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Sciver-Brunt’s second consecutive fifty made sure Mumbai kept a perfect 5-0 record against Giants

Ashish Pant18-Feb-2025There was an air of inevitability right from the time a beaming Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bowl in Mumbai Indians’ second match of WPL 2025 against Gujarat Giants. Teams chasing had won every single game so far this season. Couple that with Mumbai’s 4-0 record against Giants coming into this match and odds were stacked heavily in Mumbai’s favour.And the game panned out accordingly.Hayley Matthews’ frugal three-wicket squeeze backed up by two-wicket hauls from Nat-Sciver Brunt and Amelia Kerr helped bowl out Giants for 120. Sciver-Brunt then continued her stellar run with the bat, scoring her second fifty on the bounce to shepherd Mumbai’s chase.She finished with 57 off 39 balls as Mumbai chased down the target by five wickets and 23 balls to spare. The win not only helped Mumbai open their account in WPL 2025, but also extended their lead over Giants to 5-0. Giants are now the only side in the tournament to not have a single win against a particular team.Giants’ powerplay malfunctionHarmanpreet spoke at the toss about capitalising in the first few overs before the dew set in. She went pace from both ends up top and the move paid dividend with Sciver-Brunt accounting for Beth Mooney, who sliced a simple catch to Sanskriti Gupta at backward point in the second over.Shabnim Ismail then got rid of Laura Woolvardt, whose lofted drive could only go as far as S Sajana stationed perfectly at deep cover. That reduced Giants to 14 for 2, which four balls later became 16 for 3 when Matthews sent back D Hemalatha whose across-the-line heave was caught wonderfully by Kerr sprinting to her left from deep midwicket.Ashleigh Gardner, Giants’ wrecker-in-chief in the first two matches, started fluently again striking a four and six but was undone by a Sciver-Brunt slower delivery which she mistimed to Sajana at deep midwicket.At 28 for 4 after six overs, Giants couldn’t have asked for a worse start. This was their third-lowest powerplay score in the WPL and comfortably the lowest for any team this season. What also hurt Giants were the sheer number of dot balls at the start. Twenty-six of the 36 balls in the powerplay were dots, the joint-most in WPL history.Nat Sciver-Brunt used the scoop again•BCCIDeol fights, no one else doesIt might be a case of Giants worrying about the dew later on or just them not trusting their defence enough that despite the fall of wickets, the batters continued going for their shots. Deandra Dottin got going with a reverse sweep, but a wild mow across the line off Kerr brought about her downfall, with Yastika Bhatia executing a quick stumping.Kashvee Gautam, like many of her team-mates, started strong smashing debutant Parul Sisodia for two fours and then lifted Ismail for a six over long-on, but like the others, flattered to deceive edging Matthews behind.In all this, Harleen Deol stood tall. She played the waiting game, but did not let any scoring opportunities go. The sweep became her ally as she breached the gaps with consistency during her 31-ball 32.But the wickets continued to fall at the other end and when Deol departed with the score on 103 for 8 in the 17th over, the end was nigh. However, Sayali Satghare and Priya Mishra ensured that Giants played out their full quota of 20 overs.For Mumbai, Matthews was miserly in her four-over spell going for just 16. She bowled 16 dot balls in her spell, as did Sciver-Brunt while 19 of the 24 balls that Ismail bowled were dots.Sciver-Brunt’s flawless fifty in MI’s first winComing into the tournament, there were questions raised on Sciver-Brunt’s form considering she had a relatively quiet Ashes. In a matter of two innings, she’s brushed aside the doubters.A 121-chase was never going to be daunting. Matthews started fluently, striking three fours but ended up smashing a rank long-hop from Tanuja Kanwar straight to Deol at square leg. If Giants were entertaining any thoughts of a collapse, Sciver-Brunt shut that down quickly.She got going with a fierce pull first ball and it was one-way traffic thereon. Dottin was crashed through point before Priya Mishra was pulled through square leg twice in three balls. While Bhatia fell mistiming Mishra to long-on and Harmanpreet was trapped in front by Kashvee, Sciver-Brunt stood like an immovable force.It was not just power but also precision and the ability to find gaps at will that kept Sciver-Brunt going. She added a 45-run stand with Kerr off 38 balls to take Mumbai closer. She took 34 balls to collect her fifty before falling just seven runs shy of the target. G Kamalini, on debut, struck her first ball for four while Sajana finished the game by depositing Dottin over mid-off to give Mumbai their first win of WPL 2025.The win has taken Mumbai to second place on the points table while Giants’ NRR has taken a hit, though they are in third place.

Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram’s half-centuries powered the home side in Lucknow

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-20253:23

Boucher and Bangar on MI’s scouting system

Half-centuries from Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh helped Lucknow Super Giants put on 203 for 8 against Mumbai Indians on Friday in IPL 2025. MI captain Hardik Pandya took a five-for for the visitors after winning the toss and choosing to bowl.Marsh survived a caught-behind chance in the first over of the game. But the bowler Trent Boult and his team-mates didn’t hear it, and the opener capitalised in a 69-run powerplay where he hit nine fours and two sixes.The introduction of left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur accounted for Marsh before a slower bouncer from Hardik reduced the in-form Nicholas Pooran’s promising start to a cameo. Rishabh Pant’s lack of form continued as he, too, fell to a slower short ball from Hardik.After going on the attack during Pant’s stay, Markram went back to playing second-fiddle with Ayush Badoni’s entry. Badoni bought some time but got going later on to post 30 off 19 balls. He was out caught behind playing the scoop a ball before the death overs began. LSG made 90 for 4 in the middle (7-16) overs.Markram reached his fifty off 34 balls, which was off the 98th ball of the innings. He fell to Hardik, who bowled two overs at the death in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. A couple of boundaries from David Miller in the final over took LSG past the 200-mark before Hardik helped himself to two wickets to complete a five-for, the first by a captain in IPL history.

Leeds United supporters have not been accustomed to goal-filled matches involving their beloved side since promotion to the Premier League.

Indeed, Daniel Farke’s Whites are yet to score a goal from open play in league action, with their only strike to date being Lukas Nmecha’s penalty, which won a tight affair versus Everton.

Since then, it’s been many a spurned opportunity from the West Yorkshire outfit, with the free transfer addition of Dominic Calvert-Lewin not even boosting their early-season output.

Leeds might not be so frustrated in this department right now if they had managed to win a deal for Harry Wilson on deadline day, with the Welshman never arriving at Elland Road in the end from Fulham, despite serious efforts to bring him in at the final hour.

Why Leeds failed to sign Harry Wilson

Ultimately, the top-flight newcomers left themselves with too much to do as the clock ticked down, with Fulham deciding last-minute to keep their entertaining attacker around.

Why? Well, the story is a source of frustration as far as Leeds are concerned. They initially met Fulham’s quoted asking price a few days before deadline, but with the Cottagers focused on incomings, the Londoners ended up wanting to re-negotiate a move on the final day of the window.

The Whites did return with an improved offer and while that bid was accepted, resulting in a deal sheet being submitted to get the move signed off, Fulham ultimately decided that they did not want to sell the player, communicating to the hierarchy at Elland Road that a deal was off just minutes before the 7pm deadline.

It was a bitter blow for the Yorkshire side, but it’s understandable that Marco Silva’s men wanted to keep him, knowing full well what he’s capable of at the peak of his powers.

Indeed, the “incredible” number eight – as he was once lauded by Jurgen Klopp – is capable of stunning moments like the one above, culminating in Wilson tallying up 26 goal contributions in total for Fulham in the Premier League.

With a further 30 goal contributions coming his way in the Championship for Silva’s men, Leeds might well have thought they’d struck gold by tempting Wilson to Elland Road, with the Wrexham-born forward also offering depth down either the left or right wing for Farke, amid some gaps in the German’s squad.

However, it just wasn’t to be, as Farke now has to rely on the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Daniel James until January.

Leeds did once have a tantalising winger in a similar mould to Wilson, though.

Leeds struck gold with their original Harry Wilson

Farke should hopefully have enough at his disposal to get the goals eventually flowing, with Calvert-Lewin boasting 57 Premier League goals at Everton when performing at full capacity.

He would love to have Crysencio Summerville back for selection if he could; however, notably having managed to get the very best out of the electric Dutchman during his first up-and-down season at the helm.

