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The Bangladesh Cricket Board has sought an explanation from Sabbir Rahman following his participation in an indoor cricket tournament early on Wednesday morning

Mohammad Isam10-Jun-2015The Bangladesh Cricket Board has sought an explanation from Sabbir Rahman following his participation in an indoor cricket tournament early on Wednesday morning. He could face punishment if he is found flouting any rules.”I am aware of the incident so we have sought an explanation from Sabbir,” Naimur Rahman, the BCB cricket operations committee chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. “He is currently under the high performance programme but as he is also an ODI player, he should have asked us for permission.”As part of the Bangladesh ODI group, Sabbir had traveled to Bogra on Tuesday morning with the rest of the high performance programme players. He played in the final of a celebrity cricket tournament at the Sohrawardi Indoor Stadium in Dhaka, a six-over affair that ended at 4:00am on Wednesday morning. He traveled back to Bogra where the high performance squad is scheduled to play a series of preparatory matches.

Craig Cachopa smashed his highest career T20 score to end Sussex’s hoodoo against Hampshire as they thrashed the early South Group pacesetters by seven wickets

ECB/PA19-Jun-2015
ScorecardCraig Cachopa’s unbeaten 89 saw Sussex home with room to spare (file photo)•Getty ImagesCraig Cachopa smashed his highest career T20 score to end Sussex’s hoodoo against Hampshire as they thrashed the early South Group pacesetters by seven wickets.New Zealander Cachopa struck a fantastic 89 not out at the Ageas Bowl as Sussex chased down a victory target of 158 to beat their south-coast rivals for the first time in eight attempts. Cachopa was brilliantly accompanied by Matt Machan, who scored an unbeaten 52 as the pair put on 144 for the fourth wicket, knocking off the winning runs with eight balls to spare.Sussex started atrociously as they lost former England international Luke Wright in the second over to a stunning catch from Will Smith off Chris Wood. And Wood picked up a second two balls later as Mahela Jayawardene loosely edged behind to end his stint on the south coast with 4 off five balls.The procession to and from the dugout continued in the next over as Gareth Berg took his first T20 wicket for Hampshire as Ben Brown chipped straight to Sean Ervine. That left Sussex in deep trouble on 14 for 3 but Cachopa and Machan reconstructed the innings, striking 50 off 36 deliveries before two monstrous overs off spinners Danny Briggs and Smith went for 32 runs.Insights

This was Hampshire’s lowest home score of the season and second-lowest score anywhere and they were always going to find defending it successfully hard work. Hampshire’s highest scorer was Vince with 41, which was Hampshire’s lowest high score this season. In all but one other match at least one Hampshire player has scored fifty and they lacked that standout performance in this match. Sussex got that performance and they got it when they needed it most, reeling at 14 for 3 in the run chase. Cachopa’s 89 not out was his highest T20 score and only his second fifty.

Cachopa collected his second career T20 half-century – after earlier passing 1000 T20 career runs – with a late cut for four. The stand for the fourth wicket passed 100, with a colossal Cachopa six over long-off, in exactly 12 overs.The 23-year-old clobbered a six over the concourse and into the Nursery Ground before easing past his previous highest T20 score of 79 with a sweetly timed on drive as the visitors cruised home with room to spare.Earlier, Sussex won the toss and elected to field and restricted Hampshire to a below-par 157 for 6. Michael Carberry began watchfully before clubbing the first boundary of the evening straight down the ground off Ollie Robinson from the match’s fourth ball.Fellow opener James Vince was lucky not to be caught second ball as he gloved behind and the very next delivery the skipper became the fourth Hampshire player to score 2000 T20 runs for the county – after Carberry, Jimmy Adams and Ervine – with a crisply struck cut for four.Carberry was dropped at mid-on by a slow moving Tymal Mills before Vince used the former Essex man’s pace to dispatch the game’s first maximum over square leg in the next over.Mills atoned for his drop as he forced Carberry into looping a top edge off his hips to Chris Liddle at short fine leg to depart for 10. Vince offloaded some of the building pressure with slog sweep six but two balls latter Michael Yardy cleverly dragged the ball wide of off stump to have the recent England call-up stumped for a classy 41.The wicket of the talismanic Vince caused a panic for Hampshire as they lost Adams – who went for well-made 21 to give Machan his first T20 wicket for Sussex – and Ervine as spin became king.Adam Wheater and Owais Shah got Hampshire back on track with a 32-ball 50 partnership – the former reverse sweeping to take the home side past 100 in the 15th over. The pair both departed playing one shot too many, though, as Hampshire disappointed in front of a season-high 7200 at the Ageas Bowl.

