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Having claimed full batting points, Essex now need to bowl out Surrey twice to finish third, ahead of Somerset

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024Essex batters Dean Elgar, Tom Westley and Matt Critchley filled their boots with a century apiece as Vitality County champions Surrey suffered a post-title-winning hangover at Chelmsford.The former South African captain, batting ostensibly on one leg, led the way by posting 182, the highest of his four centuries for Essex this season during a stay at the crease that began on Thursday morning and ended 102 overs later on Saturday evening – five sessions having been wiped out by the weather on days one and two.Elgar and Westley put on a record 253 in 59 overs to eclipse the 95-year-old best of 206 for the second wicket against Surrey. Elgar then piled on further agony by adding 168 for the third wicket with Critchley, who played freely for his 112 from 171 balls before Essex declared on 508 for 8. Earlier, Westley had been in such explosive form that 106 of his 135 runs came in boundaries (25 fours, one six).Essex require 17 points from the game to finish ahead of Somerset in third place on games won. They have already pocketed the maximum five for batting and now need to bowl Surrey out twice on the final day of the season. Surrey finished the penultimate day on 30 for the loss of captain Rory Burns, caught at point off Simon Harmer.Under sunny skies, in contrast to the rain of the first two days, the third morning was only nine balls old when Elgar tweaked his left calf and required four minutes’ worth of treatment. He hobbled on manfully, picking the right moment to amble through for easy singles and the odd two but not contemplating anything too sharp.With Elgar largely incapacitated, Westley farmed the bowling in the lead-up to his century, hitting eight boundaries to every part of Chelmsford against James Taylor and Yousef Majid in a ferocious 21-ball blitz. He raced through the nineties and on to three-figures from 141 deliveries with three fours in five balls off Taylor, including one off the backfoot that rocketed past point.Westley twice waltzed down the wicket in three balls to deposit former Essex team-mate Dan Lawrence over his head for a one-bounce four followed by a maximum. Elgar watched the Westley show before finally driving Majid through the covers for a boundary of his own and then reaching his century from 169 balls, 28 slower than his partner.Westley was finally out just after the partnership went past 250 when he picked out Tom Lawes on the long-leg boundary to give Yousef Majid a maiden first-class wicket. The 21-year-old spinner did not celebrate the milestone, however, echoing the subdued mood within the fielding ranks. That feeling of after the Lord Mayor’s Show continued into the afternoon with a series of misfields as Critchley was the latest batsmen to tuck into some ordinary fare served up by a below-par Surrey attack.Nowhere did the Elgar limp look more noticeable than the quick single to reach his 150 from 234 balls. He took Essex to 400 with his 19th four, an audacious uppercut off Lawes to the boundary backward of point, but fell when chipping Ryan Patel to short extra cover to spark a middle-order collapse.Patel claimed three wickets in seven balls – and finished with 3 for 41 from 12 overs – when Luc Benkenstein played all around a slower ball and Paul Walter scooped to mid-on as Essex slipped from 425 for 2 to 433 for 5. Majid claimed his second wicket on debut when he had Adam Rossington lbw, but not before Essex had claimed all five batting points.Critchley became the third centurion of the day when he pulled Ollie Sykes to square leg, but was the first of two late wickets for Taylor, holing out in the covers. Shane Snater was then bowled to bring about the declaration.

Aston Villa are in the market for reinforcements out wide due to Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s departures and could now be ready to strike for a replacement, according to a report.

Aston Villa in pursuit of arrivals after Marco Bizot announcement

Undoubtedly, the Villans have endured a stop-start beginning to the transfer window amid PSR uncertainty in the West Midlands. However, they now appear set to step up their business over the next few weeks.

With Emiliano Martinez’s future uncertain due to links with Manchester United, Unai Emery has signed Marco Bizot from Stade Brestois and he is keen to hit the ground running after sealing a move to Aston Villa.

He stated: “It’s an amazing feeling. I’m a little bit blown away by the professionalism of the club and the effort everyone put into it. I’m really proud and really happy to be here. It’s an amazing club, a big club, and it’s a dream to be at the highest level possible.

“The contact we’ve had in the last weeks has been of the highest level I’ve ever experienced in my life, and it made it an easy decision to join Aston Villa.”

Following on from their capture of the Netherlands international, Aston Villa have opened talks to sign Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott and he is enticed by the possbility of being able to take part in their Europa League campaign.

