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County executives assured there will be no more compensation payments to Test-hosting counties until the issue has been discussed further

George Dobell08-Mar-2018ECB chairman Colin Graves has sought to ease the concerns of anxious county executives by assuring them there will be no more compensation payments to Test-hosting counties until the issue has been discussed further.In a chief executives’ meeting on Thursday, Graves insisted that plans for such payments had only been at draft stage and would have to have been ratified by the board before implementation. As a result of concerns raised by the counties – and most notably by the resignation from the board of Andy Nash – those plans will now be reviewed.While the mood among the counties does appear to be somewhat appeased – there is no serious talk of a vote of no confidence – there are still some awkward questions to answer. At least one club would appear to have already received a payment from the ECB, while at least two more have budgeted for it.Meanwhile, those counties concerned that the suggested compensation payments might signal a change in the long-term policy of the ECB were further alarmed by the news that the new County Partnership Agreements (the successor to Memorandums of Understanding) are likely to be bespoke to each club. While the aim of that is largely to reflect the differing needs of clubs in different parts of the country, it might also be interpreted as providing potential for a further divide between Test-hosting clubs and the rest. In the past, the ECB’s funds have been largely split on an equitable basis (with some room for performance-related bonus payments) among the counties.It has also been revealed that, at some stage in the last couple of years, Sport England expressed some concern over Graves’ position of chairman of the ECB’s new nominations committee.While the ECB has made much of the fact that its board will shortly be mostly made up of independent members, the nominations committee effectively has the opportunity to vet every prospective applicant. All other board members with affiliations to counties – the likes of Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairman, or Peter Wright, the Nottinghamshire Cricket Board chairman – are obliged to step down in May when they will be replaced by independent board members. Giles Clarke, the ECB president, is also expected to step down in May. Alan Leighton is expected, at some stage, to take over as chairman of the nominations committee.Furthermore, it has emerged that in March 2016 the ECB provided an assurance that Graves would abstain from “any vote or decision which could be deemed a conflict of duty… as is his statutory duty”.Although Graves, who was previously chairman of Yorkshire, did excuse himself from the room when the recent allocation of major matches was validated by the board, questions remain as to whether he did so on other occasions; notably when the decision to strip Durham of their Test status was approved. Graves no longer has any direct financial link to Yorkshire, though family trusts set up by him but run independently are owed £20m by the club.

Stats preview to the third Test between Australia and India in Perth

S Rajesh15-Jan-2008

Adam Gilchrist averages 66.62 at the WACA, with 533 runs from eight Tests © Getty Images
Australia’s 17th win in a row is generally being considered a fait accompli, and while the Indians might want to contest it over the next five days, there’s good reason for the home team to believe they have an excellent chance to go 3-0 ahead: in 17 Tests here since 1990, they have won 12 and lost just two, both to West Indies. During this period, they’ve averaged 43.91 runs per wicket when batting, and taken their wickets at a cost of just 25.77 each. Overall, they’ve won 20 times here in 34 Tests, with seven losses and as many draws.The other reason for the Australian optimism is the record of their rivals at this venue: India have lost both their Tests here, the last one – in 1992 – by 300 runs. In fact, all teams from the subcontinent have struggled at the WACA: out of the nine Tests played by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they have lost each and every one of them. The margins of defeat indicate the games were no-contests – apart from India’s two-wicket loss to a second-string Australian team in 1977-78, the rest have all been comprehensive victories for the home side.

Teams at Perth

Team Wins Losses Draws

Australia 20 7 7 Australia since 1990 12 2 3 India 0 2 0 Subcontinent teams 0 9 0 Most of the Australian batsmen have relished the pace and bounce in Perth. Among the current lot, five batsmen average more than 50. Matthew Hayden has been ruled out, which is just as well for the Indians: he averages more than 56 here, with a highest of 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003. The only failure has been Andrew Symonds, who has managed just 66 runs from four innings.

