Everton are reportedly working on a deal to try and sign Juventus flop Douglas Luiz.
Everton eye Juventus' Luiz
Linked with Man Utd among others
Brazilian eyeing transfer move
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Mediaset journalist Gianni Balzarini claims Everton are pursuing the former Aston Villa man and are prepared to offer €30 million for his services. Juventus, however, want around €40m but Balzarini believes a deal could be struck, with the Brazilian heading for the exit door.
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'LUIZ IS ON HIS WAY OUT'
Balzarini said: "So we talked about the exit options. There’s Douglas Luiz, who Everton are acting quite seriously for. Juve want to make €40m. A guarantee of €10m plus €30m. Everton are currently reaching €30m overall. I think an agreement will be reached there too. Everyone has their own opinion, for some he’s very strong, for others he’s a dud, you see how in football there are a wide variety of opinions, one diametrically opposed to the other, so everyone has their own opinion, but Douglas Lewis is officially on his way out."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
In recent weeks, Manchester United, Leeds United, and Nottingham Forest have been linked with the midfielder, who struggled in his first season at Juventus following a €51.5m (£44.6m) move from Villa. West Ham are said to be keen on a loan deal but Everton's offer may convince Juve to sell him to the Merseyside outfit instead. Either way, Luiz may need to move on to reignite his career.
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WHAT NEXT?
Former Vasco da Gama ace Luiz, who chalked up 27 appearances for Juventus last season but just six of those were starts, is running out of time to find a transfer or loan exit as the summer window slams shut in just under six weeks.
Uncapped fast bowler Ben Sears has been added to New Zealand’s ODI squad for the three-match series against Bangladesh as cover for Kyle Jamieson, who has a stiff left hamstring.Jamieson returned to New Zealand after the two-Test series in Bangladesh on Tuesday and then travelled to Dunedin to join the ODI squad. He played both Tests in Bangladesh, taking two wickets in 34 overs and scoring 52 runs in three innings.”We’re taking a cautious approach with Kyle,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “We don’t want to rush or push him back, particularly at the very start of our home summer. He could play if absolutely necessary but we don’t want to take any unnecessary risks, hence calling in Ben for this first match. Ben’s familiar to the team environment and it’s been good to see him back at full fitness for the [Wellington] Firebirds.”Sears, 25, hasn’t made his ODI debut yet but he has played six T20Is and was part of the ODI squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Series against Australia last year. He has 36 wickets in 29 List A matches at an average of 33.77 and economy of 5.62.New Zealand play the first ODI against Bangladesh on December 17 in Dunedin. The second ODI is in Nelson on December 20 and the third in Napier on December 23.New Zealand’s ODI squad: Tom Latham (capt), Adi Ashok (games 2 & 3), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi (game 1), Will Young, Ben Sears
Ollie Price posts century for Gloucestershire as visitors turn to Leus du Plooy in pursuit
ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2023Anuj Dal completed career-best figures of 6 for 69 to launch a determined Derbyshire fightback on the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.The 27-year-old seamer doubled his tally of three first-day victims to help restrict the hosts to 377 all out, from an overnight 333 for 6, including a superb catch off his own bowling to dismiss Ollie Price for 132, also a career-best.Derbyshire openers Harry Came (68) and Luis Reece (77) then built on the momentum with an opening partnership of 132 before their side closed on 260 for six, skipper Leus du Plooy unbeaten on 44.Gloucestershire began the day hopeful of a 400-plus total, but had added only eight to their overnight total when Dal dived full length to his right to cling one-handed onto a low return catch offered by Price, who had faced 194 balls and hit 18 fours.It was 366 for 8 when Josh Shaw was also caught and bowled for 18, Sam Conners capitalising on a sharp chance, and 376 for 9 when debutant Ed Middleton, on nine, fell leg before to Dal. Play was then interrupted by a shower and 12 overs of the 104 due to be bowled in the day were lost.On the resumption at 12.10pm, Dal had Dom Goodman caught behind to end the innings and left the pitch holding the ball aloft. It was the second time in as many games that he had claimed five wickets or more in an innings.By lunch, Came and Reece had put 20 on the board from