Arsenal put in a tenacious performance against Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday and claimed a huge victory in the context of their season against Pep Guardiola's men.

Mikel Arteta will be hugely satisfied with his side's grit and determination as Gabriel Martinelli's deflected strike on 86 minutes proved to be the difference between the sides in front of a raucous atmosphere in north London. For long periods, it looked as if the deadlock would not be broken at either end as solid defensive displays from both backlines indicated that the crunch tie would end goalless; however, Arsenal showed their mettle as genuine contenders for the Premier League title, which they will hope to claim for the first time since 2004 come next May.

We at FootballFanCast take a look at the best and most inefficient Gunners performers from today's encounter, which will surely go down as one of Arsenal's more memorable wins in recent years as they join rivals Tottenham Hotspur at joint-top in the league standings.

GK: David Raya – 6/10

Despite a nervous start to proceedings and nearly giving away a goal on the cheap due to a loose clearance that fortuitously ricocheted wide, the Spaniard recovered and was able to keep a clean sheet for the Gunners, though he was helped out by his defence, who were resolute throughout the entire 90 minutes.

RB: Ben White – 7/10

England international Ben White enjoyed a productive time of things against Manchester City, completing three tackles and two clearances in a solid defensive display on the right-hand side. The former Brighton & Hove Albion man also carried a threat going forward and was accurate in his passing and can be proud of his performance against a notoriously difficult opponent.

CB: William Saliba – 7/10

William Saliba just oozes class, doesn't he? The Bondy-born ace was once again a dependable presence for Arsenal and used his pace, power and aggression expertly to thwart Manchester City's attack. Keeping the likes of Erling Haaland quiet is no mean feat and his central defensive partner, Gabriel, can also take great pride in his work; however, we will come on to him next.

CB: Gabriel – 7/10

As partnerships go, Gabriel and his teammate Saliba possess a nice blend of youth and experience and both complement each other well, with the same notion extending to their collective exploits today. Gabriel made three interceptions in the tie and also maintained a pass accuracy of 92%, which isn't bad against a team dubbed the greatest on the planet by many over the last few months.

LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7/10

Oleksandr Zinchenko slotted in well and took on the role of playing as an inverted full-back with minimal difficulty for vast spells, showing quality and a keen eye for a pass in his 75 minutes on the field before being replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

CM: Martin Odegaard – 7/10

Club captain Martin Odegaard continues to rise to the mantle of carrying the torch for his side during clutch moments and delivered another energetic display in the engine room against Manchester City.

CM: Declan Rice – 8/10 (Man of the Match)

Declan Rice enjoyed a dominant performance against a depleted Manchester City midfield at the Emirates and managed to win some crucial tackles, thus setting his side on their way to fashion attacking opportunities. The England international's graft in the middle of the park may have gone unnoticed due to Martinelli's late winner; nevertheless, victory wouldn't have been possible without his hard work in the engine room.

CM: Jorginho – 7/10

Veteran midfielder Jorginho was quietly effective for Arsenal and played his part in their crucial victory over the visiting Citizens before being replaced by Thomas Partey.

LW: Leandro Trossard – 5/10

Leandro Trossard has been a fantastic addition since joining Brighton & Hove Albion in January; however, he didn't capture the imagination of Arsenal supporters today and was subsequently hooked for Gabriel Martinelli at half-time.

RW: Gabriel Jesus – 6/10

Perhaps unfortunate not to be rated higher, Gabriel Jesus worked his socks off for Arsenal despite being deployed out wide by boss Arteta and his ability to get up and down helped to suffocate any momentum from Manchester City down the left-hand side.

ST: Eddie Nketiah – 6/10

Similar to Jesus, Eddie Nketiah's hard work will have been appreciated by the Gunners' support today as he endeavoured tirelessly while leading the line for his side. Despite not getting on the scoresheet, he can be pleased with his performance today and his ability to occupy defenders with his pace and movement.

