When Arsenal signed an electric teenage winger in 2006, the paper mill was working overtime. He was just 16, but Arsene Wenger had seen enough of this player at Southampton to warrant spending a record sum on a teenager: with a £5m down payment that looked to rise to £12m. That player was, of course, Theo Walcott.
After subsequently receiving his first England call-up under Sven Goran Eriksson, and even going to the 2006 World Cup – Walcott embarked on a fruitful 12-year stay at the Emirates. Despite a number of injuries, the rapid wide man was synonymous with so many great moments in the red half of north London before things slowly ran their course.
The player admitted in 2018 that "it was time to move on" and looked to pastures new.
How much did Everton spend on Theo Walcott?
Everton proved to be the destination for a 28-year-old Walcott in the January transfer window. Sam Allardyce was a big fan and had clearly sold the club to Walcott brilliantly – taking advantage of the player's desire for a new challenge.
Wenger on the other hand, had to reluctantly let his loyal man leave – as he simply couldn't guarantee him game time. It was a World Cup year when a place in the England World Cup squad might've been at stake, after all.
Walcott joined the Toffeesfor £20m in a three-and-a-half-year deal that was widely believed to rejuvenate his slightly stagnated career. He said of the move:
"It was sad but it's exciting at the same time and I want to reignite my career and push Everton to win things as they have done before. The manager is very hungry and it's just what I need. I've had a couple of chats with him and straightaway I felt that hunger and that desire that he wanted from me."
Following a honeymoon period where Walcott got a debut assist for Oumar Niasse, and then bagged a brace in the following game against Leicester, things sadly started to take a turn.
Allardyce departed Goodison Park after his 18-month contract ended, and an unfortunate string of injuries sidelined Walcott. Both of these aspects took a big hit on his development at the club.
How much was Theo Walcott worth at the end?
While at Everton, Walcott registered 85 appearances in all competitions and scored just 11 goals. These weren't exactly numbers that inspired this career rebuild or international involvement that he had hoped for. As said though, his injuries were a big dampener on his Merseyside spell.
Between 2018 and 2021, he missed 11 matches due to injuries – which by itself doesn't sound too bad. Yet, the Premier League is the highest level in the world. Losing out on a run of games, especially when fighting for a starting place for club and country, can be detrimental.
In even worse terms, Walcott's injuries in blue led to him missing 112 days of action, a figure that is slightly more worrisome. Where he could've partaken in training, he was absent. This led to reduced game time and eventually a loan to Southampton in 2020.
After this initial loan with his boyhood club, Walcott departed Everton for St. Mary's for free. Ultimately, when he retired in 2023 he left behind a great career but his spell in Merseyside was little to write home about. Perhaps it could be argued that it was a mistake to even bring him in at the time. After all, a player of his age was never going to have great resale value.
Indeed, in terms of his transfer value – it had stooped from that £20m Everton sum, down to a meagre £1m as the 34-year-old retired after leaving a relegated Southampton.
European giants Lyon crashed out of the Coupe de France Feminine after going down on penalties against Fleury.
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Lyon crashed out of Coupe de France FeminineLost to Fleury on penalties in the semi-finalHave won nine titles in the last 11 yearsWHAT HAPPENED?
The Lyon women's side are among the best teams in Europe having conquered the Women's Champions League title a record eight times. They have also dominated the French domestic scene as they have won the Division 1 Feminine title on 16 occasions and have lifted the Coupe de France Feminine title 10 times with nine of those coming in the last 11 years.
On Saturday, they crashed out of the Coupe de France Feminine semi-final after they suffered a shock defeat against Fleury in the penalty shootout. Fleury managed to hold the giants to a goalless draw in 120 minutes and then clinched the game in the tie-breaker by winning it 5-4.
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While Sonia Bompastor's side have been knocked out of the domestic cup competition, they are on course to win yet another league title as they are currently sitting at the top of the table, seven points clear of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain.
DID YOU KNOW?
Since the 2006/07 season, Lyon have won the Division 1 Feminine title every year except for the 2020/21 season when Paris Saint-Germain pipped them by a point to bag the trophy.
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Les Fenottes will aim to seek revenge as they are all set to meet Fleury again on Friday in an important league clash.
