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Aston Villa have had a stellar 2023/24. They have achieved Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Unai Emery has turned a squad who were 17th in the Premier League when he took over last season into one of the most exciting and enterprising teams in the whole competition, with a deserved reward at the end of it.

There have been several Villa players who have had the year of their lives in this campaign, too. England international Ollie Watkins has been one of the best players in the Premier League, having scored 19 goals and registered 13 assists in 36 games. He is one of three players with 30 goal involvements.

Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz has also been phenomenal in the middle of the park for the Villans. He has nine goals and five assists in 34 matches in the Premier League, which has earned him a place in Brazil’s Copa America squad ahead of the tournament this summer.

However, despite a superb time of things across the board for Villa, there have been some players who have struggled to make an impact at Villa Park this term. One of those players has had a frustrating time, only playing very occasionally.

Calum Chambers' 2023/24 stats

The player in question here is the former Arsenal and England centre-back Calum Chambers. It has certainly been a frustrating campaign for the 29-year-old, who has found opportunities under Emery few and far between.

Chambers has made just seven appearances in all competitions throughout 2023/24, with just four of those coming in the Premier League. He hasn’t started a domestic game this season, although he did manage to register an assist, which came in the 3-3 draw against Liverpool, in Villa’s most recent Premier League outing.

It is perhaps unsurprising that Chambers has not featured much for Villa this term. Emery has had a consistently settled back four, with the likes of Ezri Konsa with 49 games, Pau Torres with 39 games and Diego Carlos with 37 games all featuring as key defenders.

Indeed, Emery is famed for the high line in which his Villa side deploys. Whilst it is risky considering you could let attackers in behind, they ideally hope to catch opponents offside. As of April, they had caught 142 opponents offside, a remarkable 40 more occasions than any other team in the Premier League.

Chambers wage in 2024

Chambers earns a substantial amount of money per week at Villa, which, given the amount of minutes he has played this season, could certainly be better spent. According to Capology, Chambers earns £50k-per-week at Villa Park.

Whilst the England international, who has three caps for his country, all in 2014 under Roy Hodgson, is not one of the highest earners at Villa, he still receives a higher salary per week than one of their most talented youngsters.

Compared to Chambers’ weekly take home, exciting attacker Jhon Duran, earns just £30k-per-week, with January signing Morgan Rogers earning slightly less, with £20k-per-week.

Duran has hardly played much himself but his double goal heroics against Liverpool on Monday evening spoke volumes of the vast amount of talent this young striker possesses. He is at the opposite end of his career but certainly deserves a wage hike if this sort of form continues.

Given the amount of money Chambers earns, and his lack of minutes under Emery, it could well be the case that the former Arsenal man departs the club in the summer. As per Dan Bardell via Aston Villa News, Chambers is “waiting until the end of the season to see if there are any better options for him to move to”, before explaining that “Emery just never seemed to trust him”, following the first European game of the campaign.

He joined Villa on a free, meaning they will make a profit on any potential sale of Chambers this summer. At this stage, it is unclear where he will go, but a move away from Villa Park seems almost inevitable.

Aston Villa given opportunity to sign £30m star who's like Grealish

He has not had much game time this season but would be an impressive pick up for Villa.

By
Joe Nuttall

May 15, 2024

Al-Nassr have reacted angrily to a supposed Lionel Messi celebration taunt aimed in the direction of their talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

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• Fans allowed to step behind the scenes
• One seemingly offered a nod to Argentine icon
• Saudi outfit disappointed with behaviour

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Saudi Pro League outfit allow supporters to visit their dressing room when not in action, giving fans a chance to pose for pictures in front of lockers that are used by the likes of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo and former Liverpool star Sadio Mane.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  One of those, a YouTuber known as BO3OMAR22, is considered to have taken things too far by mimicking the iconic pose that Argentine superstar Messi struck when helping his country to victory over the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup – as he cupped his ears in the direction of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal.