Substitutes

Kai Havertz (for Eddie Nketiah) – 6/10

Gabriel Martinelli (for Leandro Trossard) – 7/10

Thomas Partey (for Jorginho) – 6/10

Takehiro Tomiyasu (for Oleksandr Zinchenko) – 6/10

Manager

Mikel Arteta – 8/10: Tactically, Arteta got almost everything spot on today and recorded arguably the biggest win of his managerial career against the reigning Premier League champions, making it a job well done from his perspective.

Big Picture

The teams were jostling for the No. 1 Test ranking. Now they are battling mid-table mediocrity. Alastair Cook and Misbah-ul-Haq were the captains. Now it’s Joe Root and Sarfraz Ahmed. Younis Khan was jumping around the crease (and scoring a double century). Now Pakistan are trying to build a new middle order.It’s been less than two years since England and Pakistan last met for a Test series and much has changed. The latest series, which starts at Lord’s before continuing to Headingley, is a meeting of teams in various states of flux. England are still trying to find solutions to a number of familiar problem areas while Pakistan have lost three of their five series since taking the No. 1 spot shortly after the 2016 contest concluded with their series-levelling victory at The Oval.Pakistan are missing three men who were vital to that 2-2 scoreline – Misbah, Younis and the injured Yasir Shah – and another, Wahab Riaz, who could have added experience if not always direction with the ball. Their batting looks on the callow side and they almost came a cropper against Ireland, with much resting on Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq finding their touch quickly in a short series.With the ball, however, they will, as so often, remain a threat. Quite how much Test cricket Mohammad Amir will play remains to be seen but he bowled beautifully in Ireland and if his team-mates can catch he could run through a line-up. Mohammad Abbas will be a handful if there is any nibble on offer while Shadab Khan has immense promise and also the advantage of being new to England.For England there are subplots aplenty at the beginning of a second season in charge for Root. His own position (in the batting order, not the captaincy) is one talking point – can he settle at No. 3? – which is part of a larger reshuffle of the order. Will the punt on Jos Buttler at No. 7 pay dividends or just muddy the water more? Can Dom Bess take the most of an unexpected chance? Is Mark Stoneman facing his last chance? Can Alastair Cook go again as a Test batsman? Is there life beyond James Anderson and Stuart Broad?That’s a lot of questions. Of late, England’s Test side haven’t provided a whole lot of new answers. This season needs to change that.

Form guide

England DLLDL
Pakistan WLLWL

In the spotlight

A quick look at those who have batted at No. 7 for any significant amount of Tests (in this case at least 10 matches) and who haven’t taken the keeping gloves shows one thing: precious few specialist batmen. Yet that is, in effect, what Jos Buttler has been selected as on his return to Test cricket. Almost a wildcard pick. There was a spare slot and this is how Ed Smith and Joe Root think it’s best filled. In a perfect world, Buttler will be able to exploit tired attacks at 350 for 5 and counter-attack thrillingly at 150 for 5. In reality, it’s unlikely to be quite so simple.Two years ago Yasir Shah took 10 wickets in the match as Pakistan secured a famous win which led to celebratory push-ups on the outfield. Currently the only push-ups he’s doing are in the gym as he recovers from a hip injury. The legspin role is now with Shadab Khan who has shown terrific skills in white-ball cricket but is only just starting out in Tests. Yasir’s haul also came later in the year when the pitches were drier, but the recent warm weather in London could bring Shadab firmly into contest. And we all know about England and legspin.

Team news

England’s one decision is between Chris Woakes and Mark Wood for the final pace-bowling slot. Wood was recalled in Christchurch at the end of March and provides extra pace. Woakes provides more with the bat. There will be a debut for 20-year-old offspinner Dom Bess.England 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 Joe Root (capt), 4 Dawid Malan, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Mark Wood/Chris Woakes, 9 Dom Bess, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonPakistan also have just a single spot to decide on: whether Rahat Ali retains his place after a wicketless outing against Ireland or he’s replaced by the skiddy pace – and extra batting ability – of Hasan Ali. Judging by nets on Wednesday, Hasan was favourite to play. Babar Azam took a blow on the finger on Tuesday but was expected to be okay.Pakistan 1 Azhar Ali, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Haris Sohail, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Rahat Ali/Hasan Ali, 11 Mohammad Abbas

Pitch and conditions

The pitch had a distinct tinge of green the day before the Test, but a fair amount of that grass was likely to be removed before play starts. Last year, the surface for the South Africa Test took considerable turn although that was in July. In September there was plenty of help for the quicks when West Indies visited. The forecast for this match is for a warm few days with the chance of showers – some thundery – at various stages but also plenty of dry weather.

