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Arsenal are now in the race to sign a “spectacular” £85m forward who’s been likened to Gabriel Martinelli, but there is set to be competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Gunners set sights on new winger

With the summer transfer window edging ever closer, it is becoming clear that Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his attacking options this summer, and a top-level striker is believed to be of particular interest.

RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku are all on the shortlist, with the latter player also capable of playing out wide, which is another area in which Arteta is looking to strengthen.

The Gunners have set their sights on two wingers who have been impressing in La Liga this season, namely Barcelona’s Raphinha and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, but there has now been a suggestion they may also take a risk on an up-and-coming Serie A star.

Talks held: Arsenal open negotiations to sign "amazing" 20 y/o wonderkid

The Gunners have set their sights on a defender, who they have followed for years.

ByDominic Lund Apr 27, 2025

According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now in the race to sign Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, but a deal will not be cheap, as the Serie A side are looking to hold out for a fee of €100m (£85m), given their determination to keep hold of the youngster.

There may also be fierce competition for Yildiz’s signature, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea also being named as potential suitors, which could make it difficult to get a deal over the line.

The 19-year-old is touted as a potential replacement for Gabriel Martinelli, given the Brazilian’s inconsistent form this season, and there are signs the Juventus starlet could be a like-for-like replacement.

"Spectacular" Yildiz compared to Martinelli

Martinelli may have been inconsistent this season, but the winger has still put in some top-quality performances, recently scoring in the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over Real Madrid to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

As such, it is a good sign that Yildiz has been compared to the 23-year-old by football scout Ben Mattinson, who said: “See a lot of similarities between Yıldız & Martinelli, not entirely the same but their finishing and dribbling style is similar.”

The Turkey international is enjoying an impressive campaign with Juventus, picking up eight goals and five assists, and he has previously received high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who lauded the starlet’s “high on-the-ball bravery to make spectacular solo runs”.

Yildiz clearly has a very bright future ahead of him, but there are doubts over whether his performances up to this point justify a £85m outlay, and with the youngster contracted until 2029, it may be very difficult to prise him away from Juventus.

As PIF get ready to truly flex their financial muscles for the first time since their arrival, Newcastle United are now reportedly in pole position to sign another attacking addition after Antonio Cordero.

Newcastle set to sign Cordero

Already getting what could be a busy summer of business underway, Newcastle are now reportedly set to complete the signing of Cordero from Malaga – fending off interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid. The talented young winger chose to complete a move to St James’ Park over the two Spanish giants, highlighting just how far the Magpies have come in recent years.

They’re not done there, however, with reports coming thick and fast over further potential reinforcements in the coming months which includes links surrounding Luis Henrique and Facundo Medina.

The former would be a particularly interesting signing after the season that he’s had at Marseille. Whilst Rayan Cherki has stolen the spotlight at times, Henrique has quietly gone about his business and scored nine goals on top of his eight assists in all competitions.

Related What Newcastle are now doing in busy race to sign 7-goal gem after Cordero

He’s a future star…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Apr 15, 2025

Seemingly doing enough to earn a place on Newcastle’s radar, the Brazilian is certainly one to watch in the coming months. Attack certainly looks to be the focus for those at St James’ Park this summer, given that they’re already set to sign Cordero and links are already emerging with the likes of Henrique.

It’s a focus which has also seen Newcastle turn their attention towards a Premier League rival too, and one who would offer Eddie Howe an instant upgrade within his frontline.

Newcastle leading race to sign Mbuemo

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Newcastle are now in pole position to sign Bryan Mbeumo this summer in a deal worth as much as £50m. The Bees have reportedly accepted the winger’s inevitable exit with a number of sides now lining up to secure what would be one of the most impressive Premier League signings of the summer.

Speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey revealed: “There’s a quiet acceptance at Brentford that he’s the next one out. Do they let Wissa and Mbeumo out? It’s possible this summer.

