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The Gunners are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, putting them in an excellent position to win their first title since 2004

So, here it is, then, the home stretch.

The international break is over and for Arsenal the cup competitions are done. Mikel Arteta’s side have nothing else in front of them other than their remainingPremierLeaguefixtures.

The Gunners are effectively 10 matches away from immortality.

It’s been 19 years since Arsenal were last crowned champions of England and they've not had a better chance to end that run over the past two decades.

After a quite remarkable 28 games, they are eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table going into this weekend’s game against Leeds United.

But now they are faced with arguably their toughest task to date: finishing off the job.

Some, like Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho, have been in this type of position before. But the majority haven’t, and nor has Arteta.

Whether that makes a difference remains to be seen, but so far Arsenal have shown little sign of feeling the pressure.

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When they were beaten by City last month and kicked off top spot in the process, many expected them to fall away. It was assumed that City would just go on and cruise to the title like they always do.

But Arsenal won at Aston Villa the following weekend in dramatic fashion to return to the summit and have followed that up with a further five straight wins.

Getty'The right level of competition and cooperation'

“We have really good people and we have really good players,” Arteta said. "We have people and players who are curious all the time to improve, to learn, to be better. 

"We have the right level of competition and cooperation because they really want to help each other, but they have to challenge each other as well to benefit the team and lift everyone to the standards we want.”

Arsenal begin their final push on Saturday, against Leeds.

With a trip to Anfield – a ground the Gunners haven’t tasted success at in the league since 2012 – looming large on the horizon the following weekend, three points are vital against Javi Gracia’s side.

Thomas Partey is hoping to be fit, despite sitting out Ghana’s game with Angola on Monday, but William Saliba is out with a back problem which is causing growing concern.

Jesus could be handed his first league start since November, however, and the Brazilian’s return to full fitness could be crucial over the next two months.

AdvertisementGetty'We cannot control the outcome of other clubs'

“I think it’s about what we do every single day,” Arteta said when asked the most important thing his side can do to maintain their advantage in the title race. “That’s what is going to decide our outcome. 

“We cannot control the outcome of other clubs. What we can control is what we do every single day. How we behave, how we train, how we communicate, how our energy is.

“Now, it has to be about enjoying the last part of the season with a real hunger to continue to do what we’ve done and, if possible, better.”

The way Arsenal bounced back from the disappointment of losing against City says a lot about this young team.

They could easily have folded after that defeat, especially as it came on the back of the loss at Everton and the controversial draw against Brentford.

But instead they found a way to go again.

The last-minute winner at Aston Villa, the Reiss Nelson goal against Bournemouth – whenever it has started to look like things might be slipping away, they have managed to pick themselves up off the floor and keep fighting.

“The secret is probably the unity and togetherness that they have between them,” Arteta said. “They love to spend time with each other, they love to play with each other and they love to play in front of our people. 

“They really have that sense of belonging to the club and that’s really powerful.”

GettyThe motivating factor

Few would ever have expected Arsenal to be in this position when the season started back in August.

The collapse at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, when they let a top-four spot slip away, was still fresh in everyone’s minds.

But while many believed there would be a hangover from that disappointment, Arsenal’s squad instead used it as motivation.

And, with the signings of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko adding proven winners to the changing room, the momentum has just continued to build from that opening-weekend win at Crystal Palace.

“It’s something that has been part of the journey,” Arteta said of the painful end to last season. “I really liked what I saw the first day when we got back from holidays. People were hungry. 

“The signings we made had a big impact on the team, they generated belief, they took the quality and leadership of the team to a different level. 

“Then it was about trying to build that up every single day to a level where you start to believe you can be at the top and that you can sustain that level.”

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The final sprint

For Arsenal now, it’s about keeping their nerve; continuing to do the things that have got them into this position.

They have some difficult games coming up, not least the trips to Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle.

But they have faced those types of challenges already this season and more often than not, they have managed to come out on top.

They have won at Chelsea, they have beaten Spurs home and away and they have overcome Liverpool and United at the Emirates.

So, they don’t need to fear what is to come over the next 10 games; they need to relish it.

Arteta’s side have led from almost the first kick of the season and now the finishing line is in sight.

