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Manchester City are now ready to pay £33 million to sign a 23-year-old midfielder as a long-term replacement for Rodri, according to a recent report.

Man City transfer news

It has all the makings to be a busy month for the Blues, as Pep Guardiola will want to make some fresh additions to his squad as they try to climb the Premier League table and get back to their best.

Guardiola must now sell Man City flop who earns more than Foden & Rodri

Manchester City could wave goodbye to some notable high earners this month.

3 ByKelan Sarson Jan 8, 2025

The transfer rumours involving City started long before the transfer window opened, and in the last week they have continued to be mentioned with moves for all sorts of players. Signing a defender appears high on the agenda for Guardiola, and it was reported this week that City are ready to make a move for Juventus defender Nicolo Savona. The Premier League side are ready to make a move for the player this month, as he’s seen as a possible replacement for Kyle Walker, who they are willing to let go at some point this year.

It has also been recently claimed that City are willing to go all out and sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad after holding internal talks over a potential transfer. Zubimendi was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer, but that didn’t work out, and now City look keen to land the player but will have to trigger his £52 million release clause to do so.

Man City ready to pay £33 million to sign 23 y/o midfielder

Zubimendi is not the only midfielder on City’s transfer radar, as according to Italian outlet Messaggero, Man City are ready to make a move to sign Nicolo Rovella from Lazio in this transfer window.

Rovella, who has won two caps for Italy, is currently in the middle of a two-year loan deal at Lazio from fellow Italian side Juventus. The midfielder joined the Old Lady in January 2021 from Genoa, but he has only featured three times for the club as he’s had a loan spell at Monza as well as Lazio.

This report states that City are now interested in signing Rovella after scouring the transfer market for a new defensive midfielder after they suffered a blow earlier in the campaign with Rodri picking up a season-ending injury.

Apps

16

Starts

15

Minutes per game

84

Assists

1

Big chances created

3

Key passes

0.9

Passing accuracy per game

57.3 (92%)

Interceptions per 90

1.6

Tackles per 90

3.0

Balls recovered per 90

4.9

The 23-year-old has emerged on City’s radar, and the Blues are now willing to pay 40 million euros, which is roughly £33 million, to bring the midfielder to the Etihad this month. It is unclear how this transfer would work due to Rovella being on loan at Lazio, but if City make an offer Juventus can’t refuse, his loan will likely come to an end, and he will join the Premier League side.

Manchester City have been largely disappointing in the 2024/25, with any hopes of retaining the Premier League title for yet another season near enough over after 21 matches.

Pep Guardiola’s side currently occupy sixth place, already 12 points behind current leaders Liverpool, with Arne Slot’s men also having a game in hand over the Citizens.

Their terrible form between October and December has given the side a huge task to resurrect their title ambitions, winning just once in 13 matches across all competitions.

Such a drop has seen the hierarchy back the boss in the transfer window, with numerous deals edging closer to completion – including that of Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, with Fabrizio Romano giving the here we go for his move to England.

After the signing of the Uzbekistan international, the hierarchy looks set to target another player who could feature alongside the youngster after the closure of the window in a few weeks time.

Man City make contact to land PL star this month

According to I News, Man City have initiated talks with Milos Kerkez’s agents after his impressive start to the campaign.

However, they aren’t alone in their pursuit of the Bournemouth star, with Liverpool and Manchester United also in the race for his signature.

Despite the interest from City, the report claims that table toppers Liverpool currently lead the running for his services, with Kerkez wanting a move to Anfield.

The interest is no surprise given his form at the Vitality, featuring in every Premier League match of 2024/25, registering one goal and three assists in the process.

The Cherries aren’t said to be planning to offload the 21-year-old, but could entertain offers in the region of £50m for the defender before the end of the window.

He would undoubtedly improve the options at Guardiola’s disposal, helping to mount a second half of the season charge back into the top four, potentially forming an excellent partnership with a fellow new arrival.

