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And besides Angelo Perera, who is the only other player to score two double-centuries in a first-class match?

Steven Lynch12-Feb-2019I recently stood in some T20 matches in a tournament in Oman. Please could you confirm that I was the first woman to umpire a men’s international match? asked Shivani Mishra from Qatar

It’s always nice to get a query from the person concerned, Shivani Mishra. And it’s even nicer to be able to confirm that you are, as far as I know, the first woman to umpire an official men’s international. The matches in question came during the recent Asian Cricket Council Western Region T20 tournament in Oman. It was won by Saudi Arabia, who beat Qatar in the final in Al-Amarat. It was the first men’s tournament to benefit from the ICC’s decision last year to extend T20 status to representative teams of all member countries, which came into force on January 1.There have been female umpires in senior men’s cricket before, but none at full international level. To name a few, Pat Carrick stood in 15 first-class matches in New Zealand in the 1980s, while more recently another New Zealander Kathy Cross, Australia’s Claire Polosak, and Jacqueline Williams from Jamaica have also umpired men’s matches. One interesting case is the current Ireland international wicketkeeper Mary Waldron, who is also a qualified umpire: she stood in a men’s match between Ireland Wolves (their A team) and Bangladesh A in Dublin last August.Angelo Perera just scored two double-centuries in a first-class match. Apparently this has happened only once before. Who did it? asked Hemachandra Silva from Sri Lanka

That remarkable feat by Angelo Perera – who’s known as “Little Angelo” to distinguish him from “Big Angelo” Mathews – came while he was captaining Nondescripts against the Sinhalese Sports Club at the P Sara Oval in Colombo last week. Perera, who played six white-ball internationals for Sri Lanka between 2013 and 2016 but didn’t reach double figures in any of them, followed 201 in the first innings against SSC with 231 in the second as Nondescripts batted out time for a draw.The only other man to achieve the feat did so a long time ago. In England in July 1938, Kent’s Arthur Fagg made 244 and 202 not out in a County Championship against Essex in Colchester. Fagg, who later became a Test umpire, nearly pulled off another remarkable double in that match: he scored a century before lunch on the first day, and 98 in 90 minutes before lunch on the third.No one repeated Fagg’s feat until Perera managed it, although we should perhaps mention Graham Gooch (for England against India at Lord’s in 1990) and Kumar Sangakkara (for Sri Lanka v Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2013-14), who both made a triple-century and a (single) hundred in the same Test match.When was the last time a Test team was made up of 11 right-hand batsmen? And have there ever been 11 left-handers in a team? asked Michael O’Rourke from England

The last Test team entirely made up of right-hand batsmen was fielded by India against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 2016: Shikhar Dhawan, a left-hander, played in the first three Tests but missed this one. India had also done this in two Tests in Sri Lanka the previous year; Pakistan played eight Tests around this time with 11 right-handers in the side. It was more common in years gone by: in all, there have been 323 Test teams in which all 11 players were right-hand batsmen.There hasn’t yet been a Test side in which all 11 players batted left-handed. The record is eight, which has happened three times: by West Indies against Pakistan in Georgetown in 1999-2000, and a few months later against England at The Oval; and by England against Australia in Sydney in 2013-14.Arthur Fagg scored 244 and 202 in a county match against Essex, the second double-century coming in only 170 minutes•Getty ImagesI noticed that Tabraiz Shamsi has played 12 T20Is so far without scoring a run. Is this a record? asked Dinesh Manraj from the West Indies

The South African left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi has indeed played a dozen T20Is so far without scoring a run (mainly because he’s only been needed to face five balls so far. Four other players didn’t score a run in their first 12 matches: Jasprit Bumrah of India, Krishmar Santokie of West Indies, Ish Sodhi of New Zealand and Umar Gul of Pakistan.Santokie only ever played 12 matches, so never did get off the mark. Sodhi opened his account in his 13th match, and now has a princely 50 runs from 33 games, while Gul also scored his first runs in his 13th game, and ended up with no fewer than 165 (from 60 appearances). The record is held by Bumrah, who finally got off the mark in his 27th match, in which he amassed 7 against Australia, in Guwahati in October 2017.Shamsi has also failed to trouble the scorers in his 13 one-day internationals. He’s one of seven to get that far without troubling the scorers (Bumrah is another). The record is held by the Australian fast bowler Doug Bollinger, who didn’t score his first run until his 20th ODI.Waqas Maqsood of Pakistan recently made his T20I debut on his birthday. Has anyone else ever done this? asked Qamaruddin Sadiq from Pakistan

The Pakistan left-arm seamer Waqas Maqsood played his first T20I – against New Zealand in Dubai – on November 4 last year, which was his 31st birthday. He’s actually the first player to make his T20 debut on his birthday (it was his overall international debut too).There have been 12 men who made their Test debut on their birthday, including another current Pakistan player, Shan Masood, in 2013-14. And 14 men have marked their birthday by making their one-day international debut, the most recent being Binod Bhandari of Nepal (against UAE in Dubai last month, and New Zealand’s George Worker (against South Africa in Potchefstroom in August 2015). Both Bhandari and Worker had previously appeared in T20Is.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Eoin Morgan says allrounder is ‘at the top of his game’ as home fans sing team’s praises

