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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has just shared some ‘very positive’ team news from his press conference ahead of their mouth-watering North London derby clash with Arsenal this Sunday.

The Dane is gearing up for his first ever derby clash as Spurs boss, but the Dane has a mountainous task on his hands.

The numbers make for pretty grim reading, with Tottenham having lost seven of their last nine Premier League games against Arsenal, winning just once in their last 32 away league derbies at the Emirates (The Analyst).

That solitary victory a 3-2 comeback triumph in November 2010, and Arsenal have won five of their last six league meetings between the sides, including the last three consecutively, marking their longest winning streak against Spurs since the late 1980s (The Analyst).

Even more ominously, Arsenal have scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Tottenham, netting at least twice in the last eight encounters (The Analyst).

The Gunners’ dominance at home against their fierce rivals appears unshakable, with Opta’s supercomputer assigning Spurs just a 13.7 per cent chance of victory — their lowest win probability in any Premier League game this season.

The odds aren’t exactly in Spurs’ favour, and they’ve had a host of injury doubts to contend with in the build up to their trip across London.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

However, according to Frank, there’s been some real encouragement on that front.

Thomas Frank shares 'very positive' Tottenham injury update ahead of Arsenal

Speaking to the media, via reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, Frank confirmed that Pape Sarr will be available to play Arsenal after his injury scare for Senegal on international duty, and the same can be said for midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who’s been out for the last two games serving concussion protocol.

Randal Kolo Muani can also play despite fracturing his jaw against Man United, with the Frenchman set to wear a protective mask.

As well as this, Frank states that Ben Davies, Kota Takai and Archie Gray all trained at Hotspur Way this morning, as did star winger Mohammed Kudus, with Frank potentially in line for a seven-player in-swing as they battle to be ready for one of Spurs’ biggest games of the season.

Kudus’ potential return would be a major boost for Frank especially.

The Ghanaian, who missed Spurs’ 4-0 rout of FC Copenhagen and 2-2 draw with Man United last time out, has been their most pivotal attacking player so far this season. Kudus declined international duty with Ghana to focus on his recovery, and that decision now appears to be paying dividends for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham hold preliminary talks to sign unsettled striker who Frank thinks is 'clinical'

Spurs are prioritising a number nine this January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2025

Bergvall and Sarr’s returns will provide Frank with different midfield options, bar the one-dimensional defensive pivot of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, which comes as yet more good news.

Against an Arsenal side top of the pile and seemingly impenetrable 90 per cent of the time, Spurs need all the help they can get, so this update comes as a very positive one indeed.

A prominent German journalist has launched an impassioned defence of struggling Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz, and taken aim at jealous ex-Manchester United stars for their perceived unjust criticism. The Reds' blockbuster summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has also been tipped to become the biggest star in the Premier League despite his slow start at Anfield.

Wirtz fails to hit ground running in England

Wirtz has struggled to adapt to the Premier League since joining from the Bundesliga, with his £116 million ($152m) price tag drawing significant scrutiny as he has failed to record a single goal or assist in his first 11 league appearances. And following last weekend’s damaging 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, Gary Neville stated that Wirtz "looked like a little boy" and was being "chucked around the pitch". Neville emphasised that the club must persist with the Germany international, but need him to "stand up soon". On his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand suggested that being dropped for significant matches has likely created "huge doubts" in Wirtz’s mind about joining Liverpool. In contrast, Wayne Rooney has argued that Wirtz actually damages Liverpool's balance and questioned where he fits in the system, even while noting players take time to settle in. 

But a journalist from German paper has come out swinging in the player's defence, and made a bold prediction about how Wirtz will influence the game in England. 

AdvertisementAFP'He's not bothered by these comments'

Journalist, Axel Hesse, said: "There's no need to feel sorry for Wirtz. For three reasons: His quality and mentality are outstanding. He's not particularly bothered by these comments. And they usually come from a certain quarter. Rooney, Ferdinand, Neville – they're all former players of arch-rivals Manchester United. Therefore, either their motivation is their dislike for Liverpool and Wirtz, because of the mega transfer fee of 140 million euros, is their new favorite victim – or they have no idea!

