All posts by h716a5.icu

Cristiano Ronaldo joined girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and his family on an ice rink – with the Al-Nassr forward videoed riding a child’s tricycle!

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Rodriguez posts heartfelt video featuring RonaldoForward in a festive mood with his familySpotted riding a kid's tricycle on an ice rinkWHAT HAPPENED?

Rodriguez shared a video collage of several heartwarming moments with Ronaldo and his family. The video starts with a snippet of a birthday celebration of one of the kids, before cutting to his girlfriend in a race with Cristiano Jr. on a ramp. In the next part, we find Ronaldo himself on a tricycle paddling his way ahead on an ice rink, before being followed by Rodriguez and the children.

AdvertisementTHE GOSSIP

Ronaldo and Rodriguez frequently post life updates on their respective social media handles, showing that the two are blossoming together as a couple. Earlier in 2023, there were rumours about their relationship being on the rocks after an alleged argument before boarding a plane became public. Rodriguez then swiftly refuted the reports through an Instagram post and stated that only “idiots” believe rumours.

WHAT GEORGINA RODRIGUEZ SAID

Rodriguez posted the video with a caption that read: "Thank you for so much love ❤️"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo is currently with his Portugal team-mates preparing for the final Euro 2024 qualifier against Iceland on Sunday. The 38-year-old has been in sublime form this season scoring 46 goals for club and country with his most recent strike coming against Liechtenstein on Thursday.

Mason Greenwood is considered to be a little “introverted” by his team-mates at Getafe, but he is reportedly beginning to understand in-house jokes.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Forward spending time in Spanish footballSettled well in new surroundingsExpected to leave Old Trafford in 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old forward finds himself in Spain after being ushered through the exits at Manchester United. He remains under contract at Old Trafford until 2025, but appears to have little future at his parent club. He has not figured for the Premier League outfit since his arrest on suspicion of attempted rape, coercive behaviour, and assault in January 2022 – with those charges dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following a six-month investigation.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Greenwood is set to spend the 2023-24 campaign in La Liga, with an initial loan agreement expected to be extended in January. He is feeling more at home in new surroundings, with a spectacular goal recorded – his fourth of the season – last time out in a 2-1 victory over Almeria.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to , Greenwood is continuing to use the Spanish tutor provided to him, which is allowing him to pick up the language spoken by the majority of those that he works with on a daily basis. As he begins to learn certain words and phrases, the one-cap England international is starting to let his guard down and join in with more fun on the training ground.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

As Greenwood feels more relaxed in the company of team-mates and coaches – with family members and support staff alongside him in Spain – he is likely to see out the season with Getafe before completing a permanent transfer away from Manchester United in the summer of 2024.

The Frenchman doesn't just have two elite clubs dancing to his own tune – he also has an incredible level of control over the entire transfer market

Unlike nearly everyone else connected with Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappe was in good spirits during Saturday's Ligue 1 clash with Lorient. While those seated around him at Parc des Princes were bitterly frustrated watching the champions try – and fail – to break down the team that finished 10th last season, Mbappe was spotted several times laughing and joking with new PSG signing Ousmane Dembele. And why not? The game did nothing other than prove just how important he is to PSG.

The day before, Luis Enrique had stated that he was still hoping to see an amicable resolution to Mbappe's contract stand-off with Nasser Al-Khelaifi & Co – but the new coach pointedly added: "The philosophy of this club is very clear: that the club is above everything and I share it 100 percent."

Undoubtedly admirable and heartfelt sentiments on the part of Luis Enrique – but simply not applicable in this case. The events of the last few days have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kylian Mbappe is bigger than Paris Saint-Germain. Right now, in fact, he's probably the most powerful player in the world.

(C)GettyImagesAcutely aware of his own worth

The morning after being given what must have felt like a terrifying glimpse of a future without Mbappe, PSG announced that the France captain had been welcomed back into the fold with open arms.

To casual observers, that would have looked like a remarkable turn of events. PSG, remember, had seemingly stood up to Mbappe at long last. When a letter confirming his intention to leave the club in 2024 was mysteriously – and conveniently – leaked to the press, Al-Khelaifi insisted that Mbappe would have to find himself a new club before the close of the transfer window. PSG understandably had no intention of losing the world's most valuable player on a free transfer next summer.

