All posts by n8rngtd.top

Certain Premier League fans might be surprised at Arsenal’s meteoric rise to the forefront of domestic football, but the strides made are actually due to meticulous, well-crafted action from Mikel Arteta and co.

Currently perching atop the Premier League table, five points ahead of current champions Manchester City, the north London outfit are absolutely flying, chasing their first top-flight trophy in almost decades, having failed to even qualify for the Champions League across the past six seasons.

Arteta cannot be bestowed enough praise for his work in crafting a cohesive and confident side, boasting youthful vibrancy and leadership in abundance – truly transformational across every department.

In the 2019/20 campaign, Arteta’s second season as a senior manager after departing Man City as Pep Guardiola’s No. 2, the FA Cup was gleaned, but the club have indeed failed to taste Champions League action thus far, with the likes of talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino even stating that the Spaniard should be sacked last summer if the coveted continental competition remains outside the club’s clutches.

Current fortunes are a far cry from the former lambasting, with the club indeed on course to claim the Premier League trophy, and young centre-back William Saliba is an embodiment of the tremendous increments made over the past several years.

How much is William Saliba worth now?

Signing for the Gunners for £27m in 2019 by none other than divisive coach Unai Emery, Frenchman Saliba spent three seasons out on loan in Ligue 1 before finally earning a shot this season, and his impact has been nothing short of resounding.

Having started all 27 Premier League matches this term, scoring two goals and serving one assist, the £40k-per-week defender has simply been a revelation, forming a cohesive partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Arteta’s system.

And with CIES Football Observatory now valuing the titan at a whopping £79m, a 193% increase, it is clear that biding time and awaiting the player’s readiness has paid off lucratively.

Should Arteta decide to sell, he would indeed make a stunning increase on the fee paid, but such an endeavour seems unlikely given his natural taking to the robust and rigorous life of Premier League football.

As per FBref, Saliba ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe’s major leagues for attempted passes per 90 and the top 5% for pass completion, with his ball-playing prowess an illustration of the skills required by a superlative modern defender.

Recently hailed as “perfect” by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the rising star is completing 91% of his passes in the Premier League and averaging 1.3 tackles per game, winning 61% of his duels and completing a remarkable 90% of his dribbles, according to Sofascore.

It is no coincidence that Saliba's Premier League introduction draws parallel with the club’s own ascension to the forefront of the game.

And having barely scratched the surface of his professional career, Saliba could blossom into one of the fiercest and most formidable centre-backs in the business. The Gunners have well and truly hit the jackpot with this steely addition.

West Ham earned a much-needed point against Aston Villa on Sunday to move out of the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference.

David Moyes’ side got off to a dreadful start at the London Stadium as Ollie Watkins headed in Alex Moreno’s cross with what was the Villans’ first real foray forward.

However, the Hammers would equalise less than ten minutes later when Lucas Paqueta was fouled by Leon Bailey inside the box, with Said Benrahma stepping up to smash home the penalty.

Both sides had chances to win the game, with Benrahma denied twice by Emiliano Martinez and Watkins also close to a second goal, but the Hammers would have to settle for a point on an occasion where they probably needed all three.

Who was West Ham’s worst player v Aston Villa?

There were a number of poor performances on show at the London Stadium once again on Sunday but perhaps none more disappointing than that of Jarrod Bowen, whose form has fallen off a cliff in comparison to last season, when he hit 12 goals and ten assists in the Premier League.

As per Sofascore, the England international would earn a woeful 6.5/10 rating for his display, which was joint with Danny Ings as the worst of any West Ham player to start the game.

During the 90 minutes, the former Hull City man would register 46 touches but managed to complete just nine out of his 17 attempted passes, resulting in a success rate of only 53%.

Although he has been poor this term, that success rate is far worse than the 73.5% he has averaged in the Premier League throughout 2022/23, which emphasises just how poor he was against Unai Emery’s side.

The 26-year-old was guilty of giving away possession a remarkable 22 times, with just two of his ten attempted crosses finding their mark, with his lack of consistency in attack perhaps one of several reasons why Moyes’ side have struggled so much in the final third this term.