"To put things in perspective: Wirtz is the player who, alongside Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, has created the most chances in the Champions League this season (16)," continued Hesse. "He was the best player on the pitch in the recent 1-0 win against Los Blancos. He also creates a string of chances in the Premier League. He covers the most ground, wins tackles, and works hard for the team. The Liverpool fans appreciate that."

'The biggest attraction in your league'

Hesse added: "The fact that the technician isn't performing as brilliantly as he did in previous years at Leverkusen is primarily due to one factor: his teammates at Liverpool aren't currently converting their chances. Especially striker Mo Salah, for whom the German superstar was signed as the perfect partner, is struggling. Manager Arne Slot has already stated: 'We're not used to him missing chances'.

"The core problem: The English champions aren't yet functioning as a unit. An eight-point deficit to Premier League leaders Arsenal is clear proof. Wirtz is part of that. An important part, no doubt. He was brought in to lead the club to further titles – just as he is now supposed to lead Germany to the World Cup qualifiers in Luxembourg and against Slovakia. At Liverpool, he's considered a leader and the face of the future. There's no doubt about that. Critics point to the huge transfer fee, which is understandable. And yes, he and his team were completely outclassed in their recent 3-0 defeat at Manchester City."

Hesse concluded: "Dear England experts, Florian Wirtz is not only our best player – but soon also the biggest attraction in your league!"

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Getty Images SportSupport pours in for Wirtz

Liverpool boss Slot has been quick to defend Wirtz and responded to recent claims from former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that the German had "destroyed" the Reds’ midfield. 

Slot said: "If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what to do. Everyone has a right to his own opinion and many of them have. That is the nice thing about football, that everyone has his opinion about it. If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what he needs to do but about football everyone is telling you what the best thing is to do. But that is also the nice thing about football because everyone knows it so we can talk about it."

Australian debutant shares 84-run stand from 46 balls with James Vince, including 64 in the powerplay

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Jul-2025Hampshire Hawks ended a run of five games without a win in the Vitality Blast to revive their hopes of qualifying from the South Group with an emphatic 62-run win over Sussex Sharks at Hove.Sussex could have gone second with a victory, but they lost their way in the powerplays. Hampshire crashed 64 in theirs and went on to post 196 for 8 while Sussex lost three wickets in the first four overs of their reply and never recovered. Nathan McAndrew came in at No. 8 and top scored with an unbeaten 31 but Sussex were bowled out for 134 in the 17th over.Hampshire had been put in and their total owed much to an explosive start by skipper James Vince – the Blast’s all-time leading run scorer – and Australian debutant Chris Lynn.They put on 84 from 46 balls together including 64 in the powerplay with Lynn becoming only the third player to score a fifty on his Blast debut, before both fell in successive overs.Vince (34 off 22 balls) toe-ended to deep midwicket where Harrison Ward held a difficult, swirling catch but that was nothing compared to the sensational one-handed effort the leaping Ward clung onto in the covers in the next over to get rid of the dangerous Lynn.In what was his first T20 innings since January 11 Lynn rode his luck on occasion but 51 off 27 balls, including three sixes and five fours, ended up being the cornerstone of Hampshire’s win.Hampshire struggled to maintain their early momentum as Sussex’s quicker bowlers varied their pace effectively, none more so than the impressive Henry Crocombe who finished with 2 for 32 while McAndrew picked up two wickets in the final over and finished with 3 for 32, his first wicket coming when James Coles held a superbly judged catch in the stiff breeze to remove Toby Albert (15).Hylton Cartwright (24) and Benny Howell (25 not out) got Hampshire to a total which was 19 above par at Hove this season and their bowlers soon exerted control.Ward wafted at an away-swinger and was taken at slip to give Chris Wood his 200th Blast wicket before two wickets in Scott Currie’s first over further undermined the Sharks. Tom Clark lost his middle stump playing across a straight one and there was another piece of brilliant fielding when Cartwright ran out Daniel Hughes with a one-handed throw aiming at one stump.Howell and Liam Dawson then used their experience in the middle overs to make sure there was no way back for Sussex. Howell, varying his pace effectively, removed James Coles and Fynn Hudson-Prentice in successive overs and Vince held a good catch at extra cover to get rid of Sussex captain John Simpson to reward Dawson and leave Sussex with no way back from 69 for 6 at halfway.McAndrew and Danny Lamb added 37 for the seventh wicket but it was a bad night for Sussex.

