Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has been in prolific form at the start of the season, scoring 21 goals already in the 2025-26 campaign. However, the England captain has also been praised for his efforts to help the team defensively. Bayern team-mate Jonathan Tah has highlighted just how valuable Kane's defensive play is to Bayern and thinks it's an important part of his game.

Kane stars in attack and defence for Bayern

Kane scored his 400th career goal to help Bayern beat Dortmund in Der Klassiker last time out in the Bundesliga and extend their lead at the top of the table. While his goal drew plenty of plaudits, Kane was also lauded for a brilliant tackle he made late on in his own penalty area. 

Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus was particularly impressed by Kane's contribution, writing in his column on Sky: "I don't see a better striker in the world right now. Not just because of his goals, but because of his versatility and the positions he plays. Kane also demonstrates qualities as a passer, dribbler, and tackler. He is simultaneously a goalscorer, playmaker, box-to-box player, and tackler. I've never seen Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe slide in their own penalty area like Kane did in the 88th minute against Dortmund. I also don't see Haaland and Mbappe make passes of 50 meters or more. I haven't seen the chip shots that the FCB star can play from the other two. I think Kane has become even better because he can act as a free spirit. Under Thomas Tuchel, he may not have been given the freedom at Bayern that he now has under Vincent Kompany, or that he takes for himself."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTah blown away by 'so special' Kane

Tah has also hailed Kane's defensive effort and revealed how it has a huge impact on the entire Bayern team. He told reporters ahead of Bayern's clash with Club Brugge in the Champions League: "There's far too little talk about how Harry works defensively. He pushes us all, he carries us along. Harry runs back and defends all the time. You can't teach that to anyone; you have to want to do it – when someone like Harry Kane does it, it pulls everyone along. That's what makes him so special."

Kane jokes about his Bayern role

Kane joked about his role in the team after downing Dortmund. He admitted he played in a variety of positions in Der Klassiker but is happy to do whatever is necessary to help out his team. He told ESPN: "Probably a six, eight and 10. But I enjoy it, I enjoy a different side of my game. I know everyone's used to me being up top and scoring goals but I feel like I can contribute a lot more and today was a prime example. I still managed to obviously get on the scoresheet, which was nice, but ultimately it was more about defending, about tackles, about picking up second balls and then playing the passes in behind, which worked pretty well.

"It was a good performance. I feel like after the international break, the first game back is never easy, a lot of players getting back late Wednesday, late Thursday and you're playing against a good side. For about 50, 60 minutes I thought we dominated, we controlled the game. The first half we probably should have been two- or three-nil up but you give these types of teams a chance and it's difficult. [We've] done well to get the second goal and to concede straight away was annoying but overall we can be really pleased."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Kane?

Kane will be aiming to continue his prolific form on Wednesday in the Champions League against Club Brugge, and manager Vincent Kompany has warned his team not to underestimate the Belgians ahead of the game. He told reporters: "Club Brugge are a hard-working team, which is very much the Belgian way. They have consistently achieved good results in Europe. They are not an easy opponent; they are very dangerous. That is why good preparation is so important."

Bayern will still be favourites for victory and will hope to return home with all three points before they switch focus back to the Bundesliga and a trip to Borussia Monchengladbach. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Mesmo com o compromisso firmado pelos representantes do zagueiro Bruno Méndez, de que, caso não houvesse proposta da Europa, ele renovaria com o Corinthians, a diretoria do Timão teme investidas de outras equipes brasileiras pelo jogador. Atlético-MG, Flamengo e Internacional monitoram a situação do atleta, que tem vínculo com o clube paulista até o fim deste ano, mas pode assinar pré-contrato desde o dia 1º de julho.

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Do trio de equipes brasileiras que observam a situação do jogador, o Fla é o que mais ‘amedronta’ a direção corintiana, que quer manter o uruguaio. A equipe do Parque São Jorge teme perder em um possível ‘braço de ferro’ contra os cariocas, que possuem margem maior para apresentar um projeto financeiro tentador para Méndez e sua equipe.

