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How to watch and stream Arsenal vs Southampton in the Premier League on TV and online in the United States.

Arsenal take on Southampton in a crucial Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

▶Watch Arsenal vs Southampton live on Sling TV today!▶Watch Arsenal vs Southampton live on Sky Sports today!

The hosts are unbeaten in their last 23 Premier League home games against Southampton (W16 D7), the most one side has hosted another without ever losing in the competition.

However, Mikel Arteta's side let a two-goal lead slip in each of their last two Premier League games (2-2 draws at both Liverpool and West Ham), which made them just the fifth side in the competition's history to do so.

Indeed, the Gunners have dropped as many points from being ahead in these two games (four) as they had in their previous 47 matches (draws with Southampton and Brentford this season).

Meanwhile, Southampton find themselves at the bottom of the table and are desperate for points. They have won just six times in the league this season out of 31 appearances and taking on Arsenal at the Emirates is a daunting task, to say the least.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the U.S.

(C)Getty ImagesKick-off time

Game:

Arsenal vs Southampton

Date:

April 21, 2023

Kick-off:

4:00 pm ET

Venue:

Emirates Stadium

The game is scheduled for April 21, at Emirates Stadium. It will kick off at 4 pm ET in the U.S.

AdvertisementGettyHow to watch Arsenal vs Southampton on TV & live stream online

In theUnited States (USA), the game will be broadcasted on theUSA NetworkandUNIVERSOand can be live-streamed onSling TVandNBC Sports app/website.

Country TV Channel Live stream

USUSA Network, UNIVERSOSling TV, NBC Sports app/website.Check out GOAL's Soccer on US TV guideTeam news & squads

Arsenal team news

Arsenal have a few injury concerns going into this fixture as they are certainly going to miss Mohamed Elneny, William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko's return gets delayed and Kieran Tierney will continue to start in the XI.

"We will see that one as well, not certain. It's a muscle injury, and he needs some time to heal. We're not there yet," Arteta informed.

Position

Players

Goalkeepers

Ramsdale, Turner.

Defenders

Gabriel, Kiwior, Holding, White.

Midfielders

Partey, Jorginho, Xhaka, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Odegaard.

Forwards

Martinelli, Trossard, Saka, Nelson, Jesus, Nketiah.

Southampton team news

Juan Larios, Valentino Livramento, Mislav Orsic and Mohammed Salisu are injured while Ainsley Maitland-Niles is not eligible against his parent club.

Romain Perraud is likely to replace Maitland-Niles.

However, Che Adams might return to the squad after overcoming a calf issue.

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Bazunu, McCarthy, CabelleroDefenders:Caleta-Car, Lyanco, Perraud, Bree, Bella-KotchapMidfielders:Lavia, Diallo, Ward-Prowse, Alcaraz, S. Armstrong, Aribo, Sulemana, Elyounoussi, Djenepo, Edozie, WalcottForwards:A. Armstrong, Onuachu, Mara, AdamsHead-to-head recordDateResultCompetition23/10/2022Southampton 1-1 ArsenalPremier League16/04/2022Southampton 1-0 ArsenalPremier League11/12/2021Arsenal 3-0 SouthamptonPremier League27/01/2021Southampton 1-3 ArsenalPremier League23/01/2021Southampton 1-0 ArsenalFA CupENJOYED THIS STORY?

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GettyUseful linksArsenal team pageSouthampton team pageLive soccer on U.S. TV

The Gunners have been big spenders this summer – but Mikel Arteta still wants more firepower

There is now less than a week left of the summer transfer window.

Arsenal have been busy so far, with Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Viera, Marquinhos and Matt Turner all being brought in since the end of last season.

But will the Gunners be doing any more business before Thursday night's 11pm transfer deadline? 

Below, GOAL takes a look at what could still happen in north London during the closing days of the window.

GettyIncomings – Pedro Neto

Arsenal are interested in Pedro Neto, but as of yet they have not made an official offer to Wolves.

The discussions that have been going on behind the scenes have been taking place with Jorge Mendes, Neto’s agent.

Arsenal technical director Edu has a good relationship with Mendes and has already worked closely with him this summer as part of the deal that brought Fabio Vieira to the club from Porto.

Wolves do not want to sell Neto, but with Mendes having a huge influence at the Midlands club, he could yet have a major say on what happens with the winger during the final days of the transfer window.