The final sprint is about to begin…

Ian Bell’s hamstring strain should not keep him out of contention for England’s first Investec Test squad, according to his director of cricket at Warwickshire, Dougie Brown

George Dobell10-May-2016
ScorecardIan Bell was given a boost after his hamstring injury•Getty ImagesIan Bell’s hamstring strain should not keep him out of contention for England’s first Investec Test squad, according to his director of cricket at Warwickshire, Dougie Brown.Bell left the field on the first day of Warwickshire’s Championship match against Somerset after experiencing pain in his left hamstring. A subsequent scan revealed a “slight strain” in Brown’s words.While any injury doubt at this stage – the squad for the first Test will be picked on Wednesday – is far from ideal, Warwickshire hope Bell would be fit for their next Championship match which starts on Sunday. The Test does not start until Thursday. He had a net at Edgbaston on Tuesday and will bat on Wednesday as required.Bell has not played for England since the final Test of the series against Pakistan in the UAE in November, but has started the season in fine touch – he made a century against Hampshire and looked set for another against Middlesex until bowled by one that kept low – and describes himself as “refreshed” after a period of rest ahead of the season.”He is coming on well,” Brown told ESPNcricinfo. “We certainly hope he’ll be fit for the next game, but it’s a bit too early to say for sure. Usually a hamstring strain would keep a player out for five to 10 days. The next two days will tell us a lot but he will bat in this match if needed.”Meanwhile Brown dismissed concerns over the pitch at Edgbaston for the current game, suggesting there had been some “soft dismissals” on both sides.Several batsmen were struck by the ball on the second day, with Lewis Gregory sustaining what appeared to be an especially hard blow on the helmet. But while Brown admitted there were some cracks in the pitch, he did not think they were serious.”People complain when the wicket is flat and they complain when the wicket helps the bowlers,” he said. “There may be a bit of uneven bounce, but there are also two very good pace attacks at work in this match.”Maybe one or two balls bounced a little, but I saw a couple of batsmen duck into pretty full balls and I think both sides will look back at their dismissals on day two and think them a bit soft.”There was no play on day three of the game at Edgbaston due to rain meaning Warwickshire will resume on day four requiring 318 to win with all 10 wickets in hand. “We’re only thinking about winning this game,” Brown said. Judging by the weather forecast, though, a draw is a strong favourite.Brown also played down speculation linking him with the vacant role as coach of Otago.”New Zealand is a wonderful country,” Brown said. “And my wife is from there. So maybe one day, who knows? But at the minute all my focus is on Warwickshire. We have a lot of unfinished business here and I’m not thinking of anything else.”

Mashrafe Mortaza has rallied around the batsmen who took Bangladesh close, but lost their wickets as a win against India was within their grasp

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Bangalore 23-Mar-20161:23

‘Everything was all right till last three balls’ – Mashrafe

Mashrafe Mortaza has rallied around the batsmen who took Bangladesh close, but lost their wickets as a win against India was within their grasp. Mushfiqur Rahim hit successive fours in the final over to leave his team needing two runs to win, off three balls. But both he and Mahmudullah holed out to midwicket in consecutive deliveries, transforming Bangladesh’s strong position into a weak one.”I am not going to blame anyone,” Mashrafe said. “The whole dressing-room felt disappointed after the loss. We needed two off the last three balls, and we had two set batsmen at the crease and one still in the shed. It becomes very hard for everyone when we end up losing three wickets in that situation.”Mashrafe conceded that Mushfiqur could have batted more sensibly, but refused to cast aspersions on his behaviour. Having brought the equation to two from three balls with a four, Mushfiqur celebrated the shot animatedly as he approached bowler Hardik Pandya – who himself had been animated when he took the catch of Mohammad Mithun earlier in the innings.”If we were calculative at that stage, it wouldn’t have given us much risk. There were no fielders in the circle. If we had taken a single [off the delivery that Mushfiqur got out], it would have set us up in a better position. It would have helped if we thought like that. We just couldn’t do it that way.”Mushfiqur could have been more careful, but at the same time, since he got us close – maybe he celebrated because of that. There’s nothing to be negative about, because any batsman would get boosted up after those two fours.”Mashrafe did describe the loss as something that would be hard to swallow though. Bangladesh have lost all three games in the Super 10s stage of the tournament so far, and have one more match against New Zealand, after which they will head home.”The loss was a shocking thing for all of us. Nobody wants to lose like this. It is hard to explain but it is quite disappointing. And it’s always difficult to take something from it. Being a professional player, we have to play hard cricket in the last match. If we can do something there we can take something back home. We have to fight hard.”Bangladesh had done well until that stage however. India were strong favourites to win the match in front of a baying home crowd, but were outplayed in large sectors of the match.”Leave out the last three balls, we played brilliantly. We did everything to win otherwise. We came back after they had two good overs towards the end. We played well at nearly every moment.”