Why Kerkez would be perfect for Marmoush at Man City

Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush is said to be close to swapping Germany for England, with journalist Romano stating that personal terms have already been agreed with the Egyptian over a move to the Etihad.

However, the two sides are yet to agree a fee for the 25-year-old who’s already scored 15 times in just 17 league appearances for the Bundesliga outfit.

His goalscoring prowess would inject added quality into the forward line, helping the side create more chances, subsequently improving the ambitions of turning their fortunes around in attacking areas.

Erling Haaland is certainly going to remain as City’s number one striker, with Marmoush likely to play in and around the Norwegian, potentially featuring in a left-sided role – which could see him strike up a partnership with Kerkez should he move to the North West.

Despite being a defender, who’s been dubbed “one of the best left-back prospects” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has started at both ends of the pitch, providing the Egyptian with the ammunition to thrive in England after his big-money move.

Milos Kerkez’s stats in the Premier League (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

21

Goals & assists

4

Progressive passes

4.6

Progressive carries

2.6

Passes into the final third

2.3

Shot-creating actions

2.4

Tackles won

1.5

% of tackles won

58%

Interceptions

1.2

Stats via FBref

He’s managed to complete 4.6 progressive passes and 2.6 progressive carries per 90, showcasing his ability to take the ball into attacking areas and provide opportunities to the players in the final third.

However, he’s more than capable defensively, winning 1.5 tackles per 90, winning 58% of the battles he’s entered, helping the defensive unit in transforming their recent fortunes.

£50m may seem to be a huge fee for another player given the recent transfer rumours, but it’s one that would be worthwhile for a youngster who’s able to make an immediate impact in the first team.

Whilst, Liverpool may hold the edge in the race for his signature, it’s crucial that the hierarchy work tirelessly to secure a move for the Hungarian, allowing Marmoush to flourish with his own move to Manchester.

Related Cancelo 2.0: Man City keen on move to sign "world-class" Walker upgrade

Manchester City continue to be busy this month, interested in a new full-back to replace want-away Kyle Walker, who’s set to leave for AC Milan.

Posts ByBen Gray Jan 15, 2025

Vikramjit, O’Dowd half-centuries in vain as Netherlands fall short

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2022

File photo: Kyle Mayers made a match-winning century with eight fours and seven sixes•Getty Images

Maiden ODI hundreds from Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks along with crucial strikes from Hayden Walsh and Akeal Hosein helped West Indies complete a 3-0 whitewash of Netherlands at Amstelveen in the final ODI. This was despite a strong reply from Netherlands, who were in the chase of 309 for about 40 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd.Netherlands began slowly but Vikramjit took on Mayers in the seventh over and found boundaries more often subsequently. He was dropped on 33 by Brooks in the 10th over and helped himself to three more fours. But Mayers had the last laugh, having Vikramjit play one onto the stumps right after the drinks break, for 54.Musa Ahmed then took over the scoring to allow O’Dowd, who looked to play through, to consolidate. The first ten overs of their partnership had only three fours but they rotated the strike well to keep the run rate over five.Though Bas de Leede’s 24-ball 25 allowed O’Dowd to play himself in despite slowing down a touch, the asking rate for Netherlands had climbed over six. After Walsh got the better of Musa in the 30th over, de Leede and O’Dowd ensured that the hosts kept the asking rate under eight till the 37th over. Hosein then bowled a wicket-maiden, dismissing de Leede, which shot the required rate up from 7.92 to 8.58.Max O’Dowd anchored the innings but fell eleven short of a century•Peter Della Penna

