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Shakib Al Hasan made an unbeaten half-century but Bangladesh were never up with the chase

Associated Press and ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2022

Rovman Powell plundered six sixes in a 28-ball 61 not out as West Indies’ 193 for 5 proved too much for Bangladesh to chase down in their second T20I on Sunday.Bangladesh scored 158 for 6 in reply as West Indies won by a comfortable 35 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Opener Brandon King made 57 off 43 deliveries and captain Nicholas Pooran hit a 30-ball 34 after West Indies chose to bat first. King and Pooran added 74 in 56 balls after West Indies had been 26 for 2 in the fourth over.Bangladesh fined for slow over-rate

Bangladesh were fined 20 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate in the second T20I. The visitors were found to be one over short of the target after taking into consideration all the time allowances.

King and Powell then increased the tempo further with a stand of 63 off 28 deliveries. That included a combined 42 runs coming off the 15th and 16th overs as Powell, who reached his fifty from just 20 balls, cleared the boundary five times in seven deliveries against Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed. Powell put a full stop on the innings with another six from the final delivery.In total, West Indies made 108 from their second 10 overs. Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam took 2 for 40 in four overs and Mosaddek Hossain ended with the curious figures of 1-1-0-1 after removing Pooran in his only over.Bangladesh recovered from 23 for 3, after Obed McCoy had struck with his first two deliveries of the innings, as Shakib top-scored for the visitors with an undefeated 68 off 52 deliveries, including five fours and three sixes. It was the highest score of the match, but Bangladesh were never up with the required rate.Romario Shepherd finished with 2 for 28 in four overs and legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr conceded less than a run-a-ball in his four overs.The first T20I on Saturday was a washout. Bangladesh reached 105 for 8 in 13 overs with the match already having been reduced to 14 overs per side. That game was the first cricket international at Windsor Park since it was rebuilt after being severely damaged in 2017 by a hurricane.The third and last T20 is scheduled for Thursday in Providence, Guyana, followed by a three-match ODI series.

We are almost halfway through the transfer window, and despite things going very wrong on the pitch this month, Arsenal are yet to make a signing.

Mikel Arteta’s side drew to Brighton & Hove Albion and lost to Newcastle United and Manchester United, not because of their defence but because of their increasingly blunt attack, so it’s not all that surprising to see the fans crying out for the club to sign either a new striker or winger.

The player who is perhaps the most sought-after option this month has been free-scoring Alexander Isak, but with reports claiming that he’ll cost at least £150m in the summer, signing him this month seems like a complete fantasy.

Appearances

22

Minutes

1764′

Goal

15

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.86

Minutes per Goal Involvement

92.84′

Fortunately, the Gunners have been linked to another Premier League star in recent reports, who is not only more attainable but has also won comparisons to the sensational Swede this season.

Arsenal chasing exciting Premier League star

News surprisingly broke on Tuesday morning that, according to the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, Arsenal are ‘set to sign’ Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi in the summer transfer window.

That being said, he’s not the only player who could arrive over the summer, with the Gunners casting their eyes over one of the most in-form players in England’s top flight.

Indeed, according to a recent report from journalist Charles Watts, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.

In fact, in his Daily Briefing, Watts claims that the Gunners are ‘one of a few top clubs keeping an eye on’ the talented forward this month but that the Bees would be incredibly reluctant to sell the Cameroon international mid-way through the campaign. Instead, a move could happen alongside Zubimendi in the summer months.

A potential price is not mentioned in the report, but according to a story from earlier this month, an offer in the region of £50m could be enough, which wouldn’t be out of reach for the North Londoners.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Mbeumo’s immense ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he has won comparisons to the increible Isak this year.

How Mbeumo compares to Isak

Before we look at Mbeumo’s impressive form for Brentford and some of the other reasons Arsenal should splash the cash on him this month, let’s examine this comparison to the sensational Isak and where it comes from.

It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League this season, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Swede is the ninth most similar forward to the Cameroonian.

