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Rafael, who played for both Manchester United and Lyon, has backed the Ligue 1 giants to progress as he believes they are "better with the ball."

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Rafael shed light on Man Utd and Lyon's Europa League clashBrazilian played for both clubsFirst leg of quarter-final tie ended in a 2-2 drawFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ahead of the Europa League quarter-final second leg, former defender Rafael, who has represented both clubs, has claimed that the French outfit hold the upper hand over the English side, praising the former for being “more technical, more intelligent, and better with the ball.”

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“With the ball, I think Lyon has a better team than United. They’re more technical, more intelligent. But the match takes place at Old Trafford, and United are the favourites," Rafael told (h/t Get French Football News).

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The first leg was an entertaining affair between Lyon and Manchester United at the Groupama Stadium as 21-year-old Rayan Cherki scored the equaliser in stoppage time just minutes after Joshua Zirkzee had made it 2-1 for the Red Devils.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

The two teams will now meet at Old Trafford on Thursday, April 17. The winner of this tie will face either Athletic Club or Rangers in the semi-finals.

There are less than two weeks until the transfer window closes, and Arsenal still haven’t made a single signing.

Mikel Arteta’s side have endured injuries, suspensions and spotty form, but remain second in the Premier League and, perhaps even more impressively, third in the Champions League table.

However, with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus out injured, the team could really do with some new additions this month.

While the fans will be getting understandably nervous about the lack of action in this department, there have been an enormous number of players who’ve been linked with the club in recent weeks, suggesting that work is being done behind the scenes.

One of the most heavily linked players this month has been Wolverhampton Wanderers’ sensational Matheus Cunha, although while he’d be an incredibly exciting signing, he’s still worth considerably less than one of Arsenal’s stars.

Arsenal's transfer targets

So, before examining the Arsenal player in question, let’s look at some of the attacking stars they’ve been linked with this month.

One of the most exciting players who has been touted for a move to the Emirates for months now is Nico Williams, and earlier this month, he was once again reported to be a key target for the Gunners.

The Athletic Bilbao star was sensational last season, racking up a haul of eight goals and 19 assists for the Basque outfit in just 37 appearances, but has taken a slight step back in terms of his output this term, scoring just three goals and providing five assists in 28 games.

Another winger that has been touted for a £50m move to N5 multiple times this month has been Brentford’s Bryan Mbuemo.

The Cameroon international has been on fire for the Bees this season, racking up 13 goals and four assists in just 26 games.

Not only would the former Troyes star bring more goals to the Gunners frontline, but he would be able to provide Saka with the chance to rest and actual competition.

However, as mentioned above, it’s Cunha who has been potentially the most heavily linked player this month, with reports suggesting he could be available for up to £80m.

That is undoubtedly a lot of money, but Wolves are understandably reluctant to sell their best player midway through the season, and for his part, he’s scored ten goals and provided four assists in just 22 games.

However, even if he were to cost as much as reported, he’d still be worth millions less than one of his potential teammates.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Cunha

So, to get straight to the point, the Arsenal player we are talking about is none other than German international Kai Havertz.

The Gunners’ current first-choice striker is valued up to a whopping €121m by Football Transfers, which converts to about £102m, or a massive £22m more than the club might end up paying for Cunha this month.

Now, that is an almost absurd amount of money, and there are arguments against the former Chelsea ace being worth anywhere near it, but his record for the North Londoners is perhaps better than most might assume.

Appearances

19

7

3

1

Goals

8

4

2

0

Assists

2

2

0

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

0.85

0.66

0.00

For example, despite enduring a rough patch of form earlier this month, the “superb” 25-year-old, as dubbed by Arteta, has still notched up an impressive tally of 14 goals and four assists in 30 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games.

Moreover, the Aachen-born forward is also the club’s top goalscorer this season and ended last year as the third top goalscorer despite playing the first half of the campaign as a midfielder.

In fact, this ability to play both roles has probably upped his valuation somewhat, as there are not many players who can fill in up top and in the middle of the park.

Ultimately, Arsenal should still look to bring in Cunha this month, as he has been utterly sublime this season, but he’ll have to really impress to see his valuation eventually surpass Havertz’s.

