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An ice-cool unbeaten 84 from Steven Smith steered Rising Pune Supergiant to a seven-wicket win against Mumbai Indians at the MCA Stadium

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
4:20

Agarkar: Pollard can’t be banked on as a bowler

One over can often change the course of a T20 game, and on Thursday it seemed as if Ashok Dinda had bowled that over. It was the most expensive 20th over in all IPL matches, and it cost Rising Pune Supergiant 30 runs. On another occasion, it could have cost them the match as well. On this occasion, however, Pune had already done just enough good work with the ball to keep Mumbai Indians, despite that 30-run over, down to a total of 184.On a good batting pitch that seemed to quicken up under lights, it tested Pune’s batting, but proved just short of a winning total. Ajinkya Rahane set the chase up with 60 at a strike rate of 176.47, and Steven Smith steered them home with an ice-cool, unbeaten 84 off 54 balls. The equation came down to 10 off three balls, but Smith wasn’t going to be beaten – he finished the match with successive sixes off Kieron Pollard.If there was one decisive factor that separated the two sides, it may have been the compositions of the two bowling attacks. Pune went into the match with two legspinners in Imran Tahir and Adam Zampa and a purveyor of stump-to-stump slow-medium cutters in Rajat Bhatia. These three ended up with combined figures of 6 for 68 in 10 overs. In the other ten overs, Pune’s three faster bowlers – Dinda, Deepak Chahar and Ben Stokes – combined to take one wicket and concede 114.Tahir and Bhatia, in particular, had profited from the slightly two-paced nature of the pitch, where they got some balls to skid on and others to stop on the batsman. When the quicker bowlers bowled, however, the ball came on to the bat far more uniformly. Mumbai had an attack full of quicks and short on bowlers who could take the pace off the ball. They had left out Harbhajan Singh, their most capped player, and picked only one frontline spinner in Krunal Pandya. Buttler opens for MumbaiMumbai sprang a surprise after being sent in, promoting Jos Buttler to open alongside Parthiv Patel. Pune probably didn’t expect this – before this, Buttler had only batted in the top three positions seven times in a 163-match T20 career, and in the IPL, he had only batted four times in the Powerplay.Buttler made an immediate impression with his unpredictable movements around the crease and deft hands, spooking the raw Chahar in particular. There were three fours and three sixes in the Powerplay, the most eye-catching of them coming off successive balls from Stokes – a six shovelled down the ground and a six in the opposite direction, scooped over the wicketkeeper.With Parthiv profiting from some loose bowling from Dinda at the other end, Mumbai raced to 61 for 1 in the Powerplay.Tahir turns itThat one wicket came in the fifth over. With Buttler going the way he was, Smith, as he would later reveal at the presentation ceremony, brought Tahir on “earlier than he would have liked to”. Having just swept his first ball for four, Parthiv tried again, missed, and was bowled around his legs by a googly.In his next over, Tahir dismissed Rohit Sharma and then Buttler – one bowled, one lbw, one with a googly, the other with a slider, both with balls that pitched on a perfect length – both batsmen were pinned to the crease – and skidded on. There was a bit of luck involved too; umpire S Ravi failed to spot a big inside-edge onto pad and sent Buttler on his way.That immediately brought the run rate down. Nitish Rana found the leg-side boundary every now and then with pulls and slog-sweeps, but there was little else by way of boundary-scoring as Mumbai scored only 66 in the ten overs after the Powerplay. There were three more wickets too – two to Bhatia and one to Zampa. overBefore this match, Ashok Dinda had bowled the 20th over on 19 occasions, for an overall final-over economy rate of 12.8, the worst among all bowlers with a minimum of 10 final overs. He had conceded 25 or more in the 20th over on two previous occasions. When Steven Smith handed Dinda the ball to deliver the 20th over of Mumbai’s innings here, therefore, he must have done so with a certain amount of trepidation. For one, he had already conceded 28 from his first three overs.Dinda had a field set for the wide yorker, and kept trying it and missing either the line or the length. It still needed a quality hitter to take four sixes off that bowling, and Mumbai had one in Hardik Pandya. He slapped a wide full-toss over the point boundary, held his shape for an extra fraction of a second to launch a back-of-the-hand slower ball over long-off, and whipped a straight, full ball over long-on. Then came another wide length ball – this one flew past the keeper off the edge – and a short ball that Pandya swatted over cow corner.By the end of the over, 154 for 7 had become 184 for 8. Mumbai had never before lost while scoring 184 or more.Rahane times itNow, though, they ran into Rahane. He’s not the quickest scorer across conditions, but give him a pitch where the ball comes on to the bat and he can pepper the boundaries. He seemed to be carrying on from the form he showed in India’s small run chase in the Dharamsala Test, driving, chipping inside-out, and pulling with abandon. The surest sign of his form came when he came down the track to Krunal Pandya, found himself not close enough to the pitch of the ball to loft with a full extension of his arms, and checked his shot. The ball still managed to clear a leaping Kieron Pollard at long-on.With a bit of help from Mumbai’s seamers, who offered him width too often for their own good, Rahane ended up scoring quicker than he has done in any of his previous IPL innings. By the time he was done, Supergiants were 93 for 2 in 10.1 overs.Smith does the restWhen Rahane was caught on the square-leg boundary, Pune needed 92 from 59 balls, and when Stokes, their No. 4, fell for 21 off 14, they needed 42 off 28. By then, Smith had already reached his fifty, managing to dispatch any length and any line from any bowler into his favourite leg-side spots. He had also been dropped once, on 36, Rana putting down a fairly straightforward chance at deep square leg when Smith pulled Mitchell McClenaghan in the air.Given all that, it should have been a canter, particularly with MS Dhoni walking in at No. 5, but it wasn’t. The ghost of Dinda’s over stretched this match into some pretty uncomfortable territory for Pune. Jasprit Bumrah and McClenaghan almost bowled the perfect 17th, 18th and 19th overs, cramping Dhoni with back-of-a-length bowling angling into him, but Smith and Dhoni managed to find late boundaries in each of those overs, capitalising on the smallest error.Pollard, defending 13 off the last over, began by conceding just three singles. With 10 required off three, Smith manufactured an astonishing hit; getting on the front foot to a short-of-good-length slower ball and launching it, baseball-style, over long-on. The next ball was full and at his feet, and he whipped it effortlessly over deep midwicket.

