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Arsenal are possibly just one day away from being crowned champions of the Premier League for the first time in two decades, though Mikel Arteta's side are relying on Manchester City to drop points at home against West Ham United on Sunday.

This… seems unlikely, given the title-bulldozing nature of Pep Guardiola's serial-winning outfit, and so it's hardly surprising that sporting director Edu has turned ahead to the summer transfer window as he seeks reinforcements to overtake the Citizens as the Premier League's prized club next term.

The Gunners need for a centre-forward is a narrative that is becoming monotonous but it holds weight all the same, but now, Edu can take the assured step toward landing a star to compete alongside the likes of Kai Havertz and co for the No. 1 spot and take Arsenal toward the title.

Arsenal eyeing new striker

As per Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Arsenal are seemingly certain to move for Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee this summer, with an offer perhaps in the works – the Gunners said to be willing to offer a four-year deal worth £6m per season in wages to get their man.

Bologna have defied expectations to qualify for the Champions League in Serie A this season, though Thiago Motta's side are unlikely to retain the services of the 22-year-old, who has a €40m (£34m) buyout clause inserted in his contract.

The player is open to staying in Italy, with AC Milan holding an interest, but the Gunners are one of the finest teams in Europe and Edu is fighting tooth and nail to see this one over the line.

Joshua Zirkzee's season in numbers

Bologna appointed Motta as their new manager in September 2022 after recording three consecutive bottom-half finishes in the Serie A, and his control-based philosophy with strong defensive roots swiftly paid dividends through a ninth-place finish to the 2022/23 campaign.

This season, i Rossoblu have eclipsed expectations, third in the standings with two matches left to contest, four points ahead of Atalanta in fifth. While football is a team sport, Zirkzee's impact, as the video below illuminates, has been extraordinary.

As per Sofascore, the towering 6 foot 4 forward has scored 11 goals and added four assists across 32 starting displays in the Italian top flight, though it is his many-faceted skill set that has established him as one of Europe's most exciting talents – and it is for this reason that Arsenal have taken note.

Zirkzee might only have four assists to his name but he's created 11 big chances, also averaging 1.3 key passes, 1.5 dribbles, 4.1 successful duels and 3.0 ball recoveries per fixture.

He's come on leaps and bounds from a disappointing first campaign at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, as the table below will show you.

Joshua Zirkzee: Serie A Stats 22/23 vs 23/24

Stat (per game)

22/23

23/24

Matches played

19

34

Matches started

5

32

Goals

2

11

Assists

2

4

Shots

1.5

2.5

Key passes

0.8

1.3

Pass completion

78%

78%

Big chances created

2

11

Dribble attempts

0.8 (46%)

1.5 (42%)

Duels won

2.2 (33%)

4.1 (40%)

Stats via Sofascore

The incremental gains that have been made in just one season bears testament to Motta's managerial ability and the Netherlands star's ability to absorb information and make the requisite adjustments to take the next step in his development.

Zirkzee's success rate in his ball-carrying and duelling might not appear to be anything significant but this is typical of a forward-placed player, who won't have the same space, time and technique as an anchoring central midfielder.

Bukayo Saka, for example, succeeds with 48% of his dribbles and 49% of his duels on average in the Premier League this season.

Arsenal have the third-youngest squad in the Premier League this season and yet Arteta has cultivated a winning mentality, fighting against the indomitable force that is Manchester City in successive seasons.

Zirkzee would dovetail into the system, and with certain cogs looking like they might shift in the months to come, it really is a deal that makes a whole lot of sense.

Why Arsenal are interested in Joshua Zirkzee

Recent reports from Italy have suggested that Arsenal are prepared to sell Gabriel Jesus this summer and have even moved to transfer list the Brazilian for €50m (£43m).

His proposed replacement? Zirkzee. The former Bayern Munich prospect enjoyed early success in Bavaria and bagged four goals from only three starts during the 2019/20 Bundesliga season to announce himself as a top-class prospect, but he fizzled out and transferred to Bologna – with a buyback clause – in 2022.