Arguably, his previous dynamite output in the Championship for Leeds puts him on the same pedestal Wilson once found himself on at Fulham in the second tier.

A bumper 28-goal contributions fell into his lap come the end of a breakout 2023/24 season, which somehow saw the Whites slip up in their bid to return to the Premier League in a jittery playoff final.

Still, Summerville would find his own avenue up to the top-flight with West Ham United, as Leeds were powerless to a £25m bid coming their way, in the wake of promotion failing to be secured.

Games played

89

Goals scored

25

Assists

13

Original fee

£1.3m

Fee sold for

£25m

Percentage increase

1823%

Leeds could let themselves be eaten up with regret here, considering Summerville is now strutting his stuff in London – not too far away from Wilson’s Fulham – with two assists next to his name already this campaign.

But, the table above reinforces the idea that Leeds struck gold on the Feyenoord-born attacker when they did, with Summerville purchased for just £1.3m four years ago.

Taking into account the £25m he was sold for, that is a wild 1823% increase between the two prices, with Leeds then putting their riches to good use to construct a promotion-winning team.

While they may be stunted in the here and now with no Summerville-style figure, with the Dutchman also adaptable like Wilson to play down either flank, time is still on Leeds’ side to beat the drop.

The likes of Noah Okafor, who did end up through the door this summer, could well turn into Leeds’ new, impactful Summerville-like presence down the line, with all hope not lost just yet at Elland Road.

Leeds already preparing January offer to sign £40m Calvert-Lewin upgrade

Leeds United are already preparing a formal offer to sign a star who would replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 8, 2025

Everything you need to know about the new West Ham United kits for the 2025-26 season.

Home

Home Kit

Predominantly claret with subtle tonal blue inserts beneath the arms, creating a sleek, uninterrupted silhouetteHas a ribbed collar and sleeve cuffs that are detailed with alternating claret and blue stripes A subtle crossed hammers motif is placed on the back of the neck

 

From

£75

Buy Now!Away

Away Kit

Blending nostalgia with modern design in a tribute to a memorable era in the club’s historyFeaturing an elegant Ecru base complemented by Navy detailing and subtle flashes of ClaretIncluding a stylish mono-colour version of the club crest

From

£75

Buy Now!Third

Third Kit

Influenced by the club's first jerseys worn as Thames Ironworks, with the gold trim representing the hammers in the club's crestDisplays an oversized crossed hammers crest, marking the first time it has appeared alone on a West Ham jersey since the 1980s

From

£75

Buy Now!Home

Home Kit

Predominantly claret with subtle tonal blue inserts beneath the arms, creating a sleek, uninterrupted silhouetteHas a ribbed collar and sleeve cuffs that are detailed with alternating claret and blue stripes A subtle crossed hammers motif is placed on the back of the neck

 

From

£75

Buy Now!Away

Away Kit

Blending nostalgia with modern design in a tribute to a memorable era in the club’s historyFeaturing an elegant Ecru base complemented by Navy detailing and subtle flashes of ClaretIncluding a stylish mono-colour version of the club crest

From

£75

Buy Now!Third

Third Kit

Influenced by the club's first jerseys worn as Thames Ironworks, with the gold trim representing the hammers in the club's crestDisplays an oversized crossed hammers crest, marking the first time it has appeared alone on a West Ham jersey since the 1980s

From

£75

Buy Now!Home

Home Kit

Predominantly claret with subtle tonal blue inserts beneath the arms, creating a sleek, uninterrupted silhouetteHas a ribbed collar and sleeve cuffs that are detailed with alternating claret and blue stripes A subtle crossed hammers motif is placed on the back of the neck

 

From

£75

Buy Now!Away

Away Kit

Blending nostalgia with modern design in a tribute to a memorable era in the club’s historyFeaturing an elegant Ecru base complemented by Navy detailing and subtle flashes of ClaretIncluding a stylish mono-colour version of the club crest

From

£75

Buy Now!Third

Third Kit

Influenced by the club's first jerseys worn as Thames Ironworks, with the gold trim representing the hammers in the club's crestDisplays an oversized crossed hammers crest, marking the first time it has appeared alone on a West Ham jersey since the 1980s

From

£75

Buy Now!

