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Chelsea will take on Liverpool in the opening game of their Premier League season. This is arguably the most mouth-watering clash of the first round of fixtures, with the rivalry heightened by both clubs' joint pursuits of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

It will be Mauricio Pochettino’s first domestic game as the new manager.

Last season, Chelsea endured a dismal season as they finished 12th, only winning six of their 19 home games. They also netted just 38 goals in as many league games, as their dysfunctional and misfiring attack plagued their campaign.

But, it is a new era as Pochettino is armed with a fresh set of players, who have been tasked with wrestling the club back from midtable mediocrity.

What’s the latest Chelsea team news?

The West Londoners will be without summer signing Christopher Nkunku, who could be out until January with a knee injury. Wesley Fofana is also a long-term absentee, whilst the game comes slightly too soon for Benoit Badiashile, who is still recovering from a hamstring issue.

Pochettino has reacted to the massive change that has occurred, preparing the fans for an exciting season, saying: “When change is big people need time to settle at a big club like Chelsea. Now it is about working to create a different vision and for the people to trust in the club again. To get the results and try to play good football for the fans because we are selling entertainment and they come here to enjoy the team.”

In pre-season, one of the brightest Nicolas Jackson, who looks set to be handed his competitive Chelsea debut…

Will Nicolas Jackson start for Chelsea?

The 22-year-old, who has been described as "extraordinary" by Jacek Kulig, featured prominently during Chelsea’s tour of the USA, scoring once and creating three assists in five games, as per Sofascore.

Whilst there is the caveat of it ‘only being pre-season’, the striker demonstrated an electric turn of pace, physical dominance, and an ability to link the midfield and attack – three traits that the Blues desperately lacked last season.

His role as a dynamic and unselfish focal point was displayed in the victory against Brighton last month, in which he deliciously linked up with Mykhailo Mudryk for the second goal and battled in the box to tee up Conor Gallagher for the third.

In the next match against Newcastle, he showcased his blistering pace to latch onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Ian Maatsen, in which he coolly finished the chance.

It was an impressive sign of what could follow and was a replica of the form he displayed at Villareal. Last term, in 26 La Liga appearances, he recorded 16 goal contributions and was the club’s top scorer, as per WhoScored.

As well as this potency, the 6 foot 1 phenom also ranks in the best 21% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for assists per 90, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

Chelsea fans have been dreaming of possessing a consistent and loveable focal point, having been disappointed by a series of underwhelming attackers. With Nkunku and Armando Broja not fit, it leaves the door wide open for Jackson to announce himself to English football and become the new blue-blooded god in West London.

The visiting captain strokes 104 out off a total of 201 for 7

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2017West Indies A keeper Jahmar Hamilton watches Sri Lanka A captain Dhananjaya de Silva hit a six•WICB MediaWest Indies A declared overnight on 364 for 8, and then proceeded to carve through Sri Lanka A on another shortened day of cricket. The only spark for the visitors amid the gloom was captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who stroked 104 off 143. His knock included ten fours and three sixes, and when he was dismissed in the 48th over, the sixth man out, he had 104 off Sri Lanka A’s 181 runs. The next highest scorer on the day for them was Wanindu Hasaranga with 24.The hosts’ bowlers shared the wickets around, with the pace of Sheldon Cottrell and Keon Joseph and the legspin of Damion Jacobs accounting for two each. Offspin-bowling allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall also chipped in with the wicket of Hasaranga as Sri Lanka A slipped to 201 for 7 in 53 overs, still 163 away from drawing level with their opponents.

Tamil Nadu power ahead against Odisha while current group toppers Andhra ride on DB Prasanth’s century versus Tripura

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2017M Vijay’s 21st first-class ton and his century-stands with N Jagadeesan and Baba Indrajith took Tamil Nadu to 292 for 3 against Odisha on the opening day in Cuttack.Having elected to bat first, Tamil Nadu lost opener Abhinav Mukund early to a run out. Vijay battled through to add 145 for the second wicket with Jagadeesan, who contributed 88, before Govinda Poddar sent back the wicketkeeper. Tamil Nadu didn’t let the momentum slip as Vijay then found an ally in Indrajith. Vijay was set on 140 before being caught and bowled by fast bowler Suryakant Pradhan late in the day. Indrajith (41*) and Vijay Shankar (8*) were set to resume batting on the second day.DB Prasanth’s unbeaten 120 lifted Andhra, the current group toppers, to 252 for 2 at stumps as the visitors started strongly against Tripura in Agartala. Andhra, put in to bat first, lost opener KS Bharat early for 18. This brought Prasanth together with Hanuma Vihari (62*) as the pair put on 108 for the second-wicket. Vihari, the captain, was dismissed post lunch, following which Prashant put up a century-stand with Ricky Bhui (49*).