Unfortunately, Zirkzee's first term in Italy failed to offer any success, with the table in the previous section highlighting his paltry return of two goals and two assists apiece all year.

But now he's starting to bloom into one of the most technically sound strikers on the planet, and if Jesus is to be sold then his signing would serve to enhance the Emirates Stadium's frontline considerably.

As per FBref, the Dutchman ranks among the top 19% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and progressive passes, the top 17% for shot-creating actions and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.

His diversified approach to his football makes Zirkzee the perfect mould for Arteta's project, with this style of play perhaps even providing the north London club with their own version of Harry Kane.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has gushed that the rangy ace is "so similar" to Bayern Munich's world-class frontman in regard to his natural movements, match intelligence and creativity.

Kane, sure, is one of the deadliest marksmen in the business and Zirkzee will need to nurture his striking success to ensure he grows into a player of similar standing to the England captain, who has scored 44 goals and provided 12 assists from just 45 matches this year.

The Tottenham Hotspur legend ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 10% for progressive passes per 90, denoting his similarities in playmaking and progression to Arsenal's top target.

Zirkzee is a player who seems to just keep on improving, and if Arsenal welcome him to the fold this summer his creative, weaving qualities would enhance the likes of Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Saka by adding an extra layer of playmaking.

It's a move that might indeed take the club that extra mile next year, pipping City to England's pinnacle club prize.

It's no wonder that Bayern have inserted a buyback clause into Zirkzee's contract – he very much appears to be Kane's natural successor. However, the 30-year-old will keep on purring at the spearhead for many years yet and Arsenal must now take advantage.

Related £43m attacker prioritising Arsenal move as Arteta tells board to sign him

He wants to make the move to north London.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 17, 2024

Sunderland will go into tonight's clash against Leeds United at Elland Road very much as the underdogs, even with Daniel Farke's Whites losing on the road to Coventry City 2-1 last time out.

The Black Cats are in far more rocky form than the promotion-chasing hosts, with the Wearside outfit only picking up just one win from their last ten Championship encounters. Of those ten underwhelming matches, seven have ended in the all-too-familiar feeling of defeat for Sunderland.

Yet, they could still pull off a shock result in West Yorkshire if they play on Leeds' nerves near the top end of the division and go for the game without any fear of their own creeping in.

Leo Hjelde could find himself out of Dodds' XI for the trip up to play Leeds regardless of his added motivation to beat the hosts having played for them up until January, with the new recruit wobbling last time out against Bristol City.

Leo Hjelde's performance vs Bristol City in numbers

Although Sunderland would manage to pick up a clean sheet and a share of the points against the Robins, which was much-needed after the humiliating 5-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers prior, the Norwegian defender still struggled for large patches of the 0-0 contest.

Hjelde would fail to win a single duel in the stalemate versus Liam Manning's men, on top of losing possession a total of 11 times that could have been costly on another day if the away side had their shooting boots on.

In contrast, Trai Hume – playing on the opposite flank at right-back – would win seven duels and amass 95 touches of the ball as a constant threat from out wide.

Minutes played

66

Touches

44

Duels won

0/3

Accurate passes

25/32

Possession lost

11x

Managing just 44 touches when compared to Hume's impressive numbers, Hjelde's poor performance saw him receive a 5/10 rating from Roker Report journalist Andy Tomlinson who stated that the ex-Leeds man 'switched off' a couple of times in the game.

Dodds will need all of his players focused and ready for the mammoth task of upsetting Leeds on their own patch, with Aji Alese pushing for just his fourth Championship appearance of the season after impressing off the bench when replacing Hjelde last time out.

Aji Alese as Hjelde's replacement

Troubled with significant injury issues for the majority of this season, the former West Ham United youth product is very much in the reckoning for a start tonight after a standout cameo against the Robins.

From just 24 minutes of action, the injury-prone 23-year-old would win four duels and put in two tackles as a far more lively and energetic presence than Hjelde.