Despite the downturn at the other end, O’Dowd took the game deep. He was unfazed by a couple of economical overs and found a boundary an over from the 41st to the 43rd, when he chopped on off Hosein.West Indies then managed to get three boundary-free overs while picking up Scott Edwards and Teja Nidamanuru. Pieter Seelaar scored back-to-back fours towards the end but with 60 needed off the last five, the demands were too high.Shermon Lewis then knocked off Seelaar and the tailenders in his and the game’s last over to earn himself a 3 for 67, after being expensive.Earlier in the day, Mayers laid the platform for West Indies with the bat, sharing a 58-run opening stand with Shai Hope, followed by a mammoth 184-run partnership with Brooks.Brooks and Mayers struck 11 sixes between them. A fair chunk (61%) of Mayers’ 120 came in boundaries. He got a reprieve when Vikramjit dropped him before he got off the mark and matched-up well against Vivian Kingma, against whom he got four of his seven sixes.Brooks balanced his innings with good strike rotation and dispatched the loose balls. Their platform, however, was not capitalised on as West Indies made only 67 in their last ten.That was thanks to Ryan Klein, who conceded 19 in the three overs he bowled in that period, picking up Mayers in the process. However, that loss of momentum was not to affect the tourists, who eventually sealed a 20-run win.

Rangers could allow one of their first-team players to leave Ibrox this January amid interest from Europe, according to a report.

Change needed at Rangers

The Gers’ dismal 2-1 defeat at St Mirren on Boxing Day underlined the need for changes in the January transfer window, with a seemingly insurmountable 12-point gap now being opened up by Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

5 players who could leave Rangers this January

The January window could see a number of Gers players near the exit door.

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 27, 2024

There could be a number of departures this winter, with striker Cyriel Dessers potentially on his way to France amid interest from Saint-Etienne, while fellow forward Hamza Igamane is attracting interest from English Premier League outfit Everton.

Rabbi Matondo may be deemed surplus to requirements by Philippe Clement, while long-serving right-back James Tavernier could also move elsewhere, having previously attracted interest from Turkish sides Besiktas and Trabzonspor.

Fixture

Date

Motherwell (a)

December 29th

Celtic (h)

January 2nd

Hibernian (a)

January 5th

Dundee (a)

January 9th

St Johnstone (h)

January 12th

However, Tavernier is not the only Gers player who could be on his way to Turkey, with journalist Ersan Serdal confirming that Trabzonspor are interested in signing Ridvan Yilmaz.

Manager Şenol Güneş is personally interested in signing Yilmaz, and there are indications that Clement could be willing to sanction his departure this January.

The Herald has provided a further update on the defender’s future, stating that Rangers would consider accepting an offer this winter should a reasonable bid be tabled.

Given that the Turkey international has fallen down the pecking order since returning from injury in November and with Jefte now more regularly being given the nod at left-back, Clement may be happy to let him go.

The Light Blues are said to be trying to reduce their wage bill in line with their recent change in recruitment strategy.

Rangers can finally send Dessers packing with move for "impressive" forward

Rangers could bolster their sqaud next month

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 27, 2024 Good move for all parties

23-year-old Yilmaz has endured a tough time with injuries since arriving at Ibrox, which has meant he’s never really been able to cement his place in the starting XI.

It is clear that he is still held in high regard by the Rangers manager, with Clement praising his resilience earlier in December, saying: “I know what kind of warrior Ridvan is, from last season.

“He was [a] long time out with an injury, he is coming back now and I knew he could play that position also because he always gives everything for the team.

“And he has quality on the ball to do the right thing and he is a smart guy.”

That said, the Turk has fallen out of favour at Ibrox, with Jefte now the preferred option, so a move back to his home country could make sense for all parties.

It would make sense for Yilmaz to attempt to reignite his career with Trabzonspor, while Rangers could use the money to strengthen other areas of the squad that are lacking in quality.

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Deyverson foi o personagem do Palmeiras no final de semana. Após fazer uma postagem emocionada se despedindo do clube, o atacante, cujo contrato acaba no final de junho e não será renovado, entrou no segundo tempo da partida deste domingo (20), fez o gol do empate em 1 a 1 com o Bragantino, fora de casa, pela última rodada da fase de classificação do Campeonato Paulista e acabou e acabou expulso na jogada seguinte após ofender o árbitroFlavio Rodrigues de Souza.

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Nos vestiários após a partida, o técnico Abel Ferreira diagnosticou ‘falta de controle emocional’ no camisa 16.