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

A ideia do Rubro-Negro é passar por um processo de reformulação a partir da próxima temporada, com Bruno Méndez sendo um alvo em potencial para o setor defensivo.

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O Corinthians, por sua vez, confia na palavra dos agentes do jogador. Uma conversa é aguardada para a segunda quinzena de setembro, após os primeiros jogos das Eliminatórias Sul-Americanas para a Copa do Mundo de 2026. Tanto o clube alvinegro quanto os representantes do zagueiro estão otimistas por uma convocação, assim como aconteceu em junho, nos amistosos que a seleção do Uruguai fez contra Nicarágua e Cuba.

Bruno Méndez já comunicou aos seus empresários que está feliz no Timão e deseja permanecer na equipe do Parque São Jorge. Há uma projeção de aumento salarial na extensão do contrato que fica ‘no meio do caminho’ entre o que o jogador deseja receber e o clube consegue pagar.

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As conversas entre o Corinthians e o estafe do zagueiro têm sido mais lentas desde o início do ano, quando houve uma ruptura entre o intermediário que fazia a ligação entre a diretoria corintiana e os agentes do defensor. Eduardo Bou Daye ganhou uma causa contra a equipe alvinegra na Câmara Nacional de Resoluções de Disputas (CNRD), órgão vinculado à CBF, devido à ausência de pagamento de comissão na transação de Méndez e do atacante argentino Mauro Boselli, que vestiu a camisa alvinegra entre 2019 e 2020. O Timão admitiu a dívida e pagou R$ 7,6 milhões ao empresário à vista.

A relação entre o clube do Parque São Jorge e Bou Daye já começou a esfriar no ano passado, quando o intermediário estava intermediando um acordo para o uruguaio com o Internacional, onde o jogador estava emprestado pelos próprios corintianos desde maio de 2021, mas o negócio não avançou devido a divergências entre as diretorias.

Assim, hoje, o Corinthians depende da agenda para conseguir tratar dos assuntos relacionados a Bruno Méndez, que é formado por uruguaios. Eles evitam reuniões mais complexas à distância e geralmente vêm para o Brasil para resolver negócios com todas as equipes que possuem alguma relação. Durante a disputa da Libertadores, inclusive, o Timão chegou a usar uma viagem ao Uruguai, onde enfrentou o Liverpool, para agendar um encontro com os agentes do defensor, mas foram surpreendidos por um desencontro, já que eles estavam em viagem no exterior.

If RCB finish in the top two, they will play Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad less than 48 hours after the end of their last league game in Lucknow

Shashank Kishore22-May-20252:25

Moody: Too long a break for RCB

Head coach Andy Flower has said Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) lead-in to the IPL playoffs is not ideal but wants his team to be ready for any eventuality.If RCB finish in the top two, which they might know only after their last league game on May 27 against LSG, they will have less than 48 hours before they’re back on the field for Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad.”That’s not your ideal lead-in to a qualifying game,” Flower said ahead of Friday’s ‘home’ fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow. “We’ll finish late, get to bed quite late, then travel 28th and play 29th, but that’s the situation in front of us. The best way is for everyone to take in the reality of that, deal with it and we’ll be ready for that game.”RCB last played on May 3. Their first game after the IPL resumed on May 17, against KKR, was abandoned without a ball bowled. With heavy rainfall forecast in Bengaluru, the IPL’s decision to move this game to Lucknow meant RCB have had just two sharp training sessions in the build-up.Related

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RCB-SRH moved to Lucknow; IPL playoffs in Mullanpur and Ahmedabad

