All posts by z3u9t.icu

If anyone ever doubted the commitment or desire of Rafa Benitez’s group of players, then it was definitely put to bed on Tuesday evening after Newcastle United recorded a famous win over Manchester City.

Having not beaten the Citizens in any of the previous 22 encounters between the two teams, not many would’ve given the Magpies their backing to change that record.

And when Sergio Aguero found the back of the net after only 26 seconds, St. James’ Park started to fear for the worst.

But, the manner in which Benitez got his team together, with the on-field performances of some of the club’s senior players, Newcastle United proved to the rest of the Premier League just exactly what they are able to achieve as a group.

Goals by Salomon Rondon and Matt Ritchie saw the North East club take a surprising lead against Pep Guardiola’s men who couldn’t afford to drop points in their title challenge with Liverpool.

And it is not often that an underpressure Guardiola loses in that manner to a club who are fighting to avoid relegation.

The victory, however, was a symbol of what Newcastle United believe they can achieve and with the right backing of their owner Mike Ashley, these are the type of results the fans are desperate to see on a more consistent basis.

It was also fitting that the win over City came on the day where it was all but confirmed that the club would break its transfer record for MLS star Miguel Almiron.

The win should also provide Benitez and his squad with the belief and discipline to see out the rest of the season and remain in the Premier League for next season.

Ashley, on the other hand, should see the victory over City as what can be achieved if he provides the manager with the players he need in order for Newcastle to grow as a club.

But in general, the victory showed to everyone the fighting spirit that is within the team and why this club should competing in the Premier League.

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has been hit with a worrying injury blow to Ibrox midfielder Aaron Ramsey…

What’s the latest?

Rob Page has revealed that the Gers ace sustained a knock whilst playing for his country last week.

Speaking about the midfielder and his team-mate Gareth Bale, the 47-year-old told Sky Sports, via STV: “They both struggled towards the end of the game. You could see both of them were holding their groins and hamstrings.

“They both had a tough 95 minutes. But we’ll have another night and we’ll make that decision in the morning whether we involve them in the 23. They’re not going to start.”

Livid

This update will surely leave the Ibrox faithful livid, as the Juventus loanee appears to have suffered a big injury setback at the worst possible time.

Ramsey has struggled for fitness since arriving in Glasgow in January and finally made his full Premiership debut for the club prior to the international break. He started the 2-1 win over Dundee away from home and scored his first goal for the Scottish giants as he converted from close range after Kemar Roofe’s effort was saved.

The ex-Arsenal man followed that up with an impressive showing for his country against Austria. As per SofaScore, he won four of his six duels and created two chances in the middle of the park as he registered a rating of 7.3 in the World Cup play-off encounter.

These two performances suggest that he was finally starting to find his feet after a difficult time with injuries. However, that appears to have ended swiftly as he has been hit with another body blow, and it remains to be seen how long he will be sidelined with this latest knock.

Therefore, supporters will be livid as he may not be able to build on the foundations he has built for himself in the last two games for club and country. They will be frustrated by his fitness issues and potentially question Ross Wilson for sanctioning a deal for him in January when they might have been able to bring in a player with a better injury record.

Hopefully this turns out to be a minor issue for the Welshman and he will be available for selection when it comes to the Old Firm derby on Sunday. Rangers face a huge clash with Celtic in the Premiership this weekend, and losing Ramsey would be a bitter blow for Van Bronckhorst’s side.

AND in other news, Rangers played a masterclass over Ibrox “dafty” whose value plummeted 50% in 1 year…

Coming off the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City last weekend, Southampton have a big task of taking on Liverpool at Anfield this weekend for their latest Premier League fixture.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Ralph Hasenhuttl could select for his starting XI to take on the Reds, one player who featured in the defeat at Carrow Road but should not be in the team on this occasion is Kyle Walker-Peters.

With 90 minutes under his belt against Norwich in the left-back position, the 24-year-old failed to make the most out of this latest opportunity to impress Hasenhuttl and show that he is capable of playing there regularly, with Valentino Livramento having snatched the right-back role off him this season.

In the defeat to the Canaries, Walker-Peters lost possession 17 times, won just 50% of his duels and committed four fouls, one of which led to him being given a yellow card. He ultimately earned a rather underwhelming overall match rating of 6.7/10 from SofaScore, making him one of Southampton’s lowest-rated starting outfield players on the day.