David Warner is excited with his new role in the middle order of Australia’s T20 side which has been handed to him ahead of the World T20 in India

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-20161:54

‘Middle order is a great role for me’ – Warner

David Warner is excited with his new role in the middle order of Australia’s T20 side, which has been handed to him ahead of the World T20 in India.Before this series against South Africa he had only ever opened in T20Is, but after batting at No. 3 in the opening match in Durban he compiled a thunderous 40-ball 77 in Johannesburg at No. 4 – part of a record stand of 161 with Glenn Maxwell – to lead Australia’s recovery and carry them much of the way towards their highest successful T20 chase.Warner’s shift to the middle order came about after discussions with the team management – captain Steven Smith, coach Darren Lehmann and the selectors – about the best way to utilise players successful in the recent Big Bash and with an eye on tactics to combat spin bowling.That latter factor was on display at the Wanderers as Warner helped repel Imran Tahir, who has had a telling role in South Africa’s recent white-ball success, as he went for 47 in four overs after claiming 3 for 21 in Durban.”The fortunate thing for us was that I was in and we had a left-hand, right-hand combination, that’s what we try and do when you have a spinner who spins it away from the right-hander,” Warner said. “We’ve only got myself and Ussie [Usman Khawaja] and when he’s in the team he’s at the top and I’m in the middle.”It’s a great role for me to play and it was my role to try and take him on today, he bowled a couple of wrong ‘uns and I managed to get under them. Then he bowled back-of-a-length to us both which was quite hard to hit so we had to decide where we would score and that was to target straight. The conditions didn’t suit him as much today.”There is plenty of competition for top-order batting positions in Australia’s T20 side. Khawaja and Aaron Finch opened in the first match of this series while Shane Watson returned in place of Khawaja in Johannesburg.”We looked at the way the boys were playing in the Big Bash and ways to get people in the team,” Warner said. “Talking to Steve and Boof [Lehmann], and what the selectors felt, the key component was to have those three at the top with me and Steve in the middle. I’m comfortable with that if that’s what Steve wants.”The response from Warner and Maxwell in Johannesburg enabled Australia to successfully chase a target over 160 for just the second time in T20Is – and a first 200-plus success was timely with the World T20 challenge closing in, where Warner believes scores could be similar to what were on show at the Wanderers.”Our confidence will always be high,” Warner said. “Our first two games in India are at small grounds where you’ll have to chase well and if you bat first 200 might not be enough.”

On the eve of his team’s must-win match against New Zealand, Shahid Afridi feels Pakistan are playing good cricket but are being held back by small mistakes