England have withdrawn fast bowler Mark Wood from the Lions’ one-day series against Sri Lanka A next month

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2017England have withdrawn fast bowler Mark Wood from the Lions’ one-day series against Sri Lanka A next month, a move that will raise concerns about his ability to return from a third round of ankle surgery.The ECB has suggested that his recovery remains on track following an operation on a severed bone in his left ankle last year. He bowled flat out for the first time with the England Pace Programme in Potchefstroom in January and it is hoped he will make his comeback in the North-South series in the second half of March.He was only added to the Lions squad a few weeks ago but ECB medical staff have now decided that he would be better served by continuing his rehabilitation over the next few weeks at home. The North-South series takes place in the UAE from March 17.Discussing his rehabilitation, Wood recently admitted he had doubts he would “ever be the same bowler” but said he was working on making minor adjustments to his action while building up to match fitness.”Last year I got in the habits of putting my game-time first and neglected the training side a little bit,” he said. “I now need to get my action solid as a rock, like it was when I made my debut for England.”Wood played four ODIs towards the end of last season, having broken down on the tour of the UAE in 2015, but he then suffered a different injury while bowling for Durham in a Championship match.With question marks over the effectiveness of England’s white-ball pace attack, Wood’s ability to bowl at 90mph would likely see him come into contention for the Champions Trophy – if he can prove his fitness. His last Test appearance came in 2015 but England may still harbour hopes of taking him on the Ashes tour of Australia next winter.No replacement has been named for the Lions, with the squad already featuring seamers Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Craig Overton, James Fuller and Tom Helm. The first unofficial ODI takes place in Dambulla on March 2.

Nottingham Forest have tabled a proposal in the hope of bringing Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Alexander Djiku?

Djiku is a centre-back who currently plies his trade at Stade de la Meinau having moved there from SM Caen back in 2019, where he’s since gone on to become a regular feature of the first-team having started 31 out of the 38 Ligue 1 games last season.

