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The NZ allrounder talks about her break from cricket, her return, and how the team is shaping up under a new leadership

S Sudarshanan19-Sep-20223:25

Amelia Kerr: ‘Wanted to learn as much possible’ from Satterthwaite, Bates when I got into team

New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr describes the past year as “massive” for her “personal growth”, having come through a roller-coaster 2021.Before New Zealand’s tour of England in August 2021, she opted for a break to focus on mental health and then skipped the Women’s Big Bash League. She returned to competitive cricket in November 2021 in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (50 overs) competition and the Super Smash (20 overs) before staging a comeback in New Zealand colours for the series against India this year ahead of the Women’s World Cup.”I am so glad I took the break I did,” Kerr tells ESPNcricinfo from Antigua, where New Zealand prepare to take on West Indies in a three-match ODI series that is part of the Women’s Championship. “It was not necessarily a break from cricket as I was still training. But in terms of not going to England and getting the help I needed, I think it was so important to do. Your mind is a muscle, and you have to look after it like you look after physical injuries. I hope, moving forward, people know you can talk about mental health more openly. I hope people know that there is help out there and there is hope as well when you are going through these tough times.”While Kerr played the Women’s T20 World Cup in West Indies in 2018, this is the first time she is in the Caribbean for a bilateral series, starting with the postponed first ODI on Monday. But having trained a bit in the lead-up to the series, she is aware that the pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound could help her bowling and also aid spin.Kerr sisters Jess and Amelia are both in the squad for the Caribbean tour•Getty Images”It feels like we have been here for a while without much training and playing as we would have thought,” Kerr says. “But we have come here on the back of a lot of cricket, so we are prepared well. These conditions should suit my bowling and I see that as an advantage.”Fortunately we have had a few training sessions where we were able to use the wicket in the middle and then in the nets. The reality is that [the conditions] are not going to be as quick and then might get a bit more turn and be a bit lower and slower as the tour goes on.””The thing about being an allrounder is that if I am bowling, I can think about what I’d be thinking as a batter and what shots would be harder to play and what shots would be easier and then vice versa. I have had some really good chats with [head coach] Ben Sawyer, [spin bowling coach] Craig Howard, [batting coach] Sara McGlashan during training on what works and what doesn’t.”It will be Sawyer’s first bilateral series as the head coach of New Zealand, having been brought in ahead of their bronze-medal finish at the Commonwealth Games.”Ben’s an incredible coach and we have been very fortunate to have him on board,” Kerr says. “He’s come from a winning environment with Australia [as the former assistant coach]. He is just a quiet encourager and there won’t be any pages left unturned in our preparations. He brings the best out of all of us and gets us to play to our strengths. It’s only going to help us be successful.”She may just be 21, but Kerr is without a doubt a senior in the New Zealand set-up•ICC via Getty ImagesWith teenagers Isabella Gaze, Georgia Plimmer and Fran Jonas, and youngsters like Eden Carson and Molly Penfold, New Zealand have a plethora of youngsters in their squad. Kerr, 21, has been around the national side for close to six years now and is aware of her elevation to their leadership group, especially with Amy Satterthwaite retiring earlier this year.”The young girls have taken their opportunities,” Kerr says, “and the way they train and turn up and compete, they just want to get better, which has been awesome to see. Fran Jonas and Eden Carson have taken up more responsibility. We have got a young spin attack.”For us to learn as much as possible and bowl together as much as possible and use the coaches around and set some goals as a collective as well. I have been so impressed with the young girls that have just come in and wanted to compete and train hard. They are going to have long and successful careers.”It’s not something I think about too much,” she says unfazed about being tagged as one of the ‘seniors’. “I enjoy seeing the younger faces around that come through the programme. Now with more new faces, it’s about taking the leadership role, having been with the team for a while.”When I first got into the team, I just followed around Suzie [Bates], Amy and all of those and just wanted to learn as much possible. For me, it is about helping everyone around when they need but also I think they can help me out the way they go about with their stuff. I love competing and being competitive. It’s nice to bowl alongside Fran and Eden knowing that we are all competitive and want the best, which helps getting the best out of each other.”

