Tottenham Hotspur journalist Charlie Eccleshare noted that Rodrigo Bentancur endured a ‘tough’ spell in the first half of the Premier League clash with Manchester United on Saturday.
The lowdown
Bentancur made his fifth start for Antonio Conte’s side since his January move from Juventus.
He partnered Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in central midfield in the Italian’s 3-4-3 shape.
The two sides, who no doubt have equal aspirations of finishing in the top four, looked to be edging towards a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford as Spurs twice came from behind, but Cristiano Ronaldo wrapped up his hat-trick with a thumping header late on.
The latest
Eccleshare, Spurs correspondent for The Athletic, wrote on Twitter that Bentancur had been ‘absolutely done’ by Paul Pogba’s ‘drop of the shoulder’ in one passage of play, and also noted that United midfielder Fred outwitted £22.5million-rated Bentancur in the build-up to Ronaldo’s long-range opener.
The verdict
It was a mixed evening for Bentancur, as reflected by his SofaScore rating of 7.1/10.
On the ball, he performed well, completing 59 out of 64 passes to notch an accuracy of 92%, and he made those passes count, creating three chances (including one big chance).
However, as you might assume from Eccleshare’s comments, it’s off the ball where an improvement is required.
The 24-year-old won barely over 50 per cent of his duels and was dribbled past twice.
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By contrast, partner Hojbjerg prevailed in eight out of ten duels, whilst still maintaining a 90% passing accuracy.
In other news, an Italian source has dropped a big update on Dybala.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have gone under the radar when it comes to astute signings in recent times.
It’s easy to overlook the fact that their last five arrivals, including loans, have all been signed for under £10m. It’s even more impressive that four of those are consistent first-team players, with Yerson Mosquera the only exception, although he has made one appearance for Bruno Lage’s first-team and would surely have more were it not for a long-term hamstring injury.
Nevertheless, their business over the past year has been nothing short of sensational, especially in today’s market, which is why it comes as even more of a shock that Wolves once failed to acquire the permanent signing of Emiliano Martinez, who is now a Premier League regular elsewhere in the Midlands at Aston Villa.
Back in the 2015/16 season, the Argentine played for the Old Gold amid a loop of loan moves and fringe appearances, although his initial opening months at Wolverhampton Wanderers sought to end that pattern.
In 2015, Martinez made 13 appearances for Wolves in the Championship and despite only keeping four clean sheets, he conjured up a rather impressive 71% save percentage. For context, in his breakout season for Aston Villa in 2020/21, his save percentage was 77%, so for that time in his career it was a very impressive metric.
Ultimately it was the thigh injury that kept him out of contention for several months which cost both Martinez and Wolves the chance to work together long-term.
On one hand, you can understand the caution that Wolves expressed, as the ‘keeper was unable to regain his starting place after the injury. However, with the underlying stats that he displayed throughout those 13 appearances for the Old Gold, it remains a mystery as to why Martinez was never given the chance to win back his place between the sticks.
Despite finding a gem in former Olympiacos ‘keeper José Sá, the reluctance to sign a goalkeeper dubbed by Dan Rolinson as “unreal” and who would go on to earn the highest of plaudits from Lionel Messi must serve as one of the biggest transfer regrets at Molineux.
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To rub salt in the wounds of the Wolves pack, the 29-year-old who has shone for club and country is now worth £28.8m in today’s market. Had the Old Gold pounced for a permanent deal six years ago, they may have got him for as little as £1.35m judging by his Transfermarkt valuation at the time, instead of leaving him return to his then-parent club Arsenal for nothing.
In other news – Lage could finally unearth Wolves’ new Diogo Jota in “unpredictable” £33m creator
Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend was their first in the Premier League since the middle of December – when they lost three on the spin against difficult opposition in Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Their excellent run of form that has steered them away at least temporarily from relegation trouble is a testament to Eddie Howe’s revitalising impact he’s had on Tyneside – getting the best out of the players he already had at his disposal, as well as making some smart signings in January.
Even without Allan Saint-Maximin, who suffered a knock and then missed a further game through illness, Newcastle still managed to win seven points out of nine available during his absence – proving that they aren’t so reliant on him anymore.
With that being said, the Frenchman could catch Frank Lampard’s Everton side out tonight – as the Toffees will likely have done preparation on a number of other players who have stepped up in place of the 25-year-old – who now has a huge workload lifted off his back, and can play with a little less pressure on his shoulders.
Having made eight goal contributions in 25 Premier League appearances so far this season, Saint-Maximin only has two in his last ten, and fans would be forgiven if they were beginning to worry that he was burning out – but his time out of the team could be exactly what he needed to return to his best – and against an out-of-form Everton team, he has the perfect opportunity to do so.