He also managed just one shot and would win 50% of his duels, which again is a disappointing return given he has managed 2.2 shots per game in the top flight this season.

If the Hammers are to pull away from the relegation places in the final games of the campaign, they need underperforming players such as Bowen to start showing their form from previous years, as Sunday emphasised once again how much the winger has regressed since his superb displays last year.

Arsenal’s Europa League defeat to Sporting CP in midweek ends their chances of winning their second major European trophy, yet the penalty shootout loss could potentially end up being a blessing in disguise.

Mikel Arteta is focused on securing the Gunners their first Premier League title since 2003/2004 and the extra continental matches may have been more of a hindrance than anything else in their bid to hold off Manchester City.

The Spaniard had to rotate his squad against the Portuguese side, giving players such as Takehiro Tomiyasu, Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira starts, although they didn’t exactly take their chance, with Vieira performing extremely poorly.

The 22-year-old was filling in for Martin Odegaard, who Arteta was clearly resting for the Premier League tie this weekend, yet he failed to take his opportunity.

Will Fabio Vieira start for Arsenal vs Crystal Palace?

The former Porto man didn’t do much against Sporting, in truth, averaging a woeful Sofascore rating of 5.9/10, comfortably the worst on the pitch and across his 101-minute spell on the pitch, he managed just 47 touches and 25 passes – figures nowhere near good enough for Arteta.

He also won just one duel, succeeded with zero dribble attempts and lost possession 13 times during the tie and he “didn’t cover himself in glory” according to popular Arsenal blog the Short Fuse.

He was also dubbed “utterly terrible” by one source during the match and his performance will give Arteta the licence to ditch him for the tie against Palace this afternoon.

This wasn’t a one-off by the 5 foot 7 midfielder either, as he has failed to demonstrate to the Emirates faithful during his short spell why the club splashed out £34m to sign him last summer.

He has made just two Premier League starts this term (17 appearances in total), scoring once and registering two assists, yet his average Sofascore rating of 6.74/10 ranks him as only the Gunners' 15th-best performer this season.

Of course, adapting to a new league and culture is extremely difficult, but the midfielder has struggled to take the limited opportunities presented to him by Arteta.

Starting in the last 16 of a major European competition was the ideal chance for him to showcase his abilities and lead the club through to the quarter-finals, however his abject performance will surely give the manager more questions than answers.

With the manager-less Eagles to come this afternoon, the former Porto man will likely return his usual watching brief.

Crystal Palace are thought to be keen on signing Italy international Mateo Retegui this summer.

The Lowdown: Retegui profiled

Retegui is 23 years of age and is currently on loan at Club Atletico Tigre from Boca Juniors. Tigre have the option to buy the player permanently, with Retegui an out-and-out centre-forward.

The player enjoyed a successful Liga Profesional campaign last year, scoring 19 times in 27 games, continuing that form this year with six goals in eight.

The Argentine-born striker actually made his debut for Italy against England on Thursday, scoring in a 2-1 European Championship qualifier defeat. Italy manager Roberto Mancini has praised Retegui, even comparing him to legendary Argentine forward Gabriel Batistuta.

“I can say that he looks like Batistuta when he arrived in Italy. He may need some time to get comfortable, but it won’t be long. He is very smart.

“Coming from Argentina and playing in the national team, not even for a club, is not easy. He is an educated, intelligent, young boy. We have confidence, but we have to give him time. He is a classic centre forward.”

His form appears to have been catching the eye in England, with Selhurst Park seemingly a potential destination for the forward.

The Latest: Palace interest

Sports Witness relayed a transfer update from Corriere dello Sport regarding Retegui, where Palace and rivals Brighton were named.

They claimed that both clubs are interested in the player, with his agent set to fly to London where they plan to hold ‘appointments, meetings and market contacts’ ahead of a possible transfer. The report adds that Tigre plan to spend €2.1m (£1.8m) this summer to sign him permanently before selling him on for a major profit.

The Verdict: Smart move?