five overs and it looked like being a tough afternoon for Gloucestershire’s injury-hit bowling attack on a dry pitch offering little assistance to seam or spin.So it proved, although the home side’s fortunes would have been lifted had they had they not spilled three catches, the first a straightforward chance to wicketkeeper James Bracey, moving to his right, offered by Came on 39.Luke Charlesworth was the unlucky bowler and he suffered again soon afterwards when Miles Hammond failed to cling onto a high chance at point, Reece this time profiting with his score on 22. Came was later given another life on 64, Price unable to grasp a fast edge into his midriff at slip off Zafar Gohar.Those scares apart, the two openers looked comfortable, Somerset-born Reece bringing up the century stand and his own fifty with a three off Goodman in the 29th over.A two off the same bowler took Came to his half-century and by tea the visitors were sitting pretty at 128 without loss. The third ball after the interval saw Charlesworth’s luck change as, with four runs added, he earned an lbw verdict against Came.Reece’s 142-ball innings ended with the total on 169 in the 49th over as he skied a pull shot off the tall Goodman to Zafar Gohar at fine leg.Then Hammond atoned for his earlier error with a direct hit at the wicketkeeper’s end to brilliantly run out Brooke Guest for 15, attempting a single after Wayne Madsen had played a delivery from Goodman to point.When Madsen surprisingly surrendered his wicket, lbw for 11 trying to reverse sweep Gohar, Derbyshire were 203 for 4, still 174 behind.But du Plooy had arrived at the crease with more than 1,000 Championship runs already behind him this season and the 28-year-old South African managed to steady the ship, ably assisted by Matt Lamb in bright early evening sunshine.Lamb produced one of the shots of the day with a swashbuckling back-foot stroke though backward point for four off Charlesworth before clinching Derbyshire’s first batting point with a boundary off Gohar. But with the score still on 251, he carelessly pulled a short ball from Gohar straight to Chris Dent at midwicket and departed for 24.The fifth-wicket stand had been worth 49, but Conners’ promotion in the order quickly backfired when he edged a catch to Bracey to give Gohar a third wicket and du Plooy now holds the key to his side at least gaining first-innings parity.
Keshav Maharaj has completed a remarkable recovery from an Achilles’ rupture sustained in March and has been included in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the ODI World Cup starting next month.Maharaj was injured in a Test against West Indies in the second week of March and was expected to be out for the rest of the year. But he returned to action at the weekend, for South Africa’s final T20I against Australia, and has been declared fit for the World Cup. He will be one of two frontline spinners, alongside Tabraiz Shamsi, with Aiden Markram’s offspin also likely to be called on in India.His selection left no room for Bjorn Fortuin, who has been involved in South Africa’s recent white-ball squads. Instead, South Africa opted for their usual strategy of stacking the squad with quicks and have included six in this group. Kagiso Rabada will lead a pack that includes Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala (who is recovering from a knee niggle) and Gerald Coetzee, who was preferred over Wayne Parnell or an extra batter, despite having only two ODI caps to his name.Related
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“We really want to have four high-quality fast bowlers on the park at most times. That’s a strategy South African cricket has done well with,” Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball coach, said in Bloemfontein, where the squad was announced. “Parny was definitely one of the tough decisions to make. He would have formed part of that six-strong fast-bowling group, but we went for Gerald as someone who has got a little bit of extra pace.”It was a tough call; tough for him [Parnell] to miss out. And I don’t believe you need an extra batter. We’ve got a back-up batter in the group. I back all of them. They are very versatile.”The batting line-up includes captain Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (who will retire from ODIs after the tournament), Rassie van der Dussen, and players with ample IPL experience in Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller. Reeza Hendricks is the reserve, in a rich vein of form albeit in a different format, with seven fifties from his last ten T20I innings, which meant younger players such as Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis missed out.Walter urged patience for players with obvious potential who have not shot the lights out at international level just yet. “Selection doesn’t sometimes happen as quickly as people want,” he said. “We have one back-up batter in our group and all our batters have been playing for South Africa. For them to be superseded will just be unfair. That’s the important thing to understand about the ODI side, they have been playing very good cricket for a while, so that’s why the tried-and-tested names that are out there.”The same reason was given for sticking with a player like Ngidi, who went wicketless in the T20Is against Australia and has not taken the field in leagues despite being picked in the IPL and Major League Cricket. Ngidi has struggled for consistency in the last few games but Walter is convinced his 50-over form will be better.