Aston Villa will be featuring in the Champions League for the first time in a generation this season – an unthinkable feat before the appointment of Unai Emery.

The former Arsenal boss has transformed the club in just a couple of years, giving the fan base an experience they will never forget with their European adventures in the Europa Conference League last season, and also in the Champions League this year.

However, the added fixtures will cause congestion during some parts of the campaign, increasing the risk of injury and fatigue to the club’s first team.

On the flip side, it may allow numerous fringe players to gain a needed run in the side, with one player hugely benefitting from the European run this season.

Jhon Duran’s stats in 2024/25

Despite not starting a single game in the Premier League this season, striker Jhon Duran has enjoyed an impressive start to the new campaign for Emery’s side.

The 20-year-old has already scored twice in just 82 minutes, outscoring number one forward Ollie Watkins, showcasing his excellent abilities in front of goal.

The Colombian was strongly linked with a move to join West Ham United this summer, before landing the hammer blow as the Villans claimed a 2-1 victory over Julen Lopetegui’s side.

Villa’s decision to keep hold of Duran this summer looks to be a great call, with the talent having the ability to provide excellent cover to Watkins, whilst also pushing the England international for a starting role.

However, the same can’t be said for one player who has struggled in recent times, with the club potentially needing to offload the big-money signing at the next available opportunity.

How much Diego Carlos earns in 2024

After joining Villa in a £26m deal from Sevilla back in 2022, centre-back Diego Carlos has struggled with injuries and fitness during his time at Villa Park, with the Brazilian often spending time on the sideline.

During his two-year stint in the West Midlands, the 31-year-old has only made 43 appearances in all competitions, missing the start of the new campaign with yet another injury setback and thus failing to feature at all.

However, he was subject to interest from Fulham during the transfer window, with the club needing to offload him given his injury record coupled with his high weekly wage.

The former Sevilla ace earns a whopping £100k-per-week as per Capology, a figure that is nearly three times more than teammate Duran, who only earns £30k-per-week despite his stellar start to this season.

Given his ludicrous weekly incoming, the club desperately need to cut ties with Carlos and invest in a less injury-prone talent who can lead them further up the Premier League table.

With concerns over their PSR standing, a departure could allow Emery’s side to free up funds, potentially avoiding a repeat of this summer which saw them sell star man Douglas Luiz to Juventus.

There is no denying the defender's quality, but unfortunately, if the club are to reach the next level under Emery's guidance, they have to be brutal in their decision-making, with Carlos one player who could find himself on his way out of Villa Park.

Aston Villa struck gold on free signing who's now worth more than Martinez

The club have certainly bagged themselves a gem.

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 3, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco ainda tem incertezas em relação a reforços para a temporada de 2022. Contudo, o BID da CBF registrou nesta terça-feira (14) a prorrogação do contrato de empréstimo de Sarrafiore.

RelacionadasVascoVasco descarta Fernando Prass em cargo no clube: saiba contratações, saídas e sondagens para 2022Vasco14/12/2021VascoCom desgaste, Vasco e Leandro Castan negociam acordo para rescisão de contrato do defensorVasco14/12/2021

O meia-atacante estava emprestado inicialmente até o final deste ano. Entretanto, após ter sofrido uma lesão no cruzado anterior do joelho durante o duelo com o Confiança, pela Série B, o Cruz-Maltino anunciou que renovaria seu empréstimo até dezembro de 2022.

Outra mudança divulgada no BID foi a saída de Walber. O defensorfoi dispensado ainda no fim de novembro.

Até o momento, o Vasco anunciou o técnico Zé Ricardo e confirmou Carlos Brazil como gerente de futebol.

Bernardo Silva admitted that Manchester City are "completely out" of the Premier League title race as he gave his verdict on the disastrous results.

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• Man City are going through a rough patch
• Find themselves sixth in the Premier League
• Silva admitted his team are out of the race

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Silva has delivered a stark assessment of the club’s faltering campaign, admitting that their chances of retaining the Premier League title are all but over. Since the end of October, City have endured a shocking dip in form. The reigning champions have managed just two wins in their last 14 games across all competitions, a run marred by nine defeats and three draws. These struggles have seen City tumble down the Premier League table, where they currently sit in sixth place with 31 points after 19 matches.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  To make matters worse, City trails league leaders Liverpool by a staggering 14 points, with the Reds having a game in hand. Their troubles extend beyond domestic competition, as they face elimination from the Champions League, sitting 22nd in the group stage rankings. With only two wins in six group matches, alongside two draws and two losses, their European campaign has also been lacklustre.

