Nwaneri shows where route to Arsenal first XI could come

Ethan Nwaneri is fresh from his breakthrough season at Arsenal and is now representing England at the European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia.Nwaneri made an impressive substitute appearance in the Young Lions' opening game against Slovakia, immediately putting the ball through the legs of a defender and starting an England attack.Head coach Lee Carsley and the England set-up have been careful with how they have used Nwaneri so far during the tournament. That is because the 18-year-old, who played a lot of football at the beginning and mid-point of the season, featured less as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard returned to full fitness. However, Nwaneri still made 37 appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine goals.Carsley handed Nwaneri a start for the second group match against Slovenia, but started the midfielder on the left of his 4-2-2-2 formation, with Harvey Elliott on the right and James McAtee and Jonathan Rowe as strikers.Nwaneri's natural position is more central, but he has excelled for Arsenal on the right, filling in for Saka when he was injured.He grew into the game against Slovenia but his best moments came in the second half when he did shift to the right side and linked well with Elliott. Nwaneri did manage to beat a player and get into his 'trademark' position - where he curls the ball from the edge of the box with his left foot into the far corner - but this time his effort flew over the bar.Saka is Arsenal's key player and Odegaard the captain, so next season, if he is able to play from the left, that could be a route for Nwaneri to continue his progression and get significant minutes for Mikel Arteta's side.

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BBC News

36 minutes ago

• BBC News

England hunt early wickets on day two against India

Update: Date: 11:11 BST Title: Get Involved Content: #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply) Off to Abbeydale in a bit to 'watch' my niece and sister play hockey. Think I'll be watching the 2nd XI and listening to TMS with a beer and sun cream. Wickets please. Anon Update: Date: 11:11 BST Title: Post Content: Michael VaughanFormer England captain on BBC Test Match Special You always start your day with the best two bowlers from the previous day. Stokes was by far the best bowler yesterday. He is such a good man manager but sometimes he looks after everyone else before he decides it's his turn. Update: Date: 11:11 BST Title: Post Content: Jonathan AgnewBBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special Woakes didn't have a good day yesterday and I am surprised he is bowling this early today. Update: Date: 87 overs Title: Ind 364-3 Content: Chris Woakes at the other end for England... and Shubman Gill drives his second delivery through the covers for four! Gill is now past his previous Test high score of 128. He doesn't add any more to his total from the remainder of the over. Update: Date: 86 overs Title: Ind 360-3 Content: Gill 128, Pant 65 Pant faces the remainder of the over and fails to score, with Carse sending some sharp short deliveries towards the India wicketkeeper. This ball is now six overs old - England took the new cherry at the first opportunity last night. Update: Date: 11:04 BST Title: Get Involved Content: #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply) I know it's easy to pile on the England decision to bowl - but let's get behind our team and hope they turn it around. It wouldn't be the first time Stokes and the team have done so. Matt, London. Update: Date: 85.1 overs Title: Ind 360-3 Content: The players are back out there - Brydon Carse will take the first over for England. Shubman Gill pulls his first delivery out to deep backward square and runs a single. Update: Date: 11:01 BST Title: Post Content: Michael VaughanFormer England captain on BBC Test Match Special Chris Woakes is the banker for this England side, but he had a bad day. He is normally perfect but he was erratic with his lines and lengths yesterday. And India capitalised on that. Update: Date: 11:01 BST Title: Post Content: Here's the forecast for today - a chance of a bit of rain at tea, we'll see how we go. Update: Date: 10:57 BST Title: Post Content: England sent out bowling coach Tim Southee for their end of day interviews yesterday, here's what he had to say about day one... On day one: "It was a tough day but we will get our opportunity to bat soon. We will come back tomorrow and try to make some inroads. "There is a bit on offer. The openers did well early on, particularly Rahul. It's not easy but we will get our chance with the bat. The outfield is lightning fast and days like these are days you can learn from. We can use this to grow our game. "There were two great knocks, Jaiswal and Pant are class players. A lot of guys chipped in around those knocks too." On the mood in the England squad: "The guys are good. The strength of this side is that things can be tough at times but they try to not to get too caught up in he emotions of bad days." On Ben Stokes: "He is a player that makes things happen. He made some key breakthroughs. He is in good nick and he has been bowling outstanding." On Chris Woakes: "It's his first Test for a while. He had a good game in the Lions game recently, he bowled well at times at he will have more opportunities tomorrow." Update: Date: 10:54 BST Title: Post Content: This video can not be played 'England need to find other ways to take wickets' - Wood England seamer Mark Wood, speaking on BBC's Today at the Test, said the home side need to find other ways to take wickets on a flat deck at Headingley. Update: Date: 10:52 BST Title: Post Content: Sir Alastair CookEx-England captain on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra England will be desperate to get out there and have a bat. The outfield is so fast and looking at the wicket this morning, there is not a mark on it. This is a batman's paradise. India could have 600 on the board by that point, but good sides find a way to get out of those positions. Update: Date: 10:49 BST Title: Post Content: Gill resumes with Rishabh Pant alongside him on 65. The wicketkeeper mixed some steady batting with a few big hits - including this six off Shoaib Bashir. This video can not be played 'High into the stand' - Pant hits Bashir down the ground for huge six Update: Date: 10:46 BST Title: Post Content: Sir Alastair CookEx-England captain on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra It would have been quite a long night for him [Shubman Gill], the adrenaline never really leaves you overnight. The hard thing is getting the rhythm again the following day, it's not as easy as it should be. But what a position to be in, to come back 127 not out. Update: Date: 10:43 BST Title: Post Content: Highlights of day one, you say? Well, for England fans they're few and far between, but for India's supporters there's plenty to enjoy. This video can not be played Jaiswal and Gill both make centuries to put India in control against England Update: Date: 10:40 BST Title: Post Content: Steven FinnFormer England fast bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra The England bowlers will be looking to realign their thinking today. They missed their opportunity in those first 25 minutes yesterday. They almost tried too hard to take wickets in that first half an hour. The way this England team plays though is that they won't dwell on the past. They will look to how they can affect the game positively this morning. Update: Date: 10:38 BST Title: Post Content: It's day two of the first Test at Headingley and England will be hoping that it goes significantly better than day one. Having put India into bat in sunny conditions, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill both made centuries as India reached stumps on 359-3. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he was "staggered" by England's decision to bowl, and I think that reflects the general reaction in the stands and in our inbox. It's another sunny day at Headingley, will we get more of the same? Update: Date: 10:35 BST Title: Post Content: Ever made a bad decision at work?

