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All of the statistics are chances created per 90 and we have ruled out anybody who has played less than 120 minutes of Premier League football this season…   Arsenal Dani Ceballos 1.8 Willian 1.4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 1.3 So of course Ceballos has started exactly half Arsenal’s games as Mikel Arteta’s quest for defensive solidity sees him inexplicably drawn to the magnetic qualities of Mo Elneny, found down the back of the sofa . As a result, Arsenal’s attack is simply not functioning .   Aston Villa Conor Hourihane 3.3 Ross Barkley 3 Jack Grealish 2.7 And there you were believing all the hype about Grealish being the eighth wonder of the world . Two things: 1) Poor Conor Hourihane and 2) Ross Barkley for England. No player has created more chances (6) in a single Premier League game this season than Ross Barkley vs. Arsenal. Absolutely loving life at Aston Villa. pic.twitter.com/I1oPMXwx6K — Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 8, 2020   Bright...

Liverpool are faring well in this topsy-turvy season . But one player is really having a tough time of it. 10) Anthony Martial It was a front three Gary Neville described as the best in the Premier League ; a trio fearsome enough to entice Neil Custis into a quite painful argument with Jamie O’Hara; a triumvirate that seems barely recognisable mere months later. Marcus Rashford has been below his usual standards, although ten goals or assists in 12 appearances – including a Champions League hat-trick – suggests that is more because they are so high. Mason Greenwood’s struggles are well-documented and seemingly ongoing  yet he remains far ahead of the typical development curve. Anthony Martial has no such excuse for his four Premier League starts without managing to create a single chance or have a shot on target. A striker that has thrived in Europe but floundered domestically quite neatly encapsulates his club’s season so far.   9) Chris Wood No Premier League club has...

SPURS OFFERED ANOTHER OLD BOY Tottenham could be getting the old band back together… Having re-signed Gareth Bale on loan, it emerged on Monday that Spurs could secure the Welshman’s permanent return for as little as £13.4million . Now it seems they are being offered the chance to re-sign Christian Eriksen too. The Denmark playmaker was dangled in front of Daniel Levy in the summer too but the Spurs chief refused to bite. But Football Insider says Inter Milan haven’t given up hope of trying to offload one of their biggest earners and though Tottenham remain their best hope, Eriksen has been offered to other Premier League clubs too. Eriksen’s form has been wretched at Inter where he hasn’t offered a goal or an assist in his last seven appearances.   HENDERSON EXIT COULD OFFER ROMERO ROUTE BACK Sergio Romero could be brought in from the cold at Manchester United… The Argentina goalkeeper was treated pretty shabbily in the summer when Dean Henderson returned from his loa...

OH, MANDI Liverpool’s scout in Spain has been a busy boy, apparently… The Reds had already identified Real Betis defender Aissa Mandi as a potential target, with reports suggesting a £9million bid was rejected during the summer. But Fichajes reckons Liverpool aren’t done yet with the 29-year-old, especially in the wake of Virgil van Dijk’s injury . Mandi is out of contract in 2022 which could make Betis more open to a cheaper sale, with the versatile Algeria defender representing a cheap, short-term option.   KLOPP GOES FOR REAL STAR You couldn’t say the same for Rodrygo… The Real Madrid youngster is said to be valued at around £62million but Don Balon says that hasn’t deterred Jurgen Klopp. The Brazilian forward has one goal and three assists in eight Real appearances this season, though only two of those have come as a starter. Still, Zinedine Zidane is said to be ‘extremely opposed’ to selling the 20-year who Liverpool supposedly see as a long-term replacement for M...

When Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at  Liverpool  in October 2015, he will have done so with plenty of aims in his mind. Klopp has taken his side back to the top of the Premier League while transforming Anfield into a fortress, with the Reds currently unbeaten in their last 63 home leagues games. We’ve decided to compare Liverpool”s home record in the top-flight since Klopp’s appointment with Manchester United’s record over the same period of time. Read the full article here. The post Comparing Liverpool & Man Utd’s PL home records since 2015 appeared first on Football News - . from Football News – https://ift.tt/3mXusd5 via DESSTA STREET

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists Diogo Jota’s sensational form has not given him a headache when it comes to breaking up his established front three. Much of the success Klopp has had, winning the Champions League and the Premier League, has been down to the way Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have combined on the forward line. However, Firmino was dropped for the 5-0 Champions League win against Atalanta in Bergamo to make way for the in-form Diogo Jota and the new signing seized his chance with a hat-trick. F365 says: ‘Deputy’ Diogo Jota is already wearing a sheriff’s badge The former Wolves player has scored six goals in the last 10 days and already has more goals for the club in 2020 (seven) than Firmino (five). And while some may see that as being a problem for the Brazil international, Klopp views it differently. “Good performances never give me a headache,” he said. “For tonight the decision it was clear. It made sense to use the good shape Dio...

CITY EYE MESSI OPPORTUNITY Lionel Messi could be heading for the Premier League after all… The Barcelona megastar fancied a new challenge this summer but, in the end, he reluctantly stayed at the Nou Camp rather than take his boyhood club to court to secure a release from his contract. However, moves are being made by Messi’s camp to void a similar shambles next summer, and City are getting their ducks in a row too. The Telegraph says City have identified a window of opportunity to pin Messi down to a pre-contract agreement early in the new year. If the Argentina forward is able to walk away from his Barca contract next year, in theory, he should be free to talk to new clubs from January. Barca haven’t given up hope of keeping their biggest star but their presidential mess is unlikely to be sorted until March , by which time City could already have a commitment from Messi. READ MORE : Premier League winners and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer DE BRUYNE AND STERLING SET FOR HUGE DEALS ...

BAYERN WITHDRAW ALABA OFFER It seems there is not a club in Europe chasing David Alaba. Manchester City have been particularly hot on the Bayern Munich defender in recent windows but Pep Guardiola hasn;t been able to convince his board to match his former club’s demands. That won’t be a problem next summer since Alaba seems certain to leave Bayern at the end of the season, if not before. Bayern have withdrawn their best and final contract offer to the Austria star after Alaba refused to accept it before an October 31 deadline set by the club. Alaba’s agent, Pini Zahavi, doesn’t seem to have taken the news too badly since he’s already hawking his client around Europe. Calciomercato reckons Alaba has been offered to Real Madrid, while Inter Milan and Juventus are also keen on the 28-year-old. Liverpool’s name has been thrown into the mix too by, er, Kevin Phillips. The ex-England striker told Football Insider that “Alaba is definitely an option” for the Reds.   MAN UTD STIL...

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is intrigued to see what the reaction to Gareth Bale’s winning goal against Brighton is like back in Madrid. Bale climbed off the bench to head home the first goal of his second spell in north London and it was an important one as it earned a 2-1 victory which moved Spurs up to second in the Premier League . The Wales international arrived back at Spurs on a season-long loan from Real Madrid in September after a torrid final couple of years in the Spanish capital, where he fell out of favour with Zinedine Zidane and was heavily criticised by the fans. It has been a slow start for him, but he is feeling the love back at the club where he developed into the world’s most expensive player and Mourinho was delighted. The goal you've waited seven years for… @GarethBale11 is back! #THFC #COYS pic.twitter.com/x6Jr4bZb60 — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 1, 2020 “I’m very pleased for him, especially for him because he deserves that...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would rather have £40m to spend on a centre-half than Donny van de Beek, according to Jamie Redknapp. The Dutch midfielder was bought this summer for £40m but he cannot find a place in a Manchester United team that already has Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. He has not yet started a Premier League game, though he did play 68 minutes in the Champions League this week. Man United v Arsenal: One big game, five big questions “He [Van de Beek] is a talent, we’ve seen that when he’s played for Ajax and Holland,” Redknapp told Sky Sports’ Pitch to Post podcast. “But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees him day in, day out. If a player is good enough, he plays. “Solskjaer obviously doesn’t think he’s right for the team yet. Perhaps he isn’t fit enough or isn’t showing enough in training. “You saw when Fabinho first came to Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp didn’t play him. But it wasn’t a big deal or a big focus at the time because they were doing so well and they had other players. ...

