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O Vitória empatou com o Bahia e se consagrou o campeão do Campeonato Baiano no início da noite deste domingo (7). Com o placar agregado de 4 a 3, o Leão levou a taça e manteve a escrita: jamais perdeu uma decisão de estadual após vencer o primeiro jogo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalVitória empata com o Bahia e conquista o título do Campeonato BaianoFutebol Nacional07/04/2024

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Histórico de respeito para o Vitória

Ao todo, em jogos de ida e volta, o Leão venceu o primeiro jogo nove vezes, todas contra o Bahia. E em todas essas ocasiões ficou com o troféu.

A última vez antes desta foi em 2016, quando a equipe superou o rival por 2 a 0 no primeiro jogo e perdeu o segundo por 1 a 0. Em 2024, O Vitória venceu o primeiro jogo por 3 a 2 e conseguiu um empate por 1 a 1 na segunda partida. Confira o histórico!

continua após a publicidade1957 – Bahia 0 x 4 Vitória – Bahia 0 x 2 Vitória 1964 – Vitória 2 x 1 Bahia – Bahia 2 x 1 Vitória – Vitória 2 x 1 Bahia 1972 – Vitória 2 x 1 Bahia – Vitória 3 x 1 Bahia 1997 – Bahia 0 x 3 Vitória – Vitória 0 x 1 Bahia 2009 – Bahia 1 x 2 Vitória – Vitória 2 x 2 Bahia 2010 – Bahia 0 x 1 Vitória – Vitória 2 x 1 Bahia 2013 – Bahia 3 x 7 Vitória – Vitória 1 x 1 Bahia 2016 – Vitória 2 x 0 Bahia – Bahia 1 x 0 Vitória 2024- Vitória 3 x 2 Bahia – Bahia 1 x 1 Vitória.

⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O Bahia estava atrás no placar agregado e partiu para cima do Vitória desde os primeiros minutos. Aos poucos, o Rubro-Negro foi gostando da partida, até que abriu o placar com o zagueiro Wagner Leonardo.

Em seguida, o Bahia saiu em velocidade em contra-ataque. Biel arrancou e cruzou. A bola sobrou para Everton Ribeiro deixar tudo igual.

No segundo tempo, as equipes até que tentaram passar a frente no placar. No entanto, goleiros fizeram grandes defesas. Além disso, os sistemas defensivos de Bahia e Vitória estavam sólidos e consistentes. Ao final, o Rubro-Negro administrou o resultado para gritar “é campeão”.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
Agora, o Vitória só volta a jogar no próximo domingo, para estrear no Campeonato Brasileiro contra o Palmeiras. A partida será no domingo (14), às 18h30, no Estádio Barradão.

Já o Bahia entra em campo no meio da semana para enfrentar o Náutico pela quarta de final da Copa do Nordeste. A bola às 21h30 de quarta-feira (10), na Arena Fonte Nova.

Tudo sobre

BahiaCampeonato BaianoVitória

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank says a “not as highlighted” member of his Spurs squad is extremely underappreciated ahead of his side’s Carabao Cup trip to Newcastle on Wednesday.

Tottenham defence shines in 3-0 victory at Everton

On Sunday, the Lilywhites continued their solid start to the campaign overall by making history away to Everton.

Tottenham became the first away team to win at the brand new Hill Dickinson Stadium on Merseyside, with a brace from star defender Micky van de Ven and substitute Pape Sarr catapulting the north Londoners to third in the Premier League.

In the build up, much was made about Spurs’ problems with creativity in the final third, especially after a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa last weekend and their tepid 0-0 draw away to Monaco in the Champions League — where goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario spared their blushes time and time again with fantastic saves.

Vicario did make a vital stop to prevent Everton from going 1-0 up with a fine, point-blank save from Jack Grealish before van de Ven opened the scoring midway through the first-half.

The Toffees did briefly equalise, only for the goal to be chalked off for a foul on Vicario, with van de Ven then doubling the away side’s lead by getting on the end of another corner just before half-time.

Vicario’s fine form continued, thwarting Beto’s acrobatic overhead kick with an excellent reflex save from close range before denying them again. Richarlison had a chance to kill the game off when he found himself in on goal, but Jordan Pickford frustrated the Brazilian with a one-on-one save.