• WHAT BERNARDO SILVA SAID

  Reflecting on the team’s dire situation, Bernardo Silva did not mince words in his evaluation. Speaking to , Silva admitted: "Right now it's about accepting the reality. I'm not looking at Liverpool, I'm sixth or seventh in the league. I cannot be looking at Liverpool or Arsenal or whatever. I'm looking right now at the next game, try and win three points to be fifth, to be fourth and to be third. And then ten games from the end of the season you can start making a little bit of math to see where you can go."

  He added: "I would say [the Premier League title is] not impossible because in football there are no impossibles, but right now, Man City is completely out of the title race. There's no question about that. It's too late for us. People always say that you don't win a league until January but you can lose it, and this season the reality is we've lost it."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  With Guardiola’s side grappling with poor form and mounting pressure, their focus will likely shift to securing a top-four finish and advancing in other competitions. City’s next opportunity to salvage their season comes on Saturday when they face West Ham in the Premier League. This fixture provides them with a chance to bounce back and regain some momentum, though the gap to the league’s summit remains daunting.

يواصل لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، خطواته نحو التعافي من الإصابة التي تعرض لها في يناير الماضي، حيث بات قريبًا من العودة إلى الملاعب بعد فترة من الغياب.

وكان المغربي يحيى عطية الله قد تعرض لإصابة في وجهه خلال مشاركته مع فريقه في المباراة التي جمعتهم بنادي سموحة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع أيضًا | أحمد حسن يوضح سبب تراجع مستوى زيزو.. ويصرح: الأهلي الأجهز قبل مباراة الزمالك

ونشر يحيى عطية الله صورة عبر حسابه الرسمي على “إنستجرام”، ظهر خلالها في تدريبات الأهلي مرتديًا القناع الطبي، وأرفقها بتعليق طمأن فيه الجماهير قائلاً: “كل شيء على ما يرام، الحمد لله”، في إشارة إلى تقدمه في برنامجه التأهيلي واقترابه من العودة للمشاركة مع الفريق.

ويأتي هذا في ظل استعدادات الأهلي لمباراة القمة المرتقبة أمام الزمالك، المقرر إقامتها يوم السبت 22 فبراير على استاد القاهرة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشرة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وكان عطية الله قد انضم إلى صفوف الأهلي قادمًا من سوتشي الروسي على سبيل الإعارة، مع وجود بند يمنح النادي الأحمر أحقية شراء عقده بشكل نهائي في نهاية الموسم.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani is reportedly on his way out and Tottenham have had conversations about signing the forward this month.

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Kolo Muani likely to leave PSGSpurs discuss potential move for strikerNumber of clubs interested in 26-year-oldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Kolo Muani joined Paris Saint-Germain from Eintracht Frankfurt for €75 million in the summer of 2023, having emerged as one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe during his time in the Bundesliga. Kolo Muani has since been unable to live up to expectations at Parc des Princes, though, and finds himself out of favour under Luis Enrique this season. As such, the 26-year-old is now eager to leave the Ligue 1 side in January, as per Ben Jacobs.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ben Jacobs has reported that Tottenham have discussed the potential signing of Kolo Muani during this winter transfer window. Spurs are aiming to add greater depth to Ange Postecoglou's injury-ridden squad. Tottenham are struggling to find balance as they continue to make do without a number of key players, and a general lack of form has made results hard to come by.

DID YOU KNOW?

As per the report, several other clubs across Europe are interested in signing Kolo Muani in January. Tottenham's interest in the 26-year-old is rivalled by fellow Premier League side Aston Villa, AC Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR KOLO MUANI?

The France international is set to make a decision on his future over the next three weeks. However, it is highly unlikely that Kolo Muani will remain with Paris Saint-Germain past this season and may even leave the club on loan if a permanent transfer does not come to fruition.

It is safe to say Newcastle United have come a long way in recent years. Following promotion in 2017, Premier League finishes of tenth, 13th, 13th, 12th and 11th during their first five years looked like they had established themselves as a side who wouldn’t quite achieve a European place, but who also wouldn’t suffer relegation.

This changed when Howe arrived, as his first full season saw the Magpies claim a stunning fourth place finish during 2022/23, their highest since 2012.

