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In the match at Adelaide, Brian Lara took over as the leading runscorer in Test cricket, and faced Shane Warne, the leading wicket-taker. Has this ever happened before

Steven Lynch28-Nov-2005The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket. We apologise for the lack of a column last week, which was caused by a family bereavement:

Leading run-scorer v leading wicket-taker, not happened since 1886-87. © Getty Images
In the match at Adelaide, Brian Lara took over as the leading runscorer in Test cricket, and faced Shane Warne, the leading wicket-taker. Has this ever happened before? asked Mathew Stephenson from Australia
It has happened … but not for a very long time. The last time the leading Test runscorer of the time faced the leading wicket-taker was back in 1886-87, in the first Test at Sydney, when Arthur Shrewsbury of England faced up to the Aussie “Demon”, Fred Spofforth. Going into that match Shrewsbury had 903 runs and Spofforth had 94 wickets. The last time the two record-holders were even in the same game was as long ago as 1903-04, at Melbourne, when Clem Hill and Hugh Trumble (in his last Test) both played for Australia against England.How many Test runs had Brian Lara scored when Sachin Tendulkar made his debut? asked Alvin Parish
That’s a nice easy one, because the answer is none – Tendulkar made his debut first, aged just 16, against Pakistan at Karachi in November 1989. Lara didn’t make his debut until 13 months later, also in Pakistan, in the third Test at Lahore in 1990-91. By then Tendulkar had scored 588 runs, in 11 Tests.What is the longest run of ODIs without losing? Did South Africa break the record recently? asked Johan van der Knaap from Kimberley
South Africa came very close: when they won the first match of the ongoing series against India at Hyderabad they had gone 20 ODIs without defeat. But they lost their next match, at Bangalore, to fall just short of the record of 21 – set by Australia in 2003, a run that included that year’s World Cup. For a longer list, click here.Which cricketer called his autobiography A Hell of a Way to Make a Living? asked Ben Forrest from Colchester
The man with the whimsical title was Ken Rutherford, the former New Zealand captain. His book was published by Hodder Moa Beckett in New Zealand in 1995. Actually New Zealand cricketers seem keen on zany titles for their books: Danny Morrison’s was called Mad As I Wanna Be, John Wright penned Christmas in Rarotonga, Ian Smith was Just a Drummer in the Band, while Gavin Larsen went for, er, Grand Larseny.I’ve often wondered, what are the top batting averages over a Test career, worldwide? I know that Don Bradman was 99-point-something. Is there anyone higher? asked Alf Lacis from Australia
You’ve proved a friend of mine wrong – he claimed that everyone in Australia knew Don Bradman`s exact batting average, which was 99.94! If he’d managed four runs in his final innings, rather than a duck, The Don would have averaged exactly 100. And, given a qualification of 20 innings, no-one comes close to him: next on the list is the South African Graeme Pollock, who averaged 60.97. The only others over 60 are the great West Indian George Headley (60.83) and the old England opener Herbert Sutcliffe (60.73). The highest current player is India’s Rahul Dravid, with 57.62, a whisker ahead of Sachin Tendulkar (57.25) and Jacques Kallis (57.07). For a full list of the highest Test averages, click here.I’ve been trying to find out about this but can’t: didn’t Shaun Pollock have some kind of dream debut with an English county side in the mid-1990s? I’m wondering, did I dream this up or is it true? asked Dilip D’Souza from India
No, you didn’t imagine it – Shaun Pollock made a sensational debut for Warwickshire in 1996. In his first match for them, against Leicestershire at Edgbaston, he took four wickets in four balls as Leicestershire crumpled to 9 for 5. He finished with 6 for 21 (and, not surprisingly, the Man of the Match award) as Warwickshire won by seven wickets.