Things turned so toxic that PSG rather pettily took down Mbappe posters in and around their stadium, stopped selling his shirt in the club shop, while also resorting to the mother of all guilt trips by claiming that if Mbappe leaving for nothing would result in a "wave of redundancies".

They even accepted an offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for Mbappe, in an attempt to force his hand. Mbappe, though, refused to even discuss the transfer. Why? Because he can. He's the man in demand, the player holding all the aces here – and he knows it. This is a young, generational talent who is acutely aware of his own worth, particularly to PSG.

Advertisement(C)Getty Images'Cornerstrone of the club's project'

Al-Khelaifi made Mbappe "the cornerstone of the club's project" last year for a reason. They are utterly dependent upon him, and not from a sporting perspective. His goals can be replaced. As former sporting director Leonardo pointed out, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Chelsea have all won the Champions League since Mbappe joined PSG – so it is possible to win the trophy without him.

But PSG's superstar-obsessed owners clearly do not believe that is possible for a club with no competition in France to maintain relevance on the global stage without a player of Mbappe's stature – one that is immensely popular with young fans from every background – and certainly not at this moment in time.

With Lionel Messi and Neymar having left this summer, Mbappe is their one remaining icon – and the one most important to their brand. They could build a better, more cohesive and functioning team with the money made from selling Mbappe, one capable of finally realising their dream of conquering Europe, but without the World Cup winner, they would just not be as attractive a proposition in terms of marketing and commercial opportunities, or even just in terms of attracting social media followers.

Mbappe and his team know all that, which is why they could afford to simply sit tight and call PSG's bluff.

Getty ImagesMaking Madrid wait too

Because it's not as if Real Madrid are going anywhere. Mbappe led Florentino Perez down the garden path last summer, and yet the Spaniard still clearly wants to sign him. He is even prepared to wait until next year to do so.

Again, though, Mbappe will decide if or when he moves to Madrid. He may yet sign an extension at PSG, but if he does, it will be once again done on his terms. Indeed, do not be surprised if he manages to 'persuade' PSG to put a 2024 buy-out clause into the agreement – and for a fee that he knows Madrid will be willing to meet.

In that sense, Mbappe is displaying an element of control over not only his career – but also the transfer market – that we have never seen before.

He has been a little fortunate in that regard. Cristiano Ronaldo had to move to Saudi Arabia because nobody wanted him in Europe anymore. Lionel Messi was forced out of Camp Nou on account of Barcelona's financial problems. Mbappe, though, is in a position to do as he pleases, and while he decides what's best for him, several other players are stuck in the departures lounge. If Mbappe stays at PSG, Madrid will simply have to sign a goalscorer this summer. And PSG, of course, would need to sign a replacement if he were to leave.

Either way, Mbappe is the potential catalyst for a chain reaction that would see a succession of forwards switch clubs.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

imago imagesSpineless PSG panic under the pressure

Not that he'll care about that, of course. For now, his sole focus will be on seeing what else PSG are willing to offer him to sign a contract extension. They bent over backwards for him last summer, while this time around they have replaced Neymar, with whom Mbappe fell out, with his France team-mate and good friend Dembele. More Mbappe-approved moves yet be made at the Parc des Princes.

Of course, the club have tried to make out that a relationship that appeared broken has now been mended thanks to "very constructive, positive talks" between the two parties led to the player being "reinstated into first-team training" on Sunday morning. In truth, though, a desperate and spineless PSG panicked under the pressure and decided to give Mbappe everything he wanted once again.

In the era of player power, not one has more than Kylian Mbappe.

Where to watch Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Chelsea – team news, kick-off time and more.

Real Madridwill host Chelseain the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

📺 Watch Real Madrid vs Chelsea live on Paramount+ in the US

Madrid faced Liverpool in the Round of 16 and beat them 6-2 on aggregate to seal a last-eight berth. The Whites have scored in each of their eight Champions League contests this season and with an in-form Karim Benzema upfront, it will not be surprising if they score past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Meanwhile, Chelsea got the better of Borussia Dortmund in the last round after overcoming a first-leg deficit to win 2-1 on aggregate. However, this time, Frank Lampard will be in charge of the team instead of Graham Potter and the former England international will be eager to prove his worth after they succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Wolves over the weekend in the Premier League.

