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AC Milan’s 2-1 victory over Genoa was as needed as it was eventful, with Pepe Reina’s 93rd-minute penalty save potentially helping Marco Giampaolo keep hold of his job.

However, playing a part in the game’s chaotic moments was not the only way to have an impact upon it, as Lucas Biglia showed by offering his side a foundation to build upon from the middle of the pitch.

The 33-year-old wasn’t extravagant or eye-catching in his performance, but he was an important player for Milan, helping to ensure three points were earned.

Biglia was reliable defensively, completing three of the four tackles he attempted during the game, while also making two clearances and one interception, as per WhoScored – it should be noted that he made more successful tackles than anyone else on the pitch.

The Argentinian was also efficient once he had the ball at his feet, completing the one dribble that he attempted and 91% of his passes throughout the match.

A sign of his influence with the ball, and how much he was trusted on it, is that Davide Calabria was the only Milan player to see more of the ball during the game.

This was an important victory for Milan, as it has pushed them up to 10th in the league – even though that isn’t good enough for a club of their stature, it is at least a start.

That Biglia was able to stay in control during the game highlights that he is someone who can be relied upon to help get results going forward.

Milan fans, what did you make of Biglia’s performance? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]Over the past few years we’ve seen some hilarious old tweets from footballers in their younger days.Victor Wanyama, Andy Robertson and Wayne Rooney have all had social media blunders that have left fans creasing up with laughter, but John McGinn’s hilarious tweet from 2014 may beat the lot.Unfortunately for McGinn, Jack Grealish has uncovered an embarrassing social media post from way back when.

McGinn clearly had some annoying neighbours back in 2014, as he seemingly wasn’t happy about their dog barking loudly.

We have to hope that the midfielder didn’t follow through with his plans of two-footing the canine, but right now we don’t know what happened.

Perhaps the RSPCA should be looking into McGinn’s behaviour towards his neighbour’s pets, and it seems the Villa players are making a bit of a habit of mocking each other with old tweets and photos.

Grealish has completely mugged off his teammate by sharing this one before the West Ham clash, and it will be interesting to see if McGinn tries to get him back by uncovering a social media gaffe from the skipper.

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In today’s Newcastle United roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Magpies. Florian Lejeune spoke about his comeback from injury, Andy Carroll posted an emotional message after his return to St. James Park, and there is a fresh injury concern for Allan Saint-Maximin.

Andy Carroll’s emotional return

Report: Andy Carroll returned to St. James Park as a Newcastle player for the first time since leaving the club eight years ago. The Englishman posted an emotional message on his

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A post shared by Andy Carroll (@andytcarroll)

/B2r6qUVAlED/?igshid=pcd9eb728rt0″ data-lasso->Instagram account, which thanked the supporters for such a welcome.

Verdict: Carroll, himself a Geordie, came up through the ranks at the club and eventually scored 33 goals in 91 appearances for the first team. But it is fair to say that things did not work out for Carroll at West Ham and Liverpool, as he scored just 45 goals in 200 games after leaving St. James Park in 2011.

However, if the Englishman can restore the form he once showed for the Magpies, Carroll may find himself smashing in the goals once more, and Steve Bruce may have a top attacking threat at his disposal.

Of course, the 30-year-old did only play eight minutes in the goalless draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, but Newcastle fans will be hoping it is the start of many more appearances for his boyhood club.

Lejeune talks his comeback from injury

Report: Florian Lejeune sat down with NUFC.co.uk to discuss his injury and his comeback to fitness. The Frenchman said: “After the Crystal Palace game it was very tough mentally for me, quickly seeing the result of my injury and having to tell myself that I’d be out of action once again for several months.

“But I quickly put it in my head that I had gone through this once before and that I could do it all again just as quickly.

