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“By owning what I did and being given an opportunity to use my story as a massive educational lesson for the next generation, it’s kind of been worth it,” Lou Vincent says

AAP12-Oct-2025Former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent has swapped the pitch for the stage, addressing a conference in Melbourne about match-fixing.Just over ten years ago, Vincent was banned for life for his involvement in attempting to manipulate multiple matches around the world, including in England, South Africa, India and Bangladesh.Ahead of a Victoria Police symposium on Tuesday that will look at a range of integrity-related issues in sport, Vincent told AAP it’s not just international cricket that is susceptible to match-fixing, but any sport that is live-streamed.Related

Vincent deserves clemency for speaking out, says McCullum

Nearly 17 years later, Vincent receives special 100th ODI cap

“It’s not so much just cricket, it’s all sports – you’ve got third grade soccer in New Zealand that nobody knows and you’ve got ten people watching but because it’s live-streamed on internet, it can be bet on,” Vincent said. “Anything that’s filmed and [is] live on the internet, they find a way to underground betting sites and anything can be bet on so it’s not so much just the professional sport, it’s the amateur sport.”That’s why we’ve got to do everything possible to protect corruption in all sports at all levels.”While sport governing bodies are doing their bit to educate their athletes, Vincent said nothing beat a first-person warning.”I’ve got a powerful message to the next generation and the future generation of sports players where they can easily be manipulated or corrupted into this dark underworld, which I’ve lived first-hand,” he said. “I pretty much destroyed my life, destroyed my career, destroyed my future in sport, but this is a small part of giving back, to help educate.”The biggest influence I can have and we can have in the sports integrity world is purely education and the more young athletes know about it, the more they’ll be aware of the signs and the people to avoid.”Having played 23 Tests – he scored a century against Australia on debut – and more than 100 ODIs, Vincent became involved in spot-fixing back in 2008 when he had lost his New Zealand contract.

“In a strange way, by owning what I did and being given an opportunity to use my story as a massive educational lesson for the next generation, it’s kind of been worth it”Lou Vincent

Signing up to play in the short-lived Indian Cricket League, he initially rebuffed offers from a bookmaker in a hotel room as a “down payment” and reported it. But the then 28-year-old then decided to take the next opportunity when approached by a team-mate, admitting greed as well as wanting a sense of belonging were motivating factors.”I was a prime target to be dragged in; a brotherhood who will look after you,” he said. “The league that we were playing in wasn’t sanctioned by the ICC, so how it was sold to me was like, these games we’re playing in, it’s not real cricket… so you’re not doing anything wrong and everybody’s doing it.”Vincent said a simple example of how he would spot-fix during a T20 match was to score between 10 and 15 runs off 20 balls, and then get out.With threats to his safety or that of his family, he described it as a “noose around his neck”, which only disappeared when he retired and came clean.Two years ago, the global life ban was partially relaxed and Vincent has been able to “participate” at the professional domestic level or below.Working as a builder in New Zealand, he said he would continue to make amends and share his story. “I’ve had to start life again and missed out on a career in a sport I love,” he said. “In a strange way, by owning what I did and being given an opportunity to use my story as a massive educational lesson for the next generation, it’s kind of been worth it.”

Unlike some of their rivals, Arsenal have not had too much trouble integrating their summer signings so far this season.

The standout addition has probably been Martin Zubimendi, but despite the criticism he received a few weeks ago, Viktor Gyokeres isn’t too far behind.

After all, before his recent injury, the Swedish international had scored six goals in 14 appearances, which makes him the club’s joint top scorer.

With that said, Arsenal still appear to be looking for someone who could one day replace him, and who better than someone compared to both Erling Haaland and Jean-Philippe Mateta?

Arsenal target Haaland & Mateta hybrid

While Gyokeres is having a decent season with Arsenal so far, he is being outscored by both Haaland and Mateta.