“I think Brentford have stagnated a bit, to say they’ve had a disappointing season would be a little bit harsh, but they have plateaued and I do expect Mbeumo to go this summer.

“There’s an awful lot of interest in him; are Newcastle furthest ahead in that interest? I think there’s a case they are at this point, but we know Arsenal have looked at him, and I think for Liverpool, if Salah had left, Mbeumo would have been an option there.”

Dubbed “unplayable” by Brentford boss Thomas Frank in December, the interest in Mbeumo should come as no surprise and he’s someone that Newcastle should be going all out for in the coming months.

With Matheus Cunha likely to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, those in the Midlands have reportedly made their first move to sign an attacking addition in what would be a shock deal.

Cunha fuels Wolves exit rumours

When Cunha put pen to paper on a new deal at Molineux back in January, there may have been some initial hope that he would stay put once more when the summer transfer window arrives. A closer look at that new deal quickly revealed a release clause reportedly worth around £63m, however, and the speculation has been coming thick and fast ever since.

Wolves now ready to accept loss and sell player in £25m Molineux exit

It could be their last chance to receive a high fee.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 3, 2025

As if a departure didn’t seem inevitable enough, the forward only added fuel to the fire with his recent comments, saying: “I had a lot of offers but I wouldn’t feel well if I had done it. Some things you can’t control but I couldn’t leave the club in the middle of the season, in a difficult situation, in the relegation zone.

“Now, we’re close to achieving our goal [of staying up]. But I’ve made it clear that I need to take the next step. I want to fight for titles, for big things. I have potential.”

Whilst he has since added further clarity to his comments, claiming that he wants to take Wolves to that next level, it’s fair to say that Cunha far from helped put out the fire that is likely to be an ongoing transfer saga.

Amid reported interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, the time will come when the Wolves star has a decision to make over his future. And unlike in January, that decision could result in a departure away from Molineux.

It’s then that Wolves will need to seek an instant replacement, which could yet see them land one of the most surprising deals of the summer transfer window.

Wolves express interest in signing Sancho

If Wolves are to replace Cunha then they must turn towards a big name and Jadon Sancho is certainly that. According to Football Transfers, Wolves have now expressed their interest in signing Sancho from Manchester United or, indeed, Chelsea is they decide to reluctantly keep hold of their obligation to buy the struggling winger.

Once a player worth £73m when he swapped Borussia Dortmund for Manchester United, Sancho now represents a risky that Wolves must take their time to consider. Sancho failed at a place that many have done in recent years in Old Trafford, but whether the same excuse can be afforded during his Chelsea spell is still up for debate.

Wolves can’t afford to get things wrong when replacing Cunha, either. They must ask the question whether Vitor Pereira will be the manager to finally get the best out of Sancho again. And if the answer is a resounding no, then they must avoid making the same transfer mistake that United and Chelsea made in recent years.

Despite being described as “special” by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca in October, Sancho has since struggled to make his mark at Stamford Bridge and a summer switch to Wolves may not result in a turnaround in form.

He did it on Thursday. He did it on Friday too. This time he got to triple digits with shots all around the park, and celebrated in style after what’s been a tough cricketing period for him

Vishal Dikshit24-Jan-2025Shardul Thakur likes batting in difficult situations. He had said as much on Thursday, after he had put together 51 off 57 after coming in with Mumbai 42 for 6 against Jammu & Kashmir. On Friday, he took the rescue act up a notch, delivering an unbeaten century at almost a run a ball having come in at 91 for 6, with Mumbai leading by just five runs.All this when the recent past has not been kind to him. Shardul the allrounder was a regular in and around the India set-up at the end of 2023 before a foot surgery kept him out for more than half of 2024, and he hasn’t found a way back in since. Even though he has added consistency to his batting: four of his 14 first-class half-centuries and both his centuries have come in the last two domestic seasons. And much of this has been crisis batting, including 109 off 105 from 106 for 7 against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semi-final last season, followed by 75 off 69 from 111 for 6 against Vidarbha to set up the title win.And he went unsold at the mega auction ahead of the IPL 2025 season. “You have to forget whatever has happened in the past,” he had said on Thursday. It is perhaps this practicality that helps him stay in the present when he walks out to bat in tough situations.Related

