Maphaka, the highest wicket-taker of the T20I series, was added to the squad on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2025

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of action for the entirety of the three-match ODI series against Australia on the morning of the first ODI.Rabada, 30, underwent a scan on Monday, which confirmed the extent of his ankle injury. He will remain in Australia and undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of the South Africa medical staff. Kwena Maphaka, who was the highest wicket-taker in the T20I series that preceded the ODIs, has been added to the South Africa squad.Related

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With Rabada not available and Marco Jansen still recovering from surgery to his left thumb, the fast bowlers in the squad are Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi and Maphaka. They also have seam-bowling allrounders Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder on the tour. Their spin options are Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen.The first of three ODIs is being played at the Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns, after which the teams move to Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena for the next two matches. Australia won the hard-fought T20I series 2-1.

Carlo Ancelotti has lifted the lid on why his final season at Real Madrid unravelled despite Kylian Mbappe’s blockbuster arrival. Speaking from Brazil, the legendary coach detailed the defensive crisis that derailed Los Blancos’ campaign and forced tactical improvisation in key moments as the campaign ended without a major trophy.

• Why Ancelotti believes his final Madrid season collapsed

  Ancelotti’s Madrid era ended far differently from how he imagined. After winning La Liga and the Champions league in 2024 and seeing Mbappe join an already star-studded squad featuring Vinícius Junior and Jude Bellingham, expectations were sky-high. Instead, the season ended in disappointment as they finished four points behind Barcelona in La Liga and they crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, resulting in the Italian being replaced by Xabi Alonso.

  The veteran coach has now broken down what went wrong. Speaking to , he explained how an unprecedented defensive injury crisis forced Los Blancos out of their natural structure. With Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao sidelined with anterior cruciate ligament injuries and Antonio Rudiger playing through significant pain, Madrid lost the backbone that had powered their earlier success. Those problems triggered a domino effect across the pitch, reshaping rotations, shifting the midfield, and destabilising the rhythm of the team. Ancelotti says the collapse had far less to do with individuals leaving and far more to do with a team losing its defensive identity.

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  "We lost our entire starting defence" – Ancelotti breaks down the failure

  Ancelotti expanded on the real reasons behind Madrid’s drop-off, pointing directly to the defensive situation: “What happened was that we lost our entire starting defence. We lost Carvajal and Militao, and Rudiger played with a serious injury. Luckily, [Raul] Asensio came up from the youth academy and did very well. Let’s not forget that many times I had to play [Federico] Valverde at right-back and [Aurelian] Tchouameni at centre-back, which left the midfield with significant absences. We lost solidity at the back, and that cost us titles.”

  He pushed back on the idea that Toni Kroos’ departure destabilised the team, adding: “I don’t think it was because of Kroos, because we adapted to playing with [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Dani] Ceballos, Bellingham, Tchouameni, or Valverde. We have great midfielders, but finding another Kroos or [Luka] Modric is impossible.”

• Brazil beckoned after Madrid exit

  The 66-year-old ended up taking over as Brazil coach in the wake of his Madrid departure, an outcome he admits he never seriously imagined during his time in Spain.

  "Thinking about going to another club was difficult for me because of the legacy I had left here, which was huge," he said. "I found it hard to imagine myself at another club. But then Brazil called, and it became a great challenge, a great dream to prepare for a World Cup with the five-time champion team, the historic Selecao. Besides, being the national team coach is a different job. I really enjoy what I'm doing. I made the right decision.

  “At Real Madrid, I had brutal daily pressure… six press conferences a week. Brazil is also under pressure, but it’s a more relaxed job, more about observation than intervention. I don't have much time to train, but that was already the case at the clubs because of the demanding schedules. I try to learn every day about the current state of football in Brazil, the country's culture, everything. I live in Rio de Janeiro as much as possible. I really like the city. Now I'm not involved in the daily grind like before. There's time to observe calmly: the players, the structure of Brazilian football, with a very young Confederation president who wants to change things for the better. All of that is good."

