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Gerard Piqué Is Mulling over a Comeback with the Spanish Football Club He Already Owns

It’s been just two months since Barcelona legend Gerard Piqué called time on his playing career at the Nou Camp, but already the 35-year-old has envisioned making a comeback.

Piqué bade a fond farewell to the Catalan giants in November, with a tearful on-field goodbye to the supporters before proceeding to get sent off in his final game in Barca colours. Piqué has enjoyed a glittering career with Barca and Manchester United, although he doesn’t quite make the cut for the ultimate centre backs in the 2000s era. Although it looked like Piqué wouldn’t kick a ball again in anger, there is a possibility that he may drop down a division and turn out for the club he owns, FC Andorra.

Piqué is a man with fingers in many pies right now. His Kosmos Tennis company had been going from strength to strength. In 2018, he sealed a partnership with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) worth $3bn to help revolutionise the Davis Cup tournament format. Despite a successful shift towards a week-long World Cup-style event, the finances haven’t stacked up for Kosmos in the first few years. ITF recently revealed the 2023 Davis Cup will be its last with Kosmos, having informed them that they will be serving notice of their arrangement.

SOURCE: Photo

Aside from the tennis, Pique is also a keen poker player. He is an impressive 33rd on the all-time money list of Spanish poker players, raking in $668,155 in live poker earnings to date. His biggest and best live cash came in a European Poker Tour (EPT) No Limit Hold’em event in his native Barcelona, taking home a cool €392,515 for finishing in second place. Overlooking Port Olimpic, Casino Barcelona is the finest place in the Catalan city for poker. It’s therefore no surprise to see the EPT scheduled to return there in August 2023. The EPT carries some of the richest live events for professionals, which makes Piqué’s cash in 2019 even more impressive.

Piqué has been involved with FC Andorra for almost five years

Despite all of these other interests going on in the life of Piqué – as well as a rather acrimonious split from his popstar ex-wife – he’s still hellbent on returning to football in the colours of FC Andorra. Situated in Andorra la Vella, this team was acquired by Kosmos Holding in December 2018, with Piqué becoming the club’s owner. At the time, FC Andorra were playing in the fifth tier of Spanish football, but within a matter of weeks they secured promotion to the Tercera Division. They then paid to replace CF Reus Deportiu in Segunda Division B, with Reus hit by financial difficulties. FC Andorra then claimed promotion to the Segunda Division in May 2022 at the second time of asking, having lost in the promotion playoffs 12 months earlier.

Piqué is inspired to follow in the footsteps of what Marc Gasol did with Basquet Girona and play for the club he owns. The road to becoming an FC Andorra player is by no means a straightforward one for Piqué. First and foremost, it must be an economically viable transfer for the club. LaLiga’s stringent economic controls determine the ‘value’ or worth of each player signed. The LaLiga Valuation Committee decide how much each player is worth towards a club’s salary cap. Given that Piqué’s last Barca contract earned him almost €30m, the committee is unlikely to permit FC Andorra to pay him minimum wage.

Piqué’s Andorran adventure will not come cheap

With it not being as straightforward as drastically slashing his salary demands to play for the club, Piqué is likely to have to stump up further cash to invest in FC Andorra. A capital increase of up to 25% is allowed per season, which reports say could raise a further €2.5m in the salary cap. Additional sponsorship may also be necessary to add further wriggle-room in the budget. This too is by no means straightforward as new sponsorship deals must seek the approval of an independent auditor.

As the club’s owner, Piqué will be all too aware of the road blocks that lie ahead to achieve his Andorran ambition. Could the centre back step out onto the Estadi Nacional and lead ‘Els Tricolors’ into La Liga for the first time? Now that would be a fine way for Piqué to bow out of the beautiful game.

Bet365 Horse Racing App (.APK) for Android & Bonus 2023

Bet365 app is a marvelous application that will present every player and bettor (especially those who are dreaming of perfect horse racing betting) with the best conditions of participation ever. The key advantages of joining the application are given below.

