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Chelsea managed to ease past Morecambe in the FA Cup third round, despite only being 1-0 up at half-time at Stamford Bridge. A first-half deflected strike from Tosin Adarabioyo was the only difference between the sides, after Christopher Nkunku’s penalty was saved.

Second-half goals from Nkunku, João Félix (x2) and Adarabioyo made it 5-0, with half-time substitutions of Malo Gusto, Marc Cucurella and Jadon Sancho improving the overall performance in that second half.

Enzo Maresca’s side held 81% possession, took 28 shots in the game and created four big chances in the game, albeit with there having been a mixed bag of performances.

Tosin's performance vs Morecambe

It was the unlikely brace from Adarabioyo that caught the headlines, as the central defender smashed two goals in from outside the box, having been given the space to shoot on both occasions by the Morecambe deep defensive line.

The 27-year-old scored two goals, made one clearance, one block and one interception. He also won all four of his aerial duels contested and made 93% of his passes with 107 touches in the game.

Adarabioyo’s role in this game was extremely important, with Morecambe dropping off so deep, the space was for him to advance, either dragging the opposition striker towards him to make space for his defensive partner (Axel Disasi) or forcing them even deeper, making room for those long-shot chances.

Despite the good performance from Adarabioyo and a few others, especially in the first half, Chelsea fans were left with a lot to be desired. One individual who failed to have his imprint on the game was Marc Guiu, who started up front in the place of Nicolas Jackson.

Why Chelsea need an upgrade on Guiu

Guiu was awarded a 4/10 match rating from GOAL for his performance, only managing 11 touches in the game, with nine accurate passes.

The 19-year-old striker was signed from Barcelona this summer for a fee of around £5m, already making 12 appearances for the Blues since joining, scoring six goals.

Stats

Guiu

Minutes

90

Shots

1

Touches

11

Accurate Passes

9/9

Ground Duels Won

0/1

Aerial Duels Won

0/3

Fouls

1

The stats backed up the fact that Guiu felt anonymous in the game, with Filip Jorgensen having more touches (29) than the striker. As per usual, the Spanish youngster worked hard, engaging in duels all over the pitch, but unfortunately losing all four of those duels (both ground and aerial).

Guiu did make 100% of his passes (nine of nine), but much of his involvement was easily dealt with by the Morecambe defensive unit. This was a game where Guiu had the chance to continue knocking on the door for more Premier League substitute minutes, but a lack of involvement may actually cause Maresca to push for another striker option.

Whilst Guiu has shown signs in his short stint at Chelsea so far, he is clearly a raw talent who needs time and minutes to develop, which could mean a loan best suits his development plan at this current time.

Therefore, as has already been suggested for a while, the Blues would need to acquire another striker option, as an upgrade on Guiu, to challenge Jackson.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Thankfully, at least, Guiu’s woes were overshadowed by the brilliance of Tosin and co, with the Blues ultimately powering into the fourth round.

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حقق فريق ريال مدريد فوزًا قاتلًا على خصمه أتلتيك بلباو، مساء يوم الأحد، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، موسم 2024/25.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الفريقين في خضم منافسات الجولة الثانية والثلاثين.

وحقق ريال مدريد فوزًا قاتلًا ومثيرًا على أتلتيك بلباو، بهدف دون رد، عن طريق اللاعب فيدي فالفيردي في الدقيقة 93 (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة من هنا).

وحسبما أُعلن، حصل حارس مرمى فريق أتلتيك بلباو، أوناي سيمون، على جائزة رجل مباراة اليوم ضد ريال مدريد.

ورغم اهتزاز شباكه وعدم الحفاظ على نظافتها، إلا أن أوناي سيمون تألق في تلك المباراة وتصدى لأكثر من فرصة هدف محقق لصالح ريال مدريد، خاصة من جانب جود بيلينجهام ورودريجو.

ويستعد ريال مدريد لخوض مباراة يوم الأربعاء المقبل في الجولة الثالثة والثلاثين من الدوري الإسباني ضد خيتافي.

ويحتل ريال مدريد حاليًا المركز الثاني برصيد 69 نقطة، بفارق 4 نقاط عن برشلونة الذي سيخوض مباراة في الجولة المذكورة ضد مايوركا يوم الثلاثاء.