After winning the ODI series 3-0, India will target another series sweep, this time in the T20 format, ahead of the second T20 international against Zimbabwe in Harare on Sunday

The Preview by Liam Brickhill18-Jul-2015Match factsSunday July 19, 2015
Start time 1pm (11am, GMT)0:34

‘Focussing on our own strengths’ – Uthappa

Big pictureWhatever rustiness India may have felt in their tour opener last weekend appears to have been well and truly shaken off. Their slick, measured performance in the first Twenty20 suggested they weren’t exactly stretching themselves, and Zimbabwe will need to step up their game enormously if they are to bridge the yawning gulf in experience between the two sides in this format.India charged to 178 on Friday on a pitch that wasn’t entirely conducive to strokeplay, and a slightly less frenetic performance from Zimbabwe’s bowlers could have helped them keep the visitors to a slightly more manageable total. The brevity of this format means that every delivery matters, and for Zimbabwe to gift India 25 extras was unforgivable. After Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha’s steady start to the chase, the middle order wilted with a string of soft dismissals.Their win on Friday made it 4-0 to India on the tour, and everything has gone to plan for them. In each match, someone has performed with both bat and ball, and they’ve also blooded a number of uncapped players. India are clear favourites and will also not want to blot their copybook with a slip-up in the final match.Zimbabwe’s inexperience in this format was clearly evidenced by their approach to the chase in the first game, in which their dot-ball percentage was 50%. Against tight bowling, on a pitch that didn’t immediately lend itself to aggressive batting, they were found wanting and this will be a key area for them to improve upon.Form guide(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe: LLLWW
India: WLLWWIn the spotlightIt’s hard to believe now, but there was a time early in Hamilton Masakadza’s career when he was considered too sedentary for limited-overs cricket. He’s yet to make a real impact in this series though, and Zimbabwe need Mount Masakadza to erupt at the top of the order if they are to take the pressure off their middle order and challenge India.Robin Uthappa’s returns on this tour have been increasing with each outing, and though his innings in the first T20 match was less than explosive, it was the adhesive that held India’s lower order together. Given his position at No. 3 and the fact that he seemed to come to terms with the pitch and conditions quickly, he may be the key player to bat through and set up another big total.Team newsZimbabwe’s top six should be settled for the second match, although Craig Ervine is the sort of batsman who would probably be better utilised up the order. Offspinner John Nyumbu is the only man in the squad not to have played a game yet during India’s visit, and given the slowness of the pitch, and his control as a bowler, he could be a good pick.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Elton Chigumbura (captain), 5 Charles Coventry (wk), 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Graeme Cremer, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Neville Madzia, 10 John Nyumbu, 11 Chris Mpofu.Such was India’s dominance in the first T20 that they will probably feel safe giving a chance to a sixth debutant in Sanju Samson, who came in for the injured Ambati Rayudu.India (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane (captain), 2 M Vijay, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav/Sanju Samson, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Sandeep Sharma.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch being used for this game is the same one used in the second ODI, and though it will have had a week to recover from that match, one can expect it to behave sluggishly. While the Dukes ball has offered some movement through the air to the quicks throughout, the pitches have played slow and low in the afternoon, and Sunday should be no different. Expect another bright, sunny day.Stats and trivia Hamilton Masakadza is Zimbabwe’s leading runscorer in T20 internationals, with 943 runs, including seven fifties, in the format. India’s 178 for 5 was the fourth highest T20I total scored at Harare Sports Club. At the top of the pile is Pakistan’s 198 for 4 scored four years ago. Axar Patel is now India’s leading wicket-taker on this tour, with eight scalps at an average of 17.13 in four matches across two formats.Quotes”You’re already basically cooked when you’re coming in here, so you’re ready for it.”
“Not many people will expect us to win, but if we go out there with the attitude that we have everything to gain I think we will come out with a victory.” .

Christian Pulisic and Milan will now need a whole lot of help to get out of the Champions League group stage after falling to Dortmund on Tuesday.