However, the striker redeemed himself with an assist for Sarr in the 89th minute to seal all three points for Frank’s side – putting what was a torrid week behind them as they prepare for another tough trip to St. James’ Park on Wednesday.

Tottenham will be without nine players to face Eddie Howe’s side, with Frank confirming no changes to their absentee list from their win at Everton.

While van de Ven stole all the headlines for his obvious contribution, January signing Kevin Danso also enjoyed an absolutely solid outing.

The 27-year-old, tasked with replacing Cristian Romero, has done an excellent job in the Argentine’s stead, especially against Everton, with Danso winning 100 per cent of his duels, both in the air and on the ground.

Danso also made a whopping 18 clearances at the Hill Dickinson, and his defensive heroics were key to Spurs coming away with a much-needed three points.

In the aftermath, Frank was quick to herald Danso’s contribution.

Thomas Frank says Kevin Danso is Tottenham's underrated star

Speaking after Tottenham’s win at Everton in a post-match press conference, Frank claimed Danso’s performance was “not as highlighted”, but just as vital to his side claiming victory.

When asked about Danso again before Tottenham’s trip to the North East, Frank piled more praise on the Austrian – claiming he deserves praise.

Danso was brought in at the start of the year to help Spurs during their defensive injury crisis under ex-boss Ange Postecoglou, and he’s hardly set a foot wrong.

Signed on an initial loan with which became permanent for £21 million in the summer, Danso is proving to be worth every penny, but reports suggest he could face stiff competition for minutes pretty soon.

Tottenham are believed to be in the market for another defender in January, despite Danso’s presence and Radu Dragusin coming back from injury, so it will be interesting to see how often he’ll feature for Frank if a new centre-back comes through the door.

Seamer Davey and wicketkeeper Tattersall to join from Somerset and Yorkshire respectively

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2025Leicestershire have confirmed the double signing of Josh Davey and Jonny Tattersall on three-year deals.Davey, who will depart Somerset, and Yorkshire’s Tattersall will officially join the club on November 1 following the expiry of their current contracts. ESPNcricinfo understands allrounder Ben Green will also be joining his county team-mate Davey in swapping Taunton for Grace Road, having spent time on loan there over the last two summers. Both Davey and Green turned down extensions to remain at Somerset.The acquisitions of Davey, 35, and Tattersall, 30, will add experience to an exciting young Leicestershire squad that are on the verge of a return to Division One for the first time since the club’s relegation in 2003.Related

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An international seamer with 62 caps for Scotland and appearances at two T20 World Cups, Davey has 214 first-class wickets at 24.25, along with 128 at 25.90 in List A cricket and 116 at 21.77 in T20. He has also spent this summer moonlighting as an opening batter for Somerset, and is familiar with Grace Road after a brief loan stint during the 2023 season.”I spoke to Fons [Alfonso Thomas] and Claude [Henderson], and it was clear they’ve got a collective vision for elevating the club to the next level,” Davey said in a statement via the Leicestershire website. “It’s going to be a very exciting place to be over the next three years.”I think it’s starting to shape into a competitive team. There’s a lot of talent in the squad and I hope to supplement that with the experience I’ve gained across all three formats over the last 15 years.”I met a lot of the guys during my loan here in 2023, and I loved the environment. Since then, the likes of Ben Green, Lewis Goldsworthy and Josh Thomas have all been and they have only come back saying positive things, which obviously helped steer my decision. Hopefully I can help to establish Leicestershire in the first division and look to push for some silverware. I believe we can become a real force in all three competitions over the next few years.”Jonny Tattersall captained Yorkshire to promotion last year•Getty Images

The addition of Tattersall, a keeper-batter, covers for the loss of Harry Swindells, who was forced to retire through injury last month.After debuting for Yorkshire in 2013, Tattersall went on to make 155 appearances for the club. His proudest moment came last season when he captained the county to a return to Division One, an ever-present throughout the 2024 summer, averaging 40.18 and affecting 29 dismissals.One of his two centuries last term came away at Leicestershire in September, leading to an innings victory that took Yorkshire into the promotion spots with two rounds to play. However, it was announced by Yorkshire earlier this month that he would be leaving at the end of the season.”Leicestershire is a club that has some great history behind it and has built a team that seems to be going places,” Tattersall said. “I can see a real purpose and a focus within the group with what they’re looking to achieve over the next few years, so it’s incredibly exciting to be asked to play a part in that journey.”Hopefully, I can bring experience of first division cricket and help guide a few younger lads in what that experience is like, as well as produce quality performances myself.”I’ll put in everything I’ve got to take my game to the next level and help Leicestershire win matches. Hopefully that will result in some more trophies.”Speaking on both signings, director of cricket, Claude Henderson, said: “Josh is a high-calibre operator that will offer a lot to the team in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. We know his character well and have no doubt he will be a great fit for Leicestershire. As a senior player with extensive Division One experience, his voice and all-round abilities will be a great addition to our changing room.”Jonny’s character, leadership skills and all-round cricket abilities are hugely impressive. He will bring vast experience to our changing room and further depth to our batting department, which will make him a significant asset to our squad.”