حقق فريق برشلونة فوزًا عسيرًا على خصمه ليجانيس، في مباراتهما مساء يوم السبت، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وحل برشلونة ضيفًا على نظيره ليجانيس، في إطار منافسات الجولة الحادية والثلاثين من الليجا.

وتمكن برشلونة من تحقيق فوز صعب بهدف دون رد، جاء عن طريق النيران الصديقة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وارتفع رصيد برشلونة إلى 70 نقطة في المركز الأول، بفارق 7 نقاط عن ريال مدريد الذي سيخوض مباراته في تلك الجولة يوم الأحد ضد ألافيس.

وحسبما أُعلن، حصل حارس مرمى فريق برشلونة، فوتشيك تشيزني، على جائزة رجل مباراة اليوم ضد ليجانيس.

وقدم تشيزني أداءً جيدًا في مباراة اليوم رفقة دفاع برشلونة، وحافظ على نظافة شباكه، وتصدى لفرصة هدف محقق.

ويخوض برشلونة مباراة يوم الثلاثاء المقبل في إياب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد بوروسيا دورتموند على ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك”، حيث فاز في الذهاب برباعية نظيفة.

Mikel Arteta is hopeful Bukayo Saka will make his long-awaited return from injury before Arsenal's Champions League tie against Real Madrid in April.

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• Saka has not played for Arsenal since December due to hamstring problem
• England star is 'stepping up' his training according to Arteta
• Arsenal optimistic Saka will be fit for quarter-final against Real

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arteta offered a positive update on Saka's injury progress, having seen his star man sidelined for the last three months after tearing his hamstring against Crystal Palace on December 21st. The Arsenal boss revealed that Saka is due back at the training ground next week to increase the intensity of his rehabilitation and work with the ball at his feet in a competitive environment.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal's form has taken a downturn during Saka's absence, particularly with further injuries to key stars such as Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. However, while the Gunners sit 15 points off leaders Liverpool in the Premier League, albeit with a game in hand, they progressed through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 9-3 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven, where they will face La Liga giants Real Madrid hoping to have Saka back amongst their squad.

• WHAT ARTETA SAID

  "He is going to be here [at the Arsenal training ground] next week, hopefully more with ball at his feet than he has had," Arteta said "That will mean he is passing the ball and shooting and running and everything. He has done quite a lot already on the pitch working on his own. Next we need to arrange it with people around him in a more competitive training session and see how he goes with that.

  "He's getting closer, he's stepping up and making a very good progress I would say. So, let's see when we start to throw him in with the team, how he reacts and how fit he can get quickly."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Arsenal still have three important matches in the Premier League before they can turn their attention to Real Madrid, starting with a home match against Chelsea on Sunday. The international break will then provide a welcome recovery break for Arteta before games against Everton and Fulham prior to the first leg against Real at the Emirates in three weeks time.

Defending champions knocked out as India set up semi-final clash against Australia

