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Cricket South Africa has issued an apology to Cricket Australia after two CSA officials were photographed posing with fans, who were wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks at St George’s Park

Firdose Moonda10-Mar-20180:49

Start of Warner-de Kock clash revealed

Cricket South Africa has issued an apology to Cricket Australia after two CSA officials were photographed posing with fans, who were wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks at St George’s Park.Clive Eksteen, a former left-arm spinner and CSA’s head of commercial, and Altaaf Kazi, CSA’s head of media and communication, posed for a picture with three fans wearing masks on the first day of the Test. The photo was shared on social media and then picked up by the , who wrote that the Australian team were “outraged.” CSA said it would follow its “normal internal processes,” with regards to Eksteen and Kazi, which will likely begin with an internal investigation. They have been asked to return to Johannesburg, where CSA’s head office is located.”On behalf of CSA I extend my sincere apologies to the Board of Cricket Australia, its officials, team management, players and their families,” CSA president, Chris Nenzani said.”Cricket Australia spoke to Cricket South Africa officials yesterday to express disappointment with this matter and events that unfolded off-field Friday at St George’s Park,” a CA spokesman said. “CA appreciates the swift response, including the sincere apology from CSA, and the seriousness with which the matter is being treated.”The Williams’ masks were brought into the ground as an attempt to ridicule David Warner, who was involved in a stairwell spat with Quinton de Kock during the first Test in Durban. Warner was fined 75% of his match fee and earned three demerit points for the incident, later claiming de Kock had made a “vile and disgusting comment,” about his wife Candice. De Kock admitted to saying something in a hearing that took place on Wednesday and was fined 25% of his match fee with one demerit point added to his record.Candice had an encounter with Williams 11 years ago, before she had met Warner and South African fans hoped to use that to antagonise the opening batsman. The day before the Port Elizabeth Test, social media posts, including one by a reporter (who is not working on this game) with the host broadcaster shared photographs of fans making Williams’ masks and of a songbook with lyrics containing vulgar and derogatory language. While the songs were not heard at St George’s Park, the masks were seen but only after CSA officials had to intervene to allow mask-wearing fans into the stadium.Initially, stadium security had refused to allow them in because of what Kazi called a “misunderstanding,” though it is not clear on whose instructions the security were initially acting. Kazi and Eksteen were then contacted by the fans and met them at the gates, where it was decided that they would be allowed in. According to Kazi, the group of fans then asked for a photo with him and Eksteen and the pair obliged.”We found out because (the spectators) contacted us and we then went to security and got them in. They said ‘let’s take a photo with you guys,” Kazi told .Speaking to ESPNcricinfo shortly after the story broke last night, Kazi admitted it was “one of the worst judgment calls I have made,” and expressed regret over his actions.Meanwhile, CSA had reiterated that freedom of expression will be respected, within the limits of their own guidelines for spectator behaviour, which does not tolerate any racism, sexism or derogatory comments. A statement read: “While CSA respects the rights of its fans to represent their own points of view, CSA does not associate itself with these actions and urges all Protea supporters from refraining from being involved in distasteful or unwelcome actions that may impact the image of the sport and its supporters.”

Former Spurs striker turned pundit Darren Bent has made a "bonkers" James Maddison claim at Tottenham Hotspur.

Who have Tottenham signed this summer?

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy moved to bring in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson over the summer.

The north Londoners sealed seven major signings in total; bolstering Postecoglou's squad to great. Meanwhile, star striker Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele all moved in the opposite direction.

It was quite the busy transfer window for Tottenham before it shut on September 1, with Postecoglou orchestrating a major overhaul to reshape the Spurs squad in his own image.

So far, the Australian has been totally justified in his decisions off the field. Spurs currently sit second in the Premier League table, just behind last season's imperious treble-winning Man City.

The Lilywhites, during that time, have won three out of their opening four league matches; scoring nine goals in the process with brilliant victories over Man United, Bournemouth and Burnley.

