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It might be over two decades since they won the Premier League, but Arsenal have had some sensational players represent them since then.

The likes of Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexis Sánchez were all near enough unstoppable on their day, even if they couldn’t deliver the club the biggest prizes.

However, perhaps the star who felt most likely to drag the North Londoners back to the pinnacle when he arrived was Mesut Özil.

The German playmaker was an unreal talent, but unfortunately, his Arsenal career fizzled out into nothingness, and now there’s a player in the current squad in danger of having the same happen to him.

Ozil's Arsenal career

On transfer deadline day 2013, Arsenal announced the shock £42.4m signing of Ozil – to fan delirium – and there was a level of hope that the former Real Madrid superstar would be the one to bring the glory years back to N5.

For the first few seasons, while there was no league title or European glory, the World Cup winner certainly delivered on his end of the bargain, racking up 61 goal involvements in his first three seasons and helping the club win some FA Cups.

However, as time passed, and especially after signing a new £350k-per-week contract, the former Werder Bremen gem seemed to become less and less effective.

In fact, once Arteta was appointed manager in 2019, the German superstar eventually saw himself frozen out of the team entirely, with fans and pundits alike lambasting his apparent lack of effort off the ball.

Eventually, after over a year of barely playing for the club, he left for Fenerbahçe for free in January 2021.

Ozil remains a popular figure with much of the fanbase today and left with an impressive tally of 44 goals and 75 assists in 254 appearances, but there is no denying that he left the club failing to achieve what many thought he would, and on a low rather than a high.

Unfortunately, a current Arsenal player might be falling down the same path this season, a player the boss should look to drop from the starting lineup for some time.

The Arsenal star emulating Ozil

On the back of Tuesday night’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, it would be easy to lambast the entire starting lineup for not playing well enough, but in retrospect, it wasn’t quite the battering some may try to portray it as.

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Arsenal had their chances to score, and for much of the game, the likes of Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Bukayo Saka and David Raya did their jobs.

However, there was one starter who was as bad as everyone initially said: Martin Odegaard, who was anonymous at best and actively ruining attacks at worst.

The Norwegian fully deserved the 4/10 match rating he received from the Independent’s Jamie Braidwood, and the worrying thing is that it wasn’t a massively surprising performance either.

Yes, even though he picked up his second successive Player of the Year Award last season, the “frustrating” playmaker, as dubbed by podcaster Rohan Jivan, has been seriously poor all season, and as content creator Rimedi pointed out earlier this year, he’s just “not at the level.”

In all, the player who is supposed to be the team’s creative hub has amassed just 15 goal involvements in 39 games this season, which is undeniably underwhelming and feels eerily similar to Ozil’s slow decline.

As this collapse in form is showing no signs of reversing, Arteta should take him out of the team for the next game at least and start Ethan Nwaneri in the middle of the park, as he looked more likely to make something happen in just five minutes of action on Tuesday.

Odegaard’s 24/25

Appearances

39

Minutes

2982′

Goals

5

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.38

Minutes per Goal Involvement

198.8′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, Odegaard is an incredibly talented player, but at the moment, he is not showing it, and therefore, he should be dropped and given time to figure out what’s going wrong, lest his Arsenal career end the same way Ozil’s did.

Related Better than Trossard: Arsenal want to sign 'one of the best in Europe'

The vastly experienced dynamo could be just what Arsenal need.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 30, 2025

Glasgow Rangers delivered a resolute display in their Europa League quarter-final first leg tie against La Liga side Athletic Bilbao, despite being reduced to ten men early on.

Robin Propper was sent off after he was deemed to have prevented a scoring opportunity and from then on, it looked as though the Spanish side would go on to score a few goals.

Bilbao had 19 shots throughout the match, yet couldn’t find the back of the net. They even had a penalty saved following a decision by the referee after a VAR review and this set up the match nicely ahead of the second leg.

One person who will miss that game, however, is Propper. Perhaps this could work wonders as the Light Blues look to reach the semi-finals.

Why Robin Propper was sent off against Athletic Bilbao

Prior to being dismissed, the Dutchman had yet to win a single duel contested while he lost possession twice, failed to deliver an accurate long ball from two attempts, and took just 16 touches.

After fouling Nico Williams on the edge of the penalty area, Propper was initially given a yellow card for his troubles.

