45-year-old takes four as Middlesex lose 8 for 26 after Stoneman fifty

ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-2021Darren Stevens took 4 for 21, including a spell of 3 for 3 from five overs, as Middlesex collapse from 121 for 2 to 147 all out at Canterbury before Kent closed on 82 for 4, trailing by 65.Mark Stoneman top-scored with 59 but Stevens’ efforts, with Matt Milnes claiming 2 for 31 and Nathan Gilchrist 2 for 34 in support, meant they slumped to a low total.Tim Murtagh then took 2 for 19 as Kent navigated a perilous final session, Ollie Robinson and Milnes the not out batsmen at stumps on 11 and nought respectively.Second hosted first in the final red-ball fixture of the season, with the winners guaranteed to finish top of Division Three. Kent won the toss, chose to bowl and entered the field to a standing ovation, following Saturday’s triumph in the Vitality Blast at Edgbaston.Sam Robson made 13 before he was caught behind off Gilchrist and Stevie Eskinazi was lbw to Stevens for 15, but Middlesex made it to lunch without further loss, ending the session on 84 for 2.Related

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Stoneman brought up his fifty with a straight drive to Milnes that went for three, but Middlesex then lost five wickets for ten runs.Stoneman chopped a Stevens delivery onto his stumps and Stevens then trapped Max Holden lbw for a six-ball duck, before Grant Stewart sent Martin Andersson’s middle stump flying for nought. Stevens’ fifth over of the session saw him get John Simpson caught behind for six and Luke Hollman went for golden duck when he was lbw to Marcus O’Riordan.Toby Roland-Jones made nine when he chipped Milnes to a tumbling Stevens at mid-on and Ethan Bamber lasted just three balls before edging Gilchrist to Jack Leaning at third slip, without scoring. Murtagh then went for the fifth duck of the innings when Milnes yorked his leg stump to end the afternoon session.Kent’s reply got off to a rocky start when Jordan Cox left a ball from Murtagh that clipped his off stump, bowling him for two. Zak Crawley, captaining the side in the absence of Sam Billings – who is quarantining in UAE before he links up with Delhi Capitals – was caught behind off Bamber 20 and Daniel Bell Drummond was lbw for 20 to Murtagh. Leaning was then bowled by Anderson for 27, leaving Milnes to survive the two overs as night-watchman.

Chelsea stormed to another victory on Saturday, picking up a 3-1 win over Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. It’s a win that means the Blues have moved an incredible 11 points ahead of second place, albeit having played a game more than Manchester City.The win came courtesy of Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Diego Costa although the side did have to overcome the scare of a Fernando Llorente equaliser and a period in the game when the Swans looked well capable of winning a point.The transformation of Chelsea under Antonio Conte has been quite remarkable. From a team who couldn’t finish in the top four to a side capable of blowing away any team in the division.And as this stat from Squawka shows, he has in fact made the best start of any Premier League manager in history. He’s become the quickest manager to reach 20 wins in his debut season.

It’s incredible stuff that really underlines what a fantastic job he is doing at the club. He’s creating a platform that could usher in a whole new era of massive success at Stamford Bridge.

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Liverpool are fully on course for another classic season at Anfield. The familiar – if somewhat derided statement, “It’s our year” – spoken by loyal fans of the Reds appears to be coming true. It will be Liverpool’s year. Or more accurately: It’s going to be a typical Liverpool year.

In the late eighties the comedic Scouse stereotype would have worn a shell-suit, had large styled permed hair and an equally impressive moustache, celebrated having silverware, and after Harry Enfield came along the phrase, “Calm down, calm down,” was added to the picture. Only a few things have changed since then. The modern Liverpool fan has replaced “Calm down” with “It’s our year” or “Five times” and they’re no longer a perennial threat for major trophies.

The long cycle of winning has been replaced with the annual Sisyphean approach of blind faith, ignoring inadequacies, finding false messiahs, slowly blaming exterior forces, glancing toward next season, before claiming all will be better with a fresh start and that the new season will be their year.