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The former, for example, has already amassed a frankly ridiculous tally of 19 goals and one assist in 15 appearances for Manchester City, while the latter has a tally of eight goals and nine assists in 19 games for Crystal Palace.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to see why Arsenal would be interested in signing a young striker who has been compared to both international superstars.

According to a recent report from Spain, the young striker in question is Etta Eyong.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are more than just interested in the Levante gem, and have now decided to activate the youngster’s £40m release clause.

The story claims that, should everything go as planned, an announcement will be made in the coming weeks.

It’s a lot of money to spend on a young player, but Eyong could be the ideal heir to Gyokeres, especially as he’s won comparisons to both Haaland and Mateta.

How Eyong compares to Haaland & Mateta

The first thing to note is that, given he only turned 22 last month, Eyong is still a work in progress.

However, even in his short career, he has demonstrated a remarkable ability to score, and that is just one of the qualities he shares with Haaland and Mateta.

For example, in 30 appearances for Villarreal B last season, the Cameroon international scored 19 goals and provided six assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.15 games.

Then this season, upon taking the step-up to La Liga, the exciting forward has racked up a tally of five goals and one assist in nine appearances for Levante.

Moreover, one of those goals came against Real Madrid – and he nabbed one against Arsenal in pre-season – so he cannot be accused of simply being a flat-track bully.

However, while his output is hugely encouraging, the comparisons to Haaland and Mateta primarily come from elsewhere, from FBref.

They have compared the 22-year-old to every forward across Europe’s top five leagues and have determined that the Frenchman is the most similar, and the Norwegian is the eighth.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.63

0.63

Progressive Carries

0.73

0.56

Progressive Passes Received

4.04

4.39

Shot-Creating Actions

1.74

1.50

Live Passes

12.8

12.7

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Cameroonian has ranked closely to the two internationals.

In the Palace star’s case, these metrics included non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shot-creating actions, live passes, and more, all per 90.

Goals per Shot

0.22

0.32

Goals per Shot on Target

0.46

0.54

Expected Assists

0.07

0.09

Shot-Creating Actions

1.74

1.72

In the case of the City monster, the underlying numbers included metrics such as shot-creating actions, expected assists, and most interestingly, goals per shot and goals per shot on target, all per 90 minutes.

These last two statistics are particularly encouraging, as they suggest that when the “incredible” Levante star, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is in a dangerous situation, he is almost as clinical as the Norwegian goal machine.

Ultimately, it is still early in Eyong’s career, but as things stand, he looks to be an excellent young striker and someone who could be the perfect Gyokeres heir for Arsenal.

Major injury update now emerges on Arsenal star Gabriel before Tottenham

The centre-back suffered an injury on international duty with Brazil.

ByDominic Lund Nov 17, 2025

Chelsea are probing the market for potential reinforcements and may find themselves in luck as they plot to reinforce their full-back options.

Admittedly, Enzo Maresca and his men are still finding their feet in the Premier League this term, and it remains to be seen whether they can sustain their recent form. Still, being third in the top-flight while fans await the conclusion of the international break is not to be sniffed at.

Integrating young stars and mixing them with a blend of experienced players who have been over the course seems to be working at Stamford Bridge. Either way, they look to have already secured the next talent to join their conveyor belt of future first-team prospects.

Fabrizio Romano has provided an intriguing update despite the transfer window being closed, claiming that the Londoners have reached an agreement to sign Deinner Ordóñez from Independiente del Valle on a deal that will start in January 2028.

Maintaining an excellent relationship with Moises Caicedo’s former club, Chelsea’s method of locking down future stars on long-term contracts is something that is beginning to translate into consistency on the pitch, and there will be plenty more to come once the January window opens.

Making their presence known, the Club World Cup holders could hijack Lyon’s move for Real Madrid forward Endrick, and a loan deal with an option to buy could be an ideal solution for all parties.

