More points. Yet more points have gone begging in what is turning out to be a rather trying Premier League campaign for Arsenal so far.

A couple of weeks ago it looked like the Gunners had their mojo back, putting 12 goals past Nottingham Forest, Sporting and West Ham.

However, since then, they’ve not had things all their own way. Arsenal drew with Fulham a week ago and were left to rue more dropped points, this time against relegation-threatened Everton.

You won’t find many games that Mikel Arteta’s men fail to get going but this was a real abject performance at home.

In truth, nothing seemed to click and when Bukayo Saka had a goalbound effort phenomenally denied by Jordan Pickford at the near post in the second half, you perhaps knew it wasn’t going to be the hosts’ afternoon.

So, where did all go wrong on Saturday afternoon?

Why Arsenal drew with Everton

Arsenal have not found it difficult holding onto the ball in recent weeks. Against Everton this weekend, they left the field having had 77% of possession but ultimately, they only ever created one big chance.

That really told the story of a lacklustre attack that only really saw Saka generate much of note in red and white.

That’s a familiar tale, really. Give the ball to Saka and hope. If something isn’t created by him then they’ll probably have to rely on a corner. Neither worked on this occasion.

You could put a lot of the blame on a dysfunctioning left-hand side again. What Raheem Sterling or even Gabriel Jesus have to do to potentially start on that left-hand side remains to be seen.

Passes

William Saliba – 103

Touches

Gabriel – 118

Key passes

Bukayo Saka – 3

Crosses

Saka – 10

xG

Martin Odegaard – 0.59

Defensive actions

Ashley Young – 14

Blocked shots

James Tarkowski – 3

Interceptions

Young – 3

Tackles

Young – 7

Duels won

Gabriel & Gueye – 9

It appears as though the issue stems from the day Granit Xhaka left the club. Let’s cast our minds back to the 2022/23 season. Arsenal may have finished the season five points behind Manchester City but it was some of the best football we’ve witnessed at the Emirates in years.

That was helped by a flexible structure across the pitch and one that wasn’t solely reliant on things happening from one side of the pitch.

There is no doubt that the combination of Saka and Martin Odegaard has worked a treat on the right but since Xhaka left, they’ve not had the same combination play on the left.

During that aforementioned season, Xhaka was involved in 16 goals while Gabriel Martinelli, who seemed to love playing on that left flank, had a hand in 21 goals.

Arsenal looked to have semi-fixed that in midweek with Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly featuring on the left with Trossard in behind.

In fact, it was a combination on the left that led to the opening goal, scored by Saka. Lewis-Skelly retained the ball brilliantly before feeding not Trossard, but Jesus, who swept a cross towards the back post.

There was no such luck this time with a “dull and inspiring” Martinelli – in the words of European football expert Zach Lowy – not at the races once more.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Gabriel Martinelli's performance in numbers

Martinelli starts one game. Trossard starts the next one. And repeat. That’s been the story of Arsenal’s season as far as their left flank is concerned and it’s now becoming quite the problem that neither of them can find much form.

Trossard did score in back-to-back games against Sporting and West Ham but his performance a week ago against Fulham didn’t amount to much, producing just a solitary key pass.

Martinelli replaced him late on and looked to have produced the game-winning moment, crossing to Saka at the back stick only for the Brazilian to be deemed offside in the build-up.

That painful moment didn’t impact Arteta’s judgement too much as the former Ituano winger has now started the last two matches.

His lack of impact, though, was alarming, particularly when you consider he was up against 39-year-old Ashley Young. In total, he attempted four dribbles but didn’t complete a single one. As it happens, Young wasn’t dribbled past once and won seven of his nine duels. Martinelli’s numbers in comparison were damning, winning just one of his eight duels.

Minutes played

74

Accurate passes

23/26 (88%)

Key passes

2

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

0

Dribble success

0/4

Cross success

1/3

Duels won

1/8

Offsides

1

Possession lost

14x

To make matters worse, the 23-year-old gave away the ball 14 times and produced just two key passes, while having a solitary effort on target.

Handed a 5/10 match rating by Football.London’s Kaya Kaynak, the reporter noted that the attacker’s ‘end product remains an issue’. Indeed, the Brazil star has only scored three times in the league this term and assisted two goals.

Contrast that with the right-hand side where Saka has contributed five league goals and ten assists and the difference is stark.

