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After getting off to an excellent start on the pitch, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly set their sights on beating some of the Premier League’s top clubs in the transfer market.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

Nottingham Forest couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the Premier League campaign. The Midlands club have lost just one of their first seven Premier League games in a run that includes a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, which remains Arne Slot’s only defeat in charge of the Reds.

Nuno wants Nottingham Forest to open contract talks with £4m-a-year star

Nuno is pushing Nottingham Forest to reward a key player with a new contract.

By
Brett Worthington

Oct 10, 2024

Sitting 10th and well away from relegation troubles as a result of their form, Forest took points from another top-six side last time out, holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Given that only Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than Nottingham Forest so far this season, it’s clear that Nuno Espirito Santo no longer needs any defensive reinforcements, allowing those at the City Ground to turn their attention towards perfecting his side’s frontline. On that front, they’ve reportedly joined the race to sign a Brazilian star.

According to reports in Spain, Nottingham Forest have now set their sights on signing Igor Jesus ahead of the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United in 2025. The Botofogo forward, who joined the Brazilian side from UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli in the summer, could already be on the move again amid interest from the Premier League.

That move won’t come cheap, however. Botofogo reportedly value their striker at €35m-40m (£29m-34m) in what would force Forest to once again splash the cash in the transfer market. That said, such a price looks likely to be worth paying given the electric form that Jesus has found himself in throughout the current campaign.

"Great" Jesus could replace Chris Wood

Amid Taiwo Awoniyi’s injury concerns in the last season or so, it’s Chris Wood who has superbly stepped up to become quite the talisman for Nottingham Forest, but at 32 years old, he won’t be at the peak of his powers for much longer. And that’s where Jesus could come in and replace the former Burnley man to hand Espirito Santo an attacking lead for years to come.

Dubbed “great” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Jesus scored 24 goals and assisted a further three both in the UAE and Brazil in the 2023/24 campaign and has since followed that up by scoring on his debut for the national team.

With the Premier League potentially beckoning, Jesus could earn the biggest move of his career yet if the likes of Nottingham Forest step up their chase. The Midlands club have, of course, already turned towards Brazil for one reinforcement recently when they welcomed Carlos Miguel from Corinthians to bolster their shot-stopping options during the summer transfer window.

West Ham United are being given compensation by FIFA, as a club source shares some more injury news on summer signing Niclas Fullkrug.

West Ham criticised for Fullkrug signing after injury-ridden start

During the summer transfer window, technical director Tim Steidten moved to end West Ham’s striker search with a £27 million deal for the Germany international, following a campaign where he bagged 16 goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund.

Star set for West Ham recall as worry kicks Lopetegui and staff into action

The Hammers need to turn things around.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 24, 2024

Fullkrug arrived with a decent reputation, and it was hoped that the 31-year-old’s capture would end West Ham’s reliance on an aging strike force in Michail Antonio and the out-of-favour Danny Ings.

However, it took just weeks into his Hammers career for Fullkrug to pick up an achilles tendon injury, which he sustained during an international tour of duty for Germany last month.

West Ham Results: 2024/25
Match	Date	Opponent	Competition	Result
#10	19/10/2024	Tottenham (A)	Premier League	4-1 loss
#9	05/10/2024	Ipswich (H)	Premier League	4-1 win
#8	28/09/2024	Brentford (A)	Premier League	1-1 draw
#7	25/09/2024	Liverpool (A)	Carabao Cup	5-1 loss
#6	21/09/2024	Chelsea (H)	Premier League	3-0 loss
#5	14/09/2024	Fulham (A)	Premier League	1-1 draw
#4	31/08/2024	Man City (H)	Premier League	3-1 loss
#3	28/08/2024	Bournemouth (H)	Carabao Cup	1-0 win
#2	24/08/2024	Crystal Palace (A)	Premier League	2-0 win
#1	17/08/2024	Aston Villa (H)	Premier League	2-1 loss

In a stroke of real bad luck for new manager Julen Lopetegui, who is under pressure amid a lacklustre start to his career in the London Stadium dugout, the Spaniard has been unable to call upon Fullkrug ever since.

It was hoped at one point that Fullkrug would make a swift return to action for West Ham, but optimism over his fitness has waned if anything. As such, West Ham are targeting a new striker in January, and they’ve been criticised for striking a deal for the ex-Werder Bremen star.

