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Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement has admitted his frustration at one thing after his side's 3-0 defeat to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers beaten at Celtic in Old Firm derby

The Gers faced their most important game of the season so far on Sunday afternoon, as the Ibrox side made the short trip across Glasgow to take on their biggest rivals. After falling short to the Hoops in both the league and Scottish Cup last season, this was a chance for the Light Blues to make a statement, but they fell well short in that respect.

Instead, Rangers were soundly beaten at Parkhead, even though the visitors made a relatively positive start, and they found themselves 2-0 down at half-time with a mountain to climb.

Callum McGregor's long-range strike completely put the match to bed in the second half, compounding the misery for Clement's team, and the game ended up petering out on a bitterly disappointing afternoon for anyone of a Gers persuasion.

The defeat means that Rangers are now already five points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race after just four matches, and they cannot allow that gap to grow much more when the players return from the international break.

Clement fumes at particular aspect of Rangers defeat

Speaking after the game (via The Daily Mail), Clement admitted that the reaction to Rangers going behind was something that disappointed him hugely in the performance, saying:

"I was not happy with the reaction after the 1-0. It was not good enough. In the second half, there was a better reaction. But you have to become more open as a team, because you need to chase two goals and take more risks. So that also creates chances for them."

The Belgian also added that the "defensive faults made" were also a big problem for his side, on a day that many supporters will want to forget about in a hurry.

This was an afternoon that felt humbling for Rangers, with the pre-match hope being that they would show how much they have grown as a team from last season, having brought in so many new faces.

Instead, they were comfortably outplayed by a better side, and it suggests that the Gers have a massive job on their hands in order to wrestle the Premiership crown away from their most bitter adversaries.

That being said, Clement did call for patience, stressing that the average age of his team was younger than Celtic's, and that the scoreline "could have been a 3-2 or a 3-1 or a 3-3", so it's important that there isn't an overreaction to the result.

Fewer touches than Butland: Rangers must drop a star who lost 9/9 duels

The Light Blues attacker may have just played his way out of the starting line-up.

ByDan Emery Sep 2, 2024

It was undoubtedly frustrating, with Rangers failing to find top gear, but the hope is that this outfit will only grow as the months pass and new signings get to know each other better, remaining in the hunt for title glory in the process.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen looked to overhaul the playing squad during the summer transfer window.

There was a clear emphasis on lowering the average age of the squad with their work, when it came to allowing stars to leave and bringing talented prospects in.

Experienced campaigners Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, Connor Goldson, Scott Wright, Jon McLaughlin, and John Lundstram, among others, were allowed to move on from Ibrox.

Meanwhile, young talents like Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Oscar Cortes, Hamza Igamane, Mohammed Diomande, and Jefte have been brought in.

This suggests that Rangers are looking to develop and improve young players to increase their value, whilst getting fantastic performances on the pitch, to then sell them on for a profit in the future.

Selling talent for big money has not been one of the club's strengths in recent years. As per Transfermarkt, the Light Blues have only sold one player – Calvin Bassey – for more than €15m in their history, whereas their rivals Celtic have cashed in on seven players for more than €15m.

This shows that Rangers have a lot of work to do to catch up with their neighbours and their blunder with Ryan Kent is a great example of what not to do.

Ryan Kent's first season with Rangers

Former Light Blues manager Steven Gerrard returned to his former club to sign the English winger on a season-long loan move from Liverpool in the summer of 2018.

The Reds youngster arrived at Ibrox off the back of a disappointing 2017/18 campaign, in which he produced zero goals and two assists in 17 games for Freiburg and Barnsley combined.

Kent hit the ground running in Glasgow, though, with a return of six goals and nine assists in 43 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants.

The left winger racked up six goals and six assists in 23 appearances in the Scottish Premiership before the top six split, which showed that he could provide regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a wide position.

His performances in the division earned him the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award, which speaks to how impressive his displays were during his loan spell.

Gerrard and Rangers then opted to pursue a permanent deal for the Liverpool winger and managed to agree a fee of £7.5m to snap him up on a four-year deal in the summer of 2019.

