All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa's unprecedented Premier League title pursuit has hit a little snag over the past week as the Midlands club disappointingly dropped two points against Sheffield United before letting a 2-0 lead slip to lose to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Nevertheless, with some winnable fixtures on the horizon and the winter market set to open up, Unai Emery's side could potentially get themselves back on track in January.

Aston Villa could sign dream Coutinho replacement in swoop for £50m "jewel"

The Villans have been touted with an interest in the talented attacking midfielder.

ByDan Emery Dec 16, 2023

Emery certainly won't be disappointed in his side's efforts thus far into the season but may still feel there are one or two areas in the starting lineup that could be strengthened.

Aston Villa transfer news – Crysencio Summerville

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Leeds United attacker Crysencio Summerville ahead of the winter transfer window. Summerville moved to Elland Road for a paltry £1.3m back in 2020 but has seen his price rapidly increase in value. It has also been reported that the attacker has a £20m release clause in his contract that Villa could activate over the coming weeks.

The "explosive" winger, as he was described by football scout Jacek Kulig, has been in excellent form this season for the Yorkshire club as Daniel Farke's men are making a push for the automatic promotion spots.

The 22-year-old is currently Leeds' top goalscorer this term, having found the net 11 times in 22 games and registering six assists in total. Only Southampton's Adam Armstrong has more goal contributions in the Championship across the 2023/24 campaign than Summerville.

Now, Summerville could make a move to Villa Park, swapping Yorkshire for the Midlands by the end of January and Emery would certainly be silly not to sanction this deal, particularly since the Dutchman is performing better than one key Aston Villa star.

Crysencio Summerville's stats this season

Not only is Summerville one of the top goalscorers in English football this season, but he also has more goals and goal contributions than Aston Villa's entire squad, except for Ollie Watkins. That includes star winger Leon Bailey, who has 15 in all competitions, as well as Villa's £52m summer signing and club-record transfer Moussa Diaby.

The Frenchman has struggled to fit in at Villa Park since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen. In Diaby's first seven games, he managed to score two goals and register four assists, meaning he was averaging a goal contribution every 0.86 games. However, over his last twelve matches, he has scored one goal and bagged one assist, an average of 0.17 goal contributions per game.

Diaby's drop-off in form has been quite worrying, particularly given the weight of expectation behind his expensive arrival since he was the club's most expensive signing of all time. Despite starting the three matches before Boxing Day, Emery dropped the 24-year-old for Villa's trip to Manchester, bringing him on with 13 minutes to go which could be a sign that the manager is losing faith in his big-money purchase.

Summerville could be the perfect player for Emery to rectify his error as the former Feyenoord gem has outperformed Diaby in several key areas this term – albeit in a lower league.

Goals

0.56

0.23

Expected Goals

0.42

0.21

Assists

0.3

0.23

Expected Assists

0.36

0.16

Progressive Passes

4.04

3.17

Progressive Carries

5.41

3.78

Key Passes

3.5

1.71

Successful Take-Ons %

51.9%

46%

Stats via FBref

Hindsight is 20/20 and Summerville had yet to have any impact at Leeds United before this season commenced. However, the young winger could now be the perfect signing for Villa to ease the blow of Diaby's dip in form and for less than half his overall price.

Back in December, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou revealed that signing a centre-back was his priority for the January transfer market.

In the days before the market opened for business, it became clear that the pursuit of previous top target Jean-Clair Todibo had been abandoned, with Genoa's Radu Dragusin targetted instead.

A deal for Dragusin is wrapped up to follow the surprise loan acquisition of forward Timo Werner – formerly of Chelsea – but there is still a key area of the pitch that has yet to be addressed.

Postecoglou is understood to have notified technical director Johan Lange that he desires a centre-midfielder this month, and now, with other moves tied up, such an endeavour can receive full focus.

Spurs transfer news – midfielders

Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are playing at the African Cup of Nations for the next month in what accentuates the need for a fresh face in the engine room, though a move is unlikely to be carried out in haste and for this reason, it's unlikely that £50m will be forked out on Chelsea's Conor Gallagher.

