England bowler Mark Wood could decline a central contract in pursuit of franchise cricket – as Michael Atherton declared the Test format of the game is “withering in front of our eyes.”
Wood, 33, may miss the first three matches of England’s five-Test tour in India – which starts on January 25 – after being offered a reported £500,000 to play in the UAE T20 league.
Wood, who starred for England in the recent Ashes series and set a new record for the fastest over in an international match at Headingley, has stated he is keen to continue playing for his country.
But in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Wood said: “I don’t know what will happen at the minute. Playing both (India Tests and Dubai T20) is not a viable option for England.
“England will want me to be there for all the five Tests, not just part-time or some of it. I will wait and see what happens with the up-and-coming central contracts and then make a decision from there.
“At the minute the World Cup is a massive focus, the other thing is my agent and Rob Key knows where I stand. I love playing for England, I want to play for England as long as I can, but it just depends on what they say.
“But time away from home, the financial side of things now, there are more things in play than just solely my love of playing for England.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board is set to table a number of multi-year contracts to stave off interest from T20 franchises.
But it has been reported that the governing body is struggling to compete with big-money offers from the IPL-backed leagues.
Writing in the Times, former England captain Atherton, 55, said: “For as long as I have been writing in this space — essentially since the advent of the Indian Premier League in 2007 — there have been warnings about the threat to Test and international cricket.
“At times, in those early days, it felt like a howl in the dark, although now it is generally accepted that the five-day game and bilateral international cricket is withering in front of our eyes.
“It seemed clear to me that the advent of the free market through the rise of franchise cricket, and the popularity of T20, was both a huge opportunity and, unless some careful thought was given to how the game was structured, a threat to the established norms. It needed some foresight, wisdom and planning, all of which have proved to be sadly lacking.
“I don’t write about it so much now, partly to avoid being seen as a bore, but also because I think it’s too late. The game has been set on a path from which there is no evident will, from anyone, to divert.”
England coach Jon Lewis says it was worth the risk of picking some untried players in the Twenty20 international series defeat to Sri Lanka.
The tourists claimed a historic victory after winning the decider at Derby by seven wickets, thanks to Chamari Athapaththu’s heroics.
Athapaththu took three wickets for 21 runs as the hosts were bowled out for 116 before hitting 44 to fire her side to victory, which sealed a memorable 2-1 series success.
It meant that England lost a T20 series to a team other than Australia for the first time since 2010, while also losing a first-ever white-ball series to Sri Lanka.
On the back of the Women’s Ashes earlier in the summer, England used the opportunity to try some fresh blood in this series, with the likes of Mahika Gaur and Maia Bouchier given a chance and Lewis called it a “valuable exercise”.
“I learned a lot, a hell of a lot,” he said.
“Without going into specific individuals, I feel like we are on a journey as a team and we are trying to work out how we want to play and the mindset we want to go into each game with and which individuals are capable of doing that.
“You won’t find that out unless you expose them to international cricket.
“The decision-making before the series was very much around giving opportunity to players on the edge of our squad to try and learn about what they are capable of under pressure.
“It is a really valuable exercise for us. Obviously every time we do it we are taking a risk in terms of win-loss but what we are hopeful of is the opportunities we are giving the players will generate brilliant coaching conversations and understanding where every player is at.
“We are a developing team. We have three teenagers playing for us at the moment, which is fantastic. But they will go away from this experience learning what they need to improve their game.”
Captain Athapaththu was the star of her side’s historic triumph and said a series result like this had been coming.
“I am really happy with my performance and my team’s performance,” she said. “The last two tours in Bangladesh and New Zealand, we have played really good cricket and we have carried that on.
“Finally we have won – that is really good. Hopefully we can carry on this form in the ODIs.
“My bowling unit have done a really good job and the last couple of months our bowlers have done really well.”
Ireland back-rower Caelan Doris actively avoids the media hype surrounding him and feels his own high standards are sufficient pressure going into his first World Cup.
Doris is tipped to shine on the biggest stage in France, having been one of his country’s leading performers of the Andy Farrell era.
The 25-year-old has ranked highly on a series of recent lists of rugby’s top players, while Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll is among his many admirers.
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Doris believes he has room for significant further development and referenced comments from former Ireland number eight Jamie Heaslip as he bids to remain grounded.