Related Deal advancing: Aston Villa now contact agents of "unbelievable" £60m star

The Villans have stepped up their pursuit of a new striker.

Posts 1 ByDominic Lund Jul 17, 2025

Toulouse defender Jaydee Canvot is another name on the Villans’ radar, so there is plenty of plates starting to spin despite a slow start to the window.

Now, Aston Villa have turned their attention to a proven Premier League operator who has made a considerable amount of headlines in recent weeks.

Aston Villa now want to sign Alejandro Garnacho

According to The Daily Mail, Aston Villa have registered their interest in signing Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, initiating contact over his situation at Old Trafford.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the Argentina international, and it is said that he is keen to stay in the English top-flight rather than opting to move abroad.

Alejandro Garnacho’s key Premier League statistics – 2024/25 (Fotmob)

Chances created

37

Successful dribbles

26

Expected Goals tally

7.33

Shots

84

Shots on target

30

Labelled a “special player” by Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho registered 11 goals and ten assists in 58 appearances across all competitions last term, albeit he is now set for an exit from Manchester United after being banished from training with their first-team.

Atletico Madrid and Napoli are also previous admirers of the £70 million-rated Madrid-born man, though the fact he would prefer to stay in England could work in Emery’s favour.

It remains to be seen if Aston Villa can indeed push a deal over the line, but it would be a major statement of intent in their quest for the Champions League slots once again this term.

Whilst they are yet to officially get their summer business underway, Nottingham Forest have reportedly set their sights on several rising talents and that includes a young Bundesliga left-back.

Nottingham Forest reject Elanga bid

As those at the City Ground push to welcome the likes of Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula, they also face a fight to keep hold of Anthony Elanga amid interest from Newcastle United. The Magpies reportedly formalised their interest with a bid worth £45m earlier this week only for Nottingham Forest to reject that bid without any counter as they look to keep hold of a key player.

Whether Newcastle return to the negotiation table remains to be seen, but Forest’s stance may not change anytime soon. The Tricky Trees will be desperate to enjoy a repeat of last season, if not better, when August arrives and keeping hold of players like Elanga will play a large part in matching those ambitions.

Given that Botafogo duo Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus are also reportedly on their way, it’s clear that Evangelos Marinakis is only in pursuit of boosting Nuno Espirito Santo’s attacking options rather than selling key men for profit.

Dream Elanga replacement: Nottingham Forest open talks to sign £12m winger

Nottingham Forest may lose Elanga this summer.

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 25, 2025

One player that the Greek owner will need to replace, however, is Harry Toffolo. The experienced left-back is now a free agent following the expiration of his contract at the City Ground and Forest would be wise to find a replacement.

To that end, it looks as though those in the Midlands have set their sights on young options who could challenge the likes of Neco Williams for years to come and that may see one particular Bundesliga talent arrive.

Nottingham Forest join Ullrich race

According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign Lukas Ullrich from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer. The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Bundesliga last time out and has since played his part in helping Germany reach the semi-final of the U21 Euros.

The Gladbach man particularly impressed against Elliot Anderson’s England side in the group stage, providing an excellent assist as Germany ran out 2-1 winners.

Anderson received a first-hand glimpse of the type of quality that he could benefit from next season if Nottingham Forest push on with their move to sign Ullrich.

It won’t be an easy race to win, however, given that they are joined by Premier League rivals Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in pursuit of the Bundesliga talent.

Gladbach, meanwhile, may not be keen to lose their defender who manager Geraldo Seoane has not been shy to praise. The manager told reporters when asked about Ullrich: “You can see that he’s got pace going forward and that he has a very good mentality. He’s confident, he’s active and he makes runs in behind. He brings a lot to the table playing as an attacking left-back.”

Not many Liverpool fans would’ve expected the side to go all the way and claim the Premier League title during Arne Slot’s first season at the helm.

However, the Dutchman has created a seamless transition after taking the reins from fan-favourite Jürgen Klopp during the summer just under 12 months ago.

He’s won 68% of the matches across all competitions, losing just nine times in his 56 outings – with only two of which coming on home soil against Nottingham Forest and PSG.

Despite such an impressive first year at Anfield, the 46-year-old has already made it clear that he wants new signings to help strengthen his first-team squad on Merseyside.

With the window just around the corner, the hierarchy have already wasted no time in pursuing moves for two players from the same outfit during the summer market.