Stats and Trivia

• Cook will equal Allan Border’s record of 153 consecutive Test appearances. The only match Cook has missed since his debut was what would have been his third Test, in Mumbai, when he was struck down by illness.
• If Rahat Ali is dropped, Pakistan will have just four survivors (Azhar, Shafiq, Sarfraz and Amir) from the side that won at Lord’s in 2016

Quotes

“Jos at seven can be an exciting and integral part of our batting unit, to take the game to the opposition from a position of strength and make it even stronger. The way he approaches his white-ball cricket, I think a lot of that can cross over.”
“Yes, the senior players in the team have to show responsibility. Amir and I have played here before so has Azhar and Shafiq, so we are seniors and the rest of seven players will play here for the first time. We have to lead from the front, we have more responsibility to give a good platform so that new players take from there”
Sarfraz Ahmed

Newcastle United are keeping close tabs on the situation of a player in the Premier League, but a fresh report has revealed that they aren't the only club hoping to secure his services.

What's the latest transfer news at Newcastle?

At St. James’ Park, PIF and Eddie Howe reportedly held talks regarding a move for Southampton’s Carlos Alcaraz over the summer, and they have since also made an enquiry to discover what the conditions of a deal would look like for Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot in January.

The Magpies have also been working on new in-house contracts for Bruno Guimaraes, with his fresh terms set to be announced imminently, as well as entering talks with Joelinton and Sean Longstaff, who are both hoping to extend their stays.

Back in August, Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe was the subject of a loan approach from the northeast outfit, and whilst Mikel Arteta’s side didn’t want to entertain an exit before the summer deadline, the attacking midfielder’s situation is still yet to improve.

The England youth international has made zero starts in the top-flight so far this season (prior to the game vs Bournemouth), and the fact that the 23-year-old remains out of favour has alerted his former admirers that there could be a deal up for grabs in 2024.

Are Newcastle signing Emile Smith Rowe?

According to 90min, Newcastle and Brighton and Hove Albion are both "monitoring the situation" of Smith Rowe, whilst Aston Villa also "remain interested" having tried to secure his services before September 1st.

Arsenal's academy graduate "would consider leaving" at the start of the new year should his game time in the capital not improve in order to try and force his way into Gareth Southgate's senior plans ahead of the Euro 2024 tournament.

The Gunners may only be willing to let their product leave on loan for the second half of the season, but this depends on if interested clubs were to meet the currently unknown asking price that they are likely to set.

What is the market value of Emile Smith Rowe?

According to Transfermarkt, Smith Rowe’s current market value is €35m (£30m), and whilst he’s not had the chance to prove his worth this season, he has shown what he’s capable of in the past having been dubbed “Hale End’s Finest” by football scout Jacek Kulig.

The Croydon-born talent, who pockets £40k-per-week, has posted 63 contributions (41 goals and 22 assists) in 177 appearances across various levels since the start of his career, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, where he also possesses strong link-up play having recorded a 91.3% pass success rate last season in the Premier League.

Sponsored by Nike, Smith Rowe, who has the versatility to operate in six different positions over the pitch, including four roles in the midfield and two in attack, has previously earned three victories when playing against the Magpies, so if he’s capable of performing for the opposition, imagine what he’d be capable of on the home side at St. James’ Park.

