Shifting their focus towards the summer transfer window, Arsenal are now reportedly in pole position ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign a 20-goal striker worth £62m.

Arsenal transfer news

Whether it’s been with or without Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal’s biggest obstacle has been their struggling frontline this season. It has stood in the way of that crucial next step for Mikel Arteta, who has watched his side go from free-flowing to set piece specialists at times even when everyone was fit.

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The Spaniard will be desperate to rediscover that attractive, attacking spark, which should see the Gunners step into the transfer market in pursuit of finally finding a forward capable of dragging them to major silverware.

Already, several names have been mentioned as possible candidates on that front with Alexander Isak the biggest of the lot. The Newcastle United man has once again enjoyed a standout season for the Magpies to reportedly bump his price up to a staggering £150m ahead of the summer transfer window. As much as Arsenal admire the Swede, it remains to be seen whether they can afford to meet such a figure.

Instead, they could turn towards an alternative option who has been just as impressive this season. According to Sport Digitale’s Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Arsenal are now leading the race ahead of Manchester United to sign Victor Osimhen, who has a release clause of just £62m this summer.

The Napoli man, who’s been on loan at Galatasaray this season, has looked destined for the top of European football for some time now, but has often been priced out of a move by his parent club.

Now worth £62m, however, the Nigerian could finally get the move that he has been craving since Napoli left him with no choice but to head out on loan to Galatasaray last summer.

"Dominant" Osimhen would end Arsenal's attacking woes

Whilst Havertz could be accused of drifting out of games without making his mark, Osimhen is a player more than capable of taking responsibility and dragging his side to success. He did exactly that at Napoli when they won the Scudetto in the 2022/23 campaign and he’s now doing exactly that at Galatasaray, who sit six points clear at the top of the Turkish Super Lig.

The Nigerian has more than played his part in that rise, scoring 20 goals despite playing just 27 games in all competitions. Described as “dominant aerially” and a “powerful ball striker” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Osimhen is everything that Arsenal’s blunt frontline lacks.

For close to £100m less than Isak, Arsenal could land a goalscorer with experience at the very top who is primed to step back into one of Europe’s top five leagues this summer.

Southampton are now in the race to sign a “rising star”, who is set to be available for a bargain fee in the summer, according to a report.

Saints face uphill battle to avoid relegation

In truth, there is a very good chance the Saints will be playing Championship football once again next season, having won just two league games all season, with Ivan Juric’s side still sitting bottom of the Premier League table.

Juric is likely to be under even more pressure after the FA Cup exit at the hands of Championship promotion-hopefuls Burnley last weekend, and there are some tricky fixtures on the horizon.

Southampton’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

AFC Bournemouth (h)

February 15th

Brighton (h)

February 22nd

Chelsea (a)

February 25th

Liverpool (a)

March 8th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

March 15th

As such, Southampton fans may already be mentally preparing for life in the second tier, but club chiefs are continuing to identify potential targets for the summer, although the calibre of players they are able to bring in will depend on what division they are in.

According to a report from SportBILD, one player the Saints have in mind is Hertha BSC forward Ibrahim Maza, who is a subject of interest for seven Premier League clubs.

AC Milan and FC Porto also made approaches to sign Maza this winter, but Hertha knocked back the offers, having been keen to receive over €20m (£16.7m) for his services.

That asking price is set to drop in the summer, however, as a special clause in the Algerian’s contract means the figure will have to be halved, indicating he could be available for around £8.3m.

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ByTom Cunningham Feb 7, 2025 Maza is a "rising star" after excelling in Germany

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has previously lauded the forward as a “rising star”, and he is enjoying a real breakthrough season in Germany, picking up seven goals and four assists in 24 appearances in all competitions.

The young number 10 has also received praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who likened his deceptive strength to that of Gabriel Carvalho and Ethan Nwaneri.

Although he is yet to prove himself in a major league, with Hertha currently in the Bundesliga II, Maza clearly has a lot of potential, and he could be a fantastic acquisition for the Saints.

The only issue is Southampton will find it very difficult to win the race for the starlet’s signature if they are relegated from the top flight, given the level of interest, although the recent 2-1 win at Ipswich Town gives them a glimmer of hope in the relegation battle.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou could see Spurs sign a highly-rated forward at a substantial summer discount, according to a former Lilywhites employee.