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“I am not concerned at all. I’ve seen the work Lungi has put in over the entire winter period. T20 can be brutal and I do feel there is a slightly different dynamic when it comes to 50-over cricket. I know he will find his feet soon enough,” Walter said. “We must be careful to look at things in isolation. From a broader point of view, given what I have seen over the last three months, there is no real concern on my side.”It was in India, while with Chennai Super Kings, that Ngidi worked on his slower ball variations and honed skills to go with his speed, which should help in the subcontinent. That experience and knowledge is what Walter hopes will stand South Africa in good stead at a tournament where he expects conditions to be less spinner-friendly than reputation suggests, except against India.”Having been to India, you realise, there is no one condition you are going to be faced with. There’s a real spectrum. I have no doubt there will be some directive around creating the best cricket wickets that they can to make sure it’s a spectacle,” he said. “Maybe when South Africa plays India in Kolkata [it will be different], but for the most part we are going to get really good cricket wickets.”South Africa will expect the same over the next 12 days, when they play Australia in five ODIs with the same squad that will travel to the World Cup plus Fortuin. Brevis, Parnell and Stubbs, who were part of the original squad, have been released from the playing group and will prepare for the domestic one-day cup, which starts on September 16.South Africa World Cup squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen
Vasconcelos makes fifty to set up emphatic 78-run win at Wantage Road
ECB Reporters Network18-Jun-2023Ben Sanderson took three wickets to help send Northamptonshire to a comprehensive 78-run victory over Nottinghamshire Outlaws in this Vitality Blast match at Wantage Road.Sanderson started wickets tumbling by removing England T20 opener Alex Hales for 0 in the second over. It comes just two days after he accounted for England captain Jos Buttler, also without scoring, in the match against Lancashire Lightning on Friday night.With heavy rain circling the ground, the visitors were mindful of staying on top of the run rate as they chased a par score of 177 but lost regular wickets with David Willey (2 for 9) picking up two in two balls in the third over.The stage had been set by Ricardo Vasconcelos who hit 51 off just 44 balls (six fours) and shared a stand of 53 in 6.3 overs with Willey (22). The middle order all added useful runs, AJ Tye contributing 21 off just eight balls as the Steelbacks plundered 60 runs off the last four overs of their innings despite missing Australian big hitter Chris Lynn (unwell).Skipper Steven Mullaney (31) played a lone hand for the Outlaws in the run chase, but despite useful 20s from Joe Clarke and Samit Patel, they fell well short.The Steelbacks soon lost Emilio Gay when he clipped Shaheen Shahn Afridi straight to midwicket. Vasconcelos though continued his excellent run of form, but combining power hitting with deft stroke play. He hit Shaheen down the ground for four and crunched Jake Ball through the covers for another boundary as well as deploying the sweep and cut to good effect.Willey too attacked in the powerplay, cracking the ball through square leg for four when Ball dropped short, He came down the wicket to Matt Carter and deposited him over long-on for four and meted out the same treatment to Ball. His downfall came when he made room to attack Samit Patel but was deceived by one which knocked back his off-stump.Vasconcelos swept Samit Patel to bring up his fifty off just 40 balls but fell soon after when he cut Carter straight to backward point.After making his Steelbacks debut on Friday, Justin Broad again showed few nerves. sweeping and driving the ball to the ropes, but fell thanks to a sensational one-handed catch off his own bowling by Patel (2 for 23).Saif Zaib (26) and Rob Keogh (20*) then combined in an enterprising stand of 36 runs. Zaib latched