However, the 28-year-old’s contract is set to expire this Friday, and despite the French outfit wanting to retain his services beyond that, he’s currently set to depart as a free agent having not yet committed himself to extending his stay.

Football Insider have recently reported that Steve Cooper is looking to bolster his defensive ranks to avoid another relegation battle next season, and having established himself as his side’s overall third best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.92, the Ghana international has made it onto the radar at The City Ground.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Djiku?

According to French outlet L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Nottingham Forest have sent Djiku a “proposal” and are “eyeing up” the opportunity to land him on a free transfer. Strasbourg are believed to be using “fresh money” to try and convince him to stay, but whether he will be tempted by improved wages or a new adventure elsewhere yet remains to be seen.

Could Djiku be a good addition for Cooper?

Nottingham Forest’s summer budget is currently unknown so it’s likely a safer option to be targeting the free agent market, and having been hailed a “wonderful” centre-back by journalist Ayishatu Zakaria Ali, Djiku would be an absolute bargain to land for quite literally nothing.

The AFCON participant averaged 4.8 clearances and three aerial wins per league game last season, via WhoScored, so was a real rock at the heart of the backline, not to mention that he also won 36 out of his 53 tackles made, which was the highest success rate throughout the whole of his squad.

Ghana’s 2022 Footballer of the Year, who provided two assists and scored one goal during the previous term, is additionally a versatile operator with his ability to play at left-back, right-back and higher up in defensive midfield alongside his usual role, so should a deal be able to get over the line, it would be a steal for Evangelos Marinakis.

Newcastle United could land themselves Sofyan Amrabat this summer, with a report from FirenzeViola.it, via Sport Witness, stating that they are one of the only teams currently "ready" to stump up the funds for the player.

Are Newcastle United signing Sofyan Amrabat?

Having completed a permanent switch to Fiorentina in Italy three seasons ago, the midfielder has gone on to become an important first-team regular for the Serie A side during his time there. He featured on 29 occasions for them in the league this season and also helped lead them to the Europa Conference League final, with 13 outings in that competition.

It's not his first time in continental action either, having played in both the Europa League and Champions League before for previous sides Club Brugge and Feyenoord. Amrabat then is well-versed in top-level football and having now made a name for himself at the World Cup, he is drawing interest from elsewhere.

That's because, according to a report from FirenzeViola.it, via Sport Witness, the midfielder is wanted by both Newcastle and Liverpool during this summer window.

It states that both Premier League outfits are keeping tabs on the 26-year-old and that of all the interested parties in the player, they are the two clubs "ready to pay" the asking price for his services, though it does not specify what the price actually is.

What is Amrabat's transfer value?

Having become a key player for Fiorentina, they will no doubt want to recoup more money for the midfielder than they paid for him. No fee is mentioned in the report, but Transfermarkt suggests that his value currently could be around 30 million Euros (or £25.7m).

If that was the case, then Newcastle would have to pay at least slightly more than the Italians did for Amrabat, meaning the Serie A side would at least make a profit on him.

It could be worth paying that amount of money too. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has called the former Hellas Verona man an "icon of Moroccan football" because of his showings for club and country. You don't get that label for a World Cup semi-finalist without being a solid player, regardless of the concerns about buying players after international tournaments.

Newcastle would clearly be getting themselves a midfielder who can really do the business for them in the centre of the field, with Amrabat even likened to Gennaro Gattuso by former England manager Fabio Capello.