The Sun

37 minutes ago

• The Sun

‘Extraordinary' Royal Ascot row breaks out as livid trainer blasts his own jockey over ‘terrible' ride

AN 'extraordinary' Royal Ascot row has broken out - after a jockey slated his own jockey over a 'terrible' ride. French handler Jerome Reynier was absolutely furious with US-based jockey Flavien Prat's effort on Facteur Cheval in Wednesday's Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. 2 2 The six-year-old gelding, who has won almost £4million in his brilliant career, was sent off 25-1 for the 1m2f contest. But his trainer believed those odds were nowhere near a true reflection of his ability. And he clearly thought that the horse had a chance if Prat followed his instructions. However, that all appeared to go out the window early when Facteur Cheval chased breakneck 100-1 pace-setter Continuous. Facteur Cheval was later dropped back but unsurprisingly ran out of gas and finished a limp sixth of eight behind superstar winner Ombudsman. Reynier, still seething when speaking to the media days later, hit out at Prat's tactics - which, despite the disastrous effort, still netted the horse's owners £14,000. He said: "He (the horse) has come out of the race well, despite his jockey doing absolutely nothing to help him. "I think it was perhaps the worst ride given to one of my horses since I became a trainer. "In a race with loads of pace, he elected to lead the chase [of the pacemaker]. "He was the first to commit on the turn for home and launched his attack three wide with no cover and too far out. "He thought he was at Santa Anita or Del Mar where they have short straights and the tracks are flat. "And I don't think it was a judicious move to use a jockey who rides in that style. "It was just a terrible ride." French-bron Prat is one of America's top jockeys and had amassed prize money earnings there of more than £11m this calendar year alone. Over the course of his career in the States, Prat has recorded 1,995 wins and earned more than £150m in winnings. . Remember to gamble responsibly

