All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Arsenal fans have slammed the performance of Takehiro Tomiyasu in their 0-0 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

The Japan international endured a pretty torrid time up against Marc Cucurella in what was the firstgame where he has struggled since arriving from Bologna in the summer transfer window.

Tomiyasu lost out on five of his duels and also failed to block any shots or make any tackles, dribbles, key passes or crosses from right-back (Sofascore).

He also lost possession of the ball on 13 separate occasions in the match, the joint-fourth most of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, with the international break coming up, Tomiyasu will now be able to take his mind away from the Gunners and then come back stronger when they face Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in their next Premier League fixture on 18 October.

 Arsenal fans on Tomiyasu display

These Gooners on Twitter slammed the 22-year-old’s performance at the Amex Stadium, as one Arsenal supporter claimed that he was ‘exposed’ by Brighton:

“Tomiyasu was exposed today.”

Credit: @cuthie23

“Tierney, Tomiyasu, White were awful today. Gabriel was solid again. Tierney normally our best player but was poor today.”

Credit: @___13245

“Tomi worst game for Arsenal today. Had 3 brilliant games for his first 3 but was really poor today. Cucurella ripped him apart in the 1st half but he’s still young still adapting to the league. Let’s just hope its a one off and not a regular theme.”

Credit: @IREAFCreviews

“Tomiyasu had his WORST performance by far, Cucurella ran past him anytime he wanted.”

Credit: @_BurgessP

“Tomiyasu zero. Can’t defend and lost the ball every time he got it”

Credit: @JackyLanis

“Tomiyasu was dreadful, how did he lock up Son and then perform like that”

Credit: @rafifreeman

In other news, find out whose display against Burnley was slammed here!

According to a report from Spanish outlet Super Deporte (via Sport Witness), Wolves are interested in signing Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos. 

The lowdown: Impressive rise

Signed for €13million (£10.7million) in 2019 from Marseille (Football Espana), the Argentine ace quickly established himself as a key member of Julen Lopetegui’s side.

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The 27-year-old was the club’s top goal scorer in his debut season in Spain with 16 goals in all competitions and has since gone from strength to strength, dazzling on the wing with 1.6 successful take-ons per game this term.

Now, as the summer transfer window approaches, Premier League clubs are paying close attention…

The latest: Big spend needed

As per the report from Super Deporte, as translated by SW, Wolves and West Ham are both keen on the Argentina international.

It’s claimed that the Wanderers ‘want’ Ocampos and would be looking to utilise a pre-existing ‘good relationship’ between the La Liga outfit and Scott Sellars.

However, Sevilla are believed to be determined to keep the left-winger and would therefore demand a €70million (£58million) release clause was met.

The verdict: Record-breaking

Signing Ocampos for the mooted fee would require executive chairman Jeff Shi to shatter a previous £36million high-spend on the deal that brought Fabio Silva to Molineux (Transfermarkt).

So far this season, the skilful forward, hailed as ‘electric’ by journalist Fede Praml, has scored nine times and registered four assists in 36 outings.

Capable of playing on either wing, the 10-cap Argentinian would seemingly be the ideal candidate to replace the outgoing Adama Traore in Bruno Lage’s squad.

In other news, Wolves interested in South American wonderkid. Find out who it is here.

Eddie Howe is reportedly lining up Tyrese Campbell as his first signing for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Up and running again

After a serious knee injury which kept him out at the start of the season, the 21-year-old is now up and running again for Stoke City, with his latest goal in their 2-0 win at QPR in midweek adding to his other strike against Peterborough United last month (Transfermarkt).

After his cameo against the Posh, his manager Michael O’Neill praised the youngster’s ‘brilliant’ work in the build-up and claimed that it was the first time that the Potters saw the ‘Tyrese of old’ (VAVEL).

Indeed, O’Neill cited how Campbell was ‘flying, scoring and assisting goals and terrorising defences’ last season before his injury, as he netted seven goals and provided a further eight assists in 19 games across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, it looks as if the Stoke centre-forward is now a player in demand as the January transfer window draws nearer.

The Latest: Campbell lined up

As per The Sun, Howe is now lining up Campbell to be his and Newcastle’s first signing of the new Saudi era.

The former Burnley and Bournemouth manager is ‘ready’ to offer a fee of £20m to secure his signature in January, and has tracked him ever since his time with the Cherries.