Herve Renard is set to leave his role as head coach of France's women's national team after the Olympic Games this summer.
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Renard likely to leave France role after OlympicsCoach took over ahead of World Cup last yearBut set to depart after less than 18 months in chargeWHAT HAPPENED?
Renard has not even been in the job a year and the French Football Federation (FFF) now looks like it will be searching for a successor, with federation president Philippe Diallo revealing on Wednesday that the coach is likely to move on in just a few months' time.
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Speaking to , Diallo said: "Herve has a contract that runs out after the Games, at the end of August 2024, and he has made it clear that he's not at all sure he'll be staying on after that. He's committed to the Games and then he'll look to his future."
Asked further about whether Renard is going to leave the role, Diallo gave a clearer answer: "He has hinted at it. It is his wish to complete his mission and not to continue it."
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Renard was appointed by the FFF late last March when Corinne Diacre left the role, following announcements by several key players that they would not play under her anymore. Renard led Les Bleues at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand but he had little time to prepare his team and the tournament was ultimately a disappointment, ending in the nation's third successive quarter-final defeat.
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DID YOU KNOW?
France have never won a major tournament in the women's game and will hope that Renard's successor can be the right coach to lead them to that maiden triumph.
Alex Milton and Steve Magoffin put on 136 for the last wicket but it was not enough to prevent Somerset beating bottom-placed Worcestershire on the final day at Blackfinch New Road
ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-20181:13
Somerset silence stubborn Worcestershire
Somerset 337 (Davies 72, Abell 70, Hildreth 57, Moeen 3-63) and 362 for 9 dec (Azhar 125, Trescothick 71, Moeen 5-107) beat Worcestershire 257 (Wood 65*, J Overton 4-61, Davey 4-68) and 301 (Milton 104*, J Overton 4-82) by 141 runs ScorecardSomerset climbed up to second in the Specsavers County Championship as they defeated bottom-placed Worcestershire by 141 runs on the final day at Blackfinch New Road, despite record-breaking resistance from debutant centurion Alex Milton and Steve Magoffin.Jamie Overton and Josh Davey looked to have broken the back of the Worcestershire batting by taking four wickets in the space of 15 balls inside the first hour after they had resumed on 50 for 2.They were aided during the morning by undistinguished shots from some of the Worcestershire top six. But wicketkeeper Milton, standing in for broken rib victim Ben Cox, kept them waiting until after tea with superb support from No. 11 Magoffin in a Worcestershire record stand of 136 for the last wicket against any opposition.It beat the previous best of 119 by William Burns and George Wilson in 1906 – coincidentally also against Somerset at New Road.Milton, the Cardiff MCCU captain, went to his hundred by clipping Craig Overton off his legs for his 15th boundary to go with one six. It came from 172 balls. But Somerset ultimately sealed their fourth win in eight games when Magoffin was dismissed by Craig Overton for 43 shortly after tea to leave Milton undefeated on 104.1Victory meant Somerset moved above Nottinghamshire to become the nearest challengers to title favourites Surrey.There were many pluses for the visitors throughout the game but the most heartening sight was the form of Jamie Overton. He has been gradually eased back to fitness here bowled with pace, aggression and accuracy.He ended the game with figures of 31-6-143-8 and received superb support from the equally effective Davey with seven wickets.On the batting front, new overseas player Azhar Ali made an instant impact with a century on his debut while Marcus Trescothick, James Hildreth, skipper Tom Abell and keeper Steven Davies also made sizeable contributions.Craig Overton appeals for a wicket•Getty ImagesFor Worcestershire, all is not lost. They are still in touch with the teams above them in the battle to stay up but there will have to be a improvement in their overall performance, although England spinner Moeen Ali’s eight-wicket haul was encouraging. Milton also kept tidily on his Championship debut.Worcestershire had been rocked by the dismissal of Moeen to the final delivery on the third evening and quickly ran into trouble in the morning.Davey was the first to strike as England Lions batsman Joe Clarke played down the wrong line and was bowled. Then Jamie Overton struck with successive deliveries as Travis Head and Ed Barnard perished to expansive shots.Head, in his final Championship innings for Worcestershire, had moved onto 46 but then threw his bat at a wide delivery and nicked through to keeper Steven Davies. Barnard then aimed a drive at another tempting delivery and this time Trescothick pouched the chance at second slip.Milton blocked the hat-trick ball but it was not the end of Worcestershire’s woes. In the next over skipper Brett D’Oliveira edged Davey into the safe hands of James Hildreth at first slip.Milton and Ross Whiteley tried to salvage some pride and looked reasonably secure in defying the Somerset attack for 20 overs. The returning Jamie Overton broke the partnership when Whiteley (39) was caught behind to leave Milton unbeaten on 31 at lunch.Somerset moved closer to victory after the resumption with Jack Leach striking twice in the same over. Luke Wood drilled the ball to Peter Trego at mid-off and Dillon Pennington edged the spinner and the ball bounced up off Trescothick kneeling at slip to keeper Davies.But last man Magoffin accompanied Milton in providing more defiance until the former sliced Craig Overton to backward point..