RCB look to boost top-two chances in Lucknow home game

“We’re disappointed not to be playing tomorrow’s game in Bangalore, but we’ve had to roll with that,” he said. “We trained in Bangalore yesterday around lunch time, flew here, have a training session tonight [Thursday] and we’ll be ready to go.”The boys have worked really well over the entire season, in the build-up to the first match. They’ve played some superb cricket through the season. Yes, we’ve had a little break now but for a couple of our players, that [break] has been a healthy thing.The break has given Rajat Patidar time to recover from injury, says head coach Andy Flower•BCCI”Rajat Patidar for one, it’s given his right hand a little bit of time to settle after getting a bad knock. He’s fit to bat. Which is great. [Phil] Salt was sick for a while, it’s given him a little chance to get home, recharge his batteries, and he’s back at full force.”Flower is no stranger to the Ekana Stadium, having coached Lucknow Super Giants for two seasons in 2022 and 2023. He’s hoping RCB will continue their incredible away record of six wins in six games this season and push towards a top-two finish.”As you know we struggled in our home conditions initially, the pitch was a little bit different to what we were used to,” he said. “It took us a little while to adjust our game plan; we did adjust and won a couple of important games at home [against CSK and RR]. We’ve got a good record away, been able to flex for away conditions really well, backing our players to do that again tomorrow. We’re okay playing away.”When asked if they were aggrieved at the lack of home advantage in Bengaluru, Flower spoke glowingly of the relationship the franchise shares with the Karnataka State Cricket Association and its curators.

“We’ve got a good record away, been able to flex for away conditions really well, backing our players to do that again tomorrow. We’re okay playing away”Andy Flower

“I think generally cricketers should be able to adjust to whatever conditions given to them,” he said. “Of course home advantage is a thing, but we’re comfortable with our relationship with [K] Sriram back at Chinnaswamy. He’s been outstanding, given us the best pitch he can given us each time. Like him and respect him, enjoy working with him … we’re looking forward to a similar relationship next season.”RCB are currently second in the points table with 17 points from 12 games. They need to win both their remaining games to give themselves the best chance of finishing in the top two. They will also have to deal with personnel changes ahead of the playoffs: Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi will leave after Friday’s fixture against SRH due to international commitments.RCB have signed Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani and New Zealand’s Tim Seifert as short-term replacements. They are also waiting on Josh Hazlewood’s return as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury in Australia.

يشهد اليوم الخميس الموافق 30 -10- 2025، إقامة عدة مباريات في مختلف البطولات المحلية والقارية، في الدوري المصري ودوري أبطال إفريقيا وكذلك الدوري السعودي.

وفي الدوري المصري، يترقب عشاق الكرة المصرية مواجهة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي، في مباراة تحمل طابعًا تنافسيًا خاصًا ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من المسابقة.

ويتواجد الزمالك في المركز الخامس بجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، ولديه 18 نقطة جمعها من خوض 10 مباريات، استطاع الفوز بـ 5 مواجهات وتعادل 3 مرات وتلقى هزيمتين.

ويحتل البنك الأهلي المركز الـ13 في جدول ترتيب الدوري من الفوز بـ3 لقاءات والتعادل في 5 مباريات وسقط في فخ الهزيمة مرتين.

طالع | تشكيل الزمالك المتوقع أمام البنك الأهلي.. مفاضلة بين الدباغ والجزيري

ويخوض بيراميدز مواجهة حاسمة أمام نظيره التأمين الإثيوبي، مساء اليوم على استاد الدفاع الجوي، ضمن منافسات إياب دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويسعى بيراميدز لتحقيق الفوز وحسم بطاقة التأهل إلى دور المجموعات، بعد تعادله في لقاء الذهاب بنتيجة 1-1، حيث يأمل الفريق في مواصلة عروضه القوية ومشواره المميز في البطولة القارية.

وفي الدوري السعودي، تنطلق منافسات الجولة السابعة من البطولة بمباريات قوية، أبرزها مواجهة الأهلي ضد الرياض في لقاء جماهيري مرتقب، فيما يلتقي ضمك مع الفتح، ويواجه الخلود فريق نيوم، وسط سعي الفرق لتعزيز مراكزها في جدول الترتيب. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الخميس 30-10-2025 والقنوات الناقلة مواعيد مباريات الدوري المصري اليوم

البنك الأهلي أمام الزمالك، في تمام الساعة 8:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، عبر قناة ON Sports 1. مواعيد مباريات دوري أبطال إفريقيا اليوم

بيراميدز أمام التأمين الإثيوبي، في تمام الساعة 07:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، عبر قناة ON Sports 2. مواعيد مباريات الدوري السعودي اليوم

ضمك أمام الفتح، في تمام الساعة 6:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، عبر قناة الثمانية HD2.