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Shardul Thakur on his rescue act: 'I like batting in difficult situations'

What worked in his favour on Friday was that the ball was more than 25 overs old when he came out, and had lost all its swing. So, when he saw width on offer, he didn’t shy away from slashing over the infield on the off side. When the fast bowlers pitched it short, he middled his pulls. And the shots kept coming.First ball after tea, when Mumbai were 174 for 7, Thakur punched Umar Nazir Malik through the off side for four and, three balls later, pulled a short ball to the boundary. In the next over he swept left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq for another four to get to a 59-ball half-century. What did slow him down a bit was cramps; he had to call out the physio a couple of times after he crossed 50 and was clearly struggling between the wickets.The worst of it seemed to have passed by the time he got into the seventies, and his strokes reflected that. He pounced on fast bowler Yudhvir Singh outside off on 80 with such timing that he made it look like he was picking the length against a spinner. Two balls later, he clobbered Yudhvir over the covers with disdain to take the lead past 150 in style. On 94, he hooked Auqib Nabi and got a leading edge, but also four more. He was on 98, his team was still not on top of the game with the lead only 162, but Thakur kept going for it. He lofted the next ball straight down the ground, didn’t middle it at all, but it landed just beyond mid-off’s reach.

When Shardul Thakur saw width on offer, he didn’t shy away from slashing over the infield on the off side. When the fast bowlers pitched it short, he middled his pulls. And the shots kept coming.

Next over, against Mushtaq, he brought out the sweep on 99 and got the run that cued telling celebrations: he ran at speed (what cramps?) with his bat held high, punched the air, let out a scream, and pointed to the sky. It showed what the knock meant to him.The Mumbai dressing room, which had been dour and gloomy for most of the day, broke into rapturous applause, acknowledging a rare feat from a No. 8: Thakur was only the 13th player to score a fifty and a hundred in the same first-class match batting at No. 8 or lower since 2006.The J&K bowlers knew the pitch had nothing to offer now and they started peppering him with short balls. He took a blow on his chest near the left shoulder, got some ice treatment on the field, and still went on. He ramped Nabi’s short ball over the keeper for four, and eventually walked back unbeaten on 113 off 119 with Tanush Kotian – again, his support act from the semi-final last season – for company on 58 off 119.It was another Thakur knock that will go down as one that saved Mumbai’s blushes, even putting them a little in front after they’d been far behind. Maybe it will serve Thakur well to remember these bits of the past.

The stats highlights from the second day at the SCG where Australia piled on more runs against South Africa

Sampath Bandarupalli05-Jan-202330 – Hundreds for Smith in Test cricket, the joint-third most by a batter for Australia. Ricky Ponting (41) and Steve Waugh (32) are ahead of Smith, while Matthew Hayden also has 30 centuries in this format.ESPNcricinfo Ltd162 – Innings Smith took to score his 30th Test century. Only one batter took fewer innings – 159, by Sachin Tendulkar. The previous fastest to 30 Test centuries for Australia was Hayden, in 167 innings.8647 – Runs by Smith in Test cricket. He is now the fourth-highest run-scorer for Australia, having surpassed Michael Clarke (8643) and Hayden (8625) during his hundred in Sydney.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 – Hundreds for Khawaja in his last three Test innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He is only the fourth batter with three consecutive Test tons in Sydney, joining Wally Hammond, Doug Walters and VVS Laxman.4 – Test hundreds for each of Smith and Khawaja at the SCG. Only one player has more Test hundreds in Sydney than them – Ricky Ponting, with a total of six tons.4 – Century stands between Khawaja and Smith in Tests in Sydney, the joint second-most for any pair at a venue. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara lead the chart with seven century partnerships at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. Among Australians, only Justin Langer and Ponting have had four 100-plus runs stands at a venue – the Adelaide Oval.5099 – Runs scored by Smith while batting at No. 4 in Tests. His average of 67.98 at No. 4 is by far the highest among the 12 players with 5000-plus Test runs at this position.1017 – Test runs by Smith in Sydney, only the sixth batter to achieve the milestone at this venue. During the Boxing Day Test last week, Smith also became the ninth player to complete 1000 Test runs in Melbourne.