“He had a few issues during his time in Germany with his fitness,” said ex-recruitment chief Mick Brown to Football Insider.

“That, I’ve heard, played a part in the reason Dortmund were keen to let him go. So if that was an issue, and it was known in Germany, you’ve got to ask serious questions about why it was overlooked by West Ham.

“Paying almost £30million for a 31-year-old is always risky, but spending that money on a player with fitness issues at that age is a huge problem.”

Insider shares Niclas Fullkrug injury update out of West Ham

Taking to X, insider Sean Whetstone has shared what he’s heard on the player’s injury status via club sources.

He writes that West Ham are being given compensation by FIFA over Fullkrug’s injury, ue to the playing buffering the injury on international duty, with the forward returning to his homeland for treatment.

“Club sources have confirmed the earlier story that Niclas Fullkrug has returned to Germany for treatment,” said Whetstone.

“The article in the Sun newspaper said the German international returned to his homework for recovery and he will have a series of injections. The source said ‘Sadly it’s true, we don’t seem to be having any luck with this player’.”

This comes after Lopetegui admitted to the media that there had been a Fullkrug complication, despite the injury originally being minor.

“The problem is that Niclas had one minor injury at the start,” said Lopetegui.

“But there’s been a bit of a complication with this injury, and we are waiting for him to recover. It’s true that we thought he would be out for two weeks maximum, but it’s been a month and a half. Hopefully he will be ready for the next matches, but right now he is out.”

The Norwegian finally struck against Los Blancos at the fifth time of asking, but he will have to raise his game against his most formidable opponent

Before last week, Erling Haaland had both an awful record against Real Madrid and an excellent one. The Norwegian had failed to score against the Spanish giants in four matches, but at the same time, he had never lost a game against them, with Manchester City winning the Champions League 2022-23 semi-final tie 5-1 on aggregate but falling out of last year's quarter-finals on penalties following two draws.

The Norwegian finally broke his duck against Madrid last Tuesday by twice giving City the lead in the first leg of their knockout phase play-off. Yet paradoxically, Haaland's best individual performance against his bête noire coincided with City's worst collective display and another late collapse, leaving Pep Guardiola's side with it all to do if they are to turn the tie back in their favour and remain in Europe.

After brushing off an injury scare in City's last match against Newcastle, Haaland will be gunning for his first goal at Santiago Bernabeu now that his Madrid hoodoo is over. But the bad news is he will have to hurdle the colossal presence of Antonio Rudiger on the way…

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  Unbeatable

  Rudiger remained in Madrid last week as he was still recovering from a hamstring injury, but he will be back in the squad on Wednesday, and Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed the Germany international is ready to start. That is bad news for City, who have failed to beat Madrid whenever Rudiger has started.

  It is especially bad news for Haaland, though. When the pair met each other for the first time at the Bernabeu in May 2023, the Norwegian was in the midst of his record-breaking debut season with City and on his way to finishing as top scorer in the Champions League, having scored five goals in the last-16 second leg against RB Leipzig before finding the net in both legs of the quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich. Rudiger, however, calmly placed the goal-machine in his pocket that night, limiting him to 20 touches in the 1-1 draw, when Kevin De Bruyne struck for the visitors. Guardiola admitted that his star striker had been marked out of the game and sought to justify his lacklustre display by pointing to his age and relative inexperience.

  The City boss said at the time: "Congratulations to Rudiger, but Erling, we cannot forget, is 22 and it was the first time he has played in the semi-finals of the Champions League. For the first time going to the Bernabeu, one of the biggest stages, against a top-class club with good defenders, midfielders and strikers, next time will be a little bit easier."

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  'Cyborg deactivated'

  Haaland did not get a second bite at Rudiger in the second leg as Ancelotti bizarrely decided to take the German out of the line-up in favour of Eder Militao. City battered Madrid 4-0 at the Etihad, with Rudiger only being called upon in the 67th minute when Guardiola's side were well on their way to the final in Istanbul.

  Starting such a crucial match on the bench must have felt like a sucker punch to the ex-Chelsea man, and when the two teams were paired together again the following year, the German was intent on making his mark on the Norwegian. He told the press conference before last year's quarter-final first leg: "It's personal for me as a defensive player, against a super striker like Haaland."