Every Premier League player at 2023 AFCON

Ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, which Premier League clubs could be affected most through missing players?

ByBrogan Clasper Jan 5, 2024

With this in mind, a move for linked star Adam Wharton might be a good move, with Football Insider recently revealing that Blackburn Rovers might be compelled to accept a bid of £15m for the 19-year-old, who is enjoying quite the start in the Championship.

Spurs – alongside Crystal Palace and Everton – have been impressed with Wharton and could now find the perfect opportunity to complete the winter spending without rocking the boat too hard with a 'marquee' addition.

Adam Wharton's style of play

While Gallagher would be a brilliant addition, he would demand regular match action and this could be detrimental to the fluency and cohesion of the current crop.

Wharton, however, could be the perfect addition, still in his teenage years and likely happy to play a bit-part role initially, integrating him into the starting set-up with greater regularity over the coming seasons.

Tottenham really want to sign "mega money" midfielder alongside Gallagher

Postecoglou is eager to reinforce his engine room.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 11, 2024

Having amassed 49 appearances for Rovers thus far, Wharton has scored three goals and supplied five assists, starting 12 times in the Championship last season (including the final five fixtures of the campaign.

His manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was delighted with his progress and touted him for big things after this emphatic introduction, saying: "Adam, on the ball, he has a Champions League level. I've been a Champions League player myself, I've coached in the Champions League so I know what you need."

This year, as per Sofascore, the Englishman has started 20 times in the league already, posting one goal and three assists, completing 84% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.3 tackles and 5.5 ball recoveries per game and succeeding with 67% of his attempted dribbles.

One scout has also said that he "has excellent ball control, great passing technique, good agility and quick decision-making contribute to his effectiveness in both offensive and defensive phases, versatile playmaking abilities."

Increasingly confident as a multi-functional midfielder, Wharton also ranks among the top 19% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Championship over the past year for progressive passes, the top 15% for interceptions and the top 22% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

With such a skill set, Spurs could get their mitts on an industrious and elegant midfielder, blending tenacity and technique to great effect to possibly even emulate the success of revered former star Mousa Dembele.

Imagine Adam Wharton & James Maddison

"For me, he is a genius. An unbelievable player."

The words of erstwhile Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose effusive remarks concerning Dembele perhaps encapsulate his brilliant style, with his countryman Kevin De Bruyne even going as far as to say that the former Belgium international was "the best in the world" in his position.

Completing 249 appearances for Tottenham, Dembele was renowned for his control and command in the centre of the park, with opponents outthought and outfought each and every game and Spurs fans in awe of his effortless displays.

Passing

Finishing

Tackling

Dribbling

Defensive contribution

*Sourced via WhoScored

With such a remarkable balance of quality in his craft, if Wharton could replicate some of said talents then it would only serve him well as he pushes for prominence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Young Wharton certainly possesses some of the same traits – he can pass, recover the ball with great efficiency and beat opponents with his dribbling ability.

And with James Maddison pulling the strings ahead of him, Postecoglou could even create the new version of Dembele and Christian Eriksen, with the latter even saying in the past that Dembele is the best player he has ever played with.

Eriksen signed for Tottenham from Ajax for £11.5m back in 2013 and chalked up 305 appearances, posting 69 goals and 90 assists and earning acclaim as one of the finest playmakers across Europe.

Now 31 years old and playing for Manchester United, the Dane is not the player he once was but he does have a worthy successor down the N17 in Maddison, who signed for Spurs from Leicester City for £40m in the summer.

Described as a "magician" by Statman Dave, the England international scored three goals and supplied five assists from 11 Premier League outings this season – winning August's Player of the Month and impressively averaging 2.9 key passes per game – before an injury in November halted his progress.

Nonetheless, the 26-year-old will return soon and could be bolstered by an all-encompassing talent such as Wharton, who could develop quite the partnership with the midfielder over the coming months.