The deal was a guaranteed fee of £6.5m, with a further £1m in add-ons, and it was a huge investment by the Gers in a player who had enjoyed a terrific first season at the club.

Ryan Kent's soaring value

Kent's soaring market value and his performances on the pitch over the subsequent two years suggested that the Light Blues played a blinder by signing him for £7.5m.

The 2019/20 campaign was not an extraordinary year for the forward, with eight goals and four assists in 33 matches, but it proved that his goalscoring threat in his loan spell was not a flash in the pan.

He then exploded in the 2020/21 season with a sensational return of 13 goals and 14 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for Gerrard, including four goals and assists combined in ten Europa League outings.

Appearances

37

Sofascore rating

7.23

Goals

10

Big chances created

9

Assists

9

Key passes per game

1.8

As you can see in the table above, 19 of those goal contributions came in the Premiership as Rangers won the title without losing a single match.

The English forward's exceptional performances as a scorer and a creator of goals earned him a place in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year that season.

Kent's superb showings in Scotland attracted interest from down south and it was reported in the summer of 2021 that Leeds United had an offer of £11m rejected and that they were lining up a £15m swoop for his services.

However, the Light Blues ultimately turned down the Whites' advances and kept hold of the attacker instead of cashing in on him when his value was double what they paid Liverpool for his services.

Rangers blundered with Ryan Kent

The decision not to accept the offer from Leeds turned out to be a howler from the Scottish giants as Kent's performances on the pitch declined.

In the 2021/22 campaign, a season in which Giovanni van Bronckhorst replaced Gerrard in the dugout, the winger produced just three goals in 46 matches in all competitions, along with 11 assists in the Premiership.

That was a serious decline from the 13 goals he scored under the former Liverpool midfielder in the 2020/21 title-winning season for Rangers.

Kent, who was once dubbed "unplayable" by journalist Andrew Dickson, followed that up with a return of just three goals and ten assists in 44 matches in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, with all of those contributions coming in his 29 outings in the Premiership.

This shows that the winger was unable to recapture the electric form that saw him produce 13 goals and 14 assists in his best year with the club.

In the summer of 2023, Kent's contract with the Gers expired and Michael Beale could not agree an extension with the Englishman, which meant that he walked away for nothing.

This meant that Rangers lost a star who was once valued at a whopping £15m, and a player they paid £7.5m to sign in 2019, left the club for £0 to sign for Turkish side Fenerbahce.

Therefore, the Light Blues blundered with Kent as they did not cash in on him when his value peaked and his performances declined after that, before they ended up losing him for nothing.

The £300k Rangers signing who was sold for more than Bajrami is worth

The Light Blues played a blinder by developing and selling this midfield wizard.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2024

If they are going to go down the route of developing young players under Clement in the years to come, Rangers will need to improve the timing of their sales and know when the right time to cash in on a star is, so that they avoid a repeat of the Kent disasterclass.

Mikel Arteta confirmed Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is expected to be sidelined for over two months after undergoing surgery for a hamstring injury.

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Saka tore his hamstring against PalaceHad to undergo a procedure on the hamstringSet to be sidelined for more than two monthsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 23-year-old suffered the injury setback during the Gunners' emphatic 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace on December 21. He exited the match in the first half and was spotted leaving the stadium on crutches. Saka's absence is a significant blow to Arsenal, as the England international has scored nine goals and provided 13 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions, making him a cornerstone of the team’s attacking prowess.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ARTETA SAID

Speaking after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Ipswich Town on Friday night, Arteta provided clarity on Saka’s condition.

"He had a procedure," said Arteta. "Everything went well, but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks. I said many weeks, so I think it will be more than two months. I don't know exactly how much longer. It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, the mobility of that. Let's see, it's very difficult to say."

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Despite Saka’s long-term absence, Arsenal received some positive news regarding Raheem Sterling. The Chelsea loanee, who had been expected to miss significant time due to a knee injury, could return to action sooner than anticipated.

