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Despite defeat at Anfield before the international break, Arsenal return to action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime to much excitement.

However, Mikel Arteta will be without key figures William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, the latter facing a race against time to be available for next Sunday’s huge clash with Manchester City in North London.

In the past, injuries have derailed the Gunners’ title hopes and dreams, because they’ve simply not had the squad depth to cope with key absences.

Now though, after spending over £250m in the summer transfer market, that has changed, so Arteta must unleash a few of his summer signings, one who some are forecasting could become even better than Saka.

Eberechi Eze's home debut

Ahead of Arsenal’s first home game of the season, a 5-0 demolition of Leeds United, Eberechi Eze was presented to the Emirates crowd.

It was a genuinely spine-tingling moment, with Eze himself taken aback by the welcome home he received, 14 years after being released as a child, thinking his dream was dead.

Now though, after he was given a mere brief cameo at Anfield, Eze is ready to take centre stage, with those attending Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest doing so in anticipation of witnessing a home debut to remember.

As noted by Match of the Day, Arsenal have the second-lowest expected goals from open-play in the Premier League this season, their figure of 1.57 above only that of newly-promoted Sunderland, continuing a problem that has hampered Arteta’s team for a while.

This underlines why Eze has been signed, adding that much-needed creativity, but he may not be the only summer signing Arsenal will be hoping can shine this weekend and beyond.

More than just Arsenal's Bukayo Saka back-up

When Noni Madueke was recruited from Chelsea for £52m in the summer, plenty of eyebrows were raised, but the early signs are that this could be a shrewd piece of business.

In defeat to Liverpool, the 23-year-old was the Gunners’ most dangerous attacker throughout, always giving Miloš Kerkez something to think about, even if the end product was lacking.

Nevertheless, based on what he has produced so far, speaking on the Arscast, Philippe Auclair believes Madueke is simply far too good to merely be considered a Saka back-up, and his statistics last season support this argument.

Shots

80

14th

Shots per 90

3.54

4th

Big chances missed

14

18th

Progressive carries

154

3rd

Carries into the box

93

3rd

Attempted take-ons

102

25th

Touches in the box

184

5th

As the table notes, Madueke ranked behind only Jérémy Doku and Mohamed Salah when it came to progressive carries last season, also ranked in the top five in terms of shots per 90 and touches in the opposition’s penalty area.

He has certainly impressed Thomas Tuchel, starting three of England’s last four World Cup qualifiers, including both this month, scoring his first-ever international goal against Serbia at Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade on Tuesday.

During the international break, former Manchester United defender Paul Parker was so impressed with Madueke that he exclaimed “I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka”, praising his frightening pace and ability to strike fear into defenders.

Given that Saka has been consistently excellent since first breaking into the Arsenal team in early-2020, this is a bold claim.

However, this competition for places can only be a good thing for Arteta, given that his star man is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, having sat out more than three months last season due to the same issue, missing 19 games, unquestionably derailing the Gunners’ title aspirations.

On Saturday specifically, it is tough to forecast who Ange Postecoglou will deploy at full-back, given that Ola Aina is set to spend three months on the sidelines, after sustaining a serious hamstring injury during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

It won’t be Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, he’s ineligible to face his parent club, but whoever it is will not relish coming up against Madueke, who will surely start in Saka’s place, looking to score his first Arsenal goal.

Arsenal's first Dowman: Meet the best player to ever come through Hale End

The talented Hale Ender just wasn’t good enough to make it at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 11, 2025

Aaqib Javed gives his vote of confidence to Pakistan’s quicks, but Urooj Mumtaz and Anil Kumble feel the team, on the whole, lack firepower

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-20251:39

Has Pakistan’s pace unit lost its bite?

