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Aston Villa have reached an agreement over the signing of a “good character” this summer, according to a key update from reliable journalist Jacob Tanswell.

Rumours of McGinn out and Luiz back at Aston Villa

Transfers rumours continue to come thick and fast at Villa Park this summer, with ins and outs expected in the coming weeks leading up to the new Premier League season.

John McGinn has been a wonderful servant for Villa down the years, but the Scottish veteran has been linked with a move away from the club this summer. Everton are thought to be interested in snapping him up, with Unai Emery perhaps feeling that now is the right time to sell the midfielder, with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2027.

In fact, Douglas Luiz has been backed to return to the Midlands for a second stint from Juventus, with the Brazilian potentially coming in as his former teammate’s replacement in the middle of the park, according to some reports. He was an influential figure first time around, and at 27, he still has a huge amount to offer in his career.

It remains to be seen what will happen regarding McGinn and Luiz this summer – some supporters may love the idea of them being back together at Villa Park next season – but away from their respective sagas, another player looks set to be heading to the club.

Aston Villa close to signing 34 y/o "good character"

According to a new update from The Athletic‘s Tanswell on X, Aston Villa have “finalised terms” to complete the signing of veteran Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot, with NSWE and Monchi working their magic.

“AVFC have finalised terms to sign Marco Bizot from Brest. 34yo regarded a good character, with experience & low-cost fee other key factors. Will be GK No 2 – target position filled for Villa & remain in pursuit of defender & winger.”

The signing of Bizot may not feel like the most earth-shattering piece of business that Villa have ever done, given his age and the fact that he is likely coming in as a squad player, but it still feels like a sensible signing for them.

AZ Alkmaar

164

166

72

Brest

148

213

40

Genk

74

85

25

FC Groningen

59

82

15

SC Cambuur

21

30

3

The Dutchman is a vastly experienced head, making over 300 appearances in Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie combined in his career – 139 in the former and 175 in the latter – as well as winning one cap for the Netherlands.

Tanswell’s description of Bizot as a “good character” certainly bodes well, in terms of him bringing a strong team ethic to the squad, and he can be an influential figure both on and off the pitch.

Big McGinn upgrade: Aston Villa make contact to sign £138k-p/w "engine"

Aston Villa are set to target a new midfielder this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 9, 2025

Villa will no doubt look to secure more expensive signings between now and the end of the summer transfer window, but Robin Olsen’s departure required a new backup goalkeeper and Bizot feels like a good choice to replace him.

Oval Invincibles 113 for 9 (Ferreira 30, Ball 3-24) beat Welsh Fire 103 for 8 (Payne 28, Zampa 3-24) by 10 runsIn a match dominated by the ball, the Oval Invincibles made it two from two, beating the Welsh Fire by 10 runs in an exciting encounter in Cardiff.Although they only posted 113 for 9, the Invincibles’ stellar bowling unit tore through the Fire, with the hosts never looking like chasing down the modest total.Leg-spinners Nathan Sowter (two for 12) and Adam Zampa (three for 24) starred for the defending champions, with the latter picking up his second Meerkat Match Hero award in as many games.Asked to bat by Welsh Fire captain Tom Abell, the Invincibles lost Dawid Malan almost immediately as he flicked David Willey to midwicket. Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye responded well in the powerplay, but the Welsh Fire’s talented seam arsenal stuck to their task. Jacks fell victim to Josh Little, finding the hands of Mason Crane on the long square leg boundary (25 from 15), and Jake Ball and Willey removed Sam Billings and Muyeye respectively to leave the Invincibles struggling at 58 for 4 at the halfway mark.Donovan Ferreira (30 from 23) and Sam Curran (20 from 21) provided some resistance in the face of the Fire onslaught, but the Invincibles never really got going, with wickets continuing to fall at regular intervals, and Ball ending as the pick of the bowlers taking three for 24.Defending 113 was always going to be a tough ask for the Invincibles, and it was made all the more so when Jonny Bairstow was dropped on four by Harrison Ward off the bowling of Saqib Mahmood. Fortunately for Ward, Australian Spencer Johnson cleaned him up a couple of balls later.After Curran bowled Joe Clarke with the first ball of his spell, the Invincibles spinners came to the fore. Zampa continued his good form for the Invincibles, picking up the wickets of Abell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (22 from 33) and Willey, while Sowter removed Glenn Phillips and Luke Wells.Some lusty hitting from David Payne (28 from 15) and Crane took the game to the final few balls, but Curran held his nerve to secure the win.Meerkat Match Hero, Zampa, said: “It was important to start well. We needed some early wickets to get momentum going into the middle overs and the way that Spencer (Johnson) and Saqy (Mahmood) bowled was superb. It was really exciting to watch from mid-off.”Me and Sowts (Sowter) have to play different roles throughout and me bowling more towards the back end with the run rate going up is when I can get into my work.””There wasn’t much pace in the wicket, there was a bit of spin if you gave it some. It was hard to score on it throughout the game.”

