MatériaMais Notícias

A diretoria do Grêmio continua de olho no mercado de transferências e encaminhou a contratação de Rodrigo Ferreira, lateral-direito do Mirassol.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B

O acordo será válido até dezembro de 2022 e ele chega para compor o elenco de Roger Machado na Série B.

O ‘start’ para o interesse em Rodrigo Ferreira ocorreu no duelo entre eles da Copa do Brasil, quando o lateral-direito foi bem e deu assistência para um dos gols da equipe paulista.

Edilson

Vale citar que, o reforço desembarca na Arena com a missão de brigar pela posição com Edilson, que acertou o seu retorno ao Tricolor na semana passada.

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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is hoping to continue his trend of never going more than two seasons without earning a promotion from the Championship.

In three seasons in the second tier with Norwich City earlier in his career, the German boss won two league titles to secure multiple promotions up to the Premier League.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach boss failed to achieve his goal in his first year at Elland Road, losing to Southampton in the play-off final, but can keep up his 50% rate by getting the team up this time.

Leeds are currently third in the Championship table and a win against Swansea on Saturday could send them to first place if results go their way, as they are only two points behind Sunderland and Sheffield United in the automatic promotion spots.

Farke still has his team competing at the top end of the table despite losing several of his key players in the summer transfer window earlier this year.

Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, Glen Kamara, and Archie Gray all moved on permanently, joining West Ham, Brighton, Rennes, and Tottenham respectively.

Crysencio Summerville's Championship form for Leeds

The Leeds winger was the best player in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign and played a huge role in the team’s run to the play-off final.

He won the Championship Player of the Season and the PFA Championship Player of the Year awards for his efforts last term, which shows that pundits and players alike deemed him to be the best of the best.

Summerville earned those awards after a phenomenal return of 19 goals and nine assists in 43 appearances in the regular season in the second tier, which shows that he made a big impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the West Yorkshire outfit.

The 23-year-old star created 17 ‘big chances’ for his teammates and finished the regular season with an xA tally of 12.53. This suggests that his teammates let him down with their wasteful finishing in front of goal, as he was only rewarded with nine assists for his terrific creativity.

23/24 Championship	Summerville	Squad rank
Goals	19	1st
Big chances created	17	2nd
Assists	9	2nd
Key passes per game	2.6	1st
Dribbles completed	101	2nd
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, he was incredibly important to Farke’s attack with his contributions as a dribbler, a scorer, and a creator from a left wing position.

After Leeds failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, West Ham United swooped in to sign Summerville from the Whites for a reported fee of £25m plus add-ons.

Summerville was far from the first electric left winger the club has had on their books, though, as former starlet Jack Clarke could have been their original version of the Dutch sensation, had he stayed at Elland Road.

How much Leeds sold Jack Clarke for

The English forward came up through the ranks at Thorp Arch and scored two goals in 22 Championship matches for Marcelo Bielsa in his breakthrough year at senior level in the 2018/19 campaign.

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur then snapped him up for a reported fee of £10m in the summer of 2019 before sending him back to Leeds on loan, which ended after one Championship appearance in the first half of the season.

After spells on loan with QPR, Stoke, and Sunderland, Clarke eventually signed for the Black Cats on a permanent deal in the summer of 2022 and thrived on Wearside.

In his two full seasons in the Championship with Sunderland, in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, the English wizard showcased his ability to make things happen on a regular basis at the top end of the pitch.

Jack Clarke	22/23 Championship	23/24 Championship
Appearances	45	40
Goals	9	15
Assists	11	4
Big chances created	7	12
Dribbles completed per game	2.0	3.7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Clarke, who was hailed as “unplayable” by pundit Adrian Clarke, produced goals and assists at an impressive rate.

These statistics show that the winger went on to become an electric right-footed left winger at Championship level, cutting in on from the left with devastating effect for Sunderland, just as Summerville did at Elland Road.

Therefore, Clarke – if Victor Orta had not cashed in on him in the summer of 2019 – could have developed into the club’s original Summerville, before they had even signed the young whiz from Feyenoord.

How much Jack Clarke is worth now

His form for Sunderland in the second tier attracted interest from top-flight clubs and Ipswich Town swooped in to secure a £20m deal for the speedster earlier this year.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

This means that his value doubled from the time Leeds decided to cash in on him to the recent summer transfer window, which suggests that the Whites had a howler by moving him on when they did.

