In a heartwarming gesture, Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has donated over 1,000 uniforms to four schools in Ealing, including Edward Betham and Greenford High, which he attended as a kid. Saka was born and bred in Ealing and he wanted to give back to the people where he grew up. The England international visited the schools in person to hand over the uniforms to the students.
Saka donates over 1,000 school uniforms Arsenal star grew up in EalingGunners face Man Utd on Sunday in season openerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to , Saka surprised students, teachers and parents as he turned up in person at all four schools to personally hand over uniforms to over 1,000 kids to help families facing the cost of living crisis. Along with uniforms, the Gunners star also signed autographs and posed for photographs with the star-struck kids.
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Saka shares a close bond with Ealing, where he spent a considerable part of his childhood. Three years back, the winger was honoured with the Freedom of the Borough after he starred for England at Euro 2020, where the Three Lions finished runners-up.
WHAT SAKA SAID
Saka shared some photographs from the event as he posted on Instagram with the caption: "Special day going back home to launch our school uniform project. Thank you to all the schools, our partners and everybody else who helped us give to the students."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Mikel Arteta's side will now prepare for their season opener during the course of the week as they travel to Old Trafford on Sunday to face Manchester United in the Premier League.
CWI’s CEO Johnny Grave termed this as an “exciting new concept for WCPL 2024”
ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2024For the first time, a women’s franchise game will be running side by side with a men’s international, after Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the fixtures of this year’s Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) to be held in August in Trinidad. Three WCPL matches will be a part of double-headers along with West Indies men’s T20Is against South Africa.Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies, called it an “exciting new concept for WCPL 2024″ in the second edition of the competition which will be held from August 21 to 29.”Women’s cricket continues to be a strategic priority for Cricket West Indies, and this is another exciting new concept for WCPL 2024,” Grave said. “We are certain that there will be huge interest from people in Trinidad in these double headers, as fans will be able to watch world class international Men’s cricket, followed by the best female cricketers in the region competing alongside some of the best overseas players in the world.”All the WCPL games will take place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, with the double-headers scheduled for August 23, 25 and 27.Pete Russell, CEO of the Caribbean Premier League, said: “We are very excited to be able to work with Cricket West Indies to have the WCPL take place at the same time as these Men’s T20 Internationals. It is another example of how the two organisations are working in harmony to provide the best outcome for fans, players and cricket in the region. We look forward to another successful WCPL as the tournament continues to grow year on year.”Hayley Matthews-led Barbados Royals clinched the previous edition of the WCPL, where a total of seven matches were held, including the final, among three teams.South Africa are scheduled to tour the Caribbean for two Tests in Trinidad and Guyana from August 7. This will be followed by the three-match T20I series at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad from August 23 ahead of the CPL. The two teams will also play a four-day warm-up game ahead of the Test series in Tarouba.
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has boldly claimed that winning Club World Cup will be considered as more prestigious than lifting the Champions League title in the future. Colwill also expressed his belief that the Blues can build on their success in the United States by challenging for the Premier League and Champions League in the 2025-26 campaign.
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Colwill claims CWC will be bigger than UCLWants to win more trophies with ChelseaChelsea beat PSG 3-0 in the finalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Chelsea stunned European champions Paris Saint-Germain as they thrashed the French giants 3-0 in the Club World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday. Cole Palmer starred for the Blues with a brace and an assist as the English club were crowned champions of the world.
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After conquering the Club World Cup, Colwill is now confident of winning more titles with the west London side in the 2025-26 campaign. The defender also boldly claimed that the Club World Cup will gain more importance than the Champions League in the years to come.
Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream nowWHAT COLWILL SAID
Speaking to reporters, the English defender said: "I said at the start of this tournament that our plan is to win it [Club World Cup] and people looked at me as if I was crazy. So I'm going to say the exact same thing now going into the Premier League and Champions League. This is the biggest trophy I've ever won. I think the Club World Cup will be bigger than the Champions League and we were the first team to win it. It was a statement victory and, in the future, if we keep winning trophies then everyone will give us the love that we deserve. But we'll only know that in he future. I think we're ready and we'll see next season."