India and Mumbai allrounder Shardul Thakur has been named the West Zone captain for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, starting on August 28.The 15-member squad includes India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and middle-order batters Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer. A total of seven Mumbai players have been named in the team.Ruturaj Gaikwad is among the 15, while Saurashtra’s Harvik Desai and Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale are the wicketkeepers.There was no place for Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane in the West Zone squad.Earlier in the week, South Zone had also named their squad with Tilak Verma as captain. East Zone have also named their squad, to be led by Ishan Kishan, with Mohammed Shami in the mix.The six-team Duleep Trophy is returning to the zonal format, with squads picked by the zonal selectors, and the tournament will start the 2025-26 domestic season. Last season, the tournament had four teams – India A, B, C and D – that were picked by the national selectors.South Zone were the winners when the Duleep Trophy was held in the zonal format in 2023-24.

West Zone squad

Shardul Thakur (capt, Mumbai), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Aarya Desai (Gujarat), Harvik Desai (wk, Saurashtra), Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai), Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra), Jaymeet Patel (Gujarat), Manan Hingrajia (Gujarat), Saurabh Nawale (wk, Gujarat), Shams Mulani (Mumbai), Tanush Kotian (Mumbai), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (Saurashtra), Tushar Deshpande (Mumbai), Arzan Nagwaswala (Gujarat)

Weatherald thinks he is ready for a Test call-up if it comes after posting 183 for Australia A while Peake, 18, impressed with his maturity making 92 against Sri Lanka A

Alex Malcolm24-Jul-2025

Veteran Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald thinks he’s ready to go if a Test call-up comes his way for the Ashes later this year while excitement is building around eighteen-year-old Victoria batter Oliver Peake after another impressive showing in his maiden red-ball appearance for Australia A.The pair starred for Australia A alongside skipper Jason Sangha as the home side racked up 558 for 4 declared in a batting dominated draw in the second four-day match against Sri Lanka A in Darwin.Their performances will come with the obvious caveat that runs were very easy to make at Marrara Cricket Ground with Sangha posting a career-best unbeaten 202 while Weatherald also made 183 and Peake posted 92 in just his second first-class game as only ten wickets fell across four full days of cricket. Sri Lanka A batters Nuwanidu Fernando and Pavan Rathnayake also scored centuries while four other half-centuries were scored in the game.Related

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Jason Sangha pushes Test credentials with unbeaten double

Weatherald believes he is ready to play Test cricket if called upon by the selectors for the Ashes series later this year after continuing his outstanding form across the last 12 months. Having been the leading runscorer in the Shield last year with 905 runs at an average of 50.33 with three massive centuries, he added 54 and 183 in his two innings for Australia A in this series.”If you keep making runs, of course you’re going to get noticed more – and I’ve done that,” Weatherald said on Tuesday in Darwin after his innings of 183. “Obviously there’s some great candidates there as well, and they’ve earned their right to be there.”So to be amongst them is a pretty proud moment.”But I’m batting well, and I think I’m ready to go if it comes to that moment.”Weatherald, 30, has long been one of the most talented ball-strikers in Australian domestic cricket but this is the first time he has averaged more than 41 over a 12-month stretch in his decade-long career. He said his cumulative experience is the reason for his consistent run.”Just age, getting used to what I’m doing, understanding my game, understanding what I need to do to make runs and bat [for] long periods of time,” Weatherald said.”And just being confident I can do it in any conditions, just believing that I’ve got the right method and sticking to it throughout my innings and not being taken away by the wicket or the situation.”Just being able to lock in and do my thing.”Sangha, 25, was impressed by Weatherald’s preparation and mindset after playing with him for the first time in this series.”He just looks so clear when he’s batting,” Sangha said after the match on Wednesday. “He’s obviously been a strong player and a very talented player for a long time.”He’s well renowned as a guy who really pounces on width and picks up length quite early, and it just looks like he’s made his strengths even stronger, and he’s able to rectify maybe some areas in his game that maybe would have cost him a few more dismissals.”He’s been great to share the change room with and talk about what he’s been doing the last 12 months, and how he’s been going about it. And I think for young guys like an Ollie Peake and even myself, who are always striving for that consistency, to see how diligent he is with his routines, how diligent he is with his preparation.”He just seems like he’s in a really clear space and knows his game so well, and it’s been a pleasure to watch him go about his business this week.”Oliver Peake made his mark in the 50-over and four-day games for Australia A•Getty Images