Given that Wharton is available for such an affordable fee, it's a no-brainer that Postecoglou makes his move swiftly and maintains the balance and fluency as Tottenham continue to improve and bloom as a force in the Premier League once again.

West Ham United are fighting to improve their fortunes under Nuno Espirito Santo and could now be set to make an ambitious move in January.

West Ham look to regroup after Arsenal defeat

Following a solid point against Everton last Monday, West Ham suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal over the weekend and will feel that the international break has come at a decent time for the new manager to perfect his vision at the London Stadium.

Nuno has already taken the bold step of axing James Ward-Prowse from his squad, illustrating a ruthless streak that was sorely lacking under Graham Potter. Nevertheless, it will take more than that to get a restless support back on side.

Speaking after his side were defeated at the Emirates Stadium, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss urged his squad to stick together as he looks to build a sense of unity in the capital that will translate into results.

He stated: “We’ve had two tough games away from home against very good teams. Now is the moment to analyse but with all the changes that has been happening I feel the players are responding and trying and that pleases me the most.

“The international break will be important for all of us especially for the players to be calm, there’s been many changes and many noises around us. This is our priority – that we know each other as a group because it is basically our unity and fight for each other.”

While fans remain frustrated at the current West Ham ownership, there is potential for things to get better on the pitch, and the Hammers could now be set to conclude a statement deal involving one of the world’s renowned young talents.

West Ham make contact over Endrick loan move

According to reports in Spain, West Ham have made contact to sign Real Madrid star Endrick on loan as they look to solve their lack of firepower, albeit Valencia and Real Sociedad are interested in striking a temporary arrangement to bring in the Brazil international.

The 19-year-old has failed to appear for Los Blancos this term and difficulties have occured in trying to displace the likes of Kylian Mbappe, though he has delivered seven goals and an assist in 37 appearances for the club.

West Ham’s most expensive signings of all time

The Hammers have spent big over the years.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 3, 2025

Labelled “spectacular” by Carlo Ancelotti, Endrick is someone that Real Madrid feel could develop away from the spotlight of the Santiago Bernabeu and his future is set to be decided in the next few weeks by club chiefs.

Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson are both ageing and could do with a younger striker to take on some of the goalscoring burden. On the flip side, it remains to be seen whether Callum Marshall’s development would be impacted if the Irons were able to pull off a statement capture.

Carlos Corberan steered West Bromwich Albion to their first win in nine away at Hull City on Sunday, as a quickfire Baggies double in the first half secured a 2-1 victory.

It wasn’t the most vintage display from the visitors – who only mustered up five shots all game to the hosts’ superior 13 – but it was a win nonetheless. That would have been a relief for Corberan who was starting to feel the weight of pressure in the dug-out.

Thankfully for the Spaniard, and the travelling contingent who made the journey to the MKM Stadium, a clinical first-half showing ensured a rare win was forthcoming, as Josh Maja and Karlan Grant delivered the goods.

Maja & Grant's important goals

Maja will hope another purple patch in front of goal is coming his way after another goal on the road versus the Tigers, after he also instinctively flicked home his side’s only strike away at Luton Town recently.

The former Sunderland striker scored his team’s second of the day, powering home a header that was put on a plate for him by defender Darnell Furlong, taking his Championship goal tally for the campaign up to nine strikes as a result.

Grant also celebrated a goal of his own on Humberside, with a deflection helping his powerful effort beat Ivor Pandur in the Hull net, before the Baggies number 9 delivered another sucker punch shortly after.

Both players didn’t last the full 90 minutes, but the attacking duo would be well aware come full-time that their efforts were key in a much-needed victory coming home to the Hawthorns.

However, it wasn’t exactly the most jaw-dropping display from the Baggies, who struggled in attacking areas as much as they excelled, with Tom Fellows out-of-sorts throughout.

Fellows' performance in numbers

Fellows started this second-tier campaign like a runaway train, with his performances inevitably going to tail off at some point.

