It’s still early in the season, but Arsenal look almost unstoppable at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side continued their impressive form in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and now have the chance to extend their lead in the Premier League this afternoon.

However, to do so, the Gunners will have to beat an inform Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light, without Viktor Gyokeres, who scored last time out.

Fortunately, Arteta has a few ways of dealing with the Swede’s absence, and no, he doesn’t have to use Mikel Merino.

The Arsenal changes Arteta has to make

Before examining the players Arteta should bring into the team for this game, it’s worth taking a look at who is fit.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Fortunately, since Gyokeres’ injury, Arsenal have not lost anyone else to the medical room, and in even better news, Gabriel Jesus has returned to first-team training.

However, the Brazilian is unlikely to feature against Sunderland, nor are the likes of Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke or Gabriel Martinelli, with the manager telling the press that “nobody new that can join the squad.”

Even so, there are more than enough players fit for changes to be made to the team that won in Prague on Tuesday night.

The first of which should come in defence, with Riccardo Calafiori coming back in for the impressive Piero Hincapie.

Likewise, while Christian Norgaard did a good job anchoring the midfield, Martin Zubimendi, or the Gunners’ “signing of the summer,” as one analyst described him, should come in for him.

The final midfield change should see Eberechi Eze replace Ethan Nwaneri, as the 27-year-old’s creativity and playmaking ability could be crucial in breaking down the Black Cats’ low block.

Finally, while Merino did brilliantly in scoring two goals against Slavia, this might be a game for Arteta to pick someone else to lead the line.

The Arsenal player who could replace Merino

While Arteta could go rogue and opt to start Nwaneri up top for this game, the more reasonable way to go would be to start Leandro Trossard.

Now, there are certainly arguments for keeping Merino as the striker, but equally, there are reasons why the Belgian should be given a go up top, such as his technical quality.

Even though Sunderland are in fine form, the Gunners are more than likely going to face a stubborn low block at the Stadium of Light.

Therefore, it would make more sense to have someone like the 30-year-old leading the line who has the ability to pick a lock, not just with a pass, but with some quality close control.

As good as Merino has been this year, he has never shown an ability to get past a defender with the ball at his feet.

The second reason for going with the “little magician,” as Arteta dubbed him, is that, unlike last season, he seems to have rediscovered his form.

For example, in 13 appearances, totalling just 742 minutes, he has scored three goals and provided four assists.

Appearances

13

Minutes

742

Goals

3

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

Minutes per Goal Involvement

106′

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.85 games, or more impressively, every 106 minutes.

Finally, since he arrived at the club, the Waterschei-born dynamo has been a clutch player, someone who can and often does pop up with the all-important goal.

Moreover, as the legendary Ian Wright put it, he’s also shown himself to be the squad’s “best finisher and most clinical finisher of chances.”

Therefore, while it sounds counterproductive, Arteta might be better off starting Trossard in Gyokeres’ place this weekend.

Arsenal have their next Xhaka who's one of the best in "world football"

The international gem could end up being an even better version of Xhaka for Arsenal and Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 7, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Augusto Melo, presidente do Corinthians, voltou a comentar sobre o interesse do clube em Gabigol, e desmentiu Júnior Pedroso, empresário do jogador, que revelou nos últimos dias não ter negociado com a diretoria do Timão.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Em entrevista à CNN, o mandatário explicou porque o Alvinegro recuou na tentativa de contratar o camisa 10 rubro-negro e explicou detalhes da negociação.

– Como eu posso desistir de algo se não teve nada? Sem nexo isso. Se eu desisti é porque tinha alguma coisa, né? Ele (empresário de Gabigol) precisa explicar melhor se nunca teve mesmo. Teve, claro que teve. Estava tudo caminhando bem. Só que também tem um limite, o Corinthians é maior do que todo mundo, sempre vou lutar pela minha instituição – explicou o presidente.

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Na sequência, Augusto afastou a possibilidade de Gabigol assinar um pré-contrato na metade da temporada. O atleta tem vínculo com o Flamengo até o fim de 2023 e poderia chegar de graça ao clube do Parque São Jorge.