“I’ve put everything in on my side, and the club can see all the work I do on a daily basis. So, I feel good mentally, it was just hard for me right at the beginning of my rehab, but the further on you get in the process, the closer you get towards the finish line.”Now we are just a few weeks away and, right at the start, it seemed like an age ago.”Verdict: Lejeune has been sidelined since injuring his knee after a tackle from Andros Townsend back in April against Crystal Palace. The centre-back had played 12 times in the Premier League for the 2018/19 campaign up until that point, and registered a 6.95 performance rating, as per WhoScored.Right now, the 28-year-old will be a welcomed addition to the Magpies’ squad, with the current defence conceding eight goals in six games as they battle early on to stay out of the drop zone. It will, as Lejeune alluded to, be a couple of weeks until his full return to training. However, for Bruce, it will be a timely one.Saint-Maximin out againReport: As reported by the Daily Mail’s North East correspondent, Craig Hope, Allan Saint-Maximin has injured his hamstring again, although Bruce hopes it is just “impact”.

There is a concern Allan Saint-Maximin has injured his hamstring again. Bruce hopes the problem is just “impact”.

— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) September 21, 2019

Verdict: The Frenchman joined the Magpies in the summer and has since spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch, missing five games so far for Newcastle through varies injuries. Bruce will be hoping it is just an impact injury and nothing more, with his team crying out for goals so far, having netted just four times – the joint lowest in the league.Saint-Maximin, although not a natural goalscorer, can hit the back of the net. The 22-year-old scored six times in Ligue 1 for Nice last year and provided three assists in the 34 games he played in. Newcastle need him back in the squad sooner rather than later.

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Adam Forshaw has been hailed by a number of Leeds United fans for his performance in the 1-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday night.

Eddie Nketiah scored the game’s only goal in the 81st minute as the on-loan forward added to the strike that he managed in the EFL Cup against Salford City.

However, it was the performance of Forshaw in the middle of the park that really captured the attention of the club’s fans.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

According to WhoScored, the 27-year-old had a pass success rate of 95% during his 90 minutes on the field, which is an indication of his calmness on the ball.

It was a match where Marcelo Bielsa’s side had to grind out the three points rather than play open, expansive football against the Bees.

You can teach yourself 3 crazy football skills in the video below…

And Forshaw’s contribution in a key area of the field has been recognised with many of the Leeds fans taking to social media to lavish praise on him.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Barcelona officially offloaded Rafinha Alcantara on a one-year loan deal to Celta Vigo in the final hours of this summer’s transfer window. But looking at that deal as a whole, it feels like the Blaugrana made the wrong choice.

What’s the word, then?

The 26-year-old Brazilian has been a part of the Barcelona family for the majority of his footballing career. He started off in La Masia and rose through the ranks of the academy until he reached the senior team in 2013. But despite all of those years he spent in Catalonia, he never got an extended period of time in the starting XI.

His biggest problem has been injuries that have plagued him from the beginning of his career. Just last season, Rafinha was out for 217 days, which meant that he missed a total of 41 games. That practically ruled him out for the entirety of the season. And that wasn’t really the first time it happened, either.

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In 2016/17 he had a similar experience when a meniscal injury kept him out for 38 games. Needless to say, he was extremely unlucky in his career and that was always in the way of his success at Barcelona.

But with all of that being said, can Barcelona really afford to lose him now?

Lack of options

Rafinha’s transfer doesn’t seem that odd on the face of it. We’re talking about an injury-prone player that never truly impressed in the Blaugrana shirt. After all, he only scored 12 goals and assisted eight in a total of 90 games he played. And that’s the other thing, only 90 games to his name and he’s been at Barcelona for the vast majority of his career. By all accounts, that doesn’t seem so impressive.

But with no new signings arriving at the club on deadline day and with the departures of Philippe Coutinho and Malcom, Barcelona seem rather thin in the forward line. Sure, they have Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele but both Messi and Suarez are over 30 years old, Griezmann has just arrived at the club and Dembele is as injury-prone as Rafinha.

So looking at the attacking options the Catalans have at their disposal, they just might be missing a reliable substitute altogether. It would be difficult for the 26-year-old Brazilian to break into the team full of such stars but when he’s out there and when he’s fit, Rafinha is an excellent player. In the three games he played for Barcelona in the 2019/20 La Liga season, he averaged two shots per game, 1.7 key passes and 1.3 dribbles.

