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Arsenal are well equipped to go all the way in their battle for the Premier League title this season, having brushed up their squad after three successive second-place finishes.

But while the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze have all established themselves as star members after big-money summer transfers, Mikel Arteta has ensured the Hale End academy has remained as important and influential as it has ever been, with some talented teenagers intermingled with the senior squad in north London.

Under Arteta’s wing, Arsenal have made incremental progress, with silverware the only thing missing since the Spanish coach replaced Unai Emery in 2019 and took his squad to the FA Cup final and won the trophy.

He has maintained his upward trajectory by entrusting Arsenal’s academy with regular opportunities.

Arsenal have so many exciting stars looking to establish themselves as the next Bukayo Saka or the new Declan Rice. The latter might not have cut his teeth with the Gunners, but they are certainly reaping the rewards.

Declan Rice's journey to superstardom

Rice is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is one of the first names on the team sheet for both club and country, and, aged 26, he has matured into a leader as well as a technical and athletic phenomenon.

It all started at West Ham United.

David Moyes nurtured his young protege to the fore and shaped him into the player he is today. Arsenal paid £105m for the Hammers man’s signature in 2023, with Rice having led his side to the Conference League title a month before.

Once a member of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, Rice is unquestionably one of the most talented Englishmen to have emerged in recent years, having evolved from a defender to a six to a first-class all-rounder.

The north London club are well stocked in the engine room, but with the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri all emerging from Hale End in recent years, it might be nice to see an all-action midfielder burst onto the scene and help continue Arteta’s remarkable rise.

After all, who better to learn from than Rice?

Jack Wilshere’s declaration that Rice is a one-of-a-kind player and an inspiration and teacher for someone like Dowman is right on the money, but there’s actually an exciting Hale End midfielder who could more beneficially absorb the fruits of the Three Lions star’s labours over the coming months and years.

Arsenal's new version of Rice

Rice is one of the best English midfielders of his generation, and it’s for this reason that teenager Ife Ibrahim will be keen to take a leaf or two from the 26-year-old’s book as he looks to make his way from the Emirates academy into Arteta’s senior squad.

The London-born prospect has attracted praise for his performances at youth level this season and has enjoyed his first two caps for England U18s, having made his bow only a few weeks ago.

With the right moves over the next few years, Ibrahim could be just the player to learn from Rice and develop into a similarly special midfielder at the highest level, with the 17-year-old having already edged his way into U21 action at Arsenal despite his youth an inexperience.

Said to have a bit of “Vieira and Diaby” about him by analyst Harvey Diamonds, the rangy midfielder is adept at breaking up play and keeping things ticking from the base of the centre. He might not be the flashiest, but this is the kid of counterpoint you need against, say, someone like Nwaneri up ahead, creating and adding to the attack.

Whether Ibrahim even scratches the same ballpark as Rice in the future is, of course, another question entirely, but he has the physicality and progressive nature to succeed in the Premier League and learn some tricks from the superstar’s trade.

Having featured 54 times for Arsenal’s various development levels, Ibrahim has plenty of experience under his belt and has even featured three times against senior oppposition, in the EFL Trophy, this season, with data from Sofascore showing us that he won 59% of his duels across those three outings, averaging two interceptions per game and completing 87% of his passes. The teenager’s heat map suggests he covered plenty of ground across the midfield, stretching back to cover his defenders and barrelling forward when the chance presented itself.

This is all to say that Arsenal have a gem on their hands, one of many glittering underneath the surface level of Arteta’s squad. Given the need for a physical profile at number six to contrast with the elegance of Zubimendi, it might just be that Arteta strikes the jackpot once again with a talented academy star, free to grow into their skin and feeling the trust from the boss.

As with Rice (and Vieira, for that matter), Ibrahim appears to have a propensity for using his muscular frame and sharp bursts of pace to hold off opponents and dart upfield.

Arsenal youth correspondent Jeorge Bird has already confirmed that Arteta has welcomed the youngster into some senior training sessions over the past year, clearly with a view toward full integration down the line.

It wouldn’t be the first time Arteta has done such a thing.

After Saka & Rice: Arsenal can hand Tuchel the "biggest talent in England"

The incredible Arsenal gem could become a bigger star for England than Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 14, 2025

It’s shaping up to be a sensational season for Arsenal this year.

