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Aston Villa fans would have been dreaming of watching their team topple the might of Bayern Munich when filtering into Villa Park last night, imagining their side upsetting the odds and stifling the free-flowing Bavarian giants by picking up an unbelievable second win in the Champions League.

Those wild dreams would become a reality as Unai Emery’s men managed to get over the line come full-time and shock Vincent Kompany’s Bayern 1-0, courtesy of yet another strike off the bench from devastating impact substitute Jhon Duran.

It was a determined team effort in the end that ensured Villa would upset the Bundesliga titans, with the game showing off Emery’s men at their best defensively, as much as it also reinforced their dangerous nature to be clinical when needed.

Top performers from Villa's win over Bayern

Touching on the shut-out Villa managed to pull off, Emiliano Martinez would have walked off the pitch at the end overjoyed with his individual showing against the visitors from Germany, having kept a clean sheet even when being regularly tested by the likes of Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry.

The South American shot-stopper would tally up a staggering seven saves in total, with Birmingham Live journalist John Townley after the game rewarding his efforts with a faultless 10/10 match rating.

In attack, Villa also impressed, even if Ollie Watkins would exit the field of play without a goal next to his name, as Duran delivered the goods once more in the England international’s place.

Only needing one shot on target to leave his mark on proceedings, the Colombian’s name will now be etched into Villa folklore forever more, after catching an onrushing Manuel Neuer napping with a clever finish to win the tie.

That means the explosive 20-year-old is averaging a goal every 48 minutes for his side so far this season, with this strike against Bayern the pick of the bunch from his five goals to date.

The home side’s defence got called into question after a shaky display against Ipswich Town before this clash under the lights, with Martinez undoubtedly helped in his mission to keep a clean sheet by the likes of Pau Torres also shining at the back, who was as important as both the World Cup winner and Duran on the night to help the famous win be secured.

Torres' performance in numbers

Emery stuck by the same back four that wobbled away at Portman Road and was vindicated for not going overboard with changes, as the Spanish centre-back stood out amongst a strong defensive effort.

The standout Villa number 14 even had his moment in the spotlight in the first half, when he thought he had opened the scoring after tapping home an opportunity that fell kindly to him, only for VAR to cruelly intervene and judge Jacob Ramsey to be offside in the build-up.

Stat

Torres

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

55

Accurate passes

36/42 (86%)

Total duels won

4/5

Clearances

4

Blocked shots

3

Tackles

4

He did have a role to play in Duran’s unbelievable winner though, with his ball finding the Colombian in space to then beat Neuer, to make up for the offside decision going against his side.

Moreover, Torres – as can be seen glancing at the table above – was key in Villa keeping Bayern at bay, with four out of four ground duels won on the night, alongside completing 86% of his passes as an option at the back unafraid to make things happen as well as thwarting Kompany’s men.

Bayern would have entered into this contest high off the confidence of putting nine past Dinamo Zagreb in their last match in Europe’s elite competition, only for the German giants to be humbled by Torres and Co, who was handed out a top 9/10 rating after the game by Townley.

Labelled by Townley as being Torres’ ‘best performance of the season so far’, the Spaniard will hope he can put in more stellar displays when back in Premier League action.

For now, however, Emery’s men will be giddy off the buzz of this result, as the Villa Park masses now crave more top European nights to come.

Villa wanted "monster" star when Grealish left, now he's outshining Rogers

Villa nearly replaced Grealish with dynamic man back in 2021

ByConnor Holden Sep 26, 2024

West Bromwich Albion will be glad that tonight’s encounter against Middlesbrough is happening this mid-week, seeing it as a perfect opportunity to bounce back straight after Saturday’s humbling Championship defeat away at Sheffield Wednesday.

That was the first time Carlos Corberan’s Baggies had tasted the bitterness of a defeat in the second tier this season, as the usually dogged and staunch West Brom defence was regularly opened up by Danny Rohl’s men, leading to a shock 3-2 win in favour of the hosts.

Corberan would have been enraged with his side at the final whistle, which could lead to a number of changes taking place for tonight’s tricky showdown with Michael Carrick’s Boro, who are fresh off a 2-0 victory themselves against Stoke City.

Even still, the Hawthorns has been a fortress for West Brom so far this campaign, with zero goals conceded and zero losses registered from three games so far, which will give the West Midlands side an advantage after their confidence was dented in South Yorkshire.