George Dobell30-May-2019″Cricket’s coming home,” they sang as the players left the field. And while such celebration was no doubt premature, the enthusiasm was understandable.For this was a deeply impressive start from England. This South Africa team is dangerous – they are No. 3 in the world rankings, after all – and winning the toss in these conditions was a significant advantage. Victory may well settle some nerves in their dressing room.But perhaps as important as the win was the manner in which it was achieved. We have known for some time that, on good batting tracks, England’s batsmen could dominate. We knew they had a Plan A. And we have known for some time that Ben Stokes was a cricketer of supreme natural talent who could, on his day, win games with bat, ball and in the field. The catch he took here – described by Faf du Plessis as “as good as it gets” and Eoin Morgan as “unbelievable” – was a reminder of that.But questions remained about how England could adapt on surfaces requiring more subtlety. Surfaces where bowlers could gain purchase with cutters or spin and where 280 might be considered par. Surfaces where they required a Plan B. The last ODI they played against South Africa in this country saw England subside to 20 for 6 in bowler-friendly conditions. You don’t win many games from that position.And perhaps a few questions remained about Stokes’ form. His naturally aggressive game isn’t ideally suited to such circumstances and he hasn’t been quite the same irrepressible figure since he returned to the side in February 2018. He endured, by his standards, a modest IPL season – he averaged 20.50 with the bat and failed to make a 50 – too.So for Stokes to oversee an England effort when Plan B was applied so effectively was all the more pleasing from an England perspective. There was a moment, after the drinks break that was taken when England had faced 34 overs, when it seemed Stokes had the license to unleash his full aggression. Four of his next nine deliveries were hit to the boundary and it seemed the foot would be kept on the accelerator.But then Morgan fell. And with Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali following not long afterwards, Stokes reasoned that his role was to ensure England adopted Plan B. So instead of looking for boundaries – he hit only one more in the next 11 overs – he instead concentrated on placing the ball into gaps, running hard and saving something for a burst in the final three or four overs. It was a calm, mature performance from a man – and a team – more characterised for their aggression and passion.”The pitch was slow,” Morgan said. “It never allowed you to get away and strike the ball like we would do for Plan A.”But one of the areas of our game that has improved last two years is the way we’ve assessed conditions and played more smart cricket. We build partnerships and put a total on the board we believe is enough. At the halfway stage we didn’t believe that we had enough but we believe we had around par.”That is significant progress. A couple of years ago, in their desire to reach 350, England may well have struggled to make 250. Here, on a surface where Moeen reckoned 270-290 was par, England still managed to surpass 300 (the 39th time they have done so since the 2015 tournament; they had managed it just 34 times in total in the 40-plus years they had been playing in this format previously) with Stokes registering his highest score in any format of international cricket since August 2017.To add a wonder catch and two wickets to the performance underlined his immense value to the side. He later described it as “a perfect day.””The best thing about being an all-rounder is being able to influence the game for the whole 100 overs,” he said. “It’s always nice when you can contribute to the team winning.”But the most pleasing thing is we have got the first game out of the way. There were a few nerves knocking about – there definitely were for me; I have not felt like that in a long time – so it’s great to walk away with a win.”Morgan said: “He’s at the top of his game. When he plays like that is extremely entertaining. It’s great for the game. His all-round game was on and that’s great for us at the start of the tournament.”Moeen agreed with Stokes’ assessment of the team’s mindset: “Everyone was nervous. Losing the toss, starting at 10.30am and being both the home and No. 1 ranked side, it felt like the pressure was on. We adapted really well. That’s a great win that really settles the nerves.”This was not a one-man performance, by any means. Three other men scored half-centuries, while Jofra Archer’s new-ball burst made vital inroads into the South African batting.”No-one wants to face him,” Moeen said afterwards. “He’s the fastest bowler I’ve ever faced. He unsettles people.”England’s fielding was also rated by Stokes as their “best for a couple of years,” while all the bowlers could feel satisfied with their day’s work.But Stokes is a talismanic player for England. If he is edging back towards his best – and, bearing in mind he made a match-winning 71 against Pakistan two ODIs ago, all the evidence suggests he is – England have an all-rounder that can shape games in every discipline and who gives them enviable depth with bat and ball.By the end of this game, his smile was as broad as at any time in many, many months. It all bodes well for England.