Australian batsmen at the WACA

Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s

Michael Hussey 2 258 86.00 1/ 2 Michael Clarke 2 200 66.67 1/ 0 Adam Gilchrist 8 533 66.62 2/ 3 Matthew Hayden 8 733 56.38 1/ 3 Ricky Ponting 11 811 54.06 1/ 6 Andrew Symonds 2 66 16.50 0/ 0 The pace and bounce here has confounded most overseas batsmen, and the table below indicates how difficult it has been for the top orders of visiting teams to string together meaningful partnerships. The average stands for three of the top four wickets for overseas sides has been less than 30 runs per wicket. The Australian batmen, however, have had no such worries, with average partnerships of more than 50 for each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth wickets.

Partnerships for each wicket at Perth since 1990, for Australia and overseas teams

For wicket Aus ave 100s/ 50s Overseas ave 100s/ 50s

1st 37.75 2/ 3 29.12 0/ 6 2nd 47.65 4/ 7 25.75 1/ 3 3rd 55.88 3/ 9 40.06 3/ 4 4th 50.68 4/ 6 22.00 0/ 3 5th 61.12 4/ 6 33.48 2/ 5 6th 56.04 4/ 3 28.56 0/ 9 The pitch here has always been known to favour pace, but the overall figures indicate that fast bowlers haven’t all done well either: since 2000, they average more than 36 per wicket. The spinners have struggled even more – each wicket has cost them 42.27.

Pace and spin at the WACA in Tests since 2000

Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM

Pace 161 36.06 64.45 7/ 0 Spin 48 42.27 77.7 2/ 0 While conditions have generally favoured pace bowling, few overseas bowlers have learnt the trick of bowling here. The Australian fast bowlers average 25 runs per wicket, but overseas bowlers concede more than twice that number per wicket. Among the 11 bowlers who have taken more than 20 Test wickets here, ten are Australian, but the only overseas bowler leads the pack: Curtly Ambrose’s 24 wickets in three Tests came at an outstanding average of 12.91, and a strike rate of less than 27 deliveries per wicket.Among the Australian bowlers in the current line-up, Brett Lee is the only one to have played more than a Test in Perth, and he has enjoyed the conditions here, taking 33 wickets in six Tests.

Australian and overseas fast bowlers at the WACA in Tests since 2000

Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM

Australian 96 25.11 53.9 4/ 0 Overseas 60 52.23 80.0 3/ 0

The tournament’s organisation has been chaotic so far, but the performances were beautiful

Neil Manthorp12-Mar-2007The final hour before the festivities began was like watching a particularly slow fielder on the third man boundary moving awkwardly towards a high, swirling catch. The ball was in the air, the clock was ticking, and you just knew he didn’t have a chance. He couldn’t. It just wasn’t going to happen.Large parts of the enormous stage used during the opening ceremony were still being constructed with an hour to go and some of the organisers were starting to panic. You knew that because they were awake, unlike many of the construction workers at Sabina Park on the other side of the island or at the Kensington Oval in Barbados where completing their shiny new stadiums really is becoming a genuine irritation to the sleeping patterns of the work force.The traffic queues getting into Trewlany’s multi-purpose Greenfields Stadium were long and very slow moving; it was a hot and steamy afternoon and the traffic officers did their best but weren’t helped by the endless stream of screaming VIP vehicles jumping the queue.Stadium and event staff had been well briefed to maintain the traditions of inflexibility and stubbornness first started by the gatemen at Lord’s over a century ago and patrons wishing to view the ceremony only just missed out on a full, rubber-gloved body search. And woe betide anyone wishing to sit in an alternative seat to the one numbered on their ticket, no matter how many empty seats there were in the vicinity.Then, finally, it started. With a marching brass band! It wasn’t immediately obvious to those of us in the stadium whether that bit was televised to the rest of the world, but it was incongruous, to say the least, in the land which gave the world Bob Marley.The speeches were short and to the point, well scripted and well delivered. Then the real show began. And what a show it was.Perhaps my enjoyment was made so complete by the presence of a colleague next to me who experienced previously unimagined levels of excitement at seeing Buju Banton sing live for the first time. And the reception that greeted Sean Paul (who, for the uninitiated, sings a form of reggae called ‘Dancehall’, I think) was greater than that which greeted Brian Lara when he swore the players oath on behalf of all 16 competing nations.The entertainment had been billed as a voyage through Jamaica’s history and culture in the form of music and dance, and that is exactly what it was•Clive Rose/Getty ImagesThe entertainment had been billed as a voyage through Jamaica’s history and culture in the form of music and dance, and that is exactly what it was. The running commentary from my friend added joyfully to the occasion and it is actually possible, remarkably, that I learnt something. I certainly learned that I am now a fan of a singer called ‘Half Pint’ although he wasn’t nearly as good as South Africa’s Lucky Dube who was as brilliant as ever, but then I am biased.’Soca’ is not, I now know, a game played between two teams of 11 involving a ball, but a dance form that requires extraordinary strength and energy. As does ‘ska’. The dancers on stilts were hilarious, and the parade of the teams worked a treat with the dulcet and familiar tones of Tony Cozier providing the introductions. Spirits rose and rose, as the did the enthusiasm of volume of the crowd. Suddenly it didn’t seem important that you had to pay over US$2 for a cup of water and it certainly didn’t matter that the stage was still being bolted together moments before the performance.The organising committee, apparently, had to make use of three local companies and eight generators to provide the power to light a stadium with no floodlights and for that alone they deserve enormous credit. Jamaica and its citizens deserve credit. It may not have happened this way, but it would appear that the Caribbean’s cricket playing islands asked themselves what it was that bound them together, apart from cricket. The answer, of course, is music and dance. So they pretty much stuck to that. And it worked. Gloriously.The fielder lurched, took a step or two in the wrong direction, over compensated and nearly tripped, but he was steady for the final, critical second with the entire match at stake and the world watching, and the ball landed as safely as a joey returning to its mother’s pouch. And the crowd rose as one, raising their arms and roaring their approval.As opening ceremonies go, it really was bloody good. Bring on the games.