Meanwhile, there is some excitement building around Peake given he was playing just his second first-class match after making 52 on debut for Victoria in March. He also made 55 not out off 38 balls on List A debut for Australia A in the first 50-over match of Sri Lanka A’s tour in Darwin.Sangha, who himself has experienced the challenge of transitioning from being an Under-19 prodigy to becoming a consistent first-class player, marveled at how well Peake handled himself.”He played really well,” Sangha said after the match. “He’s got so much maturity for a young player, and even just talking to him out in the middle about his plans and how he was approaching his innings, he’s such an exciting talent, and he’s got a really good head on his shoulders.”I think even just off the field, just the way he sort of carries himself, credit to him.”I look back when I was 18, and I was probably nowhere near as emotionally intelligent or mature as he is.”It’s a really, really cool thing to see, and he’s obviously got some really good support around him, and such a down to earth, humble kid.”Peake’s selection for Australia A alongside a group of batters who had earned their call-up through outstanding Shield performances last summer is proof of how highly he is rated by Australia’s selectors. Peake was also taken on the recent Test tour of Sri Lanka as a development player to train with the Test squad.He looms as a likely tourist on Australia A’s tour of India later this year as Australia looks to give some younger players experience in spinning conditions with an eye towards the 2027 Test tour.

Adam Lallana would be “interested” in becoming the next manager of Southampton.

Since winning the 2024 Championship play-off final, it has hardly been the future that Southampton would have anticipated. Russell Martin, who guided them back to the Premier League, was replaced by Ivan Juric mid-season, following a turgid start to the 2024/25 campaign.

Juric was unable to turn around Southampton’s misfortune, as they became the first club to be relegated from the English top flight with as many as seven games remaining.

Will Still, who made a reputation for himself with Reims and Lens, joined in the summer. Despite his promise and an influx of summer signings, though, Still also struggled for form. After just two Championship wins in 13 matches and a three-game losing streak, Southampton parted ways with Still and have since been on the hunt for a new manager.

Now, it would appear that an unlikely candidate would happily take on the role were he offered the job.

Lallana to replace Still?

Following the 2024/25 season, Adam Lallana called time on his 19-year playing career. The midfielder, who came through the ranks at Southampton, played for the Saints for eight years until joining Liverpool in 2014. Six years later, Lallana moved to Brighton before returning to St. Mary’s, for a single season, in 2024.

As per Sky Sports, Lallana, who currently works as a first-team coach with the Saints, would be “interested in becoming a head coach”.

Across his playing career, Lallana played with some incredible managers, including Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton. Lallana has been outspoken about his “love” for De Zerbi, who now manages Ligue 1 side Marseille. No doubt then that he would look to draw from the Italian for inspiration in his own coaching career.

Despite his enthusiasm however, it appears that he is “an unlikely option at this time, given his lack of experience in the role”.

Southampton are aiming for a swift return to the English top flight, though their start to the 2025/26 season suggests that they may fall short of the mark they were aiming for.

Lallana could, no doubt, start his career as a first-team head coach in the coming years. With Southampton, however, it could well be too much, too soon for the former midfielder. He would be inheriting a club that desperately need lifting from the slump they find themselves in and a more-experienced option may better benefit the Saints at this time.

