Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have all been named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2024/25.
The three Gunners were all included in the annual line-up, which was selected by their peers’ votes based on their superb displays during the past 12 months, as we finished second in the Premier League and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
Declan, who finished the campaign with four goals and seven assists in the top flight, is appearing in the XI for a second straight season.
Our England international midfielder was also named our Player of the Season, as well as appearing in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season.
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Big Gabi joins Declan in having back-to-back inclusions. Our Brazilian defender, who’s season was cut short in April by a hamstring injury, was part of a back line that conceded just 34 goals, the fewest for a second season in a row.
The trio is rounded off by Wilo, who has now appeared in the PFA Team of the Year for three successive seasons. The Frenchman helped us keep 18 clean sheets in the league, five more than the second-highest sides.
It’s the first time one of our players has appeared in three straight line-ups since Thierry Henry, who featured in six consecutive teams between 2000/01 and 2005/06.
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A rock at the back alongside Big Gabi, Wilo played 4,446 minutes across his 51 games, the most of any of our outfield players.
After winning the Premier League title, four Liverpool players feature in this year’s XI. Defender Virgil van Dijk is joined by midfield duo Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, as well as forward Mohamed Salah.
Milos Kirkez, who signed for Liverpool following his 2024/25 season at Bournemouth, completes the defensive line-up alongside Van Dijk, Big Gabi and Wilo.
Matz Sels features between the sticks after his saves helped Nottingham Forest qualify for European football for the first time since 1995/96. He’s joined by teammate Chris Wood, who netted 20 times last season.
Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak rounds off the XI, scoring 23 goals in the Premier League.
PFA Premier League Team of the Year:
Matz Sels, Milos Kirkez, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Virgil van Dijk, Declan Rice, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, Chris Wood
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With all four Cincinnati singles finalists originally scheduled to play Tuesday and Wednesday’s mixed doubles tournament at the US Open, there was going to be complications.
Jasmine Paolini, with a tender ankle, withdrew ahead of the Monday night final, and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who was to play with Katerina Siniakova but was forced to retire with an illness after five games, ultimately made the same decision.
But what of the two Cincinnati Open champions? Would Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz play — could they get to New York in time for an early afternoon tee time?
The answer came a few hours after Swiatek dispatched Paolini in straight sets in a match that ended around 8 p.m. In a social media video, the two stood side by side in the aisle of a jet headed to New York.
“Hello, Cincinnati,” Alcaraz said. “I just want to say thank you, grateful for everything.’
Swiatek added, “It’s been an amazing two weeks, we really enjoyed it. Finishing with the trophy is a dream come true.”
Just before play, it was announced that Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison would replace the team of Sinner and Siniakova.
All matches are being played in US Open’s biggest venues, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums. The semifinalists will earn $200,000 per team, doubling their money if they reach the final. Winners share $1 million.
To the early Tuesday action:
Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti def. Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils 5-3, 4-2
The skinny: There were some awkward moments — Musetti, aggressively running down a lob, almost knocked McNally off her feet — but the makeshift team prevailed comfortably. When Paolini withdrew, McNally stepped in to become Musetti’s partner.
No. 3 Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud def. Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, 4-1, 4-2
The skinny: Swiatek looked fresh, considering she stepped off the court in Cincinnati 16 hours earlier. She and Ruud needed only 39 minutes to dispatch the Americans, who had five double faults and were broken twice.
No. 3 Swiatek and Ruud def. Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti, 4-1, 4-2
The skinny: This one required only 46 minutes, while the winners saved both break opportunities against them. “Even though we haven’t played together, we had good communication on the court,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview.
Next up: A semifinal match against opponents to be determined.
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori def. No. 2 Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, 4-2, 4-2
The skinny: This match underlined the diverse skill set that the best doubles teams bring to the party. Rybakina and Fritz were seeded No. 2 based on their Top 10 singles prowess, but all those big serves (seven aces) weren’t enough to prevail. Errani is a six-time Grand Slam doubles champion, and Vavassori has played in three major finals. They might be the best volleyers in the field.
Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev def. Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka, 4-2, 5-4 (4)
The skinny: The Americans had 11 aces, but Muchova and Rublev took better care of their serves, winning 23 of 28 first-serve points and a remarkable 10 of 14 seconds. They also saved both break points against them and finished with seven more winners than unforced errors.
Errani and Vavassori def. Muchova and Rublev, 4-1, 5-4 (7-4)
The skinny: Of all the early matches played, the Italians displayed the best teamwork. Errani and Vavassori hit a combined 18 winners, against only six unforced errors. It’s not a coincidence that this is the only team in the field that consists of two pure doubles specialists.
Next up: A semifinals match against opponents to be determined.
Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has said he felt his talent was being wasted while trying to crack the NFL.
Earlier this month, Rees-Zammit announced his return to rugby after stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars after joining the NFL International Player Pathway Program last year.
However, he will return to Premiership Rugby with the Bristol Bears this season having returned to the UK.
“I just felt like I was kind of wasting my talent out there, to be honest with you,” Rees-Zammit said.
