All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action today, but face a torrid trip to relegation-threatened Everton under a floodlit Goodison Park.

With Cristian Stellini set to continue as manager in the permanent absence of Antonio Conte, and a philosophy expected to remain largely unchanged, there is hope from fans of the club that he can at least remove the reins from some of his elite players and allow them to flex their qualities.

For so long have they suffered from the turgid football of their Italian boss, forced to sit deep and absorb attacks from teams far worse than themselves.

It was this ideal that led to their late collapse against Southampton before the international break, as they invited pressure and inevitably crumbled.

There were positives to take from the game, however, as it finally saw the wingbacks click for what seemed like the first time in a while. Not only that but at times in the first half the football being played was mesmeric.

If Stellini can hone the positives from that display and cut out the negativity, there is a fine chance of a result on the road tonight. That begins with handing Ivan Perisic a start.

Will Ivan Perisic start vs Everton?

With Ben Davies having been struck down in that aforementioned clash with the Saints, there are few other options left to occupy that left wing-back spot.

However, that is not to suggest that the ageing Croatian has not played his way into the lineup on merit.

At St Mary's, both he and Pedro Porro struck their first goals for the club. However, for the 34-year-old, that was merely the tip of the iceberg when it came to his fine display. He also gave one key pass and attempted three shots, highlighting just how offensive he was playing.

What makes this move a masterclass was that the 6 foot 1 stalwart actually started the match on the bench, so to repeat this piece of tactical magic would be to instead hand him the chance to thrive from the start.

There are few players within the squad that boast the pedigree of Perisic, and as such he was lauded as a "world-class footballer" in his time by journalist Muhammad Butt. That is evidenced by the wide man having won the Champions League, reached the World Cup final and triumphed in a host of further domestic competitions in both Italy and Germany.

The £180k-per-week star will offer a cool head and a touch of class in their moment of crisis, as they travel to what is sure to be a bear pit of a stadium for the first time without Conte.

Spurs will have to lean heavily on their experienced men to drag them through tonight's fixture, with the wingbacks once again expected to play a vital role in any success they might attain.

Manchester United continued their worrying Premier League form today, as they fell to defeat on the road against Newcastle United.

It is a result that has seen them lose a league position, as the Magpies shockingly leapfrogged them to enter third place. Now, despite blistering mid-season form, the Red Devils’ position within the top four has been put in jeopardy.

Whilst Erik ten Hag has enjoyed an impressive first season at the helm, with one trophy already under his belt, their 7-0 drubbing to Liverpool last month showcased their remaining vulnerabilities.

Since then, they are yet to win in the league, and despite advancing in both the Europa League and FA Cup, it seems that they just cannot recapture the form that once saw them mentioned alongside Arsenal and Manchester City.

Today was far from a smash-and-grab too, as the hosts exacted revenge for their cup-final defeat earlier in the season with a dominant display. They boasted 22 shots, six of which were on target, and accumulated an expected goals tally of 3.57 (via Sofascore). Despite that, the scoreline remained just 2-0.

Whilst many of those on the pitch for the Red Devils can come under scrutiny, it is likely that once again Bruno Fernandes will be a lightning rod for such scathing comments due to his notoriety.

Often seen remonstrating with the referee, the Portugal midfielder could only muster a shocking 6.4 rating as he was bullied in midfield, winning just 1/6 of his defensive duels.

However, perhaps deserving of the most criticism is his defensive compatriot Diogo Dalot, who continued his downturn in form.

How did Diogo Dalot play vs Newcastle United?

Having enjoyed a fine run of form before the World Cup, scoring in the win over Sheriff before earning the Man of the Match award against West Ham, it seems since the restart of domestic footballs the 24-year-old has forgotten what made him such a potent threat for Ten Hag.

His offensive impetus and powerful runs forward have ceased, and instead been replaced by a meek full-back who offers little going forward or defensively.

This culminated in his 6.6 rating today, in which he was terrorised throughout by Allan Saint-Maximin who created five goal-scoring chances in the first half alone. The Frenchman simply ran rings around the defender, who lost 75% of the duels he competed in and was forced to commit two fouls, via Sofascore.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst even took to Twitter to write: “Saint-Maximin has tormented Dalot and Varane in recent games and it shows whenever he gets the ball.”

Fellow writer Brad Cox added his own summation of the 69-touch dud’s display: “Dalot just hasn’t been the same since the World Cup. The drop off in performance levels has been incredible.”

