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Manchester United have now submitted an offer for Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, but it has been knocked back by the Japanese club, with the player himself focussing on representing his country at the 2024 Olympics, according to a report.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

With Andre Onana's arrival now confirmed, Man United have been running the rule over potential back-up options for the Cameroonian, having recently been linked with a £5m move for Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

The Daily Mail report the Red Devils are considering a move for the Turkey international, who could come in as a replacement for either Dean Henderson or Tom Heaton, with the future of both goalkeepers in doubt.

Henderson is due to join Nottingham Forest and Luton Town have offered Tom Heaton the opportunity to start regularly, so a move for Bayindir could make sense, particularly considering the fact that Fenerbahce are expecting him to be sold.

According to reports from Japan (via The Nottingham Post), Man United have made a bid for Suzuki, who is highly-rated in his native country, however it has been turned down by Urawa Red Diamonds, and the player himself has no interest in leaving.

The 20-year-old is fully focussed on representing Japan at the 2024 Olympics, and staying where he is will give him the best opportunity to do that, rather than making the switch to Old Trafford to play second fiddle to Onana.

The Nottingham Post explain that the Red Devils are actively trying to sign a new goalkeeper while Forest try to re-sign Henderson, who left a lasting impression during his loan spell at The City Ground in the 2022-23 campaign.

Who is Zion Suzuki?

The young goalkeeper, who was born in the USA, has been lauded as "one of the most exciting goalkeeping prospects coming out of Japan" by the media, in part due to his "exceptional" passing ability, which has caused him to be compared to Ederson.

The 6 foot 3 colossus has already started to force his way into the starting XI for Urawa Red Diamonds, however he is yet to establish himself as the J1 League side's first choice, having made 29 appearances in all competitions since his debut in 2021.

Given his limited first-team experience, little is known about whether Suzuki would be able to make the step-up to a club the size of Man United, so it is not too disappointing the Red Devils have had an offer rejected, as they still have some other solid targets.

Of course, Onana is likely to be Erik ten Hag's first choice, for large parts of the season, but the aforementioned Bayindir could be a decent alternative option, given that he has represented Turkey five times at international level.

At 25-years-old, the Fenerbahce shot-stopper is a lot more experienced than Suzuki, making a total of 141 first-team appearances for his current club, including 11 in the Europa League, indicating he would be capable of filling in for Onana on occasion.

India captain Mithali Raj has expressed concerns about the lack of opening stands from her batsmen, after they went down against South Africa by 115 runs on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-20172:12