Tottenham Hotspur have kickstarted their transfer plans after announcing Thomas Frank as their new manager to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs went public with their decision to appoint the 51-year-old on Thursday evening after days of talks, with Frank swapping the Gtech Community Stadium for north London in what is his most high-profile job to date.

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Frank is tasked with maintaining the momentum garnered from Spurs’ historic night in Bilbao last month, when Postecoglou guided the club to their first major trophy in 17 years with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Man United in the Europa League final.

Now that the Dane is confirmed as Tottenham’s choice to succeed Postecoglou, it is believed the tactician is already starting to have a say in the Lilywhites’ transfer activity ahead of his first full season in charge of a Premier League ‘big six’ side.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Frank has personally recommended Eberechi Eze to the Spurs hierarchy, according to GiveMeSport, and Sky Sports shared on Friday that they could inflict more misery on United by hijacking their move for Bryan Mbeumo.

The Brentford star was a key member of Frank’s squad last season, racking up 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions, and Sky claim that Mbeumo has suddenly become more intrigued by the prospect of a London move after his manager’s arrival at Tottenham.

Initial talks have also been held with Frank’s former side, so this move could now be one to watch.

The Cameroon international would be a stellar addition for Frank, and Tottenham are rumoured to be targeting a new winger to accompany Mathys Tel.

Frank wants to keep Tel at Spurs, according to TEAMtalk this week, with the Frenchman’s loan deal from Bayern Munich including a £45 million option to buy. Chairman Daniel Levy wants to negotiate a lower price tag after a mixed first six months at the club (Sport Bild), and Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, has now confirmed they’re currently in discussions.

Max Eberl confirms Tottenham talks over Mathys Tel

Speaking publicly, via Abendzeitung München and Sport Witness, Eberl admitted that talks are ongoing with Tottenham over Tel’s transfer.

“Mathys was at Tottenham for six months. He wanted to play in the U21 European championship with France, and we allowed him to,” he said.

“We’re talking to Tottenham, that’s no secret. We’ll see how that pans out.”

The 20-year-old scored three goals and notched one assist during his first 20 games as a Tottenham player, but former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann is on record tipping Tel for a very bright future.

“He could become one of the best strikers one day. I have the vision that he can score 40 goals one day. But I would be happy with 10 goals in his first season,” Nagelsmann told reporters in 2022.

“He’s a young, talented player. He can play in multiple positions: as a centre-forward and on the wings. He’s very quick and strong with his body. He can hold up the ball well with his back to the goal.”

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was praised for his display against Fulham in the Premier League.

Everton 2-0 Fulham

Gueye and Michael Keane supplemented Everton’s misfiring attack in a 2-0 win which extended Fulham’s woes on the road to a fifth successive match.

With the Toffees’ two strikers Beto and Thierno Barry scoring just one Premier League goal between them so far this season, there is an imperative for others to chip in. But in a team boasting the attacking talents of Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, it was their defensive midfielder and centre-back who made the difference.

The two teams had scored just 22 between them in 20 combined Premier League matches so the first goal was important and Gueye’s intervention, in the fourth minute of first-half added time, was even more crucial as an offside flag denied Everton on three occasions in a match they should have won more comfortably.

Gueye stabbed home his second of the campaign after Tim Iroegbunam had completely fluffed his shot in front of goal from a James Tarkowski header which rebounded off the crossbar.