Campbell, who is the son of former Everton and Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, caught the eye of Howe because of his ‘pace and eye for goal’, and it looks as if the 44-year-old can finally get his man if the price is right.

The Verdict: Worth the risk?

Of course, with very little lengthy injury, it would certainly be a risk bringing Campbell to St. James’ Park. However, he has already shown that he can frighten defenders, and at just 21 years of age, he should only get better.

Given Howe’s long-term admiration for him, the Newcastle boss would also enjoy working with the striker and trying to get the best out of him, and Campbell have the added benefit of learning from Callum Wilson, the Magpies’ top scorer so far this season with six goals.

Nonetheless, given that they are in a relegation battle, they need to take risks, and Campbell is a calculated one which could well pay off.

In other news, NUFC have been dealt a ‘massive blow’ off the pitch

Celtic have been dealt a huge injury setback ahead of their upcoming Scottish Premiership clash.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Scotsman, who claim that Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side will be without at least seven first-team players for the trip to St. Johnstone on Sunday, with David Turnbull, Jota, Albian Ajeti, Giorgos Giakoumakis, James Forrest, Karamoko Dembele and Christopher Jullien all looking to be sidelined due to injury.

A further report by the same publication went on to state that both Joe Hart and Kyogo Furuhashi – who missed the 0-0 draw against St. Mirren earlier in the week with knocks – could also miss out at McDiarmid Park this weekend, as the duo do not appear to have recovered from their respective injuries.

Postecoglou will be fuming

Considering the sheer number of injuries he is having to deal with at present, the news that none of his previously injured players look set to make a return to action this weekend, while both Hart and Kyogo also remain doubts for the fixture, is sure to have left the 56-year-old manager fuming.

Indeed, should attacking midfielder Turnbull, left-winger Jota, centre-forward Kyogo and goalkeeper Hart all be missing on Sunday, the Greek-Australian coach would be unable to select his best, fifth-best, 10th-best and joint 13th-best performers respectively in the top flight of Scottish football so far this season – of players who remain within his first-team squad.

And, when taking into account just how much Postecoglou’s depleted Celtic side struggled to break down St. Mirren on Wednesday evening, should the manager once again be unable to call upon any of the aforementioned players, it would not appear to bode well for Celtic’s chances of picking up all three points against Callum Davidson’s side.

This could potentially bring disastrous ramifications to the club’s Premiership title hopes this season, as dropping more points on Sunday could well see the Bhoys fall further behind their Old Firm rivals – who currently top the league standings by six points.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “horrendous” £20k-p/w Celtic flop by unleashing 18 y/o sensation

Injury expert Ben Dinnery believes Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi could be out for four weeks with his current muscle problem, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Ange’s comments

Furuhashi injured his hamstring in the final game before the winter break against St Johnstone and missed Celtic’s first game back against Hibernian on Monday evening due to injury alongside Albian Ajeti, Christopher Jullien, Karamoko Dembele and David Turnbull.

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The 26-year-old, who has contributed to 21 goals in 26 games as a Hoops player, is expected to be out for at least a couple more weeks, Ange Postecoglou confirmed.

That means he is at risk of missing the Glasgow derby against Rangers on February 2, in what could be a crucial fixture at Celtic Park with Postecoglou’s side currently four points adrift at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Dinnery was talking to Football Insider regarding Furuhashi’s injury. This is what he had to say in reply, believing the Japan international could ultimately miss four weeks of action and urged Celtic to be cautious when it comes to a return.

“There are high re-injury and recurrence rates with these injuries.

“That first month is where we see the highest recurrence rates, so we need to be very careful.

“When you suffer a setback, typically you are looking at how long you’ve spent on the sidelines previously and then adding to that.

“He was injured in the Boxing Day fixtures and he’s just returned, so we’re talking a couple of weeks there.

“If he’s been back on the training pitches for around 10 to 14 days, the assumption is it’s a fairly low-grade tear.

“It’s really unfortunate but maybe we’re looking at that two to four week period that he might miss.

“It’s one of those injuries where it makes sense to take a little bit more time with it. The longer you take, the more likely you are to stay fit afterwards.

“Around 40 per cent of all muscle injuries are hamstring injuries. Around the winter months, we see very high prevalence because of the schedule.

“There is likely fatigue involvement, so with Kyogo, we’re looking at maybe early February before he returns.”

The Verdict: Maeda set for first Glasgow derby?

