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The England captain has yet to claim any silverware in his career, but a win at the BayArena on Saturday would send his team 11 points clear

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka quite correctly pointed out earlier this week that "all of Germany" is looking forward to Saturday's meeting with Bayern Munich. Truth be told, though, the Swiss was probably underselling it a bit.

This is a game that's likely to draw the attention of nearly the entire footballing world. And not just because it's a top-of-the-table clash between the best two teams in the Bundesliga and a pair of legitimate contenders to conquer Europe this season.

Rightly or wrongly, 'The Harry Kane curse' is also part of its enormous appeal, because a Bayern win at the BayArena would extend the Bavarians' lead to 11 points with just 12 rounds remaining – and that would all-but guarantee a first-ever piece of silverware for their long-suffering striker.

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  Collector of runners-up medals

  Goals have always flowed freely for Kane, who has won Golden Boots in the Premier League and at the World Cup, but his stunning strike-rate has only made his trophy drought all the more infamous.

  Admittedly, his legendary lack of success can be primarily attributed to the fact that he's spent the vast majority of his career playing for Tottenham and the Three Lions – two much-mocked specialists in failure. Consequently, Kane has become a typically reluctant collector of runners-up medals, in the European Championship (twice), the Champions League and the English League Cup (also twice!).

  However, it's barely believable that he's still waiting to pick up a prize of any variety since joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023. Kane didn't even get his hands on the DFL-Supercup in his first game for the club!

  Rather incredibly for a forward renowned for his timing, Kane picked precisely the wrong moment to join Bayern, who, last season, endured their first trophy-less campaign for 12 years – in spite of their €100 million (£84m/$104m) signing's record-breaking exploits in attack. Unsurprisingly, that amused an awful lot of Kane's haters (the majority of whom support Arsenal!), and even had sane individuals wondering if there really is something in this 'curse'!

  However, there are no dark forces at work here, nothing untoward going on. The supposed 'curse' has not been in any way responsible for Kane failing to win a trophy at Bayern. Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen have played a massive part, though.

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  From 'Neverkusen' to 'Neverlusen'

  Kane had the misfortune to arrive in Germany at a time when Alonso had already laid the foundations for one of the most sensational seasons the European game has ever seen.

  The Spaniard had done a fine job dragging Leverkusen away from the relegation zone after taking over at the BayArena in October 2022 – and the club also recruited well the following summer, acquiring players specifically suited to Alonso's style of play. It was thought, then, that Leverkusen might have a strong 2023-24 campaign.

  Nobody, though, not even the most optimistic supporter, would have even dared to dream of what followed, as 'Neverkusen' were transformed into 'Neverlusen', with Alonso's side winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal without suffering a single defeat.

  A Bayern team in a constant state of turmoil under Thomas Tuchel simply had no answer to Bayer's record-breaking brilliance. This year's response, though, has been emphatic.

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  From Burnley to Bavaria

  There were plenty of sceptics when Bayern eventually unveiled Vincent Kompany as Tuchel's successor last summer. For starters, it was clear the Belgian hadn't been anything close to the club's first-choice. Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick and Oliver Glasner had all been approached by an increasingly desperate Bayern, who had even tried to convince Tuchel to continue at one point.

  Then, there was Kompany's seriously underwhelming spell in charge of Burnley, who had just been relegated from the Premier League with a paltry 24 points. Even more significantly (and worryingly from the Bayern fans' perspective), Kompany stood accused of being too rigid, too tied to his footballing philosophy. In England, it was felt that he should have demonstrated greater tactical flexibility in order to keep the Clarets up.

  Tellingly, though, Manchester City Pep Guardiola was completely convinced that his former captain had the makings of a great coach. "I have the biggest admiration for his work, personality and expertise," the Catalan said of Kompany, who had also coached hometown club Anderlecht before moving to Turf Moor. "It doesn't matter that he got relegated with Burnley."

  Pep has been proven correct.

