Category Uncategorized

With just four games remaining of the Premier League season, north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are starting to look ahead to the future.

Mauricio Pochettino looks set to miss out on a top four finish during his first season in charge, but the improved style of play and the emergence of Harry Kane have given Spurs fans reasons to be hopeful for the season.

Arsenal meanwhile are hoping for a second placed finish, having been the form team in the country over the second half of the season, whilst back-to-back FA Cups can be secured with a win over Aston Villa on May 30.

Arsene Wenger will be cursing his teams slow start to the season, but will hope lessons will be learnt in time for next season.

With both sides keen to push forward, we have decided to take a look back on some of their finest ever players, with this combined Arsenal and Tottenham XI.

[ffc-gallery]

Click on Arsene Wenger and Mauricio Pochettino to reveal the best all time Arsenal and Tottenham combined XI

[/ffc-gallery]

David Seaman

It speaks volumes for the quality of David Seaman that Arsenal have struggled to replace him since he left the club way back in 2003 (bar a couple of decent seasons from Jens Lehmann).

‘Safe hands’ as he was known is firmly regarded as an Arsenal legend, being the undisputed number one for club and country during Wenger’s most succesful period at the club.

Seaman won twelve major honours in a career that spanned thirteen years with the Gunners.

The only grievance Arsenal fans can hold against him is that ridiculous ponytail he wore during his final two seasons at the club.

Lauren

Signed as a midfielder originally in the summer of 2000, Cameroon star Lauren would go on to become a key player for the Gunners in the successful years that followed. He pips Lee Dixon to the starting right back slot due to his consistency over the season in which the Gunners became the ‘Invincibles.’

He made his home debut in crunch clash with Liverpool at Highbury, where it took less than 10 minutes for him to open his account as the Gunners went on to a 2-0 victory.

A crucial match winning penalty against Tottenham will also be remembered as one of his Arsenal highlights.

Sol Campbell

As he has never been allowed to forget, Sol Campbell represented both sides of north London during his career.

Commanding, physical and a leader, it could be argued the Gunners have not had a centre back to replace him sufficiently since he left the club.

A key member of two title winning sides under Arsene Wenger – including the invincible side of 2003-04 – Campbell was also just minutes away from writing his name into Arsenal history with what would have been a winning goal  in a Champions League final, until goals from Samuel Eto’o and Julian Beletti swung the 2006 final back into Barcelona’s favour.

Ledley King

The devestating thing for Tottenham supporters and King himself is the struggles the former Tottenham skipper had with injury.

In the end it lead to an early retirement, but when fully fit – there were few better Premier League defenders than King.

It was sad to see his career finish prematurely, as it will always be a case of wondering what might have been for Spurs had he been fit on a regular basis, whilst supporters of England were left wondering exactly the same thing, with King having impressed every time he pulled on the white shirt at international level.

Jan Vertonghen

Given the way Arsenal fans still feel about Ashley Cole, it is Belgian Jan Vertonghen who steps in to cover the left back position!

The Belgian has established himself as the best defender at White Hart Lane since his arrival from Ajax in 2012, and although he is most comfortable in the middle, he has shown he is more than capable of playing the left back role – whilst also popping up with a few important goals.

Vertonghen has often been linked with a move to a club offering Champions League football, however he remains vital to Tottenham’s hopes of breaking into the top four.

Robert Pires

The Frenchman was one of the top wingers in the game for a few years before injuries took their toll.

His pace and trickery down the flanks were crucial to Arsenal’s style of play in the early 2000’s, whilst he had a habit of scoring plenty of important goals – some of which were spectacular.

Wenger once again proved he had an eye for a bargain in the transfer market, paying just £6million to bring the World Cup winner to the Red half of north London in 2000.

Luka Modric

The Croatian signed for Tottenham in 2008, and signalled the beginning of another era in terms of Spurs challenging the top sides under Harry Redknapp.

Modric was an integral part of the new Tottenham, dictating the play in the middle of the park, classy on the ball and able to find a killer pass seemingly at will.

He also had the ability to score stunning goals – perhaps not as often as he should have done – but never the less he remained a class act in his four years at the club.

He left the club for Real Madrid in a deal worth £30million in the summer of 2012.

Patrick Vieira

Captain of the invincibles in 2003/04, Vieira typified everything the modern day midfielder should be.

A natural leader in the middle of the park, Arsenal have not had a player quite like him since he left for Juventus in the summer of 2005.

Vieira won two league and cup doubles during his time with the Gunners, whilst popping up with a vital goal against Tottenham as Arsenal claimed another league title in 2004.

