The 23-year-old undoubtedly has the talent and the temperament to become the best player in England's top flight – but can he deliver every week?

Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Monaco really could have been one of those games for Arsenal – but for Bukayo Saka.

While everyone else around him was squandering gilt-edged opportunities, the winger remained the picture of composure. He opened the scoring shortly before the break, just as the fans' frustration with Gabriel Jesus' finishing was beginning to boil over, and then soothed their nerves with a killer second goal with just 12 minutes remaining.

Saka was essentially the reason why 'the new Stoke City' didn't need corners to capitalise on their dominance. "He is loved by everybody," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told , "and he makes the difference on the pitch."

Indeed, Saka has already been directly involved in 21 goals this season. The only Premier League player to have managed more is Mohamed Salah (28) – and it is the Egyptian's level of sustained excellence to which Saka must now aspire.

• TNT Sports
  

  'His leadership is increasing'

  It's testament to Saka's talent and temperament that, at just 23 years of age, he is viewed as one of the wise old heads at Arsenal.

  "He looks really mature," Arteta said after the 3-0 win over Monaco. "What he has already done in the game at his age is incredible. Very humble, a great guy to have around. He's a special person.

  "In his role, his leadership is increasing. With the young kids he is amazing."

  Wednesday was a case in point, with Saka dishing out some words of encouragement to 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who played a key role in the opener after becoming the youngest player to start a Champions League game for Arsenal for 13 years.

  "He just needs to keep going," Saka told . "I'm just so proud of him. I just said to him that this is his level."

  Saka's true level, of course, has previously been a hot topic of great debate.

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• AFP
  

  Not yet 'world-class'?

  It was Rio Ferdinand who sent Arsenal Twitter into meltdown in March by claiming that Saka wasn't yet "world-class".

  It's obviously a ridiculously subjective term, open to innumerable interpretations, but the former Manchester United defender had a point.

  Or, at least, you could see what he was trying to say: Saka hadn't yet made anything like the same impact on the Champions League as some of his peers, such as Vinicius Junior.

  He's starting to, though.

  Having been held back by Arsenal's status as a Europa League club for the majority of his young career, Saka is now making the most of his belated chance to shine on the club game's grandest stage.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'His aim is to improve'

  Since the start of last season (Saka's debut campaign), only Harry Kane (18) and Vinicus (16) have been involved in more goals than the Arsenal attacker, who has scored eight and created a further six – in just 14 appearances.

  The challenge for Saka is maintaining that impressive ratio in the games that really matter, or what Ferdinand called "the nitty-gritty stages" of the tournament.

  As even Arteta acknowledged: "You have to be able to do that consistently throughout many years to put yourself in that position [to be called world-class].

  "We can talk about what he's done in his first six years of professional football, which is exceptional. But his aim is to improve, and I think he has the players and environment to continue to do that, so I'm sure he will."

  There's no denying that Arsenal look like serious Champions League contenders this season, with Arteta's side third in the table and likely to seal a top-eight finish with one round to spare.

  And yet doubts persist.

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  Could Saka leave Arsenal to win titles?

  Both Saka and Arsenal were shut down with worrying ease by a Bayern Munich side in total turmoil under Thomas Tuchel during the two teams' quarter-final clash in April, while they've also drawn blanks against both Atalanta and Inter in this season's league phase.

  In that sense, this feels like a potentially defining season for Arsenal, Arteta and Saka – especially when one considers that, in the Premier League, it is Liverpool and Chelsea who rather surprisingly look better placed right now to take advantage of Manchester City's miserable form.

  Even club legend Alan Smith has admitted that he has doubts over Saka's long-term future at the Emirates if the Gunners don't start winning major trophies.

  "It's hard to say whether I think he’ll stay at Arsenal [for life]," the former striker told , "as it always depends on where the club is and if they’re challenging for honours.

  "If they are, then a lot of top-class players – and Saka falls into that category – will feel like there's no need to move. But if there’s a dip in the club’s fortune…"

  The coming weeks and months will be decisive – which is just what Saka needs to be for Arsenal.