Teve conversas, foi mandado. A coisa quando começa de uma certa forma, vai perdendo o encanto, e o Corinthians já está procurando outras características, o Corinthians já está se adaptando a outras situações. Foi bom quando começou, passou e acho que o Corinthians tem que partir para outra. O Corinthians jamais vai ser refém de qualquer coisa – finalizou Augusto Melo.

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On managing workloads of Jasprit Bumrah & Co: “We’re going to take a call on a match-to-match basis,” Shubman Gill says

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-20252:50

‘Nothing is pre-decided’ – Gill on Bumrah’s workload

It’s “very important” for India to do well in the two-Test series against West Indies after they were blanked 3-0 in their previous home Test series by New Zealand, Shubman Gill said on the eve of the first Test in Ahmedabad.”We are looking to play some hard, grinding cricket. Over the past few years, if you see the Test matches, they haven’t got to five days. So what we are looking to do is play some good, hard cricket,” Gill said at a press conference. “All the Test matches that we played in England went pretty deep [all five Tests went into the fifth day]. And I think what you can expect from us is good, hard, grinding cricket and we won’t be looking for any easy options.”And I think we have the skills to dominate in any kind of situation and the kind of talent we have got in the team, we can turn around from any situation, so that’s what we will be looking to play.”Related

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In recent years, when India have hosted teams for Test cricket, spin-friendly pitches have been prepared more often than not. Seeing how well India competed in the 2-2 series in England earlier this year, what sort of pitch should we expect?”I can’t speak about the conversations before I came, but we would be looking to play on wickets that offer [something] to both the batsmen and to the bowlers,” Gill said. “But, having said that, any team that comes to India, the challenge is the spin and reverse swing. These are the two things that, if teams can play spin well and if they can challenge the reverse swing, they are going to get good success.”So keeping these challenges in mind, you’d be looking to play on wickets that offer [something] to the batsmen and the bowlers.”In England, India picked a pace-heavy bowling attack, and the only spinners in the mix were the allrounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, with Kuldeep Yadav sitting out all five Tests. Two days out from the Test, the Ahmedabad pitch appeared to be greener than anticipated.”The weather and wickets we have in India, it will be difficult to follow that template [employed in England],” Gill said. “We have such quality in our team. Someone like Kuldeep, such a wicket-taker for us in all formats, didn’t get a chance to play in England, which was very unfortunate. Here, I think, playing four spinners, and spinners of such quality, you are always tempted to look at the batting depth, you have to just weigh in your options, what can give you a bit more.”6:18

Aaron on Bumrah: India not taking any chances after NZ drubbing

Will Jasprit Bumrah play both Tests?It was a constant talking point in England after it had been announced before the series that Jasprit Bumrah would play only three of the five Tests to manage his fitness. What happens now?”We’re going to take a call on a match-to-match basis depending on how long a Test match goes on and how many overs our fast bowlers bowl,” Gill said. “Nothing is pre-decided. We’re going to take the call once the Test match is over and how our fast bowlers feel and how their bodies feel after the match.”And what about Gill himself? Going from red-ball cricket in England to white-ball cricket in the UAE and back to red-ball cricket, on a red-soil pitch this time, just three days after winning the T20 Asia Cup?”For a batsman, I don’t think it’s physical fatigue. It’s more mental for a batsman. That’s a little different for a bowler,” he said. “As of now, I feel fresh and my body is ready. I am just looking at what I have to do this week and next week and that’s how I will be taking my decisions.”