Arsenal may choose to reignite their interest in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba this summer on one major condition, a new report has now revealed.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Prior to his side's 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, Mikel Arteta was not planning to make any more signings this summer, but the manager may now be forced to re-enter the market for a new defender.

Sporting director Edu is open to signing Joao Cancelo, although that may be a difficult deal to orchestrate, as the Manchester City full-back has already agreed personal terms with Barcelona, and the Citizens may not be willing to negotiate with a rival.

Read The Latest Arsenal Transfer News HERE

Leicester City's Timothy Castagne and Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters are also named as potential options, although The Athletic's James McNicholas has suggested Arteta may be better off giving one of his current right-back's a chance, saying:

“At right-back, we’ve got [Takehiro] Tomiyasu, we’ve got Ben White.

“Beyond that, we do still have Cedric Soares and we’ve got Reuell Walters in the squad. No talk about a loan move for him so he could be an emergency candidate if required. Very highly-rated, lots of ability, could this be the opening that gives him a chance to impress potentially in the cup competitions?”

Not only will Arteta have to start thinking about how to replace Timber, but the manager may also be tasked with bringing in a new centre-back, with The Daily Express reporting that Gabriel Magalhaes is being lined up for a big-money move to Saudi Arabia.

Arsenal have no plans to sell the centre-back, despite him being left out of the squad that took out on Forest, but if he does move on, then Arteta has a couple of targets in mind.

Tapsoba and Marc Guehi are likely to feature near the top of any defensive shortlist, should Gabriel leave in the next two weeks, with the former being named as a target for the Gunners way back in May.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

The 24-year-old has been a key player for Leverkusen over the past few seasons, with some of his best performances coming in the 2020-21 campaign, averaging a Sofascore match rating of 7.17 in the Bundesliga, the second-highest in the squad.

It is fair to say the Burkina Faso international did not let his new club down after joining from Vitoria Guimaraes, with former Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller praising him for his "really big potential" and calling him "dangerous in front of goal" upon his arrival.

The £37k-per-week centre-back is always looking to drive the ball forward, ranking in the 95th percentile for progressive carries, and the 93rd for successful take-ons compared to his positional peers, but the hope will be that he is not a necessary signing.

Arsenal will not want Gabriel to leave this summer, considering he was a key member of the team last season, appearing in every single Premier League game, however Tapsoba could be a good replacement if the Brazilian is tempted by a move to Saudi Arabia.

Tim Seifert’s century set up a massive first-innings score of 456 before Ish Sodhi chipped away at Otago to return a match haul of nine wickets, including a five-for on the final day

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2017A century from opener Brad Wilson and fifties from Shawn Hicks and Anaru Kitchen were in vain as Otago suffered a 25-run defeat against Northern Districts in their pursuit of 344. The key performer for Northern Districts, in their first win of the tournament this season, was legspinner Ish Sodhi, who finished with nine wickets in the match, including a five-for in the second innings.Otago had resumed on the fourth morning at 15 for 0, and two early strikes by Sodhi reduced them to 47 for 3. A 142-run fourth-wicket partnership between Wilson and Hicks revived Otago but Sodhi and Anton Devcich quashed any chances Otago may have had with a series of quick wickets. The batting side went from 189 for 3 to 205 for 7, with Devcich claiming the big wickets of Hicks and Wilson, who had compiled 111 off 228 balls. The remaining 139 runs were too much for Otago’s tail-enders, despite a 62-run partnership between Kitchen (69 not out off 91 balls) and Nathan Smith.Earlier in the match, Sodhi’s 4 for 75 had complemented fast bowler Brent Arnel’s 5 for 76, as Northern Districts dismissed Otago for 248 to take a 208-run first-innings lead. Otago batsmen got starts, with Hamish Rutherford (67) and Derek de Boorder (55) going on to make fifties, but Northern Districts kept the pressure by not allowing partnerships to flourish.The 208-run lead meant that Northern Districts held an edge in the match, despite a second-innings batting collapse that saw them declare their innings at 135 for 9. Only three batsmen made a score in excess of 20, while the nine wickets were picked up by fast bowler Jacob Duffy (5-49) and left-arm wristspinner Michael Rippon (4-30).Northern Districts’ first-innings batting display was far more dominant, despite a middle-order stutter. Their score of 456 was underpinned by wicketkeeper Tim Seifert’s third first-class hundred – an unbeaten 167 that lifted the side from 198 for 5. Seifert had support from Daryl Mitchell (60) and shared a seventh-wicket stand of 116 with Ish Sodhi (48), before he took the lead in a tenth-wicket stand of 57 that took the side past 450.