Pakistan have won only 14 of the 28 matches – across ODIs and T20Is – they have played with all three of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf in the XI. That could be because, as Sanjay Manjrekar put it, some of the quicks “have seen better days”, even though Aaqib Javed, Pakistan’s coach, says the three remind him of “the ’90s troika”.Out of Pakistan’s four losses in ODIs featuring all three of Afridi, Naseem and Rauf, two have come in multi-team events – against India at the Asia Cup 2023 and against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 opener. In both those matches, Pakistan conceded 300-plus scores bowling first.That begs the obvious question: Has Pakistan’s fast bowling, their biggest strength for years, lost its bite and the ability to intimidate oppositions?Related

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“It was a kind of revelation for us in Sri Lanka when we had an encounter with Pakistan in the Asia Cup before the 2023 World Cup. We saw Shaheen Shah Afridi live up to expectations in the first game, which was rain affected, but as the tournament went on, we also got to see that Shaheen Shah Afridi wasn’t the same bowler that he was before. The speed in the air had completely disappeared,” Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “”So, all the trickery that he had was not the same without the speed in the air. Haris Rauf had the pace but was not quite able to lead [the attack] like [Jasprit] Bumrah does with his fast bowling. Naseem Shah has emerged as the best bowler on form. Yes, fast bowling is their main strength. There is almost nothing in the spin department. But even in the fast bowling, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi have seen better days.”Aaqib, though, expressed confidence in the trio and said they reminded him of the Pakistan attack from the 1990s.”Teams play their game on their own strength,” he said ahead of the match against India in Dubai. “We have three one of the best pace-bowling options in today’s game with Shaheen, Naseem and Haris. It reminds me of the ’90s troika [Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and himself]. They have time to reach that level but have all the ability to repeat those performances.”Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening Group A fixture has left them precariously placed with a net run-rate of -1.200. A defeat to India could push them out of a tournament they are hosting. Fast bowling aside, lack of leadership has pushed Pakistan cricket back, felt Urooj Mumtaz, former captain of Pakistan’s women’s team.”Even now when you tell them to talk up an India-Pakistan game, it’s a very mellow approach,” Mumtaz said on ESPNcricinfo Runorder. “It is more fan-centric and I don’t feel there’s enough push there. We’ve lacked massive leadership in the past six-seven years. You put Imran Khan in this group of players, and I can vouch for the fact that the attitude on the field would be far different.”Anil Kumble agreed with Mumtaz, saying, “I don’t think this Pakistan line-up has that quality. When it comes to having that, not intimidation, [but] you had that respect of playing Pakistan, knowing that you had the quality. Now it’s the other way round. I don’t see how Pakistan can look India in the eye in terms of their ability to put a batting line-up that can intimidate the Indian bowlers.”

The leading wicket-taker of the Test series has also bowled the most overs among seamers across both teams

Alagappan Muthu30-Dec-2024

India have had Jasprit Bumrah bowling like few ever have in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He has 30 wickets at an average of 12.83. The rest have 36 wickets at 41.33. Soon after India lost the Melbourne Test, where the 31-year-old fast bowler picked up a five-for, and went 1-2 down with one Test to play, Rohit Sharma, the captain, was asked if there is a risk of over-bowling Bumrah.”Yeah, there is,” Rohit said. “To be honest, he has bowled a lot of overs. There is no doubt about it. But again, every Test match we play, we keep that in mind. You know, the workloads of all the bowlers in fact. But again, if somebody is in such a great form, you want to try and maximise that form how much ever you can. And that is what we’ve been trying to do with Bumrah.”But there comes a time where you need to step back a little bit and give him that little bit of extra breather as well. So, we’ve been very careful. I’ve been very careful. I talk to him about how he feels and stuff like that. So, yeah. Those things should be managed carefully. And I’m trying to do that on the field.”Related