Man City beat United to winger Man-child Filip Stevanovic will join Manchester City for £7m despite interest from Manchester United, according to Fabrizio Romano on his Here We Go podcast. The Serbian 18-year-old has already scored three goals and notched two assists for Partizan Belgrade this season. He plays predominantly on the left wing and would be a long-term replacement for the departed Leroy Sane. As reported by @FabrizioRomano on @podcastherewego , #ManCity will sign Filip Stevanovic (18) from Partizan for a total fee of €8M including add-ons. Find the full details on the transfer and why he didn’t join #MUFC on the ‘Here We Go’ podcast: https://t.co/9pcQ2IuxgH — Man City Xtra (@City_Xtra) October 30, 2020   Man United to sign another AM We brought you the gossip on Friday about Manchester United’s interest in Hakan Çalhanoğlu, the Turkish attacking midfielder whose contract at AC Milan expires next summer. It seems that there is some truth in the clai...

It was a full league debut to remember. Being told you’re starting in a line-up which includes the likes of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires is enough to process ahead of your Premier League debut. In fact, you’d be forgiven for feeling sick with excitement and nerves. That is exactly how Jermaine Pennant felt when Arsene Wenger announced his name was part of the starting XI for Arsenal’s clash with Southampton in May 2003. But rather than excitement or nerves, Pennant felt sick courtesy of an alcohol-fuelled bender that saw him rock in at 6am on game day. Read the full article here. The post FHM parties & a hat-trick: Pennant’s first PL start for Arsenal appeared first on Football News - . from Football News – https://ift.tt/37X2w4B via DESSTA STREET

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal have the “perfect scenario” to win at Manchester United on Sunday and end a torrid run of away form against their big-six Premier League rivals. The Gunners have gone 28 games without a win at United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool or Tottenham – a record which stretches back to a victory at the Etihad Stadium in January 2015. Arteta managed to pick up wins over United and Liverpool at home in the Premier League last season while also beating Manchester City and Chelsea to lift the FA Cup. But it is at the home of their main opponents where Arsenal have notoriously struggled under Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and now Arteta – although the current boss believes it may be time to bring that run to a close. Man United v Arsenal: One big game, five big questions United may have thrashed RB Leipzig 5-0 in their Champions League meeting at Old Trafford on Wednesday night but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen his side take just one point from their first t...

When looking back at the career of Guti,  Real Madrid ’s ‘Eternal Promise’, it’s hard not to think what could have been. A visionary playmaker and occasional forward, the academy product could delight and frustrate in equal measure, his moments of genius  almost  but not quite atoning for his unfulfilled potential. At least, that’s roughly how you’re supposed to discuss a player like Guti. Or the not-Arsenal Denilson. Or Antonio Cassano. Read the full article here. The post Guti, back-heels & why not fulfilling potential doesn’t matter appeared first on Football News - . from Football News – https://ift.tt/3oI5ujo via DESSTA STREET

In the early 2000s,  Arsenal  and  Manchester United  shared one of the greatest rivalries in world football. You can forget  Marcus Rashford’s generosity  and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s cheery celebrations, this was characterised by Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane locking horns on and off the pitch. The two teams looked like they genuinely hated each other, and that all peaked in 2003, when Ruud van Nistelrooy missed the penalty that could have stopped the Gunners’ Invincibles run. Read the full article here. The post A forensic analysis of RVN’s penalty miss vs Arsenal appeared first on Football News - . from Football News – https://ift.tt/34JqHBN via DESSTA STREET

