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Oleksandr Zinchenko admits Arsenal’s squad were left in “deep shock” after a bizarre stunt set up by Mikel Arteta saw him “destroyed” by a waiter.

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Unconventional approach from Gunners bossHad pickpockets steal from players at trainingGot undercover freestyler to face Ukraine starFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Gunners boss Arteta has become famed for the unconventional methods that he adopts in a bid to sharpen the focus of his players and get them performing at the peak of their powers. His decision to blast out ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ at training ahead of a trip to Liverpool was caught on camera by Amazon Prime for their ‘All or Nothing’ documentary series.

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It has since been revealed that Arteta once brought a group of professional pickpockets into the Arsenal camp and encouraged them to swipe valuables from oblivious Premier League stars. A collection of watches and wallets were returned to the shocked victims.

GettyWHAT ZINCHENKO SAID

Zinchenko has now told of how he was set up by Arteta during a pre-match meal, with his club colleagues left stunned. The Ukraine international has said: “We stayed at the same hotel before a match and we knew all the waiters. But there was a new guy that day. So before we go to the stadium [Arteta] said: ‘OK guys, let me wake you up, because we need energy. Last time, Alex, we played staff against players and you beat [the set-piece coach] Nicolas [Jover]. Let’s do it the same, but freestyling. Everyone was like: ‘What? For sure, Alex will beat him, blah blah blah’.

“Nico started to do something with the ball and then suddenly it looks like he got an injury. It was so obvious but weird. Then they called the new waiter. We didn’t know he was a professional freestyler. He destroyed me with his tricks and all of us were in deep shock. But then we were all laughing and we went to the game with good energy.”

WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

While Arteta’s methods may not be plucked from a standard coaching manual, they are clearly working as Arsenal have become regular challengers for the Premier League title. They are back in that hunt this season, but will be looking for a positive response to a disappointing setback at Bournemouth when they return to Champions League action against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

The South Africa speedster put in an all-round show on Test debut

Namooh Shah27-Dec-20241 With his 4 for 63 and an unbeaten 81, Corbin Bosch became the first player from South Africa to pick up a four-wicket haul and make a fifty-plus score on Test debut. Overall, he is the 16th player to do so.1 Dane Paterson and Bosch recorded the first instance for South Africa of two of their pacers claiming four-plus wicket hauls in a Test innings after coming in as first change or later. Overall, this was only the seventh such instance in Test cricket.Related

'Someone needs to pinch me' – Bosch and Paterson script their own fairy-tales

Pakistan lose their way after Bosch bash hands South Africa advantage

3 Paterson and Bosch shared nine wickets between them in the first innings, while Marco Jansen took the last, leaving Kagiso Rabada wicketless for only the third time in 69 Test innings at home.81 not out by Bosch in South Africa’s first innings is now the highest by any player while batting at No. 9 on Test debut. Milan Rathnayake’s 72 was the previous highest, which came against England in Manchester earlier this year.46 balls taken by Bosch to score a fifty is the second-fastest by a South African on Test debut, second only to Dave Nourse’s 40-ball fifty against Australia in 1902.18 innings by Babar Azam without a fifty-plus score since January 2023. He is the only specialist batter in the list with those who have played more that 15 innings.

Stand-in England captain John Stones has revealed that he has been left "absolutely gutted" by his country's defeat to Greece.

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Stones wore armband in absence of Harry KaneFirst-ever defeat to GreecePlayers mourn George Baldock Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Stones wore the captain's armband as England lost 2-1 to Greece in farcical circumstances on Thursday evening. Having seemingly rescued a 1-1 draw late on through Jude Bellingham's equaliser, Greece won the game in injury time as Vangelis Pavlidis scored with seconds remaining. The victory was a hugely emotionally-charged one for Greece, because team-mate George Baldock tragically died on Wednesday.

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England were stunned by the Greek performance and Stones has now admitted that the Three Lions' opponents were facing a remarkably difficult evening, after the death of their team-mate.

WHAT STONES SAID

Stones said: “On a personal note, absolutely gutted.