الأهلي أمام الرياض، في تمام الساعة 8:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، عبر قناة الثمانية HD1.

الخلود أمام نيوم، في تمام الساعة 8:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، عبر قناة الثمانية HD3. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإيطالي اليوم

كالياري أمام ساسولو، في تمام الساعة 08:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

لاتسيو ضد بيزا، في تمام الساعة 10:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Will Aston Villa woes in front of goal continue?

On Sunday, at the fifth attempt, the Villans did manage to score a Premier League goal for the very first time this season, thanks to this Matty Cash rocket at the Stadium of Light.

However, it did not help the Claret and Blue Army claim a maiden win of the season, with Sunderland equalising soon after, despite the fact the Black Cats played for around an hour with only ten men.

Next up, Unai Emery’s team will commence their Europa League campaign, welcoming Coppa Italia winners Bologna to Villa Park, hoping for a repeat of the 2-0 victory they enjoyed against the Rossoblù in the Champions League 11 months ago.

To do this, Villa will have to unearth a way to score goals, having managed only two in six fixtures across all competitions so far, which is why Emery should unleash his summer signing who is Bernardo Silva-esque.

Morgan Rogers' ongoing struggles

Last season was very much Morgan Rogers’ breakout campaign, scoring a whopping 14 goals and registering 16 assists across all competitions.

As recognition, he was named PFA Young Player of the Year, only the fifth Villa player to win the award, after Andy Gray (1977), Gray Shaw (1981), Ashley Young (2009) and James Milner (2010).

However, this time round, Rogers is yet to register either a goal or an assist in six appearances, seemingly struggling for confidence.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Rogers himself admitted “I might have been a surprise package last year, but now people know about me and they know about my game” adding, “they try to stop me…it’s been difficult”.

Given Villa’s ongoing struggles in front of goal, it is surely worth Emery trying something different when Bologna visit Birmingham on Thursday, so should he make a bold change instead?.

Who Unai Emery should start instead of Morgan Rogers

After a summer of frustrations due to PSR restrains, Aston Villa’s deadline day trolley dash saw them pick up Victor Lindelöf, Jadon Sancho and, most notably, Harvey Elliott.

The latter arrived from Liverpool initially on loan, but with a £35m option to buy, having starred at the under-21 European Championships, scoring five goals as England retained their title in Slovakia, named player of the tournament.

At the time of his Fulham debut against Wolves in May 2019, Elliott became the youngest player in Premier League history, subsequently spending six years at Liverpool without ever being a first-team regular, underlined by the fact that 78 of his 149 appearances for the Reds came as a substitute.

​​​​​​​

Still only 22 years old, he has moved to Villa aiming to become a first team regular, yet to start a league match in claret and blue, but that fact will surely soon change.

Well, Elliott did have an immediate impact at his new club, becoming the first Villan to score a goal this season, breaking the deadlock against Brentford in the EFL Cup last Tuesday, as they were ousted on penalties in West London.

His statistics from this summer’s aforementioned under-21 Euros underline Elliott’s potential.

As the table notes, Elliott was key to England as an attacking force during the summer, with only Newcastle’s new signing Nick Woltemade​​​​​​​ scoring more goals, while only Mathys Tel of Tottenham registered more shots on target, both of whom are strikers.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said that the Englishman is “like a Bernardo [Silva]”, given his ability to “control the game from a wide area”, praising his “technical ability”, while former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor labelled him a “special young talent”.

Given Aston Villa’s lack of goal threat so far, they simply need to make room for Elliott in their lineup, ideally as a central figure, which could force Rogers onto the bench.

Their visitors on Thursday Bologna have lost both away matches so far this season, beaten 1-0 by both Roma and AC Milan in Serie A, while the Rossoblù have not won on English soil since beating West Bromwich Albion in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 58 years ago.

Thus, this is a match Europa League king Emery should be looking to win, but, stating the obvious, his team will need to score a goal to achieve this, and adding Elliott to his starting lineup may be his best hope of achieving this.