Picking up three assists during his side’s opening four games in the league, only two more have come Fellows’ way since, with the West Brom academy prodigy in no danger of adding to his assist collection away at Hull.

Minutes played

54

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

17

Accurate passes

6/8 (75%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Total duels won

3/7

It was a sorry outing for the youngster at the weekend, managing to accumulate just 17 touches of the ball and six accurate passes before Corberan substituted him early into the second half, for Everton loanee Lewis Dobbin to gain a run-out.

Also failing to complete a single successful dribble, or even test Pandur with a shot, the England U21 international might well find he’s out of his manager’s first-team plans for West Brom’s next league encounter with Norwich City after the lengthy break.

There isn’t an overwhelming abundance of options at Corberan’s disposal down the right flank, however, with Dobbin notably underwhelming in Fellows’ place with just one accurate pass registered from his 38 minutes on the pitch. Thus, the ex-Huddersfield Town manager will be left scrambling over who he could pick here.

He could unleash Grady Diangana down the wing again, who is capable of playing down either channel, or he could also give Jed Wallace more minutes, as the ex-Millwall man is equally versatile enough across the midfield to slot in here on request.

Whatever he does decide to do with this area of the pitch, Corberan will just hope more wins are notched up moving forward away from falling victim to another poor run of form, with the Spaniard celebrating his 100th game in charge of the Baggies in a victorious manner at Hull.

West Brom wasted £10.6m on Hawthorns flop who earned more than Maja

West Bromwich Albion fans won’t look back on this flop’s time at the club with much fondness.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 8, 2024

Intermediaries are set to open talks with Chelsea and ask them about the possibility of signing a “top, top” player in January, coming amid the uncertain futures surrounding members of Enzo Maresca’s squad.

Chelsea face Aston Villa with refreshed squad after Conference League rotation

Maresca’s B-team faced off against Bundesliga side Heidenheim in the Conference League on Thursday, beating the German minnows 2-0 and leaving Chelsea’s first team refreshed ahead of their bout with Aston Villa on Sunday.

"Sensational" £70m player "extremely" keen to join Chelsea as they plot bid

The west Londoners are weighing up a move and have encouragement.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 30, 2024

Both sides are competing for a place in the Premier League’s top four by the end of this campaign and all the riches that come with qualification for the Champions League.

Unai Emery’s side haven’t won a single game in all competitions since late October, with Chelsea going into their clash at Stamford Bridge in much more favourable form, alongside the added bonus of selecting fresher stars who’ve had a full week’s rest.

Aston Villa (home)

December 1

Southampton (away)

December 4

Tottenham (home)

December 8

Brentford (home)

December 15

Everton (away)

December 22

The only Chelsea player to start against Heidenheim, days after their 2-1 win over Leicester City last weekend, was Benoit Badiashile. Apart from the Frenchman, the entirety of their XI against the Foxes got a chance to recuperate ahead of Villa tomorrow.

However, Maresca appeared to suggest in his pre-match press conference that it is not an advantage by any means.

“It depends. You can also say they play yesterday [Wednesday] and we play tonight [Thursday]. We arrive [home] very late and it is already Friday,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s ability to rotate.

“For sure, we change players but hopefully we can do this all season because imagine if we didn’t have the chance to change players. You arrive late, it’s not easy and especially the strange thing, sometimes you play tomorrow on Friday and then play Thursday and on Sunday. Southampton, they don’t play any European competition.

“This is not something normal. We have two days after Sunday’s game and they have almost a week, six days – this is something not normal. But we are going to try and prepare the game in the best way and try to win.”

£195,000-per-week forward Christopher Nkunku has featured predominantly in the Conference League, with his goal against Heidenheim adding to the 10 strikes he’d accumulated in all competitions this season.

Agents preparing to open talks with Chelsea over signing Nkunku

In the build-up to their clash with Heidenheim, Maresca ruled out selling Nkunku in January, despite reports linking the France international with a winter move away amid his lack of chances in the Premier League.