Southampton consider short-term deal for new manager

The story of how two men got together to make a 6’4″ fast bowler go from delivering magic balls to being ready for the grind of Test cricket

Deivarayan Muthu13-Oct-2024One session was all it took for Canterbury to realise they needed Will O’Rourke.At the time, he had just moved from Auckland to Christchurch for his tertiary studies, but he had informed Paul Wiseman, New Zealand cricket’s talent identification manager, that he was also seeking opportunities to bowl during the winter. So Wiseman called up Peter Fulton, the former New Zealand batter and current head coach at Canterbury. Fulton and Brendon Donkers, the high-performance development coach, were immediately impressed with what they saw. At 6’4″, O’Rourke had the potential to be their brand-new cutting edge.Fulton had first met O’Rourke when he was in charge of New Zealand at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. He was a moments bowler back then, capable of creating ooohs and aaahs, but that rarely wins cricket matches.Related

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“I think when he first started playing first-class cricket for Canterbury, he probably bowled too short and he beat the bat a lot, but didn’t necessarily take a lot of wickets because he wasn’t always threatening the stumps,” Fulton tells ESPNcricinfo.In a sign of things to come, O’Rourke’s first three Test wickets were lbw, bowled, and bowled. Everybody sees the height and the pace – including the batters – and maybe that’s why they aren’t expecting him to pitch it up.O’Rourke was perhaps the only positive to come out of New Zealand’s tour of Sri Lanka last month. He took eight wickets, including a five-for, at an average of 23.12 and a strike rate of 39.62, even though he is extremely new to international cricket and was playing on pitches designed to nullify his kind of bowling. That display confirmed what Fulton had thought all along. It also highlighted another strength of O’Rourke’s: he’s a quick learner.”For all the improvements he’s made over the last three-four years, I still feel he’s got a lot of improvement in him,” Fulton says. “He’s played some white-ball cricket – a little bit of 50-over cricket against Bangladesh – he’s probably just scratching the surface in terms of his white-ball game and T20 game as well. No reason to think that he won’t be able to adapt over the years as other teams scout him a bit better and he works out what he has to do to evolve his game.”O’Rourke has already had some practice in that regard. While working with Donkers, he realised there were some technical flaws in his bowling action and worked to remedy them.

“He may not take a whole lot of wickets on this tour, but if he doesn’t, he will again at some stage in the future. He will learn and will work out what he needs to do. So, really excited to see him go over there in India and see how he bowls against some high-class players”Peter Fulton on Will O’Rourke’s tour of India

“I won’t claim to be an expert in fast-bowling actions; Brendon Donkers made some good adjustments,” Fulton says. “Will probably fell away a little bit at the point of release in his action. They [Donkers and Co.] just worked on trying to maximise the attributes that he already had. He’s already tall, so he tried to get him nice and tall at the crease so that he’s delivering the ball as high as possible.”They also tinkered around some things with his wrist and, at times, he moves the ball back into the right-hander. But when he gets his wrist right, he also has the ability to swing the ball away from the right-hander. It didn’t take him very long to pick that up and understand that there’s a difference between being told something and actually understanding something.”When O’Rourke started his domestic career, he largely operated in the 130kph range, but he can now crank it up towards 140kph and also move the ball both ways at that pace. Prioritising fitness and working in a competitive environment like Canterbury, which has a number of other international fast bowlers like Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Henry Shipley and Zak Foulkes, have accelerated O’Rourke’s growth.”That work ethic, and the attention O’Rourke has paid to the S&C [strength and conditioning] side of the game is what has taken him from bowling maybe 120ks-early 130ks to now touching towards 140,” Fulton says. “When he first started to come to our trainings, he wasn’t unfit, but he wasn’t that strong and hadn’t spent a lot of time in the gym. But now if you compare him to all our contracted players at Canterbury, he’s probably the one leading the running sessions and fitness.Brendon Donkers and Peter Fulton have played key roles in shaping Will O’Rourke’s career at Canterbury•Getty Images”Don’t think he’s played with Kyle yet. Kyle’s obviously injured now – so they haven’t crossed paths much on the field as yet. But definitely being around other guys like Matt Henry as well [helps]. O’Rourke has picked up a lot from some of those guys. Also, the competitive environment in Canterbury with other good players and other good bowlers around you, I guess it raises the standard of all the players and O’Rourke has certainly been a beneficiary of that.”O’Rourke isn’t getting “carried away” by the success in Sri Lanka, Fulton says, and he had hit the Canterbury nets along with the likes of Henry and newly appointed New Zealand captain Tom Latham before flying out to India. Facing India in India can be as unforgiving as it gets – more experienced fast bowlers have struggled against gun batters in this part of the world – but it could prove to be an important learning curve in his fledgling career.”He [O’Rourke] is pretty excited about the challenge of going to India, which probably along with playing Australia in Australia is the two toughest challenges in world cricket,” Fulton says. “You can’t guarantee results; you just have to try and stick to the process and hope the results come. I’ve got no doubt whether he takes a lot of wickets in the first Test or the second or third… I have no doubt that he will bowl well and learn.”He may not take a whole lot of wickets on this tour, but if he doesn’t, he will again at some stage in the future. He will learn and will work out what he needs to do. So, really excited to see him go over there in India and see how he bowls against some high-class players.”