Maddison, after joining from Leicester City in late June, has been one of the shining lights in this exciting, new-look Postecoglou side at Tottenham.

The England international has dazzled with two goals and two assists already in a Spurs shirt; putting in Man of the Match performances whilst truly justifying his £45 million price tag.

Maddison, speaking in a recent sit-down with The Telegraph, explained his love for the beautiful game and how he is overjoyed at being a Tottenham player.

"When you start playing football as a kid, you don’t play for anything,” said Maddison.

“There’s no politics, nothing like that. You play because you love playing football and you do the things you love and you become the player you become because of what you do and what you’re good at.

"And that will never change for me. That’s non-negotiable. That’s how I play. I’m never going to change and that’s why my journey has gone like this and I’m happy to have ended up at Tottenham.”

What's been said about James Maddison?

The former Norwich City star and Spurs are seemingly a match made in heaven; as the club have long missed a serial creative playmaker in the mould of Christian Eriksen.

Pundit Bent, speaking live on talkSPORT this week, has heaped praise on Maddison for his start to life under Postecoglou.

The former Aston Villa striker has also made a "bonkers" claim involving the 26-year-old, amid his imperious run f form in the top flight.

As transcribed by TBR, when asked if Maddison is now worth £90 million, Bent said: “Easy, because he’s been that good, that impressive."

He also called the £45m fee paid for his services an absolute "bargain".

“For James Maddison, I think it’s a bargain, even at £45 million. It sounds bonkers, it’s a bargain."

If the Englishman can maintain these superb run of performances through the 2023/2024 season, it's safe to say chairman Daniel Levy has pulled off a masterstroke.

Eoin Morgan thinks cricket’s formats are diverging at such a route that England could return to split coaches when Trevor Bayliss steps down after the 2019 World Cup

Daniel Brettig13-Jan-2018England’s captain Eoin Morgan believes cricket’s three formats are diverging at a rate that will soon make it impossible to have a single national coach across Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 matches.The 50-over series beginning in Melbourne on Sunday begins a run up to the World Cup after which both England’s coach Trevor Bayliss and his Australian counterpart Darren Lehmann will depart their roles, with neither man willing to extend their contract any further.England had previously employed different limited overs and Test match coaches when Andy Flower delegated the shorter forms to Ashley Giles before returning to a more conventional model, but Morgan believes that the days of one coach fitting all roles are running short.”I think down the line there will be,” Morgan said when asked whether he saw a need for different coaches for each format. “Cricket is going to change even more in the next 10 years than it has in the previous 10 years. I’d say, if anything, the formats are getting further and further apart. So I’m open to it.”The success or otherwise of Morgan’s team at next year’s World Cup will be the ultimate judgment upon the tack taken by the ECB in 2015, when they removed Peter Moores in favour of employing Bayliss with a clear mandate to improve England’s limited overs cricket. Through the naturally aggressive instincts of Morgan and also the wise counsel of the assistant coach Paul Farbrace, England had already been moving in that direction by the time Bayliss arrived, and the progress has continued since.Sitting down at the MCG, where England had been thrashed by Australia in the opening match of the 2015 World Cup on the way to early elimination, Morgan said the struggles of that tournament had been a major catalyst for change, along with the knowledge that the next event would be held at home.”It had quite a significant role, really,” Morgan said. “After that, a line was drawn in the sand and we were given clear directives that the goal was the 2019 World Cup. The gap between the England team in that World Cup and where we need to be in 2019, I don’t think anybody knows. But to bridge the gap between where we were at in that World Cup and, say, being in the semi-final or the final was the first port of the call. Bridging that gap came quicker that we ever thought it would.”We got a huge amount of confidence from the selectors. Andrew Strauss, our director of cricket, gave absolute clarity in what we wanted. I think, as a captain and backroom staff, we certainly thrived on that. It’s not often you get free rein and ambition to be as adventurous as you like.”Bayliss has been the subject of plenty of criticism following England’s Ashes defeat, but it has been clear throughout his tenure that apart from home success, his remit had been largely directed at the 50 and 20-over formats. As Jos Buttler put it to the BBC: “Trevor’s been fantastic for us. He creates a brilliant atmosphere around the team which allows people to go out and play in that free fashion. He doesn’t miss a beat, he sees everything that goes on and his great strength is he’s a great man manager. He really looks after people and gives them confidence. Any coach who can make the player feel 10 feet tall when they go out is fantastic.”Eoin Morgan leaps into a stroke•Getty ImagesThat confidence sat underneath Morgan’s response when queried on an Australian side his men were able to beat comfortably when they last met during the 2017 Champions Trophy, albeit with Ben Stokes as a key part of the outcome. “To be honest I haven’t looked at them a great deal, not until the last month or so,” Morgan said.”I know they had a difficult run with weather in the Champions Trophy, they didn’t even complete a full game against us, and certainly that was a struggle for them. But they’re a very strong team, certainly at home. They don’t have as many changes as we have from Tests to one-dayers so they’ll probably be up on the confidence of the Ashes win.”One thing that limited overs teams need less time to worry about is the prospect of conditions overly favouring the hosts. ODI pitches are seldom too far divergent from solid batting surfaces with fast outfields, even if heavy rain in Melbourne might ensure the need to run hard on the expanses of the MCG.Morgan is confident that England can adapt. “We’ve certainly tempered our aggression with some smart cricket,” he said. “Given the grounds that we’ve played at around the world, we’ve been able to do that. More importantly, the wickets that we’ve played on, we’ve adapted to them. Par for the course for this series will be bringing out the positive aggressive style with the bat with adapting to the wicket.”