  Rudiger won Round Two as Haaland had an even worse game than the year before. City's No.9 had only 20 touches, lost the ball seven times, had one shot on target and failed to compete a single dribble. Rudiger sought to disrupt Haaland every step of the way, getting in his face, nudging him off the ball and beating him in duels.

  "Rudiger eats Haaland" declared the following morning, and described the City striker as "impotent". were even more scathing, remarking that "only the substitutes participated less than Haaland" while calling the Norwegian "clumsy and desperate". One writer remarked: "The cyborg was deactivated against Rudiger."

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  Marmoush can help

  Round Three of Haaland vs Rudiger back at the Etihad was a more balanced fight. Haaland hit the bar while the German's botched clearance handed De Bruyne City's equaliser. Rudiger had the final say though, burying the decisive penalty which sent Madrid through to the semi-finals and on their way to their second Champions League triumph in three years, and their 15th European Cup overall.

  Round Four is shaping up to be another intriguing clash between centre-back and centre-forward. Rudiger could be lacking sharpness in his first game back since being forced off in the 15th minute against Espanyol on February 15. Haaland, meanwhile, is back in prolific form, having scored nine goals and provided two assists in his last 10 matches. And now he has an equally terrifying strike partner that Rudiger and his fellow Madrid team-mates will need to worry about.

  Omar Marmoush only played four minutes plus added time in the first leg, but he heads to Madrid beaming with confidence after his hat-trick against Newcastle. The Egyptian was the second-most productive provider of goals and assists in Europe's top five leagues behind Mohamed Salah when he joined City from Eintracht Frankfurt in January, and his treble against the Magpies lifted him on to 22 goals for the season to go with his 11 assists. Between them, Marmoush and Haaland have 49 goals and 14 assists in 2024-25 – but it is not just the numbers that should concern Madrid.

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  More involved

  Many teams this season have found that to stop Haaland is to stop City. During Guardiola's side's shocking run of one win in 13 matches between late October and late December, the Norwegian scored only four times, and none of his team-mates could fill the gap in the meantime. City netted 15 goals in total in that period, with Josko Gvardiol, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva the only players aside from Haaland to score more than once.

  Marmoush's awakening means that even if Haaland does have an off-day like in his previous three games against Rudiger, City will still provide a threat. And the Norwegian can help his fellow forward out without scoring or even shooting, but merely by drawing defenders to him. Newcastle seemed so intent on stopping Haaland on Saturday that they forgot about Marmoush, leaving the Egyptian unchecked in the area even after he had scored two goals, allowing him to calmly slot in Savinho's cut-back to complete his hat-trick.

  City have also been trying to get more out of Haaland in their build-up play since their humbling 5-1 thrashing by Arsenal at the start of the month. Gvardiol combined superbly with Haaland for the Norwegian's opening goal in the first leg, hitting him with a low ball down the left wing to begin the move and then meeting him in the area to chest the ball into his path. The Croatian also released Haaland down the left against Newcastle, although on that occasion the forward went for goal and was tackled.

With just over four months to go to the Euros, Sarina Wiegman's side made a huge statement on Wednesday by defeating the world champions

England's Lionesses made it clear in the build-up to Wednesday's Nations League encounter with Spain that this was not a fixture that was about revenge, after their last meeting ended in a 1-0 loss in the World Cup final. What about a chance to send a statement, then? After 18 months of up-and-down results since that showpiece event, and with little over four months until their European title defence begins, Sarina Wiegman's side had the opportunity to remind the continent of their top quality in this fixture – and they took it gladly, beating the world champions 1-0 thanks to Jess Park's first-half goal.

It was an intriguing affair, with La Roja starting the better of the two before their hosts grew into things. After Lucia Garcia had smacked the crossbar and Claudia Pina had fired an effort just over Hannah Hampton's goal, it was time for England to pose a threat, and while it was Lauren James who spearheaded that, it was an enterprising run from Alessia Russo and an opportunistic finish from Park which broke the deadlock just past the half-hour mark.

With the same 10 outfield players who dropped points in a disappointing fashion in Portugal on Friday, the Lionesses nipped at Spain's heels in midfield, chose the right moments to press and didn't get dragged out of shape by their movement. They conceded chances, sure, but they were playing the reigning world champions, and when Spain did breach England's back line, they found Hampton in fine form to keep them out.