With nine games played in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s side sit atop the Premier League table, six points clear of Manchester City and seven points clear of Liverpool.

Moreover, while the Gunners look impossible to score against at the moment, there is a real sense that the team could still move up a gear or two.

Even then, several Arsenal players are performing at levels fans have not seen before, including one big-money signing who is emulating Jurrien Timber’s rise.

Timber's rise at Arsenal

Arsenal made a number of impressive signings in the summer of 2023, including David Raya, Declan Rice, and Kai Havertz.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Yet the player fans probably knew the least amount, due to him not playing in England, was Timber, who moved to the Emirates from Ajax for a fee of around £38m.

Unfortunately, the supporters wouldn’t learn much about their new defender during his first season at the club either, as he suffered an ACL injury in the opening game against Nottingham Forest, which kept him out until the final match of the campaign.

Fortunately, the Dutchman didn’t miss anywhere near as many games last season and, as a result, made an incredible impact on the team, primarily by being solid as a rock on the right-hand side.

However, this year has seen the Utrecht-born monster take yet another step forward in red and white, as, in addition to being an elite lockdown defender, he has also become a genuine attacking threat.

For example, in just nine Premier League games, the 24-year-old has scored two goals and provided two assists.

Moreover, according to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of full-backs in the league this season for non-penalty expected and actual goals, shots on target and through balls, the top 6% for passes into the penalty area, and more, all per 90.

In all, Timber has become an all-action full-back who excels in all facets of the game, and as a result, it’s almost impossible to disagree with analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he is “one of the best Emirates-era signings.”

Therefore, it’s massively encouraging to see another one of Arteta’s big-money signings start to emulate him in certain ways this season.

The Arsenal star emulating Timber

There are plenty of Arsenal players having stellar campaigns so far this season, but someone who’s been a big surprise in the best way possible has been Riccardo Calafiori.

The Italian international joined the club in the summer of 2024, and while he did so with plenty of fanfare, he did not have the best of debut seasons in red and white.

In fact, across the whole campaign, the former Bologna star made just 29 appearances, totalling 1497 minutes, which was almost entirely down to his truly dreadful injury record, which saw him miss 30 games for club and country and spend 175 days on the sidelines.

It was so bad, and Myles Lewis-Skelly did such a good job in his place that there were doubts over whether he’d actually be able to hold down a place in the team, or if he would suffer injury after injury before being shipped off, akin to what happened with Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Fortunately, this year has been completely different, and as things stand, he’s already made ten appearances for the first team, totalling 791 minutes, and is yet to miss a single game through injury.

This comeback is one of the similarities he shares with Timber, and the second is that, on top of simply being available, he’s also been absolutely incredible for the team this year, both defensively and especially going forward.

For example, he’s already scored a goal and provided two assists, and his underlying numbers, like the Dutchman’s, are sensational.

According to FBref, the £120k-per-week monster ranks in the top 1% of full-backs in the league for total shots, the top 4% for expected goals, the top 7% for goals plus assists, the top 10% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and more, all per 90.

On top of the incredible numbers, the Rome-born wildcard is also one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league.

For example, the freedom given to him by Arteta and his subsequent roaming approach to the game have led him to being described as a “wild horse on the loose” by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean and “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” by journalist James Benge.

Ultimately, while he had a poor start to life at Arsenal, Calafiori has exploded into life this season, and, like Timber, has become one of the most indispensable players in Arteta’s squad.

Not Eze & Gyokeres: Arsenal pair look like the best since Bergkamp & Henry

Aretat has helped to create Arsenal’s best duo since Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 27, 2025

Christian Pulisic has revealed the “embarrassing” choice that he made for his initiation song at AC Milan. The USMNT star took to belting out Miley Cyrus’ hit ‘Party in the USA’, much to his own disgust. He has also revealed how Luka Modric was able to avoid suffering a similar fate in a group environment by handing out iPhone gifts to his new team-mates at San Siro.

• Honorary Milanista: Captain America is thriving in Italy

  Pulisic moved to Italy in the summer of 2023 when bringing a four-year, Champions League-winning stint with Premier League giants Chelsea to a close. He settled quickly in new surroundings, registering 15 goals across his debut campaign. That bar was raised to 17 efforts last term.