Clarke and Summerville have now both moved on from Championship football and have both found life slightly difficult since making the jump up to the Premier League, with Ipswich and West Ham respectively.

24/25 Premier League	Clarke (Ipswich)	Summerville (West Ham)
Appearances	9	10
Starts	3	3
Goals	0	1
Assists	1	0
Big chances created	1	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the pair have combined for two direct goal contributions in 19 appearances and six starts in the top-flight for their respective clubs.

They have not been able to translate their stunning form from the Championship over to the Premier League as of yet, but they are both 23 and still have plenty of time left to develop and improve to prove themselves at that level.

Meanwhile, Leeds will be hoping that Largie Ramazani, who has scored three goals in six league starts this season, can emerge as the club’s next electric forward after his move from Almeria in the summer.

Including Bamford: The three Leeds players Farke must cash in on in January

The Leeds United head coach must consider cashing in all three of these players.

By
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Nov 16, 2024

أحرز لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، فينيسيوس جونيور، الهدف الأول في شباك آرسنال، خلال اللقاء الذي يجمعهما بمنافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويواجه ريال مدريد نظيره آرسنال، في منافسات إياب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وانتهت مواجهة الذهاب بين الفريقين بفوز آرسنال بثلاثية نظيفة في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب “الامارات”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. اليويفا يعلن سبب إلغاء ركلة جزاء ريال مدريد أمام آرسنال في دوري أبطال أوروبا

ونجح لاعب ريال مدريد، فينيسيوس جونيور، في تسجيل الهدف الأول لفريقه في اللقاء عند الدقيقة 67 من عمر المباراة.

هدف أصحاب الأرض جاء من خطأ فادح من ويليام ساليبا بعدما تلقى تمريرة من ديفيد رايا حارس مرمى آرسنال، لينجح فينيسيوس جونيور في إفتكاك الكرة والتسديد على مرمى الجانرز الفارغ.

يذكر أن بوكايو ساكا قد افتتح التسجيل لصالح آرسنال بحلول الدقيقة 65 وذلك بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من ميكيل ميرينو. هدف ريال مدريد الأول أمام آرسنال في دوري أبطال أوروبا

فينيسيوس يستغل خطأ فادحاً من الفرنسي صاليبا ويمنح ريال مدريد هدف التعادل ⚽️#دوري_أبطال_أوروبا #ريال_مدريد #آرسنال pic.twitter.com/bOpV1l6a8D — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 16, 2025

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk provided an update on his future as he urged his team-mates to give their all to win the Premier League.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Van Dijk urged colleagues to give their best to win title
• Provided update on his future
• Reds lost twice last week

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• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds suffered back-to-back defeats last week against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final as they saw their dream of winning a treble shattered over a period of just five days. The Merseyside club, however, continue to remain clear favourites to win the Premier League title, as they enjoy a 12-point lead at the top of the table. Following the double disappointment, club captain Van Dijk has implored his team-mates to ensure the season ends with a trophy lift.

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• WHAT VIRGIL VAN DIJK SAID

  Speaking to reporters after the Wembley defeat, Van Dijk said: "We have to turn this around. It’s how football works: in five days you lose twice and the world is sinking. Two weeks before everything was sunshine and rainbows everywhere. The Champions League we couldn’t get it done, this we lost and the FA Cup we got knocked out. We have nine games to go and I don’t think there’s any motivation needed to try to get the job done.

  "You play for the biggest prize that you work so hard for from the start of the season. No one expected us to be challenging for the Premier League. It’s the most difficult prize to get. There’s a lot at stake. There are so many positive and good things to look forward to. We have to work our ass off for it. Now everyone goes to their respective countries, play there, hopefully, stay fit, and then we get ready for Everton at home (on April 2) which is going to be tough."

• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Dutchman also provided an update on his future at Anfield as he said: "Before the end of the season there's going to be news. As long as I'm fully committed and have my full focus on the task ahead, and I love the club, that's the main thing. That's who I am."

• WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Arne Slot's side will be back in action after the international break on April 2 as they face arch-rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.

Newcastle United ended a run of four matches without a win in the Premier League with a thumping 4-0 victory over Leicester City at St. James’ Park on Saturday.