Sidharth Monga in Mohali21-Mar-20162:48

Chappell: Afridi must inspire by performance

Pakistan cricket team at a world event. Chaos. Defeat. Politics. Criticism. Over-reaction. The PCB chairman saying don’t expect much of this team. That the captain’s future is “evident”, that the coach’s contract ends in June, and that a reconsideration is imminent. In the meantime, on the field, Pakistan need to win every match. We have been here before. This is about time Pakistan magically become an irresistible force, right? A magic wand. Possessed Pakistanis. Cornered tigers. Great individual performances come out of somewhere. Bull manure, says Shahid Afridi. You just need good cricket here, he has said on the eve of their match against New Zealand, losing which will rule them out.”If you create a panic situation,” Afridi said, “everything becomes difficult to sort out. The straightforward plan has to be to stick to basics. You can’t rely on miracles. It doesn’t work that way. We need to cut down on our mistakes. If you keep repeating mistakes, it becomes difficult. It’s not like we are making huge mistakes, just small mistakes here and there. We are batting well, bowling well, but cricket matches are won by sides that make fewer mistakes.”Perhaps it has always been like this. Perhaps this is what changes when Pakistan get on their irresistible unstoppable roll. Just make fewer mistakes. It is not all that glamorous, but perhaps that’s how it starts. It’s just the fact that it has to come from a situation so dire that makes it so dramatic. All kinds of things have happened since Pakistan lost to India. A former cricketer has said Imran Khan, who was present in Kolkata, deliberately misguided this team into playing four quicks. Some other former cricketer has slammed Afridi’s move to bat at No. 3. Shaharyar Khan reportedly seems to have made up his mind on Afridi’s future at least.Afridi knows now only he and his team-mates can help each other. “Even before the tournament began, people began saying things,” Afridi said. “But I am keeping myself away from Twitter, Facebook, nor am I following any other media. I have distanced myself from everything. Whatever is happening there, let it happen. All I know is, I am here, my team is here. Whatever happens, what people are saying back home, we will see about that later. Now it is time to perform, and only that is in our hands.”As difficult as it is to be a Pakistan cricket fan, it must be just as hard to be a Pakistan cricketer, given the reaction every time they lose to India. Afridi just laughed off the fickle reactions. “Only those who love you get angry at you,” he said. “What we need to do is perform, and not make too much of their reaction because they love us in equal measure.”It is quite mature coming from a man not known for mature batting on most occasions. It is incredibly sane coming from a man who has survived Pakistan cricket for two decades. It is coming from a man who has seen it all. Afridi was asked to talk about how Younis Khan was pilloried at the start of World T20 2009 before Pakistan turned it around. “This cricket has made not just Younis Khan but many others cry,” Afridi said. “I have seen a lot of cricketers in tears. I have seen them leave because they can’t take it anymore. I am thankful to God that I have played for Pakistan for this long.”Except that there might not be much time left. There are two matches left. If Pakistan stop making those mistakes, it could become three. If they could make even fewer mistakes, it could become four. Who knows if those at the PCB asking for Afridi’s removal might join his friends and family and ask him to stay? Whatever happens it won’t happen through miracles. It will happen through mundane things such as fewer misfields at the boundary, through batsmen looking for the singles when the boundaries are hard to come. Afridi has played long enough to know that.

Alex Hales knew the risk he was taking when he opted to sit out the start of the English season but he feel fit and raring to go against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge

Jon Culley30-Apr-2016It will be four years in August since Andrew Strauss walked off the field at Lord’s after the last of his 100 Test matches, by which time it is possible that the number of opening batsmen who have attempted to step into his shoes in the England side will be almost in double figures.Alex Hales is the current incumbent. He is the eighth to have been chosen as Alastair Cook’s partner post-Strauss, following on from Nick Compton, Joe Root, Michael Carberry, Sam Robson, Jonathan Trott, Adam Lyth and Moeen Ali. It is not a role that comes with much job security. Of those discards, five or six matches is the average time it took the selectors to make a decision.Hales, therefore, is probably at the halfway stage, and given that he came home from his debut series in South Africa with a batting average of precisely 17 from four matches he is hardly in a position of strength. Some critics, notably Geoff Boycott, have already written him off.In the circumstances, then, it might have been seen as a gamble on his part to miss the opening three weeks of the county season in favour of a rest, more so with hindsight. In his absence, Lyth and Moeen have made hundreds, Robson a hundred and a double in the same match. Likewise, James Vince and Mark Stoneman, so far untried but on the selectors’ radar, have also posted three-figure scores. Hales, though, is convinced it was the right thing to do.”When I was making the decision I had to take into account that other openers could and probably would score runs but I had to do what was right for me,” he said.”Going back to the 2014 one-day tour to Sri Lanka, I’d probably had three or four weeks off in two years. On a mental and physical level I was pretty knackered.”I had a good chat with the coaches and figured the best thing to do was come back with a full tank and ready to give 100 per cent. I felt if I didn’t give myself the best chance to score runs I wouldn’t be doing myself justice.Rivals’ head start