Johan Lange shortlisting Tottenham forward targets for this summer

While Spurs sealed an option to buy in their loan deal for Bayern Munich sensation Mathys Tel, which stands at around £45 million, there is no guarantee the 19-year-old will commit his future to N17.

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A return to Bayern remains possible, while some sources believe that Tel would still like to join Man United instead of Spurs for the 2025/2026 season. The versatile attacker has agreed a six-year contract if he does choose to stay in north London (David Ornstein), but the final decision will rest on his shoulders.

Man City (home)

Today

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Chelsea (away)

April 2nd

Southampton (home)

April 5th

With Timo Werner looking set to return to RB Leipzig and Tottenham open to selling Richarlison (GiveMeSport), not to mention Son Heung-min facing his final season and a half at Spurs, technical director Johan Lange is planning for the future.

Tottenham are shortlisting summer forward targets to bolster Postecolgou’s squad for next campaign, and as per usual, chairman Daniel Levy, Lange and the recruitment team appear set to pull focus on signing world-class young talent.

Spurs are targeting Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens, who has reportedly been told he’s free to find a new club this summer (Graeme Bailey), while it is also believed that Southampton starlet Tyler Dibling remains on their radar.

The 19-year-old has been an impressive ever-present in Southampton’s team throughout this term, bagging four goals and two assists, with clubs taking note of his serious potential.

Spurs are one of the clubs monitoring Dibling ahead of this summer, but reports suggest that the Saints could demand as much as £55 million for him.

Tottenham tipped to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton for just £25m

However, if Southampton were to be relegated, which is a very distinct possibility, then they could be forced to accept a cut-price offer, especially if the winger pushes for a return to the Premier League.

That is according to former Tottenham chief scout Mick Brown, who told Football Insider that he expects Spurs to sign Dibling for just £25 million.

“Somebody will come along for Dibling at the end of the season,” he said. “I can’t see Southampton doing much about that if they’re relegated. They’re going to have to make sales, and he’s the outstanding candidate for that given his value and the level of interest there is in him.

“I think an offer of around £25million would be enough to get that done. I can see him making the move to Tottenham because they’re aiming to buy that sort of player.

“They’ve got Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mikey Moore all coming into the team. So there are quite a few young players in that team and I think they’ll want to add Dibling to that group.

“I imagine Tottenham will be preparing to make an offer for him at the end of the season. And I think it’s a certainty that he will leave Southampton, I can’t see him staying there if there are offers coming in for him.”

Manchester United are unlikely to part ways with manager Ruben Amorim even if the club lose the Europa League final against Tottenham.

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Man Utd's stance on Amorim revealedRed Devils face Spurs in Europa League finalUnited next face Chelsea in the Premier LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils have endured a nightmare journey in the 2024-25 campaign as they have lost 17 matches in the Premier League and are 16th on the points table, their worst league position since the 1973-74 season. Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November, failed to uplift the team's performance domestically as they also faced elimination from the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup after losing against Fulham and Tottenham, respectively.

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In the Europa League, however, the Red Devils have shown consistency and have beaten some quality opposition like Lyon and Athletic Club to reach the final of the competition, where they will face fellow English club Tottenham. reports that irrespective of United's result in the final, the club will continue with the Portuguese coach as they believe the manager should get at least the summer transfer window to sign new players that suit his system.

DID YOU KNOW?

After the club's latest defeat against West Ham in the league, Amorim had sent out a message to minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as he said: "We need to be really strong in the summer, we need to be brave."

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Before the all-important Europa League final next week, United are scheduled to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday.

This season has felt like a real slog for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have had to deal with a drop in form, questionable officiating, and a mountain of injuries, which have eviscerated their frontline.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are all out injured, with the last two not set to return until next season, which makes the decision not to sign anyone last month look utterly absurd.

Arsenal’s Injuries

Player

Injury

Potential Return

Gabriel Jesus

ACL

22/11/2025

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Knee Surgery

06/10/2025

Kai Havertz

Hamstring

21/07/2025

Gabriel Martinelli

Hamstring

01/04/2025

Bukayo Saka

Hamstring

16/03/2025

Following the loss of Havertz earlier this month, we reckon the manager would love to have one of his former forward options back in the squad, especially as he’s won comparisons to Manchester City’s new addition, Omar Marmoush.

