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Jose Sa, Fernando Marcal and Raul Jimenez stood out as Wolves’ three poorest performers in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal, according to statistical analysis website Sofascore.

Bruno Lage’s were looking to make it four wins in a row in the Premier League, while also aiming to bounce back from last weekend’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Norwich City.

Unfortunately, Wolves were beaten in a tight contest at Molineux, with Gabriel’s first-half strike proving to be the difference between the two sides.

According to Sofascore, it was Sa, Marcal and Jimenez who struggled the most for Wanderers in defeat, of those to have played at least 45 minutes against the Gunners, as the trio won a measly 20% of their ground duels and lost the ball 24 times.

Jose Sa – 6.6

Sa has enjoyed a superb first season at Molineux but this wasn’t his most influential evening of the campaign, as he conceded a rare goal.

The Portuguese ace only actually made one save on the night, while he failed to play a key pass with the ball at his feet, perhaps highlighting a dip in distributions levels, as he only completed four out of eight long balls, too.

He had just two clearances and zero high claims of the ball, but while there is no question it was a slightly off night for the 29 year-old, his rating feels a little harsh given how little action he was actually offered by Arsenal.

Fernando Marcal – 6.5

Marcal was another who struggled for Wolves, as he made his 12th Premier League start of the season on Thursday evening.

He lost possession a total of eight times, played no key passes and didn’t attempt a single dribble from his left wing-back position.

Marcal also completed no accurate crosses or long balls out of four attempted overall, on an ineffective night for him both defensively and going forward, as he won just 33% of his ground duels.

Raul Jimenez – 6.5

With the atmosphere buzzing on Thursday night it felt like one of those games where the Mexico star may grab it by the scruff of the neck, but he just couldn’t get going.

Jimenez played one key pass but gave the ball away twice as many times as Marcal (16), playing a part in Wolves’ struggles to string attacks together, and he also won one just one out of seven ground duels.

Four out of nine aerial duel wins was a disappointing return for Jimenez, too, as he allowed Arsenal’s defenders to get the better of him physically for most of the 90 minutes.

In other news, Wolves have been handed a transfer boost regarding one target. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool are expected to add to their squad depth in the attacking areas of the pitch this summer, even after signing Luis Diaz in January for £37.5m from Porto.

With Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all currently set to be out of contract at the end of next season, it seems likely that Jurgen Klopp will be on the lookout for potential replacements, with Ismaila Sarr being the latest name linked with the Anfield club.

What’s the news?

The 24-year-oldhas become hot property once again after his agent Thierno Seydi told Afrique Sports: “It’s clear there are chances he leaves this year from Watford.”

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Liverpool have since reignited their pursuit of the Watford winger, after Goal reported earlier in the season that the Merseyside club didn’t follow up on their interest last summer.

The report added that the Reds could face competition from Serie A giants AC Milan, who are also keen on the Senegalese attacker with a price tag of £41m.

Liverpool’s future match-winner?

The 24-year-old has scored five Premier League goals in 16 appearances this season, having struggled with injuries and missing part of the campaign due to the Africa Cup of Nations, which left the likes of Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster wishing for his return.

The English veteran said of Sarr’s ability earlier this year: “It’s scary, isn’t it, really? It’s almost like everything seems to just be off the cuff. Every single time he gets the ball, even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do, but it will end up being good either way.

“Once he can start to really drill down on what he knows he can do, yeah, the world is his oyster. Honestly, like I say, the speed and the awareness, the touch, the precision, he’s got all of it. He just now needs all of it to connect and be in control of it too.”

“It’s great to have him back, he’s a game-winner, it’s as simple as that. He’ll win us games, but it puts the opposition on the backfoot as well and I think that’s the important part.”

Having scored important goals against the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa, along with a brace in a 3-2 victory against Norwich earlier in the season, it’s understandable why Foster views the 24-year-old as a match-winner; and in a Liverpool side who create plenty of chances per game and excel with pacey attackers, Sarr could thrive.

In the 2019/20 season, he single-handedly ended the Reds’ incredible unbeaten run with the performance of his career, scoring two goals and setting up another in a shock 3-0 win over the runaway league leaders, also completing two dribbles and winning more than half of his duels.

Klopp probably still has that performance from February 2020 in the back of his mind ahead of the summer, and FSG must try to ensure that Sarr does the damage for Liverpool rather than to them by bringing him to Anfield as a long-term successor to their current attacking behemoths.