– Acontece com muita frequência dele perder o foco, a concentração. Eu entendo que a torcida é importante e a gente acaba influenciado às vezes, mas tem que manter o foco. Naquele momento era manter os pés no chão e focar em sua tarefa, ter o controle emocional necessário.

Apesar da crítica, Abel prometeu ajudar o jogador a melhorar o seu comportamento até o fim de sua trajetória como jogador do Alviverde.

– Não pode ter esse tipo de comportamento. Ele é um coração bom, muito humilde, mas tem que alterar esse comportamento dele. Ficamos dez minutos sofrendo por conta dessa atitude. Mas ele sabe que errou, pediu desculpas no vestiário. Vamos ajudá-lo até o fim da sua permanência. E ele sabe que tem de ser profissional até o fim.

No sábado (19), o atacante fez uma postagem com uma foto sua e ainda apontou que ‘falta pouco’ para sua despedida como jogador do Alviverde.

Ovacionado pela torcida desde o gol contra o Flamengo que rendeu o bi consecutivo da Copa Libertadores, ‘Deyvinho’ ainda tinha esperanças de continuar no clube.

Entretanto, o próprio técnico Abel Ferreira confirmou nesta noite que ele não ficará. O camisa 16 começou apenas uma partida como titular nesta temporada e quase sempre é preterido por Rafael Navarro, que chegou neste ano vindo do Botafogo, na hora de entrar nas partidas.

Além disso, o clube fala abertamente na necessidade de contratar um centroavante, mostrando não estar satisfeito com o futebol de Deyverson.

Contratado pelo Palmeiras em 2017, Deyverson chegou a ser emprestado ao Getafe e Alavés nesse período. Com a camisa alviverde, o centroavante soma 143 partidas e 30 gols.

– Ele não é nenhum garoto. Já teve uma primeira vez no Palmeiras, foi embora e desta vez regressou porque eu e a estrutura do futebol entendemos que poderíamos ajudá-lo. Queríamos um jogador com as características dele, que entrega tudo dentro do campo e poderia nos ajudar bastante. Além disso não havia dinheiro naquelas circunstâncias para o clube contratar outro nome.

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The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Tottenham Hotspur have been an incredibly entertaining yet inconsistent team again this year.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have put in some of the most impressive performances of the season so far, like their 3-0 win away to Manchester United and their 4-1 dismantling of Aston Villa just over a week ago.

Yet, as they did last season, the North Londoners have also found ways to lose to substantially weaker teams like Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town while also completely capitulating against Brighton & Hove Albion.

That said, for all the issues in and around Postecoglou’s team at the moment, there are plenty of positives, including the form of summer signing Dominic Solanke, although he is being outscored by a former loan flop.

Dominic Solanke's form this season

Yes, following his £65m move from Bournemouth in the summer, there was a lot of expectation and pressure placed upon Solanke’s shoulders heading into this season.

The Spurs faithful were hoping that he’d be able to replicate the sensational form he showed for the Cherries last year, which saw him score 21 goals and provide four assists.

Unfortunately, an ankle injury just one game into the league campaign meant that supporters had to wait a little while longer to see their record-signing in full flow, but as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and after a couple of underwhelming performances against Arsenal and Coventry City he was ready to show the fans what he could do.

The Basingstoke-born poacher got off the mark in the league against Brentford in mid-September, and in the next six league games, he scored another three goals and provided an assist while also scoring another goal in the Europa League last week to go with the one he scored against Qarabağ FK in September.

Overall, the former Liverpool ace has racked up a reasonably impressive haul of six goals and two assists in 15 appearances for Postecoglou’s side, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.87 games.

However, while that’s a great start, the 27-year-old is being outscored by a former Spurs flop signed on loan by José Mourinho.

Spurs' loan flop outscoring Solanke

Let’s get straight to the point: the player in question is midfielder Gedson Fernandes, who joined Mourinho’s Spurs outfit on an initial 18-month loan deal from Benfica in January 2020.