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Milan fall 3-1 to DortmundPulisic puts in solid, but goalless, shiftReyna benched, BVB advance to knockoutsWHAT HAPPENED?

The game got off to a wild start, with both sides earning penalties within minutes of one another. However, while Dortmund buried theirs, Milan squandered the opportunity. After a handball in the box, Olivier Giroud saw his penalty saved by Dortmund's Gregor Kobel in the sixth minute. Just four minutes later, Dortmund and Reus fired home from the spot. That lead lasted until the 37th minute, when Milan equalized on a goal from Samuel Chukwueze. The Nigerian winger broke through on the right-hand side, beating his defender before slotting a shot past Kobel to send the teams into the half level.

Dortmund, though, wouldn't be denied. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens proved to be the match-winner, as he slid a perfectly-placed shot past Mike Maignan, giving his side the 2-1 lead. Karim Adeyemi went on to add another as his shot banked off Maignan's hand and in, giving Dortmund the 3-1 lead, the win and, most importantly, all three points in this tight group.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With the win, Dortmund have locked up their place in the Round of 16, having now earned 10 points through five games. A point in their final match against PSG would be enough for them to finish atop the group. As for Pulisic and Milan, hope is not lost just yet, although it is fading fast. They'll need a win over Newcastle as well as a Dortmund win or draw against PSG to have hopes of making it to the Round of 16. Should it come down to the draw, though, Milan would need to beat Newcastle by five goals just to equal PSG on goal difference.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

It was a tough game for Pulisic, who, to his credit, did do a lot of good things in the loss. He had two decent looks on net, and put on a passing clinic, with the only thing really missing from his game was a goal contribution.

Overall, it's been a frustrating Champions League campaign for Pulisic and Milan, who have struggled in every facet. Their attack has gone silent for large stretches in this competition, while defensive mishaps have been too commonplace. As a result they'll need a lot of help to qualify for the knockout rounds, and they'll likely count themselves fortunate to still be alive at this point.

As for Reyna, he remains a backup at Dortmund and, based on substitution patterns, is still not one of Edin Terzic's preferred options. Despite his supersub heroics last season, Reyna hasn't been allowed to offer much this season as he remains glued to the bench for his club.

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GettyGOAL'S RATINGS

Christian Pulisic (6/10):

Can't knock the effort. Moved the ball well and had his moments, but just couldn't quite produce the magic needed to keep his team in the game. Definitely not at fault for the performance, though, as those around him needed to be much, much better.

Gio Reyna (N/A):

Still glued to Dortmund's bench, adding more fuel to the fire as transfer rumors swirl.

Yunus Musah (N/A):

Was suspended for this one due to yellow card accumulation. Makes you wonder if he could have helped a bit, although Milan would have needed several better performances to survive this.

The NatWest T20 Blast begins tonight with confidence growing that it could achieve its aim of attracting one million people through the gates in 2015 – two years ahead of schedule. It may need to as ambitions for a successful T20 tournament are higher tha

Freddie Wilde15-May-201511:47

Nick Compton joins Dan Norcross for the launch of our new magazine show on the NatWest Blast

The NatWest T20 Blast begins tonight with confidence growing that it could achieve its aim of attracting one million people through the gates in 2015 – two years ahead of schedule. It may need to as ambitions for a successful T20 tournament are higher than ever.More than 700,000 people attended the NatWest T20 Blast last season, the first time England’s domestic T20 tournament has seen such numbers, and with advance ticket sales a week before the tournament up 37% there is optimism that the tournament could lift the troubled mood around England cricket.Such figures would be well ahead of the ECB’s projections, with Gordon Hollins, the ECB chief operating officer, last summer targeting one million spectators by the end of the fourth season of the competition in 2017.With concerns growing about the popularity and image of cricket in the UK, participation numbers falling and another excellent Big Bash League season in Australia attracting much attention, there is a greater sense of urgency at the ECB to establish a popular T20 tournament in accordance with the ECB’s financial clout.Grassroots T20 hits the spot

A grassroots T20 tournament for Under-19 club players is to be launched across England and Wales this season. With more than 475 teams set to be involved from around the country the NatWest Club T20 is part of of a campaign to get more teenagers playing the T20 format.
With coloured clothing, team nicknames and music the tournament is looking to replicate the experience of playing in the NatWest T20 Blast. It is being rolled-out nationally following a pilot season last summer involving 60 clubs from Durham, Kent, Surrey and Yorkshire.
More than half the players involved saying they were more likely to play club cricket as a result, so raising hopes that it could stem the fall in particpation levels in amateur cricket.