Jacob Murphy opened the scoring in the first half with a pinpoint finish into the bottom corner after Anthony Gordon burst into the box and cut it back from the right flank.

The other three goals came in the second half, with Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak both heading in from close range, and Murphy firing a shot into the bottom corner from inside the box.

One of the top performers for Newcastle in the match was, of course, the English winger who scored two of Eddie Howe’s side’s four goals on Tyneside.

Jacob Murphy's performance against Leicester

The former Norwich City forward had not scored a goal in the Premier League before this weekend and found the back of the net twice against the Foxes.

Murphy will now be hoping to get his name on the scoresheet more often, having failed to do so in the previous 12 games, after his two incredibly composed finishes, finding the bottom corner with a first-time finish in the first half before firing a shot in with power for the fourth.

The Englishman also created two chances for his teammates in his 65 minutes on the pitch, which shows that he looked to be unselfish when the opportunity was there.

Murphy did, however, lose all four of his duels in the game and may need to be stronger out of possession against opponents who will put up a better fight than Leicester did.

Chalkboard

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

Sandro Tonali, meanwhile, was just as good as the English forward and proved to Howe why he should be a regular in the Newcastle starting XI moving forward.

Sandro Tonali's performance against Leicester

The Italy international was selected in the middle of the park alongside Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes and caught the eye with a dominant display for the Magpies.

It was only his seventh start in 14 Premier League appearances, which shows that Howe has not trusted him to start week-in-week-out, but his performance suggests that he should now be a regular for the team.

The former AC Milan star played a crucial role in the opening goal with his clever pass down the outside of the defender to set Gordon away in the box to assist Murphy, and the rest of his display was also impressive.

Touches

88

Pass accuracy

92%

Key passes

1

Ground duels won

4/5

Tackles + interceptions

4

As you can see in the table above, the Italian dynamo combined composure and efficiency in possession with dominant defensive work to win the ball back for his side.

Tonali showcased his defensive qualities, breaking up Leicester attacks and dominating physical battles, and provided a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield with his effective passing.

Meanwhile, Sean Longstaff, who has started eight league games, has only completed 86% of his passes and won 54% of his duels this season.

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These statistics suggest that the Tonali could offer more to the side as a defender and as a passer, in comparison to the Englishman, and that is why he should be starting regularly ahead of him.

Big picture

It’s a game between two streak-broken sides.Gujarat Titans had won five games on the trot to have eight wins out of nine before they lost to Punjab Kings. Mumbai Indians began with eight straight defeats before finally turning a page with a win over Rajasthan Royals.While much of the spotlight has been on Mumbai’s batting failures, here’s the thing: in six of their games, Mumbai have had at least one over where they conceded 20 or more runs – the joint-most such games along with Chennai Super Kings and Royals. They have had eight such overs in the season so far, the joint-most with Royals.

Watch live in the USA

You can watch the match live on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

And that’s indeed something that hasn’t missed head coach Mahela Jayawardene’s keen eyes. “If you take four-five games, we have bowled well for 18 overs and we’ve had two big overs,” he said on Thursday. “We are one of those teams that has given 20-plus [runs] overs pretty much in every game and that has cost us at least four to five games. We need to make sure that you don’t go for big 20-plus overs, even though we may get hit.”The opponents have been smart to see off Jasprit Bumrah and target the other bowlers. This is evident from Bumrah’s economy rate of 6.87 since the first match (where he went for 43 in 3.2 overs) in return for just five wickets.For Titans, it will be about how they gather themselves back after a batting failure. Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya have both failed together in the last few games, which has hampered the side. Having started the tournament on a stellar note, Pandya would want to put in a match-winning performance against his former team.

In the news

B Sai Sudharsan had landed awkwardly on his ankle while fielding in Titans’ last game and walked off the field. If he misses out, either Abhinav Manohar or Vijay Shankar could take his spot in the XI.