There’s always pressure chasing 270 – Mithali Raj

A lack of strong opening partnerships for India in the Women’s World Cup has become a worrying sign for the team. Captain Mithali Raj said after their 115-run loss in Leicester on Saturday that a strong start is something the team had been looking forward to, especially while chasing 274 against South Africa, as it makes the task easier for the rest of the batting line-up.”Yes, it’s been happening since the West Indies game that the openers have not given us the start that we expect,” Raj said after the match. “The way they (the openers) opened the World Cup campaign for us against England, we were expecting maybe one or two off games but it can’t be four in a row. So that is a worrying factor because whether you bat first or chase, it’s important your top order gives you those runs on the board. I feel that when you are chasing 270 there’s always going to be pressure but you need the opening pair to give us a start so that the batters can take from thereon. Unfortunately, today we didn’t get that.”India’s openers Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana scored 22 and 4 respectively as their partnership was broken in the second over of the chase when Marizanne Kapp had Mandhana caught at deep square leg. Since their dominating partnership of 144 in the first match against England, India’s openers have produced stands of 0 against West Indies, 7 against Pakistan and 21 against Sri Lanka.India’s task of chasing became tougher when South Africa racked up a challenging total of 273 on the back of a blistering 65-ball 92 from opener Lizelle Lee and a steady 57 from captain Dane van Niekerk. India’s decision to bowl was questioned as Lee started hammering sixes – seven in all – against spinners Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma who had troubled oppositions in the last few matches. Leicester, incidentally, is the same ground where England had amassed 377 and Australia had scored a stiff 290, both batting first against Pakistan. However, it is also where South Africa had bundled West Indies for only 48.”We did ask few people here at the ground and they told us that the team that bats second has more percentage wins,” Raj explained after the match. “And our matches with South Africa in the Qualifiers as well as in the Quadrangular Series, we probably have come close to 260, we lost one game though with 10 runs, that also was around 270 target. Considering these aspects, we chose to field first.”I’ve seen the way they have batted and even though they lost a wicket in the early overs, Lee has played exceptionally well for that innings and that is what put them on the track. We did realise that her wicket was important, but I give full credit to her batting because her shots were very clean and she did play one of the best innings I have seen so far in the World Cup against us. The bowlers have done a decent job of holding them in the middle overs, we managed to pull ourselves back into the game and maybe a few shots later in the innings got them to 270.”Dane van Niekerk on Lizelle Lee: “The shots she played was ridiculous and hopefully that form can continue for us”•ICCVan Niekerk, who was named Player of the Match for her half-century and 4 for 22, dedicated her award to team-mate Lee while showering praises on her.”First of all, this goes to Lizelle Lee,” van Niekerk said. “I think she deserves it a lot more than I do. We said if we get more such trophies in the changing room, we have more better days than bad days. I think Lizelle Lee setup the game brilliantly well and I think she deserved a big hundred today. She’s been brilliant, she strikes the ball as clean as anyone in the world and she showed it today. She stuck to her guns and she found her groove and her rhythm and that’s the way she wants to bat and we back that all the way, it came off today. The shots she played was ridiculous and hopefully that form can continue for us.”Lee’s knock had powered South Africa past 125 in 20 overs before they stuttered a bit around the 150-mark. Van Niekerk’s fifty came in handy when she arrived at 160 for 4 in the 28th over and chaperoned the lower order to help them score 70 runs in the last 10 overs.”Yeah, personally [one of my better performances] I guess, especially against a team like India and the form they are in,” she said of her performance. “Coming into this game I thought they were the team to beat, and Australia, so it’s always great to contribute. I just thought of taking it deep, I know my game well enough to say that I can take it away at the back end, struggled a bit, but I stuck to my plans and today it came off.”While I was in there, we hit a bit of a slump and I said, ‘If we can get 250-plus, we have something to bowl at’. We know how good their batting is but if we stick to our lines and lengths…I spent a bit of time there so I kind of got a feel of where the good lines and lengths were and I said to the bowlers, ‘If we hit that consistently well, and we put them under pressure, hopefully it will go our way’.”The only criticism van Niekerk had for her team was for the bowlers, who dismissed India for 158 in 46 overs. She admitted she was being “harsh” on the bowlers, but only because they had taken seven Indian wickets within the first 20 overs, to set up a big win.”I will probably be a bit harsh on my bowlers but I thought we had to get them out a bit earlier, especially having them seven down for 65,” she said. “At the end of the day you don’t want it to go that long but the wicket died down so you can only do so much on a wicket like that.”We said we wanted all three facets of the game firing and we did that today, it wasn’t as clinical as I hoped it would be, but a win is a win. We came here for two points and we got it. Everyone chipped in and it was a brilliant team performance.”India, placed second with eight points, will face Australia and New Zealand in the remaining matches while South Africa, placed fourth with seven points, will take on Sri Lanka and Australia.

West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee has shared some big injury news ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Man City this Saturday.

West Ham vs Man City

David Moyes' side have started the new campaign with real gusto and plenty of promise, even after they sold former superstar Declan Rice to Arsenal for around £105 million.

The loss of Rice was seen as a real worry for West Ham at the time, but so far, the east Londoners have really enjoyed life without their ex-captain.

West Ham are currently unbeaten in the top flight; winning three out of their opening four league games with impressive victories over an in-form Brighton side, big-spending Chelsea and newcomers Luton Town.

The likes of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, after signing in the summer transfer window, have dazzled with their displays so far; doing wonders to replace Rice in Moyes' new-look midfield.

"Fresh from their best start in 24 years, the Hammers can eye impending fixtures at home to Manchester City and away to Liverpool with confidence and much less trepidation," wrote BBC journalist Jon Bradshaw recently.

"Arguably, both are free hits and why shouldn’t they feel capable of getting something from the games, particularly after neutralising Roberto de Zerbi’s freewheeling Albion side at Amex Stadium two weeks ago. Last season it took until 9 October for them to hit 10 points.

"This time, sitting pretty in fourth, West Ham have sent their international players off around the world without any of the frenzy and anxiety of scrabbling for results at the bottom of the table."

Man City, who clinched an historic treble win last season, have begun in equally good fashion; clinching all three points in every single one of their matches so far.

In that time, Pep Guardiola's men have scored the joint-most goals in the league while conceding the fewest – making this West Ham's toughest game of the season to date.