Manchester United are expected to sign a midfielder before the summer transfer window slams shut later today, and while a certain Moroccan midfielder is the prime target, contingency plans appear to have been made.

What's the latest on Youssouf Fofana to Manchester United?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, United manager Erik ten Hag has seen a formal offer rejected by French side Monaco for Youssouf Fofana.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

The Italian journalist has also recently confirmed that Manchester United have asked Monaco for the conditions of a loan deal for Fofana, with Inter Milan also approaching the Ligue 1 club, but manager Adi Hutter will only entertain a permanent sale as Monaco "don't want to let Fofana leave on loan."

How good is Youssouf Fofana?

While the Red Devils have earmarked Fofana for transfer, it is Fiorentina's Moroccan midfielder Sofyan Amrabat who is the most coveted name at the Theatre of Dreams, with Romano claiming yesterday that the outfit are set to enter negotiations for the player once again, with Amrabat set on joining the squad.

The Premier League side have clinched six points from their open three matches but did not look wholly convincing in either game as two contentious decisions worked in Old Trafford's favour to secure slender victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest.

Amrabat is desired due to his first-rate passing skills and tenacity in the centre, having been integral in Morocco's remarkable 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar, and the 27-year-old being praised as the "best central midfielder in the tournament" by reporter Carlo Garganese.

The £32k-per-week powerhouse also ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 2% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, highlighting the kind of crisp composure Ten Hag desires to take United to the next level.

While he is undoubtedly one of the finest ball-playing midfielders around, United might need more of an all-encompassing cog in the centre to get the machine whirring at full strength.

Having been hailed as a "magnificent" player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the French machine was a central component to Monaco's 2022/23 season and demonstrated his rounded skill set with his league performances last year, earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.85, completing 82% of his passes, making 1.6 interceptions and 2.3 tackles per game and averaging 0.9 key passes each match.

For comparison, while Amrabat completed 90% of his passes in Serie A with La Viola last term, he only averaged 1.3 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game, also only making 0.4 passes each match, less influential in progressing the play.

Fofana also ranks among the top 11% of midfielders for progressive passes, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 15% for successful take-ons per 90, showcasing his energetic presence and willingness to drive the ball upfield.

Finances might come into play, with Monaco demanding a permanent sale whereas indications suggest that Fiorentina might be willing to do business on an initial loan.

