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Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge took a serious dent as Manchester City emerged as 3-1 victors at the Emirates last night.

Heading into the interval with the scores tied at 1-1 following goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Bukayo Saka, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta would have been confident of pushing to secure a crucial win.

The second half turned into a nightmare however for the Spaniard, with City scoring twice and the subsequent three points allowing them to go top of the league table.

Takehiro Tomiyasu came in for Ben White at right back in the hope that he could add something different to the Englishman, yet his performance was woeful. Tom Dutton said it was a “bad night” for the player and by losing possession 17 times and completing just 70% of his passes, he was a major weakness in the Arsenal backline.

The Japanese full-back will rue not taking his chance tonight, especially with a potential opportunity there for more regular starting roles in the coming weeks to rest White and his performance let Arteta down badly.

However, captain Martin Odegeaard was the biggest letdown, especially considering the enormity of the occasion and just how little he offered to the team.

How did Martin Odegaard perform against Man City?

This season, the midfielder is ranked as the club’s second-best performer in the Premier League via Sofascore, while registering 13 goal contributions – eight goals and five assists – and taking his game to a new level in the process.

Against City, it was a different story, with the Danish star struggling with the intensity of the game and alongside Jorginho and Granit Xhaka, being “completely outmatched” in the words of writer Muhammad Butt.

He received a Sofascore rating of 5.9/10 – the second worst in the game, taking just 55 touches throughout the full game and completing only 38 accurate passes – a success rate of 88%.

The Norwegian passenger’s attacking input was limited to just the one key pass while having two shots blocked and failing to deliver either an accurate cross or succeed with an attempted dribble and these stats sum up his performance going forward.

Even defensively he was woeful, winning none of his six duels contested, losing possession 14 times, and being dribbled past twice, proving just how lightweight he was when City where attacking.

Having dropped five points in their previous two league matches, Arsenal simply couldn’t afford to lose last night and City, although not quite delivering the knockout blow, certainly have the Gunners on the ropes.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ recent injury could prove to be the ‘beginning of the end’ in terms of his future at the club, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lloris injured

The 36-year-old has been ruled out for between six and eight weeks after suffering a knee injury in Tottenham’s recent 1-0 victory against Manchester City, meaning that Fraser Forster will now be the club’s first-choice ‘keeper.

Even prior to the Frenchman’s injury, Antonio Conte was said to be considering new options between the sticks, with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Jan Oblak and Andre Onana being linked with Spurs, so Lloris’ future in north London could now be in major doubt.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones indicated that Lloris’ injury could accelerate Spurs’ search for a new goalkeeper.

He stated: “I think what it does though, with Hugo Lloris having this time out, it’s going to be when Spurs consider what happens next between the sticks.

“This spell out might actually be the beginning of the end for Lloris at Tottenham. There are already question marks about whether he’s going to be their future number one.

“And if Forster can have a good run of form that proves he’s worth keeping at the club, then maybe Tottenham really do start to search the market for a new number one going forward.”

The Verdict: Time to go?

The 36-year-old stalwart has been a fine servant to Tottenham, making 443 appearances for the club, but given his age and his recent penchant for errors, it is time for Spurs to start thinking about a long-term replacement.

Oblak could be a good option, given that he has plenty of experience playing at the top level with 74 Champions League appearances with Atletico Madrid. He has also recorded a better save percentage (77.2% to 72.5%), and averaged fewer goals conceded per 90 than Lloris (0.87 to 1.09) in the past year.

Jones floats the idea of Forster proving himself as a viable alternative, with Spurs’ assistant manager Cristian Stellini describing the Englishman as ‘perfect’ for the Premier League.

However, the 34-year-old did not enjoy an encouraging weekend, conceding four times against Leicester City on Saturday, and a suitable replacement for Lloris should be signed in the summer.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is hoping to return from injury for the trip to Leicester City in the Premier League this weekend, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Injury blow

Mikel Arteta has not included Partey in the squad for Arsenal’s last two games, with the midfielder sidelined due to a back problem, meaning Jorginho has slotted into the midfield, making his first two Premier League starts for the club.

The Gunners came up short in the important clash against Manchester City, losing 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium, with members of the media claiming the Ghanaian was ‘massively missed’, and so the latest update will come as a relief to Arsenal fans…

The Latest: Partey hopeful

According to a report from the Evening Standard, the midfielder is hopeful that he will be able to hand Arteta a boost by being available for Saturday’s trip away to Leicester.

The 29-year-old will continue to be assessed this week, with the timescale said to be tight on whether he will be able to be involved, however the report indicates there is a possibility he could feature.