After failing to score at all last season, Gueye is well on his way to beat his best return of four in an Everton shirt from 2023-24. Keane flicked home a Dewsbury-Hall corner with 10 minutes to go to banish any late anxiety. They were contributions gratefully received by boss David Moyes, whose side ended a run of one win in eight matches in all competitions.

Unsurprisingly, Gueye’s performance against the Cottagers was highly praised in the aftermath of the game.

Gueye was "brilliant" against Fulham

After opening the scoring against Fulham, pundit Sue Smith, as per Sky Sports, said of Gueye:

Minutes Played

90

Goals

1

Assists

0

Passes Made (Accuracy)

41/48 (85%)

Recoveries

3

Clearances

3

Interceptions

1

Aerial Duels Won

1/1 (100%)

Times Dribbled Past

0

All stats are from SofaScore

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Everton Extra noted that Gueye was “very, very good” in the first half against Everton, form that continued after the half-time break. Initially alongside Iroegbunam until the 22-year-old was replaced by Merlin Rohl in the 67th minute, Gueye helped Everton limit their visitors as they maintained their impressive start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

In six Premier League games at their new home, Everton have lost just once, picking up 11 points from an available 18. Everton will not play now until after the November international break, which they enter with a win that Gueye contributed heavily towards.

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Your one-stop destination to know all about the 13th edition of the tournament that will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka

Srinidhi Ramanujam25-Sep-2025

An ODI World Cup in India? Tell me more… when is it?

Yes, that’s right. The Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, hosted by India with a few games to be played in Sri Lanka, starts September 30. The semi-finals are on October 29 and 30 and the final on November 2.A total of 31 matches will be played over 34 days in a round-robin format, with the top four teams progressing to the knockouts. All matches will begin at 3pm IST (0930 GMT) except New Zealand vs England on October 26, which will start at 11am IST (0530 GMT).This is the fourth time India is hosting the Women’s ODI World Cup, having done so in 1978, 1997 and 2013, and the first time for Sri Lanka.Related

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Tell me about women’s ODI cricket since the last World Cup

It has never been more high-scoring. Before the 2022 ODI World Cup, the participating teams for the current edition had crossed the 300 mark a combined 44 times. Since then, they have had 34 totals of 300 or more between them, with Australia and India posting 400-plus once each. This surge highlights the growing skill and depth in women’s batting, setting the stage for an exciting tournament.The tournament will feature an all-female line-up of match officials. The prize pool, meanwhile, has soared to US$ 13.88 million – nearly four times of what it was in 2022.

Which teams are playing?

Eight teams are participating. India qualified by virtue of being the hosts and were joined by the top five teams – Australia, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa – in the Women’s Championship cycle.Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, West Indies, Thailand and Scotland competed in the World Cup Qualifier in Lahore, where Pakistan and Bangladesh secured their spots.

So no West Indies?

That’s right. This is the first time in six editions since 2000 that West Indies will not be part of a Women’s ODI World Cup. They narrowly missed out after Bangladesh pipped them by 0.013 on net run rate.Australia are the defending champions•AFP/Getty Images

Tell me about the venues

Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam and Navi Mumbai in India, and Colombo in Sri Lanka will host the games. Colombo will host ten matches – all Pakistan games, the first semi-final, and the final if Pakistan qualify. Originally, Bengaluru was one of the host cities but was removed after the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was denied police clearance following the stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations in June.

Do India have home advantage?

Not quite. While India are the co-hosts, the venues tell a different story. The Holkar Stadium in Indore has never hosted women’s internationals. The Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati is yet to stage a women’s ODI, and its last women’s T20I was back in 2019. Visakhapatnam last hosted a women’s ODI in 2014, and while Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium has seen sold-out crowds for women’s T20Is and the WPL, it has never hosted a women’s ODI. The unfamiliarity with these grounds means India may not enjoy the advantage host countries generally do.

Isn’t it going to rain in Colombo?Yes, probably. The north-east monsoon looks like it has arrived a little early this year, and the cricket is almost certain to be affected. In the week leading up to the tournament, it seems as if the monsoon hasn’t settled in properly yet however, which means while there are showers around, they don’t stay all day. As Sri Lankan grounds get fully covered, generally this means cricket can usually happen every day. Expect rain-curtailed matches, however.