Indeed, that was perhaps best summed up by his actions for the opening goal. The Portuguese was dragged across the box and out of position before missing a header from the aforementioned winger that fell straight to Joe Willock who found the net from close range.

Today marked one of many poor displays by the £25k-per-week stalwart, who is slowly slipping behind even Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the pecking order. There will be hope that the former Crystal Palace man will make a speedy recovery from his illness, to finally displace a struggling Dalot.

Chelsea have held a “strong interview” with Luis Enrique regarding their managerial vacancy, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

What's the latest manager news at Chelsea?

Premier League owner Todd Boehly gave Graham Potter his marching orders earlier this month and soon after appointed Frank Lampard as interim boss until the end of the season whilst he continues the search for a new long-term successor behind-the-scenes.

The Spaniard was most recently in charge of his homeland’s international team and was quickly identified as an ideal candidate by the hierarchy in SW6, alongside Bayern Munich’s former boss Julian Nagelsmann.

Fabrizio Romano has since revealed that the 52-year-old travelled to the capital for face-to-face talks last week and claimed that he would be keen to take the job, and there has now been an update on the board’s stance.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips claimed that Chelsea view Nagelsmann as the current leading candidate but were mightily impressed by what they saw from Enrique. He said:

“Enrique was always seen as more of a backup to Nagelsmann and it seems that Chelsea will prefer to wait it out on him at the moment, rather than go straight in with Enrique. That doesn't mean to say that Chelsea won't turn to Enrique down the line. He's still a very strong candidate for the Chelsea role on a permanent basis this summer. But right now Chelsea have been trying to get Nagelsmann and when they saw they can't get him, they've gone to Lampard. Enrique certainly had a strong interview, so I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea do decide to go for him in the summer."

Would Enrique be an ideal candidate for Chelsea?

Enrique is a hugely experienced manager having taken charge of 431 games throughout his career and considering his level of success, he would be the perfect candidate to take over the reins at Chelsea ahead of the 2023/24 term.

The Gijon native has won 253, drawn 89 and lost just 89 of his matches since the start of his career in the dugout whilst averaging 1.97 points per match, via Transfermarkt. The 4-3-3 attack-minded coach also knows what it takes to compete at the highest level for silverware having secured ten trophies, including World’s Best Club Coach and Manager of the Year, which shows that he constantly gets the individual recognition he deserves for the job he does.

Finally, Enrique being a free agent on the market right now means that the Blues wouldn't have to pay any compensation to secure his services so the hierarchy need to capitalise on the fact that he wants to take the job by getting him in the building over the summer.

A potential Arsenal offer to sign Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha is seen as 'increasingly serious', according to reports in France.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

Gunners sporting director Edu is allegedly preparing for next season behind-the-scenes as this summer edges ever closer. Mikel Arteta's are still chasing a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years but close rivals Man City are slowly catching up to the division leaders.

If the north Londoners end up just missing out on the domestic crown, fingers could well be pointed at a lack of squad depth when compared to that of City.

This could be one reason for Arsenal's apparent activity ahead of the next transfer window, while another could be that Edu is determined to build on what has ultimately been a successful campaign overall.

Arteta is guaranteed Champions League football next season after missing out to bitter rivals Tottenham last year, something which will help them attract some big name players.

Arsenal are reportedly targeting West Ham star Declan Rice, and are rumoured to be in pole position, while the likes of Dusan Vlahovic are also being looked at for the attacking areas.

As well as the Serbia international, it is believed they could make a move for Zaha with his Palace deal ticking down and expiring this year. He could sign for Arsenal on a free deal, with French news outlet Foot Mercato sharing an update on their pursuit.

According to their information, sharing news from an 'inside Gunners source', an Arsenal offer for the winger is seen as 'increasingly serious' and they could well make a 'firm' attempt to sign him on a Bosman.

However, they're not the only side displaying a real interest in Zaha, with Ligue 1 side Marseille also said to have made contact with the player through his entourage.

Should Arsenal sign Zaha?

Arsenal, alongside Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco, apparently wanted to sign Zaha last summer and now they have been handed a chance to do it at zero cost.

He is certainly worth the punt in that regard, having been praised for his 'incredible' form at Selhurst Park, with former Arsenal defender Kolo Toure even once calling him 'the next Didier Drogba'.

Zaha has continued to impress in south London, averaging more attempts at goal and completed dribbles per 90 whilst also ranking among Palace's top five best-perfomers overall (WhoScored).