Building for the challenges that lie ahead will be at the forefront of Maresca’s mind in the capital, and he may have stumbled across a transfer bargain that is simply too good to pass up.

Chelsea look to potential cut-price Daniel Munoz deal

According to Mark Brus in his Daily Briefing via CaughtOffside, Chelsea have made contact with the intermediaries of Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz and could look to size up a cut-price deal worth in the region of £26.4 million.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping close attention to his situation in South London after an excellent run of form that has seen him produce two goals and two assists in 19 matches this season.

Five similar players to Daniel Munoz (FBRef)

Josha Vagnoman

Stuttgart

Denzel Dumfries

Inter Milan

Robin Gosens

Fiorentina

Mitchell Weiser

Werder Bremen

Nico O’Reilly

Manchester City

Awareness of Reece James’s injury record has prompted Stamford Bridge chiefs to consider a bid for Munoz, who has been labelled an “animal” by Michel Ribeiro, something that may come as soon as January as they look to build momentum ahead of a possible challenge for the Premier League title.

The Colombia international is currently Palace’s second-best performer in the top flight behind Marc Guehi, who’s also been linked with a return to Chelsea in 2026, with the Blues potentially on for a Selhurst Park raid next year.

Undoubtedly, the Blues’ rivals will use the mid-season window to tool up ahead of an exciting climax to the season, and Chelsea look to be following the same trend and may strike if circumstances align.

Chelsea are also pushing to sign a Real Madrid attacking force

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s long-term future at Crystal Palace remains unclear with negotiations over a new contract believed to have stalled. The France international has become one of the best strikers in the Premier League under the stewardship of manager Oliver Glasner, whose own future remains uncertain as his current terms expire at the end of the season.

• Mateta has thrived under Glasner's guidance at Palace

  After initially joining Palace on an 18-month loan deal from Bundesliga side Mainz in January 2021, Mateta has flourished following Glasner’s arrival three years later. In his first two seasons under the guidance of the former Frankfurt and Wolfsburg boss, the forward scored 36 goals in all competitions, playing a significant role in the club winning the FA Cup in 2024-25.

  And Mateta has picked up from where he left off in the last two seasons, scoring nine goals in all competitions so far this term. The 28-year-old has netted seven times in the league, making him the joint-third top goalscorer behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (14) and Brentford forward Igor Thiago (11), with Brighton attacker Danny Welbeck having also found the back of the net on seven occasions.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Report claims France striker is in no rush to sign new deal

  However, while Mateta continues to sparkle in south London, he is also being linked with a move away as he gets ever-closer to the end of his current contract, which runs out in 2027. And according to the talks between the former Lyon hitman and Palace have reportedly hit the buffers.

  The report states while promising discussions first took place earlier this year, Mateta is now in no rush to commit his long-term future to Palace. Having broken into the France squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, it is understood Palace’s No. 14 wants to assess his options after next summer’s showpiece in North America.

  While negotiations are believed to be ongoing, the report concludes by saying a number of European clubs have shown an interest in signing Mateta, including Serie A side Atalanta, who are competing in this season’s Champions League. Raffaele Palladino’s side are currently 11th in the Italian top flight, while they are also 10th in the league phase of Europe's premier club competition.

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  Glasner angered by Palace's lack of summer investment

  The news comes after Palace head coach Glasner – whose own contract expires at the end of 2025-26 – criticised the club’s lack of investment in the summer following Sunday’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester United.

  After losing star man Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, Palace made six permanent signings and one loan acquisition ahead of their maiden European campaign in this season’s Conference League.

  “If you play European football for the first time in your history, you should invest and not save,” Glasner said after the loss to United. “I think January is too late [to add]. We will have played more than 50 percent of our games.

  “Everything was pretty clear and I didn't say anything but today I think it is also time to speak about it that we missed the chance to play an even better season in the summer.

  “We are still in very good positions but the chance to play an even better season we threw away in the summer.”