Titans held their nerve and secured a two-wicket win in the Sunfoil series match against Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2017Titans overcame an uninterrupted spell from offspinning allrounder Prenelan Subrayen, which read 15.4 -6-35-5, and a batting collapse to scramble to a two-wicket win in a small chase of 91 against Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg. The result handed Titans 17.96 points and lifted them to the top of the points table.Subrayen struck in his second over, having opener Aiden Markram caught behind for 5. Grant Mokoena, Dean Elgar, captain Henry Davids and Jonathan Vandiar all departed in a space of six overs to leave Titans reeling at 35 for 5 in 15.5 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen followed his 195 in Titans’ first innings with 35 off 52 balls to briefly ease the nerves, before he was the seventh Titans batsman to be dismissed with the side 12 runs away from the target. Two overs later, Malusi Siboto became Subrayen’s fifth wicket, but Shaun von Berg and Junior Dala held on to complete a tense win.Klaasen stood out in Titans’ first innings too – scoring his seventh first-class hundred and nearly converting it into a double-hundred. He struck 23 fours and two sixes during his 195 off 353 balls. Von Berg pitched in with a half-century to help Titans to a 102-run first-innings lead after Dolphins, who had opted to bat, squandered a solid platform to be dismissed for 301 in the last over of the first day.The top three – Divan van Wyk, Senuran Muthusamy, Vaughn van Jaarsveld – all hit fifties, but 171 for 1, Dolphins crashed to 301 all out.In Dolphins’ second innings, it was the top order that collapsed. Davids accounted for the top three and when von Berg had Khaya Zondo lbw for a duck, Dolphins were 21 for 4 in 10.2 overs.Sibonelo Makhanya and Daryn Smit led the salvage job with a 94-run stand, but von Berg wrapped up the tail to finish with a match haul of six wickets. Dolphins were bowled out for 192 in 61.3 overs, setting Titans a target of 91.Von Berg then held his nerve with the bat – staying unbeaten on 1 along with Dala – to tip a thriller Titans’ way. Dolphins managed only 6.02 points and slipped from second to fourth.

RP Singh took three wickets as Gujarat reduced Jharkhand to 214 for 5 after being bowled out for 390 on a see-saw second day in Nagpur

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Nagpur02-Jan-2017
ScorecardFile photo – RP Singh scored 40 useful runs lower down and nipped out three Jharkhand batsmen•Associated PressAfter a lacklustre opening day, Jharkhand lived in the hope of turning up better with the second new ball. Rajiv Kumar, the coach, was disappointed at their lack of intensity for most parts of Sunday. Having conceded 283 for 3, perhaps they may have gone on the defensive if this was a four-day game. But the extra day in the knockouts presents teams with the challenge to continue attacking. Jharkhand were rewarded handsomely for doing just that, but a batting slide, triggered by RP Singh, helped Gujarat nudge ahead on a see-saw second day in Nagpur.It seemed as though the plan of Jharkhand’s pacers was to get the batsmen driving. A hint of swing in the first half hour meant hitting through the line wasn’t prudent. But Ajay Yadav stuck to his disciplines admirably and forced Gujarat to make mistakes. He picked up three wickets in a relentless nine-over spell that helped Jharkhand break open; Gujarat lost their last seven wickets for 96 to be bowled out for 390 in the third over after lunch.Jharkhand were then rattled early by RP Singh, who dismissed Sumit Kumar and Pratyush Singh in an inspired seven-over spell. Virat Singh made an attractive 34 before being bowled, attempting a cut off Bhatt’s part-time offspin. Saurabh Tiwary’s dismissal for 39 – he gestured to the umpire that he got an inside edge – left Jharkhand at 121 for 4. Ishan Kishan’s counter-attacking 59-ball 61 briefly threw Gujarat off guard, before Parthiv, in a last roll of the dice, gave RP Singh a second spell with 10 minutes to stumps. It yielded Kishan’s wicket and helped Gujarat end the day with the edge as Jharkhand finished on 214 for 5, still trailing by 176.Kishan, let off on 4 when a thick edge off left-arm seamer Rush Kalaria flew to Parthiv’s right, walked out to a packed cordon. But he counter-attacked with nine fours and two sixes, while Ishank Jaggi, the face of Jharkhand’s batting for over five seasons now, was more measured and rotated strike tactfully in a 92-run fifth-wicket stand that came off just 106 balls.The mood considerably changed in the last half hour when Kishan stepped out to loft Bhatt for two sixes, over long-off and long-on, and hooked Jasprit Bumrah for six over deep fine leg. That it was Gujarat, and not the batsmen, who were playing for close, was evident when Parthiv employed a defensive field to ensure runs didn’t bleed. With mid-off and cover in, Kishan’s leading edge lobbed to Bumrah, leaving a crowd of 300, who were thoroughly entertained by the innings, stunned.That this game came to life early was because of Jharkhand’s inspired opening burst. Yadav allied the early-morning assistance with immaculate accuracy that helped him move the ball late. Priyank Panchal, the overnight centurion who opened scoring with two boundaries on Sunday, went into a shell. The pressure of not being able to score freely brought out a loose shot. Driving away from the body, Panchal nicked Yadav to second slip for 149.Off his next over, his third of the morning, Yadav squared up Manprit Juneja with a delivery that left him late, and Virat Singh dived forward to complete a low catch at gully. From their overnight 283 for 3, Gujarat, who impressed upon the need to bat big and give themselves a first-innings cushion, were 299 for 5.Signs of aggression surfaced when Kishan, who took over captaincy duties with Tiwary off the field, strengthened the cordon by adding a third slip and a second gully. With a vociferous cordon chirping away, a nervous Chirag Gandhi, looking to squeeze out quick runs, flashed at an outswinger from Yadav to Pratyush at third slip.When Kalaria played all around a full delivery to be bowled by Rahul Shukla off the next over, a capitulation seemed imminent. But Jharkhand were thwarted by RP Singh, who swiped and slogged his way to 40 with five fours and a six, before Shukla nipped out the last two wickets.