  The 27-year-old has endeared himself to another passionate fan base, with ‘Captain America’ now considered to be an honorary Milanista. He has also proved his worth to those that he shares the field with, although many may have fault to pick with his singing ability.

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  Stick to the day job: Pulisic reveals choice of initiation song

  Pulisic is not the type to speak his mind on a regular basis, but begrudgingly accepted that he had to stand up and showcase his vocal talents when joining Milan. He still cringes when thinking about that episode and now wishes that he had taken the same approach as Ballon d’Or-winning colleague Modric by putting his hand into his pocket instead.

  Discussing his adjustment to life with the Rossoneri, Pulisic told : “I don’t make myself heard vocally; I’m more reserved, quiet in the group. It’s my personality in life; people can see it. But I’ve grown a bit in my career, and I’m not afraid to speak my mind.

  “Did Modric give us iPhones as an initiation rite? Yes, I didn’t know this had come out. I don’t know if I should confirm it, but yes. You should sing in front of the team. But when you’re Luka Modric and you’ve won the Ballon d’Or, the Champions League, you can skip that process. And then you don’t say no to new iPhones. It’s a win-win situation.

  “My initiation song? It’s embarrassing. I sang Miley Cyrus’s ‘Party in the USA’, I thought it was appropriate. I think I did something similar at Chelsea. It’s the worst moment in the world. I hate it; it makes me cringe. You see people so uncomfortable.”

• Documentary star: Why private Pulisic allowed cameras into his life

  Pulisic does his best to keep himself out of the spotlight as much as possible – although his ever-growing celebrity status makes that difficult. He does not showcase his life on social media, but did star in a documentary for Paramount+ in 2024.

  He added on that venture and keeping his life private: “It’s not that I don’t trust it [social media], but I don’t want to add extra voices about myself. Some people are more adept at sharing their lives, and that’s fine. I’m more of a private person; it’s a personal decision. I don’t check social media much. Sure, you see news and stuff, but it’s easier to delete apps to avoid negative comments.

  “I’ve always asked myself, ‘Why did I do the documentary?’. No, come on, it wasn’t that bad. I always made it clear that I didn’t want a big crew following me. It was hard to let people into my life, but it was the right thing to do in view of the World Championships to inspire kids. It was about sharing what I’ve experienced in my career, and it was difficult. I’ve seen almost all of it, but some things are hard to rewatch. Hearing you talk a lot is not something I like.”

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  Home World Cup: Pulisic ready to star for the USMNT in 2026

  Pulisic will always prefer to do his talking on the field. He is being freed to do that again after recovering from another fitness setback, but has not been included in the latest USMNT squad. He will, however, figure prominently in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans – potentially as skipper of his country – when a home World Cup is enjoyed during the summer of 2026.

After carrying a 10-game win streak heading into the 2025 All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox have returned to their middling ways. The Alex Cora-led squad has regressed to playing at or below .500 ball and, with less than a week to go before the MLB trade deadline, has some big decisions to make on whether they want to buy—or sell—ahead of the second half of the season.

For the sake of this exercise, let's assume that Boston's front office—led by Craig Breslow—is going to be buyers prior to July 31 deadline. With a loaded outfield, a hit or miss infield, and a pitching staff that could certainly use some help, here are three players who would be perfect fits for the Red Sox down the stretch of the 2025 campaign:

3. 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles

A gripping series comes to a close at The Oval, with everything still on the line

Andrew Miller30-Jul-20251:31

What should India’s pace attack look like for The Oval?

