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Newcastle United’s lack of ambition during the summer transfer window could come back to haunt them, especially as the Premier League fixtures come thick and fast leading up to the festive period.

Eddie Howe made just five signings, including 37-year-old goalkeeper John Ruddy and 21-year-old centre-forward William Osula, hardly the type of players to push the club back into the top four.

The former Bournemouth manager also allowed a few players to leave the club too. Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummet left for nothing, while Yankuba Minteh joined Brighton for a fee of around £30m.

It was the departure of Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest which was the most surprising, however.

With the need to balance the books to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, an offer of £35m was obviously going to help massively.

Howe recently claimed that he didn’t want to part with Anderson, who is now shining with Forest as they have impressed in the Premier League this season.

Elliot Anderson’s stats this season

For the Magpies last year, Anderson made 26 appearances, registering just two assists, yet his future at the club looked bright indeed.

They weren’t the most eye-catching stats, but as he matured and played more often, they would only improve as time went on. Forest are now getting the best out of the Englishman, however.

In 11 Premier League matches under Nuno Espirito Santo, Anderson has already recorded three assists and there will be many more to come, that’s for sure.

Aside from these assists, the 22-year-old has also created four big chances, averages 1.3 key passes and succeeds with 1.4 dribbles – a success rate of 71% – per game in the top flight.

The midfielder also recovers 3.8 balls per game and wins 5.7 total duels per game, showcasing his talents from a defensive viewpoint and this all-round ability has allowed him to star for Forest this term.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

0

0

Assists

2

3

Big chances created

2

4

Total duels won per game

4

5.7

Key passes per game

0.7

1.3

It is clear that Howe needs to replace the player who left during the summer transfer window. Is he eyeing up a young talent from Germany as an ideal heir for Anderson?

Newcastle transfer news

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are eyeing up a move for Hertha Berlin’s attacking midfielder, Ibrahim Maza.

The German have reportedly set his asking price at around €20 (£17m) as they look set to cash in on the player come January.

The Magpies face competition from fellow Premier League sides such as Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, West Ham United and Brentford.

Newcastle have taken a step further and sent scouts to Hertha’s recent clash against Darmstadt, the only club out of the aforementioned ones to do so.

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This suggests Howe is leading the chase for the youngster as he bids to improve his current squad. A fee of under £20m is also well within his current budget.

Ibrahim Maza’s statistics for Hertha Berlin

The 18-year-old made his senior debut during the 2022/23 campaign, appearing twice in the Bundesliga and even scoring against Wolfsburg on the last day of the season.

Hertha were relegated and spent 2023/24 in the second tier, with Maza making a total of 13 league appearances for the club, registering three goal contributions in the process, and it was clear he was a star in the making.

This has been evidenced by his performances throughout the current season. Not only has Maza featured in all but one of his club’s league clashes this season, but the Algerian has scored four goals and grabbed two assists. Add in another goal in the German Cup and the youngster is on fire.

Hailed as a “wonderkid” by one journalist, Maza – who talent scout Jacek Kulig also described as “one of the most exciting U19s in Germany” – certainly has the world at his feet, for that there is no doubt.

When compared to positional peers within the German second tier, Maza currently ranks in the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and successful take-ons per 90, while also ranking in the top 3% for progressive carries per 90 and in the top 8% for total shots per 90.

These stats show a player who is comfortable at pushing into the final third as often as possible, while also having the confidence to take on opposition defenders with ease during matches.

With Newcastle having a gap to fill due to Anderson’s departure, could the young midfielder fill in this void should he join the club in January?

Why Ibrahim Maza could replace Elliot Anderson

Last season, Anderson only created two big chances while averaging 0.7 key passes per game for the Toon, hardly statistics that got the supporters off their seats.

It was his defensive work that was more promising, with the midfielder making 1.1 tackles and recovering 2.9 balls per game in the Premier League.

The Englishman often played at the heart of the midfield, which meant his creative talents weren’t on show as often as he would have liked. But it is clear Howe needs a player to create plenty of chances for his team going forward and Maza fits the bill.

