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Mikel Arteta has added some real quality to his squad this season as he looks to wrestle the Premier League trophy away from the Etihad Stadium

The 2022-23 season was kind to Arsenal fans – until it wasn't. For months it seemed that the Gunners' wait for a Premier League title would be coming to an end. However, a run of just three wins in their final nine games saw them dramatically fall away, with Manchester City crowned champions in their stead.

Arsenal spent little time sulking this summer, though, moving quickly to strengthen Mikel Arteta's squad with a string of exciting additions. It's not just another prospective Premier League title challenge that Gunners fans have to get excited about either. Arsenal are also returning to the Champions League this season, giving them a chance to rub shoulders with Europe's elite once again.

Technically, their season has already begun, with Arteta's side lifting the Community Shield in dramatic circumstances on Sunday. However, the proper action is just around the corner now, so GOAL has taken an in-depth look at how things might pan out for the north Londoners…

GettyRealistic expectations

It's not unfair to expect Arsenal to be firmly in the Premier League title race this season. They spent a record 248 days sitting pretty at the top of the table last campaign, before falling away at the business end. They've spent heavily – and smartly – on strengthening the squad since then, so there's no reason why they cannot at least replicate what they achieved during 2022-23.

Away from domestic matters, Arsenal are also returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2016. It's been a painful wait for supporters desperate to see the Gunners at European football's top table and it's difficult to know how they'll fare. Premier League success does not always translate to the continental stage and Arsenal should be afforded a teething period as they get back to competing with the best of the best.

AdvertisementGettyBest-case scenario

Winning the Premier League. It's that simple. If you offered Arsenal fans the title and an underwhelming Champions League run before a ball is kicked, 99 percent of them would surely take it. Arteta himself would likely take pleasure in preventing his former mentor Pep Guardiola becoming the first manager to secure four successive Premier League trophies, too.

If the Spaniard was being greedy, he'd likely ask for a domestic cup final on top of league success. But clinching that first title since 2004 will be his main priority.

GettyWorst-case scenario

Crippled by the extra workload of the Champions League and weakened by key injuries, Arsenal's title hopes are extinguished before Christmas and they are narrowly beaten to fifth place by a resurgent Tottenham.

Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme, but the Premier League is a merciless place. Manchester United, Newcastle, Chelsea and Spurs are all stronger, Liverpool have looked ominous in pre-season, while Aston Villa and Brighton will be aiming to spring a surprise.

It's not entirely inconceivable that Arsenal drop out of the top four if a lot of things go against them this season. That's just how ludicrously competitive the Premier League is these days.

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Getty ImagesThe MVP

Refreshingly perhaps, this Arsenal team is lacking a bonafide superstar that attracts more attention than their team-mates. William Saliba was a rock at the back last season, Oleksandr Zinchenko is a joy to watch in his unique role, while Gabriel Martinelli can be unplayable when he's on his game. Meanwhile, skipper Martin Odegaard is pivotal in making the Gunners tick and has added goals to his game recently too.

Standing narrowly above all others, though, is Bukayo Saka. Football fans across the globe dream of a player like Saka. An academy graduate, he is capable of winning games on his own and has not missed a single Premier League match across the past two seasons.

It'll be tough to improve on his 14 goals and 11 assists from last season, but if anyone can do it, Saka can.

A draw for the Gunners in Holland would be enough to guarantee top spot in Europa League Group A

Arsenal return to Europa League action on Thursday night when they visit PSV Eindhoven.

Four wins from four games has already seen the Gunners secure qualification through to the knockout stages of the competition, but they have yet to guarantee top spot in the group – something that would see them earn a bye through to the round of 16 early next year.

A point in Holland would be enough for Mikel Arteta’s side to achieve that with a game to spare.

So how are Arsenal shaping up ahead of their clash with PSV? Below, GOAL takes a look.

Arsenal team news

Arsenal could be without Marquinhos on Thursday night.

The 19-year-old has appeared in three of Arsenal’s four Europa League games so far this season, scoring once and getting an assist.