Should Dinnery’s prediction prove accurate and Furuhashi’s absence stretch to four weeks, he will miss the meeting with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

That could mean that new signing Daizen Maeda will get a first Glasgow derby start, and he proved against Hibernian he is more than up to the task when it comes to leading the line.

It took the 24-year-old just four minutes to score his first Celtic goal, and if he can continue his positive start, you’d expect him to feature ahead of Giorgos Giakoumakis and the injured Furuhashi and Ajeti against Rangers.

In other news: Transfer request submitted – Celtic handed boost as news emerges on possible 5th winter recruit. 

According to The Daily Echo, Southampton striker Charlie Austin will be allowed to leave this month, with Premier League outfit Wolves and Championship side Aston Villa interested. 

The 29-year-old has played 16 Premier League games so far this season, more than he managed in the entirety of the 2016/17 and 2015/16 seasons. While he has only managed two goals, he looks poised to play the most games he has in one season in the league for The Saints, which is 24.

However, while he has been slightly more reliable than he has in some seasons at St Mary’s, he is obviously not deemed a necessity at the south coast by manager Ralph Hasenhüttl. For a manager with such an attacking philosophy, perhaps the former QPR forward just is not fruitful enough in front of goal, with the Austrian preferring Danny Ings and Shane Long.

However, one thing that this does suggest is the potential arrival of target Che Adams. The Birmingham striker has been linked with a move to St Mary’s before the end of the month, and the departure of Austin could be ushering in that move. The manager may have felt that there were currently too many strikers at the club, and has therefore decided to trim the fat slightly before a new signing. Being seven years younger than Austin, many Southampton fans would see the prolific Championship scorer as an upgrade.

Since moving from QPR in January 2016, Austin has played over 50 league games for the club, managing 16 goals, but his time could be coming to an end.

Rangers will look to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership as they travel to face St Mirren on Sunday.

Heading into the weekend, the Gers sat at the summit of the table on 20 points, whilst tomorrow’s opponent’s were seventh and have only lost two of their opening nine matches.

Steven Gerrard’s team come into the game off the back of a 2-0 win over Danish side Brondby in the Europa League on Thursday night, so will he make any changes to the starting XI? We believe that one player he should bring into the fold is central midfielder Scott Arfield.

The experienced Scottish-born Canadian impressed during his cameo off the bench on Thursday, recording a SofaScore rating of 7.00 in 12 minutes. As per SofaScore, he won both of his duels, made one tackle and one interception, and provided one key pass as well as hitting the post with a good effort on goal.

It is time to forget about Steven Davis starting against St Mirren and Gerrard to unleash Arfield in midfield for the Gers. We published an article explaining why the 36-year-old should be axed from the starting XI after his disappointing performance against Brondby.

Arfield is a proven performer for Rangers and could come in to give the Northern Irishman a rest. Last season, the 32-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85 in 28 games as he chipped in with four goals and five assists in the Premiership

During the campaign, Gerrard lauded the midfielder for what he offers in and out of position in the middle of the park, which hints at what he could bring to the side this weekend against St Mirren.

The Gers boss said: “Scott epitomises what we want. Out of possession he shows grit, he shows fight, he’s there for you and in possession, he’s always available. He stands up to be counted at important times, so we’re extremely happy with Scott at the moment.”

This highlights why Gerrard must unleash the £16k-per-week beast on Sunday to show what he can do with a first league start of the season. It would allow an underperforming Davis to have a rest and focus on getting back to his best in training, whilst also throwing a bone to Arfield to see if he can stake a claim for a regular starting berth for the Gers.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth McGregor 2.0 in Rangers gem who has shown “excellent progress”…

Tottenham Hotspur face Aston Villa in this evening’s teatime kick-off, with Antonio Conte’s side looking to keep up their impressive recent run of Premier League form in a bid to secure a top-four finish.

Indeed, with Spurs having won five of their last six league outings and Steven Gerrard’s side having lost their last three Premier League fixtures, the north London outfit will certainly fancy their chances of taking all three points back to the capital tonight.

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However, with Spurs only narrowly defeating Villa 2-1 in the meeting between the two sides earlier this season, Conte will be well aware that he must get his team selection spot-on in order to give his team the best chance of victory this afternoon.

Will the 52-year-old make any changes to the side which started the 5-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend? Here’s how we think Tottenham could line up against Aston Villa, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Antonio Conte recently revealing that both Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon are back in contention after recovering from their respective knocks, we predict the 52-year-old will make just one change to the team which lined up against Newcastle last time out.