The 26-year-old, called a “top, top striker”, has scored 11 in total this campaign but finds himself behind Nicolas Jackson in the pecking order.

Regardless of their firm ‘not for sale’ stance in the winter, GiveMeSport reported this week that agents are preparing to ask Chelsea about signing Nkunku as the west Londoners become braced for enquiries.

Following on from Maresca’s public admission, Nkunku apparently won’t be pushing for an exit behind the scenes, nor will Chelsea entertain any such bid for his services, but that won’t stop clubs from trying to test their resolve in an effort to lure him away from the Bridge.

Tottenham Hotspur insiders are refusing to rule out the sale of an “important” star in Ange Postecoglou’s squad – and there is little doubt his departure would be seen as pretty disappointing by supporters.

Players who could be sold or let go by Tottenham in 2025

As they near the ends of their contracts at Spurs, a quartet of bit-part or surplus players in Sergio Reguilon, Ben Davies, Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman appear set to leave N17 next summer.

Bayern Munich on alert as £100m Tottenham star expresses worry over staying

They’re targeting another Spurs favourite after Eric Dier and Harry Kane.

6 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 1, 2024

Reguilon, who spent last season on loan spells at Manchester United and Brentford, is currently training with the senior team, but is yet to make a single appearance in all competitions and has taken just one spot in a matchday squad.

The former Real Madrid starlet is now attracting interest from La Liga as a result, with Getafe interested in snapping up Reguilon on a free transfer next summer. Meanwhile, Davies appears set to bring the curtain down on his 10-year stay at Tottenham, and it is currently unclear what the future holds for him.

Appearances

335

Goals

9

Assists

23

Bookings

43

Red cards

0

Minutes played

25,802

Elsewhere, Tottenham are leaning towards letting Timo Werner leave when his loan deal expires rather than trigger his £8.5 million option-to-buy clause, while reports also claim Archie Gray could be loaned out by Spurs in the January window.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are believed to be keeping tabs on Cristian Romero, as the Argentinian is yet to pen a new contract, with Real Madrid and Serie A champions Inter also watching closely.

It is imperative that Postecoglou manages to retain Romero, who has formed an exceptional partnership with Micky van de Ven at the heart of Tottenham’s defence, with pundit Paul Robinson praising rumours of a potential new deal for the ex-Atalanta star.

“If you’re going to give a player a pay rise, you can’t do that without extending their contract, which is good news for Tottenham,” said Robinson to Football Insider.

“He and Micky van de Ven have been key. He brings grit and determination, and that little bit of bite they might not have otherwise. I think he’s a leader on the pitch, though not vocally. To tie him down to a longer-term contract is only good news.”

While Spurs appear very keen to keep Romero out of the clutches of Europe’s elite, they are more willing to do a deal over star right-back Pedro Porro.

Tottenham refuse to rule out selling Pedro Porro

According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are refusing to rule out the possibility of selling the Spaniard in the event of a sizeable offer amid awareness that his market value may have significantly increased.

Joining from Sporting CP last year, Pedro Porro has since gone on to become imperative in Postecoglou’s system as an attack-minded wing-back alongside Destiny Udogie.

Both men are indispensable to the Australian, with pundit Stephen Warnock calling Porro and Udogie their “most important” stars. Tottenham have slapped an £80 million price tag on the defender’s head as a result, per GMS, amid interest from both Man City and Real.

Tottenham Hotspur are seeking to sign another fresh face after already completing deals for both Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin, with journalist Nizaar Kinsella sharing more news on an "exciting" potential addition.

Spurs tipped to be busy on deadline day

Before the January window even opened, manager Ange Postecoglou publicly expressed the importance of getting players through the door in quick fashion.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

The club granted his wish by getting Dragusin and Werner, with the former bolstering Postecoglou's defensive ranks and providing a solid alternative option to the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. The latter, meanwhile, has bagged two assists in two Premier League games since joining from RB Leipzig on loan.