Times

an hour ago

• Times

Tommy Freeman tried — but Lions tactics will not work with bad kicking

The British & Irish Lions didn't lose to Argentina for lack of effort. They didn't lose because of any overriding tactical aberration. Through the course of the 80 minutes, their discipline was outstanding. Much as supporters like nothing more than to blame a referee, James Doleman, if anything, was instinctively on the side of the Lions. He needed the help of the TMO despite being in the ideal position to see Luke Cowan-Dickie clearly fail to ground the ball for a 'try'. There were other examples. The sea of red supported them all the way. As for the opposition, Argentina have, if anything, had a poorer preparation than the Lions. There are no excuses. Tommy Freeman, the Lions wing, summed up an evening that — far from wishing to forget — Andy Farrell's men will do well to remember. This is what happens when effort is eclipsed by inaccuracy and sub-standard execution. Freeman is a superb player but nothing went his way in Dublin on Friday night. Nothing went his way and yet he did exactly what his coaches would have wanted in terms of what he set out to do: Chase those box-kicks, sprint after every restart, get hands on the ball as often as possible. Hunt the ball infield. That's the essence of Freeman. He gives, and gave, everything. From the first to last minute of his performance, he was taking his typical run-up, behind the box-kicker, to compete in, and usually win, those aerial contests. In Dublin, he must have sprinted a 1,000 metres without one clean catch. Argentina's wings are less physically imposing than Freeman and Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe but they were far more effective chasers. That is not just about the respective abilities of those wide players, though, more a profound reflection of the difference in quality of the tactical kicking. Freeman can time his chases from Northampton Saints and England team-mate Alex Mitchell in his sleep but Mitchell's kicking was too often a metre too long. These were not bad kicks but they weren't good either. At the highest levels these fine margins are critical. Whereas Mitchell was OK, his opposite number, Gonzalo García, was outstanding. In the opening ten minutes, the tone was set as the Lions chased in vain and Argentina made frequent gains and turnovers. Mitchell must be disappointed with his performance. He failed to kick-start the Lions. As for Freeman, he produced a fabulous example of how to work off his wing. Sweeping from right to left, he persistently carried hard into the midfield of Argentina. Unfortunately, the passes he received were usually a fraction off target, as Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu failed to find the English wing's wavelength. Little combined errors resulted in collective failure. Tuipulotu, the Glasgow Warriors centre, hasn't played much rugby this season; his rustiness was part of Freeman's frustrations in midfield, just as his scrum half's slightly long kicks helped to explain the ineffective chase game. Tuipulotu needs game time. His lack of sharpness is understandable. Mitchell at No9 wasn't bad but nor was he good enough to press for a Test place. Nothing quite fitted for Freeman. It wasn't a memorable night for Fin Smith, either . A poor cross-kick could, maybe should, have conceded a first-half try while penalty kicks to the corner lacked the vicious precision expected. His all-round game was tentative. If anyone questioned Finn Russell's status as Test No10, this game should have ended any such delusions. Nor did things fall the way of Van der Merwe. He showed the reason for his selection, rampaging into midfield once to shatter the defensive plans of opposition analysts, as James Lowe does for Ireland. However he looked positionally weak beneath the high kick. Whereas Freeman was invariably in the right position, the beefy wing on the opposite side was worryingly ten metres out of position beneath one cross-kick, which left Smith isolated and knocking on. There's no doubt that Van der Merwe is a brilliant broken-field operator but with Australia head coach Joe Schmidt hoping to unleash the unique athleticism of Joseph Suaalii in the wider parts of the pitch, the Scot appears vulnerable. It was noticeable that when Mack Hansen emerged from the bench, he offered more industry and variety than the prolific finishing of Van der Merwe. There is no such thing as a good defeat but Farrell's men have only lost a sporting battle (to write 'skirmish' would be to insult Felipe Contepomi's Argentina). There is no shortage of effort or intensity and the serious stuff is yet to come. By the time the Lions play Western Force in Perth next Saturday, their execution will need to be better than it was on a Friday when it was Argentina, despite missing a host of their Top 14 stars, who shone. The 1971 Lions lost to Queensland en route to their one and only series win in New Zealand. Far better in the immediate aftermath of defeat to praise the Pumas rather than panic about the Lions. Friday night's fix can be a relatively quick one, even though this vintage lacks Edwards, John, Davies and JPR. Optus Stadium, PerthSaturday, 11amTV Sky Sports Main Event