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• Ancelotti aiming to get the best out of Vinicius

  The Brazil boss also discussed the challenge of helping Vinicius reproduce his Madrid form on the international stage, saying: "With the national team, he hasn't been able to reach the level he usually has at Real Madrid. But in these last few matches, he's improved and has done very well with Brazil, scoring goals and providing assists. Nobody can dispute his qualities. Vini is top-class."

  He also addressed Vini’s emotional outburst in El Clasico after being substituted by Alonso: "He simply made a mistake that day and needs to understand his new role at Real Madrid, a more important role in the dressing room than before. He made a mistake, he apologised, and he must learn from it. The coach has the right to make the changes he needs to improve the team."

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras entra em campo neste sábado (9), na Arena Barueri, quando recebe o Botafogo-SP, pela última rodada da fase de grupos do Paulistão 2024. Já classificado em primeiro lugar de seu grupo, o Verdão entra em campo para garantir pelo terceiro ano seguido, a melhor campanha da primeira fase do Estadual.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCom Endrick pendurado, Abel tem dúvidas para escalar o Palmeiras diante do Botafogo-SPPalmeiras08/03/2024NotíciasAposte R$50 e ganhe mais de R$300 nas vitórias de Palmeiras, Santos, Internacional e FluminenseNotícias08/03/2024ListasQuem contratou melhor? Veja os reforços de Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos e São PauloListas08/03/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Em 2022 e 2023, o Palmeiras não perdeu nenhum jogo na fase de grupos do Estadual, acabou campeão, mas só não ficou com os títulos invictos, pois acabou perdendo o primeiro jogo da final, para São Paulo e Água Santa, respectivamente.

Agora em 2024, o clube tenta o tricampeonato paulista que seria inédito na era Palmeiras, que começou em 1942, e de forma invicta, que também seria algo inédito pro clube neste era moderna, uma vez que o último Paulista invicto do Verdão foi conquistado em 1972, mais de 50 anos atrás.

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Caso queira manter a invencibilidade que já duram 17 jogos e também ficar com a melhor campanha desta primeira fase do Paulista, basta um empate diante do Botafogo-SP, que já não briga mais por nada na competição.

O provável Palmeiras para encarar o Botafogo é: Weverton, Mayke, Luan, Murilo e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno, Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga; Lázaro (Richard Rios), Rony e Flaco López.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

A bola rola para Palmeiras x Botafogo-SP a partir das 18h (horário de Brasília), na Arena Barueri, e o jogo terá transmissão do Paulistão Play e da Cazé TV.

While neither Abhimanyu nor Rahul put forward a strong case at the top, there were encouraging displays elsewhere

Alex Malcolm09-Nov-2024Related

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Batting issues loom over Australia with big five in focus