Everton are preparing a £20m transfer offer to sign Sheffield United forward Iliman Ndiaye, according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon.

What’s the latest Everton transfer news?

The Toffees managed to remain in the Premier League on the final day last season following a 1-0 win over Bournemouth and appear to be in the market for attacking reinforcements ahead of Sean Dyche’s first full season in charge.

That’s because the club scored just 34 goals in 38 top-flight games last season, with Wolves the only side to score fewer in the league.

Star forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin started just 15 Premier League games last season, missing large parts of the campaign with knee and hamstring issues. Meanwhile, Neal Maupay scored just once in 29 games in all competitions, and it looks as if Ndiaye is a player of interest to those at Goodison Park.

According to Nixon, writing for The Sun, Everton and Marseille are battling it out for the Blades forward, who is seen as a priority target

Jordan Pickford, Demarai Gray, Maupay, Mason Holgate and possibly Amadou Onana could all be sold this summer to raise cash, and funds could then go on Ndiaye, with Everton planning to go to £20m.

Who is Iliman Ndiaye?

Ndiaye, dubbed a “FIFA cheat code” by his former teammate Tom Graham, is 23 years of age and is primarily a centre-forward but can also play in a second striker or attacking midfield role.

The Senegal international has enjoyed a brilliant 12 months which has resulted in his Transfermarkt valuation increasing from €1.5m to a career-high €18m. He represented his country at the World Cup in Qatar last year and helped Sheffield United win promotion to the Premier League.

Playing a whopping 52 times in all competitions last season, Ndiaye, called “incredible” by Oli McBurnie, scored 15 goals and registered 12 assists playing in a variety of attacking roles.

He’ll soon be entering the final 12 months of his Bramall Lane contract as well, so Everton may feel they can persuade him to move to Merseyside, should his situation remain the same. It looks as if a transfer could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, but as mentioned, Everton will need to battle interest abroad for their top target.

Arsenal defender William Saliba "will sign his new deal" and it's just a matter of putting pen to paper, according to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who could leave Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta and co currently have important decisions to make in regards to the futures of some squad members, with six players nearing the end of their contracts either this year or next.

Indeed, both Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson are, as things stand, could leave on a Bosman deal at the end of this month – though reports heavily suggest the latter player is set to sign a new contract.

Meanwhile, Jorginho, Rob Holding, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Saliba are entering the final 12 months of their deals, though Xhaka is widely believed to be on his way to Bayer Leverkusen.

As the aforementioned names edge closer and closer to leaving, it would seem Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga and Folarin Balogun could depart in the near future as well (Goal).

A squad overhaul could be on the cards, with Jorginho also tipped to return to Italy via reports in the press recently.

Going back to Saliba, though, Arsenal are very keen to keep hold of their star defender. The north Londoners have been locked in talks over an extension, and according to Romano, supporters can breathe a sigh of relief – as it looks like fresh terms have been fully agreed.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter claims Saliba "will sign" a new deal with Arsenal and it's just a matter of physically putting pen to paper.

Romano goes on to call this development a "really important" one for Arsenal.

“For Saliba, it's just a matter of signing the contract, but everything is okay" said the journalist.