T20 is the format seen as being key to the commercial future and mass appeal of the domestic game. What is more, with public dissatisfaction with the ECB high in the wake of the latest developments in the Kevin Pietersen saga, the Blast perhaps represents the ECB’s best chance to reconnect the sport with a notably disengaged public – even in an Ashes summerSomerset, Surrey, Sussex and Essex, historically the most successful counties in terms of T20 attendances, are yet again leading the way with advanced ticket-sales this season.Somerset have already sold out their home match against Surrey on Friday June 12 and are close to selling out their fixtures against Kent on May 31 and Hampshire on June 5. Essex only have limited availability of tickets for their matches against Surrey, Somerset and Hampshire. Surrey, meanwhile, despite increasing ticket and membership prices, have already sold close to 35,000 tickets.However, the latest figures do suggest that the north is taking longer to be lured to Twenty20 in big numbers – although Yorkshire are confident that the advent of floodlights at Headingley, and the resulting later starts, will give them a sizeable boost. The most traditional county in the country, where the Championship still holds great sway with the public, is making unashamed play on its T20 ambitions this summer.The Roses match between Yorkshire and Lancashire at Headingley has sold out but at the moment it remains an exception to a wider trend in which even the richer, city-based counties such as Lancashire and Warwickshire are struggling to replicate the popularity of the southern teams.While the ECB have publicly given the existing format four seasons to prove its worth, the new CEO Tom Harrison is exploring in full the possibility of a franchise tournament and there is a feeling that this season could be a defining one for NatWest T20 Blast. With a stellar cast of overseas players, an aggressive marketing strategy and matches predominantly being played on the Friday night for a second season running if this season’s Blast doesn’t match the optimism of counties and the ECB then it may never do.It should be pointed out, however, that there is palpable disappointment amongst the counties that the competition starts as early as it does. The lesson that resonates most clearly from the BBL is staging the season during the school holidays. Surrey claim a match in the holidays is worth double a match in May.Brendon McCullum gives champions Birmingham additional appeal•BCCIIf this season’s competition does underwhelm, the looming threat of a franchise tournament could force the counties to make significant concessions to the existing structure, such as two divisions of nine based on merit, sooner rather than later.It seems that every season of England’s domestic T20 is regarded as more important than the last and that accurately reflects cricket’s continued struggle for relevance in the country. The difference being that this season there seems to be little room for error: patience is running out.

Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match against Bochum had to be halted on two occasions and the players were taken off as objects were thrown on the field.

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Bayern game stopped in both halvesPlayers taken off the field and down tunnelFans lobbed tennis balls onto the pitchWHAT HAPPENED?

The game was stopped after 25 minutes as fans lobbed tennis balls from the stands. Although it was allowed to resume, it was halted again just nine minutes into the second half and the players were taken down the tunnel. Play started up again around 10 minutes later.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

German football matches have been stopped regularly in recent weeks as part of an ongoing protest involving throwing tennis balls, gold chocolate coins and apples onto the field to voice their anger against foreign investment in the German top-flight. The fans are demanding an end to a controversial plan from the league to sell a stake of future revenue to a private equity investor. The campaign to stop it was given a boost this week when prospective buyer Blackstone dropped out of talks. However, there remains one more leading candidate in the shape of CVC Capital Partners.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bayern were 1-0 up through a Jamal Musiala goal in the Bundesliga clash when the initial interruption occurred. Play was disrupted less than 10 minutes after Harry Kane missed a golden opportunity to double their lead. The striker was sent through on goal by an incredible pass from Musiala but his effort went sailing over the bar.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

After the restart, Bochum managed to pick up some momentum and went on to equalise through Takuma Asano before Keven Schlotterbeck put his team ahead just before half-time. Things took a turn for the worse after the second interruption as Dayot Upamecano was sent off in a second consecutive game and Kevin Stoger scored a penalty to make it 3-1. Kane eventually got a late goal to pull one back for Bayern, but the damage had already been done and they sustained a third consecutive defeat after the recent losses to Bayer Leverkusen and Lazio.