Sam Robson (Middlesex): 363 runs at 121

Adam Lyth (Yorkshire): 153 runs at 38.25

Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent) 128 runs at 64.00

“So I’ve had some time back at home in Buckinghamshire seeing my dad and mum and I’ve had a holiday with my girlfriend in Scotland.”I was keeping an eye on the scores and I did notice who was getting runs but I feel the ball is in my court. I feel fresh and in good form in the nets and I have a couple of games now to score some runs.”With that in mind, Hales will line up for Nottinghamshire against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge, where Root will also make his first appearance of the summer, before going head-to-head with Robson and Compton against Middlesex at Lord’s next week, after which national selector James Whitaker and his colleagues will begin to ink in names for the first Test against Sri Lanka on 19 May.At the moment, the likelihood is that he will keep his place, although he admits he does not feel particularly secure and hopes the selectors look at his white-ball form in South Africa as a reason not to make hasty decisions. While his Test match returns were modest, his five one-day internationals against the Proteas, coming soon after his maiden ODI century against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in November, yielded scores of 57, 99, 65, 50 and 112.”I’ve had no indication of how long I might have (to prove myself in Test cricket) but if you look at the one-dayers – it took me nearly 20 games to nail that spot,” he said.”I had a poor ODI series against Australia at the end of last summer and if you average 23 after 20 games you can understand if they drop you.”Heading into the UAE I still had a point to prove in one-day cricket. So in terms of 50-over cricket it could not have really gone any better with the Pakistan series and SA was great on a personal level. They kept their faith in me and I repaid that faith.”So hopefully they will back me for the Sri Lanka Test series and I can show them that I belong at that level.”He feels, moreover, that there is some cause to be positive after the South Africa Tests, even if the numbers are not so impressive.”Obviously, the Tests did not go to plan in terms of runs but I learned a lot from the experience,” he said. “For a debut series it does not come much tougher than SA away.”But I didn’t feel out of my depth. If you look at my dismissals it was more often than not me getting myself out, which in a strange way I would probably rather be the case. I wasn’t thinking ‘this bowler’s got me on toast here, this bowler’s too good for me.’ It was me making mistakes, which I can do something about.”Alex Hales’ first Test innings ends at the hands of Dale Steyn•Getty ImagesHis weakness, he accepts, is in shot selection, which presents a tough challenge for a player with naturally aggressive instincts.”I’m going to have to improve in terms of managing my attacking instincts because I still want to be an attacking player and it is about knowing the time to do it,” he said.”There will be times when I need to rein myself in but I still want to hit the bad balls for four. It is about making better decisions outside off stump. I want to keep improving in all formats but the aim this summer is to try to nail down that that Test spot.”In that respect, Hales has undergone a change of mindset since his early days as an England player, entering the arena as a Twenty20 specialist at 22 years old and making 99 from 68 balls against West Indies in only his fifth appearance. At that stage, the lucrative possibilities offered by making himself a specialist in the short format were at the forefront of his thinking.But then came 2013, two years after he had topped 1,000 first-class runs for the first time, when he averaged a paltry 13.94 in the four-day format.”I was focussing on T20, wanting to be the best in the world in that format and for while it worked because I had the number one spot for a year or so in the T20 rankings”But after 2013 I went away to the Big Bash in Australia and I started to think ‘I’m not about that – I want to be good in all three formats.'”So that winter I made a real conscious effort to prioritise four-day cricket when I came back. And as it happens by doing that it improved my technique and improved my one-day game.”The challenge for me is to open in all formats. There is only David Warner who has been able to do that in international cricket and it is a tough challenge. The skill sets are pretty different opening in T20 compared with Tests, for example, but it is something I’m striving to master.”If Hales has learned to broaden his horizons, he also knows not to look too far ahead.”That comes from experience,” he said “When I was younger, in my first couple of years at Notts, I would be going into a game thinking ‘I’ve got to score runs’ and if you do that you end up over-thinking everything and going away from what you naturally do as a player. I’ve got better at staying in the present.”So I’m not going into these two games for Notts with any targets. Being successful comes down to doing everything right before the game – getting your practice right, your skills right.”I have practised intensively this week and I feel like my game is in good order. I’ve done all I can off the field and behind the scenes to go into the game with confidence.”The break has done me good and made me hungry to succeed in these two games. But you can’t think about the end results. If think about the process instead and how to get there, the rest should take care if itself.”

