All posts by h716a5.icu

Following the dour end to last season that saw Tottenham Hotspur miss out on European qualification, it has thus far proven a fabulous start to life under new boss Ange Postecoglou, with the 58-year-old having lifted the mood following the sour departure of Antonio Conte earlier this year.

While a swift Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Fulham has been a notable low point, the Lilywhites remain firmly in the mix near the top of the table following an unbeaten start to the new Premier League campaign, picking up three successive wins heading into the international break.

The north Londoners notably overcame an early setback away to newly-promoted Burnley to put five past Vincent Kompany's struggling outfit, with a Heung-min Son-inspired side powering to a dominant victory despite conceding inside the first four minutes at Turf Moor.

Not only was that performance an impressive outing for hat-trick hero Son, but it also saw promising defender Destiny Udogie once again catch the eye from his left-back berth, with chairman Daniel Levy likely reaping the rewards of that acquisition such has been the 20-year-old's impact so far this term.

How much did Tottenham sign Udogie for?

The Italy U21 international was initially snapped up during Conte's time in charge back in the summer of 2022, albeit with the club ultimately opting to send the player back on loan to former club Udinese for the subsequent campaign.

That decision not to keep hold of the youngster – who commanded an initial fee of around £15m – last season may well have backfired as far as Tottenham are concerned, particularly with Ryan Sessegnon having been plagued by injury, while Ivan Perisic endured a mixed debut campaign, having been described as "awful" by writer Andrew Gaffney.

Amid those woes at N17, young Udogie, meanwhile, shone in Serie A last term after scoring three goals and providing four assists in 33 league outings from his wing-back berth, having been described as the "best left-back" in the division by teammate Lazar Samardzic.

While perhaps aided by another year performing in his homeland, there were likely to have been those of a Spurs persuasion who were chomping at the bit to see the 6 foot 2 ace in action in English football, with the player's subsequent start under Postecoglou having ensured that he has proved worth the wait.

What is Udogie's market value?

That stellar impact in recent weeks – which has already seen the Verona native record two assists from just four Premier League outings – has come at a time when the full-back's market value is simply soaring, with it already looking as if Levy, Conte and former sporting director Fabio Paratici hit the jackpot by bringing him to the club last year.

As per CIES Football Observatory, the former Hellas Verona ace is now said to be worth as much as €40m (£34m) such has been his rise in recent times, with that representing a 126% increase in relation to the £15m figure that Spurs dished out.

Of course, having only just walked in the door it is highly unlikely that Postecoglou and co will be looking to cash in on the emerging sensation any time soon, yet it is interesting to note the potential immense profit that could be made if a sale was to occur over the coming years.

Perhaps more importantly in the short-term, however, such a soaring valuation simply points to the stunning run of form that Udogie is enjoying in his new surroundings, with footballJOE's Hunter Godson having even gone as far as to suggest that the defender "gets into nearly every team in the world already".

Why is Destiny Udogie worth that much?

Also described as "sickeningly good" by Godson, the dynamic starlet has taken to life in England like a duck to water, having instantly repaid the faith of his manager by contributing strongly to what has been a fine start to the new season collectively.

As previously noted, Udogie has already chalked up two assists as a marker of his attacking potential down the left flank, having notably teed up summer signing James Maddison for his stunning, curling effort from range against the Clarets.

A simple assist it may have been as the forward-thinking left-back merely supplied a short, incisive pass to the Englishman, it was the manner in which he had initially won back possession for his side that particularly caught the eye – winning eight of his nine ground duels on the day.

Also described as a 'constant threat' by 90min's Graeme Bailey, Udogie proved a real nuisance for Burnley's backline amid his desire to bomb forward, notably completing his solitary attempted dribble, while also winning two fouls for his side, as per Sofascore.

8/9 ground duels won

93% pass accuracy

1 key pass

1 assist

66 touches

1/1 dribble attempts

That ability to get involved in proceedings at both ends of the pitch is a testament to his quality and ability to swiftly adapt to a new league and a new system as part of a back four, with football.london's Alasdair Gold writing that the wonderkid 'makes it all look effortless despite the fact he's just 20'.

It is not just the early weeks of the season that have seen the young "baller" – as hailed by teammate Micky van de Ven – enjoy a rise in valuation, with his form across the last year having been particularly impressive as a whole.