The Verdict: Boost for Arteta

The partnership that the central midfielder has struck up with Granit Xhaka has been absolutely vital for the Gunners this season, with both players averaging above a 7 rating, as per Sofascore, and Partey is ranked as their fourth-best performing Premier League player.

In fairness, Jorginho did manage to deliver last weekend, firing home against Aston Villa, although it went down as an own-goal after rebounding off Emiliano Martinez, but Arteta will still be keen to have his more consistent choice available this weekend, with Partey making 18 Premier League appearances this season.

Hailed as a ‘colossus’ by members of the media, it is very promising news that the 43-time Ghana international could be involved against Leicester, especially considering the Foxes are in form at home, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in their last match at the King Power Stadium.

Aston Villa and Leeds United are both plotting moves to sign Celtic teenager Aidan Borland, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Academy departures

The Hoops have lost a number of starlets in recent years before getting the chance to reap the rewards of their talent in the first team.

Youngsters have moved to the likes of European giants Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City, with Eseosa Sule the latest teenager to seal a Parkhead exit.

The forward’s move to Championship side West Brom appears to have officially gone through this week, and it looks as if another Celtic gem could move south later this year.

The Latest: Borland update

FI reporter Pete O’Rourke shared news he’s heard on Borland in the last 24 hours. He stated that Villa and Leeds have made checks on the midfielder and are both plotting moves for his services.

The 15-year-old has already broken into Celtic’s U18 side after catching the eye of youth coaches at Lennoxtown, but could now follow Sule out the door in what appears to be a brutal few days for the Hoops academy.

The Verdict: Ange might not be happy

Borland appears to be a potential star in the making, so if Celtic were to lose another talented teenager, boss Ange Postecoglou may not be too happy.

Postecoglou admitted earlier this season that he wants a ‘conveyer belt of talent going between the B Team directly up to the first team’, describing it as ‘hugely important’.

Should Borland continue to impress in Glasgow, he could soon be on course to break into the club’s B team and therefore on Postecoglou’s radar, so hopefully, he’ll remain in Scotland for the foreseeable future.

Everton will make a trip to Trentside tomorrow for their Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest and now the Toffees could be set for a big injury boost.

What’s the latest on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury?

Sean Dyche took to his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon to deliver a promising update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s recovery.

The Everton boss told the press:

“Dominic Calvert-Lewin is recovering and getting strong. We’ll see [for Sunday].”

Will Calvert-Lewin play against Nottingham Forest?

Whilst the injury update from Dyche is promising it is not a confirmation that Calvert-Lewin will return to action on Sunday afternoon at The City Ground, however, it will give the Goodison Park faithful some hope heading into the away clash.

The Toffees are currently one point deep in the relegation zone and desperately needed to start picking up crucial survival points over their remaining 13 fixtures if they are to have any chance of avoiding a drop into the Championship at the end of the season.

Calvert-Lewin has tallied up 59 goals and registered 18 assists over his 203 appearances for Everton and scored the most important goal of the campaign for his club last season when he found the back of the net against Crystal Palace to secure survival in the Premier League, proving that the gem is an incredibly valuable asset to the squad.

There is no doubt that Calvert-Lewin is the most experienced striker at Everton with both Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms struggling to replicate the number nine’s impact in front of goal which has been an obvious issue in the most recent performances for the Merseysiders.

Over the last four league games in the 25-year-old’s absence, the Toffees have won one and lost three – with club captain Seamus Coleman scoring the only goal during this period against Leeds United, neither Simms nor Maupay have found the back of the net.

Calvert-Lewin scored 29 Premier League goals between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns and the Everton boss would have a lethal finisher on his hands if he can get the best out of the England international, which is why the marksman’s potential return is a big boost.

With that being said, the forward could be the linchpin in not only snatching all three points away from home on Sunday but also better their chances of survival at the end of the season if, of course, he can remain fit.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in signing Kieran Tierney in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Kieran Tierney to Aston Villa?

According to Football Insider, the Villans have now joined the race to land the Arsenal left-back’s signature at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Gunners may be open to cashing in on the Scotland international in order to raise funds for their own signings in the summer.

It is stated that fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are also keen on a deal for the gem, who is said to be valued at around £30m by Mikel Arteta’s side.

Could Lucas Digne be sold?

It has been claimed that Villa could cash in on Lucas Digne this summer and Unai Emery must now ditch the Frenchman this summer by swooping to sign Tierney ahead of the Magpies.

The Villans signed the ex-Barcelona left-back for a whopping £25m package in January of last year but the 29-year-old has struggled badly this season.

A Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 19 Premier League appearances, which places him 15th in the squad, shows that the defender has consistently delivered subpar performances for the club in 2022/23, whilst the full-back has also only won 52% of his ground duels.

Tierney has only started four times in the division for Arsenal this season but did show promise in his 22 starts in the top flight in the 2021/22 campaign – averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.93 and winning 61% of his ground duels.

These statistics suggest that the ex-Celtic star has the potential to perform to a much higher standard week-in-week-out than Digne, who has failed to impress this term.

Over the last 365 days, the Scotsman has averaged an impressive 9.81 progressive passes and carries combined per 90 in the Premier League and European competitions. Digne, meanwhile, has only made 5.33 per 90 with that suggesting the Gunners ace would offer far more to the team in terms of his quality in build-up play.

The 25-year-old – lauded as “exciting” by Ray Parlour – ranks in the top 9% of left-backs in both progressive passes and carries over the last 365 days in Europe’s top five leagues, a sign that the gem is one of the best in his position at progressing the ball.

Tierney, who was once hailed as a “machine” by journalist Simon Collings, could, therefore, be a significant upgrade on Digne in terms of both his average performance level and the quality that the dynamo can offer in possession.

This is why Emery must ditch the £25m flop by signing the Arsenal talent.

Aston Villa are currently 12 points clear of the relegation zone and appear set to retain their Premier League status for the fourth straight season since their promotion back to the top flight in 2019.

The Villans spent three years down in the Championship following their relegation at the end of the 2015/16 campaign and endured some difficult times in the second tier before Dean Smith led the side to play-off glory in 2018/19.

One signing the club ultimately had a howler with during that period was former Bristol City centre-forward Jonathan Kodjia, who arrived at Villa Park for a then-Championship record fee of £15m.

What happened to Jonathan Kodjia?

Roberto Di Matteo was the club’s manager at the time and hailed the striker as a “proven” goalscorer, with the gem having struck 18 times in 45 Championship matches for the Robins in the 2015/16 campaign.

The Ivorian enjoyed a terrific first season in the Midlands as he plundered 19 goals in 36 outings in the division but the 6 foot 3 attacker was unable to carry this form over into the subsequent years.

Kodjia managed ten league goals in the next three seasons – nine of which came in the 2018/19 Championship campaign – and the forward failed to score in any of his six Premier League appearances.

Ex-Villa attacker Darren Bent stated that the Ivory Coast man was “way too inconsistent” and that he did not show enough during his time in the top division, which is backed up by the aforementioned statistics.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith decided to part ways with the striker midway through the club’s return to the Premier League as Qatari side Al-Gharafa SC signed him for an undisclosed fee in January 2020.

The striker has since moved on to Umm Salal SC in Qatar – joining them last summer on a free transfer – and has scored five goals in 13 outings for his new club.

At the age of 33, the veteran is not plying his trade in a major European league and his decline since the end of his first term at Villa has been disappointing to see.

The dud’s poor form and failure to make the step up to the Premier League, despite joining the Villans for a Championship record fee, is why Di Matteo had a blunder when it came to signing him in 2016.

Despite heading toward the end of his career, Kodjia has only played six matches in one of Europe’s top five leagues with the marksman very much having failed to live up to the price Villa splashed out for his services.

Chelsea have an illustrious recent history, boasting some of the greatest players to grace the Premier League.

Enjoying countless domestic honours including six league titles and further two Champions Leagues, it is no surprise that they have attracted some true star power to Stamford Bridge.

However, it is not just the allure of the club alone that has convinced players to join over the years, as the immeasurable quality of managers has served to match the playing staff.

They too boast the pulling power needed to succeed at a club as unique as the west London outfit, with few personifying it better than Antonio Conte (Jose Mourinho excluded, for obvious reasons).

His tactical ideals revolutionised the Premier League, but it was buoyed up by the players he had at his disposal within the system, most notably the fearsome forward Diego Costa.

How long did Diego Costa play for Chelsea?

Having signed for the aforementioned Portuguese legend in 2014, the Brazil-born striker had starred at Atletico Madrid and came ready to use his aggression to take England by storm.

Hitting 20 goals in his debut season in the league as they won the title, the 6 foot 2 marksman would follow that up with the same tally during the 2016/17 campaign, adding eight assists as he then led Conte’s team to the same honour.

The Spaniard was feared by all across the division, with his penchant for the reckless and the dark arts often leaving defenders in a constant state of unease around him.

Journalist Alex Brotherton even suggested he was an “absolute animal” during that first year in the country.