Though he had calmed down somewhat after the match, Steven Smith was far from impressed when given out caught behind at a vital phase of Australia’s innings

Daniel Brettig21-Jan-2018Australia’s captain Steven Smith has called for an end to the practice of on-field umpires offering a “soft signal” to the third umpire on disputed catches, arguing that technology should be arbiter in such cases as the immediate reactions of players in the middle have often proven to be flawed.Smith was given out caught behind at a critical juncture of the third ODI in Sydney on Sunday, edging low to Jos Buttler who immediately celebrated the catch. The on-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Simon Fry then referred the catch to the TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena with the soft signal of “out”, and while replays shrouded the catch in far greater doubt, Dharmasena did not deem it to be enough to overrule the initial impression of his colleagues.In assessing the process, Smith said he felt that the umpires’ signal was often dictated by the reactions – either celebratory or ambivalent – of players in the middle, and carried too much weight relative to the evidence provided by television cameras. He said he would prefer a system where the third umpire made a ruling based purely on the pictures in front of him.”I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the ruling with the soft signal. That’s obviously the ruling at the moment and it’s hard to overturn anything,” Smith said. “We’ve seen a few this summer that have been pretty similar and if the fielder goes up and actually celebrates they usually get given out and if you’re a bit apprehensive of what’s happened they normally get given not out.”It’s hard for them to overturn the decision. I’d actually like for the third umpire to have to make the decision whether it’s out or not. Just them having to do it, if that makes sense.”The soft signal was introduced for disputed catches in part because it was felt that two dimensional camera images and foreshortening often added doubt to catches that all on the field had considered clean, meaning too many were ruled not out as a matter of course. Simon Taufel, the former ICC umpires training manager, has explained the reason for its existence by stating that umpires needed to retain the primary responsibility for decision-making.”It’s part of the decision-making process,” he told the in 2016. “If the third umpire cannot find conclusive evidence to prove that the original on-field decision is incorrect, then it stands. On-field umpires are there to make decisions and answer appeals, not simply to send them upstairs to the third umpire to take the call.”Decision making is an important skill and one that should be applied at the highest level of the game. So, the soft signal maintains the premise that the decision-making happens on field and not just left to technology to provide an outcome.”David Warner fell early in Australia’s chase•Associated PressButtler, for his part, remained adamant he had caught the ball cleanly when queried about it afterwards. “I was pretty sure it was out,” he said. “I think any wicketkeeper would tell you, you know if you get your fingers underneath it. It always looks a bit either way on TV but for me it was out.”Smith made it clear he was not questioning Buttler’s honesty: “He obviously thought it was out, he’s a pretty honest guy, so he thought it was out and it got given out so I had to walk off.”Other questions had been raised about Smith via footage that showed him rubbing the side of his lips before shining the ball during England’s innings – the use of saliva is permitted under the game’s laws but lip balm is not. “It was all spit,” Smith said. “People said something about lip balm. If you look at my lips, they’re pretty dry, I certainly didn’t have any of that on. It’s just the way I get some spit into the side of my mouth and get some spit onto the ball. So there was nothing in it.”As for Australia’s loss, surrendering the series to England in the minimum three matches, Smith said he needed to improve personally alongside a better collective effort from his men. “Five wins out of last 18 games and that’s just not good enough,” he said. “We’ve got to start finding ways to get over the line. Looking at this game I think the first 44 overs was really good and then Jos played particularly well at the end and Woakesy played well as well.”But I don’t think we executed well. We probably just needed to bowl some good balls at the top of the stumps and try to get them swinging across the line; we bowled too full or too short and got hurt. We probably should have been chasing somewhere around 270 or 280 and then if we do that things might have been a lot different.”I’ve got to play some better cricket. It was about me trying to control the middle with the spinners and keep getting off strike. Tonight I wasn’t good enough at that. I should have been up around a run a ball, it would have made things a bit easier at the back end. Not many balls were hitting the middle of my bat, which was disappointing. I don’t know what it is. Maybe I need to watch the ball a bit closer or something like that. It’s something to look at for Adelaide, hopefully I can do it a lot better and start helping this team win some games of cricket.”Fined 40% of his match fee for being deemed two overs behind the required over rate and now facing a ban for a repeat offence over the next 12 months, Smith said that he and the bowlers needed to be more disciplined in the field – no fewer than 13 wides and a no-ball effectively granted England more than two extra overs.”Yeah it’s not ideal, it’s two extra overs and 14 runs or thereabouts,” Smith said. “They’ve got to be a bit better with that as well. I think we were about 27 minutes over time as well so it’s going to cost me a bit, but I don’t mind that. It’s not ideal to have to bowl two extra overs and give away runs against a quality opposition.”