Even though Palace are unsure as to who will be in charge of the club heading into the 2023/24 campaign, with Roy Hodgson in temporary charge over the coming months, looking to bring in a new attacker appears to be necessary in the transfer window.

The Eagles are the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League with 22 goals in 28 games and could lose star winger and top scorer Wilfried Zaha for free when his contract expires in the summer.

Therefore, looking at bringing in someone like Retegui who has been in free-scoring form over the last 12 months appears to be a wise move, however, Palace will know that they will need to remain a top-flight club to stand a chance of securing his services.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot could be a contender to replace Antonio Conte at Tottenham, according to Voetbal International editor Pieter Zwart.

Who could replace Conte at Spurs?

The Premier League top four chasers finally announced the departure of Conte earlier this week, coming after a week of speculation over the Italian's immediate future. Conte was expected to depart Spurs even before his infamous post-Southampton rant, as his contract was set to expire at the end of the season, but both the manager and club mutually agreed to call time prematurely.

A plethora of big name managers and more left-field options have been linked with the post, including former Tottenham manager and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino. Other notable names include the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, who's just left Bayern Munich, and another free agent in ex-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

Even the likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank, who've both been performing brilliantly at their respective top flight clubs, have been tipped as possible contenders for the Spurs job. Abroad, Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner is a name consistently linked and Slot, who is currently chasing a title with Feyenoord, has been a name mentioned by reliable outlets like The Times.

Now, analyst and editor-in-chief Zwart has weighed in on Tottenham's links to the 44-year-old – claiming to Voetbal Primeur (via Sport Witness) that he could seriously appeal to chairman Daniel Levy. He says that Slot's work on a shoe-string budget at both Feyenoord and Ajax puts him in real contention to succeed Conte in the summer.

Zwart explained:

“Daniel Levy has the image of a miser. He wants to achieve a lot with little money. That is, of course, what Arne Slot has done. First at AZ, where he competed for the title, and now he is doing the same at Feyenoord with a low budget. I can imagine that he would come into the picture.”

Is Slot the ideal Spurs manager candidate?

Slot has arguably overachieved with Feyenoord this season, having led the Dutch title-chasers to the Eredivisie summit, losing just one game all season. They're currently on a real hot streak, winning their last six league games and boasting the second-best defensive record in the division behind FC Twente.

Their Dutch head coach is seemingly working wonders at Feynoord with members of the media holding Slot in seriously high esteem. Netherlands football expert Marcel van der Kraan, speaking to talkSPORT recently, even called him the "most exciting head coach" he's seen in the last 10 years – going on to claim he utilises a "more" attacking style than Man City boss Pep Guardiola.

Going by his team's sublime form and steadily rising reputation, he could certainly appeal to Spurs.

Time waits for no man and even Glasgow Rangers’ 41-year-old goalkeeper Allan McGregor can't fight the impending fact that his career is close to coming to an end, with this season likely to be his final one at Ibrox.

From making his debut against Forfar as a fresh-faced 20-year-old back in a Scottish Cup tie in February 2002, to turning out for the 500th time against Dundee United recently, it has been a remarkable journey filled with many highs and a few lows along the way.

The last few seasons however have seen the Scot make a few mistakes in the Rangers goal, with high-profile errors against Hearts and Ross County last term contributing to vital points dropped in the chase for Premiership glory, and having conceded 41 goals from 21 matches this season, it's time for him to finally bow out.

Journalist Josh Bunting described him as a “legend” and his place in the history books is secure, but someone else has to take over next season.

The question on Michael Beale’s mind now is who can come in and replace him? The club will likely spend money in the summer on a quality replacement, yet there may be a youngster in the academy who could forge their way into his plans in the future – Jacob Pazikas.

Who is Jacob Pazikas?

The 6 foot 4 sensation has impressed for the B side so far this term, making 15 appearances across the Lowland League and UEFA Youth League, and he was particularly impressive against Liverpool in the latter competition, despite losing 4-1.

In the match report from the Liverpool Echo, Ian Doyle stated that Pazikas was ‘busy’ in the Gers goal while Pazikas’ ‘heriocs’ were key to preventing the tie from eventually becoming a rout. Indeed, performances like this will surely have given him a confidence boost.