“I remember hearing Heaslip saying something like ‘If you get inflated, you get deflated’,” said Doris, who made his Test debut in the first match of Farrell’s reign in the 2020 Six Nations.
“Probably my first year or two, I didn’t seek stuff out but I did see more than I do now. I try not to look at anything.
“I try not to have anything like that in my head or any other people’s expectations, I think my own are enough.
“There’s still plenty of room for improvement but I’m moving in the right direction.”
Doris has been a key cog in Ireland’s rise to the top of the Test rankings with a string of man-of-the-match displays.
He has now lined up in all three positions across the back row following his two-try outing at openside flanker in last month’s warm-up win over Italy.
Ireland were far below their free-flowing best in dispatching the Azzurri, England and Samoa in August.
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Yet Doris insists the Six Nations champions are brimming with confidence ahead of Saturday’s World Cup opener against Romania in Bordeaux.
“There’s massive belief in the group going into the first game,” he said.
“Pre-season can be a bit of a funny time.
“It’s not an excuse but you’re not always primed for the games as you might be other ones: different combinations, playing in slightly different positions, things like that.
“We’re very aware that we haven’t played our best stuff. I definitely think we can put in better performances going forward.”
While Doris’ career has been on an upward trajectory, he has suffered frustration at club level with Leinster following successive European Champions Cup final losses to La Rochelle.
He has proven himself the man for the big occasion with standout displays in Ireland’s statement wins across the past two years and is determined to do so again in the coming weeks.
“I love playing in these bigger games,” he said. “I feel, particularly with Leinster when it comes to finals, I haven’t played my best.
“I’m excited by the challenge of trying to deliver on the biggest stage and put out some of my best performances. Definitely looking forward to getting stuck in.”
George Russell was confirmed as Lewis Hamilton’s new team-mate at Mercedes on this day in 2021.
The much-anticipated announcement came after Valtteri Bottas sealed a move to Alfa Romeo for 2022.
English driver Russell, then 23, earned the switch to the Silver Arrows after three impressive campaigns with Williams.
Commenting on his blockbuster transfer, Russell said: “It’s a special day for me personally and professionally.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t absolutely buzzing. It’s a huge opportunity and one I want to grab with both hands.
“But I’m under no illusions as to the scale of the challenge; it’s going to be a steep learning curve.
“I want to do my new team-mates proud. Of course, one of those new team-mates is in my opinion the greatest driver of all time.
“I’ve looked up to Lewis since I was in go-karts and the opportunity to learn from someone who has become a role model both on and off track can only benefit me as a driver, a professional, and a human being.”
In a message posted on Instagram, seven-time world champion Hamilton said: “I want to take a moment to welcome George Russell to the team.
“I remember meeting him when he was young, dreaming of one day being a Formula One driver. I’d only just reached my own dream of becoming an F1 driver, so I know what this day means and how it will feel for him.
“He is a great example to all the kids out there that dreams do come true when you chase them wholeheartedly.
“Through hard work he has rightly earned his spot on our team. I look forward to seeing him grow as a driver with this great team and working with him to raise Mercedes higher. See you next year.”
In his first season with Mercedes, Russell landed his maiden victory at the penultimate round in Brazil. He also outscored Hamilton.
Ahead of last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes announced Russell, 25, will continue to partner Hamilton, 38, at Mercedes until at least the end of 2025.
Jose Abreu had two home runs and seven RBIs and Justin Verlander outpitched former teammate Max Scherzer to power the Houston Astros to a 12-3 rout of the Texas Rangers and a three-game sweep on Wednesday.
The game was billed as a marquee pitching matchup between Verlander and Scherzer, who both began this season with the New York Mets and were also teammates with Detroit from 2010-14.
The pitcher’s duel never materialised, however, as the Astros roughed up Scherzer for seven runs – all on home runs - and six hits over three innings.
Abreu’s grand slam in the third inning was the third homer against Scherzer, who also was taken deep by Yordan Alvarez in the first inning and by Michael Brantley in the second.
Rangers All-Star slugger Adolis Garcia was injured trying to make a leaping catch at the wall on Brantley’s homer.
He jammed his right leg hard after coming down to the ground, and the Rangers said he had knee discomfort.