In other news: Klopp could unearth the “new Zlatan” as Liverpool make bid to sign £58.7m star

The match started with a maiden. Silence before a storm that absolutely blew India out of its way

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga07-May-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Hawk-eyeDavid Warner had fun at the expense of Ravindra Jadeja•AFP

The match started with a maiden. Silence before a storm that absolutely blew India out of its way. Six-hitting has seldom been made to look easier: David Warner and Shane Watson just kept clearing their front legs, creating room, and kept lofting the Indians over various parts of the Kensington Oval. Finding gaps and all they didn’t care about. Between them they hit 13 sixes and only three fours, and by the time they were done, 142 runs had been scored in 14 overs. Australia’s last four overs for 23 runs were silence before another storm: during which their awesome attack annihilated India, except for Rohit Sharma, the only one of eight batsmen to reach double figures.The same ample and true bounce that worked for Australia hurt India. That the ball came on, coupled with the short boundaries, gave Watson and Warner the confidence to go for their big hits. The Indian batsmen, though, with no option to duck or leave thanks to the huge chase, were almost always in bad position when playing the short deliveries. And they got plenty of them at a healthy pace.That Rohit was playing in the first place, an extra batsman keeping India’s attack down to two seamers, could be argued to be a defensive move even before the match started.Out of a spinner-dominated attack, Harbhajan Singh was a bowler apart: he bowled that initial maiden and went for just 15 in his four overs. By comparison, Ravindra Jadeja, who will want to delete May 7 from the 2010 calendar, went for 36 in six deliveries spread over two overs. That after he had dropped Watson when only on 7, and before he ran himself out by running away from the stumps. That Jadeja was brought to bowl a second over after being hit for three successive sixes exposed a rare tactical error from MS Dhoni: he had not left himself with a great choice of bowlers.The subdued start that Watson got off to against Harbhajan, though, would have given Dhoni false confidence. After facing seven consecutive dot balls first up, Watson just exploded, pulling Ashish Nehra way over long-on for six. The template had been set. Both the batsmen sat back, took their leading legs out of the way, and hardly hit anything off anywhere but the middle of the bat.Jadeja contributed to the onslaught, bowling short repeatedly, and Watson brutalised him over midwicket, cow corner and square leg. By the time Jadeja came back, in the 10th over, Australia had consolidated on the start, Zaheer Khan had looked ineffective, and Warner had warmed up, reaching 29 off 25 with Watson on 47 off 29. Three balls later, he came level with Watson, with sixes either side of a widish long-on and a huge one over midwicket. Both the barrels had started firing, and we were in for a contest as to who would hit more sixes.Watson, already ahead by one, hit Yusuf Pathan for another big one in the next over, but was bowled immediately after by a delivery that kept low. Warner showed no signs of slowing down, hitting Yusuf and Yuvraj Singh for three sixes in the next three overs before edging one that bounced extra.Yuvraj, Nehra and Zaheer, who bowled well at the death, kept India one short of the dubious record for most sixes in an innings, 17. Soon Rohit would find himself in a fight to avoid the biggest defeat in a Twenty20 international featuring two major sides.Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait were simply too quick for the top order. Limp shots, batsmen jumping to negotiate accurate bumpers, bottom hand coming off while playing them, lobbed catches inside the circle, a superb yorker and a bit of silly running thrown in, and India were 50 for 7. M Vijay got an edge trying to drag Nannes from outside off, Gautam Gambhir was hurried and had by a Nannes bouncer, Suresh Raina followed a top-edged six with another top edge off Tait that went nowhere and could even had hit his stumps had Michael Clarke not caught the skier.Rohit’s clean and assured hitting, 79 off 46 balls, not only delayed the defeat, it also made a case for his selection ahead of either Jadeja or Yusuf and kept the net run-rate damage down.

Rafa Benitez will need to make some important decisions in the upcoming transfer window, due to a poor first half of the season leaving the side plagued with injuries and sitting 15th in the Premier League table.

Everton could make signings to add depth to the side, and have been linked with a number of players already to fill positions of weakness, but they could also do with offloading some players that aren’t good enough for the side, and wasting the club money on the wage bill.

Cenk Tosun is currently on £69k-p/w at Everton, whilst making no impact on the team whatsoever this season, with only one appearance for just six minutes for the Toffees this season, and with that being said, it is clear Benitez doesn’t value the player as good enough for the side, even during an injury crisis that has seen the Spanish manager call up and rely on academy players in recent games.

