Batsman Tamim Iqbal has said that Bangladesh’s ongoing lengthy break from international cricket will hamper the team’s chances of performing at its best

Mohammad Isam29-Jun-2016

Batsman Tamim Iqbal has said that Bangladesh’s ongoing lengthy break from international cricket will hamper the team’s chances of performing at its best. He also suggested that other international sides should be more willing to play against Bangladesh.”After such a great season, we are not playing for six months,” Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. “It would definitely hamper us. People should be more interested in playing against us but instead we are sitting on the sidelines. We don’t know who we are going to play after six months. There’s no team in the world apart from Zimbabwe who sit out for so long between matches.”Bangladesh’s last international appearance was at the World T20 in India on March 26. Their next assignment is scheduled to be against England at home in October, after their maiden Test in India was pushed back to early next year. A proposed West Indies tour of Bangladesh in September is under discussion but is yet to be confirmed.Tamim said it was all the more frustrating to wait for international cricket after having had a successful 2015. Bangladesh reached the World Cup quarter-finals in early 2015, before going on to beat Pakistan, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe in consecutive ODI series at home. That string of wins secured their place in the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. In light of the team’s improvement, Tamim wondered why other teams were still reluctant to play Bangladesh.”Sitting for six months is not doing justice to anything,” he said. “I could have understood if we played like we did five years ago when our result was predictable, but after performing so well they still don’t want to play us, I don’t know.”Bangladesh have been growing accustomed to such long breaks in international cricket over the last five years. Usually they face a lull in Test cricket but, this time, they are missing out on all formats after busy 2015 and 2015-16 seasons. The BCB said that it was trying to get teams to play against Bangladesh but also felt that players needed a break after non-stop cricket for 15 months.Tamim said any team would suffer after such a prolonged break, and stressed that Bangladesh deserved more cricket at the highest level.”Take any top team and tell them to sit for six months,” Tamim said. “You will see how they perform after sitting for eight months. They won’t play the way they were playing.”

Tabraiz Shamsi expects higher totals as the Caribbean tri-series shifts from the slow pitch and sizeable outfield at Providence to a quicker strip and smaller ground in St Kitts

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-2016Tabraiz Shamsi, the South African chinaman bowler, expects higher totals as the Caribbean tri-series shifts from the slow pitch and sizeable outfield at Providence to a quicker strip and smaller ground in St Kitts, but hopes spinners will still be able to play a role.”They say cricket’s a batsman’s game, and this leg showed they’re probably just making us bowlers feel good before they start giving us some big hits again,” Shamsi joked. “That was nice as a spinner – to get a turning track with a big field to go with it. But if you’re given a small field, you’ve just got to make the best of it and come up with a plan. Hopefully, it works.”That the Guyana conditions are tough for batsmen and spinner-friendly was obvious. None of the teams managed a total of 200 in the three matches, with scoring rates hovering around the four-runs-an-over mark. Of the 49 wickets that fell, 31 were claimed by spinners. In the last fixture, between South Africa and Australia on Tuesday, the teams had seven spin options between them, with South Africa fielding three specialist spinners for the first time in five years.That is certain to change at Warner Park, where South Africa will certainly field a smaller spin contingent, but Shamsi has a good case to keep his spot. He was impressive on debut, with captain AB de Villiers noting that not many of the Australian batsmen were able to pick him. He is also well-acquainted with Warner Park, his home ground in the Caribbean Premier League, and the venue of both his four-wicket hauls for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 2015 season.Even though the surface won’t offer the same assistance as Providence, Shamsi, who has knowledge of the conditions, still expects some help. “In the Caribbean, all the pitches turn. I played here last year, so I know the surfaces are quite friendly towards spinners,” he said. “Anywhere we go in the Caribbean, spin will definitely play a role.”That means the quicks will still have to concentrate on doing as much containing as they can, leaving it to Shamsi and Imran Tahir to attack through the middle overs, which will also allow for an interesting interplay between student and master. Shamsi has admitted he wants to learn as much as he can from Tahir, who he is being touted to eventually take over from.”Imran has been a world-class performer for many years. He has been a big help for me, not just on this tour, but over the last couple of years,” Shamsi said. “I’m always on his case, asking for tips, because he’s performing at such a high level and that could only help my game.”It also means that South Africa could have two of the most exuberant wicket-taking celebrations in world cricket, with Tahir well-known for running elatedly towards the stands, and Shamsi imitating a bus-driver when he strikes. For both, those moments are the most precious, so it was hardly surprising to hear Shamsi echo what Tahir has often said about why he overflows with joy every time he takes a wicket.”As you grow older and get into the professional environment, there’s a lot of pressures based on performances. There’s a lot of people scrutinising you. So we tend to forget that fun factor,” Shamsi said. “That’s one thing I never want to forget. Ultimately, we play the game because we love it initially. That’s something I always want to remember going forward into my career, however long it may be.”

Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, has been handed his first England call-up and Gary Ballance has been recalled for the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.

Andrew McGlashan07-Jul-20162:50

Taylor: Surprised they’ve gone with Ballance

Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, has been handed his first England call-up and Gary Ballance has been recalled for the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s, which starts from July 14. Injuries have kept Ben Stokes and James Anderson on the sidelines while Jos Buttler has not earned a recall.Roland-Jones, 28, a tall seam bowler, averages 25.17 in first-class cricket and has been on England’s radar for a few seasons. Yesterday he played a key role in a notable Middlesex victory over Yorkshire at Scarborough as he clubbed a quickfire unbeaten 79 and took three wickets in the second innings to finish with six in the match. Overall, he has 30 wickets at 29.06 in the County Championship this season; in 2015 he took 48 wickets at 27.04.Anderson has not recovered sufficiently from his shoulder injury while the selectors want Stokes to play more cricket after his return to action from knee surgery – he has yet to resume bowling for Durham although Trevor Bayliss hinted he may have been included as a batsman.

England squad

Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Joe Root, Gary Ballance, James Vince, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Jake Ball, Steven Finn, Toby Roland-Jones

“Like always, selection is very opinionated, and they could have picked him but the lack of cricket in the last few weeks has meant they’ve gone that way,” Alastair Cook, the England captain, said. “He’s just back from a long time out of the game.”It has been confirmed that Joe Root will move up to No. 3 – something Bayliss has pushed for – to fill the spot vacated by Nick Compton which means Ballance, who was dropped during last year’s Ashes series, will return in the middle order. Ballance struck his first century of the season against Middlesex this week – he is averaging 33.64 in the Championship – and has fought off competition from the heavily tipped Scott Borthwick who averages 58.50 this season with three centuries.”He hasn’t changed a huge amount in terms of technique, just keep evolving it to keep it in as good a position as you can. What he does have is that hard edge,” Cook said.On Root’s promotion, Cook added: “It’s a conversation we’ve had over the last week, it’s the right thing to do, he’s our best player, and it’s quite an Australian thing to do. There’s no reason why he won’t score same amount of runs as at No. 4.”After the one-day series against Sri Lanka, Bayliss spoke highly of Buttler’s credentials and suggested he could return to the Test side as a batsman despite not having played first-class cricket since he was dropped in the UAE last year, but in the end that lack of red-ball cricket has been a deciding factor. It also means that Bairstow will retain the wicketkeeping gloves.”Those guys and Jason Roy, Tom Westley, Scott Borthwick were all discussed as very good options,” Cook said. “The argument with Jos is he hasn’t played red-ball cricket for a long time, you do need to know your method.”Jake Ball, the Nottinghamshire seamer, who was in each squad for the Sri Lanka series retains his place despite an elbow niggle and will likely compete for a spot in the final XI with Roland-Jones.”It’s disappointing that Jimmy hasn’t made it but Jake’s in the squad, he’s started the season in fantastic form,” Stuart Broad said. “He’s had a slight elbow niggle but he’s learnt a lot about his bowling in last 18 months and he’s ready to make that step up”He’s got physical attributes, he moves the ball both ways, comes round the wicket to the left-handers and hits the ball harder. You can’t make judgements about temperament, but he’s taken wickets on TV which is a good sign.”

West Ham United proved that they are very much still in a relegation battle this season as they were thumped 5-1 at home by Newcastle United on Wednesday night, in a game which could potentially spell the end for David Moyes.

The pressure will surely now be ramped up on the Scottish manager after an embarrassing home defeat which leaves the Hammers only out of the bottom three on goal difference.

How did West Ham against Newcastle play out?

Although West Ham could have opened the scoring early on when Bruno Guimaraes hit his own post, it was one-way traffic for most of the 90 minutes.

Callum Wilson headed in from Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross to continue his fine run of form against the Hammers before Joelinton made it two after exploiting a Sunday League-esque defensive line from Moyes’ side.

