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Leicester City are in a fight at the bottom of the table. In many ways, that’s a good thing from their point of view, as they’ve occupied bottom spot for most of the season, and they’ve not really looked like leaving it.

But vitally they’re still in touch, and last weekend’s win over West Ham – as well as the fighting performance in the 4-3 defeat away to Tottenham – will give the Foxes hope of staying up. And it’s fighting performances that will do it.

They currently sit six points from safety – Six points from Hull in 17th and seven points from Aston Villa in 16th – but Leicester have two games in hand. They have one game in hand over most of the league, but with Villa and QPR playing out a pulsating 3-3 draw in midweek those two teams have played more than the rest.

The problem for Leicester is that their own game in hand is against Chelsea.

The Foxes may have been hoping that Chelsea would have already won the league by that point and would have their flip-flops on, but that doesn’t look like being the case. Chelsea haven’t been in the best of form themselves, and they have crunch games against Arsenal, Man United and Liverpool to negotiate. So it looks like the Leicester game will be important for them.

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Leicester can ill-afford to write off games at this stage, they need all the points they can get. But the Chelsea game is only one game, they have other fixtures. The fixtures they do have are not easy but, if they want to stay up, most of those games are ones they would be marking down for potential points. 

Chelsea aside, Leicester face Southampton, Newcastle and Swansea at home – not easy games, especially when you’re at the bottom. And the trip to the Hawthorns at the weekend is a tough fixture, too. They might fancy their chances of nicking points against these teams though. The odd win and draw, especially the home games, shouldn’t be out of the question.

But that makes only five of their eight remaining games. The other three are probably more important. They are real ‘six-pointers’ away to Burnley and Sunderland and at home to QPR on the final day. Sunderland on the penultimate matchday, and then QPR the following week look like huge games for the Foxes, but they have to make sure they are still in touch by the time these games come around.

That means doing something they haven’t always done this season – battling hard.

I don’t mean that the players haven’t been putting in the effort – in fact, they’ve tried harder than most. But Leicester have won only five games all season and drawn seven. 11 of their 18 defeats have been by one goal, and turning even some of these defeats into draws would have made their position much, much better. As it is, even four wins from these eight games might still not be enough to save them.

But if they do manage to win the big games against those around them, and if they do manage to pick up some battling points against the bigger teams in those other fixtures, then that might be enough to save them.

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The season now is all about how many points they can accumulate. It might be too late to completely write off games that they can’t win, but it’s not so late that draws aren’t a good enough result. Keeping the points tally ticking over is the best thing Leicester can do now, and scrambling draws are much better than valiant defeats. More valuable to the club at any rate – not just in terms of their points accrued stats, but also in terms of their bank balance. Relegation is a costly business. 

The Foxes are in a dogfight, but that’s right where they want to be. But the thing about dogfights is that you battle hard and you take every little edge that you get. In the run-in, if they can draw some of the games that earlier in the season would have ended in defeat then the Foxes might just be able to emerge from the the dogfight this season, ready to do it all over again next year.

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Winger Matthew Etherington could boost Stoke by shaking off a back injury in time for Saturday’s huge home clash against Aston Villa.

Potters assistant boss Dave Kemp confirmed the player pulled up with a back strain in training which resulted in him missing last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park.

However, Etherington has improved this week and Kemp is hoping he will be available to make his 350th league start in what is being billed as a relegation six-pointer against third-bottom Villa, who are four points behind the Potters.

Speaking of Etherington’s chances of featuring and his importance to the team, Kemp told the Sentinel: “Matty’s been great for us ever since he signed along with James Beattie in that first season we were in the Premier League.

“Both were very important signings for us. James Beattie has moved on, but Matty’s stayed and become a really important part of our team. We miss him when he’s not playing.

“He was training okay before the Everton game, but then pulled up with a strain.

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“It’s related to his back and we have to manage the problem until the end of the season, when he will be able to rest and be 100 per cent recovered.”

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According to The Mirror, West Bromwich Albion centre-back Jonny Evans is ready to snub interest from Arsenal in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Evans was strongly linked with a move away from West Brom last summer and again in January, but ultimately remained with the Baggies.

It is understood that the centre-back can leave the Hawthorns for £3m this summer if, as expected, West Brom are relegated from the Premier League.

According to The Mirror, Arsenal are still interested in Evans, but the Northern Ireland international is not overly keen on relocating to London, and will therefore reject interest from the Gunners to hold out for a move to Manchester City.