A dream for Saka: Arsenal agree personal terms with "unbelievable" target

The sensational Premier League star could form an incredible partnership with Saka when he’s fit for Arsenal.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 23, 2025

Debutant feels ‘bloody brilliant’ after starring alongside former school captain

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-2022

“Bloody brilliant” is how it feels to score a century on your Test debut, in case you were wondering. Just ask Alice Davidson-Richards.One of four players in the England XI making her Test debut, Davidson-Richards, a 28-year-old allrounder, scored 107 and shared a 207-run stand for the sixth wicket with Nat Sciver, which was poignant for many reasons.Sciver, nearly two years her senior, captained Davidson-Richards in their school cricket team at Epsom College, where they also played hockey and netball together before they joined the England set-up and shared car journeys to training.”It means quite a lot having Nat there,” Davidson-Richards said as the pair faced the media after rescuing their side from 121 for 5 and securing a 44-run lead on the second day of the Test with South Africa in Taunton, Sciver still unbeaten on 119 at the close.”When we started driving up to Loughborough together however many years ago, to being out there playing a Test match together is really, really special.”But then their international careers diverged. Davidson-Richards played one ODI and five T20Is, all in 2018, and that was that until her recall for this match. Sciver, meanwhile, is playing her eighth Test and has 180 white-ball internationals to her name, including a pivotal role in England’s World Cup campaign earlier this year when they finished runners-up.Asked whether she thought her international career had been over, Davidson-Richards said: “I don’t think completely.””I’ve always had like a deep-rooted faith in how good I could be and it was just knowing how to get there,” she added. “And everything that’s happened before has allowed me to get to here so I’m absolutely fine with everything that’s happened before, to be the player that I am now and the person I am now.Related

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“It stopped being at the forefront of my mind and ended up being, if I can be the best player I can be for the South East Stars and doing it that way, then everything else on top of that is a plus.”Davidson-Richards has also stuck around long enough to be part of England’s newly professionalised domestic structure. She is one of South East Stars’ six contracted players and plays for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.She has also made a mental shift that has proven invaluable.”I’m a lot nicer to myself to be honest,” said Davidson-Richards, who took also took a wicket in South Africa’s innings. “I put a lot less on myself doing well all the time.”It’s a more well-rounded approach: ‘How can I help the team?’ Rather than, ‘have I done well, or not done well?’ And I think that’s something that really brings out the best in me and that enjoyment side as well is a big factor for me.””Some of it’s just getting old, not that 28 is old, but I’ve been told that I’m old a few times,” she laughed as Sciver rolled her eyes in jest. “So I think it’s a little bit of that. I’ve definitely talked to some of the coaches back at home and not necessarily a sports psych but I just talk to friends, people, who have helped me on through.”Davidson-Richards saw Sciver to her fifty while facing 45 balls for her first nine runs. But she ended up unleashing 17 fours on the way to her 107 which ended on what turned out to be the last ball of the day when she sent a Tumi Sekhukhune delivery to Lizelle Lee at backward point.Sciver, meanwhile, rated her maiden Test century as “definitely up there” with her five ODI hundreds, including two unbeaten centuries against Australia at the World Cup in April, one of those in the final as England finished runners-up.”For it to be in a Test match is really very special – a format we don’t get to play much of but one that I love so I’m really happy,” Sciver said.It also sweetened her involvement in Heather Knight’s run out for just 8 on the first ball after lunch. Knight’s dive was in vain after Sciver worked Nadine de Klerk towards square leg and called for a single but then the slightest of hesitations mid-run from both of them found Knight short of her ground as Sekhukhune fired the ball to wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.”I was feeling very guilty,” Sciver said. “It was a bit of hesitation from everyone. I did say, ‘yes’. But she has forgiven me, apparently,” she added with a smile. “If I didn’t get to a hundred, maybe she wouldn’t have forgiven me.”