"Yes, we have to see this week how he evolves," added Arteta. "We probably expected the knee injury to take longer than it has evolved in the last few days. Hopefully, that's good news because we need him."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal’s current injury concerns come at a pivotal stage of the season, with the team striving to close a six-point gap behind league leaders Liverpool. The victory against Ipswich demonstrated the Gunners’ resilience, but the road ahead remains challenging. Their next fixture is a tough New Year’s Day clash against Brentford, where Arteta’s side will aim to maintain momentum in the title race despite Saka’s absence.

Beaumont, Sciver unbeaten fifties help England chase down below-par 202; Raj’s 72 not enough for India

Annesha Ghosh27-Jun-2021A combined eight wickets from Sophie Ecclestone, Anya Shrubsole, Katherine Brunt, and Kate Cross, followed by fifties from Tammy Beaumont and Natalie Sciver helped England hand India an eight-wicket thrashing in Bristol to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.Related

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Chasing 202, and their 100th ODI win at home, England surpassed the opposition’s powerplay score of 27 for 2 in just 5.1 overs, their tally in the first ten overs 61 for the loss of Lauren Winfield-Hill’s wicket. The run rate throughout the innings remained a study in contrast to India’s: 82 for 1 in 15 overs as opposed to India’s 45 for 2 and 100 in the 19th over against India’s in the 32nd. The 150 came inside 29 overs and in another six overs, the hosts overhauled the target, the winning run – tellingly for India’s lacklustre all-round performance – coming off a wide.Leading the charge in England’s pursuit was opener Beaumont, who remained unbeaten on 87. She spearheaded the chase with two fifty-plus partnerships – for the second and third wickets – worth 59 and 119 with Heather Knight and Sciver respectively. Sciver was also unbeaten, on 74.Beaumont blunted India’s three-pronged spin attack with nimble footwork down the track, powerful drives on the off side, and copious use of the sweep shot. She reached her fifty, 13th in the format, brooming an innocuous offspinning delivery from Deepti Sharma past a diving Harmanpreet Kaur at deep square. A glorious inside-out lofted drive for four was the highlight in Beaumont’s gallery of pristine strokes that featured 12 fours and a six. Her six off Kaur to level the scores off the penultimate ball of the match was equally emphatic.After Ekta Bisht provided the second breakthrough, taking the top of the off stump of Knight, who made a 30-ball 18 in what was her 50th ODI appearance as England captain, Sciver joined in the fun. India’s six-bowler attack looked far from threatening, as did their field placements and the fielding itself, and at no point did the visitors force errors off Beaumont or Sciver in a sustained manner.Having begun cautiously, Sciver upped the tempo through a gradual acceleration en route to her 15th fifty in ODIs and the 2000-run milestone in the format. Dropped on 12 by Bisht, who pipped Sneh Rana to the second spin-bowling slot in the Indian line-up, Sciver brought up the century stand with Beaumont with a glorious hit over the bowler’s head, off Kaur.Carting 10 fours and a six in her run-a-ball knock, Sciver took Bisht for the most runs – 22 off 14 – among India’s bowlers. The second free hit she swatted off seamer Shikha Pandey’s back-to-back front-foot no-balls in her fifth over was the pick of Sciver’s boundaries and it helped England near the 150-mark. Her offensive in Beaumont’s company ensured debutant Sophia Dunkley had to wait longer for her maiden ODI innings.Earlier, under overcast, windy conditions, on a fresh pitch with decent carry and movement that changed little as the match progressed, five-over opening spells in the powerplay from Brunt and Shrubsole denied India any room to make an early imprint on the proceedings. In an exemplary display of discipline and reliance on scrambled-seam variations, the fast-bowling tandem parched India of scoring opportunities after England opted to bowl.The short ball was also employed to good effect. Debutant Shafali Verma, who, at 17 years and 150 days old, became the youngest player – male or female – to represent India in all formats of the game, fell to a failed pull while backing away to a Brunt offcutting bouncer.In keeping with the overarching trend of sluggish scoring that underpinned India’s innings, No. 3 Punam Raut, too, failed to inject any urgency to their approach. First-change Sciver, who finished wicketless, conceded two fours in her second over, both to Raut’s front-foot punches. She struck a further two fours in her 61-ball 32 before her 56-run, 96-ball third-wicket stand with Mithali Raj ended with Ecclestone catching Raut off Cross at mid-off.That England didn’t introduce spin, in the form of left-arm spinner Ecclestone, who finished with 3 for 40, or legspinner Sarah Glenn until the 21st over and could hold back the second spells of their premier quicks, Brunt and Shrubsole, until well past the 30th over was a measure of the hosts’ control over the innings.Kaur was the next to depart. Attempting to guide an Ecclestone arm ball towards third man, the India vice-captain’s back-foot stroke ended up offering the slightest of edges to wicketkeeper Amy Jones.India crawled to 100 in 31.5 overs after Deepti Sharma joined Raj in the middle and reinstated the left-right combination. Shrubsole returned for her second spell in the 42nd over. Off the first ball, Raj reached her 56th ODI fifty to a loud cheer from the 1200-strong crowd with a lofted four over mid-on. A ball later, though, Sharma became England’s fifth – and Shrubsole’s second – wicket on the day, after her attempt to nudge one off the pads saw the ball ping her in front of the leg and off. India reviewed but without any success.Pooja Vastrakar’s arrival at the crease marked a shift in gears for India. Raj showed more urgency at upping the run rate thereafter, slicing past point and picking the region behind short fine for back-to-back fours off Shrubsole, who gave away 15, the most in an over up to that point, in the 44th over.An unsure attempt at dabbing the ball past the keeper in Ecclestone’s first over of her second and final spell had Raj lose the top of her off stump. An innings that had everything from her copping a blow on her forearm owing to a seeming reluctance against taking the short ball head-on to dropping anchor to allow for a rebuild, Raj’s 108-ball 72 proved pivotal in India’s pursuit of a respectable score.Had it not been for No. 7 Vastrakar’s 17-ball 15, though, India may not have even got to 200. In the end, 201 proved far from adequate to challenge the defending ODI world champions.