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  Flipping the script

  Last season, Leverkusen set a pace that Bayern simply couldn't live with – but the roles have been reversed this term. The reigning champions have still only lost one Bundesliga game – and that was all the way back in August, at home to RB Leipzig – but they still find themselves eight points behind the leaders.

  Bayern aren't looking at an unbeaten season of their own, as they lost at Mainz just before the winter break. But they've won seven straight games since then and their tally of 54 points is the fourth-highest after 21 rounds in Bundesliga history. It's also worth pointing out that Kompany currently boasts the highest points-per-game average (2.6) the German top flight has ever seen.

  Kane and his fellow forwards have obviously been key in that regard. Bayern centre-back Eric Dier said after the 2-1 Champions League win at Celtic, "We know we have incredible quality up front that can cause teams a lot of damage." And he's not wrong.

  Kane has 29 goals in 29 games in all competitions this season (it's 73 in 74 since he arrived in Munich!), while Michael Olise has proven a predictably sensational signing, as the Frenchman so thrillingly underlined with his thumping opener in Glasgow.

  The 21-year-old Jamal Musiala, meanwhile, continues to go from strength to strength and already has 15 goals this season – one fewer than his best-ever haul over the course of a single campaign (2022-23).

Visitors chased down the paltry total in Bulawayo with more than 39 overs to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2021

Jahanara Alam, Salma Khatun and Nahida Akter combined to bowl out Zimbabwe Women for 48 in the first ODI against Bangladesh in Bulawayo, as the visitors, playing their first international game in nearly 21 months, won by eight wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-ODI series.Bangladesh lost both openers Murshida Khatun and Sharmin Akhter early in the paltry run chase, with Esther Mbofana and Precious Marange managing a wicket each. But that proved to be too little a resistance considering the score to defend, as Fargana Hoque and Rumana Ahmed ensured their side crossed the line without any further damage and with more than 39 overs to spare.Earlier, only Marange managed to get into double figures for the hosts, as they lost their last five wickets for only eight runs.Alam, who took 3 for 18, had done the early damage, with all three of her wickets coming inside the first 11 overs, by which time Zimbabwe were already 20 for 4. The other wicket, of opener Modester Mupachikwa, had gone to Salma, who joined hands with Nahida to polish off the middle and the lower orders.Zimbabwe’s highest partnership came for the sixth wicket, when Loreen Tshuma and Marange added 13 before Nahida got Tshuma for her first wicket.Nahida eventually finished with 3 for 2 while Salma eventually ended with figures of 3 for 6, as Bangladesh wrapped Zimbabwe up in less than 24 overs.The second ODI of the series, deemed a preparatory assignment for both teams ahead of the 2022 ODI World Cup global qualifier scheduled for later this month, will be played at the same ground on Saturday.

West Ham United need to improve. Julen Lopetegui has not so much started as stuttered into gear as the club’s head coach, having been thrashed at the London Stadium by Chelsea on Saturday.

It’s now three defeats from three home matches in the Premier League. After being backed with over £120m in transfer spending this summer, the Spanish tactician, David Moyes’ successor, is already under pressure.

It’s clear he needs to shuffle the pack, and after bringing him off before half-time against Chelsea, it’s clear that Guido Rodriguez should be dropped – with Anfield waiting on Wednesday.

Guido Rodriguez's poor afternoon vs Chelsea

West Ham signed Rodriguez this summer after his contract with Real Betis expired. It was a shrewd move to bring in a defence-focused midfielder who would add some strength and solidity to the engine room.

He’s started all five of West Ham’s Premier League matches this season, but he was withdrawn after only 38 minutes, replaced by the industrious Tomas Soucek.

GIVEMESPORT branded the Argentine with a 2/10 match score, writing: ‘Couldn’t live with the Chelsea midfield in the opening half an hour as the game ran away from the Hammers. Was pulled off in the 38th minute by Lopetegui for a more dominant and physical player in Soucek.’