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Bumrah’s 53.2 overs at the MCG are the most he’s ever bowled in a Test match. That’s taken his tally for the series to 141.2 which puts his workloads ahead of Pat Cummins (136.4) and Mitchell Starc (131.2) and Mohammed Siraj (129.1).India gave up one big, match-turning century in Adelaide, two in Brisbane and another one in Melbourne, not to mention a whirlwind fifty to a 19-year-old debutant on Boxing Day. Would India have posed more of a threat if they’d gone in with another frontline bowling option instead of packing the back-end of the XI with allrounders?”Look, Akash Deep (five wickets at 54) and Mohammed Siraj (16 wickets at 31) are the frontline seamers,” Rohit said. “It’s just that they’ve been very unfortunate not to be seen on the wicket column.”Siraj, especially, is bowling his heart out. I don’t think there’s anything else that he can do. Obviously, there are technical aspects of his game that he’s looking into. But other than that, in terms of his effort, his attitude, bowling those long spells, he’s always up there. It’s just that the wicket column doesn’t show how well he’s bowled.”So is Akash. In Brisbane and here, in both the games, he’s bowled really well. It’s just unfortunate that he couldn’t get the wickets under his name. It’s just everyone’s job to make sure that whoever plays needs to get the job done for the team. It’s not about one or two individuals.”India’s other seamer is Nitish Kumar Reddy and he admitted on Sunday that as well as his batting is going – he scored a maiden Test century which helped India recover from 191 for 6 in the first innings – he wanted to do more with the ball. Reddy has contributed only 35 of India’s 542.2 overs in their last four Tests.”When we saw him [Reddy] for the first time, we saw there’s a lot of potential, which is why he came here in the first place,” Rohit said. “And he’s come and shown here what he’s capable of. You know, with the bat, he was brilliant.”He understood the situation pretty well, read the situation pretty well. And he’s got solid technique as well. And superb mind, not to forget.””Right now it’s very hard to say the growth part because it’s only been four test matches for him but I hope that he plays for long enough for India in all forms.”

Disgraced former Premier League David Coote has pleaded not guilty on the charge of making an indecent video of a child.

• Appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court
• Granted conditional bail
• Currently banned by the Premier League & UEFA

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 43-year-old appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on September 11, confirming his full name and address, as reported by the Mirror. After entering a not guilty plea, he was granted conditional bail. He was told: "You will next appear at Nottingham Crown Court on October 9 for a plea and case management hearing.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Coote stands accused of having made one indecent video of a child of category A on January 2, 2020 – which is the most serious category as it typically relates to young children being sexually abused by adults.

  District Judge Gilliam Young handed Coote bail conditions that stipulate he must have no contact with any child under the age of 18 or reside at an address where a person under the age of 18 is present.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Prosecutor Ben Payne stated that police became involved in the case after an independent company examined two mobile phones and allegedly found "two conversations of concern". A laptop is also said to have been seized from the address where Coote was arrested – with the category A image being discovered on that device.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Coote was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) in December 2024 after a video emerged online showing him making derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He was charged by the FA in June 2025 over those comments.

  In February 2025, Coote was banned by UEFA following the release of a video that appeared to show him snorting a white powder at Euro 2024. He had come out as gay a month earlier.

West Bromwich Albion are broadening their horizons in the transfer market and have now received a reply to a bid for a talent from overseas, according to Ben Jacobs.

West Bromwich Albion step up hunt for new arrivals

The Baggies are hard at work in the window and have already brought Aune Heggebo, Nat Phillips and George Campbell in at The Hawthorns, though there are more additions set to come in the weeks to follow.

However, recent West Brom loan target Mikey Moore won’t be signing on the dotted line, with the Tottenham Hotspur man now closing in on a switch to Rangers for the season.

Following their defeat to Lincoln City in pre-season, Ryan Mason has urged his side to fix their teething problems in time for the new Championship campaign.

He stated: “It was disappointing, and not just the result, but I also understand there’s a lot to do. It’s our third game this week, which was good from some aspects, but I don’ think any of us were happy with the start we made to the game.

“This is something we need to fix quickly because the first Championship game is two weeks away. There’s positives from a physical side, and there’s the pre-season aspect, which says a lot at this stage. But, ultimately, we need to try and accelerate this process as quickly as possible.”