There was an element of excitement around the move, as, despite being just 21 years old at the time, he had already made 59 senior appearances for the Portuguese giants and was part of the team that won the league the season prior.

Unfortunately, Spurs fans never even got much of a chance to form their own opinion of the player, as over the following year, he played just 447 minutes of action across 14 appearances, ten of which were off the bench, before he was sent back to Lisbon with it clear that he was not going to get any real game time under the special one.

The following few years saw him spend time on loan with Galatasaray and Caykur Rizespor in Turkey before securing a permanent move to Turkish giants Besiktas in the summer of 2022, where he remains.

Last season saw him play a key role in the side, making 45 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing six assists, but he’s done even better this year.

Solanke vs Fernandes
Players	Solanke	Fernandes
Appearances	15	18
Goals	6	7
Assists	2	2
Goals + Assists per Match	0.53	0.50
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In just 18 appearances for the Kara Kartallar, the São Tomé-born dynamo has scored seven goals and provided two assists. Therefore, he is currently outscoring Solanke despite playing in central midfield.

Ultimately, Spurs were right to send him back when they did, as he clearly wasn’t of the level required to play in the Premier League, but it’s undoubtedly a happy ending to see the 25-year-old find his feet at such a big club.

Spurs struck gold with "monster" ace who's a £100m star in the making

The sensational talent could net Spurs a massive payday in the future.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 13, 2024

It’s been almost three months since Liverpool’s 2024/25 campaign began, and Arne Slot’s side perch atop the summit of both the Premier League and the Champions League, having qualified for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals too.

What a start. When Jurgen Klopp stood down from his lionised manager’s position at the end of last season, no one envisaged this. But it has happened, and with Arsenal and Manchester City both currently out of sorts, the Reds faithful will be cautiously hopeful that big things might be achieved.

It could have been different, so very different. As soon as Klopp spoke into the camera and shattered a city’s red heart, rumours started bobbing up regarding Xabi Alonso, who appeared to be the perfect successor.

He’d been working wonders with Bayer Leverkusen, but rejected Liverpool’s probes and confirmed that he would remain in Germany for the foreseeable. A prudent move from a 42-year-old coach who knows an elite managerial career lies ahead, one that may, one day, find him in the Anfield dugout – on the righthand side, at least.

Indeed, Alonso made his return to Merseyside this week and saw his team, so indomitable last year, utterly wrecked by Slot’s machine. At the core of the home side’s success was Curtis Jones, who looked to be cut from the same cloth as the legendary Spaniard at times, his passing was so slick and stylish.

Curtis Jones' "Alonso-esque" display

Jones, 23, has ebbed and flowed throughout his Liverpool career, often demonstrating great promise but also being plugged back by injuries and infrequent starting berths that come as a by-product of such setbacks.

But he has started to find his feet under Slot’s management, having waxed lyrical about the Dutch coach’s tactical philosophy during pre-season, explaining to reporters that the more control-oriented brand suits his own passing game perfectly:

It’s understandable. As per FBref, Jones ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 10% for assists, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.

Technical and driven, he’s almost tailor-made for Slot’s style of football and it’s no wonder he’s starting to look like a fundamental piece of a thriving system, showcasing his quality against Alonso’s side in midweek.

That through ball was a thing to be witnessed. So simple, yet so perfect, weighted with an artist’s flourish. The Athletic’s James Pearce had even praised the “Alonso-esque” through ball, with the opposition manager’s identity certainly not lost on the correspondent.

Minutes played

73′

Assists

1

Touches

51

Accurate passes

27/30 (90%)

Key passes

3

Possession lost

8x

Dribbles (completed)

2 (2)

Interceptions

1

Total duels (won)

5 (4)

Jones’ particular approach to the midfield craft is something that Slot is utilising well, but he’s not actually Liverpool’s own version of Alonso.

Instead, the club have a more fitting successor in Stefan Bajcetic, who is currently out on loan with RB Salzburg in Austria.