While they could only secure seventh place last term, hopes are high after a promising start this year and Howe certainly appears to be the man to take the club back into Europe.

Long gone are the days when Sam Allardyce was in charge, as the club slipped back down the table rather than forcing their way up as contenders for Champions League qualification.

Sam Allardyce’s Newcastle statistics

At Bolton, ‘Big Sam’ created a team that not only secured promotion to the top flight, but one that remained there until 2012, with players such as Ivan Campo, Fernando Hierro and Jay-Jay Okocha ensuring they were one of the finest cult teams in the history of the Premier League.

He even secured European football for the club and came close to winning the League Cup in 2004, but when the Toon job became available, he took the opportunity with both hands.

The Englishman made a promising start to life at Newcastle, recording five wins and two draws from their opening nine league matches, but form started to drop off.

He was sacked in January 2008 after just eight months in charge, failing to inspire the team to much success.

Might it have been a different story had he signed the players he wanted to bring to Newcastle? Rather than settling for those who failed to make a difference.

Newcastle’s signings under Sam Allardyce

During the summer of 2007, players such as Alan Smith, Joey Barton, Mark Viduka and Habib Beye arrived at St James Park – to varying degrees of success.

Hopes were high that Allardyce could attract high-class players due to his stature in the Premier League, but it didn’t quite turn out like that, which ultimately led to his downfall at the club.

Player

Club signed from

Alan Smith

Manchester United

Mark Viduka

Middlesbrough

Joey Barton

Manchester City

Jose Enrique

Villarreal

David Rozehnal

PSG

Abdoulaye Faye

Bolton

Habib Beye

Marseille

Geremi

Chelsea

Claudio Cacapa

Lyon

One of the most experienced players who linked up with Allardyce was former Real Madrid gem Geremi, who had featured for Chelsea under José Mourinho.

Geremi’s statistics at Newcastle

The Cameroonian won the Champions League and La Liga titles with Madrid during a three-year spell in the capital before moving to Chelsea in 2003. After 109 appearances in which he won the Premier League twice, Geremi was available on a free transfer.

Allardyce wasted no time, snapping him up that summer. Geremi would play just 54 times for the Magpies during his spell in the north-east as he was clearly slowing down as a player.

While the utility midfielder was seen as somewhat of a decent signing, things may have turned out a lot better for the club had they signed one of their main targets – Luka Modrić.

Newcastle missed out on Luka Modric in 2007

Speaking a few years after leaving the club, Allardyce claimed that he was keen on bringing the playmaker to Newcastle during his first summer transfer window, saying:

“I was then on the way to getting Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb, but by then, Mike saw the scale of the full debut and put the clamps on, so I had to make do with Geremi from Chelsea.”

What might have been at St James Park if the manager had gotten his wish and signed the young Croatian talent 17 years ago? He could have potentially saved his job, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The current Real Madrid star hasn’t done too badly since then.

Luka Modric’s career statistics

Modric did eventually end up in the Premier League, but it wasn’t with Newcastle. After impressing in his homeland, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2008, going on to make a total of 160 appearances for the London club, emerging as a player to watch.

Former teammate Darren Bent hailed Modric as “incredible” before lavishing further praise on his ex-teammate while speaking about him, saying: “When Luka joined Spurs, the first thing you noticed was his technique.

“I had played against him for England but when you watched him up close, he was a player you knew straight away was levels above everyone.”

His performances clearly impressed Real Madrid, who came in for him in the summer of 2012, going on to become a club legend.

The 39-year-old has played nearly 550 games for the club, winning all there is to win in the process, but it has been at international level in which Modric has demonstrated his influence.

Not only did he lead Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final (losing 4-2 to France), but he came close to repeating the trick four years later, as the country had to settle for a third-place finish.

This is remarkable given the nation has a population of just 3.8m, smaller than Scotland. For his exploits in Russia and his club displays for Madrid in 2018, the midfielder won the Ballon d’Or, becoming the first player from Croatia to win the award.

What could have been if Modric had signed for Newcastle all those years ago? Would he have become a club legend? Unfortunately, no one will know, but his career trajectory may have changed significantly if he had pitched up on Tyneside rather than in North London, that’s for sure.

As it is, the Magpies – and ‘Big Sam’ – had to settle for Geremi…

Newcastle United chase £21m gem who outscored Erling Haaland at youth level

He could be a superstar of the future.

