Arsenal return to Premier League action tonight, as they host Southampton in what is a must-win clash; although, with just seven games left as they battle for the title, every game has taken on such importance.

That is what makes their recent slips against West Ham United and Liverpool all the more frustrating, especially given they squandered leads in both.

Tonight, however, they face a wholly different challenge, as they welcome the 20th-placed team in the division with the hopes they can use it as a return to form. With a trip to face Manchester City on the horizon, tonight marks a fine opportunity to bolster confidence in preparation for such a monumental game.

However, they are to once again be without William Saliba, as Mikel Arteta admitted:

"He’s not progressing as quickly as we hoped and it is a bit delicate so we want to be certain that when we push him, he’s ready to absorb the load and the risk that we’ll take, and that’s not possible at the moment."

Whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko is at a more advanced stage in his recovery, a start tonight also seems unlikely given the risk it would pose in a fixture they should be able to win without. However, his absence could pose an interesting opportunity for a tactical shift.

How could Arsenal line up against Southampton

Arteta could make as many as three changes to the side that drew 2-2 at the London Stadium, with alterations made both due to necessity and with one eye on Wednesday's crunch match.

Aaron Ramsdale will be seeking to put aside his disappointment from last week with a fine showing tonight, but will have to remain sharp when his moment comes. The 24-year-old made just one save last game, yet shipped two goals.

The back four is expected to remain largely unchanged, but after his struggles to perform in the inverted full-back role, Kieran Tierney could drop out. Given Granit Xhaka deputised in his position after his substitution last time out, perhaps Arsenal could seek to add such a fine creative presence to the defence given their expected dominance of the ball.

Ben White will occupy the opposite flank, whilst Rob Holding and Gabriel Magalhaes retain their spots through the middle.

Seeing the Swiss general move into the back four opens up an opportunity for Fabio Vieira to take his chance beside Thomas Partey. They will offer a defensive foil to supplement the creativity of captain Martin Odegaard.

As mentioned, their dominance in tonight's clash should see them through without needing a full-strength side, especially when the likes of Leandro Trossard and Emile Smith-Rowe are the alternatives to replace Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Seeking to keep the star men fresh, so they can truly wreak havoc next week, perhaps handing the 22-year-old his first league start of the season following a return from injury could be the injection of enthusiasm needed to put this game to bed early.

The Belgian's inclusion needs no explanation, with the £40k-per-week maestro having already garnered praise despite only joining in January. Journalist Richie Mills, who reports on Brighton and Hove Albion, will know more than most just what a "magic man" the 28-year-old can be.

These two will flank Gabriel Jesus, who has made a seamless return to first-team action after his own lengthy lay-off, scoring four in his last three.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Holding, Xhaka; Vieira, Odegaard, Partey; Smith-Rowe, Jesus, Trossard.

Fast bowler Sohail Tanvir and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul claimed five wickets between them to help set up a seven-wicket victory for Guyana Amazon Warriors against Jamaica Tallawahs in a top-of-the-table clash at Providence on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFast bowler Sohail Tanvir and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul claimed five wickets between them to set up a seven-wicket victory for Guyana Amazon Warriors against Jamaica Tallawahs in a top-of-the-table clash at Providence. After skittling Tallawahs for 100 in 18 overs, Amazon Warriors got to the target with 12 balls to spare on a typically slow surface. Guyana now have three wins in three matches, having already beaten St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders.Tanvir laid down the marker, having Chris Gayle, who smashed 108* in his previous match, lbw with an inswinger off the first ball he faced. Permaul then struck twice in two balls, in the fifth over, removing Kumar Sangakkara and Chadwick Walton. Tallawahs crawled to 29 for 3 at the end of the Powerplay, having scored only two boundaries during that period.Three boundaries then came in the space of eight balls as Rovman Powell and Shakib Al Hasan threatened a recovery. They lofted Australia legspinner Adam Zampa for sixes down the ground, after Powell had hit a four over Permaul’s head.But then Shakib holed out to deep midwicket off Permaul. Zampa also struck, undoing Nkrumah Bonner – who had come into the XI for Andre Russell – and Andre McCarthy for ducks to leave the visitors at 80 for 6. The lower order folded, and Powell was the ninth batsman to be dismissed, for 38. Barring Powell, only Shakib managed to pass 20.The chase wasn’t easy for Amazon Warriors. They fared worse in the Powerplay than Tallawahs, scoring 13 while losing captain Martin Guptill and Dwayne Smith to Pakistan left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, who finished with figures of 2 for 6. Chris Lynn and Jason Mohammed, however, settled Amazon Warriors with a 42-run partnership for the third wicket in 9.2 overs. The stand ended when Mohammed was pinned lbw for 22 by Shakib. The wicket hardly dented the hosts though, with Lynn and Anthony Bramble teeing off for 48 in 4.4 overs to seal the chase.Permaul bagged the Man-of-the-Match award for his career-best T20 figures of 3 for 20. After the game, he said he had focused on bowling a tight line. The two wickets that I picked up earlier really set up Jamaica and we kept bowling consistently, picking up wickets at the crucial stages of the game,” he said. “It is important to bowl wicket-to-wicket [in Providence]; we know the conditions very well. It [The pitch] is a bit two-paced and keeps low.”Amazon Warriors have a day’s break before taking on Patriots at home on Saturday, and Knight Riders on Sunday. Tallawahs have three days to regroup before facing Barbados Tridents in Bridgetown on Monday.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action today, in what promises to be a hotly-contested clash with Newcastle United.