Anneke Bosch and Sune Luus scored half-centuries to help South Africa clinch a four-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Women’s World Cup warm-up match in Colombo.Chasing a target of 230, South Africa recovered from a shaky start – losing three wickets for 27 runs inside six overs. Bosch and Luus, who made 58 and 54 respectively before retiring, put on a composed 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Their efforts laid the foundation for a successful chase, which was completed in just 40.1 overs.Chloe Tryon added a vital 45 not out off 39 balls to guide South Africa home after a minor middle-order stumble. Pakistan’s bowlers, particularly Diana Baig (2 for 32), put up a spirited fight but they managed to take only six wickets.Earlier, Pakistan were bowled out for 229 in 45.6 overs. Captain Fatima Sana top-scored with 64 at No. 7, helping to lift her side out of early trouble. The middle order showed resistance, but regular breakthroughs from Masabata Klaas (2 for 26) and Ayabonga Khaka (2 for 40) kept Pakistan in check.

Phil Foden and Erling Haaland each missed a pair of sitters as Manchester City fell to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United which threatens to derail their Premier League title charge. City's two big-game players froze at St James' Park and Harvey Barnes grabbed the headlines instead, giving Newcastle the lead and then snatching the winner after Ruben Dias' deflected equaliser.

The first half witnessed the highest amount of 'Big Chances' created in the league this season and it felt like a competition to determine who could miss the most glaring opportunities. Haaland dinked the ball wide after a wonderful through ball from Jeremy Doku and then aimed straight at Nick Pope after a cut-back from Nico O'Reilly. Foden missed an even better opportunity when he fired wide of the far post after playing a one-two with Rayan Cherki. Newcastle were equally guilty of wastefulness. Nick Woltemade sent a shot and a header too close to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Barnes had the reddest face of all, though, somehow missing the target from point-blank range when meeting a sweeping ball across the box.

City had two penalty appeals turned down, first when Foden fell from a tackle by Fabian Schar – albeit after getting his shot away – and then when a Doku shot hit the arm of Malick Thiaw.

The second half was less frenetic but it delivered on the goals front. Barnes compensated for his glaring miss by nailing the ball into the bottom corner to put Newcastle in front in the 64th minute. The Magpies' joy did not last long as Dias pulled a goal back for City with the help of a big deflection off Schar, but Newcastle came straight back at Pep Guardiola's side, capitalising on some poor goalkeeping from Donnarumma to bundle the ball in after Bruno Guimaraes had headed against the bar.

The goal was given after a long VAR check for offside, meaning City had eight minutes of additional time to find their way back. But it was no use and they had to digest a fourth defeat in just 12 Premier League games, handing a massive advantage in the title race to Arsenal, one day before the north London derby.

GOAL rates Man City's players from St James' Park…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10):

  Played with fire when his short pass to Foden in the first minute was intercepted then did well to get his body in front of the three Woltemade efforts. There was nothing he could do to stop Barnes' arrow although he made a mess of the two crosses leading to the second.

  Matheus Nunes (5/10):

  Struggled to handle Barnes for much of the game. Had a good first-half from an attacking point of view although his threat faded.

  Ruben Dias (6/10):

  Couldn't stop the move leading to the opener although it wasn't a big error. Got lucky with the equaliser.

  Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

  Made a brilliant goal-line clearance just before the second goal. Despite that, he struggled to contain many of Newcastle's breaks.

  Nico O'Reilly (6/10):

  Good going forward although his botched clearance led to Newcastle breaking the deadlock.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (5/10):

  Didn't give Gonzalez enough support when doubling up with him in holding midfield and didn't manage to control the game with possession.

  Nico Gonzalez (5/10):

  His good run of form vanished as he was overwhelmed in midfield.

  Phil Foden (4/10):

  Uncharacteristically sloppy in front of goal. He normally buries both of the efforts that came his way, especially the one in the first half which opened up perfectly for him.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Rayan Cherki (5/10):

  Had a couple of nice moments such as setting up Foden and keeping the move alive for the equaliser but overall didn't get too involved in the game.

  Erling Haaland (4/10):

  A bad day at the office, perhaps feeling the effects of firing Norway to the World Cup. Couldn't get his 100th Premier League goal despite having three chances, two of them you would normally back him to score.