Liverpool secured their third Europa League victory of the season with a noteworthy performance over French side Toulouse at Anfield on Thursday night, extending their perfect record in the group phase.
Having performed so poorly last season but captured the essence of Jurgen Klopp's system once more since the summer, the Reds' triumph in the continental competition appears to be on the cards.
Having finished fifth in the Premier League last season, Champions League football this year slipped out of reach but the resounding start to the campaign has placed Liverpool in early title contention, albeit alongside multiple rivals at this stage.
But the balance has been restored and against Toulouse, the kind of attacking intensity and incisiveness was most pleasing ahead of an important phase of the season.
Liverpool were "emphatic" vs Toulouse
Klopp was delighted after another victory and so too was The Athletic's James Pearce, who praised the "emphatic" showing and the growing cohesion within this new-look Merseyside squad.
Putting five past TFC, the offensive flow was laudable, though Thijs Dallinga's equalising goal after Diogo Jota's fleet-footed opener was a product of a defensive mishap from Joe Gomez and teenage starting debutant Luke Chambers.
There will be sterner tests to come, and it is perhaps telling that dropped points this season have come against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion, three of the toughest opposition faced this term, but the manner of the win left Klopp and the adoring Anfield support enraptured.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Europa League group phase, at no disrespect to the opposition, may not be the sternest test of Liverpool, who could be wanting to fight for the one piece of silverware that has evaded Klopp's grasp, and their quality.
That being said, desultory displays will be punished, and the first half against LASK in September highlighted this, with renewed vigour after the break turning the deficit on its head.
In an idealised world, Liverpool would be fighting among Europe's elite in the Champions League for a fourth final under the German manager's wing, but last season's failure has enforced a return to the rung below on the ladder, and now securing success is crucial.
Making good use of the whole squad is crucial in this regard, with many first-teamers in the Premier League relegated to the bench on Thursday night once again.
Ryan Gravenberch retained his place after earning a maiden appearance from the outset in the English top-flight last weekend, during victory over rivals Everton, and the 21-year-old ace is swiftly emerging as a starring member of this resurgent team.
Ryan Gravenberch's performance vs Toulouse
Having failed to impress with German champions Bayern Munich last season after signing from Ajax in 2022, Gravenberch completed a £34m transfer to the Reds late in August, with each passing performance bolstering the decision to secure his signature.
With a license to shine this year, the £150k-per-week midfielder has already notched up two goals and assists apiece across all competitions, and left reporter Neil Jones claiming he has "got the lot" after a sensational showing against French opposition.
Statistic
#
Minutes played
70'
Goals
1
Shots on target
4
Pass completion
26/27 (96%)
Key passes
3
Dribble attempts
2/2 (100%)
Ground duels won
6/9 (66%)
Tackles
3
Interceptions
2
Touches
49
It was, quite simply, an all-action performance of the highest merit, and it's becoming increasingly clear that at Bayern Munich this dynamic Dutchman's qualities were not developed as best as they could have been.
He's not without blame, having failed to endear himself to either Julian Nagelsmann or Thomas Tuchel, but with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka ahead in the pecking order, opportunities were limited.