With the hosts boasting the more favourable position, as they sit three points ahead with a game in hand, a win on the road for Cristian Stellini's side would certainly make for an enthralling end to the season as both sides battle for that elusive fourth-place spot.

Despite enjoying some fine form, Aston Villa showed the rest of the league exactly how to negate the Magpies, as they dismantled them 3-0 in their last game. However, Spurs too have been left reeling after their heartbreak at home to AFC Bournemouth.

Having led early, two goals on either side of halftime transformed the game for the travelling Cherries. A late Arnaut Danjuma scorcher made it almost certain that the points would be shared before Dango Ouattara struck even later to claim the win.

It marked just one of numerous miserable results for Spurs this season, who squandered a fine opportunity to gain vital points on Eddie Howe's men.

They will not get a better chance to do so than today when they face head-on at St James' Park.

Having struggled all season, it is a wonder how they find themselves in contention for such a position. However, to give themselves the best possible chance today, they must call on Danjuma from the start.

Will Arnaut Danjuma play vs Newcastle?

Having been poached from Everton at the eleventh hour, the Dutchman moved to north London as a top asset sure to test the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son.

However, he has instead been reserved for short cameo appearances and starts in cup competitions, which they have since been knocked out of. The £53k-per-week speedster is yet to even make a Premier League start for the club.

After his goal last weekend, that could be about to change.

This would come after the pleas of journalist Rob Guest, who took to Twitter to write: "Arnaut Danjuma demonstrated on Saturday against Bournemouth that he can more than make an impact on the pitch for Tottenham. Baffling that Antonio Conte only turned to him four times despite the team's attacking woes."

These woes could now be solved by a man who scored 16 goals in all competitions as his side reached the Champions League semi-final.

Such pedigree cannot go unnoticed, and former Premier League marksman Kevin Phillips would exacerbate his need for a start by branding him a "nightmare for defenders" last year.

With Son only recently finding form, scoring three in his last five, Kulusevski has instead recorded just one goal contribution in his last 11.

Something has to change, especially for a game of this magnitude, and Danjuma's introduction could provide just that.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice was hailed for an "unbelievable" performance in this afternoon's 4-0 victory against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

What was the West Ham result?

West Ham were emphatic 4-0 winners against Bournemouth this afternoon, in what could be a vital result in the relegation battle, now sitting six points clear of the bottom three, with a game in hand at their disposal.

It was a dominant first-half performance from the Hammers, with Michail Antonio, Lucas Paqueta and Rice all getting on the scoresheet, and the latter player was the subject of huge praise from Sky Sports pundit Danny Cowley.

After the England international found the back of the net for the second time this week, having scored in the 4-1 victory against Gent on Thursday night, Cowley hailed him for the improvements he has been making to his game.

The pundit said: "Declan Rice, he's like two players for West Ham, he's unbelievable, for me world-class, and he's starting to add goals to his game as well."

How well did Rice play against Bournemouth?

The travelling West Ham fans made their feelings clear about the captain, with chants of "one more year, Declan Rice" ringing around the away end, during what was yet another impressive performance.

It remains to be seen whether the £60k-per-week earner is willing to remain at the London Stadium, amid increasing interest from London rivals Arsenal, and it is no wonder the Gunners are interested, given his display this afternoon.

The 24-year-old recorded a 90% pass accuracy, completed four tackles, and weighed in with the third goal to put the game beyond the Cherries' reach, with a fantastic finish.