“The thing about being an allrounder is that if I am bowling, I can think about what I’d be thinking as a batter and what shots would be harder to play and what shots would be easier”

Kerr is coming on the back of a successful, maiden stint at women’s Hundred, where she had the most wickets for London Spirit and second-most runs for them behind Beth Mooney, her former Brisbane Heat team-mate. Although Spirit finished seventh among eight teams, Kerr’s experience was an enriching one.”I think that I really enjoyed the format. It’s just doing everything a little bit quicker – be it with the bat and then with the ball your plan is a bit shorter because you have just five balls to set up a batter,” Kerr says. “Dots are so valuable in the format especially when there’s ten balls in a row and if you can keep certain batters off strike that is what I learnt a lot.””To get to play with [Mooney] again at London Spirit was awesome. She is obviously a world-class player. But I think her cricket knowledge and brain is changing with her. The way she constructs her innings I learnt a lot. It’s low risk and she does it on a consistent basis. She is a world-class player and is someone you want in your team.”Kerr has been among the top scorers in ODIs in 2022 and heads into the West Indies series as the leading ODI wicket-taker for New Zealand this year. Having seen off a tough year and come out on the bright side of it with form behind her, it can only translate to good things on the field.

Rain hits as you captain an ODI World XI in a chase of 310, and you now need 171 to win off 19.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. Who bats at No. 3?

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2020Scenario: You are captaining an ODI World XI against a team of aliens in a day-night game in Mumbai and have been set 310 to win. Rohit Sharma and Jason Roy are your openers and you reach 50 for 0 after ten overs. Off the next ball, Roy falls, but before the No.3 can come in, the umpires stop play for rain. When the game resumes, the DLS target is 221 in 30 overs. So the equation is now 171 to win off 19.5 overs. You can pick any active ODI cricketer to come in at No.3.Danyal Rasool:
This is no longer an ODI chase but a T20 one. And for a T20 chase in Mumbai, it is hard to look past Buttler, whose recent IPL record is irresistible. He has averaged 47.72 and struck at 153.94 over the past two seasons. In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he played for Mumbai Indians, so he will be familiar with the conditions. Also, it helps that he often comes to the crease in situations where there’s little time to get settled, and with the asking rate fast approaching 9, that ability should pay off. He played a couple of important cameos at the Wankhede in the 2016 World T20 too. While his side will need more than that against an, ahem, unfamiliar bowling attack, a flying start after the resumption should help keep the asking rate in check for the middle order.Karthik Krishnaswamy:
Rain has turned a steep ODI chase into a fairly straightforward T20 chase. I’m not sure what the field restrictions are, but I’m assuming the second powerplay – with only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle – will be in place until the last four or five overs. I’d want the batsman coming in to be able to read fields and bowlers’ plans and pick off a boundary every now and then without taking too many risks. So step forward Shreyas Iyer. Over the last year or so, Iyer has more or less solved India’s long-standing No. 4 issue in ODIs with a clear head, fast hands, and a great understanding of which bowlers to target and when. This situation is tailor-made for his game.Nagraj Gollapudi:
This has to be treated like a T20 chase. Sharma plays the anchor, so the No. 3 needs to be someone who can both attack and bat long. If I had to pick a young Indian player, I would go with Shubman Gill. He has the temparament, skills, and the right technique to attack and rotate strike, but I will put him at No. 4. At three, how about ABD? The experience and the aura will come in handy. With both him and Sharma able to play strokes that others can only marvel at, there would be constant pressure on the aliens, who might need to grow brains to figure out a way to stall the assault that will come from nowhere and everywhere. Good luck, aliens!Alan Gardner:
After a relatively sedate start, this World XI is going to have start tearing things up pretty quickly. This is basically a T20 chase, albeit with the fielding restrictions off, so I would turn to a man who oscillates between opener in the shortest format and finisher in ODIs. Buttler is also used to being bumped up the order if England have made a good start, so he’ll be primed for the challenge. As a white-ball batsman who combines power with innovation, he has few peers, while his IPL experience should stand him in good stead to steer his side home under the Wankhede lights.Send your answers to the scenario to [email protected].More Hot Seat

Welcome to the Postseason of the Splitter.