If Wolves stand firm, however, and demand a fee in excess of £50 million for the 22-year-old, Arsenal fear they could be priced out of a move, given their hefty outlay on transfers over the past two summers.

While club sources insist they currently have no issues surrounding Financial Fair Play rules and that things are being run in line with Premier League and UEFA regulations, there is an acceptance that a deal for Neto could prove to be too expensive to pursue this summer.

Arsenal have only brought in around £20 million from sales this summer and the prospect of bringing in any substantial funds during the closing days of the window appears slim.

AdvertisementGettyYouri Tielemans

Tielemans’ story has been an interesting one this summer.

Arsenal hold a long-term interest in the Leicester City midfielder and were expected to bid for him following talks with his representatives last season.

But they have yet to submit an offer, leaving Tielemans – who has just one year left on his deal with the Foxes – somewhat in limbo.

He expected to move this summer, with Leicester open to sanctioning his exit to bring in some funds.

But Arsenal focused their attention elsewhere as they prioritised other signings and they have yet to rekindle their interest in the Belgium international.

There is still a chance Tielemans will move before the deadline and while it’s unlikely it will be to Arsenal, the possibility can’t be entirely ruled out, given how long the midfielder has been on the radar at the Emirates and the work that has already been done behind the scenes with his agent.

GettyA wildcard?

If Neto proves to be too expensive and Arsenal continue to overlook Tielemans, could there be a surprise arrival over the final week of the window?

Mikel Arteta has publicly stated his desire to do some more business, with the Gunners boss admitting after the win at Bournemouth last weekend that he wanted more ‘firepower’.

One player who is believed to be of interest is Yeremy Pino at Villarreal, with sources in Spain confirming to GOAL that the 19-year-old is admired by the North London club.

But just like Neto, Pino would not come cheap, and no offer has been made at this stage.

Wilfried Zaha is another name that is being touted around, but prizing him away from Crystal Palace this late in the window would be extremely difficult.

“We want to only bring top quality through that door,” Arteta said last week. “Otherwise it’s not worth it.”

Arsenal showed in January that they won’t push the panic button and bring a player in just for the sake of it if they can’t get their main targets.

So the prospect of them spending big money on a player who they might not be convinced by seems slim.

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Getty/GoalOutgoings – Hector Bellerin

With Nicolas Pepe’s loan move to Nice now confirmed, attentions shifts to getting the last couple of unwanted players out of the door.

A move to Real Betis remains the most likely option for Hector Bellerin, but Barcelona are also lurking.

The Catalan outfit have yet to make an official offer for the right-back as they have been looking at Juan Foyth at Villarreal, but they have been in talks with the Arsenal star's camp.

And Bellerin’s representatives are waiting to see if Barcelona firm up their interest in the defender as deadline day approaches.

Betis meanwhile are working to free up space in their squad for Bellerin, who enjoyed a fine loan spell with the La Liga outfit last season.

They are also hoping that Arsenal will come to an agreement to terminate Bellerin’s contract a year early.

Talks between Arsenal and Belelrin’s representatives have taken place about a potential termination, but so far no agreement has been reached.

The expectation is, however, that Bellerin will certainly leave Arsenal before the end of the window.

Only one player from outside Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund makes the top 20, but who are the best options for your Ultimate Team this year?

Getty20Leon Goretzka – Bayern Munich – CM – 84The now 24-year-old Goretzka rather burst onto the FUT scene back in 2018 with a slew of special cards, and he hasn't looked back since. Another slight upgrade this season sees one of the most balanced midfielders in the game get even better. With only six in-game stats below 75, standing at 6'2" with a 4* weak foot, expect Goretzka to be in every other team you face this year.AdvertisementGetty Images19Kingsley Coman – Bayern Munich – LM – 84Another of the young players expected to lead Bayern into a bright future, wing wizard Coman's slight upgrade this year suggests he's on the right track. Plenty will be annoyed to see his skill moves drop down to 4* but with pace to burn and excellent dribbling stats, he's still going to be dangerous.Getty18Jadon Sancho – Borussia Dortmund – RM – 84The saviour of English football started last season as a silver card, but he's now going to be one of the most dangerous widemen in the game. Plenty of pace, incredible dribbling stats, 5* skill moves and a 4* weak foot, plus he was born in the year 2000 so the existential crisis he'll trigger in older opponents will give you a psychological edge. ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty17Julian Brandt – Borussia Dortmund – CAM – 84This is a very nicely well-rounded card. An upgrade after last year's Team of the Season and a switch infield from the wing means Brandt feels like a brand new player, and he looks like a perfect attacking fulcrum. Lanky, with 4* skill moves and weak foot and good creative and attacking stats across the board, he looks an excellent option behind your strikers.