In order for the yearly cycle to correctly function a Liverpool fan, in order to facilitate having a typical Liverpool year, needs to sign up for a lifetime of fickleness and memory loss. Failure to do this would highlight contradictions to oneself. The club itself does its part by scouting the globe for talent that is good enough for a Europa League push. Any higher quality than this could accidentally land a first Premier League title, any worse and the well of hope could run dry.

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Being immune to the sound of their own voice, thus recalling statements made, some diametrically opposed opinions can form within the same individual. They can make Raheem Sterling go from the best young player in Europe to one that would have been behind Ibe had he stayed, and not being worth £20m. They painted Sterling as greedy but informed Adam Lallana that leaving Southampton was the proper thing to do.

The differing stances can passionately defend Luis Suarez as he munched his way through the pro game, claiming he was never going anywhere, before spinning the new idea it was a good time to let him go. They certainly haven’t missed his goals, had he stayed they’d have been in real danger of winning the league.

Depending on the run of form the club is in, trustworthy looking Brendan Rodgers can go from the best man for the job, and one of the most intelligent bosses in the game, to a clueless inexperienced guy nobody ever wanted. When people like Carlo Ancelotti appear to be in the frame the Kop faithful swing toward the latter.

Former players play their part, too. They all see Anfield as a place that only a loon would want to leave. Two-club man Steven Gerrard speaks ill of deserters, while ordaining current players with average ability, all from his Los Angeles home where he’s currently working hard to obtain his first ever league title. Jamie Carragher gave a masterclass in hypocrisy by declaring Mario Balotelli a bargain when they bought him for £16m only to say a year later he couldn’t believe Brendan Rodgers ever signed him. Phil Thompson hasn’t spoken sense since he sacked God (Fowler) and Ronnie Whelan said this week that Ings had the same instinct as Suarez.

It always surprises when a club that just staves off the threat of relegation purchase players from those that did go down and wonder why a year later they’re in the same predicament. The same applies to Liverpool. If they skim players from Newcastle United and Southampton, while seeing their best go to Real Madrid and Barcelona why is it a surprise they compete below the successful teams?

With any system that faces constant fluctuation there are bound to blips. This came in the 2001/02, 2008/09 and 2013/14 seasons respectively when Liverpool finished runners-up. However, it should be noted that the Champions League victory of 2004/05 wasn’t an anomaly. Liverpool fans had trademarked the phrase: Five Times. As such there was a legal obligation to fulfil their quota of European titles and extensively use the mantra.

It’s still early in the season so Roberto Firmino is still the best Brazilian since Pele and James Milner is the new Stevie G. Okay, he’s not that good, more like a Gazza in his prime or a Bobby Moore. By May Brendan will be out of his depth (if not out of a job beforehand), Jimmy will be no better than Charlie Austin and Firmino will be wondering how he manufactures a move to a team playing in the Champions League.

All the ingredients are present for a perfect Liverpool year.

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Despite successfully registering himself on the scoresheet last time out in the league against Swansea City, the 2015/16 campaign has so far proven a rather fruitless one for Arsenal’s Joel Campbell. Some football fans may even be forgiven for forgetting the Costa Rican international still plied his trade for the Gunners in the first place…

After partially impressing for his nation at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil over a year ago, many expected the now 23-year-old to stake his claim for a regular spot in the English top-flight on the back of his busy summer. Such an outcome is still ultimately yet to materialise for the wide-man, however, who after several loan moves away from the Emirates, just hasn’t managed to force his way into Arsene Wenger’s first team plans.

However, as Arsenal recently lost both Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to frustrating injuries last month, the long-term Gunners boss was rather forced into starting Campbell against the formidable Bayern Munich this week. He may not have stood out a great deal against Pep Guardiola’s intimidating outfit of course, but let’s face it, neither did many of his Arsenal teammates in the cold light of day.

So then, on the back of Arsenal’s mid-week loss to the expensively assembled Bundesliga giants – does Joel Campbell actually have a meaningful future left at the Emirates beyond this season, or are the attacker’s days with the Gunners now heavily numbered indeed?

Well, although the 23-year-old may not admittedly arrive as anyone’s favourite Arsenal player right in the here and now, Campbell does in-fact offer at least some degree of potential for Arsene Wenger to consider this season. The Costa Rican international has impressed somewhat when given starting opportunities out on loan after all…

When it comes to driving right at the heart of defences inside the final third, displaying a certain prowess in the long-shot department just outside the opposition’s penalty box and simply providing a willing pair of legs for the rest of his team-mates to work off of in front of goal, Campbell stands out.

