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.

Liverpool look increasingly closer to their best this season following a turbulent Premier League campaign last time out. The Reds solved their midfield problem during the summer transfer window with arrivals such as Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, but that focus left other areas short. And, now, Jurgen Klopp has paid the price.

The International break can either bring a side's momentum to a halt or come as a much-needed chance to regroup and go again. No matter how well things are going for a team, or how disappointingly, there's always a chance that injury strikes during the break. In the case of Liverpool, it was Andy Robertson who was forced off to leave them short on left-backs, resulting in a potential January transfer swoop from Klopp and co.

Liverpool transfer news

Robertson's injury is set to keep him sidelined for around three months in what is a major blow for Liverpool. The Scotland captain suffered a shoulder injury whilst on international duty, and required surgery. That leaves Kostas Tsimikas to step into the role at Anfield, with the Greek international set for his longest starting spell since making the move to Liverpool in 2020.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, Klopp will be aware of the need to find other options on top of Tskimikas, though, and the latest Ian Maatsen transfer news suggests that he could be among those options. According to TeamTalk, the Chelsea defender is set to leave the London club in January, and wants to stay at a top side, with Manchester City and Liverpool reportedly keeping tabs on the left-back, alongside his former loan club, Burnley.

Given Liverpool's left-back situation, and Maatsen's likely future away from Stamford Bridge, a move would certainly make sense for all parties, that's for sure, which makes the January transfer window all the more interesting.

How good is Ian Maatsen?

Maatsen has struggled to gain a place in Mauricio Pochettino's starting line-up in the Premier League this season, with all six of his appearances coming from the bench. A fresh start away from the Blues could be exactly what the 21-year-old needs to gain crucial minutes, and, therefore, realising his potential. Prior to Robertson's injury, that would be unlikely to come at Liverpool, but the Scottish defender's absence could hand Maatsen the perfect opportunity to stand in and eventually succeed the Scot.

Maatsen, when given the chance to perform consistently on loan at Burnley, earned high praise last season, including from Clarets boss Vincent Kompany, who said, via the club's official website, when the left-back joined: "We’re pleased to add Ian to our team, he’s a talented, energetic and pacy player, who can defend and get forward well. Ian will be a great addition to our team on and off the pitch."

With that said, Klopp would be getting himself an ideal option if Liverpool pushed ahead and secured Maatsen's arrival during the January transfer window. Buying from a rival club could make things all the more difficult, but those at Anfield could yet be persistent enough to get their much-needed left-back cover.

Allrounder strikes brutal 21-ball 35 from No. 3 as West Indies chase down revised 91 target in a 11-over chase with 11 balls to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2018

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Andre Russell’s fitness was a matter of concern coming into the T20I series. He was already going through a hamstring niggle. Adding to that were fresh concerns over the condition of his knees. Russell had missed two ODIs last week, but upon coming back, in his favourite format, he roared into form with a match-winning, unbeaten 21-ball 35 in a stiff chase of 91 in 11 overs.West Indies, who had slipped to 10 for 2 by the second over in a revised chase – Bangladesh had made 143 for 8 before rain came down – waltzed home with 11 balls to spare as a result. After the match, a “bit worried” Russell, who was promoted to No. 3, said that while he wasn’t yet 100% fit, he was “happy enough to be playing at probably 95%.”If Russell’s knock proved to be the topping, Kesrick Williams’ four-for set it up, after Carlos Brathwaite had elected to bowl. The medium pacer varied his lengths and pace on a surface with bounce and carry to finish with a career-best 4 for 28. The wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim was particularly significant, as it came after Bangladesh had launched a swift counter-attack to offset scoreboard pressure at 43 for 4 in the sixth over.The wicket, though, was superbly set up by Brathwaite, who moved third man square, anticipating Mushfiqur’s ramp over the infield. While he managed to find the boundary on one such attempt, a repeat off the next delivery resulted in his downfall in the 10th over. Thereafter, Bangladesh were reliant entirely on Mahmudullah to bail them out, and while he made a sprightly 27-ball 35, lack of support from the others did Bangladesh in.The stutter began right at the outset, with the wickets of Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar in the very first over, off Ashley Nurse. Tamim, who was coming into the match having made two centuries in the three-match ODI series, charged down recklessly to be stumped off the first ball, while Soumya was bowled playing back to fullish quicker delivery that skid through to beat the outside edge. This would be Nurse’s only over, which Brathwaite later put down to “tactics.”Bangladesh could have so easily been 7 for 3 had Marlon Samuels not shelled a straightforward catch at cover to reprieve Shakib off Russell. This , however, hardly deterred Shakib and Liton Das, who were unafraid to continue playing adventurously. This spell brought Bangladesh 38 runs off 28 balls, before Keemo Paul’s raw pace accounted for the pair off successive deliveries in the sixth over.Liton mistimed a pull to the agile Andre Fletcher at deep square, and Shakib was out to a brilliant catch – yes, that man Kesrick – at third man. Leaping high to catch the ball, Kesrick tossed it back up as the momentum took him over the ropes at third man, and retained composure to catch the ball back once inside the field of play.This period was followed by a quick 47-run stand between Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah, who fed off Samuel Badree’s inconsistency by clouting him for two fours and a six in an 18-run over. This was to be the only passage where Bangladesh showed any signs of batting domination on the night.Play was then halted by the weather for close to 80 minutes, and when it resumed, West Indies were set 91 off 11 overs, as opposed to their original target of 144 in 20. Mustafizur Rahman pulled things Bangladesh’s way immediately by removing Ewin Lewis and Fletcher in a double-wicket maiden second over. But before Bangladesh could even let that sink in, they had to content with Russell’s power.Promoted to No. 3, Russell added 42 with the returning Marlon Samuels, who made an enterprising 13-ball 26 before falling in the sixth over. This hardly affected Russell, as he took on Mustafizur by mowing his slower length ball for six over midwicket and then following it with three fours in an expensive seventh over that went for 18 runs. This wholeheartedly turned the game in West Indies’ favour, and they sealed it with Rovman Powell’s clean strike over long-on in the 10th.