Captain heralds blend of youth and experience after sealing Championship crown

Andrew Miller at Chelmsford28-Sep-20190:39

I woke up between Cook and Westley – Ten Doeschate

Even the weather was doing the double on Friday evening at Chelmsford, as the great and good of Essex County Cricket Club braved the autumnal downpours at the County Ground, to don their glad-rags and celebrate the end of a truly remarkable season.”We love the rain now!” joked Ryan ten Doeschate, Essex’s captain, whose team had been so indebted to four days of dampness in Taunton this week, and the appearance of a double rainbow over the Hayes Close End seemed to confirm that the feeling was mutual.For in fraught scenes on the final afternoon of the season, Essex were required to stand firm against Somerset’s spinners to seal the draw that kept their nearest challengers at arm’s length in the race for the County Championship.And it meant that, as they boarded the team bus for a long and boozy journey back from the West Country, they were finally able to celebrate the first of their week’s twin triumphs as well, having clinched their maiden T20 Blast title in an epic final against Worcestershire on Saturday evening.”Yeah, we gave it a little nudge on Saturday night, because that was a very rare occasion for the club, and after all the hard work that goes in, it is important to celebrate that success,” ten Doeschate told ESPNcricinfo. “But after that week in Taunton, it’s just starting to sink in now. The boys deserve to enjoy the occasion.””Sometimes, getting to the latter stages of the white-ball stuff is all you can do, then you just throw your name in the hat and have a crack at it,” he added. “But the resolve was there this year to change the mindset, to say we are going to focus on white-ball but still drive the red-ball as well. It was a bit of a fairytale, the way the white-ball stuff came together, but the combination of hard work and good luck has resulted in two trophies.”ALSO READ: Essex ride their luck to make off with T20 spoilsThere were a fair few sore heads lining up for Essex’s end-of-season awards night, the captain not least among them, as he pressed on for as long as his 39 years could carry him with a couple of fellow veterans for company in the small hours.”I woke up in my whites,” he admitted. “We sat on the outfield for a couple more hours [after returning from Taunton], had a few more beers, then tucked into the changing room towards the end.”It was nice to wake up in the coach’s office with Alastair Cook on my left shoulder and Tom Westley on my right, the three older guys who couldn’t slug it out all the way to the end. It was quite amazing, there was no need to go to a nightclub or a bar, just to be around with the guys who you’ve fought with all year is a very special time.”

“We knew the wicket was going to be horrendous, but we didn’t know quite how bad”Ryan ten Doeschate

That fighting extended right into the final afternoon of the season, as Somerset clawed desperately against their destiny in the Championship decider, claiming six wickets in 32 balls on the final afternoon, before forfeiting their second innings to leave Essex a dicey hour for survival.”It was a weird one,” Ten Doeschate admitted. “The weather kept pushing us back time-wise, and I felt by the latter stage of day three, we’d done enough.”We knew the wicket was going to be horrendous but we didn’t know quite how bad, and the fact they were bowling spin throughout meant they raced through the overs, and you literally felt that every ball was a challenge, you could get out every single ball.”Fortunately for Essex, they had in their ranks a man whose mighty performances at venues at far-flung as Abu Dhabi and Ahmedabad might have been a dry-run for the rearguard he was now being asked to perform. Alastair Cook’s twin innings of 53 and 30 not out might not look like much in the grander scheme of the summer, but such knowhow at key moments of the campaign ultimately made the difference for the champions.”The nerves were pretty high but when you’ve got a seasoned pro like Alastair Cook, who’s won the Ashes and series in India, he’s really played against the best,” said ten Doeschate. “Even so, when he’s worried about the wicket, you know what you are up against. But Browny [Nick Browne] and Cooky, and Tommy [Westley] through the middle session yesterday, nullified that threat. I know it was close towards the end but I never felt they would bowl us out in even half a session.”The strength of purpose that delivered Essex’s second Championship pennant in three seasons wasn’t entirely replicated in their extraordinary (and improbable) run to the T20 Blast title, although it ultimately came down to a similar strength of character, with Simon Harmer’s heroics with bat and ball on Finals Day replicating his incredible dominance in Championship cricket, and Ravi Bopara rolling back the years with a string of performances that only a man of his experience could have compiled.”Harmy’s led the attack,” said ten Doeschate, “which you don’t often say about a spinner, even on non-turning wickets. He’s the first you turn to when it gets shaky, and he delivers every time.”He loves being in the fight, he walks the walk and talks the talk, and that’s the special thing about him. He always wants the ball, he’s always leading by example, and he’s just a fantastic spinner. Firstly there’s the skill he has, his control and ability to change the pace, and then he reads the situation so well. It’s been special being out there with him for the last three years.”As for Bopara, his frustration at being asked to perform an unfamiliar finisher’s role in the T20 campaign was an open secret, but without him at No. 6 there would have been no white-ball miracle, as Essex battled back from winning just two of their first ten matches (including wash-outs) to cap their campaign with five straight wins, and seven out of eight including a tie against Hampshire.There was a valedictory air to Bopara’s heroics in the final, as he resuscitated the chase with 36 not out from 22 balls before being invited by Harmer, the white-ball captain, to share the honours when lifting the trophy. But despite continued uncertainty about his status at a club for whom he made his first-class debut as a 17-year-old in 2002, ten Doeschate had his fingers crossed that the end was not nigh.”I certainly hope not,” he said. “Ravi has been here longer than anyone – he certainly signed before Cooky and myself – and he’s phenomenal around the changing room. In the last six or seven games in the T20 he’s shown just how good he is.”We’ve asked him to do different roles which he hasn’t always bought into, but as soon as he did it, he showed he’s one of the best finishers in the world and a decent bowler too. Fingers crossed, we can keep him here, because the numbers are one thing, but at the sharp end, the true mark of a player is the times they step up.Ryan ten Doeschate is drenched is bubbly by his team-mates•Getty Images”For him to deliver in six must-win games in a row, particularly the 70 off 39 at The Oval, the quarter-final at Lancashire and in both finals, he was able to show calmness in those situations because he’s done it so many times before. Harmy’s the figurehead for the red ball but I’d say the same for Ravi in the white-ball stuff.”But time waits for no man, even at a club where the trophies are starting to roll in, and ten Doeschate himself recognised that the county’s second Championship in three seasons might well have to mark a watershed as the team uses the experience gleaned from such a run of success to build for the future.ALSO READ: How Essex and Somerset share values that English cricket squanders at its peril“There’s a lot of wise heads who’ve played a lot of cricket in our dressing room,” said ten Doeschate. “But then you mix that up with guys like Dan Lawrence, Sam Cook, Aaron Beard, who go for it with carefree, youthful exuberance. Sometimes we have to slow the younger guys down a bit, but sometimes they give us the lift to fight against ridiculous odds, which hasn’t always been the case at Essex.”It’s very lucky that this success has been so heavily loaded towards the back end of my career,” he added. “I’ve loved playing for the club, I love the lads so much, and it’s been a real honour to lead the team for the last four years. But I think need to take stock for the next week or two, take guidance from guys like Graham Gooch, Keith Fletcher and Ronnie Irani.”I want to keep playing but I am deeply aware there’s a time to move on, and with young players coming through, the No. 6 position is a good place to blood people. So we will take stock this week. There’s no rush to make a decision.”