And while Amrabat is a superlative ball player, Ten Hag must consider opting for the more dynamic option to enhance the collective level of the Red Devils squad, and if a deal is feasible, he must strike.

The captain made his sixth first-class century – an aggressive one – to make Queensland fret in the first Sheffield Shield match at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2017
ScorecardTravis Head celebrates his sixth first-class century•Getty ImagesSouth Australia captain Travis Head scored an attacking 132 against Queensland on the first day of Sheffield Shield cricket ever played at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns. Although the ground hosted two Test matches in the Australian winters of 2003 and 2004, this is the first Shield game in the stadium’s history, and the opening day ended with South Australia on 8 for 328, with Alex Carey on 39 and Chadd Sayers on 3.Queensland legspinner Mitch Swepson achieved the first five-wicket haul of his first-class career and finished with 5 for 106. He bowled Callum Ferguson for 45 and fellow spinner Charlie Hemphrey had opener John Dalton caught for 53 to have the Redbacks at 3 for 114, after opener Jake Weatherald had departed in the fourth over of the game.But a 136-run partnership between Head and Jake Lehmann steadied South Australia, and Head brought up his century from his 130th delivery. However, next ball Lehmann fell for 43 when he was bowled shouldering arms to Marnus Labuschagne, and Tom Cooper was lbw to Swepson for a duck in the next over.Swepson later had Head lbw and then claimed the lower-order wickets of Joe Mennie and Adam Zampa late in the day. Queensland entered the match second on the Shield table, while South Australia sit in fourth position.

Heart of Midlothian have begun their 2023/24 campaign in impressive fashion. The Gorgie outfit have recorded a win and a draw in their opening two Premiership fixtures and have qualified for the League Cup quarter-finals.

The 4-3 aggregate victory over Rosenborg has been the most pleasing aspect so far however, going through to the playoff round where they take on Greek side PAOK this week.

Amid the glorious start to the season, could Naismith be close to losing his talisman?

Is Lawrence Shankland leaving Hearts?

The Scot has been in sensational form since moving to Tynecastle in the summer of 2022 from Belgian side Beerschot.

He netted 28 goals across all competitions during 2022/23, including three in Europe and has carried this momentum into the current campaign, scoring four goals over five matches to give Hearts a solid start.

This type of form was always going to pique interest from other clubs, and now it appears as though teams from Saudi Arabia and England have made enquiries regarding his availability.

The Jambos are in no rush to sell according to Edinburgh Evening News and would only let him depart the club should an offer arrive in the region of £3m-£4m along with some add-ons, representing a major profit considering they signed him for just £500k.

It would be a major blow for Naismith to lose a player who has shone during his spell in Edinburgh so far and who could be the difference between playing European group stage football or not.

If he does move on, the club may just have an ideal future heir for the 28-year-old waiting in the wings – Mackenzie Kirk.

Who is Mackenzie Kirk?

The son of former Hearts striker Andy Kirk, the youngster is aiming to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a regular in the first team.

He is making a solid start to these aspirations, netting 25 goals across just 35 matches for the B side since the start of the 2021/22 season and these are numbers which will surely keep getting better.

Under former manager Robbie Nielson, Kirk made his senior bow in April 2022 against Ross County, coming off the bench for a short cameo, and he received praise from his boss following the game.

“It was good for Mackenzie to come on,” Nielson said. “He’s had a wee injury, then he came back in and scored in the Youth Cup semi-final recently. He has been doing well and he is a natural finisher.

“There was only a couple of minutes to go on Saturday and Boycie had cramp. We were going to take him off so it was time to give the boy a chance. We put him on and, if there’s anybody at the club going to nick a goal, it’s Kirky. He’s that type of player.”

This certainly gave him the confidence boost he needed as Kirk went on to score 17 times for the B side in the Lowland league last season and has continued this rich vein of form into the current campaign, netting six in six.

Should Shankland depart Edinburgh for pastures new, Naismith should have no worries about giving Kirk a chance.