More than pumpkin spice, the split-finger fastball has become the flavor of the month. Its use in the postseason (6% of all pitches, or 17.4 per game) has skyrocketed 81% from the regular season (9.6 pitches per game) and a whopping 138% from the postseason just last year (7.3 per game).

Entering play Thursday—with about 20 postseason games still to come—we’ve already seen more splitters (434), more outs on splitters (94), more strikeouts on splitters (45) and more pitchers throwing them (29) than in any postseason in recorded history (since 2008).

The splitter was the Blue Jays’ secret sauce to knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS. Toronto has thrown the most splitters this postseason: 15.9%, up from its MLB-leading 9.3% in the regular season. The Yankees went 1-for-27 (.037) against the Jays’ splitters.

Toronto essentially took Ben Rice, the fastball-hitting slugger for New York, off the board by feeding him a ridiculous diet of splitters: 43%. He went 0-for-4 against them.

The Detroit Tigers are another team leaning on the split more in October. With their season on the line in ALDS Game 4, they relied on three pitchers with splitters to cover eight of the nine innings of a 9-3 win: Casey Mize, Kyle Finnegan and Troy Melton.

Detroit is feeding splitters as often as possible to Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, the biggest bats in the Seattle lineup. Raleigh is seeing 27% splitters, up from 5% in the regular season. Rodríguez is seeing 22% splitters, up from 3%. They have adjusted well, going a combined 4-for-8, but with no home runs.

The Tigers are throwing 13.4% splitters, up from 4.8% in the regular season.

Check out the crazy spike in splitters this postseason compared to anything we’ve seen in the past:

Alright everybody, pencils down.

The trade deadline has come and gone, and a relatively dormant month of transactions sprung to life in a big way with a flurry—no, blizzard—of activity on Thursday. There were teams that took big swings, dipped into their prospect reserve and pushed their chips into the middle of the table with sights set on making noise this October, while others saw the writing on the wall that this just wasn’t going to be their year.

As we continue to sift through the rubble of what was an incredibly impactful day, here’s a rapid-reaction style look at which clubs should be celebrating—and which should be shaking their heads at a missed opportunity.

WinnersPhiladelphia Phillies

It’s an arms race in the NL East, and the Phillies appear to have come out in better shape than the first-place Mets (more on them later). Philadelphia fortified its bullpen with the best closer available in Jhoan Durán, a flame-thrower who is under club control through 2027. The team also added much-needed help to its outfielder by snagging Harrison Bader, a defensive whiz who can play multiple positions and is in the midst of the best offensive season of his career. The Phillies addressed their two biggest needs without trading away the farm system’s crown jewels in pitcher Andrew Painter and shortstop Aidan Miller.

Seattle Mariners

Credit to Seattle and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto: they seem to have learned from their mistakes.

At this time last year, the Mariners held a slim lead in the AL West that they ultimately were unable to hold onto, a fate partially caused by taking a passive stance at the trade deadline. Randy Arozarena was a nice pickup who’s having a better 2025 campaign than his two-month debut for Seattle last year, but the team simply didn’t have enough offensive firepower to make it to the postseason.

Apparently, getting the greatest offensive performance from a catcher in the history of the game changes the decision-making calculus. Cal Raleigh is putting together an MVP-caliber run, but logged a .191/284/.461 slash line in July as the rigors of catching and mashing appear to be taking a toll. In short, Big Dumper needed some help, so Dipoto and Co. ponied up and got the most notable instant-impact bat on the market, landing third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks on the heels of acquiring Josh Naylor a week prior. The prospect cost doesn’t appear too steep, but regardless, the message these moves send is crystal clear: the Mariners are no longer content to keep doing the same things and hoping for better results.