It was a night for the home team and their fans to savour, and perhaps their best performance in any fixture since that run to the World Cup final almost two years ago. England have not always been convincing since that tournament, but maybe this was a sign that they can tune up just in time for this summer's European Championship.

GOAL rates England's players from Wembley Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Hannah Hampton (8/10):

  Had one iffy moment in possession early on, but that was it in an otherwise strong display. Made a few great stops, with an outstretched leg to deny Garcia particularly impressive.

  Lucy Bronze (8/10):

  Supported the attack really well, always offering a option for a pass, and pressed well when England turned the ball over high up the pitch.

  Leah Williamson (7/10):

  Made good decisions to ensure she was always in a good position at the back and not dragged around by Spain's movement.

  Millie Bright (8/10):

  Intervened effectively when necessary, including when Paralluelo was through on goal, and sprayed some nice passes around. Was like a magnet to the ball in the latter stages as England saw the game out.

  Niamh Charles (7/10):

  Grew into the game, with some nice runs and contributions to the attack balanced out by some solid defensive moments.

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  Midfield

  Keira Walsh (6/10):

  Made a few timely interceptions to get England going on the attack, but also had a couple of lapses in concentration in big moments.

  Grace Clinton (7/10):

  Nipped in a few times to dispossess Spain in good areas.

  Ella Toone (7/10):

  Smart with when to press, when to cut lines of passes off and when to sit back. Was always looking to run in behind, but the pass didn't come.

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  Attack

  Jess Park (7/10):

  Didn't shy away from a challenge out of possession and was always aware in the final third, particularly for her goal.

  Alessia Russo (7/10):

  Her direct and confident run into the box provided the goal-scoring opportunity for Park, who made it 1-0.

  Lauren James (8/10):

  Added a different dimension to England's game with how she could pick up and run with the ball to unsettle Spain. Honoured her defensive duties brilliantly, too.

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  Subs & Manager

  Nikita Parris (6/10):

  Made her first England appearance for 834 days when she replaced Russo just past the hour. Offered a good outlet on the counter as Spain piled the pressure on and never stopped running.

  Chloe Kelly (6/10):

  Also on for a good half hour, and winning her 50th cap, but was the quieter of the two subs going forward. Put in plenty of effort defensively to help England keep their clean sheet, though.

  Jess Naz (N/A):

  Introduced in the final few minutes to help inject fresh legs into England's attempts to see the game out.

  Sarina Wiegman (8/10):

  Stuck to her guns with the same 10 outfield players who succumbed to a disappointing draw with Portugal on Friday and her faith was repaid. Drilled her team well with the press and that allowed England to put Spain on the back foot often, and in positions that were uncomfortable for the visitors.

From Ryan Giggs’ memorable mazy run and finish against Arsenal in 1999, to Trevor Sinclair’s unbelievable bicycle kick for QPR against Barnsley, the FA Cup has produced some of the most unforgettable goals.

Many of those goals have come in FA Cup finals, of which there have been 143 to date.

Here, we have listed what we think are the 10 best FA Cup final goals of all time.

FA Cup 2024/25: Cup final details, results, TV picks & more

Find all the latest and key FA Cup info here ahead of the weekend’s final between Crystal Palace and Manchester City.

1

By
Ross Kilvington

May 12, 2025

10

Didier Drogba v Manchester United (2007)

Ivorian scores winner in first final at new Wembley

Didier Drogba’s extra-time strike against Manchester United in the 2007 FA Cup final was a sign of things to come for the Chelsea striker and his side in the FA Cup.

After 116 minutes without a goal at the new Wembley, the Ivorian took matters into his own hands, playing a neat one-two with Frank Lampard on the edge of United’s box before gently lobbing the ball over the onrushing Edwin van der Sar.

The goal, which was enough to clinch the trophy for the Blues, was the first of four FA Cup final goals Drogba scored for Chelsea, with the striker again finding the target in 2009, 2011 and 2012. On each of those occasions, Chelsea went on to win.

9

Alexis Sanchez v Aston Villa (2015)

Sanchez scores stunner as Arsenal run riot

The 2015 FA Cup final between Arsenal and Aston Villa was a non-contest, with Arsene Wenger’s side running out 4-0 winners on the day thanks to goals from Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud.

Sanchez’s 50th-minute strike was the pick of the bunch. The Chilean hit a stunner from 30 yards out, the ball dipping and swerving Jabulani-style before crashing off the crossbar and into the net.