The latest on Liverpool’s move for Wirtz & Frimpong this summer

Over the last couple of days, a deal has rapidly progressed for right-back Jeremie Frimpong, with the Dutch international set to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold on Merseyside.

The Reds are set to pay £29.5m for his services, with the 24-year-old flying to England over the last few days to complete his switch to link up with Slot’s side.

He could be joined at Anfield by current Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz next season, with the attacking midfielder also holding talks with the club’s hierarchy over a potential move during the off-season.

It’s been reported that the 22-year-old has chosen the Reds over Manchester City and Bayern Munich, but the two sides will need to agree a fee, which could prove to be over £100m and a new club-record.

Both players would add drastic quality to the current squad at Slot’s disposal, but it may require some players being offloaded to help balance the books given the figures involved in such deals.

The player who Slot needs to sell this summer

After such an impressive season in 2024/25, it would be harsh to offload many players from the Liverpool squad, but Harvey Elliott may want to depart the club for a new challenge elsewhere.

The 22-year-old has dropped down the pecking order after the Dutchman’s arrival last summer, making just 18 league appearances in 2024/25 – only two of which came from a starting position.

He’s since been linked with moves away from Merseyside ahead of the summer window, with Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers just two options on the table for the youngster.

He could be joined out of the door by winger Federico Chiesa, who’s struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League after his £10m switch from Juventus last summer.

The Italian has only made six league appearances in 2024/25, starting just once and featuring for a total of just 104 minutes and failing to register a goal or an assist.

He did manage to find the back of the net in the Carabao Cup final defeat against Newcastle United back in March – which has undoubtedly been the best moment during his time in England.

Many have said that the 27-year-old will need time to settle in England, but after a year, he’s shown little signs of living up to the promise he arrived with – costing them a pretty penny in the process.

Chiesa, who has been labelled “world-class” by journalist David Reverter, currently earns a staggering £150k-per-week, a figure that sees him take home £7.8m per sseason – a staggering figure given his lack of impact on Merseyside.

If the club are to take the jump and maintain their success, they will need to invest well this summer, with Wirtz seemingly the big-money signing that the hierarchy are desperately wanting to complete.

Given the German’s tally of 30 combined goals and assists in 2024/25, it’s a no-brainer for the board to try and land him this summer, injecting further quality into the side, which will likely drop Elliott and Chiesa further down the order.

It’s been an unfortunate spell for the Italian winger, but given his mammoth earnings every season, it’s a hefty figure that’s unjustifiable given his lack of impact on the side on Merseyside – allowing for needed funds to secure a deal for the Leverkusen sensation.

FSG must finally axe Liverpool flop who earns way more than Wirtz

Liverpool need to make a series of changes in the transfer market this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 27, 2025

When it comes to the biggest stars of Arsenal’s Emirates era, one name will come to mind for most: Mesut Özil.

The German international joined the Gunners in a shock £42.4m move from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day 2013, in a moment that every fan who was around at the time will still remember as if it was yesterday.

The mercurial midfielder might have left the club under a bit of cloud, but for most of his time in the capital, he was simply superb and managed to rack up a tally of 44 goals and 77 assists in 254 appearances.

So, fans should be excited about recent reports linking the club to another international superstar who could have a similar impact to Ozil in North London.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other stars linked with Arsenal who could be game-changing acquisitions, like Viktor Gyokeres and Morgan Rogers.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former could reportedly cost around £63m, and it’s not hard to see how he could change the Gunners’ fortunes next year, as in just 50 appearances this season, he’s scored 52 goals and provided 13 assists.

Likewise, with 14 goals and 14 assists in 52 appearances for Aston Villa this season, Rogers looks like he’d be more than worth the £100m price tag reportedly on his head.

However, there is another superstar attacker whose impact on the North Londoners could more closely mirror Ozil’s: Rodrygo.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Ben Jacobs, Real Madrid are “willing to let Rodrygo go” this summer, and this has put Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool on alert, with them all regarding this as a real “market opportunity.”

However, just because he’s available to sign doesn’t mean it’ll be a cheap transfer to get over the line, with reports from earlier this week claiming that he could cost £85m.

It’s safe to say this is a deal that may well have legs. Even the Athletic have joined in on the party, suggesting Arteta is a huge fan of the tricky winger.

With all that said, Arsenal should still do all they can to sign Rodrygo this summer, as he’d add so much to their attack and could have a similar impact to Ozil all those years ago.