Not to mention that he can practically play all over the middle and the forward lines, which would give Ernesto Valverde a really versatile choice to plug many holes when necessary. Letting go of such a valuable player who can cover the area the team is currently thin at might not have been a brilliant move.

But only time will tell if this was the right call.

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According to renowned journalist Alan Nixon on his official Twitter account, reported Southampton target Che Adams is available before the deadline, as long as a club is willing to pay £12m for his services.

What’s the word, then?

Well, a report in The Mirror at the weekend said that Saints are keen to bring the Birmingham City attacker to St Mary’s before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday night, and have already tabled an £8m bid for the 22-year-old.

However, The Mirror also reported that the Blues had rebuffed the approach, but were expecting the Premier League club to try again for the impressive attacker, who has scored 15 league goals for the Championship outfit this season, as per Transfermarkt.

The latest of those came in the 3-3 draw with Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night, when he cut in from the left on his right foot before bending an effort into the far corner of the goal from outside the box.

Will Saints pay £12m?

It seems a lot depends on whether they can sell Charlie Austin, whom they are said to be demanding £10m for, also according to Nixon on Twitter, before the deadline.

For the second game running the former QPR striker missed out on the 18-man squad when Saints hosted Crystal Palace at St Mary’s on Wednesday night, and it appears as though his future lies away from the south coast outfit if a deal is right for all parties.

They may well be trying to raise the funds to buy Adams by offloading the 29-year-old, but there has been no progress on that to date with just hours of the window remaining.

Given the pace and strength the Birmingham man has in his locker – as well as the fact he can play out wide or through the middle – he appears to be a perfect fit to succeed under Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

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Unai Emery’s Arsenal made a good start to the season on Sunday against Newcastle as they edged past the Toon 1-0. However, they lacked a certain amount of creativity from a middle pairing made up of Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi. A solution can soon be provided, though, with the introduction of one of the Gunners’ new signings.

On the chalkboard

The Emirates outfit did pick up the three points, but their performance was not exactly convincing from an attacking point of view. They had just two shots on target throughout the match, and actually had one less shot at goal than their opponents.

Xhaka and Guendouzi did not have poor games, but neither are known for their intricate creativity. The latter is a defensive midfielder and rarely records goals or assists, and it is not much different with Xhaka. With those two in the middle, the Gunners lack a player who can provide a bit of spark from a deep-lying position.

Ceballos is the answer

Step forward Dani Ceballos. The 23-year-old joined on loan from Real Madrid this summer, and is a natural midfielder. He was not a regular starter for the 13-time Champions League/European Cup winners last season, so it is best to look at how he performed at the the U21 European Championships which took place in June.

The former Real Betis man had a fantastic tournament, and was one of the best players in the competition as Spain lifted the title. And creatively, he had a huge influence on his team.

He recorded an pass success rate of 90.1%, as well as an average of 2.8 key passes per game and along with two goals he also provided two assists. In comparison, Xhaka and Guendouzi had 1.9 key passes per game between them during the last Premier League campaign, as well as two assists combined. It was a similar story with their pass success rate – they averaged 86.5%.

Whilst Ceballos’ stats are over a shorter period of time and in a tournament of lesser overall quality, he has shown that he can be the creative heartbeat of a side. Arsenal will be a much more dangerous proposition with the Spain international in their starting line-up this weekend against Burnley.

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Wolves are interested in signing young Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile in the January transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Badiashile an exciting prospect

The 20-year-old has emerged as an exciting player in Ligue 1, making nine starts in the league and enjoying a pass completion rate of 88.5%. He has also averaged 4.3 aerial duel wins per game in the Europa League this season, which is more than any Wolves player has managed in the Premier League.

Badiashile appears to be a man in demand, and Molineux could potentially be his next destination.

The Latest: Wolves linked with move

According to Sky Sports News [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], Wolves are interested in making a move for the Frenchman, as Bruno Lage looks for centre-back reinforcements.

The £25.2m-rated defender’s current Monaco deal expires in the summer of 2024.