While Arsenal have signed their fair share of superstars, they’ve also got a proud history of producing them.

The likes of Tony Adams, David O’Leary, Ashley Cole, and Ray Parlour got their start at Hale End before going on to have careers that most players could only dream of.

Even today, the Gunners’ most important player and talisman, Bukayo Saka, is a product of the world-class academy, and Max Dowman looks like he could be the next one up.

However, not every highly rated prospect goes on to fulfil their potential, with Jack Wilshere perhaps being the most unfortunate example of that.

Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has another Hale Ender in his side who could go on to become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.

Wilshere's Arsenal career

Before the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Dowman, Wilshere held the title of Arsenal’s youngest league debutant thanks to his appearance against Blackburn Rovers in September 2008.

The youngster would go on to make eight appearances that season and then seven in the first half of the next campaign before he was sent out on a short-term loan to Bolton Wanderers, where he scored and assisted a goal in 14 games.

With this vital experience, Arsène Wenger opted to give the teenage talent a significant role in the side the following season, which saw him make 49 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing nine assists.

It was this campaign that saw him deliver his famous performance against Pep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona side, in which he practically single-handedly outplayed the Catalans’ midfield of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.

It was around this time that the then-England manager compared the Hale Ender to a young Andrea Pirlo, so to say that there were sky-high expectations around him would be an understatement.

It’s easy to see why many thought the Englishman would be an absolute world-beater, though, as he had incredible close control, an eye for a pass, the ability to carry the ball through the middle of the park, and the perfect attitude.

However, not long after his iconic game against Barça, the Gunners’ great hope began to suffer injury after injury, and from the 11/12 season to 16/17, when he left North London, he missed a staggering 228 games for club and country.

Unfortunately, it was this inability to remain fit that utterly derailed Wilshere’s career, as he had all the ability someone would need to become one of the best midfielders in the world.

The only positive for Arsenal fans is that Arteta now has someone in his squad who could become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.

The Arsenal star who could fulfil Wilshere's promise

While fans might immediately think of Nwaneri or Dowman in this situation, the Hale Ender who could end up becoming the player Wilshere was supposed to be is actually Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Chalkboard

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

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Yes, the youngster is currently seen as a left-back in Arteta’s squad, and the second-choice one at that, but that is unlikely to be his long-term position.

After all, the Islington-born gem spent most of his time in the academy playing as a central or defensive midfielder, and when he does come into the first team, he does not overlap; he inverts in the central area.

Lewis-Skelly’s U21 record

Position

Games

G+As

Defensive Midfield

11

1

Left-Back

5

1

Central Midfield

4

1

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, his best traits, which he shares with the former Gunners star, lend themselves to becoming a world-class central player.

For example, although he’s still relatively inexperienced, he has consistently demonstrated a brilliant eye for a pass and an exquisite left foot to match.

On top of that, in a similar fashion to Saka, the 19-year-old is far stronger than he appears and consistently wins physical duels against opposition players.

Finally, like Wilshere, the young dynamo is already an excellent carrier of the ball, and is unoutbaly among the best in the squad when it comes to doing it through a congested midfield.

This was on full display against Atlético Madrid last month, when he beat half the side to provide a perfect assist for Gabriel Martinelli to make 2-0.

In addition to all this, the Hale Ender also shares a similar approach and attitude towards games.

For example, his goal and celebration against Manchester City last term more than back up Declan Rice’s description of him as “fearless”, and when you combine that with everything else, it’s easy to see why club insider Hand of Arsenal has dubbed him a “future captain.”