Abhimanyu EaswaranThe 29-year-old endured a difficult two games and did not help his cause for a Test debut in Perth despite coming to Australia in red-hot form. He returned scores of 7, 12, 0 and 17 in Mackay and Melbourne. He ran himself out in the second innings in Mackay, but his other dismissals would be of concern to India’s selectors. He was caught behind the wicket three times with the extra pace and bounce of Australia’s pitches causing issues, despite falling to three seamers who aren’t express pace or particularly tall. In Mackay, he edged Jordan Buckingham to the keeper trying to defend when caught on the crease. In the first over in Melbourne, he was squared up by a rising delivery from Michael Neser and caught in the gully off the shoulder of the bat. In the second innings he sliced a tentative drive to gully again off Nathan McAndrew. The manner of those dismissals won’t help his case to be Rohit Sharma’s replacement, should India’s captain not be available for the Perth Test, given Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc would be another step up in pace and bounce.ESPNcricinfo LtdKL RahulIt was a big ask for Rahul to step straight off the plane and perform without much preparation in Australia, although it wasn’t a problem for Jurel. To be fair to Rahul, he didn’t do a huge amount wrong in returning scores of 4 and 10 while opening on a difficult pitch at the MCG. In the first innings he nicked a beauty from Scott Boland that he could have easily missed. He had to play at a ball angled into off stump that seamed away enough to catch the edge. He looked comfortable against the quicks in the second innings compared to his team-mates, but fell in bizarre fashion to Corey Rocchiccioli’s offspin. Rocchiccioli’s first ball was an innocuous offbreak that Rahul thought was spinning down the leg side. He decided to let it go, it didn’t spin as much as he thought it might and it sneaked through the small gap between his thighs and ricocheted onto off stump. Australia A opener Marcus Harris noted that Rahul looked all class in his brief stays but whether it was enough to convince India’s selectors that he is the ideal Rohit replacement remains to be seen.Dhruv Jurel made fifties in both innings of the second unofficial Test at the MCG•AFPDhruv JurelJurel was the best batter on both sides in the second unofficial Test, and made a serious case to be selected as a specialist batter at some stage in the Test series if there are concerns about Sarfaraz Khan’s ability to handle the pace and bounce of Australia’s quicks in Australia. Jurel looked a class above everyone on either side and played Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Nathan McAndrew with ease. His 80 in the first innings was near flawless in some of the toughest batting conditions of the match. He pulled, cut and drove superbly in between defending and leaving with conviction. He was equally good in the second, although he did benefit from a big slice of luck on the third morning. He uppercut Boland on 25, forgetting deep third had been placed for the stroke. Ollie Davies ran in and dropped a difficult but catchable chance. He went onto make another classy 68 but fell for the second time in the game caught in the deep trying to launch an offspinner over the top. He also kept tidily as expected.Nitish Kumar ReddyAside from a good 38 in the second innings in Melbourne, Reddy did not have a huge impact with either bat or ball in the two matches. He made 0 and 17 in Mackay and then 16 and 38 at the MCG. The two innings in Melbourne were important as he shared critical partnerships with Jurel to give India A some hope after top-order collapses. But he fell three times to the medium-pace of Beau Webster. The tall Tasmanian has an outstanding first-class record with the ball in recent years, but he is the not the same threat level that Australia A’s main quicks are, let alone the Test quicks, given he bowls predominantly under 130kph. Reddy was bounced out three times across the series, twice trying to pull and the other skipping down the track and trying to cut. With the ball he took just one wicket for the series from 31 overs. It was the important scalp of Nathan McSweeney in the first innings in Mackay, but batter error played a big part. He conceded four an over in the first innings at the MCG when scoring was incredibly difficult against the seamers.ESPNcricinfo LtdPrasidh KrishnaThe tall right-armer was one of the shining lights for India A and could well have rocketed into calculations for the Border-Gavaskar series given how well he bowled. He took 10 wickets at 17.30, including 4 for 50 in the first innings at the MCG and two wickets in an over at the start of the second to give Australia A a fright. He caused Australia A’s best opener, and Australia’s possible Test opener, Marcus Harris no end of problems, knocking him over three times. Only two of his wickets were of specialist bowlers. His accuracy and his bounce at good pace are ideally suited to Australian conditions. He also made a critical contribution with the bat in the second innings at the MCG, making 29 off 43 with five boundaries to give his side hope.

After another bumper summer in the busy transfer window, Birmingham City might well have expected to take the Championship immediately by storm.

Indeed, the Blues welcomed in a whopping 14 new faces during the off-season, as the likes of Demarai Gray dramatically returned back to St. Andrew’s after a lengthy Premier League career, among other notable signings.

Unfortunately for Chris Davies and Co., Gray hasn’t quite sparked into life just yet during his homecoming, with the ex-Everton winger not alone in being a disappointment so far, as the Blues loiter in an underwhelming 15th spot in the second-tier standings at this moment in time.

Birmingham's disappointing summer recruitment

It’s not just all on the shoulders of the new recruits, however, as many of Birmingham’s dependable performers during their League One title heroics have also floundered under the pressure of now competing in the division above.

Keshi Anderson definitely falls into his category, with the Luton-born attacker still goalless in Championship action this season so far, despite firing home nine strikes in all competitions last campaign for Davies’ emphatic title-winners.

Thankfully, Jay Stansfield has remembered his shooting boots, with six goals already fired home.

But, to further pile on the misery, Marvin Ducksch – who cost around the £1.75m mark to pick up from Werder Bremen in the window – is also routinely firing blanks as another option up top.