West Brom’s first five fixtures in the Championship

Blackburn Rovers (H)

Hawthorns

Derby County (H)

Hawthorns

Wrexham (A)

Racecourse Ground

Portsmouth (H)

Hawthorns

Stoke City (A)

bet365 Stadium

New additions will be key to implementing the improvement Mason is keen to deliver, and Northern Ireland international Jamal Lewis could strengthen the Baggies’ defensive line.

Now, they have received a reply for a bid submitted to try and land another defender who originates from much further afield.

West Brom receive outcome of bid for Luca Bombino

Taking to social media platform X, journalist Ben Jacobs has confirmed that West Brom have saw a bid turned down for FC San Diego defender Luca Bombino, who is actually on loan from Major League Soccer outfit LAFC.

Regardless, San Diego will trigger an option to buy the 19-year-old left-back upon the expiry of his temporary agreement. The Baggies are said to be well below their valuation of the United States Under-20 international.

While his club are in no rush to sell, reports of their rejected offer and interest in Lewis do indicate that West Brom are in the market for a new left-back.

Across the current season, Bombino has registered a goal and two assists in 19 MLS appearances, and he has previously been labelled a “talented young player with a bright future” by San Diego sporting director Tyler Heaps.

It remains to be determined whether West Brom will force a deal over the line, but they are seemingly looking at all avenues to source new additions.

Leeds United had a problem between the posts last season. First-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier had an inconsistent campaign, despite keeping 21 clean sheets and conceding just 27 goals in 39 Championship games. As per Sofascore, he had a save percentage of 70.1%.

However, he made constant errors throughout the season. One of those came against Sunderland, where he failed to catch a ball slowly bouncing towards him in the penalty box, allowing the ball to shoot through his hands and into the back of the net. Former Leeds player Aidy White told BBC Radio Leeds that his old club have “got to drop” the Frenchman.

So, it might not come as a surprise that Daniel Farke’s side are after a new goalkeeper this summer, with a couple of names seemingly on their shortlist.

Leeds target new goalkeeper

So, it seems the Whites are definitely in the market for a new shot stopper this summer. After some poor mistakes from Meslier last term, Farke appears to want a new number one. According to a recent report from TEAMTalk, Yahia Fofana of Ligue 1 side Angers is an option.

However, he is not the only goalkeeper from the French top flight that Leeds are targeting. The same report suggests that the Yorkshire side’s number one target is Lyon’s Brazilian shot-stopper Lucas Perri. He has been described as a ‘prime target’ for the Whites.

TEAMTalk clarify that ‘contact has been made’ with the Brazilian’s camp already, having ‘caught the attention of Leeds’ recruitment team’ after impressing for Lyon. A fee of around £20m could be enough to secure his services this summer.

Why Perri would be a good signing

27-year-old Perri got a big move to Europe back in 2024, after impressing in the Brazilian top flight, most recently with Botafogo. He has since gone on to perform well in a Lyon shirt, which seems to have certainly piqued Leeds’ interest.

Last term for Les Gones, Perri, who was born in Valinhos, just outside of Sao Paulo, made 45 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25. In that time, he conceded 60 goals and kept 13 clean sheets.

Looking at Ligue 1 specifically, his numbers are impressive. He played 33 top-flight games, conceding 44 times and keeping ten clean sheets. Football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “one of the best” in his position when he was at Botafogo, and it is not hard to see why, looking at those numbers.

Of course, Leeds have a good history when it comes to buying Brazilian talents from Ligue 1. Former winger Raphinha, who is now tearing things up in La Liga with Barcelona, is “ahead” in the race for the Ballon d’Or, according to the legendary Thierry Henry.

Leeds fans will never forget the contributions he put in at Elland Road before his move to Barca. In two seasons at the club, he scored 17 goals and grabbed 12 assists.

That included one last vital goal, a penalty away to Brentford in his final game for the club, which helped Leeds stay in the Premier League.