• WHAT AL-NASSR SAID

  Al-Nassr have been quick to condemn said actions, which they consider to be a slight on Portuguese superstar Ronaldo. The club has said in an extraordinary statement: “We would like to point out that Al-Nassr Club has always been welcoming to its visitors, fans and lovers, and throughout its long history its doors have been open to all. However, what happened inside the dressing room at the First Park Stadium, in terms of individual (irresponsible) actions, is unacceptable by some people who do not appreciate the value of the party they represent, nor the place and entity that left it.

  “They did not respect its fans. We would like to clarify that we at Al-Nassr Club Company have directed the concerned internal departments to immediately address the issue to preserve the club's literary, moral and material rights, with full assurance that the club's doors and all its facilities are open to every fan as long as they comply.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The fan involved has issued an apology on his social channels, saying: “I apologise if the photo bothered you. The situation was a joke and I made a mistake.” Ronaldo was not in action for Al-Nassr as they played out a 1-1 draw with Al Shorta in the AFC Champions League, having been struck down by a virus, but could return to Pro League competition on Friday against Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq.

Christian Pulisic is reportedly one of the names on Liverpool's shortlist to replace Mohamed Salah after the American's blistering start at AC Milan.

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• Liverpool planning for life after Salah
• Reports claim Reds would need to double Milan outlay
• Pulisic scored against Liverpool in Champions League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool have taken note of Pulisic's bright start to the season, which has seen the American grab three goals and two assists in the opening five Serie A games. Italian outlet have claimed that Liverpool would need to double the €20 million (£16.6m/$22.3m) Milan paid for Pulisic in July 2023.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pulisic still has three years remaining on his contract at Milan, with the Italian giants also understood to have a one-year option on his deal. The forward has also shown no desire to leave Milan or return to the Premier League after finding his best form in Italy. Salah, meanwhile, has been tipped to leave Liverpool upon the expiry of his contract next summer, with a host of top clubs said to be queueing up to sign him.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Pulisic is coming off the back of the most productive season of his career, with 12 goals and eight assists in Serie A last term, beating out his debut year at Chelsea, where he had 13 goal contributions in 25 Premier League games. The forward added to his goal against Liverpool in the Champions League with the opener against Inter in the Milan derby last week.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC AND LIVERPOOL?

  Liverpool are unlikely to make any decision on signing Pulisic or any Salah replacement until the Egyptian's future is resolved, with the Reds still desperate to tie their talisman down to a new contract despite him suggesting this could be his final season at Anfield. Pulisic will be hoping to continue his fine start to the season when Milan host Serie A strugglers Lecce this weekend.

Celtic's 2023/24 campaign will come to an end this weekend as they play their final match against their local rivals in the SFA Cup final on Saturday.

The Hoops travel across Glasgow to Hampden Park to take on Rangers as they eye up a domestic double, having already secured the Scottish Premiership crown.

Brendan Rodgers is looking to cap off a successful return to Parkhead, after he replaced Ange Postecoglou last summer, with a second trophy of the season.

The Northern Irish head coach will then be able to full focus on the upcoming summer transfer window and how he can make changes to bolster his playing squad.

He may want to improve the team in order to enjoy greater success in Europe after his side were knocked out of the Champions League and all European competitions by finishing bottom of their group.

Rodgers is reportedly looking to improve his frontline options and has been linked with an active interest in a current Scottish Premiership star, who could make the Hoops boss forget all about Adam Idah.

Celtic's interest in Premiership marksman

According to FotMob, Celtic are one of a number of clubs lining up a summer swoop to sign Aberdeen centre-forward Bojan Miovski to bolster their respective attacks.

The report claims that at least 20 clubs are keeping tabs on the North Macedonia international ahead of the upcoming transfer window, although only five of those teams currently have a serious interest in the star striker.

Bologna, Southampton, Feyenoord, Rangers, and Celtic are all said to be actively keen on a deal to sign the impressive marksman, who Aberdeen want a club-record fee for.

Their record fee received for a player currently stands at the £6.5m deal Liverpool agreed for right-back Calvin Ramsey in the summer of 2022, which included £4m upfront.

FotMob's report states that Rodgers is looking to add more firepower to his arsenal in the off-season and has identified the Aberdeen sensation as a target.