The victory was Arsenal’s 12th final win – ensuring their place as the most successful team in FA Cup history.

The 9 most successful teams in the FA Cup

The FA Cup has been won by some of the biggest teams in the country since its inception in the 19th century.

By
Ross Kilvington

Oct 30, 2024

8

Ricky Villa v Man City (1981)

Villa wins it for Spurs with solo stunner

Back in the days when FA Cup final replays still existed, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City played out a draw in the 1981 final.

In the replay, Spurs emerged as 3-2 victors, in no short part to Ricky Villa, who scored twice on the day, including a memorable winner in the 76th minute. 40 yards out from goal, the Argentine somehow found a way through despite being surrounded by several City defenders before slotting the ball under goalkeeper Joe Corrigan.

Think Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s famous goal for Ajax against NAC Breda, but with dreadful haircuts and a muddy pitch.

7

Jesse Lingard v Crystal Palace (2016)

Lingard breaks Eagles hearts with extra-time volley

Some goals you see coming. Others, you don’t. Jesse Lingard’s game-winning goal for Manchester United against Crystal Palace in the 2016 FA Cup final was one of the latter.

With the scores tied at 1-1 in the 110th minute, Antonio Valencia swung a hopeful ball into the Palace area which was deflected away by defender Damien Delaney. Out of nowhere, Lingard ran onto the deflected ball and volleyed it straight into the top corner past a motionless Wayne Hennessey in the Palace net.

23 years old at the time, Lingard’s career at Old Trafford never really kicked on how many would have hoped after his FA Cup heroics, but he’ll still always be remembered fondly by the United faithful for the goal.

6

Roberto Di Matteo v Middlesbrough (1997)

Di Matteo's record-breaking strike wins cup for Chelsea

At the time it was scored, Roberto Di Matteo’s strike against Middlesbrough in the 1997 FA Cup final was the fastest in the fixture’s 125-year history.

Just 42 seconds into the game, the Chelsea midfielder scored with a thunderous strike from 30 yards out, which clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way in. The goal proved to be the winner and saw the Blues lift the trophy for the first time since 1970.

Di Matteo’s record has since been broken on numerous occasions, most recently by Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan, who scored within 13 seconds of the 2023 final.

5

Stuart Pearce v Tottenham (1991)

Captain Pearce smashes home bullet free-kick

Stuart Pearce is best remembered for his propensity for cutting opponents in half with crunching tackles rather than his goalscoring abilities, but he was more than capable of finding the net. In fact, he did so on 104 occasions during his career.

The best of those goals arguably came in a Nottingham Forest shirt in the 1991 FA Cup final against Tottenham, where he opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a bullet of a free-kick that almost broke the net.

Sadly for Pearce, Forest went on to lose the game 2-1, with an extra-time own-goal from Des Walker gifting Spurs the trophy.

The 9 greatest FA Cup upsets of all time

The FA Cup is famous for its giant-killing moments, but which are the greatest upsets in the competition’s history?

By
Barney Lane

Oct 31, 2024

4

Santi Cazorla v Hull City (2014)

Cazorla free-kick kickstarts Arsenal comeback

Just eight minutes into the 2014 FA Cup final, Arsenal, quite unbelievably, found themselves 2-0 down against Hull City thanks to early goals from defenders James Chester and Curtis Davies.

On 17 minutes, however, Santi Cazorla swept in a magnificent free-kick from almost 30 yards out, beating Hull’s Allan McGregor at his far post.

The goal sparked what is arguably the greatest FA Cup final comeback of all time, with the Gunners going on to win 3-2 courtesy of goals from Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey.

The top 10 FA Cup finals of all time – ranked

Some finals fail to live up to the billing, but sometimes the magic of the FA Cup shines through.

1

By
Alex Caple

May 25, 2024

3

Ray Parlour & Freddie Ljungberg v Chelsea (2002)

Two glorious strikes seal memorable win for Arsenal

Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in the 2002 FA Cup final came courtesy of two beauties.

The first came from midfielder Ray Parlour, who in the 70th minute fired in a fine long-range strike past Blues keeper Carlo Cudicini.

The second came through Freddie Ljungberg. Ten minutes after Parlour’s opener, the Swedish winger embarked on a driving run through Chelsea’s defence, blitzing past William Gallas and leaving John Terry on the floor, before curling the ball beautifully into the side netting.

