All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

The Enzo Maresca revolution is underway, at Chelsea, with the Italian already taking charge and making his mark on the Blues squad.

He’s overseen three matches, a draw with Wrexham, and a defeat to Celtic whilst winning the most recent friendly outing against CF America during their tour of the US.

Maresca has implemented his three-back system, placing expectations on his centre-backs to be comfortable in possession, whilst being strong defensively to allow for his system to be a success at Stamford Bridge.

French defender Benoit Badiashile has struggled during pre-season, making an unforgivable mistake against Celtic, gifting possession away in his own penalty area before being punished by the opposition.

It comes as no surprise to see the club targeting more defensive reinforcements after their defensive frailties in recent matches, with one player once again on the club’s radar.

Chelsea want £60m defensive ace this summer

According to journalist Sami Mokbel, Chelsea continue to monitor the situation of Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo ahead of a potential move to west London this summer.

The Brazilian youngster enjoyed a stellar campaign at the City Ground during his debut season in English football, featuring in 32 straight matches and claiming the club’s Player of the Year award.

Murillo only joined the Reds for a fee in the region of £15m this time last year, but as a result of his excellent season on Trentside, he could be on the move with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis demanding a £60m fee to part ways with his defensive wonderkid.

It may seem a huge figure and one that is slightly inflated given his limited time in the Premier League, however, he would be a phenomenal signing, potentially taking the place of one current Blues star.

Why Murillo would be better than Colwill for Chelsea

Levi Colwill came through the Chelsea academy after joining the club at the age of nine, making his first team debut back in the previous season after two previous loan spells at Huddersfield Town and Brighton.

He made an immediate impact on the first team for his boyhood club, making 23 appearances last season, looking more than comfortable at the back under then-boss Mauricio Pochettino.

However, despite his immediate impact, he could find himself without a spot in the starting lineup, should Murillo arrive at the club, with the Brazilian producing some impressive figures despite featuring for a side in a relegation battle.

The “exceptional” ace, as described by analyst Ben Mattinson, managed to complete more progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90, demonstrating his comfortability on the ball – making him perfect for Maresca’s system.

Games

32

23

Goals + assists

2

2

Progressive passes

89

73

Clearances per 90

6.1

3.3

Blocks per 90

1.4

1.4

Successful take-ons per 90

0.7

0.5

The Brazilian has also completed more clearances and blocks in 2023/24, showcasing his defensive capabilities despite featuring in a side that, at times, were constantly bombarded in games against higher-quality opposition.

Murillo has showcased his ball-striking ability, nearly scoring two goal of the season contenders from his own half, with the youngster certainly not afraid to produce a spectacular moment or two from the back.

He may be an expensive addition, but given his impressive first season in England, there is huge potential for him to improve further.

His attributes with and without the ball make him perfect for the new Chelsea boss, with his talents hugely improving the current options available at Maresca’s disposal.

Chelsea could land a bigger talent than Osimhen in £75m "nightmare"

The Blues are still on the hunt for a new centre-forward.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 2, 2024

Newcastle United’s summer has been nothing short of turbulent so far.

£55m being splashed on ex-Manchester United youngster turned Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga definitely raised a few eyebrows early on in the hectic transfer window, with Aaron Ramsdale also joining the ranks, rubber-stamping the Magpies’ failed pursuit of James Trafford.

The agony of missing out on Trafford to Manchester City will be nothing compared to the expected sorrow of Alexander Isak deserting St James’ Park, as Liverpool continue to sniff around for the potent Premier League marksman.

The Toon surely has a standout replacement up their sleeve for Isak if the clinical Swede does up and leave, leading to even more cash being potentially splashed by Eddie Howe and Co.

Newcastle in talks with £70m striker

At this point, it’s not exactly the best-kept secret that Newcastle are looking at fresh striker options, resigned to the fact that Isak is likely to exit.

Newcastle have been linked to a whole host of attackers, with Chelsea outcast Nicolas Jackson even reportedly on their radar, away from recurring stories suggesting that Yoane Wissa will soon leave Brentford behind for a move to St James’ Park.

However, away from those named, Newcastle United are also in talks with RB Leipzig goal machine Benjamin Sesko to fill the Isak-shaped hole that will soon appear, with Sky Sports’ Keith Downie revealing that a £70m offer is on the table.

