Coventry boss Mark Robins joked about Haji Wright cutting his toenails after the slightest of margins ruled would-be FA Cup semi-final winner offside.
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Tottenham Hotspur lost for the third Premier League match in succession as they let another lead slip in a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Ange Postecoglou's side had two weeks over the international break to work to bounce back from losses to Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers but failed to do so.
With the likes of James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven, among others, missing, Spurs took the lead through the rarely-seen Gio Lo Celso.
However, goals either side of half time from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins secured all three points for the visitors as Tottenham failed to grab an equaliser.
It was a frustrating result and performance for Spurs as they fielded a makeshift side, with Emerson Royal lining up at centre-back and failing to deal with Watkins for the second Villa goal.
The Brazilian defender, who is a right-back by trade, was deployed at the heart of the backline and was not sharp enough to close out quickly on the England international as the striker got between him and Ben Davies to slot into the back of the net.
It was a sloppy mistake and one that you could excuse due to him not being a natural centre-back who is used to dealing with those situations on a regular basis.
Aside from that, the former Barcelona man won the majority (3/5) of his duels and completed 97% of his attempted passes (92/95) across the 90 minutes.
This shows that the 24-year-old enforcer was a strong presence at the back and reliable in possession of the ball to help his side out in an unnatural position.
He was not the villain of the piece for Ange Postecoglou on Sunday. Instead, it was summer signing Brennan Johnson as the Wales international flattered to deceive in a frustrating display out wide.
The 22-year-old lightweight can be exciting to watch at times with his direct play and pace to get in behind and cause problems for opposition full-backs.
However, the end product also needs to be there in order for him to be an effective option for a team that is looking to compete at the top of the table.
In 90 minutes on the pitch, Johnson only created one chance for his teammates, failed with both of his attempted crosses, and was tackled in four of his five attempted dribbles.
The former Nottingham Forest man was also unable to find the back of the net from 0.62 xG (Expected Goals) worth of chances, which included a huge opportunity one-on-one against the goalkeeper that he could not poke past Emiliano Martinez to make it 2-2 during the second half.
Johnson, who lost 71% (5/7) of his duels throughout the match, had plenty of chances to make something happen in the final third and lacked the quality to do it.
As such, FootballLondon reporter Alasdair Gold handed him a rating of just 6/10 for his display and added that the forward "just couldn't force the ball home".
The Welsh forward missed the presentable chance that came his way and could not create anything of note for his teammates, which is why he was the true villain of the match instead of Emerson.
Hopefully, it was a learning experience for the summer signing and he will be able to put it right the next time he has the opportunity to be a difference-maker for Spurs.
Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres has offered an update on his future amid interest from Arsenal and Chelsea over a summer move.
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German head coach Daniel Farke was appointed by Leeds United over the summer and tasked with bringing the club back up to the Premier League.
The Whites were relegated alongside Leicester City and Southampton from the top-flight after three years at the top of the football pyramid.
They decided to swoop for the former Borussia Monchengladbach and Norwich City tactician and he has enjoyed a solid start to life in Yorkshire.
His side are currently third in the Championship and seven points adrift of the automatic promotion places with 27 matches still to catch up with and overtake Ipswich Town and Leicester.
Farke was allowed to shape the squad during the transfer window as nine players were brought in; including Joel Piroe, Ilia Gruev, Jaidon Anthony, Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow, Sam Byram, Djed Spence, Ethan Ampadu, and Glen Kamara.
There could be further changes to the roster in January and at the end of the season as Leeds have a number of players heading into the final months of their contracts.
Jamie Shackleton, Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, Ian Poveda, and Luke Ayling are among those whose deals are set to expire at the end of the campaign.
Ayling is now in his eighth season at Elland Road and BBC Sport's Adam Pope recently suggested that it looks like it may be his last.
Farke could now land a dream replacement for the veteran defender in January as the German boss has been touted with an interest in a current Championship right-back.
TEAMtalk recently reported that the Whites are one of a number of teams interested in signing Sunderland star Trai Hume at start of next year.
Premier League side Burnley, who won the Championship last season, and Leicester City, who currently top the second tier, are also said to be keen on a deal for the Northern Ireland international.
Sunderland signed the defender from Linfield in his home country for a reported fee of £200k in 2022 and he has now established himself as an excellent performer at this level.