  Jeremy Doku (7/10):

  The one City player who could be pleased with their performance. Created lots of danger in the first half and on another day would have won a penalty for handball.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Savinho (5/10):

  Lashed a wild shot over and wide when he should have hit the target.

  Tijjani Reijnders (6/10):

  Gave City more urgency going forward.

  Oscar Bobb (5/10):

  No magic moment like his winner in 2024 as he struggled to get into the game.

  Omar Marmoush (N/A):

  Replaced Foden in the 87th minute.

  Pep Guardiola (5/10):

  Has to be disappointed with how open his side were, conceding a hatful of chances even before the goals arrived. And all the momentum from the Liverpool win is gone.

تحدث الدولي الفرنسي عثمان ديمبلي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باريس سان جيرمان عن تتويجه بـ الكرة الذهبية وشعوره خلال حفل توزيع الجائزة.

وفاز الفرنسي عثمان ديمبلي بالمركز الأول في سباق البالون دور، بعدما توج مع باريس سان جيرمان ببطولات كثيرة وكان عاملًا مؤثرًا فيها جميعًا.

وخاض ديمبلي 53 مباراة مع باريس سان جيرمان في موسم 2024-2025 بجميع المسابقات، سجل 35 هدفًا وساهم بـ16 تمريرة حاسمة.

وقال خلال حوار أجراه مع مجلة “جي كيو”: “أعرف مسبقًا تتويجي بالكرة الذهبية؟ لم أفكر في الأمر إطلاقًا ولم أقلق لأنني كنت متأكدًا من أنني سأفوز بها”.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشكيل برشلونة المتوقع أمام تشيلسي اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وأضاف عن شعوره في تلك الليلة: “في البداية، كنت في السيارة مع جواو نيفيز وديزيريه دويه، وبصراحة شعرتُ بهدوء شديد”.

وأكمل: “كنا نشاهد مباراة باريس سان جيرمان ضد أولمبيك مارسيليا التي كانت تُقام في نفس الوقت، لذلك كنا في غاية التركيز، حتى على السجادة الحمراء حافظت على هدوئي ولم أشعر إلا بقليل من الضغط مع بدء الحفل، كنت متوترًا بعض الشيء”.

وأتم عن الخطاب الذي ألقاه بعد الفوز بالجائزة: “لقد حدث الأمر هكذا ولم أقم بتحضير أي شيء بطريقة خاصة، فعلته بشكل طبيعي والأفضل من ذلك أنه أثر في الجميع، لقد سمعت الكثير عنه حتى من أشخاص لم أتخيل أبدًا أنهم سيشاهدون التلفاز في تلك اللحظة”.

Sadio Mane says he rejected a move to Manchester United a year before signing for Liverpool. When the forward was impressing at Southampton, the Red Devils were keen on signing the Senegal international. But Mane has revealed he was "not convinced" by then-manager Louis van Gaal's assertion that he would be a first-team regular.

Mane wanted by Premier League giants

Mane joined Southampton from Red Bull Salzburg in 2014 for just under £12 million ($15.5m), which was a club record fee at the time, and went on to score 25 goals in 75 appearances. But before he headed to Anfield for a fee worth up to £36m ($47m) in June 2016, Mane had the chance to move to Van Gaal's United the year prior. However, he seemingly had doubts that he would play ahead of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, and Angel Di Maria at Old Trafford. The decision to bide his time proved to be a good one as he went on to become one of Liverpool's all-time greats, guiding them to Premier League and Champions League glory in a six-year spell.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMane unconvinced by Van Gaal's pitch

In addition to Rooney, Van Persie, and Di Maria, United also had attackers such as Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial – which planted more seeds of doubts in Mane's mind.

The Al-Nassr star said, via ESPN: "Manchester United called me that time, I was talking to Van Gaal. I was talking to Van Gaal that time. Rooney was there. And Di María was there. And … and [Memphis] Depay was there. When they failed to get me, they bought [Anthony] Martial. Van Gaal called me and he said, 'Mané, how are you? What are you doing?' He said, "I want you to come to Manchester United. I said, 'Really?' He said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'OK. Now I'm talking to my agent. [Van Gaal said] 'We'll see what is the best, because I know you're a good player and you can help the team, and we can help you also to become better players'.