But he could miss the trip to PSV, after being forced to sit out training on Wednesday due to illness.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is definitely still out with the calf problem that has seen him sidelined since the win against Tottenham on October 1.

Long-term absentees Mohamed Elneny (hamstring) and Emile Smith Rowe (groin) remain sidelined and are not due back until after the World Cup.

AdvertisementGettyTalking point

Mikel Arteta’s potential team selection has generated lots of debate ahead of the game.

With qualification through to the knockout stages already secured, the Arsenal manager could potentially rest lots of his star names with one eye on Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest.

But Arsenal still need a point at PSV to secure top spot in the group, which would see them given a bye into the round of 16 when the competition restarts in 2023.

So Arteta could opt to name a strong starting XI, featuring the likes of Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka, in a bid to get the result needed to win the group with one game to spare.

That would then allow the Spaniard to rest everyone in the final group stage game against FC Zurich next Thursday, knowing that the result would not matter.

GettyKey man

Matt Turner: Arsenal’s back-up keeper has enjoyed some good performances in the group stages so far, making some impressive stops on his way to three successive clean sheets.

But you would expect that this will be his toughest test so far, with PSV a strong attacking outfit – especially at home.

So Arsenal will need Turner to be at his best in what will no doubt be a hostile atmosphere in Holland.

Given the Gunners only need a draw, Turner will know that another shut out will guarantee the Gunners passage through as group winners.

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GettyArteta's view

Asked whether he feels fatigue is now creeping into his squad, Arsenal’s manager said: “We have the same that we had a month ago, two days ago, and the same as what we’re going to have next week. 

“I don’t like to have any excuses. 

“I think the team looked really fresh at the start [against Southampton]. I put it [the second half performance] more down to the way we played. We should have played better.”

Martin Guptill showed some fine form to press his claims further for a Test recall while the battle for New Zealand’s third seam still looks tight