The newly-crowned league champions are the main force in the best XI this season, with Tottenham Hotspur well represented as well

Few people will be surprised to see Manchester City dominate the PFA Premier League Team of the Year by having five players named.

Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Nicolas Otamendi and Kyle Walker are the five newly-crowned English champions included in the XI due to their impressive performances for a side sitting 16 points clear at the top of the table with four games to go.

Despite Pep Guardiola's team's dominance of the league, there are more star-studded names throughout the squad.

Tottenham Hotspur are the next best represented side as star striker Harry Kane takes the centre-forward role, with Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen also included. 

Although still sitting second and third in the league, Manchester United and Liverpool only have one star each in the squad, with David de Gea taking his place between the posts and 30-goal hero and PFA Player of the Year Mohamed Salah adding to a mouth-watering attack.

Amid their poor title defence, Chelsea also saw one player named in the side, with Marcos Alonso earning praise for his impressive work on the left side.

David de Gea | Manchester UnitedThe Spanish goalkeeper has been pivotal in keeping the Red Devils in the fight for second place, with some of his individual displays being enough to justify his inclusion in the squad alone.AdvertisementGettyKyle Walker | Manchester CityThe right-back has looked worth the £50 million investment City parted with to lure the England international from Tottenham Hotspur. He has been a big presence for Pep Guardiola's side and is expected to be even more important for his country at the World Cup.GettyJan Vertonghen | Tottenham HotspurThe Belgian centre-back remains a fan favourite at Spurs and a huge asset for Mauricio Pochettino's men. Christian Eriksen is the only other Tottenham player to have started as many Premier League games this term.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesNicolas Otamendi | Manchester CityThe Argentine's development under Pep Guardiola has earned him a great deal of praise recently and his progress has been recognised with a place alongside Vertonghen.

With the release of Rising Star and Headliner cards, market prices have dropped – allowing you to pick up a few legends on the cheap

One of the best parts of FIFA 19 Ultimate Team is being able to create incredible combinations of players who you never would have seen in real life, especially with the Icon cards.

Icons are legendary players who have been added to the game and fit into every squad due to their chemistry bonus, which means they link with every player.

And now is your best chance to get your hands on these cards thanks to the release of the incredible Headliners and Rising Stars cards. Everybody's focus is on the new special cards so Icons have dropped nicely in price. Whether you want to use them in your team, or craft another player with a Squad Building Challenge, now is the time to buy these players

Goal has looked through and found the 10 cheapest Icons in the game currently on the market. 

EA Sports/GettyClaude Makelele – 85

First up is Real Madrid and Chelsea legend Claude Makelele, who retired with two Premier League titles, two La Liga trophies and a Champions League to his name.

The Frenchman may have redefined the defensive midfielder role, but this version of Makelele is deployed as a right midfielder, making him much less effective, hence his lower price.

For around 505k coins, you can add an injection of pace and strength into your midfield, allowing the rest of your squad to shine.

AdvertisementEA Sports/GettyFilippo Inzaghi – 87

A member of Italy's World Cup winning side from 2006, Filippo Inzaghi is a striker who also won the Champions League twice in his prestigious career.

Inzaghi is incredibly clinical with 88 shooting and he is extra dangerous with his 81 pace and 82 dribbling. However, his link-up play is rather lacklustre with just 67 passing and 67 physicality, meaning you will need midfielders who can play a killer pass to get the best out of him. The Italian will set you back 510k.

Jens Lehmann – 88

The only goalkeeper on this list, Jens Lehmann will be remembered for his fantastic saves as much as his hot temper during his time at Arsenal.

The German keeper's middle card is the same price as his lower card at 510k coins. With 88 diving, 87 reflexes, 87 handling and 86 positioning, you're getting a fantastic goalkeeper for the price. There really isn't much downside to this card other than his 83 kicking but that is still a respectable rating.

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EA Sports/GettyJavier Zanetti – 87

Having spent 19 amazing years at Inter, Javier Zanetti is so respected at the club that his number four jersey has been permanently retired.

