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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been told one player ‘shouldn’t be starting’ after their 4-1 triumph over Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Arsenal cruise to statement 4-1 win over Aston Villa

Arsenal scored four times in a rampant second-half display to secure a statement win over their Premier League title rivals at the Emirates, on what was a night to remember for the north Londoners.

After a goalless first half, the home side were ahead inside three minutes of the second period when Emiliano Martinez flapped at Bukayo Saka’s corner and the ball rolled in off Gabriel’s thigh.

Arsenal doubled their advantage on 52 minutes after Martin Zubimendi converted Martin Odegaard’s exquisite defence-splitting pass, with Leandro Trossard scoring from long range after 69 minutes to put the game firmly out of Villa’s reach.

Gabriel Jesus then netted his first goal since New Year’s Day just moments after coming on as a substitute, with Ollie Watkins scoring a consolation for the visitors in injury time.

The impressive victory was the perfect tonic for Arteta’s players against a team that dealt them a stoppage-time 2-1 defeat at Villa Park just 24 days prior.

It also brought to an end Villa’s club-equalling 11-match winning streak, and quite possibly their ambitions of making it a three-way fight for the title.

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Arsenal, who were without the injured Declan Rice for the first time in the league this season, now move five points clear of Manchester City, with Villa now also six points off the pace.

After scraping past Wolves, Everton and Brighton in their previous three fixtures, Arsenal were far from their fluent best in a first half where the weight of expectation of ending a 22-year wait for a title appeared to be hanging over them.

But they came alive after the break with a performance which will serve as a warning to City ahead of their match against Sunderland on Thursday.

And their opener, as it so often does, arrived from a set-piece. Martinez was in a world of bother as he pondered whether to catch or punch Saka’s inswinger, and in the end he did neither. Under pressure from Gabriel, Martinez could not gather the ball, and it ended up in his net off the Arsenal defender’s left thigh.

A VAR check followed to see if Martinez had been fouled by Gabriel, but the goal stood, and just four minutes later, the home side were celebrating a second.

This one was all about Odegaard who won possession inside the Villa half and was afforded time to play a deft left-footed pass into Zubimendi’s path, with the Spaniard poking the ball past an on-rushing Martinez.

Jurrien Timber fired high from a corner before Odegaard, enjoying a fine game as Arsenal’s conductor after his excellent display against Brighton last time out, also blazed over. The captain came close to adding a third for his side but Martinez diverted his long-range shot for a corner.

However, the Argentine could do nothing with Trossard’s effort a handful of minutes later. Odegaard found Saka at the back post before Lucas Digne dithered which allowed Timber to pounce.

The ball fell to Trossard before he fired low and hard and into the bottom corner and Arsenal were in dreamland. Another VAR probe ensued to see if Saka was offside in the build-up. He was not and the goal stood.

The Arsenal fans might have thought their evening could not get any better only to see Jesus, who replaced the goal-shy Viktor Gyokeres, score with his first touches of the ball.

Odegaard was involved again, hooking the ball over the top to Zubimendi, who found Trossard, and then Jesus who took one touch to open his body before angling a curling shot past Martinez with 12 minutes to go.

Watkins continued his impressive personal run against Arsenal with his seventh strike across 13 games, but it was the only sour note of a stunning evening for Arteta’s title-chasing men.

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That being said, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes there was another ‘negative’ of last night.

Jamie Carragher urges Arteta to drop Viktor Gyokeres after Villa rout

Speaking to Sky Sports, via Football 365, the former Liverpool defender urged Arteta to drop Gyokeres after another barren display in front of goal.

The Swede, who hasn’t scored from open play since November, bagged a penalty against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but that is his only goal in Arsenal’s last seven league games.

Now, Carragher says Gyokeres ‘shouldn’t be starting’ for Arsenal, with both Jesus and Kai Havertz named as better options.

The 27-year-old has scored seven in 21 total appearances for Arsenal after two years free-scoring in Portugal, and it could be a case of Gyokeres simply finding his feet in a far more competitive division.

In any case, Arteta will be glad to have alternatives to call upon, but we shouldn’t give up on Gyokeres just yet, who still offers a plentiful work rate and great runs off the ball to hassle defenders.