The two teams met at a similar stage in the tournament last season and despite Chelsea bagging a 3-2 win at the Bernabeu, the Blues crashed out due to an inferior aggregate score (5-4). In fact, even in 2021, Chelsea did not lose away to Madrid as Los Blanocs were held to a 1-1 draw on that occasion. Chelsea then went on to win 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the second leg to progress to the final.

GOAL tells you all you need to know about Real Madrid vs Chelsea below – including team news, squads, kick-off time and more…

Getty ImagesKick-off timeDate:April 12, 2023Kick-off time:4pm EDTVenue:Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

The game is scheduled for April 12 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.

It will kick off at 4pm EDT in the US.

AdvertisementGettyHow to watch Real Madrid vs Chelsea online – TV channels & live streams

Country TV channel Live stream

USUnivision, TUDN USAParamount+, ViX+, TUDN.com

In the United States (US), the match will be available to watch on Univision, Paramount+ and ViX+.

Getty ImagesTeam news & squadsReal Madrid team news

Barring Ferland Mendy, coach Carlo Ancelotti does not have anyone in the Real Madrid treatment room.

The manager did not name key players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga in the starting XI in their 3-2 defeat to Villarreal but they should all return to the line-up against Chelsea.

Federico Valverde, who allegedly punched Villarreal's Alex Baena, should also be available for the game.

Real Madrid possible XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Camavinga, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Courtois, Lunin, Luis LopezDefenders:Carvajal, E. Militao, Vallejo, Odriozola, Lucas Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, AlabaMidfielders:Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, D. Ceballos, TchouameniForwards:Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Vini Jr., Rodrygo, MarianoChelsea team news

Mason Mount (abdominal issue)remains doubtful for this fixture while Armando Broja (knee), Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva (knee) will definitely miss the clash with injuries.

Although N'Golo Kante missed the trip to Wolves, the Frenchman should be fit to face Madrid along with defender Ben Chilwell.

Whereas, Benoit Badiashile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana are not part of the Blues' Champions League squad.

Chelsea possible XI: Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez, Kante; Sterling, Havertz, Felix

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Arrizabalaga, Mendy, Bettineli. Defenders:Chalobah, Chilwell, James, Koulibaly, Cucurella, W. Fofana. Midfielders:Fernandez, Kante, Kovacic, Pulisic, Sterlong, Mount, Zakaria, Ziyech, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Webster, Hall. Forwards:Havertz, Felix, Loftus-Cheek, Mudryk.Head-to-head record

Date Result Competition

13/04/2022Real Madrid 2-3 ChelseaChampions League07/04/2022Real Madrid 3-1 ChelseaChampions League06/05/2021Chelsea 2-0 Real MadridChampions League28/04/2021Real Madrid 1-1 ChelseaChampions League31/07/2016Real Madrid 3-2 ChelseaFriendlyENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesUseful links

Real Madrid team page

Chelsea team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Goal counts down the transfers that have surprised over the years in the world's most popular sport

The appointment of college football coach Ted Lasso as Richmond FC's new manager might be one of the more bizarre signings in football, but the sport's history is littered with shock transfers – successful and infamous…

Getty20Ronaldinho – AC Milan to Flamengo

In 2011, Ronaldinho had a whole host of admirers when he was leaving AC Milan.

His transfer to Flamengo was not exactly a shock as he returned to his homeland, but the real head-scratching moment was the fact that Brazilian rivals Gremio were so sure they had they had re-signed their former player that they held a celebration with their fans before Flamengo came in and snatched him from under their eyes.

AdvertisementMarco Luzzani19Andrea Pirlo – Juventus U23 to Juventus

Andrea Pirlo was no stranger to a shocking switch, having first traded Inter for AC Milan and later joined Juventus on a free transfer, prompting Gianluigi Buffon to claim "God exists".

However, in 2020, he went one step further, taking over as coach of Juventus's Under-23 side without any coaching experience before being promoted to the top job just a week later following the sacking of Maurizio Sarri.

Getty Images18Julien Faubert – West Ham to Real Madrid

French winger Julien Faubert had an unexpected career journey. He went from Cannes to Bordeaux to West Ham before stunning the world when Real Madrid came in with a deadline day loan offer for him in January 2009.