Now, it is true that the Brentford star plays the majority of his games as a winger, but he has also made enough appearances down the middle in recent years – six times this season and nine last year – for there to be enough data to compare him with the league’s other out-and-out strikers, data which has led to the conclusion above.

Expected Assisted Goals

0.22

0.19

Goals per Shot

0.31

0.24

Key Passes

1.86

1.90

Switches

0.15

0.12

Shot-Creating Actions

3.81

3.69

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

0.43

Successful Take-Ons %

44.8%

46.4%

Carries into the Penalty Area

1.71

1.60

We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by looking at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, expected assisted goals, goals per shot, key passes, switches, carries into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

However, while the comparison to the Toon’s world-class striker is undoubtedly encouraging, it’s not the only reason the Gunners should be looking to sign the former Troyes ace this month.

Instead, the most significant reason for bringing the 25-year-old to the Emirates is his incredible effectiveness in attacking scenarios.

For example, in just 27 appearances last season, the “unstoppable” dynamo, as dubbed by Alan Shearer, scored nine goals and provided six assists, meaning he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games.

Impressively, he’s doing even better this year and has already racked up a haul of 13 goals and four assists in just 24 appearances, which equates to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.41 games.

Ultimately, Arsenal are in desperate need of some attacking reinforcements this month, and while a superstar like Isak is out of reach, Mbeumo isn’t, and based on his form this year, he’d be a brilliant addition to Arteta’s squad.

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Arsenal have now been contacted by the agents of a “fearless” Premier League player, according to a report.

Arsenal in need of a forward

The Gunners’ title hopes were dealt a significant blow with the news they will be without Bukayo Saka for the foreseeable future, with Mikel Arteta recently dropping an update on how long he expects his star player to be sidelined for:

As such, if Arteta’s side are to maintain their push for the Premier League title, the manager may need to enter the market for some new attacking reinforcements in January, and he has a number of targets in mind.

The north London club are said to hold a concrete interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha, who has had an excellent first half of the season, bagging 10 goals in the Premier League.

Cunha is not the only Premier League forward Arsenal are looking at, however, with Football Transfers confirming they have been considering a move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, who is expected to leave his boyhood club this month.

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In fact, Rashford’s agents have already made contact with the Gunners to explore the possibility of him moving to the Emirates Stadium, and the Gunners are considering him as a permanent option.

A loan move would be completely off limits, however, and a lot of things would need to fall into place to get a deal over the line, such as Raheem Sterling returning to Chelsea to create room in the squad. Arsenal are not willing to shell out more than £25m to get a deal done, as on current form he would only be deemed good enough to be a squad player, which he would need to accept.

Rashford could reignite his career at Arsenal

Things have not worked out for the £300k-per-week forward over the past couple of seasons, with his goal returns in the Premier League slowly diminishing since a solid 2018-19 campaign:

Season

Appearances

Goals

2018-19

33

10

2019-20

31

17

2020-21

37

11

2021-22

25

4

2022-23

35

17

2023-24

33

7

2024-25

15

4

The Englishman clearly needs a fresh start in order to get his career back on track, and if he is able to recapture his form from the 2022-23 campaign, then he could be an excellent signing for Arsenal.

That said, a move does not seem like a likely scenario, seeing as the Gunners are unwilling to shell out more than £25m, half the amount of the widely publicised £50m asking price.

Rashford can be “fearless” when he’s at his best, but it could be a risk to splash the cash on him given his form this season, so the Gunners should wait and see if United drop their asking price as the transfer window progresses.

Southampton are plotting a January loan move for a “special” player who is sponsored by New Balance, according to a recent report.

The Saints find themselves struggling at the foot of the Premier League table, winning just one of their opening 11 games. Russell Martin knows that pressure is on him to start turning results around, and failure to do so will likely see him lose his job.

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Southampton transfer news

Whether Martin is still the manager or not, when January comes around, it seems as though the club is preparing for what could be a busy month for them. January is a good time for clubs struggling near the bottom of the table to improve in key areas, and that is what Southampton look to be planning on doing, as they appear to be eyeing a couple of additions.