With the top-flight campaign nearing its halfway point at the turn of the year, Goal assesses the star men of 2020-21 to this point

Though the delay to the start of the season means that the Premier League campaign is yet to reach its halfway point, the table is starting to take shape.

Defending champions Liverpool are again out in front, but the Reds have not had things their own way and look set for a much tougher challenge when it comes to winning a second successive league title.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Leicester City and Everton have all shown flashes of form that suggest they could be in the hunt right until the final weeks, while the likes of Aston Villa and Southampton have also enjoyed periods in the upper echelons of the table.

But which players have been the standouts so far? Goal has selected its Team of the Season through to the end of the calendar year, though everything could change as we enter 2021…

GettyGK: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)

It is fair to suggest that Arsenal fans were split when it was revealed that Bernd Leno had been chosen to be the Gunners' No.1 for the new season given the impressive performances of Emiliano Martinez in the closing weeks of the previous campaign.

Martinez had played a key role in helping turn around the fortunes of Mikel Arteta's side, and with first-team football not forthcoming in north London he jumped at the chance of joining Aston Villa for £20 million ($25m) in mid-September.

His form for the Villans has mirrored that of his final months at Arsenal, with the Argentina international currently leading the race for the Premier League's Golden Glove with eight clean sheets from his first 14 appearances for the club.

Martinez has rarely put a foot wrong for Dean Smith's side, saving 76 per cent of shots faced, which ranks him second among the English top-flight's regular goalkeepers in 2020-21 behind Nick Pope.

AdvertisementGettyRB: Reece James (Chelsea)

With Trent Alexander-Arnold having struggled with injuries, the door has been opened for another young, English right-back to stake his claim to become the league's best player in his position.

Reece James' form for Chelsea has been so strong that club captain Cesar Azpilicueta has been relegated to the substitutes' bench for almost the entire campaign so far, with James also having earned himself a first England call-up during the autumn.

Going forward he is a revelation, with his crossing accuracy of 22.4% the second-best among full-backs in the Premier League so far this season.

He has also proven himself to be adept defensively, winning 27 tackles at a success rate of 63%; the fourth-best ratio among full-backs in 2020-21.

Getty ImagesCB: Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Though new signings Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy have taken most of the plaudits for Chelsea's improved defensive record, there is no getting away from the fact that Kurt Zouma has perhaps been the most consistently impressive of the trio so far in 2020-21.

The France international was tipped to become one of the world's great centre-backs before suffering a serious knee injury in 2016 that threatened to derail his top-level career.

This season, though, he is beginning to deliver on his potential. He has 38 headed clearances – the fourth-most in the Premier League – and has won 75% of his attempted tackles as well as 66% of his duels.

He has also become an attacking weapon from set-pieces, with his four goals the most among the division's defenders.

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Getty ImagesCB: Fabinho (Liverpool)

Liverpool's title odds lengthened significantly when Virgil van Dijk suffered his potentially season-ending knee injury against Everton in October, so seeming irreplaceable is the Netherlands international at Anfield.

And yet, Jurgen Klopp's side have conceded just seven goals in 12 league games since Van Dijk's injury – a record made even more remarkable given that Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker have all also suffered injuries in the meantime.

Holding midfielder Fabinho has been entrusted with filling the Van Dijk-shaped hole in the Liverpool defence, and while he too missed time through injury, the ex-Monaco man has looked very much at home at the heart of the back four.

The 27-year-old ranks as Liverpool's leading tackler and their player with the most headed clearances so far this term as they chase a second successive league title.

The BCB has once again said they are looking to host a third edition of the Bangladesh Premier League and slot the domestic T20 tournament in December, but not before they make its structure more “reasonable and realistic”