The Irons are now in a fantastic position to retain their Premier League status, and David Moyes will also be hoping for similar performances from Rice in their Europa Conference League semi-final clash with AZ Alkmaar.

AB De Villiers’ 200th ODI for South Africa ended much the same way his 100th Test did; with rain forcing an abandonment, after just one over, at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday

The Report by Firdose Moonda19-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA washout in Bridgetown on Sunday meant Australia face a do-or-die clash against West Indies in their final league game•Getty Images

AB de Villiers’ 200th ODI for South Africa went much the same way his 100th Test did, as Sunday’s tri-series fixture was the first to be washed out, with only an over possible.Just as November’s Bangalore Test involved long periods of watching and waiting, the first game of the series in Barbados dragged on for over five hours because of intermittent rain, which denied South Africa an opportunity to qualify for the final. Instead they shared points with Australia, who now face a must-win clash against hosts West Indies in their final league fixture at the same venue on Tuesday.The damp squib ended the possibility of what could have been the first battle of the quicks in this tournament. Both sides bolstered their seam stocks in anticipation of a surface with more pace and bounce. South Africa handed Morne Morkel his first opportunity on tour, at the expense of left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, while Australia included Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc in their XI. Australia also dispensed with a specialist spinner in Adam Zampa to bring back Glenn Maxwell.Steven Smith decided to let his attack loose on a fresh surface, perhaps mindful of the impact rain could have on the chase. Starc bowled the first and only over of the match: an affair that included three wides, a half-volley that Quinton de Kock drove for four and two well-directed inswingers. Heavy rain swept through the ground seconds after he finished the over.The downpour lasted three hours and 20 minutes before abating. There was a possibility of play resuming when covers were peeled off at 4.30pm local time. But an inspection, and an hour and 15 minutes later, the match officials felt the outfield and the pitch were too wet for the game to resume. The final call was made at 6.25pm.

A game that was nicely poised going into the final day petered out into a draw as Essex successfully negotiated the 63 overs that were bowled in their second innings

ECB Reporters Network25-May-2016
ScorecardNick Browne’s 71 anchored Essex’s rearguard•Getty ImagesA game that was nicely poised going into the final day petered out into a draw as Essex successfully negotiated the 63 overs that were bowled in their second innings, finishing on 160 for 5. Glamorgan had batted on in the morning session to set Essex an unlikely victory target of 334 in 70 overs. On a pitch where free-scoring has been difficult throughout this match, a required rate of nearly five an over was always beyond Essex, but Glamorgan went for a safety-first approach.When Essex began their chase just before the lunch break, Timm van der Gugten had early success, claiming the wicket of Jaik Mickleburgh with the score on 12. The Dutch international followed that up with another wicket shortly after the interval when he found the edge of Tom Westley’s bat to leave Essex in trouble at 30 for 2.When Michael Hogan had Ravi Bopara well caught by Aneurin Donald at second slip Essex were 46 for 3 and Glamorgan were dreaming of their first win in the County Championship since June 22, 2015.While there were wickets tumbling at the other end, Essex opener Nick Browne remained unmoved. He did a fine job at playing the ball late and with soft hands so that the edges did not carry to the slips as he made an excellent 71 before he was dismissed by Graham Wagg bowling left-arm spin. Browne put on a decent stand with Daniel Lawrence who played with more freedom than any other Essex batsman before he was bowled for 24 by a ball from Hogan that he left alone.When Lawrence and Browne had departed, Jesse Ryder and Ryan ten Doeschate came to the crease and closed the game out for a draw. Ryder played with uncharacteristic restraint as he scored just 25 runs from 83 balls.Glamorgan had batted in the morning session but took a while to get going, Will Bragg looking to pass his highest first-class score of 129 that he made against Derbyshire earlier in the season and Aneurin Donald looking for his second Championship fifty of 2016. Once both men had passed those landmarks there was an injection of impetus but the declaration did not come until 20 minutes before the lunch break.There was a hint of over-cautiousness in the length of time that Glamorgan batted but, with the struggles they have had so far this season, it was perhaps understandable that they went for a “first don’t lose” approach rather than something more aggressive. In reality, even another 20 overs at Essex would have most likely not been enough to force a win on a pitch that, for all of its faults, has held together well.Bragg finished on a career-best 161 not out, his second hundred of the season, as he and Donald completed the third century stand of the Glamorgan innings.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the sides who are said to be sniffing around the Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte ahead of the summer transfer window.

Is Laporte leaving City this summer?