That is evidenced by the fact that the towering titan ranks in the top 12% among his European peers for assists per 90, while also ranking in the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons as a marker of his relentless attacking threat and dribbling prowess.

Those strengths seemingly put the Italian far beyond his positional rival, Ben Davies, with the experienced Welshman ranking in just the bottom 32% among his fellow full-backs for assists per 90, as well as in the bottom 25% and the bottom 14% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, respectively.

That should indicate that Davies has a tough job on his hands trying to regain his role at left-back, with Udogie seemingly a player whose standing in the game – and valuation – is only set to soar even higher over the coming months and years.

The South Australia captain scored 145 off 167 to move his team within sight of a famous win, but they eventually fell 17 runs short of chasing down 331

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2018Getty ImagesTasmania vaulted to second on the Sheffield Shield table after surviving an extraordinary final-day century from Travis Head to beat South Australia in a nail-biter in Hobart.The Redbacks began the day needing 283 to win with nine wickets in hand. They quickly slumped to 4 for 69 after Andrew Fekete and Sam Rainbird claimed Callum Ferguson, Jake Weatherald and Jake Lehmann in the space of 13 balls.But Head started his assault on the bowling with the aid of Tom Cooper. The pair combined for a 115-run stand to which Cooper only contributed 38. Despite wickets continuing to tumble, Head kept the scoreboard motoring.Joe Mennie (29) and Nick Winter (25) were valuable allies for Head who charged to 145, with 23 fours and a six, and moved South Australia within sight of a famous victory.But with just 19 required, the second new ball did the trick. Rainbird coaxed an outside edge from Head that was easily held at second slip. Winter was bowled by Jackson Bird three overs later to give the Tigers victory. Bird claimed four of the last six wickets.

The former Australia captain, who had worked with Billy Stanlake as the team’s assistant coach in the Trans-Tasman T20 tri-series, was impressed with the 23-year old’s pace and bounce

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2018Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who had worked with Billy Stanlake as the team’s assistant coach in the Trans-Tasman T20 tri-series, believes that the 23-year old could be one of the “all-time great fast bowlers.””I just love the look of what he’s got,” Ponting told the Cricket Australia website. “He’s almost seven feet tall, bowls close to 150 kilometres an hour, he can swing the new ball. He’s got a little nasty streak in him as well – he likes bowling bouncers.”When we see him get a bit more of a tank and grow into his body a bit more and put on a little bit of weight, I think he’s someone that could be one of the all-time great fast bowlers. That’s all there ahead of him, we just hope he stays in one piece and becomes the kind of cricketer we all think he can be.”Stanlake had played only two first-class matches – the last of them in 2015 – and four List A games when he received his maiden call-up to the Australia squad, for the home ODIs against Pakistan in 2017. More recently in the T20I series against England and New Zealand, Stanlake impressed with his rapid pace and bounce. In all, he claimed eight wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 8.30.Having taken 19 wickets in 17 matches for Adelaide Strikers in the past two BBL seasons at an economy rate of 6.77, he has established himself as a key bowler in T20 cricket. After playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL in 2017, he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for USD 78000 (INR 50 lakh) in the auction last month. And last week, he was signed by Yorkshire for the T20 Blast.Injuries – notably a succession of stress fractures and a toe infection that led to talk of an amputation – have limited Stanlake’s chances in red-ball cricket. But Ponting felt the fast bowler has what it takes to excel in all formats. “Billy’s in his early 20s now, just starting to fill into his body. I know Cricket Australia have got every intention of looking after him as well as they can and making sure they do bulk him up and don’t break him too soon.”I know coming out of the Big Bash and even being around this group, we’ve been trying to pump his loads up to get him to bowl seven or eight overs a day.”But I’m sure if there’s an opportunity for Billy to play a Shield game at the back end of the season, I think we’d all be silly not to let him have that opportunity.”

Manchester United suffered an agonising defeat to Arsenal in what was a match filled with late drama.

Erik ten Hag brought on winger Alejandro Garnacho with just over five minutes left, and it looked as though he scored the winner in the dying embers of the game, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Mikel Arteta’s men then went and scored twice during injury time to secure a vital 3-1 win and maintain their unbeaten record in the Premier League heading into the international break.

How did Manchester United perform vs Arsenal?

The 3-1 defeat means United head into the break occupying 11th spot in the table following just two wins from four games, and they are already six points behind Manchester City, who top the pile.