Chelsea could offer Napoli a £150,000-per-week player alongside Romelu Lukaku, as they attempt to strike a deal for Victor Osimhen.

Chelsea turn attention back to Osimhen after Omorodion failure

New head coach Enzo Maresca remains in the market for a new striker, having just failed to get an agreement for Atletico Madrid starlet Samu Omorodion officially over the line.

Juventus contact Chelsea over signing "experienced" £325,000-a-week star

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Omorodion appeared set to join Chelsea on a seven-year contract in a deal worth around £35 million, but the move collapsed at the eleventh hour to disrupt the Atletico-Chelsea transfer domino which also would've seen Conor Gallagher seal his switch to La Liga.

Fabrizio Romano even gave his famous "here we go" to Omodorion's Chelsea move, though an unexpected twist means the Blues are now attempting to resurrect Gallagher's move to Atletico by negotiating a deal for Joao Felix instead.

It is set to be yet another interesting week at Stamford Bridge, and that's not even factoring in Osimhen's potential move to the club as well. Since last week, rumours have been rife over a possible deal which could see Osimhen joining Chelsea and Lukaku heading the other way to Napoli.

Lukaku has already agreed a three-year contract to join Napoli so he can reunite with Antonio Conte in Serie A, while it is believed that Osimhen is ready to join Chelsea if the two clubs can shake hands on a deal.

Talks are still ongoing, but a move may well accelerate after Chelsea missed out on Omorodion. Maresca has apparently made it clear he wants a new striker at Chelsea this summer, so this could be one to watch.

Todd Boehly and BlueCo did make an attempt to grant Maresca's wish with a widely reported proposal to RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko earlier this window, but the Slovenia international chose to remain in the Bundesliga and penned a contract extension.

Osimhen, however, could be a fantastic alternative – as Chelsea consider avenues to strike an agreement for the Nigerian.

Chelsea could offer Napoli both Kepa and Lukaku so they can sign Osimhen

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Rudy Galetti, out of favour goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga may now be used as a makeweight alongside Lukaku.

Indeed, Galetti writes that Chelsea could offer both Kepa and Lukaku to sweeten a deal for Osimhen, coming after the Blues have been attempting to find a buyer for the former all summer.

The £150,000-per-week Kepa held talks over a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, but to no avail (The Athletic), while nothing has come of a rumoured return to Real Madrid. Chelsea could offload two high-earners in this bid for Osimhen, so it is a move that would make plenty of sense.

However, the west Londoners may also offer Trevoh Chalobah or Cesare Casadei – who are two other makeweight candidates.

The Football Association (FA) says Saudi Arabia has given assurances regarding the safety of LGBTQ+ fans at the 2034 World Cup.

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Human rights groups speak out vs Saudi World CupFA voted in favour as host nation confirmedEnglish body insists assurances have been givenFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The FA voted in favour of awarding the 2034 World Cup to the Middle Eastern nation, which was confirmed as the host nation on Wednesday following an unopposed bid. The 2030 competition has gone to Portugal, Spain and Morocco, though some games will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

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Human rights organisations have spoken out in protest against the tournament going to Saudi Arabia, with fears for the safety of migrant workers as well as LGBTQ+ supporters. However, the FA has explained its reasons behind the vote following discussions with the Saudi Football Federation.

WHAT THE FA SAID

"After a careful review of both proposals, we supported the two World Cup bids – from Spain/Portugal/Morocco in 2030, and Saudi Arabia in 2034. Both bids are technically strong and meet the FIFA criteria to host the Men’s World Cup. Our focus is on ensuring that all our fans can attend and enjoy tournaments," a statement from the FA read.

"The FA Board met the Saudi Arabian Football Federation last month to discuss their bid in more detail. We asked them to commit to ensuring all fans would be safe and welcome in Saudi Arabia in 2034 – including LGBTQ+ fans. They assured us that they are fully committed to providing a safe and welcome environment for all fans.