Big picture: Nice and spicy

Who doesn’t love a bit of rancour with their Test cricket? Admit it. You’re every bit as hooked as the players themselves. Emotional over-investment has been the theme of the week, from England’s graceless antics at the fag-end of the Manchester Test to Gautam Gambhir’s foul-mouthed altercation with the Oval groundsman. The stakes, and the tempers, are on a knife-edge as the series finale looms, and no matter what else one might think of the behaviour on display, one thing is for sure: there will be no going through the motions for the coming five days. This contest has developed a context all of its own.It is also shaping up as an extraordinary opportunity for India to turn the tables in a series that looked done and dusted when Chris Woakes reduced them to 0 for 2 in their second innings at Old Trafford. If it wasn’t clear by the end of that game, it seems more obvious now; England’s grumpy attitude towards India’s milestone-hunting stemmed from their own frustration and exhaustion after laying everything on the line for 143 overs. They had gone into that final innings expecting to win the series with a game to spare, and maybe coast into this fifth Test with a chance to relax and experiment. Instead, they arrived at that controversial final hour with a very real sense of vulnerability in the air. Sure enough, here they are now, starting again from scratch just four days later, with a rejigged bowling attack and, as it turns out, without the one man whose efforts had hauled them into that winning position in the first place.Ben Stokes clearly knew, even as he was imploring Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to shake his hand, that his shoulder injury was a very significant concern. His absence now transforms the agenda for both teams. At Old Trafford, England’s captain reprised the peak of his all-round powers, with a superb first-innings five-for, followed by his first Test century for more than two years. Now, however, he’s reprising a more familiar recent theme – the unavoidable fragility of a competitor whose body is struggling to keep up with his gut-busting desire.Related

• Shubman Gill: Big achievement if we level the series

• Bumrah to miss Oval Test; Akash Deep likely to replace him

• England quicks await acid test after two-year changing of the guard

He’ll be back – of course he will – in good time for the Ashes, but another six-seven weeks of rehab is not how Stokes hoped to finish his most prolific series as a Test bowler. Even so, Brendon McCullum’s concerns about his workload – as telegraphed from the Lord’s balcony two Tests ago – suggests that the England dressing room always feared this could be the upshot.Talking of the Ashes (as of course we must, it’s English cricket’s version of Godwin’s Law) it is fascinating how different the feel is around this fifth Test, compared to the last time a drawn Test at Old Trafford was the prelude to a series decider at The Oval. In the 2023 Ashes, England were the team on the rampage – high on their own supply, as has been standard for the past three years – but as convinced of their direction of travel as they seem a little spooked by it right now.Even though England lead the series, India’s batters make up the top four run-scorers so far, with 11 centuries to England’s seven. Notwithstanding the Bazball belief in bowling long and backing their batters to match any given innings in double time, there is bound to be a cumulative effect to those long and fruitless hours in the field on the psyche of the attack, let alone their stamina. The pitches, ever a talking point even before Lee Fortis got involved in the discussions, have been flat and unforgiving with only session’s worth of exceptions, while Woakes’ returns – 10 wickets at 52.80, compared to his home average of 21.59 from 34 previous Tests – have epitomised the underlying toothlessness of England’s attack.0:35

Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman

India aren’t without concerns on that front too, of course. They need 20 wickets to secure a share of this series, but their own attack was utterly devoid of ideas in England’s only innings at Old Trafford, where Joe Root and Stokes controlled the agenda after a flying start from Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. Jasprit Bumrah will not play, which puts the onus squarely on the returning Akash Deep and Mohammad Siraj – who claimed 17 wickets between them in that memorable win at Edgbaston.Glib though it is to say it, however, desire may be the deciding factor in this fascinating series. To claim that the series is descending into foul-tempered anarchy would be doing a disservice to the genuine respect that emerged after England’s agonisingly tight victory at Lord’s earlier this month. But, there’s also no doubt – to channel each side’s inner Kevin Keegan – that each would “love it” if they beat the other this week. It may require the straining of several sinews for either side to get over that finishing line, especially if the forecast for the back-end of the Test is correct. But unfortunately for England, their key piece of sinew has already been sidelined by prior exertion. It’s up for grabs now.

Form guide

England: DWLWW
India: DLWLL

In the spotlight: Jacob Bethell and Washington Sundar

For most of the summer – especially after Ollie Pope quietened his doubters with a century in the first Test – it looked as though Jacob Bethell would remain on the outside looking in, his reputation growing given the instant impact he had made as an emergency No. 3 in New Zealand last year. Now, not unlike the last man in this set-up who was forced to wait his turn, Harry Brook in 2022, Bethell’s chance has come in the final Test of the summer, and the rewards for seizing it could be immense. For it’s not just his precocious batting that will come into the spotlight this week. Bethell’s potential as a spin option will be explored in the absence of Shoaib Bashir and Liam Dawson, which – in certain circumstances during the Ashes – might offer him another route into England’s XI. For the time being, though, his primary task will be to hit the ground running in a series that has been dominated by the bat.2:33

Did England go too far with handshake-gate frustrations?