Are Australia still the favourites?

On form, yes. They have lost just four of their 31 ODIs since the start of 2023 and remain the benchmark in the format. They have a settled core and an unmatched tournament pedigree, having won the title seven times.India are yet to play an ODI in three of their four World Cup venues•Getty ImagesBut India won’t be far behind. They have had a strong run in 2025, losing only four of their 14 ODIs so far. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side can “beat Australia on any day” and they showed glimpses of that in the recent 2-1 series loss to them. Even Australia captain Alyssa Healy acknowledged that this is the “most stable” Indian team she has seen. That said, England, New Zealand and South Africa cannot be ignored.

Where and when will the high-profile contests take place?

Defending champions Australia kick things off with a high-octane trans-Tasman showdown against T20 world champions New Zealand in Indore in the second match of the tournament, on October 1.One of the most anticipated contests is the face-off between India and Australia on October 12 in Visakhapatnam. Australia will take on their Ashes rivals England on October 22 in Indore. Then there is India vs England on October 19, Australia vs South Africa on October 25, and New Zealand vs England the following day, all of which could have a big say in the semi-finals line-up.Pakistan’s Sidra Amin is in sensational form•PCB

What about India vs Pakistan?

That will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on October 5. In women’s cricket, the India-Pakistan rivalry has been firmly one-sided. The two teams have faced off 11 times in ODIs, with India winning every single game. The gulf in experience, infrastructure and depth has been evident over the years.

Hmmm… Tell me more about the players. Who are the ones to keep an eye on?

Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux has returned from her knee injury to boost Australia’s chances. Even though she hasn’t played an ODI since December, she remains vital in spin-friendly conditions. England’s Charlie Dean, another fingerspinner, could also be a key player.Among the batters, South Africa’s Tazmin Brits, India’s Smriti Mandhana and Sidra Amin of Pakistan are in the form of their lives. Brits and Mandhana have already scored four ODI hundreds this year.This will also be Heather Knight’s first tournament after she relinquished England captaincy.

What about those playing a World Cup for the first time?

In just ten months since her debut, India opener Pratika Rawal has scored six half-centuries and one century in 17 innings, and has an average of 50.12. Her ability to score consistently in different conditions has made her a crucial part of India’s batting line-up.Jemimah Rodrigues is yet to play in an ODI World Cup•Getty ImagesAmong bowlers, England spinner Linsey Smith announced her arrival in ODIs with a five-for on debut against West Indies in May. Having made her T20I debut at the 2018 T20 World Cup, she had to wait six-and-a-half-years for a chance in ODIs.This will also be the first ODI World Cup for Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal. Though she made her ODI debut in 2019, it’s only in the last couple of years that she has become a regular in the team, thanks to her wicket-taking ability. Incredible as it may sound, this is also India batter Jemimah Rodrigues’ first ODI World Cup.

Are there a few players for whom this could be the last ODI World Cup?

Certainly. New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has already said so, just like Megan Schutt and Alyssa Healy as well. It could be the same for Suzie Bates, Marizanne Kapp, Chamari Athapaththu, Heather Knight, and a few others. Harmanpreet will be 40 by the time the next edition rolls in, so it could be her last too.

Where to watch the games?

All matches will be live on the JioStar network and the JioHotstar app in India, Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, Amazon Prime Video in Australia, Sky TV in New Zealand, PTV and Ten Sports in Pakistan, Maharaja TV in Sri Lanka and Willow TV in the USA and Canada.

Chelsea are now the favourites to sign a Brazilian ace who’s also wanted by Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and a deal could be possible for a low fee.

Blues targeting another exciting Brazilian amid Estevao success

Estevao is enjoying an impressive debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, having established himself as an important player for the Blues, with the 18-year-old recently netting the second goal in the 3-0 Champions League rout of Barcelona.

It is clear to see the youngster has left an impression on Enzo Maresca too, with the manager saying: “I feel very lucky to be his coach because it’s exciting, you can enjoy. I’ve said many times that I think the fans pay for their tickets to see players like Cole [Palmer], like Estevao, this kind of player.”