In all honesty, if Arsenal are going to win a Premier League title anytime soon, they need a high-functioning left-hand side. That feels unlikely until they sign another winger with end product.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 10, 2024

Mohamed Salah recorded a worst-ever Liverpool stat in the Carabao Cup final as the Reds were downed by Newcastle United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Salah's nightmare outing against Newcastle
• Recorded worst-ever Liverpool stat in Carabao Cup final
• Magpies ended 70-year trophy drought

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool failed to win their first silverware of the 2024-25 campaign on Sunday as were defeated 2-1 by Newcastle at Wembley. Dan Burn and Alexander Isak were on target as the Magpies ended their 70-year trophy drought. The match turned out to be a nightmare for Reds star Salah, who neither attempted a shot nor created a chance in the entire 90 minutes. This was the first time in his Reds career that the Egyptian drew a blank on both fronts.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Merseyside club, who were dreaming of winning three titles this season until the start of last week, suffered back-to-back heartbreaks at Anfield and Wembley. Last Tuesday, Arne Slot's side crashed out of the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties and then went down 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final. The club, however, remain firm favourites to win the Premier League title for a record-equalling 20 times as they continue to enjoy a healthy 12-point lead at the summit.

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  After consecutive losses against PSG and Newcastle, questions have been raised over the Liverpool players' fitness, however, Slot has batted away that scepticism as he believed the defeat on Sunday had nothing to do with stamina.

• WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Slot will enjoy a much-needed break during the international break to recover from the double blow. His team will be back in action on April 2 as they take on arch-rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby.

After playing just two IPL matches in over two years, and almost going unsold in the mega auction this year, Umesh Yadav feels he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone except himself – that he has “the ability, the capability, to keep improving myself”. He has show this ability so far at IPL 2022, where he has been quick, moved the ball around, and picked up wickets, especially early on.Related

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“I don’t think I need to prove anything to anyone, but yes, I need to prove to myself that I still have the ability, the capability, to keep improving myself,” Umesh told ESPNcricinfo. “I am just trying to support my team and my country with my cricket in whatever years I am left with.”Umesh, 34, didn’t have an easy time following the auction, where he went unsold in the first two rounds of bidding, before being picked in the accelerated auction round by Kolkata Knight Riders for his base price of INR 2 crore (US$ 266,000 approx.). It was a homecoming of sorts for Umesh at Knight Riders. He had played 47 matches for the franchise before this season – the most for him for a single team – and was also part of the team that lifted the trophy in 2014.”When you are unsold in the auction two to three times, you don’t know what is going to happen,” Umesh said. “When the first round of the auction took place, most fast bowlers of my group were sold, I was the only one unsold. At that time you feel that maybe you might not get a chance this time.”And then one of your older teams picks you, a team with whom your experience has been good, a team that gave you the first feel and enjoyment of the IPL because you have won the cup with them, then definitely the feeling is great. You feel something good will happen because the same team has recalled you. I have been on very good terms with KKR, so I was sure I will get a chance.”Umesh has been on the money from the get-go this season. He started off with two wickets each in his first two games of IPL 2022 before returning 4 for 23 against Punjab Kings, for which he won the Player -of-the-Match award. He briefly held the Purple Cap too, and is still one of the top wicket-takers in the tournament. And, before Friday’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, his economy rate was 6.60.”My role is out there for everyone to see – pick up wickets, and that is the role of every fast bowler,” Umesh said. “I am trying my best, whether I come on during the powerplay or whenever, to pick up wickets and that is what I am doing. There is no pressure on me, whatever my team and captain expects from me, I am giving it my all. I am happy with them and so are they with me. Everything is very clear.”Umesh Yadav picked up at least a wicket in each of Knight Riders’ first five games•BCCI

While Umesh has been excellent in the powerplay, with six wickets in five matches before Friday and an economy rate of 5.46, he hasn’t been as impressive at the death. In the only game where he was required to bowl in the end, Umesh was hammered for 28 runs in two overs, by Delhi Capitals.Historically, too, Umesh hasn’t been at his best at the death, as his economy rate of 10.79 suggests.”A lot of people say this but it goes both ways. I am not the only bowler who gets hit in the death overs, there are plenty of other bowlers too,” Umesh said. “You pick up any bowler, no matter how good he is, there is not a single bowler who has not been hit in the slog overs. When you are continuously bowling, you get used to it. But when you don’t do that for a couple of years and then suddenly start bowling at the death again, then definitely you don’t have that much of an idea.”When you are consistently bowling at the death, you know where your bowling stands. You are not a machine that someone can set and presume the yorkers will land immediately. I might have given a lot of runs in the death overs but I am not alone for sure. I am not sure why but somehow I get scrutinised. Maybe it is because I am a senior bowler.”