“First time with the armband, and a result like this. It’s hard to put into words to be honest after every emotion yesterday, today we prepared how we normally do and it didn’t come off so it’s just a shame it was on a night like this.

“We have got to give credit to them, from the start they put us right under pressure. We found it difficult to come out from the back, and play our normal football to break the lines. They were very compact so it was disappointing from us.”

He added: "For everyone in the dressing room and The FA, condolences to his family.

"A few of the boys were close to him. We knew it wasn't an easy day for them. (England reserve goalkeeper) Dean Henderson was close to him, it wasn't easy for him with that news."

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England play Finland this weekend and will be desperate to put this defeat behind them as they look to get back to winning ways.

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2024Update: This poll has ended. Virat Kohli’s performance goes into the quarter-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdAnil Kumble bowled 88.5 overs and took 12 wickets at the SCG•William West/AFPAnil Kumble – 8-141 & 4-138 in Sydney, 2004Match drawn, series drawn 1-1Anil Kumble’s match-winning ability was unquestionable at home but he hadn’t earned a similar reputation overseas. This Australia tour was an opportunity to improve that aspect of his game. Having started the tour on the bench, he replaced an injured Harbhajan Singh in the second Test. By the time the final match began at the SCG, with the series level 1-1, Kumble had bowled the most overs by an Indian bowler and taken a five-for in the famous win in Adelaide.In Sydney, after India posted 705 in the first innings, Kumble bowled 46.5 overs to pick up 8 for 141, his second-best haul after his perfect ten, and give India a lead of 231, which they extended to 442 before declaring late on the fourth day.Bowling another 42 overs in Australia’s second innings, Kumble went on to take 4 for 138 – his match-haul of 12 was his best overseas – but India were only able to take six wickets in total, falling agonisingly short of what would have been their maiden series win down under.By Shashank KishoreWatch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from October 25 onwards.Virat Kohli was batting on another level in Perth 2018•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesVirat Kohli – 123 in Perth, 2018India lost by 146 runs, series level 1-1Virat Kohli was already one of India’s greatest batters before 2018. He stepped up to an even more rarefied level that year, scoring 1322 runs at an average of 55.08 over 24 innings, of which 22 were played in South Africa, England and Australia.Conditions in all three tours were hard on batters, but the more challenging they became, the more Kohli seemed to relish them. When he walked in to bat in Perth, everything must have looked familiar. India had lost the toss and conceded a bigger total than they should have, bowling well but not without spells of releasing pressure. Then they lost early wickets.In similar circumstances, Kohli had scored 153 at Centurion and 149 at Edgbaston. Now, from 8 for 2, he proceeded to play an even better innings. This was a proper trampoline of a pitch, and Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were routinely getting the ball to rear throat-high from just back of a length. Kohli negotiated the vertical threat expertly, though not without suffering blows to his arm and ribs, but the standout feature of his innings was how well he dealt with Australia’s attempts to sucker him with full balls after pushing him back.Almost every time there was an opportunity to drive, he did so pristinely, down the ground or through the covers with a decisive front-foot stride. A 20th century version of this list would have undoubtedly contained Sachin Tendulkar’s 114 in Perth in 1992. Kohli’s innings came at Perth Stadium and not the WACA, and just as the new ground seamlessly carried forward the old one’s legacy of pace and bounce, a new master had carried forward an old master’s legacy.Karthik Krishnaswamy

The 37-year old ICC Elite Panel umpire says pressure situations bring the best out of him

Press Trust of India02-Apr-2021Umpire Nitin Menon, who officiated in matches across formats in the recently-concluded India-England series, has said that pressure situations bring the best out of him, and feels form matters for umpires as much as it does for players.The 37-year-old was inducted into the ICC Elite Panel of umpires in June last year but had to wait till this February for his first major assignment. With the pandemic forcing the ICC to appoint local umpires in a bilateral series, Menon officiated in all four Tests besides three of the five T20s and all three ODIs. Menon was lauded for his consistency in his decision-making during the Test series: he had a success rate of 83.87% for on-field decisions, with 26 of 31 reviews against him struck down.”The last two months have been great,” Menon was quoted as saying by PTI. “It gives one great satisfaction when people notice and appreciate your good work. This series was always going to be a very challenging one because of the hype associated with it – a place in the World Test Championship final at stake, both teams coming back from impressive overseas wins, challenging pitches to officiate on.

