A man from Liverpool is being questioned in police custody after Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo reported being targeted with racist abuse at Anfield.
Police arrest suspect after Semenyo abuseIn custody for questioningMaximum punishment is two years in prisonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Following an investigation launched on Friday night, Merseyside Police confirmed on Saturday afternoon that a 47-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence in connection with the incident. The man had been identified and was ejected from the stadium as soon as it happened.
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Semenyo reported the abuse to the referee and the game was temporarily paused. The Bournemouth forward later praised the response to the incident, thanking his teammates, the Liverpool players, the rest of the fans in the stadium, and the match officials for how it was handled.
WHAT MERSEYSIDE POLICE SAID
A statement from Liverpool's local police force confirmed: "We have arrested a man following reports racist abuse was directed towards Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo during his team's Premier League fixture versus Liverpool at Anfield on Friday 15 August. The suspect's identity was confirmed and he was removed from the ground following the report.
"A 47-year-old man from Liverpool has today (Saturday 16 August) been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He has been taken into custody to be interviewed."
AFPWHAT NEXT?
In UK law, racially or religiously aggravated offences carry a higher maximum penalty than the basic equivalent offences and can result in a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. Depending on which specific section of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 this incident falls under will determine the exact punishment if the suspect is found guilty.
Arsenal are set to announce their first batch of summer recruits soon.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as well as midfielders Martín Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard are all reportedly poised to join Arsenal in the next week or so, the former providing a back-up to David Raya, while the latter duo will be replacing the outgoing Thomas Partey and Jorginho at the base of midfield.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetacelebrates after the match
Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta, Andrea Berta and the Arsenal hierarchy still have plenty of work to do.
Arsenal targeting attacking reinforcements
After a third successive second-place finish in the Premier League, it is clear what Arsenal need to add this summer and that is more attacking firepower, as the table below outlines.
League finish
2nd
2nd
2nd
Goals scored
88
91
69
Expected goals
71.6
76.1
59.9
Shots
589
647
544
Shots on target
194
209
178
Shot-creating actions
1,045
1,185
969
As shown in the table, last season, when compared to their two previous title bids under Arteta, the Gunners’ attacking output was significantly down by all available metrics.
That’s why the debate of the summer remains Benjamin Šeško or Viktor Gyökeres, with the club clearly in the market for the new number nine, but they’re also looking for reinforcements out-wide too.
Thus, according to reports in Spain, Arsenal are ‘strongly’ interested in signing Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi, with the Gunners said to be ‘pushing’ for his signature.
They add that the German international, who is believed to be available for around €45m (£38m), is viewed as a ‘serious alternative’ to Barcelona-bound Nico Williams, as he would add ‘explosiveness’ to Arsenal’s forward line.
The 23-year-old began his senior career at RB Salzburg, scoring four Champions League goals for die Roten Bullen, thereby earning a £38m move to Borussia Dortmund three summers ago.
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So far, in 105 appearances for die Schwarzgelben, Adeyemi has scored 26 goals and registered 17 assists, featuring in all three of their Club World Cup fixtures this summer, starting against both Fluminense in East Rutherford and Ulsan HD in Ohio.
Now, could he become the 13th German to play for Arsenal, joining current Die Mannschaft teammate Kai Havertz, while following in the footsteps of Mesut Özil, Bernd Leno, Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and others?
How Karim Adeyemi would improve Arsenal
Arsenal are looking to improve their left-wing options, with most agreeing that an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, or at the very least an alternative to both, is required to take the Gunners to the next level.
Nevertheless, speaking on the Arsecast, Andrew Mangan and James McNicholas both agreed that it is highly “unlikely” that the Gunners will sign two wingers this summer, so someone who can play on the left but also cover for Bukayo Saka on the right would be ideal.
Well, Adeyemi certainly fits that brief, having been deployed on both flanks by both Dortmund managers, Nuri Şahin and Niko Kovač, throughout this season.
So, let’s assess how he compares to the gold standard of Arsenal wide-players, namely the aforementioned Saka – a player he is deemed to be statistically similar to among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.