West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo is faced with key “issues” in the build up to January, which could mean he loses one of his big-name players.

Nuno set for first West Ham home game as manager against Brentford

With the October international break now over, much to the delight of Premier League fans, Nuno is braced for his first home game as West Ham boss.

Nuno will be determined to make a strong impression on the London Stadium crowd and kickstart a positive run of form. However, the occasion is set to be clouded by unrest among some sections of the West Ham fanbase, who have announced a boycott of the match in protest against the club’s ownership.

Supporters’ group Hammers United, who are actively calling for the resignations of David Sullivan and Karren Brady, did send an open letter of backing to Nuno, explaining their stance is not aimed towards the Portuguese or his team.

Adding to West Ham’s challenges is the absence of striker Niclas Füllkrug, who could be sidelined for several weeks with a thigh injury.

Fullkrug’s latest injury adds to his torrid fitness record since joining the East Londoners from Borussia Dortmund in 2024, and this setback means Nuno will be without his first choice striker for the foreseeable future.

This puts additional pressure on the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville and Lucas Paqueta as the creators, with Callum Wilson and Callum Marshall now tasked with stepping up to replace the German.

Speaking of Paqueta, while reports suggest that West Ham are not keen on selling the Brazil international in January, Sullivan’s hand could be forced.

West Ham ready to sell Lucas Paqueta for £60 million in January

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, via Hammers News, West Ham face obstacles financially, and if any side were to bid around £60 million for Paqueta, Nuno’s side would green-light his exit mid-season.

The 28-year-old was believed to be close to joining Aston Villa in the summer, but in a show of loyalty, Paqueta kissed the badge after scoring against Nottingham Forest and chose to stick with West Ham after they backed him through his spot-fixing allegations.

The former Lyon star hasn’t been at his consistent best since 2023/2024, partly as a result of that major off-field distraction, but Paqueta will now be itching to prove himself to Nuno as West Ham look to battle away from the drop zone.

However, in the event of an offer too good to refuse, Paqueta’s mid-season exit cannot be ruled out, and any of the funds acquired for his services could be reinvested into signing a new striker.

Of the centre-forwards linked with a move to the London Stadium, Man United’s Josh Zirkzee is believed to be attracting West Ham’s interest ahead of January.

Yoane Wissa is reportedly set to avoid a nine-month injury layoff, with Newcastle's £55 million ($74m) striker eyeing a return against former club Brentford. The 29-year-old, yet to even kick a ball for the Magpies since arriving on Tyneside, injured his knee while on international duty with DR Congo just a week after completing his move. The timing could not have been worse, as he hadn't even trained once with his new team-mates before disaster struck.

• A setback even before a start at Newcastle

  Eddie Howe had previously confirmed that Wissa’s recovery had been slower than hoped. Speaking earlier this month, the Newcastle boss revealed the forward had undergone another specialist consultation, which pushed back his expected comeback.

  Howe previously explained: "Yoane saw a specialist again yesterday for a check-up on his knee. We probably think now it’ll be eight weeks rather than six from the point of the injury. It’s no recurrence or problem, just slightly longer."

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• Getty Images
  

  Newcastle fans have new hope

  According to the , fears that Wissa had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) were wide of the mark. Instead, the injury is to his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). It is a less serious but still delicate setback. Crucially, surgery will not be required. Recovery timelines for PCL injuries can vary widely, from a few weeks to several months, depending on the extent of the damage. Because Wissa’s injury was relatively mild and non-surgical, there’s growing confidence he’ll be back before the end of November. At the moment, the swelling in his knee remains the final obstacle. Once that subsides, the former Brentford talisman will begin full-contact training.