Putting pen to paper on a new long-term contract at the Stadium of Light recently too, Alese will just pray that his extensive layoffs in the Sunderland treatment room are over and done with and he can impress again in the first-team fold regularly.

Making 20 appearances in the second tier last season – with ex-Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray singling out the ex-Hammers defender as "amazing" when battling to be fit for a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at the start of last year – Alese will feel he can make that left-back spot his own again in the weeks to come if he can play a big role in Sunderland shocking Leeds at Elland Road tonight.

Sunderland will be very much expected to roll over for Leeds to return to winning ways, but with the twists and turns the Championship can offer up, the Black Cats could fancy unsettling the hosts further.

Sunderland star who made 6 key passes was better than Bellingham v Bristol

Sunderland were desperately unlucky to only draw versus Bristol City, with this star standing out.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 7, 2024

UAE were 23 runs behind the DLS par when a dust storm and rain put an end to their hopes

Sreshth Shah in Bloemfontein25-Jan-2020

Bryce Parsons and Luke Beaufort added 152 for the third wicket•Getty Images/ICC

Bryce Parsons and Luke Beaufort struck classy half-centuries but it was inclement weather that had the final word in South Africa’s game against United Arab Emirates. It ensured the hosts qualifed into the quarterfinals, winning by 23 runs via the DLS method in what was a must-win game for both sides.UAE were at 112 for 3 after 23.5 overs when a dust storm – and subsequently rain – stopped play at 4pm. The rain relented thereafter, but conditions didn’t improve enough for a restart, and the match was called off at 5.30pm, securing South Africa’s quarterfinal appointment against Bangladesh on January 30.Aware that the weather may play a role later in the day, UAE had begun their chase of 300 in blazing fashion, scoring 46 runs inside the first six overs, but they lost both openers within that period. No. 4 Ansh Tandon then fell in the tenth over, after which Jonathan Figy and Kai Smith put on an unbroken 45-run stand for the fourth wicket. Both batsmen were set and enjoying the pace on the ball, but then the weather got in the way.UAE captain Aryan Lakra felt the game was his team’s to be won, had it not been abandoned. He vowed to make an impression in the Plate League, where UAE now find themselves, fighting among the teams that finished in the bottom two of their groups.”Really heartbreaking for the team,” Lakra said at the post-match press conference. “We got pretty close. If it wasn’t for DLS, we had two set batters in the crease. If we had the full game, we had enough firepower to chase the total down.”South Africa’s innings, of 299 for 8, was set up by the 152-run third-wicket stand between Parsons and Beaufort, their third straight fifty-plus stand of the tournament. Parsons was the aggressor, scoring his 84 off 83 balls, and Beaufort dug in after his dismissal to finish with 85 off 104. South Africa were in a bit of trouble early on, losing openers Jonathan Bird (43) and Khaya Cotani in the 11th over, delivered by left-arm spinner Lakra, but the Parsons-Beaufort stand put them back on track. Fast bowler Sanchit Sharma, who removed both set batsmen, was the star of UAE’s bowling performance, finishing with 3 for 57.South Africa captain Parsons later said his team had learned a lot from their opening-game defeat to Afghanistan, especially with respect to batting against spin. He also looked forward to changing cities and move to Potchefstroom, which traditionally offers a faster surface.”We’ve got good memories at Potchefstroom and it’s now time to show the world what we can do,” Parsons said at his press conference. “We don’t know much about Bangladesh, so we need to focus on ourselves.”The UAE spinners were really good today, so we played them well. Although the quarterfinals will now force every team to reset, we just want to carry on with the momentum. [After the Afghanistan loss] both our next two games were must-wins, so nothing changes for us.”The boys have shown their character. We bounced back well after the first loss. The boys learned what mistakes they did against Afghanistan and practiced hard. We’ve shown in the last two games that we can play spin, get big scores, and we need to move away from that Afghanistan defeat.”South Africa’s quarterfinal against Bangladesh is scheduled for January 30, while UAE now play Scotland in the Plate League on January 27.