The 19-year-old has shown he is an out-and-out striker and if given the opportunity, could repay the manager handsomely.

Dennis Lillee won’t be attending the finale Ashes Test for the WACA Ground in protest at its decline as Australia’s fast bowling fortress

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2017Dennis Lillee won’t be attending the finale Ashes Test for the WACA Ground in protest at its decline as Australia’s fast-bowling fortress. Though his name adorns one of the stands and despite serving until 2015 as WACA president, Lillee is staying away in disgust at the decision that will see most of Australia’s matches in Perth played at a new stadium in Burswood from 2018 onwards.The WACA’s fall from favour has been a long-running saga. During his 11 years as president, Lillee advocated redeveloping the old ground but that battle was eventually lost after a planned commercial project fell through in 2013.The announcement that the WACA would become a “boutique” venue, with major matches held at the newly built, 60,000-seater Optus Stadium – which will be inaugurated with an ODI against England next month – prompted Lillee to quit in protest. His views have apparently not changed much in the intervening period, as he made clear when contacted by the .”I’m not going [to the Test] because I’ve had enough of the crap that’s gone on in the background to push the WACA into oblivion,” Lillee said. “There was a lot of things that went on including broken promises and I could not be part of that going forward.”Since its first Test in 1970, the WACA Ground has become one of the game’s iconic venues, closely associated with the exploits of Lillee and his partner Jeff Thomson. It was a favourite touring venue for the West Indies pace battery during the 1980s and 90s and although Australia’s recent record there has been patchy, they have won seven Ashes Tests in a row at the ground, with Mitchell Johnson taking six wickets in a 150-run victory in 2013.Although it will remain Western Australia’s home for Sheffield Shield and one-day matches, only minor international tours are likely to see games scheduled at the WACA; Perth Scorchers will also play Big Bash Leagues across the Swan River.Lillee has allowed his image to be used at the new stadium but was reportedly angered in particular by the fact that Tests will be shifted to Burswood, despite questions over whether attendances are ever likely to exceed the WACA Ground’s current 20,000 capacity. Asked by the for comment, WACA chief executive Christina Matthews said: “We did a whole lot of financial modelling through Ernst and Young, it was presented to the board and the board was satisfied that our financial position would be improved.”

West Ham United are in the race to sign one of Spain’s most gifted and promising youngsters…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to Marca Valladolid, the Irons are in a fight to sign Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda, after Crystal Palace opened talks with the Spanish club with a view to making an offer.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Chelsea and Sporting CP are also said to be interested in the right-back.

As previously reported by SPORT, the 18-year-old is valued at around €15m (£13m) by Valladolid, who recently suffered relegation to La Liga 2.

Would Ivan Fresneda be a good signing for West Ham?

The defender was born in the Spanish capital, and joined Real Madrid’s youth setup in 2014, before leaving the club in 2018. He eventually signed for Valladolid in 2020, and despite only forging 26 appearances for the senior side, has firmly established himself as one of the continent’s most eye-catching talents.

This perspective has been reinforced by Matt Clark of the LaLiga Lowdown, who highlighted Fresneda’s accomplished profile and limitless potential, saying: “He is a remarkably complete right-back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too.

"He has that coveted combination of physicality and technical ability. Tall but agile, quick and athletic, he is also strong in the tackle and reads the game very well for someone so green when it comes to first-team football.”

The teen’s defensive acumen is mirrored by his rank within the best 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for blocks per 90 and clearances per 90, as well as the highest 21% for tackles per 90.

Moreover, The Athletic revealed he is a high-quality ball winner, winning 75% of his duels, with only one LaLiga full-back, his teammate Luis Perez, possessing a better success rate.

Following the end of last year, Fresneda was just one of seven players aged 17 or younger to play over 1,000 minutes of first-team football in Europe’s big five leagues, to signify his growing quality and importance to his team.

Therefore, a player on this trajectory is more than capable of becoming a useful asset for a Premier League side. From a West Ham perspective, Fresneda can be viewed as an ageing and less dynamic Vladimir Coufal.