The forward is an example of BlueCo’s recruitment policy of signing younger players paying off, and they are now looking to bring in another up-and-coming Brazilian ace, who has impressed the west Londoners’ sporting directors.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea are now the favourites to sign Santos defender Souza, despite rival interest from both Bayern Munich and Barcelona, with both European heavyweights already making contact over a potential deal.

The signing of the 19-year-old certainly wouldn’t break the bank at around just €15m (£13m), with the Blues looking to get the move over the line before his value increases considerably.

There is a belief the youngster could go on to become a top full-back or even left-winger, given that he is a very well-rounded player, who is also capable of contributing on the front foot.

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ByDominic Lund Nov 30, 2025 Souza emerging as key player for Santos

The teenager has already made 36 appearances for Santos at senior level, having established himself as an important player, and he has regularly impressed from an attacking point of view, chipping in with one goal and four assists.

Most recently, the starlet helped his side keep a clean sheet as they recorded a routine 3-0 victory over Sport Club do Recife, receiving a 7.7 SofaScore match rating courtesy of making a number of important defensive contributions.

Souza’s key statistics

Number completed

Duels (won)

9 (6)

Key passes

2

Clearances

3

Interceptions

2

With Souza yet to prove himself outside his native Brazil, he would very much be one for the future, and the aforementioned report makes it clear BlueCo are planning to loan the left-back to sister club Strasbourg initially.

During the January transfer window, it may be a better idea to focus on signing players capable of making an immediate impact, with a title race potentially on the cards, and amid Liam Delap’s slow start to life at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign “one of the best strikers in Europe”.

Callum McGregor’s stunning winner for Celtic against St Mirren on Saturday night in the Scottish Premiership looks even more important with the benefit of hindsight.

Hearts went on to lose to Aberdeen on Sunday in their match, which means that the Hoops are only four points adrift of the Jam Tarts and have a game in hand over them.

Martin O’Neill has done a terrific job in interim charge, winning all of his Premiership matches so far, but some of the players who struggled under Brendan Rodgers have also struggled under him, including Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

Why Balikwisha looks like a misjudged signing by Celtic

The Hoops signed the Belgian forward from Royal Antwerp in a deal worth up to £5m during the summer transfer window, but it was an odd piece of business because Sebastian Tounekti, who plays in the same position, was also brought in from Hammarby.

Tounekti has since started all 12 of his appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League, per Sofascore, whilst Balikwisha has started twice in the Premiership and is yet to start in Europe.

In fact, the former Antwerp star has been an unused substitute for O’Neill in the last two league games against Kilmarnock and St Mirren, which suggests that he has failed to impress the Northern Irishman in training.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Balikwisha has, therefore, been a bad signing for the Hoops because he has failed to earn a place in the team on a regular basis, and it was an odd move by the club given the deal they then clinched for Tounekti in the same area of the pitch.

The 24-year-old flop was not the worst attacking signing made by the Scottish giants in the summer, though, as that award may go to centre-forward Shin Yamada.

Why Shin Yamada was a worse signing for Celtic than Michel-Ange Balikwisha

He was a curious signing by Celtic in the summer transfer window because the Japanese forward only scored two goals in 21 J1 League matches in the 2025 campaign for his previous club, after a return of 19 goals in 38 matches in 2024, per Sofascore.

This suggests that the Hoops were signing a player who was on the decline, given his poor goalscoring record this year, and that made it a slightly puzzling move.

His time at Parkhead so far this season has done little to answer any questions around why the club decided to sign him on a permanent deal, as he has rarely featured or made an impact when given the opportunity.

Appearances

4

7

Minutes played

137

236

Goals

0

0

Big chances missed

2

0

Big chances created

0

1

Assists

0

1

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has played more matches and more minutes in the league, delivering one assist, than the former J1 League marksman.

Shin was also left out of the squad for the league phase of the Europa League, as Johnny Kenny, Kelechi Iheanacho, Daizen Maeda, and Callum Osmand were picked ahead of him in his position, whilst Balikwisha has made three appearances in that competition.

Brendan Rodgers said that Shin was a “strong player who can score goals and create for others” in his unveiling, but a return of two goals and one assist in 27 games for Kawasaki Frontale and Celtic combined, per Sofascore, in 2025 does not back that up.