Moreover, the aforementioned Gray doesn’t quite look the same electric, fresh-faced presence he once was at St. Andrew’s when he was a youngster trying to cut his teeth, with Birmingham’s 1-0 defeat to Bristol City last time out only seeing him amass a lacklustre 18 touches of the ball.

It must feel like an awfully long time ago now for Davies when he looks back on Birmingham’s jaw-dropping 111-point season in League One, with one new signing under so much scrutiny already, that he could be on borrowed time in the West Midlands only a matter of months into his EFL stint.

Why Birmingham's expensive gamble hasn't paid off

Thankfully, in recent years, whenever a big price tag has been attached to a player since Tom Wagner’s millions were added into the mix, they have often lived up to their hype.

Stansfield was boldly purchased for a whopping £15m, even as Birmingham found themselves marooned in League One, but he immediately backed up his lavish price tag when scoring the crucial goals – 19 league strikes to be exact – to clinch the Blues’ straightforward passage back up to the Championship.

Therefore, when the newly promoted Blues announced they’d acquired the services of former Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi for an equally hefty £10m in July, the expectation would have been that he would go on to be another superb Stansfield-like purchase.

After all, Kyogo had been branded as a “superstar” in Scotland by ex-Hoops teammate Callum McGregor, off the back of the Japanese gem firing home a stunning 85 goals in total for the Glasgow giants.

Moreover, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman also boldly stated that he would be a “really exciting” signing in England, after the new number nine showed off some entertaining tricks and flicks during his early days at St. Andrew’s.

Games played

11

Games started

5

Minutes played per game

47

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Big chances missed

7

Kyogo’s tale hasn’t played out to the expected script, though, with the once confident and assured striker who pulled on Celtic green and white week in week out now nowhere to be seen in the Championship.

The 30-year-old, instead, has become a wasteful option up top for Davies, with seven big chances missed across 11 league games to date, meaning he is still chasing his first league goal in the West Midlands.

Even Lyndon Dykes has two league goals next to his name, despite averaging just 25 minutes of action himself.

EFL pundit Adrian Clarke has even gone out of his way to state that Kyogo is “struggling”, with patience surely already running thin at St. Andrew’s surrounding the quiet number nine, considering his excessive transfer fee.

There is still time on Kyogo’s side to turn around his shocking Blues start, but if the goals don’t come soon, he might just have to be written off as an expensive flop.

Birmingham sold a bigger talent than Jordan James in £3m "freak of nature"

Birmingham messed up when selling this exceptional star for just £3m.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 8, 2025

Glamorgan squander promising position at 199 for 3 as offspinner finds life in Old Trafford deck

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jul-2025Glamorgan 260 for 8 (Tribe 61) vs Lancashire Australian spinner Chris Green managed to take six wickets on the much-criticised Emirates Old Trafford pitch as Lancashire had the better of the first day of their Rothesay County Championship Division Two clash with Glamorgan.After just four wickets fell during the last day-and-a-half of the recent Test match between England and India, the home side’s bowlers looked to be facing another uphill task in Manchester until the introduction of Green turned the proceedings the Red Rose’s way with the Welsh outfit 260 for 8 at the close of play.For Glamorgan, half-centuries from opener Asa Tribe (61) and Kiran Carlson (77) had put them in a relatively good place and from a position of 199 for 3 after winning the toss and electing to bat they will be rueing their inability to cope with Green’s off spin which claimed 6 for 82 off 34 overs.Earlier and under leaden skies, the decision to bat looked a brave one, but opening bowlers James Anderson and Tom Bailey failed to make much headway against a resolute first wicket pair of Zain-ul-Hassan and Tribe.George Balderson, who received his county cap before play from legendary Pakistani allrounder Wasim Akram, also sent down five fruitless overs and it took until the introduction of Green for Lancashire to threaten the Glamorgan openers. Zain was the first to fall, caught behind by Phil Salt for 31, ending a partnership of 76 runs for the first wicket.Green was suddenly threatening the wickets with every ball, extracting turn and bounce and inducing a number of false shots from Tribe and skipper Sam Northeast, who became the Australian’s second victim when he was trapped in front for 10.Tribe fell 22 balls later soon after completing a well-made half century which should really have been more but for the Channel Islander picking out Bailey perfectly on the leg-side boundary with a sweep.With Tom Hartley tying down the other end, Glamorgan looked in peril but Carlson and Colin Ingram took the opportunity to counter attack with 86 runs coming from the fourth-wicket pair either side of tea until Green raised hopes of taking all 10 for by snaring the latter lbw for 33.Bailey returned to dash that dream when he clean bowled Ben Kellaway for a duck to leave the lower middle order exposed and Green needed no further invitation to complete his third career five-for when Carlson’s innings ended with an edge to Luke Wells.The visitors were subsiding quickly and Chris Cooke was the next to walk after he was stumped by Salt to hand Green his sixth wicket with Glamorgan having suddenly lost four wickets for 30 runs and in danger of undoing their day’s work.With 10 overs of the day left James Harris was dropped by Salt off Bailey while on 8 as he and Mason Crane painstakingly looked to eke out some runs after Lancashire took the second new ball. But after surviving one chance Harris played across the line to Hartley and lost his off stick to the England spinner who is fresh from taking 10 wickets in his last outing for Lancashire.Crane and Ned Leonard managed to see out the remaining overs but Lancashire will be hoping to begin their reply sooner rather than later come the second morning.