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go, but thanks to his impressive ability, skill set and mentality, there is a strong chance Lewis-Skelly could become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.

Related Arsenal star could surpass Saka & Rice to become "the best in the world"

The outrageous talent is going to surpass Rice and Saka to become Arsenal’s best player.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 11, 2025

Chelsea star Keira Walsh claimed that she loves to set up goals more than scoring them but she has changed her 'mindset' under pressure from team-mates and manager Sonia Bompastor. After spending two-and-a-half seasons at European giants Barcelona, the English midfielder returned to her home in February 2025 as the Women's Super League winners signed her.

Shift in Walsh's position in new season

Walsh, who is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world at the moment, operated in a deep role after signing for the Blues earlier this year. However, since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, Walsh has been deployed in a more advanced position, which is allowing her to contribute more to the team's attack. The change in position also helped her score her first-ever Chelsea goal last month as Walsh's solitary strike helped her club beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.

In the seven Women's Super League matches Walsh played last season, she had only one shot on goal. Compared to that, in the eight matches she has played this season, the midfielder already has 14 shots to her name. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I've always preferred playing the assist'

Speaking to , Walsh opened up on her change of role, revealing that her team-mates and coaches have played a role in her development. 

"It's maybe not position and playing further forward, but Sonia and Cami [Abily, Chelsea's assistant manager] are always telling me to shoot, and it was the same when I played at Barca," she said. "The girls were always encouraging me. For myself, I've always preferred playing the assist or the assist before the assist. That's something that I've always liked doing.

"It was about me changing my mindset a little bit and still trying to help the team in that respect – maybe it is taking a shot more, and sometimes I was probably overplaying a little bit. It's feeling more confident, and Sonia and Cami really encouraged me to do that. Not a lot of central defensive midfielders do, apart from [Moises] Caicedo. The way I play defensive midfield it is more about breaking lines and trying to break presses, and contributing a little bit more in attack. I'm not known for my big tackles, although I am working on that. When it opens up, Sonia's encouraged me to take the ball forward, and if I feel like a shot is on, then it's being free to do that."

Walsh aiming 'to be in the right place at the right time'

Walsh added: "In the position I play, a lot of it will be on the second phase or drop-downs, and maybe from set-pieces with the drop-downs there as well. It's trying to be in the right place at the right time. I'm not as good as Sam Kerr at that, but recently, I feel like I've been lucky with where the ball has landed and opened up for a shot. Previously, I would have tried to make a pass in the box, and with a lot of bodies around, it's not ideal. Cami is always going on at me to shoot, whether it's right foot or left foot. The left foot's not so great, so I try not to do that too much."

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Getty Images SportInjury blow for Chelsea ahead of Liverpool

Blues boss Bompastor has confirmed that star goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of action for a few weeks due to a quad injury. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash against Liverpool on Sunday, the manager said: "Hannah won't be here. She picked up a quad injury. She will be out for a few weeks. We'll see if we see her before the end of the year but I'm not sure. It could be the case, yes."

Three cricketers from Pakistan and one from England represent the overseas contingent