Liverpool are having more luck with injuries in comparison to last season, but one individual has suffered a setback in his fitness battle.

Who is injured for Liverpool currently?

Injuries are a huge part of football, and the Reds' 2022/23 season was hampered badly by having numerous players out of action for lengthy periods.

The likes of Luis Diaz, Ibrahima Konate and Naby Keita were high-profile absentees too often, while in 2020/21 it was even worse, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all missing many months of action.

Thankfully, those injury woes have eased in general at the moment, with Thiago continuing to be out since the summer, but the majority of the squad fit and firing.

One player has now picked up another issue, however, during what is a tough time for him.

Which Liverpool player has had a fitness setback?

According to the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle, youngster Kaide Gordon is now out for another two weeks, as his nightmare with injuries continues:

"Liverpool teenage winger Kaide Gordon has suffered another injury setback having made his long-awaited return to action earlier this month. But his latest issue is not related to the pelvic problem linked to his physical growth that sidelined the youngster for more than 18 months.

"Gordon made his first competitive outing at any level since February 2022 when coming off the bench during the closing quarter of the under-21s' 4-1 Premier League 2 defeat at home to Middlesbrough on September 3. However, the winger – who only turns 19 next month – subsequently rolled his ankle and is now expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks.

"While the issue is not regarded as serious, it is particularly untimely with Gordon having just finally started to regain match sharpness after his lengthy time out."

This is a cruel setback for Gordon, even if his absence should only be short-term, with the 18-year-old going through a dreadful period through injury in the past 18 months or so.

Having burst onto the scene as a prodigiously gifted 16-year-old, becoming the second-youngest goalscorer in Liverpool's history after scoring in the FA Cup in January 2022, the attacker has seen his progress stunted significantly through some awful luck.

While others such as Harvey Elliott and Ben Doak have been able to kick on, he has had to sit and watch his chances of becoming a genuine part of Jurgen Klopp's squad slowly evaporate, having been hailed as "great" by Van Dijk in the past.