The 25-year-old striker is yet to deliver a goal or an assist for the Hoops in six appearances in his first three months at the club, and appears to be well down the pecking order after being left as an unused substitute against St Mirren last time out.

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Therefore, as it stands, Shin is looking like an even worse signing for the Scottish giants than Balikwisha, who has at least provided an assist in the league and been included in the European squad list.

If you didn’t believe that Manchester City were bona fide title contenders, well, you surely do now.

On Sunday, the serial champions crushed the reigning champions 3-0 at the Etihad, doing so with plenty to spare.

Despite the fact Erling Haaland saw an early penalty saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili, this merely momentarily delayed the Sky Blues onslaught.

Haaland headed home the opener soon after, before Nico González’s deflected shot deservedly doubled the Citizens’ advantage in first-half injury time, with Jérémy Doku curling home a clinching third; more on the brilliant Belgian in a bit.

The match marked Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th match in management and took his tally to 716 wins, which isn’t bad.

Now eyeing a seventh Premier League title, Manchester City are just four points adrift leaders Arsenal, after Mikel Arteta’s team were denied victory at the Stadium of Light on Saturday night by Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp equaliser for Sunderland.

if Man City are going to become champions of the land once again, they’ll need two of their stars from Sunday to continue to perform.

Jérémy Doku's performance against Liverpool

As noted by Opta, Jérémy Doku won 11 duels, completed seven dribbles, created three chances and registered three shots on target against Liverpool.

If you think that sounds impressive, well, that’s because it is. He is the first player to rack up such an impressive figure in a single Premier League game since Eden Hazard against West Ham in April 2019.

Doku’s thunderous strike capped off the victory as well as his own sublime display, with Gary Neville, speaking during commentary for Sky Sports, saying never before had he awarded the player of the match after 62 minutes, until today.

David Hytner of the Guardian asserted that the winger was ‘unplayable’, praising his ‘blur of tricks and direct running’, with Doku tormenting Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, the Northern Irishman having pocketed Vinícius Júnior just a few days before.

This was Doku’s 100th appearance in sky blue, scoring just his 17th goal for the club, previously netting against Napoli and Swansea this season, his previous Premier League goal coming at Portman Road against Ipswich in mid-January.

Now though, perhaps the 23-year-old is showing signs of realising his full potential so, while he was the obvious star of the show, an under-the-radar Man City player also deserves to be heralded for their display.

Pep Guardiola's unsung Man City hero

12 months ago, when Manchester City were in complete free fall, all the talk was about how this team cannot win without Rodri.

Well, despite enjoying a brief cameo off the bench against Bournemouth last weekend, the Ballon d’Or winner was not even in the matchday squad against Borussia Dortmund nor Liverpool subsequently, which was one of the major talking points prior to kick off on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Guardiola once described Nico González as like a “mini-Rodri”, and the midfielder helped ensure his compatriot was not missed.

Nico scored the second goal, a hammer blow for Arne Slot’s team coming on the cusp of half-time, and put in a generally imperious performance, as the numbers support.

Nico González stats vs Liverpool

Stats

Nico

Match rank

Goals

1

1st

Accurate passes

51

3rd

Passing accuracy %

88%

5th*

Defensive actions

8

3rd

Tackles won

3

2nd

Duels won

6

4th

Ground duels won

5

3rd

Touches

72

2nd

SofaScore rating

8.3

2nd

*minimum 30 passes completed.

Stats via SofaScore

As the table highlights, the midfielder ranked in the top four when it came to a wide variety of statistics, registering more touches than any other player in sky blue, winning five of the six ground duels he contested as well as completing 51 of 58 passes. Truth be told, this was probably his best display in blue, dominating one of the best sides in the division.

The Manchester Evening News awarded him an 8/10 for his performance, noting that the Spaniard took ‘charge of the game’.

This, in truth, should not be overly surprising.

The midfielder joined from Porto back in January for around £50m and did so with a big reputation, given that he is a La Masia graduate, breaking into the Barcelona team with fellow mononymously known midfielders Pedri and Gavi, rated as highly as both when they were teenagers.

Nevertheless, it is still invaluable for Man City that Nico is able to take a step forward in his development and has the quality to operate as a one-man midfield, allowing their attacking stars, namely Doku, Haaland and others, to shine.

