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Despite Bertrand Traore’s best efforts, Aston Villa suffered their first Premier League home defeat since the 3-1 loss to West Ham on Sunday as they came up short against Leicester City.

The 2-1 defeat to Leicester, courtesy of early strikes from James Maddison and Harvey Barnes in the first half, made it two losses from their last four fixtures for Dean Smith’s side.

Villa lacked any real ambition and courage without the injured Jack Grealish, as the statistics make for grim reading. Smith’s side could only muster two shots to Leicester’s seven on target in the entire game, which is a far cry from the eight they managed against Arsenal.

Grealish’s absence would be a big miss for any side, but it is his confidence in front of goal Villa miss the most when he is absent as, for the most part, they looked rather lost for ideas this afternoon without the 25-year-old.

However, although far from perfect, Traore was one of the very few who could have left Villa Park with his head held high.

Although Villa were torn apart by Leicester’s blistering counter-attacks, the Villans still found some of their own joy down the right flank with Traore.

The 55-cap Burkina Faso international had initially been kept rather quiet by a dogged defence but burst into life shortly after the break, latching onto a cross from John McGinn before rifling the ball into the back of the net.

With a SofaScore match rating of 7.1 for his efforts, the right winger ranked the third-highest out of the entire Villa squad, with only Matt Targett and Ahmed Elmohamady scoring higher, yet he was the only true silver lining to take away from the defeat.

No player from either side completed more dribbles successfully than Traore (3), including Targett and Elmohamady, with the 25-year-old showing a willingness to try and push the Villans up the pitch despite being pegged back in their own half for large chunks of the game.

BirminghamLive also graded the former Saints defender a squad-high 7/10 for his display, but it was the goalscorer who should earn the plaudits instead.

Of all his teammates, only Trezeguet could muster the same amount of shots on target as Traore, who accounted for 50% of the team’s total shots on target, as the likes of McGinn and Ollie Watkins struggled to get a foothold in the game.

In terms of the statistics, the winger was performing at a level far above his usual standards, as he averages just 1.2 dribbles per 90 in the Premier League while also winning more ground duels (7) than his season’s average of 2.6 per game, via SofaScore.

He also made two tackles, that being better than his average of 0.6 per game, whilst he wasn’t dribbled past at all, which shows that he worked hard to win the ball back and try to set his side on the front foot.

Traore may have lost possession 16 times – the third-worst of any player on the pitch – but that merely showed his desire to try and spring a reaction after going behind so early in the match.

Smith has come to rely on Grealish as his main creative asset, so he will have been secretly pleased to see the former Chelsea star step up to the plate and impress on the wing in his absence, even despite the 2-1 defeat.

AND in other news, Tyrone Mings was superb for Aston Villa vs Brighton…

Manchester United were dealt a devastating blow to their Premier League title hopes on Saturday night.

Bruno Fernandes’ best efforts ultimately proved to be in vain as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side threw away a two-goal lead against Everton despite leading twice at Old Trafford yesterday evening.

The 26-year-old doubled their advantage shortly before half-time with a sensational long-range strike past Robin Olsen after Edinson Cavani’s opener.

But the lead was short-lived with the visitors fighting back after the break courtesy of goals from Abdoulaye Doucouré and James Rodriguez.

Scott McTominay then grabbed his second goal in as many games, nodding home Luke Shaw’s excellent cross to restore their lead.

Everton restored parity for a second time, however, with pretty much the last kick of the game as Dominic Calvert-Lewin took advantage of some sloppy defending from United to score from close-range.

Cavani may have opened the scoring but we feel Fernandes deserves plenty of recognition too.

The Portuguese star has often been tasked with being United’s main creative asset in the midfield and last night was no different as he tried to make the magic happen.

A return of 78 touches saw him ranked fourth in the entire game, bettered only by his teammates McTominay, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof, as per SofaScore, implying that he dominated possession and dictated play.

Fernandes made three key passes, that being the most out of any player from either side, and took four shots overall, including one shot on target, which just so happened to usurp Cavani’s tally of two shots in total.

And his effort at Old Trafford, which was ultimately cancelled out by Everton’s remarkable comeback, gained plenty of praise from Jamie Redknapp. The player-turned-pundit waxed lyrical about Fernandes’ goal.

