as a big opportunity missed as they look to wrestle the league title away from Celtic.

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-20163:16

Want to be a team that closes the opposition out – Arthur

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test in Dubai. Having taken a 222-run lead in the first innings, Pakistan were dismissed for 123 in 31.5 overs, losing their last six wickets for 11 runs. Chasing 346, West Indies were 95 for 2 at stumps with senior batsmen Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo at the crease.Arthur praised Bishoo but rued that the collapse had given West Indies a chance to win the game. He said Pakistan’s plan when they chose not to enforce the follow-on was to score about 180 runs in 45 overs and shut West Indies out of the match.”I am not going to take anything away from the way Bishoo bowled because he bowled really, really well,” Arthur said. “I thought we gave him eight soft wickets. We were cutting against the spin, some lazy shots. That is something we have spoken hard about because that’s not how we play the game. We worked so hard to get ourselves in front of the game and then in one session we lost 6 for 11 and that gave West Indies a sniff. We want to be better than that. We want to be a team that closes the opposition out when we get the opportunity and we didn’t.”The message was very simple: we wanted a score of 180 in 45-50 overs. We felt that would have given us 25-30 overs tonight and a full day tomorrow. So we were looking at 180 in probably 45 overs at the most and we played poorly.”Bishoo, whose returns of 8 for 49 were the best by a visiting bowler in Asia, said he had reflected on his performance in the first innings – 2 for 125 in 35 overs – and decided to bowl straighter, targeting the stumps, in the second innings.”Last evening I spent some time thinking about how I had bowled in the first innings and I was bowling most likely fourth-fifth stump and they were cutting the ball down to cover for a single all the time,” Bishoo said. “So I tried to bowl straighter on the stumps. I expected the ball to spin more on the fourth and the fifth days, and that’s exactly what happened. I used the rough a little and I tried to use the crease a bit more and tried to bowl more on the stumps.”Arthur said the batting implosion had forced Pakistan to play slightly defensively when West Indies came out to chase on the fourth evening. He said the team was working towards eradicating issues, like the sudden collapse, from their game.”We’ve batted really well, certainly through the Test matches in England I thought we were excellent, and we were brilliant in the first innings here. So that is something we are trying to eradicate. We want to get this completely out of our game. Consistency is something we need to keep working on, we are talking long and hard about it.”We were disappointed that we took our foot off their throat and gave them a glimpse into the game when we should have put them out of it. Because what that would have done for our spinners tomorrow is it would have allowed us to have close catchers for longer. So tonight we have a man at sweeper and we haven’t got a silly point to Bravo and that’s simply because the game is getting closer.”

Leeds United have been rocked by news that another one of their key men has now suffered a serious injury concern at Elland Road, as per recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United?

According to German outlet BILD, Eintracht Frankfurt are considering making Robin Koch's loan spell at Deutsche Bank Park into a permanent one in 2024. It is unclear whether Leeds United would be willing to agree to any such proposal; however, it should be noted that Koch has impressed since arriving back in Germany in the summer.

On Thursday night, the 27-year-old defender netted the winner for Eintracht Frankfurt in their 2-1 victory at home in the Europa Conference League over Aberdeen, lending further credence to the thought of him potentially leaving and netting Leeds United some extra cash back in the coffers, as per BBC Sport.

Cited by Leeds Live, Leeds United loanee Djed Spence is injured and will miss the Whites' Sky Bet Championship clash against Watford this weekend. Patrick Bamford and Stuart Dallas are back in full training; however, Junior Firpo is still sidelined and Joe Rodon will be suspended for the visit of the Hornets owing to his dismissal in Leeds United's 0-0 draw away to Hull City in midweek, as per Sky Sports.

Last week, it was reported by Football Insider that Leeds were keen to open contract talks with attacker Wilfried Gnonto meanwhile, who has come off the back of a summer of uncertainty due to interest from Premier League outfit Everton in his services. Nevertheless, he is now focused on Leeds United and the upcoming campaign.

Who is injured now?

Despite positive news that the Whites are keen on renewing Gnonto's contract at Elland Road, BBC journalist Adam Pope has issued a worrying update detailing that the Italy international has sustained a serious injury concern.

Referencing several of his other teammates in addition, Pope took to social media platform X to say: "Farke says Gnonto is out with lateral ligament damage to his ankle. Not sure on his return time. Ampadu is fine. Dallas will be quite a few weeks away from 1st team action."

19-year-old Gnonto has mustered six appearances for Leeds United across all competitions this campaign, registering a solitary goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt. Demonstrating his ability to cause regular problems for opposition backlines to contend with, Gnonto has had an average of around 1.8 shots per game and completed around 2.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes in the Sky Bet Championship this term, according to WhoScored.

Nevertheless, his injury concern will come as a bitter blow to Leeds and Farke, who are hoping to climb into the playoff positions this weekend if they can see off Watford at home. Whether his injury lay-off impacts his contract negotiations at the club will also be another concern, though for now, their only hope will be that he is not out of action for too long.