India’s national selection panel is likely to ponder over the composition of the team’s spin attack when they sit down on Thursday in Delhi to finalise the squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka

Amol Karhadkar22-Jul-20151:56

Kalra: Naman Ojha could be picked as reserve-keeper

India’s national selection panel is likely to ponder over the composition of the team’s spin attack when they sit down on Thursday in Delhi to finalise the squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka.Harbhajan Singh has seemingly justified his recall with decent outings in the Bangladesh and Zimbabwe ODIs, and is set to be given a full series, while R Ashwin, too, is ready to roll in what would be his maiden Test series in Sri Lanka. With two spots locked in the XI, the selectors will have to decide on the back-up spinners.Karn Sharma, who was the third spinner in the Test squad in Bangladesh, got injured ahead of the Zimbabwe tour. It is understood, however, that he has recovered from his finger injury and is available for selection. Still, Karn is not assured of a spot, with three other players competing for the third spinner’s position, even though Ravindra Jadeja has fallen out of the radar in recent months.Axar Patel, considered to be a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja, has put in consistent performances in limited overs. Also, the fact that Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha have been rewarded with India A call-ups indicates that Sandeep Patil’s panel has not written the pair off completely. Interestingly, it was Mishra and Pragyan who shouldered the responsibility in India’s last Test series in Sri Lanka, in 2010, when Harbhajan returned home after the first Test.With opening batsman KL Rahul also returning to top-flight cricket after recovering from a bout of dengue fever, 14 of the 15 members, barring Karn, who were originally selected for the lone Test in June are likely to be persisted with.The other point of discussion would be whether to add a reserve keeper in the squad. MS Dhoni’s Test retirement will give Wriddhiman Saha, who was Dhoni’s understudy in Sri Lanka in 2010, his first full series behind the wickets. Considering that it is a three-Test series, if the selectors decide to include a reserve keeper and expand the squad to 16 members, Naman Ojha will be the frontrunner for the position. Naman, who was in the Test squad for the final match against England last year, was also with the squad in Australia till the first Test as Dhoni had missed out with injury.While the seven batsmen select themselves, the selectors are likely to persist with captain Kohli’s demand for an aggressive pace attack.

Joe Root is set to stay at No. 4 in England’s Test line-up for the series against Sri Lanka, but Alastair Cook admitted there were some “tough decisions” to be made about other batting positions

Andrew McGlashan06-May-20160:42

Don’t apply the points system to the Ashes – Cook

Joe Root is set to stay at No. 4 in England’s Test line-up for the series against Sri Lanka, but Alastair Cook admitted there were some “tough decisions” to be made about other batting positions.Three of England’s top five slots are under scrutiny going into the international season – which begins with the first Test at Headingley on May 19 – and the selectors will meet next week after one more round of Championship matches.Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, returns from Australia to take in the next round of four-day games while Cook, who does not have an official vote on selection, will attend the meeting as England shape their squad for a resumption of Test action following their series win in South Africa.One enforced change will have to be made following the retirement of James Taylor which opens up a place at No. 5, but there will also be debate – again – about Cook’s opening partner and who bats at No. 3.It could be that both Alex Hales and Nick Compton – who filled those positions in South Africa – will be given another chance; the early suggestions are that Hales is the more secure of the two even though Compton had better numbers in the South Africa series.Root, the No.2-ranked Test batsman, has made it clear that he would prefer to remain at No. 4 – where he is averaging 54.62 – and while Cook confirmed that discussions had been about a move to three, the status quo is likely to be maintained.”Joe has made it perfectly clear where he wants to bat,” Cook said. “He’s been outstanding for us and probably at this time he’ll stick at four. I know Trevor has spoken about him going to three but maybe that will see that a bit later on. But when you’re scoring like him and averaging 60 from No. 4, I think it’s probably quite good to stick there.”Gary Ballance, who was the reserve batsman in South Africa, Ian Bell and James Vince appear to be jostling for a position in the side although there could yet be room for two of them if the selectors decide to make a change at No. 3 as well. Ballance has been the least convincing of that trio in the early weeks of the season, while both Bell – who was dropped for the South Africa tour – and Vince, uncapped at Test level, have centuries to their name.”The selectors have tough decisions to make,” Cook said at a Chance to Shine event. “The guys went to South Africa and won and that gives the guys a lot of credit in the bank, but then again we did not score the runs at the top order we would have liked. Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Ben Stokes scored a lot of our runs so the selectors have got big decisions to make.”‘It’s not as clear as I hoped it would be by this stage. But that’s probably because we could go two or three ways. It will be an interesting meeting. There might be some tough calls to make or it might be about giving the guys who went to South Africa another chance. I don’t know which way it is going to go.”Whatever decisions are made, though, Cook conceded England need a more consistent return from the top order as they aim to secure further Test success. “For this side to step forward, challenge India away, Australia away, get back up to No. 1 ranking, we need to score runs in the top three, more than we have done in the last couple of years. It’s an opportunity, whether it’s Alex, or someone else, to grab hold of.”

