Aston Villa Women star Alisha Lehmann planted a kiss on boyfriend Douglas Luiz after watching Brazil beat England at Wembley on Saturday night.
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Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is reportedly not in the running to replace outgoing Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel.
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Rebuilding. For ageing pros, time ultimately laps at the heels of the slowing runners, the poor performers or simply the out-of-place. That's not meant to be mean, it's just the truth – especially in the cut-throat here today-gone next year nature of the Premier League.
Even when the dream of top-flight football winds down with an extensive career, positives can still come to fruition – that's something learned today, with this Ukrainian winger once revered in East London with West Ham United, who is now favoured back in his home country's Ukrainska Premier Liha following a stellar season in the UAE.
Rewind to the 2017/18 season and Andriy Yarmolenko has totted up a marvellous Dynamo Kyiv career. 11 seasons in Ukraine's capital has brought about some staggering numbers whilst consistently being rumoured a move away.
In 336 games in all competitions, Yarmolenko scored a whopping 136 goals and registered 89 assists. He was performing on the international stage too, and by this point had performed at Euro 2012 and 2016.
As one of his country's most gifted players, it's no wonder that clubs on the continent came sniffing around the 27-year-old winger – and eventually Yarmolenko signed for Borussia Dortmund for €25m (£22m) on a four-year-deal in August 2017.
Despite time at Dortmund beginning strongly with his first goal on his first start against Tottenham in the Champions League, Yarmolenko didn't seem to fit in at the Signal Iduna Park and only mustered 18 Bundesliga appearances that term under Peter Bosz.
That said, he still managed three goals and five assists – showing glimpses of why BVB had signed him. Solace came at West Ham, who picked the winger up for £17.5m in July 2018 with a four-year-contract.
Where things had hoped to be better in east London, Yarmolenko instantly suffered a rocky start. Just two months into his stint under David Moyes, the Ukrainian ruptured his Achilles against Tottenham.
He was ruled out for six months and was absent for 222 days. Then, on his eventual return in August 2019, he reacted positively with his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Norwich City.
In September's next home game, he scored again – however, injury reared its ugly head again for Yarmolenko. A torn Abductor muscle saw him sidelined from December until March 2020. It just seemed he couldn't catch a break.
Despite injury, (he'd again suffer with COVID-19 and then a torn knee ligament) Yarmolenko did manage 20 goal involvements – 13 goals, seven assists – in 86 all-competition games for the Hammers. Some of these strikes were important too, like the winning goal against Chelsea in July 2020 which effectively kept West Ham up for instance.
However, with West Ham in transition – the 32-year-old exited for free and signed for UAE club Al-Ain in July 2022.
Although blighted by injury and the heartache of Ukraine's political turmoil – Yarmolenko's West Ham career still sits fondly within Irons' hearts. An emotional farewell was blunt and well-received on the player's social media.
Yarmolenko's lucrative move to the Middle East was only a season long, as he is now back at Dynamo Kyiv.
However, while in the UAE, Yarmolenko notably put in some solid shifts in what many deem yet another moneyed retirement league in world football. The Ukrainian even outperformed Jarrod Bowen's numbers last term.
Where Bowen reached an impressive 13 goals across 53 all-competition games, with an exciting trophy winning five goals in 11 Conference League matches – Yarmolenko trumped him in league goals.
Granted, it is the UAE first division, but the Ukranian forward showed he still had something to give in his cameo one-term at Al-Ain. He scored 11 league goals and got six assists in 23 games – certainly a better rate of goal involvement than Bowen.
Indeed, tn the Premier League, Bowen only scored six and got six assists in 38 games. It's funny how football can work out, isn't it?
Newcastle United are eyeing a move for a “magnificent” international central midfielder, according to a new transfer update that has emerged.
The Magpies picked up a fantastic result on Saturday, winning 1-0 at home to Arsenal in a feisty Premier League clash that ebbed and flowed throughout. Anthony Gordon’s solitary strike proved to be the difference between the two sides, as he capitalised on some poor Gunners defending, securing a vital three points in the process.
It was another evening that saw Newcastle suffer further injury problems, however, with Dan Burn having to come off at half-time and Jacob Murphy aggravating his shoulder problem straight after coming on. Eddie Howe is having very little luck in the fitness department at the moment, and he may already be turning his attention to making new signings during the summer transfer window.
Another player who is still absent is key man Sven Botman, so a centre-back could also be at the forefront of Newcastle’s January shopping list. It looks as though they want a midfielder, too, following a new claim.
According to a new report from Tutto Mercado Web, Newcastle are interested in making a move for Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, who has been an important figure for the Serie A side for an extended period of time now. They have sent scouts to watch him in action.