Non-penalty goals
95th
77th
Shots
82nd
87th
Assists
83rd
96th
Expected assists
91st
98th
Shot-creating actions
45th
91st
Progressive carries
71st
83rd
Successful take-ons
87th
75th
Touches
79th
95th
Progressive passes received
71st
94th
FBref disclaimer: these statistics are based upon matches played in domestic leagues and UEFA club competitions across the last 365 days, and are in comparison to other attacking midfielders and wingers.
As the table outlines, Saka does come out on top for the vast majority of metrics, but that is not to be dismissive of Adeyemi, given that the England international is one of the best players in the world, at least according to teammate Martinelli.
The German’s statistics are broadly comparable to those of Saka, scoring more non-penalty goals and successfully completing a higher percentage of his take-ons.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout describes him as possessing “electric pace” and “superb dribbling skills”, simply labelling him a “world-class talent”.
Meantime, Lee Scott of Total Football Analysis believes that he provides ‘a direct goal threat’ and the ability to ‘carry the ball at speed past defenders’, while Tunde Young of Breaking the Lines boldly asserts ‘he could go on to be a multiple Ballon D’Or winner, just like Lionel Messi’.
Thus, it is clear that Adeyemi ticks a lot of boxes for Arsenal and would be an excellent, exciting addition, should they be able to pull this deal off. He could well prove to be like a left-sided Saka.
£200k-a-week Arsenal star "set to leave" as director travels for UK talks
Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice, including a stunning team goal, to continue his scoring form for Al-Nassr against Spanish outfit Almeria in pre-season.
Two goals for RonaldoFive goals in four daysTeam goal followed by penaltyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldo struck twice in the first half at Juegos del Mediterraneo stadium to turn the game on its head and give Al-Nassr the lead. Ronaldo first came after a fantastic team move involving Sadio Mane, before he fired home a penalty to continue his devastating prowess in front of goal for the Saudi side. Al-Nassr's official X page called the Portuguese's first strike "a perfect goal".
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Ronaldo continues a red-hot scoring streak with five goals in just a matter of days, after a hat-trick against Portuguese top-flight side Rio Ave on Thursday. The 40-year-old has struck 800 career goals including 99 for Al-Nassr in competitive fixtures and there is little doubt that we will continue to see the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star find the net in the new season. He recently stated that the "hunger never fades".
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO AND AL-NASSR?
Al-Nassr face Al Ittihad in the Super Cup on August 19 in their next crunch clash, where Ronaldo may look to score his 100th competitive goal for the club ahead of what will be another important season in a World Cup year. The legendary forward is believed to want to compete for his native Portugal alongside new team-mate Joao Felix in North America in summer 2026, and may even aim to win the Golden Boot at the tournament.
There was evidence when the India-Australia schedule was announced that there would be doubts over the venue
Karthik Krishnaswamy14-Feb-2023Siddhartha Nanda, a cricket fan who works in a consulting firm in Bengaluru, holidayed in Dharamsala last winter. On the morning of December 22, he visited the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, and took the photograph you see below.
Work in progresspic.twitter.com/G1esYXGAxZ
— Sid (@sid_2893) December 22, 2022
At the time, the HPCA was relaying the stadium’s outfield as part of its plans to revamp the ground’s drainage.On December 8, the BCCI announced that the HPCA Stadium would host the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, from March 1 to 5. Looking at the state of the outfield on December 22, Nanda wondered if it would be ready in time.And he wasn’t alone.Luke ‘Sparrow’ Gillian made two trips to Dharamsala, in October and January, to scope out the logistics of bringing a large group of travelling fans to watch the Test match in March. Gillian is an Australian cricket superfan who has travelled to more than 200 Test matches since 1995, and organises tours for large groups of fans under the banner of Australian Cricket Tours (ACT).Related