With this in mind, and the daunting prospect of facing Mohamed Salah, who has 17 goals in as many games under his belt so far this season, perhaps it would be best if the Austrian took Walker-Peters out of the team on this occasion, or else Liverpool’s attacking players could tear him apart.

In terms of who Hasenhuttl could pick at left-back instead of Walker-Peters, who has been described as “honest” by fellow Saints star Theo Walcott, this could be a good opportunity for Romain Perraud to come back into the team after spending the three previous league games on the substitutes’ bench.

Given how Perraud is a natural left-back, he could be more suited to taking on Salah this weekend than Walker-Peters, especially since the Frenchman has a higher tackles per game (1.8) and clearances per game average (1.5) than the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt.

Whoever Hasenhuttl decides to play at left-back against Liverpool, they will need to be at the top of their game to keep Salah quiet given his blistering form this season.

In other news: Ralph can unearth Southampton’s new Van Dijk in £9m-rated tank, he’s a “big talent”

West Brom picked up another win in the Championship this afternoon with a convincing 3-0 victory over Peterborough United at The Hawthorns, having lost 1-0 to Queens Park Rangers in their previous league fixture.

Valerien Ismael’s side had to bide their time before finding the net through defender Cedric Kipre in the 78th minute. Further goals from Karlan Grant and Grady Diangana secured the three points for the Baggies as they aim to move up the table and win automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

One man who played a big part in the win despite only featuring for 16 minutes is Callum Robinson, who set up both of West Brom’s final two goals after replacing Matt Clarke in the 74th minute, showing what a good tactical move it was from Ismael to unleash him from the substitutes’ bench.

As well as providing the two assists, Robinson – who is currently earning £18k-per-week according to Salary Sport – also had two shots, completed seven passes and won both duels that he contested. This short but impactful performance ultimately earned the 26-year-old an impressive overall match rating of 8.3/10, making him the joint-highest rated West Brom player on the day alongside Kipre according to SofaScore.

Birmingham Live also picked up on the Irishman’s late efforts for the team by saying that he had an “important contribution” which ultimately led to the win.

Moving forward, it’ll be intriguing to see whether or not this late performance and the attacking impact that the 26-year-old had will convince Ismael to pick him in the starting XI for their next Championship game against Preston North End in midweek.

Given how Daryl Dike was forced off the pitch through injury after making his full debut for the club since joining from Orlando City earlier this month, this could lead to Robinson getting the chance to shine from the start in midweek. He certainly deserves it after stealing the show today with his hugely impressive 16-minute cameo against Posh.

In other news: Sky Sports pundit drops worrying WBA January claim, it would be a “huge blow” for Ismael

This January transfer window will be a pivotal one for Leeds United and their top-flight status.

It may also be a crucial one for Marcelo Bielsa who is under pressure to keep his job following a torrid season so far.

What’s the word?

Leeds headed into Christmas in 16th place and although they still have a cushion to the foot of the table, it might not be too long before they get dragged into a relegation battle.

Thus, the Whites must go against their winter traditions of rarely signing anyone by strengthening significantly next month.

One player who is a potential target for Victor Orta is Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Football FanCast exclusively revealed earlier this year that Leeds’ recruitment director had already spoken to him about a move and now the Express suggest that their chase of the attacker could be reunited in 2022.

He is currently valued at £16.2m via Transfermarkt.

Forget James

Last summer, Leeds finally managed to bring Dan James to Elland Road as he departed Manchester United for pastures new.

The zippy Welsh forward was in the building and was set to sign for the Elland Road outfit back in 2019 but a move fell through at the 11th hour despite documents being signed and James posing with a Leeds shirt.

Yet, two years on, they finally got their man a few months ago.

Sadly, his performances since moving to Yorkshire haven’t really been up to scratch. The Wales international has featured 16 times for Bielsa’s side but has only registered a solitary goal and two assists.

That form has led to considerable criticism, particularly from Darren Bent. He told Football Insider:

“The only thing about Dan James at times, for me, he’s a little bit headless.

“He’s shown great potential, when he first went to United he played really well, scored a few goals but at times he for me he’s fouled or he shoots sometimes when he should pass it, he’ll pass when he should shoot.”

Though, with Leeds’ mass injury problems, it’s been hard to ignore him in the starting XI.

That said, by signing Kvaratskhelia this winter, Bielsa could finally be granted the license to axe James from the starting XI.