Likely XIs

Gujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Pradeep Sangwan/Yash DayalMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Tim David 7 Daniel Sams, 8 Hrithik Shokeen, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kumar Kartikeya, 11 Riley MeredithTeams have tried to play out Jasprit Bumrah•BCCI

Strategy punt

• Rashid has dismissed Rohit Sharma twice in five innings. On the other hand, Rohit has a favourable match-up against Lockie Ferguson – a strike rate of 230 across all T20s without being dismissed. Titans could throw Rashid early in the mix to extend Rohit’s misery with the bat.
• On the contrary, Rashid doesn’t have great numbers against Tim David. David has hit him for 36 runs off 19 balls without getting out. While Suryakumar Yadav has scored only 32 runs off 28 balls against Rashid, the legspinner is yet to dismiss him as well. Together David and Suryakumar could neutralise the Rashid threat.
• Three of Bumrah’s five wickets this season have been left-handers. Three of the Titans top six are left-handers and it could well be a chance for Bumrah to add a few to his tally. He has dismissed Rahul Tewatia once in two meetings but is yet to dislodge David Miller in seven innings.

Stats that matter

• Mumbai have bowled 40.3 overs of spin in this season so far, the second-fewest after Sunrisers Hyderabad.
• Bumrah has gone wicketless in six out of the nine games so far. He did worse only in 2014 when he was wicketless for seven games out of the first nine.
• Titans’ average opening partnership has been 22 runs. Only Kolkata Knight Riders (14.40) have done worse this season.
• Mohammed Shami had just one wicket in four games against Mumbai Indians till IPL 2018. Since 2019, he has 11 in six meetings against them.

Durham seamer included alongside recalled James Anderson and Stuart Broad

Matt Roller01-Jun-2022Matthew Potts, the Durham seamer, has been preferred to Craig Overton and will make his England debut in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s which starts on Thursday.Potts, 23, has been the standout bowler in county cricket this year, taking 35 Championship wickets at 18.57 for Durham. Ben Stokes, England’s new captain, has played alongside him and, like Rob Key, the managing director of men’s cricket, has been impressed.England named a 13-man squad for the first two Tests and signalled that Yorkshire’s Harry Brook would be the spare batter, with a new-look top six of Alex Lees and Zak Crawley opening, Ollie Pope in an unfamiliar role at No. 3, and a middle-order engine room of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Stokes.Ben Foakes will play his first home Test, keeping wicket and batting at No. 7 with James Anderson and Stuart Broad sharing the new ball after their recalls and Jack Leach selected as the frontline spinner.ESPNcricinfo LtdBy Potts’ own admission, an England debut “wasn’t at all on the radar” at the start of his season but he has benefitted from an injury crisis which has seen at least eight realistic seam-bowling options ruled out of the first Test.Overton is widely considered to be the better batter of the two but struggled on England’s tour of the Caribbean in March and Key said in May that sees Potts as “a point of difference” from Anderson and Broad. He is not a genuine fast bowler but can reach speeds north of 140kph.”I like the look of this Matt Potts,” Key said. “I’m pretty excited by what he offers. We see him as a point of difference. You see the way he runs in, the way that it looks like if you’re facing him, you’re in a proper contest… these are the picks I get really excited about.”Related

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Potts planning to 'run in and bowl hard' as debut beckons

Potts has never played a first-class match at Lord’s, having been rested for Durham’s Championship game against Middlesex two weeks ago on the back of six consecutive games. “I’ve had two chilled-out weeks, bowling a few overs and just fine-tuning everything,” he said on Monday. “I was a bit on simmer but now I’m raring to go and very, very excited.”It would mean everything to make my debut at the Home of Cricket. There is a little difference in the intensity but I’m honestly looking to change nothing about what’s got me here. I’m just going to run in and bowl hard, bowl my areas and see if that works.”Potts is due to bat at No. 8 for England, even though he has spent the vast majority of his first-class career batting at No. 9 or 10. He has regularly been used as a nightwatchman and has two first-class fifties and a hundred in second-team cricket, but has managed only 65 runs in seven Championship innings this season.

Ruben Amorim received his first setback as Manchester United boss last night, losing 2-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba secured all three points for the hosts, putting an end to the Red Devils’ three-game unbeaten run under the new management.

However, the next couple of days will be where the 39-year-old earns his praise, needing an immediate reaction to prevent another loss under his guidance.

United host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday night, looking to claim another Premier League win to strengthen their top-four ambitions come the end of May.

It will be intriguing to see what starting lineup Amorim will utilise in the fixture, given his selection against Mikel Arteta’s side in North London last night.

Amorim’s squad selection against Arsenal

Squad rotation is always going to be on a manager’s mind, especially in 2024, given the bonkers fixture congestion that often looks clubs in the eye.

European football, along with various cup competitions and the Premier League, gives a challenge of balance to Amorim, but it’s something that may be required for success.