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“I’ve been to Dharamsala twice now,” Gillian says. “Went in October last year for two weeks, and I came out again three weeks ago when I did another lap of every venue [hosting the Test series].”I thought we would be lucky to play in Dharamsala, because there just wasn’t enough grass, and that had been growing for about two months to that point, and I thought, ‘if that’s all they’ve got after two months, they’re not going to have enough in the next three weeks, no way’.”Nanda and Gillian were right to have their doubts. On Monday, the BCCI announced it was shifting the Test match from Dharamsala to Indore.Like all BCCI press releases, the one that made this announcement, signed by secretary Jay Shah, was a masterclass in brevity and carefully curated detail. It summed up the reason for the venue swap in one line: “Owing to harsh winter conditions in the region, the outfield lacks sufficient grass density and will need some time to develop fully.””Lacks sufficient grass density” was certainly one way of saying that the outfield, as ESPNcricinfo has reported, still had bare patches where grass cover had not yet taken hold, when the BCCI inspected the ground on February 3 and 11.The release did not mention the relaying of the outfield either. The BCCI must have known what stage this process was at when it announced the venues for the series, a full 14 days before Nanda took his photograph.Perhaps the BCCI expected the HPCA to have the ground ready in time for the match. Perhaps the winter in Dharamsala – a town situated in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley in the Western Himalayas – was harsher than usual.But the BCCI must have known this was a possibility, and that there was some risk to choosing Dharamsala to host the Test match. The board went ahead and made that choice regardless.It may have done this knowing its capacity to shift venues swiftly, if needed. The BCCI has twice moved the IPL overseas when it has coincided with the Indian general elections, and once, midway through the tournament, during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. During the 2016 men’s T20 World Cup, the BCCI, as hosts of the tournament, helped the ICC shift the India-Pakistan match from Dharamsala to Kolkata at short notice, over security concerns.When that happened, then ICC chief executive David Richardson said this, among other things, while addressing the media: “The decision was not taken lightly. The ICC and the BCCI understand the disappointment that is likely to be felt by many over the decision to move the match.”There was no mention of fans’ concerns in the BCCI’s statement on Monday. This wasn’t unexpected, considering the experience the board puts spectators through at any given day in any of its stadiums, but the absence of any recognition that fans exist, never mind an apology to them, felt particularly galling in this instance.This was a Test match in March for which the board had announced the dates and venue back in December. This was a venue where the board knew – you would hope – that the state of the outfield could be an issue. And the venue was Dharamsala, which is almost unique in Indian cricket for the number of travelling fans it attracts.Luke Gillian is leading an Australian tour group in India•Getty ImagesThe HPCA Stadium is easily India’s most picturesque ground, backdropped by the snow-capped Dhauladhar range. Dharamsala, and nearby McLeodganj, are major tourist centres. Matches at the HPCA Stadium often coincide with visits from hundreds if not thousands of travelling fans, some driving there from Delhi or other nearby North Indian cities, some travelling from more distant parts of India, and others visiting from overseas, all there to experience the joys of cricket and hill-station tourism.The draw of Dharamsala becomes clear when you speak to Gillian. He says 12 Australian fans travelled with ACT to watch the Nagpur Test, and around 60 will be at the second Test in Delhi, while “55 at the moment” are set to travel to Ahmedabad for the fourth Test.A total of 152 fans signed up for Dharamsala.”People would come to Dharamsala for it being Dharamsala, before the cricket,” Gillian says. “Cricket is a byproduct and a time-filling entertainment.”Gillian is on his seventh tour of India, and is used to the changes in tour schedules, but he says he’s never had to deal with one happening so close to the match.
“If there was a 1% probability that you couldn’t host the match there, you could have picked another venue. You could have given the match to Eden Gardens – Eden Gardens has not hosted an Australia match for 20 years, for heaven’s sake”Mahesh Sethuraman, who was due to travel for the third Test