Timo Werner

Arrival

Radu Dragusin

Arrival

Djed Spence

Departure

Eric Dier

Departure

Japhet Tanganga

Departure

Sergio Reguilon

Departure

Ivan Perisic

Departure

Ashley Phillips

Departure

Despite already bolstering their squad sufficiently, with Spurs among the division's biggest spenders this month, selling Harry Kane last summer for pure profit means they have more wiggle room financially where other clubs do not (Luke Edwards).

This has resulted in suggestions Tottenham could make a third January signing after Dragusin and Werner. Indeed, there are still reports surrounding Chelsea star Conor Gallagher as one target, with reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano refusing to rule out a late deadline day bid.

Elsewhere, Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall is central to a tug-of-war between both the north Londoners and Barcelona. Spurs have been continuing their policy of signing some of Europe's rising stars on buy-to-loan-back deals, in a similar fashion to how they first brought first teamers Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr to the club.

Postecoglou's side are apparently attempting to hijack Barca'a deal for the 17-year-old, who is emerging as one of Scandinavia's most exceptional talents.

Both Spurs and the La Liga giants have apparently made proposals to sign the Djurgårdens IF.winger, and he is said to be deciding whether to make a move to England or the Nou Camp.

Decision pending as Bergvall eyes Tottenham and Barcelona moves

According to Nizaar Kinsella of The Evening Standard, who shared an update on the matter today, Bergvall's decision between Barcelona and Tottenham is "pending" in what he calls an "exciting" potential move for the club.

The teenage sensation was meant to be making his call last night (Kinsella), but it appears the pull of N17 is giving him something to seriously think about.

Bergvall has been lavished with praise for his potential by members of the media like journalist Antonio Mango, who perhaps explained in December exactly why he's being highly coveted by Tottenham.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly interested in signing a player who used to be on the books of a Premier League giant, according to a new update.

Sheffield Wednesday transfer news

The Owls continue to fight for their lives in the Championship as they look to pull off something of a miracle escape act under Danny Rohl, but there is still plenty of work to be done to survive an immediate return to League One.

Rohl's side remain in the bottom three after defeat to Coventry City this weekend, but they have picked themselves up after a horror start under the previous management.

Wednesday have been linked with new signings in the January transfer window, and it could make sense to bring in a few new faces in order to strengthen the depth at the manager's disposal.

Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden is among the Owls' potential transfer targets, having been earmarked as an experienced head who could add quality to the midfield.

Now, another update has emerged regarding the Owls' January transfer business, with a defensive ace being looked at as a target.

Sheff Wed want Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill

According to Football Insider, Sheffield Wednesday are keen on signing Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill, with the left-back once at Arsenal and now playing abroad in Hungary.

"Sheffield Wednesday have enquired about signing ex-Arsenal defender Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill, sources have told Football Insider. Ormonde-Ottewill, [28], is currently plying his trade in Hungary with Puskas Akademia FC and is in the final six months of his contract with the club.

"Sheffield Wednesday are considering offering the left-back a return to the UK, while several Major League Soccer sides are keen to lure the former England youth international to the US."

Ormonde-Ottewill may be something of a relative unknown to Wednesday fans, but he is someone who could provide Rohl with the aforementioned depth that he needs between now and the end of the season given his experience.

The fact that the 28-year-old was even at Arsenal at any point in his career speaks volumes about the quality that he possesses, and he made a total of 32 appearances for the Gunners' Under-21s during his time at the club. He is also a one-time capped England Under-19 international, while 49 appearances in League One shows that he has an element of experience in the Football League.

Ormonde-Ottewill could provide good competition for Marvin Johnson on the left flank, assuming the latter stays put at Wednesday beyond the January window – he is reportedly in talks with fellow Championship side Ipswich Town over a move to the promotion hopefuls – and at 28 years of age, he is both experienced and hopefully having entered his prime years.