Both teams have depended on a few key performers and will want substantial efforts from the others

The Preview by Annesha Ghosh13-May-20185:26

Hogg: Kings XI are chopping and changing too much

Big PictureOn a day when assembly elections in Karnataka dominated Twitter trends, the IPL team from the state (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and a local boy (KL Rahul) took over the headlines for the better part of the evening.Rahul accomplished this with his third straight fifty during Kings XI Punjab’s loss in Indore; RCB earned it through a Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers masterclass.It’s been the story of the season for both teams; if Kings XI have been over-reliant on Rahul and Chris Gayle, the same is true of RCB, Kohli and de Villiers. On the ground where 459 runs were plundered in 40 overs on Saturday, the two teams’ fortunes might depend on how the rest of their line-ups fare.Both teams will also be wary of their death-bowling issues on a ground with a notably flat pitch and short boundaries. RCB are the most expensive death-overs team this season, while Kings XI leaked 76 runs in the last five overs during their loss to Kolkata Knight Riders. As their seam mainstay and purple-cap holder Andrew Tye said, “You have to just hope on this wicket.”Form guide

Kings XI Punjab: lost to Kolkata Knigt Riders by 31 runs lost to Rajasthan Royals by 15 runs, beat Rajasthan Royals by six wickets

Royal Challengers Bangalore: beat Delhi Daredevils by five wickets, lost to Sunrisers by five runs, lost to Super Kings by six wickets

Previous meetingA little over a month ago, a red-hot Umesh Yadav neutralised a blazing start from KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. Umesh’s season-best figures of 3 for 23 helped bowl out Kings XI for 155. Built on a 54-run stand between Quinton de Kock and de Villiers, RCB’s maiden win of the season coincided with Kings XI’s first loss, and ended a five-match losing streak at the M Chinnaswamy going back to last season.Likely XIs
Kings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Mayank Agarwal/ Akshdeep Nath, 5 Manoj Tiwary, 6 Aaron Finch, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin (capt), 9 Andrew Tye, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Mujeeb Ur RahmanRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Parthiv Patel (wk)/Manan Vohra, 2 Quinton de Kock, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Colin de Grandhomme/ Moeen Ali, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Mohammed SirajStrategy punt
Quinton de Kock’s availability for selection could see Colin de Grandhomme vacate the fourth overseas player’s slot. De Kock’s quickfire 45 against Kings XI in their last meeting and his breezy 54 against Chennai Super Kings proved pivotal in RCB getting off to steady starts before he took a break to attend Theunis de Bruyn’s wedding in South Africa.The wicketkeeper-batsman’s return also gives RCB the option of a left-right opening combination, with Manan Vohra, due to play his 50th IPL match, slotting back in for Parthiv Patel, who opened with Moeen Ali in a left-left combination in RCB’s previous game. Going with at least one right-hand batsman at the top could help RCB deal with the threat of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who has a ridiculously good record against left-hand batsmen this season: eight wickets while only conceding 51 runs to them in 58 balls.Stats that matter
Chris Gayle is 42 runs short of becoming the seventh player to score 4000 runs in the IPL Rahul hasn’t dominated against spin (average 27.9) the way he has against pace (average 171). Seven of his nine dismissals this season are against spin Kohli, who is 34 runs away from registering 500 runs in an IPL season for the fifth time, has never been dismissed by Ashwin, Tye or Mohit Sharma in the IPL With at least three left-handers in the fray to grab the opening slot, Mujeeb’s dot percentage of 55.2 and economy rate of 5.3 against left-handers this season could help keep a tight leash on the RCB openers Ashwin has bowled 192 of his 256 balls this season during the middle overs. In that phase, he has an economy rate of 7.7, has conceded a boundary every eight balls, and has taken four of his six wickets.Fantasy pickIn his first appearance after gaining the Australia T20I captaincy, Aaron Finch finally broke free, getting past 30 for the first time in six innings this season. If the three sixes he hammered during his 20-ball 34 against Delhi Daredevils doesn’t inspire you to pick him in your team, sample this: his strike rate of 161 since 2017 is the highest among the Kings XI batsmen.Quotes”It will be a completely different wicket at Indore. The ground is small. Their batsmen are in form and I think they have the best batting line-up. We’ll strategise according to the conditions”
“We’d love to have someone other than KL [Rahul] stand up and go with KL, put a couple of performances on.”