The versatile defender could play on either flank but in game his 87-rated card is a left-back. With 88 pace, 83 defending and 82 passing he excels both going forward and at the back and his 95 stamina means you will get the best out of him for the full 90 minutes. The only problem is he may become predictable on the attack with just two-star skills.

At 510k for one of the greatest left-backs in the game, you can always rely on Zanetti.

Ahead of the showpiece fixture in Madrid, Goal picks the strongest team available that features players from Tottenham and Liverpool

On June 1, Tottenham and Liverpool will meet in the Champions League final. With both teams having excelled over the 2018-19 campaign, there have been a number of improved and in-form cards released for their players in FIFA 19 Ultimate Team, including the recent Team of the Season promotion.

With so many strong cards, with the weakest being an 88-rated TOTS Moussa Sissoko, a combined Spurs and Liverpool FIFA Ultimate Team XI will give any opponent a reason to rage quit.

The strength is clear when you see the cards that missed out, including Flashback Roberto Firmino, TOTW Harry Kane and POTM Lucas Moura.

EA Sports/Getty Images95-rated Team of the Season Alisson

The Premier League Golden Glove winner, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson has turned out to be a fantastic signing for Liverpool with 21 clean sheets this season.

And with a new TOTS card, he could also be a fantastic addition to your Ultimate Team squad.

Alisson's impressive stats include 94 diving, 97 reflexes, 93 handling and 96 positioning. His distribution is also excellent with 95 kicking, making him extremely useful if you want to start a counter-attack.

AdvertisementEA Sports/Getty Images94-rated Team of the Season Trent Alexander-Arnold

At right-back we have Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has already developed into one of England's finest defenders.

As a local lad, Alexander-Arnold has quickly become a fan favourite and also played a pivotal role in Liverpool's Champions League campaign after his genius corner caught Barcelona off-guard and allowed Divock Origi to complete the Reds' astounding semi-final comeback.

The Englishman's 94-rated TOTS card has everything you could ask for in a full-back with 94 pace, 92 dribbling, 96 passing, 94 defending and 85 physicality.

With 99 crossing, Alexander-Arnold will create plenty of opportunities for your team while also ensuring the opposition have difficulties scoring with his 96 standing tackles and 94 sliding tackles.

EA Sports/Getty Images96-rated Team of the Season Virgil van Dijk

Our first centre-back is yet another Liverpool player with the Premier League's player of the season Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutchman is a commanding presence at the back and only committed 12 fouls all season as he rarely found himself out of position.

His TOTS card on FIFA 19 is outrageous with 86 pace, 88 dribbling, 86 passing, 97 defending and 99 physicality.

The stand-out in-game statistics of this card are his 97 short passing, 99 long passing, 97 interceptions, 83 heading accuracy, 95 marking, 99 strength, 95 aggression, 94 sliding tackle and 99 stand tackle. The Dutchman is incredibly difficult to get past.

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EA Sports/Getty Images91-rated Champions League Road to the Final Davinson Sanchez

The first Spurs player on the list is Davinson Sanchez whose athleticism has made him a perfect fit for the Premier League as well as an excellent centre-back partner for Jan Vertonghen.

Sanchez is also extremely popular with FIFA players, especially his Champions League card which has been upgraded multiple times following Spurs' success in Europe. 

The 91-rated card is monstrous with 84 pace, 91 defending and 90 physicality – strength and pace are both very important in FIFA and Sanchez has both in abundance.

The Gunners came back from a goal behind to beat Fulham 2-1 and maintain their 100 per cent start to the season.

Arsenal mounted a stirring comeback to beat Fulham 2-1 on Saturday and make it four wins from four in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta's side looked set for their first defeat of the season when an awful mistake by defender Gabriel Magalhaes gifted Alexander Mitrovic the opener for Fulham early in the second half.

But Arsenal responded well and an equaliser from the excellent Martin Odegaard brought them level on 64 minutes.

And then, with just five minutes remaining, Gabriel made up for his earlier mistake by scoring the winner – prodding home from close range after former Gunners keeper Bernd Leno failed to deal with a corner.

The win maintains Arsenal's 100 per cent start to the season and moved them back to the top of the Premier League ahead of Wednesday night's home game against Aston Villa.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Winner: Martin Odegaard

Another excellent display from the captain, backing up his performance at Bournemouth.