They are almost certainly the greatest pair of goals to win a cup final.

2

Youri Tielemans v Chelsea (2021)

Tielemans scorcher secures Leicester's first FA Cup

Youri Tielemans has developed a reputation over the years for scoring screamers. One of the finest in his collection is his goal in the 2021 FA Cup final for Leicester City against Chelsea.

With 63 minutes on the clock, the Foxes midfielder found himself in open space near the centre circle. From there, he drove forward with a couple of touches before putting his laces through the ball, which found its way into the top corner of Kepa Arrizabalaga’s net.

The stunning strike was enough to win the match and hand Leicester their first FA Cup.

1

Steven Gerrard v West Ham (2006)

Gerrard scores trademark screamer to complete Liverpool comeback

In big moments, big players step up to the plate, and that’s exactly what Steven Gerrard did in the 2006 FA Cup final.

Heading into the final moments of the game, Liverpool found themselves 3-2 down against West Ham United and were desperately searching for an equaliser. Gerrard provided it, drilling a superb half-volley into the bottom corner from around 35 yards out.

The Reds went on to win the match via a penalty shootout, lifting the FA Cup for a seventh time.

Chelsea legend Joe Cole has named the 'world-class' Blues star who should be in Thomas Tuchel's England side ahead of the international fixtures.

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• James puts in great shift against Copenhagen
• Cole wants Tuchel to call up James for England
• England call-up likely over the next few days

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tuchel has decided to begin his stint as head coach of the England national team by providing all eligible players a clean slate in relation to whatever happened during Gareth Southgate's stint. Chelsea and England legend Cole has urged Tuchel to consider bringing in the Blues captain Reece James for his first Three Lions squad.

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  WHAT COLE SAID

  Speaking to TNT Sports, Cole said: "He’s got so much to offer Chelsea and so much to offer England. It’s so great to see him impacting the game like he did tonight. Don’t give up on Reece James because there is still a real, real world-class player in there who can be a massive player for Chelsea and England. Hopefully, he can keep going now."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cole's comments about James come after the right-back's spectacular performance against Copenhagen on Thursday in the Europa Conference League. Cole added: "He will have the respect of every player at Chelsea because of what he can do technically and physically. When he was at his best, he was as good as anyone in the world, no doubt about that.

  "It’s just about him finding his inner peace and managing him into games. He can play in midfield, he did it when he was on loan at Wigan and got Player of the Year there as a young kid. He looks comfortable there."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR JAMES?

  Tuchel is set to announce his first England squad over the next few days as the March international break looms around the corner, however, it is possible that James may not make the cut for the call-up as the Chelsea star has not had a lot of action this season due to injuries.

Liverpool’s enthralling campaign has been put on hold as international action is ushered in once again. It feels like the term has been heavily punctuated by these annoying breaks, but it’s a good chance for certain players to grow in confidence.

Certain players such as Curtis Jones. The 23-year-old has made impressive headway for the Reds in recent weeks and was justly rewarded with his England debut as Lee Carsley’s side came up against Greece. It was a must-win fixture, and Jones was his nation’s life-juice in the middle.

Curtis Jones thrives on Three Lions debut

England needed to win. It wasn’t seamless football, but this Lions side, lacking a plethora of key parts, succeeded, and Jones was at the beating heart as he enjoyed a sensational national debut.

Some showing. The deft backheeled flick to stretch England’s lead to three goals in the late stage was a thing to behold and made a telling comment on the confidence that positively oozes from the Scouse-born star right now.

Injuries notwithstanding, there’s seemingly nothing that can stifle this man’s style right now, and after admitting that he’s personally loved the switch from Jurgen Klopp to the more control-focused Slot, it’s clear he’s reaching new levels.

Jones wouldn’t be the only one. Over 1000 miles westward, France played out a drab draw against Israel, but Ibrahima Konate was imperious once again.

Ibrahima Konate was immense once again

Ryan Gravenberch has been excellent for Liverpool this season, really stepping up, but so too has Konate dug into his skill set and unearthed qualities scarcely seen across his first three campaigns on Merseyside. Slot is taking his athletic prowess and fashioning it into something of the top drawer.