onto a beamer from Shaheen dispatching it high over fine leg for six and hit another maximum before he holed out to long-off off Ball.Keogh gathered two boundaries of his own as the runs continued to fly. AJ Tye had fun in the closing overs, swinging with real intent, depositing Shaheen high over long-on for six and hitting three fours as the Steelbacks’ innings ended on a high.Clarke took the attack to Sanderson’s first over, picking up three consecutive boundaries. The evergreen Steelback seamer soon struck back, getting one to come back and remove Hales’ bails, before Willey struck twice in the next over. First Colin Munro chipped one up to mid-off before Matt Montgomery drove loosely and was caught at slip.Clarke ramped Willey for six and had powered four down the ground off Taylor (2 for 17) when he tried another big shot off the next ball, failed to connect and had his stumps flattened. That left the Outlaws on 48 for four at the end of the powerplay.Patel looked to regain the initiative. He powered Sanderson through the covers and disdainfully smashed Taylor over long on before collecting two streaky boundaries off Freddie Heldreich. The spinner got his man in the next over though when he holed out to Zaib on the deep midwicket boundary.Sanderson (3 for 29) returned to the attack and duly had Tom Moores caught behind off the first ball of his final over, finishing his stint by picking up Shaheen when Taylor held onto a steepling catch.Calvin Harrison skied a catch off Taylor with Willey doing the honours in the field before Carter holed out off Tye.Mullaney (31) hit a big six down the ground but was the final wicket to fall caught on the boundary to give Heldreich his second wicket.
Pressure on Javier Mascherano and his men to perform after draw against East-leading Philadelphia
An 86th-minute free kick golazo from Lionel Messi helped spark a late comeback for Inter Miami as they earned a point on the road against the Philadelphia Union in a 3-3 draw Saturday night.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner stepped up with the trailing by two goals with four minutes to spare, drilling home a brilliant left-footed strike from the top of the box for his sixth goal of the MLS campaign. With a boost of momentum, the South Beach side, in the last minute of stoppage-time, found an equalizer on a goal by Telasco Segovia.
From the edge of the box, Segovia curled home an effort into the top corner of the net to make it 3-3 in the dying seconds of the match – completing the riveting comeback and earning Miami a point on the road.
With the result, though, Miami are still winless in seven of their last eight matches. It was a dominant performance from the Union all match long, but a bit of Messi magic went a long way to ensure Miami didn't leave empty handed.
Quinn Sullivan, U.S. men's national team call-up for the CONCACAF Gold Cup training camp, opened the scoring for Philly as the 20-year-old nailed a belter of a curling effort just seven minutes in off a short corner kick.
MLS Golden Boot leader Tai Baribo then doubled the Union's lead minutes before halftime, furthering their advantage ahead of the break. Miami earned a goal back in the 60th minute off a lovely header from winger Tadeo Allende – the beginning of their eventual comeback.
Baribo, however, responded with his second of the game to make it 3-1 with 16 minutes to spare, thinking he'd bagged the dagger that earned his club all three points. That was until Messi stepped up.
His brilliant free kick brought the South Beach club back into the mix as the final whistle neared. It wasn't a pretty game for the by any means. Their defense was exploited all match long, and Philly outshot them 18 to 10.
With just one win in their last eight across all competitions, though, a point might be viewed as successful for Miami.
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Subaru Park.
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Goalkeeper & Defense
Oscar Ustari (6/10):
A few nice reaction saves, but his struggles showed. Not much he could do on the opening two goals, and on the third, his defense let him down.
Noah Allen (5/10):
Appeared to miss his mark on Sullivan's goal for Philly's opener, but hard to pin it on him alone. Miami's best defender of the night, that mishap aside.
Tomas Aviles (4/10):
Surprisingly inserted into the XI for the first time in five weeks, and was outclassed all match. Caught out multiple times, he couldn't handle the pressure from the Union attack.
Gonzalo Lujan (4/10):
Slow and unaware all night long. On Miami's second goal, he was beat to the ball despite having two steps on the attacker – just a poor performance overall.
Ian Fray (5/10):
Didn't excel, but wasn't particularly poor, either. A fine performance, but against the Union, fine isn't good enough.