Wolverhampton Wanderers sat 15th in the Premier League coming into this weekend's fixtures and are among a handful of teams tipped to have a tricky season in the bottom half of the table.

With a forward now approaching La Liga in his prime, it's no doubt a frustrating prospect that a former flop of theirs is properly enjoying life after Molineux.

That's right, after a veritably awful spell in England was switched for Spanish success with Europa League legends Sevilla, this former Wolverhampton striker is a true example of 'one that got away'.

Who is Rafa Mir?

Cartagena-born Rafa Mir followed in his father's footsteps in becoming a footballer. Magin Mir, a defender, turned out briefly for clubs like RCD Mallorca, Real Murcia, and FC Cartagena – where Rafa was born.

Beginning his career, Magin's son showed prowess that would oppose his father's playing career. One – he was a striker and two – it looked like he could make it in the top leagues, contrasting Mir senior's still-consummate second-to-third tier CV.

Whilst a lanky and direct youth, Rafa was picked up by Barcelona and subsequently moved from La Masia to Murcia, then Valencia. At the latter, he scored a head-turning 15 goals in 19 games for the B side in 2017/18. This was enough to lure Wolves out of their stalking spot – as the west Midlands club signed Mir for an undisclosed fee on a four-and-a-half-year deal. It's safe to say hopes were high.

Yet, whilst Mir could seemingly throw himself about in Spain, English football's style was uncompromisingly different.

What went wrong in England for Rafa Mir?

While first-team opportunities were slim under Nuno Espirito Santo, Mir was pushed out on loan to build experience. A first loan was promising – with seven goals in 30 games for second-tier UD Las Palmas.

However, a second foray away at Nottingham Forest was abysmal. Admittedly, he failed to adapt in England. Confidence was shot after 13 games and no goals. Forest fans labelled him a flop quickly and even lamented "his six-month loan hardly reaped a shot on target, let alone a goal."

Perhaps slightly embarrassed, Wolves quickly carted him off on another loan for the rest of 2019/20. This time, it was back to the Spanish second tier with Huesca. It's safe to say that the second half of the term was way better than the first with Forest. As Huesca got promoted Mir got nine goals in 18.

The season after, he starred as a rare positive for the yoyo-ing side – bagging 13 league goals and three in the Copa del Rey as the Aragon team sank back down to the Segunda Division. A notable goal against Barcelona in that so-far-sole La Liga season had tongues wagging back in England with bemused Wolves and Forest fans alike, yet the chatter was loudest in Andalusia.

Where is Rafa Mir now?

Spurred on by what the frontman had produced despite relegation adversity, Sevilla signed Mir from Wolves in August 2021 for an alleged fee of €16m (£14m). As said, he's not done too badly for himself.

Although still a bit raw and (at times) industrial as opposed to being deathly prolific – Mir has been a brilliant addition to Sevilla's attacking system and has been rewarded for his hard attacking work rate with a 2022/23 Europa League winner's medal.