Ruben Amorim will be travelling to Suffolk for his first taste of Premier League action confident that he can pick up a debut win as new Manchester United boss, with Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town his first opponent.

However, there will also be a lingering anxiety deep within the Portuguese manager that his first game in charge could also end in an unexpected defeat, considering the Tractor Boys are just fresh off a surprise away victory at Tottenham Hotspur.

McKenna will also want to get one over on his former employers, with the Northern Irishman hopeful that his top performers in North London can turn on the style again back at Portman Road.

Key players for Ipswich vs Man United

Liam Delap will be raring to go this weekend when the Red Devils come to town, with the striker’s previous Manchester City connections perhaps working in his favour in wanting to rain on the Amorim parade.

He is also Ipswich’s most potent attacker by some distance, with six strikes registered from 11 league games, which included a tap-in finish versus Ange Postecoglou’s shellshocked hosts to make it 2-0.

Moreover, the likes of Sammie Szmodics and Leif Davis will want to terrorise Man United from minute one of the contest tomorrow, with Szmodics scoring an acrobatic bicycle kick last match, on top of providing his team with some much-needed energy down the left flank.

Likewise, Davis could be key in trying to unlock Amorim’s new side on Sunday, with the attack-oriented full-back averaging an impressive 2.5 key passes per league game this season as an option that is more than comfortable playing out from defence.

He’s also more than adept at firing home first-time strikes, with the former Leeds United product hopeful that his team can pick up their first home win of the season versus Man United, despite being underdogs.

McKenna also potentially has his very own Bruno Fernandes that he could rely on versus the Red Devils to try and cause an upset, with this attacking midfielder in question at the very top of his game versus Spurs.

Chalkboard

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

Ipswich's very own Bruno Fernandes

Whilst McKenna attempts to field all of the attacking players he knows could cause the away side’s defence trouble, he will also need to ensure his defenders are ready for the task of keeping Fernandes at bay.

Under Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim reign, the experienced United head sparked back into life after struggling under Erik ten Hag this season, with two goals and one assist registered in his last two Premier League outings.

Still, the Ipswich boss won’t want his side to be overwhelmed by the quality of their opponents and simply just give in, with Omari Hutchinson acting as the Tractor Boys’ very own Fernandes in their bid to pull off an unexpected win.

Much like Fernandes, Hutchinson has also been a goal and assist machine for his side in recent times, having helped himself to 11 strikes and six assists just last season as automatic promotion was clinched.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Shots

1

Touches

56

Accurate passes

23/26 (88%)

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

5/8

Total duels won

12/23

Whilst the Jamaica international didn’t quite offer the same polished performance that Fernandes managed against Leicester – with a goal tallied up versus the Foxes – the Ipswich number 20 was still lively in the attacking midfield spot for his side versus Spurs, with a stunning five successful dribbles registered across the span of the 2-1 win.

Having played all of last season down the flanks, he has been pushed into the number ten spot that Fernandes stars in after promotion, and McKenna’s experiment with the 21-year-old looked to have finally worked in North London.

The Ipswich boss will just hope this wasn’t a one-off positive display, however, with Hutchinson perhaps acting as a crucial player – like Delap and Szmodics – in the Suffolk side collecting another Premier League scalp this weekend.

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The two spinners have opened the bowling for the second time in the ongoing series, and been among the wickets too

Firdose Moonda10-Apr-2022

Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj have formed an uncommon partnership in South African cricket•AFP/Getty Images

With the new ball “ragging”, as Sarel Erwee put it, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer can continue to stake a claim for playing together as a spin duo in the future. The two opened the bowling in the second innings of the Gqeberha Test against Bangladesh, as they had in the first Test, and have already dismissed the top three and could be eyeing a repeat of their performance in Durban, where they took all ten second-innings wickets to bowl South Africa to victory.Theirs is an unusual combination – Kingsmead was the first time since 1970 that South Africa had played two spinners in a home Test – but given their skills, could be something that South Africa make use of more often, as they move away from their heavy reliance on pace. On slower, late-summer pitches, South Africa have altered their strategy completely, to the point where they planned the declaration around how best to use the spinners.Related