Sreshth Shah29-Jan-2022

Bangladesh’s hopes of defending their U-19 World Cup title ended in the quarter-final stage as India’s bowlers rolled them over for 111.Left-arm seamer Ravi Kumar took three wickets in his first spell. Left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal then took two. Two Bangladesh batters were run out, and if it wasn’t for SM Meherob’s 30, India could’ve been chasing even lesser.Although India had a brief hiccup in the chase, they eventually got home with five wickets in hand.The returning Yash Dhull opted to field on a surface where the Afghanistan-Sri Lanka quarter-final had produced only 264 runs across both innings, and Ravi found swing and rattled Bangladesh with his 3 for 14 up top. He first broke through Mahfijul Islam’s defense before Iftakher Hossain cut a wide ball to backward point. Then, soon enough, Prantik Nawrose Nabil was walking back after edging an attempted drive that was going across him.From the other end, Rajvardhan Hangargekar troubled Bangladesh with his pace, his yorkers, and a mean short ball. Together, Ravi and Hangargekar strangled the run flow, aided by sharp fielding inside the circle.Left-arm spinner Ostwal then found grip off the surface and was rewarded when he had Ariful Islam nicking. Then he clean bowled Md Fahim as he attempted a reverse sweep. Aich Mollah, the No. 4, batted patiently for 47 balls to make 13 before he was run out. At this point, Bangladesh were tottering at 56 for 7.Meherob, the No. 8, offered a brief resistance by putting on a 50-run partnership with Ashiqur Zaman (16) to drag Bangladesh’s score into triple digits. But both fell in one over and Hangargekar then finished off the innings with a short ball.India lost Harnoor Singh for a duck, but Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44) and No. 3 Shaik Rasheed (26) consolidated by reining in their shots early on with Mondol and Zaman bowling full to induce them to drive.The longer they batted, the more Bangladesh erred, with boundaries a common fixture in the second half of their 70-run partnership. Raghuvanshi whipped boundaries off his hips, Rasheed played in the ‘V’, and both put away half-trackers offered by the spinners.Their stand effectively quashed whatever little hope Bangladesh had despite both falling in quick succession. Mondol returned to take three more wickets to finish with 4 for 31, but it was too little too late for the defending champions.Dhull, back into the XI after a Covid-enforced break (along with vice-captain Rasheed), remained unbeaten on 26 along with Kaushal Tambe (11*) as they he saw off what could’ve been a tricky final period of play. The match was sealed when Tambe hit a six over long-on.India now face Australia in the second semi-final on February 2. The first semi-final is on February 1 between England and Afghanistan.

Raphael Varane had a "very tense" relationship with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United and has admitted to struggles with his "rigid" tactics.

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• Varane signed for United in 2021
• Was one of the starters when Ten Hag arrived
• Gradually fell out of favour under Dutchman

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The French defender, who joined United from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, admitted that he struggled with Ten Hag’s highly structured playing style, which contrasted sharply with the more fluid systems he had previously played in at Santiago Bernabeu under Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti. Having played for multiple managers in his debut season in England – including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, interim boss Ralf Rangnick, and caretaker Michael Carrick – Varane found himself adjusting to different coaching philosophies. But when Ten Hag took over permanently in the summer of 2022, the shift was drastic.

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  WHAT VARANE SAID

  In an interview with Varane said: "It was the opposite (to Real Madrid) with fairly rigid patterns of play defined in advance. There was very little flexibility in terms of adapting on the pitch. The game plans were very, very precise, with lots and lots of information. It was different."

  As a defender who relied on instinct and communication with teammates, Varane found it difficult to operate in a system that restricted flexibility, which he previously enjoyed with Real and France.

  He added: "We could say to each other, ‘You have to do it more like this’, instead of a system that was, let’s say, a bit blocked by the coach’s instructions."

  Varane went on to say of his relationship with Ten Hag: "It was very tense at times. Sometimes he made an effort to listen to the players’ feedback. Sometimes he made decisions without listening to the players’ feelings. So there were ups and downs. It was complicated at times."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite their contrasting philosophies, Varane initially played a key role in Ten Hag’s first season at the heart of United’s backline. However, between October and mid-December, he started none of United’s matches, despite being fully fit. The Dutch manager attributed Varane’s absence to "tactical reasons," but the defender says he was given little direct explanation.

  "We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months," the 2018 World Cup winner revealed. "I said I didn’t agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team. It wasn’t something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren’t at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach. He said ‘OK, I hear what you said’ and after that, I didn’t play."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  United’s 2024 FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City was overshadowed by uncertainty surrounding Ten Hag’s future. Even the manager himself admitted post-match that he was unsure if he would remain in charge after overseeing a miserable eighth-place finish in the Premier League. However, following a season review led by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, the club opted to continue with the beleagured manager.

  Varane was taken aback by the decision. "I was surprised he stayed," he admitted. "The connection with the group no longer existed."

Aston Villa had their hand somewhat forced as they had to sell players this summer to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations.

This saw a few first-team players move on to pastures new during the transfer window, most notably Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz.

Unai Emery has recruited wisely despite this, however, and his team look like they could go close to replicating their fourth-place finish in the table from last term.

How Aston Villa’s summer sales are performing

Luiz has managed to make just seven appearances for Juventus, with only two coming in the starting XI, as the midfielder has struggled to force his way into Thiago Motta’s plans.