He always looked like the player would make something happen, and while he got a bit of luck with the deflection for the equaliser, he deserved that for the way he played throughout.

A lack of goals was the one big criticism you could aim at Odegaard, so Mikel Arteta will be delighted that his skipper has now scored three in his last two.

Winner: Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal's centre-back was a winner and loser in this one.

His awful mistake early in the second half looked like gifting Fulham the win, but he responded in excellent fashion.

He kept his head up and was in the right place at the right time late on to score the precious winner for Arsenal.

At one stage he looked like being the villain, but in the end he was the hero.

Winner: Eddie Nketiah

Arsenal's young striker came on just after Fulham had gone in front and he played a big part in turning the game around.

He got involved straight away and his direct running caused the Fulham defence all sorts of problems.

Gabriel Jesus has taken all the headlines so far this season, but Nketiah deserves a lot of credit for his cameo during the final half an hour.

It was a reminder to everyone that he will still have a big part to play this season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Loser: Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal's centre-back had an absolute howler early in the second half.

His costly error gifted Fulham the lead soon after half-time just as Arsenal were starting to dominate.

It was school boy stuff from Gabriel, who is prone to the odd lapse in concentration like that.

If he is going to go on to become a truly world class defender, those are the sort of errors he has to cut out of his game.

At least he made up for it at the other end though.

Loser: Arsenal's squad depth

What exactly was going on in Arsenal's training session on Friday afternoon?!

To lose one key player just before half-time was bad, but to lose two was disastrous.

Exactly how long Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko will be out for remains to be seen, but if it's a long time it will be a major blow to Arsenal. Both players are so vital to the way Arteta wants his team to play.

Loser: Bernd Leno

This may be a touch harsh, as Leno actually played very well on his return to Arsenal.

He made several excellent stops to frustrate his former side and looked like being the Fulham hero.

But then, with five minutes remaining, he flapped at corner and gave Gabriel a tap in to make it 2-1.

Leno and his team-mates may have complained to the referee, but deep down the German will know he made a big error which cost his side a draw.

Getty ImagesArsenal Ratings: Defence

Aaron Ramsdale (7/10):

Barely had anything to do in the first half, but made some big saves after the break.

Ben White (7/10):

Continues to operate well at right-back, but never really got in behind the Fulham defence.

William Saliba (8/10):

Calm, composed, strong. Another fine display.

Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

A horror moment to gift Mitrovic his goal.

Kieran Tierney (6/10):

Brought into the team to replace the injured Zinchenko. Solid enough, but lacked the quality and guile of the Ukrainian.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Mohamed Elneny (6/10):

Neat and tidy as always. Kept the ball moving from the defensive midfield position, but there's no doubt Arsenal missed Thomas Partey's passing ability from deep.

Granit Xhaka (6/10):

Got forward as he has done all season, but couldn't make much of an impact.

Martin Odegaard (8/10):

Always looked the most likely of any of the Arsenal players to open Fulham up. Buzzed around the final third all afternoon with his clever movement and deserved his goal. Excellent showing.

Raphinha and Jordi Alba starred as Barcelona came alive in the second half to beat Sevilla and got eight points clear of Real Madrid atop La Liga.

Barcelona can't seem to lose at the moment. The Blaugrana haven't been on the wrong end of a result since October, a run that continued with the visit of a lowly Sevilla side.

And Barca, as they have done for most of their La Liga campaign, delivered in style. They overcame a shaky first half and exploded with three goals in the second to run away 3-0 winners and take an eight-point lead atop La Liga.

After Real Madrid lost to Mallorca early in the day, Sunday night represented a massive chance for Barcelona. And in the first half, the Blaugrana looked unlikely to capitalise. Sevilla's defensive setup was difficult to crack, while an early injury to Sergio Busquets took the pace out of Barca's game.

Xavi's side were much improved in the second. Jordi Alba provided the breakthrough, darting into the box and meeting Franck Kessie's lay off with a tidy side-footed finish.

They added a second shortly after, with Gavi turning in Raphinha's angled pass from close range. Barca were well in a rhythm by the time the third came, as Alba fed Raphinha to finish a flowing move.