Regardless of West Brom feeling more confident in front of their own masses, some changes could still take place, with Karlan Grant one figure who might be axed…

1 GK – Alex Palmer

West Brom’s usual number one in-between the sticks had a match to forget against Sheffield Wednesday, having to fish three strikes out of his net, but Alex Palmer is unlikely to be sacrificed for a different option tonight against Boro.

The 28-year-old has only conceded five goals all campaign, away from that rare off-day at Hillsborough, with three clean sheets picked up this season on his own patch.

2 RB – Darnell Furlong

Darnell Furlong didn’t cover himself in immense glory either away at the Owls, as his own goal in the first 45 minutes against Rohl’s buoyed-on hosts gifted Wednesday an early two-goal advantage.

Still, much like Palmer, Furlong hasn’t become a bad player overnight and is likely to be retained, having helped his side pick up a clean sheet and a win last match at the Hawthorns in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

3 CB – Kyle Bartley

Kyle Bartley will also likely remain in the heart of defence for tonight’s game back on home soil, having been everpresent under Corberan this season so far in the second tier.

That’s for good reason too, with Bartley standing out even in the 3-2 loss, with five clearances registered alongside successfully winning eight duels.

4 CB – Semi Ajayi

Semi Ajayi has been Bartley’s main partner in the centre-back spots this season, owing to the departure of Cedric Kipre, but also down to the fact the ex-Rotherham United man has been solid alongside his experienced teammate.

The Nigerian defender is confident playing out from the back, with 48 accurate passes averaged per Championship clash this campaign, whilst also winning 3.9 total duels on average to try and keep opposition attackers at bay.

5 LB – Torbjørn Heggem

Whilst Ajayi stepping up to the mark has made Kipre’s absence feel less noticeable, Torbjørn Heggem has struggled at points in the left-back spot, performing in the arguable shadow of the now departed Conor Townsend.

The 25-year-old full-back did look out of his depth at points away at Wednesday, with just one weak tackle registered, but he has shown signs of his promise down the left in other games away from this disappointing defeat.

In the 1-0 home win over Plymouth, the Nordic defender would only misplace two of his 34 passes, whilst also shining when rolling up his sleeves with three tackles won on top of four successful duels.

6 CDM – Jayson Molumby

Jayson Molumby has been out of the main XI recently due to injury setbacks, but could be thrust back into the lineup for today’s game at the expense of new recruit Uros Racic.

Racic struggled in South Yorkshire, with just 18 accurate passes registered before leaving the field of play, after playing a key role in West Brom beating Plymouth the match before by assisting an on-fire Josh Maja.

It could well be time for West Brom’s number eight to come back into the main team, therefore, if he can pass a late fitness test.

7 CDM – Alex Mowatt

The second change to the XI that lost at Wednesday feels like an obvious tweak, with Alex Mowatt dropped back into the first-team fold, after being demoted to the substitutes bench away at Wednesday owing to his own slight injury concern.

Corberan must have been cursing that decision – regardless of the condition of his star midfielder – with the former Leeds United man managing to get his team back on level terms at 2-2 after a top second half showing.

Ousmane Diakite will be the casualty here, who was hauled off at half-time at Hillsborough for Mowatt to then work his magic.

8 RM – Tom Fellows

Tom Fellows will retain his spot, despite all the changes in the holding midfield positions, with the homegrown Baggies product bright in spurts at Wednesday.

Despite only managing a poor 28 touches of the ball, Fellows would assist Maja’s header that gave the away side a way back into the contest, whilst also registering three efforts of his own on James Beadle’s goal.

9 CAM – John Swift

John Swift was also a nuisance for the Owls defence to contain, with most attacking moves on the day from the Baggies going through the ex-Reading man.

The 29-year-old attacking midfielder – who could have walked away from the West Midlands outfit this summer to their mid-week opponents – amassed a ridiculous 105 touches of the ball at Hillsborough, with four key passes also registered to try and unlock a tetchy Wednesday back four.

Also winning eight duels, Corberan will hope Swift can be instrumental in his side bouncing back with a win tonight over a tricky Boro team.

10 LM – Mikey Johnston

The third and final change to the XI that struggled away at Wednesday could see Mikey Johnston get his first start back at the promotion chasers, with an underperforming Karlan Grant dropped.

