Arsenal’s Hale End academy is quickly becoming recognised as one of the best youth systems in the country.

It’s an academy set-up to have produced Jack Wilshere, to have brought through Emile Smith Rowe and to have nurtured Bukayo Saka.

The stable of talent they have coming through isn’t slowing down either with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly both becoming huge parts of Mikel Arteta’s first-team this season.

15-year-old Max Dowman is also making a huge impression for the U18s this term and has already become a household name among Arsenal supporters despite not making his senior debut yet.

Nwaneri – who made his bow at the same age – has understandably been collecting most of the hype this season. Only Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen scored more goals for a Premier League club in all competitions before turning 18 than the talented Arsenal gem.

He’s not the only one to have replicated their feats this term.

Myles Lewis-Skelly's England debut in numbers

When Thomas Tuchel announced his first England squad a little over a week ago, there were some notable surprises.

Jordan Henderson, now of Ajax, was back in the squad. There was a place for Marcus Rashford too. Yet, Lewis-Skelly’s inclusion wasn’t that much of a shock.

After all, his performances since making his first-team debut last September have been nothing short of incredible.

A midfielder by trade, the 18-year-old has played as a left-back, inverting into central pockets of space and driving forward with the ball. He’s been here, there and everywhere, something symbolised by his only club goal to date, a gorgeous curling effort against Manchester City. We all remember the celebration.

Well, if he needed to make another statement to the doubters over his qualities, he did so on his England debut, a 2-0 win over Albania on Friday night.

Lewis-Skelly started at left-back and scored the first goal of the Tuchel era, racing in behind to get on the end of a quite delicious ball from Jude Bellingham, before nutmegging the goalkeeper. Only the aforementioned Owen and Rooney have been younger when scoring England goals.

His interview with clubmate Declan Rice after the game was lovely, with the Arsenal midfielder hailing him as a “fearless” talent.

The goal wasn’t the only impressive part of the teenager’s game, as the numbers below suggest.

It’s been quite the rise for the Arsenal teen this season. He’s featured on 26 occasions for the first team in 2024/25 and as Rice says, this is only the beginning.

Minutes played

89

Touches

87

Accurate passes

69/74 (93%)

Key passes

0

Duels won

3/3

Possession lost

7x

Fouled

2x

Successful dribbles

1/1

Arsenal will just hope his career doesn’t go in the same direction as another of Hale End’s best talents.

What happened to Arsenal's original Myles Lewis-Skelly

Through every academy there are thousands of players who never quite made the grade, eventually falling out of football.

For plenty, they stay in football but end up in the football league. Then, you have the elite, the players who do make the grade, graduating out of the academy and thriving at the top level.

For Ainsley Maitland-Niles, that story is certainly true. A midfielder by trade – like Lewis-Skelly – he made his debut for the senior side on 9th December 2014.

It was a Champions League tie with Galatasaray where Arsene Wenger introduced the teenager into the action as a substitute for Aaron Ramsey.

He was just 17 years and 102 days old, making him the second youngest player to have represented the club in the Champions League, behind Jack Wilshere. His future looked bright.

Right midfield

95

Right-back

79

Central midfield

52

Defensive midfield

30

Left-back

26

Left midfield

22

Centre-back

3

Attacking midfield

2

However, with a number of top midfielders in his way, the spritely academy graduate ended up playing more as a wing-back or full-back. You can see where we’re heading here with the Lewis-Skelly comparisons.

He even made his England debut at left-back, appearing in that position due to injuries elsewhere.

However, while Maitland-Niles looked like he had huge potential, he was never hugely keen on establishing himself as a full-back and wanted to play in midfield.

Indeed, upon heading on loan to West Brom in 2021, Sam Allardyce noted: “The problem with Ainsley is his position. His only position that he wants to play is centre midfield. The reason he came to West Brom – which he forced through – Edu and Arteta didn’t want him to come, was because I said he’d play in midfield.”

Well, with that in mind, his future was never going to be at Arsenal under the current manager. In the summer of 2023, his contract expired and he left on a free transfer. Lyon came calling where, coincidentally, he’s still playing as a full-back.

During his debut campaign in France, he made 29 appearances, catching the eye with two goals and four assists while this term, the 27-year-old has played 34 times, scoring one and supplying five assists.

His numbers and overall performances in Ligue 1 have actually seen calls for an England inclusion, with French football expert Matt Spiro commenting in December: “Ainsley Maitland-Niles should now be in the conversation [for England]. He’s playing the best football of his career with Lyon.”