However, it is yet to be accepted by the Bundesliga side, and negotiations are now ongoing to reach an agreement as the Magpies to sign the Bundesliga star this summer.

Downie does further state that Sesko would be open to a move to the Toon, alongside also being up for a switch to Manchester United, who are also keeping a close eye on the Slovenian to enhance their personnel up top.

For Newcastle’s sake, they will hope one of these avenues pays off very soon, with Elanga champing at the bit at the prospect of lining up alongside the lethal Sesko, as the pair go about terrorising Premier League defences together.

How Sesko could shine even more alongside Elanga

Throughout his goal-laden Leipzig stay to date, Sesko has been supplied with chances galore from a whole host of exciting attacking teammates.

Last season, Xavi Simons and Lois Openda – who are attempting to leave Germany behind themselves this summer – chipped in with 12 assists between them to help boost Sesko’s goal numbers in Bundesliga action to a hefty 13 strikes from 33 outings.

Games played

64

74

Goals scored

27

11

Assists

7

20

Big chances missed

18

16

Big chances created

6

23

These promising numbers in Germany could be taken to that next level in England if Sesko soon lines up next to an assist-hungry Elanga, as seen in the 23-year-old mustering up a healthy 20 assists across his last two Premier League campaigns at the City Ground.

Often, Elanga will dart forward with pace to burn, before laying it off to a poacher – such as Chris Wood – waiting for him to unlock a defence, with his ex-Forest teammate in Ryan Yates even going as to far to label him as a “dream” to work alongside, owing to his “you give him the ball and he can do the rest” level of ability.

Having such a rapid, but creative teammate by his side will be music to the ears of the lethal Slovenian, with his split-second instinct to fire home a chance, seeing him be dubbed a “monster” by football analyst Ben Mattinson.

Staggeringly, there could be even more to Sesko’s game that has yet to be unearthed, as the £70m attacker tries to follow in the footsteps of Isak with ease.

The 22-year-old striker will be helped along the way, if he does join, by Elanga being next to him, as the 25/26 campaign edges ever closer for a Magpies side leaping into an unknown future.

Better than Sesko: Newcastle eyeing £40m striker who's "turning heads"

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing a star who could be even better than Benjamin Sesko.

ByDan Emery Aug 3, 2025

Having already signed Pedro Lima and Rodrigo Gomes, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly in advanced talks to welcome their third summer signing in an attacking boost for Gary O'Neil.

Wolves transfer news

After an excellent first season under O'Neil, Lima and Gomes instantly arrived to boost O'Neil's backline. The two right-backs, just 18 years old and 20 years old respectively, are two talents for the future who will add much-needed depth in the Midlands. Wolves, of course, will welcome such depth given that Max Kilman could be heading for the exit door amid interest from West Ham United.

Speaking to the club's website for the first time after Gomes put pen to paper, Wolves' sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “It’s nice to do one early in the summer, so Rodrigo will be able to join the squad for the first day of pre-season, which is great for the player and the coaching staff – they can work with him from the start. He’s a great character, a great boy and will really fit in.

“Scouting has taken a while. He’s a player we’ve followed for most of the season, since he first went on loan. He’s a player we know very, very well and have done an awful lot of work on but getting him in has been relatively smooth because Rodrigo was clear that he wanted to come here and is excited."

Wolves now keen on signing "amazing" new £30m star who just outscored Neto

He enjoyed an excellent last campaign.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 26, 2024

Gomes looks unlikely to be the last fresh face that Hobbs is left praising either. According to Fabrizio Romano, Wolves are close to agreeing personal terms with Jorgen Strand Larsen and a deal with Celta Vigo is "progressing fast". A player who can play all across the frontline, Larsen would certainly be a welcome addition to O'Neil's attack next season.

"Interesting" Larsen can partner Hwang

In Hwang Hee-chan, Wolves already have a clinical versatile forward to lead their line if he can remain fit throughout an entire campaign. But by signing Larsen, they can complete their frontline once and for all, with Pedro Neto, Hwang, Matheus Cunha and the potential new arrival all lining up to form a fearsome four in the Midlands.