His final kick for the club was the winning penalty against Manchester United in the 2005 FA Cup final – not half bad for a £3.5million signing.

Gareth Bale

Even though Tottenham recouped a world record £86 million for Gareth Bale, there is surely not a Tottenham fan who wouldn’t take him back for the same price if it were offered tomorrow.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Bale was sensational for Spurs, and is arguably one of the club’s all-time greats, with his performances in the Champions League under Harry Redknapp arguably the moments in which a star was born – his hat trick against Inter Milan in the San Siro a particularly special moment.

Bale carried Tottenham during his final two years at White Hart Lane, but failure to secure Champions League football saw him join Real Madrid in a world record deal.

Thierry Henry

Surely the greatest striker in Arsenal’s history and perhaps even the Premier League era.

Henry scored all kinds of wonderful goals, helped Arsenal to league titles, FA Cup’s and a Champions League Final and left as their record goal scorer.

Originally signed as a winger by Arsene Wenger, Henry went on to become arguably the finest striker in the world for a five year period.

His major regret will be failure to lift the Champions League as Arsenal captain, having reached the final of the competition in 2006.

Jermaine Defoe

Perhaps not the biggest name, but one of the Premier League’s most consistent goal scorers of all time.

Tottenham fans have fallen in love with Harry Kane this season, having watched the local lad fire more than 30 goals in all competitions.

Yet Kane has one good season under his belt, whilst Jermain Defoe scored goals consistently in the Premier League season upon season wherever he was, but particularly at Tottenham.

He pips fellow Spurs forwards the likes of Kane, Jurgen Klinsmann Robbie Keane and Teddy Sheringham to the forward’s position alongside Thierry Henry, having scored over 100 league goals in two spells at White Hart Lane.

Arsenal flop Andre Santos has revealed that he would like to make his loan move to Gremio a permanent transfer this summer.

The Brazilian full-back left the Gunners earlier this year, after a series of below par Premier League appearances pushed way down the pecking order under manager Arsene Wenger.

Injuries to the likes of Kieran Gibbs hinted that he could be set for an increased role during the latter half of the season, but the Gunners elected to swoop for Nacho Monreal, allowing Santos to return to his homeland.

Initially, the 30-year-old said that he would like to return to London to prove himself at Arsenal, but now he has had a change of heart, insisting that he would be more than happy to be a Gremio player on a permanent basis:

“I’ll do my best to win titles. I have won titles at every club I have played for.” He is quoted by Sky Sports via Zero Hora.

“The staff, board and the players have all made me feel very welcome. There is no doubt that I want to stay.”

Santos signed for Arsenal on a long-term contract on the deadline day of 2011’s summer transfer window, as Wenger set about addressing immediate concerns regarding his squad.

After forcing his way into the Brazilian national team, much was expected of the defender, but he failed to adapt to Premier League football.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He had been linked with a switch to Turkey with Galatasaray, but a proposed move collapsed in January.

[cat_link cat=”arsenal” type=”grid”]

Select committee chair concerned that club will renege on commitments to diversity and inclusion

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2024The ECB has been warned by MPs to keep a close eye on Yorkshire in the wake of Colin Graves’ re-election as chair, to ensure that the club does not renege on its commitments to diversity and inclusion.Yorkshire were last year fined a total of £400,000 and handed points deductions by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC), following their handling of Azeem Rafiq’s revelations of institutional racism at the club.Graves, who previously served as Yorkshire’s chair between 2012-15, was last year sanctioned by the ECB for dismissing allegations of racist incidents during his tenure as “banter”, but issued a “personal and unreserved” apology to all victims of racism following his return to the post in February.Graves appeared before the DCMS select committee shortly after his reappointment in February, where he was challenged by MPs on his plans for Yorkshire’s refinancing – including an immediate cash injection of £1 million, followed by further investment worth £4 million. His family trust, which is managed by independent trustees, is still owed nearly £15 million by the club.In its Equity in Cricket report, released on Friday, the committee said: “We expect the ECB to closely monitor Yorkshire CCC to their work and ensure that there is no return to the ‘business as usual’ that allowed a culture of discrimination to take root and thrive at the club. We urge the ECB and the cricket regulator to pay particular attention to the future performance of Yorkshire CCC in relation to inequality.”In June 2023, a report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) castigated English cricket on the grounds of class, race and gender, with Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, describing its findings as a “wake-up call” and an opportunity to “reset cricket”. It has been recommended by the committee that the ECB publishes a progress report on the anniversary of the publication, addressing each of its 44 recommendations.Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, the committee’s chair, said: “The ECB has made welcome progress on fixing the problems facing cricket identified so powerfully in the ICEC report. To achieve its ambition for cricket to be the most inclusive sport in the country and truly welcoming to all it must be open on how it is backing up its words with actions.”The start of the county cricket season is always a time for optimism, and we hope that members at Headingley can look forward to a successful future, with a board committed to a member-led club and a continued focus on tackling discrimination. The ECB should keep a close eye on progress to ensure Yorkshire continues going down the road to reform.”The report was released on the same day that the UK government announced a £35 million investment into grassroots and state school cricket, with the aim of enabling 900,000 young people to play cricket over the next five years.Responding to the report, Thompson added: “We welcome the ongoing support and scrutiny from DCMS following the publication of the ICEC Report.”We are keen to forge ahead and continue with the changes we have already been implementing in our ambition to become the most inclusive sport in England and Wales.”