Moises Henriques will captain the side, which also features Usman Khawaja, against England Lions at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2020Will Pucovski and James Pattinson have been included in the Australia A squad to face England Lions in a day-night four-day game at the MCG from February 22 with Moises Henriques rewarded for his impressive domestic performances with the captaincy.Pucovski suffered another concussion playing for the Cricket Australia XI against the Lions on the Gold Coast on Sunday and was ruled out of the remainder of the three one-day games due to the quick turnaround between matches.Pattinson is the one player to have appeared in this summer’s Test side to be included in the A team. He played the last two Tests against New Zealand, at the MCG and SCG, following the hamstring injury suffered by Josh Hazlewood.Michael Neser, who was in every Test squad without making his debut, is included along with legspinner Mitchell Swepson who was called up for the Sydney Test and is expected to tour Bangladesh in June.Marcus Stoinis is handed some compensation for missing out on a recall for the limited-overs tour of South Africa with a chance to impress in the first-class arena while Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris, who have not played since the Ashes, are given encouragement that they remains in the selectors’ thoughts.Josh Inglis, the Western Australia and Perth Scorchers wicketkeeper, will take the gloves with Alex Carey involved in the South Africa tour.Henriques, who has led the Sydney Sixers to the final of the BBL, will captain the side in a season where he has averaged 56.62 for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. Last month, Tim Paine name-checked him among potential all-round options for the Test side but said he would need to bowl more having only sent down 20 overs in the Shield.Australia A squad Moises Henriques (capt), Jackson Bird, Marcus Harris, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Kurtis Patterson, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson

Aston Villa have been warned that losing Douglas Luiz this summer is a possibility as they look to comply with financial fair play regulations ahead of the new season.

Luiz helping Emery's Villa fly

Once seemingly Arsenal-bound, Luiz has reached new heights at Villa Park this season. Deployed with more attacking freedom under Unai Emery, the Brazilian has scored nine times and grabbed six assists in the Premier League, helping Villa push for a spot in next season's Champions League.

Aston Villa investigating how much "phenomenal" Lenglet heir will cost

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By
Dan Emery

Mar 5, 2024

With fifth place likely to be enough for qualification into Europe's elite competition next season, the Midlands outfit have an 11 point gap to sixth-placed Manchester United as things stand, and will be hoping that a strong end to the season will allow them to maintain and even extend that gap to Erik ten Hag's side.

Most goals from Premier League midfielders
Phil Foden	Manchester City	11
Cole Palmer	Chelsea	10
Douglas Luiz	Aston Villa	10
Kai Havertz	Arsenal	7
Scott McTominay	Man United	7

However, it has not been all rosy at Villa Park, with their latest financial reports suggesting that a lean summer may have to be in store unless they make the decision to part ways with some of their star men.

In their latest accounts, the club admitted that they had 'reported a loss for the year of £119.6m after tax', compared to a £0.3m profit last season, and this has inevitably led to concerns around financial fair play, which has already punished Everton once and could yet punish Nottingham Forest and the Toffees a second time for breaches.

It has led to speculation that sales could be necessary this summer should they wish to continue investing in the squad, and several names have already been linked with moves away.

Villa could be forced to cash in on Luiz

Perhaps the most concrete link is that of Luiz, who has previously been subject to interest from Arsenal and now is thought to be on the radar of Manchester City, where he spent two years before joining Villa (albeit mostly out on loan).

Luiz penned a new contract at Villa in October 2022 to ward off Arsenal interest, but will be down to the final two years of that deal come this summer and could be one that Villa look to cash in on. Alongside the Gunners, Football Insider report that City are 'ready' to bring Luiz back to the Etihad after he has 'improved significantly' during his time at Villa Park.

It would not go down well with the fans though. Sky Sports' Dan Bardell spoke to VillaNews about the potential departure, and the Villa fan admitted that it would be a 'heartbreaking' exit were it to happen, but that nothing can be ruled out due to financial fair play regulations.