The game passed him by. The 30-year-old has looked decent since joining West Ham but was overwhelmed by Chelsea’s slick attacking play – with Liverpool up next, his deployment at the centre of the field would send a frisson of fear lancing through the Irons faithful for sure.

That said, he’s not the only man who deserves pulling from the starting XI.

Why it's time to drop Konstantinos Mavropanos

Mavropanos has been a regular feature under Lopetegui this season, but he’s not proving he is the man to partner Max Kilman in West Ham’s central defence.

The most annoying part is that there is a player in there. In the Premier League this season, Mavropanos has won a whopping 77% of his duels. To contextualise this, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has won 65%, whereas Arsenal superstar William Saliba has succeeded with 71% of his duels.

This is a measure of the Greek defender’s natural defensive quality, but when he’s making “a mistake a game”, as was said by reporter Jacob Steinberg, it’s hard to justify his persistent inclusion in the starting line-up. Especially when flicking back to the summer’s spending spree.

Indeed, Jean-Clair Todibo signed for West Ham from OGC Nice on loan, with the option to buy for £35m. So far, the Frenchman has played only seven minutes in the Premier League (sitting as an unused substitute across the past three outings) and lasted until half-time against Bournemouth in the second round of the Carabao Cup, hooked after struggling to impose himself.

Against the Cherries, he was booked, dribbled past twice and succeeded with just one of his four attempted duels, as per Sofascore, but it’s understandable that he struggled on his first test. It happens. What’s less logical is Lopetegui’s reluctance to unleash him since – the Hammers haven’t exactly been iron at the rear.

With Liverpool (in the Carabao Cup) and Brentford coming up this week, Lopetegui would be wise to enforce change and move Mavropanos to the bench. GIVEMESPORT branded him with a 4/10 match rating after the Chelsea horrorshow: all three Blues goals were served down his flank.

They wrote: ‘It was an extremely tough afternoon for those at the back. Mavrapanos and Kilman couldn’t get hold of Jackson and the midfield runners all game. The Greek defender tried his best and got some blocks in, but ultimately wasn’t good enough.’

Something needs to change and fast. The likes of Rodriguez and Mavropanos must be axed for the fixtures ahead, lest West Ham’s poor start sour into something more ruinous.

Lopetegui can axe Alvarez & Rodriguez by starting amazing West Ham star

West Ham must make midfield changes to strike balance

By
Connor Holden

Sep 23, 2024

أشاد عصام محمود، مدرب حراس مرمى زد، بأداء ثنائي حراسة المرمى في مباراة القمة بين الأهلي والزمالك، معتبرًا أن محمد الشناوي ومحمد عواد قدما مستوى مقبولًا وفقًا لمجريات اللقاء.

وكانت مباراة القمة قد حسمها التعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق، سجل هدف الأهلي الدولي المغربي أشرف بن شرقي، بينما تعادل الزمالك عن طريق محمود بنتايج.

وقال عصام محمود في تصريحات لبرنامج “الحريف”، على إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “كمدرب حراس، أرى أن أداء الشناوي وعواد كان جيدًا، خاصة أن الشوط الأول لم يشهد اختبارات حقيقية لهما، باستثناء تسديدة إمام عاشور على مرمى الزمالك”.

وأضاف: “بالنسبة لهدف الزمالك، كان من الممكن أن يتعامل الشناوي معه، لكنها كانت كرة صعبة جدًا، خصوصًا أن قدم أشرف داري كانت أمام يده، مما زاد من تعقيد الموقف، أما هدف الأهلي، فجاء بعكس اتجاه جسد عواد، ولم يكن له دور مباشر فيه، وكان من الصعب التصدي له”.

طالع أيضًا | خالد الغندور: الأهلي يتمنى ضم “بن قلبي” الزمالك الجديد.. ووكيله يُفجر مفاجأة

وتطرق مدرب زد للحديث عن تقييم الحراس في مصر، قائلًا: “لا يوجد لدينا متخصصون يُقدّرون دور حراس المرمى كما يحدث في العالم، الحارس يمثل 80% من قوة الفريق، ويجب أن يحصل على التقدير المناسب”.