The Red Devils only had two shots on target throughout the encounter while enjoying just 45% of possession and with the tie finely balanced at 1-1, Ten Hag would have seen an opportunity to secure all three points.

Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes were their better performers during the tie, with the former scoring United’s only goal while the Portuguese midfielder made four key passes during the match.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to gain anything from the match and the Dutchman will need a big response from his team against Brighton and Hove Albion when the domestic calendar resumes.

One player who should be ditched from the starting XI following that clash is Brazilian winger Antony, who once again failed to shine against the Gunners and perhaps unleashing someone else on the right wing might be a good idea.

How did Antony play vs Arsenal?

The 23-year-old was largely ineffective from the right wing as he struggled to really get involved and create any meaningful opportunity against the north Londoners.

He completed a dismal tally of just 59% of his attempted passes while failing to deliver a cross or a key pass during his 84 minutes on the pitch, indicating just how poor he was.

Indeed, the winger succeeded with just two dribbles from five attempts while failing to have a shot on target and losing possession 15 times during 84 minutes on the pitch. It's safe to say that Oleksandr Zinchenko had the better of him on Arsenal's left-hand side.

Such a lack of influence on the game was best summed up by the fact that his touch count of 49 and pass count of 16 was lower than goalkeeper Andre Onana who had 57 touches and 42 successful passes.

The £200k-per-week player has been incredibly frustrating so far this season, having failed to score or register an assist across any of his four Premier League matches and considering Ten Hag splashed out £82m for him last summer, so much more must be demanded.

He was notably criticised by broadcaster Harry Symeou following the game yesterday, along with a host of other players, saying: “Antony, anonymous again & Martial a passenger.”

In 48 matches for the Old Trafford side, Antony has scored eight times and grabbed just three assists, which works out as a £7.5m per goal contribution. This is simply not good enough and as a result, he should find himself back on the bench after the international break.

Inded, a change is surely required against Brighton in a few weeks, yet will it bring about a different result? Only time will tell.

​​​​​​Chinese investment group Fosun International completed their takeover of Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2016 whilst they were in the Championship and have since established them as a Premier League club with significant investment.

Who have been Fosun's most-expensive signings for Wolves?

They have been willing to splash the cash to build a team that is capable of competing in the top-flight to avoid being relegated back to the second tier.

During the Fosun ownership of Wolves:

Most expensive signings

Fee paid

Matheus Cunha

£42.8m

Matheus Nunes

£38.5m

Fabio Silva

£34.3m

Raul Jimenez

£32.5m

Goncalo Guedes

£27.9m

Fees via Transfermarkt.

However, former owner Steve Morgan also invested money and helped the club enjoy several seasons of Premier League football during his time at the Molineux.

He was willing to splash the cash at times in order to bolster the squad when needed and one of his best pieces of business was the addition of Steven Fletcher.

How much did Wolves pay for Steven Fletcher?

Back in the summer of 2010, the ex-Old Gold chief sanctioned the club-record signing of the centre-forward from Burnley for a reported fee of £7m.

Fletcher began his career with Hibernian in Scotland and enjoyed a terrific spell there with 43 goals in 161 appearances after coming through the academy set-up.

He then moved to the Clarets and caught the eye in his first Premier League season with the club. The Scottish ace plundered eight goals and four assists in 35 top-flight outings during the 2009/10 campaign and that was enough to convince Mick McCarthy and Morgan to swoop to secure his services.

Fletcher, who scored 12 goals in all competitions for Burnley, had proven himself to be capable of scoring goals in the top division of English football and Wolves splashed out a club-record fee in the hope that he would be able to be their reliable scoring option at the top end of the pitch.

How many goals did Fletcher score for Wolves?

The Scotland international turned out to be a fantastic signing for the Old Gold as he carried on his form in front of goal and delivered double figures for goals in each of his two seasons with the club.

He ended up with 24 goals in 67 matches in all competitions and caught the eye with 22 goals across his two Premier League campaigns with Wolves.

Fletcher produced an impressive ten goals in 15 top-flight starts throughout the 2010/11 season after his move to the club from Burnley, which was three more than any of his teammates managed.

The former Hibernian star followed that up with 12 goals in 26 starts during the 2011/12 campaign, which was four more than any other player within the squad was able to produce in the final third.

These statistics show that Fletcher was a superb signing by Morgan and McCarthy, who hailed him as a "terrific" player, as he provided a regular goal threat for Wolves in the Premier League.