Time is still clearly on Gordon's side given his age, but he needs to hit the ground running when he does make his return, with the squad depth in attack arguably at an all-time high at Anfield, with some world-class faces to choose between.

The hope is that the teenage Englishman is back on the pitch as soon as possible, though, potentially getting some minutes at youth level and then making the step up over time. A loan move in January could even be beneficial, allowing him more regular time on the pitch.

New Zealand A lost six wickets for nine runs to be bowled out for 143 and despite a top-order stutter, India A had little trouble chasing down the target

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2017
ScorecardKarn Sharma continued his rich form against New Zealand A•BCCILegspinner Karn Sharma extended his dominance over New Zealand A into the List A format with a five-for that helped India A take a 1-0 lead in the five-match one-day series. Karn, who had taken 16 wickets in the two four-dayers against New Zealand A, took 5 for 22 to limit the opposition to 143 in the third match in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Despite a top-order slump, India A completed the chase with six wickets and more than 25 overs to spare.New Zealand A had a promising start after opting to bat first, with George Worker and Colin Munro adding 39 by the eighth over. Both, however, were out within a short span and two more wickets left New Zealand A at 97 for 4. Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme attempted something of a repair job with a partnership of 37 for the fifth wicket but it took only eight overs for the rest of New Zealand A’s innings to unravel. Nicholls was dismissed for 35 in the 31st over and his wicket began a slide that saw New Zealand A lose six wickets for merely nine runs. Karn was central to this slide, taking four of the six wickets in consecutive overs, including those of Nicholls and de Grandhomme. Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and allrounder Deepak Hooda took three wickets between them to wipe out the rest of the line-up.India A’s top three were all dismissed for single digits but Shreyas Iyer, Vijay Shankar (47 not out) and Hooda (35 not out) ensured they reached the target comfortably. Iyer, who had struck 90 in the tied match on Tuesday, made 37 off 36 before Hooda and Shankar completed the chase with a 57-run partnership.

Lionel Messi mania at Inter Miami remains in full swing, with the MLS franchise now said to be valued at $1 billion (£787m).

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Argentine icon moved to the States in 2023Made an immediate impact on & off the pitchOnly four MLS teams in the $1 billion clubWHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner moved to the United States as a free agent in 2023 after reaching the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain. Within weeks of his arrival, Inter Miami were celebrating a historic Leagues Cup triumph. They also reached the U.S. Open Cup final before coming unstuck against the Houston Dynamo.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Herons were unable to reach the MLS play-offs, as Messi picked up an untimely injury, but positive progress continues to be made on and off the field. They now have a marketing dream at their disposal, with co-owner David Beckham and the club’s board making the most of that.

DID YOU KNOW?

A first international tour is being taken in at the start of 2024 – which includes a meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr – and claims that the club has joined the $1 billion club. Only four MLS sides are said to have hit that mark, with the others being LAFC at $1.15billion (£903m), Atlanta United on $1.05billion (£825m) and the $1 billion (£787m) valued LA Galaxy.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?

Nobody gets close to Inter Miami when it comes to annual value increase, as they surge by 74%, with LAFC only up by 28%. In 2023, the Florida-based franchise sat 10th on the MLS chart, but the presence of Argentine all-time great Messi at DRV PNK Stadium has seen them soar up the rankings.

Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta by extension are "expected" to battle for a "unique" player who's already professed his admiration for the club.

Who have Arsenal signed 2023?

Edu and Gunners transfer chiefs sought to bring in a quartet of new arrivals over the 2023 summer transfer window' spending north of £200 million on the signings of club-record capture Declan Rice, defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya

It was a real statement of intent and show of ambition as Arsenal seek to challenge last season's treble-winners, Man City, for the Premier League title once again. The north London side came pretty close last term, but injuries to the likes of William Saliba resulted in a drop-off as City eventually ran away with the domestic crown.

Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga all made way to balance the books, with the aforementioned departing either temporarily or on a permanent basis.

While Arsenal have started the season with some promise, Arteta will be unhappy to have dropped points in two of their opening six matches already. 2-2 draws at home to both Fulham and arch rivals Tottenham mean Pep Guardiola's imperious City side currently sit four points above them in the table.