This is a move Edu should undoubtedly consider to give Arteta more attacking options.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has slammed "disgrace" Rangers attacker Alfredo Morelos amid his poor showing in the club's recent defeat.

What's the latest on Alfredo Morelos and Rangers?

Michael Beale and co were unable to deliver the goods on the weekend as they crashed out of the Scottish Cup after losing 1-0 at Hampden Park.

Coming up against Old Firm rivals Celtic, a single goal from Jota was enough to decide the game with Ange Postecoglou and co now progressing into the final.

With Rangers unable to hit the back of the net on the day, it's no shock that their attacking players have come in for some criticism.

However, when talking about the game on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton singled out Morelos for his consistently poor performances.

The pundit said: “Truth is, Alfredo Morelos has been a really good player for Rangers at times.

"This season, he has been a disgrace. He's been overweight. And he's offered very, very little.”

How bad was Alfredo Morelos against Celtic?

It's fair to say others were also in agreement that the £33k-p/w striker wasn't at his best in the Old Firm semi-final encounter.

For instance, in the Glasgow Times player ratings, writers Harry Mail and Lewis Anderson handed him a 3/10 and wrote: "The striker failed to show up again. With his contract up in the summer, is his time at Ibrox nearly over?"

As pointed out above, Morelos will see his current deal expire when the season comes to an end so perhaps his mind is elsewhere. After all, he has just two goals in his last nine league outings.

For a guy who has netted 124 goals in 267 outings for Rangers, while also claiming 58 assists, it's certainly fair to suggest he hasn't really been firing on all cylinders confidently in recent times.

And when you look at the whole Gers squad, he is way down in 11th for average match performance rating in the Scottish Premiership and has even been outscored by right-back James Tavernier (via WhoScored).

All in all, it wasn't a good day for the 26-year-old who was eventually hooked in the 83rd minute of the game. And while it remains to be seen if he wants to stay at Ibrox, perhaps manager Beale won't even want to offer him a new contract if his performances don't start to pick up soon.

When the final whistle blew following Liverpool's enthralling 2-2 draw against title-challenging Arsenal last month, Diogo Jota's goalless run stretched to 32 matches.

The Echo's Ian Doyle stated that the Portuguese was a man 'desperately in need of a goal', with the barren run sandwiching a lengthy tussle with injuries that had hampered his progress and ruled him out of 23 matches this season.

His deserted cutting edge was not for want of trying; over the past year, the £140k-per-week star has taken an average of 2.87 shots per 90, as per FBref, putting him among the top 15% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues for that statistic.

His creativity has also been invaluable to Liverpool when he has been fit, ranking among the top 1% for rate of assists and registering eight across all competitions this term, despite only starting on 13 occasions.

Jota has now plundered five goals from his past five matches, starting just three of those contests, instrumental with braces against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest and defying logic with his 94th-minute strike to defeat Tottenham Hotspur – who had clambered back from a three-goal deficit at Anfield.

Who could Jota replace at Liverpool?

Liverpool have certainly not been at the races this season and have fallen well below expectations with their lack of cohesion and dismal away form, failing to clinch any major honours and unlikely to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven years.

Despite this, recent fortunes have been promising and Jurgen Klopp's Reds currently ride a five-match win streak in the top flight; with four matches left to play, ceding territory is simply not an option and pressure must be placed on Newcastle United and Manchester United, who occupy third and fourth place in the table and have both played fewer matches than Liverpool.

With Erik ten Hag's Red Devils fell to defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion in the dying embers of their Thursday night clash, the situation both improved and became all the more concerning for Klopp's men.

United, fourth and four points above the Reds – having still played one game less – can be caught, despite the odds, but the Seagulls' victory is a telling reminder that if Liverpool are to cede ground, they would not only fall from Champions League contention but fall prey to a possible furtherplummet down the rankings.

Because of this, Jota, who has been lauded as a "pressing monster" by Pep Lijinders, must be unleashed with regularity in the place of Luis Diaz, who has recently returned from a long-term injury and has, understandably, fluctuated somewhat with his performances.

Having been a "livewire", as remarked by Pete Hall, for Klopp's team since his arrival from Porto last year in a £37m deal, Diaz has scored 11 goals and supplied eight assists from 43 appearances and been praised for his fleet-footed brilliance by his manager, who called him "exceptional".

However, with no margin for error at this vital stage of the campaign, the 30-cap Jota, who has scored ten goals for his nation, would be the better option to place into the starting fold given his recent return to goal-scoring form.