It is an app that is easy to download and install. The process from the very beginning to the end takes only several minutes;
There are quite a few kinds of sports to bet on and the user has an opportunity to start as soon as he signs up and makes a primary deposit;
The application suits perfectly fine for the owners of Android and iOS appliances;
The app looks really nice on the small screen and the user experiences convenience while navigating it. By the way, the design is really attractive too.

How to Install Bet365 Horse Racing App

The installation of the Bet365 app is possible only after the download of the application is over. To initiate it, it is vital to click on the icon for the download of the app (first, it has to be found on our website which is possible by typing in its name in the search bar). Then, it is obligatory to wait for a few minutes till the process is over. After this, the installation is going to start as soon as the user launches it simply by clicking on the apk file that was saved in the section named Downloads (it is presented in every modern device powered by Android).

Having any kind of problems with the installation may be explained by several reasons. The first one can be found in the poor functioning of the device the app is being downloaded on. So, it is crucial to eliminate the major issues then. The second most common cause is the interruption of the download (because of the unstable Wi-Fi connection for example).

How to Place a Bet in the App?

Placing a bet in the Bet365 app https://bet365app.in is a step that is preceded by such two activities as registration (+login) and making a deposit. These requirements are obligatory in order to be able to place the first bet.

Money is topped up by means of following the username (click on it) and proceeding with such an option as Deposit. Then, there is the step of entering the Sports section and choosing horse racing. Soon after this, it is obligatory to take a look at the events, analyze the odds, and make the final decision. State the amount of stake, and this is it! Really easy and cool, right?

Bet365 Bonus

If enjoying the rewards is a passion that is observed in a particular potential participant, the Bet365 app will be an awesome solution to stick to.

There are a lot of promos to deal with and in order to be aware of them all (and the conditions they are connected to), it is advisable to check the app on a regular basis.

So, the welcome bonus is the offer that is loved by the bettors and players most of all. It is accessible only to new customers who have just joined the resource. There are certain requirements to meet in order to use it to the fullest. The main one is the necessity to make the first deposit. And, the offer should be claimed within one month after the sign-up. As for the value of the reward, it is 15%. The smallest deposit that can be made now is 400 rupees (certainly, this condition may change so is it a wise idea to check this info in advance).

Using every bonus that is offered is really nice as long as it increases the chance to earn a lot of cash. And, as long as the Bet365 is a reliable resource, this money will be withdrawn in a short time after the request in connection with this has been made. The participants also state the effective work of customer support in case of difficulties with this.

 

Top Betting Sites in India 2023

The demand for sports betting in India has grown considerably in recent years, as in many Eastern countries. However, the market is still largely untapped and little known to most people.

According to a recent statistical study, more than 49% of adult Indians bet at least once a month, which is several hundred million people minimum. Bookmakers in India are slightly different from the classic western companies.

The sports betting market in India, despite numerous bans and restrictions in many states, is considered one of the most promising at the moment. Sports like cricket, kabaddi and football are the most popular among Indian bettors and these sports account for the bulk of bets.

It is also worth noting that almost every local bookmaker integrates additional services like online casino or betting exchange, which can generally be considered a unique phenomenon in the world of betting. The point of a betting exchange is that you form the odds yourself and compete against other players, while the site providing the service is an intermediary and takes a small percentage for itself as a commission.

Popular Bookmakers In India

The active popularisation of sports betting has led to the emergence of a large number of betting companies. For players from India, there is now a wide list of deliriums, among which there are the best, offering profitable and reliable conditions for playing.

One of the best and most popular Indian betting sites https://online-betting-sites.in is 1xBet. This company is in demand among players due to its main advantages – low margin in odds and extensive betting market coverage.

Bookmaker customers can place interactive bets online from the company’s official website, as well as in its mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Of course, one can’t fail to mention Bet365, which is a leader in betting not only in India but also globally. And if you take into account the population of the Indian peninsula, the local audience makes a significant contribution to the overall popularity of the company.

Betting company Parimatch has long been delighting Indian players with its excellent interface and local focus, offering a large number of sports, especially the cricket betting section, where you can find all possible markets and the best matches from around the world at any time of the year.