Leeds are one of the three teams, alongside Burnley and Leicester, keeping close tabs on the talented young titan and the report claimed that the Black Cats could be tempted into a sale.
It did not reveal how much it would take to convince Kristjaan Speakman to accept an offer for the right-back's services but did claim that the Wearside outfit could be interested in the chance to make a significant profit on the initial £200k they Linfield to sign him last year.
The Whites must now push to beat Burnley and Leicester to his signature as Hume could come in as a big upgrade on Ayling and as a dream replacement for him, given that he is currently set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
It has been a strange season for the 32-year-old defender as he started the season as a regular starter and produced some solid performances before 17-year-old midfielder Archie Gray secured his position.
Ayling has started eight Championship matches so far this term but only one of those has been since September and his last was on the 4th of October.
The English battler has made 14 league appearances in total and contributed with one goal and one assist as an attacking outlet down the right.
However, he has struggled to provide a consistent progressive presence at right-back. Ayling ranks within the bottom 24% of right-backs for progressive passes (2.88) per 90 within the Championship this season. This suggests that the former Bristol City man has not offered much quality in possession of the ball.
Ayling has also made 2.8 tackles and interceptions combined along with 3.6 ball recoveries per match, to go along with his duel success rate of 53%.
His contributions, or lack thereof, resulted in Farke leaving him out of the matchday squads for the wins over Swansea and Middlesbrough over the last week.
The head coach revealed that it was a difficult decision for him to make due to the player's exceptional character and professionalism behind the scenes.
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Djed Spence returned to the bench and Gray started both games at right-back, despite being a natural midfielder.
The signs, including his contract, the interest in Hume, Farke's use of him, and his performances on the pitch, suggest that his time at Elland Road is coming to an end.
Leeds now have an opportunity to secure a dream replacement for the veteran defender by securing a deal to sign the Sunderland starlet in January, or at the end of the season.
His performances for the Black Cats indicate that he would come in as a big upgrade on the 32-year-old enforcer, and the gem could hit the ground running given his Championship experience.
Hume would not come in from another league or country and need time to adapt to the division, which could allow him to make an instant impact on the pitch during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
The 21-year-old whiz, firstly, could provide more progression down the right flank. He currently ranks within the top 21% of right-backs for progressive passes (5.02) per 90 in the second tier this term.
This shows that the young gem, who FBRef claim is most similar to Leicester star Ricardo Pereira, could offer more incision with his passes to progress Leeds up the pitch in comparison to Ayling.
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Five most similar Championship players to Hume this season (via FBRef) |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Rank |
|
Ricardo Pereira |
1 |
|
Callum Doyle |
2 |
|
Perry Ng |
3 |
|
Harry Pickering |
4 |
|
Harry Clarke |
5 |
Hume has also caught the eye with his defensive contributions as the 5 foot 9 machine has made 4.7 tackles and interceptions combined and made 5.9 ball recoveries per game across 19 starts.
Meanwhile, no Leeds player has managed more than Ethan Ampadu's 3.6 tackles and interceptions combined per match and this suggests that the Sunderland titan could be an outstanding defensive option for Farke, due to how often he is able to cut out opposition attacks to win possession back for his team.
Therefore, Hume, who was once dubbed "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting, could be a dream replacement for Ayling and offer more at both ends of the pitch.
Southampton have now extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to 13 matches, despite picking up successive draws away from home to stop a lengthy winning streak.
Russell Martin's Saints have won six of their last ten matches in the division, putting themselves firmly in the promotion reckoning as a result.
Blackburn Rovers are the visitors to the south coast this Saturday, with Martin's men keen to add another win to their season tally at the expense of Jon Dahl Tomasson's entertaining Riversiders.
The Southampton boss could reshuffle his side slightly for the task of overcoming Dahl Tomasson's men from Lancashire, with Che Adams one of a number of first-teamers potentially facing the chop.
Here's how the Saints could line up for the game tomorrow…
GK – Gavin Bazunu
Gavin Bazunu should retain his spot in between the sticks for the home game, the Irish shot-stopper signed from Manchester City in the summer keeping back-to-back clean sheets at St Mary's before his side picked up two subsequent away draws.
RB – Kyle Walker-Peters
Kyle Walker-Peters will also start versus Blackburn, the Saints right-back has barely put a foot wrong all season which has meant he's been everpresent in Martin's side in the Championship.