South Africa’s white-ball captain has promised a different, more-assertive style of play in ODIs against England

Firdose Moonda26-Jan-2023Temba Bavuma will continue as South Africa’s white-ball captain for as long as his team-mates and management want him to. Bavuma, who said he would not make a rash decision about his leadership future after South Africa were booted out of the T20 World Cup at the hands of Netherlands in November, has since had “conversations with the relevant people and remains committed to the role.””At the T20 World Cup, the question [about captaincy] was asked. It was obviously quite an emotional time. It was a bit unfair to be asked that question right after walking off the field after a loss,” Bavuma said ahead of South Africa’s World Cup Super League series against England. “Conversations were had with the relevant people and I am still in it. I’ve said to the guys if they would still like me to be the guy to lead, I am happy to do it. I’ve never ever made it about me, it’s always been about the team. I don’t think you’ve ever heard me say that it’s about me and I.”However, Bavuma, who is under more pressure in T20Is than in ODIs, indicated that if the new coaching staff wants to move on from him, he will accept that decision. “If the team wants to go in a different direction with a different leader, I am happy to step away,” Bavuma said. “Ultimately it’s up to the coach. We have got a new coach and a new coaching staff; the coach will have his vision and he will need somebody to drive that vision. At the moment the coach has entrusted me with that role so I will continue doing my best. Fortunately, I have got a bunch of guys that support me. For me, it’s business as usual for now.”Related

• Temba Bavuma finds form, and South Africa try out pacer workload management

• Temba Bavuma stays the course to deliver his definitive century

• Focus on 2027 ODI WC and No. 1 Test spot as Conrad and Walter take charge of South Africa

• Magala back in South Africa's ODI squad for series against England

• Jofra Archer rates himself 'about 80%' fit ahead of England comeback

Last week, South Africa unveiled Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter to the national men’s red-ball and white-ball jobs respectively. Walter will only arrive in South Africa in February so Conrad has been entrusted with overseeing the England series and no major changes were made to South Africa’s ODI squad. Bavuma has promised a slightly different approach, as South Africa look to be more assertive in their style of play. “It’s something that has been spoken about – wanting to be a lot more positive, wanting to be a lot more brave and always looking to take the option that puts either the batter or the bowler under pressure,” he said.But he did not go as far as saying South Africa will look to emulate England’s uber-aggressive blueprint, which they have adopted in all formats.”They are the pioneers – not just white-ball cricket, even in red-ball cricket,” Bavuma said. “We are South Africans. We have our way of thinking, our way of doing things. There’s nothing wrong with us taking a little bit from England, putting it together and seeing what comes about. With the personnel we have, guys going out and expressing themselves…if that equates to a South African Bazball way of playing – to use a stupid term – then so be it. If it means we are going to go out there and block the shit out of the ball, so be it.”The latter is unlikely to serve South Africa well in what are crucial matches if they hope to automatically qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup. South Africa are currently 11th on the points table and need to win at least three of their remaining five matches to secure a spot in the top eight. That means they must win at least one of the three matches against England in the next week to stay in the hunt, with two matches to come against Netherlands at the end of the summer.While Bavuma is aware of the critical state of South Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign, he has not made it the sole focus of the series and instead wants them to concentrate in building a new brand of cricket as they enter another new era. “We know where we stand in terms of how many games we need to win,” he said. “We’d like to shift our focus a little bit, looking to the World Cup. It’s an opportunity for us to clear up our identity and how we would like to play and we would like to use these games as an opportunity to do that. We know what we need to do and if it means in June we are playing in the qualifiers, that’s something we are prepared to do. That’s something everyone is prepared to do looking at the decision that was made to make way for the SA20.”South Africa forfeited three ODIs in Australia in January so the national squad could return home for the start of the new T20 franchise tournament. Bavuma was snubbed at the auction and did not get a deal for the inaugural edition which he said left him feeling “let down” at the time. He has gone under the radar as the tournament kicked off and used the time to “take it easy and connect with family,” but “tried to watch one or two games at the SA20 and it was quite fun.”

