Arsenal today are practically unrecognizable from the team Unai Emery left Mikel Arteta in December 2019.

The Aston Villa manager was tasked with leading the Gunners into a post-Arsene Wenger world in the summer of 2018, and while he got some things right, he got more things wrong.

The team was poor in attack, even worse in defence and looked like they were sleep-walking into a bottom-half finish in the Premier League when he was eventually given the sack.

1

Liverpool

13

19

37

2

Leicester City

13

23

29

3

Man City

13

23

28

4

Chelsea

13

9

26

5

Wolves

13

2

19

6

Sheffield Utd

13

4

18

7

Burnley

13

-1

18

8

Arsenal

13

-1

18

9

Man Utd

13

4

17

10

Tottenham

13

2

17

11

Bournemouth

13

-1

16

12

Brighton

13

-4

15

13

Crystal Palace

13

-7

15

14

Newcastle

13

-9

15

15

Aston Villa

13

-1

14

16

Everton

13

-7

14

17

West Ham

13

-7

13

18

Norwich

13

-15

10

19

Southampton

13

-18

9

20

Watford

13

-18

8

However, for all the dreadful performances and confusing decisions he made in North London, the Spaniard was responsible for a few great signings, including one whose valuation has exploded since.

Emery's smart signings

Before we get to the player in question, let’s look at a couple of other intelligent acquisitions made by Emery, starting with one who’s no longer at the club but made a good account of himself during his time at the Emirates: Bernd Leno.

The German goal-keeper joined the Gunners in June 2018 for a fee of around £19m, and while he wasn’t necessarily a household name at the time, he quickly proved his worth for the North Londoners, with his brilliant shot-stopping.

Over the following three seasons, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace made 117 appearances for the Gunners, in which he kept an impressive 34 clean sheets for a team that were far less solid at the back.

However, the 32-year-old was limited to just eight appearances in the 21/22 campaign due to the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale and was eventually sold to Fulham in August 2022 for around £8m, where he has been an unequivocal success and has already amassed 91 appearances, in which he’s kept 20 clean sheets.

Another of Emery’s brilliant signings during his time at the Emirates came in the summer of 2019, when the club splashed £6m on an unknown teenager from Brazil named Gabriel Martinelli.

The now 23-year-old has struggled at points during his time with the Gunners, notably last season, as a drop in output from the campaign prior led to questions over his place in the team, questions which some may still hold today.

However, the fact he’s racked up an impressive tally of 45 goals and 27 assists in 192 appearances for the club, 135 of which have been starts, makes it impossible to describe his transfer as anything other than a roaring success, especially when you take into account the minuscule transfer fee he initially cost the club.

Appearances

192

Starts

135

Minutes

11,867′

Goals

45

Assists

27

Goal Involvements per Match

0.37

Minutes per Goal Involvement

164.81′

With that said, there was another teenager signed in the same summer, and it would be fair to say he’s been an even bigger success than the Brazilian, as evidenced by his enormous valuation.

Emery's best signing at Arsenal

With it now somewhat narrowed down, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the player in question is none other than centre-back extraordinaire William Saliba.

The French international joined Arsenal in a £27m deal from Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne in July 2019, although he wouldn’t play for Emery. In fact, he wouldn’t play a competitive game for the Gunners until the 22/23 season.

This was because he was sent back to Saint-Étienne on loan for the 19/20 season, and then Arteta opted to send him on loan to OGC Nice and Marseille for the subsequent seasons, leading some to question whether the Bondy-born ace even had a future in North London at all.

Fortunately, the club took no notice of such speculation and finally incorporated him into the team for the 22/23 season, and lo and behold, the highly-rated defender picked up the Man of the Match award on his first start for the club on the opening day of the Premier League season, away to Crystal Palace.

From that point onwards, the 6 foot 4 “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been indispensable for the Gunners.