After West Ham announced a new multi-year extension with Umbro in 2023, fans will be eagerly anticipating the club’s 2025-26 kit range, which will mark the end of an era with Umbro before a major supplier switch for the following season. Here’s everything we know so far about the Hammers’ new jerseys, including leaks, release timelines, and pricing.

Shop West Ham kits at UmbroBuy now

GOAL takes a look at what West Ham players will be wearing in the upcoming season.

West Ham 2024-25 home kit, release date & price

According to leaks provided by , one of the first distinctions likely to be noticed on the possible West Ham 2024-25 home kit will be the new centenary logo on display in white and red.

There are expected to be no significant changes in the colour schemes, except that Umbro may do away with the maroon strip at the end of the sleeves, or at the cuffs in case of a long-sleeved shirt.

There may also be a graphically integrated diamond pattern that appears like the Umbro logo all over the main maroon patch of the shirt, possibly to mark the brand's centenary existence.

The pricing is expected to be similar to the 2023-24 season, as the new shirt would cost around £80 ($100) for the adult version.

AdvertisementWest Ham 2024-25 away kit, release date & price

The Umbro West Ham 2024-25 away shirt, as also mocked up by kit designer @grhaer9, will have the usual white as the base colour.

Once again, the contrasting maroon borders would be dropped, and the grey sleeves are to extend towards the neckline with a fading-in round dotted pattern on the shoulders.

With the main shirt sponsor and the sponsor on the sleeves in black, the Umbro logo and club crest are to return in colours intended to stand out as compared to the silver-kissed grey touch on the 2023-24 season's away kit.

The West Ham 2024-25 away kit is expected to cost around £75 ($95) for the adult version.

West Ham 2024-25 third kit, release date & price

It will not be the first time West Ham don a black third kit, the previous notable design was unveiled in black and gold (solid black base with gold logos and club crest) as the club's commemorative 125th Anniversary Umbro Third Kit in the 2020-21 season.

This time, however, the sleeves are expected to have a playfully chalked-out graphic, and like the home and away kits will feature Umbro's centenary logo.

The Umbro West Ham 2024-25 third kit is likely to cost around £80 ($100) for the adult version.

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Getty Images West Ham 2024-25 training kit release date & price

Although there seems to be no sight of what West Ham's 2024-25 training kit is supposed to look like, the Hammers have announced a 10 percent discount on Umbro replica kits and training wear for their season ticket holders.

However the training gear may appear to have Umbro's centenary logo design, but it would be unclear if the colour of the kit manufacturer's logo, club crest and sponsor will be the same – given the white and red colours on the logo.

The pricing for the training wear is likely to range between £40-60 ($50-75) for the adult version.

Andre Onana has impressed just a few weeks into his Trabzonspor loan. The goalkeeper found himself surplus to requirements at Manchester United, dropped in favour of a patchy Altay Bayindir at the start of the season and then seeing Senne Lammens also recruited. But having been one of the world's best in his position as recently as 2023, a move was necessary to kickstart his career.

Onana's fresh start out of the spotlight

Trabzonspor was a surprise destination for Onana last month, with the club having only finished seventh in the 2024-25 Super Lig and not competing in Europe this season. But, with the major European transfer windows already closed by that point, the Cameroon international didn't have an awful lot of options, with Turkey seemingly more appealing that rumoured Saudi Pro League interest.

But the global scrutiny that comes with playing for Manchester United, particularly a poor version of Manchester United, doesn't exist in Turkish football. The league doesn't have a significant international following, even less so outside the traditional Istanbul giants, and joining Trabzonspor has allowed Onana the chance to reset and get back to basics. A reported pay rise that could see him double his United salary through generous bonuses probably didn’t hurt either.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTrabzonspor keen on permanent deal

Onana has been a Trabzonspor player for less than a full month. But, according to The Sun, the Turkish club has already communicated to the his representatives that they'd be very happy for him to stay at Papara Park, on Turkey's northern Black Sea coastline, beyond the initial loan.