Kurt Zouma gave the home side hope just before half-time after heading in Jarrod Bowen’s corner but any dreams of a comeback were quelled by Nayef Aguerd as he miscontrolled a simple pass, with Jacob Murphy robbing him of possession and squaring for Wilson for his second.

West Ham weren’t done there as Lukasz Fabianski gifted Alexander Isak the fourth.

The Polish ‘keeper made an inexplicable howler as he unnecessarily came flying out of his goal, only to fluff his lines and present the Swedish forward with an empty net to find.

That was before Joelinton compounded the home side’s misery by firing in a fifth, which the Hammers shot-stopper arguably could have kept out.

Who was West Ham’s worst performer against Newcastle?

There are plenty of names to choose from when deciding upon the Hammers’ worst player against the Toon, as individual errors from Aguerd and Fabianski were crucial in the visitors taking all three points.

However, there was another completely anonymous display from Tomas Soucek in West Ham’s midfield, with the Czech Republic international barely touching the ball in his 65 minutes on the pitch.

As per Sofascore, the former Slavia Prague man would earn a woeful 6.3/10 rating for his performance, with only Emerson, Bowen, Fabianski and Aguerd rated lower from the West Ham players to feature in the game.

Despite his role as a midfielder, the 28-year-old simply let the game pass him by, as he managed just 13 touches of the ball and eight passes in his time on the pitch, with Fabianski managing 31 touches by comparison.

This has been the story of Soucek’s season as he possesses the 16th-best pass average in West Ham’s squad, but he has averaged 27 passes per game in the top flight, which emphasises just how little influence he had against a dominant Newcastle side on Wednesday.

Unsurprisingly, the £65k-per-week midfielder’s woeful display caught the eye of journalists on Twitter, with Barry Collins writing:

“What the hell has happened to Tomas Soucek? An absolute shadow of the player that arrived. Has zero presence.”

David Rivers suggested that Moyes’ faith in Soucek was a stackable offence in itself, suggesting that his decision to keep playing the out-of-form West Ham man was “becoming comical.”

Although fingers will naturally be pointed at Fabianski and Aguerd for their shocking mistakes, Soucek completely went missing again. Indeed, he simply isn’t fulfilling his role as a midfielder, as a return of no shots, no key passes, no dribbles and no tackles represents a horrific all-round display.

Everton now have just five matches remaining in order to retain their Premier League status, but how will they get on between now and the final weekend?

The Toffees have endured a frustrating campaign which began under the leadership of Frank Lampard, who was sacked back in January. Sean Dyche was the man to come in at Goodison Park, tasked with keeping the club in the top flight. He has averaged a point a game from his 13 league fixtures in charge so far, although there was a heavy defeat on Thursday against Newcastle.

Eddie Howe's side ran out 4-1 winners to leave Everton in 19th place and two points from safety heading into this weekend's fixtures.

Here are Everton's five remaining fixtures – we've predicted how we think they will get on below…

1 May: Leicester (a) 8 May: Brighton (a) 14 May: Man City (h) 20 May: Wolves (a) 28 May: Bournemouth (h) Leicester v Everton

Next on the agenda for the Toffees is a visit to fellow relegation rivals Leicester City on Monday evening in what could be a key fixture at the bottom of the table.

Dean Smith is in charge of The Foxes and has managed to turn things around slightly at The King Power Stadium with a win over Wolves and a point on the road at Leeds United last time out.

The reverse meeting saw Leicester come away with a 2-0 victory back in November, so Everton will be desperate to get their revenge, securing a first away victory under Dyche and a first since October in the process.

It may not be straightforward, though, especially with Harvey Barnes and James Maddison returning from injury in the week and Jamie Vardy ending his long wait for a goal, so Everton could do well to pick up another point on the road.

Prediction: Leicester 1-1 Everton

Brighton v Everton

Everton are on the road once again a week later, this time taking on Brighton, who are pushing for European football under Roberto De Zerbi.

Like Leicester, Brighton ran out winners at Goodison Park earlier in the season, netting four times including three goals in six minutes during the second half.

The Seagulls were defeated last time out away to Nottingham Forest but are normally good at home, winning half of their 14 league games at the Amex this season. It could be a tough ask for the Toffees to come away with anything, especially with their away record being so poor, winning just one in 16 this season.