Let’s not forget that the 39-year-old is still getting to grips with his new squad after his appointment within the last few weeks, needing to evaluate his squad ahead of the January transfer window.

The former Portuguese international made six changes for the clash with Arsenal last night, handing recalls to the likes of Mason Mount, Tyrell Malacia and Rasmus Hojlund.

It may have come as a surprise dropping Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford after the pair both scored a double in the 4-0 win over Everton at the weekend.

It was a decision that came back to bite the United boss, failing to create any real clear-cut opportunities in the final third, only registering two shots on target during the entire match.

However, it was one other call that caught the eye, replicating the mistakes made by former boss Erik ten Hag during his own reign at Old Trafford.

Chalkboard

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

Amorim repeated one of Ten Hag’s mistakes against Arsenal

Amad Diallo has been sensational under Amorim in recent matches, registering three assists in just two league matches since taking over at the end of last month.

However, the 39-year-old decided to drop the talented youngster, opting for a more pragmatic defensive approach, with Malacia coming into the side and Dalot switching to a more natural right-sided role.

Amad was brought on at the break, but in a wing-back role, rather than his more usual attacking position, unable to have a real positive impact within the final third.

The Ivorian only managed 21 touches in the entire second half and completed six passes – losing possession seven times and failing to register a single effort on goal – showcasing his lack of impact in attacking areas.

Amad Diallo’s stats for United against Arsenal
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	45
Touches	21
Passes completed	6/12 (50%)
Possession lost	7x
Shots taken	0
Fouls committed	1
Stats via SofaScore

However, with the Red Devils 2-0 down, Amorim turned to Brazilian winger Antony to potentially make a difference – a bold decision given his lack of tangible impact since his £86m transfer.

The 24-year-old has only scored 12 times in his 88 appearances in the North West, which has seen him fall down the pecking order in recent times.

Ten Hag’s persistence in utilising the former Ajax in forward areas undoubtedly contributed to his dismissal, opting to select him in front of Amad during his tenure in Manchester.

The new United boss simply can’t afford to fall for the same trap, with his lack of impact off the bench demonstrating he can’t be seen as a valuable option to provide the goods in 2024 and beyond.

Diallo’s recent record has shown that he’s more than capable of being a success – able to create opportunities for his teammates, which in turn increases their chances of claiming all three points.

Going forward, he can’t afford to use the Brazilian ahead of the Ivorian, otherwise he will struggle to match his ambitions of taking the club to the next level – potentially seeing him suffer the same fate as the Dutchman.

0 shots, 0 key passes, 0 tackles: Amorim must now drop 4/10 Man Utd flop

Manchester United fell to their first defeat under Ruben Amorim last night.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 5, 2024

A potential exchange deal could be on the cards for Arsenal as we move towards the January transfer window, with manager Mikel Arteta and co reportedly weighing up the possibility of signing another winger.

Arsenal without Bukayo Saka until March after injury update

As recently confirmed by Arteta, star forward Bukayo Saka is set to be out for more than two months, meaning he won’t return till around at least March in what is a real blow to the Gunners’ Premier League title hopes.

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In some better news for Arteta, Raheem Sterling’s knee injury isn’t as bad as first thought, but there is still no official timeline for the Englishman’s return, with Arsenal deploying Gabriel Martinelli on the right against Ipswich Town on Friday.

“The news with Raz, I think it’s better,” said Arteta on Sterling’s condition compared to Saka.

Brentford (away)

January 1

Brighton (away)

January 4

Tottenham (home)

January 15

Aston Villa (home)

January 18

Wolves (away)

January 25

“We have to see this week how he evolves. But we expected the knee injury to probably take longer than actually the way the knee is evolving in the last few days. So, hopefully that’s good because we need him.”

In the meantime, Arsenal continue to monitor potential new wide options for January, as Saka’s presence will be very hard to replace – even if the likes of Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz can play in the Englishman’s position.

The likes of Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, PSG outcast Randal Kolo Muani and Bayern Munich forward Kingsley Coman have all stood out as wingers linked with January moves to Arsenal in the last week, with new potential transfer targets emerging on almost a daily basis.

Now, a report by MilanLive has mentioned Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze as an option.