Despite the lack of game time, The Athletic reported a few weeks ago that Tosun’s agent has claimed the Turkish international doesn’t want to leave the club in January;

“Cenk does not want to leave in January,” Dr Erkut Sogut said. “He has a contract until the end of the season and he wants to give something back. He feels like he can contribute and is not the type to just sit on the bench and be happy.”

Due to the 30-year-old’s contract ending at the end of the season, Benitez could offer out the player in a cut-price deal that could attract interest from clubs who are desperately seeking a striker to help their teams score goals, as he is clearly not needed at Everton or even favourable for a start over any of the other forwards in the team.

The centre forward has only scored 11 goals in 58 appearances for the Toffees since he joined the club from Besiktas in 2018, and has lost a position in the team to much more prolific goal scorers like Dominic Calvert Lewin and Richarlison, with the pair scoring a combined 90 goals more than Tosun in their time with the club.

Although there have been no recent links to other clubs for the Turkish striker to move in the January transfer window, if Everton could offload him in the January transfer window, it would free up funds and the wage bill for the manager to work his magic and bring in players that could make a positive impact on the struggling side in the second half of the season.

In other news: Journalist claims Everton could be reunited with Ross Barkley

Leeds United suffered yet another heavy defeat on Saturday evening as they lost 4-1 at home to Arsenal, just four days after being battered 7-0 by Manchester City.

Marcelo Bielsa is facing an injury crisis right now with numerous key players on the sidelines, including Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, who were both instrumental in their successful 2020/21 season.

However, it doesn’t excuse some of the defending that has been on show, with versatile full-back Stuart Dallas facing the media after the City defeat.

“There was individual mistakes that cost us tonight [Tuesday] and you can’t get away with that at this level, especially when you’re coming to a team like this,” said the Northern Irishman. “[We’re] just devastated. It’s not good enough from us.”

Dallas particularly struggled at Elland Road on Saturday night, with 90min’s Tom Gott describing the defender as “completely off the pace and guilty of so many huge errors”.

The 30-year-old hasn’t missed a single minute of Premier League action this term, making him a reliable option in terms of maintaining his fitness. However, Leeds have failed to match the standards they set last season, and Dallas’ regular inclusion could arguably prove to be a catalyst for that.

Having a versatile option like him will be of great use to Bielsa, who has deployed the £3.6m-rated ace at both left-back and right-back, as well as across the midfield. Despite being an ever-present in the Argentine’s line-up, he hasn’t contributed an assist since the opening day of the season and is yet to score in the 2021/22 campaign.

This is a stark contrast from last term, when the Northern Irishman scored eight goals and set up another two as he missed just nine minutes of Premier League football, albeit in a better-performing Leeds team.

Furthermore, Leeds have conceded 36 goals this term – only 19th-placed Newcastle have shipped more, and a common factor in all of their games this season is the continued presence of Dallas.

United’s weak underbelly has been particularly exposed of late, with the Whites conceding 16 goals in their last four games, an average of four goals per match.

Bielsa is unlikely to drop Dallas, with the 30-year-old a mainstay under the 66-year-old. However, he will need to find a solution immediately, as otherwise the Yorkshire club are going to miss out on available points at a crucial point in the season. Maybe the time has come for the manager to end the utility man’s ever-present status in the current Premier League campaign.

In other news – Forget Ayling: £15.3m-rated dud who made one tackle was Leeds’ villain on Saturday

حقق تشيلسي فوًا قاتلًا بهدفين مقابل هدف أمام كريستال بالاس في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

شهد ملعب سالهيرست بارك الخاص بفريق كريستال بالاس أولى مباريات جراهام بوتر مدرب تشيلسي الجديد في الدوري الإنجليزي مع البلوز.

طالع أيضًا.. تروسارد يكرر ما فعله عمرو زكي أمام ليفربول منذ 14 عامًا

بوتر مدرب برايتون السابق، تولى قيادة البلوز منذ أكثر من 20 يومًا ولكن تأجيل مباراتي تشيلسي الماضيتين في الدوري بسبب وفاة الملكة إليزابيث، وفترة التوقف الدولي، أجلت انطلاقته مع أسود لندن في بريمرليج.

البداية لم تكن جيدة للبلوز، بعدما تلقت شباك الحارس كيبا أريزابلاجا هدف التقدم لأصحاب الأرض، عن طريق أودسون إدوارد في الدقيقة 7.