Stats preview of the second Test between India and Australia in Sydney

S Rajesh01-Jan-2008

Sachin Tendulkar: an average of 249 in three Tests in Sydney © Getty Images
After being demolished in the first Test in Melbourne, the Indians will be relieved that the venue for the second Test is the Sydney Cricket Ground, a stadium that has pleasant memories for most of their players.The team results here have been better than at any other Australian venue – one win and three defeats in eight Tests. The last time India played at this ground, they had the home team in all sorts of bother till a battling Steve Waugh and Simon Katich bailed them out. Rahul Dravid, in the middle of a batting rut at the moment, will do well to watch tapes of his batting in that game: with India looking for quick runs in the second innings, Dravid hammered an unbeaten 91 off 114 balls. In the same number of deliveries in the Melbourne Test last week, Dravid managed a mere 16.Most of the other Indian heavyweights have done well here too. Sachin Tendulkar leads the pack: in five innings at the ground, he has scored two centuries – including that unbeaten 241 on his previous trip – and averages 249. VVS Laxman isn’t far behind, with two centuries in his two Tests here. The only failure has been Sourav Ganguly, who averages just 14 here. The kind of form he is in, though, he won’t be too bothered by his track record in Sydney.

Indian batsmen in Sydney

Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s

Sachin Tendulkar 3 498 249.00 2/ 1 VVS Laxman 2 352 117.33 2/ 0 Virender Sehwag 1 119 59.50 0/ 1 Rahul Dravid 2 158 52.67 0/ 1 Sourav Ganguly 2 42 14.00 0/ 0 The performance of the Indian batsmen is only one side of the story, however. The other side is the fact that the Australians have relished the conditions here as well. Their overall record here is an impressive 51 wins and 27 defeats, but their recent form is scary: in their last 13 Tests they have won 11, with their only loss – to England in 2002-03 – coming after they had already sealed the five-Test series by winning the first four games. The only other team to escape a defeat during this period is India, which drew in 2003-04.The Australian batsmen have enjoyed the pitch here as much as the Indians. Ricky Ponting has scored 1226 runs in 12 Tests at an average of more than 81, while Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden have been among the runs as well. Michael Clarke hasn’t flourished on his home ground, though, with just 90 runs in four innings.

Australian batsmen in Sydney

Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s

Ricky Ponting 12 1226 81.73 5/ 4 Adam Gilchrist 10 722 60.16 2/ 4 Matthew Hayden 9 756 54.00 3/ 3 Michael Hussey 2 82 41.00 0/ 0 Andrew Symonds 2 60 30.00 0/ 0 Michael Clarke 3 90 22.50 0/ 0 Sydney has traditionally been a spin-friendly venue, but the table below indicates that spinners haven’t had a lot more success than the fast bowlers in recent years. Since 2000, slow bowlers average 38.55 per wicket, which is only marginally better than what the fast bowlers have achieved during this period.

Pace v spin at the SCG since 2000

Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM

Pace 171 39.15 66.6 3/ 2 Spin 118 38.55 68.0 7/ 1 The last time he played here, Anil Kumble had plenty of success, with match figures of 12 for 279, but his overall average here is only 33.75, thanks to his wicketless performance in 1999-2000. It isn’t the favourite venue for Australia’s leading bowler either: Brett Lee has only managed 31 wickets from eight games at an average of more than 35.In the last 17 Tests here, the captain winning the toss has chosen to bat. The last team to insert the opposition was India, way back in 1992. The Indians didn’t do badly then, taking a first-innings lead of 170 and forcing Australia to hang on to a draw.Teams have generally jumped at the opportunity to bat first, but as the table below shows, batting in the fourth innings hasn’t been such a tough task recently.

Average runs per wicket in each innings in Sydney Tests since 2000

1st innings 2nd innings 3rd innings 4th innings

38.97 41.13 33.24 44.79

Sevilla have issued a statement accusing Real Madrid TV of trying to influence referee Diaz de Mera before the two sides clash on Sunday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Real Madrid TV accused of trying to influence refereeSevilla and Real play on SundayStatement condemns actions of TV presentersWHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid TV, in the build-up to their clash with Sevilla, aired a segment in which they pointed out previous mistakes from the game's assigned referee, de Mera. They did similar with the assigned VAR, Gonzalez Fuertes, and Sevilla have now made a formal complaint to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

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Sevilla's statement reads: "We wish to underline in the strongest terms our condemnation against these orchestrated campaigns aimed at undermining refereeing integrity. "The club wishes to confirm through a written statement to the Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), we have reported the campaign of persecution and harassment towards the referee Diaz de Mera and González Fuertes (VAR) for tomorrow evening's game against Real Madrid orchestrated by Real Madrid TV, the official club television channel of Real Madrid.