He played just twice for Los Blancos, even being pictured sleeping on the bench during a game and missing training as he got his day off mixed up.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty17Edgar Davids – Retired to Barnet

In 2012, former Ajax, Juventus and Netherlands legend Edgar Davids came out of retirement to play for his local London club.

But rather than a Premier League giant, the Champions League winner was appointed joint player-coach at… League Two side Barnet.

There, he wore the shirt number 1 and would not travel to away games if the team was required to stay in a hotel overnight.

Barnet were relegated but Davids stayed on and managed the team in the Conference. He left in 2014 and has not had a managerial job since.

Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent

George Dobell in Barbados29-Apr-2015Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent.It is not that his team lacks talent. It is not that they lack the will to win or the stomach for the fight. It is that regional cricket in the Caribbean has declined to such an extent – and is played on such rotten pitches – that the gap between it and international cricket has become a chasm.Simmons’ job, then, is not just to coach a team, not just to improve a squad of players, but to cut through the politics and self-interest and apathy to improve cricket across the Caribbean. It is a colossal task and will surely feel, at times, like herding cats.But he is not the sort to be easily discouraged. Far from it. While he admits to having been “startled” by the “reckless” batting on the final day in Grenada, he is “very encouraged” that West Indies have recorded four centuries in the two Tests and that three of them have been scored by players aged 23 or younger.Phil Simmons on…

Injuries: “Jerome Taylor bowled two spells in the nets on Tuesday, so we’ll see how his shoulder reacts. Jason Holder has recovered well and will bowl on Thursday.”

Shivnarine Chanderpaul: “He’s having a bad series, but all the greats have had bad series. We didn’t drop them. I remember Clive Lloyd at 41; I remember Gordon Greenidge at 41. Shiv is still 40. And he is working as hard as anyone. We have four experienced guys in the side and they all need to make their presence felt.”

Pitches: “In an ideal world, I’d like a nice, quick, bouncy wicket where who can bat, will bat and who can bowl will take wickets. But I can’t think of anywhere in the world where there’s one of them now. I know there’s a cynical view that we’re doing this for a tactic or to make sure that Tests last five days, but I don’t think it’s true.”

James Anderson: “I was impressed by the extra effort he put in on the last day. It was what his side needed. That’s why he’s played 100 Tests and taken most wickets for England. When he sees a small gap, he pushes through it. He showed his leadership skills.”

His challenge is to help the team extend their good play from one session to three a day. And to do that, he feels the standard of regional cricket must improve.”The thing is, our young players are learning international cricket on the international stage,” Simmons said. “And that’s not ideal.”When you play county cricket, the level is close enough to Test cricket. And when I think back to my days – and I hate to do that – I learned a lot in regional cricket. But I don’t think there’s a lot to be learned at that level now. So it’s when you come up here that you start learning.”You can get away with reckless batting in our four-day game. It seems to be the normal thing to do. But you don’t get many bad balls and you have to bat for longer when you play international cricket. And if Bishoo bowled 50 overs in our four-day cricket, he would take 20 wickets.”I saw a 50-over game a while ago. The standard of the wicket was terrible. Terrible. That is the first part of my job. Not the international team. The biggest part of my job is getting the proper coaching set-up, the proper fitness set-ups, the proper wickets in our regional cricket right around the Caribbean.”We have to address these things. I don’t know how yet, but we’ll find a way. That’s the only way we’ll produce better cricketers.”Simmons has decided to take a ‘glass half full’ attitude to West Indies’ performances in the series to date. So while he could have been infuriated by aspects of the batting in Grenada or the bowling in Antigua, he has instead seen the largely untapped potential in his side.”I’m very encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Simmons said. “We had two hours of negligence on the last day in Grenada and we lost the game. It was a reckless period. It just needed a couple of guys to bat for another half-hour or so and we would have saved the game.”I’d like to see us play two or three sessions consistently. We’ve played well in one, been bad in the next, then come back in the one after that. But we’ve not played consistently well for three sessions.”We just need our young players to understand that how they play must be determined by what the teams needs and what the scoreboard reads.”But they don’t do that because of the level of our first-class cricket, so they have to learn here that, if the score is 40 for 4, you might have to bat for two sessions and come back the next day to get your big score. The mindset has to change. They have to realise you have to bat for longer.”Jermaine Blackwood exemplifies the issue. While he made an impressive century in the first innings in Antigua, he has been dismissed in both second innings in remarkably reckless fashion: once coming down the pitch and attempting to slog over the leg side and once caught at mid-off as he tried to drive Chris Jordan over the top. For a side looking to save a Test, they were odd shots.”He didn’t assess the situation properly,” Simmons said. “He assessed it properly in the first innings of the match. He still played his shots, he still hit over the top off the fast bowlers, but he did it in the right situation. In Grenada he didn’t. But he’s in his what? Fifth Test? It will take him some time to learn.”You hear people talk about how bad this is, or how bad that is. But when you’re in the camp, it’s not all as bad as people say. But there has been nothing as startling as the way we batted on the last morning in Grenada. There is learning to be done.”