Carlos Correa

Newcastle United have now joined several top clubs in the race to sign a teenage star who’s the same “talent level” as Erling Haaland, according to reports.

Alan Shearer praises "excellent" Guimaraes despite Tottenham draw

Although Newcastle have the chance to redeem themselves against Burnley this weekend, they’ll look back on their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur as a chance wasted. The Magpies largely dominated, but came unstuck by a shock Cristian Romero brace which included a late overhead kick.

Eddie Howe still has plenty of reason to be optimistic, though, and one of those reasons is the performance of Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazilian emerged from the bench before finding the back of the net and receiving high praise from Tyneside legend Alan Shearer.

It was a standout display from a Newcastle fan favourite, but that may not stop the Magpies from welcoming another midfield addition in the January transfer window.

Related £65m Newcastle duo should be fuming with Howe's team selection vs Spurs

Two Newcastle players, in particular, are unlikely to be too happy right now.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Dec 3, 2025

Those at St James’ Park have already been linked with the likes of Scott McTominay on that front and could welcome the Scotland international, before turning their focus towards the in-demand Yan Diomande.

Newcastle join Yan Diomande race

Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Diomande, according to TeamTalk, and are among the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool all competing to land the winger’s signature.

One RB Leipzig source even went as far as to tell TeamTalk that the winger is the same “talent level” as Manchester City star Haaland, who also came through the Red Bull ranks at Salzburg a number of years ago.

Newcastle have reportedly sent their scouts to watch the 19-year-old in action, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to position themselves to secure his arrival.

What’s more, Leipzig themselves are not ready to let their young star leave and his reported €100m (£87m) release clause should help fend off at least some of the interest.

Given how Anthony Elanga has struggled this season, Diomande is someone that the Magpies should be all in on if they want to complete their frontline alongside record signing Nick Woltemade.

Shades of Woltemade: Newcastle holding internal talks to sign £21m "magician"

While he has made some mistakes, Mikel Arteta has got an awful lot right during his time in the Arsenal dugout.

The Spaniard has overseen a complete overhaul of the squad, instilled a new philosophy, and turned them from a fallen giant into serial challengers for both the Premier League and the Champions League.

However, there were plenty of moments early on in his managerial career when it felt like he was hanging onto the job by his fingertips, including a period in which Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe practically saved him.

Since then, the former has established himself as the club’s talisman, while the latter has fallen away and been sold to Fulham. Interestingly, there is a player in Arteta’s current squad who once felt like the next Saka but could now be closer to becoming the next Smith Rowe.

How Smith Rowe and Saka save Arteta

Even though the club were coming off their 14th FA Cup triumph, the start of the 20/21 season was nothing short of disastrous for Arsenal.

The North Londoners actually won their two opening games, against Fulham and West Ham United and even picked up a third win of the campaign in their fourth match.

However, the losses started coming thick and fast, and from the 8th of November to Boxing Day, the team didn’t win a single league game.

So, when Chelsea rocked up at the Emirates on Boxing Day, Arteta decided to roll the dice and start Smith Rowe in the ten, a decision that instantly paid off as the Gunners came out 3-1 winners and the youngster provided the assist for Saka’s goal.

From that point, results started to improve, and the two Hale Enders were crucial to that, with the midfielder racking up a tally of four goals and seven assists and the winger doing even better with seven goals and seven assists.

The duo continued to impress the following season, with Smith Rowe producing 13 goal involvements and the mercurial number seven producing 19.

However, a combination of injuries and the squad being strengthened around him saw the Croydon-born gem slowly lose his place in the side over the next two seasons.

Finally, after making just 14 appearances in the 22/23 season and then 19 the year after that, the Hale Ender was sold to Fulham for around £34m, while Saka went on to become arguably the team’s best player.