At Liverpool, he has been promised a platform to demonstrate his skills and has taken this with aplomb so far, and while he deserves the plaudits for his standout performance in red so far, the impressive account that holding midfielder Wataru Endo has given for himself, another summer signing, will have left Klopp positively delighted.
Wataru Endo has announced himself
When Liverpool purchased Endo, aged 30, from German Bundesliga side Stuttgart for around £16m after losing out on both Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea, were was a chorus of apprehension that Klopp and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke had fumbled the bag quite considerably.
But the veteran Japan midfielder is slowly proving his astute worth, and, against Toulouse, his assiduous role led journalist David Lynch to remark on the “outstanding” part he played.
Bagging his first goal for the club after deftly and accurately guiding Trent Alexander-Arnold's curling delivery home, Endo complemented his strike with an immense match driving away danger and recycling possession for the likes of Gravenberch and Darwin Nunez to wreak havoc in the final third.
As per Sofascore, having played the full 90, he took 87 touches and completed 66/69 (96%) of his passes, making two key passes and winning a whopping ten duels, also forging five tackles and three interceptions.
Alexis Mac Allister has been filling in in the No. 6 position in the Premier League and is undoubtedly the more technically adept of the two, but Endo's prowess as the natural anchor offers a valuable extra dimension.
Toulouse were overpowered, and the £50k-per-week machine played his part to near perfection, though he was dribbled past on three occasions and does lack a bit of mobility and raw pace.
Nonetheless, having lost possession just four times despite his placement in the innermost point of the pitch, he controlled the flow and snuffed out French advances impressively; it was a performance that announced his ability and confirmed that he has what it takes to do a job for an outfit targetting a silver-laden crescendo to the campaign.
For the majority of the Premier League, Endo's arrival on Merseyside went unremarked after Liverpool's failure to sign two coveted, more high-profile targets.
But there is a growing sense that the strong battler will prove to be a most valuable member of an ambitious crop of players and he boasts the industrious attributes to really make a difference throughout the campaign, as shown by his performance on Thursday night.
Gravenberch dazzled on the European stage and unsurprisingly stole the headlines, but do not not forget how important Endo was during the emphatic win, which has effectively sealed Liverpool's place at the top of Group E, five points ahead of Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse at the midpoint.
Bundesliga commentator Kevin Thatchard was among those to wax lyrical following Liverpool's acquisition, pronouncing Endo a "proper warrior and leader."
Such qualities are imperative to the Reds' chances of success across multiple fronts this year, and Klopp's new man proved against Toulouse that he is every bit the calibre of player to thrive at Anfield, holding the team together with his tough, energetic midfield work.
Therefore, Endo could be Klopp's new hero alongside Gravenberch in the middle of the park if he is provided with an opportunity to play regular football, based on the pair's respective displays against Toulouse.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkison has claimed Andy Cannon's goal against Grimsby Town would be "replayed a lot" had it been scored in the Premier League.
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Parkinson hailed Cannon's goalMade Premier League claimWrexham beat Grimsby Town 3-1WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Dragons manager claimed that Andy Cannon's second goal in the club's win over Grimsby Town on Saturday would have received a lot more hype had it happened in the Premier League. It was a classic counter-attack goal which helped the Welsh club take a 2-0 lead in the first half. The move was initiated by Paul Mullin, who went past a couple of players before sending a crisp pass to Tom O'Connor, who in turn fed Cannon with a brilliant through ball as the midfielder then scored past the opposition's goalkeeper.
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Speaking to reporters about the goal, Parkinson said: "We scored some great goals against Grimsby. The goal on the counter-attack, if you saw that in the Premier League, people would be replaying it quite a lot. It was a great bit of skill by Mulls, a great run by Tom and weight of pass, and what a finish that was. That was a top-class goal."
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It was an important win for the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned side, who retained third position in the League Two table and are trailing league leaders Mansfield Town by just three points. The club are eyeing a second consecutive promotion after getting back into the English Football League last season.
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Parkinson's side will get an opportunity to go top of the table when they take on Mansfield Town next in their upcoming League Two encounter on Friday.