West Ham vs Man City team news

In a boost for Moyes, City legend Kevin De Bruyne will miss the London Stadium bout with a long-term injury; while the likes of Jack Grealish, John Stones and Mateo Kovacic are doubts (Evening Standard).

For West Ham, they could hand a debut to summer singing Konstantinos Mavropanos after the Greek's recovery from a back problem.

Both Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek will apparently be assessed ahead of the game, with club insider ExWHUemployee now sharing a big injury update on Ward-Prowse.

Reports last week indicated he picked up a knock in training, but luckily for West Ham, Ex says that the Englishman is fit and ready to play.

“We can confirm that James Ward Prowse was back in training today and took part fully,” said Ex on The West Ham Way Patreon.

“This will put to bed any fear that he could miss the Manchester City game, assuming no other injuries are picked up between then.”

The former Southampton star has been a mainstay for Moyes since making a switch from the south coast, and he was arguably unlucky to miss out on Gareth Southgate's England squad for this international break.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign with a convincing 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the weekend, with talisman Harry Kane bagging four goals on what could well have been his farewell appearance at N17.

With speculation still rife that the 30-year-old is set to be on his way to German giants, Bayern Munich – despite an agreement having yet to be reached between the two clubs – the England skipper enjoyed a potential perfect send-off with a typically ruthless display in front of goal.

The long-serving centre-forward may not have been the only figure saying his goodbyes during Sunday's clash, however, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also starting in midfield despite reports that the Danish maestro is set to join La Liga side, Atletico Madrid.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

As per Football Insider, the Lilywhites are likely to try and acquire a replacement for the 27-year-old before sanctioning a sale, with manager Ange Postecoglou potentially set to be able to find a perfect option in the form of Hojbjerg's former Southampton teammate, James Ward-Prowse.

How much would Ward-Prowse cost?

According to a recent report from the Daily Star, the north Londoners are potentially ready to hijack West Ham United's move for the England international, with the 28-year-old having been watched by Spurs scouts on numerous occasions at the tail-end of last season.

As per the piece, the Saints are not likely to sell their influential captain 'on the cheap' having already knocked back bids from the Hammers, with the south coast side said to be demanding a fee in the region of £40m.

The Portsmouth-born ace has spent his whole career with his current side and thus is not set to 'push for a transfer', although with Russell Martin's men now plying their trade in the Championship, a move away could be on the cards.

Should Tottenham sign Ward-Prowse?

It would not be the first time that Tottenham have snapped up a stellar talent from Southampton, with chairman Daniel Levy having previously overseen the £10m signing of Gareth Bale from the St Mary's side back in 2007.

While unlike Ward-Prowse, the Welshman was a raw, teenage talent at the time of the move, the explosive forward went on to sparkle over the next few years having made a stellar impact in a Spurs shirt, despite enduring a difficult opening period in which he failed to taste victory in his first 25 Premier League outings.

Having been snapped up following the Saints' failed promotion charge during the 2006/07 campaign, the now-retired superstar would go on to score 72 goals and provide 58 assists in 237 games in all competitions across his two spells at the club, including netting 21 league goals during the 2012/13 season prior to his move to Real Madrid.

One notable trait that the wing wizard mastered during his time at White Hart Lane was his dead-ball brilliance, having memorably scored two free-kicks in the same game in a Europa League clash with Lyon back in February 2013.

That is a gift that is certainly shared by "set-piece master", Ward Prowse – as described by broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos – with the Englishman having scored 17 Premier League free-kicks to date, ranking him just behind David Beckham as the most prolific in that regard in the competition's history.

For Spurs to then be able to have another Bale-esque figure who can conjure up moments of magic in the form of Ward-Prowse would be a truly exciting prospect, with the latter man seemingly a "great fit" for the club, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

With Levy having reaped the rewards of plucking Bale from the south coast in the past, he could look to repeat that masterclass by signing the experienced Ward-Prowse this summer.

Lionel Messi's advert for the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII has been released, which also features NFL legend Dan Marino and Ted Lasso's Jason Sudeikis.

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Messi already a hit in the U.S.Stars in first Super Bowl advertFeatures alongside Marino and SudeikisWHAT HAPPENED?