Metric

Highest-ranked

Accurate passes

Daniel Vivian (84)

Key passes

Nico Williams (6)

Tackles

James Tavernier (5)

Shots on target

Oihan Sancet, Maroan Sannadi and Alex Berenguer (1)

Ground duels won

James Tavernier (7)

Following a VAR review, however, referee Istvan Kovacs upgraded this yellow to a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

According to IFAB rules, denying an opportunity outside the box results in a red card, although the sentiment wasn’t quite shared by the Ibrox crowd.

Thankfully, the Gers were able to secure a 0-0 draw that puts them in a solid position heading into the second leg.

Propper hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best maiden season at Ibrox. Did the club sell a player last year who is better than the former FC Twente captain?

The former Rangers star who is miles better than Propper

After spending six seasons with Rangers, making 309 appearances for the club in that time, Philippe Clement sold Connor Goldson last summer to Aris Limassol.

The timing was right, as the centre-back wasn’t at his best throughout 2023/24, but there is no doubt he still would have been a better option than Propper.

Hailed by former manager Steven Gerrard as being “an absolute mountain” back in 2021, Goldson’s influence waned, hence his move to Cyprus.

The English titan averages a 90% pass success rate this season in the Cypriot top flight, along with winning an impressive 75% of his aerial duels and succeeding with 53% of his long ball attempts.

Comparing this to Propper, who has an 89% pass success rate domestically, while winning 64% of his aerial duels and succeeding with 48% of his long ball attempts, proves that Goldson is enjoying the best campaign from a statistical viewpoint.

Furthermore, Propper simply cannot handle the physicality of Scottish football, as opposition attackers can get the better of him, having been dribbled past ten times in the Premiership so far.

Of course, I’m not saying Goldson is the answer to the club’s prayers, but given the choice, he appears to be a better option in comparison to Propper, based off their respective form this season.

As bad as Propper: Ferguson must axe Rangers dud who made just 4 passes

Having battled to a goalless draw at Ibrox, Rangers manager Barry Ferguson must axe his “frustrating” star at San Mamés in next Thursday’s second leg.

ByBen Gray Apr 11, 2025

This is why the Gers messed up when they cashed in on the former Brighton man last year because he is currently miles better than the Dutch dud, who is yet to prove his worth at Ibrox.

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Campeão da Libertadores em 2023, o Fluminense pode alcançar mais um marco histórico nesta temporada. Se não for derrotado nesta quarta-feira (29), às 21h30, pelo Alianza Lima, no Maracanã, o Tricolor chegará a 14 jogos de invencibilidade na competição, empatando com o River Plate e entrando no Top-10 de maiores invencibilidades da história da competição.

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O Fluminense não perde pela competição desde a derrota por 2 a 0 para o River Plate, na Argentina, em 2023. Desde então, são oito vitórias e cinco empates.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

Ranking completo1º Palmeiras – 18 jogos1º Atlético-MG – 18 jogos3º Flamengo – 17 jogos3º Sporting Cristal (PER) – 17 jogos5º Palmeiras – 16 jogos5º Corinthians – 16 jogos7º América de Cali (COL) – 15 jogos8º Cruzeiro – 14 jogos8º Newell’s Old Boys (ARG) – 14 jogos8º River Plate (ARG) – 14 jogos11º Fluminense – 13 jogosEstatísticas de Fluminense e Alianza Lima

As equipes se enfrentaram apenas uma vez na história, justamente na fase de grupos deste ano da Libertadores, quando empataram por 1 a 1, no Peru.

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Já com o primeiro lugar da chave garantido, resta ao Flu tentar ser o melhor classificado da fase de grupos, mas não depende apenas de si. Além de vencer, precisa torcer por tropeços de Palmeiras, Talleres, River Plate e Atlético-MG.

O técnico Fernando Diniz espera que Samuel Xavier, Douglas Costa, Marquinhos e Manoel também possam jogar depois de lidarem com lesões.

➡ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Na lanterna da chave com quatro pontos, o Alianza Lima ainda tenta avançar na Libertadores. Para se garantir nas oitavas de final, precisa vencer e torcer para que Cerro Porteño e Colo-Colo, que têm cinco pontos cada, empatem.

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Os números do Fluminense na Libertadores, até aqui, são os seguintes: tem 2419 passes certos, 161 errados, 14 finalizações certas, 28 erradas, 28 desarmes certos e 7 errados, 15 escanteios, e uma média de 60,51% de posse de bola.

O Alianza Lima tem 1012 passes certos, 209 errados, 15 finalizações certas, 38 erradas, 58 desarmes certos e 9 errados, 6 escanteios, e uma média de 41,78% de posse de bola.