Depleted Sri Lanka attack made to toil after circumstances conspire against them

Firdose Moonda27-Dec-2020This was a long time coming from South Africa’s openers. Three years, actually. That’s the last time a South African top two put on a 100-plus stand, 22 Test matches and 43 innings ago. Since then, South Africa’s starts have been more shaky than stable, with the result that inconsistency has riddled the entire line-up.Specifically, this was a long time coming for Aiden Markram. Almost two years. That’s the last time he crossed 50 in a Test match, against this same opposition eight innings and 22 months ago. Since then, he has struggled against spin in India and sat out with injury last summer, with the result that he saw this series as crucial to securing his long-term spot in the side.It’s early days, but the way that he batted today would have gone some way to doing that. Markram’s silky 68 should have become his fifth Test century and his trudge back to the change-room after he threw it away showed that he knew it. It’s not just that Markram has been in sparkling form or that his last four innings at this ground have brought three centuries and a 75, it’s that both conditions and circumstances were right for him to cash in.SuperSport Park is a quintessential Test wicket, in that it starts by offering something for the quicks, then flattens out for the batsmen and then breaks up to allow the spinners in on the final couple of days. Its best batting conditions are days two and three and South Africa will enjoy the bulk of that time at the crease, against a Sri Lankan side that are three men down from the attack they would have wanted to present. There can’t be many better situations in which to take advantage. Or many worse in which to rue your bad fortune, especially when the match, even first thing this morning, had been going Sri Lanka’s way.Related

• Elgar, Markram du Plessis put South Africa in control

• Is Markram ready to repay South Africa's faith?