Appearances

33

50

18

Goals

3

2

0

Assists

1

1

0

Points per Game

2.12

2.18

2.06

In fact, the only time he’s been out of the team has been when he picked up an unfortunate back injury against Sporting CP in March 2023, which is often pinpointed as the moment the club’s surprise title challenge fell apart that season, highlighting just how crucial he is.

In all, the “world-class” defender, as dubbed by Fabrizio Romano, has made 101 appearances for Arsenal, in which he’s scored five goals, provided two assists and been named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2023 and 2024, validating U23 scout Antonio Mango’s assertion that he’s “one of the best in the world.”

Unsurprisingly, such a rise has seen his valuation skyrocket, and according to the CIES Football Observatory, he’s now worth a whopping €106m, which converts to around £88m, which represents a massive increase of around 225% from the price he initially cost Arsenal in 2019.

Ultimately, while Emery got a lot of things wrong during his year and a bit in North London, signing Saliba was not one of them, and fans should still be thankful he pulled the trigger on that transfer when he did, as they now have one of the very best defenders in the world in their team.

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Newcastle United conceded a late equalizer to drop more points in the Premier League this afternoon as they drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace.

Eddie Howe’s side had to make do without Alexander Isak for most of the game as he was subbed off with an injury after just 20 minutes.

A Marc Guehi own goal looked like it would be enough for the Magpies to take all three points, but a last-gasp goal by Daniel Munoz, who was teed up by Guehi, meant the game ended in a stalemate.

Newcastle’s best and worst performers vs Palace

Sandro Tonali impressed in midfield, winning 100% of his ground duels during the clash while making three tackles, succeeding with 100% of his dribbles and taking 57 touches.

Elsewhere, a centre-back pairing of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar looked solid, winning four of their six ground duels between them, although they will be disappointed to lose a late goal.

Lewis Hall struggled at left-back, however, losing possession a staggering 22 times during the game while making zero key passes and being dribbled past twice in what was a dismal showing.

One of the worst performers on the day for Newcastle was Joelinton, who was deployed on the left of a three-man attack, yet failed to offer any meaningful contribution.

The Newcastle star who Howe must now drop

Joelinton has played in every single Premier League fixture for the Toon this season, but he has managed to score just two goals. This didn’t change against Palace, despite playing in a more advanced role at Selhurst Park this afternoon.

The Brazilian did play the entire 90 minutes, yet he lost possession on 20 occasions, lost ten of his 15 contested duels and committed two fouls, clearly not having the best showing defensively.

Key stats from Newcastle vs Crystal Palace

Stat

Highest ranked

Accurate passes

Fabian Schar – 52

Shots on target

Daniel Munoz and Ismaila Sarr – 2

Dribble attempts

Eberechi Eze and Joelinton – 5

Ground duels won

Daniel Munoz – 10

Tackles

Daniel Munoz – 9

Via Sofascore

The 28-year-old did try and make a difference, attempting five dribbles throughout the 90 minutes, yet none were successful. The midfielder also failed to register a single shot during the game and made zero key passes as he failed to inspire the club to three points.

He was given a match rating of 6/10 for his display by journalist Dominic Scurr, who said that the former Hoffenheim man was ‘in and out of the match on the left wing and couldn’t deal with the late ball into the box for Palace’s equaliser’.

This performance indicates that Howe must drop Joelinton to the bench for their game against Liverpool on Wednesday evening, especially if he wants his team to perhaps secure a positive result against the runaway leaders of the Premier League.

Howe doesn’t have many options to replace him, however. Harvey Barnes could come in for a start on the left flank, although that depends on whom the manager chooses to unleash as the centre-forward.

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Plenty to ponder, that’s for sure, but the 1-1 draw against Palace was a case of a missed opportunity for the Magpies.

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Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou are currently looking at a “top” winger, who’s been compared to Manchester City star Jack Grealish.

Tottenham face Roma in Europa League clash tonight

Spurs will be in very good spirits after their 4-0 win over Man City last weekend, but the excellent result was followed by very bad news that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is out for a lengthy period after surgery on his fractured ankle.