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Midfield
Jordi Alba (5/10):
Played out of position further up the pitch, he brought nothing additional to the attack – which was the intention of the switch. Not his fault, as a defender.
Sergio Busquets (6/10):
Strong centrally, per usual – but with few creators surrounding him, he struggled to find outlets with which to pass to.
Yannick Bright (N/A):
Subbed off at 38 minutes in due to injury.
Tadeo Allende (6/10):
Really nice header, perfect run. However, he was poor in the final-third throughout the match – struggled in build up and transition, but came up big with his goal, sparking the eventual comeback.
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Attack
Lionel Messi (7/10):
Played frustrated all evening until that magical free kick. He was at his best for eight minutes of the game, and it earned them a point – would it have been three if he played like that longer?
Luis Suarez (3/10):
Invisible the entire game. A few pieces of hold-up play, but just completely ineffective otherwise.
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Subs & Manager
Federico Redondo (6/10):
Replaced Bright and held his own well for 60-plus minutes. Tucked in alongside Busquets, he had a rather solid second half.
Fafa Picault (N/A):
Brought on late to try and secure a result, but wasn't able to make a lasting impact.
Marcelo Weigandt (2/10):
Just so poor. Came into the game and committed multiple fouls and then found himself out of position on Philadelphia's third goal. Should be thankful Messi rescued him from his own cameo.
Telasco Segovia (9/10):
Scored a goal that was flagged for offsides, and then bagged the game-tying strike with a lovely finish. He did exactly what he was asked of, and you could not ask for more. Well done.
Javier Mascherano (3/10):
Got everything wrong from his XI to the tactics. Jordi Alba deployed higher up the pitch left his defense without a leader, while slowing down the counter-attack during regulation. Miami offered few ideas going forward or defensively. Eight minutes of Messi magic should not redeem how poor this club was set up throughout the match.
West Ham United’s tactical approach has changed in recent weeks under Graham Potter. Despite their fortunes not fully changing with results, the performances overall have shown good signs.
Where Julen Lopetegui played a 4-2-3-1, often leading to a very disjointed press, Potter has made adjustments to a 5-2-3, aiding their off-ball work, providing extra protection in the back line, but also allowing them to be more aggressive in the press.
Potter’s usage of wing backs, his approach to prioritise his best players, such as Mohamed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen, and his willingness to play more directly into a narrow front three, have given West Ham a different dynamic since his arrival.
That being said, there is still a big issue in one certain area of the pitch, which has been prevalent for quite some time now.
West Ham midfield issues
West Ham clearly have a mobility issue in the middle of the park, and this isn’t a new problem from this season. Since Declan Rice left the club in 2023, the Hammers midfield recruitment has lacked the necessary ground-covering attributes that were lost when the England international left the club.
Declan Rice for West Ham
Rice was sold to Arsenal for a fee of around ÂŁ105m in the 2023/24 summer transfer window, and his replacement signings were Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse.
During the 2024/25 transfer windows, West Ham have failed to address this spot, with their further midfield additions also lacking mobility, with Guido Rodriguez the main defensive midfield signing, who joined on a free transfer in the summer.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Rice
Alvarez
Soucek
Goals + Assists
0.16
0.06
0.26
Progressive Carries
2.45
1.09
0.21
Progressive Passes
6.59
4.01
2.94
Passes into Final Third
6.40
4.56
2.68
Tackles
2.17
2.52
1.55
Blocks
1.24
1.29
1.29
Interceptions
1.77
0.88
0.77
Ball Recoveries
9.18
4.69
2.27
Aerial Duels Won
1.02
1.36
3.56
When you compare Rice to the current midfield options for West Ham, you can see the mobility they are now missing, as Rice averaged 9.18 ball recoveries per 90 and made 2.45 progressive carries per 90, which is more than both Alvarez and Tomas Soucek combined in these metrics.
It could be argued that the Hammers did, at one stage, have a dream successor to the midfield powerhouse in their ranks, only to have seen him depart for a Premier League rival too…
West Ham lost their best talent since Rice
West Ham lost a “serious talent” according to Ben Mattinson in the same summer they lost Rice, with Divine Mukasa joining Manchester City on a long term deal.