"Football is a global game, and is for everyone. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means being respectful of all, including all religions and cultures. We also believe that hosting World Cups can be a catalyst for positive change, which is best delivered by working collaboratively in partnership with host nations. We will work with FIFA and UEFA to ensure that commitments to respect all human rights are delivered."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

Before the 2034 World Cup comes into focus, England will first aim to reach the 2026 edition, with their qualifying campaign under new coach Thomas Tuchel to start next year.

يشهد اليوم الأربعاء الموافق 5-2-2025، مواجهات مُثيرة ومرتقبة على مستوى منافسات بطولات الكأس في إسبانيا ووألمانيا وفرنسا وإيطاليا، بالإضافة لمباراة قوية بكأس الرابطة الإنجليزية.

ويواجه ريال مدريد منافسه ليجانيس، في ربع نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا، على ملعب “بوتاركي”.

ويصطدم نيوكاسل يونايتد بنظيره آرسنال، على ملعب “سانت جيمس بارك”، في إطار منافسات كأس رابطة المحترفين الإنجليزية.

ويستضيف ملعب “باي ارينا”، مباراة باير ليفركوزن وكولن، في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس ألمانيا.

ويصطدم ميلان بنظيره روما، على ملعب “سان سيرو”، ضمن مواجهات بطولة كأس إيطاليا. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الأربعاء 5-2-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس ملك إسبانيا اليوم

ليجانيس ضد ريال مدريد، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC1 HD”.

طالع أيضًا | تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام ليجانيس اليوم في كأس ملك إسبانيا مواعيد مباريات كأس ألمانيا اليوم

باير ليفركوزن ضد كولن، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Dubai Sports 2 HD”. مواعيد مباريات كأس إيطاليا اليوم

ميلان ضد روما، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “AD SPORTS Premium 1”. مواعيد مباريات كأس الرابطة الإنجليزية

نيوكاسل يونايتد ضد آرسنال، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1”. مواعيد مباريات كأس فرنسا اليوم

بريوشان ضد نيس، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “BEIN SPORTS 4”.

تولوز ضد جينجان، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “BEIN SPORTS 3”.

جاينس ضد ديف، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “BEIN SPORTS 5”.

ستراسبورج ضد آنجيه، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “BEIN SPORTS 2”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Glasgow Rangers were meant to overhaul the playing squad in the summer window by selling various first-team players while adding in high-quality replacements.

Philippe Clement did manage to offload high earners such as Sam Lammers, John Lundstram, Connor Goldson and Borna Barisic, but the reality is, the incomings have been fairly underwhelming as a whole.

Clement is certainly going for a youth-based transfer policy, as evidenced by the signings of Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Hamza Igamane and Oscar Cortes.

A few experienced arrivals joined, with Vaclav Cerny proving, in the first few weeks of the season anyway, that he could be an inspired signing for the Light Blues.

Vaclav Cerny’s statistics for Rangers

The winger joined on a season-long loan deal from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg and has impressed so far.

In just six games this term, the Czech dynamo has scored once while grabbing two assists in the process. He has started just three of those matches, however. Once the 26-year-old manages to establish regular appearances in the starting XI, his output will only increase.

The player was only signed by FC Twente last summer for £6m, hence why the Light Blues opted for a loan move rather than a permanent one, as Wolfsburg would likely have held out for a fee in this region.

Clement does have a player he signed in the squad who is worth more than Cerny, however, in the form of Mohamed Diomande.

Mohamed Diomande’s market value at Rangers

The Ivorian initially joined the Ibrox side in January on a six-month loan, before making the move to Scotland permanently in the summer for a fee of £4.6m.

A tally of two goals across 19 appearances during the second half of last term showcased his talents early on in his spell and hopes were high for the current season.

Diomande may not have scored this season in the Premiership, but the dynamic midfielder has already grabbed an assist, created two big chances, averaged one key pass per game and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles per game – a success rate of 57% – which shows how effective he has been going forwards in the league this term.