Diaby, on the other hand, is currently starring for his new club. Across ten matches, the winger has scored once and registered ten assists, an impressive tally, perhaps a sale that Emery could come to regret shortly.

Player

Club joined

Moussa Diaby

Al-Ittihad

Douglas Luiz

Juventus

Cameron Archer

Southampton

Tim Iroegbunam

Everton

Morgan Sanson

Nice

Viljami Sinisalo

Celtic

Calum Chambers

Cardiff City

Via Transfermarkt

Sometimes, players move on from a club and begin to perform better, such as Diaby. Whereas Luiz appears to be struggling this term, adjusting to a new league and manager.

Over the years, Villa have moved some players on at the right time, and some at the wrong time. One name that springs to mind concerning the former category is Ross McCormack.

How much Ross McCormack cost Aston Villa

Following an impressive spell at Fulham, the Scottish striker joined the Midlands side for a fee in the £12m region, with Roberto De Matteo hoping he could fire the club to promotion from the Championship, after a return of 21 goals and ten assists for the Cottagers in the previous season.

“I’m delighted to bring Ross on board. He’s a player with proven track record and plenty of experience in the division.” Said the Italian upon signing the former Rangers striker.

The centre-forward made just 22 appearances for the club during the first half of the season, scoring only three goals in the process.

He then joined Nottingham Forest on loan after just six months at the club, clearly not being favoured by Steve Bruce. In June 2019, just two years after signing for Villa, McCormack reached an agreement to terminate his contract. His spell cost the club £4m per goal, a total waste of vital resources.

Since leaving Villa Park, the Scot has undergone somewhat of a nomadic career.

What Ross McCormack is doing now

He did enjoy a couple of loan spells between 2018 and 2019 in the A-League, before returning to Motherwell for a handful of appearances.

Once that move turned sour, the centre-forward joined Aldershot Town, playing in the National League, where he made just two appearances before departing.

Now aged 38, the former Fulham hitman is currently turning out for Doncaster City, who play their trade in the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division North, which is the 11th tier in the English football pyramid.

How the mighty have fallen. Only eight years ago, McCormack was scoring for fun in the Championship, and it is clear that Villa cut their losses at exactly the right time.

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ByJoe Nuttall Nov 1, 2024

Liverpool were made to work for their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. Arne Slot’s side put in an impressive performance to ensure they earned all three points and stayed at the top of the Premier League table, ahead of early title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal.

Liverpool took the lead against the Blues on Sunday via a Mohamed Salah penalty. The Egyptian legend slotted home from 12 yards following a foul from England international defender Levi Colwill.

Chelsea, however, got themselves back into the game through Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson. The Blues number 15 latched onto a pinpoint through ball from Moises Caicedo to equalise for the West London outfit. It was originally given offside, but after a VAR check, the striker was deemed onside.

The goal did not hinder Liverpool much at all, and just three minutes after Jackson’s strike, they managed to take the lead again. This time, it was Curtis Jones who found the back of the net, converting a well-placed cross from Salah.

Despite late pressure from Enzo Maresca’s team, Liverpool managed to hold on for all three points at Anfield. There were some eye-catching performances, although Jones was a standout player.

Jones’ stats vs. Chelsea

Liverpool academy graduate Jones has become an important player in Slot’s short tenure at the club so far. The 23-year-old has played seven times in all competitions this term, but Sunday’s performance was perhaps his very best all season.

The midfielder starred against the Blues, capping off a wonderful showing with his goal. He met Salah’s deep cross to the back post before Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea goal could react, taking a touch and lifting the ball over him to win the game.

Outside of that, the former England under-21 was superb off the ball, working hard and often coming out on top in duels. He also won the penalty which led to Salah’s opener.

His impressive showing was reflected in his stats from Sofascore, with the midfielder creating two chances and winning six from his eight attempted ground duels.

Jones stats vs. Chelsea

Stat

Number

Touches

56

Pass accuracy

90%

Passes completed

37/41

Ground duels won

6/8

Tackles won

3/4

Chances created

2

Penalties won

1

Stats from Sofascore

Jones’ performance earned him a deserved 9/10 rating from Mark Delgado, journalist for This Is Anfield. He explained the Reds number 17 ‘played an important role’ in helping to nullify the impact of Chelsea star Cole Palmer.