Rodrygo's similarities to Ozil

Okay, so we aren’t saying that Rodrgyo is even remotely similar to Ozil as a player in his playstyle, but were this deal to go through this summer, then it would be undeniably reminiscent of the German’s 12 years ago.

For example, when the midfield maestro moved to the Emirates in 2013, it was the biggest statement that the Gunners had made in the market for a very long time, and should they secure the Brazilian in the coming months, you’d be able to say the same thing.

Secondly, it would be another case of the North Londoners taking advantage of Real moving on one of their biggest superstars, and at the same age as well, with the World Cup winner being just 24 when he left the Bernabeu.

Finally, and this is important, the Osasco-born dynamo has the raw talent and ability to go on and be just as influential as Ozil was during his time at the Emirates.

For example, since the start of last season, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has scored 31 goals and provided 19 assists in 102 appearances, totalling 7,067 minutes.

Appearances

52

50

Minutes

3777′

3290′

Goals

18

13

Assists

9

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

139.88′

143.04′

That means the 24-year-old has maintained an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.04 games, or every 141.34 minutes across two years of football at the very highest level.

Finally, the “big game player” as Dougie Critchley described him, also knows how to get himself and his team across the finishing line in the biggest competitions, and as such, has won two Champions Leagues, three La Ligas, the Club World Cup, the Copa del Rey and others.

Ultimately, Rodrygo is one of the very best wingers in world football, and if Arsenal can secure his services this summer, he’d be following in Ozil’s footsteps and could go on to be just as influential in North London as the German was.

Arsenal could break transfer record for a more exciting star than Gyokeres

The incredible talent would be a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 15, 2025

On Wednesday evening, it was the bright lights of the colossal arena that is the Bernabeu for Arsenal. On Sunday afternoon, it was a more intimate stage. This time it was Portman Road.

The scene was less glamorous, less dramatic, but it was another impressive win for Mikel Arteta’s side nonetheless.

Although Liverpool are the runaway leaders in the Premier League, the Gunners do still have something to play for.

Lose on Sunday, and the Reds would have wrapped up the title. Lose on Sunday, and the chasing pack in the race for the Champions League would have caught up.

Well, they did not suffer defeat. Instead, Arsenal were in a rampant mood, seeing off Ipswich 4-0 to cement their place as the division’s second-best team.

Arsenal's biggest statement makers on Sunday

Arteta’s men may well be in the semi-finals of the Champions League and second in the league but it’s safe to say this hasn’t been the rosiest of seasons for those at the Emirates Stadium.

Ever since Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury in December, their league form has deteriorated and hasn’t been consistent whatsoever.

Well, Saka is back and he’s already making inroads into the most difficult campaign of his senior career.

A goal in Madrid on Wednesday was followed up by another dazzling display in Suffolk this weekend, registering the pre-assist for the opening two goals, scored by Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

Saka was also on the end of a horrible tackle from Ipswich left-back Leif Davis, one that saw him receive a red card.

While Arsenal’s no.7 was able to carry on, he was substituted in the second half and was seen on the bench with strapping and ice wrapped around his ankle. Let’s hope that’s not a nasty injury.

Saka was certainly at his best, as too were the aforementioned Trossard and Martinelli.

The former was the scorer of two well-taken goals while the latter made it two in two, darting onto the end of Mikel Merino’s clever flick to find the net.

There was even time for a late Ethan Nwaneri deflected goal, putting the icing on top of the cake.

In truth, it was a perfect all-round display from the team but one key performer in red and white rather went under the radar.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Arsenal may have finally replaced Granit Xhaka

Back in 2023, Arsenal decided to cash in on their enigmatic midfielder Granit Xhaka.

The Swiss came off the back of a career-best haul of nine goals and seven assists in all competitions so losing him was a bitter blow.

32

2

2

5

38

1

7

10

29

4

2

10

31

1

2

10

31

1

2

7

27

1

2

10

37

7

7

5

Unsurprisingly, his departure turned out to be key, even if Edu and Co did decide to sign Declan Rice that summer.

Xhaka was a vital component of the team that came so close to winning the league and his departure harmed the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack.

No longer was Martinelli – a man who registered his own career best figures of 15 goals – being fed by his partner in crime. It left him to look rather average out on that left wing.