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Cricket fans in England who were up in arms when Sky Sports were given an exclusive four-year deal to televise all England’s home matches live have fortified themselves with the hope that come 2009, when the existing contract is up for renewal, the BBC or Channel 4 will re-enter the fray and bring coverage back to free-to-air terrestrial TV.However, a new player has emerged on the scene in the form of Setanta Sports, a rival to Sky but one with far fewer subscribers. Last month Setanta secured the rights to broadcast the Indian Premier League – neither Sky nor any terrestrial channel bid – and it has now set its sights on the bigger prize.”It’s something we are looking at,” Trevor East, Setanta’s director of sports, told The Wisden Cricketer. “I wouldn’t rule out Test matches … I wouldn’t rule anything out. Cricket’s one sports we haven’t had any involvement with in our short growth period and it’s been on my list.”If [the IPL] is a success we might look at some other cricket properties.”Setanta will take the Indian feed for the IPL but if they do expand their coverage of the game then East said they would look at finding their own presenters.

Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, was a key player in the negotiations which ended up with the rights being awarded to Sky. Click here to see what he said back then.

Though his last ODI innings was a 39-ball 51, Marlon Samuels isn’t England bound © Getty Images

Marlon Samuels has been dropped from the 15-man squad for the four-Test series in England which starts next week. There are few surprises in the choices, although there is no back-up wicketkeeper or specialist spinner in the side. Ravi Rampaul returns while there is an overdue call-up for allrounder Darren Sammy.Gordon Greenidge, the former opener and current convenor of selectors, put his faith in the side when he explained the selection. “The task has not been easy, especially given the fact that the performance for the recently-completed World Cup wasn’t as great as we had all hoped,” he said during the announcement on local television. “We feel that this squad should perform credibly. We feel we have a good mix, and we’re hoping that this mix will start the ball rolling as far as the redevelopment or the re-defining of West Indies cricket for the future.”Greenidge also said he would address the squad prior to their departure regarding reports of indiscipline during the World Cup.Former West Indies selector Joey Carew expressed some surprise at the squad. “I can’t criticise the selections. The fact that [Marlon] Samuels and [Pedro] Collins are not there is noticeable,” he told . “I thought they would have chosen a spinner, Dave Mohammed, but they may think he is not up to Test standard.”Ramnaresh Sarwan, the newly appointed West Indies captain, insisted that the team needed support. ” I think it is important that the team gets the support which it needs to take West Indies cricket forward,” he said, while indicating that the team would struggle in the absence of Brian Lara.”I think it is an opportunity, obviously Brian was a tremendous player for us and a tremendous player for the world. I think that it is an opportunity for the younger players to actually show their skills and what they are made of. I am sure that they will be looking forward to it. It is very important for us to play as a team, as I have said before, and it cannot be a one-man show. I am sure that we will be able to pull together as a team and that the other players will be able to mature on the tour.”In regards to criticism of his game, Sarwan said the captaincy was an opportunity to step up. “Obviously, I have got out in different fashions – playing rash strokes – and maybe this is a blessing is disguise to give me more responsibility and this is something which I think that I need. So it is something which I am looking forward too and I am going to try and make the best of it.”The side leaves the Caribbean on May 8 and plays one three-day warm-up match against Somerset before the Lord’s Test on May 17. The squad for the three ODIs and two Twenty20 matches which follow the Tests will be named later.West Indies squad Ramnaresh Sarwan (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Sylvester Joseph, Runako Morton, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor, Ravi Rampaul.