"And then I said, 'OK, so my question: you have Depay, you have Rooney, you have Di María, you have Van Persie, I think the same. 'So where am I going to play?' That was my question, because me, I want to play. He said, 'I know your talent, you're good. But if you do good training, good impression, you will play. But we have another player which is also good'.

"I was not convinced about his explanation. I talked to the coach, but he told me that I will play if I'm good; if not. But at the time, me, I was not ready, I can say. I was young. I still needed someone to help me more. And one or two more years to become what I want to be. Because I was still in Southampton; I was not consistent. And then we said, 'OK, we'll see'."

Mane could have joined Liverpool's rivals

Mane also revealed he spoke to Tottenham the same summer that United tried to sign him. In fact, the pitch that Spurs put to the Senegalese was more tempting. 

He said: "I have a meeting with Tottenham. At the same time, Mauricio Pochettino called him [my agent] and he said, 'I want to have Sadio to come to Tottenham training ground. And then I go to Tottenham training ground one week after. I see the facility, I meet the coach, I talk to him, and I was more convinced than the Man United project. Because Man United was too many… the problem was too many big players."

What might have been for Mane…

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gettyWhat comes next for Mane?

Since leaving Liverpool, where he scored 120 goals in 269 matches, Mane has played for Bayern Munich, before joining current club Al-Nassr in 2023. Now, he is targeting winning trophies for Cristiano Ronaldo's team. 

He added: "It’s normal to dream big because Al Nassr is one of the best teams in the league. The title, we know [that it’s a target], so we don’t need to talk about it. And, of course, having new players like Kingsley [Coman] and Joao [Felix], which is a dream for us to get them because we need them and we are really happy to have them. For sure, the fans and the club expect a lot, but I have no doubt about it that they will deliver for us. It’s going to be a really exciting season for all of us. We can’t wait to achieve the best things that we want."

Southampton decided to part ways with head coach Will Still after the former Lens boss only won two of his 13 matches in charge of the club in the Championship.

Interim manager Tonda Eckert has won both of his league games in the dugout so far, including a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday last time out, but it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

Irrespective of what happens now, Eckert has delivered back-to-back wins that were much-needed after a dismal start to the campaign, which led to Still’s dismissal.

Why Will Still was unfortunate to be sacked by Southampton

The Belgian-born tactician won two of his 13 league matches and averaged 0.92 points per game, per Transfermarkt, which is why it was not a surprise to see him lose his job.

However, per FotMob, Southampton rank sixth in the table for xPTS and are currently 11 places lower in the division than they would be if every game was decided by who created the higher-quality chances.

Of course, football is not played on paper and it is, ultimately, a results-based business, but these statistics suggest that performances from individuals let him down, as the Saints have underperformed their xG and conceded more than their xGA suggests that they should have.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Whilst it is hard to know what goes on behind the scenes, perhaps Still was unable to motivate a team to win consistently, as he finished between 11th and 8th in his three seasons as a manager in France, which means that he is not used to competing at the very top of a league.

This is why Southampton could find a major upgrade on the former Lens boss by hiring reported target Brendan Rodgers as their new manager during the break.

Why Southampton should hire Brendan Rodgers

The Northern Irish manager resigned from the Celtic job last month and he could be the dream appointment for the Saints if they can convince him to drop down to the Championship.

Rodgers, who was once dubbed “world-class” by Gabriel Agbonlahor, may have the perfect track record for the situation that Southampton find themselves in, because he has experience in the Championship, the Premier League, and the Premiership.

The 52-year-old coach won promotion via the play-offs with Swansea in the 2010/11 campaign, which is relevant for where the club is now, and helped them to stay up with an 11th-placed finish in the Premier League the following season, which should be Southampton’s long-term goal.