According to reports, the Premier League champions are now opening to allowing the Spaniard to leave in the summer as he looks for more regular action.

And one of the sides said to be interested in the possibility of signing him are Spurs as they aim to keep the 28-year-old in the Premier League.

However, it is also said the French giants Paris Saint-Germain could make a push for the City defender in the summer as City open their doors for an exit.

Spurs have been linked with a number of centre-backs over recent months with Kim Min-jae and Alessandro Bastoni both believed to be targets on Tottenham's radar.

The Lilywhites are expected to make a push in the summer to address their defence with two new centre-backs believed to be on the agenda.

And speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed Laporte is a potential candidate to help solve their defensive issues from this season:

(32:25) "Laporte and his people have been going around Europe letting people know he's available and Tottenham are one of the ones who've had a sniff.

"To be fair, he's a very good Premier League centre-half, isn't he? Outside the top two or three, he would improve most teams, I think, or at least get a game.

"So yeah, I think there'll be a lot of interest in Laporte. It wouldn't surprise me to see him cross the Premier League."

Would Laporte improve the Spurs defence?

Tottenham's defence has been a major concern this season with the north London club only registering a +12 goal difference despite being the league's third-highest scorers.

Spurs have now conceded 41 goals this season and are joined as the eight-worst defence in the league alongside the relegation-battling Everton.

There has to be a caveat when looking at Laporte's stats from this season as his game time has been extremely limited with just 555 minutes of league action under his belt after the "warrior" underwent knee surgery last year (via Transfermarkt).

On top of that, the £120k-per-week ace is playing for one of the most dominant forces in Europe who have only conceded 26 goals in the Premier League this season.

Therefore, his return of 0.48 tackles per 90 minutes is significantly down on his return of more than double that (1.08) from last season where he made 33 league appearances (via FBref).

However, his ability on the ball has been sensational with the 28-year-old ranking inside the top third percentile for pass completion, progressive passes and carries.

And that is something which the Spurs defenders struggled with massively on Monday night as Eric Dier (16) and Clement Lenglet (11) were both victims of losing possession frequently (via SofaScore).

Laporte could also provide the Spurs backline with some much-needed experience and a winning mentality having won numerous trophies during his time at City.

But if the likes of PSG are going to fight for him over the summer, a move to north London could prove a challenging sell.

New Zealand’s three-Test series in India will begin on September 22, in Kanpur, followed by the second Test from September 30 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, while Indore will host the final Test

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-20160:58

India’s pink-ball Test will have to wait

New Zealand are unlikely to play a day-night Test against India this season with the BCCI announcing that all three Tests in September and October would begin at 9.30 am.Kanpur will host the first Test from September 22, followed by the second at Eden Gardens from September 30 and the third in Indore, a brand new Test venue, from October 8.The five ODIs will be played on October 16 in Dharamsala, October 19 in Delhi, October 23 in Mohali, October 26 in Ranchi and October 29 in Visakhapatnam.In April, BCCI president Anurag Thakur had announced India would host its first day-night Test during the New Zealand tour. A day later, NZC responded that nothing had been finalised. Last week, the chances of the series featuring a floodlit Test reduced further when Thakur himself conceded India were in “no hurry” to play one.New Zealand is the first of four teams – England, Australia and Bangladesh are the others – India are set to host in their 2016-17 home season, which comprises 13 Tests, eight ODIs and three T20Is. Thirteen Tests equals the record for the highest number of home Tests in a season; the only other instance was in 1979-80, also in India.New Zealand’s previous tour to India was four years ago, when they visited for two Tests and two T20 internationals. They lost the Tests 0-2 and won the T20Is 1-0.Initially, the BCCI’s press release had said Kolkata would host the third Test in October but the schedule was reworked to accommodate Durga Puja festivities.*1010 GMT, June 28, 2016. The article was amended to reflect a change in schedule in the India v NZ Test series