Goals

13

12

Assists

3

3

Expected Goals

14.5

7.7

Key Passes

24

17

Whilst Larsen wasn't as clinical as Hwang last season, underperforming his expected goals by just over one, his ability to consistently get himself scoring opportunities suggests that there's plenty more to come from the 24-year-old, while the finishing underperformance is small enough to be of no concern.

Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig saw the forward's recent rise coming back in 2021, when he described Larsen as an "extremely interesting centre-forward" on X.

Now, it looks as though the Celta Vigo is closer than ever to making his biggest move yet, as Wolves look to bolster their attacking options.

One Arsenal star has expressed his desire to leave behind-the-scenes, as the Saudi Arabian PIF plan to negotiate personal terms with him.

Players who could leave Arsenal this summer

There are many players in Mikel Arteta's squad currently deemed surplus-to-requirements, and while we may not see all of them sold, there are a few interesting names who've been linked with the exit door recently.

Arsenal now seen as most likely destination for £38m forward at Euro 2024

The Gunners are expected to make attacking additions.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 27, 2024

Indeed, it is believed Arsenal have told Oleksandr Zincheko and Kieran Tierney they're free to leave, as sporting director Edu Gaspar looks to bolster the club's transfer kitty. Ridding Arsenal of their combined £270,000-per-week wages would also save money in the long run, especially if they're not part of Arteta's long-term plans.

Jakub Kiwior is preferred to both Tierney and Zinchenko as the Gunners' makeshift left-back alternative, so it is believed the two left-backs could be sacrificed. Alongside the defensive duo, other players who could be sold by Arsenal this summer include Aaron Ramsdale, Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

Another big name who is expected to depart north London, given his contract expires just next year, is midfielder Thomas Partey. The 31-year-old, due to fitness issues, only made 14 Premier League appearances last term and even missed the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana.

He also earns around £200,000-per-week as one of the Gunners' best-paid players. Now could be the time to part company with Partey, who is thought to be attracting interest from clubs in the Middle East and Turkey.

Partey expresses desire to leave Arsenal as PIF plan talks

According to CaughtOffside, Partey has been clear in his desire to leave Arsenal behind-the-scenes and begin a new chapter away from the Emirates – coming after four faithful years at Hale End since he joined in a £45 million deal from Atletico Madrid.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF), who work on behalf of Saudi Pro League sides, are eager to negotiate personal terms with the African, and ascertain which Saudi side he'd like to join this summer.

Partey is expected to quit Arsenal and appears to have his pick of clubs in the Gulf to choose from, with Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli making lucrative offers to him last year. When fit and available, the former La Liga star is a more-than-capable player, so will be a sore miss for Arteta in parts when he does eventually go.

Declan Rice even named his teammate among the likes of Rodri and Aurelien Tchouameni when talking about the world's best midfielders.

“The main one in the Premier League is Rodri, he’s incredible. The way he works, the way he keeps that Man City team ticking, he’s a top player,” Rice told Channel 4.

“Partey, when I came to Arsenal, he was incredible and has been until his injury. Tchouameni at Real Madrid, he’s aggressive, gets on the ball, goes forward.”

Tottenham are now prepared to pay the £38 million asking price for a Euro 2024 star this summer, after pressing forward with intent "in recent days".

Spurs looking to sign new defenders this summer

With Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Ivan Perisic, Eric Dier and potentially Djed Spence out of the door already, Spurs are believed to be targeting defensive additions this summer, in an effort to hand Ange Postecoglou more strength in depth.

Tottenham could offer Dragusin in swap deal for £34 million Euro 2024 ace

The Romanian only signed in January.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 20, 2024

Sessegnon, Tanganga, Perisic and Dier are set to leave Spurs following the expiry of their contracts on June 30, while Spence is in talks over a permanent switch from Spurs to Genoa after spending the second half of 23/24 on loan there.

AC Milan are also actively pursuing a deal for Emerson Royal as well, and with the Brazilian looking likely to leave N17, Postecoglou's defence could look a bit different by the start of next campaign.

With Royal's move to Italy looking like a possibility, Tottenham could sign a new Pedro Porro back-up this summer, and it is believed that another centre-back is high up on their transfer agenda.