The 22-year-old is still learning and developing with every passing game, but the consensus is he will be sold for a substantial profit in the coming years if he manages to keep up these levels of performance.

Mohamed Diomande in the Premiership this season

Goals

0

Assists

1

Big chances created

2

Key passes per game

1

Shots per game

1

Total duels won per game

3.3

Via Sofascore

According to the CIES Football Observatory, the young gem is currently worth €12m (£10m) and this value will continue to rise if he continues to shine in Scotland.

Cerny has proven his worth thus far at Rangers, but Diomande is still worth far beyond the £6m-rated Czech wide man, indicating that the Belgian manager struck gold on signing the Ivorian midfielder at the start of the year.

He won't be at the club long, that’s for sure, as his ceiling appears to be limitless. Diomande will be one of the club’s key players this season, no doubt about that.

Related Rangers struck gold on "high quality" gem who's worth more than Propper

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 3, 2024

Over the next 30 days, Multan is expected to experience temperatures hovering well over 40 degrees, with a predicted high of 44 degrees. A 26-member Pakistan Women contingent will train in these extreme conditions from May 29 to June 22, as part of the team’s preparations for the 50-over Women’s World Cup Qualifier that is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka in December.While acknowledging the severity of the conditions, the PCB has said it had few other options but to train in Multan, given numerous challenges including the need to prepare a bio-secure bubble in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.Historically during the summer months, the PCB has mostly held its camps in the city of Abbottabad, which is located in the hilly Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and experiences relatively milder weather than the lower-altitude regions of the country where temperatures often rise above 45 degrees and occasionally touch 50 degrees. But the venue isn’t seen as being feasible for the creation of a bio-secure bubble.Karachi could have been an option too, but the city is presently facing a surge in Covid-19 cases, while grounds in Central Punjab, according to Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the PCB’s women’s selection committee, are presently undergoing repair work.”Each venue had its own challenges around the pandemic,” Mumtaz told ESPNcricinfo. “Multan was the only feasible facility available as a package. It has the ground, gym, and accommodation within one block, and it’s easy to maintain the bio-secure bubble there.”But we are conscious and mindful of the extreme weather conditions, and that is why we have scheduled the training sessions to avoid the hottest part of the day. We are starting early in the morning and ending by midday, giving them ample rest in the day, and we’ll start again in the evening.”After the camp concludes, Pakistan Women could return to action after a five-month gap. ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB and SLC are in talks for a potential series in Sri Lanka in July.Pakistan Women’s last international fixture was in Zimbabwe, where they won the first ODI before the remainder of the series was cancelled when Emirates Airlines, the Pakistan team’s carrier, announced it would suspend its operations in the Harare-Dubai route eight days before their scheduled departure.Before that, Pakistan Women had toured South Africa, where they lost the ODI series 3-0, and won the third and final T20I to deny the hosts another series sweep.Since the aborted Zimbabwe tour, Pakistan Women haven’t played any international cricket, but a group of 26 players underwent a skills and fitness camp in Karachi, similar to the one that is being organised in Multan.”We need to understand these challenges especially given the situation with Covid, which changes dramatically every other day. But the board is determined to continue to invest in the women’s game and we make sure our girls remain connected to the game so that they don’t get rusty,” Mumtaz said. “Women’s calendar hasn’t been as busy as the men’s has been so far, so it’s important to keep the girls engaged with the elite panel of coaching staff.”The Multan camp, according to the PCB, will be held in a bio-secure environment, with the players and support staff undergoing pre-arrival Covid-19 tests on Thursday. All those who tested negative are meant to assemble at the National High-Performance Centre in Lahore today and will travel to Multan by road. The players and support staff will be tested upon arrival in Multan and will subsequently go into isolation. Those who test negative will commence training in groups from May 31. The groups will be allowed to train together as units subject to testing negative for a third time on June 4.Players called up for Multan camp: Aliya Riaz, Aiman Anwer, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Syeda Aroob Shah.