Legal Bookmakers In India

There are plenty of legal betting sites in India who are vying to offer their services and are constantly improving their services to attract a larger audience. Your task is to choose the one that suits you best. Some companies are hybrid gambling platforms that combine online casinos, betting exchanges, bookmakers, lotteries and other gambling activities.

We can recommend you sites like 10Cric, 4RaBet, Betway, Betfair and some other companies that have long been established in the Indian gambling market, almost imposing a monopoly on sports betting. However, foreign legal bookmakers also have access to India, such as Bet365, Pinnacle, Parimatch and others.

This large number of sites in no way affects the quality of services, but on the contrary, in the face of fierce competition, only forces them to improve and evolve.

 

The demand for sports betting in India has grown considerably in recent years, as in many Eastern countries. However, the market is still largely untapped and little known to most people.

According to a recent statistical study, more than 49% of adult Indians bet at least once a month, which is several hundred million people minimum. Bookmakers in India are slightly different from the classic western companies.

The sports betting market in India, despite numerous bans and restrictions in many states, is considered one of the most promising at the moment. Sports like cricket, kabaddi and football are the most popular among Indian bettors and these sports account for the bulk of bets.

It is also worth noting that almost every local bookmaker integrates additional services like online casino or betting exchange, which can generally be considered a unique phenomenon in the world of betting. The point of a betting exchange is that you form the odds yourself and compete against other players, while the site providing the service is an intermediary and takes a small percentage for itself as a commission.

Popular Bookmakers In India

The active popularisation of sports betting has led to the emergence of a large number of betting companies. For players from India, there is now a wide list of deliriums, among which there are the best, offering profitable and reliable conditions for playing.

One of the best and most popular Indian betting sites https://online-betting-sites.in is 1xBet. This company is in demand among players due to its main advantages – low margin in odds and extensive betting market coverage.

Bookmaker customers can place interactive bets online from the company’s official website, as well as in its mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Of course, one can’t fail to mention Bet365, which is a leader in betting not only in India but also globally. And if you take into account the population of the Indian peninsula, the local audience makes a significant contribution to the overall popularity of the company.

Betting company Parimatch has long been delighting Indian players with its excellent interface and local focus, offering a large number of sports, especially the cricket betting section, where you can find all possible markets and the best matches from around the world at any time of the year.

Legal Bookmakers In India

There are plenty of legal betting sites in India who are vying to offer their services and are constantly improving their services to attract a larger audience. Your task is to choose the one that suits you best. Some companies are hybrid gambling platforms that combine online casinos, betting exchanges, bookmakers, lotteries and other gambling activities.

We can recommend you sites like 10Cric, 4RaBet, Betway, Betfair and some other companies that have long been established in the Indian gambling market, almost imposing a monopoly on sports betting. However, foreign legal bookmakers also have access to India, such as Bet365, Pinnacle, Parimatch and others.

This large number of sites in no way affects the quality of services, but on the contrary, in the face of fierce competition, only forces them to improve and evolve.

How To Start Betting

Before you start betting, you need to make sure that you can be helped in a timely and proper manner as soon as you have any questions or queries. When deciding to start placing bets on sites in India, it is important to choose a reliable platform, as there are many betting sites that are not professional and safe.

It is very important to sign up with a site that offers great flexibility in terms of payments and withdrawals. The leaders in this area are Bet365, 1xBet, Betfair and others as they accept Indian rupees for payment.

Before you start betting, you need to make sure that you can be helped in a timely and proper manner as soon as you have any questions or queries. When deciding to start placing bets on sites in India, it is important to choose a reliable platform, as there are many betting sites that are not professional and safe.

It is very important to sign up with a site that offers great flexibility in terms of payments and withdrawals. The leaders in this area are Bet365, 1xBet, Betfair and others as they accept Indian rupees for payment.

Crickex Sign In Website in India

It is really pleasant to be a part of the Crickex resource. And, this especially refers to the case when the potential bettor or a player is going to use the website.