ByBen Browning Sep 20, 2024

Newcastle United suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season over the weekend as Fulham prevailed 2-1 at Craven Cottage.

The Cottagers were well worth their victory as Eddie Howe’s men delivered arguably their worst performance of the season, although it had been coming.

Several of the starting XI were disappointing during the defeat, most notably Anthony Gordon, who has been excellent in recent weeks.

Anthony Gordon’s game in numbers vs Fulham

The Englishman was deployed on the right wing with Harvey Barnes given a chance to shine on the opposite flank.

While the former Leicester City shone, scoring the club’s only goal, Gordon largely struggled to create any meaningful opportunities during the clash.

While he made two key passes and succeeded with two of his three dribble attempts, the winger struggled to make inroads into the Fulham defence, looking like a shadow of the player he has been in recent weeks. So poor was the England international that journalist Luke Edwards suggested it was “his worst performance for Newcastle.”

Four crosses were delivered into the opposition penalty area, yet only two were successful. Gordon even managed to lose possession a staggering 16 times while on the pitch, along with winning five of his 11 ground duels, showing that he was beaten more often than not in his one-on-one battles.

He was even given a match rating of just 5/10 by Newcastle World for his display, showcasing how poor he really was.

Anthony Gordon’s stats vs Fulham

Goals

0

Assists

0

Key passes

2

Big chances created

0

Dribble attempts (successful)

3 (2)

Possession lost

16

Via Sofascore

While the League Cup clash against AFC Wimbledon is postponed, Howe could certainly make a change to his starting XI for the league match against Manchester City, especially to freshen things up.

Might this see a summer signing given his first start for the club?

The best replacement for Gordon

William Osula is clearly ready to make an impression. The Dane was signed for a fee of £15m during the summer transfer window, joining from Sheffield United with hopes of becoming a first-team regular at St James’ Park.

Primarily a centre-forward, the youngster has operated on the wing numerous times throughout the embryonic stages of his career and this could see Howe make a few tactical tweaks to his team.

Last term, he made 24 appearances for the Blades, scoring three goals and his performances clearly caught the eye of Howe, who wasted no time in bringing him to the north-east.

Previously hailed as a “serious player”, Osula has all the required attributes to be a success at the Magpies, about that there is no doubt.

What he needs now is some minutes in the first team to demonstrate his abilities to the manager.

What better occasion than a match against the four-time reigning Premier League champions this weekend? It might be a big gamble, but considering how poorly they have played recently, it could be one which reinvigorates the team.

It would be a surprise to see the Toon claim anything against City, but stranger things have happened.

Related Newcastle wanted to sign future Ballon d'Or winner, they got Geremi instead

Sam Allardyce missed out on a future legend of the game back in 2007…

Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Sep 22, 2024

أشاد مدرب نادي ليفربول السابق، رفائيل بينيتيز، بأداء محمد صلاح جناح وهداف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم خاصة بعد تألقه بالموسم الحالي سواء في الدوري الإنجليزي أو دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويعتلي محمد صلاح صدارة الهدافين في الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 25 هدفا وبفارق 5 أهداف عن إيرلينج هالاند مهاجم مانشستر سيتي والوصيف.

ولكن عقد محمد صلاح سينتهي بنهاية الموسم الحالي، ولا توجد أي مؤشرات حول الاستمرار بعد تصريحات الفرعون المصري بأن لا جديد في أمر المفاوضات مع ليفربول.

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت: تعرضنا للشك والتساؤلات في ليفربول.. والرد جاء أمام مانشستر سيتي ونيوكاسل

وتحدث بينيتيز عن موقف محمد صلاح في تصريحات عبر شبكة “TNT Sport”، وقال: “لديه وضع خاص، الجميع يعلم بشأن عقده واقترابه على الانتهاء”.

وتابع: “لكن المستوى الذي يظهر به كل جولة، يجعل الأمر بالنسبة للمدرب رائعا لأنه يساعده في كل مباراة على الفوز”.

وأتم: “لقد شاهدته في أحد المقابلات يتحدث عن لياقته البدنية وكيف يستعد للمباريات بدنيًا وذهنيًا أيضًا، عندما ترى لاعبًا يقترب من نهاية عقده وما زال يقدم هذا المستوى، فهذا دليل على احترافيته العالية”.

Declan Rice believes Arsenal "should have scored 10" in their north London derby win over Tottenham and hinted January signings are on the way.