How will the likes of Ariful Haque, Abu Jayed and Jofra Archer stand up against Chris Gayle, Mashrafe Mortaza and Brendon McCullum

Mohammad Isam07-Dec-2017Big PictureThe first knockout game in this year’s BPL brings with it two questions. Will Rangpur Riders’ star players stand up? And will Khulna Titans’ idea of banking on their young talent pay off?Led by Mahmudullah, with several other upcoming Bangladesh players in the mix, Khulna earned a third-place finish at the end of the league stage. Carlos Brathwaite, their biggest overseas purchase, has been unparalleled in hitting power and has also sniped out crucial wickets with his medium-pacers. Jofra Archer, the 22-year old fast bowler from Barbados, has been a revelation as well while Abu Jayed, Ariful Haque and Nazmul Hossain Shanto, too, have chipped in with handy performances. Khulna have been especially effective in the last five overs, whether it was Brathwaite and Ariful conjuring sixes out of thin air – they hit six in 16 deliveries against Chittagong Vikings – or Archer and Shafiul unsettling the opposition with accurate yorkers.Rangpur, meanwhile, would be expecting a big knock from Chris Gayle and/or Brendon McCullum having waited the entire tournament for one. Ravi Bopara has been a steady source of runs though and they have a proven performer in Lasith Malinga to lead the bowling attack. Sohag Gazi’s offspin can be useful as well, and their captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been excellent with both bat and all.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)Rangpur Riders: LWLWW
Khulna Titans: WLLWWIn the spotlightIn 11 innings in his first BPL, Brathwaite boasts a strike-rate of 178.57 and has 18 sixes to his name. He has also picked up five wickets, but it is his end-overs brutality that has steered Khulna to victory on several occasions. A similar show in the knockout game could propel his side closer to the title.Among all their superstars, Mashrafe has stood out with his effective bowling (13 wickets), big-hitting (152.32 strike-rate) – and albeit its being sporadic – safe fielding. He is also known for his no-nonsense leadership and likes to take responsibility when a big game goes down to the wire.Team newsRangpur are not short of firepower in the top order, but the middle doesn’t look quite as threatening. They will hope contributions from Mashrafe and Gazi can paper over that issue.Rangpur Riders (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Ziaur Rahman, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Mohammad Mithun (wk), 5 Ravi Bopara, 6 Nahidul Islam, 7 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 8 Sohag Gazi, 9 Nazmul Islam, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Isuru UdanaJunaid Khan’s injury was a big blow but Khulna still have enough firepower in their pace attack to keep Rangpur in check.Khulna Titans (probable): 1 Michael Klinger, 2 Nazmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Afif Hossain, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Ariful Haque, 7 Carlos Brathwaite, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Mohammad Irfan, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Abu JayedPitch and conditionsThe Mirpur pitches have been roundly criticised since the tournament moved back to Dhaka from Chittagong, and it is likely to remain two-paced. The weather is set fair on Friday.Stats and triviaJayed may be Khulna’s highest wicket-taker with 18 this season but, among bowlers who’ve bowled six overs or more, he also has the worst economy-rate (9.05).The Gayle-McCullum opening combination for Rangpur was touted to be the highlight of the BPL. However, having failed to make an impact in five innings, they were separated. Gayle and Ziaur Rahman have opened thrice thereafter, never lasting more than 2.3 overs.

Nottingham Forest have been linked to a Serie A midfielder according to recent reports, as Steve Cooper eyes further reinforcements in the middle of the park this summer.

The Welshman and his side are underway to a convincing start, claiming their first three points of the season at the City Ground during game week two, beating Sheffield United late on in a 2-1 thriller.

Despite recruiting strongly already in the transfer market through the arrivals of Ola Aina, Matt Turner, Anthony Elanga and the permanent deal of Chris Wood, the Reds are reported to be on the prowl for a new midfielder.

Who could Nottingham Forest sign this summer?

It’s clear to see just where Cooper envisions his next signing to play, with the club linked to a host of central midfield talent in recent weeks.

Reported interest in Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez, Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana and Benfica’s Florentino Luiz has circulated, however another name has emerged this week.

As reported by journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Forest have approached to sign Bologna midfielder Nicolas Dominguez, who has a speculated price tag of €10m (£9m).