The website is very easy to deal with. The user can find the following sections on the home page:

Sports;
Casino;
Slot;
Lottery;
Promotions, etc.

So, these are the basic parts of the platform to be involved in. A home page also offers the chance to register and sign in to the resource. Both of these procedures are extremely easy and take only several minutes of the user’s free time.

The user can also refer to customer support and get engaged in live streaming from the main page of the Crickex site. By the way, there is a guide for the new members of the resource and the enumeration of payment options to work with (all of them are equally convenient but it is only the user who decides which of them to use in the end).

Everyone can familiarize himself with the Terms and Conditions that are suggested on the resource. It is a good idea to do this so as to be aware of what to expect as a result of registering on the platform named Crickex.

Entering via Email

When the user faces the necessity to join his Crokes https//:crickexlogin.in personal account in order to actually start betting and playing, this should be done by means of clicking on the Login button on the main page of the platform.Then, he will be suggested to state his username and password (they were made up when he was registering).

Well, if there is such a problem as forgetting a password that takes place, there is a chance to restore access. The founders of the resource have thought this step over rather carefully. For such a purpose, the user can state his email address. It will help the user to enter a personal account again without any major problems.

Entering by Means of the Phone Number

By the way, forgetting a password is not the greatest trouble that may happen. The user can also regain access to the platform with the help of stating his phone number in the field for restoration.

In this case, he will receive an SMS message with the necessary instructions. This way turns out to be really convenient for many bettors and players of Crickex.

If this does not seem to help for a certain reason, there is a sense in referring to online customer support. It will lead to getting effective assistance from the staff very quickly. And, very soon, the great experience with Crickex is going to be continued!

Customer Support

Crickex customer support is a matter that is just loved by the clients of the resource. and, the reasons for this are rather simple. First of all, the users do not have to wait for ages till they receive a response to their question. Second, such assistance is always given in a polite and detailed form. The clients never experience any rudeness and it is very easy to deal with the instructions that are suggested by the support team. And, finally, all the solutions offered by the team tend to be working which is certainly really nice.

So, customer support can be accessed by means of live chat. In order to start communicating in this chat, the user should state his username and phone number. After this, the access to the chat is going to be granted and a participant will be able to try to resolve any matter that worries him so much.

All in all, the Crickex platform is an awesome Internet spot to spend time at. It is going to present everyone with rich betting and casino experience that will be just unforgettable and very profitable! The most important matter to consider is as follows: it is vital to be determined and confident about what the user is doing.

Sports betting content ideas for your site

One of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your sports betting site is to create the perfect search engine optimisation (SEO) content for it. However, you might find it a tad challenging to figure out what exactly is the best type of content for your site.

Fortunately, there are a lot of ways for you to write sports betting articles because the subject matter has several interesting topics to talk about. If you want to know which type of content to write for sports betting, below are some unique ideas to get you started:

Beginners betting guides

Most of your audiences will be beginners who just delved into sports betting for the first time. This is why writing sports betting content guides is a great way to attract and boost site traffic. Basically, giving them a guide on how to wager on your site.

Start by outlining about which headers you want to include in your content like how the odds work and the different betting markets novice punters need to learn the most. Consider the right keywords in your outlines as well. These help your site rank high in search engines because a lot of beginner punters want to learn the basics of sports betting in the first place.

Game or tournament previews

Any punter who bets on sport is going to be excited for the games that are coming during a season. No matter what sport it is, expect that major gaming and sporting tournaments are going to go trending.

This is an opportunity for you to write content that will spark interest from many fans  because these types of games are the most anticipated in a given season. Whether it be about football’s FIFA World Cup or basketball’s NBA Finals, these events will certainly be talked about which is why you have to write about them to generate clicks for your site.

What’s great about this type of content is that they can be completely unique from previous tournaments because certain matchups and players will be different depending on the situation. You can talk about which teams are favored to win the championship or specific players who are going to win awards. Either way, it’s a great type of content that will hook your audience and thus generate more traffic to your site.