Defensively this season, Maza has been impressive, showing maturity beyond his 18 years. Indeed, he averages 1.5 tackles per game and has won 5.9 total duels per game – a success rate of 53% – which shows his tenacious nature in the midfield area.

Yes, he may lose possession on average 15.8 times per game, but this is due to the risks he takes pushing forward, which certainly isn’t a bad trait to have.

Maza may still be developing, but Howe could see this transfer as one that might improve his starting XI ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The club have scored just 13 times in the top flight this season, which heightens their need for some more creativity in the final third.

If they can sign the Algerian sensation in January, they could be onto a winner.

Newcastle must regret losing academy ace who's outperforming Gordon in PL

Newcastle lost an academy talent who’s now outperforming Gordon in the Premier League.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 23, 2024

Al-Nassr were stunned by a second half comeback from Al-Ettifaq, losing 3-2 in the Saudi Pro League, hugely denting any lingering title hopes.

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Al-Nassr suffer damaging 3-2 lossAl-Ettifaq complete comeback winFive goals in the second halfFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

Al-Nassr spent most of the first half camped inside Al-Ettifaq territory, but were unable to make that dominance count – Cristiano Ronaldo went closest, forcing a handful of good saves out of Marek Rodak. It was 0-0 at the interval, but Al-Ettifaq had been so close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, hitting the post and Bento making a double save one after the other in stoppage time.

There was a huge slice of luck about Ayman Yahya's breakthrough less than two minutes after the restart, the ball cannoning off the Al-Nassr winger's head as Al-Ettifaq tried to clear Sadio Mane's cross. A VAR check allowed a Georginio Wijnaldum equaliser to stand after an offside flag had initially ruled it out, with Yahya then seeing an immediate response chalked out at the other end.

Al-Nassr looked good for the win when Mohammed Al-Fatil scored a free header to restore the lead, only for the centre-back to then turn the ball into his own net in the closing stages. It still went from bad to worse for Ronaldo & Co. after that, with Wijnaldum grabbing an 89th-minute winner on the counter attack and Jhon Duran sent off for a petty swipe at an opponent in stoppage time.

AdvertisementAFPTHE MVP

Georginio Wijnaldum rolled back the years in this one. The former Liverpool midfielder is 34 now, but he scored two very good goals here, breaking forward from midfield to round Bento for the first and keeping up with the play to finish off a swift break for the decisive second.

THE BIG LOSER

Mohammed Al-Fatil had a rollercoaster night, but ultimately a very bad one. He was the player at fault when Al-Ettifaq equalised the first time, miscontrolling a simple ball that squeezed under his foot and made its way through to Wijnaldum. He made amends by putting Al-Nassr back in front, but the own goal brought Al-Ettifaq level for the second time and irreversibly swung the momentum against his team.

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WHAT COMES NEXT?

If Al-Nassr are to have any chance of staying in the title race, they desperately need a favour from Al-Hilal on Saturday night. The champions, currently second, are up against leaders Al-Ittihad, who have a healthy lead at the top of the table. Victory for them in that game would certainly end Al-Nassr's hopes of catching up, already eight points off the pace, and probably be close to a deathly blow to Al-Hilal as well.

Manchester United have a 51-year-old manager under consideration as a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag, according to a new report. The Red Devils are beginning their search for a new manager after the dismissal of the Dutchman on Monday morning, after being beaten 2-1 by West Ham on Sunday afternoon.

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ByBrett Worthington Oct 28, 2024 Man Utd manager latest

United find themselves looking for a new manager after the decision to end Ten Hag’s reign after two and a half years at the club. The decision was made on Monday morning, with a statement confirming the decision and United placing their thanks and good luck to Ten Hag on record.

The Red Devils have been linked with several managers for a few weeks now. Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is one manager who has growing interest in his services. Meanwhile, Xavi has also emerged on the club’s radar in the last week, but it appears his chances of becoming the new manager are slim, as Xavi plans to wait until the summer before taking on his next job.