Ahead of Rob Edwards’ arrival, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has already shared one problem that the new Wolverhampton Wanderers boss will face in the January transfer window.

It has been a disastrous start for those in the Midlands, who recently sacked manager Vitor Pereira after less than a year in charge. Since returning to the Premier League in 2018, their top-flight status hasn’t looked as at risk as it is now. They currently sit eight points adrift of safety after 11 games and remain the only side in the league yet to pick up a win.

Turning things around from here will be far from easy, but it’s Rob Edwards who looks set to be handed that very task. The Middlesbrough boss wasn’t in the dugout for Boro’s victory over Birmingham City on Saturday and the club confirmed that he’s set to join Wolves, much to their reluctance.

The Championship side said in a statement: “Middlesbrough Football Club have, subject to the completion of an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, given head coach Rob Edwards permission to speak to Wolves.

“We initially rejected an approach from Wolves on the basis that Rob signed a three-year contract with MFC less than six months ago. Following discussions with Rob we were disappointed to learn that he wanted to speak with Wolves regarding their head coach vacancy. We have now agreed terms with Wolves, subject to completion of the relevant paperwork.”

Gary O'Neil favourite is on borrowed time at Wolves after Edwards arrival

Rob Edwards could look to immediately ditch this Wolverhampton Wanderers flop when he enters the Molineux dug-out.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 9, 2025

Edwards now also has the chance for some Premier League redemption, having been relegated with Luton Town the last time that he was in England’s top tier. Guiding Wolves to safety from this point would more than put those demons to bed.

With a new manager on the way, Wolves should be ones to watch in the January transfer window, but the reality is that they’re already facing one frustrating problem.

Ornstein reveals first transfer problem for Edwards at Wolves

Speaking on NBC Sports ahead of the manager’s arrival, Ornstein revealed that Edwards may only be able to sign homegrown players at Wolves in the January transfer window.

It’s a move that will immediately limit the new manager, but one that – according to Ornstein – will be made to prepare Wolves for any potential Championship campaign next season.

Just who arrives as a result is the big question. Edwards could yet return to Middlesbrough in an attempt to lure some of his former stars to the Premier League, but whether they’d join a side who look destined for relegation remains to be seen.

Every Premier League and EFL manager sacked in the 2025/26 season

Sam Curran fights for Surrey with unbeaten 69 but Scrimshaw three-for seals win for visitors