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Bangladesh stare at defeat after Maharaj's double-strike

After deciding to set Bangladesh a minimum target of 400, Dean Elgar declared with half-an-hour left to play in the day, knowing that in fading light with the ball turning, things would not be easy for Bangladesh. “As an opener, It makes your heart flutter a little bit [to see spinners with the new-ball],” Erwee said. “It’s not a nice period, that twilight period. And we’ve got two world-class spinners, so it makes it even worse to go and face them.”Maharaj took the first wicket with a ball that turned away from Mahmudul Hasan Joy and took the edge, and then got Najmul Hossain Shanto with one that didn’t turn as much. After that, Harmer got one to spin and take Tamim Iqbal’s edge. The indecision they created in the Bangladesh batters’ minds underscored their vast experience and ability to build and maintain pressure, which appears to be rubbing off on each other.”They’ve played a lot of cricket for a lot of years so they know their craft through and through,” Erwee said. “They’ve got different variations, they bowl at different speeds and they’ve bowled in different conditions around the world.”South Africa’s next Test assignment is in England, where Harmer has enjoyed many seasons of county success and Maharaj has also had goot times. It would seem a no-brainer not only to include them both in the touring party but to even play them in the XI, and their performance in Gqeberha may well be on the selectors’ minds.At the other end of the South African scorecard, in the batting department, another kind of solid partnership is taking shape, with Erwee and Elgar putting up impressive early numbers. In eight innings together, the pair has posted two century and two fifty-plus stands and average 49.62, a vast improvement on the 31.48 that Elgar and Aiden Markram shared. Erwee put their success down to their friendship off the field and their familiarity with each other’s games.”We share a good relationship off the field so you get to know each other and what makes each other tick,” Erwee said. “Taking that off field relationship onto the field makes you understand your partner a little bit better.”But does he think, with one hundred and two scores in the 40s, he has done enough to lay claim to the spot in the medium term? “I’ve got to put up some bigger scores on the board to help myself,” Erwee said.Erwee won’t have any more domestic cricket to do that this season, but he has probably done enough to merit being included in the squad this winter and continue to challenge Markram for the long-term role.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly set to appoint Vitor Pereira as their new manager.

The Portuguese boss will replace Gary O’Neil in the hot seat at Molineux after he was sacked from his post on Monday following a 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich Town.

He leaves the club 19th in the Premier League with just nine points to their name so far, with Southampton the only side in the table on fewer points. Incoming boss Pereira has a tough job trying to keep the Old Gold in the top flight.

It seems as though they will have to sanction some exits, with finance expert Stefan Borson telling Football Insider they will have to make some sales to keep in line with PSR guidelines. Three names in particular could be smart for the Midlands club.

1 Rayan Ait-Nouri

One of the biggest names at Molineux at the moment is Rayan Ait-Nouri. Despite a poor start to the season from the team, he has made a fast start on an individual level. In 16 top-flight appearances this term, the left-wing back has scored three times and assisted three times.

According to a November report from The Sun, Manchester United could be a potential destination for the Algerian defender. He is a player thought to be ‘high on the wishlist’ of Ruben Amorim, and the player himself reportedly wants to leave.

He is someone who O’Neil certainly rated highly during his time at the club. Last month, the former Old Gold boss explained the Algerian “can play anywhere on the pitch”, describing him as an “extremely talented” footballer.

Ait-Nouri stats per Premier League season

Season

Games

Minutes

G/A

2020/21

21

1405

2

2021/22

23

1828

3

2022/23

21

1070

1

2023/24

33

2343

3

2024/25

16

1373

6

Stats from Transfermarkt

There is no doubt that losing the 23-year-old, who earns £10k-per-week, would be a huge blow for Wolves. However, he was valued at a reported £58m earlier this year, and that could be key money for Pereira as he hopes to avoid a PSR breach and reinvest money into the squad.

2 Pablo Sarabia

Another player who could be on the move this winter is Pablo Sarabia. The experienced Spanish playmaker is only under contract at Molineux until the end of the season. One report from Spain suggested in November that his former side Sevilla could try and bring him back as early as January, although that could be a tough deal to agree with Wolves.

With that being said, perhaps it is a move that makes sense. The 32-year-old brings plenty of experience but is the club’s joint-highest earner on £90k-per-week. This could represent an opportunity to shift his wages off the club’s books. Hypothetically, if he were to leave on the 1st of January, Wolves could save themselves £234k.