“Like players, umpires also have form. I always feel that when in good form, I should do the maximum number of games without any break.”Nitin Menon

“As for the white-ball series, it was between the two top-ranked teams in the world. Taking all these factors into consideration, I am pleased that we did well as an umpiring team,” he said.In a normal scenario, Menon won’t get to officiate in back-to-back games over two months. So, how did he cope up with high pressure scenarios match after match? “I believe umpiring is all about mental toughness,” he said. “More the pressure better is the focus. If we can give our best performances when we are under pressure, that is the true reflection of how strong we are mentally. It’s not new for me to officiate in back-to-back matches, thanks to the amount of domestic cricket organised in India. On an average, we do eight four-day first-class games on the trot in Ranji Trophy, with travel in between from one venue to another.”Even in the IPL, we do around 14-16 games without a break, so all this experience has really helped me in this series. Like players, umpires also have form. I always feel that when in good form, I should do the maximum number of games without any break.”After two months of non-stop umpiring, Menon got only a couple of days at home before he left for Chennai ahead of the IPL. The bubble life has been tough on the players and Menon said it is equally challenging for the match officials.”It is very challenging. It is tougher on off days because we cannot go out of the hotel. This is where having a good team atmosphere becomes crucial. We are like a family in the bubble. We have to look after each other, make sure our colleagues are in the right frame of mind, help them out, meet as often as possible and spend time together.”

“Leave the football before the football leaves you” was the message that Jamie Carragher handed to Manchester United midfielder Casemiro in early 2024.

It was one of the aggressive forms of criticism we’ve seen on Sky Sports in recent years and it was arguably deserved.

The Brazilian was one of the best midfielders in the world at Real Madrid. He was a serial winner, a Champions League legend.

At Old Trafford, however, his career has started to wane. Who could forget Casemiro’s tired and laboured display against Crystal Palace at the back end of 2023/24?

He was dribbled past a remarkable eight times during that game. For no context, no player in the whole of that Premier League campaign was dribbled past on more occasions in one match.

Since then, however, Casemiro has enjoyed something of a revival under Ruben Amorim in 2025/26. Long gone are the days of Erik ten Hag fielding the veteran at centre-half. He looks like a proper midfielder again.

The Brazil international has been one of United’s most consistent players this term, scoring three goals and supplying an assist. Yet, that should not distract supporters from the fact that he is still a problem.

He’s now 33 years of age and cannot be trusted to play for 90 minutes. Because of that, the transfer chiefs at United are considering launching a big-money move for a new midfielder in 2026.

The search for a Casemiro heir at Man United

While many problems linger in the air at Old Trafford, the biggest arguably lies at wing-back and in the centre of midfield.

United bolstered their attacking line significantly in the summer with the additions of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha but the midfield went untouched. That needs to change in January or next summer.

There are three players who appear to be at the forefront of their minds. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson would appear to be the dream target but he is also being chased by rivals Manchester City and could cost a fortune.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is another long-term target and could finally make his big move in 2026. He gave Casemiro the runaround during United’s 2-1 win on Sunday. Samuel Luckhurst noted that the Brazilian looked “haunted” by his experience at Selhurst Park just a couple of years ago.

The other target is Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba but his form has taken a downturn in 2025/26 and he doesn’t look like a player worthy of a previous £100m price tag.

Touches

48

Accurate passes

23/29 (79%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

1/3

Shots

1

Tackles won

3/3

Interceptions

1

Clearances

2

Recoveries

7

Duels won

5/7

Anderson and Wharton would be the ideal solution to United’s woes and according to the numbers, it’s the former who should be the priority target.

He’s a bigger threat in the final third but he doesn’t shirk his defensive duties. He’s won more duels and made more ball recoveries per 90 minutes this season than his England colleague. According to Thomas Tuchel, he’s “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”.