Spurs sealed a £25 million deal for Radu Dragusin in January, but it remains the case that they're after central defensive options to shore up Postecoglou's back line further.

Pedro Porro

7.04

Cristian Romero

7.03

Micky van de Ven

6.79

Destiny Udogie

6.71

Ben Davies

6.62

The Australian, speaking to media earlier this year, even admitted that it would be one of their priorities for this window.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, said Postecoglou on signing another centre-back. “With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else.

"If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Tottenham prepared to pay asking price for Calafiori

According to Tutto Juve, an update has emerged on their pursuit of Euro 2024 star Riccardo Calafiori. The Italy centre-back was called "extraordinary" by Gianluca Zambrotta for his performance against Albania in their opening group game, and was unfortunate for the ball to deflect off him and into the back of his own net during their 1-0 defeat to Spain on Thursday.

Tutto claim Spurs have moved to evaluate the conditions of a move for the 22-year-old "in recent days", and it is believed Tottenham are prepared to pay Bologna's £38 million asking price for Calafiori.

However, they still have some convincing to do on the player's side, as it is believed he prefers a move to Juventus right now.

Sometimes a press conference comes around and you just need to fly under the radar; that’s never been more apparent than at Tottenham Hotspur in the last six months.

As Spurs celebrated the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou triumphantly declared that season three is always better than season two. He was sacked just weeks later.

For Thomas Frank, he’s also found out that perhaps just staying quiet is the best form of approach in the media. Last week, he was asked about the club’s failed move for Eberechi Eze.

“Who’s Eze?” That was Frank’s reply, and although he said it with a wry smile and to make a joke, it’s come back to bite him.

He found out just who Eze is on Sunday as the boyhood Gooner scored a devastating hat-trick to seal a 4-1 win for Arsenal over their distraught neighbours.

Spurs came to frustrate but in doing so, failed to come up with any inventive attacking play. Their creativity was abysmal, and if it wasn’t for a brilliant yet flukey Richarlison strike, they’d have left the Emirates Stadium without a goal.

What went wrong for Spurs at the Emirates

On paper, Frank’s game plan in north London on Sunday made sense. They were the only team in the Premier League this season not to lose on the road. The Dane clearly knows what he’s doing when Spurs play away.

Yet, against Arsenal, if you’re putting all 11 men behind the ball, then it does rely on you frustrating your opponents for longer than the 36 minutes it took for Leandro Trossard to score the opener.

To Frank’s credit, Spurs had sucked the life out of the Emirates during the opening half an hour. Arsenal created openings, notably when Declan Rice was played in by Eze, but the visitors frustrated and made it difficult to play between the lines.

Yet, once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping Arsenal, particularly as Spurs had a total lack of creativity once again.

Despite scoring courtesy of Richarlison, they failed to create a single big chance, had just three shots and provoked only a solitary save from David Raya. Arsenal, by contrast, had 17 shots. Worryingly for Spurs, the home side simply wanted it more.

There were several folks in white to blame. In attack, Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus were completely marked out of the game by Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Richarlison, for the most part, was bullied by William Saliba and Piero Hincapie. The Brazilian only completed five passes all evening and won just one of his five aerial duels.

In defence, Bukayo Saka regularly had the beating of Destiny Udogie down Arsenal’s right flank while Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were uncharacteristically poor. Van ve Ven notably completed just 71% of his passes and won only six of his 13 duels.

But, the biggest culprit of all was a man who, ironically, was sent off during the international break. He’s becoming something of a Serge Aurier to Frank.

Spurs' new Serge Aurier

Mention Aurier’s name around those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it’s likely to send a shiver down spines.

Signed for £23m in August of 2017, he arrived at White Hart Lane from PSG after a rough time in France, where he was handed a suspended prison sentence for assaulting a police officer.

“You will see the real me,” he declared upon arrival. Well, if the real Aurier was a gluttony of mistakes, we certainly did.

The Ivory Coast international had another tricky stint at Spurs, but this time it was all unravelling on the pitch, rather than off it.

Chalkboard

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

Where to even begin with the mistakes? The right-back committed a hat-trick of foul throws against Crystal Palace in 2018. While that may not have cost Spurs greatly, his clumsiness meant that he always had a moment of madness in him.