Youngster impresses in second game, Gary Ballance falls four shy of his century in rain-affected draw

Paul Edwards09-May-2021
“The problem with old coppers’ tricks, Constable Boyle, is that old coppers know ’em,” says Inspector Raymond Fowler in the 1996 British sitcom . Likewise the point about four-day cricket pitches is that they are meant to last four days. This is absolutely as it should be and it is also what the captain of England has requested. But the slightly unfortunate consequence of this otherwise laudable policy is that County Championship matches are less likely to produce a victor if a day is lost.So even before the umpires compounded Saturday’s washout by deciding that no play would be possible before lunch on the final afternoon of this contest, it was plain that its principal points of interest would be whether Gary Ballance would score the nine runs he needed for his 41st first-class century and which of these sides might claim most bonus points. And as players almost always observe when games are done, we will not know the precise value of such small advantages until July at the earliest.It was rather clearer that should Kent bowl 110 overs, the cricketers would be filling the time before fistbumps and coaches home. It would be meaningful middle practice a month into a long season. Such a relatively pointless session was avoided and you can be sure Nathan Gilchrist will recall this rather desultory Sunday in Leeds. On Friday he had taken his maiden wickets in first-class cricket; this afternoon he added two more and the 20-year-old can hardly have done any more to impress Kent’s coaches in his second first-class game. Indeed, had wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson clung on to a catch off Ben Coad in the game’s penultimate over Gilchrist would have been leaving Headingley with a five-fer.Related

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As things turned out we did not start until 2.45 and only 28.3 over were bowled before Yorkshire’s Duanne Olivier swiped Jack Leaning to Marcus O’Riordan at long on. That ended the home side’s innings on 321 and thereby settled the bonus points issue 6-5 in Kent’s favour. Since each side also takes eight points for the draw neither will be moaning after a contest that had comprised only two inningsAnd the cricket we saw did not want for incident. The first cricketer to thank for this – please do not think of doing so – was Ballance, who called Dominic Bess for a single and was run out by O’Riordan’s direct hit from backward point when four runs short of his hundred. That dismissal rather set the tone for an afternoon session in which Kent bowled 19.1 accurate overs and Yorkshire scratched about for 29 runs while losing two more wickets: Bess had his off stump knocked out by Darren Stevens when he played inside a ball that straightened up and Steve Patterson was caught behind off Gilchrist when attempting a flat-footed cut.Yorkshire’s ninth-wicket pair, Jordan Thompson and Coad, batted with far more purpose after tea and a rash of boundaries brought the 31 runs they needed for a third batting bonus point. Almost as soon as this was achieved, however, Thompson became Gilchrist’s fourth victim when he edged to Robinson and three overs later the umpires ushered the players off for a ten-minute rain break. The only thing at issue during the subsequent epilogue was whether Yorkshire could get another bonus point, and Coad’s run-a-ball 33 certainly gave them a hope of doing so. Leaning, though, put an end to such fond notions and left his old home-ground on a note of gentle triumph.

Sunderland look as if they've stumbled across a gem in the managerial hot-seat in Regis Le Bris, who was an unknown entity to supporters of the Wearside club on his dramatic arrival over from France.

Months of speculation over who the next Black Cats manager dominated the conversation around the Stadium of Light before he was appointed, with the time spent painstakingly trying to find a new boss ultimately paying off, as Le Bris has steered his new team to a win in every Championship game they've faced so far.

Whilst players such as Dennis Cirkin have shone under the new early regime, other players have seen their standing in the pecking order fall, with Leo Hjelde a permanent fixture on the substitute's bench from the four league games to date.

Hjelde's time at Sunderland

Still only 21 years of age, Hjelde wandered through the door at Sunderland in January as a promising new recruit to help the Black Cats out defensively.

Comfortable playing at either left-back or in the heart of defence, Sunderland must have thought they'd purchased a gem considering he had made the odd Leeds United first-team appearance here or there when he was in West Yorkshire.

The Norwegian defender registered eight senior appearances for the Whites before leaving for a new adventure with Sunderland, with the hype surrounding him during his time at Elland Road not exactly helping him in his mission to become a top star.