Robert Key: captain of England A © Getty Images

Robert Key has been named as captain of a strong England A side for their four-day match against the Sri Lankans at Worcester, as the preparations for the first Test at Lord’s on May 11 step up another gear.The fixture represents a radical departure from the established pattern for touring sides’ warm-ups. In the past, visiting teams would often face second-string county attacks with key players rested, but the ECB has rightly taken the view that a chance for their reserve players to take on international opposition should not be squandered.”This is the first opportunity an England A side has had to take on a touring side in this country,” said England’s chairman of selectors, David Graveney, “and it allows players who are currently on the fringe of the international arena to press for places in our Test and one-day sides.”The team includes six players who were selected for England’s winter tours: Alastair Cook, Alex Loudon, Sajid Mahmood, Liam Plunkett and Owais Shah, together with Chris Tremlett, who had to withdraw from the Pakistan tour through injury. Key himself might have been called up in India had it not been for shoulder surgery, while Middlesex’s Ed Joyce was mentioned in several dispatches after a successful season in 2005. Surrey’s allrounder Rikki Clarke, meanwhile, played two Tests against Bangladesh in 2003-04.Perhaps the most intriguing selection, however, is that of Chris Read – England’s former wicketkeeper who has already scored two hundreds this season, one for Nottinghamshire v MCC in the season curtain-raiser at Lord’s, and another in the rain-ruined match against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge last week.Read, the best gloveman in the country, was axed from England’s Test side two years ago after Duncan Fletcher voiced concerns about his batting, but another good show here and he could yet find himself pushing for Geraint Jones’s Test place, which remains in jeopardy after another mixed winter.A pace attack of Plunkett, Mahmood and Tremlett represents a three-way shootout between the likely lads of the next generation, and Sri Lanka’s batsmen can expect a hostile reception when the match gets underway. For Tremlett, it will be an important chance to test his problematic knee, which held together successfully in the C&G victory over Ireland on Sunday.Alex Loudon, the forgotten man of England’s winter, gets another chance to push his credentials in a match situation, an especially timely opportunity given that England’s leading spinner, Ashley Giles, is unavailable at least until the arrival of Pakistan.Graveney confirmed that these contests are intended to become an integral part of the English season. “We also look forward to England A hosting Pakistan at Canterbury later in the summer,” he said. “[They] will become an important yardstick for the selectors in measuring how our best young players shape up against top quality opposition.”England A Robert Key (capt), Alastair Cook, Owais Shah, Ed Joyce, Ravi Bopara, Alex Loudon, Rikki Clarke, Chris Read, Liam Plunkett, Chris Tremlett, Sajid Mahmood, Coach: Peter Moores, ECB National Academy Director

Laxman doing what he does best © Getty Images

VVS Laxman, who has gone through a rocky time in Test cricket and found himself out in the cold as far as the one-day side is concerned, has blamed a lack of tactical flexibility for India’s recent troubles. Speaking to the The Indian Express during an India-Pakistan match for the visually impaired, Laxman insisted that a tweak here and there would once again propel India towards the top rung of international cricket.”In the past few years the opposition has understood us well, but that is the trend of international cricket,” he said. “We have not totally surrendered to teams, and therefore we don’t need to make drastic changes in the team. But we must improve our consistency. You cannot have the same strategy for Australia and Pakistan. They are totally different teams. Every series is different and needs new ideas.”According to Laxman, who was jettisoned from the ODI side before the tour of Bangladesh last winter, the reluctance to experiment was one of the root causes of the 2-4 reverse against Pakistan. “You cannot have a set pattern,” he said. “It is very important that the team has good options. One must look at the situation first – if early wickets are lost then the game-plan has to change. Flexibility is the key.”It was only four years ago that Laxman played the finest innings ever by an Indian batsman, and one of the greatest of all time, as Australia were vanquished in a remarkable Test match at Kolkata. He came in then at No. 3, his chosen slot, but with Rahul Dravid having established himself as one of the all-time greats in the very same position, it has been difficult for Laxman to reproduce similar heroics.”I have won matches for India at No. 3, though I can win games in any position,” he said. “John [Wright] also knows that I have always delivered at No. 3 in Tests and one-dayers, and therefore has always wanted me to bat there.” Laxman added, however, that there was no question of demanding the position for himself. “You cannot ask Rahul Dravid to move from that slot, because he has done wonderfully well there. I have spoken to Sourav and Wright about it, but I am not going to keep asking them for it. I will play where the team requires me to play.”What Laxman does believe, though, is the merit of shuffling your line-up according to the match situation. “Flexibility is important. Dravid, captain in the Mumbai Test against Australia, suggested that I bat at No. 3 with the new ball in play. I scored a crucial 69, put together a partnership with Sachin [Tendulkar], and we won the Test.”The criticism that has come his way in recent times has clearly irked. “I got two fifties against Pakistan in the Tests and everyone said I failed in the series,” says Laxman. “No-one bothered to check that I batted lower down the order with no support from the tail. I got 79 at Bangalore with the tailenders. I could have been selfish and played big shots, but I knew that crease-occupation at that time was important.”After suffering the heartache of missing out on the last World Cup squad, Laxman appeared to have resurrected his ODI career with three scintillating centuries in Australia, and another sublime innings in the decisive Lahore game last March. Subsequently, inconsistency and the perception that he is a liability in the field forced him out of the squad, but Laxman insists that a comeback is far from implausible.”My basic mantra is to rotate the strike, occupying the crease and keeping the scoreboard ticking,” he says. “Just hitting fours and sixes doesn’t work. Rahul and I have to stick around for 40-45 overs and eventually the team gets a big score. Check the records – if I have played around 40-45 overs, we have got 300-plus totals and won.”