Considering the lack of involvement for the Spaniard this season, it might be wise to move him on. He has played just seven times in all competitions, with five of those appearances coming in the Premier League.

Given the midfielder’s game time this season, and the fact he is on such high wages, selling him could be a wise move for Wolves. They could save themselves a lot of money and freshen up the squad in attacking areas.

3 Jose Sa

It has been an odd season for the Old Gold in the goalkeeping department, with both Jose Sa and summer signing Sam Johnstone challenging for a spot in the side. For the Portuguese shot-stopper, it has been a torrid campaign so far.

Although he has not played in every Premier League game so far this term, the 31-year-old was predominantly O’Neil’s first choice between the posts. He has played nine times, conceding 23 goals, an average of 2.5 per game.

His last outing was a shocking 4-0 defeat at the hands of Everton, which was a really disappointing showing from the whole side, as the score reflects.

Just after the summer transfer window, O’Neil admitted that Sa could depart the club if the battle with Johnstone for number one was not one he was winning.

That move is yet to materialise, but with the January window right around the corner, things could change. Given his inconsistent performances and £40k-per-week wage, it might not be a surprise to see Sa leave.

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Keeper set for permanent Wantage Road exit with contract up at end of season

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2022Adam Rossington has left Northamptonshire following his removal from the club captaincy, signing for Essex on an initial season-long loan.Rossington, who is in the final year of his Northants contract, was replaced as their County Championship captain by new head coach John Sadler following the club’s pre-season tour to Potchefstroom last month. A club statement confirming Ricardo Vasconcelos had been appointed to lead the four-day team made no mention of Rossington, who was then described as “unavailable for selection” as Northants brought in Lewis McManus on loan from Hampshire.Northants said in a further statement on Monday morning that Rossington had “requested time away from the squad after a change in the club’s leadership group”, while confirming his move to Chelmsford for the 2022 season. “The cricket committee were happy to support this and maintained a conversation throughout, but unfortunately could not come to an agreement,” the statement added.Rossington took over as club captain in 2019, after Alex Wakely stepped down, and led Northants to promotion that season. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my eight years at Northamptonshire and was looking forward to leading the lads in Division One this season,” he said.”I wasn’t expecting a change so I’m sad to be leaving, but the club will always hold a special place in my heart. We’ve created some wonderful memories in that dressing room that I’ll take with me and I’d like to say thank you to my team-mates and the supporters as well.”Related

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Ray Payne, Northants’ chief executive, said: “It’s disappointing Adam doesn’t see his future with Northamptonshire, but everyone at the club truly wishes him well for the future and we thank him for his fantastic service over the past eight years and as captain most recently.”Adam did a brilliant job as captain after taking over in difficult circumstances in 2019 and the cricket committee had Adam as a central part of our plans moving forward. Conversations around keeping him here had been ongoing since the end of last season so it’s a shame he won’t be with the squad as they take that place in Division One.”Rossington arrived at Chelmsford on Monday morning ahead of Essex’s pre-season media day and will be available for their Championship opener against Kent which starts on Thursday. With his Northants contract up at the end of the season, Essex will be favourites to sign him permanently if he impresses this season.”I’m delighted to bring someone of Adam’s quality to the club ahead of the new season,” Anthony McGrath, their head coach, said. “The signing will give us more options over the course of a busy summer of cricket and create some healthy competition for places which is an important factor to improving as a group and achieving success.”He was Northants’ captain up until recently so will also bring those leadership qualities and added experience to the group, which is important, especially following the departures of experienced squad members last year.”

Leeds United have had mixed success with loan signings from the Premier League over the years, which was perfectly illustrated in the 2023/24 campaign.

Whilst Joe Rodon started 42 Championship matches and then joined on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur, Jaidon Anthony started two of his 32 appearances and went straight back to Bournemouth.

This season, Daniel Farke swooped to bring in Manor Solomon and Joe Rothwell on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth respectively.

Solomon joined on loan from the Premier League in the summer and is in danger of going the way of Anthony’s loan, as he has struggled to produce much in a Whites jersey thus far.

Manor Solomon's form this season

The Israel international came in from the top-flight with a degree of expectation from supporters, as he had scored four goals in 19 league games for Fulham and provided two assists in five matches for Spurs.