The coach expressed disappointment with the bowlers’ inconsistency, and defended Sarfraz Ahmed, whom he called an ‘outstanding captain’
Shashank Kishore in Dubai24-Sep-20181:33
Result against India was a reality check – Mickey Arthur
Pakistan’s batting failed to step up for a second successive game against India. On Sunday, they were only a shade better than in their previous meeting, in which they had made 162. A target of 238 hardly challenged Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who flattened Pakistan’s attack with centuries in a 210-run opening stand.Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has put the team’s batting failures down to a ‘confidence crisis’ within the team, but insisted the hard knocks from the Asia Cup would help the players learn as they build forward.”They’re suffering a confidence crisis at the moment, there’s a little bit of fear of failure in the dressing room, there’s a bit of a reality check for exactly where we are as a cricket team,” Arthur said. “In terms of the worst performance, nine wickets, it’s got to be up there but we’re on a journey, we’ll get better and stronger than this.”Arthur cited the example of Fakhar Zaman to underline the confidence crisis theory. Fakhar has looked far from settled when India have tried to attack him by bowling at the stumps, and has failed to provide his usual freewheeling starts. At the end of the first Powerplay on Sunday, he had limped to 12 off 31 balls.”We know cricket is a confidence game,” Arthur said. “Look at Fakhar Zaman, he’s an incredible player, he’s an X-factor player and we expect him to take the game on at the top of the order, but he’s doubting his game a little at the moment. We’ve got to just ride the wave with him. If we do that, when he comes out, he’ll be a better player for this. We’ve banked the work, the work is all done.”Arthur’s second concern was Pakistan’s bowlers and their deviation from set plans. Mohammad Amir has been wicketless for five straight ODIs now, stretching back to the tour of Zimbabwe in July. He’s now bowled 35.4 overs since taking his last ODI wicket, and this barren spell even led to his being left out of the game against Afghanistan on Friday.He was specifically brought back because Pakistan were playing India on a fresh surface with slightly more pace and carry compared to the other surfaces in this tournament, but his returns weren’t any better: 5-0-41-0. Shadab Khan too was rendered ineffective on the same surface where India’s wristspinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, bottled up Pakistan’s middle order and finished with combined figures of 4 for 87.”There was inconsistency in lines and lengths, and it’s disappointing,” Arthur said. “We went into panic mode. Once they got in, we started searching for wickets. The way you get wickets is, you’ve got to build pressure. We didn’t stay with our plans long enough. Our plans was to hit the hard lengths, hit top of off with our seamers, and then have the ability to put them under pressure in the middle. We’ve got to attack to take wickets, it didn’t happen and we weren’t patient enough. There were plans but they weren’t executed for long enough.”Associated PressArthur was effusive in his praise for Jasprit Bumrah’s death-bowling skills. Bumrah took 2 for 15 in his four-over spell at the end of the innings, nailing his yorkers perfectly, and Pakistan only managed 38 off their last seven overs.”We had an optional session the other day,” Arthur said. “We sat there for 20 minutes and I watched Jasprit Bumrah at the nets next to us, executing yorker after yorker after yorker, and he put that into practice here. In our review, we definitely will be showing our young bowlers his execution in the death overs, it was very good.”The Pakistan coach also disagreed that Sarfraz Ahmed’s captaincy was a reason for India walking home unchallenged. He explained that the decision to bat first, on what is increasingly looking like a chasing ground, was a collective one, taken only because the confidence crisis he referred to earlier could have hurt the batsmen while chasing, particularly against India’s spinners.”I have heard from the outside how we should’ve bowled first here, bat first there, but honestly, we look at how best we can win,” Arthur said. “We believe if we can get runs on the board and strike with the new ball, we can put India under pressure. We don’t want to expose our middle order against their spinners in a run chase, it’s going to just get bigger and bigger and bigger and our batsmen are going to get under pressure even more.”One of the solutions to the confidence crisis, he insisted, was to repose faith in the captain and allow him time and space to develop as a leader. “He’s great, his captaincy is growing,” he said, when asked if pressure was weighing Sarfraz down. “I’ve had the privilege to work with two outstanding captains (Graeme Smith and Michael Clarke), he’s the third. He’s a learning captain, the only one I’ve seen having a balance between on the field and off the field. Yes, we sit and debrief after every game in terms of tactics, he’s developing into a very, very good captain for Pakistan without a doubt.”There’s a silver lining for Pakistan yet. They still have a chance to make the final against India by beating Bangladesh on Wednesday. Arthur prescribed some fine-tuning of skills and mental make-up to help them bounce back.”It’s a confidence thing. Certainly in terms of the amount of work these guys have put in, it’s second to none,” he said. “These guys work every day on their catching, but the minute one goes down, it’s kind of like a disease. It catches off and catches on. It takes one good catch, one good innings or a five-for to turn it around and we will get the confidence back then. We’ve got to trust the skills to come out in the end. We’ve banked the work. It’s time for that to pay off.”