"Saliba will sign his new deal until 2027 with Arsenal. This is a really important one for Arsenal.”

Who is William Saliba?

The 22-year-old came back from his 2022 loan at Marseille to absolutely shine as part of Arteta's new-look defence last campaign.

As per WhoScored, Saliba started every league game for them before his season-ending back injury in March, a blow which arguably cost Arsenal the title.

Speaking to BT Sport (via The Mirror), former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand was effusive in his praise for the Frenchman after a 3-1 north London derby win over Tottenham last October.

"I think his composure, he’s very strong, mobile but it’s the composure in the pressure situations," said Ferdinand.

"He was the most composed centre-back on the pitch today – especially for Arsenal. There was times today where in transition, Arsenal could’ve got hurt but how many times did we see him come out with the ball. At the top level, you need to be calm, composed in these situations and at the moment."

Weekend rain had seeped through the covers and rendered the practice pitches unusable and there is a chance both teams’ training sessions on Tuesday will be affected

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Firdose Moonda09-Jan-2017Sri Lanka were forced to train indoors at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday, after weekend rains had seeped through the covers and made the outdoor practice pitches unusable.Though there was no rain, overcast conditions did little to aid the drying of the surfaces on Monday, and there is a chance both teams’ training will be affected on Tuesday as well. The South Africa squad does not officially convene till Tuesday, and as such, have not trained yet in Johannesburg.”Our guys are working on it,” Greg Fredericks, CEO of the Lions, the franchise based at the Wanderers, told ESPNcricinfo. “We had a lot of rain from Friday and through the weekend but we are doing our best.”Groundstaff did provide a centre track for Sri Lanka’s bowlers to train on – no one batted there – and will also aim to provide one for South Africa on Tuesday. Additionally it is hoped one of the practice pitches will have dried sufficiently to conduct a nets session on.Sri Lanka were briefly dismayed at the prospect of training indoors on surfaces they felt may be slower than the outdoor practice pitches, and indeed the Test-match surface. But after talking to groundstaff they are hopeful facilities will improve in the approach to the game.

Arsenal are eyeing a Premier League gem ahead of the transfer window, as Mikel Arteta prepares for a busy summer in charge at the Emirates.

The Spaniard will hope to continue the Gunners’ status as title contenders next campaign – something he could ensure of by signing a name that has been linked to the club since January.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

As reported by London World earlier this week, Arsenal are ‘preparing’ a new bid for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

The 21-year-old has been on the north Londoners' radar since January, where the Seagulls rejected multiple bids for the ace.

London World suspects that the Gunners will bid around £75m for the midfielder, a fee that was rejected by the club in January.

The report states that Brighton’s stance is ‘clear’, as they have an agreement to sell the player due to his wishes.

What could Moises Caicedo bring to Arsenal?

Hailed as a “machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 21-year-old is sought by the Gunners for reasons that are extremely clear.

As per Sofascore, the midfielder has maintained an average match rating of 7.08, placing him among the club’s top five performers this campaign.

The Ecuadorian would be a valuable asset for Arteta to add to his midfield, especially with rumours surfacing placing Jorginho’s future at the Emirates in doubt.

The Italy international has won an average of 55% of his total duels this season with 4 per game – numbers that are less impressive in comparison to Caicedo, who averages 58% with 5.9 won per game, via Sofascore.

Despite rumours being premature regarding the 31-year-old’s future this summer, Arteta could replace and upgrade the former Chelsea ace with the Brighton gem, enforcing a new-found level of stability to his midfield.

The 21-year-old wins a huge average of 64% of his aerial duels per game compared to Jorginho’s 49%, suggesting that he would be a better option for Arsenal in terms of physicality alone.

Although identified for his passing abilities, the Gunners wouldn’t be missing the expertise of the Italian’s distribution as much as expected in replacing him with Caicedo.

As per FBref, the youngster has maintained a higher rate of pass completion than the experienced Jorginho this campaign, averaging a rate of 88.5% per 90, placing him in the top 6% of midfielders in the league in this area, with the Arsenal ace scoring 85.8%.

Arsenal have wanted the services of Caicedo for months, and with him due to become available this summer, Arteta must act fast to guarantee his involvement at the Emirates next season, with other clubs queuing to capture his signature.