Interestingly, or perhaps unfortunately, there is currently a potential star in the making in Arteta’s squad today who at one point looked destined to follow in Saka’s footsteps, but might now be more likely to become the next Smith Rowe.

The Arsenal gem who could become the next Smith Rowe

It would be fair to say that, as seasons go, last year wasn’t a particularly enjoyable one for Arsenal fans.

Chalkboard

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

The club looked miles off in the title race and were beset with injuries to key players, only this time they didn’t have the squad depth they do today.

However, there were at least a few bright spots from the campaign, notably the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri.

The youngster had long been a prospect fans were excited about; he became the youngest player in the Premier League, after all.

Yet, it was the injuries to Martin Odegaard and specifically Saka that meant he ended up getting far more first-team minutes than supporters were expecting, and to say he made the most of the opportunity would be an understatement.

Appearances

37

Minutes

1378′

Goals

9

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.27′

For example, the often “unplayable” dynamo, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, scored nine goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes.

In other words, the Hale End phenom averaged a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which helps to justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.”

It was these numbers, plus the moments of brilliance on the ball and his time out wide, that led many to see him as someone who could and probably would follow in the steps of Saka and become a key part of the squad in the coming years.

However, fast-forward to today, and it would be fair to describe his situation as more akin to Smith Rowe’s in his final seasons at the club.

For example, as things stand, the teenager has made just ten appearances for the first team, totalling 427 minutes.

Moreover, he’s started just three games all season, two of which came in the League Cup and another in the club’s Champions League clash with Slavia Prague.

Worryingly, the Enfield-born gem has also only scored one goal and, like the Croydon-born star before him, has seen fresh competition arrive in the shape of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

Appearances

10

Minutes

427′

Goals

1

Assists

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.1

Minutes per Goal Involvement

427′

However, it is still early in the season, and while it’s clear that the manager isn’t as keen to pick the Hale Ender as he was last year, there is still plenty of time for things to change.

Therefore, so long as Nwaneri does get more game time across the rest of the campaign, he could still follow in Saka’s footsteps, but if he doesn’t, he could be another Smith Rowe.

Their new Ozil: Arsenal ramp up move to sign £88m "generational talent"

The incredible talent could be a real game-changer for Arsenal and become Arteta’s own Mesut Ozil.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

Baseball, like all sports, puts a premium on instinct. The consensus best fielders in the game are the ones who can make difficult plays look effortless.

Sometimes, however, instinctual self-preservation turns into something more. Take a play in the sixth inning of the Houston Astros' game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

With one out in the top half of the inning and a runner on first, Astros right fielder Cam Smith sent a screaming liner directly toward the head of Cardinals pitcher Erick Fedde. Fedde, ducking, threw out his glove to catch the ball—and immediately rose to double off the runner at first.

The play earned Fedde a standing ovation from fans and left a shocked Smith with his head in his hands.

Fedde departed at the inning's conclusion having given up six hits, three walks and an earned run while striking out five. His most significant contribution to an offensively challenged night for St. Louis, however, might've been his glove heroics here.