A new name that has come into the United hotseat is German national team manager Julian Nagelsmann. The German has been in charge of the national team since 2023, and now that the Red Devils are looking for a new manager, they could look to make a move for him.

But the options do not stop there for United, as they also have their eye on a former player of theirs as they weigh up the best move for them.

Former player under consideration for Man Utd return

According to Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst, Manchester United have former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær under consideration for a return to the club. The 51-year-old joined the Red Devils as a player in 1996 and enjoyed great success with the club right up until he left in 2007.

Solskjaer returned to Old Trafford in 2018 as caretaker manager, and his return saw a positive swing in results, and that earned him the permanent role. He was appointed manager in March 2019 and kept the role until November 2021, managing 168 games in total.

Since leaving United, Solskjaer has been out of management and has been working as a UEFA analyst since January of last year. Last month, Solskjaer admitted that he would be “open” to an Old Trafford return, and if he was offered a way back, he would say “yes”.

Games

168

Won

92

Drawn

35

Lost

41

Now, according to this report, the Norwegian is under consideration for returning to the club, but it is unclear if he is viewed as a long-term replacement for Ten Hag or as a backroom staff member. Before taking over at Old Trafford, Solskjaer’s only other experience in management came at Molde, where he managed from 2011 to 2018 on and off, while he also had a spell as Cardiff City manager.

“As we have seen in the IPL, spinners have brought back their team in the game; I feel that will be same in the World Cup as well.”

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Oct-2021Afghanistan’s strike bowler Rashid Khan believes the 2021 T20 World Cup could belong to spinners. Rashid, who will be playing his second T20 World Cup, said that the spinners are always “effective” on the pitches at three venues in the UAE, where the Super 12s, as well as the semi-finals and final will be played.”Conditions here are always good for spinners and it should be a spinners’ World Cup,” Rashid told . “Doesn’t matter how wickets are prepared here, it is always helpful for the spinners. Spinners will play a huge role in this World Cup. As we have seen in the IPL, spinners have brought back their team in the game. I feel that will be same in the World Cup as well. The best spinners will bring their team back in the game and win it.”Related

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While his IPL franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad, finished last on the points table, Rashid had another good season finishing with 18 wickets, the joint-highest for a spinner along with Yuzvendra Chahal and Varun Chakravarthy. Incidentally both Chahal and Rashid were among the top-10 wicket-takers even in the 2020 IPL which was fully played in the UAE as opposed to the just the second leg of the tournament this season.Overall in both IPLs in the UAE, the spinners have played a dominant hand at each of the three venues: in Dubai they have taken 30.8% of the total wickets taken, 30.1% in Sharjah, and 32.1% in Abu Dhabi.All these three venues will host the Super 12 matches as well, starting from October 23, along with the knockouts rounds. If the surfaces are to be on the slower side, Rashid felt a good spinner would always turn it to his team’s advantage. As an example, Rashid cited the low-scoring thriller in Dubai during the league phase of this IPL where Kolkata Knight Riders stuttered before eventually chasing down the Sunrisers’ 115-run target with two balls to spare.All the four spinners – Rashid, Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine – played a key role for their teams making scoring difficult on a gripping surface.”On October 3, we played against KKR, they had around four spinners, all of whom bowled at an economy of 4-5 runs per over. Doesn’t matter whatever the kind of wicket is spinners are always effective in UAE conditions. At the same time we need to bowl well as well, it is not just enough to say everything will be done by the wicket. No, no, no.”According to Rashid, Afghanistan, who are in Group 2 along with India, Pakistan and New Zealand, would need to do “lots of hard work” considering all their opponents in the Super 12s are “good players of spin”. Afghanistan have played 14 T20Is at the three venues in the UAE and have won all of them.In the 2016 edition, Afghanistan progressed to the Super 10s’ stage, but could manage just a solitary win when they defended a 123-run target against the eventual champions West Indies.Rashid, who stepped down as captain on the eve of the World Cup, pointed out that for Afghanistan to do well this edition, the batters will have a big responsibility.”As long as you have a good total, if it is a slow track, skiddy, as a spinner it is very, very helpful because you can show your skills there and you can get the wickets. In this World Cup if you bat well, we [Afghanistan] can beat any side.”Read the interview with Rashid Khan

Marco Rose has confirmed RB Leipzig's stance on selling Benjamin Sesko this January amid reports of Arsenal making an opening bid for the striker.