The 17-year-old is already attracting interest from the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Ajax, having made 28 appearances for Manchester City’s U21 and U18 teams, scoring 14 goals and providing 21 assists.
The versatile attacking midfielder is left-footed, oozes class and creativity in the final third, whilst having the quality to operate in tight spaces between the lines.
His overall quality shines through, and he would surely already be getting minutes for West Ham’s first team this season – as Mattinson hinted at – had he stayed at the club, especially with the injury troubles in recent weeks.
Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen for West Ham
Losing Rice in the 2023/24 summer window was bad enough, but at least the Hammers received a sizable fee for the England midfielder, which then allowed them to reinvest in their squad.
But losing Mukasa could come back to haunt them, as the youngster is showing he may well be the biggest talent to come through the academy since Rice.
Lopetegui may have already sold "incredible" Rice replacement at West Ham
West Ham already sold their “incredible” Rice replacement too soon
Ashworth will become the FA's new head of elite men's and women's development in his first role since leaving United after only five months.
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Ashworth set to return to FADirector had short spell at UnitedINEOS called his hiring "an error"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Former United sporting director Ashworth is set to be unveiled as the Football Association's new head of elite men's and women's development in his first major role since leaving Old Trafford seven months ago. The 54-year-old spent five months with the Red Devils after INEOS poached him from Premier League rivals Newcastle, but his stay was a short one and came at an estimated cost of ÂŁ4.1m.
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Ashworth previously enjoyed success with Brighton and Newcastle, helping to complete deals for stars like Alexander Isak, Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard, but this new role will see him take control of a variety of different areas within the FA. He will oversee the men's and women's teams at senior and junior level and offer insight into growing the amount of pathways into football for aspiring coaches, according to The Telegraph.
DID YOU KNOW?
England's youth teams won two World Cups and a European Championship during Ashworth's first spell with the FA, while both the senior men's and women's teams became more consistent performers at major tournaments.
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ASHWORTH AND MAN UTD?
Ashworth is expected to be unveiled in his new role imminently, while United are still dealing with the aftershock of new investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS. The Red Devils are 16th in the Premier League but can still end the season with silverware if they beat Tottenham in the Europa League final.
For the second time in three seasons, Newcastle United are Wembley-bound for the Carabao Cup final. Eddie Howe’s side put in a fantastic performance over the course of the two legs against Arsenal, with 2-0 wins in each game. The Magpies will face either Liverpool or Tottenham in the final, with the North Londoners having a narrow 1-0 advantage.
It was a fantastic night for the North Eastern outfit. Alexander Isak thought he had an early goal, but it was ruled out for offside. Nevertheless, it got St James’ Park rocking, and it wasn’t long before they could celebrate again, this time with a goal that counted.
Again, it was Isak who was involved, with his powerful shot hitting the post after a smart run in behind the defence. The rebound fell kindly to Jacob Murphy, with the right-winger finishing the chance from yards out.
The Magpies doubled their lead just seven minutes after the second half began. Anthony Gordon was the man who was able to take advantage of a poor mistake from Arsenal. The Gunners goalkeeper David Raya played Declan Rice into trouble with a poor pass, with the ball falling to Gordon who converted.
It was a fantastic performance from the Magpies, who played the two legs perfectly and have thus reached a deserved Wembley final. Gordon and Isak simply terrorised the Gunners’ defence.
Gordon and Isak’s stats vs. Arsenal
If you need a player to rise to the big occasion, Newcastle might have the best player for the job in the entire Premier League. That man is Gordon, who has 17 goals and assists in 19 games against the traditional big six since the start of last season.
He was phenomenal on Wednesday, aside from his goal. The winger played a huge part in the Magpies’ opener. His touch set Isak away and running into space, which, in turn, led to Murphy’s goal. As per Sofascore, Gordon created two chances and worked hard off the ball, winning seven duels.
As for Isak, he was a nightmare for Gabriel and William Saliba. He just sat on their shoulder all night, making runs in behind and constantly making a nuisance of himself. This worked a treat, given he had an early goal ruled out and in essence created the opener.