Verlander scattered four hits and one earned run over seven innings. He struck out six and walked one for his fifth win in his past six starts.
The sweep put Houston in sole possession of the AL West lead for the first time this season, one game ahead of Seattle.
Marcus Semien hit a pair of solo homers for Texas, which has lost 15 of 19 to fall three games behind the Astros.
Surging Cubs finish sweep of reeling Giants
Seiya Suzuki had a bases-clearing double and Cody Bellinger homered to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Chicago won its fourth straight to move a season-best 12 games over .500 and pulled within 1 ½ games of NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
Rookie Jordan Wicks allowed two runs and nine hits over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his first three major league starts.
The Giants lost their sixth straight and fell 2 ½ games behind the third and final NL wild-card spot.
Marlins rout Dodgers for 6th straight win
Joey Wendle had four RBIs and fell a triple shy of the cycle as the Miami Marlins won their sixth in a row, 11-4 over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The victory came after the Marlins placed reigning Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara and All-Star slugger Jorge Soler on the injured list earlier in the day.
Wendle, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jesus Sanchez homered during Miami’s 9-run fifth inning against Lance Lynn.
Jacob Stallings had two hits in the inning for the Marlins, who moved ahead of Cincinnati into the third wild-card spot.
Carlos Alcaraz is one step closer to defending his US Open title after beating Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals.
He will face Daniil Medvedev, who warned a player might “die” during his win over Andrey Rublev as New York sizzled in 90-degree heat and energy-sapping humidity.
Aryna Sabalenka flexed her muscles as the incoming world number one by beating Chinese youngster Zheng Qinwen, while Madison Keys stunned Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at day 10 at the US Open.
Pic of the dayMatch of the day
The women’s doubles provided the most drama as Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva beat Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia 5-7 7-5 6-4 in an epic match lasting three hours and 12 minutes.
Stat of the day
Quote of the day
Brit watch
Joe Salisbury and America’s Rajeev Ram are in the semi-finals of the men’s doubles.
The defending champions, looking for a third consecutive title in New York, face second seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.
Five-time champions Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are into the men’s wheelchair doubles semi-finals.
Fallen seeds
Men: Andrey Rublev (8), Alexander Zverev (12).
Women: Marketa Vondrousova (9), Zheng Qinwen (23).
Who’s up next?
The women’s semi-finals take centre stage with Coco Gauff taking on 10th Czech seed Karolina Muchova and new world number one Sabalenka, of Belarus, facing the second American in the last four, Keys.
Carlos Alcaraz is one step closer to defending his US Open title after beating Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals.
He will face Daniil Medvedev, who warned a player might “die” during his win over Andrey Rublev as New York sizzled in 90-degree heat and energy-sapping humidity.
Aryna Sabalenka flexed her muscles as the incoming world number one by beating Chinese youngster Zheng Qinwen, while Madison Keys stunned Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at day 10 at the US Open.
Pic of the dayMatch of the day
The women’s doubles provided the most drama as Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva beat Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia 5-7 7-5 6-4 in an epic match lasting three hours and 12 minutes.
Stat of the day
Quote of the day
Brit watch
Joe Salisbury and America’s Rajeev Ram are in the semi-finals of the men’s doubles.
The defending champions, looking for a third consecutive title in New York, face second seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.
Five-time champions Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are into the men’s wheelchair doubles semi-finals.
Fallen seeds
Men: Andrey Rublev (8), Alexander Zverev (12).
Women: Marketa Vondrousova (9), Zheng Qinwen (23).
Who’s up next?
The women’s semi-finals take centre stage with Coco Gauff taking on 10th Czech seed Karolina Muchova and new world number one Sabalenka, of Belarus, facing the second American in the last four, Keys.
Carlos Alcaraz moved a step closer to defending his US Open title after sweeping past Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals.
The Spanish world number one became the second man in the Open era, behind Andre Agassi, to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows three times before turning 21.
Alcaraz, looking to do the Wimbledon and US Open double, will face Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in Friday night’s semis and remains on course for another final showdown with Novak Djokovic, who he beat in July’s epic SW19 showpiece.
Zverev, the German 12th seed, has proved he is back at the top of the sport this fortnight after eight months out following the horror ankle injury he suffered against Rafael Nadal at last year’s French Open.