He notably gave away a penalty against Leicester City in December 2020 from which Jamie Vardy scored, but his most costly blunder came against Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final when he committed a needless foul on Raheem Sterling. The end result was a free-kick from which Pep Guardiola’s side scored the winner.

Speaking at full-time, Jamie Redknapp commented: “Aurier does well to start with – he follows the one-two and then just makes the most ridiculous and rash decision, which we see him do so often. Just stand up, don’t dive in, don’t give the foul away – elementary mistake.”

It wasn’t the first time the Ivorian had attracted criticism during his time in England. Two years prior to that moment, Rio Ferdinand stated: “As a defender I have never really rated Aurier. He’s rash and he’s let his team down far too often.”

Simply a giant liability in that Spurs team of back then, unfortunately, Frank has found another rash and unreliable figure in his team; Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Uruguayan was signed for £22m from Juventus in January 2022 and has featured 131 times for the Lilywhites since.

However, while he’s flirted with some impressive performances here and there, for the most part, he’s been a letdown.

He has become a symbol not only for Spurs’ lack of creativity but their lack of robustness and dynamism from the middle of the park. Despite that, he has started nine times of the 12 Premier League games Spurs have competed in this term.

The fact of the matter is that he shouldn’t be starting with that regularity.

Tottenham presenter Hollie Agombar called him “a lucky boy” after a studs-up challenge on Chelsea’s Reece James at the beginning of the month saw him avoid a red card. In the words of the Daily Mail’s Kieran Gill, it was a “terrible” challenge.

Things went from bad to worse when Spurs visited Arsenal on Sunday. The tone was set when he brought down Saka on the edge of the box in the first half and was brandished with a yellow card as a result.

While he was nowhere to be seen as Mikel Merino clipped a delightful ball into the box for Trossard’s opener, he was particularly poor for Eze’s first.

Minutes played

66

Touches

27

Accurate passes

16/17 (94%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

2

Duels won

0

The attacking midfielder skipped beyond Bentancur all too easily as the Uruguay international went to ground inside the area.

He was handed a 3/10 match rating by The Standard as a consequence, with the publication writing he was ‘doing nothing to give Spurs some much-needed control’. The very fact that Guglielmo Vicario received 15 passes – six more than Palhinha and Bentancur combined (9) – in the first half said it all.

All that said, it’s perhaps no surprise that analyst Raj Chohan has described him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

Like Aurier, he’s a major underperformer. He’s a liability and a player that Frank cannot trust. He shouldn’t be starting regular games for Spurs any more.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal

Thomas Frank has numerous glaring errors he needs to address at Tottenham Hotspur after the Arsenal defeat.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 24, 2025

In years past, Arsenal fans would have to watch an England team full of players from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

It was a damming indictment of where the club was at that time, but over the last four or five years, things have changed.

It’s not unusual to see three or four of Mikel Arteta’s players in the Three Lions squad these days, and few from the white side of North London, which might explain the team’s uptick in quality and performances.

Thursday was another example of how important Arsenal have become for the national team, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze scoring the goals and Declan Rice marshalling the midfield.

There is no sign of this relationship between club and country slowing down either, especially as Hale End could be brewing England’s next superstar, who could follow in the footsteps of Rice and Saka.

Rice and Saka's England careers

So, while Arsenal fans would love to take the credit for moulding Rice into one of England’s most important players, West Ham United should get more of the credit.

Chalkboard

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

After all, he made his debut for the Three Lions in 2019, while playing for the East Londoners, and was still a Hammer for the Euros in 2021 and the World Cup the following year.

However, he has arguably become more instrumental to the national side since his move to the Emirates, and wore the captain’s armband for the first time in March 2024.

So far, the all-action midfielder has won 71 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored six goals and provided six assists and nine of those goal involvements have come since his £105m in the summer of 2023.

Now, an England star Arsenal can take full credit for is, of course, Saka, who is Hale End’s greatest product in a generation.

The 24-year-old made his debut for the national team against Wales in October 2020 and has since gone on to amass an impressive tally of 47 caps, in which he has scored 14 goals, provided nine assists and been named England’s Player of the Year twice in succession.