At the end of a year mostly spent out of the Sri Lanka team, he’s made a potentially series-defining contribution

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Karachi20-Dec-2019There is almost a novel here. A talented wicketkeeper from the southwest gets spotted by a big Colombo school in his teens. Goes on to lead that school to their best season ever. He quickly gets picked up by the national squad, and at first glimpse of this guy, the public is enchanted. He’s organised, but there’s also that manic fun of a schoolboy. He swings so hard at the ball his limbs could go flying off. By 23, he is Sri Lanka’s T20I captain – their youngest ever.So far, the Dinesh Chandimal story is a two-bit paperback.Brace yourself, because here come the twists, the complications, the conflicts, the intrigue, and the nuance. Halfway through his first World T20 campaign, Chandimal is relieved of his captaincy is and ditched from the XI altogether, because he’s not making runs. Officially he steps down voluntarily, but in actual fact, the team management and senior players put an apologetic arm around his shoulder and give him no real choice: “Let the big boys take it from here, Chandi.” Sri Lanka would then go on to win that tournament.In subsequent years, as a weakness against the bouncer reveals itself, and he gets haphazardly thrust into batting positions he is unsuited for, he is at one point pulled out of a Test squad mid-series and packed off overseas to play in a Sri Lanka A tour. Later he is told by a selector to go back to domestic cricket.But the currents of Sri Lankan cricket are as fickle as they are volatile. They can pull you gasping into roiling waters, but just as abruptly they can wash you right ashore. So in mid-2017, long after he has traded his spirited schoolboy aggression for a dour, Test-match stubbornness, he gets handed the Test captaincy. At first it goes okay – a Test series win against Pakistan in the UAE, which no other team had accomplished in seven years. But then eventually, and perhaps through no major fault of Chandimal himself, the dangerous currents are at him again. There are series losses at home against England, and away against New Zealand and Australia. By mid-February this year, he has not only been dumped as captain, he has been axed from the Test squad entirely.Of all the crazinesses of Sri Lanka’s year, one of the strangest images is of Chandimal watching Sri Lanka’s series in South Africa on television. He’s their only batsman with more than 10 Test centuries. He averages over 40, when no one on that South Africa tour does. And yet, there he is at home, for the second time in his career, forced to watch a team he was just captain of surging to an all-time great triumph without him.Dinesh Chandimal struck a crucial fifty•Getty ImagesHis year has been even stranger than the team’s. For nine months, he didn’t appear once for Sri Lanka, in any format. In August he was picked in the Test squad to play New Zealand, but was running drinks, not earning a place in the XI. On his return to Tests, in Rawalpindi, he got that unplayable ball of the match from Mohammad Abbas – one further kick in the gonads. Such has been his luck, it was almost a surprise the selectors didn’t take the opportunity to drop him for his two-ball duck.The 78 on Friday invoked so many pages of the Chandimal story. There was first the inflexibly defensive Chandimal circa 2016-2018, as he played out 14 run-less balls first up. Off his first 20 deliveries, he only had one run. Just when you began to be convinced this was going to be one of Chandimal innings – like his 62 off 195 against Pakistan in Dubai, or his 27 off 83 against West Indies in Port of Spain, a sudden, rasping slash past gully off Shaheen Afridi, and then a flayed cover drive off Mohammad Abbas next over. Could this be a re-awakening of that Chandimal, the one who once came into a hopeless match situation against India, in Galle, and smoked 162 off 169 – an innings of pure anarchy to turn the Test. It is difficult to believe not just that these two Chandimals can inhabit the same body, but that these two types of innings could be produced by the same species.There were tussles with the short ball. The Chandimal of 2014 just yearning to unleash that wild and often fatal hook shot that saw him bounced the moment he came to the crease for at least a year of his career. There were pokes outside off stump, the kind he’d tried to iron out of his game with batting coach Marvan Atapattu all those years back. Like much of his career, Chandimal was doing just enough to survive without ever truly blossoming.He’d scratch around, looking like any moment he would offer a nick to any one of the quicks. Then out of nowhere, one of those manic, hard-swung drives, like the disdainful, top-of-the-bounce shot through cover off Abbas that got him to fifty. A few overs later, against Naseem Shah, he reeled off three boundaries in five balls, through square leg, then point, then another one through cover. As with his career, the only thing that didn’t bring him much trouble was spin.For a Test side that has spent so much of 2019 looking completely out of their depth, and yet somehow repeatedly hauling themselves towards respectability, Chandimal’s day-two innings was a near-perfect fit. Without him, Sri Lanka might have conceded a first-innings deficit. Thanks to him they have a decent chance. What the knock will personally mean for Chandimal – whether it will shore up his place, whether a second-innings failure will put him on the rocks again with the selectors, whether the selectors themselves get dumped and the new set promote Chandimal to a position of leadership yet – those chapters, in a wildly spiraling story, all that is yet to be written.