Johnston would fire home an mightily impressive seven goals last campaign when on loan at Corberan’s men – with his manager even labelling him as “special” in the process – and will be raring to reach those heights again, but is currently being kept out of the side by the former Huddersfield Town attacker.

His display against the Owls suggests a change could be required, with Grant only managing 19 touches of the ball on a quiet day at the office for the 27-year-old.

Sunderland are working to re-sign Jordan Henderson and have now made contact over a sensational deal at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland flying high under Le Bris

The Black Cats have made a hugely exciting start to life under Regis Le Bris, with their new manager coming in and hitting the ground running, suggesting that a fantastic season could lie ahead.

With nine games played in the Championship in 2024/25 to date, Sunderland sit top of the table, by virtue of narrowly having a superior goal difference to Sheffield United. It is still early days, and losing Jack Clarke to Ipswich Town was a big blow, but there is every reason to believe that this could be a campaign to treasure.

Sunderland also appear to be making shrewd decisions behind the scenes, with Pedro Ribeiro coming in as Le Bris’ assistant head coach, with the 38-year-old an experienced figure, despite still being a young man in his profession. Kristjaan Speakman has said the Portuguese is “aligned to our values and playing identity”, suggesting he could be ideal for the manager to work alongside.

Meanwhile, former England international Carlton Palmer has urged the Black Cats to seal a sensational reunion with Henderson, with the midfielder starting out at the club before embarking on great things at Liverpool.

Sunderland make contact over Henderson deal

According to an intriguing update from Football Insider, Sunderland now want to seal a “stunning” move for Henderson, bringing him back to the club where he first made a name for himself.

The Black Cats “have made contact over a potential deal” for the 34-year-old, who is now at Ajax, as Le Bris’ side “plan a new-year promotion assault” in the Championship.

This is a massive update for Sunderland, with Henderson such a decorated player since leaving the club in 2011, going on to become a legendary figure at Liverpool.

After a tough start to life at Anfield, the midfielder eventually replaced Steven Gerrard as captain, going on to lift the Champions League and Premier League trophies as skipper, among multiple other pieces of silverware. Back in 2019, Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus even had this to say about him:

“Henderson is the best midfielder in the world in his position. Jurgen Klopp never removes him, but the other two midfielders, Naby Keita and Georginio Wijnaldum, are sometimes replaced.”

While some may feel that that is hyperbole, it still shows the level that Henderson was playing at during his peak, and while his very best days are arguably now behind him, his experience and quality in the middle of the park would be an invaluable addition to Sunderland’s squad.

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ByKelan Sarson Oct 11, 2024

It could make all the difference in the spring months, with pressure going up a gear and this young Black Cats squad being tested, with the Englishman playing in the biggest games in the world throughout his illustrious career. The fact that he knows the club so well is an added bonus, meaning he will give his absolute all.

Manchester United have been in talks with Ruben Amorim to become their new manager this week, but they have also made an approach for a “fantastic” manager, according to a new report.

The Red Devils have begun their search for an eighth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013, and INEOS will hope they can find the perfect fit this time, as they try desperately to get the club back fighting for the top honours in football.

Not Ruud: Man Utd face Solskjaer 2.0 by hiring "bland" Ten Hag successor

Ruud van Nistelrooy will only be in temporary charge of Man Utd

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 29, 2024 Man Utd manager latest

Since United announced the departure of Erik ten Hag on Monday morning, there have been several names linked with the vacancy, as there were even before the Dutchman had left his post.

Spanish great Xavi Hernández was a name that emerged recently, as it was reported that Omar Berrada held meetings with the now unemployed manager in Barcelona. However, that looks to be a non-starter, as Xavi is keen to take a year away and then start a new project in the summer. Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann also emerged as an option on Monday for the Red Devils, but as of yet, that is as far as it’s gone.

The frontrunner and the man who looks set to land the Man United job is Sporting CP manager Amorim, as he’s agreed in principle to take the United job. United are now working on completing a deal with the Portuguese side and are ready to pay his 10 million euros (£8m+) release clause in order to bring him to the club.

However, it doesn’t stop there for United, as a report from a top Spanish reporter overnight revealed there is another name in the frame for the managerial role.