Premier League

312

1.56

Premiership

173

2.43

Premiership top six split

15

2.20

Championship

94

1.49

Championship play-offs

3

2.33

As you can see in the table above, Rodgers is a proven Premier League manager who has excelled at Swansea, Liverpool, and Leicester City in the top-flight, which is why he would be the perfect appointment for now and in the future.

On top of that, the Northern Irishman is also a proven winner. Per Transfermarkt, he won four Scottish Premiership titles, four Scottish League Cups, and four SFA Cups with Celtic, along with an FA Cup and a Community Shield with Leicester.

This means that Rodgers has won a whopping 13 trophies in his career as a manager, whilst Southampton have not won a major trophy since the FA Cup success in 1976.

Overall, the former Celtic manager would be a major upgrade on Still, who has only managed midtable success and has no trophies under his belt, because of his career record, his history in the Championship and the Premier League, and his proven track record of winning trophies.

Dream O'Neil alternative: Southampton considering "insanely talented coach"

Southampton are still considering a head coach who would be a dream alternative to Gary O’Neil.

ByDan Emery Nov 8, 2025

If they can convince him to take the job, Rodgers could be the ideal candidate to get the Saints out of the Championship, as well as to establish them in the Premier League.

After sacking Liam Manning, Norwich City have reportedly conducted an interview with former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil and set a managerial deadline.

The Canaries made the decision to sack Manning after 15 Championship games in charge. The former Bristol City manager arrived off the back of an excellent campaign with the Robins, in which they secured a playoff place, but was unable to replicate that form in charge of Norwich.

Instead of the top six, the Canaries have found themselves in the bottom two courtesy of Manning and only above Sheffield Wednesday, who were hit with a 12-point deduction after entering administration.

After two wins in 15 league games, Manning’s tenure suddenly makes former manager Johannes Hoff Thorup’s time at the club look rather promising, on reflection. Whether there’s some regret that those at Carrow Road didn’t give the latter more time is up for debate, however.

Sporting director Ben Knapper released a statement after sacking Manning, telling fans that they “tried absolutely everything possible” to turn things around under the former Bristol City boss.

Meanwhile, the search for a new manager is very much underway with reports going as far as to claim that the Canaries have already interviewed two candidates for the job.

Norwich interview Gary O'Neil

As reported by The Telegraph’s John Percy, Norwich have now interviewed O’Neil for their vacant managerial role and are keen to make an official appointment in the next 10 days.

The ex-Premeir League manager was recently linked with a second stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but turned his former club down. Now, he could be on his way to Carrow Road.

Former Blackburn Rovers manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has also reportedly been interviewed, but O’Neil’s Premier League experience should make him Norwich’s number one choice.

Dubbed “fantastic” by former Wolves winger Jordan Graham during his time in the Midlands, O’Neil has all the credentials needed to finally turn things around at Norwich, who sit four points adrift of safety in the Championship.

Live football streams: Watch Premier League, the Championship & more

Bangladesh failed to capitalise on a strong start provided by Tanzid

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-20252:27

Jaffer: Bangladesh should have stuck to their previous XI

A wicketless powerplay at a shade under 10 an over allied with a Tanzid Hasan fifty gave Bangladesh the ideal platform, but Afghanistan’s death overs mastery restricted Bangladesh to 154 for 5 in Abu Dhabi.The spin twins of Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan were exemplary once again, the pair sharing four wickets between them, while going for just 49 runs in their combined eight overs.Related

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Their impact meant Bangladesh struggled to effectively utilise the platform afforded them by a strong opening stand worth 63. Saif Hassan, drafted in for this game struck 30 off 28 balls, but it was Tanzid who really propelled the early stages.Of his first 12 deliveries, half went to the boundary or cleared it. He brought up his seventh T20I fifty off just 28 deliveries. At the halfway stage of the innings, Bangladesh were well set on 87 for 1. But the middle overs proved to be their downfall as the Afghanistan spinners took control of proceedings.Four wickets were lost for 65 runs through the middle overs period, while just 30 runs were mustered at the death.