“I’ve been watching cricket in India since 1996,” he says. “I was celebrating that this was the first Indian cricket tour in all these years [where the schedule] has not changed before the first ball. But even worse, it’s changed after the first ball.”For now, he says there have been no cancellations. “They’re all heading down [to Indore]. They’ve realised that they’ve paid to come this far, and I’m doing my best to limit the damage.”The damage has been extensive.”Flights, hotels, match tickets have all gone. I’ve paid deposits to the hotels, because I said [to them], ‘you will need 1000 bottles of beer. We’ll have parties on day zero, day one and day five – there’s 150 of us and we’ll drink you dry’. So I had to pay a deposit, which is fair enough. That is gone, unfortunately. If we get something back from the hotels, it’s only up to my agent in Delhi to argue on our behalf.”Other fans, travelling individually or in smaller groups, have had to pay heavy prices too. What irks a lot of them is the feeling that the situation was avoidable.”They could have at least said it’s tentative when they announced it,” says Bishen Jeswant, a fan from Bengaluru who had made flight and Airbnb bookings along with a group of friends from within and outside India. “They could have said it was subject to the ground being ready. Then we wouldn’t have made our bookings.”Murali Satagopan, a product-marketing manager based in Lisbon, had travelled to Chennai to meet his family, and pushed back his date of departure by a month – from February 10 to March 10 – to attend the Dharamsala Test. It would have been his first match at an Indian stadium since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.”The financial loss is not the biggest loss for me,” he says. “But this was about the excitement of seeing five days of a Test, and it’s also a key third Test – where we could see India win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and qualify for the WTC final.Australia featured in the ground’s one previous Test in 2017•Associated Press”There are many emotional things attached to it too. Virat Kohli and I are pretty much the same age, and all these guys, guys like [R] Ashwin and [Ravindra] Jadeja, seeing their careers coming towards the end, we don’t know if this kind of team will come together again. A new crop may come, but I want to tick this off and say I saw an iconic Test in Dharamsala when India sealed the WTC [final spot] and went on to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”Mahesh Sethuraman, a Singapore-based banker and one of the hosts of the podcast, was due to fly out to Dharamsala too. He asks why it was so essential to schedule the match in Dharamsala when India has so many other venues to choose from.”I’m not offended by the fact that they didn’t apologise to the fans,” he says. “I’m offended by the fact that they finalised the schedule two months back, and if you were remotely in doubt [about Dharamsala], even if there was a 1% probability that you couldn’t host the match there, you could have picked another venue. You could have given the match to Eden Gardens – Eden Gardens has not hosted an Australia match for 20 years, for heaven’s sake. You could have given it to Chepauk, or Chinnaswamy. The scale of how much the BCCI takes the fans for granted is mindboggling.”At a time when what it earns from ticket sales is a fraction of a fraction compared to its revenues from selling broadcast rights, the BCCI probably doesn’t have much of an incentive to prioritise spectators at its grounds.1:48
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But by not prioritising them, it could be missing a trick. Gillian says the BCCI could be doing a lot more to use cricket as a means to bring more foreign tourists to India.”The fact that the BCCI never confirm a schedule more than four weeks before [a series] makes it impossible to get the inbound tourism that cricket deserves in India,” he says. “Cricket deserves it, and that is cricket across the country. Indore deserves to have 500 Australians or more come to visit. So too does Ranchi or Rajkot or Visakhapatnam, wherever they do it, but without the time [for fans] to prepare to visit, it’s a lot of foreign investment that’s not coming.”The BCCI are so invested in money and earning money, yet they ignore this element.”It would take a seismic shift for the BCCI to embrace this sort of thinking. It gets by perfectly well, financially, without having to. And its relationship with the paying spectator remains what it is. The situation is perhaps best summed up by Sameer Mohan, a product manager from Bengaluru who is one of a group of fans who host the podcast, whose planned and fully-booked Dharamsala plans came to nothing.”The best way to enjoy cricket in India as a cricket fan is on your own couch,” he says. “Take a holiday, order takeout, get your poison of choice, huddle with your loved ones, and then just watch.”