Moreover, he has played a significant role for the country in every major tournament since, despite receiving horrific abuse after the 2021 Euros final.

In all, so long as they remain fit, Rice and Saka should, and will, be two of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s teamsheet at the World Cup, and in a few years, they could be joined by another Arsenal star, someone who could even surpass them in importance.

Arsenal's next England star

While the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are surely going to become regular starters for England, the Hale End gem who could well become a superstar for Tuchel and Co is Max Dowman.

Despite still being just 15 years old, the teenager has been one of the most talked-about players at Arsenal this season, although for those in the know, he has been a subject of interest for longer than that.

For example, in September of last year, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

As if that wasn’t praise enough, just a couple of months later, Hale End expert Will Balsam called him “the biggest talent in England” and described him as “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

Now, while that all sounds somewhat hyperbolic, and perhaps to an extent it is, it’s not hard to see where they were coming from, considering he was just 14 at the time and destroying defenders in the U18S and even the U21S that season.

Appearances

23

Minutes

1945′

Goals

19

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

81.04′

For example, he ended last season with a tally of 19 goals and five assists in 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this saw him included in the club’s pre-season tour, where he made his first appearance in front of the fans against a physical Newcastle United side, but instead of shying away, he, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, started “humiliating Premier League players.”

Since then, he has made his Premier League debut, become the youngest ever starter for Arsenal, and broke the record as the youngest player in Champions League history.

In other words, the Hale Ender is looking like a generational talent, and he’s already making his impact felt on the international scene as well.

Even though he’s not turning 16 until New Year’s Eve, the Chelmsford-born gem is already a regular feature for England’s U19S, making six appearances for them, in which he’s scored one goal and provided two assists.

With his incredible performances, it feels like a matter of when, not if, he is handed his first senior England cap.

Ultimately, Saka and Rice are currently two of England’s most important players, but in a few years from now, Dowman could be up there with them, if not more important.

Carragher gave Arsenal star a grilling last season, now he's undroppable

The international star has rediscovered his form for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 14, 2025

It’s been a miserable month for Liverpool and things have now been made worse by another injury to Jeremie Frimpong. The summer signing, for the second time this season, is set to be sidelined for a number of games.

Defensive injuries are the last thing that Arne Slot needs. The Liverpool backline has been at its most vulnerable in recent weeks, with the right-back spot proving to be particularly inconsistent as Frimpong and Conor Bradley fail to make the position their own.

Given the form of new signing Milos Kerkez hasn’t exactly been consistent on the other side either, it’s clear that Slot desperately needs to change things up in search of a solution.

Saturday’s game against Aston Villa is simply a must-win for the Reds. A fifth-straight defeat in the Premier League is unheard of for the Premier League champions, but that’s what’s waiting for those at Anfield if they don’t provide an answer to their problems this weekend.

Despite his side’s disastrous run of form, Slot remains confident that they will turn things around. The Dutchman told reporters ahead of Aston Villa’s visit: “The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality of the players we have and the amount of chances they are creating. This will lead to these players scoring more goals than we have done.”

Liverpool learn true price for Ezri Konsa as PSR forces Aston Villa's hand

The Reds desperately need another central defender.

1 ByTom Cunningham Oct 30, 2025

Whether the solution really is that simple remains to be seen, however. So far, the Liverpool manager has stuck to this season’s new system and stuck with struggling arrivals such as Kerkez, which could eventually lead to major consequences.

Meanwhile, after complaining about his squad depth in midweek, the news of Frimpong’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Slot.

Every Liverpool game that Jeremie Frimpong will miss

Replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold was always going to be a difficult task, but the fact that Dominik Szoboszlai has played a more prominent role at right-back than Frimpong says it all. The Dutchman simply hasn’t got going amid an earlier injury and now his latest hamstring blow.

According to the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, Frimpong will now be sidelined for around six weeks after limping off with a hamstring injury against Eintracht Frankfurt. This means that he’ll miss games against both Real Madrid and Manchester City in the space of a week as well as several other games.