So, while things didn’t pan out as he would have hoped at the Emirates, it’s nice to see Arsenal’s original Lewis-Skelly thriving elsewhere.

Arsenal starlet was ahead of Nwaneri & Lewis-Skelly, then he left for £1m

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are two of the finest talents to emerge from the Arsenal academy.

ByMatt Dawson Mar 23, 2025

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared a “really important” update on Aston Villa and their chances of signing Marcus Rashford permanently this summer, with the England international currently enjoying a new lease of life under Unai Emery.

Marcus Rashford praised since joining Aston Villa

After being left out in the cold by Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford, the 27-year-old opted to pursue a different club in January.

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Rashford was linked with a Man United exit for months, before Villa eventually took the bait and signed him on loan with an option to buy for around £40 million – a move which NSWE and Monchi will be overjoyed with.

Since putting pen to paper on a temporary move to the Midlands, Rashford has worked his way back into the England fold with four assists from nine appearances in all competitions and some truly impactful performances.

Player

Average match rating

Youri Tielemans

7.05

Marcus Rashford

6.96

Morgan Rogers

6.83

Tyrone Mings

6.80

Marco Asensio

6.79

“The Holte End have a new hero,” said Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp after Rashford’s excellent substitute appearance in a 2-1 win over Chelsea.

“That sub made all the difference. He was fantastic. Rashford came on, he gave energy, enthusiasm, everything we want to see from him. The running, the desire… he was excellent. He gave them that impetus to put Chelsea on the back foot.

“Right now, he looks like he is loving every second of it. He’s involved, he’s showing enthusiasm – all the things that were thrown at him at Man Utd, he is now doing the opposite. And he’s got sweat on his face and he’s not jogging around like ‘I don’t want to be here’. He looks like he wants to be in that claret and blue shirt.”

His impressive form means Villa could even face competition from the likes of Bayern Munich for Rashford’s signature this summer, even if Emery’s side possess an option to trigger his buy clause.

Fabrizio Romano shares "really important" Marcus Rashford update

Now, speaking on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness, respected reporter Romano has shared an update on Villa’s plans to sign Rashford permanently.

He claims that Villa’s finances will be “really important” in determining whether they’ll trigger the £40m buy option, but in any case, the journalist expects him to remain beyond 2024/25.

“Aston Villa are very happy with Marcus Rashford in general,” said Romano.

“So I don’t think, in any case, if they decided to trigger the £40m option clause, I don’t think they would do that just to sell the player again.

“So in that case, I see Marcus Rashford staying at Aston Villa and having the opportunity to make something long-term with the club. What I can say about Marcus Rashford is that it’s going to be really important to understand financially what happens for Aston Villa.

“So now they’re obviously really focused on the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and to see what happens in the Premier League table from now to the end of the season. That’s going to be obviously really important, and then we will have to see financially.”

Manchester United face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium later on tonight, looking to build on the Europa League triumph over Real Sociedad on Thursday evening.

Ruben Amorim’s side are looking to make it four games unbeaten in the Premier League, after two draws and a win against Everton, Arsenal and Ipswich Town, respectively.

It will be the fourth time the two sides have met throughout 2024/25, with the Red Devils winning the other league clash this campaign with victories in the Carabao and FA Cup.

However, the manager may have some selection decisions to make if they are to extend their unbeaten run, helping end the season on a high after enduring a dismal campaign to date.

He will certainly be without one player for the trip to the East Midlands, with one first-team regular currently serving a suspension after picking up a red card a couple of weeks ago.

Patrick Dorgu’s suspension for Leicester City

Left-back Patrick Dorgu impressed massively during the win over Real Sociedad, looking like the player they decided to splash £30m on in the January transfer window.

However, the 20-year-old won’t be available for the clash with the Foxes this evening, serving the second of his three-game ban for his straight red card received in the win over Ipswich.

The Dane missed the clash with Arsenal last week, but his absence may be felt more tonight, given his impressive showing against the Spanish outfit a couple of days ago.

With Luke Shaw still out injured and Tyrell Malacia spending the remainder of the campaign out on loan, options are limited within the defensive department.

As a result, Amorim could look to start one player in an unfamiliar role, looking to follow in the footsteps of one player who previously impressed in his new position.

The player who could solve Amorim’s wing-back dilemma

Amad Diallo hasn’t featured since the last clash with the Foxes at the start of February, potentially missing the rest of the campaign with an ankle issue.

However, before his setback, Amorim often utilised the Ivorian in a slightly deeper wing-back role rather than his preferred attacking position, managing to get the best out of the youngster in the process.