After all, in the words of Kieran Trippier, he is a player who “will reach” the standard required to win the Ballon d’Or, something the right-back admits is one of the attacker’s main goals in life.
Valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, the £93k-per-week winger has established himself as one of the most exciting talents in Europe since joining the North-East club.
He ranks in the top 2% among players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for carries into the final third per 90 (3.01), top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.97), but most impressively, ranking as the number one winger for dribbles completed per 90 (4.79).
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With his opponents today all out of sorts and completely disorganised, conceding 12 goals in their last six games in the league, Saint-Maximin could just remind everyone why he is one of the most talked about Premier League talents, and why the likes of Gary Neville have labelled him “breathtaking”.
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West Ham have been fairly consistent when it comes to spending big money on new players during the transfer windows over the past few years such as Kurt Zouma, Nikola Vlasic and Sebastien Haller among others.
However, as tends to be the case with most clubs, not every transfer deal ends up being worth the time, effort or money it took to complete.
One prime example of this at the east London club is the deal West Ham secured for Brazilian winger Felipe Anderson.
Signed in the 2018 summer transfer window from Italian club Lazio for a then club-record fee of £36m, the attacker made 73 appearances for the Hammers across all competitions but could only score 12 times and provide 13 assists, meaning he cost the club £3m-per-goal from the transfer fee they shelled out for him.
In October 2020, the 28-year-old joined Porto on loan but only made ten appearances with no goals scored before returning to the London Stadium in June last year.
Not long after that, the east London club decided to bring Anderson’s time as a West Ham player to an end by selling him back to Lazio for a reported fee of just €3m (£2.52m).
With 38 appearances under his belt across all competitions this season, the winger, who’s picking up a weekly wage of £85k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has scored six goals and provided seven assists in the process, meaning he could realistically equal the goal contributions tally he had for West Ham in just one season back with Lazio.
In December 2019, Transfermarkt rated the Brazilian’s market value at £40.5m, the highest it has ever been throughout his career, whereas it now stands at just £9m, presumably as a result of his disappointing spell in England and on loan with Porto.
Having been slammed by former Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson for his “really poor” performances in a Hammers shirt, Anderson “couldn’t cut it” at the club according to Ben Foster, which is hard to dispute.
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Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that GSB had a nightmare when they gave the green light on what was then a club-record transfer deal for their club.
In other news: Moyes can finally axe £61k-p/w WHU dud with swoop for “outstanding” 25 y/o “leader” – opinion
It will be interesting to see which players Glasgow Rangers look to move on from when the January transfer window opens in less than two weeks.
Clinton Nsiala felt like a player who was primed for a move away from Ibrox, as he had not played a single minute in any competition before their clash with Hibernian, but he won 100% of his duels in 30 minutes off the bench on Monday, per Sofascore.
It now remains to be seen whether or not the former AC Milan central defender will get more opportunities to impress Danny Rohl in the Scottish Premiership, or if he will be moved on next month.
One player who does look likely to move on from the Scottish giants in January, despite there being no current rumours around his future at the club,
Why Rabbi Matondo could leave Rangers in January
The Wales international returned to training with the Gers in the middle of November and the Daily Record suggested that he could be given a chance under Rohl, having been injured for the duration of Russell Martin’s tenure.
However, one month later, Matondo has yet to play a single minute or even make a single matchday squad for Rangers in the 2025/26 campaign, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he is firmly out of the first-team picture.
Since joining from Schalke in the summer of 2022, the Welsh attacker has scored eight goals and provided 11 assists in 67 appearances for the Light Blues, per Transfermarkt, which is a decent, but unremarkable, return in the final third.
Decent but unremarkable ultimately sums up his time on the pitch with the Gers, and his lack of minutes this season suggests that he may not get a chance to change that narrative before a potential move in January.
The Rangers player who could be the next Rabbi Matondo
Unfortunately, there is another Rangers forward, signed in the summer, who may be on his way to becoming the new Matondo at Ibrox this season.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The Light Blues signed Djeidi Gassama from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m in the summer transfer window, but he has failed to convince after a bright start to life in Glasgow.
He scored four goals in six Champions League qualifiers, per Transfermarkt, at the start of his career with the club, and looked set to be a big start at Ibrox.
However, the French forward has only produced two goals and one assist in 24 appearances in every other competition combined this season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that his European form was nothing more than a flash in the pan.
Earlier this month, writer and Rangers fan Kai Watson claimed that Gassama is offering “absolutely no output recently”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment.
The 22-year-old flop has produced one goal and no assists in his last 13 appearances in all competitions, per Sofascore, with no goals or assists in his last seven outings on the wing for the Scottish giants.