وعن أفضل الحراس في الدوري حتى الآن، قال: “تقييم الحارس لا يكون على مباراة واحدة، بل على استمراريته في الأداء القوي على مدار 7 أو 8 مباريات، ويكون حاسمًا لفريقه، من وجهة نظري، محمد سيحا، حارس حرس الحدود، هو الأفضل في الدور الأول، حيث قدم مستوى رائعًا وساهم في وصول فريقه للمركز السادس”.

كما تحدث عن مصطفى شوبير، حارس الأهلي، متمنيًا حصوله على فرصة أكبر: “إذا استمر في المشاركة بشكل منتظم، سيتطور مستواه بشكل ملحوظ، وقد يتحسن أداؤه 10 مرات أكثر مما هو عليه الآن”.

Chelsea through the years have been seen as a ruthless club, discarding both players and managers if things aren’t going their way.

A relentless pursuit for success has its casualties; youth players being sold, club legends being phased out, and elite managers having their time cut short. Chelsea would do whatever was necessary to chase instant success in the past, even if it led to some uncomfortable conversations and decisions.

This was a successful method for the Blues over the years, winning five Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, and five FA Cups, along with two Europa League trophies, and three League Cups.

That said, they’ve not always got it right in the transfer market. Current Arsenal star Kai Havertz is a fine example of that.

Kai Havertz at Chelsea

Chelsea signed Havertz in the summer transfer window during 2020 under then-manager Frank Lampard at the time. Havertz cost Chelsea around £71m and in the process became their second most expensive signing ever behind Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Havertz made 139 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 32 goals, providing 12 assists, and totaling 9,022 minutes played.

This includes scoring one of the biggest goals in Chelsea’s history, with the only goal in the 2021 Champions League final, in which the Blues were victorious, beating Manchester City 1-0.

However, as time went on, the London outfit struggled to find the goals upfront, with Havertz being used more often as a number nine than a midfielder under Thomas Tuchel, which saw the German leave for Arsenal in 2023 for a fee of around £65m, allowing Chelsea to recoup most of what they spent on the German.

Other midfielders signed in the following years, including Atletico Madrid loanee and then World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez.

Saul struggled for game time while Fernandez has at least become a regular. That said, at a similar time they could have brought one of the game’s global superstars to the Bridge.

When Chelsea tried to sign Jude Bellingham

According to talkSPORT, Chelsea worked ‘tirelessly’ to try and tempt Jude Bellingham away from Birmingham way back when most of England’s top clubs were ready to fight for the young midfielder.

Despite putting in lots of background work, Dortmund signed Bellingham for around £25m in 2020, Chelsea then moving onto Havertz and acquired him instead.

Bellingham is regarded as one of the best players in world football now, having moved from Dortmund to Real Madrid last summer, for a whopping £88.5m initial fee, with huge add-ons, which could see the deal become worth £115m. So staggering has the English talent been in Madrid that his market value has now increased to a remarkable £152m, as per Transfermarkt.

Comparing the seasons of both players for the 2020/21 campaign, it is important to note that Bellingham was only 17 years old at this point but he still put up some phenomenal numbers, and as we all know, he has now become a truly special player.

Goals

0.13

0.35

Assists

0.13

0.24

Progressive Carries

1.32

3.01

Progressive Passes

4.87

4.41

Shots Total

1.57

1.94

Passes into Final Third

4.15

2.15

Shot-Creating Actions

2.08

3.01

Tackles

2.75

1.37

Blocks

2.11

1.29

Interceptions

1.18

0.52

Back in 2020, Bellingham was in a more box-to-box role, compared to Havertz who was more of an attacking midfielder.

You can see their different qualities and roles, with the English superstar averaging better passing metrics, due to his deeper positioning and responsibility to progress the ball, as well as his extra defensive responsibilities, averaging more tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 minutes.

Havertz had more G/A output, boasting a higher shot volume and a better progressive carry rate at the time but Bellingham has now morphed into a complete midfielder over the years, learning to use his body even better, increasing his carrying capabilities to the highest level.