George Dobell at New Road16-May-2015
ScorecardRoss Whiteley’s hundred made New Zealand’s bowlers work hard•Getty ImagesAs England prepared for their World Cup match against Australia, it was suggested – tongue in cheek – that the presence of Jack Shantry at their net sessions was an attempt to ready them for the pace of Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc.Shantry, the Worcestershire seamer who spent the winter playing Grade cricket in Melbourne, does have a few similarities with Johnson and Starc. Like them, he bowls left arm. And, like them, he is a mammal.But there the similarities cease. For while the Australian duo bowl at a furiously fast pace, Shantry bowls at a pace that might be described, in comparison, as slow to stationary. While he has recently taken to calling himself Jack ‘the hurricane’ Shantry, it is with self-deprecating humour: he reasons that the Beaufort scale – used as the measure of wind intensity based on sea conditions – rates that anything over 74mph can be described as hurricane force. And Shantry, on a good day, running downhill, at sea, probably does just about top 74 mph.That is not to decry Shantry’s talents. Blessed with an unusually high action, he combines impressive control with an ability to nip the ball around sharply and actually has a better first-class bowling average than either of the Australians. 189 first-class wickets at under 28 apiece deserves respect. Pace isn’t everything as Terry Alderman, Vernon Philander and Chaminda Vaas proved.What is the point of this, you may well be asking? Well, the point is that Shantry is now preparing New Zealand for their Test series against England. In early season conditions, Shantry and co. are proving the measure by which the tourists must settle on their Test XI.With only five days to go until the Lord’s Test begins, it seems New Zealand have chosen nine of the 11 that will play. With the captain Brendon McCullum – in IPL action today – likely to return at No. 5, Kane Williamson at No. 3 and Tim Southee and Trent Boult certain of sharing the new ball, the only vacancies are at the top of the order – where Tom Latham, Martin Guptill and Hamish Rutherford are battling for two spots – and as third seamer, where Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry and Neil Wagner are competing for a single position.On the evidence of this game, it would appear that Guptill – dismissed by Shantry in the first innings – has earned himself a decent chance of playing at Lord’s. While he was unable to play in the previous match at Taunton due to a side strain sustained while playing for Derbyshire (he scored a double-century in his last game for the county), he looked in imperious touch here, driving with power, pulling with contempt and dealing with Shantry’s movement with confidence.By contrast, Latham fell to a catch at leg slip – Shantry will no doubt claim, with a smile, that it was “leg theory” in action – and has now failed to reach 10 in three of his four innings on tour. While the other was a half-century against Somerset, he may have slipped behind Guptill and Rutherford, who made a patient 75 in the first innings here and 37 in the first innings at Taunton.Rutherford was unable to put the issue beyond doubt in the second innings here, though. Playing back to Moeen Ali’s first delivery, he was aghast to see the ball pitch middle and leg and turn sharply to clip the top of off stump. Had Ross Taylor been taken by Rich Oliver at leg slip when he had 12, as he probably should have been, Moeen would have finished the day with two victims.The day still ended much better for him than it started. He was able to add only three to his overnight total when he flicked a fairly innocuous looking delivery from Wagner to midwicket.Perhaps it was relevant that he looked somewhat unsettled by the short ball that preceded it. Australia have made no secret of their plans to test Moeen with the short delivery and, while he has rarely looked troubled by the delivery at county level and insists it is not an issue now, his ability to deal with it may well define his summer.Wagner was probably the most impressive of the seamers contesting a Test place. While Henry, blessed with a lovely, strong action, was rated the quickest of the attack by Worcestershire’s batsmen, Wagner conceded only 17 from his 14 overs and looked a man well in command of his game. Henry, by contrast, conceded almost four-an-over.Bracewell also looked strong and took the key wicket of Daryl Mitchell – brilliantly caught by Guptill high above his head at second slip as he failed to get on top of a short ball – after grinding for 37 overs in making 22.That New Zealand did not take a first innings lead was largely due to the resistance provided by Ross Whiteley. He has long been seen as a talented player but, due as much to a lack of confidence as any technical issues, has rarely fulfilled that ability in red-ball cricket. This, his first century for Worcestershire in first-team cricket – though it is not a first-class match – was full of powerful strokes and provided a reminder of the potential that remains. If he can take confidence from it – and he really should – he can go on to enjoy a fine career.But in the longer term, it may be Ed Barnard’s career that proves more substantial. While he has yet to make his first-class debut, the 19-year-old made an impressive first-team debut here. The 81 runs he added with Whiteley demonstrated composure and plenty of time for the ball. He looked, in short, a promising young player with the ability to forge a decent career in the game.So what a shame that so few people will hear about it. Sadly – in a worrying reflection of cricket’s decline in the UK – the local newspaper no longer sends a reporter to watch the local side and there is no agency writer at this match. Watching cricket at New Road remains a rare delight, but if the game is to remain relevant, it will have to fight harder for the exposure that is its oxygen.