He may have a tendency to drift out of certain games when the going gets tough – and even lose possession of the ball all too easily on occasion – but every player seemingly has their shortcomings, especially in their early twenties. Arsene Wenger could therefore find a more of a meaningful role for the marauding front-man in 2015/16, but only if further injury complaints go on to afflict the current Gunners squad this term.

In reality, whilst Campbell looks like he may well develop into a decent player in the not too distant future, carving out a long-term career at the Emirates is going to prove a task much easier said than done for the up and coming Costa Rican. The level of competition among Arsenal’s first choice starting XI is arguably too much for someone of his overall skill-set to handle – for if he were plying his trade at an all-round less prestigious club, few would likely offer him much of a second glance.

Campbell just doesn’t seem entirely suited to the Gunners’ style of play at this stage in the proceedings. He looks somewhat out of place among Wenger’s first-team plans, and doesn’t even compare when held up against the likes of Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla. If Arsenal still want to consider themselves a major player on the European footballing scene these days, Wenger needs to construct a level of squad depth that is far more superior than the hit-or-miss back-up options currently at his disposal.

Yet if the Gunners persevere with too many players of Joel Campbell’s standard – someone who arguably won’t make the grade no matter how long he stays at the Emirates – the overall quality within Arsenal’s ranks will only decrease in the long-run. The North Londoners will eventually lose their lofty status among the English top-flight if such a trend continues, leaving the money-spending likes of Manchester City to maintain their position at the top of the league for the foreseeable future.

As the Gunners categorically failed to improve their squad a great deal over the summer transfer window, however, perhaps Campbell will in fact remain at Arsenal for the rest of the 2015/16 campaign – as the Emirates faithful inevitably witness their side crumble towards the end of the season in light of the pure lack of squad depth available to Wenger.

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Although the Black Cats have certainly endured a rather tough start to the 2015/16 campaign, they have seemingly struck upon a winning formula down at the Stadium of Light recently in successfully achieving back-to-back wins in their last two Premier League outings.

Fortunes could easily turn back around at any moment of course, for the English top-flight remains incredibly hard to predict with every passing week. But as the Black Cats’ back-line has somehow managed to register two impressive clean sheets against Crystal Palace and Stoke City respectively – maybe things are finally starting to go right for the Wearside club.

However, as the Stadium of Light faithful have experienced their fair share of false dawns in the past, Sam Allardyce clearly still has a great deal of work to carry out in order to defiantly avoid relegation this term. The going will invariably get tough once again just a few shorts weeks down the line…

So then, have Sunderland really found the right manager in Big Sam Allardyce, or are Black Cats fans simply experiencing little more than a short-lived honey-moon period?

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As the man himself has determinedly made clear, Allardyce is a manager who has never been relegated from the English top-flight. He has a strong reputation for keeping things tight at the back amongst his respective outfit – and although many other Premier League clubs would simply turn their nose up at just the thought of their team landing Big Sam as manager, he arguably represents the perfect option for Sunderland right now.

The Black Cats have always played host to a decent range of attacking options. Yet without a resolute enough back-line in place to maintain a certain solidarity throughout the rest of the team, Sunderland have often subsequently faltered in calamitous style as a result.

Big Sam therefore possesses just the right skill-set to help the struggling Wearsiders, and if recent results are to offer anything to go by this season, the threat of relegation could certainly evaporate somewhat later down the line. It’s going to take a lot more hard work and grit from the players themselves, but at least the club now play host to a manager who seemingly knows how to avoid taking a pummelling on a week-to-week basis.

However, because Sunderland’s problems stem from the overall lack of managerial consistency down in the Stadium of Light dug-out of late – can a long-term plan really be established with Big Sam firmly at the helm?