Weekly wages: Aston Villa FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

Football FanCast takes a look at Aston Villa’s biggest earners for the 2025/26 season.

By
Charlie Smith

Sep 23, 2025

We're two months into the season now, and it feels like things are starting to take shape around Europe. Some title races are looking like they will be closer than others, with some surprise contenders in the mix, while other presumed challengers are beginning to struggle, casting doubt on the futures of their managers and star players.

In terms of headlines, there were shock defeats for some of the Premier League's biggest fish, a dramatic Clasico in Spain and lead changes at the top of both Serie A and Ligue 1. The top two teams met in both the Netherlands and Scotland, too, meaning there were plenty of winners and losers for GOAL to pick from when looking back at the weekend's action…

Getty Images SportWINNER: Arsenal

Surely – – this is Arsenal's year to get over the hump. After three successive second-placed finishes in the Premier League, the Gunners came into the campaign under pressure to finally deliver a first league title since the Invincibles reigned supreme in 2004, and they could hardly have put themselves in a better position through the first quarter of the campaign.

Mikel Arteta's side have looked a class apart, especially over the past month, though they have also been helped by the failures of others. That was certainly on display over the weekend as, while the Gunners laboured to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace that again came about thanks to a set-piece, all three of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea slipped to defeats. Arsenal subsequently find themselves four points clear at the top, with surprise package Bournemouth their nearest challengers, followed closely by Tottenham and newly-promoted Sunderland.

There is obviously still a long way to go, but given Arsenal have already got daunting trips to Anfield, Old Trafford and St. James' Park out of the way and come out the other side with a healthy lead, it already feels like it would take an almighty collapse for them to throw this one away.

AdvertisementAFPLOSER: Arne Slot

The most damaging of those defeats for Arsenal's title rivals was undoubtedly Liverpool's 3-2 loss at Brentford. There had been hope that the Reds had turned a corner following their 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, but the Reds' frailties that have dogged them throughout the opening months of the campaign returned on Saturday as they again defended shambolically while showing little to no cohesion in attack.

Four successive league defeats has left the defending Premier League champions seven points off the summit and, in some quarters, cast doubt on the future of manager Arne Slot. The Dutchman could do no wrong in guiding Liverpool to the title in their first post-Jurgen Klopp campaign last term, but Slot has looked short of answers so far this term, with it clear he neither knows his best starting combination nor is able to avoid panicking when it comes to trying to change games with his substitutions.

Liverpool have regularly finished games with five forwards on the pitch this season as they chase winning or equalising goals, and things came to a head at the Gtech Community Stadium when, having already made four attacking substitutions, Slot was forced to withdraw Florian Wirtz for the final five minutes and replace him with Joe Gomez as his previous changes had ended up neutralising Dominik Szoboszlai's impact, with the Hungarian having been shifted to right-back in the shuffle.

With games against in-form Aston Villa and Manchester City to come in the league before the November international break, Liverpool will have to massively raise their game to not fall totally out of the title race – that is, if they haven't already.

AFPWINNER: Jude Bellingham

The biggest game of the European weekend was undoubtedly El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and it was Los Blancos who ran out 2-1 winners to stretch their lead atop La Liga to five points as Xabi Alonso's revolution begins to take shape at Santiago Bernabeu.

One player who has had to wait patiently to get their season going is Jude Bellingham, but if his performance on Sunday was anything to go by, then the England midfielder is set to become a key piece of what Alonso is trying to achieve in the Spanish capital. For the third time in five La Liga meetings with Barcelona, Bellingham scored the winning goal, though his strike – much like his winner against Juventus in midweek – owed more to being in the right place at the right time to tap home rather than any individual brilliance.

His assist for Kylian Mbappe's opening goal, however, was Bellingham at his best. Picking up the ball just inside the Barca half, the Madrid No.5 produced a turn that sent Pedri for a hot dog and gave himself the time and space to produce an inch-perfect through-ball for Mbappe to run onto and fire past Wojciech Szczesny.