"We wish to formally report these events to the RFEF to see if these actions can be considered as a violation of competition rules or any other regulations. The club also wishes to reiterate its strongest condemnation of these orchestrated campaigns aimed at undermining the image of the refereeing body, causing serious harm to Spanish football and calling into question the integrity of the competition."

CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Real are currently top of La Liga with 62 points, six points clear of second-placed Girona and eight clear of third-placed Barcelona. Sevilla, by comparison, are mired in 15th, but they are unbeaten in their last four games.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

There will likely be an intense focus on refereeing decisions when Real face Sevilla on Sunday, especially with former Los Blancos enforcer Sergio Ramos making his return to Santiago Bernabeu. It remains to be seen if Real can extend their lead at the top of the table, with Girona due back in action a day later against Rayo Vallecano.

After a devastating end to last season that saw them lose out on the Premier League title despite holding down top spot for so long, Arsenal are again right in the middle of a title race.

The Gunners find themselves three points clear of Manchester City in fourth place but one point behind the current leaders, Liverpool.

One of the major differences between Mikel Arteta's team last season and this season is the absence of Swiss international Granit Xhaka.

Kai Havertz has taken the left-eight role vacated by the rehabilitated midfielder but hasn't entirely managed to make it his own despite a recent run of good form.

However, the latest player to be linked with a move to the Emirates could be the perfect fit to carry the mantle Xhaka put down in the summer, Florian Wirtz.

Arsenal transfer news – Florian Wirtz

According to TeamTalk, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in Bayer Leverkusen's incredibly talented youngster, Wirtz.

The German international has scored four goals and provided five assists in just 13 starts for Xabi Alonso's title chasers this season. He has done even better in the Europa League, scoring two goals and providing four assists, per WhoScored.

This isn't new, however, as the 20-year-old has been influencing games for a few years now, registering ten Bundesliga goal involvements for the first time back in the 2020/21 season.

Unsurprisingly, with consistent performances such as this, the German maestro has a hefty price tag attached to him, with Sky Sports Germany reporting that it would take an offer of €120m – about £103m – to tempt Leverkusen into selling their star performer.

However, for a player described as "pure quality" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it might just be worth it for Arsenal, especially if he can take up the left-eight role.

How Florian Wirtz compares to Granit Xhaka

Now, as things stand, the 20-year-old "generational talent", as dubbed by Apple Sports executive Cristian Nyari, plays most of his football either as an attacking midfielder, a second striker, or even as a left-winger. Still, some elements of his game suggest he could drop back a bit and help in a defensive manner as well.

This becomes more evident when you compare his current underlying numbers to those of Xhaka's from last season, as that is the man he could replace.

Surprisingly, the young German actually beats his current teammate in several key defensive attributes, such as blocking passes, ball recoveries and tackles in the defensive third.

Arteta must unleash "superb" 18 y/o who could be Arsenal's next Timber

The versatile defender has left Oleksandr Zinchenko stunned in training.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 12, 2023

Moreover, his tendency to play more through balls and progressive passes could be utilised to turn over the ball and kickstart a counter-attack from deeper in his own half.

Wirtz

Xhaka

8.10

5.89

66.8 (83.5%)

49.0 (84.7%)

0.91

0.18

0.74

0.54

6.86

4.56

0.41

0.33

0.58

0.81

0.33

0.45

That said, there are, of course, still defensive areas in which the former Arsenal man outclasses Wirtz, but that is to be expected when his natural role thus far in his career has been orientated towards attacking.

Ultimately, the Gunners are going to need to find a new number eight at some point, and with Wirtz's age profile and promising numbers, there is every chance that Arteta could mould him into that player.