USA wicketkeeper Steven Taylor and Canada offspinner Nikhil Dutta have been awarded full Caribbean Premier League contracts after successful tryouts with the Barbados Tridents and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots respectively

Peter Della Penna22-Jun-2015USA wicketkeeper Steven Taylor and Canada offspinner Nikhil Dutta have been awarded full Caribbean Premier League contracts after successful tryouts with the Barbados Tridents and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots respectively. They two became the first Associate players from the Americas Region to become part of a CPL squad.After participating in an ICC Americas squad camp last December in Barbados, Taylor and Dutta were two of six players shortlisted for a chance to compete in a trial with West Indies U-19 cricketers for a final roster spot in their nominated CPL franchise.Taylor, 21, first rose to international prominence at age 18 in October 2012 when he was the only US player chosen as part of the International World XI captained by Sanath Jayasuriya in a series of T20 exhibition matches in Karachi as part of an effort to encourage international teams to resume touring Pakistan. He was the first US player to score a T20 century and was USA’s leading scorer at the 2013 World T20 Qualifier in the UAE with 271 runs at an average of 38.71.Tridents coach Robin Singh has worked with Taylor since 2011 when Singh was the USA U-19 coach first at a regional qualifier in Florida and then again at the U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland. Since then, Taylor and Singh have continued to forge a solid bond during Singh’s stints as a coach for the USA senior team on a tournament by tournament basis at various ICC events.Dutta, 20, was the 2013 ICC Americas U-19 Division One tournament MVP when he helped Canada qualify for the 2014 ICC U-19 World Cup in the UAE. He was Canada’s leading wicket-taker at the recently concluded ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in Indianapolis, taking 12 at an average of 9.41, giving strong indications that he would make the cut with the Patriots. Dutta is considered somewhat of a mystery spinner with a delivery style and repertoire similar to Sunil Narine.Despite being given full contracts by their franchises, both Taylor and Dutta may have limited availability for the tournament after both were named last week to represent their countries at the ICC World T20 Qualifier in Ireland and Scotland. All teams are scheduled to arrive on July 3 for the tournament with USA and Canada’s first official group matches taking place on July 10. The World T20 Qualifier final is on July 26 in Dublin, the same day as the CPL final in Trinidad.Aside from the two Associate players, former West Indies U-19 captain Ramaal Lewis received a contract from Jamaica Tallawahs while reigning West Indies U-19 player of the year Shimron Hetmeyer signed on with the Guyana Amazon Warriors. The other two emerging talents to receive CPL contracts were Gidron Pope from the St Lucia Zouks and Mark Deyal for the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel.

India are set to play three ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals in Zimbabwe from July 10 to 19

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2015India are set to play three ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals in Zimbabwe from July 10 to 19. A BCCI insider confirmed that the three ODIs would be played on July 10, 12 and 14 and the T20s on July 17 and 19.Alistair Campbell, Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director of cricket, told that all the games will be played in Harare. He also stated that India will arrive in Zimbabwe on July 7 and leave on July 20. The fixtures are likely to be announced officially later this week.It is understood that the BCCI has not raised a formal objection to Ten Sports being the host broadcaster of ZC, and the series will be relayed on the Essel Group-owned channel. In the wake of the Essel Group’s possibility of floating a global rebel cricket league, doubts had been raised over the BCCI agreeing to tour a country that is associated with Ten Sports. But the BCCI hasn’t created a hurdle for a tour that is the biggest grosser for cash-starved ZC.India had previously travelled to Zimbabwe in July-August 2013 when they had whitewashed the five-ODI series, which was split between Harare and Bulawayo.