CB – Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Taylor Harwood-Bellis' reputation in the game continues to increase with the Saints, the Man City loanee excelling in the second tier once again after a promising loan switch to Burnley last campaign.
The 21-year-old's display in the away draw at Watford was particularly impressive, winning all but one of his duels in the 1-1 contest, as per Sofascore.
CB – Jan Bednarek
Southampton's more experienced centre-back option will also start the Blackburn game, the ever-reliable Jan Bednarek a colossus in the second tier to date.
The Polish defender was a standout performer at the back versus Coventry last game, accurate with 96% of his passes in a calm display.
LB – Ryan Manning
Ryan Manning should be the final part of an unchanged defence for Martin, the ex-Swansea City defender important for the Saints this campaign.
Manning's threat from down the channels stood out against the Sky Blues at the CBS Arena, accurate with two crosses in the game in an attempt to assist a Saints forward to gain a win.
CM – Joe Aribo
The first switch in personnel Martin will ponder over is axing Shea Charles from his lineup potentially, the Saints splashing the cash on the former Man City man in the summer by paying £15m to land his services.
He was below-par away at Coventry mid-week however – only winning three of his eight duels – and so could be sacrificed for Aribo to be pushed back into a more comfortable central midfield slot.
Aribo played behind Adam Armstrong in an advanced role against Mark Robins' men, but is far more suited to a deeper central midfield role – scoring 11 times from this position when playing for Rangers before switching to the Saints.
CM – Will Smallbone
Martin will toy with the idea of starting Flynn Downes for this contest – Downes missing from the Coventry match owing to illness – but risking a star player feels unnecessarily risky when you have Will Smallbone to fall back on.
Smallbone was excellent in Southampton's last second-tier match in mid-week, 100% successful with his ground duels.
Therefore, Martin might not need to bring Downes back into the starting lineup immediately especially if the West Ham United loanee isn't at full freshness just yet.
CM – Stuart Armstrong
The creativity potentially lacking from the side with Downes out won't be as noticeable with Stuart Armstrong present in the starting eleven, the ex-Dundee United man enjoying a fine season to date at St Mary's.
The ageing Scotsman wasn't at his free-flowing best away at Coventry – losing possession 20 times – but he's done more than enough in other games this campaign to make that third central midfield spot his own.
Creating four big chances this campaign dictating play in the middle, Martin will hope Armstrong can be at his creative best up against tricky opponents in Blackburn tomorrow.
AM – Carlos Alcaraz
In place of Aribo being moved back, Carlos Alcaraz could be given a start by Martin for the home game against the Riversiders.
The Argentine attacker hasn't really gotten into his groove in the second tier for the Saints this season – only helping himself to a single goal in league action – but he was impressive nonetheless when substituted on against Coventry.
Winning three out of three ground duels from a rowdy eight minutes on the pitch, Alcaraz could be the aggressive and forward-thinking figure Martin wants to get his team firing again and beating teams with ease instead of settling for draws.
AM – Samuel Edozie
In the other attacking midfielder spot, Martin could axe Adams for Samuel Edozie who made even more of an impact last game than Alcaraz when introduced.
Edozie would ensure the Saints travelled back to the South Coast with a share of the spoils, hammering home an effort after an Adam Armstrong nod-on found him ready to fiercely fire a strike.
Edozie's skilful reputation in the game has even seen him branded with the label of being an "eye-catcher" according to football pundit Adrian Clarke on What the EFL?! Podcast, who hyped up the youngster at the start of August before the season had properly got underway.
Adams will be sacrificed to make way for Edozie to come in, the ex-Birmingham City man not even registering one shot on goal before Edozie was substituted on.
Folarin Balogun has unleashed a brand new look ahead of a return to action as AS Monaco look set to qualify for Champions League.
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Moises Caicedo scored his first Chelsea goal in stunning fashion after firing in from the halfway line against Bournemouth.
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Tottenham have commenced initial dialogue over potentially signing one big club's "very quick" player in January, according to reports.
As per some rumours from the English press, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou wants to make three new signings for the Lilywhites next month and shore up key areas of the squad.
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The Australian, who has guided Tottenham through a terrific early campaign overall since joining from Celtic, has his eyes on a new centre-back, midfielder and forward (The Daily Mail).
Micky Van de ven's recent hamstring injury has highlighted Spurs' real lack of depth in central defence, while both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr will leave Postecoglou short in midfield when they depart for AFCON soon.