As was witnessed throughout his time at Upton Park not so long ago, the former Bolton, Blackburn and Newcastle boss can indeed stave off impending relegation effectively enough – yet when it comes to building meaningful teams that can impress their respective fan-base on a consistent enough basis, the 61-year-old tactician is largely incapable. It may make little sense to the many Black Cats fans currently enjoying their recent run of results in the league, but the deep-rooted fate of their club simply looks far from promising with someone like Allardyce in charge…

Although they may well avoid an unwanted trip back down to the Championship in the upcoming future under Big Sam, what good will that be if life in the Premier League undoubtedly becomes a chore? Sunderland will arguably define themselves as nothing more than a stagnant and boring outfit as a result of his influence at the club, ultimately enjoying very little progress from a pure footballing perspective.

Get ready to witness a further dose of aimless long-balls punted up to a solitary striker who plays almost exclusively with his back to goal, players constantly proving unwilling to take on shots from outside the box for fear of losing possession and almost every single creative flair talent being sacrificed to the wing simply in the name of sheer un-ambition alone. When all is said and done, Big Sam just doesn’t set his sides out to actually win games as often as he should.

As long as their club successfully maintains it’s place in the Premier League, most of the Stadium of Light faithful will likely care very little about what comes next within their team, which seems pretty reasonable enough right now.

But make no mistake about it, Sunderland fans, the long-term warning signs are already in place for all those honest enough to take note this season – and there is no getting away from that…

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Super-subs Ayoze Perez and Aleksandar Mitrovic fired Newcastle out of the Premier League’s bottom three with a goal each as the Magpies secured a 2-1 victory against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.Spurs’ Eric Dier headed the hosts in to the lead in the first half and it looked as if Muaricio Pochettino’s side would hold on to climb in to the top four with all three points. But McClaren used his substitutes wisely in the second half by introducing Mitrovic and Perez as he went in search of a third consecutive Newcastle victory at White Hart Lane.And it paid off within just 60 seconds of Mitrovic coming on to the field as he was on hand to prod home at close range after a goal mouth scramble from a corner. And then Perez nabbed the winner – just like he did here last season – in added time after he latched on to a through ball and saw his half volley squirm underneath Spurs stopper Hugo Lloris to send the away support in to raptures.It was a relatively uneventful game into the final 20 odd minutes, but here are three things we learned from Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Spurs…

Spurs still suffering Europa League hangover…

From the very first kick it was clear Tottenham were still tired from their Europa League commitments on Thursday night. Although they were at home and comfortably brushed aside Monaco, against Newcastle they looked tired for most of the game.

However, Kane also looked disinterested and unlike his usual self despite not featuring in that game against Monaco. Credit has to go to Newcastle’s defence for keeping Kane quiet, but Kane normally finds a way of making a difference one way or another. And he didn’t.

With such a big chance to claim a spot in the top four with victory against Newcastle, they ultimately missed their chance with a lacklustre display.

Mitrovic and Perez should start more…

It only took a couple of minutes of Mitrovic to score Newcastle’s equaliser, having replace Cisse with 20 minutes to go. And then Perez popped up with the winner stoppage time.

Cisse was just as quiet as Spurs’ Kane and some would say Steve McClaren should’ve made the chance a lot earlier. It’s well known that Mitrovic has a short fuse and can get himself in to trouble too often, but he showed against Spurs that he’s capable of injecting a more positive dimension to Newcastle.

Perez was lively as soon as he came on, too, and bagged his second consecutive winner at White Hart Lane after he was the hero in North London last year.

Both will have definitely given McClaren food for though in the future.

Both sides should achieve season goals…

Both clubs went in to today’s clash with huge incentives to get the win. Spurs could’ve climbed in to the top four, while Newcastle would’ve got themselves out of the top four with all three points.

And although it was Newcastle who grabbed their opportunity, Spurs still have enough about them to secure a top four finish this term.

Spurs have been banging on the door of the top four some time now and with Chelsea completely out of the race and Liverpool prone to dropping points, Mauricio Pochettino’s side arguably have their best opportunity to do it in years.

Newcastle looked almost dead certs for the drop a couple of months ago, but their last two games have seen them grab huge results against two very good footballing sides, which can only boost their confidence further as they try and put a run of results together.

McClaren’s side should now build on those two victories and start climbing the table.