A few days after Colin Graves appeared to open the door on Kevin Pietersen’s return to the England side, Peter Moores has sought to slam it shut again

George Dobell08-Mar-20151:54

KP return quashed by Moores

A few days after Colin Graves appeared to open the door on Kevin Pietersen’s return to the England side, Peter Moores has sought to slam it shut again.Graves, the incoming ECB chairman, had suggested in the that the selectors would be obliged to take notice if Pietersen did return to county cricket and score heavily. “If he plays county cricket and scores lots of runs, they can’t ignore him,” he said.That led to speculation that Pietersen would reduce his T20 commitments – he is contracted to play whole seasons in both the IPL and the Caribbean Premier League – in order to make time to play county cricket.But Moores, the England coach whose relationship with Pietersen was infamously poor when the pair were captain and coach in 2008, suggested that Graves’ words had been “taken out of context” and that there was no change in the long-term policy towards the out of favour batsman as repeatedly expressed by the MD of England Cricket, Paul Downton.”I think the policy on the KP situation has been made pretty clear by Paul,” Moores said.Downton has previously been scathing in his criticism of Pietersen and said that the England team have “moved on” from him. Chief selector, James Whitaker, who is currently with the team in Adelaide, has said there is “no way Pietersen will ever get back into an England team”.While both men are in position, it does appear Pietersen’s hopes of a recall are slim.The ECB also released a statement following Graves’ comments saying that “nothing has changed” as regards to their policy towards Pietersen.While it is understood that Graves and Pietersen have spoken in recent days, it increasingly appears as if the ECB’s chairmen is regarded by others as having exceeded his authority and spoken out of turn and that his views are not those of his executive team.

A formidable squad packed with international talent gives Sunrisers Hyderabad a leg up, but nailing down a winning combination and managing the expectation from those big names could be their greatest challenge

Vishal Dikshit05-Apr-20152:12

Sunrisers Hyderabad team preview

Likely first XI1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Naman Ojha (wk), 5 Eoin Morgan/ Ravi Bopara, 6 Hanuma Vihari, 7 Ashish Reddy, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Karn Sharma, 11 Ishant Sharma/ Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Click here for the full squad2014 finishAfter winning only two of their first six matches last season, Sunrisers Hyderabad failed to impress in the second half as well and finished sixth. First under Shikhar Dhawan and then led by Darren Sammy, they didn’t quite live up to expectations after an impressive debut season in 2013.Big PictureWith arguably the strongest bowling unit this IPL, and some big purchases in the auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad have left no stone unturned to undo their poor outing of 2014. Dale Steyn, Trent Boult, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma bring international quality to their attack. Combine that with David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara and Kane Williamson, and Sunrisers possess a squad that is formidable and full of options, at least on paper.Their challenge will be living up to the expectations tagged with those big names. It is also easy to spot a reliance on overseas players. Steyn, Boult, Warner, Morgan and Bopara are all match-winners, but only four of them can be selected. With Warner as captain, there is room for only three of the others. Picking Steyn and Boult would leave one spot open for Morgan and Bopara, and vice-versa. That means no space for Williamson or Moises Henriques.Oppositions will probably see a weak link in Sunrisers’ middle order. If Warner and Morgan fail initially, much of the responsibility will fall upon the domestic players but Naman Ojha, Hanuma Vihari and KL Rahul do not have the same weight of experience to draw from. The spin department this year will without Amit Mishra, the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL, and much will rest on Parvez Rasool and Karn Sharma, who again have little international experience.However, Sunrisers’ biggest loss came when Kevin Pietersen pulled out of the league stage to bolster his chances of an England return. That said, even if half of the international names in the squad fire for Sunrisers, making the eliminators this time may not prove to be as tough as last year.Big PlayersSunrisers’ biggest strength lies in their openers – both batsmen and bowlers. Who would want to face Trent Boult and Dale Steyn together? And who would want to bowl to Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner in the first six overs?Bargain BuyKane Williamson, who has it in him to become New Zealand’s best batsman ever according to Martin Crowe, will make his IPL debut this season. His style is more suited for Tests and ODIs, but his T20 strike rate is 117 and he already has a hundred under his belt. Rs 60 lakh for such a batsman? Any day.AvailabilityAlthough Kevin Pietersen was their biggest buy in terms of brand name, his commitment to Surrey and England has made him unavailable until the eliminators at least. Whether he is part of the English Test summer or not, Kane Williamson and Trent Boult sure will be. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they join the New Zealand squad for their two games at Lord’s and Headingley by May 19 and won’t be available after the league stage.CoachesSunrisers roped in Muttiah Muralitharan as bowling coach and team mentor in January this year after the former offspinner was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore. Muralitharan will join VVS Laxman, Kris Srikanth and Tom Moody in the dugout.Quote”It’s definitely a huge loss, but that said, we have good replacements for Pietersen in Kane Williamson and Eoin Morgan”