A recent report has claimed that Southampton are interested in signing Hertha Berlin’s Ibrahim Maza. The attacking midfielder has been performing very well this season, catching the eye in the Bundesliga 2 as he is among the goals and assists. The 18-year-old is being scouted by a number of Premier League teams, including Southampton, who are making regular checks on him.

But there are plenty of other top-flight teams looking at Maza, and it has been claimed that should Hertha Berlin fail to get promoted this season, he would be allowed to leave for a figure in the region of £8-16.7 million. It remains to be seen if a move in January could materialise, but the Saints do also have their eye on another player, whose arrival would be a very big statement indeed.

Southampton plotting January loan move for "special" player valued at £50m

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Southampton are interested in signing Real Madrid forward Endrick on loan in January. The 18-year-old joined the Spanish giants in the summer transfer window from Brazilian side Palmeiras, where his impressive performances had put him on the radar of several big teams.

But it was Madrid that won his signature, and while he is held in high regard at the Bernabeu, it has been a struggling start to his career in Spain for Endrick. The attacker, who has been dubbed “special” by former Brazil midfielder Elano, has started just once for Real Madrid so far this season.

Carlo Ancelotti has decided to be patient with the young Brazilian, who is valued at 60 million euros (£50 million) by Transfermarkt, and now reports are stating that he could be in line for a loan move away in January. Southampton are among the clubs interested in taking Endrick on loan, but there are also teams such as Roma and Real Valladolid that are also keen on landing the forward should he be available.

This would be an exciting capture for the Saints, with Endrick, who is sponsored by New Balance, a forward who looks to have all the potential in the world to become a real top player. However, the Brazilian doesn’t have any experience of English football, so it could also be a risk to throw him into a team that is low on confidence like Southampton’s.

Cristiano Ronaldo's sensational strike was not enough to fire Al-Nassr to victory as they are held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Shabab.

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• Al-Nassr drop points at home
• Pioli's men are winless in last three games
• Ronaldo & Co in danger of missing ACL spots

• AFP
  

  TELL ME MORE

  Stefano Pioli was looking for a reaction from his side in front of home fans after two winless matches and his troops once again disappointed him.

  They had a promising start to the game, with Ronaldo and Sadio Mane looking dangerous in attack and Marcelo Brozovic and Ali Alhassan dictating proceedings from midfield. But they failed to make the most of their dominance and instead found themselves trailing after Daniel Podence was clipped from behind by Nawaf Boushal inside the box. Abderrazak Hamdallah walked up to take the penalty and beat Bento from 12 yards to put his team in front minutes before half-time.

  The lead was short-lived as Ayman Yahya scored the equaliser with a bullet effort after Ronaldo's free-kick was half-heartedly cleared by Al-Shabab's defence. A few minutes later, the Knights of Najdgot their noses in front for the first time in the match with their Portuguese talisman beating Georgiy Bushchan from a tight angle after Mane set him up.

  After ending the first half on a bright note, Al-Nassr found themselves reduced to 10-men within six minutes of resumption after Mohammed Al-Fatil brought down Podence who was through on goal after latching on to a loose ball from Brozovic. Al-Shabab smelled blood and upped their ante to get their second goal and were finally rewarded for their persistence when Mohammed Al Shwirekh nodded in from a corner.

  Minutes later, in a surprising move, Pioli decided to take off Ronaldo and introduced Jhon Duran. The Colombian failed to have any significant impact on the match and instead it was Bento who pulled off a finger-tip save deep in stoppage time to ensure at least a point for the hosts.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE MVP