Sports news

Another great content for your sports betting site is daily or weekly news updates about certain famous teams and players. While they may not stay relevant for a long time, news produces a lot of traffic for short bursts of time.

While it’s better to write evergreen content for sports, it’s still great to diversify the types of content that are available in your sports betting site. Writing news also provides a lot of value to your readers because they’ll be updated about the events that are happening in their favourite sports leagues. One thing’s for sure, sports news will pique a lot of interested readers to click your site and see what the latest updates are going to be.

In a nutshell, sports betting content is one of the most enjoyable and interesting types of articles you’re going to write. To generate traffic, ensure that you are creating quality content to rank in search engines.

 

Leinster v Connacht – 2023 Women’s Inter-Pros

Saturday, 7 January 2023 – Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship Round One
Leinster v Connacht, Energia Park, 2.30pm watch live on TG4.

Tania Rosser has named the final squad for the 2023 Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship. Rosser also announced this year’s co-captains as Hannah O’Connor and Christy Haney.

Leinster Rugby women’s side begin the 2023 Interpros this Saturday, 7 January 2023 where they will take on Connacht, in Energia Park.

Tickets can be purchased here, and are priced at €10 for adults and €5 for junior tickets. Leinster Rugby season ticket holders will have free entry to the game as part of their season ticket Blue Benefits.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the players compete at the next level, following their performances in the Energia WAIL competition”, Rosser said at the squad announcement. “It’s fantastic to see so many young players emerge from our province, which is filled with a wealth of potential.”

“We have selected an exciting combination of experienced and youthful talent. Our challenge is to build a cohesive group that genuinely compete for selection, we see the interprovincial series as a crucial step towards the players earning an opportunity to pull on an Irish jersey.”

“I would like to thank all the clubs across the 12 counties for their part in developing the women’s and girls game. We also want to recognize the five regional teams that play a vital role in our Leinster player pathway.”

2023 Leinster Rugby Women’s Interprovincial Series Squad:
Ailsa Hughes – Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC
Alison Coleman – Blackrock College RFC
Anna Doyle – Tullow RFC/Blackrock College RFC
Aoife Dalton – Tullamore RFC/Old Belvedere
Aoife McDermott – Railway Union RFU
Carrie O’Keeffe – Suttonians RFC
Chloe Blackmore – Railway Union RFC
Christy Haney – St Mary’s College RFC/Blackrock College RFC (Co-Captain)
Clare Gorman – Old Belvedere RFC
Clodagh Dunne – Gorey RFC/Old Belvedere RFC
Dannah O’Brien – Tullow RFC/Old Belvedere RFC
Eimear Corri – Portlaoise RFC/Blackrock College RFC
Elaine Anthony – Old Belvedere RFC
Elise O Byrne-White – DUFC/Old Belvedere RFC
Ella Roberts – Wicklow RFC
Emma Kelly – Tullamore RFC/Old Belvedere RFC
Emma Murphy – Railway Union RFC
Emma Tilly – MU Barnhall RFC/Old Belvedere RFC
Hannah O’Connor – CYM RFC/Blackrock College RFC (Co-Captain)
Jenny Murphy – Old Belvedere RFC
Jess Keating – Old Belvedere RFC
Katie Whelan – Enniscorthy RFC/Old Belvedere RFC
Lisa Callan – Railway Union RFC
Lisa Mullen – Virginia RFC/Blackrock College RFC
Mary Healy – Naas RFC/Suttonians RFC
Megan Collis – Greystones RFC/Railway Union RFC
Molly Boyne – DUFC/Railway Union RFC
Molly Scuffil McCabe – Westmanstown/Garda RFC/Railway Union RFC
Niamh O’Dowd – Old Belvedere RFC
Niamh Byrne – Railway Union RFC
Catherine Martin – Suttonians RFC

2023 Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Fixtures:
Saturday, 7 January 2023 – Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship Round One
Leinster v Connacht, Energia Park, 2.30pm (TG4) (TICKETS)

Munster v Ulster Musgrave Park, 4.45pm (TG4)