ظل تشيلسي يبحث عن التعادل، بعدما أنقذ تياجو سيلفا انفرادا تاما بمرمى كيبا، ومنع الكرة بيده، وبعد العودة لتقنية الـVAR، حصل على كارت أصفر فقط.

البرازيلي استغل استمراره في الملعب وهروبه من العقوبة، ومرر تمريرة هدف التعادل في الدقيق 38 لـ بير إيمريك أوباميانج، الذي سجل أولى أهدافه مع البلوز بعد العودة إلى الدوري الإنجليزي قادمًا من برشلونة.

شوط المباراة الثاني بدأ وظل تشيلسي يبحث عن هدف الفوز، من خلال التغييرات العديدة بدخول لوفتس تشيك مكان جورجينيو، ثم بروخا بدلًا من أوباميانج، وسط تألق الحارس جويتا أمام المد الهجومي للبلوز.

دخل بعد ذلك كونور جالاجير مكان كاي هافيرتز، ثم بوليسيتش بدلًا من ماسون ماونت.

ومن تسديدة مدوية في الدقيقة 90، سجل تشيلسي هدف الفوز القاتل عن طريق البديل الناجح كونور جالاجير، ليحقق البلوز أولى انتصاراته مع جراهام بوتر.

بهذه النتيجة يصبح رصيد تشيلسي 13 نقطة في المركز الخامس، بينما كريستال بالاس يتوقف رصيده عند 6 نقاط في المركز السادس عشر. أهداف مباراة تشيلسي وكريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Filip Kostic to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report from Spain (via TEAMtalk), who claim that Antonio Conte has informed Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici that he wants to sign the Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back in the January transfer window.

The report goes on to state that the 52-year-old manager attempted to sign the Serbia international during his time at Inter Milan, as well as suggesting that, should Spurs be unsuccessful in their bid to sign the 29-year-old this month, the club will attempt to land the defender again at the end of the season.

Paratici must move

Considering just how impressive Kostic has been in Germany so far this season, in addition to the fact that the wing-back would very much appear to be a perfect fit for Conte’s 3-4-3 setup at Spurs, it would appear highly advisable for Paratici to do all he can to seal a deal for the versatile defender this month.

Indeed, over his 16 Bundesliga appearances in the current campaign, the £18m-rated man has been in remarkable form for Eintracht, having already scored three goals, registered six assists and created an extraordinary 13 big chances for his teammates – with the latter being second only to Thomas Muller in the German top flight – as well as making an average of 2.8 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game.

These returns have seen the £43k-per-week wing-back average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.34, not only ranking him as Frankfurt’s best performer in the league, but also as the 11th-best player in the entirety of the division.

As such, it is clear for all to see why Conte is reported to be so keen on securing a deal for the player who has been compared to Gareth Bale and dubbed a “mentality monster” by Kevin Trapp this winter, and why Paratici must do all he can do get a deal over the line for Kostic before the month is up.

Indeed, should Spurs be successful with a swoop for the 29-year-old this January, Conte could very well have the club’s next Bale on his hands for the second half of the campaign – something which is certainly a very exciting prospect.

In other news: “I understand”: Big twist emerges in THFC pursuit of £25m-rated gem, AC surely buzzing

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Burnley defender James Tarkowski…

What’s the talk?

According to The Northern Echo, Magpies officials are confident of sealing the January signing of the Clarets centre-back.

The report claims that Burnley have conceded that he will not extend his current contract, which expires at the end of the season, and that could duly see the club cash in on him in the next transfer window.

Fans would be delighted

Newcastle fans will surely be ecstatic with this update as it appears to suggest there is a strong chance that the £70k-per-week colossus ends up at St James’ Park in January.

Officials are confident of a move being wrapped up in the winter window and his contract situation at Burnley is promising for the Magpies.

The Clarets run the risk of losing him for nothing at the end of the season if they do not sell him in January and that could play right into Newcastle’s hands. It could also mean that the Tynesiders are able to land a cut-price deal for the defender, as Burnley do not have the backing of a long-term contract to reasonably demand a huge figure in return for his services.

Newcastle fans will also be delighted with this news as the English defender is an experienced, proven player at Premier League level and could be a great addition to Eddie Howe’s squad.

Tony Philliskirk, former Head of Academy at Oldham, previously hailed Tarkowski in an interview with The Athletic as he said: “He became the main man on defensive and attacking set pieces, that as a player makes you think you are an integral part of the team.