Over the last few years, Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has gained a reputation for rubbing people up the wrong way.

Whether it’s penalty antics or goading the crowd, the World Cup winner has made his fair share of enemies. But how has he irritated so many with his performances and antics? Here, we take a look at the moments that made Martinez one of football’s best wind-up merchants.

The Best 15 Goalkeepers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who’s number one of the best number ones in the world?

1

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 28, 2025

1

Psyching out Yerry Mina

Argentina v Colombia, 2021 Copa America

Martinez took full advantage of an empty stadium at the pandemic-delayed Copa America in 2021 by using his taunting skills to put off Yerry Mina during a tense semi-final penalty shootout.

With the scores locked at 1-1, Martinez hurled insults at the defender, saying: “You’re nervous, huh? You’re laughing but you’re nervous. Yeah, yeah. You’re nervous. You’re nervous.

“Hey! The ball is ahead [of the penalty spot]. Yeah, yeah. Turn a blind eye. I already know you.

“Hey, look. See how I know where you’ll shoot. And then I’ll save it. I’m eating you up, brother. I’m eating you up, brother.”

Martinez had successfully flustered his opponent, and Colombia lost 3-2 on penalties, while Argentina went on to win the tournament with a 1-0 win over Brazil.

2

Winding up Ronaldo and teasing United fans

Man Utd v Aston Villa, 2021/22 Premier League

With Aston Villa holding on for what would be a historic victory at Old Trafford, those hopes were left dangling by a thread when Man Utd were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

Not fazed by the situation at all, Martinez prepared his wind-up act.

With Bruno Fernandes appearing favourite to take the kick, Martinez appeared to gesture towards Cristiano Ronaldo to take the kick himself, presumably to get in Fernandes’ head.

Fernandes was the one to eventually step up but ballooned his shot over the bar, leading Martinez to shake his hips at the devastated crowd to add insult to injury.

3

Dancing at the World Cup

Netherlands v Argentina, 2022 World Cup

Martinez brought his post-penalty dancing to a global audience when the Netherlands and Argentina met in the World Cup quarter-finals.

After a 2-2 draw in normal time, the sides couldn’t be separated in the extra period, either – which meant it was time for Martinez to strut his stuff again.

The Villa ‘keeper kept out Virgil van Dijk to get the shootout off to a flyer, before repeating the trick with Steven Berghuis’ spot-kick.

The latter prompted La Albiceleste’s No 1 to celebrate with the fans, with the kicks being taken at the Argentina end. He was later labelled “crazy” for his actions, but that didn’t stop him from repeating them in the final.

4

Making crude gesture with the Golden Glove

Argentina v France, 2022 World Cup

Winning the World Cup is a moment of immense pride, but you can also get carried away in the delirium of taking home football’s biggest prize.

Emi Martinez fell victim to this in the presentations following Argentina’s dramatic shootout win over France, during which he was handed the Golden Glove for being the best goalkeeper at the tournament.

Upon receiving the trophy, Martinez made a lewd gesture among a series of post-match taunts, angering the French FA, which launched an official complaint against his behaviour.

He had also called for a minute’s silence for Kylian Mbappe in the dressing room after denying the hat-trick hero a second World Cup.

5

Battling fellow mischief-maker Neal Maupay

Brentford v Aston Villa, 2023/24 Premier League

Martinez vs Maupay is perhaps as box-office as it can get when it comes to a certain type of, shall we say ‘housery’.

And during a heated match between Brentford and Aston Villa in the 2023/24 Premier League, both players came to blows as they tried to outdo each other.

The main flashpoint between them came when Maupay collided with Martinez when retrieving a ball that went out of play, with Martinez making the most of the contact.

Moments later, Maupay went down under even lighter contact from the goalkeeper, with Martinez attempting to drag the Frenchman to his feet and Maupay almost ending up with his shirt over his head.

It was as farcical as it was entertaining.