He is a brilliant asset for duels due to his height and frame, but also adding more goals and assists, having scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists for Madrid last season. If Chelsea had gone all in for Bellingham, things could be very different now, that’s for sure.

Lukaku arrived instead: Tuchel wanted Chelsea to sign star now worth £152m

It’s safe to say the club made a huge error in not securing a move for the talent.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 18, 2024

تحدث مدرب ليفربول آرني سلوت بعد توديع فريقه لمنافسات بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، مساء الأحد.

وواجه ليفربول نظيره بليموث أرجايل، في إطار مباريات دور الـ32 من كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي على ملعب “هوم بارك”.

وتعرض ليفربول للهزيمة بهدف دون مقابل أمام بليموث، ليودع منافسات بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وقال سلوت في تصريحاته إلى “ITV” عقب المباراة: “مباراة عظيمة من جانب بليموث، خطة جيدة للعب”.

وأضاف: “يستحقون الإشادة على أدائهم اليوم، ونحن لم نحظى بيوم جيد، وكانت المحصلة هذه النتيجة”.

وأردف: “لا أعتقد أن اللاعبين لم يحاربوا لأنها كانت حرب لمدة 100 دقيقة، أعتقد أن كلا الفريقين صنعا الفرص بصعوبة، وفي النهاية حسمت المباراة بضربة جزاء مستحقة”.

وأشار: “في مباراة مثل هذه، حيث حظى الفريقان بفرص بصعوبة، بصعوبة كانا قادرين على ذلك، يتعلق الأمر بلحظة واحدة وكانت من نصيبهم، وكما قلت، هم استحقوها، لأنهم لعبوا مباراة جيدة”.

وشدد سلوت: “الأمر مؤلم لكل من في ليفربول، الجماهير وأنا واللاعبين، جميعنا رغب في الاستمرار بـ كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي على قدر الإمكان، وتوديع البطولة من هذا الدور بمثابة نكسة”.

Man Utd will host Man City in the quarter-finals of the Women's League Cup, with holders Arsenal travelling to Brighton and Chelsea welcoming Durham.

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• Women's League Cup draw made on Monday
• Man Utd to host Man City in quarter-finals
• Holders Arsenal face trip to Brighton

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It will be the second Manchester derby in just a few days, with the two city rivals set to clash at the Etihad Stadium on January 19 in the Women's Super League before then meeting again in the cup in midweek, on either January 22 or 23. They have yet to play each other this season but when they last did, back in March, City emerged as comfortable winners in a 3-1 result.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Holders Arsenal, meanwhile, will travel to Brighton as they begin their League Cup title defence, with the winner of that tie to face the victorious Manchester club in the semi-finals. Brighton have been the surprise package of the WSL this season, sitting fifth in the table after a really encouraging first half-season under new coach Dario Vidosic. The Gunners, alongside Chelsea and Man City, have not played a game in the competition yet this season, having been given a bye to the knockout stages due to their involvement in the Champions League.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  On the other side of the draw, Chelsea will welcome the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, as Championship club Durham prepare to visit the capital. The winner of that game will face either Tottenham or West Ham in the last four, with the quarter-final draw throwing another two city rivals together there.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The quarter-finals of the League Cup will be played on January 22 and 23, with the semi-finals then on February 5 and 6. The venue for this season's final was also confirmed on Monday, with Derby County's Pride Park to host the event on March 15.

After dominating the headlines for much of the summer, Aston Villa are now reportedly leading the race to seal their biggest arrival yet in the form of a Premier League winner.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have put their Champions League status to good use this summer, welcoming the likes of Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen alongside players who will add plenty of depth in Jaden Philogene and Ross Barkley. Those in the Midlands followed up their transfer window spending with an opening-day win over West Ham United to ensure that Unai Emery's side picked up where they left off last time out.