Stefan Bajcetic could be Slot's version of Xabi Alonso

In the 2022/23 season, Bajcetic made 19 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side, emerging from the youth fold to save a squad in crisis, scoring once – against Aston Villa in the Premier League – and announcing to the Reds supporters that they had a new prodigy to rally behind.

Bajcetic was signed from Celta Vigo for just £224k in December 2020 and is touted for a star role in Liverpool’s engine room. Now 19, his fast-paced development was halted last term as he battled against injuries and growth-related issues that restricted him to a mere handful of displays.

Hailed for his “special” skill set by journalist Zubin Daver, the Spaniard is making headway under Pep Lijnders in Austria even if Salzburg as a whole are flattering to deceive, with five Bundesliga starts to his name and metrics that highlight his roundedness.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, Bajcetic has averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.5 dribbles and six successful duels per top-flight game this term, winning a whopping 62% of the lattermost metric – placing him in the same ballpark as the thriving Ryan Gravenberch (64% success rate in the Premier League).

He’s making the requisite improvements, shaping into a midfield force. Alonso, elegant and all-seeing in the middle of the park, was indeed an elite long-range passer but he was also a tenacious and confident protector of his backline. However, not the most imposing of athletes, this was down to his intelligence and knowledge of his craft. Is it really surprising he’s turning into one of the finest coaches in the business?

Perhaps not. Bajcetic, too, is not a hulking, heavyset force of a titan, though a spurt across the past year has seen him stretch to a height of 6 foot 2. Even so, his range of defensive qualities comes from a cerebral understanding of football that belies his youthful years and inexperience.

The Spanish midfielder plays with an almost unflappable mindset, reflected in his playing style. He’s not got the same surgical distribution that was innately formed in Alonso’s itinerary, but that’s not to say Bajcetic isn’t capable of splitting defences with well-worked balls.

Bajcetic will continue to hone his craft over in Salzburg, but keep an eye on him, for he might just return to Merseyside with a hunger for stardom under Slot’s wing, and he might just challenge the likes of Jones for a starring spot in a competitive outfit.

Left for £0: Liverpool must rue losing PL sensation who's now worth £100m

Liverpool allowed the talent to depart Anfield as a youngster.

2 ByEthan Lamb Nov 7, 2024

West Bromwich Albion go into this set of Championship mid-week fixtures desperate for a win, with the Baggies experiencing a sticky patch of form of late in the second tier.

Carlos Corberan’s men went the entirety of October without picking up an elusive three points, but the very start of November did see West Brom race into a 1-0 lead away from home at Luton Town, only for Tahith Chong to fire home an equaliser to secure a share of the points for the Hatters.

Therefore, the Spaniard in the Hawthorns hot seat must be contemplating some changes for his side’s clash with Burnley tonight, which could include dropping Jed Wallace for some new blood to shine against Scott Parker’s equally up-and-down Clarets.

Wallace's form this season

Wallace has learnt the hard way that he’s no longer a guaranteed name on his manager’s teamsheet, with only two starts coming his way this campaign in the Championship to date, after starting 35 clashes in total last season.

His poor displays when he has started haven’t helped his cause either, with the experienced 30-year-old way off the pace against Luton last time out.

The former Millwall midfielder would only amass a lacklustre 22 touches of the ball at Kenilworth Road, with the bite and energy that’s usually apparent in the versatile West Brom number seven’s game also missing, with just one paltry duel won from nine attempted.

Also failing to complete a single dribble, alongside failing to test Thomas Kaminski with a single effort on goal, it wasn’t a huge surprise when Corberan hooked off Wallace just after the hour mark to put him out of his misery.

Unfortunately, the 30-year-old’s best days in a Baggies strip could now be behind him, with free-kick strikes like this one managed against Rotherham United just last season a distant memory, compared to his dire performances in the here and now.

Corberan could well be forced into playing a different attacking midfielder behind Josh Maja for the test of Burnley tonight, therefore, with John Swift an adequate replacement for the underperforming Wallace.