The 20-year-old currently plays his football in Russia for Rubin Kazan and has proven to be a particularly tricky customer.

Although he’s only bagged one goal, he’s registered three assists and registered a whopping 2.7 dribbles per match. For context, that’s more than any player at Thorp Arch, including Raphinha who has managed 2.4 per game.

Described as a player with “crazy technique” by Russian coach Denis Bushuev, he has also been compared to two of the trickiest wingers we’ve seen in football.

“He is from the same constellation of players as Ribery or Robben,” Bushuev admitted.

Consequently, it would appear as if Kvaratskhelia would be an eye-catching signing for Leeds this winter. Not only would he add greater quality to the squad but it would give James a chance to rest on the sidelines and reapply himself.

AND in other news, Orta masterclass: Leeds struck dream deal with £36m-rated “magician” who’s “a storm”…

West Ham United complete their Europa League group stage campaign as David Moyes’ side welcome Dinamo Zagreb to the London Stadium this evening.

The Irons, who sit top of the standings, have already advanced into the knockout stages of the competition but do have an unbeaten record to maintain, having amassed 13 points from their opening five games.

Moyes has hinted at rotation, though that should be expected as it’s something he’s done in pretty much every midweek outing this season. He is also having to deal with somewhat of a defensive injury crisis.

However, it is in the attack where he should look to make a bold and brutal call, nonetheless, it’s one that would benefit the team going forward.

Michail Antonio’s recent form is a massive cause for concern as the 31-year-old, who is Moyes’ only senior striker, has found the net just once across his last nine appearances in all competitions.

At times, the £10.8m-rated frontman has looked jaded and out of sorts – that’s largely due to the sheer volume of minutes played, particularly in comparison to this stage last season, as well as his appearances for Jamaica across the Atlantic. It all adds up and the Hammers are now paying for it.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/west-ham-news-transfer-updates-rumours-gossip-david-moyes-gsb-premier-league” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Antonio racked up only 530 minutes worth of action before Christmas last year. That number has nearly tripled to 1,462 minutes this term.

It’s no secret that the Scot needs reinforcements up top this January but until then, they’ll have to make do.

Some of the club’s young talents, such as Sonny Perkins, have been called up to first-team training in preparation for tonight’s encounter, so there could be a simple switch to be made, whilst Andriy Yarmolenko could be recalled and Jarrod Bowen is capable of leading the line, too.

In Antonio’s first seven league games, he found the net five times and managed at least four shots in all but two fixtures. Since then, he’s bagged once and hasn’t surpassed a total of two shots in any match, per WhoScored. A worrying trend and only emphasises his struggles.

The leading £70k-per-week talisman, who was dubbed a “complete monster” and an “absolute revelation” by Daily Star journalist Paul Brown to GIVEMESPORT earlier this season, could really do with some time on the sideline in a bid to get his fitness and form back.

It’s time for Moyes to be ruthless in axing his star man tonight.

AND in other news, Moyes must unleash West Ham’s 6-foot “monster” tonight after suffering another “massive blow”…

Many Everton fans have been left raging as some transfer news emerged on Nicolas Pepe.

As per Jeunes Footeux, the Goodison Park faithful, as well as both Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, are now interested in signing the Arsenal winger in the January transfer window, who are ready to cut their losses.

The deal with the Gunners would be a loan with an option to buy in the summer, which is one that they would likely accept.

For a player that cost a club record transfer fee of £72m, Pepe has flattered to deceive so far in a red and white shirt, with no goals and just one assist in seven games in the Premier League this season, and a total of 43 goal contributions in 98 matches over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

With the arrivals of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend in the summer, one should question whether the Merseyside club should be looking to bring Pepe in as well, when any money that they have available should perhaps be spent on strengthening other areas of the squad, such as right-back.

Everton fans on Pepe transfer news

These Toffees supporters raged as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one claiming that he is ‘another Iwobi’, who arrived from Arsenal and has not scored for the Blues yet this season, and one EFC supporter even went as far as to call it ‘dreadful’:

“Dreadful”

Credit: @Feedtheyak22

“Just got rid of Bernard. We don’t want another show pony”

Credit: @BlueFozzie45

“Good god no”

Credit: @CJS24876674

“Just what we need, another inconsistent player”

Credit: @Jord_Thom00

“We need to stop bailing out clubs with their flops. He’s just another Iwobi, only a very expensive version”

Credit: @paulwithe

“Think I’d rather have Rondon and Barkley in my team tbh”

Credit: @CeeJay_EFC

In other news, find out what contract news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Barcelona are working on a deal to bring Wolves winger Adama Traore back to Camp Nou, according to a fresh transfer rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Traore linked with exit

The 25-year-old has been continually linked with a move away from Molineux in recent weeks, with a January exit mooted.