Havertz's pre-injury form

It would be fair to say that Havertz is a centre-forward who divides opinion.

After all, the former Chelsea ace was initially signed as a midfielder to replace Granit Xhaka in the summer of 2023.

However, while the criticisms of his finishing ability certainly hold true, as evidenced by Understat revealing he’s underperformed his expected goals by 2.76 this season, he’s been more effective than people have perhaps given him credit for this year.

Havertz’s 24/25

Appearances

34

Minutes

2776′

Goals

15

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

138.8

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in 34 appearances before his injury, totalling 2776 minutes, the 25-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by writer Jake Entwistle, managed to rack up a pretty decent haul of 15 goals and five assists.

That means the Aachen-born forward was averaging a goal involvement every 1.7 games, or every 138.8 minutes, which not only makes him the Gunners’ top scorer this year but also demonstrates why his absence from the starting lineup for the rest of the campaign is such a significant concern.

It’s a problem that Arteta will have to find a solution for as soon as possible, and while he likely will, we can’t help thinking about how useful it’d be to have one of his former stars back in the team, especially as they’ve won comparisons to Marmoush of all people this year.

The former Arsenal star compared to Marmoush

Arsenal have had some brilliant strikers play for them in recent history, such as Olivier Giroud and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but perhaps one of their most underrated number nines in the modern era was Alexandre Lacazette.

The French poacher joined the Gunners in the window before Aubameyang arrived, so his efforts in attack were often, understandably, underappreciated, as while he could be profligate and even sluggish at times, the Lyon-born star had a pretty decent record.

When he left the Emirates for free in the summer of 2023, the 33-year-old did so with 71 goals and 32 assists to his name in 206 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, and considering he’s since racked up a haul of 63 goals and 12 assists in 103 appearances for Lyon, it would be fair to say he would’ve been the ideal solution to Havertz’s recent injury.

On top of his raw output, the French “goal machine,” as former teammate Sokratis described him, has been likened to one of the most exciting players in Europe this season: Marmoush.

The comparison stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Egyptian is the second most similar forward to the Lyon star.

Lacazette & Marmoush

Statistics per 90

Lacazette

Marmoush

Progressive Passes Received

7.52

7.52

Penalty Kicks

0.14

0.10

Goals per Shot

0.15

0.18

Passing Accuracy

70.6%

71.2%

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.45

1.44

Passes into the Final Third

1.66

1.78

Expected Assists

0.26

0.24

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, progressive passes received, penalty kicks, goals per shot, expected assists, passing accuracy, passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, there can be no doubt over the fact that following Havertz’s injury, Arsenal are in the midst of a crisis in attack, and while moving Lacazette on over two years ago was probably the right move, we can’t help but imagine Arteta would be feeling much better about the situation with him in his squad.

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Players have not been paid their monthly retainers or even match fees, despite the season having started on August 30

Umar Farooq14-Dec-2022

The delay in payments is understood to be a result of the volume of cricket this season at home•AFP

Nearly 200 of Pakistan’s domestic cricketers are still awaiting payments for participating in a domestic season that is less than a month from its conclusion. ESPNcricinfo understands that 192 players who have taken part in a number of domestic tournaments – including the National T20 Cup and the Quaid-e-Azam trophy – have not been paid their monthly retainers or even match fees, despite the season having started on August 30. Thus far, players have only been paid their daily expenses.Several players as well as sources within the PCB confirmed a delay in the distribution of the payments, which is understood to be a result of the volume of cricket this season at home; that includes a brand new tournament in the Pakistan Junior League which diverted much administrative energy towards its staging.Related

