Luton Town got a mention in prime minister’s questions, when Sir Keir Starmer congratulated them for winning the EFL Trophy. “They were coached, of course, by Jack Wilshere,” he said. “A great ex-Arsenal star.” I suppose Arsenal fans like the PM need to take any reflected glory they can these days.
A month ago they were going for the quadruple, then Manchester City beat them in the League Cup final, Southampton knocked them out of the FA Cup and Bournemouth won at the Emirates in the league. They are in the Champions League semi-finals but only after a timid 1-0 aggregate win over Sporting. Arsenal now go to City, knowing defeat will cut their league lead to three points having played one game more. The anxiety must be taking a bit of the pleasure away from seeing Tottenham in the relegation zone (today, Sky Sports Main, 4.30pm).
One reason given for Southampton’s Cup win was their decision not to wear red and white against Arsenal despite being the home side. Saints ran out in yellow and blue to commemorate the strip they wore when they won the Cup in 1976. They will wear it again in the semi-final against City as they bid to become the first second-tier side to reach the final since Cardiff in 2008 (Saturday, BBC One, 5.15pm).
After five matches of this year’s Indian Premier League, Cameron Green hadn’t quite earned the record £2.22m that Kolkata Knight Riders had paid for him. The Australian had made 56 runs and taken one wicket. He was being outshone by Barnstaple’s Jamie Overton (a snip at £120,000), who compiled 87 runs and five wickets from four matches for Chennai Super Kings.
Green gets another chance to prove his worth today against Rajasthan Royals, who have one of the players of the competition (Sky Sports Cricket, 11am). Vaibhav Suryavanshi is costing the Royals only £87,000, good pocket money for someone who turned 15 last month. He has rewarded them with 200 runs at a strike-rate of 263.
You have to go back eight years to find England’s last defeat in the Women’s Six Nations, 18-17 by France in Grenoble in 2018, and the sides will meet in the final match of this year’s tournament. England next host Wales, winners of the wooden spoon for the past two years (Saturday, BBC Two, 2.15pm).
Harder to pick is the winner of the first women’s golf major of the year. Different names have won the past 14, none of them British. Georgia Hall was the last, at the 2018 British Open. There are, however, two English golfers in the world’s top 10. Perhaps Charley Hull or Lottie Woad will be in contention at the Chevron Championship in Houston (Thursday, Sky Sports Main, 4pm).
Photograph by Biju Boro/ AFP via Getty Images
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