• Chandimal credits Amla after banishing SA demons

• Sri Lanka's rush for runs gives South Africa another home headache

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In the first hour, Sri Lanka completed their highest total in South Africa and might have expected to be fielding an attack to defend it, but Suranga Lakmal was ruled out of this match with a hamstring niggle, Dhananjaya de Silva will play no further part in the series after tearing a quadricep muscle on day one and Kasun Rajitha, who shared the new ball, left the field in the sixth over with what appeared to be a groin injury. That leaves Sri Lanka with two frontline quicks, a medium-pacer who would need to bowl more than originally planned in Shanaka, and one spinner, on debut. The expression on Mickey Arthur’s face when he walked out of the change-room and into an emptier area of the ground to stew in his team’s fortunes said it all.In the circumstances, it’s hard to be too critical of their bowling efforts. Even so, though they learnt from South Africa’s mistake of bowling too short, they made the opposite error and overpitched early on, and Markram didn’t need more of an invitation to unfurl the drive. With the confidence of his domestic form, his timing and placement were perfect. Markram also provides a foil for Elgar, who needs some time to settle in but, when he does, tends to stick around. That’s what Markram will want to do next time. His mistake today was going for one big shot too many, and it’s a mistake that can be rectified.As for Elgar, it’s still a long time coming. A year and a quarter. That’s the last time he scored a hundred, and the last match in which any South African did, in a losing cause in India.Elgar’s dismissal may sting more than Markram’s because he worked harder and longer and got closer to a hundred. He was also fed too many balls on the pads, especially for a player who is so strong off his legs. Almost three-quarters of his runs (71 of 95) came on the on side and a less frazzled Sri Lanka may have been able to plan better to prevent that.Aiden Markram continued his superb form from domestic cricket•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesLike South Africa, they are dealing with some inexperience. Lahiru Kumara is their senior seamer in this Test, with 20 caps, while Shanaka and Vishwa Fernando have played a combined 11 Tests. Their biggest concern is that Hasaranga is on debut and de Silva’s injury means there’s no back-up for him. And like Lutho Sipamla, Hasaranga gave away too many freebies. Sipamla came back from that with more control in his later spells on the first day and mopped up the tail towards the end of the first hour on the second. Hasaranga too, had moments of redemption.After what may have felt like a long time but was really just a few hours, he produced a beauty of a ball, a topspinner with extra bounce, that took Quinton de Kock’s edge and cemented what proved to be a significant mini-collapse. Sri Lanka claimed 3 for 20 midway through the final session to leave South Africa jittery, especially because it has been the longest time for Temba Bavuma. Almost five years. That’s the last, and only, time he scored a Test century. Since then, he has been dropped, recalled and at the centre of transformation wars and the captaincy conversation. There is a lot of pressure and expectation on him to put numbers on the board, and so far, he is doing his bit.Bavuma saw out the third day with Faf du Plessis and showed good energy in keeping the run-rate above four an over, an important point because Bavuma has previously been criticised for batting too slowly. His own strike rate hovers above 50, which may become less important if he improves his conversion rate, and even less important if he takes South Africa within touching distance of Sri Lanka’s score. Getting anywhere near 400 has also been a long time coming.South Africa had not topped 300 once, in any format, since Mark Boucher’s coaching tenure began in 2019. Before this match, the most they’d managed was 291 in an ODI against Australia, and in a Test match, 284, a year ago almost to the day in their most recent victory against England on this very ground. Perhaps we can say winning has been a long time coming for South Africa too, but there’s three more days and much more cricket to play before we can have that conversation.

The Blue Jays came mere inches away from a World Series win against the Dodgers this year, with one particular series-defining play likely haunting the franchise for quite some time.

After Toronto's Game 7 loss, many Blue Jays fans pointed out a pivotal moment in the ninth inning that might have won the team the title right then and there. At the bottom of the ninth with the game tied and the bases loaded for Toronto, Daulton Varsho hit a grounder in between first and second. The Dodgers were able to throw out a sprinting Isiah Kiner-Falefa just in the nick of time, in part due to Kiner-Falefa's small lead off the third-base bag.

Blue Jays fans directed their frustrations at Kiner-Falefa for not taking a bigger lead, though the utility infielder claimed his coaches told him to stay close to the bag.

A new video from that game-changing moment shows Blue Jays third base coach Carlos Febles not only presumably telling Kiner-Falefa where to lead off, but also marking that exact spot on the ground.

You can see him clearly make a mark in the dirt here:

"They told us to stay close to the base," Kiner-Falefa said after Game 7's loss. "They don’t want us to get doubled off in that situation with a hard line drive. … They wanted a smaller lead and a smaller secondary, so that’s what I did."

By all accounts, Kiner-Falefa isn't in the wrong here. Sure, he could have ignored Febles's alleged advice and taken the risk of getting doubled off, but it makes sense that during arguably the highest pressure point of the game he chose to heed his coaches.

The Blue Jays wound up losing, 5–4, after 11 innings, capping off an instantly iconic World Series that will go down as one of the best ever in baseball history—and, sadly, as one of the cruelest ever series in Toronto's history.

Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made several additions to the playing squad during the summer transfer window, and Wilfried Nancy is tasked with getting the best out of them.

The Northern Irish boss made 11 signings to bolster his options across the pitch before he eventually resigned after a 3-1 defeat to Hearts at the end of October.

Nancy has to try to get the best out of those signings in the coming months and years, as many of them have failed to live up to the hype so far this season.

Ranking Celtic's summer signings

Whilst this may say more about the rest of the business done in the summer, Benjamin Nygren has been the club’s best signing of the season, as he is currently Celtic’s top goalscorer in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, with seven goals in 25 games.