Beale will have been keeping an eye on the talent emerging through the academy since joining in November and many of the players he will be familiar with during his time at the club under Steven Gerrard.

The young keeper has already made nine appearances for the Scotland U17 side and this experience will also stand him in good stead ahead of bigger challenges, such as making the next step by moving up to U19 level and staking a claim there.

Having recently signed a new and improved deal at the Light Blues until 2025, it’s evident that the club have high hopes for him.

The youngster may not be a direct replacement for McGregor, but the next few years could be an interesting period for the youngster, and he will have high hopes of becoming the next Ibrox star between the posts.

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy to St. James’ Park, according to reports.

What's the latest on Mendy's future?

Eddie Howe currently has Matt Targett, Jamal Lewis and Paul Dummett as his left-back options, but having played Dan Burn there for the majority of the season, is reportedly on the hunt for a new first-choice, with Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney one name to have been linked.

Mendy isn’t out of contract at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2025 but has fallen out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti having recorded just 14 La Liga starts since the beginning of the season. The Magpies target hasn’t been helped by his spell on the sidelines though having missed 14 matches with an unspecified muscle injury meaning that he hasn’t had the chance to make his mark due to his absence.

According to Spanish reports (via CaughtOffside), Premier League clubs Newcastle, Arsenal and Manchester City are all “keen on signing” Mendy ahead of the new term. Madrid could potentially look to sanction his sale for a fee of approximately €60m (£52m) in the summer, and whilst it’s unknown whether the northeast outfit could afford this price, it’s stated that he would be a “quality acquisition” for Howe.

Should Newcastle splash the cash on Mendy?

Mendy has been hailed an “incredible” left-back by Manchester United defender Raphael Varane and Newcastle should absolutely empty their pockets to sign him. In full, his former Real Madrid teammate said:

“It's incredible the physical strength he has. He is adapting very well and allows us to chain great efforts in the games. It’s strength in the defence but it helps us a lot in all facets of the game.”

The Los Blancos star has registered 23 assists and scored ten goals since the start of his career whilst ranking in the 99th percentile for pass completion, displaying his strong link-up play and desire to attack down the flank. The FS Management client would also provide Howe with plenty of versatility having operated at centre-back, right-back and on the left side of the midfield outside of his natural left-back position which is a useful attribute to have should any unexpected injuries occur.

Finally, Mendy would bring a winning mentality to Tyneside having secured eight trophies at both club and international level, including the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, so matches the ambitious and positive-thinking mindset of the squad already at St. James’ Park.

Leeds United's dismal defeat on the weekend against Crystal Palace may also have produced an injury scare with Patrick Bamford.

Are Leeds going to go down this season?

Since taking over in Yorkshire, Javi Gracia has been able to bring some positive results to Elland Road which has seen the Whites climb out of the relegation zone.

However, Sunday's game quickly brought Leeds back down to earth as one of their relegation rivals put five past them in front of their own fans.

The Whites dominated the first half of the game on Sunday but, somehow, found themselves going into the break level having only scored one goal.

Sam Johnstone was forced into making seven saves in the first half alone as Leeds failed to make the most of their dominance.

And their lack of potency in front of goal came to bite them in the second half as Palace showed just how to kill a game off as they clinched maximum points.

The one player to find the back of the net for Leeds was Bamford, but the striker was withdrawn with just over 10 minutes remaining of the game.

And speaking on the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, BBC man Adam Pope has suggested this may have been as a result of a potential injury concern for the 29-year-old:

(7:20) "I don't understand how a goal can be so demoralising to go out in the second half where, we understand, Bamford might have gone out with playing on a bit of an injury. He to go off he wasn't moving well, but even that sum of the whole was still so much better than one player struggling wasn't it."

Is it time to move on from Bamford?

Of course, this comes after Leeds have just been ordered to pay a £24.5 million, fee for Jean-Kevin Augustin, so the bad news keeps on coming.