The 31-year-old has been a solid and reliable servant for the Hammers, having featured in 91 of the club’s last 116 domestic games.

His lack of pace, directness, and attacking threat are major drawbacks to his game, and he fails to embody the full nature of the ‘modern full-back.’

Fresneda, who played for a far worse side last year, demonstrated that he can outperform Coufal in this respect. Over the past 365 days, the prodigy scores better than the Czech for progressive carries per 90 (2.48 vs 2.37), successful take-ons per 90 (0.77 vs 0.13), and pass completion per 90 (77% vs 62.2%).

Whilst his offensive output isn’t prolific, as he failed to record any assists last term, this is mainly due to the lack of quality in Valladolid forwards, who managed just 33 goals in the league, the second-lowest in the division.

Therefore, Fresneda, who has been hailed as someone with “good technique” and “great energy” by Emmanuel Petit, could flourish at the London Stadium.

Monday night will see Crystal Palace welcome Arsenal to Selhurst Park in the second round of Premier League fixtures.

The pair both enjoyed narrow victories last week to get their new seasons off to solid starts.

Palace visited newly promoted Sheffield United, and while Odsonne Edouard had the ball in the back of the net three times, only one actually counted. His strike made all the difference in a narrow 1-0 win at Bramall Lane.

Arsenal, meanwhile, hosted Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime and goals from a pair of academy graduates in the first half made all the difference.

Eddie Nketiah gave the Gunners the lead before Bukayo Saka curled a second home in style. Taiwo Awoniyi pulled one back for Forest late on but Steve Cooper’s men were unable to find an all-important equaliser.

And ahead of the London rivals' latest meeting, Football FanCast has taken a look at how the teams stack up against each other.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has the better head-to-head record?

Arsenal are one of the few teams in English football who can boast that they’ve never been relegated from the Premier League.

As a result, a large majority of the games in the modern era between these two London sides have been in the top flight while Crystal Palace have enjoyed their spells there.

After beating Palace 5-0 in 2005, Arsenal wouldn’t cross paths with the Eagles for almost a decade due to them featuring in the Championship.

Upon their return to the top flight, normal service was promptly resumed with a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in 2013 for the Gunners, who have dominated this fixture since the first clash back in the 1930s.

Crystal Palace wins: 6 Draws: 16 Arsenal wins: 31 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has more wins at Selhurst Park?

Selhurst Park has been the home of Crystal Palace for nearly a century now. Mayor of London Alfred Bower officially opened the ground in 1924, and prior to playing there, Palace bounced around a number of areas for not very long at all.

Palace’s wins over Arsenal are evenly divided between home games and away games, with two of them coming in more recent years in the shape of 3-0 victories under Sam Allardyce and former Gunner Patrick Vieira.

Crystal Palace wins: 3 Draws: 9 Arsenal wins: 14 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has more wins at Highbury/Emirates Stadium?

It is hardly surprising to see that Arsenal have enjoyed many more victories when they’ve been at home. The Emirates is one of the more modern stadiums in the Premier League – Arsenal’s hugely divisive departure from Highbury in 2006 is still a point of contention for fans, particularly regarding the atmosphere.

However, Arsenal have continued to put Palace to the sword a number of times on their own patch, winning almost twice as often as not in front of the Gunners faithful.

Arsenal wins: 17 Draws: 7 Crystal Palace wins: 3 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has the better cup record?

It has been over 20 years since the pair last met in one of England’s primary cup competitions. Both clashes in the 1990s saw the Gunners prevail on their way to cup glory.

A two-legged victory saw Arsenal reach the 1992/93 League Cup final at the Eagles' expense before needing a replay on their way to their 1997/98 FA Cup triumph under Arsene Wenger.

Meanwhile, a huge win for Palace against their London rivals came in the League Cup in 1970/71 – the year Arsenal would achieve their first-ever league and cup double.