A round-up of the National Cricket League matches which ended on February 11, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2015Dhaka Division won their third consecutive match of the National Cricket League by an innings, this time crushing Chittagong Division by an innings and 174 runs. It put them top of the points table with 75 points, 19 ahead of second placed Rangpur Division, while Chittagong are scraping near the bottom with only seven points.While it was Mosharraf Hossain’s five-wicket haul (his 13th in first-class cricket) that handed Dhaka the early advantage, once again it was the grand start given by the openers Rony Talukdar and Abdul Mazid that put them in total control of the game. The pair put on their second consecutive 300-run stand for the first wicket, adding 304 runs in 77.1 overs. They also had a 197-run partnership in Dhaka’s first match against Barisal Division.Talukdar struck his second double-hundred in three games (and his third consecutive 150-plus score), making 201 off 240 balls with the help of 22 fours and seven sixes. Mazid was slightly more sedate with his 248-ball 113 that had 17 fours. It was his second hundred in as many games.After the Rony-Mazid pair had plundered the Chittagong bowlers, Shuvagata Hom struck his sixth first-class century while Raqibul Hasan and Taibur Rahman hit fifties as Dhaka declared on 616 for 5 on the third day. Chittagong, who had made 155 in the first innings, folded for 287 in the second innings with Tasamul Haque making 114 off 180 balls. Irfan Sukkur also made 74. For Dhaka, pace bowler Dewan Sabbir took four wickets while Mosharraf added three more to his first innings five-for.Rangpur Division moved into second position after their 193-run win over Khulna Division in Mirpur. Mahmudul Hasan’s nine wickets was pivotal for Rangpur and the haul fetched him the Man-of-the-Match award.Batting first, Rangpur were bowled out for 310 with Tariq Ahmed and Ariful Haque making 63 and 68 respectively. Khulna were bowled out for 213 in reply, falling 97 runs behind. Mahmudul took five wickets with his offspin while debutatnt offspinner Sanjit Saha took four wickets.Rangpur batted slower in the second innings, making 259 for 8 in 105 overs before declaring on the fourth morning. Khulna lost their first three wickets by three overs for just two runs, and were ultimately bowled out for 163 in 51 overs with more than an hour to spare on the fourth day. Mahmudul took four wickets, while there was two each for Subashis Roy and Sanjit, who recently returned from Bangladesh Under-19’s tour of Sri Lanka.Rajshahi Division and Sylhet Division played out a draw at the BSKP-2 ground. Batting first, Rajshahi made 482 with Maisuqur Rahman and Junaid Siddique hitting centuries.But the most significant moment came in the 137th over of Rajshahi’s innings when Enamul Haque jnr became the first Bangladeshi bowler to take 400 first-class wickets, in his 100th first-class match. He finished with 4 for 137, the 46th time he has taken four or more wickets in an innings.Sylhet were bowled out for 324 and asked to follow on by Rajshahi captain Farhad Reza. They batted through the fourth day to make 335 for 3, with Rahatul Ferdous notching his maiden first-class hundred.The Barisal Division-Dhaka Metropolis match was also drawn in Fatullah.Batting first, Dhaka Metro were bowled out for 400 with Shadman Islam hitting his maiden first-class hundred. His innings was quite two-paced as he made 140 off 301 balls, with 110 runs coming in boundaries (26 fours and a six). He made the rest of his 30 runs off 274 balls. Left-arm spinner Al-Amin took his first five-wicket haul.In reply, Barisal raced to 161 for 0, but once the the opening partnership between Shahriar Nafees and debutant Saif Hasan was broken, they were bowled out for 261. Elias Sunny took a career-best 7 for 73, his 13th five-wicket haul.Dhaka Metro furthered their lead by another 247 runs in 52.4 overs before declaring their second innings. Shadman struck 89 while Asif Ahmed and Mehrab Hossain jnr made 53 and 51 respectively. Nafees and Saif once again gave a good start adding 90 for the first wicket. Unlike the first innings though, the next two batsmen held it together. Fazle Mahmud struck his second first-class century and added 140 runs for the unbroken third-wicket stand with Mohammad Sajib.

A “top Championship club” would have to come in for Paul Mullin in order for the Wrexham star to consider a transfer elsewhere, says Brett Ormerod.

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Prolific presence in the lower leaguesFeeling settled in North WalesBecome a star on and off the pitchWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old striker has established a reputation as one of the most potent frontmen in the lower leagues – with 47 goals recorded across all competitions last season as the Red Dragons won the National League title in record-breaking style. Mullin’s exploits have attracted plenty of attention – with the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series aiding that cause – but he is tied to a contract through to 2026 and feels settled in North Wales, close to his Merseyside roots.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ORMEROD SAID ABOUT MULLIN