  It was earlier suggested that Wissa was eyeing the West Ham clash on November 2 for his long-awaited debut. However, that timeline has been further pushed back, and a reunion with his old club Brentford a week later could be the more realistic comeback date. It is mentioned that Newcastle are in no rush to force an early return. They believe Wissa is a long-term asset for the club, and patience is the key while dealing with such a critical injury.

• Wissa has resumed activity on grass

  The forward has already resumed running on grass, and while he could theoretically play through pain using injections, Wissa does not want to take any shortcuts. Moreover, beyond the immediate concern of getting him fit, another issue is quietly brewing, which is the Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament, set to take place between December 21 and January 18 in Morocco, could see Wissa called up by DR Congo. Initially, many assumed Wissa would only have a brief window with Newcastle before jetting off to represent his country. But that assumption might now be changing. The suggests that his suggest that his participation in AFCON is not guaranteed. The focus, for now, is entirely on rebuilding strength and ensuring his long-term fitness. With the World Cup on the horizon next summer, Wissa’s management is equally keen to ensure he doesn’t aggravate his knee injury by rushing into international action.

  Meanwhile, Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, has called out Wissa and urged him to stay with the Magpies and skip the AFCON. 

  "It will be a really difficult decision for Wissa not to go to AFCON because you always want to represent your country," Shearer told . "But what I would say is, because of him not training or playing during the summer, he could've shown more responsibility in not playing as much as he did in those two games when he went away on international duty and hadn't played at all. But it's really tough to say to someone they can't and won't represent their country when it means so much. And we know AFCON is huge and players want to play in that tournament.

  "It'll be a tough ask, but I understand that there'll be a lot of people thinking that he's never played for Newcastle and he needs to show some loyalty towards us. I get it and understand that point-of-view because Newcastle shelled out a lot of money on him and he hasn't been able to take to the St James' Park turf as yet. It'd be a really tough decision for him and Newcastle. Whether there's a way around it, I'm not so sure."

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  Woltemade coming in clutch for Newcastle

  The Magpies' cautious stance with Wissa is made easier by the blistering form of Nick Woltemade, Newcastle’s other new striker who arrived for £69 million ($93m) this summer. The towering German has quickly found his rhythm, netting four goals in seven appearances, and has seamlessly filled the void left by Wissa’s absence. As Newcastle prepare to face Brighton this weekend, the German striker will once again lead the line.

Sandeep Sharma went for a costly final over which included four sides and a no ball

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2025

Axar Patel went after Rajasthan Royals’ spinners•BCCI

Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs gave late impetus to a floundering Delhi Capitals innings on Wednesday night; they finished with 188 for 5 after being put into bat by Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in IPL 2025. This was the first sub-200 score by a team batting first in the last nine T20 innings at this ground.Axar injected momentum in the death with a takedown of Wanindu Hasaranga, hitting 34 off 14 in all. Stubbs, dropped on 12 off 8 by Riyan Parag off Hasaranga, batted through to also finish 34 not out off 18 balls as the last three overs went for 42 runs.This included a 19-run final over off Sandeep Sharma, who until then had sensational figures of 3-0-14-0. Sandeep bowled four wides, and a no-ball in what proved to be a 11-ball over that ended with Maheesh Theekshana dropping a sitter at point off Stubbs.The tone was set up top by Abishek Porel, who picked 23 off Tushar Deshpande’s first over – the second of the innings – by Jake Fraser-McGurk and Karun Nair fell early. McGurk began by lofting Jofra Archer for consecutive boundaries in the first over, but holed out to mid-off trying to loft a hard-length delivery.Nair, coming off his IPL best of 89 on debut, then survived three rocket deliveries from Archer. Two of those were bouncers that whizzed past his ear and had him mistime a pull that nearly carried to square leg. Then he was run out at the non-striker’s end following a mix-up with Porel as he walked back for a duck.KL Rahul was cautious to begin with, the slowness of the surface proving challenging to score, especially when deliveries were dug into the pitch on a length. At one stage he was on 17 off 18, but couldn’t quite push on – eventually falling for a 32-ball 38 when he pulled Archer to deep midwicket.This is when DC had Axar to thank as he immediately took down spin to inject momentum that Stubbs carried forward to give them a total to bowl at.