Trabzonspor have taken seven points from a possible 12 in Onana's four appearances so far. He's kept two clean sheets and has conceded five times across the other three games, but the club is said to have been impressed by his performances. Beyond that, it is also claimed that Onana's positive behind-the-scenes impact has been noticed, supposedly quickly developing into a dressing room leader and adapting well to what are brand new surroundings.

No option or obligation to buy

Unlike the £38 million ($51m) easily triggerable obligation to buy in Rasmus Hojlund's loan to Napoli, or the £26m ($35m) option Barcelona have on Marcus Rashford, United did not include any such clause with Trabzonspor when it comes to Onana's future beyond June 2026.

It means that if Trabzonspor want to keep him permanently, a fee will have to be negotiated from scratch. It could work both for and against either club, with a resurgent season likely to drive up the valuation and potentially price the Turkish side, whose transfer record is under €7m (£6m/$8m), out of the market. Equally, if Onana's early form eventually deserts him, United could find it difficult to extract an acceptable fee out of a potential deal come the summer.

The agreement that took Onana to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2023 was worth up to £47.2m ($64m), which the Red Devils will almost certainly recoup just a fraction of, if and when he is sold.

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AFPLammens makes positive Man Utd start

Back in Manchester, Senne Lammens will have been happy to come through his delayed United debut unscathed, handed a refreshingly simple test to begin with against Sunderland.

The 23-year-old Belgian replaced the under fire Bayindir for the 2-0 win at Old Trafford, which Ruben Amorim put down to rotation. But that place could now be Lammens' to lose, with fans seeing no reason why Bayindir, whose aerial weakness has been routinely exposed this season, deserves to return to the side unless there is a particular need for the new stopper to come out of the team.

United have also been curiously linked by a Spanish report with Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is on the road to recovery from back surgery but is not thought to have a future in Catalonia following the capture of Joan Garcia. Ter Stegen is believed to have turned down Monaco during the summer, while Newcastle and Tottenham are credited with interest too.

He takes the top spot from West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein after his 13 wickets in five matches against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2025New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy is the new No. 1 men’s T20I bowler. Duffy takes the top spot from West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein following his superb returns during New Zealand’s T20Is against Pakistan at home.Duffy picked up 13 wickets in five games at an average of 8.38, which also included a career-best of 4 for 14, to help New Zealand seal the series 4-1. He rose four spots, crossing Hosein, Varun Chakaravarthy, Adil Rashid and Wanindu Hasaranga to get to the top. This is Duffy’s first No.1 ranking in any format. He is also the first New Zealand player to hold the top spot in men’s T20I bowling rankings since Ish Sodhi in 2018.Duffy made his T20I debut for New Zealand in 2020 and has 32 wickets in 23 games.”It’s a bit of a surprise [becoming the No. 1 bowler],” Duffy said.”That’s awesome to be among some players on that list. Great recognition, it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of surreal, to be honest.”In the batting charts, Duffy’s team-mate Tim Seifert has climbed five spots up to No. 8. Seifert scored a total of 249 runs in five matches against Pakistan at an average of 62.25. Seifert also scored his career-best of 97* in the fifth T20I in the 129 chase. Seifert’s opening partner Finn Allen gained one place to move to 15th in the batting rankings. Australia batter Travis Head retains his No. 1 position on this list, with India’s Abhishek Sharma and England’s Phil Salt at No. 2 and 3, respectively.Among allrounders, New Zealand’s James Neesham jumped 14 places to 30th on the list following some solid efforts against Pakistan, which also included a career-best 5 for 22 in the fifth T20I.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta, after a hectic summer transfer window, is maintaining his busy schedule behind-the-scenes long after the summer transfer window’s closure.

Mikel Arteta was backed with eight summer signings costing north of £250 million, including the addition of talismanic striker Viktor Gyokeres and England international playmaker Eberechi Eze.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

The on-pitch result of these key deals will be crucial in determining whether the Gunners can end their long wait for a Premier League title, which has now spanned 21 years, and the pressure is on Arteta to deliver silverware with no place to hide.

Arsenal take on Nottingham Forest, now managed by former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, this Saturday and only a victory will do to recover from their damning 1-0 defeat against English champions Liverpool prior to the international break.

That being said, whilst Arteta has been backed to the hilt, the Spaniard does have injury problems to contend with.