The Emirates was jumping at the end of Arsenal's 3-1 win over Spurs – so who starred for Mikel Arteta and who let Antonio Conte down?

North London is red once again!

This was game was billed as being too tight to call by many but, in the end, Arsenal proved far too good for their neighbours as they cruised to a 3-1 win over Tottenham at a cauldron-like Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta's side were excellent throughout, barring a nervy spell at the end of the first half when they gifted Spurs a goal via the penalty spot.

The hosts had dominated up until Harry Kane's equaliser, deservedly opening the scoring with a stunning strike from distance from Thomas Partey.

To their credit, Arsenal brushed off the disappointment of conceding the penalty by restoring their lead just four minutes into the second half, with Gabriel Jesus tapping home after a horrible error by Hugo Lloris.

Then, after Emerson Royal had been sent off for a nasty challenge on Gabriel Martinelli, Granit Xhaka struck to make sure of the points, and maintain Arsenal's position at the top of the table.

GettyThe Winners

Winner: William Saliba

What a performance once again from the young centre-back!

This was Saliba's first north London derby and many wondered whether the occasion would be a bit much for the 21-year-old.

But he looked totally at ease and barely gave Kane a kick throughout another imperious display in the heart of the defence.

No wonder the fans already love him!

Winner: Gabriel Jesus

There was a lot of talk before the game about Jesus going up against Richarlison.

The Arsenal striker had just been left out of the Brazil squad at the expense of the Spurs man, who scored three times in two games over the international break.

Mikel Arteta insisted beforehand that he had no concerns over how Jesus would react to the disappointment and the Arsenal boss was right not to be worried.

Jesus was electric throughout, scoring one and causing the Spurs defence all sorts of problems. It was a wonderful performance.

Winner: Gabriel Martinelli

Spurs will be having nightmares about Martinelli this evening.

The Arsenal winger tore Emerson Royal to pieces down, so much so that Royal almost looked relieved to be sent off for hacking down the Brazilian.

He may not have got on the scoresheet himself, but Martinelli is flourishing into a quality wide attacker this season.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Loser: Emerson Royal

What can you say? Emerson endured a miserable afternoon up against Martinelli. The Spurs full-back just couldn't cope with the Arsenal winger.

In the end, it almost looked like he just gave up, stamping on Martinelli's ankle and getting himself sent off.

Antonio Conte must have been fuming.

Loser: Hugo Lloris

The Tottenham keeper was an injury doubt before the game and Spurs fans will probably now be wishing he had lost his fitness battle.

Lloris made an absolute mess of Bukayo Saka's shot four minutes into the second half, spilling the the England man's relatively tame effort.

The ball then deflected back to the keeper off Cristian Romero and the World Cup winner somehow let it squirm under his body, giving Jesus a tap-in.

It was another horrible error from the experienced Lloris, just as Tottenham were looking to build on the momentum that that they had gathered in the run up to half-time.

Gabriel Magalhaes:

The rash challenge on Richarlison which gave Spurs their first half penalty was the latest in a line of errors by the Arsenal centre-back this season.

As well as he has played for the majority of the campaign, the Brazilian just can't seem to stop putting his side in trouble.

It's something that has plagued Gabriel since his move to England and if he is going to become a truly world class centre-back, he needs to find a way of eradicating these mistakes from his game.

The errors always seem to be rush of blood moments as well. They are entirely avoidable.