However, Solomon has not been able to step up and show off the quality that allowed him to produce in the Premier League for the Cottagers and the Lilywhites, albeit he is still in the early stages of his career in Yorkshire.

The 25-year-old forward made a promising start to life at the club with a fantastic assist on his debut against Hull, bursting down the left flank before producing a great cross for Mateo Joseph to find the back of the net.

Since that match, however, the Tottenham loanee has struggled badly and failed to nail down a starting berth in the team on a regular basis in the second tier.

24/25 Championship	Manor Solomon (since his debut)
Appearances	7
Starts	2
Goals	0
Big chances created	0
Assists	0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Fulham star has only started two of his seven appearances since his debut and is yet to contribute with anything meaningful at the top end of the pitch.

Leeds and Farke will now be hoping that he can turn his fortunes around and go on to be a success before the end of his loan, but there are plenty of examples of loanees who were never able or never got the chance to do that.

The tale of Solomon and Antony has been a familiar one for those at Elland Road, with another former Premier League loanee having struggled in West Yorkshire…

Leeds' Premier League loan flop

Another example of a flop from the top-flight is centre-forward Eddie Nketiah, who joined on a temporary basis from Arsenal at the start of the 2019/20 campaign and was the original Solomon.

The England U21 international, who scored 16 goals in 17 games at that level, joined to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking options but was unable to oust Patrick Bamford from the starting line-up at Championship level.

That was despite being compared to Arsenal and Premier League legend Thierry Henry by pundit Noel Whelan, who said that the Gunners youngster liked to operate in a ‘Henry role’, drifting out to the left to come inside on his right foot.

In 19 appearances across the second tier and the EFL Cup during the 2019/20 campaign, Nketiah scored five goals and missed six ‘big chances’, whilst starting just two of his 17 outings in the Championship.

That was not exactly befitting of a comparison with Henry, who scored 228 goals in 377 matches in all competitions during his time with Arsenal, as he failed to nail down a regular place in the team to score week-in-week-out.

He was incredibly clinical in comparison to Bamford, who missed a whopping 33 ‘big chances’ and scored 16 goals in the Championship that term. However, that was not enough to convince Bielsa to start him over the former Chelsea man.

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Arsenal then decided to recall him from his loan at Elland Road in January 2020, possibly due to his lack of game time, and this meant that the Whites never got to see the best of the young marksman.

After being compared to Henry in the early stages of his loan, due to the Arsenal connection, his style of play, and prolific scoring rate at youth level, the forward simply flopped and did not make a success of his time at the club.

Eddie Nketiah's soaring market value

At the time of his spell with Leeds, Transfermarkt valued Nketiah at €8m (£6.6m) and that value has soared in the four years since his time in the second tier.

After a return of 38 goals and seven assists in 168 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, including five goals in 27 Premier League games last term, the 25-year-old forward completed a permanent exit from The Emirates this year.

Crystal Palace swooped in to sign the striker in a deal reported to be worth up to £30m and this means that he is currently worth 354% more than he was at Elland Road (£6.6m).

Nketiah, who Athletic Development Club director Chris Varnavas described as being “on another level” as an athlete, has not enjoyed the best start to life at Selhurst Park, though.

24/25 Premier League	Eddie Nketiah
Appearances	7
Starts	6
Goals	0
Big chances created	0
Assists	0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the one-time England international has failed to contribute with a goal or an assist in six starts in the Premier League for his new club.

His only goal for Palace so far came against Championship side Queens Park Rangers in the EFL Cup in September, and the Eagles will surely be hoping that there is far more to come from their £30m signing throughout the remainder of the campaign.

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Nov 20, 2024

Leeds may not have seen the best of Nketiah, and had him way before his value soared, but the striker is now 25 and still searching for consistency in the final third at the top level, which suggests that it may not have been the club’s fault that he struggled to play consistently in West Yorkshire.

The Whites will now be hoping that Solomon does not return to Tottenham in January, or in the summer, and follow in the footsteps of Nketiah by going on to soar in value and thrive after a spell at Elland Road.

Leeds United moved back to the top of the Championship table on Saturday, potentially temporarily, with a 2-0 win over Derby County at Elland Road.

The Whites are above Sheffield United, who face West Bromwich on Sunday afternoon, on goal difference and will drop down to second if the Blades pick up any points from that clash.

Daniel Farke’s side have overtaken Burnley, who were held to a draw by Middlesbrough on Friday night, to secure a place in the automatic promotion spots for the time being, though.