Arsenal’s William Saliba was kept out of the Les Bleus starting line-up once again as Konate struck his stake deeper into French soil, daring Didier Deschamps to drop him.

Against Israel, Konate proved to be a brick wall once again, and though there was one moment of tension when Raz Shlomo arced off the 6 foot 4 titan’s side and fired at shot-stopper Mike Maignan, his crisp and crunching defensive authority was on full show once again.

Ibrahima Konate: Performance vs Israel
Match Stats	#
Minutes played	90′
Clean sheet	1
Touches	85
Shots (on target)	3 (0)
Accurate passes	69 /75 (92%)
Tackles	3
Interceptions	2
Ground duels (won)	3 (3)
Aerial duels (won)	2 (2)
Stats via Sofascore

The 25-year-old’s spatial awareness and recovery speed were discernible once again, with Konate covering large swathes of ground and showcasing boldness that saw him wade into attacking territory as he looked to break the visitors’ resolve.

Regarding the job description, he performed admirably, completing most of his passes and winning each of his duel and tackle contests. Such command, such quality. It was an almost flawless showing, surpassing the still impressive effort of his English teammate Jones.

Playing beside Virgil van Dijk with regularity, you’re bound to learn some neat tricks. Konate is going from strength to strength this season, and now, entering the ostensible prime of his career is beginning to look like one of the meanest defenders in the business – for club and country both.

Liverpool thought they had the next Messi & Ronaldo, then he left for £0

Liverpool must regret signing £20m flop who was once compared to Messi & Ronaldo

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 14, 2024

Millwall fans mocked Jean-Philippe Mateta with a chant on Saturday, after the Crystal Palace star was hospitalised during their FA Cup game last week.

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• Millwall fans mock Mateta
• Sing new chant at Watford on Saturday
• Striker was hospitalised during clash last week

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mateta had 25 stitches in his head after a challenge by goalkeeper Liam Roberts in the FA Cup fifth round clash between the teams last Saturday, with Millwall fans showing little sympathy. They were heard chanting, "25 stitches, it could have been more" during Saturday's Championship win at Watford.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Roberts received a lot of criticism for his challenge, which saw him sent off by Michael Oliver after a VAR review and subsequently landed with an extended six-match ban. Millwall fans also held a minute's applause for the goalkeeper during their game with Bristol City on Tuesday.

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Roberts released a statement after being handed his prolonged ban, saying that he is "devastated by what happened" and that "misleading articles and comments have resulted in an unthinkable amount of abusive messages and threats towards my family and I".

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MILLWALL?

  The impact of the ban itself is unlikely to be felt too badly at Millwall, for whom Lukas Jensen is number one goalkeeper in the Championship. They play Leeds away on Wednesday, sitting seven points off the play-off places with 10 matches to play.

Chelsea scouts have been left impressed with a highly-rated young player after watching nearly all of his games this season, with BlueCo now weighing up a bid to sign him in 2025.

Chelsea's rumoured transfer plans for next year

Todd Boehly, assisted by his co-sporting directors in Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, have mapped out a plan of action for 2025 in terms of potential incomings for head coach Enzo Maresca.

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The Blues have started this Premier League season in fine fashion, sitting third in the table after some pretty impressive performances overall, but Chelsea have also won just once in their top-flight matches.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures	Date
Leicester City (home)	November 23
Aston Villa (home)	December 1
Southampton (away)	December 4
Tottenham (home)	December 8
Brentford (home)	December 15

Maresca’s side take on newly-promoted Leicester City on Saturday, with the Italian aiming to get his side back to winning ways in their pursuit of Champions League qualification, with BlueCo plotting to upgrade the squad in key areas for that likely scenario.

Chelsea are apparently considering a new centre-back, despite the presence of five senior central defensive stars in Maresca’s squad already, with links surrounding Nottingham Forest star Murillo among others.

Meanwhile, there is also a belief that a new striker could arrive next year, regardless of Nicolas Jackson doing well at the start of this campaign. There are a few big names under consideration at Stamford Bridge, like Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres.

The Sweden international has been truly exceptional yet again this season, so much so that Chelsea have emerged as one of the main contenders to sign Gyokeres in the past few months, according to reports in the media.

Chelsea also continue to be linked with a move for Victor Osimhen, after failing to sign the Nigerian before the last transfer deadline day on August 30. Former midfielder John Obi Mikel has claimed that the 25-year-old was very eager to make the move to London, but both Napoli and Chelsea couldn’t agree a deal, forcing Osimhen to settle for a loan switch to Galatasaray.