Birmingham Bears eased past Durham in their Vitality Blast clash at Seat Unique Riverside by six wickets, securing their fifth win of the season to strengthen their position in the North Group.Alex Davies led the way for the visitors with a knock of 49 to provide the anchor for their chase of 142, which they managed comfortably with 12 balls to spare as Adam Hose played a useful cameo to see the Bears over the line.Durham were made to rue a poor start with the bat that limited their ability to set an imposing total. A half-century from Ben Raine papered over the cracks as Craig Miles claimed 3 for 29 to play a significant role in deciding the outcome of the contest.After opting to bat first on home soil, Durham lost a wicket in the first over when Hose connected with a direct hit from mid-on to remove the dangerous Graham Clark for only 2. Ollie Robinson and Michael Jones fell cheaply too, with both men being caught on the fence as Miles and Carlos Brathwaite struck in the powerplay.The early wickets put the hosts well and truly on the back foot, mustering only 28 runs from the opening six overs. David Bedingham then continued the procession of batters back to the pavilion as Sam Hain took a fine catch running in from long-on to hand Danny Briggs his only wicket, reducing Durham to 36 for 4.Ned Eckersley and Raine led a fightback, taking Briggs’ next over for 16, including a six each down the ground. The partnership reached 36 before Olly Stone produced a snorting bouncer that Eckersley could only fend behind to Davies. Raine held the Durham innings together and was the only batter to look comfortable, scoring a half-century from 32 balls, striking three sixes. But, Miles and Stone were on point to limit the home side to 141 for 7 from their 20 overs, with the former taking 3 for 29.The Bears were dealt a blow from the off as Paul Stirling fell for a golden duck, for the second game in a row, playing on to a delivery from Paul Coughlin. Despite the setback, Davies and Jacob Bethell settled into the run chase, keeping the required rate below seven runs per over, scoring timely boundaries to put the home side on the back foot.The Bears, in contrast to Durham, reached 47 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, and the introduction of spin allowed Davies to propel the scoring rate taking 12 off Scott Borthwick’s first over. Raine ended the stand for the second wicket at 73 by bowling Bethell for 21, while Hain endured a tough spell in the middle scoring 10 off 14 before being removed by AJ Tye.Davies fell short of a deserved half-century, missing a straight delivery from Raine to give the hosts a glimmer of hope. Hose dispelled the notion of a late wobble from the visitors with a quick-fire 28 from 16 balls alongside Chris Benjamin, who struck Brydon Carse for three straight fours in the 18th over before knocking off the winning runs.

Capitals coach Ponting says batting unit let the franchise down in IPL 2022

Hemant Brar22-May-20223:09

Rohit Sharma reflects on Mumbai’s forgettable IPL 2022 season

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is “pretty disappointed” with his batting performance in IPL 2022 but he is confident of turning it around in the coming days. In 14 games, Rohit managed just 268 runs at an average of 19.14 and a strike rate of 120.17. It is also the first time that he failed to score a single half-century in an IPL season.”A lot of things that I wanted to do didn’t happen,” he said after Mumbai’s last league game. “But this has happened with me earlier as well, so it’s not something I am going through for the first time.”I know cricket doesn’t end here; there is a lot of cricket ahead. So I need to take care of the mental aspect and think about how I can return to form and perform. It’s only a minor adjustment and I will try to work on that whenever there is some time off.”Rohit’s performance had an impact on the team’s fortunes as well. Mumbai suffered eight successive losses at the start of the season, and while they won four of their last six games, it wasn’t enough to avoid the wooden spoon.”It was a bit disappointing season for us as we couldn’t execute our plans at the start of the tournament,” Rohit said. “And we know that in tournaments like the IPL, you have to build that momentum.”Initially, when we kept losing games one after another, that was a difficult time. For us, what was important was to make sure that whatever we had planned, we came out and tried those things. It didn’t happen exactly the way we wanted to.”But it happens sometimes when you have a new team as some players take some time to understand their roles. Certain guys were playing for the first time for this franchise. And they play different roles when they play for their country, for their state, or in different leagues. And when they come here, they get different roles. So it takes a little time to get adjusted.”In the second half of the campaign, Rohit said, the whole team did well, in both batting and bowling departments, which was a big positive. “When you have to win matches or tournaments, you have to perform like that,” he said.1:23

Ponting – ‘It’s been one of those up and down seasons’

Our bowling group outperformed our batting group – Capitals coach Ponting
Performing with both bat and ball was something Delhi Capitals failed to do, according to their head coach Ricky Ponting. Ponting was all praise for his bowlers but felt his batters let the team down, and as a result, they couldn’t make it to the playoffs.”If I look at our entire season, it’s pretty fair to say that our bowling group have probably done a better job on a whole than our batting group,” he said. “Our batting group has been really inconsistent and probably haven’t scored the amount of runs that we should have scored.”I’m not making excuses, but we’ve had quite an interrupted season with Covid, injuries and other illnesses that we’ve had through our camp. So it’s been one of those up-and-down and inconsistent seasons.”We’ve all been delighted with Khaleel Ahmed, [Chetan] Sakariya in the games he played. Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the finds of the tournament. You always know what you’re going to get with Axar Patel. Shardul [Thakur] had some really good games at the back end of the tournament as well. So I think it’s fair to say that on a whole, our bowling group probably did outperform our batting group.”But right through the tournament we just haven’t been able to put very good games of cricket together. In the first half, we played some good cricket without being very good. I pretty much demanded of the guys to find a way to turn that good into very good in the back half of the tournament and we were probably a little bit better in the back half. But you know we’ve come up a game short and that’s disappointing for everybody.”