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• Arsenal make opening bid for Sesko
• RB Leipzig not keen on letting striker leave
• Rose confirms that Sesko will remain at RB Leipzig

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal's season has been impacted heavily by the lack of a proper number nine with Kai Havertz struggling and Gabriel Jesus out for a long spell after sustaining a serious knee injury. As such, Mikel Arteta has been keen to sign a striker in January as the Gunners in a bid to boost their Premier League and Champions League title hopes.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  On Wednesday, it was revealed that Arsenal had submitted an official bid to RB Leipzig for Sesko. However, the Bundesliga side were said to be unwilling to sell the striker, rated at £70 million ($86m) by Leipzig's top brass. Head coach Rose has now doubled down on the club's commitment to keep the Slovenian at Red Bull Arena until the end of the season.

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  WHAT ROSE SAID

  When questioned by Sky Germany's Philipp Hinze whether it was still the case that Sesko wouldn't be sold this month, Rose simply responded: "Yes, that’s still the case!"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SESKO?

  The Slovenian striker has had an average first half of the season as he has only found the back of the net on 14 occasions in 26 matches. As such, Rose will be keen to unlock Sesko's best form as RB Leipzig look to qualify in the Champions League-paying positions.

West Ham United supporters will no doubt be telling themselves that it is still early days in Julen Lopetegui’s tenure, there is no time to panic just yet. Rome wasn’t built in a day – and all that jazz.

That said, the initial signs under the Spaniard are rather worrying, with the Hammers having seemingly gone backward, rather than forward, following the departure of David Moyes.

While the Scotsman was long criticised for his often dour style of play when in the hot seat at the London Stadium, it would appear that the club have merely made a like-for-like change. As ex-Hammer Dean Ashton has stated, ‘he’s not necessarily this swash-buckling character or manager in the way that he plays’.

Moyes 2.0, perhaps?

Alas, as we say it would be harsh to judge the former Wolverhampton Wanderers too strongly just yet – only six games into the new Premier League season – with tomorrow’s clash with newly-promoted Ipswich Town providing the perfect opportunity to leave off on a positive note heading into the international break.

If the east Londoners are to see off Kieran McKenna’s visiting side, however, they will need their attacking unit to finally click into gear.

How West Ham's attack should look vs Ipswich

With summer signing Nicolas Fullkrug still frustratingly sidelined with injury, Lopetegui will no doubt look the way of West Ham’s all-time top Premier League goalscorer, Michail Antonio, to lead the line once again, with the Jamaican international having been involved in Tomas Soucek’s equaliser against Brentford last week.

While the veteran striker is yet to score so far this season, his presence up top is needed to offer a focal point for Lopetegui’s other attacking talents to feed off, with the hope that Mohammed Kudus will be given another chance to shine after harshly being hooked at the break last time out.

With three points needed, there may be a desire to see the Ghanaian operate in a number ten berth behind Antonio, particularly with Paqueta having been so poor against the Bees.

On the left flank, Lopetegui could then unleash another exciting addition in Crysencio Summerville, with the Netherlands international having notably scored against tomorrow’s opponents last season, during a 4-0 triumph for Leeds United.

The 22-year-old – who recorded 31 goals and assists in all competitions in 2023/24 – is not the only member of the West Ham ranks to have previously terrorised the Tractor Boys, with club captain Jarrod Bowen no doubt looking to continue his fine record against the away side on that right flank.

Jarrod Bowen's record vs Ipswich

While this will be the first meeting between the two sides since back in January 2012, Bowen has previously caused havoc against Ipswich during his days at former club Hull City.

