Hardly famed for his pace, the legitimacy of Luiz’s victory was soon questioned, however, and despite claims that VAR had indeed checked the decision and given it the green light, which means very little nowadays, his success was rapidly unravelled…
Luiz, forever the joker, will travel with Arsenal to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane tonight. Maybe we’ll see some of his new-found speed in action?
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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
Having enjoyed a meteoric rise since breaking into the Newcastle first-team last season, Sean Longstaff has had a whirlwind 2019. The midfielder made nine Premier League appearances in the previous campaign, and his form and performances attracted reported interest from Manchester United.
A move to Old Trafford however failed to materialise, and the 21-year-old has since admitted the rumours linking him to United “flattered” him. Just like the rest of his Magpies teammates, Longstaff has had to deal with a change in manager, and his start to the current season has also been hampered by an injury.
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After making a full recovery for the game against Leicester on Sunday afternoon, Newcastle would have undoubtedly hoped for him to get back to his best. Unfortunately for them, the hometown boy struggled hugely against Brendan Rodgers’ men.
The Magpies did themselves no favours with Isaac Hayden’s first-half sending off. But even with ten men, they struggled more than they should have. And that was in part down to Longstaff’s inability to stem the tide against Leicester’s aggressive midfield.
The likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet ran the show for the Foxes in the middle of the park, but really made Newcastle ineffective with their work off the ball.
Between the three of them, they won 20 duels in total and completed 14 tackles. Longstaff on the other hand appeared to be the gift that kept on giving, surrendering possession an eye-watering 22 times over the course of the game – the most of any Magpies player on the pitch.
The mitigating argument will be the central midfielder was rushed back into action by Steve Bruce. But how does that affect one’s ability to simply pass the ball to a teammate? Just 68% of his passes found their intended target, whilst only one of his seven attempted long balls were accurate.
All in all, it was a day to forget for the 5 foot 11 man linked with a big-money to United. On this evidence, he certainly didn’t prove Newcastle right to have demanded £50m for him in the summer.
While the whole world focuses on the decline of Manchester United and Tottenham, Everton’s very own poor run of form has gone relatively under the radar – unless you’re one of the unfortunate few that has the utter displeasure of watching Marco Silva’s side play on a weekly basis, of course.Since beating Wolves at the beginning of September, the Toffees have lost against Bournemouth, Sheffield United, Manchester City and Burnley and currently find themselves sat in the relegation zone. Bear in mind, this is a club that have spent over half a billion in the market in the past four years alone (according to Transfermarkt) but haven’t managed to finish above fifth place since 2004/05.Should Silva be doing better with the players he has at his disposal? Quite simply, yes – Everton don’t belong in 18th place.With the international break upon us, the Everton board have plenty of time to ponder on what they should do with their hapless coach, and we imagine if they don’t get a result against West Ham United, which isn’t exactly the easiest place to go, and lift themselves out of the relegation zone, then it could be curtains for the Portuguese.But who will replace him? Ray Parlour and Alan Brazil gave their thoughts on the matter…
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Having enjoyed a fine debut campaign in the top-flight with Leicester last year, James Maddison’s stock has understandably gone through the roof in the last 12 months.
The 22-year-old has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, registering seven goals and seven assists in the top-flight last season.
Now, The Manchester Evening News claim Manchester United are continuing to monitor the midfielder over a potential move. The report mentions the Red Devils’ original interest had emerged in June, but that a move this summer was not deemed “foreseeable”.
It further claims Maddison fits the “ideal profile of target” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking for, and that he is preferred over Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen.
After hearing the latest update on their possible swoop for the 22-year-old, United fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter.
Many supporters of the Manchester side revealed they are simply being set up for “disappointment”, and couldn’t envisage him actually joining the club.
Some Red Devils fans questioned why they hadn’t pursued a move for Maddison in the summer transfer window, and mocked the idea they are “monitoring” yet another player.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:
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Arsenal fans aren’t sure of Unai Emery’s reason for leaving playmaker Mesut Ozil back in London ahead of the club’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Spanish manager has said that he left Ozil back in London so that he can rest ahead of Arsenal’s game at home to Aston Villa on Sunday (via Goal).
The former Germany international has played just one game this season, the 2-2 draw away to Watford last Sunday (via Transfermarkt).
Ozil has had a rollercoaster few months in north London, first being attacked by an armed gang before the start of the Premier League season, delaying his campaign (via BBC). The midfielder then suffered an illness, further delaying his integration back into Emery’s side.
The game would’ve been the German’s first game back in his homeland since he famously retired from international duty citing racism as one of the reasons (via The Guardian).
Despite Emery’s reasoning behind Ozil’s absence, fans took to Twitter to doubt their manager.
Here is a selection of tweets from Gooners:
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Everton are stuck in a bit of a rut right now, with boss Marco Silva overseeing a dismal run of form that has yielded just three wins from their last 12 fixtures in all competitions – something must be done to amend the situation, and some key players at the club need to step up.
What’s the word, then?
In the Merseysiders’ last outing, an FA Cup fourth round defeat against Millwall on Saturday, there were certainly a lot of negatives to take from yet another disappointing defeat, and one that signalled the end of any silverware hopes for the Toffees.
However, one feature from the game at The Den showed that there are a couple of players who could be key to an immediate response against bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin may be out for the season but it’s given him a chance to show off his new accesory. Check out the video below to see for yourself…
Ademola Lookman’s performance against the Lions on the right of midfield, ahead of Seamus Coleman at right-back, provided a slight glimmer of hope from an otherwise abject showing in south London, but Silva should definitely focus on the pair’s link up and see how he can utilise that against the Terriers.
Why should they start against Huddersfield?
Lookman and Coleman both made one key pass against Millwall, as per WhoScored, and their partnership down the right was arguably the only positive for Silva on the day.