First-half goals from Joe Rodon and Max Wober were enough to land all three points for the West Yorkshire outfit against Derby, who essentially played with a back six, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing often dropping in as a sixth defender alongside the back five.

The Whites had to be patient to break down the Derby defence and found their first goal through a set-piece, with Rodon evading his marker to plant a header into the back of the net.

There was then a touch of fortune about the second goal for Leeds, as Brenden Aaronson’s cross deflected across to Wober to fire in from close range with his weaker right foot.

Leeds United's top performers against Derby

Rodon, who scored the opening goal for the Whites, was one of the top performers against the Rams with his dominant display at centre-back alongside Pascal Struijk.

The Wales international, who joined on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, won five of his seven duels in the match and was not dribbled past a single time, which shows that he got the better of the Derby attackers more often than not.

Central midfielder Joe Rothwell also caught the eye with his display in the middle of the park. It was his well-placed corner that allowed Rodon to score the opener, and the Bournemouth loanee completed 66 of his 70 attempted passes in the match.

Wober also had an interesting outing at left-back after he came on to replace the injured Junior Firpo during the first-half, as the central defender operated down the left flank and provided an attacking threat.

The Austria international, staggeringly, scored and registered four shots on goal and two key passes from left-back, whilst no Leeds attacker managed more than three shots against Derby, which shows that he was constantly getting in good positions to make things happen.

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However, there were also some players who found it difficult to perform against a stubborn Rams side at Elland Road on Saturday, and Joel Piroe was one of those.

Joel Piroe's struggles against Derby

The former Swansea star was selected to lead the line against Derby as the centre-forward but struggled to make an impact at the top end of the pitch for Farke.

Piroe, who was picked ahead of Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph, fairly quickly looked out of place against the back five for the Rams as it required him to be reliable under pressure from multiple defenders, which is not one of his strengths.

The Dutch attacker ended the game with a pass success rate of just 65%, with 15 of his 23 passes finding a teammate, and even that does not do it justice, as some of his completed passes were too heavy and forced the receiver to go and recover the ball before playing another pass, which gave the away team time to reset again.

As it is not his natural game to drop deep and constantly fight off defenders to make things happen with the ball, Piroe had fewer touches (32) than Illan Meslier (40), despite the Leeds goalkeeper only having to make one save all match.

Minutes played

90

Shots

2

Big chances created

0

Goals + assists

0

Possession lost

12x

Touches

32

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed marksman failed to score from the two chances that were created for him and did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the game.

He lost possession a whopping 12 times from just 32 touches, with his loose passing contributing to that, and Farke must finally ditch the lightweight from the starting XI.

Why Daniel Farke should drop Joel Piroe

The Dutchman should be dropped back down to the bench for the Whites after a return of one goal and zero ‘big chances’ created in his last four league starts for the club.

Farke has faced a conundrum this season because Piroe is the team’s top scorer with seven goals in 19 appearances in the Championship so far, but his all-round play often leaves a lot to be desired.

He has only completed 73% of his attempted passes and averaged 0.7 key passes per game, which shows that the attacker does little to help his teammates in the build-up phase.

The former Swansea man has also, staggeringly, lost 73% of his duels on the ground and 72% of his aerial battles in the Championship this season, as opposition defenders have dominated him in physical contests.

Due to his poor all-round play, Farke could go back to using the striker as a substitute. Piroe set a club-record for goals as a substitute in a calendar year with his sixth off the bench for Leeds in 2024 against QPR.

Appearances

19

19

Starts

11

9

Goals

7

2

Big chances created

1

4

Pass accuracy

73%

77%

Duel success rate

28%

32%

Duels won per game

1.2

2.3

As you can see in the table above, Joseph offers more to the team as a creative threat and in his work on and off the ball to make himself a presence in the centre-forward position, with almost twice as many duels won per game.

The Spain U21 international does not provide as many goals as Piroe but the Dutchman’s fantastic ability to find the back of the net as a substitute suggests that the one-two punch of starting Joseph and bringing on the left-footed ace off the bench could be effective.

That is why Farke must, now, ditch the Leeds lightweight and unleash the Spanish academy graduate from the start next time out against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

Bigger talent than Joseph: Leeds are "crying out" for "exciting" marksman

Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the impressive centre-forward.

ByDan Emery Dec 6, 2024

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