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  Palace boss has confirmed Guehi will leave in the summer

  While Palace were able to keep hold of captain Marc Guehi in the summer, Glasner revealed in October that the defender has told the club he will leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2026. The England international was on the verge of joining Liverpool on transfer deadline day, only for the move to be called off.

  "I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year," said Glasner. "The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, 'no, I want to make something different'. And that's normal. 

  "And for us, it's how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together.”

  Both Mateta and Guehi are expected to start when Palace take on strugglers Burnley in the league on Wednesday. Glasner’s charges are currently ninth in the top flight, while they also sit 18th in the Conference League standings.

Bangladesh took the series 2-0 after rain ended the third T20I with only 18.2 overs played

S Sudarshanan03-Sep-2025Match abandoned Scott Edwards finally won the toss and wanted Netherlands’ bowlers to, for once, bowl without dew around. But rain that fell as early as the fifth over ensured they had to contend with wet conditions anyway. They had bowled second in the first two T20Is of the three-match series and had lost both times.Netherlands fared better on Wednesday and managed to rein Bangladesh in after the first rain stoppage. But rain returned about two hours later to have the final say.Bangladesh posted 164 for 4 in 18.2 overs, in an innings replete with stoppages. Their captain Litton Das got off to a rapid start. There was a lull in the middle, before Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan injected momentum at the death. Netherlands quick Kyle Klein travelled the distance, going for 53 in his four overs, but also picked up three wickets. None of that mattered in the end, and the no-result meant Bangladesh took the series 2-0, Netherlands’ consolation coming from avoiding a clean sweep.

A Litton knock of two moods

With the series already sealed, Bangladesh looked at the opportunity to rotate their players ahead of next week’s Men’s T20 Asia Cup. They rested both their openers, Pervez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan, among the five changes to their XI, and Litton walked out to open. He made his intentions clear with a clinical assault against Daniel Doram’s left-arm spin in the third over. Litton launched a four over mid-off before ending the over with 4, 4, 6 – the second of them coming off an outside edge that evaded the keeper.The first stoppage came during the next over, after Litton deposited Klein over deep midwicket. One of the floodlights at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium had malfunctioned, and play was suspended for 11 minutes. Once play resumed, Litton hit two more fours, one each off Klein and offspinner Aryan Dutt, before rain arrived. He was on 42 off 16 then but couldn’t find his touch when play resumed 37 minutes later. When he was dismissed in the 15th over, he had scored only 31 off his last 30 balls.One of the characteristics of Litton’s 46-ball 73 was how well he held his shape while hitting big shots. Netherlands may have seen a lot less of this had Shariz Ahmad held on to a chance at deep midwicket in the fourth over when Litton was on 37. He was dropped again on 68 by Tim Pringle, but that did not cost Netherlands much.Litton Das scored 42 off his first 16 balls, and only 31 off his last 30•AFP/Getty Images

A glimmer of hope in Netherlands’ bowling

The Shariz drop came in Klein’s second over. It might have given him an inkling of how his evening would turn out. He bowled his heart out but struggled for consistency. Even with a dry ball, he slipped in a beamer in the fourth over of the game. By the end of that over, he had gone for 26 in two, and Bangladesh were 56 for 1.But Netherlands managed to pull things back after the rain break.Dutt and Pringle managed to extract purchase from the surface and kept even a set Litton in check. Towhid Hridoy’s patience ran out after he had scored just nine off his first 13 balls, and he holed out to long-on in an attempt to charge at Pringle. In the first 35 balls after the rain interval, Netherlands gave away just 28 runs and picked up a wicket.Bangladesh found the boundary in just four of the ten overs after their powerplay, and lost three wickets in that period. Then Nurul, playing his first T20I since the T20 World Cup of 2022, and Jaker joined forces to take 22 off the 18th over, bowled by Klein. They added 42 off just 23 balls before heavens opened again.

Will Arsenal’s winning streak continue?