He had three WhatsApp chats with a bookie – in November 2017, January 2018 and April 2018

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Oct-2019

Shakib Al Hasan’s world has come crumbling down.•Getty Images

Failure to report several approaches from Deepak Aggarwal, an alleged corruptor who was seeking inside information, is why Shakib, Bangladesh’s Test and T20I captain, was banned by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit on Tuesday.We don’t know yet why Shakib, the game’s premier allrounder (he is ranked third in Tests, first in ODIs and second in T20Is in the ICC’s player rankings), failed to report the approaches to the ACU, especially as he has previously reported corrupt approaches. But we do know a little about the conversations with Aggarwal that led to this sanction.November 2017According to information made public by the ICC, the first time Aggarwal got in touch with Shakib was in November 2017 during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where he was playing for Dhaka Dynamites. Shakib’s contact, the ICC said, was provided to Aggarwal by “another person” who was close to the player. Aggarwal had asked this unnamed person to “provide” him with contacts for players in the tournament.Over the course of several WhatsApp messages, Aggarwal tried to arrange a meeting with Shakib.January 2018Bangladesh hosted an ODI tri-series with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. On January 19, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka and Shakib was Man of the Match. Aggarwal “congratulated” Shakib on his performance and then followed it with a cryptic message that raised eyebrows at the ACU. “Mr Aggarwal followed this message with a message saying “do we work in this or I wait til the IPL”,” the ICC said in a statement. “The reference to in this message was a reference to him [Shakib] providing Inside Information to Mr Aggarwal.”Shakib didn’t report this approach either to the ACU, or to any other relevant authority.Four days later, Aggarwal sent another message, a more explicit one, to Shakib: “Bro anything in this series?” Once again, Shakib opted not to report the approach to the ACU or even the BCB.April 2018On April 26, during IPL 2018, Sunrisers Hyderabad – Shakib’s franchise – were playing a home match against Kings XI Punjab. Aggarwal messaged Shakib on the day of the match, and it was during this conversation that Shakib eventually said he wanted to meet Aggarwal.”He received a WhatsApp message from Mr Aggarwal that day asking him whether a particular player was going to be playing in the game that day, i.e. again asking for Inside Information,” the ICC statement said. “Mr Aggarwal continued this conversation with him by talking about bitcoins, dollar accounts and asked him for his dollar account details. During this conversation, he told Mr Aggarwal that he wanted to meet him .”Shakib admitted to the ACU later that he had deleted several other messages from this April 26 WhatsApp conversation. It was then that Shakib grew concerned. However, once again, he did not report the approach.”He confirmed that he had concerns over Mr Aggarwal, feeling he was a bit , and that, following their conversations, he had the feeling that Mr Aggarwal was a bookie,” the ICC statement said.The ACU officers interviewed Shakib in person in Bangladesh twice this year – on January 23 and then on August 27.Shakib readily accepted the charges.”During these interviews, Mr Al Hasan was cautioned that the answers and information provided by him could be used as evidence to support a charge or charges in relation to a breach of the Code, if they revealed that Mr Al Hasan might have breached the Code, either by acting corruptly himself or by failing to report corrupt approaches or corrupt actions by others. After receiving these cautions, Mr Al Hasan admitted various failures to report approaches made to him to provide Inside Information to Mr Aggarwal.”

The 2021/22 season will live long in the memory of Nottingham Forest fans as the club ended their 23-year exile from the Premier League after beating Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley.

Steve Cooper led the club to top-flight glory after taking over from Chris Hughton after the former Brighton boss was sacked following six defeats and one draw in the opening seven Championship encounters.

In a season that looked destined for failure, Cooper changed the Reds' fortunes by taking the club from the bottom of the table to play-off winners in just eight months – a truly remarkable feat.

The game itself at Wembley was one of little quality, with the only goal coming courtesy of an own goal from Chelsea loan Levi Colwill.