6

Yellow card chaos (and more crowd-teasing)

Lille v Aston Villa, 2023/24 Conference League

Martinez was the villain of the piece once again as Aston Villa prevailed in the Conference League quarter-finals.

Despite already being on a yellow card, the Villa shot-stopper wasted no time getting to work once the game entered a shootout.

As Nabil Bentaleb was stepping forward to take Lille’s first penalty, Martinez made sure he got to the ball first, much to the annoyance of the home support – before saving from the Algerian.

Martinez proceeded to gloat by shushing the Lille faithful, who responded by hurling objects at the Argentinian.

The goalkeeper’s protestations – or provocations – as a result of the missiles led to another yellow card from the referee, who had repeatedly warned Martinez he was on a tightrope.

Staying on the pitch due to a rarely seen rule regarding cautions not being carried over into penalty shootouts.

Not done there, Martinez then saved a match-winning kick from Benjamin Andre, before failing to resist a final celebratory jig in the direction of the fans.

7

Scrapping with Jack Grealish

Aston Villa v Man City, 2024/25 Premier League

Jack Grealish didn’t get the best of receptions when he came back to Villa Park with Manchester City earlier this season, handing Martinez a chance to gee up the home supporters.

Martinez took issue with Grealish after the former Villa hero approached the referee to make a complaint, supposedly about the amount of added time.

Grealish got a shove from the goalkeeper for his troubles, and after Martinez was booked for his role in the skirmish, the two players continued to trade verbal blows down the tunnel.

Luckily for Grealish, he’s not the first, nor the last, player to let Martinez get under his skin.

While their Premier League ambitions have ultimately come to nothing for a third season on the bounce, Arsenal have started to look far better in recent weeks.

They dispatched Fulham at home and Ipswich Town away in the league and utterly dominated Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League, with the likes of Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka stepping up in a big way.

However, another player has really started to come good in recent weeks: Gabriel Martinelli.

He was simply sublime against Fulham, scored the winning goal at the Bernabeu and then bagged his 50th for the club at Portman Road at the weekend, but even then, it might not be enough, as recent reports have linked the Gunners’ with a Ballon d’Or contender who could be a dream upgrade on the Brazilian.

Arsenal's hunt for a new winger

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other names linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Rafael Leao.

The AC Milan superstar is enjoying another brilliant campaign at the San Siro this season and has already amassed a haul of 22 goal involvements in 45 appearances, but according to reports, it would cost the Gunners around £86m.

A slightly cheaper but nonetheless exciting option is Viktor Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Sporting CP star was on the Gunners’ radar last year, but it looks as if he really could be making his way to the Emirates this summer, and considering he’s scored 47 goals and provided 11 assists in just 46 appearances this term, he’d be more than worth the reported £60m price tag.

Another star from the continent who’d be more than worth his price is Raphinha.

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several sides who have been hinted at by intermediaries that they could sign Barcelona star Raphinha this summer.

Alongside the North Londoners, Liverpool and Chelsea have also reportedly been told they could land the Brazilian superstar this year, although to do so, they’ll have to stump up the club’s asking price of around £80m.

It could be an incredibly costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Raphinha’s ability, it’s one well worth fighting for, even if it would be bad news for Martinelli.

How Raphinha compares to Martinelli

Now, while Raphinha can play on both wings and has even played in attacking midfield at times, he’d almost certainly play off the left were he to join Arsenal for two reasons: it’s his most played position, and nobody is going to displace Bukayo Saka.

With that said, Martinelli would likely be the former Leeds United star’s most significant competition for game time in North London, so who comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, when it comes to their raw output, which is what matters most for an attacker, it’s not even close, as the Barcelona ace comes out miles ahead.

For example, in 48 appearances this term, totalling 3924 minutes, he has racked up a frankly astonishing tally of 30 goals and 23 assists, which comes out to an average of 1.10 goal involvements every game or one every 74.03 minutes.

It’s the sort of output which more than justifies Thierry Henry’s shout for him to win the Ballon d’Or earlier in the season.

In contrast, the Gunners’ number 11 has scored nine goals and provided six assists in 44 games, totalling 2978 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.93 games or one every 198.53 minutes, which is hardly even comparable.

Furthermore, on the international stage, the “amazing” Barcelona star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances for the Seleção, whereas the former Ituano gem has scored just two goals in 16 appearances.

Ultimately, while Martinelli has stepped up in recent weeks and is starting to look like the player from the 22/23 campaign, his output still pales in comparison to Raphinha’s, so if there is any chance of signing the latter, Arsenal must take it.

Best signing since Rice: £58m goalscoring "monster" wants to join Arsenal

The incredible international could be just what Arsenal need.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 21, 2025

Goals, goals and more goals. If there is one thing Arsenal have lacked this season, it’s goals.

It’s been clear for some time now that Mikel Arteta’s side lack a genuinely clinical striker to lead the line, and so the last few months have seen them linked with a whole host of exciting names.

One of the most prominent was Newcastle United’s incredible Alexander Isak, but with a price tag that could reportedly be as high as £150m, it’s a move that now seems increasingly unlikely.