Ipswich Starting XI

West Ham Starting XI

GK – Arran Lee-Barrett

GK – Rob Green

RB – Carlos Edwards

RB – Julian Faubert

CB – Ibrahima Sonko

CB – James Tomkins

CB – Tommy Smith

CB – Winston Reid

LB – Aaron Cresswell

LB – George McCartney

CM – Andy Drury

CM – Mark Noble

CM – Luke Hyam

CM – Henri Lansbury

RM – Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (2)

RM – Jack Collison (1)

AM – Lee Martin (1)

AM – Kevin Nolan

LM – Daryl Murphy (1)

LM – Matt Taylor

ST – Michael Chopra (1)

ST – Carlton Cole

Remarkably, the 27-year-old – who joined the Hammers on a £20m deal back in January 2020 – has chalked up three goals and one assist in just four meetings with the Portman Road side in the past, proving a real thorn in the side of the Suffolk outfit.

In the 2018/19 season, the England international scored in a 2-0 home win for Hull against Ipswich, prior to then registering an assist in another 2-0 triumph in the reverse fixture later in the campaign.

The winger’s other two goal involvements against the Tractor Boys came in the previous term, as he netted one apiece in both meetings, including the third in the 3-0 victory shown below.

Of course, prior records in the second tier may matter little in the context of West Ham’s current plight, but if anyone is to emerge as Lopetegui’s hero tomorrow, you’d bet your bottom dollar on it being Bowen once again.

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ByEmilio Galantini Oct 2, 2024

Hannah Jones, Alex Hartley set up DLS win as Southern Brave lose unbeaten record

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2021Lizelle Lee smashed a superb 43 not out to fire bottom side Manchester Originals to a shock 17-run DLS win over women’s Hundred pace-setters Southern Brave at Emirates Old Trafford.The Originals, chasing 124, won their first match at the fifth attempt, while the Brave’s bid for a fifth straight win was halted in murky Manchester conditions. Harmanpreet Kaur was missing from the Originals XI due to a “quad niggle”, but they thrived in her absence to get over the line.Related

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The Brave lost four late wickets for five runs in seven balls, undermining their bid for more than 123 for 7 having been inserted.South African Lee shared 52 in 38 balls with Emma Lamb to set the tone for the chase and completed the job once her opening partner had fallen, finishing with four fours and a six in 32 balls. When heavy rain arrived, the Originals were 97 for 1, needing only 27 more from 30 balls, and they were comfortable winners on DLS.Each of the Brave’s top four made valuable contributions on a true pitch; Sophia Dunkley and Stafanie Taylor made 28 apiece after 24 and 19 for openers Danni Wyatt and Smriti Mandhana.For the Originals, Hannah Jones and Alex Hartley claimed three wickets apiece to upstage fellow left-arm spinner, England’s wicketless Sophie Ecclestone.Wyatt and Mandhana shared a brisk opening stand of 34 and hit four boundaries apiece in their respective innings. Over cover was a productive area.Hannah Jones was the pick of the Originals bowlers•Getty ImagesBut the Brave’s early good work was wasted by the late collapse as the score fell from 113 for 3 after 88 balls to 118 for 7 after 96.Hartley had Maia Bouchier caught at cover and Amanda-Jade Wellington lbw with successive deliveries before Jones and Kate Cross also shared two wickets in two balls. Hartley finished with 3 for 29 and Jones 3 for 17 from their respective 20 balls.In reply, England hopeful Lamb was the early dominant force with 32 off 23. She crashed five boundaries and was particularly strong square either side of the wicket before running herself out when she pushed to cover and was the victim of a direct hit at the non-striker’s end from Anya Shrubsole to leave the score at 52 for 1 after 38.Mignon du Preez then joined her compatriot Lee as runs continued to flow. When Lee hoisted Charlotte Taylor’s spin over long-on for the first of two sixes in the match, the Originals were 76 for 1, needing 48 more with 46 balls remaining.Shortly afterwards, Du Preez – who made 15 not out – lofted Wellington’s legspin over long-on for six. But there was only time for two more balls, with them sharing an unbroken 45.”When you start the tournament with three losses and don’t get an opportunity to win the fourth because of rain, there’s a lot of pressure,” Cross said. “But I just loved the way we went about our cricket today. That was what pleased me the most. When you’re losing, it would be easy to go into your shell even more.”We had a chat on Monday and said, ‘We’ve got nothing to lose now. Let’s not worry about failing because the more you worry about that, the more likely you are to fail’. We just took the shackles off. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Al-Hilal forward Neymar has promised he "won't stop here" after winning a special honour at the Globe Soccer Awards.