With a desire to win at all costs, he typified a polarising club that had upset the apple cart for years now, and fans loved him for it.

Given their current struggles of late in the striker department, with Kai Havertz having deputised there, it is worth wondering just how impressive Graham Potter’s side would be with a prime Costa up front.

Six league goals this season is admirable for the German playing out of position, but he pales in comparison to the lethal finisher who would score, create and forge bedlam throughout.

For all his control, Potter craves an agent of chaos like the 34-year-old, to create space for the wealth of tricky talent that would surround him.

Although purely hypothetical, it remains a comforting thought to reimagine Costa tearing it up for Chelsea. Indeed, the brutish striker would now be perfect for their current needs.

Crystal Palace have reportedly held talks with former Borussia Monchengladbach manager Adi Hutter, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Vieira’s departure

The Eagles officially confirmed Patrick Vieira’s dismissal on Friday, leaving U21s coach Paddy McCarthy to take this afternoon’s Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal.

Palace actually first considered sacking Vieira last February, according to Matt Woosnam, while many inside Selhurst Park were unconvinced by his coaching staff.

The Daily Mail add that those at boardroom level had concerns over his communication ad poor discipline. The club are currently on an unwanted streak of 12 games without a win dating back to New Year’s Eve, with Steve Parish admitting he will not rush when it comes to bringing in Vieira’s successor.

However, reports elsewhere seem to suggest he has already contacted two potential managers, one of which being Hutter.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports shared an update regarding Palace’s search for a new manager in the last 48 hours on Twitter, saying that the Eagles have been in talks with former manager Roy Hodgson, who is the ‘clear frontrunner’. However, they added that the club have also spoken with Hutter.

‘We understand Roy Hodgson is in talks to go back as Crystal Palace manager. We understand they have spoken to a number of candidates that include Adi Hutter who was recently head coach at Borussia Monchengladbach, but Hodgson, at 75 years of age, is the clear frontrunner to take over from Patrick Vieira.’

The Verdict: One to watch?

Hutter, like Hodgson, is currently out of work, so a move could be one to keep an eye on and one that could be finalised very quickly due to his availability.

The 53-year-old likes to play a 3-4-2-1 system and as well as Monchengladbach, has managed Eintracht Frankfurt, BSC Young Boys and Red Bull Salzburg.

Hutter has taken charge of 365 games with those four clubs, winning the double with Salzburg during the 2014/15 season and the league title with BSC Young Boys in 2017/18.

He even has experience of managing sides in the Europa League and in the qualifying stages of the Champions League, so could prove to be a shrewd option in either the short or long term.

However, with Palace now battling to avoid the drop, they may see Hodgson’s previous Premier League experience as key over the coming months to steer the club to safety, before looking at their long-term options in the summer.

Chelsea are ‘actively working’ on completing the signing of Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia this summer, according to a new transfer report.

The Lowdown: Lavia linked with Chelsea move

Once the summer transfer window rolls around, the Blues are again likely to be one of the busier Premier League clubs in the market.

This season has been a huge disappointment, with a mid-table finish genuinely looking possible at this point, and it highlights the need for major reinforcements.

While some big-name signings certainly wouldn’t go amiss, such as Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, for example, bringing in youngsters is also vital for the future.

One such player who has been linked with a move to Chelsea numerous times recently is Lavia, who is currently making a name for himself at Southampton.

The 19-year-old has already made 16 starts in the league this season, showing what a key figure he is, and he has shone in a defensive midfield role.

It looks as though Chelsea still see Lavia as a primary transfer target this summer, following a new claim.

The Latest: Blues in pole position

According to Football Insider, the Blues are ‘actively working’ to bring the teenager to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

It is noted that Lavia is ‘also attracting interest’ from fellow Premier League heavyweight trio Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United, but most excitingly, Chelsea are ‘in pole position to sign him’.

Graham Potter sees him as someone who fits the profile of what he’s looking for in midfield signings and he is ‘high up’ on the list of targets.

The Verdict: Great young addition

This is great news for Chelsea, with Lavia showcasing his talent for Saints this season, enjoying an 86.7% pass completion rate in the league, as well as averaging 1.9 tackles per game.

He is showing that he can perform in a struggling team in a top league, and stand out for them, so he could really thrive if surrounded by top talent at Stamford Bridge.

Granted, Lavia likely wouldn’t come in as an immediate key starter, particularly with Enzo Fernandez only recently coming in, but he would be viewed as a huge prospect for the future and an important squad player from the off.

He has been described as ‘the future midfield leader of Belgium and a top Premier League club’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also called him a ‘very underrated passer’.