Emery could boldly bench McGinn & unleash Aston Villa's "sensational" gem

The Midlands side take on Arsenal this evening at Villa Park

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 24, 2024

However, with less than one week left until the transfer deadline, they may not be done stealing the headlines on the incoming front. Recent reports have linked Villa with moves for the likes of Joe Gomez, who was left out of Liverpool's squad against Ipswich Town as he considers his Anfield future towards the end of the window.

Premier League winners seem to be the theme of the week too, with those in the Midlands seemingly setting their sights on a former Manchester City winger.

According to Alex Crook of talkSPORT, Aston Villa are now leading the race to sign Raheem Sterling, who has been cast aside at Chelsea following the arrival of new manager Enzo Maresca.

Crook told talkSPORT (via The Boot Room): "At the moment, they [Aston Villa] seem to be the clearest contenders if Raheem Sterling is to stay in the Premier League.

"My understanding is that Villa have held exploratory talks with Chelsea, but no direct talks with Sterling as yet. I think he has accepted what Maresca told him last Friday – the bombshell news that he wouldn’t be part of his plans. Sterling is now ready to leave Stamford Bridge and would ideally want to leave on a permanent transfer as opposed to a loan."

"Incredible" Sterling would complete Emery's attack

After losing Moussa Diaby earlier in the window, Emery could certainly do with another winger – and one more experienced than Philogene to step up in place of the Frenchman, which is where Sterling could come in.

Of course, his reported £325k-a-week salary may prove to be an obstacle in negotiations, but if Villa can find a way to convince the England international to take a pay cut, they could secure quite the deal.

A Premier League veteran these days, Sterling has picked up plenty of praise on his way to this stage, including from England boss Gareth Southgate who told BBC Sport during Euro 2020: "He is a fighter. He has got an incredible resilience and hunger. He has developed over the last couple of years this real hunger to score."

Now, it's Emery and Villa who could benefit from those qualities in pursuit of a player who would steal the headlines in the Midlands one last time. As they venture into the Champions League this season too, signing Sterling – an experienced player on that stage – could help cause plenty of upsets among Europe's best.

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind at Chelsea, finishing their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge, unveiling new signing Pedro Neto, and now a deal collapsing for Samu Omorodion.

Omorodion scored nine goals in La Liga last season, and Chelsea were interested in him joining the club to compete with Nicolas Jackson and provide a different profile ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, as the Blues look to return to the Champions League.

But this deal collapsing now leaves Chelsea on the hunt for a striker again, whilst also throwing some of their other business up in the air, such as Conor Gallagher's exit, which was hinged on the Omorodion to Chelsea deal.

Chelsea hunting for Omorodion alternative

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea and Atlético Madrid are now discussing Joao Felix as an option as part of the Gallagher deal. Jorge Mendes (Felix's agent) is currently discussing the move in London.

This deal is important in the Gallagher deal as Atlético's other business – which includes Gallagher and Julian Alvarez – was part of a domino effect, with Omorodion set to join Chelsea. Therefore the clubs are looking for solutions for the other deals not to collapse.

The Portugal international has reportedly already said yes to joining the club, now it's just down to the decision-makers at Stamford Bridge.

Felix made 44 appearances for Barcelona last season in all competitions, whilst on loan from Atlético, scoring ten goals, providing six assists, and totaling 2,143 minutes played.

Joao Felix vs Raheem Sterling comparison

Now, of course, Felix has already enjoyed a loan spell at Chelsea, joining in January 2023, and playing under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard. He made 20 appearances for the Blues in his time there, scoring four goals.

One player who is compared to Felix via FBref's "similar players" feature, is none other than Chelsea winger, Raheem Sterling. Whilst Sterling is more of a natural left-winger, Felix can operate from the left, as well as playing in central areas, most commonly behind the striker.