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

Fluminense: Fábio; Guga (Marquinhos), Manoel, Felipe Melo, Marcelo (Diogo Barbosa); Martinelli, Lima, Paulo Henrique Ganso; Keno, Arias, Cano.

Alianza Lima: Franco Saravia; Garcés, Carlos Zambrano, Juan Freytes; Huamán, Arregui, Jesús Castillo, Sebastián Rodríguez, Ricardo Lagos; Cecilio Waterman, Hernán Barcos.

Tudo sobre

FluminenseLibertadoresSTARPLUS

Though you may have forgotten by the end, considering the Blue Jays stopped pitching to him for fear of what he might do, Dodgers' supertstar Shohei Ohtani had himself a night for the record books.

In addition to his game-tying homer at the bottom of the seventh inning (his second dinger of the night), Ohtani became the first player to reach base nine times in a postseason game; the first player since 1906 to record four extra-base hits in a World Series game; and the first player to be intentionally walked a total of four times in a single game in MLB postseason history. He also refused to stop playing, even as he dealt with cramps in his legs, and even though he'll be pitching Game 4.

All that to say, you can understand why Ohtani was pretty exhausted by the time Freddie Freeman sent everybody home with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning.

So exhausted, in fact, that at one point, Ohtani exited the clubhouse wearing the wrong hat, per 's Tom Verducci.

"Ohtani kept ducking into the clubhouse between at-bats to make sure he was hydrated and to treat his fatigue," Verducci wrote in a column published Tuesday morning. "At one point so haggard was Ohtani that he returned to the dugout wearing an alternate cap, one with a script 'D' rather than the interlocking 'LA.' A coach whispered in his ear, 'Dude, you’ve got the wrong hat.' Ohtani spun on his heels and returned to his locker to get the proper one."

We've all been there—so wiped we grabbed the wrong shoes or jacket or, in this case, hat.

The good news, though, is that Ohtani was not too tired to celebrate with his teammates after the Dodgers had finally won. Hopefully, he got some rest and will be ready to do it all again Tuesday night.

South Africa overcame an early collapse to chase down 230

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2025

Anneke Bosch and Sune Luus scored half-centuries to help South Africa clinch a four-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Women’s World Cup warm-up match in Colombo.Chasing a target of 230, South Africa recovered from a shaky start – losing three wickets for 27 runs inside six overs. Bosch and Luus, who made 58 and 54 respectively before retiring, put on a composed 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Their efforts laid the foundation for a successful chase, which was completed in just 40.1 overs.Chloe Tryon added a vital 45 not out off 39 balls to guide South Africa home after a minor middle-order stumble. Pakistan’s bowlers, particularly Diana Baig (2 for 32), put up a spirited fight but they managed to take only six wickets.Earlier, Pakistan were bowled out for 229 in 45.6 overs. Captain Fatima Sana top-scored with 64 at No. 7, helping to lift her side out of early trouble. The middle order showed resistance, but regular breakthroughs from Masabata Klaas (2 for 26) and Ayabonga Khaka (2 for 40) kept Pakistan in check.

Jansen misses out as he’s recovering from surgery to his left thumb while Miller will be playing in the Hundred

Firdose Moonda24-Jul-2025

South Africa’s regular white-ball captains Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma will return to lead the T20I and ODI squads, respectively, for next month’s tour of Australia. Markram was rested from South Africa’s Test and T20I series in Zimbabwe while Bavuma missed the Zimbabwe Tests with a hamstring injury he sustained at the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June. Both skippers will have relatively full-strength squads available to them.Notably, the squad was announced a week before Patrick Moroney, the new convenor of selectors, starts work on August 1, which means this was the last squad that all-format Shukri Conrad picked independently.”It’s great to have our senior players back in the mix after their rest following the WTC Final,” Conrad said in a statement. “Their experience and quality add real value to the group as we continue to build a strong core in both formats. Every series from here on plays a part in shaping our squads for next year’s T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup at home in 2027.”Of South Africa’s regulars, Marco Jansen and David Miller are the only two not named. Jansen is recovering from surgery to his left thumb from an issue picked up at the WTC final, while Miller will be playing in the Hundred. He is expected to return for South Africa’s white-ball tour of England in September.South Africa’s squads for Australia tour•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The rest of South Africa’s frontline attack, led by Kagiso Rabada in the seam department and Keshav Maharaj in the spin one, are all included. But Maharaj is not part of the T20I squad.Instead, left-arm spinners George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, who are both currently in Zimbabwe, will play the T20Is alongside legspinner Nqaba Peter as South Africa assess their options for next year’s T20 World Cup. Tabraiz Shamsi, who opted out of a national contract last year, is not included in either squad. Conrad had indicated prior to the Zimbabwe series that he would speak to Shamsi to discuss his future.”Unfortunately, things got away from me, and I was never able to have that chat,” he said. “The spinners who have been selected have the inside track.”South Africa’s T20I playing group sees the return of Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs to the batting line-up, and the retention of Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis, who are both in Zimbabwe. Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka make up the seamers, but Gerald Coetzee is not included.Rassie van der Dussen was not included in the ODI squad for Australia•Zimbabwe Cricket