Arsenal are expected to be in the market for at least one new defender this summer, and it would be a surprise if Evans turned down the chance to join the Europa League semi-finalists despite reports suggesting that he is not too keen.

Should Arsenal push for Evans?

If Evans is really not fussed about making the move to Arsenal then it is unlikely that the London club will follow up on their interest.

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After all, Arsenal are Arsenal, and Evans will be facing the prospect if playing Championship football next season if he does not secure a new club.

For £3m, the deal is an absolute no-brainer. West Brom have had a poor season, but Evans has again been consistent, and the defender showed incredible promise at Manchester United before leaving due to concerns over first-team football.

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Now 30, Evans, who has also been linked with West Ham United, has proven himself in the Premier League, and would be the perfect player to boost Arsenal’s options in the centre of the defence.

It is promising to be a transfer scramble for Evans at the end of the season, and despite the latest reports, it would be a shock if the defender had ruled out a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsene Wenger – the main man down at Arsenal for nearly 20 years now – is undeniably one of the best managers the English game has ever seen. Even if his team’s most recent exploits fail to shine the classy Frenchman in his most successful light, the 65-year-old brings with him a wealth of trophy-winning experience, as well as a priceless reputation for playing entertaining football.

The Gunners have been transformed during Wenger’s tenure at the North London club, from the ‘boring, boring Arsenal’ team of old, to the notorious ‘Invincibles’ that took the nation by storm in 2003/04.

In light of Arsenal’s long-term manager approaching such a milestone with the club, just how well does Le Professeur compare with his contemporaries in English football, and to what extent does Arsene Wenger truly deserve to be crowned the best manager the Premier League has ever seen?

Such a topic inevitably becomes a tit-for-tat argument, with most fans of top four clubs suggesting that their own coach deserves the credit above anyone else. No one could truly say that one individual manager is simply untouchable, for they all bring their own set of skills and abilities, as well as some inevitable shortcomings.

The case for Arsene Wenger however remains a convincing one. The former Monaco man has not only proved his worth when it comes to winning trophies – in spite of Jose Mourinho’s claims that he is a ‘specialist in failure’ – but the animated French boss has also been able to achieve such a legacy in a generally positive and captivating manner.

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Yes – the current Arsenal team of 2014/15 simply doesn’t live up to the Gunners sides of old, and yes, Wenger may very well be approaching the end of his time as a successful Premier League coach these days – but when you consider the calibre of players he has discovered and subsequently introduced into the English game – there really can only be one winner in this argument.

The likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, Cesc Fabregas and so on… have made the Premier League into what many consider the best domestic competition in the whole of Europe. Other English giants have obviously contributed a great deal in this department as well, but as Wenger is simply the master of finding raw talents and turning them into world renowned superstars, the Frenchman simply deserves the most credit – even if some of these foreign ventures have spelt the end for several Englishman trying to tie down first team places in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho may have governed over some of the league’s best talents throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, he has proven to have a knack for gamesmanship in press conferences and post-match interviews, and he may even provide the Premier League with its stand-out character in the dug-out at the moment – but without the many millions handed down to him from Chelsea’s Russian ownership – the ever enigmatic Portuguese boss simply wouldn’t have been able to have the same impact in the slightest.

Anyone can rinse Europe’s very best talent with the financial power Mourinho has been able to call upon throughout his time in the Premier League. It takes a truly special manager to source his own gems from obscure teams across the continent and build them into some of the world’s greatest – and as of yet – Mourinho just hasn’t proved capable of such a feat on a consistent enough level.

One manager who may therefore be able to challenge Wenger as the Premier League’s best would be Sir Alex Ferguson. The former Old Trafford man not only turned Manchester United into one of the most formidable English outfits at the time, but he also went about his business by investing his efforts in youth team players, and eventually seeing them grow into some of the best performers of the modern era.

Sir Alex nevertheless failed to reach the same levels of entertainment as the current Arsenal boss, relying instead on a meaner, more intimidating brand of football.  The rest of England would be lying if they said that they didn’t enjoy watching the Frenchman’s Arsenal team of old, but the same seemingly can’t be said of the opposing Man United side under an authoritative Ferguson at the time.

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While such a debate will seemingly rage on, the overall outcome would simply have to place Arsene Wenger as the best Premier League manager of the modern era – regardless of where you footballing loyalties happen to lie.

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Thierry Henry has declared that he hopes to return to Arsenal in the future.

The Frenchman enjoyed a successful stint with the Gunners between 1999 and 2007, winning two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.