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1

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The Italy international hasn’t missed a single league game since joining the club from Empoli in 2023, but he’s set to sit out for a long time now.

Postecoglou confirmed that Vicario is set for months on the sidelines at Tottenham, so number two Fraser Forster will be thrust into the spotlight, as Spurs look to build upon their win at City and enjoy a strong festive period.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games	Date
Tottenham vs Fulham	December 1
Bournemouth vs Tottenham	December 5
Tottenham vs Chelsea	December 8
Southampton vs Tottenham	December 15
Tottenham vs Liverpool	December 22

While Postecoglou also stated that Spurs won’t sign a replacement for Vicario in January, the club are working to strengthen other areas of the squad.

Technical director Johan Lange and Tottenham are looking at signing a new forward, according to various reports, and an exciting, young name has been linked this week.

Tottenham scouting Southampton winger Tyler Dibling

According to former chief scout Mick Brown, who worked at Spurs and Man United, the north Londoners are one of many Premier League sides taking a real interest in Southampton winger Tyler Dibling.

Football Insider, sharing Brown’s comments, write that Tottenham are among the sides interested in Dibling ahead of a potential move for the Englishman, called the “next” Grealish, who’s played in all 12 of Southampton’s league matches this season – starting seven of them.

“He’s attracting a lot of interest,” he told Football Insider.

“Nearly every club in the Premier League have been keeping an eye on his performances this season because he’s a very talented young player.

“They’re assessing just how good they think he is, and many of them have had scouts watching him. After that game against Liverpool, I’m told they like what they see.

“If Southampton go down, chances are they’ll have to sell some players. The way the financial rules are at the moment, relegation can be very costly. I think we saw that with Leeds and Leicester last year. With Dibling attracting interest, he may well be one they look to cash in on if a good offer arrives. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll be keen to keep him at the club, he’s a product of their academy and a very good one at that.

“But with interest building, relegation from the Premier League might force them to sell.”

The teenage sensation at St. Mary’s is fast-growing a reputation for himself, with teammate Yuki Sugawara calling him a “top” player and former Saints coach David Horseman tipping him to be the “next big thing” out of Southampton.

“Tyler could be a top Premier League player, under the current manager and his style he could be a star of the future for sure,” said Horseman (via The Sun).

“He could go all the way, he looks like he’s loving life and he’s found his perfect fit. He looks like he could be the next big thing out of Southampton.”

Everton are now interested in signing an “extremely dangerous” new striker in a bid to stave off the threat of relegation in the winter transfer window.

Everton transfer news

Despite a 4-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, it would be fair to say the Toffees’ Premier League campaign has been underwhelming so far, having collected just 14 points from their opening 14 games.

As such, Sean Dyche may be keen to strengthen his squad this January, and there have been reports the manager is now pushing to sign Fenerbahce winger Oguz Aydin, having previously sent scouts to watch him in action.

Dyche may need to strengthen his attacking options this winter, as there have been reports the manager could look to cash in on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has already turned down offers to extend his stay at Goodison Park.

Signing a new striker may then have to become a priority for Everton, as Beto is also now pushing to leave the club due to his lack of game time this season. Torino are now in active talks over a deal which could amount to around £16.5m.

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Scouts have been sent to watch him.

ByHenry Jackson Dec 9, 2024 Everton keen on Yuri Alberto

According to a report from The Boot Room, one new signing the Toffees have in mind is Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto, who has admitted that he dreams of playing in the Premier League. However, there may well be competition for the Brazilian’s signature from a number of other Premier League clubs, with both Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest named as potential suitors, while West Ham United have previously tabled a £14m bid.

A bid of £17m could be enough to secure the 23-year-old’s signature at the beginning of 2024, and he has stated there is a 50/50 chance he leaves Corinthians this January, which could open the door for a move to Goodison Park.