There is no doubt that Diaz is one of the most talented and exciting wingers in European football, let alone the Premier League – valued at £79m by CIES Football Observatory – but with the slightest slip-up perhaps detrimental for Liverpool at this stage, Jota simply has to start.

Arsenal's starting XI is arguably one of the strongest in the whole Premier League. There is a reason why they have fought alongside the great Manchester City for so long.

However, it is that lack of depth that has left them frustratingly short as the run-in culminates, as key areas still lack quality alternatives.

This summer might not require huge purchases from Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gasper, but it will almost definitely need quite a few to ensure players like Rob Holding are no longer relied upon when someone like William Saliba is out.

Youth could be the way forward, to nurture the next generation of fine talent to compete with their stars, and that could therefore explain their reported pursuit of Barcelona youngster Ilias Akhomach as his contract is set to expire this summer.

Set to battle with some true European heavyweights, the progression of youth throughout the Gunners' squad should prove a key factor in potentially tempting him to north London.

With the 19-year-old having still predominantly featured for their 'B' team, three senior appearances suggest a degree of faith in potential that could only now be realised away from Spain. As a fellow graduate of the infamous La Masia academy, Arteta will know all too well how to nurture this teenage sensation into a true star.

Who is Ilias Akhomach?

The greatest compliment that can be paid to Akhomach came from his former academy director Patrick Kluivert, The legendary Dutch striker claimed, in an interview with Cadena SER (via GOAL), that he had: "found the new [Lionel] Messi".

This came due to his immeasurable ability to take on defenders, ghosting past them with ease and shifting the ball onto his left foot.

Such comparisons with the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner are sure to command attention, and realising a potential anywhere near the level of the Argentine would surely make him viable competition for Bukayo Saka on that right flank.

The English trickster boasts 13 goals and 11 assists in the league this season but was given years of steady integration to morph into this top-quality star.

The Spanish youngster, who was born to Moroccan parents, may not have an as impressive goal tally yet but his technical assets that have drawn particular interest. Five goals across 51 youth appearances underplays his talent; in this modern world where statistics mean so much.

But should Arteta invest the time and resources into this Catalonian export, it could just be the stroke of genius needed to forge a new talent akin to Messi, so he must convince Edu to part ways with a sizeable fee this summer.

If so, their current 21-year-old winger would have a genuine rival to his spot over the coming years, which ultimately would only benefit Arsenal on the pitch.

Insider ExWHUEmployee has revealed that West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan is so unhappy with the club's recent transfer he may take responsibility away from David Moyes.

What's the latest on West Ham's transfer plans?

Despite spending a lot of money in the summer – well over £150m – it's not as though the Irons have been better this season.

After all, last term they made the Europa League semi-final and finished seventh, while now they are still in the Europa Conference League (one tier below) and currently sit 15th in the Premier League.

With that being the case, the club will have to carefully consider their transfer strategy and it sounds as though power will be taken away from manager Moyes if he remains in East London.

Indeed, in an update shared on The West Ham Way Podcast, Ex outlined his understanding of the situation.

He said (09:59): “What I have heard as well is that David Sullivan is so unhappy with the amount of money – the amount of his money essentially – has been wasted on transfers, that he's going to take more of a role back in transfers and appoint another sort of football director to come in and oversee it.

"If this is the case and David Moyes stays on as manager, which at the moment is still not decided, but if he does start as manager, I would think this is a massively undermining thing to appoint another football director and to take responsibility away from Moyes and take power back."

Who is the sporting director at West Ham?

Interestingly enough, back in 2018, The Guardian reported that Moyes – who was in his first spell with the Irons – would be given more influence over transfers with Sullivan taking a more hands-off approach.

Presumably, then, the Scottish manager has had a lot of say in recent dealings alongside Head of Recruitment Rob Newman.

However, when you look at a signing such as Gianluca Scamacca, who arrived for £35.5m but hasn't settled well with just three league goals to his name, it's not hard to see why Sullivan might be unhappy with the decision-making by Moyes and Newman regarding transfers

Of course, Irons legend Mark Noble is currently the sporting director but has only been in the role since January this year, so perhaps the board will want to put someone with more transfer experience into a specific role behind the scenes.

If that is the case, it will be interesting to see how Moyes reacts to this change in control he has at the club.

Sunderland are now set to keep manager Tony Mowbray in charge, with the club already planning for next season, Sky Sports report.

What’s the latest Sunderland manager news?