With Rodri and his obvious back-up Mateo Kovačić both struggling due to ongoing injury issues, while Tijjani Reijnders appears ill-suited to the role, Nico has been thrown in at the deep end in the number 6 position, but is gracefully swimming like a swan, rather than sinking like a heavy stone, to continue that analogy.

When Manchester City return to action after the international break, they’ll do so with a tricky trip to St James’ Park, but victory over Newcastle would cut the gap at the top to just one point, ahead of the North London derby the following day.

For the here and now, on the occasion of Guardiola’s 1,000 match as a manager, it was probably fitting that a diminutive Spanish defensive midfield shone.

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Ruben Amorim has offered a worrying injury update on star striker Benjamin Sesko. Manchester United played out a breathless 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Saturday afternoon as Matthijs de Ligt netted a last-gasp equaliser to stretch their unbeaten run to five games. However, Sesko was forced off in second half injury time after the summer signing suffered a knee injury in the capital.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Sesko suffered problem following Van de Ven challenge

  Bryan Mbeumo had headed United in front on the half hour mark after the Manchester giants rode out an early Tottenham storm. Spurs pressed for an equaliser after the break and were duly rewarded late on as Mathys Tel saw his effort deflect past Senne Lammens.

  Richarlison then thought he'd won the game for Spurs in second half injury time as he inadvertently headed Wilson Odobert's effort past the Belgian shotstopper but there was still time for United to claim a result as De Ligt rose highest to meet a late Bruno Fernandes corner to head past Guglielmo Vicario.

  Sesko, though, didn't finish the game in north London having suffered a knee injury after Tel's equaliser. The former RB Leipzig man was introduced in the 58th minute as United pushed to kill the game off.

  The 22-year-old had a golden chance to restore United's lead shortly after Spurs went level as he was slipped through on goal. As Sesko went to pull the trigger, however, Micky van de Ven made a stunning last-ditch challenge to deny the striker from netting what would have been his third league goal of the season.

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• 'I am more concerned with an injury'

  Sesko, though, picked up an injury as a result of the challenge and limped off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch in the dying moments of the 90. United had already made all five substitutions, meaning they ended the game with 10 men.

  After the draw, Amorim was asked about Sesko's form, the summer signing having scored just two goals in 11 league appearances following his arrival from RB Leipzig, but the United boss was more concerned about the striker's injury.

  When questioned about the form, Amorim responded: "That is not the biggest concern now. That happens, especially with a striker. I am more concerned with an injury, because it's in the knee, we don't know, we need Ben to be a better team. I have no idea. Because it's the knee we never know."

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  'We have to check everything'

  Amorim was also asked whether United will need to dip into the transfer market in January to potentially sign a new striker after Sesko's injury. The Premier League side will likely lose both Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to Cameroon and the Ivory Coast, respectively, for the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts in Morocco next month.

  When quizzed on the January window over Sesko's injury and AFCON, Amorim replied: "We have to check everything, we have to check what’s happened with Ben. Let's see when the window is open if we can improve the team and trying to repair something that happened. Until then we have to take the chance. We'll see."

  Both Amad and Mbeumo linked up for the first goal as the former picked out the latter in the first half to put United ahead at Tottenham. Mbeumo was named the Premier League Player of the Month for October in the week, and his goal against Spurs means he's now struck four times in his last four league outings.

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• United's luck with injuries

  United have been relatively fortunate with injuries this season, with Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo the only missing players ahead of Saturday's game at Spurs. The Argentine hasn't played since February owing to an ACL injury but is likely to return to action later this month.

  Mainoo, meanwhile, missed the game in the capital owing to a minor injury, though he wouldn't have started anyway. The England international has barely featured for United this season and finds himself behind Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in the midfield pecking order.

  A January exit for Mainoo has been mooted with Napoli a potential destination for the 20-year-old. If he were to move to the Serie A champions, then he'd link up with former United stars Scott McTominay, Rasmus Hojlund and Romelu Lukaku.

On Saturday lunchtime, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had a big decision to make. Play Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze in the number 10 position?

Well, the Spaniard chose his club captain Odegaard. It was a successive start for the Norwegian who is now back from injury and ready to make an impact.

What that meant was that the Gunners’ November Player of the Month was selected on the left flank.