Although the Merseyside derby was postponed due to Storm Darragh last week, Everton’s fixture list still looks extremely tricky this winter.

Everton’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Arsenal (a)

December 15

Chelsea (h)

December 22

Manchester City (a)

December 26

Nottingham Forest (h)

December 30

AFC Bournemouth (a)

January 5

As such, Dyche may be in a position where he needs to strengthen his squad in January to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle, and Alberto could be exactly the type of signing to propel the Toffees to safety.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded the Corinthians star as “extremely dangerous” in the past, and he was in fine form in front of goal for the Brazilian club last term. The former Santos man chalked up 31 goals in 57 games in all competitions, indicating that he could be ready to take the next step in his career by moving to the Premier League.

The uncertain futures surrounding Calvert-Lewin and Beto make signing a striker a priority for Dyche this winter, and at £17m Alberto could be the perfect replacement.

Mohamed Salah revealed the name of the team-mate he would love to take a post-match selfie with after the Carabao Cup final.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Salah picks team-mate to click post-match selfie
• Unlikely to stand alongside goalkeeper Alisson
• Liverpool and Newcastle locks horns in Carabao Cup final

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Salah has made a habit of clicking a selfie with a team-mate, who scored in a particular game for the Reds, and then posting the photograph on Instagram. He has done this on multiple occasions in the 2024-25 campaign, and the ritual has gained popularity among Liverpool fans.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Merseyside club is gearing up to win its first trophy of the current campaign as they take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. Ahead of the all-important game, Salah has already decided the colleague he would select to take a post-match selfie with.

• WHAT MOHAMED SALAH SAID

  Speaking to , the 32-year-old said: "I would say Virg… [Virgil van Dijk]. Robbo [Andy Robertson] doesn’t score much! Alisson [Becker] is really tricky! I always love to see Dominik [Szoboszlai] but I would say Virgil. Hopefully one day [for Robertson].

  "I just did it after three or four games and just kept going. I asked someone in the media at the club, he is very close to me and he told me it’s a good idea so just try it, and it’s working well."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  After playing in the Carabao Cup final, Arne Slot's side will be back in action after the international break as they take on Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on April 2.

نجح نيوكاسل يونايتد في تحقيق فوز كبير، على ضيفه مانشستر يونايتد بنتيجة 4/1، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وواجه نيوكاسل خصمه مانشستر يونايتد، ضمن منافسات الجولة 32 من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على ملعب “سانت جيمس بارك”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي بعد فوز ليفربول على وست هام

افتتح ساندرو تونالي هدف أصحاب الأرض بحلول الدقيقة 24 بطريقة رائعة، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من ألكسندر إيزاك.

وتمكن أليخاندرو جارناتشو من تعديل نتيجة المباراة بتوقيعه على أول أهداف مانشستر يونايتد بالدقيقة 37، من صناعة ديوجو دالوت.

في الشوط الثاني وعند الدقيقة 49، أحرز هارفي بارنيز هدف نيوكاسل يونايتد الثاني بصناعة من جاكوب ميرفي.

ووقع بارنيز على ثنائيته الخاصة وثالث أهداف نيوكاسل في اللقاء بحلول الدقيقة 64.

فيما نجح برونو جيماريش في تسجيل هدف رابع لأصحاب الأرض مع الدقيقة 77، وذلك بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من جويلاينتون.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد نيوكاسل يونايتد إلى النقطة 56 في المركز الرابع في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، مع مباراة إضافية مؤجلة، بينما تجمد رصيد مانشستر يونايتد عند النقطة 38 في المركز الرابع عشر. هدف نيوكاسل الأول أمام مانشستر يونايتد بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

⚽️ تونالي يفتتح التسجيل في مرمى مانشستر يونايتد

أيهما أجمل تمريرة إيزاك الحاسمة أم الهدف؟ 🤩#الدوري_الإنجليزي #نيوكاسل_مانشستر_يونايتد pic.twitter.com/AraIzPmpss — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 13, 2025

هدف تعادل مانشستر يونايتد أمام نيوكاسل بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

GOAL!@ManUtd are level! Garnacho with a clever finish off the post to beat Nick Pope 👏

🤝 Dalot assist#beINPL #NEWMUN #MUFC pic.twitter.com/0eUwmY4rbF — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) April 13, 2025

هدف نيوكاسل الثاني أمام مانشستر يونايتد بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

GOAL!