He was the club's outstanding goalscorer in both of his seasons at the top level for the Old Gold and did what was expected of him after a club-record move from Burnley.

How much did Wolves sell Fletcher for?

Wolves eventually decided to cash in on the Scotland international in the summer of 2012 after their relegation to the Championship and Sunderland secured his signature for a reported fee of £12m with £2m in add-ons.

This means that the club made a minimum profit of £5m from the initial £7m that they paid the Clarets to snap him up in the summer of 2010, after just two years at the Molineux.

It was a gamble to spend a club-record fee to sign him from Burnley after he had played just one season of football in England but it certainly paid off for McCarthy.

Fletcher delivered superb performances with his consistent ability to find the back of the net and secured Wolves a nice payday to soften the blow of their relegation.

Therefore, McCarthy and Morgan hit the jackpot on and off the pitch with the 6 foot 1 finisher and that signing should be looked back on as a massive success, given his record on the pitch and the significant fee that they received from the Black Cats.

Where is Fletcher now?

The 37-year-old marksman, 11 years on from his Wolves exit, currently plays in the fourth tier of English football with Welsh side Wrexham, who are famously owned by Hollywood pair Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

He joined them from Dundee United over the summer and has failed to score in his first two League Two matches of the 2023/24 campaign so far.

The veteran striker, who scored nine Scottish Premiership goals last season, has enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular, career since moving on from Molineux.

Fletcher racked up 23 goals in 108 matches for Sunderland, which included 11 goals in his first 28 Premier League outings, before a move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2016, which came shortly after a loan spell with Marseille that resulted in three goals in 18 appearances for the French side.

The Scottish ace produced 38 strikes and nine assists in 136 clashes for the Owls as he hit double figures for goals in three of his four Championships seasons with the club.

These statistics show that Fletcher never improved upon his 12-goal Premier League season with Wolves as he ended up in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday, and Stoke, before moving to Scottish football and now League Two with Wrexham.

This suggests that the £14m package that they were able to agree for his sale to Sunderland was a masterclass by the Old Gold as his career has been on a downward trajectory since his first season with the Black Cats.

In total, the Scottish forward has scored 165 goals in 653 matches throughout his club career, which is one every 3.96 games on average. Whereas, he plundered a goal every 2.79 outings on average for the Old Gold with his aforementioned 24 in 67 games.

Therefore, Wolves time with Fletcher was a masterstroke from start to finish. He proved his worth to them on the pitch after a £7m move, raked in a big fee after two years, and then failed to improve after moving on from the club.

Matt Renshaw subbed out under the concussion rule following a head knock during warm-ups; move made as a precaution, despite the blow not being too severe

Alex Malcolm16-Mar-2018Marnus Labuschagne works the ball to leg•Getty ImagesMarnus Labuschagne and Charlie Hemphrey have combined to steer Queensland out of trouble on day three of the Sheffield Shield match in Wollongong.The day started poorly for the Bulls with in form opener Matt Renshaw subbed out of the game under the concussion rule following a head knock during warm-ups. He was substituted as a precaution despite the blow not being too severe.Renshaw’s replacement, Lachlan Pfeffer, and Joe Burns fell early to Trent Copeland to leave the Bulls 2 for 53 in their second innings, needing a further 102 runs to make New South Wales bat again.Labuschagne and Hemphrey then combined for a 246-run partnership that steered the Bulls to safety. Labuschagne posted his fourth first-class century and his highest score of 134 before he became Copeland’s third victim in the 81st over.Hemphrey moved to 95 not out at stumps to give the Bulls a lead of 156 runs with seven wickets in hand heading into the final day.Earlier, Michael Neser and Mark Steketee ensure the Blues lead did not blow out beyond 200. They took the last three wickets of the Blues first innings at a cost of just 20 runs. Sean Abbott failed to add to his overnight score of 79 while Peter Nevill managed just five before he was bowled by Steketee for 57.

Liverpool have now been provided with an update on their pursuit of Brentford defender Aaron Hickey, who is being targeted by some of the Premier League's top clubs.

Is Aaron Hickey leaving Brentford?

The Reds have recently been linked with a move for Hickey, but they are not the only top club eyeing a deal, with Football Insider reporting that Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are now ready to battle it out for his signature in January. However, the 21-year-old is currently said to be happy at the Gtech Community Stadium, despite the widespread interest, and Brentford are under no obligation to sell him anytime soon, given that he is contracted until the summer of 2026.