Man Utd have approached "fantastic" Fulham manager

According to Guillem Balague, Manchester United have made an approach to Fulham manager Marco Silva. Amorim looks to be the favourite to secure the job still, but he could opt to wait for the Manchester City opening instead, revealed the reporter late on Monday evening.

Balague adds that United are pushing to complete a deal for the 39-year-old Amorim despite his apparent interest in succeeding Pep Guardiola. But even though that is the case, United have made an approach to Silva, who has been described as doing “fantastic work” at Craven Cottage by West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui.

Games

151

Won

69

Drawn

29

Lost

53

Silva, another Portuguese manager, has been at Fulham since July 2021 and has taken charge of over 150 games for the club. The 47-year-old guided the Cottagers to Championship promotion in his first season and has since helped establish the club as a solid midtable to top half Premier League team.

Amid an almost perfect season so far, Celtic could now be handed a frustrating blow courtesy of the Premier League with clubs now reportedly beginning to race to sign their academy star.

Celtic transfer news

Of course, it’s not the first time that Celtic have faced the prospect of losing a young gem, having bid farewell to Ben Doak back in 2022 when Liverpool came calling. The quick winger has since starred on loan at Middlesbrough, who have been given a true glimpse of what he is capable of and the extent of talent that the Bhoys will now miss out on.

Even as the champions race towards yet another Scottish Premiership title, they’ve found star men such as Nicolas Kuhn linked with moves away from Glasgow in recent weeks in what could be a repeat of Matt O’Riley’s exit last summer. And as one of Brendan Rodgers’ main men potentially swaps the Bhoys for the Premier League, an academy star could follow suit.

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, a number of Premier League clubs are now racing to sign Daniel Cummings from Celtic in a deal that would cost a reported compensation fee of just €310,000 (£257,000), as his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 18-year-old forward has been sensational form at youth level so far this season, scoring 18 goals in just 17 games in all competitions to highlight the top prospect that Celtic have on their hands.

Celtic now ready to agree huge salary increase to convince defender to stay

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ByBen Browning Nov 7, 2024

Yet to make an appearance for Rodgers’ senior side nonetheless, Celtic aren’t exactly handing Cummings much incentive to stay put instead of following the likes of Doak to the Premier League.

"Spectacular" Cummings needs first-team chance

Whether it’s at Celtic or, indeed, elsewhere next season, Cummings needs a first-team opportunity. The teenager has more than proved his worth at academy level and is now at a stage where he’s too good for such a level. Scoring more goals than he has played games, Rodgers should hand his young striker a deserved chance or prepare to show him the exit door in the summer.

Praised by The Young Team, who scout young Scottish players, for his “spectacular strikes” and “resilient character”, Cummings is a man on the rise and the Bhoys must take full advantage of his clear potential.

Those at Celtic Park have seen the likes of Doak begin to thrive away from Scotland and must ensure that they avoid a repeat in the case of Cummings.

New boss Julen Lopetegui was given a war chest during his first summer in charge of the Irons, bringing in eight new permanent signings and two loan players, spending around £120.6m.

Jean-Clair Todibo and Carlos Soler both joined on loan from Ligue 1, with Todibo having a buy option in his deal.

Player

Fee (£)

Maximilian Kilman

£39.6m

Crysencio Summerville

£24.4m

Niclas Füllkrug

£27m

Luis Guilherme

£19.2m

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

£14.7m

Guido Rodriguez

£0

Wes Foderingham

£0

Mohamadou Kante

?

Stats taken from Transfermarkt

One of the biggest signings made was German Niclas Füllkrug, joining from Dortmund for around £27m, as the Hammers continue to search for a clinical and reliable number nine.

The latest on Niclas Fullkrug's future at West Ham

West Ham opted for Fullkrug after weeks of searching for their striker target, with Jhon Duran being another name to consistently pop up over the summer.

The German has only made four appearances this season for the Hammers, suffering from an “injury nightmare” in the words of journalist Dom Smith since joining the club. Now, according to club insiders ClaretandHugh, it’s said that the striker simply “hasn’t settled in the UK” yet.

This would leave West Ham with just Michail Antonio and Danny Ings as striker options, the same situation they were in during the summer, which could force their hand in the January transfer window.

Fullkrug’s goal record last season was very strong, scoring 16 goals in 46 appearances, also providing ten assists, which makes it understandable as to why the Hammers wanted the 31-year-old.