What a start to the second half for Newcastle! Harvey Barnes restores the Magpies’ lead.

🤝 Murphy assist #beINPL #NEWMUN #NUFC pic.twitter.com/2tZeSKbVLj — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) April 13, 2025

هدف نيوكاسل الرابع أمام مانشستر يونايتد بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

شباك مانشستر يونايتد تتلقى الهدف الرابع 🔥#الدوري_الإنجليزي #نيوكاسل_مانشيستر_يونايتد pic.twitter.com/7UDCCmj97r — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 13, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers are plotting a transfer swoop for a £34 million “great” youngster in January, according to a recent report. The Midlands side have had to wait all weekend for their Premier League fixture, as they travel to London to face West Ham in a game that is crucial for the futures of both managers.

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The game against the Hammers looks to be crucial to the future of Gary O’Neil. The Wolves manager has come under severe pressure this season, as his side have struggled at the bottom of the Premier League.

A 4-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park last Wednesday cranked the pressure up on O’Neil, as Wolves supporters vented their frustrations. It has resulted in more talk emerging over potential candidates who could replace O’Neil at Molineux – it has recently emerged that Wolves are considering an approach for West Brom manager Carlos Corberan.

The Spaniard has been doing an impressive job at the Hawthorns and has now emerged on Wolves’ radar, which is somewhat of a surprise given the rivalry between the two clubs. Meanwhile, it has also been reported that Wolves are considering a move for Graham Potter, who has been out of work since 2023, as well as Rob Edwards and David Moyes.

Either way, pressure is firmly on in Monday night’s game, and a defeat could spell the end for O’Neil at Wolves. But despite the manager’s uncertainty, it isn’t stopping the Premier League side from getting their plans in order ahead of January, as a striker emerges on their radar.

Wolves plotting transfer swoop for Igor Jesus

According to UOL, relayed by Molineux News, Wolves are interested in signing Igor Jesus ahead of a potential move in January. The 23-year-old started his career at Coritiba and their under-20s, but in October 2020 he left them to join Shabab Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.

Jesus, who was dubbed “great” after scoring on his Brazil debut by analyst Ben Mattinson, returned to Brazil to join Botafogo in July of this year, and he has been in impressive form since returning to his homeland.

This report states that Wolves are showing an interest in signing the Brazil international ahead of January, having scored 25 goals in total for club and country in 2024. It could potentially be a costly deal for Wolves, as it’s been previously reported that Botafogo value their striker between 35 and 40 euros, which is roughly £29-34 million.

Jesus may be unknown in English football, but the Brazilian likens himself to Real Madrid’s Rodrygo along with a few other Brazil internationals. He said back in October: “The national team has a very pacey attack when you look at players like Vinicius, Rodrygo, and [Gabriel] Martinelli. I think my game is quite similar to theirs. I like to try to attack the spaces, and I am mobile – I don’t just stay in the box.”

Igor Jesus’ 2024/25 stats compared to Rodrygo

Jesus

Rodrygo

Apps

21

13

Goals

5

3

xG

6.2

1.3

Assists

2

1

xAG

2.5

1.0

Progressive passes

34

38

Progressive runs

128

96

Shots (On target)

52 (22)

17 (8)

Craig Overton, Josh Davey, Lewis Gregory claim two each against floundering Warwickshire