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The delay is also said to be partly because of administrative issues arising from the approval by the PCB’s Board of Governors of an increment in its domestic players’ monthly retainers and match fees. Nevertheless, for an administration headed by a former cricketer in Ramiz Raja, the excessive delay has caused unnecessary hardships for a vast majority of domestic cricketers who rely solely on cricket to make a living. This delay in payment also comes at a time in which the Pakistan economy is in deep turmoil, the value of the rupee plummeting and soaring inflation that, in November, was above 20%.In 2019, the PCB revamped the domestic structure, abolishing traditional regional and department teams and narrowing down the national pipeline into six associations representing all six provinces in the country. Before that, a significant amount of domestic cricketers were on contracts with departments they played for such as Sui Gas Northern Pipelines (SNGPL) or Habib Bank (HBL). The remaining regional players were paid by the PCB. In the new model, the entire cost of close to Rs 2 billion is borne by the PCB.Players’ domestic contacts normally span August to July but PCB only awarded the contracts mid-season in November this year. And players, ESPNcricinfo understands, only received their contracts in the first week of December after the completion of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy. Nearly 80% of players have signed the contracts and returned them and are hoping to get paid this monthAll 33 centrally contracted national players have been paid their retainers regularly, though match fees are paid in blocks after the series or tournament they participate in. Earlier this year, national cricketers did push back against the standard practice of the PCB to offer contracts and push players to sign it immediately, without consultation. A group of players did reach out to their own lawyers for advice before signing the contracts just before the tour to Netherlands. But, after extensive discussions, the PCB agreed to amend several clauses and contracts were signed.Historically, the PCB hasn’t formally negotiated with players on contracts, and players have rarely disputed any clauses, beyond ensuring satisfactory annual pay rises. But the current crop of players is increasingly aware of their commercial value and how that should be represented in a contract. Similarly, domestic contracts are usually signed by players without much discussion.Several players confirmed that the PCB has promised it will start distributing the National T20 Cup match fee this week, followed by the Quaid-e-Azam trophy. However, retainer payments will only be cleared by next month.The PCB had offered players contacts across five categories. Fifteen players will be in category A+, 35 in category A, 48 in category B, 70 in category C and 24 in category D. As per the new financial model, a player who played in the QeA Trophy receives a match fee of PKR 100,000. Those playing the white-ball tournaments – the Pakistan Cup and the National T20 – now earn PKR 60,000 per game. The non-playing members of a squad get PKR 40,000 and PKR 20,000 per match in red and white-ball cricket respectively.

Real Madrid players have reportedly been left fuming by Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal's jibes as animosity intensifies ahead of Clasico showdown.

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• Barcelona have a perfect record in El Clásicos this season
• Beat Real Madrid to lift the Copa del Rey trophy
• Yamal & Martinez's jibes not taken lightly by Los Blancos

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal, still only 17, has not shied away from the spotlight or from engaging in the psychological warfare that so often surrounds El Clásico. The first spark of this growing animosity dates back to the aftermath of Barcelona’s triumph over Real Madrid in the 2023 Spanish Super Cup. Ronald Araújo, one of Barça’s leaders, proudly announced the beginning of a "new era" for the Catalan club, a comment that was not well received in the Real Madrid dressing room.

  Though the Blaugrana celebrated that victory, Madrid’s response came loud and clear over the following months. The capital side secured their 36th La Liga title and clinched the “Decimoquinta” – their 15th Champions League trophy – sending a clear message that Barcelona’s so-called new age was short-lived.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT YAMAL SAID

  According to what further fuelled the rivalry was Yamal’s bold statement following Barcelona’s win against Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. The young winger revealed a conversation he had with teammate Ronald Araújo before the game, saying: "Talking to Ronald (Araújo) at the hotel, I told him that if we concede a goal, it doesn't matter. If we concede two goals, it doesn't matter either. This year, they simply can't beat us."

  This confidence, or arrogance, depending on perspective, was not taken lightly by the Madrid camp. Several players, still smarting from the loss, were reportedly stunned by Yamal’s swagger and perceived lack of respect.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barcelona veteran Iñigo Martínez joined in with his own post-match jab, suggesting that “football was the real winner” and that Barça had simply proven to be the superior side. His words further irritated a Madrid squad that already felt wounded by the defeat and the growing public narrative around their declining dominance.

  "I think football won today, and that's what's important. For our part, we had to show we were better, as we did," the defender quipped.

  After a tough Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan, Barça’s players seem eager to reaffirm their domestic authority. Martinez, despite the disappointment in Europe, boldly declared: "La Liga is ours and the next game will be ours, I have no doubt about it…we're going after Madrid without any problem," the centre back declared.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Such proclamations have only sharpened the focus at Valdebebas, where Madrid’s players have used these statements as motivation. Watching Barcelona’s Champions League semifinal collapse together, the Madrid squad reportedly saw a team that had been mentally and physically drained. Their aim now is to capitalize on that vulnerability when they meet at Montjuïc.