The back four remains intact, with Hugo Lloris starting between the Spurs sticks, while Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero make up Conte’s three-man defence.

The solitary change comes at wing-back, with Reguilon – the player who Jonathan Woodgate dubbed “horrendous” and has recently been linked with a £43m move back to Real Madrid this summer – returning to the XI on the left. Matt Doherty moves over to his preferred role on the right, with the 23-year-old Emerson Royal – who Lucas Moura claimed has a “great future” – dropping to the bench.

In the middle, with Oliver Skipp still sidelined due to injury, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur start once again, while Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski also remain unchanged in the two attacking midfield roles.

Up top, Harry Kane leads the line, with the 28-year-old undoubtedly hoping to add to his seven goals and four assists over his last eight Premier League outings.

AND in other news: Conte can form “dangerous” duo as Spurs plot bids for £156m pair who “really get along”

Pete O’Rourke has dropped a worrying claim regarding Celtic’s bid to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent basis.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke stated his belief that, while Ange Postecoglou would ideally like to sign the Tottenham Hotspur loanee on a permanent basis in the January transfer window, Celtic may not be able to afford a move for the centre-back this month.

Speaking about the club’s potential deal for the 24-year-old, the journalist said: “Celtic would ideally love to get this deal wrapped up quickly, but I think £10m would be a bit too much for Celtic right now – so they may have to wait to the summer.”

In further comments given to the same publication, O’Rourke then suggested that, as a result of the USA international’s fine performances north of the border, the Bhoys could well end up missing out on the defender’s signature altogether, as a number of other clubs will have taken note of his impressive displays for the Hoops.

The journalist said: “The worry for Celtic is if Carter-Vickers continues to impress up at Celtic Park, that might bring other clubs to the table to try to sign the American in the summer.”

Postecoglou would be fuming

Considering just how impressive Carter-Vickers has been for Celtic since his season-long loan move to Parkhead last summer, should the Bhoys indeed go on to miss out on the centre-back’s permanent signing, it would undoubtedly be an outcome that will have Postecoglou fuming.

Indeed, over his 15 Premiership outings in the current campaign, the £2.7m-rated defender has helped his side keep seven clean sheets, scored two goals and provided his teammates with one assist, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 0.7 tackles, 85.2 passes and winning a whopping 71% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £20k-per-week man average a rather astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.45, ranking him as the fourth-best performer in the entirety of the Scottish top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Carter-Vickers would make an excellent addition to Postecoglou’s permanent options in the heart of his Celtic defence.

That leads us to believe that the defender moving anywhere other than Parkhead at the end of the season would come as a gutting blow for the 56-year-old manager – particularly as it has been reported that the Hoops have already started negotiations with the player regarding his transfer to the club.

In other news: Big twist emerges in Celtic’s pursuit of “no brainer” signing that will outrage fans

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks regarding a deal to bring Dusan Vlahovic to North London in January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following Antonio Conte’s appointment at Spurs, the Premier League side are now one of the favourites to sign the ACF Fiorentina centre-forward this winter.

The report continues to state that Fabio Paratici and his Tottenham transfer team have already met with the Italian club to discuss a deal for the 21-year-old, with I Viola believed to be demanding around €70m (£60m) in order to part with the Serbia international.

Conte’s dream

Considering the sheer amount of potential Vlahovic quite clearly seems to possess, it is easy to see why Conte reportedly informed Tottenham upon his arrival in North London that the striker will be one of the first names on his transfer wishlist this January.

Indeed, over his 12 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina this season, the £45m-rated man has already scored eight goals, registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.2 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £26k-per-week forward average a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.33, ranking the 21-year-old as the joint ninth-best performer in the Italian top flight.

Furthermore, the youngster’s goalscoring form would appear to be far from a fluke, as, over his 37 Serie A appearances last term, Vlahovic bagged 21 goals, provided three assists and created three big chances for his teammates – with these returns seeing him average a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01.

As such, with Paratici reported to already be in talks with Fiorentina regarding a deal for the centre-forward, it would appear highly advisable for the managing director to pay the Italian side what they want for Vlahovic, as not only would the striker be a dream signing for Conte, he could well be the man to fire Spurs back into the top four come next May.

In other news: Paratici must seal Spurs deal for “complete” £75k-p/w machine, Conte would “love” him