Why Swift should replace Wallace

Funnily enough, Swift was purchased in the exact same transfer window Wallace also entered the building, with the ex-Reading man still showing glimpses of his quality in a Baggies kit now three seasons deep into his stay at the Hawthorns.

Although he also has zero goals and assists next to his name like his former Millwall counterpart in league action, Swift was desperately unlucky versus Cardiff City the match before the away trip to Luton to not pick up a goal contribution.

Swift’s numbers vs Cardiff

Stat

Swift

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Expected goals (xG)

0.15

Expected assists (xA)

0.51

Touches

116

Accurate passes

90/94 (96%)

Key passes

4

Big chances created

1

Shots

3

Stats by Sofascore

Coming away from the game with four key passes under his belt, after amassing a ridiculous 116 touches as a key creative spark for his side, it’s safe to say the 29-year-old was desperately unlucky not to come away from the 0-0 affair with anything of note.

Instead, he was surprisingly dropped for Wallace, which is a decision his manager must now regret, having seen what the out-of-sorts midfielder offered in place of the “talented” ace, with that label given to him when he still was at Reading by ex-Royals manager Veljko Paunovic.

Also capable of scoring sublime strikes like this one for his side, having tallied up 16 goals from his 102 appearances to date in the West Midlands, Swift’s re-entry into the starting XI could see West Brom play more on the front foot against Burnley.

With the Clarets also wobbling in terms of form, with no wins in their last three, Corberan could sense this is a good opportunity for his team to get back on the horse, as Swift potentially returns to his XI.

Related Ismael let "exciting" West Brom ace leave, now he's a future England star

West Bromwich Albion could really go on to regret selling this youngster.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 5, 2024

Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon missed his side’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, but will he be fit for the midweek EFL Cup clash with the Blues?

Newcastle preparing for another Chelsea clash

Eddie Howe’s team were beaten at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, with their in-form opponents always feeling like they would just have too much for them. Newcastle certainly didn’t disgrace themselves against Chelsea, equalising through Alexander Isak in the first half and threatening to make it 2-2 late on in the game, but they ultimately didn’t quite have enough quality to leave west London with a point to show for their efforts.

No sooner have the Magpies played the Blues than they meet again in midweek, with Howe’s men hosting Enzo Maresca’s side in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening. Newcastle’s long wait for a trophy has been well-documented and victory at St James’ Park would put them into the quarter-finals.

The Premier League side have been having to get by without a number of key players recently, from Kieran Trippier to Gordon, and there has now been an update on the fitness of the latter, who has become such an influential performer out on the left wing.

Howe gives Gordon injury update for Newcastle

Speaking after the Chelsea game in the league, Howe confirmed that Newcastle star Gordon will undergo a scan on Monday, in order to find out the severity of his groin issue: “He felt his groin [on Saturday] in training. We hope it’s not serious but he’ll go for a scan probably tomorrow.”

This has to be considered a worry for the Magpies, with a scan potentially revealing damage to the England international, therefore ruling him out of action for some time. Even if nothing serious is found, it would still be a surprise if Gordon was back in the fold for the Chelsea cup game, but hopefully being available for Saturday’s visit of Arsenal in the league instead.

The 23-year-old’s influence was highlighted at Stamford Bridge, with Newcastle not carrying enough attacking threat without him, as both Harvey Barnes and Miguel Almiron struggled to have a positive impact and link with Isak.

Gordon is clearly admired and cherished by his Magpies teammates, too, with Bruno Guimaraes saying of him earlier this year: “He has been unbelievable, always scoring and giving some assists. He is a lovely guy as well, I am very happy for him and hope he can get some minutes for England. For me to play against him will be massive for both of us and the club as well.”