He left the club to join Barcelona before eventually moving MLS club New York Red Bulls, where he is still playing at the age of 35.

Since being in America, he has re-joined Arsenal on loan in 2012, and was expected to repeat the move earlier this winter.

Despite failing to secure a move back to the Emirates Stadium last month, Henry is still hopeful that he will spend a third spell with the club once his time in New York ends:

“All I know is that I will be involved in the game for sure and hopefully be involved with Arsenal because that is the heart talking there, that’s the team that I support. Forget about me as a player, that’s the team I support.” He is quoted by the Daily Mail.

“In any type or shape, if I can go back to the club I would love to do it, but it’s not up to me. That would be a desire, more a desire than something that can be officialised, I still have two years playing here and then I will see.

“But I would definitely love to be back with Arsenal.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has come in for criticism this season, with his side performing below expectations.

Henry is saddened by the treatment his former boss is receiving, and believes that his past glories should be appreciated to a greater extent by the fans:

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“When you don’t win people are always going to question your work, your legacy and what you did before. It is sad somehow but that is the way the game is. What are you going to do?”

“For me, it is difficult to hear, difficult to see, but for me the boss will always be Arsene – always great for me and I know what he has done for the club.”

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Manchester City have looked imperious for much of the season and could clinch the Premier League title on Saturday but Liverpool blew them apart 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Many expected the Champions League quarter-final between the pair to contain plenty of goals but they were all one way in the first half of a match that may go down among the all-time Anfield European classics.

Pep Guardiola took a tactical gamble by bringing in Ilkay Gundogan for Raheem Sterling to add an extra body in midfield but it didn’t pay off as City were still powerless to prevent the Red tide pouring through.

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As City fans licked their wounds following a chastening night, they were greeted by the sight of a cheesy and embarrassing linkup with dating app Tinder.

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A branded blimp flew over Manchester, adorned in sky blue but, as you might expect, it has drawn no shortage of ridicule. We’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction from Liverpool fans…

Aston Villa’s inability to score goals this season has been nothing short of appalling.

The fact that Bournemouth scored more goals in one game in Birmingham this season – an 8-0 win at St.Andrews in October- than Lambert’s side have managed in their 11 home Premier League games this campaign speaks volumes on just how inept this team are at putting the ball in the onion sack.

You have to feel sympathy for the loyal Villa supporters who have to put up with this every week. From a fan’s perspective, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing your team score goals on a frequent basis. It would be far more pleasing to lose 2-3 or 4-5 as opposed to these regular 0-1s that provide no aesthetic spark for the desperate watching eye.

Villa have now scored 11 in total in 23, which is the worst goals-per-game ratio of any team in Europe’s top five league or any of the 649 teams in all of England. If they dare continue at this rate, they’ll break the record for the fewest number of goals scored in a Premier League season. Their October Goal of the Month was cancelled due to the fact they scored no goals. Alan Pardew has seen his Cystral Palace side score more goals than Paul Lambert has. It’s ludicrous.

So where does the blame lie?

The biggest point of interest lies in there midfield, where Tom Cleverley, Carlos Sanchez, Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood exert no playmaking authority on the game. They’re all players of a pretty similar mould- midfield screeners if you will. Competent at holding shape and keeping possession, but more reliant on someone with more invention and initiative to find the killer pass. They’re not specialists in any sense- not great creators or nor hounding destroyers, more competent team players who contribute to the side’s overall pattern.

Carlos Sanchez’s New Yar’s Day performance against Crystal Palace summarises what this category of players offers. He recorded the most passes (117) and touches (133) by an Aston Villa player in a Premier League game since the start of the 2003/04 season- but nearly all of those passes were lateral as opposed to vertical. Ultimately, he offered nothing, except a midfield screening and some possession.

It means that Villa look fairly good in defence, compact in shape, and effective at maintaining possession, but there’s zero midfield pentetration and a fundamental lack of guile. A 4-3-3 as sterile as this cries out for a designated playmaker as a number 10 and a general switch to a 4-2-3-1, but Villa don’t possess a man of that craft.

Some blame lies with Christian Benteke, who’s gradually regressed since his groundbreaking-19-goal debut season two years ago. Whilst lacking clear-cut-chances (he has had chances, but he’s not missing sitters) from those around him, he’s actually averaging more shots than he did in his last two seasons. Unfortunately his shot accuracy has plummeted to 37.5%.It would be unfair to blame one person on their team’s general shortcomings, and his lengthy injury in 2014 explains why he’s not the player he once was.