When speaking with the Athletic in 2021, Spanish football journalist Robbie Dunne aptly explained:

“He’s a little bit like Diego Costa in that he’s aggressive, he likes running the channels, he holds off defenders, he’s athletic and strong. He’s not exactly technically gifted but he has an unorthodox running style that works for him, he can keep the ball, he’s got a powerful strike, he’s quick and he’s good in the air."

“Ten or 12 goals a season will be fairly standard for him now I feel, given his progress.”

While loan-scoring and his Sevilla career adds up to 54 goals away from England, it's clear to see that Rafa Mir is Spain through and through. When joining Huesca, Mir commented:

“The Championship has a very high level. Things have not gone as I wanted. In the end, they are experiences that add up. I feel more identified with Spanish football. In England, it is played differently.”

Since leaving, in fact, the gifted and physical hold-up man has scored 22 goals in 89 games as he sits in a Sevilla team that thrives on his link-up play.

What's more damning for Wolves, is that while seemingly got rid of the deadwood, he looks to improve all the time.

Additionally, since leaving, the striker has scored more than every Molineux player, with a steady all-competition season high of 13 in 2021/22 and eight last season, beating that of Ruben Neves' six in 2022/23 and the half a dozen of Raul Jimenez in 2021/22.

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.

Liverpool bounced back from their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the Premier League with a 2-2 draw away at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

Alexis Mac Allister’s sloppy play in midfield provided Simon Adingra with the ball in the Reds third and the winger then spotted Alisson off his line and curled a shot past the Brazil international to make it 1-0.

Jurgen Klopp's side reacted well to going behind and found themselves 2-1 up at half-time thanks to two goals from Mohamed Salah, the second of which came from the penalty spot after Dominik Szoboszlai was fouled in the box.

Lewis Dunk then equalised in the 79th minute as Andy Robertson pulled out of an attempted clearance from a set-piece and that allowed the central defender to bundle the ball into the back of the net.

How did Mo Salah perform against Brighton?

The Egypt international produced an excellent performance against the Seagulls as he found the back of the net for both of Liverpool's goals at the AMEX.

He was calm and composed to score the equaliser for the Reds as Darwin Nunez rolled the ball across for the ex-Chelsea winger to slot into the bottom corner.

Salah was then reliable from the penalty spot as he stepped up to side-foot the ball beyond the grasp of the goalkeeper, who dived the right way.

However, the experienced attacker, who had 50 touches, only completed 71% of his attempted passes and created one chance for his fellow attackers, whilst he was also stopped in three of his five attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.

How did Szoboszlai perform against Brighton?

Szoboszlai was the real star man for the Reds against Brighton for Klopp as the Hungary international was outstanding in the middle of the park throughout the game.

The £120k-per-week hero, who had four more touches (54) than Salah, provided a classy display on and off the ball as he continued his fine start to life in England since his move from RB Leipzig over the summer.

As per Sofascore, the central midfielder made three tackles and one interception to cut out opposition attacks in order to create more chances for his team to build attacks or counter quickly.

His return of three tackles was particularly impressive when you consider that no Liverpool player has averaged more than 2.8 per game in the Premier League this season.

It was his play in possession, though, that really caught the eye. Szoboszlai played a crucial role in both of the goals as it was his splitting pass to Luis Diaz that created the attack that ended with Nunez assisting Salah for the first, before the midfielder was brought down by Pascal Gross to win a penalty for the second.

As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old ace completed 100% (1/1) of his attempted dribbles and created an outstanding four chances – two more than any of his teammates managed – and one 'big chance' throughout his 90 minutes on the pitch.

This means that Szoboszlai was important to both of Liverpool's goals and was unlucky not to have assisted a third with the opportunities that he conjured for the Reds on the day.

Therefore, he was the star man for Klopp in midfield due to his contributions at both ends of the pitch and his all-round play outside of his involvement in the goals, whereas Salah struggled to produce much outside of his two strikes.

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..