It was announced late last month that the Inter Miami superstar would be making his bow on American TV screens in an advertisement for Michelob ULTRA Beer. A snippet released earlier this week showed that Ted Lasso himself Sudeikis would be joining Messi, with the full-length video also showing Marino's cameo on a glitzy yacht.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi's inclusion in arguably America's showcase sporting event of the year demonstrates his seamless transition to life in the States. Since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, fans up and down the country have gone crazy for the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. 'Messi mania' even led to Inter Miami shooting up the MLS rankings in terms of club value, which will no doubt take another boost after this latest ad appearance.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Away from the big screen, a friendly date awaits the mercurial Argentina against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr later on Thursday – but the Portuguese won't be in attendance due to injury. Football fans far and wide have been deprived of the opportunity to see the eternal rivals face off one last time following Ronaldo's late withdrawal. Messi, who has played Miami's last three games, could still feature.

Glasgow Rangers secured qualification through to the Champions League playoff round, however, it wasn’t a performance which will inspire much hope for the future.

Michael Beale’s side laboured during the 1-1 draw against Servette and repeating last year's aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven looks like a daunting task.

With a mixed start to their 2023/24 Premiership campaign, the Gers need to click into gear as soon as possible and Beale will be aiming to bring in another player or two before the transfer window shuts.

With this in mind, the manager is currently showing interest in a young talent who is shining South of the border…

Who else could Rangers sign?

The Light Blues have been linked with a few defenders as of late, with Harry Souttar and Jake Cooper being touted for potential moves to Scotland.

A new name has emerged recently.

According to Football Scotland, Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards is being eyed by the Gers for a potential swoop before the end of the transfer window.

Premier League outfits West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also keen on securing his services, but with group-stage Champions League football a possibility, this could be all the incentive that he needs to move to Glasgow.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The League One side failed to reach the Championship after playoff semi-final heartbreak last term and this could suggest they would be open to selling Edwards in the next couple of weeks.

Could Ronnie Edwards improve Rangers?

Rangers have seen various players arrive this summer to bolster the midfield and attacking areas, yet just two defenders have arrived.

Dujon Sterling is still developing and isn’t expected to be a starter this term, while Leon Balogun, albeit experienced, isn’t the long-term option Beale requires.

Connor Goldson won't be around forever and Edwards could be the ideal heir for the former Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back.

Having made 264 appearances since arriving at the club in 2018, Goldson has become a mainstay in the heart of the defence, helping the club win a Premiership title and the Scottish Cup in the process.

Last season, the 30-year-old ranked as the best centre-back in the squad with regard to Sofascore rating, while also making more tackles and clearances per game when compared to the rest of the central defenders, showing how vital he is in the starting XI.

Edwards, while just 20 years of age, has shown immense promise and has been praised by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony, who said:

"Ronnie is playing at a different level right now and if he goes we will have to decide whether to replace him with a powerful centre-back or with another ball-playing one which will be a decision for the manager."

The young sensation ranked fifth across the Posh squad last term for overall Sofascore rating while also ranking fourth for tackles and second for interceptions and clearances per game, indicating that is already having a positive influence on the team despite his tender years.

Having already amassed 91 senior appearances across both the Championship and League One, there is no doubt he is ready for a step up.

Could he become the perfect long-term heir for Goldson should he join Rangers? Only time will tell.

They added 197 for the second wicket, eclipsing the their country’s previous best stand in the Intercontinental Cup made by Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad in 2010