One normal weekend of Barclays, that’s all Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team were left asking for on Saturday evening.
This season has seen an unparalleled amount of attention on the PGMOL and Howard Webb’s merry band of referees.
The standard of officiating in this country has seemingly plummeted to an all time low. Apologies have made, statements have been shared left, right and centre, and yet still decisions are being made incorrectly.
Arteta may well need to look closer to home for why they lost 1-0 to Newcastle at a raucous St James’ Park this weekend, but the officiating for both sides left a lot to be desired.
A ridiculous and untimely challenge from Kai Havertz in the first half could have warranted a red card on another day while Bruno Guimaraes could have been sent for an early bath too after deliberately using his forearm to hit Jorginho in the back of the head.
The biggest moment of controversy, however, came when Newcastle took the lead.
How Arsenal lost to Newcastle
Truth be told, the Gunners didn’t play too badly in the north east on Saturday night.
A rigid and organised defence that had kept a clean sheet against Manchester City was on display again while Declan Rice’s powerhouse nature ensured Arteta’s men won the midfield battle.
However, it was in attack where they were lacking. A 0-0 draw would have been a fair result until a moment of chaos ensued just after the hour mark.
A stray shot from Jacob Murphy almost went out for a goal kick down by the corner flag but Joe WIllock, once of Arsenal himself, didn’t give it up. On the angle we were given during the TV coverage, it looked as though the ball was out. Alas, that was one of three VAR decisions that was seen as fine after Anthony Gordon had scored from close range.
A flighted ball in was missed by David Raya and couldn’t be dealt with by Gabriel who was seemingly shoved to the ground by Joelinton. No foul was adjudged to have been made. The next decision was assessing whether Gordon was onside.
The VAR claimed he was, although Arteta wasn’t happy, launching an aggressive series of vocal attacks towards the officials in his post-match press conference.
Indeed, he could blame the officiating all he likes, but the fact of the matter is that a number of players in red and white let him down.
Arsenal’s worst player vs Newcastle
After a £65m move from Chelsea in the summer much has been expected of Havertz but it was his ludicrous tackle in the first half that nearly put Arsenal down a man.
It was a big evening for the German who was given more of a creative role with Martin Odegaard missing through injury. Create he did not. In fact, he only served to frustrate more as the Gunners failed to score.
A large part of their failings in offensive areas was also down to the average performance of Eddie Nketiah.
A week ago the club’s number 14 was in inspired from against Sheffield United, netting his first Premier League hat-trick.
It was a display that saw him become the club’s joint top goal scorer this season alongside Odegaard and Bukayo Saka. That fact doesn’t tell the full story though.
At home, Nketiah offers the ability to hold the ball up and run the channels. He doesn’t set the world alight but his performance levels are generally sufficient.
Away from home, however, the English striker has been the definition of mediocre. In 52 league outings on the road, he’s only found the net five times. For a team chasing a Premier League title that simply isn’t good enough.
It was feels harsh to criticise someone who’s scored three only a week ago but barring that, Arsenal need to see a lot more from Nketiah while Gabriel Jesus is out injured.
On Saturday, he struggled for any real service and was starved of the ball. That said, he very rarely made himself available.
As per FotMob, Nketiah only registered 33 touches of the ball, just one more than Raya and completed 16 passes, the worst of any starter for Arsenal, including the enigmatic Havertz. Even substitute Oleksandr Zinchenko made more with 30. Only two of those passes, meanwhile, were in the final third. Worrying for your focal point in attack.