That was the highlight of an all-action display from Bellingham, who is showing few signs of any lasting damage from his shoulder surgery over the summer. With that in mind, it is crazy to think that there are those who believe England might be better off without him at this summer's World Cup. Surely Thomas Tuchel isn't one of them?…

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Getty Images SportLOSER: Lamine Yamal

On the other side of the Clasico divide, all eyes were understandably on Lamine Yamal ahead of kick-off. Not only did the teenage sensation carry with him Barcelona's best chance of victory, especially with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski out injured, he also poked the Madrid bear by claiming in the days leading up to the game that Real are a team who "steals and complains", which many felt was Yamal referencing the pressure Los Blancos regularly put on referees and match officials.

Unsurprisingly, the Bernabeu faithful did not take well to such comments, and Yamal was mercilessly booed whenever he picked up the ball. Whether that affected the 18-year-old, or whether he is still not fully fit after a couple of injury issues of his own, only he will know, but Yamal was miles off his best level on Sunday. His passing and shooting was wayward and he was mostly locked down by Alvaro Carreras when he attempted to dribble inside and create an opportunity for the visitors.

Yamal's miserable day was capped when he became the target of Madrid's post-match wrath, as Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr were all seen berating the youngster at full-time, presumably because of the slanderous nature of his pre-match comments. Yamal will be the hero of plenty of Clasicos in his career, but this was one he will look back on with plenty of regrets.

The club might still be down in the Premier League relegation zone, but there is some renewed optimism around West Ham United at the moment.

New boss Nuno Espírito Santo has only been in the dugout a few weeks and already seems to be making an impact.

The fightback away to Everton is just one, and he has also clearly made the decision that James Ward-Prowse is no longer needed.

The Englishman might not be the only one on borrowed time, though.

Ward-Prowse's West Ham career is finished

When West Ham splashed around £30m to sign Ward-Prowse from Southampton in the summer of 2023, there was a fair bit of excitement among the fanbase, and understandably so.

After all, here was a massively experienced Premier League star who had played for England and was, at the time, arguably the best set-piece taker in the country, so much so that there were constant comparisons between his record and David Beckham’s.

However, while there were certainly positives from his first season in East London, notably his final tally of seven goals and 12 assists in 51 games, things began to go wrong last season, as new boss Julen Lopetegui sent him on what was supposed to be a season-long loan to Nottingham Forest.

Yet, with the then-Forest boss Nuno clearly not fancying the Englishman, he returned to the capital in February of this year with just ten appearances for the Tricky Trees under his belt.

Things would only get worse from there, as while Graham Potter seemed intent on playing the 30-year-old as often as possible, it was crystal clear that he was no longer up to the job.

By the start of this season, the Portsmouth-born star wasn’t remotely effective at the defensive side of the game and found it increasingly difficult to create any attacking chances for the side.

So when Nuno was appointed, it felt like a matter of when and not if the 11-capped ace was frozen out of the squad, and it didn’t take long at all, with the Portuguese coach leaving him out of his first squad entirely.

It’s now clear that Ward-Prowse will have to leave the club in January if he wants to play a significant amount of football this season, and another West Ham player could face a similar situation if he does not improve quickly.

The next West Ham star who could get the Ward-Prowse treatment

There are, unfortunately, a few West Ham players who should probably get the Ward-Prowse treatment, like Niclas Füllkrug when he’s fit again and maybe even Mads Hermansen.

Chalkboard

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

However, as things stand, the player who looks most likely to be frozen out of the squad over the coming months is Jean-Clair Todibo.

Similar to the Englishman, there was plenty of excitement in the fanbase when it was announced that the Frenchman would be moving to the London Stadium on loan with an option to buy, as he was seen as a star in the making by many.

In fact, respected talent Scout Jacek Kulig went as far as describing the former OGC Nice gem as the “complete package” and “one of the most underrated CBs in Europe” at one point.

However, the Hammers faithful haven’t really been able to see that player.

Appearances

29

3

Starts

22

3

Minutes

1968′

213′

Points per Game

1.38

0.00

Even though his talent is undeniable, he made just 29 appearances across all competitions last season, and this year, he’s only made three, totalling 213 minutes.

Worse yet, while some of those absences have been down to fitness issues, there have been reports of him having a poor attitude in training and around the club.