However, Huddersfield did have two penalties waved away by referee John Moss and VAR, with the outcome of the game unknown, had those decisions fallen in the favour of the Terriers.

Today we take a trip back to the summer of 2022 and take a look at what Forest's potential line-up in the Championship could have looked like had they fallen to a defeat at Wembley.

1

GK – Ethan Horvath

The USMNT goalkeeper joined the Reds on a free transfer from Belgian side Club Brugge in the summer of 2021, after falling behind experienced 'keeper Simon Mignolet.

Ethan Horvath made 11 appearances for the club during the 2021/22 season, including a late substitution for Brice Samba, who limped off with injury during the final moments.

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Tom Lever

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The Frenchman would've left the City Ground during the summer of 2022 regardless of the outcome, with the former Caen shot-stopper wanting a return to his homeland. His heroics in the play-off semi-final allowed the Reds to reach Wembley after saving three penalties against Sheffield United at the City Ground.

Despite a couple of mistakes, the goalkeeper had a couple of promising displays during the regular season – enough to warrant a run as first choice had Forest not won promotion.

2

RB – Ethan Laird

A player that certainly would've been of use to Steve Cooper in the Championship is Ethan Laird. The defender, who was at Manchester United at the time, enjoyed a successful loan stint at Swansea City during the 2021/22 campaign.

With Djed Spence unlikely to return to the City Ground after his loan from fellow Championship side Middlesbrough, the Reds would've needed a new right-back, with Laird's energetic style fitting Cooper's style in a five-back system.

Cooper's track record of developing youngsters is well-known after his time with England U17s. A loan spell to the Reds would've potentially benefitted his then-parent club, with the youngster getting regular minutes in England's second tier.

3

CB – Joe Worrall

A player who knows what it means to play for Forest is boyhood fan Joe Worrall. The central defender rapidly progressed at the club under Cooper, with Worrall quickly becoming one of the most consistent defenders in the division.

He formed a brilliant partnership with two other centre-backs towards the tail end of the 2021/22 campaign, with the trio more than capable of continuing that had the club not gained promotion.

4

CB – Steve Cook

After his January arrival from fellow promotion contenders Bournemouth, Steve Cook brought in needed experience to what was a relatively young Forest side.

The then 30-year-old made his debut against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup, with the defender making an instant impact and showcasing what he could offer to the Reds.

Had Forest not gained promotion, he would've played a key role in mounting another promotion push under Cooper for the 2022/23 Championship campaign.

5

CB – Scott McKenna

After joining the club for £3m from Aberdeen during the summer of 2020, Scott McKenna became a real hit among Forest fans for his no-nonsense aerial presence but also his ability with the ball at his feet.

McKenna was the final part in a very settled back three alongside Worrall and Cook that would easily have been one of the best centre-back partnerships in the Championship had the club remained in the second tier.

6

LB – Ryan Manning

A player that Reds boss Cooper knew well from his time at Swansea City was left-back Ryan Manning. The Irish left-back was entering his final year at the Welsh outfit and with Max Lowe unlikely to return with Sheffield United also in the Championship, the defender would've been a good fit for the Reds.

His energetic and workmanlike style would've suited Cooper's wing-back system, with the defender also capable of going forward with his excellent crossing abilities.

7

CM – Ryan Yates

Although Ryan Yates might not be the most technical footballer, he does offer a hard-working and committed display every time he crosses that white line.

He produced some of his best performances for the club in the Championship, with his style of play more suited to the second tier than the Premier League.

If the 2021/22 season was anything to go by, the midfielder would've been brilliant with another campaign under Cooper in the Championship.

8

CM – Jack Colback

Jack Colback was a player who always produced at least a 7/10 performance for the Reds during the 2021/22 season, with the former Newcastle United man often being deployed at left-back rather than his usual central midfield role.

His consistent displays across the field were a huge factor in the Reds reaching the play-off final, with his experience a real key on the pitch and in the dressing room under Cooper.