As good as Jones was against the West Londoners on Sunday, there were several players who were just as effective, including striker Darwin Nunez.

Nunez’s stats vs. Chelsea

The 2024/25 season has not really seen Nunez get much of an opportunity in that famous Red shirt. He has played eight games in all competitions but has just 367 minutes under his belt, equal to four full 90-minute games.

Sunday afternoon, however, provided him with the perfect chance to show why he deserves more game time. Diogo Jota unfortunately picked up an injury and was subbed off after 30 minutes, giving Nunez the platform he needed to shine.

It is fair to say the Uruguayan attacker took it with both hands. He received an 8/10 rating from Delgado, who was full of praise for the striker. He explained the Reds number nine ‘looked very locked in’ at Anfield, praising him for a ‘hard-working display’ against Chelsea.

His stats from the game certainly reflected his all-round performance. The 25-year-old won seven from 12 ground duels and two from five aerial duels he contested. On top of that, he won three from four tackles and four fouls.

It was not a classic striker’s performance from Nunez, although he has proven he can find the back of the net, despite some inconsistency at times. With a busy schedule coming up for Liverpool, this performance will no doubt be a massive confidence booster.

He is a player who can make a huge impact on the game, even if he is not scoring. Former Manchester United right-back and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville explained in 2023 that the Uruguayan would “frighten” him as a defender.

Next up, the Reds face RB Leipzig away from home in the Champions League tonight. Slot could well decide to start Nunez whether or not Jota is injured, as he looks to find his best form under the Dutchman and continue on from Sunday’s impressive performance.

Related Liverpool target Nunez replacement who was on the brink of joining Chelsea

He’s on fire so far this season.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Oct 22, 2024

It’s not been the start to the season that Manchester United fans would have hoped for this year, as the team have taken just seven out of a possible 15 points in the Premier League so far.

In addition, Erik ten Hag’s side were also held to an embarrassing 1-1 draw at home to Dutch side FC Twente on Wednesday night, in what could be the low point of the campaign so far.

Now, in defence of the three-time European Champions and their manager, the team have played better football so far this season, but the goals and, therefore, the results simply have not come.

However, while the team as a whole hasn’t looked as bad as their results suggest so far, club captain Bruno Fernandes has, and what makes that worse is that United once missed the opportunity to sign a youngster who would have been the dream replacement today.

Fernandes's season so far

So, while nobody can question Fernandes’s overall quality – he’s scored 79 goals and provided 70 assists in just 241 games for the Red Devils, after all – he has been well off his incredible best so far this season.

For example, while he has four assists in eight games, one of those came in the Community Shield and two from the game against League One side Barnsley. Thus, in five Premier League games and one Europa League match, the 30-year-old dynamo has just one assist to his name.

However, it’s not just subpar output in meaningful games that has caused concern among fans; it’s his all-around play, decision-making, and ability to dictate play, with perhaps his worst performance for quite some time coming against Crystal Palace last week.

In his 95 minutes of action against the Eagles, he gave away the ball a staggering 34 times, which equates to once every 2.79 minutes, and had a passing accuracy of just 73% from 82 attempted passes. These are frankly dire statistics from the player who should be your team’s creative hub, and they go some way to explaining the 4/10 rating he received from the Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst.

Overall, Fernandes is a supremely gifted player and someone who will probably bounce back from this slump in form sooner rather than later, but Ten Hag desperately needs another creative and threatening midfielder to start ahead of him at the moment, and back in the past, the club missed out on someone who would have been perfect.

United's Jamal Musiala blunder

Yes, believe it or not, but in March 2018, there was a chance that United could have picked up Bayern Munich superstar Jamal Musiala before he made his way to Bavaria.

According to an article from The Athletic, the club were offered the chance to take the young prospect on loan six years ago, and while youth scout Andreas Herrmann regarded him as an extreme talent, United were conscious of regulations and decided that pursuing the youngster would be too risky.