Prediction: Brighton 2-0 Everton

Everton v Man City

It doesn’t get any easier for Dyche’s side, who host Manchester City in their penultimate home fixture.

Pep Guardiola’s side appear to be hitting top form at the right time and are on course for a treble, with the Premier League title currently in their hands after an impressive 4-1 victory over Arsenal in the week.

This game does come in between City’s Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, though – something which could help the Toffees with City potentially having one eye on the second leg.

Guardiola could be tempted to make a few changes to his side as a result, and with Everton taking a point at the Etihad earlier in the season, they could fancy their chances. However, we feel as if City’s quality could come through in the end, although it could be a brilliant game.

Prediction: Everton 1-2 Man City

Wolves v Everton

At one point in the season, this game looked like it could be huge in the battle to avoid the drop. However, Wolves have pulled away under Julen Lopetegui, winning three of their last four fixtures.

They are now just three points away from the magic tally of 40 points, so you’d expect that they could be mathematically safe by the time they welcome Everton to Molineux.

Despite this, it could still prove to be a tricky encounter for the Toffees, with Wolves coming from behind to win the reverse meeting back in December.

Wolves have lacked goals this season, netting less than a goal a game, so Everton could fancy their chances of coming away with something, but with the Toffees also struggling in front of goal, we fancy a stalemate here.

Prediction: Wolves 0-0 Everton

Everton v Bournemouth

The Cherries have a history of winning on Merseyside on the final day of the season as they did back in 2020, although they were relegated alongside Watford and Norwich City.

However, this time around, it could be Everton that are desperate for the points, with Bournemouth winning three of their last four games to sit on 36 points currently. As a result, they could be safe come the final weekend, something which could help the Toffees.

This could be the time Everton pick up a much-needed win, but will it be enough?

Prediction: Everton 2-1 Bournemouth

Predicted run-in points: 5/15 Predicted total points 33

ScorecardNick Browne’s 71 anchored Essex’s rearguard•Getty Images

A game that was nicely poised going into the final day petered out into a draw as Essex successfully negotiated the 63 overs that were bowled in their second innings, finishing on 160 for 5. Glamorgan had batted on in the morning session to set Essex an unlikely victory target of 334 in 70 overs. On a pitch where free-scoring has been difficult throughout this match, a required rate of nearly five an over was always beyond Essex, but Glamorgan went for a safety-first approach.When Essex began their chase just before the lunch break, Timm van der Gugten had early success, claiming the wicket of Jaik Mickleburgh with the score on 12. The Dutch international followed that up with another wicket shortly after the interval when he found the edge of Tom Westley’s bat to leave Essex in trouble at 30 for 2.When Michael Hogan had Ravi Bopara well caught by Aneurin Donald at second slip Essex were 46 for 3 and Glamorgan were dreaming of their first win in the County Championship since June 22, 2015.While there were wickets tumbling at the other end, Essex opener Nick Browne remained unmoved. He did a fine job at playing the ball late and with soft hands so that the edges did not carry to the slips as he made an excellent 71 before he was dismissed by Graham Wagg bowling left-arm spin. Browne put on a decent stand with Daniel Lawrence who played with more freedom than any other Essex batsman before he was bowled for 24 by a ball from Hogan that he left alone.When Lawrence and Browne had departed, Jesse Ryder and Ryan ten Doeschate came to the crease and closed the game out for a draw. Ryder played with uncharacteristic restraint as he scored just 25 runs from 83 balls.Glamorgan had batted in the morning session but took a while to get going, Will Bragg looking to pass his highest first-class score of 129 that he made against Derbyshire earlier in the season and Aneurin Donald looking for his second Championship fifty of 2016. Once both men had passed those landmarks there was an injection of impetus but the declaration did not come until 20 minutes before the lunch break.There was a hint of over-cautiousness in the length of time that Glamorgan batted but, with the struggles they have had so far this season, it was perhaps understandable that they went for a “first don’t lose” approach rather than something more aggressive. In reality, even another 20 overs at Essex would have most likely not been enough to force a win on a pitch that, for all of its faults, has held together well.Bragg finished on a career-best 161 not out, his second hundred of the season, as he and Donald completed the third century stand of the Glamorgan innings.

Everton will continue their pursuit of Premier League survival when they head to south London this afternoon for their clash with Crystal Palace, and Sean Dyche will be hoping that his team can revive their form before it's too late.