However, for the fee paid, many questioned if it was too much for a player his age, and his valuation has already been depleted by half since!

Niclas Fullkrug's falling value at West Ham

The German who was signed for £27m is now only valued at a measly £12.5m according to Transfermarkt, more than half the value he was signed for just three months ago. This suggests the Hammers massively overpaid for the 31-year-old, and could rue their decision.

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West Ham can’t afford to wait things out with Fullkrug, as Antonio and Ings have only scored one goal each this season, with the 34-year-old Antonio making 12 appearances, and the 32-year-old Ings making six appearances.

Goals

0.00

0.13

0.67

xG

0.43

0.26

1.25

Progressive Carries

2.86

2.70

2.50

Progressive Passes

0.00

1.89

0.00

Shots Total

2.00

2.31

3.33

Key Passes

1.43

1.08

1.25

Shot-Creating Actions

1.43

2.43

5.00

Aerial Duels Won

11.4

1.62

6.25

When analysing these metrics, you have to take into account the minutes played by each player, as it massively affects the per 90 stats. Ings, for example, has only played 134 minutes across six outings this season, which explains his high goals per 90, and xG per 90.

Fullkrug, despite playing fewer games than Ings (four) has 139 minutes played, which explains his 11.4 aerial duels won, a stat which is clearly skewed by these per 90 numbers, whilst Antonio has the majority share of the minutes, playing 700 so far.

With this trio, you clearly get a lot of different attributes. Antonio is a hard worker who runs the channels and carries the ball forward for his side, Fullkrug is a target man type who wins aerial battles and links play well and then Ings is more clinical in and around the box, and likes to get his shots off.

However, as the three are all in their 30s, the Hammers clearly lack a youthful option up front who can offer consistent minutes and goal threat, which could force their hand to offload one of these ageing forwards and replace them with a younger striker to take the number nine mantle.

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ByJoe Nuttall Nov 17, 2024

A former Tottenham employee says that one player could be out until February next year after hearing news this week, which would be more bad news for manager Ange Postecoglou, as he deals with a lengthy ban for Rodrigo Bentancur.

Rodrigo Bentancur hit by seven-game ban at Spurs

Earlier this week, the FA confirmed Bentancur’s seven-game domestic ban, after racial comments made during an interview on Uruguayan TV in June.

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1 ByBrett Worthington Nov 17, 2024

The £75,000-per-week midfielder, who scored his first goal of the season in Spurs’ dismal 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town nearly two weeks ago, stated “they all look the same” when talking about Son Heung-min, as he was asked to provide a shirt belonging to a Tottenham player (via The Guardian).

“Sonny’s?,” Bentancur said.

Man City vs Tottenham

November 23

Tottenham vs Fulham

December 1

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Tottenham vs Chelsea

December 8

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

“It could be Sonny’s cousin too, as they all look the same.”

This reckless comment means that Bentancur is set to miss their top-flight games against Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool, not to mention their all-important Carabao Cup quarter-final against Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United.

The international will resume his duties in a Lilywhites shirt against high-flying Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, but it is quite the lay-off for a mainstay player who’s made 15 appearances under Postecoglou across all competitions.

“An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview,” wrote the FA in a statement.

“It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute. It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

“Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing. Its written reasons for these decisions can be seen below.”

Wilson Odobert could be out until end of February

As Bentancur is slapped with a hiatus and hefty fine, Tottenham also recently announced that winger Wilson Odobert has undergone surgery on his right hamstring.

The “exciting” winger, signed from Burnley in the summer, has endured a nightmare start to his north London career plagued by injury problems.

This latest blow for the Frenchman is set to take another chunk out of his season, and former Spurs scout Bryan King has told Tottenham News that Odobert could be out until late February as a result of his procedure.

“I can’t see him returning before the end of February,” King said.

“That is quite a serious operation that he has had. For someone to have it at this age, it is very hard on him, he was progressing quite well.

“Now he has had to undergo surgery which will leave him out for quite some time.”

Liverpool are believed to have made contact with an “amazing” player over a potential move to Anfield, according to a new transfer update.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold will wave his goodbyes to Liverpool in the summer.

ByBarney Lane Oct 20, 2024 Liverpool battling to keep hold of trio

The Reds may be flying high at the top of the Premier League this season, going eight points clear after their 3-2 victory at Southampton on Sunday, but the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are acting as a big concern, as well as a distraction.