The Indian players have stepped up for RCB while MI have relied heavily on their overseas players so far

Sruthi Ravindranath20-Feb-2025Who’s playingRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, February 21, 2025
What to expect: RCB’s Indian unit vs MI’s overseas playersThe formidable RCB side will be looking to continue their imperious run as they enter the home leg. They have a lot going for them this season and though they are without several match-winners from last season, their Indian players have stepped up. Smriti Mandhana continued her purple patch, Richa Ghosh looked in fine touch against Delhi Capitals after her blinder against Gujarat Giants, and Renuka Singh’s new-ball bowling has also been a big positive. They will want to make the most of playing in front of their home crowd at Chinnaswamy, where they won three out of five games last season. They will play four home matches this season.For MI, though, it’s been all about the overseas players so far. They have banked on Nat Sciver-Brunt’s excellent form with the bat and ball. She followed up her 59-ball 80 not out in the loss against DC with a solo effort of 57 against Giants and gave her side their first win of the season. In the bowling department, Hayley Mathews and Amelia Kerr have been their key wicket-takers. MI will be looking for more support from their Indian line-up, especially in the batting department, to put up bigger scores.Team news and likely XIsRCB left Prema Rawat out and brought in senior left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht for the match against DC. Bisht marked her return with figures of 2 for 35, dismissing Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen.RCB (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bist, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Ekta Bisht, 9 Kim Garth, 10 VJ Joshitha, 11 Renuka SinghMI made two changes for their match against Giants, bringing in Parunika Sisodia for Saika Ishaque and G Kamalini for Jintimani Kalita. Kamalini played down the order and scored a boundary off the only ball she faced, while Sisodia went for 20 runs in her two overs.MI (probable): 1 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 G Kamalini, 7 S Sajana, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Parunika SisodiaPlayers to watch: Renuka Singh and Hayley MathewsRenuka Singh had a lacklustre WPL 2024 but has staged a superb comeback this season. Continuing from where she left off for India in the West Indies ODIs in Vadodara, where she picked up 10 wickets in three games, she has used the assistance off the pitch with the new ball to take five wickets in RCB’s last two games. After the win against DC, she admitted to have worked on her pace and outswing. She will be looking to maintain her rhythm as the action moves to Bengaluru.Hayley Matthews may not have had great outings with the bat so far but her bowling has been valuable. In the first game, she dismissed the dangerous Shafali Verma with her offspin. In her second match, she finished with frugal figures of 3 for 16 to restrict Giants to 120 as she took the Player-of-the-Match award.Stats that matter RCB have won two out of their five games against MI so far in the WPL. At the centre of those two wins was Ellyse Perry. After bagging stunning figures of 6 for 15 in the reverse fixture in Delhi, she scored 66 off 50 in the Eliminator to lead RCB to the final. All six matches in the WPL 2025 so far have been won by the chasing side.

He also hailed Marco Jansen as ‘the complete package’ for South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-20251:39

Do South Africa have the best attack in the tournament?

Anil Kumble feels that the variety offered by South Africa’s pace trio of Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi makes them the most complete attack for the not-always-bowler-friendly conditions seen in the Champions Trophy 2025.On Saturday, South Africa hammered England to progress into the semi-finals. In their two group stage matches (one was rained off), South Africa bowled England out for 179 and Afghanistan for 208 – the two lowest totals in completed innings in this edition of the Champions Trophy.”I think one good thing about South Africa is that all three of their fast bowlers that played today – of course Mulder is the one who bowls the middle periods – but if you look at the three tall fast bowlers, all of them are really tall. And all of them are different,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show.Related

South Africa decimate England to march into semi-finals

Klaasen scores fifth successive fifty, wants to be 'the best in the world'

Look past Maharaj at your own peril

“Their angles are very different. Rabada is very classical whereas Ngidi is pretty awkward to face with his action and Marco Jansen comes at such height. So all three are very different. So that’s the nature you want in a one-day. That’s the variation.”Even on a flat track, it’s not easy for the batters to line up because all three are very different. And that’s something that South Africa can certainly feel [confident] they have this kind of a quality and also the variety going into the business end of the tournament.”1:27