  Currently trailing Barcelona by four points in the league standings, Real Madrid know that Sunday’s fixture could swing the title race back in their favour. A win would reduce the gap to just one point, turning up the heat in what is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling La Liga finishes in years.

علق الإعلامي أحمد شوبير على الحديث المتزايد عن تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية المقبلة، مشددًا على ضرورة منح المدير الفني الجديد الفرصة الكاملة للتعرف على الفريق واتخاذ قراراته بحرية.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الخميس: “الناس بدأت تتكلم عن تشكيل الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية، احذروا، المدير الفني الجديد مازال لم يضع يده على الفريق بالكامل، بالفعل أجرى أكثر من تدريب، لكنهم ليسوا كافيين لبطولة مثل هذه البطولة”.

وأضاف: “أنا لا أبرر ولا أمنحه أعذارًا، طالما تولى المسؤولية فهو مسؤول أمام جماهير الأهلي والجماهير المصرية، الجماهير العاقلة ستشجع الأهلي، وهناك ناس لن تُحب أن تشجع الفريق، وبالتالي أنت لا تقدر على الضغط عليهم، كل واحد حر في الفريق الذي يشجعه”.

طالع أيضًا | “مكاسب بالمليارات”.. آخر تطورات تأسيس استاد الأهلي وموعد الافتتاح

وواصل: “لكن ظروف تولي خوسيه ريبييرو تدريب الأهلي في هذا التوقيت صعبة جدًا، لكن التغيير كان حتميًا، وجود عماد النحاس ومحمد يوسف يُسهلان له المهمة، خاصة أن يوسف يختلف عن محمد رمضان المدير الرياضي السابق، لأن الأخير لم يكن مديرًا فنيًا ويوسف في الأصل مدير فني”.

واختتم: “أتصور أن الناس لا تتكلم كثيرًا في التشكيل، دعوا الرجل هو من يختار، بالتأكيد ستكون هناك خلافات في وجهات النظر حول من يشارك ومن لا يشارك، الناس أحيانًا تضع أنفسها مدربين، هذا أمر يحدث بشكل طبيعي، لكن اعطوا الرجل فرصة، وعماد النحاس سيساعده، والأهلي أمامه تحد أكثر من صعب في هذه البطولة”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na quarta-feira (29), a Conmebol abriu um expediente disciplinar contra o Boca Juniors após três torcedores da equipe argentina serem detidos em flagrante por crimes de racismo cometidos durante o empate em 0 a 0 com o Corinthians, pelo jogo de ida das oitavas de final da Libertadores.

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Após a notificação de abertura do expediente disciplinar, o clube argentinotem sete dias para apresentar a sua defesa.Caso solicite audiência presencial, o prazo para o julgamento pode ser estendido.

Quando a defesa apresentar os seus argumentos, os documentos serão encaminhados aos juízes, que podem levar cerca de cinco dias para tomar uma decisão. Após a decisão, a resolução é notificada pela Unidade Disciplinar no site da Conmebol.

Dessa forma, é improvável que o veredito saia antes do jogo de volta entre Timão e Boca, na próxima terça-feira (5), na Bombonera.

+ TABELA – Confira e simule as partidas do Corinthians no Brasileirão

No último dia 9 de maio, a Conmebol fez alterações no Artigo 17 do Código Disciplinar da entidade, aumentando a punição para casos de racismo de 30 para 100 mil dólares (R$ 480 mil, na cotação atual).

Na fase de grupos, tanto no duelo na Neo Química Arena como no jogo da Bombonera, foram registrados gestos racistas por parte de torcedores da equipe xeneize. A Conmebol multou o Boca em 30 mil dólares (R$ 144 mil, na cotação atual) por conta de gestos racistas feito pelo torcedor Leonardo Ponzo à torcida do Corinthians, durante a vitória por 2 a 0 dos brasileiros na Neo Química Arena.

Como o ocorrido na arena corintiana foi antes da mudança no Código Disciplinar, o caso foi julgado internamente nos moldes antigos.