Southampton are crying out for someone to lead the line with more conviction, having scored just one meagre goal so far this season in the Premier League.

It is of course only early days with just three league games done and dusted, but it is worrying that the only strike the Saints have managed to bag this campaign so far has come from a player who usually lines up in the right-back position in Yukinari Sugawara, who scored late on away at Brentford last time out.

Both Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton-Diaz have been unable to find the back of the net so far as Southampton’s leading stars up top, with Armstrong fresh off a Championship season where he rifled home 24 strikes to help the South Coast side triumphantly win promotion

Neither players can boast the fact that they will be remembered in Southampton folklore anytime soon like former attacking heroes Gareth Bale or Theo Walcott, with both homegrown talents exciting those on the South Coast once upon a time with their raw ability as wide-eyed youngsters.

Their best days in football wouldn’t come about until after they left St. Mary’s behind, however, much like this transfer misfire who never settled at Southampton but was a prolific menace elsewhere.

Billy Sharp's transfer to Southampton

Sharp would join the Saints mid-way through the 2012/13 season with a reputation for being a goal machine in the Championship, having helped himself to 40 strikes in total across two campaigns and a half in the second tier with Doncaster Rovers.

Only costing a reported £1.8m to land too, Nigel Adkins – the Saints boss at the time – must have thought he’d struck gold, especially after his heroics in front of goal aided Southampton in returning to the Premier League that same season.

Sharp would net a mightily impressive nine strikes from just 15 clashes in the second tier to help his new employers achieve promotion, before then finding his time with the Saints would begin to unravel.

He would be continually be chucked back out on loan to a whole host of EFL clubs, to further show off his deadly goalscoring instincts in the Championship with the likes of Nottingham Forest, Reading and back at Doncaster, with the sharpshooter never given a fair crack at the Premier League when playing for the South Coast side.

The ex-Southampton number 11 would only make a further three appearances for the club before walking away in 2014 to return to more familiar surroundings in Yorkshire, way away from the South Coast location he had struggled to grow attached to, and nearer to his former clubs in Doncaster and Sheffield United.