India coach Ravi Shastri has made it clear that there was no ulterior motive behind reducing his side’s warm-up match against Essex to a three-day game. In a brief interaction with the Indian media, his first on the UK tour, Shastri said the only reason behind dropping one day from the originally scheduled four-day match was to get to Birmingham and let the players switch to Test-match mode a day earlier.ESPNcricinfo had reported that the Indian think-tank felt that gaining an extra day of training at Edgbaston, the venue for the first Test of the five-match series, would help the intensity of the players. Shastri confirmed it was indeed so. “(We are) getting in there, into the Test match venue, because it wouldn’t have served the purpose here (Chelmsford),” Shastri said. “Instead of an extra day here, I think an extra day (of training) there would be more valuable. More familiarity with the venue and the conditions where you are playing the first Test. We had an opportunity to practise three days in Birmingham, which was the Test match venue. If we had played four days here we would have lost that one day there because of travel.”The decision to make the fixture into a three-day match was taken over the last two days. Shastri said the prerogative of whether to play a “two-day game, three-day game, four-day game, lies entirely” with the visiting team. Shastri also said the team management spoke to the Essex management about the tickets sold before making a final decision. “We were ready to even play a two-day game and use that one day (third) for full day of practice here, the centre pitch. But when they explained about the tickets we said fine we’ll play a three-day game. And travel on Saturday to be able to practise on Sunday.”Shastri rubbished a media report that suggested the reason India had decided to cut down on a day’s play was because they were not happy with the practice pitches at Chelmsford. The Indian players trained there for nearly four hours, including both spinners and fast bowlers bowling on different pitches, all of which were green. “Nothing wrong (with the practice pitches). There was no complaint from the Indian management about anything. On this entire trip, you will never see an Indian team giving excuses as regards to conditions or the pitch. Our challenge is to beat them. We take pride in performing wherever we go. We want to be the best travelling side in the word. So the last person who will make a complaint will be this Indian team.”Despite the toasty conditions, the challenges that are likely to confront the Indian batsmen for the rest of the summer arrived early on at Chelmsford. After Virat Kohli won the toss, India elected to bat on a pitch that was green and seaming. They lost Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara in the first three overs, and then lost their vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane an hour later. All three batsmen edged and were caught behind.Shastri revealed that when the groundsman asked him on Tuesday whether India would be okay with the grass cover, he said it should be retained. “The pitch, good. The groundsman told me there was enough grass on, do you want the grass to be taken off? I said absolutely not. It is your prerogative. What you give, we play. I said leave it. There was grass there, so don’t take anything off.”

Arsenal will be delighted to have snuck away from Stamford Bridge with their unbeaten Premier League record still intact, after a disappointing afternoon as they drew 2-2 with Chelsea.

"First half from us the worst we've played this season in terms of sloppiness," Declan Rice would echo, whose impressive long-range effort kickstarted the comeback from two goals down.

It was a match that was always going to be decided through blunders, as for all the positivity of the home side, their quality seldom told. However, with the Gunners, whilst few can question their quality, they cannot afford for so many of their key players to go missing all at once.

It very nearly cost them the match, had Robert Sanchez's gaffe not handed the 24-year-old the opportunity to half the deficit.

Overran by the energy of the Blues, and terrorised down the flanks by the raw pace of Raheem Sterling, Mauricio Pochettino deserves praise for how he set his team up, and how it negated the strengths of their visitors.

However, his job was made far easier by the performance of Jorginho, who once again struggled to compete with the physicality of such an all-action and impassioned affair.

How did Jorginho play vs Chelsea?

As a midfield conductor who thrives with time and space to pick passes, placing Conor Gallagher beside him marked a nightmare for the Italian.

Often lambasted for a lack of pace or urgency, he was harassed by the former Crystal Palace loanee, who made it so the 31-year-old could not calm proceedings down and establish the control Mikel Arteta craved. So often do his team seize possession and cease to release it, tiring out their opposition with combinations in the engine room.

That was an avenue they could not explore, with Jorginho's failures a key component in those struggles.

Although the statistics might paint the picture of a dominant display, given he recorded a 91% pass accuracy and enjoyed 77 touches, that could not have been further from the truth.

The eight times he lost possession is perhaps more reflective of the torrid afternoon he endured, which journalist Simon Collings sought to detail in his post-match ratings. Writing for The Evening Standard, he gave the 48-cap dud a 4/10 rating before penning: "A poor performance from the Italian as he returned to his old club. Could not give Arsenal the control they wanted as Conor Gallagher hassled him non-stop."

This was a notion further supported by news aggregator Connor Humm, who took to Twitter to lambast the £110k-per-week flop: "Jorginho running in treacle again. He’s so slow at recovering. Get Partey on for crying out loud."

The 6.35 rating handed to him by WhoScored was a fair reflection of a tough return to the Bridge for the former Blues and Napoli metronome, who must surely see his starting spot under threat now with the options Arteta has at his disposal.

Who could replace Jorginho?

There are many options that the Spaniard could seek to explore in an effort to remove the sluggish presence from his midfield. After all, he has already proven himself as an innovative coach, and one who seeks to offer revolutionary progress to rival Pep Guardiola's.

As such, there is every chance that Oleksandr Zinchenko could be moved there permanently, allowing the in-form and perhaps more orthodox Takehiro Tomiyasu to take up his full-back spot.

Then again, there are a whole host of actual midfielders in Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe, all of whom would love to be handed that spot beside Rice.