Traore has blown hot and cold so far this season, producing some typically exciting cameos but ultimately failing to either score or set up a goal in the Premier League.

A new update has now emerged regarding the Spaniard’s future with Wanderers.

The Latest: Barca eye up return

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Barcelona want to take Traore back to the club where he started out his career, especially if Ousmane Dembele moves on.

A summer transfer is rumoured rather than a move this month, which may encourage other clubs linked with signing the speedy wide man in the coming weeks.

However, the report noted that Barcelona have a good relationship with Wolves, as well as Traore’s agent Jorge Mendes, which could help to smooth the path towards a Camp Nou return. Also, the player would welcome a return to his former club and maintains a friendship with several current Barca stars.

The Verdict: Time for a fresh challenge

Traore is a hugely entertaining player to watch but he can also be frustrating, and there is a feeling that the time has come for him to enjoy a fresh challenge.

His lack of end product outweighs the positives surrounding his game and Bruno Lage could use the funds to sign someone more prolific in that area of their game.

There will always be a risk element to selling Traore, considering the potential he has, but he has shown over 151 appearances that he is far too hit-and-miss.

In other news, Tim Spiers has made a key claim regarding a Wolves player. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa have considered a move for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, according to The Athletic.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been reacting to the rumour on social media.

Steven Gerrard and Johan Lange have been extremely busy his month, bringing in three senior additions and one for the academy, with their attention now on securing a centre-back and a defensive midfielder.

However, according to Gregg Evans, Villa have also discussed attacking options. Nketiah has been considered as he is now into the final six months of his Gunners deal, whereas other forwards across Europe are also on the radar.

The 22-year-old is yet to start a Premier League fixture this season and has scored just five times in 41 appearances in the top flight.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful relayed Evans’ claim regarding Nketiah on Twitter. These Villa supporters weren’t exactly thrilled at the links, with one describing the Englishman as ‘terrible’.

“I’d rather play a bin bag up front”

Credit: @VTID123

“Awful move if true he’s not even championship level he’s awful”

Credit: @Jamie_UTV

“No thanks, he’s terrible”

Credit: @lew_clamp

“No no & no again”

Credit: @TylerHinsley1

“Now that would be pointless”

Credit: @Nathhhavfc

“Would rather Barry and Archer on the bench thanks”

Credit: @ReeceTay_29

In other news: ‘Give them what they want’ – Many Villa fans flock to transfer update on potential ‘superstar’. 

Aston Villa have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In a recent video posted on the club website, Aston Villa’s players can be seen being put through their paces at Bodymoor Heath ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, with central midfielder Morgan Sanson looking sharp after missing last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion due to an injury picked up while on holiday.

A further report by Birmingham Live also commented on the 27-year-old’s involvement in training, with John Townley writing:

“Now under the stewardship of a midfield legend and a global football icon in Gerrard, Sanson will be hoping to get fit and impress in training. He looked energetic and mobile in the latest Villa video – he’ll need to prove that he can get back up to speed in order to carry out Gerrard’s intense demands on the pitch.”

Gerrard will be buzzing

Having made a £14m move from Olympique Marseille to Aston Villa in January of this year, Sanson’s career at Villa Park has somewhat struggled to get off the ground thus far.

Indeed, since joining the club, the £14.4m-rated man has so far gone on to make just 10 first-team appearances, with 27-year-old still being yet to feature in the Premier League during the current campaign.

However, the £48k-per-week midfielder did impress during Villa’s Carabao Cup loss against Chelsea back in September, making one key pass, three tackles, one clearance, creating one big chance and winning all six of his duels – with these returns seeing the Frenchman earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.5 for his efforts.

As such, should Sanson be able to refind this form upon his return to Premier League football, he will undoubtedly provide Gerrard with a major boost in the middle of the park, one that surely leaves him buzzing. The possibility of seeing the 27-year-old back in action against Palace appears to be very real following the club’s recent video.

In other news: Gerrard can save NSWE millions by unleashing AVFC’s “excellent” 19 y/o “natural talent”