Yet, what if United had already signed their answer to Wharton and Baleba?

Man United have found their own Wharton and Baleba

United have taken a vested interest in improving their youth ranks since INEOS completed their takeover of the club.

Towards the beginning of 2025 they signed young Malian midfielder Sekou Kone in a bargain deal and while he is yet to appear for the first-team just yet, he has endured an injury-hit first few months at Carrington and looks a real superstar in the making.

There is also left wing-back Diego Leon, the young defender who looks well set to replace either Patrick Dorgu or Diogo Dalot in that position before too long.

The latest talent who looks set to arrive is a 17-year-old midfielder by the name of Cristian Orozco.

It was reported last week that United were set to complete a move to sign the teenager, with Orozco flying to the UK over the weekend to formalise a $1m move from Colombian side Fortaleza.

So, who is the budding youngster? Well, he’s notably been compared to both Casemiro and Moises Caicedo. Already it’s clear to see why comparisons are also being made to Baleba, the man Brighton actually tasked with replacing Caicedo at the Amex.

Having captained Colombia at U17 level, he already boasts natural leadership skills but it’s his skillset in and out of possession that makes him so exciting.

Como scout Ben Mattinson has outlined that Orozco is capable of ‘controlling the game from deep in midfield’. His best attributes are his press resistance and footwork to turn past defenders, while he’s ‘so composed under pressure’ and is capable of ‘recycling possession’ superbly well.

On that evidence, it’s easy to see why comparisons to Wharton are being made. The Palace midfielder is one of the most press-resistant midfielders in the English top-flight and that was clear for all to see when he supplied the pass that led to Palace’s penalty on Sunday. He evaded his marker with ease and then picked out a punchy forward pass.

Orozco, however, isn’t just about making things look pretty. Further labelled as “a midfield destroyer with leadership maturity far beyond his age” by one analyst on social media, he also brings the best of Baleba who is more defensively minded than Wharton.

United’s new signing is unlikely to provide them with too much threat in the final third but like Wharton he’ll evade the press and manoeuvre the ball nicely. Like Baleba, he’s also capable of sitting in front of the defence and breaking up play.

The teenager certainly isn’t ready for first-team football just yet but INEOS could well save themselves a fortune in the transfer market here.

Not just Zirkzee: Man Utd star who was a "waste of time" is now undroppable

This Man Utd player starred in their 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace

1 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 30, 2025

He ends his career as the all-time leading scorer for Netherlands in List A cricket

Peter Della Penna15-Feb-2021Wesley Barresi, a staple of the Netherlands batting order throughout the 2010s, has retired from all forms of cricket at the age of 36. Barresi was one of the national team’s most unsung heroes for his role in numerous memorable wins over Test nations, and took to social media to formally end his career.”I’ve been incredibly privileged to not only participate in three cricket world cups, represent a country and achieve some memorable feats but more importantly I’ve had the pleasure of doing this for 18 years!” Barresi posted over Twitter on Monday. “The world of cricket doesn’t quite understand the sacrifice, dedication and self motivation that goes into being an ‘associate cricketer’. I look back at some of those glorious memories and know we did it all on our own.”Born in Johannesburg, Barresi made four first-class appearances for the Easterns in 2004 and 2005 before making his national team debut for Netherlands against Canada in Rotterdam in July 2009. He wound up making 18 first-class appearances in the ICC Intercontinental Cup for them, scoring 608 runs.Barresi had a much better output in limited-overs cricket. He ended his career as the all-time leading scorer for Netherlands in List A cricket with 2871 runs in 109 matches with two centuries and 19 half-centuries. He made his ODI debut in July 2010 against Scotland at World Cricket League Division One on home soil.

Wesley Barresi, who announced his retirement today, made a fluent half-century against West Indies, in the 2018 ICC Men's @cricketworldcup Qualifier.

Re-watch the Netherlands batsman's innings: pic.twitter.com/6IUwMCDS0m

— ICC (@ICC) February 15, 2021