Washington Sundar’s stock has risen immensely in the course of this campaign. His inclusion for the second Test at Edgbaston looked at first like a conservative choice, with the connoisseur’s preference being the more dramatic wristspin option of Kuldeep Yadav. But then Washington chipped in with a vital 42 from No. 8 that set up a winning total, before his four-wicket onslaught at Lord’s brought his primary suit back into focus. Now he’s a Test centurion, having been a focus of England’s ire in those fraught final overs at Old Trafford. And, in the absence of Rishabh Pant, that resolve could be vital to India’s hopes of squaring the series, with Pant’s No. 5 berth up for grabs once more.

Team news: Stokes ruled out with grade three tear

“Pain is just an emotion,” Stokes said after the fourth Test. Grade Three tears of the shoulder, on the other hand, are a more significant problem. The captain’s absence from this contest is a shattering blow to England’s hopes of closing out the campaign, not least because he has been their best and most penetrative bowler all summer long. Bethell slots in for his first Test of the summer, and given that he and Root form a passable spin partnership, Dawson is the fall guy. His absence also reflects England’s need to shore up their seam attack in Stokes’ absence. Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer were off-colour at Old Trafford; Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue complete a significantly changed line-up.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Jamie Overton, 11 Josh Tongue2:08

How do India’s five regulars cope with the quick turnaround?

Bumrah is set to be rested by India’s medical team after a tough outing in Manchester, where he bowled 33 overs and was taken for more than 100 runs in an innings for the first time. Akash Deep, unavailable last week, is the likely candidate to replace him. Anshul Kamboj, uninspiring on debut, is expected to make way too – potentially for Prasidh Krishna, who was expensive at the start of the series – while Arshdeep Singh, who split his webbing between the third and fourth Tests, is fit again too. A decision needs to be taken on Shardul Thakur, who was neither one thing nor the other at Old Trafford. With India facing a must-win game, is it time at last to unleash the wiles of Kuldeep? Dhruv Jurel, a familiar face after his substitute keeping in the last two Tests, is this time officially included, with Pant ruled out with that broken foot.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Washington Sundar, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 8 Shardul Thakur/Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Pitch and conditions: Grass left on the pitch

Who dares to get close enough to the pitch to analyse it fully, in light of the furore that kicked off on Monday? The surface on match eve still had a green tinge, although plenty can change in 24 hours. The weather, for the most part, looks warm, although showers are forecast for Thursday afternoon, while the back end of the match could see further downpours.Ollie Pope has won three and lost one of his four previous Tests as captain•Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Stats and trivia: Seamers’ paradise

• India have won twice in 15 previous visits to The Oval, in 1971 and 2021, which was also their most recent match against England at the venue. They lost their last visit there, against Australia in the World Test Championship final in 2023.
• With 722 runs in the series so far, including four centuries, and a maximum of two innings to come, Shubman Gill has a range of batting records in his sights. Only one man, Clyde Walcott in 1955, has previously made five hundreds in a single series, while no player has passed 800 in a series since Mark Taylor in the 1989 Ashes. Don Bradman did it three times: his all-time record of 974 runs in the 1930 Ashes remains 252 runs away, which is less than Gill’s highest score of the series so far.
• Pope has won three and lost one of his four previous Tests as captain, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan between August and October last year. In a microcosm of his career, he has a top-score of 154, on this ground against Sri Lanka, and 37 runs in six remaining innings.
• Since the start of 2023, there have been 22 first-class matches at The Oval, in which seamers have taken 617 wickets and spinners have taken 79. This season alone, seamers have accounted for 131 wickets out of 150.
• For 21 consecutive first-class matches, dating back to April 2023, teams winning the toss at The Oval have chosen to bowl first – including India against Australia in the WTC final.

Quotes

“Decisions like this are not straightforward. You have to let the emotion settle before you make a clear, firm decision. I did turn up to training to see if I could go as a batter, but it wouldn’t be a sensible call to make, considering how much worse it could be by going out there.”
Ben Stokes explains why he’s not risking his fitness for this match“We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody had stopped us from watching the pitch. All of us have played so much cricket, [and] we have gone to the pitches so many times – including the coaches and captain. I don’t know what the fuss was about.”

Shubman Gill, India’s captain, is bemused by the row with the Oval groundsman