The Elland Road faithful would surely love to find the second coming of Raphinha in Perri. The track record of newly-promoted clubs staying in the top flight is not good recently, with all six sides going straight back down in the last two years.

However, the stats from Squawka suggest he is a goalkeeper who can help keep them in the Premier League. Perri had a 72.5% save percentage, higher than Meslier’s last season, and averaged 3.6 saves per 90 minutes in 2024/25.

Perrin key stats in 2024/25 Ligue 1 season

Stat

Total

Per 90 mins

Save percentage

72.5%

72.5%

Clean sheets

10

0.4

Long passes completed

122

3.7

Goals conceded

44

1.4

Saves made

116

3.6

Stats from Squawka

Raphinha was the hero for Leeds at one end of the pitch during his spell at the club. If Farke’s side can secure the services of another Brazilian star from Ligue 1 in Perri, perhaps he could have the same impact as his countryman at the other end.

For just £20m, this could be a fantastic addition for Leeds. The “undervalued” talent – as described by Mattinson – would represent an upgrade on Meslier and could be a key part in their survival.

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Southampton are now plotting a move for a “really exciting” midfielder, who could jump at a move to St. Mary’s this summer, according to a report.

Still looking to build promotion-winning squad

In his first season as Saints manager, Will Still’s aim will undoubtedly be to return to the Premier League at the first opportunity, and Tony Pulis has insisted that nothing but an immediate return to the top flight will be deemed good enough next season.

Pulis said: “He will have the opportunity and the chance to definitely be successful in his first year and success there is promotion, nothing less than promotion.”

As such, Still has set out to build a promotion-winning squad, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg revealing the negotiations over a deal for FC Köln striker Damion Downs are now at an advanced stage, as the centre-forward has emerged as a top target for the Championship promotion-hopefuls.

Having a reliable goalscorer is, of course, a major factor in any side’s success, but it is equally important to have players capable of creating chances, and Still’s side have now set their sights on a new midfielder.

That is according to a report from Football League World, which states Southampton are now plotting a move for RB Salzburg maestro Bobby Clark, who joined the Austrian side from Liverpool for a fee of £10m last summer.

However, the move to Austria hasn’t panned out how Clark would’ve hoped, having recently been left out of the squad for the Club World Cup, meaning he could jump at the opportunity to move to St. Mary’s this summer.

Speaking about why the midfielder was left out of the squad entirely, RB Salzburg manager Thomas Letsch said: “I decided on other players. I wasn’t satisfied with Bobby’s training week and therefore told him he wasn’t in the squad.”

"Really exciting" Clark could reignite his career at St. Mary's

There may be some concerns over the fact the 20-year-old hasn’t been training well at Salzburg, but there are signs he could reignite his career at St. Mary’s, having previously displayed some promising signs at some of England’s top clubs.

During his time as a Newcastle United youth player, the starlet was lauded by reporter Lee Ryder, who said: “Bobby was Newcastle’s most promising youngster. He is a really exciting player with bags of skill and talent.”

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The Newcastle-born starlet then decided to move to Liverpool, where he went on to put in some impressive performances at youth level, despite never quite making the grade as a first-team player, picking up 11 goal contributions in 37 games for the U21 side.

At this stage of his career, a move to a promotion-chasing Championship side could be ideal for Clark, and his exploits at youth level indicate that he could be a solid signing for Southampton, capable of setting up chances for Downs.

Tottenham Hotspur are now the favourites in the race for a £67m “pocket rocket”, who wants to move to the Premier League in the summer, according to a report.

Spurs seal European glory in Bilbao

Ange Postecoglou made it clear that he is always successful in his second season, and nothing has changed this time around, with Tottenham’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao sealing Europa League glory.

Not only does the triumph end the 17-year wait for a trophy, but it also grants Spurs qualification to next season’s Champions League, which should make a move to north London far more appealing for some of Europe’s top players this summer.