Villa’s inability to convert from set pieces is the final nail in the goal-drought coffin. Chris Hughton’s Norwich or a Tony Pulis Stoke became very reliant in previous years by nicking a header from a corner in tight low scoring games. Villa have managed just three goals from set pieces, which means their more reliant than ever to score from open play.

It’s difficult to predict where Villa are heading. They’ve been floating in the realms of mid-table mediocrity for a while now, devoid of inspiration from a highly unpopular chairman, shackled by the terms of their ongoing financial plight.

That trend looks set to continue – their defensive record is good enough to see them probably edge to safety again this season. Perhaps, cynically, relegation would galvanize the club for a new dawn. Would scoring goals in a successful Championship team be better than this?

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You should be careful what you wish for, but if their impotency continues long into the future, perhaps, perversely, several steps back may become the way forward.

Jack Wilshere has put in some of the most inspired performances over the past few weeks for Arsenal. It’s the drive more than just the flashiness that’s also needed in abundance at the Emirates. He looks like a player who wants to win, one who feels as much hurt as the supporters do when lacklustre and unimaginative attitudes are the best the rest of his team-mates can muster. The captain’s armband for Wilshere at Arsenal is inevitable, but should it be rushed?

It’s symbolic, just as it is to see a player like Carl Jenkinson in the first-team, who is more deserving of a place in the starting XI than his senior counterpart. Two players who live for the Arsenal; two who were brought up with the values of the club and understand its traditions. Wilshere, the finest product any of us have seen from the Arsenal academy since Arsene Wenger took over; Jenkinson, the youngster who grew up on the terraces and who received that rare shot in life to represent his club.

Supporters want that blend of foreign imports who conjure spectacular moments of brilliance on the pitch and the links to something a little closer to home. It’s the brightest light in the tunnel of uncertainty that Wilshere has that right mix of both characteristics. Wilshere is a player of superstar makeup: a product of Ajax, good enough to play for Brazil, able to lock horns with the very best from Barcelona, but undoubtedly a player with Arsenal DNA.

It was slightly moving to see Wilshere relieve Thomas Vermaelen of his captain’s duties, if only for a moment when he took the armband during the win against West Ham. It was a greater feeling of pride than when Cesc Fabregas was named captain. Cesc was as good as anyone to come through the doors at Arsenal, and while he was adored during his time as the talisman of the club, he never really and truly felt like one of Arsenal’s own. That is certainly not the case with Wilshere.

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The thing about the captaincy at Arsenal is that it’s always been seen to be a device for Wenger to hold onto his best players. Fabregas, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie. There’s no rush now. There’s no sense of urgency to keep the best young English midfielder in the country tied down to the club well into the future. Following his announcement that his new contract will run until 2018, Wilshere has shown his commitment, and it’s furthermore a great move from the club to have him sign for that length of time.

But you want to see players like Wilshere liberated and able to play his game without the weight the armband can often bring. It’s not always necessary to make such positions in a team official by handing down the captaincy. There are exceptions, and Wilshere may be the case; whereby young players are given greater responsibility and in turn see their performances rise to the next level.

However, there is also a very real possibility we may see similar outcomes to what happened with Fabregas. And I’m not suggesting Wilshere may grow tired and push for a move to Spain, but what happens when the younger players are asked to do too much, with management neglecting the importance of older figures in the squad?

You only need to look at Dortmund as one of the better examples. Players like Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Mats Hummels are among the leading lights of a majestic generation of German talents. However, they’re all free from that greater level of responsibility and are given license to play the game without the weight of captaincy. Players like Sebastian Kehl and Roman Weidenfeller are indispensable for teams like that, where the larger percentage of the squad is younger talents but where older heads are necessary for guidance on the pitch.

Jack Wilshere needs players like Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski. Fabregas didn’t have that help he needed. It wasn’t for lack of asking either, but for whatever reasons behind the scenes, Arsenal failed to provide necessary and invaluable additions.

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Wilshere will become captain at Arsenal, and it should happen when everything is set up for him to inherit the armband. The last thing the club and the player need is a situation whereby the current captain is stripped of his title midway through the season and the pressure of expectation is heaped on the next in line without much notice.

It’s quite clear to tell how moved supporters are by watching Wilshere at the moment, and his performances are made even more significant due to the difficult period the club are in. But it would be far better to keep it this way, let the player have the freedom to play the game. There is no rush for official titles; Wilshere is already the leader of this team.