Kumble heaps praise on Jansen

Kumble: Jansen the ‘complete package for South Africa’Jansen set the tone in South Africa’s win against England, dismissing their top three inside seven overs with his bounce. He also took three catches, including one off his own bowling.”I think he’s still very young, although he has played quite a lot of cricket. He has certainly matured,” Kumble said. “I’m sure these three wickets [will give him confidence], and also you can see his athleticism in the field with all those catches.”He has improved a lot with his batting as well. He has contributed with the bat on many occasions for South Africa. So in that sense he’s a complete package for South Africa at No. 7 or No. 8.”And with the ball, with the new ball he can bring the ball back in. He’s tall so it’s not easy for the batters to just get under him,” he said. “We saw that with Phil Salt, it just took off. It was quite steep, the bounce, and he couldn’t get over it. You need that variety in your bowling attack and that’s something that South Africa have in plenty.”

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan will return to the Afghanistan set-up as mentor for the Champions Trophy 2025. Younis had worked with Afghanistan in 2022, at a 15-day training camp in Abu Dhabi with an expanded squad of 25.The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement that Younis will join the team in Pakistan for a conditioning camp ahead of the Champions Trophy, which is set to begin on February 19 in Karachi, and stay with the team till the end of the tournament.This is the third global tournament in a row where the ACB has appointed a mentor for the team from the host country: they had Ajay Jadeja as mentor for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, and Dwayne Bravo as bowling consultant for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. In the first of those, they finished sixth – with wins against England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and a near-upset of Australia – to seal automatic qualification for the Champions Trophy. In the T20 World Cup, they made it all the way to the semi-finals for their best-ever showing in a global tournament.ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan said of Younis’ appointment: “Since the Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan, it was required to assign a talented and experienced player as mentor from the hosting country. We already had efficient experience with hosting countries’ mentors in ODI World Cup 2023 and T20I World Cup 2024.”Observing the conditions, therefore, we have appointed Younis Khan as mentor for our national team for the upcoming mega event and wish him best of the luck in his crucial assignment.”Afghanistan are in Group B at the Champions Trophy, with Australia, England and South Africa. The tournament is set to be primarily played in Pakistan, with only games involving India to be held in Dubai.Younis, who retired from international cricket in 2017 with the experience of 118 Tests, 265 ODIs and 25 T20Is to his name, took to coaching thereafter and was involved with the Pakistan senior men’s set-up as batting coach in 2021, albeit briefly due to differences with the PCB.

تحدث الدولي الفرنسي عثمان ديبملي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باريس سان جيرمان، عن فوزه بجائزة الكرة الذهبية 2025 في مقابلة صحفية أجراها مع مجلة فرانس فوتبول الفرنسية.

وتنافس على الجائزة 30 لاعبًا، بينهم النجم المصري محمد صلاح، جناح فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، بعد الموسم المميز الذي قدمه مع ليفربول.

وفاز الفرنسي عثمان ديمبلي بالمركز الأول في سباق الفوز بالبالون دور فيما جاء لامين يامال، نجم منتخب إسبانيا وبرشلونة في المركز الثاني، وفيتينا البرتغالي جاء بالمركز الثالث، بعدما توج مع باريس سان جيرمان ببطولات مميزة بجانب فوزه بدوري الأمم الأوروبية مع البرتغال.

ونقلت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية تصريحات عثمان ديمبلي، وقال عن مركزه في قلب الهجوم: “بالتأكيد مختلف، اللعب كجناح ليس كاللعب الحر، أو ما يُسمى بالمهاجم الوهمي ولكنه لاعب حر، يمنحني لويس إنريكي حرية كبيرة، أنا بحاجة إليها”.

وأكمل: “أُشارك مع زملائي في الفريق، ومع المدرب (لويس إنريكي)، الذي يُقدم لي أيضًا بعض النصائح، أحاول الدخول إلى المساحات المفتوحة، خلف المدافع، وأن أكون حرًا، إنه مركز أعرفه وأحبه كثيرًا، فهو تكتيكي للغاية، أُفضل اللعب كلاعب حر على اللعب على الجناح، مع أن هذا لا يمنعني من اللعب هناك، نتبادل الأدوار كثيرًا، معظم مهاجمينا يلعبون كجناحين بالتدريب”.