On Tuesday night, the Gunners swatted aside Slavia Prague 3-0 in the Champions League, with Bukayo Saka breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot in the Czech capital, before makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino scored twice to rubber stamp the points.

That made it ten successive victories for Mikel Arteta, as well as being an eighth consecutive clean sheet, equaling Arsenal’s club record set in 1903, a sequence ended by Glossop North End all those years ago.

Only once before has a top-flight English club won eight games in a row all without conceding, this achieved by Liverpool in February 1920, a record the Gunners can break with victory at the Stadium of Light when they take on Sunderland on Saturday evening.

However, if they’re going to leave Wearside victorious, they will need to silence a familiar foe.

Granit Xhaka's roller coaster Arsenal career

Few players in football history have ever enjoyed quite the character arc at one club experienced by Granit Xhaka during his seven seasons at Arsenal.

The Swiss international was a key figure in the team that won the FA Cup under Arsène Wenger in his first season, but was then part of a team in decline, which ultimately led to Wenger’s departure and Unai Emery’s, at best, mixed reign.

This came to a head in October 2019 when Xhaka was infamously jeered off against Crystal Palace but, as someone who was in attendance that afternoon, it was all a massive misunderstanding.

Arsenal had raced into a 2-0 lead inside nine minutes only to, in trademark fashion under Emery, sit back, allowing Palace to grow into the game and equalise shortly after half time.

Thus, Emery decided to introduce a teenager by the name of Bukayo Saka, whatever happened to him?, and as fourth official Tim Robinson raises his board with a red number 34 on it, Xhaka trudged off the pitch at the speed of a naughty schoolboy sent to the head teacher’s office.

Having seen their side relinquish a two goal advantage, at first, supporters began shouting “get off”, meaning get off the pitch so we can resume this match and beat Crystal Palace, but Xhaka interpreted this as a personal attack, thereby emphatically cupping his ear and removing his shirt before angrily storming down the tunnel.

At this point, it appeared as though the midfielder would never play for the club again, but Emery was sacked later that month and everything changed following the appointment of Arteta.

Xhaka would go on to make 297 appearances for the club, only 12 men have made more for Arsenal in the Premier League, departing a hero, having been a key figure in the 2022/23 side that unexpectedly came so close to winning the title, laying the foundations for where the team is now.

After helping Bayer Leverkusen claim a first-ever Meisterschale, winning the unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, Xhaka surprisingly returned to English football this summer, joining newly-promoted Sunderland, playing every minute of every game with the Black Cats flying high, sat fourth in the Premier League table, scoring his first goal for the club against Everton on Monday night.

Barry Glendenning of the Guardian asserts that the Swiss international has been the ‘most influential’ member of Régis Le Bris’ team so far this season, meaning stopping Xhaka will surely be key to Arteta’s game plan, so which current member of the Arsenal team is best equipped to do just that?

Arsenal's "aggressive" star who can silence Granit Xhaka

A concern for Gooners is their growing injury list, given that Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will all miss this weekend’s trip to Wearside due to injury.

Others, such as Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber and Declan Rice are having to take on a high workload while, in contrast, it has been a quiet week for Martín Zubimendi, so he will be raring to go at the Stadium of Light.

Having been booked in each of the first three Champions League matches, the Spaniard did not travel to Prague due to suspension, with Christian Nørgaard deputising at the base of midfield.

Largely because it was finalised right at the start of the window, Zubimendi’s arrival in North London was not met with the fanfare it deserved, but he has pretty inarguably been the Gunners’ most impressive summer recruit so far, with the table below supporting this assertion.

As the numbers highlight, Zubimendi ranks highly for pretty much every metric this season, most notably when it comes to passing, defending, distance covered and touches.

The Spaniard opened his account against Nottingham Forest in September, actually scoring twice that afternoon, this jaw-dropping strike named the Premier League’s goal of the month.

His performances have led to Football Transfers believing his estimated market valuation has increased to around £48m.