None of the legendary Liverpool trio has signed new contract extensions yet, with all of their current deals expiring at the end of this season.

Salah has even admitted that the club aren’t even in talks with him yet. Considering his incredible influence, that is a very odd stance from Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes and FSG.

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold has constantly been linked with a move to Real Madrid next year, with the Champions League holders seeing him as the next superstar addition at the Santiago Bernabeu. The 26-year-old certainly hasn’t done anything to downplay the rumours.

As for Van Dijk, he arguably feels like the most likely of the three to remain at Liverpool, with the Dutchman seemingly happy at Anfield and still playing some of the best football of his career.

Liverpool make contact with "amazing" player

According to a new report from Sport (via Sport Witness), Liverpool have made contact with Ajax right-back Devyne Rensch over a move to the club in 2025, with Arne Slot’s team “studying” the possibility of bringing him in.

The 21-year-old is in the final year of his deal at the Eredivisie giants and the Reds are looking to pounce, potentially seeing him as a replacement for Alexander-Arnold should the vice-captain leave next summer. Tottenham are also thought to be in the mix, while Ajax want Rensch to sign an extension.

Ideally, Alexander-Arnold will go nowhere once the current campaign reaches its conclusion, realising that staying at his boyhood club is the best option, perhaps eventually replacing Van Dijk as captain.

If the worst-case scenario does happen and he leaves, Rensch stands out as an exciting young option to replace Alexander-Arnold, with the Dutchman outperforming the Liverpool full-back in some aspects of their games this season, such as in goals and pass completion rate:

Appearances

11

9

Starts

11

9

Minutes played

872

800

Goals

0

1

Assists

1

0

Key passes per game

1.8

1.0

Tackles per game

2.8

2.1

Pass completion rate

72.7%

89.5%

The Ajax man has also been hailed by former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who has backed the youngster’s amazing potential:

“He has great vision, athleticism and technique, so he has a number of attributes to have an amazing career. I’m proud that he is making these steps at such a young age, although he has to stay humble.”

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ByAngus Sinclair Nov 25, 2024

In Conor Bradley, Liverpool already have another brilliant young right-back option, and he and Rensch could battle for a regular starting berth for years to come if Alexander-Arnold moves on.

Manchester City found themselves in an unusual position heading into Wednesday night’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest, having unbelievably lost their four league clashes before going into the contest at the Etihad.

Thankfully for City supporters watching on, Pep Guardiola’s men breezed past Forest to silence a growing contingent of doubters, with an emphatic 3-0 scoreline just what the doctor ordered after a dismal stretch of recent results.

The relief written on everyone’s faces associated with the usual table-toppers at the full-time whistle was clear to see, as stars such as a silky Kevin De Bruyne shone brightly all night long.

Standout performers for City

It goes without saying that the Belgian attacking midfielder is one of the best talents in the Premier League when he’s at his eye-catching best and he certainly was at the very top of his game across the 3-0 victory.

De Bruyne would ensure that any nerves inside the Etihad would dissipate when he resoundingly fired home the second goal of the contest, after some tricky feet from his compatriot, Jeremy Doku found him in plenty of space to strike a fierce effort past a helpless Matz Sels.

Whilst the City captain showed off his class with that finish, Doku would also time after time show off his daringness on the ball to push his stuttering side on to a much-needed three points, with the tricky 5 foot 8 ace amassing a stunning six successful dribbles to constantly leave the visitors guessing.

There were also the likes of Bernando Silva, who scored early on to kickstart the positive display, alongside Erling Haaland who set up Doku’s decisive third goal.

But, it was the performance of Jack Grealish that rightfully won plaudits when the dust had settled on the comprehensive win, with the former Aston Villa gem excelling in a deeper role for his bruised side to soften the continued blow of Rodri still being sidelined.

Grealish's performance in numbers

Accused of playing “like a mannequin at times” by ex-City shot-stopper Shay Given when chucked out to the left wing, Guardiola gambled on the exciting talent to come good in a holding midfield spot this mid-week, and it more than paid off.

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The City number ten would confidently spray the ball around the pitch across his 89 minutes, with Grealish exiting the field of play with a sublime 98% pass accuracy in-tact, alongside other glowing numbers.