“There are only so many quicks you can put in your team in terms of balance,” Conrad said. “The players who have been selected are ahead of Gerald in the pecking order. In the 50-over squad, I wanted to try and get as many allrounders in the squad. You cannot ignore what Corbin Bosch has done. Gerald sits behind him.”The ODI squad’s batting line-up has the four named above as well Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi. Wiaan Mulder provides an all-round option in Jansen’s absence. While Rassie van der Dussen, who has South Africa’s second-highest ODI average, is not included in the ODI squad, Conrad also conceded that he is “very much in contention for the T20 World Cup”.”He gives you the option of batting at the top and at No. 3, and he is a great in a leadership role. With the 50-over [team], because I’ve got time before 2027, it gives me the opportunity to blood new players and see how they develop.”T20I squadAiden Markram (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Rassie van der DussenODI squadTemba Bavuma (capt), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen

أكد سيد معوض، لاعب الأهلي ومنتخب مصر السابق، أن نجله عمر يتعرض للظلم بسبب اسمه وليس بسبب إمكانياته الفنية، متغزلا في وليد سليمان زميله السابق.

وقال سيد معوض، خلال استضافته في برنامج ضيف الكورة مع الإعلامي فايق على قناة MBC مصر 2، إن نجله تعرض للظلم منذ فترة طويلة، مؤكدًا أن سبب هذا الظلم هو اسمه سيد معوض وليس إمكانياته.

وأضاف، أن مجرد ارتباط اسم اللاعب بوالده الذي كان لاعبًا سابقًا يضع عليه ضغطًا كبيرًا.

طالع|كريم الدبيس يوضح كواليس رحيله عن الأهلي وسر البكاء بسبب كولر

وأوضح، أن نجله غاب لفترات طويلة بسبب الإصابة، وحتى قبل الإصابة لم يحصل على فرصته بالشكل الكافي، مشيرًا إلى أن الأمر كان سيختلف لو كان يحمل اسمًا آخر.

وتحدث معوض عن وليد سليمان، مؤكدًا أنه لاعب لا يختلف عليه اثنان، ووصفه بأنه مميز للغاية، مشيرًا إلى أن سوء حظه تمثل في تعرضه لإصابة في توقيت نفسي صعب، رغم أنه كان في قمة مستواه، وكان على بعد شهر أو شهرين فقط من خوض تجربة احترافية.

وتابع، أن وليد استطاع أن يقنع الجميع بقدراته، وأن أمامه مستقبل داخل النادي الأهلي سواء هو أو غيره من اللاعبين.

كما أوضح أن سيد عبدالحفيظ جلس معه وتحدث عن عمر سيد معوض وعدد كبير من لاعبي قطاع الناشئين.

The Tigers' offense woke up just in time to avoid elimination as they scored all nine of their runs unanswered to secure a 9–3 victory over the Mariners in Game 4 of their American League Divisional Series. Javy Báez, one of the few Detroit batters to show any signs of life this postseason, put things out of reach by blasting a two-run homer on a hanging slider that sent Comerica Park into a frenzy.

It was a no-doubter from the moment it left his bat, but Fox Sports' A.J. Pierzynski still deserves credit for putting it on the board before Baez had even completed his swing. Listen to him nail the call in record time.

"And now, two more" Pierzynski said before the ball had even sailed over the infield.

Even better, he quickly got out of the way for his partner Adam Amin to narrate the moment with some context, saying this was Báez's first playoff homer in eight years. That one came as a member of the World Series-winning Cubs.

Pierzynski has seen a lot of baseball and knows what a pitch like that can result in, but still some incredible speed on the processing there.