Well, in 2025, it looks as though Arteta has finally found the club’s new Xhaka in Merino.

The Spaniard had a pretty mediocre and troubled start to his career in the capital. Within days of his arrival, he sustained a shoulder injury, ruining his integration period at Colney.

While he did find the net in games against Liverpool and Brentford, we were not seeing the best of the former Real Sociedad man.

It’s remarkable, therefore, that it took a change in position for Merino to be unlocked fully. The game was that one against Leicester. Kai Havertz was out for the season and Arsenal needed a hero. On came Arsenal’s summer signing, having never played as a centre forward, to score twice.

Since then, he’s been exceptional in that striker berth, notably scoring against Chelsea and finding the net in that incredible 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Emirates a few weeks ago.

Not just content with scoring goals, Merino has been a creative force too, demonstrating the type of traits Arteta has been crying out for since Xhaka left London behind.

While much of the Spain international’s good work has come as a striker, he’s also making an impact in midfield now, registering a cracking assist for Martinelli’s goal at Portman Road and supplying both of Arsenal’s goals in Spain a few days ago.

It’s that ability to ghost into the box that made Xhaka such a hit in his final campaign at Arsenal and is consequently the same attribute now making Merino a firm fan favourite.

In the words of Arsenal writer Charles Watts, the first half was a “45 minute clinic from Merino” who was “outstanding”.

Well, over the course of his 57 minutes on the field, he had 33 touches, won a whopping ten duels and completed six tackles, more than living up to a rather specific tag he was given upon arriving last summer.

Indeed, he was hailed as a “duel monster” by Gunners content creator Adam Keys, having been the only player in Europe’s top seven leagues to win over 300 duels last season.

So, it may have taken Merino several months to get up to speed after his £31.6m move but he’s now showing exactly why Arteta was so keen to sign him. At long, long last, it would appear Arsenal have someone capable of filling the Xhaka-shaped hole in the team.

Not just Trossard: 8/10 Arsenal ace produced his best game all season

Arsenal secured a convincing 4-0 win over Ipswich Town earlier on this afternoon.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 20, 2025

Two epic finishes in Chennai, one against Australia and one against England. Which one do you remember more fondly?

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Chennai Test moves into the quarter-finals.

Harbhajan too good for Australia – Chennai, 2001

It was fitting that a series that had kept everyone on the edge of their seats ended in a thrilling last-day finish.After Matthew Hayden’s 203 had taken Australia to 391, India responded by racking up 501. Like he had in the first innings, Harbhajan Singh ripped through the Australia middle order in the second innings, as they ended the fourth day on 241 for 7, a lead of 131.On the fifth morning, Harbhajan wasted little time in picking up the last three Australia wickets, bundling them for 264. He returned second-innings figures of 8 for 84 and match figures of 15 for 127, finishing with 32 wickets for the series.But he wasn’t done.Chasing 155, India lost Shiv Sunder Das early, but Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman added 58 to give India the advantage. But a middle-order collapse followed, and it was game on. But keeper Sameer Dighe, on Test debut, held his cool as he took India closer. India lost Zaheer Khan just four runs shy of a win, but Harbhajan sliced a Glenn McGrath delivery past point to give India a famous Test and series win.India’s chase to remember vs England – Chennai, 2008It was not a match India were supposed to win. For three days and two sessions at Chepauk, England were on top. India were staring at a target close to 400, when nothing above 300 had ever been chased before in the country (and the highest target chased at the venue was 155).But then the England bowlers came across a belligerent Virender Sehwag, who laid the platform for India to push for the win on the fifth day. Gautam Gambhir put in the grind at the top. And then Yuvraj Singh, with his Test credentials under the scanner, joined Sachin Tendulkar at the crease to take India over the line on a pitch with awkward bounce.Tendulkar applied the icing on the cake, hitting the winning runs while also bringing up a fine fourth-innings century. Only six higher totals have been chased in Test history than the 387 by India in Chennai, only two of which have come in Asia, and none in India. It was a win, as ESPNcricinfo’s Editor-in-Chief Sambit Bal noted at the time, forged by unwavering belief to go for the jugular and not just settle for a draw.

Reactions to Kohli’s first Test hundred since November 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2023In the ongoing fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Virat Kohli scored his first Test hundred since November 2019. Here’s how social media reacted to it.

Welcome back Virat Kohli. This is a test century well received in many quarters. No 28.

— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) March 12, 2023