Shots
1
Pass Accuracy
14/16
Expected Goals (xG)
0.15
Touches
33
Touches in opposition box
5
Successful Dribbles
0/2
Duels Won
5
Duels Lost
9
Fouls Committed
2
Stats via FotMob.
To make matters worse, the forward managed one shot, which was off target, and failed to complete either of his two attempted dribbles.
On top of that, the 24-year-old won 33% of his ground duels and 40% of his aerial duels as the Newcastle defenders well and truly bullied him. It was hardly a surprise to see his display get labelled as "anonymous" by some, including Arseblog's Andrew Allen.
This was not a night to savour for Nketiah who offered very little in attack. With the academy graduate largely underwhelming and Jesus’ fitness record inconsistent, the purchase of a new striker could well be looming in January. Such an eventuality may well determine whether Arteta’s men have what it takes to win the title.
Javeria will captain Pakistan for the tour of Bangladesh as well as the home series against Australia
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2018Javeria Khan will captain Pakistan for the tour of Bangladesh as well as the home series against Australia. The 30-year old veteran of Pakistan women’s cricket takes over duties in the absence of regular captain Bismah Maroof, who is recovering, after undergoing surgery for sinus problems. There is a chance Maroof could be fit for the series against Australia, however.Pakistan will be in Bangladesh in the first week of October, where they play the home side in four T20Is and one ODI from October 1 to 8. From there, they go to Malaysia for their home series against Australia, where they will play three ODIs and three T20Is from October 18 to 29.Pakistan have named the same squad for both tours as well as for both formats, and much of it is unchanged from the one that took on Sri Lanka in June. Umaima Sohail, the 21-year old allrounder could be in line to make her international debut, while Sidra Nawaz retains wicketkeeping duties.Squad for Bangladesh tour and home series against Australia: Javeria Khan (capt), Nahida Khan, Ayesha Zafar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Ameen, Umaima Sohail, Nida Rashid, Sana Mir, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Anum Amin, Natalia Pervaiz, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Aiman ANwar
Manchester United secured a narrow victory over FC Copenhagen during their midweek Champions League tie, yet it could have been another poor result had Andre Onana not saved a penalty in the last minute of the match.
It could perhaps be the catalyst that Erik ten Hag requires to continue this positive run. With a tie against Manchester City this afternoon, he is going to need everything going his way to secure a result against the Premier League champions.
However, not every player was in good form against the Danish side, as a few of the United starting XI failed to take their chance – most notably Sofyan Amrabat.
Sofyan Amrabat failed to impress against Copenhagen
The Morocco international was deployed in the heart of the midfield alongside Scott McTominay in midweek, yet failed to have a positive influence on the game.
The 5 foot 8 liability played just the first half, and while he completed 89% of his passes, the midfielder only took 32 touches while losing possession five times during the opening 45 minutes.
Amrabat was also dribbled past on one occasion and won just two duels. It was clear Ten Hag needed to change things up heading into the second half, and he brought on Christian Eriksen in his place.
The Dane demonstrated that he perhaps should have started with a solid display during the final 45, and he should be unleashed against City this afternoon on the back of it.
Why Christian Eriksen should start against Manchester City
Eriksen finished with a higher pass success rate (90%) and took more touches (36) than Amrabat during his time on the pitch, and it was clear he was a more dangerous threat going forward, too.
Not only did he manage a shot on target against Copenhagen, but Eriksen also created one big chance, made one key pass, and delivered one successful cross from two attempts.
He was much more proactive than Amrabat and this will be vital if United aim to secure a positive result against City today. The £150k-per-week star was lauded as “magic” by journalist Connor Aspinall for his part in the Red Devils’ eventual winner last time out.
When compared to positional peers playing at a similar level over the previous 12 months, the former Inter maestro currently ranks in the top 1% for assists (0.36), the top 10% for progressive passes (7.52) and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.34), clearly proving his worth across Europe’s top five leagues.
This should be all Ten Hag needs in order to unleash him in the starting XI this afternoon, though during his time in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur and United, he has also scored five times and grabbed seven assists against City.
With this in mind, starting him alongside McTominay could prove to be a recipe for success in what is their most important game of the season so far.
Win, and the Old Trafford side could grow in confidence and continue their winning run. Lose, however, and they will be right back to square one.