Day 3 of 4
ScorecardWhile the other two Pura Cup games were affected by rain, a fightback by Western Australia and a strong start by South Australia made for an intriguing final day’s play at the Adelaide Oval. Ben Cameron and Mark Cosgrove put on an unbeaten 64-run partnership to take their team to 1 for 106, only 232 adrift of the target. But the day’s honours went to Darren Wates and Brad Hogg, who fought tooth and nail to gain the upper hand after Western Australia had lost 7 wickets for 116.The day had begun with Western Australia on 3 for 62, and the situation deteriorated rapidly when Paul Rofe dismissed Marcus North and Ryan Campbell off successive deliveries. Shaun Tait then swung into action and removed Murray Goodwin (6 for 83).A wicket and two hours later, Wates and Hogg had put on 119 runs and their team was in a position to dictate terms. Hogg, given a life before he had scored, stroked 10 fours in his 75 (8 for 235) before being dismissed, but Wates soldiered on. Last week, Wates had displayed a penchant for hard hitting during the ING Cup final, and here, with only the tail for company, he struck out again and scored 99 before being run out one short of what would have been his first hundred.Cameron and Cosgrove then took over, and shrugging off the loss of Shane Deitz, scored at four and a half an over to give South Australia a palpable chance of victory.

Robinvale’s Daryl McClure and Gai Campbell from Aspendale have been named Cricket Victoria’s 2002/03 Volunteers of the Year. ICC Chief Executive Officer and special guest Malcolm Speed announced the winners in a breakfast function at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test Match.Community Cricket Manager John Harris said the winners had made exceptional contributions to cricket. “We had a nomination from each of Victoria’s 16 regions and realistically, all would have been worthy winners. However the judging panel felt that both Daryl and Gai have been absolutely outstanding volunteers, making a vital and unique contribution to cricket in their respective regions”.Harris said that Malcolm Speed’s attendance at the function had demonstrated the esteem with which the Volunteer of the Year Awards were held. “Malcolm spoke with great knowledge and passion about the role volunteers play in cricket. He foreshadowed a future where volunteers will continue to be recognised, with their skills and expertise a commodity that should be used in developing the game in junior cricket nations throughout the East Asia – Pacific region”.BACKGROUND INFORMATIONEach one of Cricket Victoria’s 16 Regions are invited to nominate their Volunteer of the Year, with those selected automatically eligible for the two major awards – Country and Metropolitan Volunteer of the Year.The respective regional winners are assessed primarily on their contribution to a particular cricket project or program in the current and/or previous season.Country Volunteer of the Year – DARYL McCLURE (Robinvale-Euston CC)Daryl is the current and inaugural club secretary of the Robinvale-Euston Cricket Club. The club was formed in 2000/01 as the result of difficulties being experienced at the time by the Robinvale & District Cricket Association (R&DCA). Gaining the support of the remaining R&DCA clubs, Daryl became the driving force behind a combined side from Robinvale achieving entry into the Sunraysia Cricket Association.He has also been primarily responsible for raising funding in excess of $35,000 for new clubrooms, a turf wicket, roller and general upgrade of the ground and facilities at Riverside Park. Daryl was directly responsible for coordinating sponsorship and recruiting both playing and administrative personnel to the new club.Not content with these tasks and achievements, Daryl has also established the club’s website, been instrumental in recruiting an overseas player for the previous two seasons and above all, retains his spot in the Robinvale-Euston 1st XI as a wicketkeeper/batsman. He is also committed to junior development in the Region through his duties as Manager/Assistant Coach of the U/15 Schoolboys and the Mallee-Murray Cricket Region U/15 team.Metropolitan Volunteer of the Year – GAI CAMPBELL (Aspendale CC)Gai has single handedly undertaken to resurrect junior cricket at the Aspendale Cricket Club after a five-year absence. As Junior Coordinator, Gai conducted pre-season letter drops and campaigned to local schools as part of her plan to recruit juniors back to the club. She has also enticed many parents to participate on match days and at training, developing family involvement within the club.Gai has successfully lobbied local council in attaining improvements in net and practice facilities for the junior competition, as well as obtaining grants for the purchase of protective equipment for players.Gai has also added her considerable talents to the senior section at Aspendale as club secretary and team manager for the 3rd XI. In all, her weekend cricket duties begin at 7.00am Saturday morning through to 8.30pm Saturday nights, with her 3rd XI commitments on Sunday afternoons.With all of her four boys playing cricket at Aspendale, as well as her husband playing in the club’s 1st XI, Gai has embraced both cricket and the Aspendale Cricket Club in a unique way.THE CRICKET VICTORIA “VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR” AWARDS ARE PART OF THE KOOKABURRA VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION PROGRAM