Colwill added on Chelsea targeting more major silverware next season: "We're a team and that's in the Chelsea identity. You stick together no matter what. I think players like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, they started that and we're carrying it on. They were all amazing players, the best players who won a lot but we've got the best players in our team — young players for sure — and that's our plan, to win the biggest trophies for Chelsea. We're definitely capable of doing it. I think we've shown that. Everyone said that PSG were the best team in the world but we won 3-0."
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
Enzo Maresca's Club World Cup winners are scheduled to play a couple of pre-season friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan before kicking off the 2025-26 campaign formally on August 17 with their Premier League season opener against Crystal Palace.
It is however not yet officially confirmed that Naseem will be fully fit for the start of the PSL
Danyal Rasool02-Dec-2023
Naseem Shah has played for Quetta Gladiators since 2020•PCB/PSL
Naseem Shah has moved from Quetta Gladiators to Islamabad United in one of the most sensational trades of the PSL, ending weeks of speculation about his destination next season.After a tussle in which at least three teams competed for his signing, United won out, ending the battle for one of the most in-demand fast bowlers in Pakistan cricket. In return, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim Jnr have moved from United to Gladiators before the transfer window shuts.Just days ago, Multan Sultans appeared to have beaten United to Naseem’s signature, and ESPNcricinfo understands they were on the cusp of making an official statement announcing the move. However, United’s interest in Naseem predated Sultans’, and ended up outlasting it.It’s understood Naseem’s move away from the Gladiators was partially influenced by the player pushing for the move himself after several frustrating years at the franchise. While the Gladiators were the most consistent team of the PSL over the first four years of its existence, reaching three finals and winning the title in 2019, it’s been a dramatic reversal since. They are the only side to have missed out on the playoffs each of the last four years, finishing fifth twice, and propping up the table in the other two seasons. It has meant Naseem, who has only ever played for the Gladiators and made his debut in 2020, has never reached the playoff stages of the PSL in his career.While Naseem is now recognised as a generational talent across formats in Pakistan, the PSL is yet to truly see evidence of that ability. His 29 matches have produced 26 wickets – nine of them in two individual games in 2022 – and his economy rate, strike rate, and average are all worse at the PSL than his T20 career in general.It is not yet officially confirmed that Naseem will be fully fit for the start of the PSL after a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the final part of the Asia Cup and all of the World Cup. He will also miss Pakistan’s tour of Australia and New Zealand, and is currently in the United Kingdom as he works his way back. While he is believed to be on track to ensure he is available for the PSL, this has not been officially confirmed.
London neighbours Surrey have secured the return of Kemar Roach for the Championship run-in
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2023Middlesex have announced that they are on the hunt for an overseas player in their bid to avoid relegation from Division One of the County Championship, with Pieter Malan leaving the club early after a poor season with the bat.Malan, who won three Test caps for South Africa in early 2020, re-signed for the summer after helping Middlesex secure promotion at the end of last summer but has struggled for form. He managed 221 runs at 14.73 across his eight Championship fixtures, with more ducks (five) than half-centuries (two).He also played eight games for them in the Blast, scoring 206 runs at a strike rate of 137.33, and did not feature in their One Day Cup campaign, with opportunities instead afforded to younger players. He has now returned to South Africa to captain Boland in domestic cricket.Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said that Malan “would be the first to admit that this season has been a struggle for him on the field”. He added: “It most certainly isn’t through lack of effort and hard work on his part… however, sometimes things just don’t work out.”Middlesex, who sit third-bottom in Division One and are locked into a relegation battle with Kent and Northamptonshire, confirmed in a statement: “[We are] now looking for a replacement to feature in the run-in to the end of the season, with four crucial County Championship matches remaining.”Kemar Roach is returning to Surrey•Getty ImagesMeanwhile, south of the River Thames, Surrey have secured the return of Kemar Roach as they look to secure a second successive Championship title. Roach took 18 wickets in five appearances for them earlier this year before returning home, but is coming back to South London for the run-in.Surrey are 17 points clear of second-placed Essex heading into the final month of fixtures, and will be without three fast bowlers on England duty in Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran and Reece Topley – though Curran and Topley have featured in one Championship match between them this season.Roach said: “Surrey is a second home for me and I’m looking forward to getting back down to business ahead of three massive games. We know what the goal is for the team and I’m going to give everything to help achieve it.”