This was a big result for Xavi, a battering of a struggling but always dangerous opponent. And following Madrid's loss earlier in the day, Barca might just be edging close to something bigger.

GettyThe Winners

Jordi Alba:

Alba wasn't supposed to be in the XI on Sunday; he's fallen behind 19-year-old Alejandro Balde in Xavi's pecking order. But with Balde sidelined, Alba was given his chance. And he took it wonderfully. It was a classic Alba performance: constant runs, relentless energy and crucial quality in the final third. He created a few chances in the first half, and was even better in the second, scoring Barca's opener with a side-footed finish, before assisting Raphinha 20 minutes later. Alba benefitted from having little to do defensively, which suited his aging legs. Still, he showcased that he is still an impact player going forward.

Franck Kessie:

Speaking of unlikely heroes… Kessie was brought on as an emergency substitute after Busquets exited early with a nasty-looking ankle injury. The Ivorian seems an awkward fit in this Barca side. He doesn't necessarily have the same creative spark as Gavi or Pedri, and doesn't move the ball from a deep-lying role like Busquets. But on Sunday, he found his niche. Kessie played high up the pitch and was regularly in the Sevilla box. And from there, he assisted Barca's opener, a lovely little flick into Alba's path. He was also involved in the build-up to the second, spraying a pass to Raphinha, who, in turn, assisted Gavi.

Raphinha:

The former-Leeds man hasn't quite seen his Barcelona career take off yet. He's shifted positions frequently, playing on both the left and right, without avail. But with Ousmane Dembele out, Raphinha has been handed an extended run in the side in his preferred position. And he's taken advantage, tallying three goal contributions in his last two games. He approached his best on Sunday night, highlighted by a standout second half in which he grabbed a goal and an assist. Barcelona will need him to continue this form while Dembele is sidelined.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Sergio Busquets:

As soon as Busquets is starting to move into form, injury hit. The Spain international has been excellent in recent weeks, evoking memories of old with his metronomic passing and stout tackling. He was removed after five minutes against Sevilla, though, after twisting his ankle against the turf during a collision. It didn't appear to be a malicious challenge, but Busquets seemed in serious pain all the same. The good news for Xavi is that the 36-year-old was able to walk off. The bad news is he didn't look desperately comfortable doing it.

Ivan Rakitic:

Rakitic endured a forgettable night at his former stomping ground. The ex-Barcelona midfielder only managed 37 touches and had little impact on the game as his side was battered by a rampant home team. Rakitic is now 34 and was phased out of the Barca side almost three years ago with the arrival of Frenkie de Jong. Still, it must hurt for the Croatian to be on the end of such a one-sided result at a stadium where he enjoyed a successful spell.

Real Madrid:

Madrid lost to Mallorca earlier in the day, giving Barcelona a chance to go eight points clear atop the table. And the Blaugrana got their business done in style, leaving their biggest rivals with a lot of ground to make up in the coming weeks. Real now need Barca to drop points — which they seem increasingly unlikely to do.

GettyBarcelona Ratings: Defence

Marc Andre ter Stegen (7/10):

Had one save to make. Celebrated joyously after Alba opened the scoring.

Jules Kounde (7/10):

Looked comfortable throughout, even if he doesn't have the best understanding with Raphinha yet. Kept Sevilla's wide men quiet, too.

Ronald Araujo (7/10):

Really impressive passing performance from an ever-improving centre-back. Good to get him a rest after Barca took a 3-0 lead.

Andreas Christensen (7/10):

His partnership with Araujo is really blossoming. Won all but one of his aerial duels and kept the ball moving.

Jordi Alba (8/10):

Unlikely starter after Alejandro Balde was ruled out with the flu. Turned in his best performance since the World Cup with a goal and an assist.

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Pedri (6/10):

Lots of tidy stuff, but Pedri didn't necessarily have his best game. Didn't matter in the end.

Sergio Busquets (4/10):

Subbed off after five minutes with a nasty-looking ankle twist. Barca will hope it's not too bad.

Frenkie de Jong (7/10):

Moved to the deeper "Busquets" role after the veteran was taken off. De Jong showed why he can be a viable replacement long term with an excellent 90 minutes.