Now, while we aren’t privy to what those regulations and potential punishments would have been, we are sure they would have been more than worth taking to sign a player who is now worth an eye-watering €130m, per transfermarkt, which converts to about £108m.

Moreover, Ten Hag would have a simply sensational talent in his squad and someone who could either work in tandem with Fernandes or replace him when he’s out of form.

For example, despite still being just 21 years old, the Stuttgart-born star has already made 169 appearances for FC Hollywood, in which he’s scored 46 goals, provided 34 assists, won the Champions League, four Bundesliga titles and a FIFA Club World Cup.

Appearances

169

Goals

46

Assists

34

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

Moreover, he’s already a crucial cog in the national team, racking up six goals and eight assists in 36 senior caps and ending up as the joint-top goalscorer at the Euros.

Ultimately, Fernandes will likely rediscover his form at some point, but had United pressed on with their interest in Musiala six years ago, Ten Hag would be under no pressure to start him every week, and the club would have an incredibly valuable asset on their hands.

Ten Hag sold Man Utd star for £13m, now he's outperforming Rashford & Bruno

One ex-United star is now thriving away from Old Trafford…

ByRobbie Walls Sep 27, 2024

Alongside their progression from midtable mediocrity to title challengers in the Premier League, Arsenal have also become far smarter in the transfer market.

Gone are the days when the club would smash its transfer record on a player like Nicolas Pepe, only to see him leave for free a few years later.

The club is still happy to splash cash, but in recent seasons, they have done so far more effectively, with Declan Rice, Ben White, and Lenadro Trossard just a few examples.

However, they have also become far shrewder in terms of outgoings, and while the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe are great examples of that from this summer, there was a midfilder sold four years ago who brought in a sizeable fee and has since been outscored by Gabriel Magalhaes.

Gabriel's Arsenal career

Arsenal completed the £27m signing of Gabriel from French giants LOSC Lille in the summer of 2020, and while it hasn't been smooth sailing the entire time, it would be fair to describe the transfer as a roaring success.

In all, the São Paulo-born monster has made 171 appearances for the North Londoners, and while it's primarily his defensive abilities, partnership with William Saliba and ability to bully opponents off the ball that keeps him in the team, he's also become a somewhat reliably source of goals over the years – for a centre-back, anyway.

For example, in his 135 Premier League games for the Gunners, the "unstoppable" colossus, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has scored 14 goals, and as of January this year, that made him the highest-scoring defender in the league since he joined four years ago.

Now, the 6 foot 3 titan is undoubtedly helped by his teammate's incredible ability to exploit set pieces, but he is just as much a part of that 'cheat code' as the rest.

Moreover, his impressive ability to put the ball in the back of the net means that he has scored more goals than a midfielder Arsenal sold three years ago.

Joe Willock's goal tally

The former Arsenal player in question is Hale End graduate Joe Willock, who made 78 appearances for the club during his time in North London.

An exciting box-to-box midfielder, Unai Emery brought him into the team and once hailed him for filling the void left behind by fan favourites Aaron Ramsey & Jack Wilshere. Sadly, things didn't quite work out, though.

However, he was deemed surplus to requirements in January 2021, so he was sent on a six-month loan to Newcastle United, where he set the world alight and ended his stint with a seriously impressive tally of eight goals in 14 matches.

Such an impressive level of output understandably forced the Toon into action, and in that summer they paid around £25m to make his move permanent.

Now, the 5 foot 10 central midfielder has since made another 90 appearances for the Magpies and has been a useful player when fit, but his goalscoring touch has all but disappeared.

In those 90 games, he's scored just eight times, and while that isn't dreadful for a player in his position, it is less than Gabriel has in the same period.

The Brazilian brick wall has found the back of the net on 12 occasions on 112 occasions, equating to a goal on average every 9.33 games, while the Englishman has averaged one every 11.25 games.

Ultimately, Willock is still a talented midfielder, but Arsenal made the right call in selling him for £25m, and while it isn't all that meaningful, it's certainly a fun statistic that Gabriel has since been the more significant goal threat of the two.

Club ready to pay £150m star marquee wages to stop him joining Arsenal

Talks over a new deal are ongoing as Arsenal eye a move for him.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 11, 2024