Em relação aos crimes cometidos no primeiro jogo das oitavas de final da Libertadores, dois dos três torcedores do Boca detidos na Arena pagaram a fiança estipulada em R$ 20 mil e foram liberados.

O único que segue detido é um morador de rua argentino, mas que está no Brasil há alguns dias. Ele não tinha o valor de fiança estipulado e foi deslocado para um Centro de Detenção Policial não especificado.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored his 11th Test century to defy an Australian attack without Pat Cummins as a gutsy West Indies pushed the first Test into a fifth day.Needing a record 498 runs for victory or – more realistically – to bat through 154 overs to draw, Brathwaite superbly batted through the final two sessions of day four to provide hope for the injury-hit tourists.But West Indies’ chances of starving off defeat in the series opener still appear unlikely even amid the uncertainty over Cummins, who did not bowl after experiencing quadricep soreness/ He returned to the field in the final session and appeared to be moving around without obvious discomfort. An assessment tomorrow morning will determine whether Cummins can bowl on the fifth day.Related

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Nathan Lyon relished shouldering more of the workload and claimed two wickets as he conjured menacing bounce on the Optus Stadium surface.Leading from the front, Brathwaite was in sublime touch and scored uncharacteristically quickly to make Australia’s shorthanded attack toil. He reached a deserved ton just before stumps but will likely need to bat for the long haul on day five to thwart Australia’s bid for victory.Brathwaite passed 5000 Test runs with a gorgeous drive down the ground to capitalise on the unavailability of Cummins, who had starred in West Indies’ first innings to claim his 200th Test wicket.Former skipper Steve Smith took the captaincy reins during Cummins’s absence as Australia failed to make inroads against Brathwaite and debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who batted mostly untroubled through the entire second session. Chanderpaul scored just three runs off his first 36 balls in an effective rearguard alongside a fluent Brathwaite.Nathan Lyon removed Shamarh Brooks•AFP

For a spark, Smith even resorted to Marnus Labuschagne who bowled medium pacers instead of his usual legspin but it didn’t do the trick.But the return of Cummins, even though he couldn’t bowl, was surely a tonic for Australia as quick Mitchell Starc finally provided the breakthrough when Chanderpaul chopped on to end an impressive Test debut with scores of 51 and 45.Starc made amends after dropping Chanderpaul moments earlier on the boundary with Australia’s frustration underlined by Cameron Green punching the ground having missed out on a wicket.Australia’s mood brightened when Lyon picked up Shamarh Brooks, who as the concussion substitute had batted well against the odds in the first innings but fell cheaply second time around after edging to slip.Australia hoped to tear through West Indies amid the ground’s increasing shadows but Jermaine Blackwood successfully reviewed a lbw decision off Josh Hazlewood. However, He never looked comfortable and fell to Lyon just before stumps.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Australia had earlier declared their second innings at lunch after Labuschagne added a ton to his first innings double century. Labuschagne rode some luck to become just the third Australia batter after Greg Chappell and Doug Walters to score a double century and century in the same Test.Labuschagne made 308 runs for the match to continue a personal run spree at Optus Stadium after he scored 143 and 50 against New Zealand three years ago in the last Test played at the ground.Labuschagne received luck on his way to his ninth Test century when he top-edged to gully via his helmet but was reprieved by a no-ball from Alzarri Joseph amid a riveting battle.After receiving medical attention, Labuschagne continued on his merry way and passed 2000 Test runs in Australia in his 31st innings. Only Sir Don Bradman (19 in England and 26 in Australia), and Sir Garfield Sobers (29 in West Indies) have achieved the milestone in a country faster.David Warner, however, missed a golden opportunity to end a three-year Test drought when he fell for 48, while Green didn’t bat in the match in his debut Test at home.West Indies’ shorthanded attack was unable to limit Australia with spearhead Kemar Roach forced off after injuring his left thigh, while seamer Kyle Mayers did not bowl in the innings due to a strain in his right teres major muscle.Adding to their woes, top-order batter Nkrumah Bonner was on day three substituted out of the match with concussion after being hit in the back of the helmet from a Green short delivery.But the beleaguered tourists reached the final day and their hopes rested on their gritty skipper.