It wasn’t a decision that went well for Eze. The scorer of that famous hat-trick in the north London derby just a few weeks ago, his influence from the left, rather than in a central area, was severely lacking.

It was Eze who switched off at the back post for Matty Cash’s opener and despite having a goal ruled out for offside, he was anonymous in the final third.

The summer signing was subsequently withdrawn at the half time interval having registered just 13 touches of the ball and amassed just seven passes.

Why Arsenal must pick Eze over Odegaard in the number 10 role

Before Emiliano Buendia’s late winner at Villa Park on Saturday, TNT Sports’ Martin Keown had named Martin Odegaard as the player of the match.

The club captain drifted in and out of the game, but left the field with three key passes and three shots to his name. He also ensured Bukayo Saka looked like a constant threat in the game. Indeed, in the words of the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, he noted that “it can’t be a coincidence that Saka has been so dangerous today, on the day he is reunited with Odegaard,” suggesting that as a pairing, they remain one of Arsenal’s “great weapons.”

That they may well be, but the skipper arguably held Arteta’s team back. While Eze has looked like such a big goal threat over the last few weeks, a dynamic and silky player who can produce a moment of magic out of nowhere, Odegaard was sluggish and timid in possession.

His biggest problem is that unlike Eze, he takes too many touches and he’s slow in possession. The 26-year-old is one of the best midfielders in the world on his day. He’s supremely creative but Arsenal’s summer recruit from Crystal Palace has taken them to the next level in recent weeks.

Odegaard & Eze vs Villa
Stat	Odegaard	Eze
Mins played	90	45
Touches	80	13
Key passes	3	0
Shots	3	0
Successful dribbles	1/4	1/1
Duels won	3/10	2/5
Possession lost	15x	3x
Stats via Sofascore.

It was surely no coincidence that two of their finest wins of 2025, the victories against Spurs and Bayern, came with Eze in the team over Odegaard.

It feels incredibly unlikely that Arteta will drop the latter but he must explore what this team could be like without their captain.

That said, Eze isn’t the only threat to Odegaard’s long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's next Odegaard and Eze

Eze’s arrival has coincided with a lack of game time for Ethan Nwaneri. Last season he was compared to Lionel Messi by Joe Cole and described as “the most exciting footballer in England.” How times change.

While the 18-year-old is still up there as one of the finest young talents in the country, scoring nine goals last term, regular senior football has eluded him in 2025/26. He has played just 165 minutes of Premier League football this term and only 20 minutes since the start of November.

Nwaneri will no doubt come good but he will also have to rival the great Max Dowman for a place in the team over the forthcoming years. Odegaard, beware.

The two exciting teenagers are not the only threats to Odegaard’s long-term future, however. Enter Holger Quintero.

At the end of last week, Arsenal announced the signings of a set of twins, Holger and Edwin Quintero from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle.

They have become one of the finest exponents of young talent in world football in recent years. Part of their alumni include Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapie and PSG’s brute of a central defender William Pacho.

Well, the Quintero twins look like the next cabs of the rank and while they will not be seen in Arsenal colours until they turn 18, the 16-year-old’s have signed an agreement to join the club, something that was announced last Thursday.

Edwin is a left-footed right winger and, alongside Dowman, has been labelled as a “10/10 talent” by scout Jacek Kulig. As for his brother, Holger, he is an attacking midfielder by trade and an exciting one at that.

Described as a “top talent” by Como scout Felix Johnston, he possesses a glittering array of skills, outlined by Kulig.

The scout notes that he has “superb close control, flair and creativity” while hailing the youngster’s “low centre of gravity and excellent agility, acceleration and coordination.”

Close control and creativity are two areas in which Odegaard also thrives in but it’s arguably that lack of acceleration and ability to carry the ball forward with pace that holds him back. That’s where Quintero could trump him in the years to come.

Further described as a young kid with “elite dribbling skills with futsal-like ball control”, there is a reason Arsenal have decided to invest in these two young attacking sensations.

To predict they could become world beaters might be a stretch at this stage, but there is huge excitement about them both. As Kulig put it, Holger is “one of the most exciting U17s in South America.”

Watch out, Odegaard, it might not only be Dowman coming for your place.

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