Mohammad Isam12-May-2015The BCB has once again said they are looking to host a third edition of the Bangladesh Premier League and slot the domestic T20 tournament in December, but not before they make its structure more “reasonable and realistic”.The BPL’s second edition ended on February 19, 2013 after which the BPL tribunal dealt with corruption allegations on a number of players and officials, with the player payment issues also resurfacing from time to time.A press conference in Mirpur on Tuesday was the third time after April 17 and August 27 last year that the BCB said they wished to continue the T20 tournament.”It is not an official announcement but we are looking at a window in December to hold the third edition of the BPL if everything goes to plan and the international schedule is sorted out,” Ismail Haider Mallick, the BPL’s governing council member-secretary, said. “The Asia Cup and World T20 are at the start of next year. We want to host the third edition of the BPL before these two tournaments. It will help the players’ preparations.”The financial structure of the next tournament will have big changes, so that we can hold the tournament every year. We are trying to keep it reasonable and realistic.”Mallick claimed that the players’ payments were almost cleared. “We have cleared 90% of all payments. If we still get any valid claims, we will look into it carefully. For the local players who are still unpaid, we have given Naimur Rahman the responsibility to get their payment cleared.”Mallick said that as seven franchises had defaulted and subsequently been served termination papers, the board would look for new franchises for the third edition.”All of the franchises are defaulters. We will not wait for them for the third edition. We are already in discussions with some interested parties who want to become franchises. We have sent repeated letters to the seven franchises to pay their dues.”But they haven’t acted according to our contract. We have sent them the termination letter, and then also given then arbitration letter too. But they have never replied to either of the letters. They didn’t even contact us.”The other franchises could participate in the next tournament but they have to clear all their dues and appeal to the BCB, which will decide whether to allow them or not.”Mallick added that Dhaka Gladiators are unlikely to be participate if there is a third BPL due to the corruption charges against them. Their owners Shihab Jishan Chowdhury and Salim Chowdhury have been each banned for 10 years.”It is almost confirmed that Dhaka Gladiators will not be participating in the next BPL because the ICC has given a decision about them and they cannot legally stay in the tournament,” he said.

Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell and Craig Kieswetter are the Ram Slam’s overseas signings for the 2014-15 season

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2014Ram Slam’s overseas signings for 2014-15

Kieron Pollard – Cape Cobras
Dwayne Bravo – Dolphins
Andre Russell – Knights
Chris Gayle – Lions
Darren Sammy – Titans
Craig Kieswetter – Warriors

For the third time in four seasons, Chris Gayle has been linked to South Africa’s domestic T20 competition but this time it seems he may actually play in the event. Gayle signed for the Dolphins for 2011-12 and 2013-14, but injury kept him out of the event. This time, he will be attached to Lions and will be one of six international signings for a competition that is searching for a higher-profile.Gayle is set to join Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell and Craig Kieswetter as the headline players for the event. Each South African franchise has only managed to add one overseas player to the squad although there was speculation they would be more. Kumar Sangakkara was in talks to join Lions but had to withdraw to join Sri Lanka’s ODI outfit for their trip to India and Kevin Pietersen, who was in South Africa last week to play in a sixes tournament and was rumoured to be considering appearing in the twenty-over competition, does not seem to have been snapped up.Despite that, tournament director Graeme Smith, was pleased to see the level of interest in the South African event. “In my discussions with all the superstars, it has been satisfying to note their eagerness to play in here, as they regard South Africa as one of the best cricket leagues in the world,” Smith said.Doubtless if Gayle participates this time, it would underline that notion and all indications are that he will. “It looks very promising that Gayle will play for us. We have sent him the contract and we hope to finalise things in the next 24 hours,” Greg Fredericks, CEO of Lions, told ESPNcricinfo. “We know that if he is firing on all cylinders, he could be a game-changer.”Lions were aware of Gayle’s twin pull outs from Dolphins and have been meticulous in confirming Gayle’s availability for them. “We were obviously a bit concerned about what happened last time with the injuries and we made sure to check that he is fit and ready to play, and he is,” Fredericks said.Gayle will be available for the entire competition, like his West Indies team-mates, apart from Bravo, who will miss the first match. West Indies have no fixtures during the competition, which runs from November 2 to December 12. Their next international assignment is in South Africa – a three-Test, three-T20 and five-ODI tour which starts on December 17. The only possible clash for West Indies players in the twenty-over tournament will be if they are required to play in the tour match in South Africa, which is pencilled in for December 10-12, or be part of a pre-series camp.However, a cloud continues to hang over West Indies’ future because of the ongoing dispute between the players, the board and the players’ association over payment structures. Earlier this month, West Indies pulled out of their India tour and the falling-out has yet to be resolved.That means South Africa’s international summer remains uncertain. West Indies are the only team due to tour to the country and one insider said that after last season’s curtailed visit by India, if the calendar was affected again, it would be “a disaster” for the venues. As things stand, none of them have received any information on the status of the tour but, as a source said, all are “hopeful it will be sorted out and not affect the quality of the cricket that will be played this season”.