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Abu Dhabi29-Nov-2017
ScorecardPeter Della PennaBack in the late 1990s during The Rock’s heyday with the WWE, he developed one of his trademark promo routines.The Rock would bring out a rival wrestler that he’d most likely be facing at an upcoming Pay Per View and then set him up with a basic inquisitive question such as “What’s your name?” or “What do you think about this?” Before the opponent could get more than a few words out, The Rock would embarrass his opposite number by cutting him off shouting, “IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!”At the toss on Wednesday for Afghanistan’s final Intercontinental Cup encounter, UAE captain Rohan Mustafa sent Afghanistan in to bat, telling the TV commentary crew that the pitch had a tinge of green to it and he wanted to take advantage of early conditions. Though not nearly as arrogant as The Rock, when Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai was asked how he felt about losing the toss, he responded much like the People’s Champ, saying, “It doesn’t matter who wins the toss.”Such is Afghanistan’s swagger nowadays when hanging around the Associates that they are leaving behind following this match. It is justified too. Whether it is because the pitch was flat and there was little to no movement on offer for the UAE bowlers, or because Afghanistan is just so dominant in this tournament with four innings victories in a row, the toss was of little consequence to Stanikzai. Bat first, bowl first, Afghanistan will set out to seek and destroy their opponents.That’s how day one played out at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Following the early wicket of Javed Ahmadi – suckered into hooking to long leg – Ihsanullah and Rahmat Shah batted in metronomic fashion to grind 197 for the second wicket – a record for Afghanistan in the Intercontinental Cup.The pair came together in the seventh over and were circumspect early as Amjad Javed tried to build pressure. He ended his sixth over with figures of 0 for 14 and three maidens when drinks were called after 13 overs. But after play resumed Javed’s focus wavered when he dropped short to be cut behind point. Three balls later, Javed overcorrected and Ihsanullah drove him past mid-off for the second boundary of the over. From there, a long day of toil lay ahead of Javed and the rest of the UAE bowling attack as the medium pacers posed little threat while the spinners received scant assistance on a flat pitch.There was nothing audacious about Ihsanullah’s strokeplay. The 19-year-old batsman was borderline robotic in his methods, programmed to block anything on the stumps and only drive when width was offered outside off. Rarely did he play across the line to open up scoring options on the leg side. It was simple, but effective. His innings could best be described as mature, especially for someone playing just his fourth first-class match, and just the kind of temperament needed for Afghanistan’s entry into Tests.Peter Della PennaEntering the day, Ihsanullah’s best first-class score was 63, coming last month in Hong Kong. He nearly doubled it by the time he was done. He had a willing ally in Rahmat for much of the journey to ease the load.Rahmat was more adventurous, particularly against the spinners. After taking his time to see off the rest of the new ball, Rahmat treated the 100 or so Afghanistan fans who turned out to a nifty display of footwork, regularly using his feet to come down the wicket to Ahmed Raza and Rohan Mustafa.When Ihsanullah reached his half-century off 77 balls, Rahmat was only on 20 and by the time the junior batsman reached the 90s, Rahmat was still comfortably behind him. But after Rahmat reached his own fifty off 102 balls, he sprinted down the pitch to UAE’s slow bowlers with regularity to speed up his scoring rate.In the 57th over, a shimmy down the pitch to scoop Mustafa over his head followed by a thumping cover drive took Rahmat into the 90s. He overtook Ihsanullah in the following over after another charge at Raza helped him clear mid-on for another boundary. Rahmat then clipped a couple through mid-on in the final over before tea to bring up his second first-class ton. In the process, Rahmat and Ihsanullah eclipsed their country’s previous best stand in the Intercontinental Cup. Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad had added 178 for the fourth wicket in their epic fourth-innings chase of 494 against Canada in Sharjah in 2010.Shortly after play resumed, the stand ended three short of 200 when left-arm spinner Raza had Rahmat slicing a thick edge to Chirag Suri at point. Having watched from the stands as Rahmat and Ihsanullah ground down the UAE bowling unit, Stanikzai then backed up his “It doesn’t matter” stance by tearing into the hosts early and often through the off side, cruising to 67 not out by the end of play.At the other end, Ihsanullah continued to churn out runs through the off side until he brought up his maiden ton off 165 balls by clipping Raza off his pads for two. Though the second new ball was taken immediately, the movement on offer was as negligible as the first and Ihsanullah looked set to bat on. It took a spectacular effort from Mohammad Naveed, who plucked a one-handed grab low in his follow through to intercept a firm punch down the wicket, to dismiss Ihsanullah for 124.

Manchester United are in pole position to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to reports.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils could be extremely busy during the summer transfer window despite the ongoing takeover saga, with rumours of moves for players all over the pitch.

A new striker appears to be high on the agenda, with those at Old Trafford plotting a move for Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund. When it comes to a midfielder, Chelsea’s Mason Mount is seemingly the top target, with a £40m offer made for the England international.

A new defender has also been speculated, with reports previously claiming that Napoli’s Kim min-jae agreed to move to Manchester, although he now looks on course to move to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

To finalise the transfer rumour mill, a new goalkeeper in Onana for Erik ten Hag’s side had also been rumoured, and a further update has emerged. According to The Evening Standard, Chelsea have pulled out of the race to sign the Inter Milan goalkeeper and will move on to other targets.

As a result, Manchester United are in pole position to sign Onana, who is expected to cost around £50m, where he could be reunited with Ten Hag.

Is Andre Onana better than David De Gea?