The 22-year-old has managed to register 12 combined goals and assists since the former Sporting CP boss’s appointment, thriving with added minutes in the first team.

However, Amorim could look to replicate such success by unleashing Alejandro Garnacho in a similar position on the opposite flank, potentially allowing the Argentine to spark into life under the new manager.

The 20-year-old has only registered four combined goal contributions this calendar year, struggling to adapt to Amorim’s demands of operating in a more central role rather than his preferred wide position.

Whilst it may seem like a far-fetched idea, the young “game-changer” – as described by journalist Samuel Luckhurst – has all of the tools to operate in such a role, having the energy to get up and down the line, with his stats showing the impact he can have at both ends.

In the Premier League throughout 2024/25, Garnacho has averaged 1.1 successful dribbles and created 1.3 chances per 90 – showcasing the impact he can have when marauding into forward areas.

Games played

27

Goals & assists

4

Pass accuracy

83%

Successful dribbles

1.1

Chances created

1.3

Duels won

4.1

Tackle success rate

65%

He’s also won 4.1 duels per 90, along with a 65% tackle success rate, having the defensive capabilities to regain possession should he need to when the side are without the ball.

Given the form of Amad in a similar position, it could be a great opportunity for the manager to start the academy graduate in a new role – offering added versatility to the side in the process.

Leicester’s lowly league standing could allow for one or two risks to be taken, with Amorim having the perfect chance to work his magic by utilising an attacker in a wing-back role, which could get the best out of his game after a stuttering few months.

Man Utd have hit gold on "phenomenal" ace who cost even less than Heaven

Manchester United have hit the jackpot on one player who signed for less than Ayden Heaven.

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كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، عن أول قرار سيتخذه عماد النحاس، المدير الفني المؤقت للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، تجاه أحمد عبد القادر، والذي لم يسمح له المدرب السابق خوسيه ريبيرو بأن يشارك في التدريبات الجماعية.

وقال شوبير عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الأربعاء: “أنا قلت من أول يوم تم منع أحمد عبد القادر من المران الجماعي، إن هذا قرار ظالم، وأن منعه من التدريب أمر مستحيل وحرام وخطأ كبير، أي لاعب أنهى تجربة احتراف وجاء إلى النادي، كيف يتم منعه من النزول إلى التدريبات؟ هذا لا يجوز على الإطلاق”.

وتابع: “من حقه الطبيعي والمنطقي أن يتدرب ويكون موجودًا بشكل عادي جدًا في المران، أنا كلاعب وقّعت عقدًا مع النادي، والعقد يعني أنني لاعب كرة قدم، لا لاعب جيمانيزيوم أو لاعب رفع أثقال، هذا غير منطقي وغير مقبول”.

طالع أيضًا | شوبير: قرار واحد فاجأني في جهاز الأهلي الجديد.. وترشيح غير متوقع لمدرب الحراس

وأضاف: “وأزيدكم من الشعر بيتًا.. الكابتن محمد يوسف حاول مرة واثنين وثلاث مع ريبيرو لإعادة أحمد عبد القادر إلى المران، لكن الأخير كان رافضًا تمامًا”.

وواصل: “أريد أن أقول شيئًا مهمًا.. اللاعبون الذين تم التعاقد معهم – وهم نجوم كبار – لم يكونوا موفقين، بينما أحمد عبد القادر حين شارك حصل على فرصته ونجح وقدم أداءً جيدًا، سواء بتسجيل الأهداف أو صناعتها أو بتغيير شكل الفريق، وهذا في حد ذاته نجاح للجهاز الفني”.

واختتم: “لذلك، أنا لا أتمنى فقط، بل واثق أن أول قرار سيتخذه عماد النحاس هو عودة أحمد عبد القادر للتدريب مع الفريق، أنا واثق لأن هذه هي مدرسة عماد النحاس. وإن لم يفعل ذلك، سأكون قد أخطأت تمامًا في تقديراتي وتوقّعاتي، وكانت كلها خاطئة”.