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay03-Sep-2025

Northamptonshire 154 for 4 (Bopara 105*, Clark 3-13) beat Surrey 147 for 6 (S Curran 69*, Scrimshaw 3-34) by 7 runs Former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara produced an explosive knock of 105 not out from 46 balls to stun Surrey and propel Northamptonshire Steelbacks to their first Vitality Blast Finals Day since 2016.The 40-year-old, a former Blast winner with Essex, turned back the clock with a magnificent display – posting his first Northamptonshire hundred as they fought back after losing two early wickets to post 154 for four in a rain-reduced contest at the Kia Oval.Surrey captain Sam Curran made a valiant attempt to rescue his side with a first half-century of the tournament, an undefeated 69 from 38 – but they came up short on 147 for six.Experienced seam pair Ben Sanderson (two for 24) and David Willey (one for 28) kept their cool in the death overs to clinch the Steelbacks’ success.An early evening downpour trimmed the contest to 14 overs per side and, having won a crucial toss, the Surrey skipper had no hesitation in opting to bowl when play finally began at 7.50pm.That choice was quickly vindicated by Jordan Clark (three for 13), who made the ball swing and removed both Steelbacks openers for ducks in a devastating first over before a flurry of boundaries by Tim Robinson got the scoreboard moving.The New Zealander clubbed 20 from 12, mostly from Tom Curran’s opening over, but tried to pull Chris Jordan’s first ball and perished to a top edge – passing the baton on to Bopara, who seized it eagerly.Runs flowed through the veteran’s combination of power, timing and precision, with Gus Atkinson’s single over disappearing for 18 before Bopara clipped Clark to the fence to post his half-century.Supported by Saif Zaib (17 not out from 12), Bopara hit the accelerator and dominated their unbroken partnership of 74 from 35, hooking Tom Lawes for four from the penultimate ball of the innings to bring up a remarkable 45-ball ton.Like the visitors, Surrey were two down early on as Ryan Patel swung his first ball into the hands of deep square leg and Lewis McManus, standing up to Sanderson, took a thin edge to dismiss Jason Roy.Ollie Pope (41 from 23) went on the offensive, cutting Willey for two fours and driving his namesake, leg-spinner Lloyd, for a straight maximum as he and Sam Curran accumulated steadily and kept the required rate within range.The pair added 74 from 38 before Pope top-edged a short delivery from George Scrimshaw (three for 34) to long leg and, when Dan Lawrence holed out two balls later, the home side still needed another 70 from 32.Curran kept them in contention, slamming Justin Broad over the cover fence and Laurie Evans banged successive fours off Scrimshaw before miscuing the next one to point.Sanderson returned to send down an over that cost him just five before Willey’s spate of yorkers left Surrey needing 19 – and, although Curran smote a Sanderson full toss for six – it was not enough.

Arsenal have an "AI dossier" which is reportedly powering Mikel Arteta's Premier League title pursuit, with the manager being assisted with input on transfers, tactics and even injuries. This quiet revolution is an attempt to build the most technologically advanced operation in English football. They have computer models humming with millions of data points to predict problems before they happen.

AI takes over Arsenal HQ

According to the the Gunners have rapidly expanded their data science department, investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Competing with Europe’s elite clubs is no mean task, and Arsenal’s leadership have made it clear that they believe staying competitive requires not just talent on the pitch, but intelligence behind the scenes. A well-timed rotation could stop a key player from breaking down. One scouting insight could produce a bargain where others see no value. Arteta has already hinted, albeit cautiously, that the club’s adoption of AI is already underway.

"It’s in use already for many things and many processes that can help not just a team but an organisation as well," he said. "It will improve and it will give us good insight, or things at least to think about. I’m not an expert but it’s a valuable tool. We have developed certain things that in our opinion can help us to understand ourselves better and evaluate what we do and what we can improve."

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesGunners have in-house performance models

The biggest breakthroughs at the club's London Colney base come through their tailor-made performance models, which are AI-driven programs designed internally by Arsenal's data scientists. Every day, enormous volumes of information are collected, including GPS sprint maps, recovery times, energy outputs, bio-mechanical readings, match actions, and even micro-movements during training drills. Unlike traditional analysis, which often relies on video clips and subjective assessments, these systems digest tens of thousands of data points from each session. The models then learn patterns about fatigue signals, mechanical inefficiencies, and subtle warning signs with a level of granularity no human eye could catch. The shift is profound as Arsenal are now preparing for what is about to happen, and not reacting to what has just happened.