Arsenal could offer Jakub Kiwior in swap deal for Samuel Chukweuze

The Italian news outlet claims that Chukwueze is of serious interest to Arsenal, and he would command a price tag of around £17 million if the Gunners wish to strike an outright permanent deal.

However, there is also an opportunity to sweeten the move by offering defender Jakub Kiwior in a potential swap deal.

The Poland international did a solid job filling in for Gabriel Magalhaes when the Brazilian was out injured, but he’s since been relegated back to the bench for Arsenal’s last three Premier League games.

MilanLive claims the Rossoneri are big fans of Kiwior, and that we should watch out for a “possible cross-deal” involving the 24-year-old and Chukwueze.

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“He’s positive, he believes in what he does. He understands what the team has to do on the pitch. He’s a quality player,” said former Milan boss Stefano Pioli on the Nigerian attacker.

“I’m very happy for him because he’s been through a difficult time. From the outside looking in, everything seems rosy but the boys are experiencing significant pressure. He believed in it and worked hard, which pleases me, the club and the team.”

Kiwior has been called a “sensational talent” during his time at Arsenal, often doing his job when required, but it is hardly a secret that he’ll struggle for minutes ahead of the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, William Saliba and Gabriel.

Just like that, a single result has put a screeching halt to the momentum Arsenal were starting to build over the last two weeks.

Mikel Arteta’s side followed their win at home to Manchester United on Wednesday night with a seriously disappointing draw away to Fulham on Sunday.

However, with a Champions League home tie to win against AS Monaco tonight, there is no more time to think about what could’ve been, although they have received a timely boost concerning when Folarin Balogun who sadly won’t be returning to London with the Principality club.

Balogun's Arsenal return in ruins

If Balogun was fit to face the Gunners then it’s likely he would have been looking to prove that Arsenal made a mistake in selling him for £34m last summer, and based on his form for the Ligue 1 side, he might have a point.

In his first season on the French Riviera, the 23-year-old marksman scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 32 first-team appearances, meaning he maintained a rather impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.13 games.

Appearances

32

10

Goals

8

3

Assists

7

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

0.40

This season has seen the New York-born dynamo maintain his great form in front of goal when injuries have allowed, and he has a tally of three goals and one assist to his name in just ten appearances, four of which have been off the bench.

Overall, while Arsenal clearly didn’t view him as good enough to lead the line, Balogun has been putting in some impressive performances for Monaco in the season and a bit since.

Unfortunately for tonight’s visitors, he has not travelled with the squad owing to a shoulder problem that kept him out of Monaco’s clash with Toulouse a few days ago.

Balogun had recovered from a dislocated shoulder but has now suffered a setback. As a result, this is particularly good news for a certain Arsenal defender…

Great news for Saliba & Arteta

Arsenal are facing something of a defensive injury crisis ahead of this evening with the likes of Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori all not spotted in training on Tuesday. Thus, the fact that Monaco will be missing their leading marksman is only good news for William Saliba who will be without some of his partners in crime.

While the Gunners dropped points a matter of days ago, the club still have a great chance of avoiding the Champions League playoffs in the new year, and that task has now been made a great deal easier by Balogun’s absence this evening.

Given Saliba is in brilliant form at the moment and is undoubtedly the club’s best defender, the 6 foot 4 star likely would have no issue bullying the 5 foot 10 Balogun out of the game even if he was fit.

Indeed, the “special defender,” as dubbed by Fabrizio Romano, was one of the few players who could come out of Sunday with his head held high, earning an 8/10 match rating from the Standard’s Simon Collings, who wrote that he ‘did not put a foot wrong.’

Then, against United, he scored again, helped to keep a clean sheet and received another 8/10 from Collings, who praised the 23-year-old for being ‘so composed on the ball’ and utterly ‘dominant’ throughout the encounter.

Lastly, while the Monaco man is a dangerous forward, nobody would suggest he’s more of a threat than Viktor Gyokeres, and when the Gunners’ “world-class” number two, as dubbed by Romano, came up against him last month, he failed to score or provide an assist.

Ultimately, Arsenal’s season is in a precarious place at the moment, and with Monaco’s American superstar out, it gives them a great chance of getting things back on track. After all, only two players in the whole squad have scored more than him for the Ligue 1 side; wingers Eliesse Ben Seghir (five goals) and Maghnes Akliouche (four goals).

Despite all of those injuries, perhaps Saliba’s evening might be a great deal easier than he was anticipating…

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