Manchester United already appear to have their eyes on the January transfer window following a disappointing start to the Premier League season, and one fresh report has claimed they are ‘ready’ to knock on the door of a long-term target.

Latest Man Utd transfer news…

The Red Devils were busy in the recent transfer market, signing eight new players, some on loan and others in big permanent deals. However, they haven’t exactly hit the ground running, with Erik ten Hag’s side already losing half of their league fixtures and both of their Champions League group games.

A number of players have been linked with a move to Old Trafford to bolster the squad as a result, including Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, Real Sociedad attacker Umar Sadiq and RB Leipzig forward Lois Openda. A new midfielder could also be on the agenda by the look of things in what could be another buy period off the pitch at Old Trafford.

Sport Witness relayed a Man Utd transfer update on Adrien Rabiot in the last 48 hours, claiming the Red Devils and Newcastle United are ‘ready’ to knock on his door again and upset Juventus’ plan to tie him down to a new contract. It is believed that the two sides could offer better terms than the Italian giants and they may even be in line to seal a free transfer with the Frenchman’s current deal set to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Did Man Utd try and sign Adrien Rabiot?

Rabiot appears to have been a player of interest at Old Trafford for some time now, so they could finally get their target in 2024. Following the appointment of Ten Hag last year, Man Utd agreed a deal to sign the player but as we know, a transfer fell through. Recent reports have continued to link the Red Devils with a move, and even said that Man Utd are favourites to sign the midfielder, labelled as a ‘complete player’ by legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who said:

“He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically. He doesn’t even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game.”

The 28-year-old has enjoyed plenty of success during his career for club and country – Rabiot has won a total of 24 major honours – and he can play as a holding, central or left midfielder, so would offer plenty of versatility if he moved to Manchester. Rabiot’s Transfermarkt valuation has also increased over the past 12 months from €17m to €40m, so he seems to be getting back to his best, and by the looks of things, a move to Old Trafford is one to watch.

A full-strength touring party from Pakistan will visit Zimbabwe in July for a T20I tri-series and bilateral ODI series. The tri-series, which also features Australia, begins on July 1 with the final on July 8, while the five-match ODI series begins on July 13.As with Pakistan’s T20Is against Scotland, Pakistan have opted against complacency and named a strong side for the tri-series, with only one change, Sahibzada Farhan earning a maiden call-up with opener Ahmed Shehzad dropping out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Farhan, a 22-year old opening batsman, has an impressive List A record, averaging over 52. He also played for Islamabad United in the PSL this season, but was somewhat underwhelming, scoring 91 runs in five innings. Asif Ali and Hussain Talat, who both found themselves called up to the T20I side against West Indies in Karachi, have retained their places, with Asif also earning a spot in the ODI side for the first time.Pakistan haven’t played an ODI since a five-match series in New Zealand in January. From that squad they have dropped Azhar Ali, with the left-handed pair of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq likely to open the batting. Junaid Khan returns to the side, having missed the New Zealand series, while Imad Wasim has failed to fully recover from a knee injury that has been a persistent issue for the allrounder.Babar Azam has been named in the 16-member ODI squad, though a final decision on the 23-year old will be taken after assessing his recovery from the arm fracture that kept him out of the much of the tour of the UK.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mohammad Amir, who had asked to be rested for part of the Zimbabwe tour, has been named in both squads; ESPNcricinfo understands coach Mickey Arthur was unwilling to allow him to miss the tour. Yasir Shah, who missed the UK tour with a stress fracture, finds a place in the ODI squad. It is an intriguing development, since Yasir last played an ODI in October 2016; depending on conditions, Pakistan could field a twin-legspin attack, with Shadab Khan also part of the squad.