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“I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but things [like that are] as a player I cannot control,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2025Ajinkya Rahane, 37, hasn’t played a Test in two years now, but has reiterated his “hunger and passion” for the game and red-ball cricket, even though he has “got no response” from the selectors.”I still want to play Test cricket,” Rahane, currently in London, told Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton in an interview with Sky Sports. “I’m really passionate about playing Test cricket. I’m enjoying my cricket at the moment.”I’m here just for a few days. I carried my trainers and my training clothes so that I can keep myself fit. Our domestic season is starting, so preparations have just begun.”When asked about the challenges of making a comeback, particularly with the team management placing greater emphasis on younger players following the Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Rahane said his focus remains on “controllable things.”New captain Shubman Gill has taken over Kohli’s No. 4 spot, with vice-captain Rishabh Pant slotting in at No. 5. Of the old guard, KL Rahul appears to be the only one still firmly in the selectors’ plans. Despite the stiff competition, Rahane remains unfazed, reaffirming his dedication to domestic cricket as he works toward a comeback.Since losing his Test spot, Rahane has led Mumbai in two straight Ranji Trophy seasons, winning their 42nd title in 2023-24, while they finished runners-up in 2024-25. He was also part of Mumbai’s title-winning Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) squad.Rahane hit 467 runs in 14 innings at an average of 35.92 in the 2024-25 Ranji season, with one fifty and a hundred. He was the highest run-getter for Kolkata Knight Riders during a disappointing IPL 2025, where they finished eighth out of ten teams. Rahane hit 390 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 147.27.”For me, it’s all about focusing on the controllable things,” Rahane said. “Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but things [like that are] as a player I cannot control. I got no response. As a player all I can do is keep playing cricket, keep enjoying the game, give my best each and every time. I love playing Test cricket, love playing red-ball, it’s a passion. The love for the game keeps me going.”

The left-arm bowler wants to bowl the fastest ball in the world

PTI09-Feb-2024India Under-19 seamer Naman Tiwari wants to bowl the fastest ball in the world. The inspiration has come from watching videos of the greats of the game and speaking to Jasprit Bumrah.Left-arm fast bowler Tiwari, who is grabbing headlines in the ongoing Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, has found the tips he received from Bumrah at the NCA in Bengaluru working magic.Tiwari, who comes from Lucknow, has troubled batters with his yorkers and speed, grabbing ten wickets from five games so far, including two four-wicket hauls.Related

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“Bumrah is a source of inspiration for us,” Tiwari told PTI Bhasha on the sidelines of a practice session at Willowmoore Park Stadium. “I watch his bowling videos a lot. I have met him several times at the NCA and talked to him a lot about the mentality and skills of a bowler.”He explained a lot [of things to me], which have been useful. He told me how to bowl accurate yorkers, and I have worked a lot [on that aspect] following his advice. I have to work hard to bring more aggression in my bowling.”I try to learn something from every bowler I like. I try to understand and learn by watching his [Bumrah’s] videos. I like Shoaib Akhtar’s speed, Dale Steyn’s swing and Mitchell Starc’s aggression very much.”Tiwari originally wanted to become a batter but fewer opportunities turned him to bowling.”I started playing cricket as a batsman but I was not getting many chances,” he said. “That’s why I started bowling at an academy in Lucknow. Since I am left-handed, I became a left-arm fast bowler.”His father is an LIC agent and the pressure to focus on academics was immense given his middle-class background. But his heart was in cricket.”Papa always told me to focus on my studies. I was in seventh standard and wanted to play cricket. I asked my father to give me three years’ time to prove myself in cricket. My family is very happy with my success today.”Papa calls me every evening. Seeing them [family] happy makes me feel very good that I did not disappoint them.”Tiwari’s aim is to become a lethal fast bowler and play Test cricket for India.”One day I want to bowl the fastest ball in the world. I also want to play the World Cup with the senior team. But, for now, I have to focus on performance. I want to continuously improve my game because the challenges will be even bigger in the future and I will have to prepare my base to face them.Happy with the team’s performance so far in the Under-19 World Cup, Tiwari said that it was the result of the team effort.”So far, the performance of all the players has been very good. Especially in the semifinals against South Africa, we showed tremendous spirit. I am very happy with the way we are playing and will try to maintain this momentum in the final also.”Although I like all formats, I find Test cricket the most challenging. That’s where the real test of a bowler lies and I want to become a good Test cricketer in the future.”