Paul Edwards29-Apr-2022
No county’s home is woven more lovingly into its immediate environment than the County Ground. Even those of us who already knew this so well are surprised by the intimacy of the place and the gentle intensity with which the game is followed here. The Wickets remains the best café on the circuit and this morning Em and Barbs were providing their customers with bowls of porridge or massive bacon barms while still finding time to ask why Peter Siddle isn’t playing. The regulars joked with them and agreed that it had been a good first day for Somerset although wasn’t it about time an’ all. On the walls, signed shirts evoked Somerset’s past, present and perhaps its future, too: Marcus Trescothick, Jack Brooks, Tom Abell.So imagine the conversations tomorrow morning when the locals reflect on a second day that Somerset dominated, first by making 458, in their own eccentric style, of course, and then by reducing Warwickshire to 197 for 9 with Craig Overton’s dismissal of Nathan McAndrew for 47 a few overs before the close topping things off very happily. The follow-on looms for Warwickshire and Somerset’s first victory of the season late on Saturday would be something to celebrate, a triumph to be shared with cricketers that the people of Taunton know, much as they know their butcher, their grocer or their children’s teacher. How many county clubs can claim a comparable affinity?Somerset’s players, you see, are more than names on shirts and have always been so. Before a match or on a training day you might see them strolling into town on an errand. The club’s business connections are more likely to be made with local companies than multi-national airlines. Even the ground sponsors, Cooper Associates, are based just across the way in James Street.On the excellent live stream this morning they mentioned the 85th birthday of Terry Barwell, who played 44 first-class matches for the county, almost all of them in the sixties, when a team featuring Bill Alley, Mervyn Kitchen and other solid citizens more than held its own in an age that suddenly seems almost medieval in its remoteness. In those summers Somerset’s players had to take care not to get splinters in their feet from the old pavilion’s wooden floor.Which is not to say that Somerset’s current cricket is in want of eccentricity. They still take the long route to most winning posts, something in evidence this morning when they lost four wickets lickety-split. Andrew Caddick, a player from a later generation than Barwell and Kitchen but whose strike rate was often impressive on this ground, arrived in the press box and watched three wickets fall in four balls, all of them bowled.Related

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Craig Miles jagged a couple in, one to Tom Banton, who didn’t attempt a stroke, and another to Overton, who jabbed forward but left a gate open. Next over, Lewis Gregory’s loose drive gave Oliver Hannon-Dalby his fourth wicket and Somerset were eight down. Immediately, the gloom-junkies wondered whether 373 was anything like enough, but Josh Davey and Jack Leach showed good sense in adding 44 for the ninth wicket and Brooks showed a good eye in clouting 32, thereby delaying lunch.Someday, a statistician, probably Andrew Samson, will work out the impact of last-wicket stands on openers. Somerset’s eighth wicket fell at 11.40, at which time Alex Davies and Dominic Sibley probably began their mental preparations for beginning Warwickshire’s innings. But it was another hour before the ninth wicket fell and a further 30 minutes before Brooks’ cheery assault was ended. Then we had lunch and so it was not until 1.50 that Davies and Sibley marched out with their pads on.Too much can be made of such relatively simple analyses. “Post hoc ergo propter hoc,” some of you may be saying, and wisely, too. Warwickshire’s loss of four wickets inside the first 20 overs of their innings owed more to the bravery and excellence of Somerset’s bowlers than the top order’s mental fragility. Brooks tested Davies with a couple of short ones and was hooked; he pitched it up and had his man caught at slip by Overton. Four overs later Davey replaced Brooks and had Sibley leg before in his first over, although the batter perhaps thought the ball was tailing down leg. Rob Yates followed ten minutes later when he inside-edged Davey onto his pad and Overton swooped from third slip.This was turning into one of those unexpectedly glorious afternoons for Somerset supporters and their delight was deepened when Will Rhodes’ ugly and barely describable aborted pull off Gregory shovelled a catch to Lammonby to mid-on. All the dismissed batsmen had hit boundaries but Abell posted at least two slips all afternoon and Matt Lamb nicked a catch to the second of them, Matt Renshaw. Michael Burgess replaced him and someone noted that the Warwickshire keeper had made 348 runs in his two innings this season. Another fair point but a bowler’s target is his opponent in pads rather than his statistics or his reputation. Burgess nicked Overton to Steve Davies and Warwickshire took tea on 92 for 6.The evening session could barely have gone any worse than the afternoon for the champions but it still began badly when Danny Briggs was leg before wicket to Jack Leach’s fourth ball of the day. That brought McAndrew out to join Sam Hain, who had been exhibiting the self-denial which Jonathan Trott, his mentor and current coach, probably admires. The pair added 76 and the balance of the day was shifting a little when Abell brought himself on at the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End and had the Warwickshire batsman caught behind for 54. Abell leapt high with delight and if they had been capable of such athletic larks, one or two spectators would have joined him. As it was, they joined him in spirit and Abell, who is much-loved down here, probably felt their pleasure. It is the Somerset way.