However, that doesn’t mean that the North Londoners aren’t still looking to bring in a new striker, as recent reports have linked them with someone who could be the perfect alternative.

Arsenal's striker search

Before getting to the forward in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other attackers linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Daizen Maeda.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former looks like he’d cost around £70m, and while that’s still a hefty sum of money, it’s hard to argue against considering the Swede has scored 52 goals and provided 12 assists in 29 appearances for Sporting CP this year.

Maeda, on the other hand, would cost around £25m and has also enjoyed a brilliant campaign north of the border, scoring 33 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 games for Celtic.

However, the Gunners might be looking for a genuine bargain alternative to the Newcastle ace, which would explain the situation around Jonathan David.

According to a recent report from Italy, Arsenal are now one of several sides interested in signing the LOSC Lille star this summer, when his contract has expired.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has claimed that Liverpool, Inter Milan, Juventus and a handful of other Premier League sides are also keen to land the soon-to-be free agent.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line in light of the competition, but given David’s immense ability, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be an incredible Isak alternative.

Why David would be a great Isak alternative

So, there is ultimately one reason, and it’s a massive one, why David would be a brilliant alternative to Isak: the finances involved.

While he would likely demand a slightly inflated wage to make up for the lack of a transfer fee, the money involved in any deal would still pale in comparison to what would be needed to sign the Newcastle star.

In turn, this would then allow the Gunners to invest heavily elsewhere in the squad, be it in another striker, a new left-winger, competition for Martin Odegaard, or even more defenders.

Moreover, just because he’d save the club an enormous sum of money does not mean he’d be a lacklustre signing.

For example, since the start of 1/22, the New York-born monster, whom journalist Tony Marinaro dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world,” has scored 96 goals and provided 25 assists in just 182 club appearances.

In other words, the incredible goal machine has averaged a goal involvement every 1.50 games across the last four seasons of top-flight football, which is evidence enough to suggest he’d be a good fit for the North Londoners.

Finally, it’s not just at the club level where the Canadian international has proven himself. In 61 appearances for Les Rogues, he scored 32 goals and provided 19 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal every 1.19 games.

Ultimately, with Isak almost certainly being too expensive to sign this summer, Arsenal would be wise to sign David in his place and spend the rest of their transfer budget improving the entire team.

He'd revive Odegaard: Arsenal aiming to sign "the new Mbappe" in £85m deal

Arsenal need to sign a player who could revive the fortunes of Martin Odegaard.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 5, 2025

Birmingham City did not fancy sticking it out in League One for the foreseeable as Chris Davies’ Blues soared to the third-tier title in some style.

Amazingly, the West Midlands giants have now set a new EFL points record at the very top of the League One tree, with a mighty 111 points accumulated across the memorable campaign coming about off the back of a very impressive 34 victories.

Jay Stansfield, of course, has had a big part to play in Birmingham’s unbelievable success story, with the ex-Fulham man hopeful he can keep his potent exploits coming in the Championship next season.

Stansfield's key role in Birmingham's promotion

It would have been a major letdown if Stansfield was anything but spectacular for Davies’ men with Birmingham splashing significant wads of cash to lure him to the fallen giants.

A fee around the £15m mark doesn’t look too steep now, though, considering the 22-year-old has helped himself to a hefty 24 goals in all competitions this campaign from 46 total contests, with 19 of those strikes coming in the league as Birmingham romped home to the title.

Stansfield does have Championship experience already on his side as Davies and Co navigate the step-up too, with 12 goals already tallied up in the difficult division from 45 clashes, meaning the clinical number 28 shouldn’t suddenly lose his Midas touch in front of goal.

But, Birmingham will know their firepower needs to be improved somewhat – away from just relying on Stansfield’s magic – so they can compete with the top dogs in their path, with a statement move already reportedly on the cards to bring back a former Blues forward who is arguably even better than the standout 22-year-old.

Birmingham interested in move for "terrific" attacker

There is also Alfie May waiting in the wings for a shot at second-tier glory, with the experienced EFL head chipping in with 16 league goals of his own for Davies’ men.

But, Birmingham would not turn down the opportunity to bring back former gem Che Adams if they could – away from the star power they already possess – with Football Insider recently revealing that a ‘blockbuster switch’ was being worked on to try and tempt the current Torino striker back to his familiar St. Andrew’s surroundings.

After all, the Scotland international has proven himself to be a reliable source of goals playing in Turin since a summer switch from Southampton, with the 28-year-old not fazed by the bright lights of the Serie A at all when collecting ten goals from 35 appearances.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Yet, whilst it’s clearly impressive that the “terrific” attacker – as he’s been labelled by pundit Ally McCoist recently – has acclimatised to Italian life well, Birmingham will be pushing ahead to make this deal a reality based off his reputation for being a goal machine in the EFL, particularly in the punishing division Davies’ men are reentering into.

Adams has, after all, collected 34 of his 49 career Championship goals when donning Birmingham blue, with the 28-year-old’s 15-goal heroics during the 2023/24 season enough to help then manager Russell Martin clinch promotion with Southampton.