Merlo relayed that both the Reds and Galatasaray have “made offers to buy” the player, and are “bidding” to capture his signature this summer.

How good is Nicolas Dominguez?

Deployed in both central and deeper in defensive midfield, the 25-year-old has been lauded as being a presence that “loves a challenge” by South American football expert Nathan Joyes.

Such praise is supported by his monstrous average of 3.13 tackles per 90 over the past year, which has ranked him in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in that area, via FBref.

The Argentine won an average of 5.6 total duels per game last season in Serie A for Bologna, once more solidifying just how much of a protective cog he could be in Cooper’s engine room.

One player in particular that could benefit from the Velez Sarsfield gem’s potential arrival is fellow midfielder Danilo, who has impressed greatly since arriving at the City Ground in January.

Taking to Twitter, one Forest fan commented on the Brazilian’s positioning deeper in the midfield as being a waste of his “amazing talent” in impacting a game further forward, which highlights just how much of a revelation Dominguez could be on the 22-year-old.

The Bologna machine could be the anchor in midfield, which would allow Cooper to hand Danilo a more advanced role, with the assurance that the Argentine could hold the fort in the pivot.

Averaging 6.15 progressive passes and 1.41 key passes per 90 for the Italian outfit last term via FBref, the 25-year-old could be the perfect link to unleashing Forest’s January arrival further up-field, with him having the passing ability to transition play.

Asserting himself as one of the better combative midfielders in Europe, Dominguez could be the ideal acquisition for the Tricky Trees to chase, with him being a more cost-effective and equally as impressive target to others the club are speculated to have eyed.

With Galatasaray also monitoring the Serie A sensation, Cooper must strike fast if he is to secure the impressive talent’s signature before the end of the window.

West Ham United will be buoyed by their excellent start to the 2023/24 Premier League season and David Moyes will be hoping it sets his side up for another push towards success this term.

Seven points from nine and seven goals scored while conceding only three is a big improvement on their start to last season, where they lost their first three matches without scoring.

Moyes looks to have a tighter squad this time around and the key will be to balance a hectic schedule up to Christmas which will include both domestic and European matches.

Will this see the Scot delve back into the transfer market in order to add some more strength in depth before the window closes at the end of this week?

Who could West Ham United sign?

The Irons are looking to make another swoop for Conor Gallagher according to Football Insider while Moyes is also aiming to bolster his attacking options by potentially making a move for AFC Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke.

The club sent scouts to watch the player in action for the Cherries on Saturday as per the same publication as they continue to keep tabs on him ahead of making a potential move before Friday's' deadline.

FI have also stated that West Ham submitted a bid in the region of £35m-£40m last week, and it now appears as though it is a waiting game as they strive to replace Gianluca Scamacca.

How much did West Ham sell Scamacca for?

Moyes sold the Italian frontman this summer following just one year at the London Stadium, recording a loss in the process.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Scamacca joined the Irons for a fee believed to be around £35.5m but then ended up being sold to Atalanta in a £27m deal, a move that has left the club short of attacking options.

The forward scored just eight goals across 27 matches for the Premier League side and never fully settled in London, failing to demonstrate his true talents following his big-money move.

How good is Dominic Solanke?

Solanke could be an ideal replacement, however, especially with his prior experience in the top two divisions.

He has registered 84 goal contributions – 62 goals and 22 assists – in the Premier League and the Championship while winning the former competition during his spell at Anfield.

Having failed to really get a proper chance to showcase his skills on Merseyside, Solanke has developed into a decent striker who certainly knows where the goal is while also creating chances for others.

Last season, the 25-year-old ranked first across the squad for goals and assists (13), shots on target per game (0.9) and big chances created (six), displaying his all-round qualities.

These figures would have ranked him first, first and second across the West Ham squad in the league for the same attacking metrics, and it clearly suggests he’d be an ideal signing for Moyes.

Gary O’Neil, who was his manager at Bournemouth for the majority of last season, praised the player not long after taking charge of the club.

"He's a dream as a centre-forward,” he said. "I think sometimes his work can go unnoticed, because it's difficult to score goals at this level.

"But I'm so pleased he gets his goal, because you ask him to press, he presses, you ask him to do stuff in possession, he does it. He literally does everything he can.

"He's probably the hardest-working centre-forward I've ever seen, and I'm delighted he's put a goal on the end of it.”

High praise indeed for the £50k-per-week gem and with Moyes aiming to add to his squad, Solanke could certainly offer something different to what he already has available at his disposal.