One person who was very impressed with the Swede’s performance against Arsenal was Jordan Cronin. The journalist for Newcastle World gave him an 8/10 for his efforts on Wednesday night, describing his performance as ‘deadly’.
There is no doubt that both Gordon and Isak were fantastic against the Gunners. However, someone who perhaps stood out more was Sandro Tonali.
Tonali’s performance vs. Arsenal
What a performance from Italian midfielder Tonali. He was excellent at St James’ Park, dominating the midfield, and really stepping up in Joelinton’s absence. The lack of the Brazilian’s presence in midfield was certainly not felt by the Magpies.
He was given an 8/10 rating from Cronin, just as Isak was. The journalist was full of praise for the Italian, explaining how he ‘used the ball well’ and noted Tonali ‘carried out his defensive duties’ on the night.
The former AC Milan star was fantastic against Rice in the centre of the park, who made a bit of a blunder for Gordon’s goal. Although Raya’s pass was not the best, SDS Podcast regular Abz Busquets explained that the Arsenal number 41 needed to put his “body in between ball and man” in that instance.
In fact, there are stats courtesy of Squawka that suggest Tonali has been outperforming Rice in the Premier League this season too.
For example, he has won more duels per game than the England international, with five compared to four, and averages more forward passes per game, with 14.3 compared to 12.5.
Tonali vs. Rice key stats 2024/25 PL
Stat (per 90)
Tonali
Rice
Through balls
0.4
0.2
Forward passes
14.3
12.5
Take-on success rate
56.25
44.44
Duels won
5
4
Ball recoveries
6.5
4.8
Stats from Squawka
Tonali was fantastic on Wednesday, and certainly would not look out of place in the Gunners’ midfield – a unit that appears in desperate need of a new number six, amid links to Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi ahead of the summer window.
As for the Magpies, it must surely be a positive that they have a player in Tonali, plus the likes of Isak and Gordon, who can hit those kinds of levels when it matters most.
Newcastle lining up Isak succession plan in "unbelievable" ÂŁ80k-p/w forward
Isak’s future remains in doubt, with the striker yet to sign a new contract.
Following Miguel Almiron’s departure to join MLS side Atlanta United, Newcastle United have reportedly opened talks to sign a rising star in a bargain deal for Eddie Howe.
Newcastle transfer news
Like many in the Premier League, Newcastle have left things late when it has come to potential reinforcements, having waited for the sale of Almiron to fund a last-gasp attempt to sign Bryan Mbeumo. Despite reportedly making a late approach to sign the Brentford star, who is valued at a hefty ÂŁ60m, it seems as though the Magpies are set to miss out this time around.
That may not be the end of the matter, with Mbeumo someone who is on Newcastle’s radar following an excellent campaign. When the summer arrives, the Bees will no doubt face another battle to keep hold of one of their star men.
If successful later down the line, the Magpies could be welcoming a future star alongside Mbeumo, as there is a deal that they’re seemingly already setting in motion towards the end of the current window.
Bryan Mbeumo celebrates for Brentford
According to Mail Online, Newcastle have opened talks to sign Antonio Cordero from Malaga on a pre-contract agreement, which would see the 18-year-old winger arrive on a free deal in the summer.
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The young Spaniard could instantly become the heir to Almiron as a player on the rise and one to watch in the coming years.
"Direct" Cordero is one for the future
Whilst Almiron handed Howe an ageing option who was past his best, Cordero would instantly hand the Newcastle boss an exciting player who is yet to reach the peak of his powers. At just 18 years old, the Spaniard has already made an impact for Malaga’s senior side, scoring four goals and assisting another two in the Segunda Division in Spain.
Earning deserved praise as a result, analyst Ben Mattinson described Cordero as “direct” and “exciting” earlier this year, in what is a preview of what St James’ Park may witness in years to come if Newcastle get their deal over the line.
As the January transfer window comes to a close and Newcastle set their sights on summer additions, all signs are pointing towards a rising star in 18-year-old Cordero.