Sheffield Wednesday eyeing Cadamarteri upgrade who’s been “a joy to watch”

Danny Rohl could add another exciting striker to the Owls ranks this January.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 20, 2024

If the signing goes through, it may not necessarily be an earth-shattering piece of business, but should Rohl see Ormonde-Ottewill as someone who can suit his style of play and system, the Owls manager should be trusted.

Any doubts about Newcastle United’s quality have been extinguished by a run of October form that has led to six wins from seven matches in all competitions.

Newcastle are making headway in the Champions League and have set themselves back on track in the Premier League with a last-minute winner against Fulham at the weekend. St. James’ Park roared, and then cheers in concert once again when Tottenham Hotspur were dumped from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Still, Eddie Howe’s side are hardly firing on all cylinders, and that especially applies to the final third. However, Nick Woltemade has been nothing but brilliant since completing his club-record £69m transfer over from Stuttgart in August, and the German striker is spearheading the fight for silverware and retention of this seat at the top European table.

Woltemade's prolific start at Newcastle

Woltemade’s crisp header to seal the victory over Tottenham marked his sixth of the campaign, just 11 matches into his Newcastle career.

Alexander Isak’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool felt like it could have a detrimental effect on the Toon project, but Newcastle have kept on moving forward, with the rangy centre-forward dovetailing into the system.

He loves a header, the German does, but that’s hardly the full scope of his game. Lanky at 6 foot 6, Woltemade has no right to be as technically graceful and intuitive in the tight spaces as he is, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90.

And yet he is mesmerising when on the ball. BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan has even said that “there’s no striker on the planet who moves the ball like Woltemade.”

With this in mind, the Tyneside frontline should be firing on all cylinders, but this isn’t the case. Anthony Gordon is seemingly saving his best displays for the continental front at the moment, while Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy make up solid, if unspectacular, parts of the unit.

But there’s another man who has left much to be desired, and must be frustrated with his tough start to life in black and white as Woltemade thrives beside him.

The Newcastle star being saved by Woltemade

How often have we seen a player struggle to impress after switching clubs in the Premier League? It’s not an uncommon experience, to be sure.

And for Anthony Elanga, this is the reality as he still searches for his first direct goal involvement as a Magpie, having joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £55m in August, one year after Howe’s first bid to snatch him from Evangelos Marinakis.

It’s been an inauspicious start to life in Howe’s squad, it must be said. Elanga has played 14 times in all competitions and has yet to register a goal or an assist.

Still, the Sweden international is one of the fastest players in the Premier League, and while his playmaking success has dried up of late, he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.

And there’s a good reason that the big bucks were spent on his signature. For Nottingham Forest, the 23-year-old was a menace, with his fleet-footedness and tendency to directly take on his man playing to the strengths of Howe’s counter-attacking system.

However, deeper statistical analysis would suggest that even across his two terms with the Tricky Trees, Elanga left something to be desired. He is not the most active in taking on his opponent, despite his pace, and does not dribble with the intensity of frequency that perhaps his physique suggests is within his capacity.

Matches (starts)

36 (25)

38 (31)

Goals

5

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.6)

1.1 (0.6)

Pass completion

75%

78%

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Big chances created

14

9

Dribbles*

0.8

0.7

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

0.7

Duels (won)*

2.9 (44%)

3.0 (45%)

With just four Premier League starts in a Newcastle shirt this season, it’s perhaps premature to analyse the data on a wider scale, but we can observe that Elanga is currently averaging only 1.8 successful duels per game, completing just 18% of his dribbles besides.

With a nominal amount of shots unleashed each game and not a big chance yet created, it’s not difficult to see why he’s struggling.

But Elanga needs only take a leaf from Anthony Gordon’s book. After all, the Three Lions star flattered to deceive after completing a £45m transfer from Everton in January 2023, then clicking into gear in 2023/24, winning the Newcastle Player of the Year award after posting 11 goals and ten assists in the top flight.