After two seasons of coming painfully close to dethroning Manchester City in the Premier League, there was a belief among some that this season would finally be Arsenal’s year.

However, we are now 15 league games in, and while Mikel Arteta’s side find themselves two points clear of Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut, they’re six points off table toppers Liverpool.

It’s been a mixture of unfortunate injuries, silly suspensions and lack of cutting-edge in attack that has seen the Gunners fail to capitalise on the Champions’ own poor form.

Games

15

5

2

Wins

8

3

2

Draws

5

1

0

Losses

2

1

0

Goals For

29

8

8

Goals Against

15

2

1

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see recent reports linking the club to an up-and-coming striker who could be a difference-maker, either in January or next year and possibly even be an upgrade on Kai Havertz.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Bologna striker Santiago Castro.

The report claims that the Gunners have had scouts watching him in recent Serie A matches and have been impressed with what they’ve seen, although they aren’t the only ones, as Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Everton, Juventus and Inter Milan are also supposedly keen on the 20-year-old poacher.

However, while the level of competition is far from ideal, the good news is that signing the Argentine forward won’t cost the North Londoners an outrageous amount, as the report has revealed that an offer of around €40m could tempt the Italians into selling, which comes to about £32m.

It might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Castro’s impressive form, it is worth pursuing, especially as he could be an upgrade on Havertz.

How Castro compares to Havertz

Now, to determine whether Castro could in fact be an upgrade on Havertz, we need to see how the pair stack up against one another, starting with the most important metric of all for a centre-forward: pure output.

Interestingly, while the Argentine gem has scored fewer goals than the German this season, he’s been more productive in the time he’s been on the pitch.

For example, in 20 appearances, totalling 1336 minutes, he’s found the back of the net on five occasions and provided six assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.81 games, or every 121.45 minutes.

In contrast, in 21 appearances, totalling 1767 minutes, the former Chelsea has scored nine goals and provided two assists, equating to a goal involvement every 1.90 games, or every 160.63 minutes.

So, with the young Bologna ace, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “one of the most interesting young strikers in Europe,” coming out on top for pure output, is it the same story when we take a look at their underlying numbers?

Non-penalty expected G+As

0.33

0.56

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.60

0.51

Shots

2.22

2.46

Shots on Target

1.02

0.87

Passing Accuracy

78.8%

77.0%

Key Passes

1.03

0.72

Shot-Creating Actions

2.39

2.32

Goal-Creating Actions

0.51

0.14

Successful Take-Ons

0.85

0.43

Indeed, it is, as he comes out ahead in the majority of relevant metrics, including but not limited to actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots on target, passing accuracy, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Ultimately, Havertz has been a useful signing for Arsenal, but should the club want to improve their attacking options, then signing the exciting Castro in January or next summer seems like a no-brainer, especially as his rate of return and underlying numbers point to him being an upgrade on the German international.

Great news for Saliba: Monaco suffer big injury blow ahead of Arsenal tie

The sensational talent is one of Arsenal’s most important players.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 11, 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