The Black Cats were knocked out of the Championship playoffs by Luton Town on Monday, with Mowbray’s side failing to keep hold of their first-leg lead. The Hatters ran out 2-0 winners at Kenilworth Road to win the tie 3-2, and reports shortly after suggested that Mowbray was fighting to keep his job.

A number of coaches were linked with replacing the 59-year-old, including RB Salzburg boss Matthias Jaissle, former Alanyaspor manager Francesco Farioli and ex-New York Red Bulls coach Gerhard Struber.

However, there has now been a twist, with Sky Sports sharing news they’ve been “told” regarding Mowbray. They said he is set to stay at The Stadium of Light, with the manager and the Sunderland hierarchy “concentrating on a summer of player recruitment”.

“News to bring you and it concerns Sunderland and their manager Tony Mowbray.

“We think it’s business as usual as far as Mowbray and Sunderland are concerned with the club concentrating on a summer of player recruitment.”

Correct decision from Sunderland?

Mowbray, who arrived at the club at the end of August, enjoyed a productive first season with the Black Cats, losing just 11 of his 40 Championship games. He averaged 1.53 points per game in the second tier this season in what many forget was Sunderland’s first season back in the Championship.

Mowbray helped get the best out of a number of young players such as Jack Clarke and loanee Amad Diallo, with the latter of the two attackers nominated for the Young Player of the Year award, and it looks as if the decision to keep him on will sit well with plenty of supporters.

Journalist and Sunderland fan Josh Bunting said it would be “utterly mad”, “insane” and “naive” to part ways with Mowbray and has since said that he is “over the moon” the manager will remain at the club.

You could definitely argue that he has earned the right to take charge of an entire Championship season, and who knows, the aim for next year could be another top-six finish, with Sunderland officials seemingly making plans to get back into the top flight.

Aston Villa have enjoyed a phenomenal season in the Premier League, with the arrival of Unai Emery turning the club’s fortunes in less than a year.

With just one game remaining, the club have European football in their sights in what has been an emphatic turnaround of events at Villa Park.

Improvement on the pitch isn’t the only thing the four-time Europa League winner has installed at the club, but has brought a pull in the transfer sector due to his impressive CV in European football.

Ahead of the summer window, Villa have been linked to an array of stars around the continent, with one of the latest talents suggested to be Birmingham-bound being one of the 51-year-old’s former players.

What’s the latest on Giovani Lo Celso to Aston Villa?

As initially reported by Fabrizio Romano earlier this month, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is wanted at Villa, with the club having “concrete interest” in the Argentinian.

The speculation was relayed earlier this week by The Athletic, who claim the Spaniard is wanting a number eight, with the player on loan at his former club Villarreal potentially being on the horizon for a reunion.

According to Romano’s report last year, Spurs would want around €20m (£17.2m) for the midfielder if he was to be permanently sold. That is significantly down on the £55m they initially paid for him.

What could Giovani Lo Celso bring to Aston Villa?

Hailed as being a “magnificent player” by Sevilla president Jose Castro, the midfielder ranks highly in comparison to Europe’s elite for his form over the past year.

As per FBref, the 27-year-old is comparable to Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne statistically, and ranks in the top 1% of those in his position in Europe for shot-creating actions, averaging 4.85 per 90.

The £100k-per-week star could be a strong figure for Emery to integrate into his plans for Villa’s midfield, with him proving to be a better performer than his current option in fellow Argentine Emiliano Buendia.

The Villa ace has averaged a Sofascore rating of just 6.79 in the Premier League this season, in comparison to Lo Celso’s 7.08 in La Liga, showing the level of consistency in the Villa target’s game.

In the most pivotal aspects of the roles of an advanced midfielder, the Villarreal star comes out on top to Buendia for a range of attributes, as shown by FBref.

Lo Celso averages 7.99 progressive passes per 90, with Buendia scoring 5.12 in that area per 90 over the past year. A similar theme comes through their average number of successful take-ons, with the La Liga man totalling 1.70 to the Villa players’ 0.98 per 90.

While the two comparative attributes showcase the duo’s abilities in moving forward in midfield while on the ball, a critical skill for a midfielder to boast is through passing ability, where Lo Celso averages an 83.6% accuracy to Buendia’s 77.0%.

Securing the signature of his former player could not only provide an upgrade to the talent already on show at Villa Park, but also be key to improving the squad’s depth, by adding players of a similar nature to inspire competition and raise performance.

Only time will tell of Spurs’ intentions with their player this summer, however, Villa will certainly be watching his movements as the end of the 2022/23 campaign nears.