Onana, a Cameroon international, made 145 appearances under Ten Hag at Ajax and joined Inter Milan last summer. The 27-year-old starred in his first full season in Serie A, keeping 19 clean sheets in 41 appearances.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is also a fan of the £67,000-a-week player, hailed the shot-stopper’s ability on the ball following the Champions League final earlier this month.

“When you have a goalkeeper like Onana who can read perfectly where everyone is to pass to, with Calhanoglu and Barella, then the strikers hold it up and move the ball around. It is very, very difficult. It would be a tiny bit easier without this goalkeeper, but still very tough.”

There is a bit of history between Ten Hag and Onana, though, with the manager leaving the goalkeeper out of a cup final with Ajax last year before they both moved on, but with the futures of David de Gea and Dean Henderson up in the air, signing someone like Onana could be a wise move ahead of the new season, and by the looks of it, United are in a good position to get a deal over the line.

With long-time leaders Arsenal looking likely to lose out to Manchester City, the Gunners of 2022-23 can be added to this rather ignominious list…

At times during the 2022-23 season, Arsenal have been as many as eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. Dreams of a first league title since 'The Invincibles' in 2004 have taken over the Gunners' campaign, with Mikel Arteta's team playing the most thrilling football the Emirates Stadium crowd has seen from the home side.

However, after their 3-0 home defeat to Brighton, it now seems certain that Arsenal will miss out on the title, with Manchester City's superb winning run having moved Pep Guardiola's side clear at the top. City's win over the Gunners in April will perhaps be seen as the result that turned the tide, but Arsenal's three successive draws that preceded that 4-1 loss played as much of a part, if not bigger.

That run and subsequent surrendering of top spot has led to talk of Arsenal having 'bottled' the title, but would such talk really be fair, given Arsenal have surpassed all of their pre-season expectations? Let's not also forget they are going up against a state-backed club that has twice accepted UEFA sanctions for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and is presently facing more than 100 breaches of Premier League rules?

So, despite their late-season wobble, would they really deserve inclusion on the list of the most infamous title-race collapses in the competition's history?…

Newcastle 1995-96: 'LOVE IT!'

Even now, Kevin Keegan's infamous post-match rant against Alex Ferguson is a little tough to watch. There's so much passion on show, but also so much pain. It's a visceral display of defiance, but from a man clearly beginning to realise that he's fighting a losing battle.

For the majority of the 1995-96 season, Keegan's Newcastle looked destined to win their first league title since 1927, with a side which quickly became known as 'The Entertainers' sweeping all before them with a thrilling brand of football. At one point, they were 12 points clear.

However, United slowly began to close the gap and when Newcastle lost 4-3 to Liverpool in the greatest game in Premier League history, Keegan was disconsolate, the sight of him slumped over the advertising boardings at Anfield becoming one of the defining images of the season.

Just a few weeks later, though, he produced an even more memorable moment. After a 1-0 win at Leeds, Keegan let rip at Ferguson, who had publicly questioned whether opponents would fight as hard against Newcastle as they had against his United team.

"I've kept really quiet, but I'll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that," Keegan fumed on Sky Sports. "We have not resorted to that, but I'll tell you, you can tell him now if you're watching it, we're still fighting for this title, and he's got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and… and… I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, LOVE IT!"

Unfortunately for Keegan, United did go to Middlesbrough and get something; three points, in fact. And they ended up winning the title quite comfortably in the end, with Newcastle drawing their final two fixtures.

Both Keegan and his team had been broken by Ferguson's masterclass in the art of mind games.

AdvertisementMan Utd 1997-98: Fergie's fury

People might not remember the name but everyone remembers the face. When Arsenal beat Premier League leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford on March 14, 1998, the coverage cut from the pitch to the crowd, where a curly-haired Gooner called Barry Ferst looked like he was almost about to explode with joy.

His excitement was understandable. Because of Marc Overmars' late goal, Arsenal were just six points behind United – and with three games in hand.

A clearly rattled Alex Ferguson tried to play down the significance of his side's defeat by questioning both Arsenal's quality and composure.

"If they win their games in hand they will go ahead of us, but they will find out they start dropping points towards the end of the season, there's no question about that," the Scot declared.

"They played well today but I don't think they are as good a football team as us."

Ferguson was wrong, though. His side ran well down the home straight but their title rivals never broke their stride until the race was won.

Indeed, that victory at Old Trafford proved the second of 10 consecutive wins that saw Arsenal win the title with two games to spare.