Saints manager Ronald Koeman would only offload Sharp for £600k when he did leave, a big loss on the alleged £1.8m they had previously forked out to win his services, but he would end up also being somewhat of a flop for his next employers in Leeds United.

It wouldn’t be until Sharp rejoined his beloved Blades that he would get back into his goalscoring groove once more, only managing five goals from 35 games for Leeds, but putting that way behind him when turning into a lethal beast at Bramall Lane.

Sharp's rebirth at Sheffield United

Sharp is well remembered for his many different spells with his hometown club, with his third and final spell with the Blades definitely his most impactful and memorable.

The 5 foot 9 livewire would rejoin his boyhood employers when they were swamped playing in League One, with his former Saints manager in Adkins very much struggling at the helm to breathe life back into the sleeping giants.

That wouldn’t stop Sharp from at least raising the spirits of a dejected Blades fanbase with his knack of instinctively finishing chances, with 21 league strikes registered during his first season back in South Yorkshire, even as United slumped to a disappointing 11th placed finish.

It wouldn’t be until Chris Wilder – who is also born and bred from Sheffield like Sharp – stepped up to replace Adkins that the Blades would start to jump up the leagues, with Sharp and Wilder a match made in heaven.

Sharp would fire home a staggering 30 league goals during the 2016/17 campaign as United won the League One title in style, before then helping his rejuvenated troops seal another promotion up to the Premier League during the 18/19 season, courtesy of 23 league strikes being hammered home from 40 contests.

All of these goals would come about after the veteran striker rejoined the ranks at Bramall Lane for just £500k, as Southampton watched on wondering what could have been if the now 38-year-old attacker had acclimatised to his St Mary’s surroundings better in the Premier League.

Player

Amount of clubs

Games played

Goals scored

1. Billy Sharp

6

397

130

2. Jordan Rhodes

6

379

123

3. David Nugent

5

415

121

4. Ross McCormack

5

331

120

5. Chris Martin

8

444

114

His exploits in the second tier for United and many more clubs would lead to Sharp being crowned the Championship’s record all-time goalscorer, with 120 goals registered in the division from 397 clashes in total.

That isn’t the only mind-boggling statistic involving the 38-year-old’s plentiful goal numbers either, with his career goal tally – which continues to go up and up even to this day – now surpassing both Bale and Walcott’s own outputs, who are legends on the South Coast, unlike Sharp.

Sharp's form this season

Both Bale and Walcott – who notched up totals of 185 goals and 132 goals respectively before calling it a day – pale in comparison somewhat to Sharp’s ever-growing amount, who is still a feared striker for defenders to come up against now plying his trade in League Two.

He has remained close to Sheffield too, with the ageing attacker back at another of his former employers in Doncaster, where he continues to be effective.

Player

Club

Games

Goals

Goal conversion %

1. Molyneux

Doncaster

5

4

31%

= 1. McGoldrick

Notts County

5

4

33%

= 1. James Berry

Chesterfield

5

4

31%

4. Billy Sharp

Doncaster

5

3

43%

= 4. Michael Cheek

Bromley

5

3

25%

Looking at the table above, with the addition of his three strikes from five games to date this season, Sharp’s bumper career tally goes up to an astronomical 276 goals, showing that there’s a lot of life still left in his legs.

Of course, he will be preparing for his retirement at some point soon, with his spell at Southampton not exactly one he will revisit in his head with much sentimentality when he does hang up his boots for good.

But, the likes of Armstrong back at St. Mary’s in the present still has time on his hands to become an even more loved figure at Southampton this season if he can soon break his goalscoring duck, and score the vital strikes that see his side steer away from relegation doom.

Southampton have struck gold on "awesome" gem who's worth more than Diaz

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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have bestowed “legend” status on a key figure at Wrexham, saying the Red Dragons are “lucky to have him”.

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Hollywood co-owners call the shots in North WalesAppointed promotion-winning specialist in 2021Parkinson has reached 1,000 games as a managerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The man in question is vastly-experienced manager Phil Parkinson. Hollywood co-owners made a point of luring the EFL promotion specialist to SToK Racecourse shortly after completing their stunning takeover of the Welsh club in 2021.