Seekkuge Prasanna made good use of his early arrival in England for the Vitality Blast as he bowled Northants to a second successive Championship win

ECB Reporters Network28-Jun-2018
ScorecardNorthants took the final six Glamorgan wickets for 69 runs on the fourth morning to complete a comprehensive 233-run victory and record their second successive Championship win of the season.They also moved away from bottom place in Division Two, after outplaying a Glamorgan team who, after winning their opening game, have lost four of their last five championship games, and won only one of their eight Royal London 50 over matches.They were again let down by their batting, with only Usman Khawaja scoring over fifty in both innings, while there seven half centuries for Northants, whose batsmen showed far more application on a pitch of irregular bounce.Northants’ decision to bring their Sri Lankan legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna over a week early, ahead of the Vitality Blast, played dividends as he finished with four wickets in the second innings.Glamorgan resumed on 121 for 4 in their second innings, and soon lost their nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten, who fatally played back to Prasanna and was leg before on the back foot.Kiran Carlson meanwhile was fortunate to survive against the Sri Lankan leg spinner, twice edging deliveries wide of the slip cordon. He was joined by Chris Cooke who appeared more comfortable against Prasanna, twice striking him through extra cover for four.The fifth wicket pair had added 48 before Carlson, aiming to drive expansively at a wide ball, edged one in Brett Hutton’s opening over of the morning, to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington after scoring 32.Cooke was the next to go when he was bowled by Hutton; undone by a ball that kept very low, Cooke almost ended up on his knees as he tried unsuccessfully to get his bat down in time.The procession continued as Nathan Buck came on for his first over of the day, and with his first ball, trapped Ruaidhri Smith leg before with his opening. When Prem Sisodiya was caught at silly mid off to give Prasanna his fourth wicket, the players shook hands as Glamorgan captain Michael Hogan was absent and unable to bat.Glamorgan’s head coach, Robert Croft, sounded relieved that T20 cricket was around the corner: “This defeat had a common thread that we need to improve on,” he said. “We are not capitalising on the starts we are having, whether it’s a lack of concentration or inexperience. We are developing a young team that I’m sure will improve, but possibly we might have to bring in a senior player into the team for the next game or two.”

USMNT striker Brandon Vazquez netted a filthy effort for Monterrey vs Pumas Sunday evening in Liga MX action.

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• Vazquez scores fifth goal of campaign
• Brilliant effort destroys defender
• Set to clash with FC Cincy Thursday in Champions Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  scored his fifth goal of the Liga MX Clasura 2023/24 Sunday evening, making his eighth appearance in the league for the Mexican sub. He won the ball in the box, bodied a defender and turned brilliantly before firing a low-driven effort into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead over Pumas at the time. Rayados eventually claimed victory, 3-0, with Vazquez playing 81 minutes from the start.

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  Vazquez's form in Mexico is nothing short of impressive. He's been scoring unique goals that no other forward in the USMNT pool is doing, providing Gregg Berhalter with a striker that fits a mold different from every other player available.

  It remains to be seen if he will be called up for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals this March, but if he does receive the nod, there's no doubt he will be a threat in the box.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VAZQUEZ AND MONTERREY

  The USMNT striker and his Liga MX club are back in action on Thursday against none other than FC Cincinnati in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The forward's former-club will clash with FCC in a battle of each respective league's heavyweight side.

The former Australia allrounder is disappointed the banned duo can play in T20 leagues overseas but not at home, especially with the World Cup a year away