Two days before a Dunedin Test match in December, news broke that a doping test had found a banned substance in Kusal Perera’s body. In the grueling months that followed, Perera put himself through more tests – including a polygraph – to have his name cleared.Two days out from another Test match and Perera’s batting was seen getting special attention in the nets on the Lord’s Nursery Ground. He admitted six months out of the game had taken an emotional and physical toll, but there is an eagerness to get back to playing cricket. What better place to make his return, he asked, than the most prestigious ground of them all?”I haven’t been told if I’m playing yet, but I was thrown into trouble and to come back from that at Lord’s would be a great opportunity,” Kusal said. “I was banned just before a Test, so to return in this format would be fitting. Even the time I was out of the team I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. But these things can happen in life.”Between December 7, when he was provisionally suspended, and May 11, when he was cleared, Perera was not allowed to so much as train with the SLC coaches. He might not have had the time anyway, having had to make repeated trips overseas, including to London, where the polygraph and a separate urine test were conducted. A hair analysis was done in a Paris lab.”I couldn’t really think about cricket much in those months, because my focus was on the problem I was facing. I didn’t have any time to think about whether I was in touch, or whether I could train, or even what was happening in cricket. I started training the day after I was cleared. Before then I didn’t do much batting – just some fitness work.”Perera was in the nets at Colombo’s Khettarama on May 13, and said he has trained as much as Sri Lanka’s heavy southwest monsoon has allowed him to. He was not expected to play a part in the Test series, but injuries to others in the squad have allowed him to be fast-tracked.”When you start training after six months your body needs to get used to it again,” he said. “Your muscles start to hurt – but that’s normal. But what I’ve found is that because I’m coming into it quite fresh, I’m hitting the ball well. I’m seeing it well. So there are positives to it as well. I feel like I’m in good touch.”Perera said he hadn’t specifically trained for Test cricket since resuming practice, but was hopeful the relative ease of conditions at Lord’s might ease him into international cricket – if he is in the final XI. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 20s Centigrade during the Test, and no team has been dismissed for less than 350 at Lord’s in three county matches so far this season.”I watched the attack and it’s mostly fast bowlers,” Kusal said. “In London the conditions seem easier, because it must have been very cold in Durham. When it’s cold you are a bit stiff and your feet don’t work as well. With this weather and given the pitch as well – which looks like it will be batting-friendly – I think there’s a chance for us to dominate them.”

ScorecardAshar Zaidi had a fine night for Essex•Getty Images

Ashar Zaidi starred with both the bat and the ball to boost Essex’s hopes of a quarter-final place – as the visitors edged out Hampshire in a three run thriller.Pakistani Zaidi helped Essex to a healthy 153 for six with a patient 47 before miserly figures of two for 16 halted Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.Essex are also top of Division Two of the Championship, leading Zaidi to say: “”It is amazing feeling winning four on the bounce and we are taking the momentum into the four day cricket.”Michael Carberry and James Vince, having been set 154 by Essex, took the chase steadily – knowing exactly what they needed and scored on and just above the required run rate.Carberry looked more ready to open himself up, but it was his undoing when he slogged to cow corner, before Tom Alsop was caught and bowl for a duck by Dan Lawrence.Spin slowed dried the runs up with Zaidi impressive, his first over going for just four and his second picking up Liam Dawson – who was driving to extra-cover.But as Zaidi stocked up on dot balls, boundaries flowed off Vince’s bat, on the back of another Test call-up.Vince reached his 19th Blast fifty from 37 balls, but the ball after Sean Ervine teed up to Tom Westley giving Zaidi a deserved second wicket.Shahid Afridi spliced one back to Matthew Quinn and Vince finally departed as he was bowled by Graham Napier.But just as Hampshire looked set for a seventh defeat Lewis McManus provided a fightback with a four and massive maximum in the penultimate over to leave the hosts needing eight from six.Wicket-keeper McManus was caught on the mid-wicket outfield from the second delivery, still seven needed but Ravi Bopara held his nerve – only going for two more runs.Earlier having won the toss, Essex set off at a blistering start reaching 67 by the end of the power play, with every other ball seemingly rushing to the boundary off Jessie Ryder, Kishen Velani and Westley. But for all their heaving they lost Velani in the third over – chipping up to Vince at mid-off.As easy as that catch was for captain Vince, his snaffle to see off Ryder, for 22, was unbelievable – as he gave international teammate Dawson his first of the night by diving full length once the ball had seemingly drifted over him.Dawson, who took three wickets on his England Twenty20 debut on the ground on Tuesday, grabbed the 50th 20-over wicket of his career when the booming Westley picked out Carberry on the point boundary.That quick flurry of wickets and the introduction of spin quelled the run scoring as Zaidi and Ravi Bopara stutter – although the former did smash a six onto the concourse.Zaidi accelerated from that bash, mainly scored on foot, to get within three runs of a third half century in a row but was the victim of a stunning direct hit from boundary rider Carberry and Bopara was caught at deep mid-wicket.Ryan ten Doeschate hammered the final ball to Ervine on the long-on rope to set Hampshire 154 to win – which proved just enough.