Arsene Wenger then capped off a remarkable first season in charge by leading his side to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the FA Cup final, thus completing only the second domestic double in the club's history.

Ferguson, meanwhile, was furious. United had led by 11 points after beating Chelsea in February – one Manchester bookmaker even paid out on them winning the title after that win – and blew the chance to move 14 points clear after suffering a shock loss at Sheffield Wednesday, which was followed by a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

The reigning English champions eventually finished their campaign without a major honour, which was unthinkable before the Arsenal loss, but that Overmars goal changed everything. And Ferst and his fellow fans knew it too.

Arsenal 2002-03: 'Hard to take'

Arsene Wenger was enraged by the portrayal of Arsenal's 2002-03 Premier League campaign as a "failure".

"Of course, we want to win the title but I think the most difficult thing for the club is to be consistent and we have been remarkably consistent," he argued.

"We lost the league to a team who spends 50 percent more money every year – last year they bought a player for £30m pounds when they lost the championship.

"They will do the same next year and we [have] done miracles just to fight with them."

In terms of Manchester United's financial might, Wenger had a point about the disparity between the two sides. However, there really was no denying that a star-studded Arsenal side had imploded during the title run-in.

After beating Charlton on Match 2, 2003, they were eight points clear, albeit having played one game more than United.

However, what followed was a disastrous run of results, with Arsenal winning just two of their next seven games, and a shock 3-2 defeat at home to Leeds on May 4 effectively ended their hopes of retaining their title.

During that costly spell, the Gunners had been held at Highbury by United, with Ryan Giggs earning the visitors a 2-2 draw.

It was another 2-2 draw, though, that really seemed to strip Arsenal of their remaining self-belief, with Wenger's side conceding twice in the final 15 minutes of a game against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

As the Frenchman conceded himself that day, "For the first time, it is out of our hands, which is hard to take."

Unfortunately for Arsenal, it was a blow from which they never recovered, with the fatal Leeds loss coming just eight days later.

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Arsenal 2007-08: Gallas breaks down at Birmingham

Arsenal's collective loss of concentration on an infamous afternoon at St Andrew's in February 2008 was understandable. After just three minutes of their game against Birmingham, they had seen team-mate Eduardo suffer a horrific broken leg after a terrible tackle by Martin Taylor.

However, William Gallas' late meltdown was utterly inexplicable, and arguably unforgivable.

Granted, the Arsenal captain had seen his side blow a 2-1 lead against 10 men, with Birmingham's equaliser coming via the penalty spot in the fifth minute of injury time.

And one could perhaps see why he felt compelled to take his frustration out on the advertising boards.

However, there was simply no excuse for what followed at full-time.

At a time when the Arsenal skipper should have been trying to rouse his disappointed team-mates, he was instead sitting on the pitch, having the mother of all strops.

It wasn't until Arsene Wenger appeared that Gallas belatedly decided to leave the field.

With that kind of leader, it was hardly surprising that Arsenal subsequently collapsed.

They had arrived in Birmingham five points clear at the top of the table thanks to a 10-game unbeaten run that featured eight wins.

However, they only managed to win one of their next seven games and eventually finished third, four points behind champions Manchester United.

Eduardo's dreadful injury obviously hadn't helped their cause but Gallas' pathetic display of petulance arguably proved even more damaging.

The 17-year-old defender has been a rare bright spot in his side's grim 2023-24 campaign, leading to reports linking him with the Gunners

The most-recent January transfer window was certainly not one to remember. But, amid the tumbleweeds, some reports did surface that raised hopes that we could at least be in for a more exciting summer.

One such rumour was Arsenal being linked with a move for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato. In an ideal world, Mikel Arteta would have likely brought the 17-year-old to the Premier League last month. However, hamstrung by the club's expensive summer, the Gunners simply wouldn't have been able to make the move work.

It seems likely that Arsenal will reignite their interest in the summer, but what it is that has got Arteta so excited about the young defender? GOAL took a deep dive into Hato's recent development to find out…

Getty ImagesWhere it all began

On March 7 2006, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea were 15 points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, a Liverpool side containing Steve Finnan and Jermaine Pennant had just knocked a young Lionel Messi and Barcelona out of the Champions League and, most crucially for this profie, Jorrel Hato was born in Rotterdam.

Despite his talent, Hato somehow slipped through Feyenoord's net and instead ended up signing with the city's secondary club, Sparta Rotterdam. He did not stay there long though, switching to Ajax's youth academy in 2018.