With that in mind, former Wrexham striker Ormerod has told when asked if Mullin could attract interest from higher up the footballing food chain in January: “Maybe so, yeah. Everyone has an opinion of you as a player and for me, the question is about which Championship club would come in for him. If Wrexham get promoted this season, they'll obviously build a squad to make a push for the Championship themselves and if you're somewhere playing football, you're on good money, happy and settled – there's so much to consider. Paul Mullin is playing football and he's happy. I think it'd have to be a top Championship club to get him away from Wrexham. If Wrexham get promoted this year, Paul Mullin should be thinking 'why should I go anywhere else?'. This club is going places, it's got everything. It's got great media coverage, he gets to meet Will Ferrell, which I'm jealous of because he's one of my favourite actors of all time. It must be amazing to be in and around Wrexham right now, however, it does come with its own pressures I suppose.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While rubbing shoulders with Hollywood superstars – as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney call the shots at SToK Racecourse – Mullin has also released his own book, ‘My Wrexham Story’. Ormerod added on making the most of new-found fame: “Fair play to Paul Mullin. A football career is short and people get caught up looking at the A-listers. Football is like every other sport, the elite get paid a substantial amount of money and everyone else is trying to make a living out of it. Football is a funny old game, because you can have a great career in the lower leagues on paper earning modest money but retire at 35 having to enter the real world with no real-world experience, a mortgage, two kids and you've got to go and find your way in life. On the flip side, you can be a top prospect at Man City earning big money, not be playing by the age of 24/25 and still be a millionaire. You have to say fair play to Paul Mullin because you've got to make as much money as you can, while you can.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN & WREXHAM?

Mullin has hit a further nine goals for Wrexham this season, taking him to 88 in total through 112 appearances, and he has Phil Parkinson’s side sat among the League Two frontrunners – with the ambitious Welsh outfit setting their sights on reaching the Premier League at some stage.

The BCCI has formed a working group to study the Lodha panel’s verdict relating to the IPL 2013 corruption scandal and instructed it to present its findings in six weeks

Amol Karhadkar19-Jul-2015’IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams’

The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla has said the BCCI had accepted the Lodha Committee’s suspension of the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises and there was “no question of any dilly-dallying”.
“The order is accepted, now we are in the process of implementing it,” he told PTI. “For that we have formed a working group and that group has been given six weeks’ time to submit its recommendations.”
Shukla also said the IPL would have at least eight sides.
“IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams. There will be no change in that. How we will proceed will be recommended by the working group, which will have discussions with all the stakeholders like the sponsors, broadcasters, franchisees and state associations. The procedures that we adopt will therefore be approved by our legal experts, that is why we need some time to give the recommendations.”
Shukla said the group would explore several options to ensure IPL 2016 wasn’t severely affected by a shortfall of teams.
“There is a group which believes that a BCCI-appointed management team can run CSK and RR for a period of two years. Credible people can be selected for that job so that the question of conflict of interest does not arise. Another option is that we invite new bids for the two teams to ensure that the league is an eight-team affair. After two years when CSK and RR complete their suspension period, we will have 10 teams. We will consider all the options.”

The BCCI has formed a working group to study the Lodha panel’s verdict relating to the IPL 2013 corruption scandal and instructed it to present its findings in six weeks. The group comprises* IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry and IPL governing council member Sourav Ganguly, and will be assisted by Ushanath Banerjee, the board’s legal counsel.The board’s response came after an IPL governing council meeting in Mumbai on Sunday, following the Lodha committee decision to suspend the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises earlier this week.The BCCI press release after the meeting stated the working group would “study this verdict, in consultation with all our key advisors and explore all the possible measures to be adopted, with an objective to protect the interests of all the stakeholders involved.”The release further stated: “This group will work within a time bound period of six weeks and report their recommendations to the IPL GC, which will deliberate and share their views with the working committee of the BCCI, for further action.”The general tone of the meeting was to explore the process of inviting bids for two new franchises and the possibility of a 10-team IPL after two years.It is understood that most of the governing council members who spoke during the hour-long meeting were of the opinion that the BCCI should start the procedure of inviting tenders for the new teams for a longer duration to ensure that the IPL’s eight-team format is maintained over the next two years.The committee was also briefed about a suggestion from former BCCI treasurer and joint secretary MP Pandove, over the addition of two teams and the likelihood of a ten-team IPL from 2018. Pandove confirmed to ESPNcricinfo he had “made such a suggestion to the secretary [Thakur] since I think that’s the most viable option for now”.Some members also cited the examples of the 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons – which were played with ten and nine teams respectively – and said if the two teams do return to the fold after serving the two-year suspension, the IPL could be played with ten teams.Sundar Raman, the IPL’s chief operating officer, reportedly said a ten-team IPL could be a logistical nightmare, but a former BCCI office bearer responded by saying Raman should not term the idea unworkable as he was an integral part of IPL’s earlier expansion.It is understood that the issue of the termination of the suspended teams’ franchise agreements was discussed, but no direct demand was made. The council was assured that the five-member working group will consider all options.Shukla’s suggestion of the BCCI independently running the two suspended franchises for two years was presented to the committee and was backed by a current office bearer who proposed that leading financial solutions firms could be involved in running the teams on the board’s behalf.A former cricketer on the governing council – who had urged the BCCI not to leave the players who contributed to the IPL brand in a lurch – reportedly said that individuals like Rahul Dravid [Rajasthan Royals mentor] and MS Dhoni [captain, Chennai Super Kings] are capable of running teams, if required, without an outsider’s assistance.The former office bearer then said Dhoni – whose comments about Gurunath Meiyappan to the Mudgal probe panel came under scrutiny – cannot be entrusted with such a responsibility. Thakur is then understood to have informed the house that the legal experts have advised that the board’s involvement in running two teams is not feasible.Thakur is also believed to have hinted at strict action against all the guilty entities.July 20, 3.00pm *This piece was amended to reflect the BCCI’s announcement of the Working Group’s composition