Outlandish labels such as "the next Van Dijk" handed to him from former Ross County manager John Hughes followed him down to England from his positive time in Scotland, after impressing on loan away from one of Van Dijk's old employers in Celtic.

Hjelde hasn't quite ever lived up to that bold billing, with 12 forgettable games for the Black Cats passing him by so far since joining at the start of the year.

This campaign has only seen the Scandinavian make one start too, with a rotated Sunderland XI losing 2-0 to Preston North End in the EFL Cup before the Nordic defender dropped back out for the likes of Cirkin and other first-team stalwarts under Le Bris to comfortably slot back in.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

85

Accurate passes

59/74 (80%)

Possession lost

16x

Clearances

2

Blocked shots

1

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

Duels won

2/6

Failing to show off a creative edge playing out from the centre-back spots with his 85 touches, Hjelde also struggled physically at Deepdale, which then pointed in the direction of Luke O'Nien and eventually Daniel Ballard wriggling free of his injury concerns to easily come back in as more imposing options.

There could well be an argument that offloading Hjelde down the line could be smart – considering his value stands at a high £2.8m via Football Transfers – and his hefty wage in contrast to other more key Sunderland individuals.

Hjelde's wage at Sunderland

According to Capology, the out-of-sorts 21-year-old earns a handsome pay packet of £5k-per-week, matching Romaine Mundle's salary in the process, a player who by comparison has exploded into life in a Sunderland shirt as another new recruit who joined in January. He has fired home two goals in the Championship this season.

Amazingly, both Trai Hume and Dan Neil – as per Capology – earn less than their Scandinavian teammate at £3k-per-week and £1.3k-per-week respectively, despite being fixed first-team presences under Le Bris so far.

Between the pair of them, only one game has been missed this season to date – with Neil suspended for the recent away day win at Portsmouth – as both the Northern Irishman and the Black Cats homegrown product go from strength to strength under their new French manager.

Hjelde might well find it hard to break into the first-team picture, as Le Bris has no real reason to tinker with a system that's been hugely effective so far, with a 100% record still intact in league action.

Whilst the likes of Chris Rigg, alongside the other aforementioned first-team faces, will look to grow and develop at the Stadium of Light under the former Lorient boss, it looks unlikely that his teammate in Hjelde will prosper here if he remains stuck on the periphery.

Whisper it quietly, but the Black Cats may also be Premier League bound. It's even more unlikely the defender would get a look in there. Either a permanent or loan move would be beneficial once January swings around.

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Visitors begin reply brightly at Hove but lose six wickets and still trail by 135 as spinner snares four

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2021

Young off-spinner Jack Carson continued his impressive start to the season with four wickets as Sussex fought back strongly against Lancashire in the LV=Insurance County Championship Group 3 match at Hove.The 20-year-old from Northern Ireland finished the second day with 4 for 50 from 28 overs as Lancashire reached 193 for 6 in reply to Sussex’s 328, having been 137 for 1.Carson now has 15 wickets this season while 18-year-old debutant Jamie Atkins also had cause for celebration after removing Lancashire skipper Dane Vilas for a duck to claim his maiden first-class scalp.Related

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Saif Zaib, Tom Taylor eke out Northants advantage to test Yorkshire resolve once again