Saturday, 14 January 2023 – Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship Round Two
Munster v Leinster, Musgrave Park, 12:15pm (TG4)
Ulster v Connacht, Kingspan Stadium, 2.30pm (BBC NI)

Saturday, 21 January 2023 – Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship Round Three
Connacht v Munster, The Sportsground, 1.00pm(TG4)
Ulster v Leinster, Queen’s University Upper Malone, 5.30pm (BBC NI)

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

How to win Rebirth of the Dead in Call of Duty: Warzone

Rebirth of the Dead is a thrilling mode in COD Warzone with limited time. Here, you can play as a human against zombies or as a zombie against humans. The most frightening part is that immediately after a human player is bitten by a zombie, the player spawns into a zombie and joins the fight against humans. This is interesting, challenging, and scary, making the game trickier to win. 

 

The good news is that we’ve got some strategies to help you win Rebirth of the Dead in Call of Duty: Warzone. If you’re a newbie in the COD Warzone series, we advise you to check out these ideal undetected warzone cheats to make the most of your gameplay.

Meanwhile, let’s jump into how to win Rebirth of the Dead in COD Warzone as a zombie and human. 

How to win Rebirth of the Dead in COD: Warzone As a Zombie

Here is how you can win Rebirth of the Dead in COD: Warzone as a Zombie. 

  • Detonate your gas grenade

 

Detonating your gas grenade will disorient the humans as you run and launch your attack on them. On the other hand, EMP explosions can destroy enemy equipment as well. You must be fast and watchful before launching your attacks. You don’t want a human teammate to knock you out.

  • Be as silent as possible when sneaking.

 

If you’re trying to sneak up on the living, make sure you are as quiet as possible. They can spot your position by listening. If you can sneak quietly, you may have the chance to jump on them and have a drink of red wine (blood). 

  • Collect Syringes from Supply Boxes

 

With the fear and endeavor to move away from zombies, humans will scatter syringes everywhere or even in supply boxes. As you play, collect the syringe\s and other valuables in the supply boxes. Always look around for a human sniper. You don’t want to fall for their traps.

  • Join the Zombie rally to attack humans

 

More pressure against humans creates a better opportunity to get closer to them unaware. Join forces with the zombie crew and surround the humans. As they try to defend themselves from the attackers, you can reap their souls by surprise. 

More importantly, don’t get too close unless you’re sure to get a kill.  

Winning Rebirth of the Dead in Call of Duty: Warzone as a Human Player

Here are some tips to win in Rebirth of the Dead in Call of Duty: Warzone as a Human Player. 

  • Gather enough valuable gears

 

Use the early minutes of the game to collect as many valuable gears as possible. You can collect weapons, shields, etc. Rebirth of the Dead is not like a usual battle royale. You’re up against smart and tactical enemies. So, you need appropriate gear to face them.

  • Stay in touch with your squad

 

In other battle royale games, you may find it helpful to separate from your teammate to get more kills, etc. It’s different in Rebirth of the Dead: Warzone. If you wander away from your squad, you will be downed in less than no time, no matter how skilled you are. 

 

To survive in the game, you need your team. Stay together and fight together. That way, you can defeat a swarm of zombies and move on to the next zone. 

  • Optimize your Sensitivity Settings

 

Since you’ll be turning around swiftly in the game, you should optimize your sensitivity settings to suit your gameplay. You don’t want something so fast that you’ll have to look around and fire without precision. 

 

Also, you don’t want something slow that you’ll be attacked before you even lock on your target. Experiment and find the best sensitivity settings to play with.

  • Fight as you move

 

Since the zombies you’re fighting against will not stop spawning, you should consider shooting and moving. Although leaving zombies undead can increase their numbers, you should try your best to get to a safer environment. 

  • Don’t stand near high grounds

 

Zombies in Rebirth of the Dead COD: Warzone flanks human enemies. They can climb buildings and high grounds and jump onto your head. As you attack, ensure you’re not under or close to a tall structure. 

  • Revive is Reciprocal

In all Call of Duty series, teammates can revive one another when they get hit. So, in Rebirth of the Dead, revive any of your teammate that is down. In turn, they will also revive you when you fall. 