Stansfield has some catching up to do in this department, with the Blues hotshot only on that aforementioned tally of 12 strikes at the difficult level, but his game could be elevated to the next level lining up next to the Torino number 18.

This will be a fascinating transfer tale to watch unfold, with Birmingham capable of flexing their muscles once more if a move is reached to re-sign their lethal former number nine ahead of a new Championship adventure.

Wagner means business: Sky journalist drops exciting Birmingham transfer plan

The Blues are not messing around…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 1, 2025

In a major boost for those at the City Ground, one Nottingham Forest target is now reportedly keen to complete a move this summer with Evangelos Marinakis also pushing to get a deal done.

Nottingham Forest's UCL run-in

Whilst one win in their last five Premier League games should ignite plenty of concern around the City Ground, Forest’s fate is still in their own hands with three big fixtures left to play. After drawing against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sit sixth and two points adrift of Chelsea in the final Champions League place, who they face on the final day.

Nuno recently had his say on his side’s performance against Crystal Palace whilst instantly looking ahead to the Leicester City game.

The Forest boss said: “It was very important to react, it was a big blow to go behind because we were in a tough position when we conceded the penalty but the reaction of the boys was amazing and we should be proud of that. We are delighted to be in the fight. Let’s go game by game now starting with Leicester at The City Ground.”

Nottingham Forest now want to sign £29m forward with 14 goals in 24/25

Nottingham Forest are among the Premier League teams chasing a forward from Spain.

By
Brett Worthington

May 7, 2025

The impact that Champions League qualification would have both on and off the pitch cannot be overstated, especially as those at the City Ground go in pursuit of one particular target.

Yilmaz now keen on Nottingham Forest move

According to Turkish outlet Sabah, Baris Alper Yilmaz is now keen on a move to Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis is pushing to complete a deal ahead of this summer. The winger was at the centre of Forest’s interest in January but failed to swap Galatasaray for the City Ground. Now, six months on, Forest could match his price-tag reportedly worth over €30m (£26m).

Forest’s interest should come as no surprise either. The Turkey international has enjoyed an excellent campaign at Galatasaray – scoring 12 goals and assisting a further 10 in all competitions. The difference that another outlet would offer Forest must be noted amid Chris Wood’s recent struggles too. Without the New Zealand forward’s clinical form to turn towards, the Reds have struggled in the decisive moments.

What’s more, Yilmaz has already earned an impressive fan in the Premier League in the form of Virgil van Dijk. The Liverpool captain praised the winger after the Netherlands squared off against Turkey at the Euros last summer, telling reporters: “Baris Alper Yilmaz was running constantly. He was running elusive.

“It was difficult for every defender. He made it very hard for us. He couldn’t score a goal though. If we were to describe him in any way, he is a really important player.”

Now reportedly keen on a move to Forest, Yilmaz could finally be on his way to the Premier League and the City Ground in the coming months.

Already focused on the summer transfer window, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi is now reportedly leading their charge to sign a Serie A midfielder in the coming months.

Emery focused on Tottenham game

Whilst the Villans continue to build their summer plan around the action on the pitch, Unai Emery’s focus has not changed. Champions League qualification is still a possibility for his side, who have Europa League finalists Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to play as they wait for a potential slip up from those above them in the Premier League.

Emery will be well aware of just what’s at stake in the next couple weeks and reiterated the need for focus ahead of this weekend’s Tottenham game, telling reporters: “I am wishing to play. I don’t want holidays because we’re in a very good moment after a long season, but now we’re very, very motivated.

“Very excited to play at Villa Park tomorrow, for our objectives we have in front of us to play again in Europe. It’s not in our hands but we can have some options to play Champions League again. And focusing on Tottenham because I know the most difficult way we can have is our own way, playing against Tottenham tomorrow and how we can beat them.”

Aston Villa register formal interest in signing "dominant" contract rebel

Monchi and Aston Villa could make their move…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 15, 2025

Aston Villa won’t need reminding what Champions League football can offer, either. They experienced moments that those at Villa Park will forever savour this season, with victory over Bayern Munich a particular standout. Now, however, they’ll be desperate to ensure that their place among Europe’s elite is not just a one off blip and, instead, a consistent feature of the competition.

Meanwhile, away from the action, Monchi is already thinking about the targets that could arrive with or without Champions League qualification.

Monchi leading Payero charge

According to reports in Italy, as relayed by Sport Witness, Monchi is now leading Aston Villa’s charge to sign Martin Payero from Udinese this summer. The sporting director is reportedly a huge admirer of the midfielder, which could yet see the Villans push on and secure his signature in the coming months. In terms of depth, there’s no doubt that the Argentine has plenty to offer.

When assessing the numbers, it’s clear that Payero wouldn’t be able to offer the same quality in possession as Tielemans, but he would be able to complete the legwork that the Belgian arguably struggles with. And that could create quite the midfield combination for Emery.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the midfielder enjoys a foray into English football, either, having previously been at Middlesbrough. It was there that he earned the praise of former manager Neil Warnock.

The former manager told reporters when he unveiled the midfielder in 2021: “Martin will be a great addition to the squad. I think he will be an exciting signing, we’re delighted to get everything done, and we’re looking forward to working with him.”