The Scot has solidified his place in the Brentford starting XI this season, appearing in all six of their Premier League games up to this point, and he deputised for Rico Henry in the 3-1 loss against Everton on Saturday, after the left-back suffered a serious knee injury.

As such, the Bees may be even more unwilling to let the full-back leave in the January transfer window, and Football Insider report it will take a huge bid for elite clubs like Liverpool or Arsenal to prise him away from his current club.

Brentford have no plans to let the youngster leave at any point in the near future, in what could be a blow for the Reds, whose links to him come amid the recent injury setback suffered by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Joe Gomez has been deputising at right-back, but the Brentford defender is a more natural option, and Klopp had been hoping he could get a deal done this winter.

However, the Scotland international is keen to play regularly ahead of next year's European Championships in Germany, and he does not want to disrupt his flow of first-team football ahead of the tournament with a mid-season move.

How good is Aaron Hickey?

Lauded as "brilliant" by members of the media, the right-back has impressed for both club and country over the past 18 months, establishing himself as a first-team player for Brentford, and racking up 11 caps for his country since making his debut in March 2022.

Given that the Glasgow-born defender's career is just starting to take off, it is clear to see why he may be unwilling to move to Liverpool this January, where he would undoubtedly be behind Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order.

Considering he is still young, the former Bologna man is still prone to the odd bad performance, and he was withdrawn early against Everton at the weekend, receiving a Sofascore match rating of 6.1, the lowest figure of any player on the pitch.

As such, it is clear that Hickey needs regular first-team football, if he is going to fulfill his potential, and a move to Anfield may not be exactly what he needs at this point in time.

Considering Brentford are set to hold out for a huge fee, it is probably wise for Liverpool to steer clear, and begin to look at other right-back targets.

Muslim Uddin’s camp for women cricketers in Bogra, run out of a toilet converted into an office and storeroom, has produced international cricketers such as Khadija Tul Kubra, Ritu Moni and Sharmin Akhter

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2018A local coach has found an innovative way to deal with the lack of funds and support for women’s cricket in Bangladesh. Muslim Uddin, who runs a training camp at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, a district town situated 200km north of Dhaka, has settled upon a toilet in the stadium to be his office and equipment storeroom.Muslim, an assistant coach under the Bogra Sports Association, has been running this camp for the last 11 years. The camp was initially backed by the district women’s sports body but after they pulled out of the programme, such was his commitment that he continued the training camp on his own volition. And with some success too – he has so far produced international cricketers such as Khadija Tul Kubra, Ritu Moni and Sharmin Akhter.Women’s cricket is still in its nascent stages in Bangladesh, with only a handful of districts like Bogra, Khulna, Rangpur, Gaibandha and Jessore thought to be serious about it. Dhaka, the capital, also has a few women’s cricket training academies. Bogra stands out, mainly because of Muslim.The toilet, as described in a report earlier this week, is about 35-40 square feet in area. It has three stalls and a couple of sinks and mirrors. Bats, balls, stumps, nets and pads rest on top of the toilet seats while a vase adorns the flush tank. Pictures of cricketers hang on the wall. The sink is filled with cricket balls.”We had another room which we had to give up,” Muslim told . “I asked for this toilet as it wasn’t being used. My players and I really did a good job organising this room. We have been keeping our things here for the last three years.”Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, BCB’s high performance manager now in charge of women’s cricket, said characters like Muslim were making a difference in the development of women’s cricket in Bangladesh.”I know Muslim personally,” he said. “Thankfully, he is not externally motivated, but internally motivated. He is happy at seeing his players develop into club-level and international-level cricketers.”Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh selector who was on duty in Bogra during a first-class match last week, said Muslim’s ingenuity at making catching bats and nets and other equipment for batting training was impressive.”What he has so thoughtfully produced is very useful,” Bashar said. “I am surprised to see that these can be made locally. I don’t see much of a difference between what he has made and what the international teams even use.”It is estimated that currently around 300 female players take part in at least some training at all levels in Bangladesh, with 22 clubs in Dhaka running a two-tier league system. The BCB also has an eight-team division-level competition, and is now hoping to begin an Under-18 programme at the division level to create a pathway for budding cricketers.

Arsenal and Manchester City have become fierce Premier League rivals following their recent title battles.