Kieran Tierney, who arrived on a free transfer, and Marcelo Saracchi, who joined on loan from Boca Juniors, have also been solid additions in the left-back position, sharing duties in that role.

Callum Osmand joined from Fulham after his contract expired with the English side and scored one goal and won a penalty in three first-team matches before picking up an injury, which suggests that he is an exciting talent to watch out for when he is back fit.

Ross Doohan, who joined on a free transfer as a third-choice goalkeeper, is the dividing player between poor and good signings in the rankings above, as the most average addition to the squad.

We have Sebastian Tounekti in the lower half of the rankings because he is starting to look like one of the biggest wastes of money since Albian Ajeti.

Why Sebastian Tounekti looks like a waste of money

After creating four chances, completing five dribbles, and scoring one goal in his first two matches, per Sofascore, the Tunisia international looked primed to be a star for the Hoops. Rodgers even claimed that he “excites the crowd”.

Celtic paid £5.2m to sign the forward from Hammarby to make him the most expensive signing of the summer, falling just shy of the £6m mark that would have taken him into the club’s top ten most expensive signings in their history.

Unfortunately, three months later, Tounekti has recorded two goals and zero assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has struggled to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Since Celtic paid £5m for Ajeti, who scored just nine goals in 48 games as a striker (Transfermarkt), the Hoops have signed six players for more than £5m: Jota (twice), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Arne Engels, Adam Idah, Auston Trusty, and Tounekti.

Jota was sold for £25m, before being re-signed, and Idah was sold for £6m after scoring 20 goals in all competitions last season, which shows that they were not complete wastes of money.

Carter-Vickers, of course, has been a long-serving regular starter for the club and Auston Trusty has made 50 appearances, now established as a regular starter, per Transfermarkt.

Engels, signed for £11m from Augsburg, has been fairly effective at the top end of the pitch, per Transfermarkt, with a return of 12 goals and 17 assists in 76 appearances since the start of last season.

This shows that the five other most expensive signings since Ajeti flopped at Parkhead have either been successful signings or had plenty of positives in their time at Celtic, even if it did not work out perfectly.

Tounekti, though, has one goal and no assists in his last 16 appearances for Celtic, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be a regular starter under the new manager, after he was the first player to be substituted in the 2-1 defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

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1

By
Dan Emery

6 days ago

For a player signed for £5.2m, he has not delivered enough quality at the top end of the pitch to suggest that he was a worthwhile signing, which is why he currently looks like one of their biggest wastes of money since Ajeti flopped at the club with his nine goals in 48 games.

There’s been a bit of upheaval in the directorial department at Newcastle United over the past year, but Ross Wilson has forged a neat working relationship with Eddie Howe, and the pair are looking to make improvements at St. James’ Park.

Last year, Howe and his squad defied many odds to lift the Carabao Cup and restore a place in the Champions League. It all came together, and while the sale of talisman Alexander Isak this summer threatened to knock things out of kilter, United have made progress in recent weeks, with new heroes emerging.

Bruno Guimaraes remains the Magpies’ all-inspiring leader, but Malick Thiaw has risen to the occasion since arriving in the Premier League this year, becoming a different kind of driving force for the Tynesiders.

Howe's new leaders at Newcastle

Isak was never a vocal talisman in Howe’s Newcastle squad, but, before the summer transfer window, he led by example on the field, scoring 27 goals across all competitions last season and notching in the Carabao Cup final.

However, Newcastle banked a record fee for his signature, and Guimaraes has only raised his game this term, both from a technical and leadership standpoint.

Though a new forward focal point has yet to properly establish himself, Thiaw has taken to life in the Premier League seamlessly, and Bruno has actually remarked that the imperious German defender is “the future of this club”.

It says something of his character and technical quality that he has arrived from AC Milan for around £35m and swiftly stepped higher than Sven Botman. As per Sofascore, Thiaw, 24, has won 74% of his aerial duels in the Premier League, completing 88% of his passes and yet to make an error.