Arsenal are the record-winners in the FA Cup with their 14 triumphs trumping even Manchester United, who boast 12.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have twice been runners-up in that competition – losing both finals to Manchester United after extra time, one at the old Wembley Stadium and the other at the rebuilt ground in 2016.

Crystal Palace wins: 1 Draws: 2 Arsenal wins: 4 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: What were the last five meetings?

As previously mentioned, this duo haven’t faced each other in a cup competition for years, so all of their recent meetings have come in the Premier League.

19th March 2023 – Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace: The most recent meeting saw a Bukayo Saka masterclass at the Emirates, with the young winger contributing two goals and an assist to the Arsenal cause.

Both Sam Johnstone and Vicente Guaita were both out injured for Palace meaning that teenager Joe Whitworth experienced a baptism of fire between the sticks for the visitors.

5th August 2022 – Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal: Arsenal won both fixtures against Crystal Palace last season.

Gabriel Martinelli found the back of the net in both games, and this season-opener was hanging finely in the balance until a late Marc Guehi own goal determined the outcome.

4th April 2022 – Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: There haven’t been many more enjoyable and emphatic moments in this fixture for the Eagles than the one that took place early on in April 2022.

An intense Selhurst Park atmosphere forced Arsenal to collapse with three attackers all getting in on the act for Palace in the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jordan Ayew, and of course, Wilfried Zaha.

18th October 2021 – Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace: It was a generally positive match-up for Patrick Vieira’s side in that season as Palace previously went to the Emirates and left with a very respectable point.

Time has clearly passed for both clubs, with Edouard being the only remaining goalscorer from that evening.

Goals from Edouard and Christian Benteke cancelled out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's opener, before Alexandre Lacazette grabbed a dramatic late equaliser.

19th May 2021- Crystal Palace 1-3 Arsenal: This clash came in the penultimate round of the 2020/21 campaign, when Arsenal finished down in eighth despite their strong finish to the season.

Arsenal left it late again on this occasion, with Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe grabbing injury-time goals. Both wide-men scored with the clock in the red to rescue all three points for Arsenal in front of a rowdy Selhurst Park crowd back in the stands for the first time that year.

Who has played for both Crystal Palace and Arsenal?

A number of players have donned the colours of both Crystal Palace and Arsenal, but the majority of them were from many years ago. Here are just a few of the names to have this honour bestowed upon them.

Marouane Chamakh (Arsenal 2010-2013; Crystal Palace 2013-2016): The Moroccan forward had a great scoring record with Bordeaux in Ligue 1, so when he arrived at the Emirates, there was a lot of hope for him.

It didn’t exactly go to plan for him in England in spite of a few bright sparks, and he is instead perhaps most fondly remembered for netting twice in extra-time in Arsenal's infamous 7-5 League Cup win over Reading in 2012.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal 2006-2009; Crystal Palace 2016): Adebayor is someone who managed to deliver when wearing that classic red and white strip, only to go and ruin his Arsenal legacy through his spells at Spurs and Manchester City.

An unhappy brief spell at Palace in 2016 saw the Togolese later describe it as his 'biggest mistake'.

Ian Wright (Crystal Palace 1985-1991; Arsenal 1991-1998): Finally, the man who surely comes to mind for everyone when they think of these two clubs – the legend that is Ian Wright.

His story of how he got into football is a very emotional and real one, and is now one of the most beloved pundits in England.

Wright made over 200 appearances for both clubs and is considered to be a legend at both, too – it’s just a shame that neither of his sons, Bradley nor Shaun, played for either club.

Mathieu Flamini and Yaya Sanogo are amongst those who deserve an honourable mention.

What is Crystal Palace’s biggest victory over Arsenal?

10th April 2017: Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: When it comes to Crystal Palace’s biggest winning margin over Arsenal, there are actually two that are tied.

Palace beat Arsenal 3-0 in April 2017 and then again in the April of last year. Focusing on the former, current Aston Villa shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez was in goal for Arsenal as they visited south London.

Andros Townsend opened the scoring before the ever-classy Yohan Cabaye made it 2-0. Luka Milivojević tucked home a trademark penalty to really rub salt into Arsenal wounds.