While they share a rivalry on the pitch, they have also shared a fair number of players. The likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko even made moves directly to Arsenal from City, while Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure have headed in the opposite direction.

They are among the 14 players to have played for these two giants of men’s football in the Premier League era – here is a list of all those to have done it.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal 2006-2009; Man City 2009-2012)

Emmanuel Adebayor is the first man on the list, and given that he was brave enough to cross the north London divide, his famous celebration against Arsenal makes all the more sense.

Adebayor made the move to London from French side Monaco and then spent three seasons at the Emirates.

One memorable moment in the red of Arsenal saw the striker sent off for supposedly punching Frank Lampard in the 2007 League Cup final when his side lost to Chelsea.

He switched the capital for Manchester, and whilst he was unable to make a more prolonged impact there, he did score in each of his first four league games for the club – which just so happened to be against his former employers. To celebrate this strike, he famously ran the length of the field to celebrate in front of the Arsenal faithful.

Nicolas Anelka (Arsenal 1997-1999; Man City 2002-2005)

Nicolas Anelka played for a number of English clubs during his glittering career. As well as stints at Bolon Wanderers and Chelsea, he can also count Arsenal and Manchester City among his long list of former employers.

The Frenchman has trophies to show for his time in red and white as the Gunners won the league title and FA Cup in 1997/98, as well as the Community Shield the following summer.

Anelka left Arsenal for Real Madrid and won the Champions League there, before signing for City in 2002.

Two of his best four Premier League goal returns came for Man City, and given that he arrived years before Sheikh Mansour took over – and following City’s last promotion to the top tier – his transfer was quite the coup.

Gael Clichy (Arsenal 2003-2011; Man City 2011-2017)

From one Frenchman to another – and the trend of playing for Arsenal before Manchester City continues.

Gael Clichy arrived in north London from Cannes, where Arsene Wenger had been a big admirer of his, and then lifted the coveted golden Premier League trophy in his first season.

The Invincibles remain one of the great teams to ever compete in England’s top division and Clichy played his part, even if he did make just 12 appearances.

He was a highly respected fullback for the best part of a decade and then carried on his success with Man City. With the Citizens, he won a further two league titles as well as a host of other domestic trophies.

Paul Dickov (Arsenal 1990-1996; Man City 1996-2002)

Paul Dickov is one of the earlier names to feature on this list, having joined Arsenal prior to the formation of the Premier League.

He came through their academy, but was unable to establish himself as a regular in the first team.

As a result, the Scotsman is better known for his stint with Man City, although he enjoyed something of a journeyman career, playing for several English sides until his retirement in 2011.

City were a second-tier club when Dickov joined in 1996 and went through the highs and lows with them, playing in the Premier League but also in the third tier, where his finest hour came in 1999 following his dramatic play-off final equaliser against Gillingham. Who knows where City would be but for that goal?

Gabriel Jesus (Man City 2017-2022; Arsenal 2022-present)

Gabriel Jesus is one of the two current ex-City stars at Arsenal, where his time in north London has been stunted by injuries.

When available, the Brazilian has proven to be an important piece of the Gunners’ attack under Mikel Arteta, but his manager certainly will have wanted to use him more regularly. Jesus had a fine start to life at Arsenal before a long-term injury sustained at the World Cup halted his progress.

Prior to playing in red, he was first introduced to English football fans wearing Man City’s blue after making the move to this country from Palmeiras.

As can be said for everyone who has been managed by Pep Guardiola, he has an impressive trophy haul, although he’d end up leaving before they finally broke their Champions League duck.

However, a perfect chipped finish against Southampton on the final day of the 2017/18 season secured City’s historic 100-point tally, and so he is etched into the club’s history books already.

Samir Nasri (Arsenal 2008-2011; Man City 2011-2017)

Samir Nasri was electric when he came into his own at Arsenal, and so their fans weren’t best pleased when he signed for Man City in 2011.

Winning four trophies during his time at the Etihad, including two Premier Leagues, one can’t begrudge him the move, but that won’t make it hurt any less.

The duo of Nasri and Cesc Fabregas made football a true joy to watch with pinpoint passing and delightful dribbling.

Whilst his accolades from a team perspective came in blue, it was in red when his personal performances were most noted, winning a variety of individual awards as an Arsenal man as well as featuring in the 2010/11 PFA Team of the Year.