Somerset coach Kevin Shine named the following squad of 12 for the CricInfo Championship match against Surrey at The Oval starting on Wednesday:Jamie Cox, Piran Holloway, Mike Burns, Peter Bowler, Mark Lathwell, Rob Turner, Peter Trego,Keith Dutch, Richard Johnson, Matthew Bulbeck, Steffan Jones and Ian Blackwell.”Richard Johnson has come through two days of intensive tests without any problems and is 90% certain of playing. However as cover we are taking fast bowler Joe Tucker, who had such a super game for the seconds last week with us,” said the coach.

Aston Villa look set to pip Liverpool to the signing of Rangers forward Rory Wilson, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Academy additions at Villa

Despite winning a first FA Youth Cup since 2002 last year, Villa have continued to bolster their academy ranks with a number of signings.

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Kerr Smith, Finley Thorndike, Finn Azaz, Caleb Chukwuemeka, Declan Frith and Tim Iroegbunam have all made the move to Bodymoor Heath in the last 12 months.

Iroegbunam has been the standout youngster to catch Steven Gerrard’s eye, with the midfielder now regarded as a first-team player after signing a new deal.

The Latest: Wilson next for Villa?

The Scottish Sun shared a story on Monday morning, revealing that Villa look set to pip Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United in the race for Wilson’s services.

The 16-year-old has been labelled a goal machine, with Villa needing to pay a compensation fee to Rangers, believed to be in the region of £300,000.

The Verdict: Exciting move

Wilson looks like he could be a star in the making, going by the widespread interest that he is receiving from elite clibs.

Therefore, he looks set to be another exciting addition for Villa’s academy, with Rangers now resigned to losing the youngster despite offering him professional terms and Gerrard set to cause frustration for his former club Liverpool.

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Hopefully a deal will go through soon and Wilson will settle into life in the Midlands relatively quickly, and over the coming years, we could see him break into the first-team squad.

In other news: ‘Monster’ – Source reveals Villa now want to hijack major Tottenham move; same agent as Pogba

	Sachin Tendulkar finally found a semblance of form © Getty Images

Here’s to you
As soon as he had stepped out against Muttiah Muralitharan and hit him over mid-off for four, Sachin Tendulkar pointed his bat towards India’s dressing room in celebration of his first fifty of the series. It was, perhaps, a gesture of thanks to his team-mates for showing patience as he walked out of the shadows of doubt that had enveloped him in the tri-series till now. Before this match Tendulkar could muster only 128 runs in seven innings but chasing a small target, he dazzled a relatively small Hobart crowd.Getting out of the web
Humour is never lost on Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Having neatly completed an easy offering off Kumar Sangakkara’s outside edge, Dhoni flapped his gloves and mocked at the webbing, making sure there was nothing wrong this time after he had to change his gloves because in India’s previous game, against Australia, the webbing was against the laws of the game.Ripper!
Point is the toughest position to field in the game. The fielder is moving in and normally the ball travels at a high speed. Reflexes and agility are the key. Mahela Jaywardene slashed hard at a short one from Praveen Kumar and it went straight and low to Rohit Sharma, who picked it up cleanly shoe-laces level. Calm, poised, alert – full marks to Rohit, in a position previously occupied by Yuvraj Singh, now placed at mid-off.Free falling
Speaking of Yuvraj, one of the best fielders inside the 30-yard circle till a niggling knee injury acted up further, he has been abysmal by his standards. Its obvious that Yuvraj, knee brace in place wherever he’s been for over a month now, has been slow to move and that has allowed opposition batsmen to capitalise. Today was one such case again: Chamara Kapugedera drove uppishly off Munaf Patel towards mid-off, but a static Yuvraj dived on top of the ball. It sneaked past him and the batsmen ran four. Munaf was understandably disgusted, while Yuvraj had his head down.Converting a six into two
The ball was sailing over the square-leg boundary when Gautam Gambhir, running a few yards to his left, leaped, caught the ball with both hands, but realised he would cross the rope in trying to regain balance, so he flicked it to the ground. A catch dropped, but a six avoided.