But the 2020 runner-up was unable to halt the Alcaraz juggernaut in a 6-3 6-2 6-4 defeat inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The first set was evenly poised on serve at 3-3 when Alcaraz, by no means at his electric best, took control of the match.
He won six of the next seven games to go a set and a break up, and Zverev needed a medical time-out after Alcaraz, clapping sawdust onto his hands to get a better grip of his racket on a horribly humid night, moved two sets ahead.
Zverev forced two break points at 2-2 in the third, but when they disappeared his chances went with them as Alcaraz broke for 5-4 and served out for the victory in two hours and 29 minutes.
“To see him in the quarter-finals of a grand slam playing at his best, I’m so happy,” said Alcaraz of his opponent.
“We enjoy his game and we are really happy to have him back.”
The 20-year-old added: “I’m feeling comfortable playing in this court, playing in New York.
“I’m showing my best level. I’m feeling good physically and ready for a good battle in the semi-final.”
Carlos Alcaraz moved a step closer to defending his US Open title after sweeping past Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals.
The Spanish world number one became the second man in the Open era, behind Andre Agassi, to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows three times before turning 21.
Alcaraz, looking to do the Wimbledon and US Open double, will face Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in Friday night’s semis and remains on course for another final showdown with Novak Djokovic, who he beat in July’s epic SW19 showpiece.
Zverev, the German 12th seed, has proved he is back at the top of the sport this fortnight after eight months out following the horror ankle injury he suffered against Rafael Nadal at last year’s French Open.
But the 2020 runner-up was unable to halt the Alcaraz juggernaut in a 6-3 6-2 6-4 defeat inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The first set was evenly poised on serve at 3-3 when Alcaraz, by no means at his electric best, took control of the match.
He won six of the next seven games to go a set and a break up, and Zverev needed a medical time-out after Alcaraz, clapping sawdust onto his hands to get a better grip of his racket on a horribly humid night, moved two sets ahead.
Zverev forced two break points at 2-2 in the third, but when they disappeared his chances went with them as Alcaraz broke for 5-4 and served out for the victory in two hours and 29 minutes.
“To see him in the quarter-finals of a grand slam playing at his best, I’m so happy,” said Alcaraz of his opponent.
“We enjoy his game and we are really happy to have him back.”
The 20-year-old added: “I’m feeling comfortable playing in this court, playing in New York.
“I’m showing my best level. I’m feeling good physically and ready for a good battle in the semi-final.”
Daniil Medvedev warned a player could die in the 90-degree heat at the US Open.
Medvedev needed medical attention and an inhaler as he struggled in the hot and humid conditions before beating his fellow Russian Andrey Rublev.
The roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium was partially closed to protect the players from the sunlight, but both were visibly wilting during the two hour 48-minute battle.
Late in the third set, when Medvedev went to his towel, he said into a television camera: “One player is gonna die and they’re gonna see.”
Following his 6-4 6-3 6-4 quarter-final victory, the 2021 champion recalled an incident earlier this summer when Chinese player Wu Yibing collapsed during a match in Washington.
He said: “I could talk a lot, brutal conditions for both of us.
“I mean, I don’t know if it could be seen through the camera, because we are sweating so much and use a lot of towels.
“I have no skin left on my nose here, and, like, here it’s red, but it’s not because of the sun so it’s not like you’re burned but I have no skin left.”
He continued: “I just saw Andrey in the locker room and his face is very red, and it’s also not because of the sun so I guess it’s the same. That tells everything, like we left everything out there.
“The thing is that even if it would go further, I think we would still leave even more. Then I don’t think I had anything left but if the match would go on, I would find something more.
“And the only thing that is a little bit, let’s call it dangerous, is the question how far could we go? Maybe we could go five sets and it would be… when I say ‘fine’, yeah, we would struggle a little bit next day and it would be fine, or we have a person in Wu who fell down.”
Medvedev said he felt shaky as he tried to recover from the match.
“I’m feeling kind of okay now. I’m just pretty exhausted. Let’s say, yeah, do couple of interviews here and there straightaway, and it was tough.
“I was with an ice towel there. Everything was foggy, like I couldn’t see clearly. Because the match is over, so the adrenaline is not there anymore.
“So I was, like, a little bit shaky. Then I come to the locker room and that’s the toughest part because you kind of want to just sit there for hours. But you know that if you do it, it’s not a good recovery.”