The Toffees are currently just outside of the relegation zone by the skin of their teeth – matching Nottingham Forest for 27 points – with only goal difference saving them from being in the bottom three, so snatching all three points from Selhurst Park today will be essential in their efforts to retain their top-flight status.

In terms of injuries, Andros Townsend remains unavailable for selection alongside Seamus Coleman, who is recovering from a thigh injury, while Ruben Vinagre could be set for a much longer spell in recovery due to the potential need for surgery.

However, the Everton boss did offer some positive injury updates during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, confirming that both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Amadou Onana could be in contention to start.

On Calvert-Lewin, Dyche revealed:

"He will certainly be in my thinking, without a doubt. [The behind-closed-doors match on Tuesday] was all about him, really. It was the end of a rehab period so we're very pleased that he came through that and he felt good."

Whilst, the manager claimed Onana will be subject to a late fitness test:

"Ama (Onana) has made a bit more of a recovery. He was training today and we'll see how that reacts tomorrow."

How could Everton line up vs Crystal Palace?

Jordan Pickford (GK), Nathan Patterson (RB), Michael Keane (CB), James Tarkowski (CB), Vitaliy Mykolenko (LB), Idrissa Gana Gueye (CM), Amadou Onana (CM), Alex Iwobi (AM), Demarai Gray (RW), Dwight McNeil (LW), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (ST)

Football FanCast predicts that Dyche could be set to make three changes to the team that lost 3-1 to Fulham at Goodison Park last weekend and deploy a 4-3-2-1 formation to accommodate the return of key players.

The first change we expect to see is in the back four, with Nathan Patterson reprising his role at right-back in Coleman's absence, alongside an otherwise unchanged defensive setup that includes Michael Keane, James Tarkowski and Vitaliy Mykolenko.

£16m Scottish full-back Patterson – dubbed a "diamond" by BBC pundit Danny Murphy – has been rarely seen following a battle with injury problems this season, but he could now finally get his opportunity to impress Dyche with a positive performance against the Eagles this afternoon.

The second change we predict is Onana's return to the starting lineup to add physicality in the centre of the pitch alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye, replacing James Garner.

The third and final change we expect to see is the long-awaited return of Calvert-Lewin in the centre-forward role for the first time since February, with Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil retaining their roles in the wider positions to feed the 6 foot 3 striker vital opportunities in front of goal.

With that being said, it will be a great opportunity for Everton if Calvert-Lewin can turn his charm on against Crystal Palace once again this afternoon and could put the Toffees in a great position to take all three points away from home.

ScorecardJesse Ryder’s hundred saw Essex home•Getty Images

Jesse Ryder scored his ninth List A hundred as Essex pulled off a successful run chase for the second successive day to make it two wins out of two in the Royal London One-Day Cup.Having overhauled a target of 310 to beat Hampshire on Sunday when Ryder made 71, they beat South Group rivals Sussex by five wickets with six balls to spare under the Hove floodlights after being set 272 to win.Sussex were still left without a List A win since August 2014.Ryder accelerated after scoring his first 50 off a relatively sedate 71 balls, reaching his hundred from a further 38 deliveries with six fours and three sixes.With nine overs left and 80 needed the odds favoured Sussex, but Ryder and Ryan Ten Doeschate plundered 83 in 9.3 overs and when Ryder was yorked by Chris Jordan for 100 Ten Doeschate, who finished unbeaten on 48, got the job done, hitting Ajmal Shahzad for four and six at the start of the penultimate over before former Sussex player Ashar Zaidi struckk successive boundaries to seal an impressive victory.Left-armer George Garton and leg spinner Will Beer were the pick of the Sussex attack. Garton, 19, impressed on his List A debut. He took a simple return catch off a leading edge from Tom Westley (32) and had Dan Lawrence (25) caught at long on while Beer enjoyed a pitch where the odd ball gripped and turned. Nick Browne (44) was expertly stumped by Ben Brown after he was beaten by a ball that spun past his outside edge and Essex captain Ravi Bopara (12) was caught at short third-man off a top edged sweep.Earlier, three Sussex batsmen made half-centuries but neither Ed Joyce (73), Luke Wright (50) or Ross Taylor (50) were able to go on and play the sort of innings Ryder would produce on a pitch which played well despite being used for the third time in five days.Joyce once again looked in superb touch, sharing a stand of 108 with skipper Wright for the second wicket during which Wright passed 4,000 List A runs and Joyce brought up his 50 and Sussex’s 100 with a six over mid-wicket off Matt Dixon. Wright’s half-century came off 58 deliveries (3 fours) but two balls later he was stumped off a wide outside off stump by Zaidi.It was the first of three wickets to fall in four overs. Joyce mis-timed a drive to wide mid-on and Matt Machan was bowled by Zaidi trying to reverse-sweep his third ball.Taylor was put down by Ryder at backward point on five and made the most of his reprieve, putting on 59 in 12 overs with Brown.The former New Zealand skipper scored 50 off 58 balls (4 fours) only to hole out to long on and it needed a cameo from Jordan to take Sussex to a competitive total. The England international cleared the ropes three times in his 36 off 22 balls before becoming one of four victims for Matt Quinn.