“What a goal. I love this guy. He’s such an amazing player,” he said. “Everything about him, he’s a showman, little bits of skill. He lets the ball run because he knows he’ll get the next one off Wan-Bissaka.

“He looks up to cross it, that’s not on and this is dipping. There’s so much aggression and violence in this shot, it’s just going everywhere. It’s so difficult to stop.

“I knew he was going to be a good player when he came to United. Did I think he’d become great so quickly?”

It marked a return to the kind of form that Fernandes has gained a reputation for following his arrival from Sporting Lisbon as he has now scored in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since December after experiencing a mini goal drought.

With trips to Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon, this will come as welcome news for Solskjaer as his side attempt to perform a dramatic turnaround in form.

AND in other news, Manchester United handed huge Jadon Sancho boost as Dortmund reduce demands…

With Celtic stuck in a terrible rut this season, there is surely only one solution; sacking Neil Lennon.

The Northern Irishman has stated that he won’t depart Parkhead unless he’s given the boot which judging by the hierarchy’s support for him, seems far-fetched.

A plethora of names have been linked with the hot seat with Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard being talked up in recent weeks.

Though, one name mentioned in November was former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick. Derek Rae commented that in order for Celtic to bring him to Glasgow, he needed to be appealed by the project.

He’s already rejected Chelsea so a move to Scotland is surely within the realms of fantasy, certainly for the time being.

Though, if he does eventually replace Lennon, he could be game-changing for Christopher Jullien. The 62-year-old is one of the most meticulous coaches about and was the pioneer behind the modern-day press. His teams must win the ball back within eight seconds of losing it if they are to be successful.

It’s a style of play that has been adopted right across Europe with many of the world’s best teams – Liverpool and Bayern Munich for example – using it to their advantage.

He also has a particular favouritism towards set-pieces. Writing on the Coaches Voice, Rangnick declared that you needed all five elements of football to be the best. One of those elements was set-plays.

“Set-pieces, both in offence and defence. More than 30 per cent of goals are being scored from corners, free-kicks and penalties,” he wrote.

A third of training isn’t dedicated to their practice but with Rangnick that is different. So, why could the manager turn Jullien into a star?

Well, he has a habit of scoring goals from set-pieces. The Frenchman scored seven times last term following his £7m switch and his ability to find the net has been well noted by Lennon.

He said last term: “When we looked at Jullien, scoring goals was something we thought he could do in Scotland and Europe. He’s a threat and he has worked on it as he wants to get on the end of things.”

“He’s brave and puts his head on things in both boxes.”

Celtic have scored the joint-most goals from set-pieces this season (11) and that’s without putting a strict focus on it. Coincidentally, that’s also come in a campaign where Jullien has spent a large portion out injured.

Rangnick may have been described as a “very demanding” coach by former RB Salzburg CEO Jochen Sauer but the intricate details and clever philosophies he uses are phenomenal. The way RB Leipzig have developed, he helped change the face of the football club.

He could very much do the same at Celtic, and in turn, make Jullien even better and help him reach a new level. Rangnick is a must-have coach for majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

AND in other news, Celtic could fix a big problem by hiring manager who left Rodgers “really impressed”…

For one Leeds player, the clash against Burnley was pretty similar to the one against Manchester United.

Although the Whites conceded six in that match and kept a clean sheet on Sunday, Illan Meslier still endured a very busy afternoon.

The French goalkeeper suffered from a barrage on his goal in the closing moments of the encounter and was under what felt like constant pressure with balls into the area.

Yet, unlike against United, he came through it with flying colours. Meslier shipped six last time out but still made eight saves. This time, he didn’t concede at all on his way to producing six stops.

The tall ‘keeper did have some particularly nervy moments, passages of play where we really saw his age shine through. The 20-year-old lacks experience but makes up for it with plenty of courage and bravery.

He was very fortunate not to have conceded to Ashley Barnes. In the first half the Frenchman leapt into Ben Mee yet somehow the foul went Leeds’ way, rather than Burnley’s. The Clarets striker had stuck the ball in the net but it was swiftly ruled out.

Fortunately, Meslier went from strength to strength from that moment onwards. He won 83.3% of the duels he contested in the air, meaning he lost just one. He also came up with some colossal moments when it really mattered, making five punches and producing four saves from efforts at goal inside the area.

Leeds’ goalkeeper was colossal and proved exactly why he’s the club’s number one. With the clock running down he stood firm and commanded his area to perfection.

This was a display that proved exactly why he’s the club’s number one. It took courage from Bielsa to select such a young player over Kiko Casilla – a former Real Madrid goalkeeper – but his inclusion in every league match this season is more than warranted.

In the words of Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth, Meslier “feels almost illegal” because of his meagre £5m price tag. Considering his quality, he should have cost a lot more.

It was top drawer business from Leeds.

AND in other news, Leeds gem who made just 10 passes all day will have Bielsa raging…

According to the Daily Mirror, via West Ham News, the Hammers have been offered a chance to land Red Bull Salzburg striker Patson Daka this month – prompting many supporters to beg GSB for the ‘best forward signing since Tevez’.

Daka has been linked with many top Premier League clubs, including Spurs in the summer, but now the Mirror report that West Ham could sign him this month as a replacement for Sebastien Haller.

The 22-year-old has stood out as an electric prospect in Austria and big clubs in Europe have taken note, but GSB could have to fork out in and around £25 million for his signature.

West Ham received around £20.25m for Haller following his confirmed move to Ajax, and it remains to be seen whether they do lodge a bid for Daka.

These supporters, however, appear desperate for his signing – find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans desperate for Daka signing

“Bringing this back since West Ham have been linked with Daka!

In a 3 with Bowen & Said feeding him, Rice & Soucek knocking things on or hitting long balls, this would be our best forward signing since Tevez”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“@davidgold @jsullivanwhu @karren_brady @WestHam Please please please have a look at signing him”

Credit: @liamsouth007

“Him and Antonio together”

Credit: @whufc_rossjn3

“I’M ON MY KNEES”

Credit: @MuvSaid

“Omg I begggggg”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“Pls do it”

Credit: @SznBenrahma

In other news: West Ham fans also flocked to this ‘best news’, find out more here.

“That’s where I’m trying to be – where Jack Grealish is at the moment. That’s the plan. I can already feel the love from the Villa fans, but I want to be in that bracket of being an icon for the club – a legend. That’s what I aspire to be.”

That was what Andre Green said back in January 2019 after he returned from a short-term loan spell at Portsmouth, vowing that he would be following in the footsteps of Villa’s talisman by really stepping up to the plate after gaining some experience elsewhere.

But fast forward almost two years later, and the 22-year-old now finds himself without a club, having been one of 14 players released by Villa over the summer.

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It’s quite telling that even whilst we’re in December, Green still hasn’t managed to find himself a new home, and it’s a far, far cry from the kind of potential and career that many had envisioned for him when he was first making his breakthrough.

In fact, back in April 2016, it was claimed that the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool were all keeping tabs on the then 17-year-old, and that they had sent their top scouts to watch his performances.

It was even suggested that he was rated by club staff as being an even better prospect than Grealish himself.

Hailed as an “exciting” talent by Lee Bowyer after Charlton had signed him on loan earlier this year, Villa must take some serious responsibility over how things have turned out for the winger.

In total, he made just 48 first-team appearances for the Premier League side before his release, and there’s a real argument that those involved in picking the clubs he was sent out on loan to, really failed him.

He could have been left at Portsmouth following his impressive start there (he scored five times in ten games), and then barely played at all for Preston North End last season, before eventually being sent to Charlton for the second half of the campaign.

It was just a case of complete mismanagement, and it’s criminal that one of their most promising talents wasn’t given the best tools to really prove his worth at the club.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa must reignite their interest in this Championship star.

Manchester City were boosted by the news earlier this week that Pep Guardiola has committed to a new contract that will see him remain as manager of the Citizens until the summer of 2023.

The Spanish manager’s excellent relationship with Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is well-known and with the manager committing his future to Manchester City, perhaps it won’t be too long until the legendary winger follows suit.

City were one of several sides to be linked with the 33-year-old during the summer after he announced that it was his intention to leave Barcelona following a disastrous season that saw them miss out on the La Liga title to rivals Real Madrid, as well as the embarrassing 8-2 loss against Bayern Munich (per Goal).

However, after a dispute over his contract, the Argentinian agreed to stay with the La Liga giants, as they refused to let him leave on a free transfer, meaning his €700 million release clause remained active.

Fortunately for City, and perhaps for Messi, his contract with Blaugrana is set to expire at the end of the current season meaning he will be free to leave then and foreign clubs will also be able to approach the forward in January with the view of him agreeing a pre-contract deal.

Therefore, if Messi is still keen to leave Barcelona, you would imagine that City would be amongst the favourites to sign him, due to their vast funds, as well as his excellent relationship with Guardiola.

During the Spanish manager’s time managing the winger, he contributed an extraordinary 211 goals and 91 assists in just 219 games, so it clear that the two work well together (per Transfermarkt).

Messi praised Guardiola’s influence on Barcelona in an interview in 2011, saying:

“Barcelona would not be the same without Guardiola.” (per Goal)

The respect goes both ways, as the Spanish manager detailed exactly why Messi is a genius in an Amazon prime documentary (via Sport Bible), saying:

“He’s not out of the game. He’s involved. Moving his head. Right, left, left, right.

“He smells who is the weak point of the back four. After five, ten minutes, he has the map.

“He knows if I move here, here, I will have more space to attack. Oh, that’s genius! That is quite incredible.

“We are contemporary of that guy. So enjoy it. Lionel Messi, just simply one of a kind. He is so good.”

Clearly, the two formed a great partnership during their time at Barcelona and following the update on Guardiola’s contract earlier this week, it seems that if Messi does leave Barcelona next summer, he could well end up at the Etihad Stadium.

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson must consider axing Denver Hume from his starting line-up after the Black Cats product offered a wasteful showing against Ipswich Town in Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory.

Parkinson opted to hand Hume his ninth start of the League One season at home to the Tractor Boys, with the 22-year-old retaining his spot on the left-flank for a fifth game in succession having only sat out October’s 2-0 win away to Swindon Town to date.

Hume has consistently had the backing of Parkinson across all competitions this term, with the Northumberland-born youngster also yet to be substituted when fielded in the third-tier, EFL Trophy or EFL Cup, despite scoring his only goal of the campaign in the Papa John’s Trophy against Carlisle and assisting efforts in league meetings with Peterborough and Portsmouth.

The natural full-back failed to strike his first league goal of the season against Ipswich after providing a wasteful display as Sunderland strived to secure back-to-back wins, while occasionally being caught out defensively to leave Tom Flanagan exposed against Alan Judge and Teddy Bishop.

Tuesday night’s clash with Ipswich at the Stadium of Light was not the first occasion where Hume has struggled to impress against the Tractor Boys, either, with former Black Cats boss Jack Ross forced to substitute the 22-year-old during the break at Portman Road last season.

“I said to him after Ipswich when he was taken off and didn’t play well that it was how you respond to it,” Ross said, via quotes by the Chronicle. “To be a professional footballer for the next 10, 15 years he’s going to have to do that.

“We knew how we wanted to play on Saturday [against Wimbledon], and we knew our full-backs would get out and I thought it was important we had that balance on that side of the pitch. We knew we’d have him high up the park and that’s where his strengths are.

“To be able to do it at 20-years-old was good, pleasing and he’ll be able to take confidence from that. I’m pleased he had a good performance because it was a difficult couple of games for him. He’s a young man still and it’s great to see him take opportunities and play well.”

Hume was unable to demonstrate his offensive strengths against Ipswich in his latest meeting with the Tractor Boys, as the Sunderland product could only win two of his 11 duels – both coming from nine attempted ground battles – and delivered just one accurate cross from five attempts, per SofaScore.

His efforts ensured the natural left-back recorded the lowest match rating by a starting member of the Sunderland XI at 6.3 out of 10, having also lost possession 17 times, committed one foul, attempted zero efforts on goal, attempted just one dribble, offered no tackles or interceptions and completed a lowly 14 passes.

One of Hume’s 18 attempted passes that did find a teammate led Sunderland to having a shot on goal, while also completing each of his three long balls and registering three clearances. But Parkinson will need to see a great deal more from the 22-year-old in training if the Black Cats boss intends to field him against Mansfield Town in Saturday’s FA Cup clash.

Benching Hume after a poor showing against Ipswich could see Parkinson benefit in a likewise manner to how Ross profited upon his return to the starting line-up against Wimbledon in 2019, though, with the 22-year-old failing to vividly impress since September’s victory over Peterborough when he assisted the sole goal of the affair.

AND in other news, a Sunderland ace Phil Parkinson labelled as “accomplished” has delivered the Black Cats a fraught reminder.

An expert on matters in the Middle East has made a big revelation regarding a possible takeover of Newcastle United by Sheikh Khaled bin Saqr Zayed al-Nayhan.

As per The Independent, his name was first mentioned in football circles when he was involved in takeover attempts at both St. James’ Park and Liverpool, and now, it looks like he is set to complete a purchase of Derby County.

When asked about the realistic expectations that Rams fans should have once Sheik Khaled completes the takeover of the EFL Championship club, Middle East expert Dr Kristian Ulrichsen of Rice University claimed:

“Let’s be brutally honest, maybe he’s found his level. He’s not been able to play in the big league, the Premier League. He might have gone down. There might be other reasons, he could have found a business partner in the Midlands.

“But having gone for Liverpool and Newcastle, and obviously not being the name that had been thought, he could have found his level.”

Newcastle takeover by Sheik Khaled unrealistic

Indeed, as Dr Ulrichsen suggests, perhaps a takeover in the North East by Sheik Khaled was unrealistic.

He failed with takeovers of both the Tyneside club and Liverpool, who are both very much established teams in the top flight.

On the other hand, Derby are lingering right at the bottom of the Championship table, and it looks as if the takeover of the Rams by Sheik Khaled will indeed go ahead.

Perhaps this kind of club is around his level as suggested, as he will now look to build them up and help them return to England’s highest division alongside the likes of the Magpies and the current EPL champions.

Is a Newcastle takeover still possible?

Indeed, if not from Sheik Khaled, a takeover at the Toon is still very much a possibility. The Saudi Sports Minister fairly recently claimed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) would still look into the opportunity of taking over at NUFC.

Nonetheless, any hope of a takeover by Sheik Khaled seems dead in the water now as he has now set his sights set on Derby instead.

In other news, find out why takeover hopes may potentially be boosted here!

Former Manchester City and England defender Danny Mills has suggested that the Magpies could suffer without the presence of goalkeeper Martin Dubravka after details emerged over his injury setback.

It had been reported that Dubravka is facing an extended injury lay-off with his return to action from a heel injury pushed back until at least December, due to the issue not healing correctly after surgery, per The Times.

In Dubravka’s absence, it has been Karl Darlow who has stepped up into the number one position. The former Nottingham Forest keeper has finally been given the chance to impress after spending the last two seasons out of the side, which he is so far taking after pulling off a number of impressive saves.

Darlow has made the most amount of saves in the Premier League so far this term with 28. Against Manchester United, the keeper was forced into action on eight occasions including the save he made to deny Bruno Fernandes’ penalty. That brought his average saves per game so far this term to 5.6 (via Sofascore), which also shows just how many quality chances the Magpies are allowing.

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills suggested that not having Dubravka available will be a major blow for the Magpies over the next few months, clearly believing Darlow’s superb form cannot last.

He said: “He is a big loss for Newcastle. He was magnificent last season. Absolutely superb.

“Over the course of the last 10 years we have seen the rise of the goalkeeper. It is such an important role.

“He has made some vital saves and has been crucial to that team. Dubravka’s a fantastic shot-stopper. He has been probably their best player.

“A good goalkeeper gives the defence confidence and belief and allows them to play with freedom and confidence. That flows all of the way through a team. It is so important to have a good goalkeeper.”

Dubravka absence a major blow if Darlow form dips

Last season it was Dubravka who made the most amount of saves in the Premier League with 140, averaging an impressive 3.7 saves per game (via Sofascore).

Although Darlow has started well this season, there is a concern that he might not be able to sustain such outstanding performances over a whole campaign. The keeper does not have much top-flight experience and therefore he may suffer lapses in form. That would leave the Magpies in big trouble if they continue to allow as many shots on goal as they are doing.

Newcastle fans, you can read more about Dubravka’s injury here and don’t forget to comment your thoughts down below!