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That faith has been rewarded with a record-breaking National League title triumph and back-to-back promotions. Parkinson is closing in on 200 games as Wrexham boss, with his win ratio standing at an impressive 61.93 per cent.

GettyWHAT REYNOLDS & MCELHENNEY SAID

Parkinson’s last outing, which delivered a dramatic 1-0 victory over Peterborough, saw him reach 1,000 matches as a coach. That achievement has been saluted by the club's famous chairmen, with Reynolds and McElhenney telling in a joint statement: “Football is lucky to have him and his impact on Wrexham is already legend.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Parkinson has already secured his place in Wrexham folklore, but is in the process of enhancing that legacy. The Red Dragons are flying high in League One this season and are looking to make history as the first club in the English Football League to celebrate three successive promotions.

Allrounder anchors innings before contributing to tigerish defence of low total

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2021Alice Davidson-Richards helped the Northern Superchargers maintain their winning start to the women’s Hundred with a tigerish defence of 109 in a thriller against Oval Invincibles at Emerald Headingley.Their 109 for 8 looked below par despite a sluggish pitch, with Davidson-Richards top-scoring with 42 off 30 balls having been inserted.She was then brilliant in returning 2 for 17 from 20 balls with her pace-off seamers, defending 10 off the last five as the visitors finished on 105 for 4.A bowler-dominated game went the hosts’ way as they made it three wins from four and consigned the Invincibles to their first defeat in three.The Invincibles only really fell behind during the second half of their chase, and Mady Villiers failed to hit the last ball for six as the Superchargers went top of the table.Alice Capsey, aged 16, bowled her offspinners for the first time in the competition and returned two for nine from 20 balls, having opened the bowling for the visitors.The more recognised offspin of Villiers and seam of Grace Gibbs and Tash Farrant also contributed two wickets apiece for the Invincibles.The Superchargers slipped to 78 for 6 after 75 balls, though Davidson-Richards recovered with five fours.There were no wides or no-balls bowled by the Invincibles.Related

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South African Laura Wolvaardt made 27 off 26 balls, sharing 38 for the third wicket with Davidson-Richards as they advanced from 28 for 2 after 30. Capsey had Wolvaardt caught behind and Bess Heath caught and bowled with the 58th and 60th balls to make it 66 for 4.The teenager then opened the batting in the reply and was dropped on two at mid-on by Heath. Superchargers got the wicket late in the powerplay when Capsey miscued a catch to backward point off Davidson-Richards’ seam for eight to make it 20 for 1 after 22 balls.Georgia Adams hit back-to-back boundaries off Katie Levick shortly afterwards. But when she was caught at long-off against the same bowler for 26, the Superchargers had a sniff at 45 for 2 after 48.Linsey Smith had England’s Fran Wilson caught at mid-off – 65 for 3 after 64 – and Davidson-Richards was miserly as the target became a testing 40 off 30 balls with Sarah Bryce and captain Dane van Niekerk together. That target later became 23 off 10 before van Niekerk hit Smith for three successive boundaries to swing the pendulum.Davidson-Richards, however, had Bryce caught at long-on for an innings high 29 with the penultimate ball to delight the 6,737 crowd. Liz Russell also contributed as she conceded only 14 runs in 20 balls.The Invincibles were missing two of their three overseas players, with Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail out with injuries.

Arsenal had hoped this would be the season their title dreams came true, but those hopes are fading fast and swift action is needed in the market

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No team earned more Premier League points than Arsenal during 2024. Much to the Gunners' dismay, that was not enough to win them last season's title, nor to see them move into the new year top of the table. In fact, they are nine points behind pace-setters Liverpool heading into their first fixture of 2025.

After coming so close in each of the last two campaigns, the desire within those London Colney walls to end a two-decade long wait to become kings of England again is stronger than ever. Their window for the season is closing though and they need to make some changes in order to gun down the Reds.