5/10 Newcastle star was just as bad as Dan Burn vs Chelsea

Newcastle United were beaten by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 27, 2024

Gordon is going to be such an important figure for Newcastle for years to come, having only recently signed a new long-term deal, and his return could coincide with the Magpies’ season turning around for the better, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran added 87 for the third wicket before Rashid Khan bagged 4 for 9

Hemant Brar25-Oct-20213:03

Peter Borren: The bowling proved ‘far too much for Scotland’

Chasing down 191 was never going to be easy for Scotland but no one would have expected them to collapse in the manner they did. Mujeeb Ur Rahman rocked their chase with a three-wicket over, and went on to complete his maiden five-for in T20Is, finishing with figures of 4-0-20-5.The lower order then stood no chance against Rashid Khan, who picked up 4 for 9 in 2.2 overs as Scotland were bundled out for 60 in 10.2 overs. The margin of victory, 130 runs, was the biggest for Afghanistan in this format.Watch the Men’s T20 World Cup on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the US. Match highlights of Afghanistan vs Scotland is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Earlier, after Mohammad Nabi had opted to bat, Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad provided Afghanistan with a blazing start, with the fifty coming up in just 5.1 overs. Najibullah Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz then added 87 in 8.4 overs for the third wicket to lift the side to a total that proved well out of Scotland’s reach.A power-packed powerplay
Coming into this match, Shahzad had scored 309 runs in six T20Is against Scotland at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of 148.55. In four of those games, he was the Player of the Match.Shahzad was playing his first game for Afghanistan since June 2019, but it didn’t seem to matter as he started in his typical aggressive manner: smashing the first ball he faced, from offspinner Michael Leask, over long-off for a six.Two balls later, Zazai targeted the deep-midwicket region for his first six. That was the shorter side of the ground as well. But soon the dimensions stopped mattering. In the fifth over, Zazai took on the longer boundary and smashed Brad Wheal for a 101-metre six.Shahzad fell to Safyaan Sharif for a 15-ball 22 on the penultimate ball of the next over, but the onslaught from the openers meant Afghanistan ended the powerplay on 55 for 1, the joint-most by a team in this World Cup.Watt applies brakes before Zadran, Gurbaz re-accelerate
After the powerplay, Zazai hit only one boundary – a six off Chris Greaves – before Mark Watt bowled him with a 107kph yorker.Gurbaz, meanwhile, took seven balls to open his account. At one point, he was on 15 off 20 balls and it started looking like Scotland could pull things back.Mujeeb Ur Rahman registered his best figures in T20Is•ICC via Getty

That wasn’t to be the case though as Zadran kept founding boundaries at regular intervals. The hundred came up for Afghanistan in the 13th over. Soon Gurbaz too found his touch. After moving to 23 off 27, he helicoptered Josh Davey over deep-midwicket before launching Wheal for two more sixes in the 17th over.Watt, who had conceded only ten from his first three overs, bore the brunt too, with Zadran hitting him for a four and a six in a 13-run over. Gurbaz fell for 46 but Zadran didn’t miss out on the half-century, bringing up the milestone off 30 balls and helping his side to a daunting total.Mujeeb rocks Scotland’s chase
George Munsey started Scotland’s chase with a reverse-swept four followed by a reverse-swept six off Nabi in the first over. He tried the same shot against Mujeeb in the next over, but the bowler’s pace didn’t allow him to connect his attempts.Kyle Coetzer hit two fours off Naveen-ul-Haq to take the side to 27 for no loss after three overs. That was the last time anything went Scotland’s way as Mujeeb picked up three wickets – all off googlies – in one over.Coetzer was the first to go, bowled through the gate. Calum MacLeod lasted just one ball and was lbw. Richie Berrington survived the hat-trick ball but lasted only two more deliveries as Mujeeb snared him lbw on the last ball of the over.Mujeeb completes five-for, Rashid cleans up the tail
From the other end, Naveen had Matthew Cross caught behind, Shahzad diving full-stretch to his right to take the catch.Mujeeb then rattled Munsey’s stumps from around the wicket to leave Scotland 36 for 5, with Rashid still to come into the attack.Rashid struck with his third ball, this time Leask failing to read the googly and being lbw. In the next over, Mujeeb completed his five-for by bowling Watt with a carrom ball before Rashid polished off the tail.