Mohammad Isam08-Feb-20251. Mohammad Naim, 511 runs, 143.94 SR, 1×100, 3x50sNaim is arguably Bangladesh’s most in-form T20 batter this season. He got going with 316 runs, the highest in the NCL T20s, before topping the BPL batting charts. Naim looked comfortable clearing the circle during the powerplays, almost against all attacks. Naim showed more awareness around the wicket and became the second Bangladeshi to score 500 runs in a BPL season. His 511 runs is just short of Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 516 runs in the 2022-23 season.2. Tamim Iqbal, 413 runs, 129.06 SR, 4x50s (capt)Tamim got into his stride in Fortune Barishal’s third game with an unbeaten 86. It was the first of his four fifties, and although he batted with less risk than most of his innings last year, his team earned regular good starts. Tamim saved his best of the tournament for the final, bashing a 24-ball fifty and paved the way for a big chase. This is the sixth time that Tamim has been selected in ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI.3. Zakir Hasan, 389 runs, 140.43 SR, 3x50sZakir was Sylhet Strikers’ only shining light this season. The left-hand batter went after Rangpur Riders in their second game, hitting four sixes in a 38-ball half-century. Zakir then struck back-to-back fifties in Sylhet, against Khulna and Dhaka. His unbeaten 75 against Khulna had half a dozen sixes. Zakir couldn’t finish the BPL on a high note with little support from the other Sylhet batters.4. Graham Clark, 431 runs, 153.38 SR, 1×100, 1x50The Durham batter joined Chittagong slightly late, but he hit the ground running immediately. He struck 40 and 39 in his first two innings, following it up with 60 (against Dhaka Capitals) and 101 (against Khulna Tigers). It was only Clark’s second T20 century, striking seven fours and six sixes in 50 balls. Clark didn’t hit any more fifties, but often gave Chittagong good starts. He got struck on the face during the second qualifier, but finished the tournament with 44 off 23 in the final.Graham Clark is the non-Asian in the BPL XI of the season•Chittagong Kings5. Khushdil Shah, 298 runs and 17 wicketsKhushdil was Rangpur Riders’ fulcrum during the league phase, hitting two fifties and scoring at 175.29 in ten innings. He also took 17 wickets at a 9.94 average, the most wickets for a spinner in this season’s BPL. He started the campaign with a 23-ball unbeaten 46 against Dhaka, before slamming quickfire knocks against Barishal, Khulna and Chittagong. His unbeaten 73 against Khulna was his highest, while he struck seven sixes in his 59 off 28 balls against Chittagong. His run coincided with his return to the Pakistan ODI side after three years, when he was picked for the Champions Trophy.Related

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6. Mahidul Islam Ankon (wk), 316 runs and seven dismissalsBatting down the order meant fewer opportunities, but Ankon made the best use of his liminted chances. He opened Khulna Tigers’ campaign with a superb unbeaten 59 off 22 balls, including six sixes against Chittagong. He had 200-plus strike-rate in two other innings, generally batting in the high 150s for the rest of the tournament. His wicketkeeping was steady and gave Khulna all-round stability in the season.7. Faheem Ashraf, 20 wickets at 13.90, best 5/7Ashraf last played ODIs in September 2023, and now returns to the Pakistan Champions Trophy squad after a productive BPL season. He took 20 wickets including a five-wicket haul against Sylhet. He also had three-wicket hauls against Chittagong and Dhaka. Faheem was also fairly miserly, conceding at just 7.12 per over throughout the campaign. Champions Barishal didn’t have Faheem for the back-end of their campaign.8. Aliss Al Islam, 15 wickets at 21.06 avg, best 3/17Regarded as the only mystery bowler in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket, Aliss was in top form. He conceded runs at 6.32 per over throughout the tournament, picking up 15 wickets. He took 3 for 17 against Rajshahi to get Chittagong their first win. He continued to bowl very well in the powerplay. Aliss also had a great role with the bat in the second qualifier, hitting the match-winning boundary to take Chittagong to the final. He missed out on the big game due to an ACL injury.Taskin Ahmed returned 7 for 19, a BPL record, in a game this season•Durbar Rajshahi9. Taskin Ahmed, 25 wickets at 12.04, best 7/19Taskin finished the BPL by picking up the most wickets in a season. His 25 scalps beat Shakib Al Hasan’s record of 23 wickets in the 2018-19 season. He started off with a seven-wicket haul, only the third such figure in T20 history. He had only two wicketless matches, and later led the troubled Durbar Rajshahi side when they changed the captain. Taskin showed great leadership on and off the field. It was also his bowling that kept Rajshahi in the hunt in most contests.10. Khaled Ahmed, 20 wickets at 20.10, best 4/31Khaled was Chittagong’s best bowler during the competition, taking 20 wickets. He was tied in second place with Aakif Javed and Faheem Ashraf. He started expensively, but then imbibed coach Shaun Tait’s simple messages as he started to bowl with more control. He took 3 for 21 against Dhaka, before his four-wicket haul against Sylhet. He went wicketless in the BPL final, but Khaled gave a wholehearted effort.11. Akif Javed, 20 wickets at 14.30, best 4/32It was Javed’s second BPL season, but this time he really entered the limelight. The left-arm fast bowler hailing from Kohat hasn’t played for Pakistan, but Javed looks close to a national call-up. This time in the BPL, he came into his own in three matches that got him ten wickets. He took 3-29, 4-32 and 3-23 against Khulna, Chittagong and Rajshahi in the middle of the tournament. When Rangpur rang in the changes in the Eliminator match, Javed survived among the existing overseas contingent.