The Uruguay midfielder revealed he doesn't know how to stop Lionel Messi, ahead of his country's clash with Argentina on Thursday

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Real Madrid midfielder admitted he doesn't know how to stop MessiPraised Luis Suarez after Uruguay call-upUruguay play Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifying this weekGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Uruguay are set to face Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifying this week, and La Celeste captain has admitted that it will be impossible to stop Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami and Argentina star hasn't played a competitive match in almost a month.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Uruguay are currently second in Conmebol World Cup 2026 qualifying, five points behind Argentina and ahead of Venezuela and Brazil on goals scored. The Marcelo Bielsa-led side notched a famous win over Brazil in their last World Cup qualifying fixture.

Getty ImagesWHAT VALVERDE SAID

In a pre-match interview, Valverde said he doesn't know how to slow down Messi — and could never do so when both played in La Liga: "I don't know how to stop Messi, I could never stop him. He is one of the best players in the world."

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GettyWHAT VALVERDE SAID ABOUT LUIS SUAREZ

The midfielder also praised Suarez, who earned his first Uruguay nod since the 2022 World Cup: “From the first moment Suarez has given me the values and rules to succeed in the national team. He is an idol for Uruguay."

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Everything you need to know about the new Celtic kits for the 2023-24 season

adidas unveiled the all-new Celtic 2023-24 away kit on June 14, as the history-making, Treble-winningchampions of Scotland, with a kit wrapped in Scottish heritage with Celtic FC tartan details. The Celtic 2023-24 home kit then followed, with its official unveiling on June 30 – featuring a modern twist on the traditional hoops.

👕 Shop the Celtic 2023-24 kits at adidas right now 

After securing yet another top-flight title this term, the Glasgow outfit will be chasing silverware once again at Celtic Park, and will hope to have the kit to suit the occasion.

The German sportswear giant has been the club’s apparel provider since 2020, after succeeding New Balance, and has brought a fresh touch to their classic hooped designs since then, with the Bhoys ready to put their tried-and-tested colours back to the test once again next term.

So, what new kits will Celtic wear in 2023-24? GOAL takes a look at the jerseys that are set to be sported by Kyogo Furuhashi, Callum McGregor and more, while we also give you the lowdown on rumours and leaks alongside details on how to buy them online.

Celtic 2023-24 kits

The Celtic FC 2023-24 home kit was unveiled on June 30, featuring a modern twist on the traditional hoops.

The latest home kit for the Bhoys features elements of the glass pattern from the original entrance to the stadium, offering a nod to the long and rich history of our great club. The Glasgow Celtic way is rooted in progression. Everyone who walks through Parkhead’s gates and past the iconic stained-glass window has adopted the Celtic way, making the Hoops an icon of progressive style in football.