The fast bowler made the announcement as the team returned from Sri Lanka where they lost 2-0
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2024Tim Southee has stepped down as New Zealand’s Test captain following the series defeat in Sri Lanka, and will be replaced by Tom Latham, saying he believes it is in the best interests of the side.Southee led the team in 14 Tests with a record of six wins, six losses and two draws since taking over from Kane Williamson in 2022. New Zealand lost a hard-fought first Test in Galle but were soundly beaten by an innings in the second making it four defeats in a row either side of the Afghanistan fixture which was abandoned without a ball bowled. New Zealand’s next assignment is a three-Test series in India later this month.Related
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“Captaining the Blackcaps in a format that’s so special to me, has been an absolute honour and a privilege,” he said. “I’ve always tried to put the team first throughout my career and I believe this decision is the best for the team.”I believe the way I can best serve the team moving forward is focusing on my performances on the field and getting back to my best, to continue taking wickets and helping New Zealand win Test matches.”I will, as I’ve always done, continue to support my team-mates, especially the exciting young bowlers making their way on the international stage. I wish Tom all the best in the role and he knows I’ll be there to support him on his journey, as he has done for me over the years.”Southee said that it was his own decision to step down as captain. “Yes. We have discussions with Gary [Stead] like we do at the end of every series,” he said at the Auckland airport after having arrived from Sri Lanka. “It was my decision to move aside and it’s Tom’s time to keep moving this team forward. [We have] got six Test matches to look forward to and I’m excited about that.”I love Test cricket and it’s a game I care deeply about. I love playing, so yeah will be nice to be part of the six Test matches moving forward.”Southee’s own form has been in the spotlight this year. He has taken just 12 wickets in his last eight Tests and, though he played both matches in Sri Lanka, there was a chance he wouldn’t feature throughout the upcoming India series depending on the make-up of the attack.Now, without the captaincy, he will return to the selection mix alongside Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke and Ben Sears. O’Rourke was impressive in Sri Lanka while Henry, who was outstanding in the last home summer, and Sears did not feature.Southee isn’t taking the franchise T20 route yet and has reaffirmed his commitment to New Zealand Cricket for now. “I guess it’s all options but I’m committed to New Zealand Cricket for now and Test cricket is a format I love playing and really enjoy.”Latham has previously captained the Test side on nine occasions between 2020 and 2022.Head Gary Stead praised the selflessness of Southee’s decision and said he continued to see him as a key part of the Test side as he searches for the 18 wickets he needs to be just the second New Zealand bowler to take 400.”Tim’s a fantastic player and a very good leader who is held in high regard by the players and support staff,” he said. “He’s been a great servant of New Zealand Cricket over nearly 17 years playing on the international stage, and I’d like to acknowledge his humility in stepping down from the role as Test captain.”It’s not easy giving up something you love, but Tim is a true team-man and he’s made the decision with the team’s best interests at heart. He’s one of our greatest ever players and we still very much see him playing a part in our Test side moving forward.”NZC CEO Scott Weenink added: “It’s a measure of the man that he continues to put the team interests ahead of his own and, despite his obvious personal disappointment, wants to do the best thing possible for everyone else. To me, that’s the sign of a true leader in every sense of the word.”New Zealand’s 15-player squad for the three-Test tour of India will be confirmed in the coming days.
Having already welcomed Carlton Morris from Luton Town, Derby County are now reportedly in talks to sign an experienced winger at a bargain price this summer.
Derby sign Carlton Morris
Leaving relegated Luton in favour of a move to Pride Park, Morris became the first signing of the summer at Derby earlier this week and will be hoping to ensure that they, unlike The Hatters, push beyond the Championship’s dropzone next season. At 29 years old, he’s now a player with plenty of experience and his versatility to play all across the frontline could prove pivotal for John Eustace.
After putting pen to paper, Morris told Derby’s official website: “It’s a massive club that I’ve heard a lot of good things about. When they came in for me, it was a bit of a no-brainer, really.
“[The move is] a big change, especially with my family. You want to know about the football club, about the area, and I’ve heard nothing but good. I’ve heard it’s a great family club, so I’m excited to get going.
“I think I’m entering the prime stage of my career as a striker now. I spoke to Rob Edwards, who has told me how good Keith Downing is and that Matt Gardiner is exceptional to work with as well.
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“They’re only going to make me a better player which is crucial as I’m at a place where I’m probably the most coachable I’ve been in my career and ready to kick on.”
In their second season back in the Championship, Derby are seemingly ready to welcome more experience after Morris this summer and that includes one particular winger. As Eustace’s side aim to push on, they’ve reportedly opened talks in pursuit of a bargain deal.
Derby open talks to sign John Swift
As reported by Birmingham World, Derby are now in talks to sign John Swift alongside three other EFL clubs. The former West Bromwich Albion winger is now a free agent after leaving the Hawthorns and is believed to have already met with two managers regarding his future, one of them being Eustace.
Whilst he endured a mixed spell for the Baggies, Swift’s experience may prove invaluable for a side in Derby’s position. Meanwhile, at his best, Swift is someone who has often found himself at the centre of impressive praise.
That includes from former West Brom manager Tony Mowbray last season, who told reporters after Swift scored a free-kick against Burnley last season: “John Swift’s free-kick was a fantastic goal. He’s a wonderful player and he’s very talented. Certain games need certain types of players to give us the best chance to win.”
With three other EFL sides interested, there’s no doubt that signing Swift would represent an impressive coup for Derby, who have already made a statement by signing Luton’s Morris this summer.