Kasey Aldridge claims four wickets as Northants’ meagre total is overhauled

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Somerset 240 for 2 (Vaughan 109*, Lammonby 83) beat Northamptonshire 238 (Robinson 69, Aldridge 4-54) by eight wickets Archie Vaughan’s maiden List A century paved the way for Somerset to cruise into the knock-out stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a thumping eight-wicket Group B victory over Northamptonshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The visitors posted a moderate 238 all out after winning the toss, Tim Robinson top-scoring with 69, while James Sales contributed 45 and Justin Broad 38. Kasey Aldridge claimed four for 54.One run was added to the Somerset target because the game was 8.5 overs old when reduced to 47 per side by an early shower. It mattered little as the hosts raced to 240 for two to win with 4.3 overs to spare, Vaughan leading the way with an unbeaten 109, off 122 balls, and sharing a first wicket stand of 168 with Tom Lammonby, who made 83.The Steelbacks were never able to gain much momentum to their innings on a good batting track. They had progressed to 31 in the seventh over when Ricardo Vasconcelos miscued a pull shot off Jake Ball and skyed a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew.Rain interrupted play at 39 for one. The resumption saw Ravi Bopara depart for nine with the total on 50, pulling a delivery from Ben Green to deep mid-wicket where Fin Hill took a good catch diving to his left.Robinson was dropped on ten by Ball at mid-on off Aldridge as he and opener Sales added 53 for the third wicket before the latter was run out by a direct hit from Archie Vaughan at the bowler’s end, attempting a quick single to mid-on off Lammonby.Robinson hit the first six of the game in moving to a half-century off 50 balls. He celebrated with two more maximums before perishing with the score on 163, Hill taking another catch at deep mid-wicket off Aldridge, tossing the ball in the air as his foot crossed the boundary before neatly collecting it again inside the rope.It proved a turning point as the innings fell away, three of the wickets falling to Aldridge, with only Broad and Stuart van der Merwe, who made 27, offering much resistance. Both hit two fours and a six, but their efforts failed to significantly improve a well below par score.There was decent pace in the pitch and Lammonby and Vaughan were soon peppering the ropes with sweetly-timed strokes. They raised 50 in eight overs, each smacking 5 fours, as the hosts went for a swift kill.Lammonby has excelled with bat and ball in the competition. He reached fifty with a crunching back-foot shot through the leg side for four off Bopara, his ninth boundary in facing 53 deliveries. The century partnership soon followed off 17.4 overs.Vaughan looked equally comfortable in reaching his half-century off 60 balls, with six fours. The pattern continued in depressing fashion for the Steelbacks as the stand reached 150 in the 29th over. At 156, it became Somerset’s highest ever List A opening partnership against Northamptonshire, beating the 155 put together by current club chief executive Jamie Cox and Marcus Trescothick at Northampton in 2001.With 13 more runs added, Lammonby finally made an error, driving a diving return catch to van der Merwe, the sixth bowler called upon by the Steelbacks. He had faced 96 balls and extended his boundary count to 12.With victory almost assured, Lewis Goldsworthy struck the first six of the innings. He fell for 26 to a catch at mid-wicket off Dominic Leech, but Vaughan went past his previous highest List A score of 95, made against Yorkshire this season, and reached three figures with a pulled four followed by a single off Leech.The 19-year-old son of former England Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan celebrated with a clenched fist. He had faced 110 balls and hit 12 fours.

Los Angeles Dodgers star slugger Freddie Freeman hit his fourth home run in as many games on Tuesday night in the Bronx, continuing his hot streak as the Dodgers tried to sweep the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Freemnan's first inning two-run blast put the Dodgers up early, but the Yankees responded with three home runs of their own, including a third-inning grand slam from shortstop Anthony Volpe. The offensive explosion from New York helped the Bronx Bombers take Game 4 and avoid the sweep, but that doesn't mean the Yankees aren't marveling at what Freeman is doing in the middle of the Dodgers' lineup.

Yankees star reliever Luke Weaver had one adjective to describe the unbelievable hot streak from Freeman in the postgame aftermath of Game 4.

"My first thought is this guy is superhuman," Weaver said to the media contingent following Game 4. "This guy is doing something that … we've seen for years, right? He's a pretty good big league player. And you're just sitting there just kinda marveling at the fact of what he's doing. You've gotta give him all the respect and appreciation for what he's doing in the biggest stage."

The Yankees will look to keep their season, and longshot hopes of a World Series title alive when they take the field for Game 5 in New York on Wednesday night.

Beth Mead and Alessia Russo took centre stage on Sunday as Arsenal looked much more like themselves in a comfortable and convincing 4-1 win at Leicester. Despite being crowned European champions back in May, the Gunners have struggled at the start of this new season, unable to use that continental triumph as a springboard for a Women's Super League title challenge. This win, though, was a sign that the tide is turning, with it certainly the most impressive of the three on the bounce they have now registered.