William Saliba and Bukayo Saka will be out for the foreseeable future alongside Kai Havertz, who is expected to be out for many weeks after undergoing knee surgery.

The German’s injury prompted Berta to hijack Tottenham’s once-advanced deal for Eze, and Arteta couldn’t predict the number of months he’ll be out for when speaking about Havertz at a recent press conference.

Havertz isn’t the only versatile forward out of action right now, as Arsenal continue to wait for Gabriel Jesus’ return to the fold.

The Brazilian enjoyed a terrific purple patch of form midway through last season, but unfortunately ruptured his ACL during an FA Cup defeat to Man United in January — ending Jesus’ season as he still continues to recover.

Jesus might not be back for Arsenal until 2026, by which time the former Man City striker may not even be at the club anymore.

Arsenal could now sell Gabriel Jesus in January

As per Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Arsenal are planning to potentially sell Jesus in the January transfer window, and could be one of two “big name” players to make way alongside Leandro Trossard.

Even once the £265,000-per-week star returns to full fitness, he is expected to be behind both Havertz and Gyokeres in the pecking order — meaning that the writing could be on the wall for Jesus’ departure next year.

Given their seismic summer investment, it is highly likely that Berta will be forced to sell if he wishes to add players mid-season — with Jesus and Trossard coming as the most likely sacrifices alongside Gabriel Martinelli.

According to other reports, Martinelli could also be sold by Arsenal in January, as the Gunners maintain an interest in Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Trent Boult moves to No. 3 on the Purple Cap table after his three-for in the match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-20251:59

Decoding Suryakumar’s art of hitting behind square

Here’s how things stand.Orange Cap tableWith his unbeaten 48 off 23 balls, MI’s Suryakumar Yadav took his tally for the season to 475 and leapfrogged Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Virat Kohli (443) and Gujarat Titans’ (GT) B Sai Sudharsan (456) to become the No. 1 batter on the Orange Cap list. But while Suryakumar has played 11 matches, Sudharsan has played nine and Kohli ten.RR’s Yashasvi Jaiswal scored only 11 and remains No. 4 with a tally of 439. GT’s Jos Buttler (406) and Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) Nicholas Pooran (404) are the others to have crossed the 400-run mark.Purple Cap tableJosh Hazlewood of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Prasidh Krishna of Gujarat Titans (GT), who have 18 and 17 respectively, continue at the top of the Purple Cap table.MI’s Trent Boult, who took three wickets on Thursday, is the new No. 3. He now has 16 wickets from 11 games. Just below him is Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with 15 wickets from ten games.Meanwhile, here’s what the ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like at this stage.Here are some other IPL 2025 tables.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match

The trophies haven’t necessarily flowed, but Arsenal have made some unreal signings in the 20 or so years since they moved to the Emirates.

Players like Alexis Sanchez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Santi Cazorla all more than made their mark after joining under the legendary manager Arsène Wenger.

The good signings didn’t stop when the Frenchman left the dugout, though, as Mikel Arteta has made his fair share as well.

Moreover, he looks like he may have done it again, with a certain player looking like he could be the best signing of the Emirates era since Declan Rice.

Best Emirates era signings made under Arteta

So when talking about some of the best signings made under Arteta, it’s hard not to start with Rice.

The Englishman joined Arsenal for a club-record £105m in the summer of 2023, and to say he’s been a success in red and white would be quite the understatement.

So far, the former West Ham United captain has made 108 appearances for the Gunners, seen his position shift from six to eight and racked up a tally of 38 goal involvements while being a lean, mean ball-winning machine in the middle of the park.

Another Arteta signing who has helped to make the team far tougher to play against is Gabriel Magahelese, who joined the team for around £23m in the summer of 2020.

It’s easy to forget that some saw the Brazilian as accident-prone during the first couple of seasons at the club because, over the last three years or so, he has become one of the very best and most dependable centre-backs in world football and has even captained the side on multiple occasions, including last night.

Appearances

215

Starts

206

Minutes

18485′

Goals

20

Assists

5

Points per Game

1.98

Last but not least, David Raya, who joined a loan in the summer of 2023 before joining permanently the year after, has to be considered as another of the manager’s best signings.