The first day of the second Test was mostly about one outstanding individual performance: Virender Sehwag destroyed the West Indian attack with his magnificent 180 which put India on course for a huge first-innings total

On the Ball with S Rajesh10-Jun-2006The first day of the second Test was mostly about one outstanding individual performance: Virender Sehwag destroyed the West Indian attack with his magnificent 180 which put India on course for a huge first-innings total. Though Pedro Collins pulled it back somewhat with a wholehearted bowling effort, taking 4 for 75 and getting to 100 Test wickets in the process, India still ended the day well on top.On a pitch which was expected to assist the fast bowlers early, Sehwag completely snatched the initiative at the start with his aggression. It wasn’t just mindless hitting either: when Wasim Jaffer was going strong at the other end en route to their 159-run first-wicket stand – beating India’s previous highest in the West Indies, 136 between Sunil Gavaskar and Anshuman Gaekwad at Kingston in 1975-76 – Sehwag went hard at the bowling, taking advantage of the close-in fielders and the large gaps in the outfield. He scored 99 off 75 balls in the first session, missing by a whisker the opportunity to become the fifth batsman to score a century in the first session of a Test. When India lost Jaffer and VVS Laxman in the second session, he slowed down considerably, before picking up again in the final session when Rahul Dravid assured him of solidity at the other end.

Sehwag’s session-wise progress

Session Balls Runs 4s/ 6s

Morning 75 99 15/ 2 Afternoon 72 43 4/ 0 Evening 43 38 1/ 0 The point and cover region were again the most prolific regions, but 40 of those 68 runs came before lunch, when there were more gaps in the field. As Lara packed the off side after lunch, Sehwag was good enough to work the balls on leg side for his runs.And as usual, Sehwag again proved that what’s a good length to most batsmen is a good run-scoring length for him – he scored at 5.45 per over off good-length deliveries, only marginally lower than his scoring rate off the balls which were too full or too short. The bowler who felt the Sehwag effect the most was Dwayne Bravo – he disappeared for 51 from the 37 balls be bowled to Sehwag; 28 of those deliveries were on a good length, and yet they cost him 37.The only West Indian who came out of the day’s play with his reputation enhanced was Collins, who became the 17th bowler from the region to get to 100 Test wickets. The most impressive aspect of his performance was his control: 110 out of 120 balls reached the batsman on or outside off stump; with Lara putting most of his fielders in a cordon around point and cover, that was the perfect channel to bowl.

Leeds United could look at more than one signing in the January window, according to an exciting claim made by a journalist.

Leeds eyeing left-back move

The Whites are currently short of left-back options under Daniel Farke ahead of a busy period in the Championship after Sam Byram suffered a hamstring injury at Blackburn Rovers that is expected to keep him out for three weeks. Junior Firpo is already sidelined with another injury of his own, and reports have suggested that he is a target for former side Real Betis heading into 2024.

Farke has recently hinted at bringing in a new left-back, with Phil Hay saying the manager “was thinking about that even before Byram/Firpo got injured”. However, adding to the club’s full-back ranks may not be the only idea for the 49ers Enterprises and co, with more than one loan spot available at Elland Road.

Talking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones was speaking about the possibility of two loan moves being made by Leeds in January that could help them get promoted. Jones said that alongside a left-back, “there's always going to be the tendency to go for an attacker”.

“If there is space for Leeds to do two loans, then it is something they should be looking to do. You probably feel that if Firpo, for example, does end up moving on, one of the best ways to replace him in that squad, for now, is to bring in a loan signing and then look at it again in the summer and see where you are.

“There are a couple of spots available to bring loans in, and when you think about how well somebody like Joe Rodon’s done, that's what you have to strive for again. The loan market is a fantastic opportunity for a team in Leeds' current position. The January market is always better for loans than for permanent deals. If Leeds can get this right, they’ll be right in the promotion mix, and they can get themselves up. So, there’s probably going to be a Firpo-type replacement, and then there's always going to be the tendency to go for an attacker that can somehow add some goals into the mix.”

Leeds' attacking options

Goals haven’t been a major problem for Leeds this season, with Crysencio Summerville, Dan James, Jol Piroe and Georginio Rutter establishing themselves as Farke’s preferred front four. Alongside the quartet, the Whites also have the likes of Wilfried Gnonto, Patrick Bamford and Jaidon Anthony to call upon, as well as youngsters Joe Gelhardt and Mateo Joseph.