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Arsenal beat Tottenham 2-1Rice says they "should have scored 10"Hints at January dealsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal came from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 at the Emirates on Wednesday but according to midfielder Rice, the Gunners should have won by a far greater margin. The hosts had 14 shots on goal to Spurs' 10 and had an xG (expected goals) tally of 1.64 vs 0.94. Incidentally, in light of Gabriel Jesus sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Rice admitted his team are a "bit short" in attack.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT DECLAN RICE SAID

He told TNT Sports: "Tonight meant more than anything. The first 45 minutes was just pure dominance and we showed intent, desire, pressure. You could tell that it was a derby and, to be honest, I think we're unlucky not to score 10 tonight! That's the feeling."

On the possibility of January signings, Rice added: "We have lost Gabby [Jesus], he's probably going to be out for a year with an ACL. It's really tough. I'm sure [the] manager will look for something because we had to bring [Kieran] Tierney on [the] left wing. We are a bit short there. I'd not be surprised if we do something [in the transfer window]."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The result saw Arsenal close to within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool, although Arne Slot's team have a game in hand. After the disappointment of getting knocked out of the FA Cup at the weekend by Manchester United, this was the ideal response from Mikel Arteta's side. But January recruits may be needed if they want to compete for trophies this season.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Second-placed Arsenal host seventh-placed Aston Villa on Saturday evening at the Emirates in their next Premier League encounter.

Over the past few years, Michail Antonio has been West Ham’s go-to central striker, featuring at the top end of the pitch in the hope of providing needed goals for the club.

The Jamaican has featured 311 times for the Hammers, scoring 82 times – becoming the club’s leading Premier League goalscorer in the process.

However, with Antonio now 34, he’s edging towards the tail end of his professional career, with the club making moves in the transfer window to try and seek a replacement for the former Nottingham Forest ace.

Julen Lopetegui wasted no time in bolstering his forward line over the summer, signing German striker Niclas Füllkrug from Borussia Dortmund in a £27m deal.

The Spaniard will be hoping that Fullkrug can form an excellent partnership with one player who was already plying his trade at the London Stadium before his arrival during the off-season.

Jarrod Bowen’s time at West Ham

After joining West Ham for a fee in the region of £20m during the January transfer window in 2020, winger Jarrod Bowen arrived at the club with high hopes after his impressive stint with Hull City that saw him register 16 goals in the first half of the campaign.

He’s since transformed into a world-class player at the London Stadium, bagging 62 times in his 206 appearances for the club.

Arguably, his best moment in the club’s colours came in the Europa Conference League final victory over Fiorentina back in 2022/23 – scoring the winning goal, ending the club’s 58-year wait for a major European title.

The 27-year-old was subsequently rewarded with a new seven-year contract at the London Stadium, taking his stay until the summer of 2030 at least.

Despite his impressive goalscoring record during his East London venture, the attacker has remarkably been outscored by one player who was prematurely sold at the London Stadium.

The man to outscore Bowen after leaving West Ham

That man is Ivorian striker Sebastian Haller who arrived at the club with huge expectations after his mammoth £45m move from Eintracht Frankfurt – a deal that broke the club’s record at the time.

However, his time in the Premier League was a struggle, scoring just 14 times in his 54 appearances – with the club paying £3.2m for every goal he scored during his time with the Hammers.

Haller subsequently left the club for £20m joining Dutch side Ajax just 18 months after his big-money move to England, with former boss David Moyes prematurely selling the talent.

However, since his move away from the London Stadium, the 30-year-old has recaptured his goalscoring form, outscoring current star Bowen in the process.

The striker has bagged 59 goals in all competitions since his move away from London, with Bowen only one behind – registering 58 goals for the Hammers since January 2021.

2020/21

13

5

2021/22

34

18

2022/23

9

13

2023/24

3

20

2024/25

0

2

Whilst there’s no denying that at times during his spell at the club, Haller looked out of his depth in England, he still produced moments of magic along the way whilst he was settling into life at the club, potentially thriving under the guidance of new boss Lopetegui.

His goalscoring record away from the London Stadium is evidence that he has the talent to flourish if given the opportunity, with the club potentially living to regret the decision to offload the Ivorian.

West Ham hit gold on "generational" talent who's now worth more than Rice

He could be the difference-maker above all others this season…

1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 10, 2024