Goals

0.42

0.33

Assists

0.25

0.26

xG

0.49

0.30

Progressive Carries

3.87

5.45

Progressive Passes

3.82

3.55

Key Passes

1.04

1.36

Shots

3.70

2.29

Shots on Target

1.55

0.88

Shot-Creating Actions

3.44

3.86

Carries into Final Third

2.78

2.32

Successful Take-Ons

1.70

2.05

Fouls Drawn

2.82

1.60

Described as a "genius" by Portugal teammate João Cancelo, Felix provides an elegance on the ball that Sterling doesn't, with extreme technical quality and the ability to make things happen going forwards.

The Portuguese is in the top 5% of positionally similar players in Europe for fouls drawn per 90 with 2.88, showing his ability to ride tackles and force his opponents to foul him in order to stop him 1v1 (much like Eden Hazard, Jack Grealish etc).

He is also a volume shooter, taking 3.70 shots per 90, 1.55 of these being on target, and still providing a good output of 0.42 goals per 90, whilst producing even more xG, at 0.49 per 90.

His ability to manufacture his own chances and shots, makes him a very dangerous prospect cutting inside from the left wing, especially in 1v1 scenarios.

The main issues surrounding Felix would be his work rate, particularly when coming into Enzo Maresca's system, which is heavily man-to-man orientated.

This and the similar profiles already in the Chelsea squad, such as Christopher Nkunku and Cole Palmer, would be Felix's main challenges to overcome, in order to get decent game time for the Blues. That said, he could well shape up to be a fine replacement for Sterling.

Chelsea now set sights on "monster" £85m Samu alternative instead of Felix

The Blues have reportedly made an impressive centre-forward their priority target.

ByDan Emery Aug 12, 2024

As Amadou Onana's move to Aston Villa looks almost certain at this point, Everton have set their sights on a midfielder to take the Belgian's place in Sean Dyche's side next season.

Onana replacements are the Toffees' top priority

The big problem for the higher ups at Goodison Park is how they are going to go about replacing the departing Onana. Whilst the Belgian's reported £50million fee will go someway towards funding new signings in the middle of the park, there is still the matter of who Everton choose as the 22-year-old's successor.

Napoli contact Everton to gather information on £58,000-p/w Dyche favourite

Some of the Toffees’ top stars are attracting interest from other clubs.

ByTom Coates Jul 17, 2024

Wilfred Ndidi long looked destined to be the future of Everton's midfield with the Nigerian failing to negotiate a new deal with former club Leicester City. Despite departing the King Power Stadium at the end of last month, a breakthrough in talks has seen the 26-year-old return to the club and commit his future to the Foxes.

With Ndidi out of the picture, one name that has recently done the rounds on Merseyside is Lesley Ugochukwu. A report in the French press has suggested that Everton are one of many potential suitors for the Chelsea midfielder who looks set to depart Stamford Bridge on loan this summer.

Joining the Chelsea youngster on the Toffees' list of targets is former Leeds United man Weston McKennie. The USA international currently plies his trade at Juventus, however is said to be free to leave the Serie A outfit this summer.

With Everton still on the lookout for the player to fill Onana's shoes at Goodison Park, the Toffees are now thought to have their eyes on another man with previous links to Elland Road.

Toffees target out of favour Man City star

As first reported by Football Insider's Wayne Veysey, Everton have registered their interest in signing Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The outlet claims that the Premier League champions are keen to offload the 28-year-old this summer after struggling during his time at the Etihad Stadium.

The former England international first arrived in blue half of Manchester in a £42million move from boyhood club Leeds in the summer of 2022, signing a six-year-deal currently worth a reported £150,000 per week.

Whilst Phillips has only managed to make 31 appearances during his two years with Man City, the midfielder arrived at the club with high expectations after playing a key role in Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds side – City's Director of Football Txiki Begiristain spoke highly of Phillips upon his announcement.

“His reading of the game, alongside his passing ability, energy and drive make him a formidable talent and he is a player who has a fantastic will to win. We feel he will be a superb addition to our squad and that he will complement our game perfectly."

Whilst things did not work out for Phillips at Man City, there is no doubt that there is still time for the player to rediscover his previous form and Everton could be just the place for him to do it.