The India captain however is proud of his team and wants to take all the learnings further into his career

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2024

India’s captain Uday Saharan felt that a few rash shots by the batters, coupled with their inability to spend any significant length of time at the crease, were the main reasons behind the team falling short in the final of the Under-19 World Cup.”It was fine. We played a few shots and couldn’t spend some time on the surface,” Saharan said after India went down by 79 runs to hand Australia their fourth title. “We were prepared for it but we couldn’t execute well. That is where we went wrong.”Australia, after electing to bat, rode on Harjas Singh’s fifty and a useful cameo in the death by Oliver Peake to post 253 for 8 from their 50 overs. This was the highest total ever registered in the final of an U-19 World Cup, and India’s attempt at a record chase fell flat from the outset.Related

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Red-hot Australia defend 253 to win fourth Under-19 World Cup

They lost opener Arshin Kulkarni in the third over of the chase before Mahli Beardman cut a swathe through the middle order as India slipped to 68 for 4 in the 20th. Opener Adarsh Singh (47) and lower-order batter Murugan Abhishek (42) showed fight but the Australians never let the Indians get back in the chase.India came into the final with an unblemished record in the tournament and despite the result, Saharan said that he was extremely proud of how his team went about all through.”It was great, I am very proud of the boys, they played very well. The entire team, from the start to the end showed fighting spirit. They played very well and I am proud of them,” Saharan said.Saharan, the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 397 runs in seven games at 56.71 said that he has learnt a lot throughout the tournament and just wants to take these learnings as he moves forward in his career.”There have been a lot of learnings, right from the start to now,” he said. “I have learnt a lot from the staff and even during the match, have learnt so much. I just want to take all the learnings from this tournament and move forward in my career.”

Steffen, who has 30 appearances for the U.S., left the camp after picking up a knee injury and seems unlikely to feature at the Gold Cup

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USMNT GK Steffen withdraws from camp due to injuryVeteran has returned to Colorado Rapids for evaluationMatt Freese joins as replacementGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Zack Steffen has departed U.S. men's national team camp with a knee injury, U.S. Soccer and the Colorado Rapids announced on Wednesday.

In a statement posted on social media, the MLS side said: "Zack Steffen suffered an injury to his knee at national team camp and has returned to Colorado for further examination."

Steffen is the second goalkeeper this camp to drop out due to injury, following Columbus Crew shotstopper Patrick Schulte. With the Rapids' goalkeeper's departure, that leaves Matt Turner, Matt Freese, and Chris Brady as the three goalkeepers left in camp ahead of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

AdvertisementImagnTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The USMNT are playing in their final major tournament ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Gold Cup this summer, as manager Mauricio Pochettino looks to finalize his roster ahead of the competition next year that will be hosted across Mexico, Canada, and the USA.

Without Steffen available, it's expected that Turner will be the starting goalkeeper for the tournament, with Freese and Brady contending for the starting spot. Turner, who won an FA Cup with Crystal Palace this past season, only made four total appearances across all competitions for the this past season. This summer, it's expected he will move, and the 30-year-old has even hinted that he's open to a return to MLS.

DID YOU KNOW?

The USMNT last won the Gold Cup in 2021, and are looking to return to the top of the North American throne this summer.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

The U.S. take on Turkey in an international friendly on Saturday as part of their preparation for the Gold Cup. Steffen, meanwhile, is set to be evaluated upon returning to Colorado.

Todd Murphy is still getting used to the extra workload his body has been put through this year during his emergence as a Test bowler, but is hopeful he will be fit for the Prime Minister’s XI game against Pakistan in Canberra next week.Offspinner Murphy has missed Victoria’s last two Sheffield Shield matches due to shoulder soreness but returned to bowling on Wednesday with a view to fulfilling his selection in what is effectively an Australia A side for Pakistan’s pre-Test warm-up.Murphy made his Test debut against India in Nagpur in February where he claimed 7 for 124 on the back of just seven first-class matches – one of which was last year’s PM’s XI against West Indies – and went on to play all four matches in that series before somewhat unexpectedly being needed in the Ashes after Nathan Lyon’s calf injury at Lord’s.Related