However, if the right opportunity presents itself, adding two new faces in January could be just what is needed for the second half of the season as Leeds continue to chase down Leicester City and Ipswich Town. It may prove to be a busy start to 2024, and hopefully, by the end of the year, Farke and Leeds will be back in the Premier League, going from strength to strength.

What the stats have to say about the Australia-West Indies Champions Trophy final

S Rajesh04-Nov-2006

Brian Lara: an average of 26.20 in his last ten ODIs against Australia © Getty Images
Australia have unquestionably been the dominant team over the last few years, but West Indies will fancy their chances in the final of the Champions Trophy. For one, the final will be played at the Brabourne Stadium, the venue of West Indies’ ten-run win in the group stage of the tournament. Also, they have put it across Australia twice in their last three ODIs. In the last three-and-a-half years, though, Australia hold an 8-5 edge. Winning the toss is usually an advantage, but that clearly hasn’t been the case in this tournament – in 20 matches so far, on 14 occasions the team losing the toss has gone on to win. In the four Champions Trophy matches at the Brabourne Stadium, the team winning the toss has won just once. (That, incidentally, was the game in which West Indies beat Australia by ten runs.) West Indies’ batting fortunes will probably depend considerably on how Brian Lara and Chris Gayle perform. Gayle has been sparkling form in this tournament, but his stats against Australia aren’t so impressive – an average of 32.37 from 16 matches. Lara made a crucial 71 in their win against Australia in this tournament, but his recent form against Australia has been disappointing – he averages just 26.20 in his last ten games against them. Ramnaresh Sarwan, too, has struggled against the Australians. Shivnarine Chanderpaul bucks that trend, though – his average of 37.94 against Australia is marginally higher than his career average. If Lara has disappointed against Australia recently, then the same can be said for Ricky Ponting’s last few performances against West Indies – in his last seven completed innings against them, on five occasions Ponting has failed to get into double digits. Adam Gilchrist hasn’t enjoyed much success against West Indies either, but Damien Martyn clearly relishes the Caribbean attack – in 14 matches he averages 53.62. Glenn McGrath has had plenty of success against the West Indians in Tests, but in 28 ODIs against them he has only managed 31 wickets at more than 28 runs per wicket. The bowler who has had their number in ODIs has been Brett Lee, with 32 wickets from 14 games at less than 17 apiece.

Glasgow Rangers have received a response from a primary managerial target that they have identified to replace Michael Beale in the Scottish Premiership, as a fresh report has shared.

Is Michael Beale getting sacked?

At Ibrox, Beale’s side have had a mixed start to the new campaign where they find themselves fourth in the table after securing three wins and suffering two defeats from their opening five games, via Sky Sports, but after being knocked out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion, some supporters have been calling for the manager to be sacked.

The Light Blues have therefore been linked with the likes of Graham Potter, who has already rejected the opportunity, and Kevin Muscat, although reporter Andy Newport was quick to confirm that rumours surrounding the latter were wide of the mark.

Another candidate to have entered the frame is Birmingham City’s John Eustace, who The Daily Mail claim has emerged as a serious contender having caught the eye not only with his CV, but the fact that he’s an up-and-coming coach which meets the profile wanted.

According to journalist Alex Dicken, it would take an irresistible offer for the 43-year-old to leave St. Andrews and make the move north of the border, but regardless of how much the hierarchy try and tempt him, it doesn’t sound like anything they do will work.

Are Rangers appointing John Eustace?

Speaking to BBC West Midlands, Eustace was asked to comment on the rumours linking him with the job at Rangers.

As quoted by the Football League Paper (via Ibrox News), he said: “It’s all speculation. I’m not interested in any other job than Birmingham City. I’m very, very happy here. I came here 14 months ago and I signed a three-year deal to try to help grow the club, to build this fantastic football club to back where it should be. We’re coming up to halfway in doing that.

"I think there’s been great progress and I want to continue with that progress and see this club fly. There have been some ups and downs but I think everyone can see that we’re going in the right direction, and I want to be here for as long as the club want me.”

What is John Eustace's record at Birmingham?

In the Championship this season, Eustace has helped his side to secure three wins, two draws and just one defeat, where having taken 11 points from a possible 18, Birmingham find themselves sixth in the play-off places in the table, as per the BBC.