“I gave it my best shot but it’s very difficult to get into the NFL if you haven’t gone through the college system, you just don’t get the same opportunities as those boys.
“It makes sense from a coach’s point of view, because those boys have been playing that sport for so long and it’s hard to coach someone up on the sport they’ve never played before.”
– Wales coach Tandy admits shock at Louis Rees-Zammit return
– Louis Rees-Zammit signals end of NFL journey
The 24-year-old said he is confident his rugby skills won’t have faded and will be focusing on his fitness before the season starts next month.
“The skill isn’t really the issue, it’s just about being match fit,” Rees-Zammit said.
“There’s a lot more conditioning in rugby. In NFL it’s more anaerobic fitness, being able to do repeated sprints, not so much long-distance stuff because the [time of the] ball in play here is very high.”
Women’s rugby is growing rapidly worldwide, and now accounts for 25% of the total global playing base. US women’s rugby star Ilona Maher is the most followed rugby player in the world, ahead of men’s stars Siya Kolisi and Antoine Dupont.
So there’s more interest than ever in the tenth Women’s Rugby World Cup, which kicks off in England on August 23. As with any big sports event, the pundits will be picking their winners based on recent win-loss records and overall performance trends – key factors that underpin official rankings.
Rugby Vision, a suite of statistical models I developed to predict outcomes for major competitions, uses similar information but with some important differences. Notably, it is less sensitive to the outcome of any single game.
The model uses three main components: a rating system for international teams; estimation of expected outcomes for each World Cup game using those ratings; and 10,000 simulations of the tournament to account for uncertainty around expected outcomes.
Rugby Vision has outperformed betting markets and other algorithms in recent men’s Rugby World Cups. I should add, though, it is not designed to support sports betting, but rather to illustrate how statistical modelling compares with real-world results.
The probability of each team advancing to each stage of the tournament is shown in the table below. England, which has dominated women’s rugby in recent years and has home advantage, is overwhelming favourite with a 70.3% chance of winning the tournament.
New Zealand, which won the previous tournament, is second favourite with an 18.8% chance of defending their title. The next most likely winners are consistent performers Canada (6.7%) and France (3.9%). There is a 99.7% chance the winner will be one of these top four teams.
In each pool, one team (from the top four) is almost assured of making the quarterfinals, one team is “likely”, and one team has a fighting chance. For example, in Pool B, Canada has a 99.4% chance of being quarter-finalists, Scotland a 69.8% probability, and Wales a 27.5% chance.
Given the tournament schedule, Canada will likely play New Zealand in one semifinal, while England will face France in another. This is a key reason why France has a 75.5% chance of reaching the semifinals, but only a 12.1% chance of playing in the final.
The simulations are based on an algorithm used to rank teams. The algorithm used here differs from that used for the official World Rugby Rankings.
Rugby Vision rankings and rating points for the participants are shown in the table below. England (with 136.8 rating points) is ranked number one, with a large lead over New Zealand (125.4), Canada (117.5) and France (114.6). Brazil (49.5), which will make its World Cup debut, rounds out the rankings.
The Rugby Vision rankings are comparable to the official World Rugby rankings, but a key difference is that Canada is ranked ahead of New Zealand in the official standings.
The rating points can be used to predict game results. For the first round of games at the tournament, the table below shows the expected winning margin of the favourite and the probability of each team winning.
For example, in the game between Scotland and Wales, Scotland is expected to win by nine points, but there is a 29.5% chance Wales will win.
While England enters the tournament as clear favourite, rugby has never been short of surprises. Past Rugby World Cups have seen giants fall and underdogs rise. The simulations give us a guide, but they are not a crystal ball.
What is certain is that the women’s game is in excellent shape – growing fast, drawing crowds and showcasing world-class talent. This tournament is bound to be a spectacle.
The author acknowledges the assistance of Soren Winchester, whose data collection contributed to the forecasts included in this article.
That remains a big ‘if’, of course.
Howe has been consistent in his messaging throughout this saga: the door remains open to Isak.
But the Newcastle head coach stressed what happens next is down to the striker, who continues to train away from the group.
It certainly felt a long way back for Isak on Saturday after the away end called the Swede “greedy” following the goalless draw against Aston Villa.
Yet time is against Isak if he is to get a move to Liverpool, particularly when there are few realistic options left on the market who would be capable of stepping up for Newcastle.
Omar Chaudhuri, the chief intelligence officer of Twenty First Group, who previously worked with clubs like Newcastle and Tottenham, has noticed a “greater interest in top-class strikers” compared to years gone by.
“Globally, there have been seven centre forwards moving for 50m euros or more this window, compared to two in 2024, six in 2023, and five in 2022,” he said.
“But clubs should probably temper expectations as to their impact. Of the 19 strikers signed by Premier League clubs for 50m euros or more before this season, perhaps, only Haaland and Isak can be considered unqualified successes.”
No wonder Howe has maintained that the door is open.
Trying to, somehow, reintegrate Isak may yet prove one of Newcastle’s better options – and that is saying something.