That ability to keep things ticking in the centre of the park is akin to the absent Rodri, who averaged a 92% pass rate in the Premier League last season.

Looking at the graphic above, it was a well-rounded display from the England international, who offered the same energy as Rodri usually offers in spades with seven successful duels being won, alongside also showing off his comfortable nature joining in with attacks with two shots registered.

Grealish’s top showing in an unfamiliar position wouldn’t go unnoticed by Daily Express journalist Amos Murphy, who dished out a high 8/10 rating to the 29-year-old post-match, stating that he provided a ‘much-needed bounce’ centrally.

Struggling at times to find a position that has best suited him in Manchester, it could be that this tweak to play him alongside Ilkay Gundogan in a deep role is an ingenious one, with Guardiola also stating that the Birmingham-born star did “brilliantly” with what was asked of him.

With Rodri sidelined for the foreseeable, the Spaniard will hope he’s finally found an adequate short-term replacement for the Ballon D’Or winner in Grealish, rather than the ageing Gundogan, as fixtures continue to come full pelt this December in the Premier League.

Date

Opponent

Location

7th of December

Crystal Palace

Away

15th of December

Manchester United

Home

21st of December

Aston Villa

Away

26th of December

Everton

Home

29th of December

Leicester City

Away

The fixture list is also tough arguably, with a trip to Grealish’s former employers coming soon alongside a tense Manchester Derby, but Guardiola will hope his troops have turned a corner after a comfortable win over Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

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Ipswich Town’s first season back in the Premier League for 22 years has been a tough one so far.

Despite picking up some impressive draws against Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United and beating Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers away, Kieran McKenna’s side find themselves down in the relegation zone.

However, with more than half of the season still to play, there is every chance the Tractor Boys can drag themselves to safety, especially with the incredible Liam Delap leading the line.

The 21-year-old poacher has been one of the signings of the season, so fans should be excited by reports from last month linking the club to another youngster who could be the next Delap.

Liam Delap's season so far

Delap joined Ipswich for around £20m over the summer, and while that looks like an absolute steal today, there was no guarantee he’d be a hit.

After all, his top-flight experience from his time with Manchester City amounted to 39 minutes in the 20/21 season and eight minutes in 21/22.

Fortunately for McKenna and the Ipswich faithful, the Winchester-born poacher has been brilliant in his first full campaign of Premier League football, and while he didn’t start the season on fire, he’s now racked up an impressive tally of six goals and one assist in 16 appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 2.28 games.

Moreover, his brace against Villa and strikes against Spurs and Fulham have helped the Suffolk side pick up points.

That said, it’s not just his goalscoring that makes the “incredible” star, as dubbed by the one and only Pep Guardiola, such an essential member of the team, it’s also his ability to hold up the ball, bring others into play and generally give opposition defenders something to worry about.

So, the prospect of the club potentially getting their hands on someone who could be the next Delap should excite fans.

The young striker who could be the next Delap

So, to get straight to the point, the youngster who could be Ipswich’s next Delap is 18-year-old Celtic prospect Daniel Cummings.

The teenage phenom, whom football writer Kai Watson dubbed “a pure goalscorer,” was linked with a plethora of Premier League and EFL clubs in a report from Football Insider late last month.

According to the story, the up-and-coming forward’s contract is set to expire in the summer, meaning he’d be available for a minuscule compensation fee of around €310k, which converts to just £262k, and based on his form at the youth level, that could be an incredible bargain.

For example, this season alone has seen the 6 foot 1 marksman rack up an incredible tally of 23 goals in 22 games, while his career tally stands at 38 goals and one assist in 56 appearances for the Hoops’ various youth sides, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.43 games.

It is too early to say with any certainty just how good the young Scotsman will be, but based on his sensational record at the youth level, the signs are certainly encouraging.

Appearances

10

24

22

Minutes

231′

1379′

1725′

Goals

3

12

23

Assists

0

1

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.30

0.54

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

77′

106′

75′

If McKenna and Co were able to get ahead of the chasing pack, then, like Delap, they’d have another incredibly promising, prolific and physically imposing striker on their hands and one that could be worth a king’s ransom sometime down the line.

Ultimately, Ipswich are already lucky to have a striker like the former City gem leading the line, but what’s better than one devastating young striker? Two, of course.

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