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He had already shelved a county deal before the Ashes to manage his workloads, but he returned from the UK with some niggles which flared again after four Sheffield Shield outings this season – the last of which saw him bowl 45 overs against Tasmania.”It’s been a pretty big 12 months and something I hadn’t been exposed to, so it’s just been about trying to manage myself through that,” Murphy said. “There have been challenges with a few little niggles and think the shoulder is just another one of that.”It was a bit flared up after the UK series then a few Shield games with a high workload and some one-day cricket, it sort of fatigued a bit. So used the opportunity to try and give it a chance to settle down and strengthen it back up for what will hopefully be a pretty busy summer across the board then also some Shield cricket to finish the year. Had in mind it’s a long summer and don’t want to burn myself too early.”Murphy hopes to play the BBL with Sydney Sixers through December and January then the last four rounds of Sheffield Shield although that will depend on whether he is selected as back-up in the squad for the New Zealand Test tour.With Lyon having successfully returned from his calf injury he is likely to have to wait a considerable time for his next Test – unless the SCG offers conditions conducive for two spinners – but his experience of the Ashes tour means he always wants to be ready to go.”It’s one of those ones that you always want to make sure you are ready, but Nath’s been so durable so even going over to England I probably didn’t have it my mind that there would be an opportunity arise that means I would get a game,” Murphy said.”Obviously it was really disappointing to see him go down with an injury, but it probably reinforces the importance of having a squad that is ready to perform. For me it’s really important to be in a position that if that unfortunately does happen again – fingers crossed it doesn’t – but if something does arise that I’m in a place that I can take it.”With the two Tests in New Zealand unlikely to require extra frontline spin resources, Murphy’s next opportunity may not come until the tour of Sri Lanka in early 2025, but whenever he next gets his chance he feels this year will hold him in good stead.”Looking forward it’s about putting myself in the best place I can for any opportunities that arise down the track,” he said. “The intensity of both tours [India and the Ashes] was something I hadn’t experienced before. So being exposed to that early on is going to set me up going forward and it was great to be a part of. Hopefully in a home summer I can build off that and if there is an opportunity I’m set up to go well.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da imperador bet： A Federação Paulista de Futebol escolheu Raphael Claus para apitar a partida entre Corinthians e Ituano, válida pelas quartas de final do Paulistão.

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da betsson： + Giuliano vai renovar com o Timão? Veja 40 nomes do futebol brasileiro em último ano de contrato

Ele será auxiliado por Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis e Rafael Tadeu Alves Souza. Quem vai cuidar do VAR na Neo Química Arena é Jose Claudio Rocha Filho.

+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!

Na atual temporada, Claus apitou a derrota do Timão sobre o Red Bull Bragantino, na estreia das equipes no Campeonato Paulista, a vitória da equipe de Fernando Lázaro sobre o São Paulo, no Morumbi, e o empate corintiano com o Palmeiras, em Itaquera.

Em alta na arbitragem brasileira, Raphael Claus foi um dos escolhidos do país para apitar na Copa do Mundo, onde ficou marcado pela não marcação de um pênalti no zagueiro Harry Maguire, da Inglaterra, durante a partida contra o Irã, na fase de grupos.

Corinthians e Ituano irão se enfrentar no domingo (12), às 16h, na Neo Química Arena. Em caso de empate no tempo normal, o semifinalista será definido nos pênaltis.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela e simule o mata-mata do Campeonato Paulista

continua após a publicidade

In a move which would see them get one over on their London rivals, Chelsea have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a Champions League-winning midfielder this summer.

Chelsea transfer news

After flying out the blocks and even putting their name in contention for the Premier League title race, Chelsea have gradually struggled to maintain their form more and more throughout the current campaign and now sit outside of the top four. With just 11 games remaining, the Blues must rediscover their best form if they are to return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2022/23 season.

Failure to qualify for the Champions League is unlikely to stand in the way of Chelsea’s spending, as has often been the case during Todd Boehly’s time at the club. But this time, the American may not even need to splash the cash to land an instant upgrade.

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea have now been offered the chance to sign Joshua Kimmich ahead of Arsenal, who have reportedly already held talks over securing the German’s signature.

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He’s one for the future…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Mar 1, 2025

In what would be quite the hijack, the Blues could land the bargain of the summer with Kimmich’s current Bayern Munich deal set to expire at the end of the season, making him a free agent.

A versatile Champions League and World Cup winner, Kimmich will certainly have his pick of suitors this summer and Chelsea could yet be among those. In a squad full of youthful exuberance, the London giants could add vital experience at the heart of their midfield.

"Clever" Kimmich could partner Caicedo

When Romeo Lavia was fit and firing next to Moises Caicedo at the start of the season, it came as little surprise that Chelsea’s midfield was thriving more than it has done in previous years. They had finally found their partnership. The issue, however, is that Lavia has once again struggled on the injury front to undo all of the good work that the Blues were doing at the heart of Enzo Maresca’s side.

His struggles beg the question as to whether Maresca should aim for reinforcements in that role and Kimmich’s availability should hand those at Stamford Bridge a clear answer.

Eight Premier League starts all season tells the story of Lavia’s season once again at Chelsea, whilst Kimmich has remained as reliable as ever at Bayern Munich.

Dubbed “clever” by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, attracting Kimmich could prove to be a tough task without Champions League football to offer, adding to the importance of Chelsea’s pursuit of a top four finish in the Premier League this season.