The Solihull-born coach, who has a preferred formation of a 3-5-2 flat midfield, was also nominated for August's Manager of the Month award as a result of his impressive efforts from the dugout, so it’s fantastic that he’s receiving individual recognition for his work from the sidelines.

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Eustace has got the Blues playing “easy on the eye” football, and having previously beaten Beale on the one occasion that he’s faced him throughout his career, he’d clearly be an upgrade on the current boss in Glasgow.

Manchester United suffered their third straight defeat in midweek against Bayern Munich and the pressure is now firmly on Erik ten Hag, despite a spirited performance in Germany.

A tie against Burnley in the Premier League is next up for the Red Devils and while they currently occupy 13th spot in the table with just two wins from five, Vincent Kompany’s men have themselves secured only one point thus far.

This upcoming clash represents a wonderful opportunity for United to get back on track and a confidence-boosting victory will hopefully allow them to kick-start their season and nudge them further up the table.

Following the defeat to Bayern, Ten Hag will likely make changes, especially as several of his starting XI underperformed, with Christian Eriksen among the protagonists in this regard.

How did Christian Eriksen perform vs Bayern Munich?

The Danish midfielder made his first Champions League start since October 2020 against the Bundesliga side, yet he failed to showcase his vast talents when United needed him most.

His Sofascore match rating of 5.6 was the lowest out of anyone on the pitch during the match, as Eriksen's 69-minute spell saw him complete just 30 successful passes while giving away a penalty and being dribbled past twice as he failed to assert his authority in the heart of the midfield.

Following the tie, he and Casemiro were criticised by journalist Mark Critchley, who said: “Manchester United are under the microscope in just about every part of the pitch at the moment but the midfield might be most concerning.

“Casemiro and Christian Eriksen both look like short-term fixes to a long-term problem.”

Will Christian Eriksen start for Manchester United vs Burnley?

The £150k-per-week “absolute genius” – as so dubbed by Statman Dave in 2022 – hasn’t exactly lit up Old Trafford this season.

He has averaged a Sofascore match rating of just 6.9 across five Premier League ties, registering only two goal contributions – one goal and one assist – while creating zero big chances and averaging just 0.8 key passes per game.

Across the United squad, these statistics rank him only tenth, third and tenth for key passes per game, while he doesn’t even rank for big chances created.

It has been an underwhelming campaign thus far and indeed, across the previous 12 months, Eriksen has failed to showcase his best qualities over a range of metrics.

According to FBref, the Dane ranks in the lowest 93% for tackles (1.17) and the lowest 88% for interceptions (0.55) per 90 when compared to his positional peers in Europe's top five leagues, while some of his attacking statistics have not been great either.

He ranks in the lowest 74% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.43) and the lowest 40% for touches in the opposition box (1.37) when compared to his peers across Europe’s top five leagues and Ten Hag should perhaps give someone else an opportunity against Burnley today.

Something needs to click into gear for the Dutchman, and he needs it fast, otherwise the pressure could soon become unbearable, and he may well be looking for a new role sooner rather than later.

With it looking as if Eriksen is a key part of the 'problem' at present, a new solution must be found this evening.

The Gunners centre-back has taken her game to the next level over the past few months, and with others out injured, she should get her chance to start

There was plenty for Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall to be happy about following his side's emphatic 3-1 victory over Manchester United in front of a Women's Super League-record Emirates Stadium crowd on Saturday. Following a shock defeat to West Ham, as well as an FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester City, the Swede has been under pressure recently, and the welcome win moved the Gunners back to within three points of leaders Chelsea with eight games to play.

Cloe Lacasse seriously impressed on a rare start, Beth Mead was unplayable at times and Lia Walti ran things in the middle of the park. But at full-time, Eidevall made sure to give his makeshift back four – disrupted by Leah Williamson and Amanda Ilestedt being absent – special credit for the victory, singling one player out in particular.

"We had to rejig and you could see Laia Codina, for example, she has been training really well so she was ready to play. But it is still a new back four to play together. But in that unit we have to acknowledge a player like Lotte Wubben-Moy. We have to acknowledge the level she is playing at this season and seeing how she develops," he said.