Barcelona transfer target Joan Garcia has expressed his openness to a move, adding that playing against Espanyol would be an exciting challenge.
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Joan Garcia hasn't ruled out Barca moveGoalkeeper excited at prospect of playing EspanyolArsenal and Man City also interestedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia has caught the attention of several top European clubs, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City reportedly in talks to sign the 23-year-old. In a recent interview with Catalunya Radio (h/t Reshad Rahman), Garcia has not ruled out a move away from Espanyol and admitted that it would be exciting for him to play against his current club, Barca's city rivals.
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Camp Nou has emerged as the most likely destination for Joan Garcia in the summer. The Espanyol goalkeeper is also reportedly in discussions with Arsenal, should David Raya complete a reported move to Real Madrid. The Spaniard had kept quiet on the links with Barca out of respect for his boyhood club, Espanyol, but he has now broken his silence.
WHAT JOAN GARCIA SAID
Garcia said: "It wouldn't be a problem to face Espanyol. It would also be nice to play against them. These are things that can happen, but I try to look on the positive side of things, and if it happens, I would be excited. I'm very calm, really. A lot of things are coming out on a lot of teams. It doesn’t just depend on me. At the moment, I'm an Espanyol player. I don’t have a date to decide."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR JOAN GARCIA?
Garcia signed a contract extension with Espanyol in 2023, keeping him at the club until June 30, 2028. This puts the Liga side in control when it comes to negotiations, with no immediate pressure to sell to their rivals. Reports suggest that the club have included a €25 million (£21m) release clause in Garcia's contract, meanwhile, and that could ultimately force them into a sale that they don't want to make.
كشفت تقارير صحفية أن المدير الفني السابق لفريق برشلونة، تشافي هيرنانديز، يُعد مرشحًا لتدريب أحد الأندية في الدوري السعودي للمحترفين، روشن.
كان تشافي هيرنانديز قد أصبح بلا عمل منذ رحيله عن برشلونة الصيف الماضي، وتعاقد برشلونة مع الألماني هانز فليك، كبديل له تشافي، حيث تمكن من تحقيق الثلاثية المحلية في موسمه الأول.
وذكرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية أن تشافي هيرنانديز دخل رادار أحد الأندية في الدوري السعودي لتولي مسؤولية تدريبها، وهو فريق الأهلي.
اقرأ أيضًا | قبل مواجهة الأهلي.. ميسي يقترب من الانضمام لـ الدوري السعودي
ومن المقرر أن ينتهي العقد الحالي لمدرب أهلي جدة، ماتياس يايسله، في عام 2026.
ورفض ماتياس يايسله كافة محاولات مسؤولي الأهلي لتجديد عقده مع النادي، مما دفع الإدارة إلى البحث عن البديل المناسب لخلافته.
وأفادت أن إدارة الأهلي وضعت تشافي هيرنانديز ضمن المرشحين المحتملين لخلافة ماتياس يايسله في منصب مدرب الفريق، حال الاستقرار على الإطاحة به.
وأشارت إلى إنه من بين المرشحين الآخرين هناك مدرب توتنهام السابق، أنجي بوستيكوجلو، الذي تمت إقالته من منصبه الأسبوع الماضي رغم تحقيقه لقب الدوري الأوروبي.
Mais do que nunca, Yuri Alberto chegou ao Corinthians. Anunciado no último dia 29 de junho, o atacante foi apresentado à torcida corintiana nesta sexta-feira (8), antes de iniciar o treino aberto que ocorreu na Neo Química Arena, na mesma data.
+ Veja chegadas e saída do Corinthians no mercado
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Com show de fogos e uma recepção calorosa da torcida corintina, confira no vídeo acima como foi o desejo de ‘boas vindas’ da fiel ao seu novo artilheiro.