وعما إذا تعلم هذا الدور من مهاجم آخر كشف: “ليس بشكل خاص لكنني لعبت في برشلونة مع ليو ميسي الذي كان لاعبًا وهميًا في مركز 9، كان عليك أن ترى كيف يتحرك وكيف نسيه الجميع، كان يمشي لكنه كان يعلم جيدًا أن الكرة ستصل إلى قدميه لأن بوسكيتس رآه، كان يذهب إلى مركز 9، إلى الأجنحة، أينما وُجدت مساحة، كان يتحرك في كل مكان، كان يبقى في موقع تسلل وفجأة يظهر، رأيت كل ذلك لمدة 7 سنوات، اليوم أحاول القيام بذلك”.

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وبسؤاله عن تشبيهه بـ كريم بنزيما، رد: “نعم، وأنا أيضًا اللاعب الذي كنته هذا الموسم هو اللاعب الذي حلمت به، لأنني أشعر أنني قادر على كل شيء، أنا أكثر اكتمالًا، أستطيع اللعب في الوسط، على اليسار، على اليمين، تغيير أسلوب اللعب، التمرير، التسجيل، المراوغة”.

عن ندمه من عدم تسجيل هدفًا في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا: “لا ضد آرسنال في ملعب الإمارات سجلت، ربما كانت أفضل مباراة لي هذا الموسم، مع أنني لم أسجل هاتريك أو هدفين، في كل مباراة كلما دخلت الملعب أقول لنفسي إني سأسجل 3 أهداف، هذا صحيح مع أنني أحيانًا أفشل في التسجيل أو أسجل هدفًا أو اثنين”.

وعن رده حول الانتقادات التي كان يتلقاها: “اعذروني على أسلوبي لكنني لم أهتم، لعبت بأسلوبي، إن أعجبك فأعجبك وإن لم يعجبك فهذا ما أمتلكه، تقبله أو اتركه، مع أنني كنت أرغب في تسجيل الأهداف إلا أنني لم أفعل ذلك عمدًا”.

وعن التراخي بعد الفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا: “لا نحن منافسون، نريد الفوز ونواصل الفوز خصوصًا أنه عندما تخوض كل هذه التجارب ترغب في الاستمرار وتكرار الأمر، لم يقل شغفي، لا يزال لدينا الكثير لنقدمه لباريس سان جيرمان، أهداف كبيرة مع النادي، أنا منافس، أريد اللعب على أعلى مستوى ممكن والفوز في كل مباراة، والفوز بالعديد من الألقاب”.

وعما إذا كان أكثر رغبة في التألق، قلل :”نعم بالطبع لأنه إذا لم تفز، إذا لم تكن جائعًا مع لويس إنريكي، ستكون على مقاعد البدلاء. أو سيشترون لاعبًا آخر”.

وبشأن قيامه بالضغط على المنافس، صرح: “طلب منا المدرب القيام بذلك، وخاصةً نحن المهاجمين لأننا كنا أحيانًا نضغط للأمام ولكن ليس بشكل كامل، وكان المنافسون يحاولون التقدم، عرض علينا جميع تلك الفيديوهات، مع تقدم الموسم بدأنا بالضغط جميعًا معًا، يمكنكم رؤية ضغطي لكن الجميع يفعل ذلك في الخلف لأنه إذا قمت بذلك بمفردي، سنموت. إنه شيء يجب علينا القيام به وسنفعله دائمًا، في أسلوب لعبنا عندما نضغط جيدًا نستعيد الكرة بسرعة كبيرة، أخبرني إيكتيكي أن مدربه قال له يتعلم مني كيفية الضغط”.

وأتم: ” ما قاله الخليفي؟ إنه سعيد للغاية وأن علينا المضي قدمًا، كان يفكر بالفعل في الخطوة التالية”.