For example, there was no need for him to go to ground for the penalty incident which gifted Spurs their equaliser. It was asking for trouble.

GettyArsenal Ratings: Defence

Aaron Ramsdale (7/10):

Great save to deny Richarlison in the first half. Excellent distribution.

Ben White (7/10):

Got forward well and set up Partey's goal.

William Saliba (8/10):

Calm on the ball, coped with Kane well. Very impressive.

Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

Needless foul to give away the penalty. Has to cut out those errors.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (6/10):

On the fringes of the games at times.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images.Midfield

Thomas Partey (8/10):

Scored an absolute beauty. Brings so much balance to the Arsenal side when he's fit.

Granit Xhaka (8/10):

Another remarkable moment in the Xhaka redemption story. Fabulous performance, great goal.

Martin Odegaard (7/10):

Always busy. Was bright around the penalty area.

Arsenal were stunned in the dying moments of their last-16 Champions League clash, with Porto's Wenderson Galeno scoring a long-range beauty.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arsenal heading towards 0-0 drawGaleno scores 94th-minute stunnerGunners have it all to do at EmiratesWHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal were heading towards a hard-earned draw on the road in a hotly-contested matchup on Wednesday evening. But Galeno took matters into his own hands in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The Brazilian picked up the ball on the left, lifted his head and curled a delightful effort out of the reach of a sprawling David Raya, in what was a stunning sucker punch to Mikel Arteta's side.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal entered the match in stunning form, scoring 21 goals across five Premier League wins in 2024. But their European curse again came back to haunt them, with an inexperienced side on the continental stage unable to see the game out. Arteta's men now have a one-goal deficit to overturn at the Emirates in two weeks' time, as they look to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010 – when Nicklas Bendtner was leading the line at the club.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT?

Before that, though, Arteta's attentions will turn to catching up Liverpool at the Premier League summit, who moved four points clear with a 4-1 victory over Luton on Wednesday evening. The Gunners will hope to bounce back from this defeat and make it six league wins on the trot when they host Newcastle on Saturday.

Marcus Trescothick’s punishing century led Somerset to victory against Durham as he continued to put the woes of 2013 behind him