Chelsea consider Liam Delap bid after extensive scouting

According to GiveMeSport, Ipswich Town star Liam Delap is another forward option on the radar of Chelsea’s hierarchy.

It is believed the club’s scouts have watched nearly every game the England youth international has played this season, and they’ve clearly been impressed with his displays, as Chelsea consider a 2025 bid for Delap.

The report states that a January move for the ex-Man City starlet is unlikely, but a swoop for Delap is on the cards for next summer. Signed for up to £20 million, the 21-year-old has bagged six goals and an assist already, with interim Three Lions Under-21’s coach Ben Futcher tipping him to get even better.

“If you want to go and fight him, he’ll match you. If you want to race him, he’ll win the race,” said Futcher.

“He’s very difficult to deal with, he’s quick, he’s powerful, he’s in good form in the Premier League. Liam’s a top number nine and he’s going to keep developing.”

It may be too early to say with any authority, but it is starting to look like Arsenal might be returning to their incredible best.

The North Londoners were in a sorry state before the international break, with just one win in their previous five games, but since then, they’ve beaten Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and Sporting CP in the Champions League.

Moreover, with eight goals in these games, it looks like the club’s troubles in front of goal have subsided somewhat, but there is always room for improvement.

Arsenal’s form this season
Competition	Prem	UCL	EFL Cup
Games	12	5	2
Wins	6	3	2
Draws	4	1	0
Losses	2	1	0
Goals For	21	8	8
Goals Against	12	2	1
All Stats via Transfermarkt

That seems to be the club’s opinion anyway, as recent reports have now linked one of the most exciting strikers in Europe with a move to the club, a striker who’s been compared to Harry Kane and could spell big trouble for Gabriel Jesus’ future in N5.

Arsenal transfer news

According to recent reports in Italy, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui.

The report claims that alongside the Gunners, there are now ‘many big clubs’ keen on signing the Italian marksman next year.

This increased interest in the exciting forward has unsurprisingly increased the price tag on his head, and according to the report, it has now more than doubled from €22m to at least €45m, which is around £38m.

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In all, signing Retegui could prove complicated and costly, but given his form this season and the comparisons to Kane, it would be well worth it, even if it would be bad news for Jesus.

Retegui's comparison to Kane and Jesus

So, before we look at how Retegui stacks up against Jesus, who he’d surely be competing with for the place just behind Kai Havertz, where has this comparison to Kane come from?

Well, it stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Champions League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the fifth most similar striker to the Italian this season.

To better understand how this conclusion was reached, we can examine the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely, metrics including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, shots on target, shot-creating actions, blocks, clearances and carries, all per 90.

Retegui & Kane
Statistics per 90	Retegui	Kane
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists	0.63	0.60
Shots on Target	1.57	1.80
Goals per Shot	0.15	0.11
Shot-Creating Actions	4.06	4.00
Blocks	0.31	0.20
Clearances	0.31	0.40
Carries	24.1	22.8
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Season

On top of these statistical parallels, there are more surface-level similarities between the pair, such as the fact they’re both right-footed and the Englishman is 6 foot 2 while the Italian is 6 foot 1.

However, while this comparison to arguably the best striker in the world is undoubtedly encouraging, how does the former Genoa ace stack up to Jesus?

Well, from a pure output perspective, it’s not even close as in his 16 appearances this season, totalling 579 minutes, the former Manchester City star has scored one goal and provided one assist, equating to an average of a goal involvement every eight games, or every 289.5 minutes.

In contrast, Atalanta’s “lethal” marksman, as dubbed by Italian manager Luciano Spalletti, has scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 19 appearances, totalling 1153 minutes, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.11 games, or every 67.8 minutes – talk about efficiency.

Retegui vs Jesus 24/25
Player	Retegui	Jesus
Appearances	19	16
Minutes	1153′	579
Goals	14	1
Assists	3	1
Goal Involvements per Match	0.89	0.12
Minutes per Goal Involvement	67.8′	289.5′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, there just isn’t a competition between Retegui and Jesus, so should Arsenal have the chance to sign the San Fernando-born machine in 2025, they must take it, and who knows, he might even be able to displace Havertz from the starting number nine role.

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