One of Arsenal's most notable issues in recent times has been the inability to really kill games off once they take the lead and, in that sense, this was a really encouraging day out as goals from Russo and Stina Blackstenius, either side of an own goal from Sari Kees, allowed the Gunners to race into a 3-0 lead before half time. Renee Slegers' side were positive, looked confident and showcased the sort of ruthlessness that is going to be vital if they are to mount a serious charge for a first WSL title since 2019.

That Arsenal were able to play at this level given the list of absentees was notable, too. Olivia Smith and Frida Maanum both sustained injuries on international duty, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Kyra Cooney-Cross were missing due to illness and Emily Fox could only make the bench, having played in the United States on Wednesday night. It meant a first league start for Laia Codina in over a year; just a second start of the season, in all competitions, for Blackstenius; and a place at right-back for the left-footed Taylor Hinds, fresh off an England debut in midweek.

But that enforced reshuffle proved to be anything but a negative as Arsenal breezed to a well-needed victory, as a clinical strike from Russo, an own goal from the England striker's teasing cross and two great finishes from Blackstenius saw off Leicester with ease, despite Noemie Mouchon's late consolation. Was it a performance of title contenders? It's perhaps hard to say so, given this was a game many expected Slegers' side to win and the fact there were a few decent opportunities that a better team than Leicester would not have wasted. However, it was certainly a good tune-up for the Gunners ahead of next week's clash with Chelsea, where those credentials will really be put to the test. 

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the King Power Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Daphne van Domselaar (6/10):

  Had a couple of iffy moments in possession but was confident claiming crosses and stood tall in a big one-v-one chance for Leicester, even if Mouchon should've done better with her effort.

  Taylor Hinds (7/10):

  Looked settled and assured throughout, despite starting at right-back and switching to left-back on the hour. Her pass in behind for Russo kickstarted the move for the second goal.

  Laia Codina (6/10):

  A solid performance on her first league start since October of last year, and first start in all competitions since February. Won all four of her aerial duels.

  Steph Catley (6/10):

  Like Codina, she was good on the ball and won most of her duels. 

  Katie McCabe (6/10):

  Strong in her duels and good on the ball, delivering some teasing crosses.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Kim Little (7/10):

  Tidy in possession and excellent in her defensive work, winning nine of her 11 ground duels.

  Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

  Created more chances than any other player, showcasing her quality on the ball, though did also have some sloppy moments in possession, including one which gave Leicester their biggest opportunity of the game.

  Alessia Russo (8/10):

  Somehow seemed to get more service in this deeper role than she often has as a No.9. Broke the deadlock with a clinical strike and created the second with a teasing cross.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Beth Mead (8/10):

  After a couple of really good performances for England during the international break, she continued that momentum here with an excellent display at both ends of the pitch.

  Stina Blackstenius (8/10):

  Was full of running and on the end of a fair few chances as a result of her good movement, ending the day with two goals and an assist. Could've had a hat-trick, or better, had she been more clinical, too.

  Caitlin Foord (6/10):

  Perfect in possession, completing all 16 of her passes, and created a couple of opportunities. Was lively when involved, just didn't see tons of the ball.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Chloe Kelly (6/10):

  Still looks a little bit off her full fitness in terms of sharpness but, despite that, created a couple of chances after being introduced on the hour.

  Emily Fox (6/10):

  Slotted in at right-back just fine for the final half an hour as the game winded down.

  Victoria Pelova (5/10):

  Couldn't really get involved enough to make a significant impact on the game.

  Jenna Nighswonger (N/A):

  Made her first appearance of the season in the closing stages, having been surprisingly unable to get any game time until this point.

  Katie Reid (N/A):

  A late introduction when Little limped off with a knock.

  Renee Slegers (6/10):

  Hand was forced for most of her team selection, given the absentees, but she adapted well to put out a side capable of running riot. Some questions about her subs, with it a surprise to see her introduce Fox at all given this felt a great opportunity to rest a player who is almost ever-present, but it was good to see Nighswonger finally involved.