“He became that because of his level of performance. He was humble and never got ahead of himself. His confidence increased and he became a leader which we discussed with him, organising those in front of him.”

The 29-year-old has played 171 Premier League games for Burnley and averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 7.02 last season. Since the start of the 2017/18 campaign, he has never averaged a score lower than 7.00 in the top flight, showing how remarkably consistent he has been for the Clarets over the past few years.

Also, it’s worth considering that no Newcastle centre-back has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.49 for the current campaign, whereas Tarkowski is currently clocking 7.17.

Therefore, he seems to have the ability to come in and be a solid defender for Newcastle, as he has proven his quality over the course of a number of years at Burnley. He has been able to consistently perform to a high level in the Premier League, and the Toon Army could love to see a player with his experience and pedigree come through the door in January.

AND in other news, Shearer 2.0: Howe could get St James’ rocking with NUFC deal for “incredible” beast… 

West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Braga youngster Vitor Oliveira, but they face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham for his signature.

The Lowdown: Oliveira an emerging talent

The 21-year-old is an exciting young prospect in Portugal, scoring once in two Primera Liga starts so far this season. Also known as Vitinha (not the same one who played for Wolves last season), he struck four goals in Braga’s 6-0 hammering of Santa Clara at the weekend in the Taca de Portugal.

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Oliveira also averaged a 90.9% pass completion rate in his only Europa League appearance in 2021/22 to date, having three shots in that game.

The Portuguese starlet is being linked with a move to England, with West Ham seemingly in the mix to sign him.

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The Latest: West Ham keen on move

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], both West Ham and Spurs are keen on acquiring the Braga attacker’s signature.

The report claimed that the pair are ‘ready to battle’ to sign Oliveira, although it isn’t specified whether the transfer could happen in January or next summer.

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The Verdict: Added squad depth

While Oliveira wouldn’t necessarily come in as a regular starter for West Ham, he is someone who could be a solid backup for Michail Antonio from January onwards.

There may be times when the Jamaica international, who has started 14 of the Irons’ 16 Premier League and Europa League games so far this term, needs to be given a rest as the campaign progresses, at which point the 21-year-old Portuguese gem could fill in and prove his worth.

The fact that he has scored eight goals in just 11 Braga appearances overall suggests that he could be ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

In other news, West Ham have been linked with a move for a striker. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United have now learned the price of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, with the January transfer window fast approaching.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Tuttosport (as relayed by the Daily Mirror), United will need to splash out between €45m and €50m (£38.5m and £42.5m) if they are to land highly-rated 21-year-old.

However, the Red Devils are set to face a battle to secure Tchouameni’s services over the coming months, with Serie A giants Juventus and European champions Chelsea also credited with an interest in his services.

Murtough could end Utd’s midfielder hunt

By sanctioning a move for Tchouameni over the coming months, football director John Murtough could solve United’s defensive midfield woes that have plagued the club over the last few years.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has often opted for a double pivot of Fred and Scott McTominay throughout his two-and-a-half-year reign, but the duo both prefer more advanced roles have been exposed in their makeshift positions on numerous occasions.

As a result, several potential targets have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but with the likes of Declan Rice and Wilfried Ndidi set to command astronomical fees, Tchouameni has emerged as a viable alternative.

His domineering displays in the centre of the pitch have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers over the last 18 months, with current Monaco teammate Cesc Fabregas amongst his admirers.

“He has the potential to be a complete midfield player,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea maestro wrote on Twitter. And now his compatriot and United star Paul Pogba has also lauded his talents.

“He’s not a boy; he’s a man. It’s a pleasure to play next to him; he provides a lot, plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality. I hope to play plenty of games together and always be on his side,” the World Cup winner said.

Tchouameni got the ideal opportunity to show just how effective his partnership with Pogba could be in Manchester after lining up alongside him during France’s National League final victory over Spain back in October.

The duo worked perfectly in tandem with one another throughout the 90 minutes, with the United star enjoying the attacking freedom that his more disciplined and defensive-minded colleague allowed him.

Whether Pogba will be at United next season remains to be seen, but Tchouameni’s mature display was evidence that he has the potential to become the holding midfielder that Solskjaer so desperately craves.

And, in other news…Forget Fred: Man Utd’s “perfect” £22.5m-rated maestro can fill Ole’s huge Pogba void