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

Premier League

01/11/25

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Champions League

04/11/25

Man City vs Liverpool

Premier League

09/11/25

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest

Premier League

22/11/25

Liverpool vs PSV

Champions League

26/11/25

West Ham vs Liverpool

Premier League

30/11/25

Liverpool vs Sunderland

Premier League

03/12/25

Leeds vs Liverpool

Premier League

06/12/25

An “important” player under Xabi Alonso, according to the manager himself at Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool are yet to see Frimpong’s ability in full amid such a disrupted campaign that will only continue in the next six weeks.

Heading into Liverpool’s highly anticipated clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday night, one obvious player was stealing all the headlines.

Indeed, it was billed as the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Anfield in the Champions League, but the former Reds prodigy turned Los Blancos star only came on for the final exchanges.

Thankfully, Arne Slot’s resurgent side backed up a 2-0 win over Aston Villa with a superb showing against Xabi Alonso’s challengers, as a full team effort guided the Reds to a memorable 1-0 win on Europe’s grandest stage.

It was a phenomenal performance but there was perhaps an even better display post-game from skipper Virgil van Dijk. Keen to dismiss Trent as a talking point, he simply responded to being asked whether he was going to speak to the right-back with one word: “No.”

So, any talk of a meltdown has subsided now, as Liverpool look to be slowly returning to the polished machine they were last season when the Premier League title was triumphantly lifted.

How Liverpool downed Madrid

There must be something in the water on Merseyside that sees Liverpool raise their game whenever the LaLiga giants stroll into town.

In 2024, the Reds cruised to a 2-0 victory over the Spanish titans, with Alexis Mac Allister on the score sheet that night.

Deja vu occurred on Tuesday evening; therefore, as another comfortable victory saw the former Brighton and Hove Albion star pop up with the decisive match-winner.

Mac Allister headed home Dominik Szoboszlai’s inch-perfect delivery, with the South American also managing to come off at the end of the clash with 100% of his tackles won.

Szoboszlai offered far more than just being a classy operator from set-pieces, with a total of five shots registered by the Hungarian, only for Thibaut Courtois to have another unbelievable night against Slot’s men.

Come the end of the contest, journalist Bence Bocsak even boldly stated that the classy number eight was the “best midfielder on the pitch”.

That’s high praise, indeed, considering the visitors boasted Jude Bellingham in their ranks, but there was no fear in Liverpool’s game, coming up against some of these world-class talents, as evidenced in Conor Bradley’s ice-cold display.

Bradley – who noted that he wasn’t “fazed at all” after the match – came up against 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up Vinicius Junior, and had him in his pocket all night long, heroically winning seven duels and three tackles.

Yet, there is one more Liverpool hero who could be turning into Slot’s very own Philippe Coutinho in front of our eyes.

Slot has found Liverpool's new Coutinho

Coutinho is remembered for being an exceptional midfield talent at Anfield, capable of lighting up Champions League occasions with his trickery and skill.

His final season for the Reds saw the Brazilian fire home a ridiculous five strikes from five Champions League clashes, with ex-Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston once stating that Coutinho was the “absolute jewel” in their crown.

LW

106

37 + 26

AM

84

15 + 18

Johnston also stated that he provided Liverpool with “the best of both worlds” in terms of his audacious tricks and flicks, but also his hard work and adaptability for the cause, having often been moved to the left wing during his Anfield career.

That worked a treat, too, with 37 of his 54 career strikes for the red half of Merseyside coming from the left flank.

Florian Wirtz very much put in a Coutinho-like shift against Alonso’s men on Wednesday evening, as the easily scapegoated German was equal parts skill and equal parts grit down the left channel, to ensure a 1-0 win was secured.

Only eight of his 197 games for Bayer Leverkusen would come down this channel, but he looked a natural from this spot against Madrid, with a whopping five key passes amassed come the end of the tie and completing his one and only tackle.

The big-money summer signing has not been at his best in Liverpool colours just yet but this certainly provided hope for the future. There is a player in there, for sure.

Moreover, Wirtz completed all 100% of his dribbles as a constant Coutinho-esque threat for the visitors from Spain to keep tabs on.

He also covered a staggering 11.37km of the pitch just from energetic runs alone, with the aforementioned Johnston also once praising Coutinho for his ability to “keep running.”

In an ideal world, Wirtz would want to play in that preferred number 10 position for Slot and Co week in, week out.