The 25-year-old is seen as someone who could fill the void left by Sandro Tonali, following his 10-month ban for breaching betting rules, in a saga that has rocked the Magpies after his arrival during the summer. Koopmeiners could be a brilliant signing by Newcastle, having shown himself to be a key man for Atalanta ever since arriving from AZ Alkmaar in 2021.
It’s fair to say that Koopmeiners’ statistics during that time show how important he has been to the cause, making a total of 91 appearances and chipping in with an overall tally of 17 goals and 10 assists in that time.
This shows the box-to-quality that the Dutchman could bring to Newcastle’s starting lineup in place of Tonali, although it is clear that Atlanta will not be willing to let him leave on the cheap. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig is someone who thinks very highly of the Netherlands international, saying of him in the past:
“AZ Alkmaar will make a lot of money from transfers of Calvin Stengs, Teun Koopmeiners & Myron Boadu. Three magnificent players.”
At 25, Koopmeiners is at a lovely stage in his career to come straight in and make a big impression in the January transfer window, although the only confusion is whether that would be a loan move or not.
|
Teun Koopmeiners stats at Atalanta |
Total |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
91 |
|
Goals |
17 |
|
Assists |
10 |
PIF may not spend big in January, so if the Magpies want him on a permanent basis, it could be that next summer is when the move happens. That would then allow them to sign someone else to replace Tonali temporarily in the next window, such as Newcastle targets Kalvin Phillips and N’Golo Kante.
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The Premier League suffered a big blow in the race for a fifth Champions League spot next season – but their loss is Serie A & the Bundesliga's gain.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers are beginning to see brighter days under Gary O’Neil, after a difficult start to the 2023/24 campaign.
The Old Gold have lost one of their previous seven Premier League fixtures, however form isn’t just being shown by those at Molineux in the top flight, as a host of stars behind the scenes continue to show their worth.
One name that is thriving whilst on Wolves’ books but out on loan is Ki-Jana Hoever, who looks set for stardom as he pursues his career at senior level at Stoke City.
Signed from Liverpool at the age of 18 in 2020, Hoever was backed by former Reds captain James Milner to be a “top, top player” during his time at Anfield, making the initial £10m fee somewhat of a bargain for Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Dutchman secured four senior appearances and netted his first senior goal for the Premier League outfit in 2019, making his potential very clear as a progressive right-back from an early age.
At the point of his arrival at Molineux, chairman Jeff Shi explained that the club had signed the teenager for the “long-term future”, although the now 21-year-old has already captured 25 senior appearances for the Old Gold.
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Ki-Jana Hoever 2022/23 loan experience |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
|
PSV Eindhoven |
10 |
0 |
2 |
|
Stoke City |
17 |
4 |
1 |
|
Figures via Transfermarkt |
|||
Loans at PSV Eindhoven and Stoke paved the way for the former Ajax academy whiz to gain vital experience away from the comforts of the academy, with his attacking prowess prominent as highlighted in the table above.
This summer, the decision was made for the Netherlands U21 international to head back to the Bet365 Stadium, to further his experience with the Potters.
Previously lauded as “sensational” by Jurgen Klopp, Hoever has made a flying start to the 2023/24 campaign at Stoke, having contributed to three goals in 13 Championship appearances, scoring once and assisting twice so far.
Averaging 64.0% successful take-ons per 90, the Dutchman ranks in the top 3% of Championship full-backs this season for his attacking play, via FBref, signifying what use he could be to O’Neil going forward for Wolves.
The 21-year-old’s attacking spark rates him highly among those back at Molineux, with the defender already securing more goals and assists than striker Fabio Silva, who has one goal and no assists to his name this term.
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Ki-Jana Hoever 2023/24 Championship statistics |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
13 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.9 |
|
Tackles per game |
2.2 |
|
Interceptions per game |
1.3 |
|
Clean sheets |
4 |
|
Figures via Sofascore |
|
Due to the aftermath of Wolves’ financial fair play (FFP) struggles in the summer, O’Neil could see Hoever’s development over this campaign as a new signing next season, with his prominence at senior level now at a point where he could contend in the first team.
There’s a long way to go in the 2023/24 calendar for both Wolves and Hoever, however if his progression continues on such an upward trajectory, his face could soon become a familiar one in the Old Gold’s favoured XI.
Chelsea fans have been left furious by a video showing Noni Madueke laughing with Jack Grealish after the Blues' loss to Manchester City.
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Manchester United’s rather underwhelming 1-0 win over Luton Town on the weekend in the Premier League basically summed up their fortunes this season – failing to hit their stride while securing a narrow win over a club sitting near the bottom of the table.