The latest version of Celtic’s famous Home Kit features intricate detailing and is the perfect fusion of history and modernity. 

The Celtic 2023-24 home kit is available for pre-order now from JD Sports, with a replica shirt retailing for £70.00

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The adidas and Celtic 2023-24 away kit was unveiled on June 14, as the Celts head into the new season at the top of their game, as history-making, Treble-winning champions of Scotland.

The Celts will hit the road next season with a fresh new look, wrapped in Scottish heritage with Celtic FC tartan details on the ribbed crewneck collar and cuffs of the away shirt.

The new kit is the perfect blend of history and modernity with the strong and imposing black kit featuring the iconic adidas three-stripe and tonal details, complemented by traditional tartan elements to complete the new look. An embroidered Celtic crest displayed proudly on the chest will ensure your passion for the Celts stands out.

The Celtic 2023-24 away kit is available to buy now at adidas, with a men’s replica shirt retailing for £70.00.

Unlike their first two strips, details of the 2023-24 third kit Celtic will sport this coming season look to have already been confirmed, with online listings pointing towards a new design for the club’s alternate option.

A two-tone green design looks set to keep it firmly within the club’s colour specifications, mixing darker and lighter shades in a funky, soft-shaped pattern, while a third, darker hue caps the round-neck collar and sleeves.

The design makes for one of the more eye-catching additions to the club’s repertoire, and likely marks out the boldest option since adidas succeeded New Balance, the latter of whom often featured funkier third options during their tenure.

As with plenty of other third-choice kits for next season, not much is known about an exact release date, but you can expect it to match the price of their other strips, retailing at an anticipated £70.00 through adidas.

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The Celtic training kit for the 2023-24 season also remains under lock and key for now, but fans will expect it to offer another streamlined, classic look for the champions after this term’s effort.

A whole black-bodied number with green accents kept a simple feel this term, though there is the chance the Bhoys could strike out for something more dramatic to contrast the elegance of their first-choice strip.

There is no official release date set for the pre-match jersey, but with stock suggested to be close to the shelves, we can expect to see a summer 2023 launch.

Presenting the World Cup newcomers who are ready to sparkle in Qatar! ✨

With the most prestigious international football competition in the world now just weeks away, the excitement is building as squad announcements continue to pour in.

Ahead of the showpiece tournament, we've come up with an XI made up entirely of players aged 23 or under who have yet to play in a World Cup.

From Jude Bellingham to William Saliba, Vinicius Junior to Darwin Nunez, these are the World Cup newcomers who are ready to shine in the Middle East.

Getty ImagesGK: Diogo Costa – Portugal

The Porto goalkeeper has made the Portugal number one spot his own since gaining his first senior international cap in October 2021.

Rui Patricio was between the sticks for the three World Cup qualifiers that followed Costa’s debut, but when the playoffs came around in March 2022, the youngster took over and helped secure the team’s passage into the finals.

Costa, who represented his country at many youth levels before breaking into the first team, was named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year in 2021-22 as Porto won the title.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Sergino Dest – USA

Dest will be 22 when the World Cup begins but he has already played in the Eredivisie, La Liga, Serie A, and Champions League.

Having been born in the Netherlands, Dest committed to play for the USMNT when he was 18 years old, and the AC Milan loanee has gone on to play 19 games for the Stars and Stripes.

An attacking full-back that is not afraid to take players on, Dest is set to be one of the most exciting young defenders taking part in the World Cup.

Getty ImagesCB: William Saliba – France

Saliba’s loan spells at Saint-Étienne, Nice, and Marseille since joining Arsenal as a teenager look to have been a stroke of genius from the north Londoners.

The 21-year-old has slotted straight into the Gunners defence this season and looks as comfortable, assured, and physically dominant as you could hope for.

France have an embarrassment of riches at the centre-back position, but surely Didier Deschamps will have to include Saliba in his starting XI based on current form.

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Getty ImagesCB: Josko Gvardiol – Croatia

Runners-up in 2018, Croatia’s best ever squad is now an ageing one but they will be hoping that talented newcomers like Gvardiol can steer them towards the latter stages again.