He’s some player, and Bruno is too, but United may actually have a younger member of their squad who is shooting through the form rankings in the English game, starting to prove he could be the pick of the bunch.

Newcastle made a better signing than Bruno & Thiaw

When Newcastle signed Lewis Hall from Chelsea for £28m (after a season-long loan move throughout the 2023/24 campaign), they knew they had struck a bargain for a young full-back with a wealth of potential.

However, injuries have damaged the 21-year-old’s chances of establishing fluency since that move became permanent, and so it’s interesting to see him playing so well in recent weeks, finally building toward the elite player he could, should, become.

Described as “the best player on the field” by reporter Andy Sixsmith after his monstrous display against Tottenham, Hall has overcome his injury problems and is now reminding the Premier League that he is one of the best in the business. Indeed, with more performances like these, it won’t just be those of a Toon persuasion advocating for him to be on the Three Lions plane across the pond next summer.

Lewis Hall vs Tottenham

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Touches

75

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Accurate passes

36/43 (84%)

Chances created

0

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

6

Tackles won

4/4

Interceptions

2

Clearances

4

Duels won

8/15

Data via Sofascore

As per FBref, Hall actually ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 5% for through balls and tackles won per 90.

This is a frighteningly rounded player, his formative career as a centre-midfielder fostering a dynamic skillset that is charging his journey to the top. If the England international can keep fitness levels on his side, then he will only get better and better on Tyneside, potentially even becoming Howe’s main man.

In this, he might become one of the best signings of the PIF era. Already, it is clear that his name belongs in such a conversation, but Hall needs consistency now. Who knows, maybe he could climb up to loftier ground than the likes of Bruno and Thiaw stand on.

There’s also the matter of him arriving from Chelsea after being awarded the Cobham side’s Academy Player of the Year award. Pinched from a direct rival, Hall is developing into a player who will rival the likes of Marc Cucurella for the left-back crown down the line.

With so much room still for growth, there’s every chance that Hall could be Howe’s main man in the not-too-distant future.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson 6 days ago

Chelsea’s opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday should have been disallowed under IFAB Law 11.

Arsenal unable to take all three points against ten-man Chelsea

With Moises Caicedo being shown a straight red card after fouling Mikel Merino in the first half, the Gunners would’ve been expecting to pick up what could be a crucial three points at Stamford Bridge, but the hosts refused to lie down.

In fact, Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring for Enzo Maresca’s side just after half-time, although the north Londoners were ultimately able to come away with a point, as Mikel Merino was able to level things up just over ten minutes later.

Speaking after the game, Maresca made it clear he had no problem with Caicedo being given his marching orders, although he did question why Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur was not sent off for a similar challenge last month.

However, Mikel Arteta may have complaints of his own, with VAR being accused of going “completely blind” and missing Enzo Fernandez in an offside position during Chalobah’s opening goal.

IFAB’s Law 11 describes offside offences, and Fernandez’s position battling against Cristhian Mosquera certainly meets the criteria for ‘interfering with an opponent’.

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:

interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or interfering with an opponent by: preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball or clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

However, the goal stood and Maresca’s side managed to hold out for a draw, despite having ten men for most of the game, so Arteta arguably has a right to feel aggrieved the Gunners were unable to extend their lead at the top.

Arsenal should have taken three points regardless

Although there is a case to be made that Chalobah’s goal should’ve been ruled out, Arsenal will be kicking themselves, given that Caicedo’s early red card presented them with a golden opportunity to pick up a victory.

Arteta concurs that it was two points dropped, saying after the game: “I think overall it’s been a really positive week because the difficulty was immense.

“But I have this flavour that today we should have and we could have won the game and we haven’t. That’s a learning point from it.”

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That said, the north Londoners shouldn’t be too disheartened, as getting a point at Stamford Bridge is still a good result, and they have a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League table, currently sitting five points clear of Man City.