The outlet adds that the Bhoys are currently ahead of their rivals, Rangers, in the race to land the left-footed whiz, but it does not reveal whether they are leading all clubs in their pursuit of him.

It does, however, reveal that teams are expecting bids to start flying in for Miovski sooner rather than later, which could mean that Celtic need to move quickly to get a deal over the line.

Rodgers could now forget all about loanee Adam Idah by securing a swoop to sign the proven Premiership star ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Adam Idah's impact at Celtic

The Hoops signed the Republic of Ireland international on loan from English Championship side Norwich City on deadline day at the start of February.

Idah has made 18 appearances in all competitions for Celtic to date and chipped in with eight goals and two assists, but zero goals and zero assists in three SFA Cup outings ahead of the final on Saturday.

The 23-year-old striker has only been handed five league starts, in 15 matches, by Rodgers in the Premiership but has made a huge impact in his limited time on the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Idah has scored far more frequently than first-choice striker Kyogo Furuhashi, and been significantly better in the air when battling against opposition defenders.

Earlier this month, The Scottish Sun reported that Norwich will demand a fee of at least £5m and that number could go higher if other teams join the race for his services and an auction ensues.

However, the young centre-forward only scored 17 goals in 115 first-team matches for the Canaries and his goal spurt for Celtic may just be a flash in the pan.

He has not nailed down a regular starting spot over Kyogo, despite his impressive scoring record, and that suggests that Rodgers trusts the Japan international more at this time.

It could, therefore, make more sense for Celtic to go out and sign a striker who has proven his quality as a regular starter in the Premiership over the past two years in the form of Miovski.

Why Celtic should sign Bojan Miovski

The 24-year-old arrived at Aberdeen in the summer of 2022 and has been a terrific player for the club over the last two seasons with his sublime scoring quality.

In his first campaign with the Dons, Miovski plundered an eye-catching 18 goals and three assists in 42 appearances in all competitions – a strong debut year in Scottish football.

16 of his goals during the 2022/23 season came in 37 Premiership outings, as he hit the ground running in the division and proved himself to be a reliable scorer.

As you can see in the table above, Miovski enjoyed another fantastic year in the Scottish top-flight this term as he racked up 16 strieks in 37 games for the second campaign in a row.

The left-footed star scored 25 goals and provided four assists in 52 matches in all competitions for Aberdeen this term, including four goals in four SFA Cup games.

Miovski, who was heralded as a "brilliant" boy by manager Barry Robson, has proven himself to be a fantastic goalscorer in Scotland as a regular scorer for two straight seasons, with 16 strikes in both of his Premiership campaigns.

Whereas, Idah has only been in Scotland since February and has yet to prove himself to be a reliable starter on a consistent basis, with five league starts to his name, and that is why the Aberdeen star could be a better addition if Rodgers is looking for a new first-choice.

Celtic hit gold with star who's worth more than Tierney & Edouard combined

The Hoops hit the jackpot with the impressive star who is now being linked with an exit.

By
Dan Emery

May 21, 2024

Therefore, Miovski's experience and goalscoring quality over the last two years mean that the Hoops boss can forget all about a permanent deal for Idah by signing the 25-goal centre-forward this summer.

With Virgil van Dijk's current Liverpool contract coming to an end this time next year, the Reds reportedly want to sign a long-term replacement in the form of a player who recently made history for his current club.

Liverpool transfer news

There's no need for Liverpool to panic over the short-term future of their captain quite yet. The Dutchman has made it clear on more than one occasion that he is keen to stay put at Anfield, saying recently via The Metro: "I still have a year left on my contract. I am club captain and I have made it clear I am there for the new coach and enthusiastic over the next season.

"Obviously, there will be a lot of changes but I am confident we will make a big success of it. I congratulated him of course and I'm really pleased for him and his family. We spoke about the team and the future, but now my focus is fully on the national team."

Liverpool eyeing up “world-class” £50m star who’d finally unlock Nunez

Arne Slot would wield quite the frontline by getting his hands on this long-time Anfield target.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 28, 2024

It is reportedly among Liverpool's priorities to get a new deal sorted for their star defender, but even with a new deal, they should be thinking about a long-term replacement now that he's 32 years old and not getting any younger. That, of course, is where Piero Hincapie could step in.