What is Arsenal’s biggest victory over Crystal Palace?

27th January 1934: Arsenal 7-0 Crystal Palace: We have to travel back nearly 100 years to find the most convincing Arsenal victory over Crystal Palace of all time.

Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman had passed away due to pneumonia just a couple of weeks prior, and so with Joe Shaw at the helm, emotions were running high.

They won 7-0 in front of over 56,000 people in the fourth round of the FA Cup – their campaign ended with a narrow defeat to Aston Villa in round six.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Key stats

This will be the 47th top-flight meeting between the two clubs Arsenal have won two of their last three matches at Selhurst Park Arsenal haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 5, while Crystal Palace have scored in their last 4 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Famous fixtures

4th April 2022- Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: As previously mentioned, there are two 3-0s that are tied as Palace’s most emphatic win in this London derby.

The other came the season before last and was one of a few slip-ups that derailed the top-four hopes of Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal may have enjoyed 69% of possession at Selhurst Park, but it counted for nothing at the end of the day.

9th November 1970 – Arsenal 0-2 Crystal Palace: Only once have Crystal Palace knocked Arsenal out of a cup competition, and that took place over 50 years ago in the League Cup. After drawing 0-0 on home soil, Palace then went to Highbury and the rest is history.

They may have gone on to lose to Manchester United in the following round, but that still remains an iconic result against the mighty Arsenal, who went on to win the league and FA Cup that year under Bertie Mee.

Kerala cruised home after KC Akshay’s nine-for while Saurashtra leapt to the top of the table after handing Jharkhand a thrashing

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2017Gujarat completed their third straight win from as many games after they thumped Haryana by 238 runs in Valsad. They needed less than 10 overs on the final morning after Haryana added only 28 runs to their overnight score of 94 for 7. Seventeen-year-old left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai picked up his second five-wicket haul in only his second first-class game and finished with a match-haul of eight wickets. Veteran legspinner Piyush Chawla, meanwhile, claimed his 23rd five-for to go with his four wickets in the first innings.Overnight batsman Harshal Patel was the first to be dismissed in the morning by Desai, following which Sanjay Pahal (41), the top-scorer for Haryana, was bowled by Chawla. Chawla then wrapped up things in his next over by having the last man Ashish Hooda caught behind. While Gujarat are on top of Group B with 19 points, Haryana are at the bottom after having lost all their three games.Kerala needed only 8.5 overs on the final morning to brush aside Jammu & Kashmir by 158 runs and collect their third win from four games in Thiruvananthapuram. With 18 points, they are now second-placed behind Gujarat having played one extra game. Debutant right-arm spinner KC Akshay picked up all the three wickets to fall on the morning to claim his maiden five-wicket haul. Akshay, 21, ended up with a match haul of9 for 58.Resuming on 56 for 7, J&K lost their first wicket in the third over of the day after Asif Khan was cleaned up by Akshay. The remaining batsmen put up little resistance, as they were bowled out for 79. Only three batsmen got into the double digits. J&K are just one rung above bottom-placed Haryana in the standings. Sanju Samson was named man-of-the-match for his century in the first innings.Saurashtra beat Jharkhand by six wickets to register their third win on the trot. Chasing 59, Saurashtra lost the opportunity to score seven points as they lost a few early wickets, but eventually completed it without much trouble. That meant they now have 20 points and have leapfrogged Kerala and Gujarat to the top of the table.Resuming on 139 for 1 after being made to follow-on, Jharkhand lost Nazim Siddiqui, in the ninth over for 75. Sumit Kumar, who made 108, and Saurabh Tiwary put on 77 runs before the latter was bowled by left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Six overs later, Dharmendrasinh removed Sumit to leave Jharkhand on 259 for 4. Ishank Jaggi (35) and Ishan Kishan (34) added 56 runs before the floodgates opened, with Jharkhand slipping from 315 for 5 to 341 all out. Dharmendrasinh finished with four wickets.