The ICC has laid out three charges against Rajan Nayar, including offering a player cash to improperly influence play in an international match

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2018Rajan Nayar, a Zimbabwe domestic cricket official, has been charged with breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code on three counts, including offering a player cash to improperly influence an international match. Nayar is the treasurer and marketing director of the Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA), the association that runs league cricket in Harare and oversees domestic franchise the Mashonaland Eagles.He has been charged with breaching Article 2.1.1 of the ICC’s code (being party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of an international match or matches) and offering a player US$30,000 for the same. Subsequently, he has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect from his roles at the HMCA.ESPNcricinfo understands that Nayar was the man who had approached Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer in October last year with an offer to engage in corrupt activities. When the Cremer news was reported, an ICC spokesperson had confirmed that an Anti-Corruption Unit investigation was “ongoing in Zimbabwe”.At the time, the Cremer incident was the second time in two months that news had emerged of a corrupt approach made to an international captain. Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, also reported an allegedly corrupt approach in October. Also, days later, senior Indian curator Pandurang Salgaoncar was dismissed by the BCCI for “malpractice” after a sting operation by a TV channel produced footage of him talking to reporters allegedly posing as bookies about the Pune pitch ahead of an ODI between India and New Zealand.Nayar is an official who is well known to players, a number of whom have expressed surprise that he has been implicated in such an investigation. He has 14 days, starting from 16 January, to respond to the charges.

India’s much-awaited new annual contracts are a departure from last year’s attempts to keep Test specialists in the top category

Sidharth Monga07-Mar-2018India’s much-awaited new annual contracts – for a period between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 – include a new A+ category for those who play international cricket in all formats, and a big pay hike for almost every contracted player. The new category carries a retainer of INR 7 crore (approximately USD 1 million); the previous highest grade was less than a third of that. Retainers in the lower grades went up similarly.The number of contracted players is now down to 26, with a new A+ category created•ESPNcricinfo LtdHowever, the contracts were a departure from last year’s attempts to keep Test specialists among the top tier earners. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, fixtures in India’s limited-overs sides but always fighting for a spot in the Tests, made it to the newly introduced A+ category alongside captain Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. However, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane found themselves in the A category after having been among the best paid Indian cricketers last year.M Vijay, too, previously in the top category, found himself in the second-best group. There was also acknowledgement that MS Dhoni doesn’t play enough cricket to merit the top category he had retained last year. However, their retainer still went up from INR 2 crore (USD 300,000 approx) last year to INR 5 crore (USD 770,000 approx).India’s all-format stars are the biggest gainers in the latest contract system•ESPNcricinfo LtdDhawan’s salary has increased by 1300% from last year, Rohit’s by 600%, but Rahane’s by only 150%. The dramatic increase in the scale is the result of constant negotiations between the players and the board after players expressed displeasure at their retainers when compared to those of their peers in other countries such as Australia and England.The BCCI has also trimmed the contract list from 32 to 26. Kuldeep Yadav, who helped India win his debut Test, in Dharamsala, and also formed a formidable spin partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal in limited-overs cricket, was a notable new face. He joined Chahal in category B, which carries a retainer of INR 3 crore (approximately USD 460,000). Chahal jumped from C to B, giving him a six-fold increase. Apart from Rahane, Hardik Pandya, the allrounder, is the only all-format player not in the top category. He too went from Grade C to B.Kedar Jadhav, almost a certainty in the ODI line-up when fit, drew Grade C. Dinesh Karthik, who made a comeback into both the limited-overs sides, and Suresh Raina, whose return was restricted to T20Is, both got a contract. Karthik got Grade B, and Raina C.ESPNcricinfo LtdFor the first time since 2015, the women’s pay scale has been updated following a stellar performance in the World Cup last year. The top category went from INR 15,00,000 (approximately USD 23,000) to INR 50,00,000 (USD 92,000). Grade B increased three-fold from INR 10,00,000 (USD 15,000) and a new category of INR 10,00,000 was introduced. Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Harmanpreet Kaur retained their Grade A contracts, and were joined by Smriti Mandhana who jumped up from Grade B. Mumbai’s new batting sensation Jemimah Rodrigues joined Mona Meshram and Punam Raut among others in Grade C.The Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators (CoA) said provisions were made to safeguard these retainers even if the BCCI profits go down. “The CoA recognises that the actual income of the BCCI fluctuates on an annual basis depending on the number of home matches Team India (Senior Men) plays,” a BCCI release said. “Hence, to insulate the player compensation, the CoA has sanctioned the creation of a “Players Revenue / Compensation Equalization Fund” (PR/CEF) to which the BCCI will contribute approximately INR 125 Cr per annum from its surplus.”