However, the outstanding option, and one which Benn actually referenced earlier, must be to finally recall Thomas Partey and reintegrate him back into the first XI.

Having started the season in stuttering fashion, as he desperately sought to return to fitness, it seems that the Ghanaian general is now ready for action, but remains on the bench. A short cameo in their win over the Citizens marked his return, whilst he was an unused substitute both against Chelsea and in their loss to RC Lens in the Champions League.

His absence is a confusing one, given he can provide that same controlling presence that Jorginho supposedly offers, with far more physicality. After all, he surely proved that to everyone with his performances during last season's title push.

How good is Thomas Partey?

"He is still important to them, for sure," claimed pundit Lee Hendrie told Soccer Special on Sky Sports (03/10/23 at 7:40 pm) earlier this month. "He is a big player, no doubt about that. The two Rice and Partey can play in that middle. You give that freedom and luxury, more so, to Odegaard to really join in and be a massive threat (further forward).

“Yes, having him back amongst the squad. The availability, he is definitely a starter in my side for Arsenal.”

It seems he is well aware of the foundation his partnership with Rice could build for the Gunners, who would surely use that added stability to reach even loftier heights.

After all, last campaign saw the 30-year-old shine as the key defensive anchor in midfield, allowing Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard to push on and contribute offensively.

As such, he would maintain 2.1 tackles and 1.2 clearances per game, winning an impressive total of 59% of his duels in the league as he featured 33 times, via Sofascore.

And then, as if to emphasise his technical assets, when compared to other midfielders across Europe, Partey sits in the top 5% for passes attempted, the top 11% for pass completion, and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90, via FBref.

Against Chelsea, Jorginho struggled because of the pace of his opposite men, and his lack of. Were the former Atletico Madrid monster selected in his place, there would have been far less emphasis on that issue, as his strength and speed would have helped him thrive.

Jorginho PL 22/23

Thomas Partey PL 22/23

Average Rating

6.88

7.11

Appearances

32

33

Pass Accuracy

86%

88%

Tackles per game

1.9

2.1

Duels Won per game

4.0

5.0

The £200k-per-week titan is the perfect defensive midfielder for this side, able to play football as well as get stuck in. It should therefore come as no surprise that Arteta suggested he was a "super important player" over the summer.

Perhaps now is the perfect time to match his actions with his words, and regain that control over the midfield by ditching Jorginho for Partey.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo voltou a vencer no Campeonato Paulista Sub-20. Na tarde desta segunda, o Tricolor recebeu o Juventus, da Mooca, no CT de Cotia, e venceu o adversário, por 2 a 0, com gols de Paulinho e Pablo ainda no primeiro tempo. O resultado deixa a equipe do Morumbi na segunda colocação do Grupo 4 do estadual, atrás apenas do Audax.

Como está focado na disputa do Brasileirão e Copa do Brasil, o São Paulo está utilizando o Campeonato Paulista como um laboratório para jogadores mais jovens e alguns nomes do elenco sub-20 que não estão sendo tão utilizados. Por isso, a equipe foi comandada pelo técnico Lucas Macorin, e não por Orlando Ribeiro – o responsável pela categoria.

RelacionadasSão PauloSão Paulo divulga vídeo de bastidores da vitória no Castelão; confiraSão Paulo16/11/2020São PauloDiniz elogia estreia de Rodrigo Nestor com a camisa do São PauloSão Paulo15/11/2020São PauloAtual aproveitamento do São Paulo no Brasileirão é similar ao das campanhas de 2006, 2007 e 2008São Paulo15/11/2020

PAULISTA SUB-20: Fim de jogo! #SPFCxJUV (2-0)

⚽ Paulinho
⚽ Pablo#MadeInCotia #VamosSãoPaulo 🇾🇪 pic.twitter.com/jKWpOq8G5W

— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) November 16, 2020

Mesmo com um time misto, o São Paulo não tomou conhecimento do Moleque Travesso. Em casa, o Tricolor partiu logo de ir ao ataque e abriu o placar com Paulinho aproveitando rebatida dentro da área. Depois, o time manteve o ritmo e, em um lance um tanto quanto parecido, ampliou o marcador com Pablo.

O resultado levou a equipe do Morumbi aos sete pontos no Paulistão. Na próxima rodada, a equipe mede forças com o Audax, fora de casa, na sequência da fase de classificação. Na quarta, às 15h, o Tricolor entra em campo pelas quartas de final Copa do Brasil para duelar com o Bahia, em Salvador. O jogo de ida, em Cotia, acabou empatado em 1 a 1.