Remarkably, Matondo even contributed more at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership in his six appearances for Philippe Clement last season before being sent out on loan to Hannover for the second half of the campaign.
Premiership
Gassama (25/26)
Matondo (24/25)
Appearances
16
6
Goals
1
2
Big chances missed
3
3
Big chances created
2
2
Assists
1
2
Successful dribbles per game
2.1
1.3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Wales international was directly involved in four goals in six matches last term, whilst Gassama has mustered up only two goal contributions in 16 league games so far.
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These statistics illustrate how underwhelming the former Sheffield Wednesday man has been in the final third since his impressive start to life at Rangers in the Champions League qualifiers, as he has been even less impressive than Matondo at Premiership level.
That is why he is in danger of his overall career at Rangers following Matondo’s, as he could end up being another average winger who fails to establish himself as a real star at Ibrox.
Unless Gassama can turn his form around and prove that he can deliver goals and assists on a consistent basis in the Premiership, the Frenchman may also find himself in Matondo’s current position in the future, as a player who is not in the first-team plans and may have to look for a transfer away from Ibrox.
Rangers star was a huge flop under Martin, now he's a bigger hit than Miovski
This Glasgow Rangers star who struggled under Russell Martin now looks like a bigger hit than Bojan Miovski.
Arsenal have now suffered an injury blow, with an important player, who Mikel Arteta recently called “tremendous”, set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines.
Gunners struggling on the injury front
The Gunners remain top of the Premier League table, but the sheer number of injuries they’ve had to deal with could hamper their ambitions of winning the title, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Vikor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and William Saliba already spending time on the treatment table this season.
When asked whether overtraining is the explanation for why so many players have been injured, however, Arteta said: “No, because we don’t have time to train.
“Today we’ve done 20 minutes, so surely it’s not because we over-trained the players.
“But obviously when you are missing players, you are loading other players and there is a consequence to that, and it’s a really dangerous circle.”
The manager may need to work out the root cause of the issue sooner rather than later, considering another important player recently sustained an injury, namely Ben White, with the defender being withdrawn in the first half in the 2-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There has now been a new update on White’s injury, with a report from The Sun revealing he will be sidelined for at least one month, having sustained a hamstring injury in the narrow victory against the Old Gold.
With Cristhian Mosquera already out due to an ankle problem, and Gabriel still not returning to training after suffering a thigh issue, the latest news is a real blow for Arteta, heading into a busy period, with four games penciled in before 2026.
The £50m defender has struggled with persistent injury problems since last season, and the latest issue means Jurrien Timber is set to be given the nod at right-back against Everton on Saturday.
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1 ByDominic Lund Arteta will be frustrated to lose "tremendous" White
The Gunners have already had to make do without Saliba and Gabriel at times this season, which will have been disappointing for Arteta, considering the duo are regarded as two of the best defenders in the Premier League.
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White perhaps isn’t quite at that level, having spent the majority of the current campaign on the bench, but the Arsenal boss recently suggested he was starting to show glimpses of his former self, saying: “I’m very happy that we have him back in the best version of himself as well. And we’re going to need him because he’s a tremendous player.”
The Englishman was particularly impressive in the 2-0 victory against Brentford, assisting Mikel Merino’s opening goal and making six tackles in the 2-0 victory.
The 28-year-old is a great asset to Arteta due to his versatility, with the former Brighton man able to slot in at right-back and centre-back, so it is incredibly frustrating to lose him heading into the busy festive period.
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has cooled any talk of a move for Tottenham star Niko Kranjcar Sky Sports reports.
It’s been suggested that the Croatian was on Bruce’s hit list after he recently confirmed his admiration for the midfielder.
His agent Adrian Aljai suggested earlier this week that a deal between the two clubs could be imminent but the Black Cats boss has poured cold water on that.
“I don’t know where that’s come from.” Bruce told Sky Sports.
“As I have said repeatedly now for a couple of weeks, I am very, very pleased with what we have done and if we don’t do another thing, I will be delighted with what we have done.
He added: “I don’t know where the Kranjcar thing came from. I have seen quotes from his agent – certainly, I have not spoken to Kranjcar’s agent, so I don’t really know where that has come from.”
Bruce has bolstered his squad extensively this summer with 10 new faces moving to the Stadium of Light and it now seems Kranjcar won’t be making the move North.
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He is surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane after starting just two Premier League games last season.
Manager Harry Redknapp is looking to raise funds for new recruits meaning the Croatians time in North London looks numbered.
Jack Otway of The Daily Express has name-checked Ronald Koeman as a possible candidate to take over the managerial reins at Leeds United.