"A performance like she has today is incredible. I think it is something the whole club should be very proud of because she is Arsenal through and through. She is coming from our academy, our community and to see her excel the way she does at Emirates Stadium, it is fantastic. I am really, really happy for her and the club to see that."

Getty ImagesStepping up last season

Her manager's glowing appraisal after Saturday's huge result has been echoed by most onlookers throughout the current campaign. Almost every Arsenal fan would agree that Wubben-Moy is firmly in the conversation for the Gunners' Player of the Season award, while a spot in the WSL Team of the Year also seems likely if she continues on her current trajectory.

Wubben-Moy's emergence as a key player has not come out of the blue, though. Following Leah Williamson's devastating ACL injury last season, and with other starting centre-back Rafaelle missing a decent chunk of the 2022-23 campaign too, she stepped up when it mattered, playing near enough every minute of her side's congested run-in.

Forming an unorthodox partnership with Steph Catley at the heart of the defence, she chipped in with a string of vital contributions; none more so than in her side's Champions League semi-final second leg against Wolfsburg, where she provided the pinpoint cross for Jen Beattie's headed equaliser that sent the game to extra-time.

Heartbreakingly, it would be Wubben-Moy's tired error in that additional period that would eventually gift the German side their place in the final, but she did not let this setback affect her performances for the remainder of the season, scoring in Arsenal's victory over Everton a few weeks later, a result that went a long way to sealing their spot in the Champions League for the following campaign.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesReaching new heights

New heights have been reached since then, though, with few defenders enjoying better WSL seasons so far. And it was telling that when Williamson did return to the WSL starting line-up in February against West Ham, it was World Cup star Ilestedt that dropped to the bench, not Wubben-Moy, suggesting that the Englishwoman has risen to the very top of the defensive pecking order.

Delving into the statistics, it's not hard to see why. Earlier in her career, there were concerns that Wubben-Moy was not as effective in possession as some of her club and international colleagues. But this campaign, no outfield player has completed more long balls or racked up more progressive passing distance than her in the WSL.

She is also carrying the ball effectively; just five WSL players (Anna Patten, Maya Le Tissier, Laia Alexandri, Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter) have racked up more progressive distance than Wubben-Moy's 1766 yards this season. And of those players, just Greenwood has registered fewer minutes than the Arsenal star.

Wubben-Moy has always excelled at bread-and-butter defending too, and this has continued recently. Bunny Shaw, Sam Kerr and Rachel Daly are among the top-class centre-forwards that she has kept scoreless this season, and she is yet to make an error that's led to an opponent having a shot this term. Meanwhile, only Liverpool's towering forward Sophie Roman Haug has won more aerial duels.

Getty ImagesStruggling for international recognition

But amid this excellent run of form, Wubben-Moy has found international recognition under Sarina Wiegman hard to come by this season. She made her Lionesses debut back in 2021, coming on as a substitute during an emphatic friendly victory over Northern Ireland, eventually earning a maiden start in her side's infamous 20-0 thrashing of Latvia in November that same year.

Since then, she's been a near ever-present in England squads, only pulling out of a few camps due to injury. Despite this, her playing time has been frightfully limited. In fact, since that Latvia game, she's only managed a single start, a 45-minute outing in a friendly against Belgium in June 2022.

Thus, while she has a Euro 2022 winners' medal, and was a part of the Lionesses' impressive run to the 2023 World Cup final and Finalissima triumph, it all came as a spectator. That will surely change in the upcoming fixtures against Austria and Italy, though.

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Getty ImagesTiming is everything

In the past, it's been easier for Wiegman to ignore Wubben-Moy. During the Euros, Williamson and Millie Bright were always going to be impossible to displace at the heart of defence. And at the World Cup, Greenwood and Carter each emerged as deserved starters as the England boss flipped between a back-three and back-four.

But in this camp, Bright and Williamson are unavailable due to injury, and it's hard to argue that Carter and Esme Morgan – who has taken a lot of Wubben-Moy's potential minutes in recent times – are in anything like the same form as her at club level. The same can also be said of United pair Le Tissier and Millie Turner.

With all of that in mind, and with two low-stakes games for Wiegman to experiment in coming up, it is surely time for Wubben-Moy to seize her opportunity.