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Neymar picks up Globe Soccer Awards gongForward "written in football history"Brazilian says he "won't stop here"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 32-year-old was named as one of three winners of the Player Career Award 2024, alongside former England defender Rio Ferdinand and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. After receiving that gong, the Brazilian took to social media to say his name is "written in football history" and he has more to give in the game.

AdvertisementWHAT NEYMAR SAID

The Instagram post translates to: "I would like to thank my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, and my fans. Very happy for the recognition, to have my name written in soccer history is truly incredible!!! A great honour to receive this award from @globesoccer. 🙏❤️ We're not stopping here, the work continues !!!!"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Neymar's career appears to be on the decline after moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal in 2023, recovering from a serious knee injury and his contract expires at the Saudi team next year. But he is Brazil's all-time top scorer and could still have a successful final few years in football.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Neymar could feature for Al-Hilal in the King Cup of Champions quarter-finals on January 7 at home to Al-Ittihad.

Mikel Arteta was left 'gutted' as Arsenal missed out on the chance to move within four points of Liverpool after a late winner was ruled out.

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• Arsenal draw 1-1 at Fulham
• Arteta says he is gutted with result
• Face Everton next in Premier League

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bukayo Saka thought he had won the game for the Gunners when he headed home at the back post from a Gabriel Martinelli cross before VAR adjudged the Brazilian winger to be offside when the ball was laid into him. Martinelli's mistake, labelled 'criminal' by Paul Merson, cost the Gunners two vital points and leaves them six behind Liverpool who have a game-in-hand after the Merseyside derby was postponed on Saturday. After the game, Arteta bemoaned the missed opportunity to take a deserved three points back home.

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  WHAT ARTETA SAID

  In his post-match press conference, Arteta said: "Gutted that we didn’t win it because I think we deserved to win from the beginning to the end. We did almost everything that we had to do to win it. This is the quality of the opposition and the league. For millimetres we could have been here with a really dominant win."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Gunners missed a number of big chances to put themselves in front and will be frustrated to leave Craven Cottage with just the one point. The hosts had two shots all game, scoring their first after Raul Jimenez thundered into the corner from a swift counter-attack, and were fortunate that the Gunners were incredibly wasteful in front of goal. Mikel Arteta has a lot of work to get his side's attack clicking once again.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARTETA?

  Arteta's side host Monaco on Wednesday before welcoming Everton to the Emirates on Saturday. The Gunners fans will be desperate for the side to bounce back immediately to ensure yet more ground is not lost on Liverpool, although, with each dropped point, the title appears to be slipping further and further from their grasp.

The summer transfer window officially slams shut later this week and Aston Villa only have until Friday night to complete any business that they still want to do.

Unai Emery and Monchi have already enjoyed a busy summer of signings with eight new arrivals coming through the door at Villa Park so far.

The likes of Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Ian Maatsen, and Jaden Philogene have all been snapped up, although they re-signed Cameron Archer before immediately selling him to Southampton.

With these fresh additions, Villa have started the Premier League campaign with three points from the opening two matches – beating West Ham United 2-1 and losing 2-0 to Arsenal.

The Villans were beaten 2-0 by the Gunners in their second game on Saturday in the evening kick-off, thanks to goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey.

Despite all the new signings, Onana was the only summer addition who started the match as he lined up in the middle of the park with Youri Tielemans.