This would explain the recent instances of Nuno taking him out of the squads entirely, as he did with Ward-Prowse.

Ultimately, with Todibo still being just 25, there is time for him to turn things around. However, considering how much football he missed last season and the fact that he was recently dropped from the team, the most likely conclusion is that he will leave in January.

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is now under mounting pressure, with two of his key players’ frustrations reaching boiling point.

Emery under pressure after very poor start

Having reached Europe in consecutive seasons, Villa were expected to be challenging near the top of the Premier League table once again, but they have fallen way below their usual standards, failing to win any of their opening five games.

Perhaps most concerningly, Emery’s side are the lowest scorers in the top flight, having found the back of the net just once, which came through defender Matty Cash, in the disappointing 1-1 draw against Sunderland last weekend.

Troy Deeney has since slammed Ollie Watkins for the start the striker has made to the season, saying: “At the moment in time, he just looks off it, he looks comfortable.”

To add to Emery’s woes, it appears as though all is not well behind the scenes, with Monchi leaving his role as sporting director, and it has since been revealed that Roberto Olabe, formerly of Real Sociedad, is set to replace the 57-year-old.

Monchi’s departure is not the only issue at hand either, with a report from Aston Villa News recently revealing that Emery is under mounting pressure, given that four key first-team players are now unhappy with the manager.

Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Martinez, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins have all lost faith in the 53-year-old, following Villa only being able to collect three points from their opening five Premier League games.

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Frustrations have reached boiling point for two players in particular, namely Martinez and Watkins, with the latter’s reservations about Emery stemming from the decision to drop him for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Martinez, on the other hand, was keen to leave in the summer, pushing for a deadline day move to Manchester United, which has caused tension, and the two first-team stars’ frustrations have now ‘come to a head’.

Emery deserves more time at Aston Villa

It has been far from an ideal start for Villa this season, but the manager definitely still has plenty of credit in the bank, given that he led them to Europe two seasons on the spin, transforming the club after taking over when they were just three points clear of the drop.

That’s not to say the former Arsenal boss is faultless, with Shay Given recently questioning the manager’s decision to publicly brand his players as “lazy”.

However, even the best managers go through bad patches, with Pep Guardiola’s previously all-conquering Manchester City side going on a run of just one win in eight Premier League games last season.

City have since managed to get back on track, securing a Champions League place last season, and Emery should also be given the opportunity to turn things around.

It’s the start of a new era for Newcastle United at boardroom level.

Last week, Ross Wilson was appointed as the club’s new sporting director.

They’ll be hoping he sticks around in the role, having succeeded Paul Mitchell, who held the position for only a year, while Dan Ashworth only held the post for two years, before being placed on extended gardening leave prior to his ill-fated five-month stint at Manchester United.

Wilson himself has previously been a sporting director at Huddersfield, Southampton, Rangers and, most recently, Nottingham Forest, spending two seasons in the East Midlands before now heading to Tyneside.

Under Saudi ownership, Newcastle are certainly one of the most ambitious clubs around, so Wilson is likely to oversee plenty of high-profile deals, but which current squad members will need to be phased out in the coming year or so?

Newcastle's squad transition under PIF

Since the Saudi takeover in 2021, a lot of the Newcastle squad have remained virtual ever-presents.

Eddie Howe has been in charge of 183 matches to date, with 12 players featuring in at least 100 of them, nine of which are currently at the club.

Sean Longstaff, Miguel Almirón and Alexander Isak are the only trio of exceptions, and the latter’s record-breaking departure could signal the start of a new era.

Chalkboard

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

Using the £125m yielded from the no longer very popular Swede’s sale, the Magpies spent around £256m last summer, recruiting five new senior players on a permanent basis.

Yoane Wissa and Jacob Ramsey are yet to make much of an impact due to injury, but Anthony Elanga and Malick Thiaw have established themselves as part of the first-choice lineup, while Nick Woltemade has made quite the early impression, scoring four goals already.

So, while players such as Bruno Guimarães, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn, Jacob Murphy, Joelinton, Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope have been stalwarts of the Newcastle team for around four years, players are going to have to be eased out, and for one in particular, he could be on borrowed time.