However, Arsenal do remain unbeaten; joining Spurs, Liverpool and Man City as the only top flight sides who are still yet to suffer a single defeat.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

While the club significantly invested in bolstering their squad ahead of this season, Arsenal didn't manage to secure the services of a world class centre-forward. Havertz was instead brought in as a makeshift option but hasn't quite done enough to impress on-lookers thus far, having been subject to fierce criticism at times.

As a result, it is believed they're eyeing up a new striker for the winter window, and one player to be repeatedly linked is Brentford's Ivan Toney. The Englishman, who is currently serving a ban for gambling breaches, is on Arsenal's radar with a report from broadcast giant ESPN sharing the latest.

According to their information, Arsenal are "expected" to test Brentford's resolve in keeping Toney this January. Edu and co are believed to be real fans of the forward as they weigh up mid-season attacking options.

ESPN add that Toney could cost as much as £80 million, but the player has previously lifted the lid on his admiration for Arsenal."The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club," he said to the Diary of a CEO podcast last month. "I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life… But from young, I've liked Arsenal. I've liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are."

Toney scored 20 league goals in 33 appearances last season, with Brentford boss Thomas Frank also calling him a "unique" and "amazing" player.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said. “The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

There were a few catches put down during the record-breaking T20 at Eden Park, but one very valuable one was taken

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2018There were a few catches put down during the record-breaking T20 at Eden Park, but one very valuable one was taken.Mitchell Grimstone, a 20-year-old student, earned himself NZD50,000 courtesy of a local drinks sponsor when he leaned over the railing at deep midwicket to pluck Ross Taylor’s penultimate-ball six out of the air with his left hand.His reaction was priceless (or, well, worth 50K) as he was mobbed by those next to him in the stands.”I’m not left-handed,” he said. “But somehow I put it there and it stuck, and then everyone was jumping over me.”After the match, Taylor also presented him with his gloves and the match ball while offering congratulations.Having had a major boost to his bank balance, it’s probably a good thing Grimstone is studying accounting at university.

Congratulations Mitch on a great catch and 50k Enjoy my gloves and the match ball #tuicatchamillion #blackcaps #nzvaus

A post shared by Ross Taylor (@rossltaylor3) on Feb 16, 2018 at 2:25am PST

United States women's national team star Emily Fox has signed for Arsenal, leaving the North Carolina Courage after a superb year with the NWSL club.

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USWNT star Fox announced by ArsenalLeaves North Carolina Courage after one yearAdds necessary depth to the Gunners' defenceWHAT HAPPENED?

Fox was fantastic for the Courage in 2023 to help the club reach the NWSL play-offs, making GOAL's team of the season as a result, but she has left the club after just one year to sign for Arsenal in the Women's Super League. It's a move that has been rumoured for some time, with several reports emerging about the transfer before Fox was spotted in the background of the Gunners' training photos earlier this week.

AdvertisementWHAT FOX SAID

Speaking upon the announcement of the move, Fox said: "It feels amazing to have signed here. When I think of Arsenal, I think of excellence, I think of a global organization, I think of family. I think of pushing the standards of football and especially in the women’s game. It’s a huge honour to get the opportunity to represent this club and I’m excited to get started and play in front of our supporters."

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall added: "We’re delighted to bring Emily to Arsenal and I’m sure our supporters will join me in welcoming her to our club. Emily has shown impressive development over recent seasons and her strengths in both phases will make her an important addition to our squad. At international level, the experience she’s built up gives her an excellent foundation to make the transition to English football."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Fox, who can play on either side of the defence, will add necessary depth to the Arsenal squad in the full-back department as the Gunners battle for the WSL title. Right-back Noelle Maritz joined Aston Villa earlier this month while Laura Wienroither remains sidelined with an ACL injury she suffered at the end of last season. That said, Arsenal will lose Fox for several weeks when the USWNT compete in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, which kicks off on February 20.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Fox debuted for her country back in 2018, when she was still in college, and will become the third USWNT star to play for Arsenal in the WSL era, following in the footsteps of Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath.