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Manchester United played out an entertaining 2-2 draw away from home against Everton on Saturday afternoon, in their final Premier League trip to Goodison Park, one of English football’s most historic stadiums.

For about 70 minutes, the Red Devils were poor. Everton went into the halftime break 2-0 up, thanks to goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure. The Toffees striker scored after a messy clearance from a corner by United gifted him the ball in space. It was a well-controlled finish from the 27-year-old.

Doucoure also scored from a bad bit of defending from United. He outjumped Harry Maguire, following a parry from Andre Onana, to nod over the Cameroonian goalkeeper and double the Toffees’ lead.

United started the second half just as poorly, but, the introduction of Alejandro Garnacho and young striker Chido Obi changed the game. They seemed much more fluid and three-dimensional in attack.

Captain Bruno Fernandes got his side back into the game, scoring a well-directed freekick. Just moments later, Manuel Ugarte picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box, and, after bringing it down on his chest, slammed home to equalise.

Everton were perhaps unlucky not to have a penalty at the death. Former Red Devils captain Ashley Young went down under pressure, but after initially being given on the pitch, the decision was overturned.

United’s standout player was, as usual, Fernandes.

Fernandes’ performance vs. Everton

Over the years, no matter how dire the circumstances, there has always been one player United can rely on. It is none other than their “Portuguese Magnifico”, Fernandes. Against Everton, it was no different.

The Red Devils skipper scored a brilliant freekick to kickstart his side’s comeback at Goodison Park. From 20 or so yards out, shooting from the left-hand corner of the box, Fernandes directed his effort into the far corner, with Jordan Pickford rooted to the spot. It was a smart finish.

Samuel Luckhurst, a journalist for The Manchester Evening News gave Fernandes a 7/10 for his efforts. He praised the United skipper for the way he ‘galvanised the team’ in the final throes of the game.

Indeed, Fernandes’ stats on Sofascore show just how influential he was on the game for United. Their number eight had 109 touches, created two chances and won seven out of 13 duels. His all-round contribution was vital, and he had more touches, and the second-most number of touches across all players.

Stat

Leader

Most touches

Fernandes – 109

Most accurate passes

Fernandes – 64

Most key passes

Harrison – 3

Most tackles

Gueye – 11

Most successful dribbles

Fernandes – 3

Most duels won

Gueye, Mazraoui – 11

Possession lost

Fernandes – 29x

On the whole, though, it was a poor performance from the rest of United’s side. In particular, the defenders struggled against the Everton attackers.

The United defender who struggled vs Everton

It was a tough day at the office for several Red Devils defenders. Noussair Mazraoui played well but was substituted after seemingly picking up a slight knock. Maguire did not have his best game after a spell of good form

However, Matthijs de Ligt was someone who really struggled. He arguably looked out of his depth against the fantastic Beto and was one of the culprits for bringing down Young in the overturned penalty decision.

Luckhurst gave him a 2/10 for his efforts, a scathing review. The journalist said he looked ‘overwhelmed’ and was ‘easy prey’ against the Toffees attackers, who really got the better of him across the game.

He did not place very highly in many of the key stats from the game, as per the table above. Defensively, he only won five from nine duels, less than 11 players on the pitch, and only managed one tackle. He played a backpass out of play, too.

Incredibly, the Dutchman was not a player United wanted to bring in last summer. According to ESPN’s Mark Ogden, the Red Devils, and their new ownership group, INEOS, “didn’t want” to sign the defender from Bayern Munich, in a deal that cost them £38.5m up front and £4.3m in add-ons.

It certainly makes you question, will the Dutchman be a long-term option for Ruben Amorim? If United’s board didn’t want to bring him in, there is no saying that De Ligt is someone the Portuguese manager might view as a long-term fit for his system.

After performances like that against Everton, it could well be the case that he is not someone who is a long-term option for the club.

Man Utd considering first offer to sign £53k-p/w ace who may replace Onana

Onana has struggled at times this season…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 22, 2025

Liverpool currently sit top of the Premier League on 53 points after 22 games played, whilst Arsenal sit second on 47 points with 23 games played. If Arne Slot’s side continue at this rate, they will lift the trophy and secure Premier League glory for the first time since 2019/20.

When you compare Liverpool to their closest competitor – Arsenal – their defensive records are similar, both conceding 21 goals so far this season. Therefore, the goalscoring prowess of the Anfield side, scoring 54 goals compared to Arsenal’s 44 goals this season, is clearly where the points are being made up.

Of course, Mohamed Salah has played a huge part in that, scoring 23 goals and providing 17 assists so far this season, with 19 goals and 13 assists in his 22 Premier League games played. However, in their last four games, Salah only contributed with two goals and assists, which saw Slot’s side drop four points.

Whilst Salah will likely continue to provide high output, if he doesn’t provide said output, Liverpool could struggle to find the breakthrough, which could be the difference between them winning the league and not. Therefore, could the last few days of this window be key for the Reds?

Liverpool's need for a striker

Reports earlier this month claimed that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen – who is currently on loan at Galatasaray – was an option for Liverpool, in their bid to strengthen the forward line.

Transfer Focus

Whilst Chelsea and PSG hold long-term interest in the Nigerian number nine, the Merseysiders could make a move for the forward eventually, especially if Darwin Núñez was to be moved on, amid links to the Saudi Pro League.

Liverpool’s current striking options are Nunez, who has struggled for consistent minutes under Slot and has struggled to find his best form, Diogo Jota, who has struggled to stay fit throughout the season, and Luis Diaz, who has been playing as a make-shift centre-forward, despite being more of a left-winger.

Osimhen – who has made 21 appearances for the Turkish side this season, scoring 17 goals, providing five assists and totalling 1,627 minutes played – could well then be the answer, if a late swoop were to be pursued.

How Osimhen compares to Nunez

Nunez has managed 29 appearances for Liverpool this season, scoring six goals, providing four assists and totalling 1,515 minutes played.

Whilst he is still being used, the fact Diaz has been shifted to play through the middle shows Slot perhaps doesn’t fully trust him yet.

Victor Osimhen vs Darwin Núñez comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)	Osimhen	Nunez
Goals	0.94	0.36
Assists	0.29	0.24
xG	1.43	0.47
Progressive Carries	1.91	2.33
Progressive Passes	1.06	2.03
Shots Total	5.88	3.08
Shot-Creating Actions	4.26	2.26
Touches (Att Pen)	9.57	5.94
Aerial Duels Won	4.04	1.05
Stats taken from FBref

When comparing Osimhen to Nunez this season, you can see Osimhen is more of a typical box striker, scoring goals at an extremely high rate, generating exceptional xG numbers per 90, taking a high volume of shots and winning aerial duels for fun.

Nunez does, however, contribute more in regards to progressive actions, dropping deep and linking play more effectively, but given the quality in Liverpool’s squad already, a striker who can offer something different could be a better option for Slot’s side.

Osimhen has been labelled a “world-class” striker by José Mourinho, and that could be exactly what Liverpool need to take the goal-scoring burden off of Salah, having a centre-forward who can generate high xG chances when Salah isn’t performing and also cause havoc in the box, creating space for others around him.

Having the addition of such a clinical presence through the middle could hand the Reds that extra edge as they bid to secure the title.

Liverpool hold concrete interest in "exceptional" £50m Salah replacement

The Reds now hold concrete interest in a forward who has been in impressive form this season, as a potential heir to the Egyptian.

By
Dominic Lund

Jan 30, 2025

Topley in doubt for early stages of Pakistan tour, Woakes and Wood to ease back during Lahore leg

Matt Roller17-Sep-2022

Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott observe training•Getty Images

England are in a transition phase in T20 international cricket and their historic seven-match series in Pakistan will require them to juggle a number of competing demands.Their selection meeting ahead of the tour lasted nearly four hours as Jos Buttler, Matthew Mott and Rob Key weighed up the importance of fine-tuning ahead of this winter’s World Cup, keeping key players fresh and testing bench strength with an eye on the 2024 and even 2026 editions.They have arrived with a squad of 20 players, of whom a dozen are in the World Cup squad and will travel straight to Australia in early October. There, they will meet up with Chris Jordan and Liam Livingstone who are missing this trip through injury, and Ben Stokes who has been rested after a busy English summer.Mott’s tenure as white-ball coach started in a hurry: a short tour to the Netherlands, then six ODIs and six T20Is in the space of 25 days against India and South Africa in the home summer. Results were a mixed bag – the Netherlands ODIs were the only series England won – and he spent the six weeks before this tour watching the Hundred on TV while settling his family into their new home in Cardiff.”I hate the word ‘rebuilding’ but we’ve got some work to do to get our stuff right,” Mott said. “It’s not just about the short term: we’re trying to build something and create a bit of a legacy with this team.”I probably got thrown in there a bit early and the series came really quickly but now we’ve had time to digest it and work out how we want to go forward. These bilateral series now have to be used really smartly: part of it is about the World Cup and some players returning from injury, but we’ve also looked to the future with this group of players.”Related

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Mott has already had to deal with Eoin Morgan’s decision to retire from international cricket at the end of June, while Buttler is in the early stages of his captaincy career. He laughed off the concept of ‘Mottball’ while speaking to the touring press but this series will be an important step in the creation of an identity.Brendon McCullum, whose ultra-positive philosophy has had such a transformative effect on England’s Test side, is a close friend of Mott’s and the pair caught up before Morgan’s testimonial dinner in London on Monday.”It’s bloody exciting,” Mott said. “He’s had an immediate impact. “I’ve got nothing but love for what he’s done. Rather than being jealous of it, it’s actually inspired me to be myself as a coach. We’ve assembled a magnificent support group now… I feel like there’s something special around at the moment.”England will start this series without several senior members of their touring party available, including assistant coach Richard Dawson who limped out of Saturday night’s training session with a hip injury. Buttler confirmed on arrival that he is unlikely to feature until the final two games of the series, with Phil Salt pencilled in as wicketkeeper in his absence.They will manage their fast bowlers carefully too, with nine seam options in the squad. Reece Topley is a doubt for the early stages with an ankle niggle, while Chris Woakes and Mark Wood will be eased back from their long-term injuries in the Lahore leg of the trip.”David Saker has come in and is managing them [Woakes and Wood] through,” Mott said. “Woody bowled pretty quick last night at training and if it was his choice alone, he’d be in sooner rather than later. But he’s such a valuable commodity for the World Cup. We’re going to be relatively conservative with him and build him up in this series.”They have spent a lot of time out of the game but the other side of this is they are really fresh. Sometimes coming out of a county season, it can be quite hard work. For a long time they’ve had the goal of being ready for this World Cup. They have been really clear on that… if we can keep them on the park then they are two world class-bowlers.”There are five uncapped players on the tour (Tom Helm, Luke Wood, Will Jacks, Jordan Cox and Olly Stone) and while Mott confirmed that the World Cup squad is locked in barring injuries, he is still looking to give opportunities to England’s brightest young players – and to win the series against a strong Pakistan side.”That’s the tricky thing, isn’t it?” Mott said. “Everyone wants to win all the time but if you’re only focused on that, you never build. If we want to build a team that can match the one that’s been there the last few years, we need to regenerate.”We have to make sure that new blood comes in – reward performance as much as we can but also look to the future. Time will tell, but I think there are players here who are going to be generational players.”

Manchester United legend David Beckham has landed his first TV chat show, with a host of A-listers lined up to feature.

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• Man Utd legend gets his own TV show
• Beckham & Friends Live to air on Paramount+
• A-Listers set to appear on his show

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former England captain will host Beckham & Friends Live on Paramount+ and hopes to feature guests such as chef Gordon Ramsay and actors Tom Cruise and Ryan Reynolds, among others.

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  WHAT BECKHAM SAID

  He told America’s CBS Golazo sports network: “I’m really looking forward to turning up with a few mates, a few glasses of wine, watching the game and great conversation.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This comes off the back of his hugely successful Netflix documentary series, 'Beckham', which offered unprecedented access into the former Real Madrid star's life. claims this could pave the way for the 49-year-old getting into hosting football shows and being the heir apparent to Gary Lineker.

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  The first two episodes of the Inter Miami co-owner's show will be live from London and will cover the Champions League semi-final second legs between Inter Milan and Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal on May 6 and 7, respectively.

Chelsea have yet to sign anyone during the current January transfer window, yet Enzo Maresca is desperate to bolster his squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

His maiden season at the Blues has perhaps gone better than anticipated. At the time of writing, the club are sitting fifth in the Premier League table, through to the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League, while they secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup last weekend.

Overall, it hasn’t been a bad start. Qualifying for the Champions League will be his priority, however, and this means a few new recruits may be eyed before the transfer window closes in a couple of weeks.

Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has emerged as a shock target, while according to Sky in Germany (via Sky Sports), Chelsea have contacted Bayern Munich to ask about the availability of Mathys Tel, but it looks as though he wants to stay and fight for his place in the Bavarian side.

Tel isn’t the only player Maresca is eyeing from Germany, as a current Borussia Dortmund talent has caught the eye of late, which could lead to the Stamford Bridge side making a move this month.

Chelsea lining up swoop for Borussia Dortmund starlet

Garnacho was mentioned by Sky Sports News as one target Chelsea had in mind this month, but the other player named could be a far better option.

Jamie Gittens is also wanted by the Blues, according to the same report, as Maresca looks set to try and bolster his attacking options, despite having a plethora of talent to choose from already.

According to the Athletic, Chelsea have started conversations regarding a move for Gittens before the window closes, but these are only at an early stage, with an enquiry having been made.

There is no word on what kind of transfer fee it might cost to bring the 20-year-old to London, but considering his market value, according to Transfermarkt, stands at €50m (£42m), plus a contract running until 2028, he could cost a fortune.

If they did manage to secure his signature, the club would be signing one of the finest young talents in Europe, no doubt about that.

Jamie Gitten’s statistics at Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund has proven to be a wonderful place for English youngsters to go and develop away from the pressures of life in the Premier League.

Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham are the two finest examples. Both players shone at Signal Iduna Park during their respective spells there, securing moves to Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Gittens is the next big thing at the club. He made his debut during the 2021/22 campaign aged just 18, and it soon became clear that the club had a natural heir to Sancho in their midst.

Over the previous two and a half years, Gittens has played 80 times for the club, registering 30 goal contributions – 16 goals and 14 assists – to emerge as one of their prized assets.

He knows how to perform on the biggest stages, especially in the Champions League. In the competition this term, the youngster has scored four times, grabbed an assist, created two big chances, and succeeded with 2.3 dribbles per game. It is no wonder Dortmund have a wonderful chance of finishing in the top eight, which secures progress to the last 16.

Last year, one analyst heaped plenty of praise on his abilities, saying: “Kobbie Mainoo, Xavi Simons, and Musiala all receive well-deserved hype as they are top players. However, just wait until Jamie Bynoe-Gittens starts playing week in and week out.

“He is one of a kind. It’s just a matter of time until he also achieves superstar status.”

He might not be at superstar status quite yet, but if a move to Chelsea materialises in the coming weeks, this platform could see the winger take his game to the next level.

Metric

Champions League

Bundesliga

Goals

4

7

Assists

1

3

Big chances created

2

5

Successful dribbles per game

2.3

3.1

Key passes per game

1

0.8

Not only that, but Gittens is also a similar type of player to a former Chelsea transfer target who has just secured a move to Paris Saint-Germain during the current window.

The Blues were looking to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia this month before PSG stepped in, but in Gittens, they have someone who is eerily similar in playing style.

Jamie Gittens could be Maresca’s own Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Missing out on the Georgian winger is a blow, but Maresca shouldn’t be too concerned, considering a move for Gittens might cost slightly less.

According to FBref, the former Napoli wideman is currently the third-most comparable player to Gittens in terms of style of play and statistical profiles, which could see Chelsea land an exceptional talent.

Both players are naturally right-footed but tend to operate on the left flank, cutting inside on a regular basis to score the majority of their goals.

The pair have registered similar statistics across a range of metrics this season, including goals and assists (ten vs eight), shots on target per 90 (1.18 vs 1.22), shot-creating actions (42 vs 57), touches in the attacking penalty area (77 vs 74) and carries into the opposition penalty area (43 vs 37) for their respective teams.

These statistics show just how effective the pair are when it comes to creating chances for their teammates, while they both love to get the ball into the penalty area as often as possible, utilising their excellent dribbling abilities.

Gittens still has plenty of development to do over the next few years, yet his spell at Dortmund has allowed him to showcase his talents on a regular basis.

He was bound to attract attention sooner rather than later given his performances for the German side over the previous few years, and it looks as though they won’t be able to keep him for long.

If Chelsea are serious about signing him, they had best try and get a deal over the line as the Englishman will have plenty of other suitors, given his impressive form in Germany this term.

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Therefore, it is now down to the board to ensure that they do everything in their power to win the race for his signature before the end of the January transfer window.

“They have to concentrate on how we’re going to play, and they’re worried about that”

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2022England’s efforts to “rewrite” how Test cricket is played will leave opposition teams fearful of how to approach the third innings, Ben Stokes said after his team pulled of a record chase of 378 against India at Edgbaston, scoring the runs at 4.93.Stokes chose to bowl first after winning the toss, going against Test match convention, on the grounds that England had hunted down three fourth-innings chases between 277 and 299 against New Zealand in a row. His confidence was justified when England completed their highest successful chase on the fifth morning, coasting home by seven wickets despite having conceded a first-innings deficit of 132.Related

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Brendon McCullum had said after the 3-0 series win against New Zealand that he wanted his players to go “too far” in their efforts to find out where the line was, and Stokes joked that he wanted India to get a few more in order to test England further.”Don’t know where it [the line] is,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “There was a bit of me that almost wanted them to get 450, to see what we’d do.”I said yesterday [the fourth day] after we finished the day’s play, look at how teams will be viewing us at the moment, that third innings now has become a fourth innings – because they have to concentrate on how we’re going to play, and they’re worried about that. So to be in that position as a team, being feared before they’ve even finished their innings is an unbelievable place to be in. Teams don’t know how to play the third innings, especially when they’ve got a lead.”Stokes said that the instruction from the dressing room was “not just go out there and blaze it, there are some simple things we do keep close as a team”, and said that he and McCullum had placed an emphasis on enjoyment rather than worrying about results.”It’s been the most fun five weeks I’ve had in my career so far,” Stokes said. “I don’t think everyone can understand what’s happened here. When you get given clarity in what you want to do and what you want to achieve, and think about bigger than results, it makes everything a lot easier. It takes away the external pressure of what international sport can throw at you. When you know what you want to go out there and do, it makes everything a lot more simple.”For the third Test in a row, tickets were given away free on the final day as crowds flocked to see what this new England team is capable of, and Stokes admitted to being surprised at how quickly fortunes had changed under his captaincy, following a run of one win in 17 Tests dating back to early 2021.”We are trying to rewrite how Test cricket is being played, in England especially,” he said. “All the different plans that we put together over the last four or five weeks, for every different situations is something we’ll look to carry forward. It’s not always about bowling top of off or drying up, it’s how are we going to take wickets? That’s what you need to do as a bowling attack, take ten wickets.Alex Lees played his part in giving England a positive start•AFP/Getty Images”We know that we want to give new life to Test cricket, and the way that we go about it, and the support that we’ve received over the last five weeks has been incredible. It’s amazing, in such a short space of time, we feel like we are bringing a new set of fans to the game. Inspiring the next generation is what we want to do, this game at the moment is bigger than results for us, it’s about people who come in to represent England in the future, guys who come into the dressing room after. We want to leave a mark on Test cricket.”He also acknowledged a debt to England’s outgoing white-ball captain, Eoin Morgan, who oversaw a similar revival in limited-overs cricket.”Baz and Eoin are really good mates, I spent a lot of time under Eoin’s captaincy and I’ve taken a lot of his messaging and how he wanted the team in one-day cricket to go forward and I’ve brought that mentality and ethos into this Test environment and everybody’s responded so well to it,” Stokes said. “It’s not just me and Baz, you’ve got to get that response from everyone else and they just flew into it head on.”Both Stokes and Joe Root paid tribute to the “sublime” opening partnership between Alex Lees and Zak Crawley, which laid the platform for England’s fourth-innings charge. Lees has been a player transformed from his debut series in the Caribbean, and set the tone with a 44-ball half-century, while Crawley began to repay some of the faith invested in him with 46 – his highest score of the summer.”Huge credit to the two lads at the top,” Root said. “The way they set the platform, the way they shifted pressure straight back on to India and smashed that new ball around on a wicket that was doing a bit was incredible batting because it made the work we had to do after that a lot easier. It was a sublime partnership against a world-class attack.Stokes added: “Jonny and Rooty are going to get the plaudits and rightly so, two amazing knocks. But a run chase, you set the precedent by what your two openers do, and what they did there was absolutely phenomenal. Watching that partnership being put together in the manner that they did it was incredible and put the momentum back to us. Playing the way they did against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami was incredible to watch.”

Looking to help Ruben Amorim put his own stamp on the side that he inherited from Erik ten Hag, Manchester United have reportedly made one Premier League goalkeeper a top target to replace Andre Onana in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

Despite ditching Ten Hag in favour of Amorim, the Red Devils are still struggling with recent defeats against the struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers and a high-flying Bournemouth side only compiling their misery even further.

Ten Hag arrived to a squad struggling off the back of Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s mixed reign but one that was, ultimately, full of potential in parts. By the time the Dutchman left, however, he had left behind the ashes of his former Ajax sides with Amorim now left to pick up the pieces and turn things around in an increasingly impossible task at Old Trafford.

What should help ease the task at hand, however, is the January transfer window with names such as Nuno Mendes already mentioned alongside one target who will likely have to wait until the summer for the Red Devils to make their move.

According to The Daily Star, Manchester United have made Bart Verbruggen a top goalkeeper target to replace Andre Onana ahead of 2025 in a deal which could cost just £30m in the summer transfer window.

The Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper is reportedly top of United’s wishlist when it comes to goalkeepers and could yet follow in the footsteps of Roberto Sanchez by swapping The Amex for a side in the Premier League’s traditional top six.

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1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 29, 2024

As Onana remains unconvincing, Verbruggen could emerge to instantly solve Amorim’s goalkeeper problem for years to come at just 22 years old and flying high with the Seagulls. When the summer arrives, Manchester United’s goalkeeper department could be in for quite the shake-up.

"Unbelievable" Verbruggen could be an upgrade on Onana

Whilst it would be harsh to discredit Onana’s improvement in the current campaign following a disastrous debut season last time out, he is yet to become the mistake-free goalkeeper that Manchester United so desperately need.

Most importantly, he is yet to show signs that he is among those at the highest level with the ball at his feet – making a frustrating error against Viktoria Plzen earlier this season. Verbruggen, meanwhile, seems to tick almost every box.

Starts

16

18

Saves

47

44

Pass Accuracy

80.1%

77.9%

Save Percentage

67.6%

58.1%

Crucial on the ball and as important as ever as a shot-stopper, Verbruggen earned high praise from Fabian Hurzeler earlier this season. The Brighton manager told reporters as relayed by The Argus: “I really enjoy working with him because he is an unbelievable character.

“For his age he is very mature and he sees things very professionally. That is why he is a role model for everything. I think he can play a big part in the future of the club. And of course on the pitch he helps us with his saves but not only his saves.”

Raul Jimenez is undoubtedly one of the finest Wolverhampton Wanderers players in the Premier League era. The Mexican centre-forward was deadly for the Old Gold and is their all-time top goalscorer in the top flight since 1992 when the Premier League began with 41 goals.

In total, the one-time Benfica star scored 57 goals for the club in 166 games. His form was especially good before his terrible head injury against Arsenal which took him eight months to recover from. At his current club Fulham, he is beginning to look close to his best again.

The Midlands club have never really managed to replace him since his departure, and whilst Matheus Cunha has supplemented the number of goals he scored, he is more of a second striker.

That said, summer signing Jorgen Strand Larsen is someone who has been impressive this season in front of goal.

Strand Larsen’s season so far

Wolves brought Strand Larsen in from Celta Vigo in the summer, signing him on a loan deal with the obligation to buy if there are certain conditions met. He will cost the Old Gold £23m if he does make a permanent move.

So far, he has impressed in a Wolves shirt. The centre-forward has played 13 times for the club, scoring four goals and grabbing three assists. He has been fairly consistent so far. The longest he has gone this term without a goal involvement is two games. It has been a good start to life in the Midlands.

Equally, the Norweigan centre-forward is currently second on the list of most goal involvements for the Old Gold this season. Cunha is the only player with more, with a standout haul of ten goals and assists to his name already.

Wolves most G/A in 2024/25 (all comps)
Player	Goals	Assists	G/A per game
Matheus Cunha	7	3	0.76
Jorgen Strand Larsen	4	3	0.53
Goncalo Guedes	4	1	0.45
Rayan Ait-Nouri	3	2	0.38
Mario Lemina	1	3	0.28
Stats from Transfermarkt

It will certainly be pleasing for Wolves fans to see their summer signing enjoying a good campaign so far. He is certainly stepping up now Jimenez has left the club, and they will be hoping he can continue his fine form into the festive period.

Strand Larsen’s form is encouraging, and there might well be another deadly striker at the club next season if one star who is out on loan can continue his form next season.

Wolves' in-form loan star

The player in question here is Fabio Silva. The Portuguese striker has not had an easy ride playing for the Old Gold but is enjoying life out on loan this season with La Liga side Las Palmas. He has four goals and one assist in ten games for the club so far.

Incredibly, the former Porto star is just one goal this season behind his entire tally for Wolves. He has scored five times and has six assists in 72 appearances. Given they paid £35.6m for him in 2020 as an 18-year-old, this is a disappointing return.

After several loan spells, it must be a relief for Silva to have found his best form in front of goal, and he has certainly reaped the rewards so far. The 22-year-old recently made his debut for the Portugal senior team, a 19-minute cameo against Croatia in the Nations League.

Manager Roberto Martinez was full of praise for the Wolves striker in the days leading up to his debut. He called him “a different player” to the one Old Gold fans have seen, and the fact he gave him a senior bow shows the faith he has in him.

There is perhaps still hope at Wolves that their former teenage prodigy can come good. He is on par in terms of goals this season with Strand Larsen, and if he can translate that form over to the Premier League, they would have two talented young strikers on their books, and, finally, some genuine replacements for Jimenez.

Forget Cunha: Wolves' "tenacious" star could be their next big-money sale

The Wolves star could go for double what they paid for him

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 27, 2024

What crisis? Tottenham Hotspur’s continual ability to rewrite their narrative, for better and for worse, succeeds in mystifying the sharpest of Premier League analysts.

At their worst under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs are easy to play through and bereft of synergy in defence. When operating to their max, though, they are a force to be reckoned with – something that Manchester City felt keenly as they were trounced 4-0 in their own backyard on a gloomy Saturday evening.

It bears testament to Postecoglou’s nous that he is taking his side home from Manchester with a massive win in the bag for the second time this season, though the chequered results elsewhere serve as a reminder that there is plenty of work still to do.

Even so, this was an incredible evening, perhaps the best yet under Postecoglou’s wing. James Maddison was the architect of the success, utterly mesmerising for the Lilywhites.

James Maddion's birthday bonanza

Birthday boy Maddison enjoyed the most wonderful of presents when putting his side two nil up after just 20 minutes, setting the tone for Tottenham’s almighty victory.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, correspondent Alasdair Gold could only hand the 28-year-old a 9/10 rating, praising his goals but also noting that from that point ‘his confidence was flowing from then on and he showed exactly what he can do.’

As you can see from the stats portrayed below, Maddison was not only incisive with his shooting but indispensable with his combativeness and progression, completing both of his dribbles and winning a whopping nine ground duels.

Minutes played

89′

Goals

2

Touches

64

Shots (on target)

2 (2)

Pass completion

40/45 (89%)

Key passes

0

Dribbles (completed)

2 (2)

Tackles

2

Ground duels (won)

12 (9)

It was a fine performance, and he was joined by forward partners such as Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and the like.

But let’s take a moment to hail the brilliant defensive performance of Radu Dragusin. He came up trumps.

Radu Dragusin's best Spurs performance

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, a formidable and dynamic defensive partnership. Sadly, injuries meant that both titans sat on the sidelines for this one.

No matter. Alongside the experienced Ben Davies, Dragusin was a stone-walled bulwark for his side, winning 100% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore, and silencing the beleaguered Erling Haaland, who mustered five shots to no avail.

The performance was so mighty that football.london had to match Maddison’s remarkable 9/10 score when assessing the Romania international’s showing, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even saying “Dragusin is simply a monster” after the spectacle.

The former Genoa man has come in for criticism for his form of late – having been particularly abject in the defeat to Ipswich Town last time out – yet up against the division’s fiercest marksman, Haaland, the Romanian stood firm, and then some, putting in arguably his fine display for the club to date, considering the nature of the opposition.

Remarkable stuff. If only Tottenham could play Guardiola’s lads every week.

Take a glance back at the Londoners’ results and you will be reminded that there is plenty of work to do. But come on, that’s an exceptional result, and hopefully an overture for the riches to come from this exciting crop.

Watch out Maddison: Ange could unleash "stunning" Spurs academy gem

The sensational talent has a bright future at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 22, 2024

Pholetsi Moseki has been appointed CSA’s permanent CEO, 15 months after taking over the role in an acting capacity, in December 2020. Moseki’s position was confirmed by a unanimous decision on the part of the CSA board, which took nine months to find a CEO. Moseki’s official tenure begins on April 1, for a period of five years.Moseki was confirmed after a lengthy process, which started with the position advertised in August last year. CSA engaged the services of a recruitment company, which proved unsuccessful in delivering suitable candidates, readvertised the post and used a second agency, which recommended former South African Airways CEO Vuyani Jarana for the job. But Jarana was unable to take up the role, which prompted CSA to look internally and appoint Moseki, a qualified chartered accountant with two decades of experience in the corporate world. Moseki joined CSA in June 2019 as chief financial officer before stepping in as acting CEO.Related

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CSA has not had a full-time CEO since Thabang Moroe was suspended in December 2019. In that time, the board has rotated through three acting CEOs: Dr Jacques Faul, who resigned to continue his role at the Titans domestic team, Kugandrie Govender, who has since been fired for misconduct, and Moseki, who has led the organisation through the bulk of the Covid-19 pandemic.He has identified his most pressing task as being to rebuild trust in the organisation, which has been through 27 months of administrative upheaval. “We need to rebuild faith in our organisation,” Moseki told a press conference on Wednesday. “Breaking trust is very easy but building it takes a long time. There’s been numerous challenges, which resulted in a lot of our stakeholders losing trust, and me being confirmed CEO doesn’t necessarily mean there is going to be trust. It will be a process, but it is something we are focused on.”The most important stakeholders for CSA are the players, and the relationship with them suffered under Moroe, and has continued to go downwards. Most recently, Test captain Dean Elgar joked that, “we’ve had so many different administrators that we don’t even know who’s there now”, and Moseki did not shy away from speaking of the challenge: “A lot of our stakeholders have lost faith in the organisation – that includes SACA (South African Cricketers’ Association). It’s something we focused on improving. It’s a work in progress. Our relationship with SACA has improved tremendously from where it was two years ago. Ultimately, all of us want the same thing, which is sustainability in cricket.”CSA and SACA are currently in discussions over the memorandum of understanding, which governs players’ contracts and commercial agreements, and hope to finalise it “in the next couple of months,” Moseki said. It is understood that they have already agreed on some key points.The second major stakeholders are the sponsors, and since the Moroe affair, CSA has lost several including headline sponsors Standard Bank. “Finance is an important priority for us. The environment has totally changed. The economy is quite tough, not only for cricket but for the other sporting codes as well,” Moseki said. “Part of our strategy is looking at our whole ecosystem and seeing how we can diversify our revenue streams.”Graeme Smith will not be reapplying for the role of CSA’s director of cricket•Getty Images

He will have to do all of that without current director of cricket [DOC] Graeme Smith, whose contract with CSA ends this month. CSA has confirmed it will advertise the position as is, after some consideration to split the role into separate cricketing and commercial positions, and ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that Smith would not be reapplying for the role. CSA is interested in re-engaging Smith in a consulting role but a well-placed source said no discussions regarding Smith’s future involvement at CSA have taken place yet.”The contract of the DOC comes to an end at the end of this month. We have publicly said that the position will be advertised, and it will be advertised any day now together with a number of other positions,” Lawson Naidoo, CSA board chair, said. “It will be subject to an open and competitive process.”The position is an incredibly important one. As we have reviewed the structure, we have looked at the many responsibilities and while there might be some tweaks to it, the job spec as a whole will remain intact.”Moseki was hopeful that the confirmation of a permanent CEO would help create the environment for CSA to fill other vacancies so the organisation can begin to operate at full capacity. “The company could not advertise for vacancies until the CEO position was confirmed,” he said. “CSA has been acting without two-thirds of its EXCO (executive committee) for the last while, as they were either being suspended or dismissed. We hope to go to the market within a day or two to open the process to fill positions.”