The Lowdown: Three known targets…
It seems as if Marcelo Bielsa’s time in charge at Elland Road will come to an end after a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.
Reports earlier this month suggested that the Whites are already identifying candidates to replace the Argentine in the summer, including Jesse Marsch, Ernesto Valverde and Carlos Corberan.
The former now looks likely to come in for Bielsa with 12 games to go, with Fabrizio Romano believing that an agreement with the 48-year-old is in the ‘final stages’.
The Latest: Koeman touted as potential Leeds candidate
Otway shared a story on The Daily Express on ‘Leeds board’s top four candidates to replace Bielsa’.
The first three were the already-linked Valverde, Marsch and Corberan, with Koeman the fourth and final inclusion in the report. The journalist admitted that a swoop for the Dutchman is ‘unlikely’ but labelled him ‘worthy of consideration’.
The Verdict: Avoid
Koeman has experience in the Premier League, but his last stint in the division with Everton didn’t exactly go to plan. He won just 19 of his 47 games in charge at Goodison Park before being sacked back in 2017.
Since then, he has continued to struggle at club level and was sacked as Barcelona boss earlier this season when they were ninth in La Liga.
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Whoever Leeds bring in will have a hard act to follow after Bielsa, but following his recent spells at club level, Koeman could be one potential candidate to avoid.
In other news: ‘I’m told’ – Phil Hay drops hint of possible return date for injured Leeds duo
Making a promising claim, Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ John Wenham has shared what Ledley King has told him about youngster Malachi Fagan-Walcott as the Lilywhites enter advanced talks over a new deal for the player.
The Lowdown: Tottenham edge close to ‘breakthrough’…
As per Football Insider, lifting the lid on a major Monday development, Spurs are now in advanced talks over a new deal for Fagan-Walcott.
Indeed, as reported by the outlet, Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici is edging closer to a ‘breakthrough’ in talks to tie down the defender.
Fagan-Walcott, it is claimed, is nearer to penning an extension at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Wenham now sharing what he’s been told about the 19-year-old from King.
The Latest: Wenham makes promising claim…
Speaking to Football Insider, the Spurs source says Spurs rate the teenager ‘very highly’ and King ‘made it clear’ he sees ‘a lot of potential’ in Malachi-Walcott.
“He was out at Dundee last year but he got injured very early on in that loan spell,” Wenham said.
“As I say, this season has been a total stagnation of his development and hopefully if he signs this deal that means he can go out on loan for the full season next year.
“I had the pleasure of interviewing Ledley King a few weeks ago and I asked him about our young defenders.
“He made it clear to me that he really rates Malachi and he’s one he sees a lot of potential in him.
“He has made his first-team debut as well in the Champions League under Mourinho.
“The club rate him very highly.”
The Verdict: Another eye-catching talent…
Amid the plethora of youngsters already at Tottenham, with the likes of Dane Scarlett, Oliver Skipp and Ryan Sessegnon springing to mind, news of Spurs nurturing yet another young talent will come as promising.
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As the Lilywhites plan to tie down yet more big prospects in the academy as these advanced talks emerge, it will certainly be interesting to how Fagan-Walcott could evolve in the next few years.
In other news: Conte green-lights move for new top target as Spurs hierarchy pressured to seal deal, find out more here.
James Hunter has been left unhappy with the decision by Sunderland to sign Jermain Defoe after he announced his retirement from professional football.
The Lowdown: Defoe retires
As confirmed by the official website of the Stadium of Light faithful, Defoe has retired from professional football with immediate effect.
The striker returned to the Wearside club in the January transfer window on a short-term deal, but has now called it quits for good after just a couple of months.
The former England international draws the curtain on a glittering career in which he racked up 306 goals for club and country.
The Latest: Hunter reacts
Taking to Twitter, The Chronicle journalist Hunter has now slammed the decision to re-sign Defoe, and claims that he should have seen out the remainder of his contract:
“Safc fans will always have a lot of affection for Defoe following his first spell here, for obvious reasons.
“But club’s decision to re-sign him in January was mystifying – a really bad call.
“Timing of retirement also disappointing, should have honoured contract until end of season.”
The Verdict: Harsh
Hunter’s reaction to the news seems very harsh, given how much Defoe has already given to the club.
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He scored 37 goals in 93 matches over all competitions across three campaigns in his first spell (Transfermarkt), including a memorable winner against rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League in 2015.
Given the long-term injury for Everton loanee Nathan Broadhead, the Black Cats could have done with another forward option, and Defoe seemed like the perfect man to fill in that role at the time, so it’s hard to begrudge either the club or player for agreeing the short-term deal.
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