In fact, the Lilywhites now have renewed hope of being able to sign Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi this summer, with club chiefs adamant that the prospect of playing in the Champions League could tempt the England international into a move.

Postecoglou sack stance after Levy holds fresh Tottenham boardroom talks

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3

By
Emilio Galantini

May 24, 2025

The doubt lingering over Cristian Romero’s future means signing a new centre-back could be important for Tottenham this summer, while they are also keen to strengthen in more attacking areas of the pitch.

Indeed, according to a report from Spain, RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons is now a priority target for Spurs, who are believed to be among the favourites in the race for his signature, but a deal will be on the expensive side.

Leipzig are set to hold out for a fee of €80m (£67m) in order to sanction Simons’ departure, amid widespread interest, with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal recently being named as potential suitors.

Qualification for the Champions League means Spurs could have the funds to get a deal done, and a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may appeal to the 22-year-old, as he is believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League.

"Pocket rocket" Simons could be exciting signing for Spurs

Of course, finally winning silverware was of key significance for Tottenham, but an added bonus of winning the Europa League is the fact it should allow them to compete for some top players this summer, and the Leipzig attacking midfielder could be firmly in that category.

After making a name for himself at PSV Eindhoven, the Dutchman has taken his game to the next level over the past two seasons, regularly contributing with goals and assists for Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

Not only that, but the Netherlands international has been lauded as a “pocket rocket” by analyst Raj Chohan, who also insisted he would take the former PSV man at Liverpool ahead of Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

With Liverpool now closing in on the signing of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, however, the path is now becoming clearer for Tottenham to sign Simons, and there are plenty of indications the Leipzig star could be an exciting addition to the squad.

During Chris Wilder’s two stints as manager of Sheffield United, he’s had some fantastic players at his disposal.

From goalscoring hero Billy Sharp to the likes of John Egan and John Fleck.

Fleck, a free transfer from Coventry City in the summer of 2016, was a rather understated at the time but quickly became a mainstay in many a Blades lineup with United jumping all the way up from League One to the top-flight under Wilder.

John Fleck's heroics at Sheffield United

It all began with that free-kick against Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby in 2017. Since that moment, he became a firm fan favourite at Bramall Lane.

Fleck quickly turned into a Premier League capable performer at Bramall Lane, with the now 33-year-old ace going on to immortalise himself as a United great across a hefty 278 appearances.

The Glasgow-born ace would effectively become an honourary citizen of the Steel City by the time of his exit to Blackburn Rovers last year, having tallied up a mighty impressive 16 strikes and 48 assists across those games, culminating in two promotions also coming his way.

Many players in Wilder’s camp now will be hoping they can follow in the footsteps of the former number four, with Fleck managing to end his long-standing association with the Blades by notching up a fine nine top-flight goal contributions.

In particular, one holding midfielder – the same role Fleck regularly lined up in – will be taking direct inspiration from the now Chesterfield man.

Wilder's new Fleck at Sheffield United

Originally hailing from Enfield, United number 42 Sydie Peck might not have expected Sheffield to become his permanent footballing home during the early days of his playing career.

But, the emerging talent has now become a first-team regular under Wilder this campaign and for good reason, with his full-blooded yet composed displays centrally meaning his senior minutes have rightly been bumped up.

Games played

35

Games started

26

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches*

48.8

Accurate passes*

29.9 (82%)

Big chances created

4

Duels won*

3.7

Whilst he isn’t anywhere near Fleck’s creative best just yet, Peck has shown signs of promise in an attacking capacity, considering this is his first daunting senior season with the side, resulting in four big chances being created away from his singular assist.

Despite deficiences being present in his growing game, Peck is slowly but surely becoming a fan’s favourite at the Championship high-flyers, with one Blades based content creator in Nick Ingood even heralding the 5 foot 8 engine as a “superstar” off the back of another well-rounded display against Coventry to close out March.

It will be up to Peck to deal with the harsh step-up in quality if Premier League action returns to the red and white half of Sheffield, but if he is aiming to follow Fleck’s upward trajectory, he should be able to deal with the gulf in class in his stride.