By doing so, your team will live longer and stand a chance to win the match. 

Conclusion

 

If you follow these tips, you’ll be playing and winning Rebirth of the Dead like a pro. You have to gather enough useful weapons and fight together with your squad. That is when playing as a human. 

 

On the other hand, as a zombie, team up with your infected friends and fight the living. Collect syringes, and don’t forget to drop your gas grenades.

Who Will Finish in the Top 4 in the Premier League?

Soccer fans across the globe expected to see a two-team race in the battle for the Premier League silverware this season. It is exactly the scenario we might get based on everything we have seen in the first third of the campaign. However, while all expected Manchester City and Liverpool to be these two teams, it’s Arsenal who stunned everyone with a phenomenal start to the 2022/23 season.

They are at the very top of the Premier League ladder and have a two-point advantage over Manchester City after twelve rounds. The other team we all expected in the contest for the silverware, Liverpool, have already given up the battle in the early stages of the campaign after a horrendous start.ave

The question is now whether Arsenal can maintain this amazing level of soccer and stay in contention for the title as we approach the second half of the season.

Man City are still enormous favorites

If you take a look at the sportsbooks’ odds for the outright winner markets, you’ll see that Manchester City are massive favorites to defend their title’ told us John Pentin, football expert at BettingPicks4You. Indeed, it is very hard to see any team in the league capable of coping with Pep Guardiola’s machinery over the course of the season. The Citizens have the best creator in the league in the like of Kevin De Bruyne and the best talisman up front in the like of Erling Haaland. When you add the likes of Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Rodri, Aymeric Laporte, Ederson, and a whole load of high-profile stars at their prime, you practically get an unplayable team in the long run. With all due respect to the rest of the pack, we can hardly see any team within a six-point range of Manchester City at the end of the season.

Will Arsenal drop any time soon?

As for the rest of the pack, Arsenal have been the most impressive outfit by a mile so far in the season. The Gunners won ten of the inaugural twelve games of the season, showing quality at both ends of the pitch. Mikel Arteta used to work with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and it will be very exciting to see whether this team actually has limits when it faces tougher challenges consistency-wise later on in the season. Anyways, we would not be surprised to see the Gunners as runners-up come May. Can they hurt the champions, though? Most likely not because they lack experience in tough matches.

Lethargic Spurs

Alongside Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur are probably one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season. We expected a lot from the team managed by Antonio Conte and boosted by some great additions, namely Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, and Yves Bissouma. However, Spurs offer very little in terms of creativity under Conte and they are an awful side to watch. Tottenham are inside the top four at the moment but we would not be surprised to see them dropping out by the end of the season.

Newcastle and Manchester United as serious prospects

In our projections, the remaining two Champions League spots would be reserved for the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle. Erik ten Hag has completely transformed Manchester United since arriving at Old Trafford, while the Magpies are one of the most attractive teams to watch under Eddie Howe. We certainly rate their chances of a top-four finish more than we do those of Chelsea or Liverpool at the moment. You can get very generous odds for backing either Newcastle or Manchester United to finish in the top four at the end of the campaign.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023: The venues

This is part of the content being provided by the ICC for free editorial use; more such articles, match reports, photographs, videos, transcripts and translations will be available in the ICC Online Media Zone in the coming weeks

The stage is set for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa, with three iconic venues set to play host to 23 fixtures.

All three stadiums already have storied World Cup histories, having all hosted matches in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003 that live long in the memory.

The 10 qualified teams will want to write the next chapters with more memorable moments in February; here is all you need to know about all three venues.

Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town

When the champions are crowned on February 26, they will lift the trophy in the iconic surrounds of Newlands.

Overlooked by Table Mountain, Newlands is one of cricket’s most picturesque venues and the Cape Town suburb will host the final, as well as the opener and both semi-finals.

With a capacity of 25,000, atmospheres are set to be rocking across the 12 games that the ground will host in total, including four double headers during the group stage.