Many Everton fans have criticised Coleman at right-back this season, and feel that he is perhaps past his best with young Jonjoe Kenny taking his place at times throughout the current campaign.
In Lookman’s case, the 21-year-old has made just three Premier League starts this season, according to WhoScored, as he has struggled to dislodge the underperforming Theo Walcott from the right of midfield, but he is now getting a chance and grabbing it with both hands.
His dribbling skills and ability to attract a number of defenders make him an attractive option to play ahead of the Irish defender, who frequently overlaps down the right flank – by playing the pair together, there will be some excellent opportunities to get in behind a sturdy Huddersfield backline, who may see Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson as Everton’s main two danger men.
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Liverpool have announced that their fixture against West Ham in December has been postponed due to involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, and that has generated excitement amongst the fanbase.
The Reds’ trip to the London Stadium was intended to take place on December 21 and will now be rescheduled for a new date, likely in 2020 due to the festive period.
The Club World Cup takes place between 11-21 of December, and many fans have eyed it as yet another opportunity to add to the two trophies already won this year – the Champions League and Super Cup.
The Anfield outfit haev only competed in the competition on one occasion – in 2005 – but lost out to Sao Paulo in the final, which ended 1-0 in favour of the Brazilian side.
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This time around, fans are expecting a more comfortable time, and from the reactions below it would seem many would be very disappointed if the players didn’t bring back silverware with them.
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Leeds United reportedly have the funds available to sign Cagliari and Uruguay midfielder Nahitan Nandez in the January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Constant Leeds links
Few players, if any, have been linked with the Whites more intensely than Nandez, with the 26-year-old endlessly tipped to move to Elland Road in recent months.
The 49-cap Uruguay international has been a key figure for Cagliari since joining from Boca Juniors in 2019, making 88 appearances to date for the Sardinian club.
A January exit looks possible for Nandez, though, and Leeds have again been boosted in their efforts to sign him.
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The Latest: Fresh update emerges
According to Cagliari News 24 [via Sport Witness], the Whites have the ‘necessary liquidity’ to get a deal over the line, even though they are yet to submit an offer for him.
Torino don’t want to pay the €25m (£20.8m) that Cagliari want for Nandez’s services, acting as a further positive for Leeds.
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The Verdict: Perfect January signing
With Kalvin Phillips out injured until at least March, it is essential that the Whites bring in at least one midfielder this month in order to fill the void left by arguably their most important player, as well as bolstering an area of the squad where they are rather light.
Of all the midfielders to have been linked with Leeds, Nandez arguably looks the most tailor-made to come in and be a hugely successful signing, with plenty of high-level experience down the years but also the prime period of his career possibly ahead of him still at the age of 26.
Nandez has chipped in with two assists and averaged 1.5 dribbles per game in Serie A this season, showing he possesses creativity, not to mention winning 2.4 aerial duels and two tackles per match.
The Uruguayan is also renowned for his tremendous work rate, a quality which will surely endear him to the infamously demanding Marcelo Bielsa, so that is why he could be perfect for Leeds.
In other news, one Leeds player has been linked with a move to a big-name club. Find out who it is here.
Wolves winger Adama Traore is likely to seal an exit from Molineux in the January transfer window, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.
The Lowdown: Traore set to join Spurs
The 25-year-old’s Wanderers career looks set to have reached its conclusion, with various reports in recent days claiming that a move to Spurs is on the cards.
Antonio Conte sees Traore as a strong option to bring in and add quality to his squad, while Bruno Lage seems relatively content to allow the winger to leave.
The January window is not too far away from closing, though, so both clubs will need to act fast.
The Latest: Spiers expects move to happen
Taking to Twitter on Monday, Spiers was in little doubt that a move would still happen, delivering a telling six-word verdict.
When asked by a Wolves fan for an update on Traore’s future, the journalist replied: “Still talking, still likely to go.”
The Verdict: Get it sorted
In the interest of Wolves, Spurs and Traore himself, it is important that the deal is sorted as soon as possible now, with deadline day approaching next Monday.
Wanderers will need a little time to potentially sign a replacement for the Spaniard, or else Lage could risk having a lack of attacking options between now and the end of the season.
Granted, Pedro Neto will be back soon after a long-term injury absence but he can’t be expected to hit the ground running immediately after being sidelined for so long, so the Old Gold may need to strengthen their wide attacking ranks in the next six days while they still can.
In other news, Wolves have suffered a potential blow in their quest to sign one player. Find out who it is here.
Everton are prioritising the signing of a new centre-back in the January transfer window next month, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
The Lowdown: Centre-back issues
The Blues are in a hugely disappointing run of form and it hasn’t been helped by a number of injuries in the centre of defence.
Yerry Mina is the most high-profile current absentee in that area of the pitch, but while Michael Keane has made 17 Premier League starts this season, Mason Holgate (five) is next up in terms of starts, with Ben Godfrey (14) often playing at full-back.
It highlights the need for a new centre-back to come in next month, and it appears as though that could happen.
The Latest: Journalist makes transfer claim
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke claimed that Rafael Benitez is eyeing up a central defender in January to help revive Everton’s fortunes.
He outlined: “I know Everton and Newcastle are both in the market for centre-halves in January. That’s the key position that they want to fill in the January transfer window.”
The Verdict: Makes perfect sense
While the thought of relegation for Everton still seems unfathomable, they must make sure their current situation doesn’t get a whole lot worse.
They look weak at centre-back, conceding 29 goals in 17 league games in 2021/22, so the need for reinforcements is plain to see.
Bringing in an experienced head who can fill in alongside Keane, or in a back three, could help to plug the leak at the back and steer Everton away from the drop zone.
In other news, some Everton fans fuming after a revelation emerged. Read more here.