9

CAM – Philip Zinckernagel

One of the two loanees that would've returned to the Reds had they failed to gain promotion was attacking midfielder Philip Zinckernagel.

The Danish wizard was on loan from Watford during the 2021/22 campaign, where he registered six goals and seven assists in 42 league appearances.

His goal contributions were a huge factor in Forest getting as far as they did, with Zinckernagel impressing with his attacking and defensive displays during his stint on Trentside.

10

ST – Keinan Davis

A player that raised eyebrows upon his arrival was Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis. His less-than-impressive goal record for the Villans disappointed Forest fans, but Cooper managed to turn the forward into an all-round threat during his six-month loan spell.

He flourished under Cooper, scoring five times in 15 appearances – but it was his hold-up play and powerful runs that attracted the eye to the striker who would've benefitted from another season under the Reds boss in the Championship.

رغم النتائج الجيدة للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول وتصدرهم لجدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز قبل التوقف الدولي الحالي.

إلا أن الإصابات قد تقلب الأمور رأسًا على عقب خاصة عندما تتعلق بمركز مهم مثل حراسة المرمى واللاعب، أليسون بيكر، الذي أجبر على الخروج من مباراة كريستال بالاس الماضية.

وبحسب شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية أن ليفربول يواجه احتمال عدم مشاركة أليسون حتى نهاية نوفمبر المقبل بعد أن خضع لفحوصات طبية ونتج عنها التأكد من إصابة الحارس في أوتار الركبة.

يحتاج أليسون بيكر إلى الراحة والدخول في برنامج علاجي وهو ما قد يجعله يغيب عن 9 مباريات مقبلة أهمها أمام تشيلسي، آرسنال ومواجهتين ضد برايتون.

وبالطبع، سيكون غياب الحارس البرازيلي الدولي ضربة قوية للمدرب، آرني سلوت، الذي سيضطر للدفع بالبديل، كاويمين كيليهير.

اقرأ أيضًا | بتمويل مصري.. نادِ أمريكي يصارع الدوري السعودي على ضم محمد صلاح

المباريات التي سيغيب عنها أليسون مع ليفربول

تشيلسي – الدوري الإنجليزي – 20 أكتوبر.

لايبزيج – دوري أبطال أوروبا – 23 أكتوبر.

آرسنال – الدوري الإنجليزي – 27 أكتوبر.

برايتون – كأس الرابطة – 30 أكتوبر.

برايتون – الدوري الإنجليزي – 2 نوفمبر.

باير ليفركوزن – دوري أبطال أوروبا – 5 نوفمبر.

أستون فيلا – الدوري الإنجليزي – 9 نوفمبر.

ساوثهامبتون – الدوري الإنجليزي – 24 نوفمبر.

ريال مدريد – دوري أبطال أوروبا – 27 نوفمبر (غير مؤكد)

Tottenham Hotspur extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches with a dramatic 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

A stoppage-time winner from Brennan Johnson, who tapped in at the back post from Heung-min Son's excellent cross, secured all three points for Spurs.

Ange Postecoglou has enjoyed an impressive first season with the club so far, with his side currently sitting fourth in the top-flight, and player development has been one of his big strengths.

A number of Tottenham stars have taken a leap forward this term under his management, including the likes of Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski, who have both improved upon their returns at the top end of the pitch in comparison to the 2022/23 campaign.

Whilst Kulusevski has caught the eye with better performances this season, Spurs may still be kicking themselves as they fumbled their own homegrown version of the Sweden international many years ago.

Tottenham decided to part ways with young winger Marcus Edwards in the summer of 2019 as the talented gem joined Portuguese side Vitoria for an undisclosed fee, although it is listed as a free transfer by Transfermarkt.

How Marcus Edwards is similar to Dejan Kulusevski

Like Postecoglou's current forward, the former Spurs academy prospect is a left-footed attacker who is predominantly deployed on the right flank.