The action will get underway with hosts South Africa taking on Sri Lanka on February 10, while runners-up last time India will play two of their group games here.

Rivals Pakistan will be the first to face India in a mouth-watering match-up, before the West Indies are their opponents three days later.

Elsewhere in Group B, Ireland will play both Pakistan and the West Indies, before England take on Pakistan in the final group stage game on February 21.

In Group A, Bangladesh will take the Newlands pitch three times, as they face Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and then the hosts in South Africa’s legislative capital.

Whoever takes to the field in February will be hoping to write the latest chapter in the stadium’s World Cup history, with Brian Lara’s two huge knocks nearly 20 years ago among the standout moments to date.

Lara hit 116 runs from 134 balls as the West Indies beat South Africa by three runs, before an outstanding 73 off 40 to fire the Windies past Canada.

Newlands was also the venue for a young James Anderson’s four for 29 in a Player of the Match performance against Pakistan, while Sourav Ganguly hit 107 not out for India against Kenya.

St George’s Park Cricket Ground, Gqeberha

Reigning champions Australia will soon become familiar with St George’s Park, with three of their four group games taking place in Port Elizabeth.

Up to 19,000 fans will be packed in for a total of five matches and the action begins on Valentine’s Day, when Australia and Bangladesh will hope to feel the love from the Gqeberha faithful famous for its brass band.

Australia will then take on Sri Lanka and South Africa in Group A, before focus will switch to Group B as England take on India on February 18 and Ireland and India play the final game at St George’s Park two days later.

The venue played host to five matches during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 20 years ago, including a rain-affected semi-final between Australia and Sri Lanka, where eventual champions Australia won by 48 runs.

It also saw England beat Namibia thanks to Alec Stewart’s 60, despite Jan-Berrie Burger hitting 85 from 86 balls, while Australia emerged victorious against their oldest rivals England by two wickets as Andy Bichel took seven for 20.

Boland Park, Paarl

Boland Park will host six matches across the group stage, with play getting underway in Paarl when Australia take on New Zealand before the White Ferns play hosts South Africa two days later.

The stadium will host three double headers, with England and the West Indies also in action alongside Australia and New Zealand on February 11.

England then welcome Ireland two days later before February 19 sees New Zealand play Sri Lanka and Pakistan take on West Indies.

The six matches in 2023 is double the tally the 10,000 fans that can fit into Boland Park were treated to almost two decades ago, with just three matches during the 2003 Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar top-scored for India as they beat the Netherlands in the first match despite Player of the Match Tim de Leede taking four for 35.

Sri Lanka then beat Canada by nine wickets as Prabath Nissanka shone with the ball, posting career-best figures of four for 12 before a Yousuf Youhana-inspired Pakistan beat Netherlands by 97 runs.

Noble Yeats being aimed at Aintree Grand National repeat

Irish trainer Emmet Mullins has confirmed that Noble Yeats is being aimed for an Aintree Grand National repeat on Saturday 15 April 2023.

Mullins is hoping his stable star can emulate the heroics of Gigginstown House Stud’s Tiger Roll in 2018 in 2019 and says he “cannot see any reason why we shouldn’t fancy our chances once again”.

Noble Yeats was a 50-1 shock when successful in last year’s Aintree Grand National under jockey Sam Waley-Cohen.

The Aintree Grand National winner has achieved two victories from three outings so far this season. A Listed win at Wexford in October was followed by a three and a quarter length success in the Grade Two Boylesports Many Clouds on the Mildmay Course back at Aintree last month.

A trip to Lingfield Park for the Fleur de Lys Chase in late January is currently on the cards for the son of Yeats. Mullins is considering a tilt at the Grade One Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 17 after that.

Only two horses in history have won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National. Golden Miller completed the double in 1934 while L’Escargot scored at Cheltenham in 1970 and 1971 before famously pushing Red Rum into second place when successful in the 1975 Grand National.

Mullins purchased Noble Yeats for £75,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale in December 2019 for owner Paul Byrne. He was sold privately to the Waley-Cohens after chasing home Ahoy Senor in the Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby in February 2022.

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