Half-century from Gayle not enough as Udana holds his nerve

Aadam Patel26-Nov-2021It may have taken a week but finally, after five wins out of five, the winning streak of Team Abu Dhabi came to an end courtesy of the Bangla Tigers.That was despite a thrilling knock from none other than Chris Gayle, who – with an unbeaten 52 off 23 – threatened to pull off another remarkable chase for the Abu Dhabi outfit. But he ran out of partners as the Tigers continued their winning run to move to within two points of Team Abu Dhabi.With 18 needed off four and Gayle on strike, no one would have counted out Team Abu Dhabi. Not least after Gayle and Jamie Overton – with two sixes off the last two deliveries – plundered 18 off the final over from Dwayne Bravo on Wednesday evening to seal a stunning victory. This time however, there was no Overton to pull off some last-over heroics and instead Isuru Udana held his nerve to take the Tigers to a fourth consecutive win.Buoyed by a capacity crowd and after losing the toss, the Tigers’ batting order took on the attack from ball one as Johnson Charles dispatched a short delivery from Ahmed Daniyal for four, but he was gone the next ball hitting one straight to Marchant de Lange at long-off.Will Jacks, in fine form, began with two unconvincing scoops to the boundary, before remarakbly getting dropped twice by Muhammad Farooq off the bowling of de Lange in the same over. But there was nothing unconvincing about the way he dispatched Liam Livingstone for consecutive sixes in the next over.Many a batter has struggled with the England international throughout the recent T20 World Cup and at the Abu Dhabi T10, yet Jacks showed what he was all about, first slogging Livingstone over cow-corner and then dancing down the track to loft one back over the bowler’s head.Jacks ended with a blistering 43 off 17, and accompanied by Hazratullah Zazai with 41 off 20, set up the Tigers, before a late flourish from skipper Faf du Plessis with 22 off eight, enabled them to put up 130 for 5 off their ten overs.Team Abu Dhabi opened without the in-form Phil Salt who, coming off the back of two player-of-the match performances, injured himself after taking a hit to the knee in the field. And when James Faulkner removed Paul Stirling and Colin Ingram in successive deliveries, the Tigers were well and truly in the driving seat.Livingstone may have taken a beating with the ball in hand, but he ensured he would have his say with the bat. Luke Wood was smashed for three sixes in a row. The last one the pick of the bunch – majestically lofting a fuller delivery off long-off. Yet, with the following delivery, Wood took a little pace off and deceived the Team Abu Dhabi skipper. Livingstone swung and missed and saw his stumps go flying. Wood, was ecstatic, roaring past Livingstone in a mix of relief and jubilation.Despite losing regular wickets, the league leaders kept themselves in the chase with lusty blows from Gayle and a fighting Salt, who courageously came in at No. 6. Benny Howell was fantastic, bowling two overs for just 13 and dismissing Chris Benjamin and Salt. The latter bowled after looking to scoop.With 37 required from two overs and the self-proclaimed “Universe Boss” still at the crease, anything was possible. Mohammad Amir was clubbed for 18 off the penultimate over as Gayle effortlessly used his pace to send the ball to the boundary and the crowd were treated to yet another last-over finish with Team Abu Dhabi.Crucially, the 42-year-old was not on strike for the beginning of the last over and perhaps the two balls he didn’t get to face off Udana saved the Tigers. Gayle had earlier hit three boundaries in the Sri Lankan’s first over. This time, he could only manage one more maximum, which brought up a quite brilliant half-century in 22 deliveries, but it was ultimately not enough.For Tigers skipper Du Plessis, it was the first time he had reached double figures in the tournament and crucially, his two sixes in the last over proved to be the difference between winning and losing. “It’s a big step in the right direction for us, especially after losing the toss,” he said.Eight years ago to the day, he played one of the great match-saving Test knocks with 110* off 466 deliveries against Australia, at a strike rate of under 30. This time, du Plessis ended unbeaten with a strike rate of 275. If the Tigers are going to use this momentum to the Abu Dhabi T10 title, then they will need one of the most versatile multi-format cricketers of this generation to showcase more of his class with the bat.

All the best stats, graphics and chat from Old Trafford with ESPNcricinfo’s live blog

Valkerie Baynes24-Jul-2020