Abahani Limited’s DPL clash against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was called off after an on-field incident forced the umpires to walk-off citing “illness.”

Mohammad Isam12-Jun-2016The Dhaka Premier League match between Abahani Limited and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was called off after the umpires walked off the BKSP-3 stadium. The match was not played on the reserve day as the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB standing committee that runs the league, had not announced its decision.* The umpires had reportedly walked out citing “illness”.The incident that triggered them leaving the field occurred in the 16th over of Prime Doleshwar’s chase when Raqibul Hasan was given not out by umpire Tanvir Ahmed off a stumping appeal from left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib. The Abahani players protested and their fans began to hurl abuse at the umpires, at which point they left the field after consulting with match referee Montu Datta.Eventually, Prime Doleshwar were asked to chase a revised target according to the D/L method, but they refused saying the weather wasn’t a factor and the interruption wasn’t their fault.”Why should we go by the Duckworth/Lewis method? Our club officials are not going to abide by it today. The match didn’t stop because of us. What happened was quite unfortunate,” Prime Doleshwar coach Mizanur Rahman Babul said.Khaled Mahmud, the Abahani coach, thought it was a case of the umpires overreacting. “There was no threat or any situation created that the umpires had to leave the field,” he said. “They could have handled the situation much better. It is quite natural that [Prime] Doleshwar didn’t want to play according to the D/L method when the situation didn’t demand of such a thing.”* 0515am, June 13, 2016. The news article was updated with the information that the match was not played on the reserve day

Arsenal have enjoyed plenty of successes during a season of unparalleled positivity thus far.

Their acquisitions have been shrewd, decisive and instantly impactful, tying together a team that had threatened to challenge without actually reaching the lofty heights they aspired to.

However, with just nine games left for the Gunners to play, the Premier League title is firmly theirs to lose.

This turnaround from Champions League omission in the league to chasing the elite honours has been startling, yet made far easier by their direct rivals Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola seemed more than happy to allow Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to move to the Emirates, deemed surplus to requirements at the Etihad.

However, it was these sales that allowed Mikel Arteta to finish off his masterful philosophy, putting it into full effect. With eight points separating the two sides, it is clearly bearing fruit.

How much is Oleksandr Zinchenko worth now?

Having signed for an initial £30m fee, the Ukrainian defender’s exit from Manchester was a surprise one given how favourably Guardiola spoke of him.

The Spaniard had claimed only in 2019 on his player: “Incredible is the only thing I can say. Oleks has showed me the importance and value of being a good guy.

“He is going to have a long career, here (at City) hopefully!”

However, it is now north London where he is truly excelling, with the inverted left-back role proving imperative in the 26-year-old side’s success.

Zinchenko has maintained a 7.02 average rating this season, underpinned by 0.9 key passes and 1.6 tackles per game, alongside an 88% pass accuracy, via Sofascore.

This has led to widespread praise for the 5 foot 9 maestro, with pundit Scott Minto leading the charge by claiming: “Zinchenko, you have to say, I think has been nothing short of sensational.

“He wasn’t a regular under Pep Guardiola, but you can see he’s brought that winning mentality along with Gabriel Jesus as well, but even more so, for me, I think Zinchenko as the leader, I really do. I think he’s been absolutely superb.”

Such is this increased level of prominence within yet another title-chasing team, the value of the creative defender has rocketed too. Football Transfers note an £18m increase from his initial fee already, with the apex of his value sitting at €54.6m (£48m).

To think that he has been at the club for less than a year and already seen such growth is a testament to the quality and consistency of the former Cityzen.

Should Arsenal go on to claim the title, this is a sum only set to soar further.