  Ronaldo looked sharp, scored a spectacular goal to put Al-Nassr ahead, but it was his compatriot Podence who was the player of the match. The former Wolves star earned his side the penalty in the first half, kept Mohamed Simakana on his toes and forced Fatil to lunge into a challenge that saw him sent off early in the second half. He was in the thick of things of most major incidents and a truly complete performance from the 29-year-old.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Podence laid the trap and Al-Fatil simply walked into it. Podence was nowhere near goal, did well to shield the ball from the centre back and Fatil brought him down. Since Podence was through towards goal, the referee had no choice but to send Al-Fatil for an early shower to the dressing room.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Al-Nassr trail third-placed Al-Qadisiya by three points, with Al-Hilal a further three ahead and leaders Al-Ittihad holding a further four points clear. The top three spots are guaranteed an AFC Champions League Elite appearance next campaign and with 10 games remaining, Pioli's men can hardly afford to drop points. However, they will now shift their attention to the second leg of their continental tie against Esteghal on Monday before hosting Al-Kholood in the Pro League next Friday.

Bruno Fernandes has been a superb servant for Manchester United throughout his time at the club. He recently reached an incredible milestone, making his 250th appearance in that famous Red shirt. Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, and Victor Lindelof are the only players currently at the club with more appearances than the United skipper.

In that time, the Red Devils icon has racked up an impressive number of goals and assists. Fernandes has found the back of the net 83 times and registered a further 73 assists for his teammates.

At just 30 years of age, the Portuguese attacker is at the peak of his powers. However, the Red Devils might well soon think of a succession plan for their talisman further down the line, and they have recently been linked with the dream replacement.

United’s Fernandes replacement

The player in question here is highly-rated Norweigan attacking midfielder Sverre Nypan. The 17-year-old, who plays for Rosenborg BK in his homeland, has been making waves across Europe this summer and is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in football.

According to GiveMeSport, the Red Devils are one of the sides interested in signing him, and ‘have been tracking’ the talented teenager for a number of years. They are thought to have been left ‘hugely impressed’ with Nypan.

However, the 13-time Premier League champions must not mess around if they want to get the Norweigan. GiveMeSport note that Chelsea, AC Milan and RB Leipzig are also interested in the youngster.

With a move for Nypan ‘now seen as almost a certainty in 2025’, United will have to get a move on if they want to sign him. However, he may come with a hefty price tag. Rosenborg’s sports manager Mikael Dorsin suggested a price as high as £84m would be needed to sign the teenage sensation.

Why Nypan would be a good signing

It is fair to say that the 17-year-old has been impressive for Rosenborg this term. The youngster has been a prominent first-team player for the club, playing 31 times, scoring seven goals and grabbing ten assists in that time.

That includes a superb record of seven goals and seven assists in 26 appearances in the Eliteserien, the top-flight in Norway. Although that might not be the highest standard league in Europe, they are more than commendable stats at just 17 years of age.

Interestingly, Nypan has already played against United, during the Red Devils’ preseason in July. It is fair to say he performed well, as the stats from Sofascore demonstrate. The Norway under-21 international created two chances and completed six out of seven dribbles that day.

Football scout Antonio Mango described the midfielder as a “special talent”, and that certainly rings true when looking at his stats from the Elitserien campaign, courtesy of Sofascore.

Notably, the teenager has created six big chances each game. He is a slick dribbler, with a 61% dribble success rate, and works hard off the ball, completing four ball recoveries and five ground duels each game.

This could fit well in Ruben Amorim’s system. The new Man United head coach operates with two number 10s, who must be gifted on the ball, which Nypan clearly is. Crucially, the pair are required to press high with lots of intensity, as ESPN correspondent Rob Dawson explained. With the number of ball recoveries he makes and duels he wins, this is clearly something the midfielder can do.

It is expected that Fernandes will be a first-choice in one of those number 10 roles, and it should be a seamless transition between him and the Norway youth international should the time arise. The United skipper has created seven chances this term, averaging 4.4 ball recoveries and winning 4.5 ground duels per game, according to Sofascore.

The duo are certainly very similar statistic-wise. It would be a longer-term plan, to replace the Red Devils captain with the talented Norweigan prodigy.

Learning off Fernandes, one of the greats at Old Trafford in recent years, could be a perfect education, and he might then be ready to step into his shoes once he moves on, however long that may be.

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1

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