He likes to dribble and cut inside onto his stronger foot from the right wing to cause constant problems for opposition defences as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

WhoScored lists key passes (chances created) as Edwards' biggest strength, which they also have as Kulusevski's biggest strength, based on their respective statistics over the last two seasons.

The stat-led website also describes the English winger's style of play by stating that he likes to dribble, likes to play short passes, and is a counter attack threat.

Meanwhile, WhoScored describes Kulusevski's style of play by stating that he likes to dribble, likes to play short passes, and commits fouls often.

This suggests that they both have a similar style in terms of what they like to do with the ball at their feet, to go along with both being left-footed right wingers.

Therefore, Tottenham already had a player with a similar profile to the Sweden international and decided to cash in on him before they ended up swooping for the Juventus attacker later on.

Kulusevski's Spurs career in numbers

Spurs initially signed the talented whiz on an 18-month loan deal from the Italian giants in January 2022, which was then made permanent for a reported fee of £25m in the summer of 2023.

Kulusevski caught the eye in his first six months on loan with the club as he hit the ground running in the Premier League with a string of impressive displays.

The left-footed maestro racked up five goals and eight assists in 18 appearances, which included 14 starts, in the top-flight during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

However, the Swedish ace did not kick on from that superb start to life in England as he only managed two goals and seven assists in 30 Premier League outings in the 2022/23 season.

Four fewer goals and assists combined in 12 more appearances in comparison to his first campaign with the club was a disappointing return for the attacker.

However, the 23-year-old has thrived under Postecoglou this season and appears to be back at his best at the top end of the pitch for Tottenham.

Kulusevski has produced five goals, two assists, and eight 'big chances' created in 22 appearances. He has provided his teammates with 4.86 xA worth of chances, which suggests that they have massively let him down in front of goal, given that the winger only has two assists to his name so far.

The Sweden international has been a threat to opposition defences as both a scorer and a creator, as shown by the statistics, above, but Sprus already had their own version of Kulusevski in their academy and fumbled him, which may make the £25m spent on the Juventus wizard look wasted with the benefit of hindsight.

Marcus Edwards' impressive progression

After Edwards made just one first-team appearance for Spurs, having emerged through the academy set-up, the tricky winger has gone on to forge an impressive career for himself in Portugal.

The 25-year-old magician produced 20 goals and 14 assists in 96 appearances for Vitoria and that convinced Sporting to snap him up in January 2022, which was the same window in which Tottenham signed Kulusevski on loan from Juventus.

Since his big move to Lisbon, the former England U20 international, who was hailed as a "joy to watch" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has consistently proven himself to be a big threat in the final third with his ability as a scorer and a creator of goals.

Last season, the 5 foot 6 dynamo scored seven goals and assisted five in 33 league matches for Sporting. However, he created a whopping 15 'big chances' for his teammates, which suggests that his fellow attackers let him down in front of goal.

To date, Edwards has fired in 21 goals and assisted 23 in 95 outings for Sporting in all competitions, which is a return of a goal or an assist every 2.16 matches on average.

Whereas, Kulusevski has racked up 12 goals and 18 assists in 82 games for Tottenham, during his time on loan and as a permanent player, which is a direct goal contribution every 2.73 clashes on average.

Appearances

22

17

Goals

Five

Four

Big chances created

Eight

11

xA

4.86

4.84

Assists

Two

Three

Key passes per game

2.1

2.6

As you can see in the table above, Edwards has provided a greater threat at the top end of the pitch in his respective league this season, with more goals, big chances created, xA, and assists per game on average.

These statistics suggest that the former Spurs whiz had the quality to offer more than Kulusevski on the right flank for the club had they persisted with him and helped the young gem to fulfill his potential in North London.

Of course, this is all with the benefit of hindsight and there is no telling how his progression would have gone had they loaned him out more and then tried to integrate him into the first-team.

However, it does appear to be one that slipped from their grasp and caused them to possibly waste £25m on Kulusevski, given that they could have had a similar player, both in style and quality, in Edwards.

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