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2018

Shane Watson wants Cricket Australia to allow Steven Smith and David Warner to take part in the Big Bash League, reasoning that if both players can take part in the Global T20 Canada, then they ought to be able to help promote the tournament at home too.Smith and Warner are currently serving one-year bans imposed by CA in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal that engulfed the Australian team in South Africa, but the bans only cover Australian international and domestic cricket. If overseas leagues accept them, as the one in Canada has done, they are free to take part in them – a state of affairs that Watson isn’t happy with.”The thing that just disappoints me about the whole situation is now Steve Smith and Dave Warner are over promoting other tournaments by playing in them,” Watson was quoted as saying by AAP on Friday.Watson had previously called the punishments to Smith, Warner and Cameron Bancroft harsh, saying the trio had paid an “extreme penalty” for their transgression.”I understand the rulings that happened at Cricket Australia, the 12-month bans and all the stipulations they put around that. But for them to have the opportunity to go and promote other tournaments, I’d prefer if they’re going to do that and have access to do that [that] they have access to promote the Big Bash, for example.”At the moment we’ve got a few world-class players and we’ll continue to discover those but they don’t just fall out of trees. That’s why Steve and Dave are such an integral part to Australian cricket, especially in the shorter format as well with the World Cup coming up.”Smith made a successful return to cricket in the Global T20 Canada, scoring 61 off 41 in Toronto Nationals’ six-wicket win against Vancouver Knights in Thursday’s tournament opener. After the game, he said he had been “mentally fatigued” in the days leading up to the Cape Town Test in which the scandal erupted. Smith also admitted that the days following his ban had been emotionally tough, but that he had accepted his punishment and was happy to be on a cricket field once again.Warner is part of the Winnipeg Hawks squad, and is set to take the field on Friday against Montreal Tigers.

While Everton may be an exception to the rule, when comes it to the Premier League, players who up and leave the Netherlands for pastures new in the English top flight often succeed.

Obvious examples from the past of Dennis Bergkamp at Arsenal and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United show Dutch talents taking to the pressures of English football like a duck to water, whilst the modern day sees figures such as Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, Micky van der Ven and more excel away from their homeland when clubs such as Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur swoop in.

Still, other players from Holland haven't quite taken to Premier League life quite so swimmingly, as those at Goodison Park have found out in the recent past.

When did Davy Klaassen join Everton?

Davy Klaassen would join the Toffees before the 2017/18 season commenced, purchased by the then-Everton manager – and his compatriot – Ronald Koeman for a £24m transfer fee.

Klaassen had been a consistent performer for Ajax in the Eredivisie before Everton purchased the midfielder, scoring 43 goals for the Amsterdam-based giants over four seasons.

During the 2016/17 campaign, Klaassen would notch up double digits in the league for Ajax which must've alerted the Merseysiders into signing him – assisting ten goals, on top of scoring 14.

These goal contributions wouldn't be enough for Ajax to lift the Eredivisie title, however, pipped to the league crown by one point with rivals Feyenoord champions.

He would join Everton therefore to test himself outside of his native Netherlands, a move that turned out to be disastrous for the attacking midfielder.

How many goals did Davy Klaassen score for Everton?

Klaassen barely featured for the Toffees after joining the club, only managing 249 minutes in total playing in the Premier League for the Merseysiders.

Everton changing manager from Koeman to Sam Allardyce saw Klaassen frozen completely out of the team, whilst Marco Silva's introduction as boss didn't make things any better for the Dutchman – the ex-Ajax man not playing a Premier League match at all between 22nd of September 2017 to the 10th of March 2018.

In his troubled time with the club, Klaassen wouldn't register a single goal or assist.

Werder Bremen would come in and save the midfielder from Liverpool by purchasing him in the summer of 2018, Everton taking a hit in the process by selling the midfielder for a reported fee of £12m.

Where is Davy Klaassen now?

Joining Werder Bremen saw Klaassen rebuild his career in the immediate aftermath of his dire spell with Everton, scoring five goals and assisting five goals in his first season with the German outfit.

He would better this in his second and final season in Bremen, scoring seven times and assisting six goals.

A reunion with Ajax would come up after this, rejoining the Dutch club in 2020 and performing to the peak of his powers once more on home soil.

It's here where the attacking midfielder further rescued his somewhat faltering career in the wake of the doomed move to the Toffees, scoring a further 38 goals for Ajax to cement himself as a true great at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Turbulent times at the Amsterdam club recently – which has seen matches abandoned due to crowd trouble and the Dutch superpower drop to 16th in the Eredivisie – has also seen the 30-year-old move on again.

This time, he's opted for the Serie A with Inter Milan – having now racked up 54 goals and 25 assists since departing Goodison just over five years ago.

It'll be interesting to see if the 30-year-old can perform under pressure now in Italy, but there's no doubting the fact he's resurrected his career since everything went pear-shaped in Merseyside.