The RB Leipzig man played at left-back throughout Euro 2020, but has since operated at the centre of defence – just like he usually does for his club.

Online betting sites have priced Croatia at 20/1 to reach the World Cup final for the second time on the bounce.

A sluggish surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium produced an attritional first day on which India A took the early initiative through a century stand between KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara before losing five wickets for 94 runs to Australia A’s constricti

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy in Chennai22-Jul-2015
ScorecardKL Rahul hit 14 fours for his 96•K SivaramanA sluggish surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium produced an attritional first day on which India A took the early initiative through a century stand between KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara before losing five wickets for 94 runs to Australia A’s constricting tactics. When rain brought the first day’s play to a close at half past four, India were 221 for 6.With Varun Aaron missing out due to fever, India went in with an attack consisting of two seamers in Umesh Yadav and Abhimanyu Mithun, and the spin pair of Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha. India’s early progress, after they chose to bat, gave no hint as to how the day would pan out. Rahul eased Gurinder Sandhu for drives to the cover and straight boundaries in the first over, and Mukund caressed two cover-driven fours off Andrew Fekete in the next over before playing all around a yorker.The match settled into a steadier rhythm thereafter, but there were enough bad balls for Rahul and Pujara to score off and keep the score ticking along at more than three runs an over. Rahul flicked Sean Abbott off his toes to the fine leg boundary and took two fours off the left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe’s first over – a flat-bat drive between cover point and short cover, and a dismissive square cut when he pitched short. Pujara soaked up some good bowling early on, but caught up with Rahul as the session wore on, driving Abbott through cover and gliding Marcus Stoinis between slip and gully for two fours in two overs.Both batsmen were in their 40s at lunch, with India 104 for 1 in 30 overs. They both brought up their fifties with boundaries after lunch; Rahul cutting Fekete behind point, Pujara driving Sandhu down the ground.Australia, though, had worked out a plan for their seamers. From start of the second session through the rest of the day, they bowled a nagging stump-to-stump line with five fielders on the leg side – usually a short mid-on and a short midwicket, a deeper mid-on in between, and two back for the hook. Given the slowness of the pitch, the batsmen had to be careful about flicking or driving anything that was not overpitched. It was hardly the kind of test Rahul Dravid, the India A coach, had hoped his batsmen would be exposed to when he had called for quick, bouncy pitches in the lead-up to the series. It was still a test, nonetheless.Fekete got the ball to stop on Pujara twice in two overs. Both times, he jabbed early at the ball while defending from the crease. The first one fell just short of Usman Khawaja at short mid-on. The second one carried to him.Abbott, replacing Fekete after his successful spell, nearly struck in the same manner in the 48th over, Rahul popping one in the air between short mid-on and short midwicket. In between, O’Keefe, and the pressure of playing out 14 dot balls, had sent back Karun Nair, who drove too early and scooped a catch to short cover .Nair’s wicket brought Shreyas Iyer to the crease, and his arrival brought a thrillingly discordant note to the day’s play in a fourth-wicket stand of 55 with Rahul. Seeming to pick up length earlier than most, Iyer cut Abbott for four off a ball that was barely short and only marginally wide, and pulled Sandhu for two fours in one over – either side of deep square leg – when he went around the wicket shortly before tea. But a silly shot was always around the corner; having earlier attempted, unsuccessfully, to paddle Abbott, Iyer was bowled while trying to whip Sandhu across the line.Five overs later, Rahul gave short mid-on another moment in the sun. Trying to flick Abbott off the stumps, he played a touch too early, and fell four runs short of a hundred.Australia continued to constrict: only seven runs came off the ten overs that followed Rahul’s dismissal. The pressure finally told on Naman Ojha; having scored 10 off 55 balls, he saw a bit of air from O’Keefe, went after him, and failed to clear mid-off. The light was fading rapidly already, and Travis Head, brought on to bowl his offspin from the other end, could only send down one ball before the groundstaff raced in with the covers.