The Verdict: Ideal centre-back alternative

Central defence does look like one area where an addition would be welcome at Wolves this month, with too much reliance on the availability of Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss. Indeed, the latter is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Willy Boly would invariably be a strong backup for the trio but he continues to be plagued by medical issues, highlighting the need for a new signing at centre-back.

At 20, Badiashile would be considered a long-term acquisition who could fill in when required this season before hopefully growing into a key figure at Molineux over the next few years.

In other news, Wolves have been handed a potential transfer blow. Read more here.

Leeds United are in line for an encouraging injury boost ahead of this weekend’s clash with Newcastle United…

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, the Yorkshire outfit are likely to have three first-team attackers available for selection ahead of Saturday’s league encounter at Elland Road.

“Better news – Joe Gelhardt could be back at the weekend, as could Tyler Roberts. Rodrigo also sounds like he’s come through his appearance at West Ham without a problem,” he tweeted.

The Whites head into the weekend on the back of an impressive 3-2 victory over West Ham United but there was cause for concern looking at the bench as the returning Spaniard was the only senior professional from nine substitutes.

Big boost

That is how bad the injury situation has been at Thorp Arch over the last few months and it shows no signs of easing up, with Patrick Bamford’s continued absence.

The England international has missed 16 of their last 17 league games with ankle and hamstring injuries and it appears he is still not available to feature against the Magpies after missing last weekend’s win.

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In his absence, Bielsa has had to turn to a number of different options, largely the likes of Daniel James and Jack Harrison playing out of position to fill the void.

So the fact the club’s young academy striker Gelhardt is available is certainly encouraging to see. He has one goal and two assists in the Premier League from only two starts, so he’s more than capable at this level.

Roberts is an experienced option to have too.

If these two return alongside a fit Rodrigo, it will alleviate some of the worry facing Bielsa ahead of kick-off – after all, he still is missing key midfielder Kalvin Phillips, skipper Liam Cooper and many others.

Therefore, the Argentine will surely feel a little more relieved this weekend.

AND in other news, “What I have been told”: Journo drops huge Leeds transfer claim, Bielsa will be fuming…

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into Thursday evening’s Europa League clash against Real Betis knowing that they cannot finish any higher or lower than third place in the Group G standings – a fixture many would deem a dead rubber.

However, while it is true that the three points available in the match ultimately do not matter, the contest will undoubtedly still prove to be an extremely important one for the 56-year-old manager.

This is not only because a win against a team who sit third in the LaLiga table would provide his side with a substantial boost in confidence, but it is also an opportunity for Celtic to afford a number of their peripheral squad members some much-needed first-team minutes.

Indeed, youngsters such as Liam Shaw, Osaze Urhoghide, Liam Scales, Dane Murray and Mikey Johnston have seen their game time extremely limited so far this season, with the fixture against Betis being the perfect time to unleash at least a few of Celtic’s most exciting up and coming talents.

As such, some of the players who started the 3-0 win over Dundee United last weekend will have to make way, with James Forrest appearing to be a prime candidate for the chop on Thursday night.

Postecoglou must axe Forrest

While it is true the winger is still in the process of regaining full fitness in his recovery from injury, it is unavoidable that Forrest was by far and away Celtic’s most disappointing performer at Tannadice.

Indeed, over his 45 minutes on the pitch, the £5.4m-rated winger struggled to make any real impact on the game, failing to complete any of his three attempted crosses, losing three of his five duels and completing just 16 passes – six fewer than Joe Hart.

These returns saw the £19k-per-week forward earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.9 – the second-lowest of any Celtic player to start the fixture – before he was hooked at halftime after appearing to struggle with the pace of the match.

As such, while Forrest is undoubtedly a talented player – with Kieran Tierney dubbing the 30-year-old’s ability as “scary,” as well as claiming he is “one of the best” players he has featured alongside – in order to provide the likes of Johnston with a much-needed start, Postecoglou simply must axe the Scotland international from his starting XI against Real Betis.

In other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s new Robbie Keane with swoop for “bright” 18 G/A machine