Newcastle's ageing star set to be phased out

Kieran Trippier will always go down in history as Newcastle’s first signing of the Saudi era, arriving in January 2022 for around £12m.

With previous club Atlético Madrid, he’d won the La Liga title the season before and was first-choice for England at the time, thereby representing a major coup for a side in the Premier League relegation zone at the time.

Well, to date, he has made 132 appearances for the Magpies, starting all eight Champions League fixtures they’ve had, as well as both EFL Cup Finals, donning the armband during the defeat to Manchester United at Wembley.

So far this season, Trippier has also started five of seven Premier League fixtures, but was left on the bench against Bournemouth, before coming on towards the end against Arsenal after Tino Livramento was stretchered off with a knee ligament issue.

Considering he’s set to be sidelined for around eight weeks, Trippier will be required to deputise for now, but there’s already started to be a changing of the guard in terms of Newcastle full-backs, with Livramento earning three England caps, while Lewis Hall’s performances on the opposite side are catching the eye too.

Writer Scott Wilson labelled Trippier Newcastle’s “talisman” shortly after his arrival but, now 35 years old, his importance is starting to be diminished.

So, let’s compare the England international’s statistics from last season to the year before.

Appearances

28

25

Minutes

2,240

1,308

All statistics below are on a per-90 basis:

Chances created

2.6

1.6

Big chances created

0.52

0.14

Crosses

2.5

1

Take-on success %

73%

50%

Interceptions

1

0.9

Ball Recoveries

6.6

4.7

Tackles

2

1.5

Ground duel success %

53%

56%

Touches

98

98

Average SofaScore rating

7.31

6.94

As the table outlines, by pretty much every metric included, Trippier’s numbers worsened last season compared to the year before.

His chance creation numbers drastically decreased, as did his out-of-possession statistics, including ball recoveries and tackles.

This is a clear sign of a player in decline, which is to be expected given the player’s age, but with Trippier in the final year of his contract, one of Wilson’s biggest challenges will be finding a replacement who has not only his quality but also his leadership skills.

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Aston Villa are now exploring a move for an “extraordinary” goalkeeper as a replacement for Emiliano Martinez, with Unai Emery considered an admirer.

Villa looking to sign Martinez replacement

Martinez is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world, winning the Yashin Trophy in 2023 and 2024, so it is no surprise that Emery has chosen to reintroduce the 33-year-old to the starting XI, despite him pushing for a move to Manchester United during the summer.

The Argentinian was keen to complete a move to Old Trafford on deadline day, but Man United ultimately ended up signing Senne Lammens, who kept a clean sheet on his debut against Sunderland.

However, having pushed for a move in the summer, the controversial goalkeeper’s future remains in doubt, with it recently being revealed that he has lost faith in Emery, amid the slow start to the season.

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have now set their sights on a new goalkeeper, with Martinez’s future in doubt, having identified Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin as a target, and there are signs that a deal could be possible.

Lunin has made it clear he wants to leave the La Liga side, having been left frustrated with his role as a back-up to Thibaut Courtois, given that, at 26-years-old, he needs to be playing regular first-team football.

It is suggested that Madrid could hold out for around €30m (£26m) for the Ukrainian, making him a relatively affordable option for Villa, with it previously being revealed that Emery is personally keen on signing him.

"Extraordinary" Lunin could be fantastic Martinez replacement

Although the Madrid shot-stopper has fallen behind Courtois in the pecking order, he has previously proven himself at the highest level, making 12 Champions League appearances, including eight en-route to the Spanish side’s 2023-24 triumph.

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Courtesy of his performances that season, the former Zorya Luhansk man also received very high praise from CBS Sports’ Nico Cantor.

Whenever called upon over the past year, the Ukraine international has been solid, recording a clean sheet percentage of 42.9%, which places him in the 97th percentile, when compared to other goalkeepers.

Given his age, however, Lunin needs to be a first-choice goalkeeper, so a move to Villa Park would make perfect sense, and Aston Villa should no doubt make an approach if Martinez makes it clear he still wants to leave.