There are a few items for Mikel Arteta and Co. to check off their to-do list for January if they are to ensure the 2024-25 season goes down as a successful one. They can't afford to stand still when they are in the chasing pack.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportFind Saka cover

Arsenal have already had to do without captain Martin Odegaard due to injury for a sizeable chunk of this season already, and now they must soldier on without Bukayo Saka, who could miss up to three months of action after a hamstring tear.

Arteta has already stressed that internal solutions are available to him, with many of his forwards capable of playing on the right to fill the creative and physical void left by Saka. Gabriel Martinelli has taken up the immediate responsibility of stepping into his shoes so far, using his slightly different skillset to scamper down the line and act as a more traditional winger. The upside of this profile was evident in their 5-1 thumping of Crystal Palace after Saka was forced off, though Ipswich managed to slow this approach down with an ultra-defensive setup despite Arsenal running out 1-0 winners.

There are others who could deputise for Saka, with Arteta's suggestion that Kai Havertz could play there perhaps the most intriguing solution suggested so far. Remember, it wasn't until around this time last season that the German moved from midfield to attack. We may have another whacky experiment on our hands to ignite the title charge after all.

In regards to any potential new signings, there have been extremely tentative links to Bayern Munich duo Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman, but one name pops off the screen unlike any other.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe Rashford gamble

It's him. Of course it's him. Of course it's Marcus Rashford. Why wouldn't it be Marcus Rashford?

This isn't about replacing Saka like-for-like, rather to simply add more goals to a stale open-play attack in need of some fresh impetus – the demolition of Palace was an outlier across the season and Arsenal have undoubtedly slowed down when it comes to creating chances on live balls. Rashford too has already cited his desire for a 'new challenge' and the path to redemption via Arteta's Arsenal is one well trodden by the likes of Havertz and the recently rejuvenated Gabriel Jesus.

Manchester United are going to have a tough time trying to sell their homegrown star, in part due to his wages and in part due to his nose-dive form over the last 18 months or so, and it would be typically opportunistic of Arsenal to go all in on Rashford at this lowest ebb.

It would, however, also go against Arteta's mantra for calmness and control, whether that's on the pitch or off it. Nine points is a rather sizeable gap to chop away at, and maybe violently veering left when everyone expects you to head right would provide the shot in the arm needed to get that challenge off the ground. They might not even need to fork out a transfer fee in order to acquire him, with some reports suggesting United are open-minded about a loan. It's not like they'd be letting him leave for a competitive rival at this point, either.

Rashford insists his best years are still ahead of him – whether anyone whose best years are still ahead of them would feel the need to say that is a debate for another day – and it was only two seasons ago he looked like the best forward in the league. If that player is still in there, Arteta could rediscover him again.

Getty Images SportBring forward new striker plans

Maybe Arsenal's search for goals, to make up for the impending Saka shortfall or otherwise, shouldn't lead them down the Rashford path of uncertainty, rather a more reliable source instead. That's easier said than done, particularly in the January window.

The two out-and-out strikers most persistently linked with the Gunners are Swedish duo Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, though they come with their own particular risks. In the case of Isak, Newcastle are said to be demanding at least £150m for an injury-prone player with over three years left to run on their deal, while Gyokeres turns 27 in 2025 and is yet to play in one of Europe's top five leagues.

This is before you even consider whether Newcastle or Sporting CP would want to do business in January. From an Arsenal perspective though, this could be the month to get a march on their rivals ahead of what will surely be a summer of striker transfers. It wouldn't hurt to at least put the feelers out there, would it?

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Getty Images SportGet Sterling sharp again

Since joining Arsenal on a deadline day loan from Chelsea at the end of the summer window, Raheem Sterling has played only 426 minutes across 11 matches. In that time, he's registered a measly one goal and two assists.

It's been an underwhelming period of his career to this point, but the Arsenal faithful should not lose hope in Sterling just yet. His moment is coming and he needs to be ready for it upon his return from injury in the coming weeks.

The primary reason behind Sterling's move to the Emirates Stadium in the first place was the influence of Arteta, the man widely credited with making the winger the scoring extraordinaire he turned into at Manchester City during their respective days up at the Etihad Stadium. It was Arteta who coached him the art of arriving at the last line to score tap-in after tap-in, which has become Sterling's signature move.