The Spanish shot-stopper has now made 101 appearances for the North Londoners, in which he has conceded 82 times and managed to keep a staggering 43 clean sheets, which has seen him win the Premier League Golden Glove award in the last two seasons.

In short, while he has made his fair share of dud signings, Arteta has made plenty of incredible ones, and from what we have seen so far this season, he may have just made his best since Rice.

Arteta's best signing since Rice

When it comes to working things like who might be the best signing since someone like Rice, several factors come into it from the price the club paid, the performances the player has put in and the potential they have.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

When factoring in all three, it’s hard to look past the incredibly gifted Cristhian Mosquera.

The Spanish centre-back joined the club for just £13m in the summer from Valencia, and at the time, most fans and pundits alike saw him as someone who’d get some game time here and there, but generally not feature too much.

Instead, there is now genuine discussion among some sections of the fan base about him potentially retaining his place in the starting lineup for the game against Manchester City on Sunday.

Such talk would have been utterly preposterous only a month or so ago, but since coming into the team in the Frenchman’s absence, the youngster has massively impressed.

For example, he was forced into playing 85 minutes of football away to Liverpool in just his second Premier League appearance, and instead of wilting under the pressure, he looked like a seasoned veteran, making three clearances, blocking two shots, making four tackles and completing 47 of 51 passes.

Then at home to Nottingham Forest, in his first league start, the Alicante-born titan was even better, winning 100% of his ground duels, taking 92 touches, completing 75 passes and helping to keep a clean sheet.

With back-to-back performances like these, it wasn’t even really a surprise when the “insane” talent, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, put in another brilliant showing away to Athletic Bilbao last night.

The 21-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, was a rock at the back, making six clearances and one tackle, taking 93 touches, completing a staggering 75 of 79 passes and winning five of eight aerial duels.

It was the display of a seasoned pro and one that makes Mattinson’s claim of him being a “10/10 signing” increasingly hard to dispute.

Ultimately, it might still be a little early, but Mosquera looks like he’s going to go down as one of the best purchases made by Arteta and is a player who could well become a superstar at Arsenal.

Fewer touches than Raya: Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star after Bilbao

Arsenal came through a tough clash with Athletic Club in the Champions League.

6 ByMatt Dawson Sep 17, 2025

Former Chelsea star Diego Costa reignited his feud with former Liverpool enemy Martin Skrtel during a charity match between the Blues and the Reds. Costa, who was infamous for his flaring tempers during matches, has not changed and it was evident in his antics during the game, which was deemed to be a friendly encounter for a noble cause. Costa spent three years at Stamford Bridge between 2014 and 2017.

Costa reignited feud with Skrtel

Costa started upfront for the retired Blues stars, while Skrtel led the Liverpool side in the charity clash, which was a star-studded affair. It all started when another Blues legend, Eden Hazard, fed the former Spain international striker with a pass. As Costa tried to go past Skrtel, the ex-Reds star caught him on his legs with a fierce challenge. The striker immediately lost his temper and confronted the Slovak, but the duel was stopped by the linesman.  

But the fight was far from over as he soon kicked Skrtel on the back of his leg, while challenging him from the break. Skrtel was visibly furious with the challenge as he pointed his finger at Costa and said something angrily, before the referee brandished a yellow card at the striker to warn him. It was supposed to be a friendly clash for charity, but Costa made sure it wasn't short of any drama. 

AdvertisementWatch Costa vs Skrtel duelCosta's battles with Skrtel

This is not the first time that the Chelsea and Liverpool players clashed on the field. The pair famously came to blows in 2015 during a Carabao Cup clash between the two Premier League giants. Costa was charged with violent conduct by the FA after he allegedly stamped on both Skrtel and fellow Reds defender Emre Can during the match at Stamford Bridge, which led to a three-match ban for the Spain international. In the first half, Costa fouled Can, which sparked a furious reaction from the German midfielder. Then, in the second half, Costa stamped on Skrtel inside the penalty area.   

Then Reds boss Brendan Rodgers had heavily criticised Costa for his harsh challenge, as he had said: "He could easily hurdle over the young player and he directs his studs right on to his ankle, which could've been nasty."

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