Son Heung-min will also travel to represent South Korea in the Asia Cup, depriving Tottenham of their arguable star player this season. A plethora of players are on the treatment table right now as well, so January additions look like a necessity rather than a luxury.
In terms of new forwards, the Lilywhites are thought to be interested in Al-Ittihad winger Jota – a player who Postecoglou knows very well from his time at Celtic. Meanwhile, another player to be repeatedly linked is Juventus starlet Samuel Iling-Junior. The 20-year-old has scarcely featured under Massimiliano Allegri this season, having played just 131 minutes in Serie A over 2023/2024.
Sharing an update on his situation, Italian news outlet TUTTOmercatoWEB claim Tottenham have "started initial contacts" over signing Iling-Junior in January. The north Londoners are joined by Aston Villa and Brighton in making the same move, and while no official offer is one the table just yet, it appears dialogue over move has begun as the window nears its opening.
Thought to be valued at around £15.5 million, Iling-Junior would represent an affordable and fairly promising option to bolster Postecoglou's attacking options. Juventus and Spurs already have a wonderful history of doing buisness together, with both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur going on to become a real stars.
While Iling-Junior isn't a regular under Allegri by any means, journalist Michele Neri has previously revealed to TNT Sports that people in Turin rate the winger highly.
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Tottenham's best performers in the Premier League – 2023/2024 |
Match Rating (via WhoScored) |
|---|---|
|
James Maddison |
7.58 |
|
Son Heung-min |
7.38 |
|
Dejan Kulusevski |
7.24 |
|
Pedro Porro |
7.23 |
|
Cristian Romero |
7.20 |
“Iling Junior is a very quick player, who loves to take on opposing full-backs and attack the vertical spaces, in a very direct way,” Neri explained. “He is a left winger who can also play as a right winger if needed. He has a great sense for dribbling and a speed from a standing start that other Juventus players do not have.
“In these qualities you can absolutely see shades of Rafael Leao when the AC Milan superstar was a bit younger. The fans went crazy for him after the Benfica game where he played 20 minutes and really shone, providing an assist to Milik."
Ex-Arsenal and Portugal defender Cedric Soares claimed he advised Gunners team-mates to study Cristiano Ronaldo to improve their attacking prowess.
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Sunderland will be hoping to look back on their decision to appoint Michael Beale as a vital turning point in their aim for Championship promotion. So far, the former Rangers boss has endured a mixed start when it comes to league action, having been smashed by Coventry City in his first game in charge, before defeating play-off rivals Hull City, drawing at Rotherham and beating Preston North End. Sandwiched in between that, meanwhile, was a disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of bitter rivals Newcastle United.
As he attempts to gain some consistency in England's second tier, however, Beale looks set to face a battle to keep one of his best players amid interest from European champions.
Beale has been handed no easy task this month, with the job of keeping the Black Cats in the race for a place inside the top six, making his mark on the side through incomings and hope that his best players stay put. As the window goes on, that final task may prove to be more and more difficult with West Ham United reportedly eyeing one particular star.
According to a live TV update from Sky Sports, West Ham are keen to sign Jack Clarke, with the deal at the "early stages" this month. West Ham, off the back of winning the Europa Conference League at the end of the last campaign, certainly have the ability to attract top players, and Clarke is reportedly one of the options that the Hammers are looking at, though those at The Stadium of Light aren't panicking just yet.
As the January transfer window goes on and Clarke continues to impress, the winger could certainly be one to keep an eye on when it comes to potential Sunderland exits.
Clarke's stats this season paint the picture of a player at the top of his game in the Championship. The winger has already scored 12 goals in 28 appearances in all competitions this season, whilst also turning provider on two occasions.
If Beale is to secure Sunderland's place in the play-offs come May, then Clarke should prove to be the key. With the Black Cats just one point ahead of seventh-placed Hull City too, they simply cannot afford to let their star man leave this month.
Clarke earned the praise of former boss Mowbray following Sunderland's 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers, in which he scored a brace. Mowbray said via The Sunderland Echo: "Jack was amazing tonight, won and scored a penalty and the composure for his second goal… not just that, the more the game went on the more our players knew just to give it to Clarke. He can run 40 yards, he can cut inside and pass it to people in the box, shoot.
"He's a super talent and a great kid. I make no apology for shouting at him and telling him to work hard because I always say to him, all the best players, the great players – they work harder than anyone else and then the talent shines through."