Whilst it was a disappointing result for Emery's side, there were some impressive performances on the pitch from individuals and one player who caught the eye with his display was versatile attacker Morgan Rogers.

Morgan Rogers' impressive start to the season

The England U21 international lined up alongside Ollie Watkins at Villa Park on Saturday and showcased his powerful running, impressive dribbling, and creativity against the Gunners.

Rogers was almost unstoppable when driving forward with the ball, as he completed five of his seven attempted dribbles, and created two chances, including one 'big chance', but was not rewarded with an assist.

He slotted the ball across to Watkins for, what seemed like, a simple opportunity for the English centre-forward to hit the target and find the back of the net, but the ex-Brentford man scuffed his effort wide of the post, with the score at 0-0.

That display from Rogers came after he had created two chances and completed one of his two attempted dribbles in the 2-1 win over the Hammers in the first game of the season.

The 22-year-old joined the club on a permanent deal from Championship side Middlesbrough in January, after a return of two goals and six assists in 14 starts in the second tier,

Appearances

11

Starts

8

Goals

3

Assists

1

Big chances created

1

As you can see in the table above, Rogers enjoyed a promising start to life in the top-flight with four direct goal contributions in eight starts for the Villans.

He has already created as many 'big chances' (one) this season as he did in those 11 appearances in the second half of last term and the hope should be that the English powerhouse is able to kick on and enjoy a terrific first full campaign with the club.

Emery and Monchi could aid his development by landing a dream signing for him at the top end of the pitch in the form of one of the team's reported transfer targets.

Aston Villa interested in Premier League forward

Earlier this month, Football Insider reported that Aston Villa are interested in a potential swoop to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace.

The outlet claimed that the Villans want to bolster their attacking options before the end of the summer transfer window and are in the market to bring in a 'lethal' forward.

It was stated that Villa have already made contact with their Premier League rivals to discuss a possible deal for the £50k-per-week centre-forward this month.

Football Insider added that the Eagles are not interested in cashing in on the former Mainz number nine and, at the time, were hoping to tie him down to a contract extension.

However, it was claimed by South London Press last week that Palace have not made any progress in their contract talks with Mateta, which suggests that they are struggling to get him to commit to Selhurst Park.

The report also revealed that the 27-year-old marksman would like to play in the Champions League, which could give Villa a boost in their pursuit of his services, given their inclusion in the group phase of the competition this season.

Why Mateta could be a dream for Rogers

Monchi and Emery could secure a different number nine option to Watkins by sealing a deal to sign Mateta from Palace before Friday's deadline.

Whilst the England international is a dynamic and fast striker who looks to play off the shoulder of defenders and make runs in-behind to stretch backlines, the French ace is more of a powerful and reliable hold-up striker who can bring others into the game.

Palace thrived in the second half of last season with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze as two wide number tens playing just behind the 6 foot 4 menace.

He provided a fantastic foil for the two attacking midfielders, who combined for 22 goals and ten assists in the Premier League, and Rogers could thrive in a similar role.

The Villa youngster could use his powerful running to play off Mateta and then run beyond him to create chances for himself to improve his own goal tally, as the Palace star provided five assists from a striker position last term in the league.

Meanwhile, the French centre-forward's impressive finishing could also help to make the most of Rogers' creativity, as the 'big chance' he created against Arsenal was not converted into an assist.

Starts

25

xG

10.94

Goals

16

Big chances created

5

Assists

5

As you can see in the table above, Mateta, who was hailed as "underrated" by journalist Josh Bunting, was clinical in front of goal with a return of 16 goals from 10.94 xG.

The Palace star overperformed his xG by more than Watkins did for Villa, as the England international scored 19 goals from 16.93 xG, and this suggests that he could provide a more ruthless presence in the final third when Emery wants a different option alongside Rogers up front.

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Therefore, Villa should push to secure a deal for the Eagles marksman before the end of the summer transfer window, as Mateta could be a dream signing for the club and for Rogers.