Arsenal will need some meaningful contributions from Sterling at some point before the season is out. It's in their interests to keep him on his toes and prepare him.

Liverpool and Arne Slot are keeping tabs on a new defender ahead of a potential summer move, it has been revealed, with the Reds’ backline in need of reinforcements.

Liverpool's defensive concerns

Though they have conceded just two goals in five games so far this season, there are longer-term concerns over the Liverpool defence. Of the Premier League winning back four, all of Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold remain, but the Scot and Van Dijk are now over 30 years old (33 in Van Dijk’s case) and there are concerns over Alexander-Arnold’s future amid interest from Real Madrid and an unclear contract stance.

Liverpool star looked "like Coutinho" when he joined, then Slot sold him

Will the Reds come to rue this decision?

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 19, 2024

A centre-back is on their shopping list as they look to rejuvenate their backline, but there are also concerns at left-back. Kostas Tsimikas has been a valuable understudy but is unlikely to be able to take the first-choice mantle from Robertson, meaning that a new left-back may be required.

With that in mind, the Reds are keeping tabs on one Premier League star, and will have a chance to see him up close and personal this weekend.

Liverpool join queue for Premier League defender

That comes as Liverpool have been named as one of the sides keeping a close eye on Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, who can also play higher up in midfield or as a wing-back. The defender has also been on the radar of Manchester United in recent months, but is just 12 months into his £30,000 a week “long term” contract at the Vitality Stadium, and is unlikely to be available on the cheap.

That has not stopped interest from mounting though, and Liverpool are the latest side reportedly keeping tabs on the Hungarian international, who shares a dressing room with Dominik Szoboszlai on international duty.

As per TEAMtalk, the Reds are “continuing to watch” the young defender as they plan for a future beyond their current options, and that his name “continues to come up again and again” in scouting reports compiled at Anfield.

Milos Kerkez vs Andy Robertson 23/24 Premier League

Milos Kerkez

Andy Robertson

Appearances

28

23

Goals and assists

1

5

Shot creating actions per 90

1.46

5.16

Tackle % won

71.4%

60.5%

Fouls committed per 90

1.14

0.48

It is added that given his age and relative experience, the defender is “a prime candidate”, but that they will have to fight off several other clubs around Europe to secure him. Manchester United are named as the most obvious of those, and it is claimed that it would have set any interested party back “over £40 million” to secure his signature over the most recent transfer window, a fee which is unlikely to drop as he continues to impress in the Premier League.

Former teammate Mat Ryan revealed what Bournemouth should expect from their new defender when he made the move, hailing his “unique skill set” and backing him for success in the Premier League.

“He is aggressive, powerful and has so many qualities. A unique skill set. Bournemouth is going to get stronger because of him. Milos still has a great career ahead of him.”

Now, it appears that the Hungarian is living up to that prediction, and could be set to provoke a scrap for his signature next summer, one which Liverpool will be hoping to win.

India will have a tough call to make between R Ashwin and a fourth seamer

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Aug-202110:06

Laxman: India should play Ashwin to add variety and strength

India have suffered a selection headache on the eve of the second Test against England with a hamstring injury ruling out Shardul Thakur. Captain Virat Kohli confirmed during his press conference on Wednesday that Thakur had a left hamstring injury and he is likely to be ready for the third Test*.Thakur arrived for training on Monday at Lord’s and spent time in the gym alongside the India physiotherapist Nitin Patel and trainer Nick Webb. Thakur, who was India’s fourth seamer during the first Test in Nottingham, picked up four wickets – two in each innings. Doubts surfaced about Thakur’s fitness when he only sent down 13 overs in England’s second innings – the fewest of India’s quicks – although he did not show any evident unease on the outside.The key question now for India is who replaces Thakur. With conditions in London forecast to be warm and dry – with temperatures in the early 20s for the entire duration of the Test – India have the choice of either picking a second spinning allrounder in R Ashwin or a fourth seamer in Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav, considering reverse-swing could be in play along with the seam movement and conventional swing that are usually on offer in English conditions.