David Rocastle (Arsenal 1985-1992; Man City 1993-1994)

David “Rocky” Rocastle, who was very close friends with Ian Wright, was Arsenal through and through. He was in the academy for a few years before he made the breakthrough in 1985 aged just 18.

Rocastle was a constant in the Arsenal first team for seven years before joining Leeds United in 1992, becoming their record signing at the time.

The midfielder signed for Man City after a single season at Elland Road, though the finest moments of his career undoubtedly came with Arsenal, where he was part of two title-winning sides under George Graham.

Bacary Sagna (Arsenal 2007-2014; Man City 2014-2017)

Gael Clichy wasn’t the only French full-back to play for both of these sides. Bacary Sagna arrived at Arsenal a few years after his compatriot, before leaving English football alongside him in 2017, having joined City three years prior.

Although he did get his hands on the FA Cup in his final Arsenal game, Sagna’s trophy cabinet looks very different to his defensive partner’s, and you have to feel for him, as he missed out on Premier League titles with both clubs by a few years at either end of his career.

That said, while Patrice Evra’s presence meant that Clichy didn’t get the number of French caps he perhaps deserved, Sagna notched 65 himself, as well as making nearly 300 appearances for Arsenal.

David Seaman (Arsenal 1990-2003; Man City 2003-2004)

One of two goalkeepers on this list is David Seaman. Again, he is best known for his time with Arsenal having played there for over a decade.

The shot-stopper made his name at Peterborough United, Birmingham City and Queens’ Park Rangers before joining the Gunners, where he replaced John Lukic as the undisputed No 1 at Highbury. Three league titles and four FA Cups later – including one in his final Gunners game – he had assured his status as an Arsenal legend.

Seaman was 39 when he left Arsenal for Man City, where he managed less than one top-flight season for them prior to his retirement.

Sylvinho (Arsenal 1999-2001; Man City 2009-2010)

Sylvinho played the majority of his European club football in Spain with Celta Vigo and Barcelona, but these spells came sandwiched in between periods of play in England.

The Brazilian, who currently manages the Albanian men’s national team, was a part of the PFA Team of the Year for 2000/01 during his time as a Gunner.

As a two-time Champions League winner and three-time La Liga champion with Barcelona, that is the club he is most linked to in Europe, though he did end his career with a brief spell at Man City under Mark Hughes.

Fresh off of a 2008/09 treble with Barca, Sylvinho returned to England to play for City before hanging up his boots altogether.

The former South Africa fast bowler was previously heading a successful academy at the University of Fort Harte, and has served in several coaching capacities since his retirement

Firdose Moonda07-Jun-2018Former South Africa fast bowler Mfuneko Ngam has been appointed the assistant coach of the Eastern-Cape-based Warriors franchise. Ngam, who played three Tests for South Africa between 2000 and 2001 before his career was cut short by injury, had previously been heading a successful academy at the University of Fort Hare, which concentrated on providing elite coaching in South Africa’s black African heartland.Ngam has worked in various coaching capacities since his retirement, including at CSA High Performance Programmes. He started an academy in Motherwell, a township 25 kilometres north of Port Elizabeth, and holds a Level 4 coaching qualification. He will work under head coach Rivash Gobind, who took over from Malibongwe Maketa after the latter was named South Africa’s assistant coach last September.Despite losing their coach on the eve of the 2017-18 season, Warriors had a good summer, sharing the one-day cup and finishing second on the first-class points table. The Warriors have not won a trophy outright since the 2009-10 season, but have faced several challenges, including the absence of a sponsor and a lack of high-profile players, something which is set to continue this summer.The Warriors squad for the 2018-19 season does not include a single nationally-contracted player. Kolpak player Simon Harmer, who was also named first-class cricketer of the season at the recent CSA awards, and Colin Ackermann, who plays as a local for Leicestershire because of an EU passport, remain on the Warriors’ book, but Kyle Abbott, who moved to the franchise from the Dolphins two seasons ago, was not on the list.Warriors squad: Andrew Birch, Jon-Jon Smuts, Aya Gqamane, Basheer Walters, Anrich Nortje, Gihahn Cloete, Clyde Fortuin, Mohammed Vallie, Simon Harmer, Colin Ackermann, Sinethemba Qeshile, Sithembile Langa, Lutho Sipamla, Eddie Moore, Matthew Breetzke, Sisanda Magala, Christiaan Jonker, Lesiba Ngoepe