After all, the four-time England U20 international – who has been further lauded as “outstanding” by his passionate head coach – already has a Premier League appearance next to his name, with the potential here for Peck to become United’s next modern hero in the middle like Fleck.

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The best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

Rohit Brijnath18-Nov-202425:34

Exclusive: Rahul Dravid relives his Adelaide epic

An artist’s son produced two innings in Adelaide that should hang on the wall forever. Modern cricket has seen few painters like him. He has a broader brush than most people believe, and his innings are never bursts of colour but of subtle hues. On first look he does not often seem extraordinary, but a closer examination, like during both innings in Adelaide, suggests he is a batter of some beauty.Rahul Dravid’s innings in that Test were both familiar and surprising. On both occasions he was thrust into crisis – in the first, reviving India’s charge after they were 85 for 4 chasing 556; in the second, standing steadfast like Horatius on the bridge as others fell beside him. In runs the first was worth 233, the second 72 not out, but in value it is hard to separate them. Let us just say India would have probably lost without either.Dravid and crisis seem to go together, though he is not merely a batter adept at rescues but a distinguished performer in many situations. Still, in Adelaide, in a Test pivotal to a New India’s reputation, it was a situation he naturally responded to. Among his virtues are courage and commitment, discipline and dedication; India needed those. Replying to Australia’s mammoth total, he produced an innings mostly devoid of blemish and awash with cultured strokeplay. It was a knock of great faith.His patience has always seemed monkish, his concentration pure, but it is harder than it looks. His mind, like everyone else’s, did wander, but he is more gifted at collecting himself, at focusing his thoughts on the task at hand. He is the sort of fellow parents admire, for he is a responsible man.His first innings was all balance and poise, his feet moving in harmony with his mind, messages from the brain not impeded by pressure and trepidation. Balls were carefully scrutinised for line and length, and mostly his judgement was impressive, for errors were punished and good balls stylishly let go. Through 594 minutes he barely hit a wrong note, and it was like watching a classical pianist at the height of his powers.Fittingly, Ajit Agarkar, who took 6 for 41 in Australia’s second innings, was at the other end when Dravid hit the winning runs•William West/AFPDravid owns more shots than people think; he is merely judicious about what to play and when. He cut, pulled, drove, flicked, glanced, and there was scarcely an area of the ground his strokes did not kiss.He said later he had been working on his cover drives; evidently it has been worth it.In a way, they were also innings of some surprise. The hook for six to reach 100, his heart pounding as the ball arced over the fielder at the fence, was incongruous, as in a way was the four he hit off the first ball he faced on the fourth day, from Stuart McGill, to reach his double-century. The previous night he had to deal with hours of the unfortunate reality that although he was on 199, he had only, in cricketing terms, scored a century. It was a predicament swiftly erased the next morning.He also looked up around tea on the third day to find he had outpaced VVS Laxman on the scoreboard, and his delight later was something to see. This player has made a living breaking all manner of stereotypes.His second innings, as India chased 230 for an improbable victory, was less fluent – his rhythm not as pure, the symmetry of his feet and bat not entirely pleasing. It is said in most sports that the mark of a great player is the ability to find a way through, to win even when not everything is going well, and Dravid defined that.He admitted that he had struggled through certain periods, even offering Adam Gilchrist a chance not taken. This was a triumph of mind over body, for Dravid had convinced himself that this time India would not fail, that opportunity would not be squandered. That he hit the winning boundary, and Steve Waugh retrieved the ball from the gutter and handed it to him was fitting.It was a performance that for now at least seems unforgettable. And who knows, years from now, when we are grey and arthritic one morning we might rummage through boxes in the garage and stumble across yellowed clippings of a few days from December 2003. Memory may have died a little, and the details of his innings may have gone fuzzy, but the image of Dravid standing upright in the sunlight like some golden warrior, graceful and unyielding, one hopes, will still be there.