The move required some consideration from the youngster, with the defender later reflecting: "At the time, I had to think about it for a while because I was comfortable at Sparta. [At Ajax], fortunately, I was well taken care of and could immediately be myself."

In 2022, after impressing through the age groups, he was handed his maiden professional contract – a life-changing event that kept him awake with excitement the previous night. "I knew I was going to sign my contract. My sleep was not optimal as a result, but I am super happy," he beamed.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

Hato got his first-team break towards the back end of the 2022-23 season. After enjoying a few cameos off the bench earlier in the campaign, he would end up starting Ajax's final six Eredivisie games. With nothing left to play for – Feyenoord had the league title sewn up by that point – blooding the youngster made sense, but his position in the first team was far from guaranteed for the following season.

However, a hectic summer in Amsterdam changed that; chaos is a ladder after all. Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez were sold to West Ham for sizeable sums, with 12 players arriving in the other direction. The key piece of business from Hato's perspective, though, was Jurrien Timber joining Arsenal.

This freed up a starting spot in the backline, and Hato made sure he did everything he could during pre-season to secure it. When his side's Eredivisie opener against Heracles rolled around, there he was at the heart of defence. Any doubts over whether he was ready to become such a key piece for Ajax were addressed that afternoon, with Hato seriously impressing. He even chipped in with an assist – albeit only a five-yard sideways pass before Jakov Medic thumped one in from long range.

Getty ImagesHow it's going

Since then, Hato has become indispensable for Ajax in what has been a hugely testing campaign for the Dutch giants. Amid a backdrop of boardroom chaos and controversy over the signings of sporting director Sven Mislintat – who replaced the disgraced Marc Overmars – their horrendous start to the season saw them drop into the relegation zone in October.

Unsurprisingly, manager Maurice Steijn paid with his job, with John van 't Schip taking over in an interim capacity in October, following a brief caretaker stint from Hedwiges Maduro. Michael Valkanis also had two games in charge when Van 't Schip was away in Australia attending his son's wedding.

Throughout all of this turmoil at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, there's been one constant – Hato. Amazingly, the defender has not missed a single second of his side's season in all competitions, even being handed the captain's armband during an Eredivisie victory over Almere City in November. He then started a Europa League clash against Brighton as skipper the following month.

Speaking after the latter game, Van 't Schip was full of praise for Ajax's youngest-ever captain: "[He's] special in the sense that he has been able to stand his ground for so long and that he continues to reach such a high level. Of course, he is still a young player, the youngest one, who still has a lot to learn, but if you look at what he brings, the way he defends, the way he can play football forward, he has a great future ahead of him."

He also praised Hato's conduct, adding: "We don't have to do a lot because he is an exemplary professional. Of course, he has fun with the boys and that's something that needs to happen because that makes sure you train happily. But he is also a very serious guy in the sense that he trains well, he takes care of himself. Many should see him as an example, especially the players in the youth academy."

In recognition of his prodigious club form, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman handed him a maiden senior cap against Gibraltar in November. "I was able to assess him better in the training sessions. There he had to defend Wout Weghorst and other attackers. I really liked that. He adapted very easily and plays with bravado. It’s nice that you can let those kinds of boys make their debut," Koeman said after the win.

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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

Despite their recent fall from grace, Hato's emergence from the youth academy proves that when it comes to forging the next generation of global stars, few clubs do it better than De Godenzonen. The teenager is very much of the Ajax mould.

Technically sublime and possessing a football IQ that defies his tender years, Hato is the archetypal modern defender. He has no issue breaking the lines with his passes and relishes pushing into midfield to help his side's build-up. This is reflected in the 94 percent passing accuracy he has registered in the Eredivisie this season, while he is also averaging over five progressive passes per 90 minutes.

Hato's ability to carry the ball is even more impressive. His quick feet and coolness under pressure means just one player, Feyenoord's David Hancko, has racked up a higher progressive carrying distance in the Eredivisie this season. Hato's ability to drive his team forward from the back has been pivotal to Ajax's resurgence under Van 't Schipp, with the Amsterdam outfit not losing a league game since he took the reins.

Defensively, there is a lot to like about Hato's game too. He does not go out looking for tackles, preferring to choose his moments to dispossess attackers. The fact he has been booked just three times in the league all season while committing only five fouls – despite playing every minute – speaks well of his discipline, particularly at such an early stage of his career.