Gordon has yet to fully spread his wings this season, but he’s tenacious and talented and undoubtedly the focal point out wide for Newcastle. Elanga will use him as inspiration.

Now, Gordon is one of the most prominent wingers in the Premier League, seemingly Thomas Tuchel’s preferred pick on the Three Lions’ left flank as the 2026 World Cup looms ever closer.

While Elanga’s sticky form continued with a 6/10 display against Tottenham, as noted by the Shields Gazette, there is a wide recognition of the winger’s talent, and he will improve as he continues to develop under Howe’s wing.

This is all to say that fans would be silly to give up on Elanga after only a few months at St. James’ Park. There’s a real player in there, a star who the club scouted extensively.

Perhaps he’s mimicking a former version of Gordon, but if that is the case, then the best is yet to come.

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Aston Villa are in desperate to turn around their horrendous run of form. The Villans are without a win in seven games, and it is having a detrimental effect on their season.

They are eighth in the Premier League, although are just three points off the top four, and have slipped to ninth in the Champions League, having been in the top eight at one stage.

Unai Emery’s side last won over a month ago, on the 22nd of October away to Italian side Bologna. This poor run of form by the Villans is incredibly frustrating, but their underlying Premier League numbers do not suggest they should be in such a rut.

The underlying stats for Villa this season

Firstly, it is important to look at the Villan’s overall record in the Premier League. They have played 12 games, winning five times, including a fantastic late comeback against Everton, drawing four games and losing three.

With 19 points to their name, the campaign is far from a disaster, although given their form, it could easily end up that way if they don’t win some games.

They are slightly underachieving their points tally this term. According to Understat, Emery’s side have an expected points total of 20.43xPTS, a gap of 1.43 compared to their actual points. That is the fifth-highest expected points total in the Premier League.

Another stat to look at is their expected goals tally compared to their actual goals scored. Villa this season have 23.97xG, a sizeable underachievement from their 19 goals scored in reality, although it has been a common occurrence this year for top-half sides to have a lower expected goals.

The same thing can be applied to goals against versus the actual number of goals against. The metric has Villa 18.01xGA, the sixth best in the top flight. It is almost spot on, given they have conceded 19 times in reality.

So, the numbers suggest they should not be playing as badly as they are. This weekend, Emery’s men travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, which would be a good time to get three points, as they can leapfrog them with a win.

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They will need someone to stop Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s star man, and the perfect player to do so could be Cobham academy graduate Ian Maatsen.

Ian Maatsen’s importance vs. Chelsea

Maatsen was a major summer signing for the Villans. He cost £37.5m from Chelsea, although has struggled to properly break into the side under Emery this term. The Dutchman has 16 games in all competitions to his name so far.

However, Villa’s Spanish boss might well decide to unleash him on Sunday afternoon at his former home ground, to help stop the incredibly dangerous Palmer.

He has made a flying start to the 2024/25 campaign already, scoring seven goals and registering five assists in 12 games in the top flight.

Although the Dutchman is more prominently known for his attacking prowess, he is certainly a good player without the ball, and is very much a “complete” player, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him.

One of his best assets is his speed, which helps to make him a fantastic recovery defender, ensuring he could be the man to help shackled Palmer in that right channel.

This is certainly backed up by the stats on FBref. Over the course of the last 365 days across Europe’s big five leagues, the 22-year-old has made 5.73 ball recoveries, which ranks him in the 88th percentile (top 12%) and has won 1.55 tackles, ranking him in the 78th percentile (top 22%).

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Tackles won

1.55

78th

Ball recoveries

5.73

88th

Blocks

1.44

78th

Clearances

2.85

76th

The former Borussia Dortmund loanee will surely have a point to prove at the Bridge on Sunday. He had limited opportunities at the club, but locking up their star man would certainly prove exactly why the Blues should have kept him.

It would be a bold move for Emery to start Maatsen over Digne, his first-choice left-back for much of the season. However, given the player has extra motivation for Sunday, it could be an inspired change as they look to break this poor run of form and get a much-needed win.

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