Tim Wigmore at Taunton22-May-2014
ScorecardMarcus Trescothick is putting the horrors of 2013 behind him•Getty ImagesThe roar that greeted Marcus Trescothick’s century reflected the affection that he is held at Taunton and beyond. If the gap between his 18th and 19th first-class centuries at the ground had been too long – 618 days to be exact – Trescothick could scarcely have chosen a better moment to end it.His innings did more than guide Somerset to 248, and with enough haste to make up for four hours lost on the final day to showers; and it did more than just take Somerset to second in the table, a position they hold as the division’s only unbeaten side. It created a resounding sense that Trescothick’s struggles last season, averaging 28 in the championship, were not the indications of decline that had been feared. Somerset have won two championship games this season; a Trescothick century has underpinned both.They have been of very different characters. His century at Hove held Somerset together in testing batting conditions; here he hurtled to 133 at better than a run a ball. Consecutive sixes off Chris Rushworth, over long-on and midwicket, would have cleared many larger grounds than Taunton. But for sheer audacity, no shot matched a paddle over fine leg for six.The opposition captain, Paul Collingwood, could only admire the onslaught. “It’s a pleasure to watch watching him in that kind of form because it just proves that he’s still one of the world’s best batsman around,” he said. “I’m not just saying English batsmen, I’m saying when he’s in that mood he’s literally got all the shots. It’s incredible to watch. In many ways it’s such a shame that he hasn’t played more for England.””We’ll talk about that innings for the next ten years,” Collingwood added, highlighting Trescothick’s contempt for Ryan Pringle’s offspin on a wicket that was offering assistance. “Hitting shots out of the rough over extra cover for six and playing around with the field the way he was. It’s just unbelievable.”Collingwood believes Trescothick is even more explosive on the county circuit than playing for England. “I’ve always thought that when you play in the England set-up, the intensity and the pressure that’s on you, you probably don’t play to your 100% capabilities and he seems to have this kind of freedom,” he said. “When you’ve got a guy with the kind of skill with that mentality, it looks as if he’s a better player now when he’s in that form then when he was with England. But I think you could argue that the pressure of playing for England is the thing that holds you back a bit.”Trescothick’s intent was palpable from his opening two balls of the day, both harrumphed through the offside for four. It was quite the learning curve for offspinner Pringle, who was then launched for six over extra cover amid the carnage. With a serious thunderstorm due – and it arrived at 11.38, with Somerset still needing 80 more, and play could not resume for four hours – Trescothick evidently relished the urgency of the situation.”If it’s in the zone you’ve got to give it everything you can do,” he said. “You tend to lose sight of the fear.” Compared to his more adhesive effort at Hove (when his strike-rate was 49), this innings was “a lot more enjoyable because you could express yourself a bit more and I probably played a bit freer.”And it would have been all the more satisfying for coming after the struggles of last season. “Last season was unique for us because it was just a downward spiral,” Trescothick said. “There’s no doubt about it, everyone questions themselves. You probably question yourself even more at 38.” At one point Somerset’s skipper scored two runs in five innings across formats.”You train, you work and you do everything and you think why aren’t I getting the results?” But Trescothick resisted the urge to change the method that has served him so well. “I’m still working the same way that I have done from last season to this. Maybe it’s just a bit of confidence, when you get that score that you need.”It has become a cliché to say that he is no technician, but Trescothick’s nous, self-belief and knowledge of his own game trumpets any lack of footwork. “The winter was the key time for my rebuilding,” he said. A championship average of 51 in 2014, is providing considerable – and rather heart-warming – vindication.With the pitch having slowed over the course of the game, Durham’s only chance of success rested on Pringle’s best impersonation of Saeed Ajmal: quite the task for a 22-year-old making his first-class debut. He did not wilt, claiming Nick Compton lbw and belatedly snaring Trescothick at long-off, but far more established bowlers would have had no riposte to Trescothick’s assault.Durham’s fate rather seemed sealed from before the day’s first delivery, with Mark Wood – likened to Simon Jones by Trescothick – and Jamie Harrison both unable to bowl, although Wood still took to the outfield. Add Graham Onions, Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick and you would have a formidable attack from Durham’s bowling absentees.”I would have loved to have seen the competition, especially with the rough outside offstump, of Borthwick and Trescothick,” Collingwood lamented. Graham Onions and Ben Stokes, who could both return at Trent Bridge on Sunday, are needed: “It is a bit desperate at the moment,” Collingwood admitted. “I always said that we over-achieved last year.”

Mark Vermeulen could play his first Test in more than 10 years after being included in Zimbabwe’s 25-man training squad for the visit of South Africa following his impressive form for the A team.

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2014Mark Vermeulen could play his first Test in more than 10 years after being included in Zimbabwe’s 25-man training squad for the visit of South Africa following his impressive form for the A team.The last of his eight Tests came in May 2004 against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo (a game in which Sri Lanka made 713 for 3) and the last time he appeared in any international was in November 2009 in an ODI against South Africa.That ODI appearance came shortly after he was acquitted of arson after he admitted burning down Zimbabwe’s academy in 2006 but successfully argued it was because he was suffering psychiatric problems, including partial complex epilepsy, ever since he suffered a head injury during an ODI against India in 2004.In the two recently completed four-day matches against Afghanistan, Vermeulen, who is now 35, made 107, 36 and an unbeaten 47 after beginning with a duck.In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, he said how he was desperate to make use of whatever time he had left in the game.”I spent two years in court and another year-and-a-half out of the game so it was three-and-a-half years totally wasted, and at that time of my career that should not have happened.”I didn’t ever lose any love for cricket. I still think I have two or three years left in me and I think I will give it one last full go in the hope that I can play a Test again. I’ve become more determined because I know I don’t have many years left in me. I’ve become more focused.”The one-off Test against South Africa starts in Harare on August 9 and that is followed by three ODIs before further 50-over matches in a triangular series also involving Australia.Zimbabwe have recently gone down the route of split captaincy with Elton Chigumbura being given the ODI and T20 roles while Brendan Taylor has retained the Test job.Zimbabwe training squad Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Elton Chigumbura, Steven Chimhamhiwa, Michael Chinouya, Luke Jongwe, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Natsai M’shangwe, Cuthbert Musoko, Richmond Mutumbami, Taurai Muzarabani, John Nyumbu, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Prosper Utseya, Mark Vermeulen, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams