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Before the time of social media, players and pundits didn’t get as many chances to go back and forth. A pundit would express their opinion and a player would have to hit back either through an interview or an awkward in-person interaction.Nowadays, however, pundits have to be careful just who they take aim at because it could result in a back and forth on Twitter late in the evening on a random Tuesday night. At least, this was the case recently for Chris Sutton and Todd Cantwell.

How did Todd Cantwell perform at Rangers last season?

Joining Rangers in January, Cantwell didn’t quite set the world alight last season, scoring just twice in 11 appearances as Rangers lost out on the Scottish Premiership title.

One positive to note, however, is the fact that the midfielder made four assists in those 11 appearances from midfield, which is something to take into the next campaign.

Cantwell will also be looking to get one over on their Old Firm rivals. Last season, with the Gers, he lost to Celtic in the Scottish League Cup, the Scottish FA Cup, as well as in the league with the title on the line – this is not a record that Cantwell will be keen to keep hold of.

Ahead of next season, the former Norwich City man will be hoping to hit top form at Ibrox with Rangers looking to regain their crown in Scotland’s top flight. He has at least bought himself time to settle in by putting Sutton in his place, that’s for sure.

What did Todd Cantwell say to Chris Sutton?

Cantwell’s outburst aimed towards Sutton isn’t a complete surprise, given the BBC pundit’s previous Tweets aimed the way of the midfielder, in which the former forward took a swing at the Rangers man.

Cantwell sure holds grudges, however, as he bided his time before finally taking aim at Sutton, replying to a Tweet about the best pundit in Scotland, saying: “I can you [it] isn’t Chris Sutton.”

Replying to the Tweet, Sutton said: “Here is some balanced factual punditry from last season TikTok you may not enjoy…you joined Rangers on a free from the Championship and lost every meaningful game against Celtic and won nothing.”

Cantwell ended the spat with: “Twitter troll has his notifications on then.”

You can see the entire interaction below:

Newcastle United are still interested in acquiring the services of England international James Maddison, claims transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Newcastle United transfer news – What’s the latest on James Maddison?

It has been a whirlwind 18 months for Newcastle, going from a relegation battle to finishing inside the top four and preparing to embark on their first Champions League campaign in around two decades.

That new-found success has led to more attention from the footballing world and, unsurprisingly, interest from bigger names.

One of those names, AC Milan star and Italian international Sandro Tonali, now looks to be the newest member of the Toon family after Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Friday that the medical is “already scheduled” and that once the documentation is reviewed, the deal would be “completed.”

However, the player that was linked with a move north before there was even so much as a rumour of the Italian donning black and white, is Leicester City’s, James Maddison.

The Foxes star was a part of the team relegated from the Premier League this year, but that hasn’t put Eddie Howe off of the player once dubbed “world-class” by England manager Gareth Southgate.

Despite links to the Magpies alongside the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, the Telegraph have claimed any notion of them being front-runners is premature.

The publication have also revealed that Newcastle will have to stump up a hefty £60m for the player to be sold, more than the previously expected price tag of just £40m.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Sandro Tonali and James Maddison?

Romano explained that whilst the deal for the AC Milan star was further ahead of the one to get Maddison, the Toon were very much still interested in the Leicester man.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “It’s true that they want Tonali and they are closing in on him. For sure he was on the list at Newcastle alongside of course Maddison, who remains a target for Newcastle and Tottenham.”

How could Sandro Tonali and James Maddison play together?

The double signing of Tonali and Maddison could be a masterstroke by Newcastle’s recruitment department. The pair already appear perfectly suited to one another’s playing style and could complement each other wonderfully.

Over the Italian’s last 50 games, he has played as a defensive midfielder 39 times and a central midfielder just 11. In contrast, the ex-Leicester “monster” – as once described by journalist Josh Bunting – has played as an attacking midfielder 41 times.

Unsurprisingly, the Milan midfielder’s defensive numbers are fantastic.

According to OptaPaolo, his 56 tackles are the most in the squad across all competitions and add to that his 3983 minutes played – also the most in the squad – and Newcastle could have a real engine at the base of their midfield.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe’s top five leagues, the 23-year-old is in the top 11% for dribblers tackled, suggesting he has a knack for snuffing out attacks.

With the Lodi-born midfielder at the base of midfield, Maddison will have the opportunity to maximise his best qualities, his attacking threat.

Also, per FBref, the 27-year-old sits in the top 1% of midfielders for non-penalty goals, total shots, assists, expected assists, shot-creating actions and touches in the opposition’s penalty area, all per 90.

The combination of Tonali’s boundless running and defensive nouse with Maddison’s excellent attacking output could turn Eddie Howe’s midfield into one of the best in the Premier League.

كشف الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك بقيادة، جوزيه جوميز، النقاب عن قائمة لاعبيه لمباراة الداخلية بالدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي مباراة الزمالك والداخلية في الجولة الرابعة عشر من عمر الدوري المصري “النيل”.

حكم مباراة الزمالك والداخلية في الدوري المصري

ويحتل الزمالك المركز الرابع عشر في ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، وذلك بعد خوضه 9 مباريات.

وحقق الزمالك الفوز في ثلاث مباريات وخسر في ثلاثة وتعادل في 3 أيضًا، ولديه 12 نقطة مسجلًا 14 هدفًا واستقبل 10 أهداف.

أما فريق الداخلية فيقبع في المركز السابع عشر في ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 8  نقاط، حصدها من 12 مباراة.

وفاز الداخلية في مباراة واحدة وتعادل في خمس مواجهات وخسر ستة لقاءات، وسجل 5 أهداف فقط ليكون أضعف هجوم في الدوري وسكنت شباكه 16 هدفًا.

وشهدت القائمة استبعاد محمود عبد الرازق شيكابالا والوافد الجديد أحمد حمدي. قائمة الزمالك لمبارة الداخلية في الدوري

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد – محمد صبحي.

خط الدفاع : عمر جابر – حمزة المثلوثي – حسام عبد المجيد – محمود علاء – مصطفى الزناري – أحمد فتوح.

خط الوسط : نبيل عماد دونجا – محمد أشرف “روقا” – محمد شحاتة – عبد الله السعيد – ناصر ماهر –  سيف جعفر – مهاب ياسر – مصطفى شلبي – أحمد مصطفى “زيزو” .

خط الهجوم : يوسف إبراهيم “أوباما ” – سامسون أكينيولا – ناصر منسي.

Arsenal remain keen on bolstering their threadbare backline, and one move might allow Edu and Mikel Arteta to once again emulate the success of their Premier League rivals…

What's the latest on Edmond Tapsoba to Arsenal?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners remain keen on a move for Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, among others of England's elite.

He wrote on Twitter: "Premier League clubs are now tracking Edmond Tapsoba ahead of the summer transfer window — he’s one of the CBs to keep an eye on.

"Arsenal and Tottenham scouts have monitored Tapsoba in recent games but the race is absolutely open — Bayer will only sell for huge bid."

Given that the German outfit demanded a fee of around €70m (£61m) back in 2021, it can be expected that this remains in line with the "huge bid" they will demand in the upcoming window. Edu will be keen to do his due diligence before sanctioning such a large outlay.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

The 24-year-old has been around the German top flight for many years now, and as such, his experience is far beyond many others of his age. For a central defender, this instantly puts him at a higher level than most.

With 136 games already played for his current club, and the expectation that the 6 foot 4 titan will be a key defensive pillar they can build Xabi Alonso's new regime upon, it is no surprise to see they are so wary to lose him.

After all, the Burkina Faso international has once again proved himself a dependable defensive asset this campaign, having averaged 1.1 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and three clearances per game, via Sofascore.

However, the peak of his powers undoubtedly came during the 2020/21 term. Whilst these defensive figures remained the same, his pass accuracy rocketed to 90% and he was successful in 65% of his dribbles. Despite his youth, Tapsoba established himself as one of Europe's top ball-playing defenders on his way to a 7.17 average match rating, via Sofascore.

It was just before that year when journalist Dominic Fifield lauded him as an "outstanding young talent" before the defender went on to prove he was more than just a prospect. He was already a star.

Having launched his career from humble beginnings, he revealed in an interview with The Athletic exactly who he had modelled his game around: "John Stones, at Everton. I really enjoyed watching him, he made a huge impression on me.

"His manner on the ball, and the way he played with the ball. I loved that. I still go back to Stones when it comes to playing in a certain style."

When harking back to those aforementioned statistics, it is clear to see how the England international has influenced Tapsoba. His remarkable pass accuracy and ability to glide with the ball out of defence is akin to the 28-year-old, who has just helped Manchester City win yet another league title. FBref showcases this, as when compared to others in his role across Europe, the former Vitoria Guimaraes ace ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons.

For comparison, this season has seen Stones maintain a 93% pass accuracy and an 86% dribble success rate. He is far beyond that of his alternative; however, putting this growing star into Arsenal's impressive team could fast-track his growth towards that level.

Given Arteta is in desperate need of additional centre-backs to compete with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, they could do much worse than a defender who has aspirations of emulating the five-time league winner.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has dismissed former Dolphins coach Lance Klusner’s complaint over his sacking from the franchise in February this year

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2016

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has dismissed former Dolphins coach Lance Klusener’s referral over his sacking from the franchise in February, when the season’s fixtures had not been completed.The CCMA is an independent dispute resolution body, not a court of law. It looks at, among other things, unfair dismissals.Klusener had sought arbitration after his contract was not renewed, but the CCMA has now ruled in the favour of Dolphins.”In the Award, the CCMA found that Klusener had failed to discharge the onus of proving a legitimate expectation of renewal of the contract existed at the time of the non-renewal,” a Dolphins release said.Dolphins went trophy-less in the 2015-16 season, finishing fifth out of six teams in both the first-class and the one-day cricket, although they reached the final of the 20-over competition.”When the team failed to match the expectations of the franchise and for that matter the public and fans, any expectation Klusener may have had of renewal, would have diminished,” the release added.Rajesh Behari, acting CEO of Dolphins, welcomed CCMA’s move and looked ahead to the upcoming season.”It is relief to have this matter now resolved, and we can focus all our energies on the upcoming season,” he said. “The squad is energised and enthusiastic, and we are encouraged by the pre-season preparations. The conclusion of the CCMA matter involving Lance Klusener now clears the way for everyone at KwaZulu-Natal Cricket to commit all our energies into the new season.”Grant Morgan had been announced as Dolphins’ new full-time coach in May.

Arsenal's search for perfection is one that Mikel Arteta and Edu will be striving for with painstaking detail this summer, as they seek a way to bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City.

Despite what was a fine showing in the Premier League, defying all expectations by even being in a scrap for the title, in the end quality and experience told, as Pep Guardiola takes one great step towards achieving his treble.

Although a move for Xavi Simons might not offer a solution to the latter, he would certainly provide the former in huge quantities, as a technically proficient attacking midfielder with all the talent in the world.

With an already young squad, bringing in the 20-year-old could mark another key addition to bolster their ranks, hoping to mirror the success of another Dutch maestro who made himself a legend in north London.

What's the latest on Xavi Simons to Arsenal?

According to The Mirror, in what could turn into quite the convoluted transfer saga, the Gunners have been offered the chance to sign the PSV Eindhoven starlet this summer.

Having joined the Dutch club just last summer, leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, the French giants retained a £10m buy-back clause that could prove important should sporting director Edu Gaspar seek to make this deal a reality, especially considering the outstanding year Simons has enjoyed in his home country.

However, his desire to leave Paris gives credence to the suggestion that he might be willing to move elsewhere and reject that return, with the price tag likely to increase for other suitors. Reports in Spain have suggested that €30m (£26m) might be enough to force his exit.

How good is Xavi Simons?

Despite enjoying the bulk of his career at Highbury, playing 416 games for the Gunners, Bergkamp too enjoyed a fine bout of form in Holland just as Simons is now.

He would score 121 goals and assist a further 23 in just 238 games for Ajax, before using his mercurial play style to take over English football. This would merit a further 115 goals and 95 assists, as his game shifted to play provider.

Conversely, Simons was a product of Barcelona's infamous La Masia academy, and in the league this season has scored 16 goals and assisted a further nine, having shone all across the front line but predominantly behind the striker.

Whilst his figures alone are remarkable, it is the grace with which he swans about the field that truly draws comparisons to the legendary 54-year-old who was such an integral figure in various successes at Arsenal.

PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has had his eye caught by Simons, as his performances encouraged him to claim:

"His mentality, his mindset, it’s unprecedented. It’s a boy of only 19 years old, but Xavi is already much further advanced than his age."

Meanwhile, former Tottenham Hotspur maestro Rafael Van der Vaart would supplement this by noting:

"Very few players can do this: in such a small space: accept, turn and shoot the ball on the bar."

This close control in particular draws him ever closer to Bergkamp, who was renowned for his deft touch; best emphasised through his iconic goal against Newcastle United.

Receiving the ball with his back to goal, it only took one touch around the defender for him to spin the opposite way, gliding through and finishing with ease. It is a strike that has since been voted the best Premier League goal of all time, and it perfectly encapsulates everything that made fans fall in love with the Dutch magician.

Simons seems to have all the raw assets to mimic such a success, and given the exciting environment surrounding the Emirates at the moment, there is no better time for him to join the revolution.

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly on the verge of becoming the new Chelsea manager but faces a mammoth uphill task to mend their damaging state.

The Argentine will need to trim a hideously bloated squad and attempt to add some much-needed depth to a side that has experienced an absurd amount of change in the past 12 months.

After Todd Boehly’s unconventional transfer dealings, the former Paris Saint-Germain boss is expected to be handed significant control of the new signings.

However, one deal that has already been completed is that of Christopher Nkunku, who will join the Blues in the summer, and in the Frenchman, Pochettino could unearth his next Dele Alli.

How did Alli play under Pochettino?

The 51-year-old created the Englishman into an absolute monster and one of the potent assets in the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur.

In four full seasons together, Alli registered 74 goal contributions in 131 top-flight outings, as he was named PFA Young Player of the Year on two separate occasions.

Since Pochettino was dismissed by Daniel Levy in 2019, the 27-year-old’s career has drastically declined with unproductive stints at Everton and Besiktas – scoring just three times in those spells – just highlighting the incredible job the coach did in mentoring and nurturing this previously formidable talent.

How good is Christopher Nkunku?

The forward has supposedly already secured a £63m move to Stamford Bridge and looks set to unite with Pochettino in the coming weeks.

So far this season, the Frenchman has been in unstoppable form, having recorded 24 goals and assists in 31 appearances in all competitions. Despite missing nine of the last 15 Bundesliga games through injury, the eight-cap international is still the league’s second top scorer with 13 goals.

The attacker has also received comparable accolades to Alli, being crowned as the Bundesliga Player of the Season and Footballer of the Year in Germany in 2022.

Achim Beierlorzer, Leipzig's former assistant coach, is a massive fan of the star and said that he can be considered a "world-class player."

Similarly to Alli, he can appear across the frontline but can mainly occupy the position just behind the striker, whilst chipping in with his outrageous concoction of skill, potency, and playmaking.

American coach Jesse Marsch also fuelled Nkunku’s reputation and feels he "doesn’t have any weaknesses."

This season, Kai Havertz has often been deployed in similar positions, but he has failed to convince the Stamford Bridge faithful of his quality or consistency, as he still desperately clings to the 2021 Champions League-winning goal to rescue his legacy.

Although he is Chelsea's top scorer this term with nine goals, he could well be ousted by the incoming Leipzig man.

Indeed, the addition of Nkunku will be welcome and necessary, and Pochettino could ignite his career in English football as he did so well with Dele.

Arsenal may well have suffered from three poor recent results that have thrown the title into Manchester City’s hands, but Mikel Arteta should remain immensely proud of what his team has accomplished thus far this campaign.

It seems that perhaps a loss of mentality, due to this being new ground for many within the team, and a lack of adequate squad depth to compete with the unlimited funds that Pep Guardiola boasts, have seen things turn dramatically in the space of just two weeks.

Now, with games in hand for the Cityzens, it has become theirs to lose.

In an effort to ensure that in the coming seasons, should they maintain their place around the apex of the table, further reinforcements will be needed if they are to take that final step and actually claim the ultimate silverware.

Perhaps by mimicking some of the talent that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach has at his disposal it could bridge the quality gap that is so apparent.

In Gabri Veiga, who the Gunners have been linked with for some time now, there are shades of the mercurial Bernardo Silva that would make this a fine potential deal.

Would Gabri Veiga be a good signing?

As a classy yet combative midfield option to provide a foil for any of Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard or even Thomas Partey at a stretch, the young Spaniard has a bright future ahead.

Boasting a reported €40m (£35m) release clause too, the 20-year-old is far from unattainable if Edu is truly serious about bolstering Arteta’s squad.

Having enjoyed a breakout season for Celta Vigo, scoring nine and assisting four from central midfield, he pairs this technical proficiency with a tireless work rate that also sees him record 1.4 tackles per game.

With City’s Portuguese maestro also merging goal contributions with a relentless attitude, what truly ties these two creators together is their unparalleled ability on the ball. When driving forward Silva is often unstoppable, finding a way to nutmeg opponents who gave him no opening.

The data supports this, as he ranks in the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons when compared to other midfielders across Europe.

A mesmeric run that saw him glide past three Bayern Munich players last week best exemplifies this. However, for comparison, Veiga also ranks in the top 10% and the top 3% for these metrics respectively.

Branded a “dangerous” asset by journalist Euan McTear, capable of excelling on the top stage, perhaps Arsenal could seek to invest in the young midfielder now before he inevitably grows into an unattainable world-class asset. His acquisition could prove the catalyst towards bridging that gap with the reigning champions.

Chelsea will play out the rest of the 2022/23 campaign with their former manager Frank Lampard now as interim manager after Bruno Saltor did not want to job, to begin with.

Why have Chelsea rehired Frank Lampard?

The Blues will see Lampard return to the sidelines at Stamford Bridge for their remaining games on the back of their recent draw against Liverpool.

It has been a season to forget for Chelsea with a lot of money spent over the transfer windows which have not produced results in the league.

The draw against Jurgen Klopp's side was not enough to pull Chelsea back into the top half as they now sit slumped in 11th spot and a whopping 14 points off fourth place.

Champions League football is now out of the picture for the Blues, but it is a measure of how poor their campaign has been under Graham Potter that they are this far off the pace.

Upon Potter's sacking, his assistant coach, Saltor, was appointed as the caretaker manager and oversaw the following game against Liverpool.

However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Spaniard did not particularly want to take on the job given his close relationship with Potter:

(3:50) "Bruno Saltor, the interim manager [appointed] a few days ago and also in the Liverpool game, he was not 100% keen on this job.

"He was there because Chelsea decided to do that, after the Graham Potter surprising timing and situation, but he's really close to Graham Potter. And so the feeling at Chelsea is that they needed something different until the end of the season."

Will Lampard be better than Saltor?

The Blues were held to a draw on Tuesday night in a game which they very much dominated but were simply unable to find the back of the net.

Chelsea ended the game with an XG of 2.17 in comparison to Liverpool's mere 0.35, yet were forced to share the points with the Reds (via SofaScore).

But Saltor's time at the helm only lasted one game as Chelsea opted to bring in Lampard for the remaining games in the league and Champions League.

Lampard is someone who will provide more experience than Saltor having previously managed across a number of different teams.

However, his time in the Premier League has not exactly been a roaring success.

The former midfielder was sacked by Everton earlier in the year less than 12 months after being appointed at Goodison Park amid their ongoing relegation concerns.

And his time at Stamford Bridge between 2019-2021 only saw Lampard able to provide a return of on average 1.75 points per game which saw him sacked in favour of Thomas Tuchel.

Perhaps Lampard will not be able to pull of a Champions League miracle, but it is apparent Chelsea value his experience at the club more than that of Saltor.

Arsenal are ‘definitely’ interested in signing Borussia Dortmund winger Julian Brandt in the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Lowdown: Arsenal eyeing winger

The Gunners have been linked to several wingers ahead of the summer transfer window, and they should be in a good position to bring in some top players, with Champions League football more or less guaranteed for next season.

One potential signing Mikel Arteta is readying an offer for is AC Milan loanee Brahim Diaz, although it is unclear whether Real Madrid will be willing to let him go, given that they are considering offering him new terms.

A more long-term option for the Gunners is 18-year-old Ilias Akhomach, with the Barcelona youngster available on a free transfer this summer, however Arteta may be keen to bring in a more proven player, capable of making an instant impact at the Emirates Stadium.

The Latest: Interested in Brandt

In an interview with German news outlet Wettfreunde, Di Marzio has claimed that Brandt is ‘definitely’ an option for Arsenal this summer, and they continue to follow him closely for a potential transfer swoop.

The journalist is ‘not 100% sure’ that the Gunners will make an approach for the Dortmund star, however he is definitely one of the players on their list.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The 26-year-old has been impressing in the Bundesliga for a number of years now, recording a total of 17 goal contributions for Dortmund in the league last season, and he has continued that fantastic form into the 2022/23 campaign.

In the wake of the German’s recent injury concern, members of the media have described his absence as a ‘massive blow’ for Dortmund, as a result of his ‘sensational’ form this season, weighing in with nine goals and five assists in all competitions.

The Bremen-born attacker has displayed his versatility by featuring centrally and on both wings during the current campaign, indicating he would be able to slot into Arsenal’s side across the frontline, an important attribute, given the wide range of options Arsenal have going forward.

Diaz and Akhomach are exciting options for the Gunners, however Brandt is more proven at the top level, and at 26 he is likely to just be entering his prime.

As such, the £116k-per-week earner should be one of Arteta’s priority targets in the summer, as he would be able to come in and immediately contend for a place in the starting XI.