The January transfer window is now closed and Chelsea only managed to make one signing for their first team, bringing 19-year-old midfielder Mathis Amougou to the club from St Etienne for around £12.5m.
The Blues were busy in regards to outgoings though, with Cesare Casadei leaving on a permanent deal and Axel Disasi, João Félix, Renato Veiga and Carney Chukwuemeka all leaving the club on loan deals.
Chelsea's Carney Chukwuemeka in action
Enzo Maresca’s side did make one more move, recalling Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace, with Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile both out through injury, meaning Chalobah was needed for the second half of the season to play an important role for Chelsea.
But with the outgoings in comparison to the incomings, Chelsea are actually lighter in certain areas than they were going into the January transfer window, especially when you also take injuries into account.
So how do Chelsea plan to manage this? Well, Maresca has already pointed towards “finding different solutions” in his latest press conference after Chelsea beat West Ham 2-1 on Monday night, and this could see plenty of academy players given a chance in the second half of this season, to prove their worth and offer an internal solution.
Chelsea's internal solutions in attack
One solution Chelsea have is something Maresca mentioned in his press conference, with Mykhailo Mudryk out for the foreseeable future and Felix leaving the club, 19-year-old winger Tyrique George will be trusted with more minutes from that left-hand side, having the qualities the Italian desires in that area of the pitch.
His ability to go both ways (inside and outside), beat his man 1v1 and deliver crosses but also cut inside on his stronger right foot and get shots off, make him the perfect profile for a Maresca winger, and this could be his opportunity to shine.
Other academy graduates, such as Josh Acheampong, who has already started two Premier League games this season, alongside Levi Colwill in central defence and Sam Rak-Sakyi, who has received some good minutes in the Conference League from Maresca this season, could also be internal solutions to provide depth in the defensive line and midfield ranks.
Tyrique George
The Chelsea prospect who could be unleashed instead of Delap signing
During the January window, the Blues were linked with a number of forwards including Ipswich striker Liam Delap.
When looking at Delap’s underlying numbers from this season, you can see why Chelsea were interested in the 21-year-old striker, who is finishing at a clinical rate, scoring 0.46 goals per 90 (overachieving his 0.37 xG per 90) and has a goals/shot ratio of 0.18.
Goals
0.46
Assists
0.10
xG
0.37
xAG
0.09
Progressive Carries
2.09
Progressive Passes
1.02
Shots Total
1.98
Goals/Shot
0.18
Key Passes
0.97
Shot-Creating Actions
2.40
Aerial Duels Won
1.79
However, the attacker remained at Portman Road with Chelsea missing out on adding an extra body alongside Nicolas Jackson. With Christopher Nkunku being more of a natural attacking midfielder, one man, in particular, could get his chance to shine in this second half of the season.
Chelsea’s 17-year-old striker prospect, Shumaira Mheuka (often shortened to Shim) received his senior debut under Maresca this season, coming from the bench against Astana in the UEFA Conference League, playing 12 minutes of senior football.
The youngster has been playing for the U21s and U18s this campaign, scoring seven goals in 18 appearances, also providing one assist. He has been labelled one of Chelsea’s “biggest jewels” by scout Jacek Kulig, stating him to be one of “Cobham’s finest”.
Mhueka has already shown at a young age he has the clinical finishing instincts in front of goal, the agility and ball manipulation to create his own shooting angles, and also the power and strength to protect the ball in the box and compete for crosses when they are delivered.
Whilst Delap would certainly be a brilliant signing, Chelsea could have a talent even bigger in the pipeline, and ensuring his pathway isn’t blocked into the first team will be key to keeping him for the future, and protecting one of their crown academy jewels.