Profiling every player: A live, evolving human data map

One major branch of Arsenal’s AI system is individual profiling. Every player, right from academy prospects to first-team starters, has a dynamic profile that logs sprint mechanics, joint stress patterns, muscle fatigue responses and changes under load. This gives Arsenal the ability to personalise training. No two players respond to stress in the same way, and machine learning allows coaches to tailor workloads to match bodies rather than the other way around. These profiles also highlight areas for improvement. Weaknesses can be addressed before they impact performance, which will allow players to train smarter, not harder. 

The most critical area of Arsenal’s AI application is injury prevention. William Saliba’s back problem derailed Arsenal’s 2022-23 title charge, while last season Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury forced Mikel Merino into an improvised striker role. The models identify clues such as tiny drops in acceleration, altered stride patterns, and minor imbalances that can signal impending muscle injuries. Before a congested fixture, run the system flags players with elevated fatigue risk, which helps Arteta to make an informed decision.

Arsenal’s analytics tools also parse opposition patterns frame by frame. Machine learning evaluates how full-backs behave under pressure, how midfield shapes morph in transitions, and where passing lanes appear during pressing triggers. This gives Arteta’s staff the opportunity to build game plans not on hunches, but on probability maps.

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GettyRecruitment rebuilt: Finding players who fit Arteta's blueprint

AI is also reshaping Arsenal’s transfer strategy. Beyond traditional metrics like goals or tackles, Arsenal’s models study adaptability across roles, physical intensity benchmarks, tactical compatibility with Arteta’s system, and log behavioural data from hundreds of match scenarios. Every role now has a detailed blueprint, such as what the physical output should look like, how quickly a player must transition, how he presses, and how he receives the ball under pressure. This tech-driven approach allows Arsenal to find undervalued players who might not shine in traditional stats but are ideal fits for Arteta’s structure. Arsenal’s technological leap is bold, advanced and path-breaking. However, whether it can end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title remains to be seen.

In an interview with Time Magazine published at the end of July, Erling Haaland claimed that Norway would only have a 0.5 percent chance of winning the 2026 World Cup. He added: “If we would qualify for the World Cup, it would be like another big nation winning it. It would be the biggest party ever. Scenes in Oslo would be incredible.” That party is now underway, with Norway having booked their spot at the tournament for the first time in 28 years after thumping 4-1 wins over Estonia and Italy during the November international break.

The latter of those victories, recorded at a packed-out San Siro, was particularly impressive. Italy deservedly led at the interval through a clever finish from Francesco Pio Esposito, but Norway exploded into life in the second half and put on an attacking football clinic to blow the hosts away, with Antonio Nusa and Jorgen Strand Larsen scoring either side of a Haaland brace.

It must be noted that Italy are no longer the force of old, but steady improvements have been made under new boss Gennaro Gattuso, and five members of their Euro 2020-winning squad –  Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nicolo Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni and Manuel Locatelli – started the match. Norway are just the second team to ever beat Italy in a competitive away game by three goals or more; Sweden were the last to achieve that feat way back in 1983.

They also exacted revenge over Italy for their round of 16 defeat at the 1998 World Cup finals. Statement results don't come much bigger, and you'd have to imagine that Haaland is now revising his expectations for next summer. 

The Manchester City talisman is leading a golden generation of talent that should fear no one. All the evidence from a stunning qualification campaign points to one undeniable truth: Norway are serious dark horses for World Cup glory, and not just because they can call upon the best striker in the business…

• Getty
  

  Proper firepower

  Haaland's presence is main factor, though. Norway won all eight of their games in Group I, scoring 37 goals, and Haaland bagged 16 of them, equalling Robert Lewandowski's single qualifying campaign record. 

  The irrepressible City terminator has already notched 32 goals for club and country this season, and his double against Italy brought him up to 55 in just 48 appearances at international level, 22 more than any other Norway player in history. Haaland has found the net in nine consecutive games for his country, and in eight of his last nine Premier League outings for City. Norwegian journalist Lars Sivertsen has described Haaland as the nation's "greatest ever player", ahead of icons like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, John Arne Riise, and Tore Andre Flo, which feels totally justified.

  Amazingly, at the age of 25, Haaland has not even entered his prime yet. No other team at the World Cup will boast such a deadly weapon: a quick, strong, deceptively skilful and frighteningly ruthless centre-forward who doesn't seem to feel pressure.