Meantime, Adam Keys notes that Zubimendi both “positions himself perfectly for second balls” while also orchestrating play when in possession, while Hand of Arsenal adds that he is a “sublime” player who is “deceptively aggressive” and “knows how to control the tempo and when to break lines and progress”

All of this is going to be needed if the Gunners are going to beat Sunderland on Saturday, thereby moving nine points clear of Manchester City, for 23 hours at least.

With the Black Cats likely to set up in a low block to start, while also posing a threat, often through their midfield general Xhaka, Zubimendi’s overall quality will be vital, with Tuesday acting as a timely reminder, without wanting to denigrate Nørgaard, of how important the Spaniard is, this crystallised in his absence.

Forget Rice & Gabriel: Arsenal "monster" deserves to win PL Player of the Year

The outrageous international has been even better than Rice and Gabriel for Arsenal this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 6, 2025

There’s a strong case to be made that Arsenal are the best team in Europe right now. Certainly, the win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening underlined the credentials of Mikel Arteta’s multi-title challengers.

The Gunners have mastered their game. Some have ridiculed Arteta and his side for finishing second in the Premier League three seasons in a row, but this has only hardened their resolve and will to win, concurrently deepening the tactical layers Arteta has spent so much time developing.

This is the result of everything coming together over multiple campaigns. Hard work and perserverance. Now, Arsenal have the luxury to add elite quality to an already fearsome outfit, and technical director Andrea Berta has found his man.

Arsenal's transfer plans

After such an impressive summer transfer window, table-topping Arsenal aren’t expected to be all that busy in the January transfer window. However, the Londoners will react if the right opportunity presents itself.

Juventus playmaker Kenan Yildiz remains a long-standing target, and attacking midfield is indeed a position the Emirates outfit is likely to target in the coming windows.

However, a recent report from Caught Offside suggests Berta is gearing up to launch a move for Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento, with the 23-year-old also attracting strong intrigue from Manchester City and Manchester United.

Livramento has been one of the Magpies’ standout players this season, and his club know it, having responded to growing interest in his name by listing him at £80m.

What Tino Livramento would offer Arsenal

Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle since first arriving on Tyneside, having joined the club from Southampton in a deal rising to £40m in 2023.

Last season, he played an instrumental role in securing the Carabao Cup title, something Gunners fans might remember after his tremendous performance at the Emirates in the first leg of the semi-finals.

A modern and dynamic full-back, Livramento’s positional versatility has seen him play ample on his unnatural left flank for United, with his surpassing technical quality leading Newcastle-focused content creator Kendall Rowan to hail him as a “superstar” of a prospect.

Given that Manchester City also have a vested interest, you could say that Livramento would emulate Declan Rice by completing a big-money move from a title-winning Premier League rival like Newcastle, Rice having completed his £105m transfer to north London from West Ham United in 2023, since transcending his role as a superstar.

As Arteta’s troops march their way through the campaign, indomitably, irrevocably, Rice is the most trusted lieutenant, now one of the best central midfielders in the world after several years lauded as an elite talent with room for growth.

In this way, Livramento would mimic him, completing a move to north London and rejecting Pep Guardiola on the way to the Emirates.

Moreover, the likes of Theo Walcott have praised Newcastle’s star full-back for his potential to become something even more, suggesting that his athleticism and ability to play across a range of positions make him someone akin to Gareth Bale.

Bale was a superstar, alright, and this is evidence that Livramento falls into a bracket of world-class players.

Newcastle are bound to play hardball over one of their biggest, most profitable talents, but Arsenal have shaped their stadium into quite the desirable destination, and Livramento would have the chance to emulate Rice in rising the Premier League ladder and becoming a superstar under Arteta’s wing.

He's becoming a Saka & Eze hybrid: Arsenal have signed an "agent of chaos"

The increible international has the ability to be as important as Saka and Eze for Arsenal this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 28, 2025