According to Christian Martin via El Futbolero, Liverpool now want to sign Hincapie in a deal worth €50m (£42m) this summer. The defender, alongside the rest of his Bayer Leverkusen teammates, impressed many by winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in an invincible season in domestic football. In fact, their only defeat of the entire campaign came against Atalanta in the Europa League final to deny them an incredible invincible treble win.

Nonetheless, becoming the first-ever team to win the Bundesliga unbeaten has its own place in history and a place Hincapie played his part in earning.

"Talented" Hincapie can help fill long-term Liverpool void

Replacing Jurgen Klopp is a tough enough task in its own right, but if Liverpool then have to replace Van Dijk just one year later, they'll have to form quite the plan, which could see Hincapie arrive before crisis mode hits. The Ecuador international is still just 22 years old but has shown more than enough potential to earn such a move in the coming months.

With fewer starts, Hincapie managed to keep up with Liverpool's captain in a number of areas, sparking plenty of promise when it comes to the peak years of his career as a central defender.

Leverkusen will be frustrated if the defender does leave, however, with sporting director Simon Rolfes previously saying via the Bundesliga's official website: "Piero’s signing 18 months ago was an investment in the future, back then he was a talented central defender with really big potential.

"He became a key performer for our Werkself a long time ago, he has shown his international quality in the Bundesliga, in the Champions League and recently at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Piero is one of the key elements in the team who we can count on to help us achieve ambitious targets in the next few years."

Former Sheffield United defender George Baldock has died at the age of 31.

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• Baldock found in his swimming pool
• Joined Panathinaikos in the summer
• Previously played for Sheffield United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Baldock, who joined Panathinaikos in the summer, was found dead at his home in the south of Athens on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reported, citing a police official. He was 31. Sheffield United, his former club, have posted a lengthy tribute to their former star.

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  WHAT SHEFFIELD UNITED POSTED

  The Blades wrote on X: "Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player, George Baldock.

  "The defender left the club in the summer after seven years at Bramall Lane and was extremely popular with supporters, staff and team-mates who pulled on a red and white shirt alongside him.

  "The sincere condolences of everyone associated with Sheffield United are extended to George’s family and friends."

• WHAT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE HAPPENED

  According to various reports, Baldock was found in the swimming pool of his Greek villa. His wife had been unable to contact him and alerted the owner of the villa. They found Baldock and subsequently informed the authorities. Police tried to resuscitate him but it was confirmed that he had died. A cause of death has not been publicised.

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• TRIBUTES POUR IN

  Manchester United defender Harry Maguire posted a tribute on Instagram, having played with Baldock for Sheffield United, simply posting "RIP" with a broken-heart emoji.

  Instagram @harrymaguire93

  Meanwhile, a statement from the Greece national team read: "With profound sadness and sorrow, the national team and the Greek Football Federation bid farewell to George Baldock. There are no words to describe the human pain caused by the news of the unexpected loss of one of our own, young, man. The moment forces silence. Condolences to his family. Condolences from his second family."

The pitch invader that took to the field during Portugal’s Nations League clash with Scotland says he ran towards Cristiano Ronaldo “like a lover”.

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• All-time great in action at Hampden
• Fan raced onto the field late on
• Prevented from getting near his idol

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hawdin Ezzat – who fled his native Kurdistan in 2021 – looked to make the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when CR7 graced the international arena at Hampden Park. Despite it being forbidden to jump advertising hoardings and cross the pitch, Ezzat made a beeline for Ronaldo towards the end of an otherwise forgettable goalless draw in Glasgow.

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  WHAT PITCH INVADER SAID

  He has told of those actions: "I had been waiting for that moment my whole life. It finally happened, even though it’s not exactly what I wanted. For many people, it might not have been a big deal. But for me, it was a historic night. After hearing Scotland would be playing Portugal in the Nations League, I knew Cristiano Ronaldo would be coming to Scotland. I planned to go on the pitch. I didn’t even ask myself what would happen if I did."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ezzat added on timing his scramble towards Ronaldo: "During the second half, around 80 minutes, I was like, ‘It’s time to do it’. I jumped the barrier and was running towards Ronaldo like a lover. That was my dream. But unfortunately, it wasn’t his night. I wanted to hug him and take a picture with him. But I couldn’t do any of that. My main purpose was to talk to him. As I ran towards him I was saying ‘You’re the best in the world’ in Spanish."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ezzat’s antics cost him a night in a Scottish cell, but he has no regrets and is still waiting on an opportunity to grab a selfie with his hero after being tackled by security staff. He added: "It was worth it, but I think I will be banned from Hampden. I still can’t believe it. I would do it 100,000 times again. Hopefully, I will meet him one day."

Arsenal cult hero Cesc Fabregas has become a pretty decent manager already. He's guided Como to promotion to Serie A and was even suggested as someone who could take the Chelsea job after Mauricio Pochettino's departure.

It's hardly a surprise to see he's so astute in the dugout. After all, this is a coach who got to sit in a dressing room next to some of the greatest managers to ever do it.

He was raised by Arsene Wenger, nurtured further by Pep Guardiola and even had spells under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte at Chelsea. That's not forgetting his time under Vicente del Bosque with Spain too.

It would take some going to replicate his extraordinary career but that's exactly what he's doing. It's just a pity that some at Arsenal don't always appreciate what he did at Highbury and then the Emirates Stadium departing for Barcelona in rather controversial circumstances.

Though, 20 years on from when Cesc first arrived in north London, Arsenal could be about to bring in someone possessing similar mental and technical traits.

Ranking the 10 best Spanish football players ever

As their Euro 2024 campaign gets underway, Football FanCast has ranked the top 10 football players to come out of Spain.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 15, 2024

Arsenal looking to strengthen their midfield

The Gunners went big last summer to welcome Declan Rice to the club in an initial £100m move from West Ham.

Finishing second in the club's Player of the Season vote, it's safe to say he was a roaring success during his debut campaign in the north of London.

Despite his emergence in the engine room, Mikel Arteta and Co could still spend big on another midfielder this summer. Everton's Amadou Onana has been linked, as has Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz.

However, the focus of this article is on Benfica's Joao Neves. According to reports in Portugal, two offers have already been laid on the table for the midfielder.

That's thought to be from Arsenal and Manchester United who have stated they are willing to pay a fee of €60m (£51m) for Neves. However, the Lisbon club are still hopeful of receiving €120m (£102m) which would meet his release clause.

United are said to be the most interested party but the Gunners are monitoring developments and could move in the forthcoming months.

How Joao Neves compares to Cesc Fabregas

At the age of just 19, Neves is attracting acclaim and praise that very few gain at such an age unless you are a genuine superstar.

Well, it certainly evokes memories of the plaudits Fabregas was getting at the same age.

Fabregas made his debut under Wenger at the age of just 16 and until 2022, was Arsenal's youngest player in their history. Step forward Ethan Nwaneri.

Since that moment, Fabregas didn't look back and as of 2024, he is still the only player in Premier League history to register 20 assists as a teenager.

The Spaniard possessed all sorts of tools. Whether it was striding forward and slaloming past defenders, whether it was scoring screamers from long-range or whether it was his awe-inspiring vision, he had everything you could want from a playmaker.

What's more is that Fabregas was a natural-born leader too. He was a mentality monster, handed the captain's armband by Wenger at the age of just 21.

Well, Neves has very similar tools at his disposal. He's not quite as offensive but the shooting ability, vision and leadership are already there.

Indeed, the summary from analyst Ben Mattinson below sums it up rather well.

Like Fabregas then, he looks like a player who is wise beyond his years, gaining instant respect from teammates and the opposition.

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez once said: "Joao Neves reached the national team at 19 and showed a personality and maturity that surprised me a lot. I've never seen a situation like Neves in my career. In two days he gained the respect of the entire Portugal locker room.”

Further described as a "special" player by Mattinson, it's rather evident that the teenager is one of the finest young midfielders in the game. Playing in a role akin to Fabregas' deep-lying position in his final days as a player, there is a belief that Neves could play further forward.

Also hailed for being "genuinely so complete for his age", it's scary to think just how much potential the Benfica gem has left to extract.

Like Fabregas, he could well just become one of the best modern midfielders we've seen.

Arsenal eyeing £85m Partey upgrade who's "Santi Cazorla-esque"

The incredible midfielder has shades of the Spaniard about him.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 5, 2024

As debut campaigns go, Ange Postecoglou did a reasonably good job in charge of Tottenham Hotspur last season.

Granted, the North Londoners slipped out of the Champions League places towards the end of the year, but with a swathe of injuries, securing a place in the Europa League is nothing to scoff at.

That said, Daniel Levy and Co must back the Australian in the market this summer if they want to see him lead the team back up the Premier League table.

Based on recent reports, that might be happening, as the latest player touted for a move to N17 is a serious talent and looks to be the perfect Pierre-Emile Højbjerg replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Italian publication Corriere Torino (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are one of several sides showing 'strong' interest in AS Monaco's star midfielder Youssouf Fofana.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims that West Ham United, AC Milan and Juventus are the other sides most keen on the Frenchman.

While this competition is far from ideal, the good news is that it might not be too pricey a transfer to complete. The report claims that a fee of between €20m and €30m, which is £17m to £25m, should be enough to secure the 25-year-old's signature due to his contract expiring next year.

It might be a tough deal to negotiate with the number of other sides interested, but with the price being so reasonable, it's not one Spurs can afford to miss out on.

How Fofana compares to Højbjerg

So, with Højbjerg and Fofana both preferring to operate in defensive and central midfield areas, the two will be in direct competition for places in the team.

Alternatively, if the Dane does leave the club, the Frenchman would be his clear replacement, but how do the pair stack up against one another?

Despite starting 20 of his 35 games as a six last season, the Monaco "brick wall," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, scored four goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 4.37 games. In contrast, the former Southampton star couldn't produce a goal or assist in 39 first-team appearances.

However, output isn't always the most usual way of comparing players that play near the base of midfield, so how do their underlying numbers compare? Is it still an easy victory for the Ligue 1 star?

Well, while the Lilywhites ace does come out ahead in specific metrics such as progressive passes, passing accuracy, tackles, blocks, clearances and ball recoveries per 90, that is about it.

In contrast, the "technically brilliant" Monaco man, as Mattinson dubbed him, comes out ahead in most metrics, including non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals and assists, shots and shots on target, progressive carries, progressive passes received, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, aerial duels won, and errors leading to a shot, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Højbjerg certainly has his strengths, his overall game is considerably less effective than Fofana.

He's like Isak: Spurs eye "insane" £25m Richarlison upgrade

The prolific striker could supercharge the Lilywhites’ attack.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 21, 2024

Therefore, whether the Dane stays for another year or leaves in the coming weeks, Levy and Co should do all they can to bring the Monaco star to N17 this summer.

Pep Guardiola launched a passionate defence of a wasteful Erling Haaland after Manchester City's 1-0 win against Southampton.

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• Haaland fired City over the Saints
• Could have scored a couple more in the second half
• Guardiola defended striker despite wasting chances

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The talismanic striker took just five minutes to break his three-match Premier League goal drought to score his 11th of the campaign. Haaland tussled with Jan Bednarek and the physically imposing striker won the duel as he poked home from close range – which eventually proved to be the difference-maker between the two sides.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City could have finished the match with a wider margin, but for Haaland's profligacy. The Norwegian got a couple of more gilt-edged opportunities to add to his ever-increasing goal tally but quite uncharacteristically fluffed his lines. The most glaring miss came in the 52nd minute when he almost had the entire goal at his mercy and yet tapped the ball wide, much to his disbelief.

• WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

  Nonetheless, Guardiola remained unfazed by Haaland's form and instead argued to : "It is not easy for him because every cross is a penalty for Erling – the way they pull him. We create more but we could not score the second, but Erling is a guarantee for us."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  After scoring against Southampton, Haaland matched Sergio Aguero's 2017 record of scoring in seven successive starts against newly promoted teams. Moreover, his Premier League goal tally now reads 74, which is one more than Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, despite playing in 143 fewer games.