He's outscoring Sancho & Garnacho: Chelsea must rue selling a "huge talent"
Chelsea must rue “huge talent” being sold who’s now outscoring Sancho & Garnacho
There’s a familial feel to this West Indies camp at the moment. On other occasions, a limp defeat against an Associate nation to start off a World Cup campaign might have been all the spark required for any internal harmony to implode. When head coach Phil Simmons seethed at the “unprofessionalism” in the way his side batted, it may have been little surprise to see murmurs of discontent begin to find their way out of that camp. When Zimbabwe looked like putting them to the sword, it wouldn’t have taken much for the campaign to go bust before it had taken off, recriminations and disillusionment circling each other in vicious cycles.But when Alzarri Joseph took the first Zimbabwe wicket, his team-mates huddled around him. Jason Holder enveloped him in a warm embrace, a tender, parental hand on the young bowler’s head. Despite most wickets falling to individual bowling brilliance, no bowler set off on self-congratulatory laps around the Bellerive Oval, the young side huddling together instead, pumping their fists, roaring in celebration and firing each other up on a frigid Tasmanian night. Following the game, Joseph referred to Holder as a “fatherly figure to all in the camp”.Related
Joseph raises his game, and pace, to give WI's WC hopes a shot in the arm
Joseph the difference as WI keep T20 World Cup hopes alive
Holder on under-pressure WI: 'No point in just having talent, we've got to produce it'
A few hours after that Holder, who went past 50 T20I wickets on Wednesday, found himself facing up to a press conference of his own. It was past 11 pm the previous night before the West Indies players broke free from media duties, but at half past nine in the morning, Holder had been roused to do another round. He might have wondered why the press conference was necessary at all, but, as ever, struck the right, thoughtful notes with his usual poise and eloquence. At the first mention of Joseph’s performance the previous night, his eyes lit up.”Alzarri should be proud of his progression,” Holder said, adopting the sort of solemn tone a father might while talking up his son’s achievements. “I see him as a leader. He’s leading the attack at a young age and showing great attributes as a leader. His performances don’t surprise me because of the work he’s put in. His discipline, dedication towards the cause and his business-like attitude is really great to see for a young player. My simple words to him are: ‘Just lead the attack. Get us onto the right track’.”That’s what he did yesterday, got us that first breakthrough and that really set the tone. I see him as an impact player. He’s got pace and skill too, and when he has the ball in hand, I expect big things from him. He’s now really matured as an all-format bowler, one of our only at the moment. It’s great to see that progression and I hope he can fulfill his dreams.”Holder’s face never seems to give much away, but even when delivered in the most inscrutable monotone, the pride behind those words is impossible not to spot. For all the plaudits that have come Joseph’s way following Wednesday’s win where he picked up a four wicket-haul, it is easy to forget Holder’s own sensational bowling performance and the part he played in freezing Zimbabwe out of that contest. He was full value for his figures of 3.2-0-12-3, even if two of those wickets were numbers nine and ten. There’s a reason it’s easy to forget: because Holder himself would be the last man to bring them up while talking up a younger team-mate.”We were all pumped up for the game,” Holder said. “We knew what was at stake and the importance of the match. For us, this is just a way of really driving ourself to the right direction. We spoke a lot about attitude and it was important we brought the correct attitude to the game. It was just us showing our love and passion that we’ve honed through years playing this sport and it was important we brought the right energy to the game yesterday.”Aware that the side will often be held to the near-impossible standards of the ones that went all the way in 2012 and 2016, Holder has the empathic intelligence to extend his protective embrace to the under-fire batting group.”The teams that won in 2012 and 2016 were dominant,” he said. “They had some very big T20 players. This current team, we’ve still got some young batting stars who’ve really established themselves on these circuits. It’s for us now to be a lot more senior and spend a bit more time on the international circuit. When you look around the dressing room, we’ve got a fairly young team. Most of the guys are around mid-to-late 20s. It’s a great sign for West Indies cricket. My point was basically us rejigging our T20 mantra to try and establish ourselves as a new-look T20I side.”This is the same side that, remember, just days before the start of the tournament, lost one of its brightest batting stars in Shimron Hetmyer to a disciplinary issue. A stray question hinting at that is picked up and brushed aside by the media manager, unwilling to sully the mood of a happy family that’s more famous for its bickering. This West Indies side has been through the whole gamut of emotions over the first two games, and continue to have each other’s backs. And with men like Holder and Joseph at their core, why wouldn’t they?