Stiaan van Zyl, Tom Haines fifties prevent Sussex fortunes from clouding over

Lancashire openers Alex Davies and Keaton Jennings had put on 93 with few alarms with Jennings passing 50 for the first time this season, but Carson broke through in his fifth over when a quicker ball deceived Davies, who chopped on trying to cut after nearly three hours at the crease.Jennings had been badly missed at slip by Stiaan van Zyl on 53 off the luckless George Garton but it wasn’t expensive. He added just seven more before edging Carson to slip off a delivery which turned just enough out of the rough.That left Lancashire 137 for 2, but they then lost four wickets for the addition of just seven runs. Stuart Meaker was rewarded for an excellent spell down the slope when Luke Wells, on his first return to the county where he spent ten seasons, followed one and was caught behind.Carson’s third victim was Steven Croft, who was athletically caught off bat and pad by wicketkeeper Ben Brown diving forward, and it was 151 for five when Vilas was bowled off an inside edge trying to force Atkins through the off side.Liam Livingstone’s first Championship innings of the season lasted just four balls as Aaron Thomason took a juggling catch at short leg to give the irrepressible Carson his fourth wicket and Lancashire had lost 5 for 24 runs in 8.5 overs. Josh Bohannon and Danny Lamb negotiated 23 overs to stumps but their side still trail by 135.Carson’s haul followed his 5 for 85 in Yorkshire’s second innings at Hove last week, the visitors winning that match by 48 runs.Earlier on Friday, Sussex added just 10 runs to their overnight 318 for 7 before they were bowled out with Lamb taking the last three wickets including Carson, bowled via an inside edge, and the bizarre run out of Henry Crocombe, caught short when George Garton struck the ball straight back down the pitch and Lamb stuck out a hand on his follow through, deflecting the ball onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Garton was last man out, caught at fine leg as Lamb finished with 3 for 59.Tom Bailey took 3 for 69 before Lancashire’s reply was held up by rain just under half an hour before the scheduled lunch break, causing a 40-minute delay.

A major update on the future of Everton boss Sean Dyche has been forthcoming amid pressure to sack the Toffees boss after their poor start to the Premier League season.

Everton endure tough summer

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, it was not the summer that many hoped for at Goodison Park. Parting ways with midfielder Amadou Onana for £50m, Everton replaced him with Tim Iroegbunam, while they also added Jesper Lindstrom on loan to bolster their attack, alongside marquee addition Iliman Ndiaye, who arrived from Marseille in a deal worth £15m.

Jake O’Brien’s arrival added further depth to the Everton backline, while in one massive positive the club were able to keep hold of young talent Jarrad Branthwaite, who enjoyed an excellent breakthrough campaign at Goodison Park last time out. Deadline day bought two more new faces in the shape of ex-Forest midfielder Orel Mangala, who arrived on loan from Lyon, as well as Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

Everton’s summer additions

Player

Fee

Iliman Ndiaye

€18m

Jake O’Brien

€19.5m

Tim Iroegbunam

€10.7m

Orel Mangala

Loan

Jesper Lindstrom

Loan

Armando Broja

Loan

Asmir Begovic

Free

However, the latter is sidelined until mid-October with a pre-existing injury, leaving a hole in Everton’s attack that Ndiaye, Beto, Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Youssef Chermiti are yet to fill properly this season.

It’s left them rooted to the bottom of the table, having conceded 13 goals in four games and without a point to their name. The trip to Aston Villa brought a familiar woe too, as the Blues surrended a 2-0 lead for the second consecutive game courtesy of a wonder goal from Jhon Duran.

The latest on Sean Dyche's tenure

Despite the poor start to the season, the Telegraph report that Dyche is under no pressure from the Everton hierarchy, who still have full belief that he will turn things around on Merseyside.

According to their report, there is no prospect of the former Burnley boss being given his marching orders any time soon, with the club “determined to stand by Sean Dyche for at least the rest of the season”, despite the “prospect of the situation deteriorating before it improves”.

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They add that “Dyche has enough credit in the bank with the Everton hierarchy to buy him considerable time”, with both majority owner Farhad Moshiri and Director of Football Kevin Thelwell aligned in their desire to keep him at the club.

Speaking ahead of the loss against Aston Villa, Dyche revealed he wasn’t thinking about his own future at present.

“The bigger picture of the club is the main focus. The club is still nowhere near where it wants to be. We want to win games – that’s my first thought. It’s not about myself or contracts. It’s about my staff and the players aligning to win games.”

It remains to be seen whether the decision to keep or sack the Englishman will be taken out of the hierarchy’s hands should Everton’s poor early season form continue and/or a takeover go through, but as it stands it appears that Dyche will be taking to the helm for the forseeable future.