Jurgen Klopp has named seven players that could partner Joe Gomez at centre-half on Saturday against West Ham. Fabinho was added to Liverpool’s list of centre-half injuries on Tuesday night, leaving Gomez as Klopp’s only senior centre-half. It’s left Liverpool looking vulnerable to the pace of West Ham . Nat Phillips, Billy Koumetio and Rhys Williams are the options from within the club’s youth system, but Klopp named four first-team players who can play out of position. Klopp does appear to be leaning towards Phillips as he was on loan at Stuttgart last season, but he was close to leaving in the summer. “I know Nat [Phillips] the longest so I was really happy with this development. Since I know him he made big, big steps and is an exceptional character,” said Klopp. “I said it before that the little problem was that we were all convinced, how it looked all the time…there were a lot of clubs interested in him and in the end, maybe because of the coronavirus crisis, nobody had th...

Spurs v Brighton sees Tottenham looking for their fourth win of the season. They should get it because Brighton are weak in certain areas…   Tactical pattern Brighton and Tottenham are among the most unpredictable sides in the Premier League this season, and that is reflected in the difficulty working out exactly how this game will shape up. Most likely it will be semi-chaotic, an open game with wide spaces opening up between the lines in a stretched and entertaining affair. That’s because Jose Mourinho would prefer to hold a midblock and counter-attack, but cannot do so against inferior opponents Brighton, who in turn like to fuse a cautious defensive shape with expansive possession football. Both will be caught awkwardly between styles, and both will allow the other to counter-attack, perhaps mimicking Tottenham’s game against Southampton earlier this season. It could have a similar end result, too. Back Spurs to win with a -1 handicap at 13/8 (with Betfair) Key battle zo...

10) Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle 6-2 Norwich , October 2015) It took Georginio Wijnaldum 111 Premier League games for Liverpool to match his goalscoring exploits in just one season at Newcastle. The Dutchman plundered 11 goals from a far more advanced and adventurous position during an ultimately doomed first campaign in England, all of which came at St James’ Park with four arriving on one mid-October afternoon. Newcastle had not won a single league game all season until they welcomed Norwich – archetypal victims of a Premier League hat-trick – to the north east in their ninth game. They would soon become what one can only assume to be the first and only team to ever concede and score six goals in successive matches, inspiring some wonderful headlines . Wijnaldum’s first was a clever finish and his second a fine header, with more than a hint of the Barcelona at Anfields about the run, jump and placement of his third. A heavy deflection on his fourth did little to take away from...

Man United ‘upset’ Dayot Upamecano and his representatives by offering £200,000 below his value in 2015. Upamecano came at the recommendation of Rio Ferdinand for Man United in the summer, but Ed Woodward refused to sanction the move based on two reservations . The 21-year-old has instead started the season in impressive form for Leipzig, helping the current Bundesliga leaders concede just three goals in their opening five matches, with Upamecano himself scoring in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin. READ MORE: Man United 0-0 Chelsea – 16 Conclusions on a fearful stalemate But The Sun  claim that Man United could have had the Frenchman in their ranks as early as five years ago when he was still in the Valenciennes youth team. Upamecano left the French side for Salzburg in summer 2015 and stayed for 18 months before joining Leipzig, yet Man United opted not to sign him even before he moved to Austria for the sake of £200,000. The defender was interested in linking up wi...

Edouard Mendy is quickly proving himself good value in goal for  Chelsea  after an eye-catching performance in their 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. Signed in a £22million deal from Rennes in September, Mendy has already usurped the error-prone, albeit much more expensive, Kepa Arrizabalaga as Frank Lampard’s No.1. And he became the first Chelsea goalkeeper since Petr Cech, who also joined from Rennes, to keep to clean sheets in his first two Premier League starts with a  series of smart saves  to ensure the Blues travelled back to London with a point. In truth, it was no classic –  Patrice Evra’s argument with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the Sky studios was much more exciting  – but Mendy did at least add to the entertainment when he narrowly avoided scoring an embarrassing own goal when his pass across the face of his own net went just wide. As plenty of Chelsea fans pointed out, he must be already learni...