The same thing happened against Burnley, Sheffield United, Fulham and Brentford across the space of the previous couple of months and Erik ten Hag will likely spend the international break figuring out how to bring the best out of his players.
His summer signings have failed to really hit the ground running. Mason Mount failed to even start against Luton, and he cost the club a fee that could rise to £60m – a staggering sum for a player who had just a year left on his contract at Chelsea.
Andre Onana is another one who has yet to showcase his true talent, as the ‘keeper has conceded 11 goals in just four Champions League games and he will need to improve once the break is over.
Rasmus Hojlund arrived at United to much hype and while he has netted five goals on the continent, the youngster has failed to score in the Premier League this term, and it's clear that Ten Hag needs to shake things up in their next league tie.
His latest display against Luton left much to be desired and the longer a wait goes on, the more pressure will be placed on his shoulders.
While the Old Trafford side scrapped a narrow 1-0 win, the goal came from an unlikely hero in Victor Lindelof, yet the margin of victory could have been much greater had Hojlund not missed two glaring chances, including one sitter.
The 20-year-old also completed just five passes against the Hatters, took 18 touches (fewer than Onana) and failed with his only dribble attempt in a performance which lacked any sort of impetus.
Although it will take him a while to adapt to the rigours of English football, his physicality was exposed as he failed to win any of the three duels he attempted, and it led to him being substituted in the 79th minute.
He will be hoping for a few goals during Denmark’s two fixtures during the international break in order to build up his confidence, especially as United face a trip to Everton in a couple of weeks.
The Dane cost United £72m in the summer transfer window and following a season which saw him score 16 goals across all competitions for two clubs, it appeared as though Ten Hag had secured a player who could be the future of his attack.
While he didn’t make his debut until the start of September due to a back injury, as documented previously, he has failed to score in nine league matches.
His form in the Champions League, however, has been outstanding. In just four games for United in the competition, Hojlund has scored five goals, including an effort against Bayern Munich and braces against Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen.
His display against the Danish side in October led Liam Canning to describe him as “seriously good” and his five goals mean he sits alongside Alvaro Morata at the top of the scoring charts after the first four matches.
These European performances haven’t translated into league goals, however, and it is time Ten Hag perhaps takes a different approach ahead of the tie against Everton at the end of the month.
The obvious answer is Marcus Rashford, yet he is also experiencing a bleak period at the moment. Last term, the Englishman scored 30 goals across all competitions and while the majority of these were from the left wing, he netted 11 in 19 matches while playing in a more central role.
This season has seen Rashford score just one goal however, and that came when he was operating on the left wing, indicating that it may also be a risk deploying him in a more advanced role to replace Hojlund.
The 26-year-old has missed six big chances in the league while creating four big chances, suggesting that even though he is struggling in front of goal, he is still creating chances for his teammates and, hopefully, the tide will turn for the forward.
|
Rashford vs Martial vs Hojlund – 2023/24 Premier League |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Marcus Rashford |
Anthony Martial |
Rasmus Hojlund |
|
|
Goals |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Assists |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Shots on target per game |
0.7 |
0.2 |
0.6 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
2.3 |
0.1 |
0.9 |
|
Big chances missed |
6 |
0 |
8 |
Another name who could fill in for Hojlund up front is Anthony Martial. The Frenchman has made only two Premier League starts and like the former Atalanta frontman, is scoreless in the competition.
The 27-year-old has only averaged 26 minutes per game in the league and hasn’t had a fair crack at the whip, but he did grab an assist against Bayern Munich along with creating one big chance and making one key pass in a ten-minute cameo, giving a glimpse of his talents.
His only goal of the campaign came against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup back in September and while he may not be in the best of form, perhaps unleashing him from the first whistle as opposed to bringing him on with just 10–15 minutes left could ignite a spark in the former AS Monaco starlet.
With January fast approaching and the transfer window opening up once again, Ten Hag may delve back into the market to bolster his faltering attacking options, as quite frankly, they have let the Dutchman down so far this term.
While Hojlund could potentially sit out the next league clash in place of either Rashford or Martial, the stark realisation is the club need a genuine world-class and proven striker to lead the line.
Whether a player in that type of mould arrives in January or next summer remains to be seen, but in the meantime, the three aforementioned forwards really need to improve, and fast, otherwise the Old Trafford side will fail to even secure a European spot for next season.
Hojlund has the potential to be world-class over the next couple of years, but he has yet to showcase his abilities in the English topflight and it's time the £85k-per-week starlet was dropped to the bench.
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