  But he will also benefit from a stellar supporting cast. Atletico Madrid's Alexander Sorloth has been the perfect foil for Haaland as an imposing target man, while Wolves marksman Strand Larsen has emerged as the ideal impact substitute. As Italy learned to their peril, Norway have enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with any opponent.

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  Odegaard to return

  Remarkably, Norway managed to seal their spot at the World Cup without their prized playmaker and captain, Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal midfielder missed his country's final three qualifiers due to a knee injury, and Solbakken has confirmed he is still "some distance" from a return to the pitch.

  But time is on Odegaard's side, and Norway need him to unlock their full potential. In tighter games, he is the one who can sprinkle the magic required to open things up, as he did when setting up three goals in Norway's 4-2 win away in Israel in March.

  Odegaard produced seven assists overall, more than any other player in European qualifying. Like Haaland, he is a world-class operator built for the big stage. The 26-year-old also demonstrated his commitment and leadership credentials by flying out for the latest Norway camp and joining their celebrations instead of focusing only on his recovery at Arsenal's training base.

  "He was there before, during and after," Solbakken said after the win over Estonia. "There is always an aura with Martin." Norway team-mate Morten Thorsby added: "Martin is our captain. He gives us security and strength. We wanted him with us. Even though he couldn’t help us on the pitch, he did off the pitch."

  Odegaard leads by example in everything he does, and Norway fans will be praying that the former Real Madrid starlet returns to full fitness sooner rather than later, because he is the key to a deep World Cup run.

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  Exciting young guns

  With an average age of just 25.8 years, Norway possess one of the most exciting young squads in the international game. Haaland and Odegaard have shared most of the plaudits in recent years, but there is every chance that, by the time the World Cup kicks off, the spotlight will extend to fit in two hugely talented up-and-comers: Nusa and Oscar Bobb.

  Nusa, who has been catching the eye in the Bundesliga with his exploits on the left wing for RB Leipzig, has racked up 16 goal involvements in 20 games for Norway since making his debut in 2023. There is still scope for the 20-year-old to improve his decision-making, but he gives defenders nightmares with his explosive turn of pace and magnetic footwork, which have also been vital to Norway's emergence as an effective counter-attacking side.

  On the opposite flank, Bobb has not been quite as influential, but he offers something different. The Manchester City ace does most of his best work when coming inside, and is happier to link the play rather than be a difference-maker in the final third. Bobb, 22, is more of a technician than Nusa; he excels at finding space between the lines and picking out incisive passes. 

  Nusa gives Norway an X-factor, while Bobb has the footballing IQ to help draw opponents out of position. They could be an effective combination in North America, while former Nordsjælland wonderkid Andreas Schjelderup is another option in advanced areas. Struggles for form at Benfica and off-field controversy have halted the 21-year-old's career trajectory over the last year or so, but he is also a gifted footballer who is versatile enough to play on the wing or as an attacking midfielder.

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  Brilliant Berge

  Norway's rise can at least partly be attributed to the vast Premier League experience in their dressing room. In addition to Haaland, Odegaard, Strand Larsen and Bobb, Solbakken has also utilised the qualities of Sander Berge (Fulham), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford) and David Moller Wolfe (Wolves) to take Norway to the next level.

  With so many players used to the intensity of life in Europe's most demanding league, Solbakken has genuine strength in depth. There is an unsung hero in that group who deserves far more credit, though.

  Berge was arguably Norway's most consistent performer in qualifying. The Fulham midfielder's ability to break up play initially gave them the platform for success, and after Odegaard was ruled out, he also became the man to drive the team forward.

  "He's taken a huge step forward at Fulham. We've been able to tailor-make a role for him in the national team that really suits his strengths," Solbakken has told .

  Berge has been Norway's chief disruptor and architect in the No.8 slot, setting the tone for the rest of the squad with his work rate. When Berge is playing alongside Odegaard and Bodo/Glimt's Patrick Berg, Norway have the perfect blend of physicality and creativity in the middle of the park. The former Sheffield United and Burnley star is now living up to the promise he showed in his younger years, and Norway are a much braver side in attack and defence because of him.