He continued: “So I sat there for, like, 10, 15 minutes, went and did a quick ice bath. Changed. Went to eat. But had, I don’t know how you call it in English, when sugar blood, sugar levels go up. I started sweating, my head started turning.
“I said to my team please bring me any food. I was sitting there like this sweating like hell even with the AC on, and they brought some food and then I felt better. Yeah, that’s how it is sometimes.”
Rublev, who has now lost nine out of nine quarter-final matches at grand slams, said: “I’m not even thinking about my health.
“I don’t know. At this moment, these moments I’m thinking that I need to fight. Doesn’t matter how, it’s tough.
“I mean, the sport is not easy. And you need to be ready for everything that can happen.”
The red-hot Miami Marlins took a major hit Wednesday as they placed reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara and star slugger Jorge Soler on the injured list.
Alcantara will miss time due to a right forearm strain, while Soler is out because of a right oblique strain.
The injuries come at a terrible time for the Marlins, who have won five straight and entered the day a half-game behind Cincinnati in the race for the National League’s third wild-card spot.
Alcantara first experienced discomfort during his last start against Washington on Sunday but completed eight innings in a 6-4 win.
“I didn’t feel bad, but I talked to my trainer about it,” Alcantara said. “Knowing of the hard work that I put on my body, I just have to take it.”
Alcantara missed one start this season because of biceps tendinitis but has made at least 30 starts in each of the previous two seasons.
He is 7-12 with a 4.14 ERA in 26 starts this season and leads the majors with three complete games and is second in innings (184.2).
Soler earned his first All-Star selection this season and ranks among the NL leaders with 35 home runs.
The native of Cuba missed five games with hip tightness before returning Tuesday in a 6-3 win over the Dodgers.
“It’s not ideal at this time of year, but these things happen in the game,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. “It gives another guy an opportunity to step up because we’re right in the middle of this thing.”
The Marlins are seeking their first playoff berth in a 162-game season since the 2003 team won the World Series.
Brighton captain Lewis Dunk revealed he emerged from the “carnage” of Roberto De Zerbi’s first fortnight in charge to earn back his place among an England squad he now feels has the belief to win trophies.
The centre-back is hoping to pick up just his second senior England cap, five years after he made his debut in a 3-0 friendly win over the United States.
Dunk has fully deserved a recall after fine form at club-level saw Seagulls head coach De Zerbi describe the 31-year-old as one of the top five defenders in Europe.
Having represented Brighton from their time in the third tier all the way up to captaining the team to a sixth-place Premier League finish and qualification to the Europa League last year, Dunk has seen plenty in his time at his hometown club.
But he admits the change in approach brought about by De Zerbi’s appointment to replace Chelsea-bound Graham Potter last year was a challenge – albeit one that was ultimately rewarding for club and skipper alike.
“Football-wise, since the new manager at Brighton has come in I see football in a completely different way, I picture it in a different way and that is the biggest thing,” he said.
“Football is not what I thought it was. Just how we play now. The idea of what I did before, I thought it made sense. But when you learn something completely different, you believe in it and this makes sense. You think ‘why didn’t I know this?’ and ‘why didn’t I do this before?’ That is just what it is.
“If I am being honest, honest answer the first couple of weeks were horrendous… I wouldn’t say horrendous, they were baffling.
“He (De Zerbi) knows that, we have spoken about it and he knew that at the time, coming in, not speaking English, speaking through a translator.
“Training changed dramatically, we work on a lot of different stuff now and the first couple of weeks were a really hard transition, especially I think we were fourth in the league when Graham left and we were flying with him, and it was a strange time for him to go and then Roberto came in and (it was) carnage for two weeks.”
De Zerbi prefers a methodical, planned approach which requires all of his players – especially defenders – to be comfortable in possession of the ball.
“It’s rehearsed – don’t worry about that,” Dunk added when asked if such tactics – which have led to famous wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal – are risky.
“We rehearse it every day. That is our training. I couldn’t play his position, but now know every position on the pitch and where they should be. The time they should move and what angles they should give. So yes, we see it every day and it makes life simpler.”
Dunk earned his England recall in June, but injury forced him to pull out of the squad to face Malta and North Macedonia in Euro 2024 qualifiers.