Bamford has now been playing his football at Elland Road since 2018 and has been able to rack up 50 goals in his 145 appearances across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

And the £70k-per-week striker's first season back in the Premier League with Leeds provided a lot of positives to be taken with the 29-year-old netting 17 goals in the league alone.

However, it is from then on that the issues have emerged for the Englishman whose time on the pitch has been hindered enormously by injuries.

Last season alone, the 29-year-old was only able to feature nine times in the Premier League where he was able to return two goals and two assists (via Transfermarkt).

And despite making a further 13 appearances in the league this season, the Englishman has only provided one more goal than he did in his injury-riddled 2021/22 campaign.

Leeds will remember the 2020/21 Bamford with a lot of positive memories, however, two goals from your striker over 22 appearances will point towards the side's struggles in the league.

There has been a heavy reliance on Rodrigo in front of goal this season – and he has certainly provided an impressive return – but Bamford's injury issues and lack of form must raise concerns with those at Elland Road.

The town of Wrexham is no stranger to A-list celebrities wandering the streets.Of course, their football club is famously owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, which has tempted the likes of Blake Lively to watch the team alongside her husband, while even Conor McGregor’s beer was served in the Turf next to the Racecourse Ground.The latest visitor happened to be Marvel star Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man, as he joined the co-owners on Saturday for their promotion party.Rudd was spotted drinking with supporters before the match and was then alongside Reynolds and co for the duration of their clash with Boreham Wood.The visitors took the lead after just 40 seconds but the Red Dragons fought back as Elliott Lee and Paul Mullin took them to promotion and the National League title.

How did Reynolds and McElhenney enjoy Wrexham’s promotion?

As the final whistle was blown following the 3-1 win, fans surged onto the pitch in absolute delirium.

The cameras quickly panned to the chairmen who were in a state of complete shock that their team had finally achieved promotion.

Reynolds was hunched over, head in hands, while McElhenney shed a tear before drying his eyes at what he’d just seen.

The footage and photos of their celebrations have been seen plenty of times, but the aforementioned Rudd was on hand to capture the most intimate recording of their reactions yet.

Stood beside them, the movie star captured the heartfelt moment when Wrexham’s owners first saw their team had promotion as they hugged it out while overlooking the pitch as thousands dashed on to celebrate with the players.

The video drew plenty of reaction from social media, the best of which you can find below…

Arsenal have the chance to return to the top of the Premier League table this evening as they take on Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium before Manchester City play on Wednesday night.

Mikel Arteta's side are one point behind their rivals in the division after losing 4-1 to Pep Guardiola's men in their last outing, thanks to brilliance from Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.

They now come up against a Chelsea team that has gone eight games without a win in all competitions with a chance to return to winning ways.

The Gunners will be without William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Mohamed Elneny, who all remain out with injuries, but the head coach still has plenty of options to rotate his side with.

How will Arsenal line up against Chelsea?

Arteta could make as many as three alterations to his starting XI following the defeat to City, with Jakub Kiwior, Kieran Tierney, and Leandro Trossard coming in.

Firstly, the Spaniard could ditch Rob Holding after conceding 13 goals during his six-start stint in the team following on from Saliba's injury.

The poor defensive record since the Englishman's run of starts is a huge concern and that could allow Kiwior to come in for his first start in the Premier League alongside Gabriel.

At left-back, Oleksandr Zinchenko could be given a rest after being dribbled past four times and failing to record a Sofascore rating higher than 6.5 in his last three league matches.

Arteta could opt to bring Kieran Tierney in to replace the Ukraine international as the £25m "machine" – as dubbed by journalist Simon Collings – has been dribbled past once and achieved a Sofascore rating higher than 6.5 four times in his last five Premier League outings, proving to be more reliable at this moment in time.

They both go into a back four, also containing Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White, both of whom continue to shield Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks.

A midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard should resume their usual duties, as should Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the flanks.

Finally, Gabriel Jesus could drop out of the side after blanking in his last two appearances. The skillful Brazilian is coming off the back of a long-term knee injury and Arteta could manage his fitness by ditching him in favour of Leandro Trossard, who picked up an assist off the bench against Manchester City, tonight.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.