Ryan Harris will miss the Gabba Test with a slight strain to his quadriceps and Peter Siddle has been dropped

Brydon Coverdale16-Dec-20142:41

MacGill: Siddle might never play for Australia again

Ryan Harris will miss the Gabba Test with a slight strain to his quadriceps and Peter Siddle has been dropped from the attack that bowled Australia to victory in the Adelaide Test. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will make his long-awaited Test debut on Wednesday and left-armer Mitchell Starc has been recalled after last playing in the loss to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.The stand-in captain Steven Smith announced the team at the Gabba on the day before the Test, also confirming that he would move up to No.4 in the batting order with Shaun Marsh to slot in at No.5. Smith said he was hopeful that Harris would be fit for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne but the selectors could not risk him given the short turnaround since Adelaide.”Ryan Harris pulled up a little bit stiff and sore from Adelaide,” Smith said. “He’s got a slight quad strain. Darren Lehmann has always said if our bowlers aren’t 100% fit going into the match we won’t be playing them. It’s very unfortunate for Ryan but hopefully he gets his body right soon.”I think he’ll be okay in a couple of days. It’s just going into a Test match if you’re not 100% fit that’s the way it goes with this team. Hopefully he gets a bit of work done with the physios in the next couple of days and can start running and hopefully he’ll be fine for Melbourne.”The extra bounce on offer at the Gabba played some role in swaying the selectors towards choosing the tall Hazlewood and Starc. Siddle picked up only two wickets in the Adelaide Test and had a difficult tour of the UAE, and now faces the prospect of slipping below the younger members of the pace attack in the pecking order.”In regards to the inclusion of Mitchell Starc, I think we just wanted to play a bowler with a bit of extra pace and bounce,” Smith said. “Mitchell went back and bowled really well for New South Wales in the last couple of Shield games and deserves his spot.”It’s obviously very disappointing for Peter Siddle, who’s been a terrific bowler over a long period of time. He’s certainly not out of the loop. He’s still in and around the team and hopefully he’ll get another game soon.”Hazlewood, 23, will finally earn his first baggy green after being part of the Test squad on a number of occasions. Smith has played plenty of state cricket for New South Wales with Hazlewood and is impressed with the way he has developed.”It’s very exciting, I’ve watched Josh very closely over the last couple of years at New South Wales and he impresses me every time,” Smith said. “He’s only getting better and better. This pitch out here is going to suit him perfectly. He’s very skilful for his age, and I’m just looking forward to seeing him zing a few through and bowl with that extra pace and get that extra bit of bounce as well.”I think that’s part of the reason Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have been included in the team. It’s traditionally quite a fast and bouncy wicket and it looks no different out there for this Test match. Hopefully after the wickets we’ve played on recently in Test cricket, the Adelaide Oval and the two in the UAE, it’s exciting for our fast bowlers to finally have something that’s going to have a bit of liveliness to it.”The three changes to the team also involve Shaun Marsh coming in for his first Test since the tour of South Africa earlier this year. He will move into the No.5 spot, his typical batting position recently for Western Australia, and Smith said he was happy to moved up the order and take on extra responsibility in his first Test as captain.”I’ve had a chat to a couple of the senior players and the coach about it,” Smith said. “I just thought taking over the captaincy and a bit of extra responsibility that I’d step up to No.4 and get the job done there. I don’t think there’s a big difference between batting 4 and 5, so that’s just the way I’ve gone with it.”Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Chris Rogers, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Shaun Marsh, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.