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Manager Gareth Southgate has kept faith in Dunk, however, and he is back again at the first time of asking.
“I’m completely different person and a different player,” he said.
“I’m five years older, five years wiser and I’ve learnt a lot football-wise and life-wise in those five years, like you do.
“I’m a different person now and come here with a different confidence that I probably didn’t come with before.”
Asked what was the biggest difference he noticed between the last time he trained alongside Southgate and his players at St George’s Park to now, Dunk added: “We had a meeting the other day and he’s talking about winning the Euros and the whole squad is thinking about winning the Euros.
“So I would say that’s the big change in mentality. It’s not ‘how far can we get in a tournament’. It’s winning a tournament.
“So that is probably the biggest change I’ve seen coming back. It’s ‘we will win this tournament. We want to win this tournament’. That’s what we’re going there to do and being around these top players. I can see why he is saying that and why England can win.”
Nick Bosa's six-week holdout is now over after the San Francisco 49ers and the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year agreed to a reported five-year, $170 million extension that will make him the highest-paid defensive player in league history.
NFL.com reported Wednesday that Bosa will receive $122.5 million in guaranteed money and the 49ers will waive all fines the star edge rusher incurred by missing all of training camp and the preseason.
The deal is the largest ever for a defensive player in terms of both average annual value and guaranteed money. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald had the largest AAV at $31.7 million while Bosa's brother, Joey, received a then-record $102 million in guarantees on his 2020 extension with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The two sides were able to strike a deal four days before the 49ers' season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, a game head coach Kyle Shanahan said Bosa may now be able to participate in to some degree.
"We've got to see when he gets here," Shanahan told reporters Wednesday on Bosa's availability for Week 1. "I know Nick will come in shape, I know he'll be good.
"We'll be smart with it and it will be based on these next two-and-a-half practices."
Bosa was a runaway winner of last season's Defensive Player of the Year award after amassing a league-best 18.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and 48 quarterback hurries in 16 games. The 25-year-old was entering the final season of his five-year, $51.4 million rookie contract.
Taken by the 49ers with the second overall pick of the 2019 draft, Bosa has recorded 43 sacks, 56 tackles for loss and one interception in 51 career regular-season games as a lynchpin of a stout San Francisco defence that has helped the franchise reach the NFC Championship Game in three of his four seasons.
Bosa missed most of the 2020 season after tearing his ACL in the 49ers' second game, but returned with a banner 2021 campaign in which he registered 15.5 sacks during the regular season and four more in three postseason games.
Arsenal sealed their place in the Champions League qualifying first-round final with a 3-0 win against Linkoping in Sweden.
Caitlin Foord and Lina Hurtig both scored with second-half headers before substitute Stina Blackstenius’ late effort sealed their progress.
Arsenal captain Kim Little’s early penalty was saved and Lotte Wubben-Moy’s first-half header was pushed on to a post.
The Gunners – who handed England striker Alessia Russo her debut – will face Paris on Saturday for a place in the two-legged second qualifying round.
Celtic registered their first win in a Champions League tie as Kelly Clark’s second-half goal earned them a 1-0 win against Brondby in Oslo.
Clark’s emphatic finish following a 68th-minute corner saw the Ghirls advance to the final of their round one group where they will play Valerenga.
Glasgow City secured their place in their round-one group final after beating Shelbourne 2-0 in a morning kick-off and will now face Lithuanian side Gintra.
Kinga Kozak’s effort for Glasgow before the break hit the crossbar and second-half goals from Brenna Lovera and Lauren Davidson saw the Scottish side progress.
Glasgow’s next opponents Gintra knocked Cardiff out of the competition as two goals from Nigeria forward Juliet Bassey in Siauliai sealed a 2-0 win.
Irish Premiership champions Cliftonville’s first-ever Champions League tie ended in an 8-1 defeat to Benfica in Lisbon.
Marie D’Anjou headed Benfica into a first-half lead and after Fionnula Morgan’s own goal, further efforts from Lucia Alves and Andrea Falcon gave the hosts a 4-0 interval lead.
Lara Martins added two more for Benfica early in the second half and Caitlin McGuinness headed Cliftonville’s first European goal before Alves and Beatriz Nogueira extended the Portuguese side’s lead.
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