With their backs against the wall, the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to pull out a win on Friday night and force a Game 7 against the Blue Jays. Los Angeles won 3-1.

Los Angeles is seeking the first repeat MLB title since 2000, while Toronto hopes to win its first World Series trophy since 1993.

As such, we're all winners, because now we get to enjoy one of the finest offerings sports can produce: The magic of a Game 7 with the title on the line.

Here's everything you need to know about the epic conclusion of the 2025 MLB season.

How the World Series has panned out thus far

Game

Winner

Score

Series

1

Blue Jays

11-4

TOR 1-0

2

Dodgers

5-1

TIE 1-1

3

Dodgers

6-5

LAD 2-1

4

Blue Jays

6-2

TIE 2-2

5

Blue Jays

6-1

TOR 3-2

6

Dodgers

3-1

TIE 3-3

When is Game 7 of the World Series?

Here's all the basic info you need for Game 7.

Date: Friday, November 1First pitch time: 8:00 p.m. ETTV Channel: FoxStream: Fubo.tv, YouTube TV, Fox OneLocation: Rogers Centre, TorontoGame 7 home field advantage

Toronto is the home team for Game 7. But will it actually matter?

Toronto's crowd has been all-in and electric, but home field advantage hasn't mattered as much in recent years.

The Blue Jays have gone 5-4 this postseason at home, but two of those wins were in their divisional round series against the Yankees, who they beat handily. Toronto won two of four in the ALCS and one of three in the World Series.

Despite the road team trend, for a World Series Game 7, the Blue Jays will definitely be happy to be at home.

Who is expected to pitch Game 7 for Blue Jays, Dodgers?

The Blue Jays have already announced that if there is to be a Game 7, Max Scherzer will take the mound. Scherzer started two games this postseason. Toronto won his first start against the Mariners in the ALCS, and lost his second in Game 3 of the World Series. That will be on four days' rest after throwing 79 pitches.

For the Dodgers, their plan is up in the air. Tyler Glasnow appeared to be the most obvious option, with Shohei Ohtani serving as a possibility to start as well. But the Dodgers turned to Glasnow in the bottom of the ninth on Friday. Glasnow suggested after the game that he would be available for Game 7.

How will Dodgers use Shohei Ohtani in Game 7?

Shohei Ohtani will be a huge part of the Dodgers' plans in Game 7, but the question is… In what role?

Manager Dave Roberts could opt to have him start the game. He could also consider him in relief, though the latter option opens up a bit of a mixed bag of options.

If Ohtani enters in relief, the Dodgers would lose their designated hitter, and the pitcher would need to hit. So, if in relief, the Dodgers would likely call on Ohtani to close the game if he is to pitch in relief.

The Dodgers could also use Ohtani in the outfield, a role he hasn't played since 2021 with the Angels.

It remains to be seen.

Somerset opener peels off boundaries during century stand with James Rew

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025Somerset’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit a typically aggressive half-century against his old club as only 42 overs were possible on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match with Yorkshire at Taunton.The home side had reached 155 for 3 after losing the toss when a thunder and lightning storm engulfed the Cooper Associates County Ground at shortly after 2pm, Kohler-Cadmore having made 76 and James Rew 54 not out. George Hill claimed two of the wickets.Heavy rain left the outfield saturated. Umpires Rob Bailey and Mark Newell inspected at 4.30pm, but decided conditions were not fit for play to resume.Yorkshire’s decision to field first looked set to reap dividends when Hill struck twice in the opening ten overs of the match. Archie Vaughan edged through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and departed for 10 with the total on 20. Then Tom Lammonby played down the wrong line to a ball angled into him and saw his off stump sent cartwheeling.That was as good as it got for the visitors in the morning session. Rew overcame a scratchy start, while Kohler-Cadmore was not afraid to advance down the pitch to seam and spin alike in moving to a 55-ball half-century.Twice the former Yorkshire player lofted ex-Somerset offspinner Dom Bess back over his head for six as he and Rew took the total to 114 for 2 off 30 overs at lunch. The shortened afternoon session saw Rew bring up his fifty, off 91 balls, with eight fours.Kohler-Cadmore took one chance too many when advancing to a delivery from Jordan Thompson and edged a sharp shoulder-high catch to Hill at first slip to make 147 for 3. He had faced 110 balls and extended his boundary count to 11 fours and two sixes.Tom Abell made a watchful start and only eight more runs were added before the first crash of thunder sent the players to the pavilion with black clouds closing in.