Arsenal’s season looks finely poised to be one of their best campaigns since the famous Invincibles of 2003/04, but it will take some intelligent January additions for Wenger to realise the club’s ambitions and win a first league title in over a decade.

The stadium move has previously restricted transfer activity, but the Gunners are able to invest freely once more now and it looks as though this window could seal their fate for the rest of this season.

As Olivier Giroud continues to be under valued by many, Arsenal are doing well to keep on top of the table, but they must be wary of the injury to Danny Welbeck and how short they will be left if the Frenchman is to become unavailable.

Fortuitously, there is a forward available currently and he could be the sort of rejuvenating bargain that would appeal to Wenger.

Pato has largely been used as a winger as he has returned to form in Brazil, but the ex-AC Milan forward would still be a good addition for the Gunners.

Here are FIVE reasons why…

Welbeck’s Arsenal curse

They have started winning trophies since Welbeck arrived, but the ex-United man has suffered the biggest Arsenal curse of them all; injury.

Since he arrived in North London, the England international seems to be constantly on the sidelines and the signing of a player like Pato would at least help to remove the reliability on Welbz.

Brazilian Bargain

Arsenal don’t exactly have a tendency to overpay – or pay at all – but the Gunners would surely be tempted by the prospect of someone as cheap as Pato.

Naturally, you would expect that a player of Pato’s calibre will be a far sight cheaper than the majority of forwards Arsenal are linked with and Wenger is the sort of manager to revive his career.

European Freedom

Unlike many other forward targets Arsenal may have, Alexandre Pato would still be available for European football this season.

Considering the injury to Welbeck, it is crucial there is someone who can, albeit not ideally, fill in for Giroud if needed.

Walcott Worries

Theo Walcott hasn’t been in the best of form for much of this campaign, maybe because he’s been shifted to the left, but the ex-Saint hasn’t looked his usual self.

Missing chances and looking disjointed in the build up play, the extra competition for his place from Pato would benefit the club as a whole.

Donkey Olivier

Giroud, as the only natural centre forward, has had to do a lot of the donkey work over the last few seasons for Arsenal and the club could benefit from another option down the middle.

Pato might have become more of a wide man in the last season or two, but the Brazilian would still give increased options in the final third to help Wenger rest his target man.

With Premier League action returning this weekend, it’s now time to take a look at your Fantasy Team ahead of the upcoming fixtures.

Heading into Gameweek 27, there is some important information worth noting down as Liverpool, Manchester City, Everton, and Newcastle United will not feature this week.

Therefore, our first advice is to recheck your squad and find ways to fill in the blanks should you have one or more players from the mentioned clubs.

Now, as part of your decision on which player to select as potential replacements, we are ready to drop a few hints on some differential picks you should consider when making your selections.

The matches worth keeping an eye on are the ones that see Stoke City take on Aston Villa, West Ham United take on Sunderland, and Tottenham Hotspur taking on Swansea City.

So, whether you agree with our selections or not, here are three Fantasy Premier League differentials for you to consider ahead of Gameweek 27.

Giannelli Imbula

Stoke City star Giannelli Imbula (5.0 and owned by 0.2%) was a key player during his team’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth in the previous round of fixtures, receiving quite a bit of praise for his performance.

Despite only arriving in last month’s January window from Porto, Imbula has already marked his first goal for the Potters and could capitalize on his performance when his side take on bottom club Aston Villa tomorrow.

Emmanuel Emenike

West Ham United star Emmanuel Emenike (5.0 and owned by 0.1%) could be a great selection given that he scored a brace in the 5-1 FA Cup win over Blackburn last weekend.

He is now in line to feature his first full 90 minutes for the Hammers when they take on 19th place Sunderland tomorrow as he looks to register his first Premier League goal since his loan arrival from Fenerbahce last month.

Heung-Min Son

Tottenham Hotspur star Heung-Min Son (7.6 and owned by 0.2%) could be worth the risk given that Harry Kane is still a doubt after suffering a broken nose and if played may not feature the full 90 minutes.

With Clinton N’Jie also out with a knock to his knee, Son is the only fully fit forward available for selection ahead of their clash against 16th place Swansea City. The South Korea international is often used in the Europa League, scoring two while providing another four, but could now be called up to feature in the domestic league as well.