But, with an “outrageous” performance now under his belt on the left – as Liverpool-based account Anfield Wrap described it – the £116m summer buy could slowly be morphing into a Coutinho-like presence, with the goals and assists hopefully flowing soon.

Better than Bradley: Liverpool star looked sellable, now he's their star man

Liverpool produced their best performance of the season to defeat Real Madrid in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 5, 2025

There’s no denying the last few seasons have been nothing short of an embarrassment for Manchester United – especially considering the glory days achieved under Sir Alex Ferguson.

From Carabao Cup first round exits against League Two opposition, to 15th-placed Premier League finishes, it truly has been a period to forget for the fanbase on the pitch.

However, Ruben Amorim has shown glimpses of transforming the situation over the last couple of outings in the Premier League, with key results starting to arise.

A win against Sunderland saw the Red Devils keep their first clean sheet of the 2025/26 campaign, before claiming a remarkable 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Such a performance saw Amorim’s side limit the defending league champions to limited opportunities throughout, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens producing the goods between the sticks.

However, it’s safe to say it’s not been a straightforward process for the manager, especially considering the failures his side suffered last campaign.

How bad United were defensively throughout 2024/25

If a side as big as United are finishing 15th in the Premier League table, there are evidently fundamental problems within certain areas of the pitch – many of which needed addressing.

The defensive department came under huge scrutiny throughout 2024/25 and rightly so, given the lack of quality that was on display for prolonged periods of the campaign.

When delving into their underlying figures, the Red Devils’ woes were truly something to behold, as seen by their tally of 46 goals conceded in just 38 outings.

Their average 1.42 goals conceded per 90 was the ninth-worst of any side in the division, with such a tally undoubtedly contributing to their demise in England’s top-flight throughout 2024/25.

Amorim’s men also produced an xG against of 55.1, a figure that was the 8th worst in the league – showcasing that other sides were easily able to create opportunities in front of goal at will.

Whilst Lammens has fixed the situation between the sticks, the manager will likely still want to improve the situation at the back to help his chances of success at Old Trafford.

However, one first-team player should remain crucial to any attempted efforts, especially if his recent showings in the Premier League under his guidance are anything to go by.

The United player who’s becoming Amorim’s best player

Despite £200m worth of new additions during the summer transfer window, very few of the funds were directed to the defensive unit – with the majority being invested into the forward line.

Bryan Mbuemo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha were all brought to Old Trafford, with the former of the trio already proving his worth with his strike at Anfield on Sunday.

Harry Maguire also found himself on the scoresheet in such a triumph, once again popping up with a clutch goal for the Red Devils despite his usual defensive role.

The Englishman appears to have forced himself back into the manager’s plans, but he’s not alone in doing so with the 40-year-old’s preferred three-man backline.

Matthijs de Ligt was originally brought into the club last summer for a reported £42m, with real hope of providing key experience at the back given his time at Bayern Munich and Juventus.

However, the Dutchman endured a season to forget in England, only starting 25 league outings and coming under fire for his lack of positive displays by one well respected player in England’s top-flight.

Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher labelled the 26-year-old as “awful” – further highlighting how disappointing he was during his debut campaign at Old Trafford.

His displays in 2025/26 have been night and day, with De Ligt now becoming a crucial member of Amorim’s squad – subsequently starting all eight league games to date.

Games played

8

Minutes played

720

Pass accuracy

88%

Duels won

5.6

Aerials won

3.3

Interceptions made

1.1

Dribble success

50%

Tackles won

1.9

The centre-back’s underlying stats are just as impressive, subsequently winning 5.6 duels per 90 – a tally that ranks him within the top 20% of all players in the Premier League.

He’s also won 3.3 aerial battles and made 1.1 interceptions per 90, with such numbers undoubtedly handing the side the defensive presence they lacked last season.

De Ligt’s 6”2 stature at the back has allowed him to be a dominant presence within the defensive third, which has led to him undoubtedly being one of the Red Devils’ star performers this season.

There’s a real hope emerging at Old Trafford that he could be a vital player in any success achieved this season – but he desperately needs to stay on his current path.

If the club are to rise up the table, the Dutch international will likely be a key component, with Amorim needing to utilise him on a regular basis throughout the months ahead.