Inter Miami's assistant coach Javier Morales has provided an update on the planned date for Lionel Messi's return to action from injury.
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Jude Bellingham has already matched David Beckham and made Real Madrid “forget about” Karim Benzema, claims his former manager at Birmingham.
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Everton, despite off-field murmurs of a potential points deduction, are letting their football do the talking at present with plenty of positives for the Toffees to latch onto from recent victories.
Back-to-back wins in the Premier League and League Cup versus West Ham and Burnley saw Jordan Pickford keep two consecutive clean sheets, Ashley Young net his first goal in Everton colours and Dominic Calvert-Lewin play for the majority of both contests with a goal and an assist for his efforts to shake off fears he would pick up an injury again.
The Toffees have managed, in the process, to distance themselves from the relegation spots with Sean Dyche targeting another victory this coming weekend against Brighton and Hove Albion when Everton return to league action.
Away from the current crop of first-teamers at Goodison Park, young Blues prospect Stanley Mills is making a name for himself down in Oxfordshire on loan, with the 20-year-old notching up more assists than any Everton player this campaign.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil are tied at the top of the assists chart for the Toffees with two each, Mills ahead of both names with four as he continues to dazzle League One defences early into his Oxford United stint.
Everton's explosive right-winger is highly thought of in Merseyside, consistently performing at U21 level with the club before embarking on this new loan venture at Oxford to kickstart his senior career.
For the U21s, Mills has torn opposition defences to shreds regularly down the channels – netting 17 goals in 48 outings, including assisting a further five.
Outgrowing his age bracket arguably, Mills has settled into League One life well with the U's since making the loan switch in late July.
Singled out as a "natural athlete" by his dad, Danny Mills, in an article by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland – the young winger impressing Frank Lampard when the ex-Chelsea player turned Toffees boss first rocked up to Goodison Park – he's shown his pedigree for Liam Manning's men.
It wouldn't take long for the exciting talent to instantly endear himself into the hearts of Oxford supporters, Mills arrowing a wonderful effort into the back of the net versus Fleetwood Town to help his team convincingly win 3-0 on the seaside.
His creative flair on the ball has also been a standout of his game since making the move, the 20-year-old assisting four times in total including in his last match as the U's beat Lincoln City 2-0 on their travels to cement second spot in the division.
The young starlet had five efforts of his own at Sincil Bank also, as per Sofascore, registering two out of his five shots on target but he was unable to find the net to add to his slim senior goal collection.
Son of the ex-Manchester City and Leeds United defender – who was capped 19 times by England – the emerging superstar will hope he can follow in his father's footsteps by having a lengthy career at the top.
For the time being, however, Mills will continue enjoying his football at Oxford with dreams of becoming an Everton first-team star his ultimate goal.
Lionel Messi is used to pitch invaders, and the latest has caught that moment on camera after taking to the field after an Inter Miami game.
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West Ham United have received a boost in their hunt for a talented young star and could now be in a position to land him in January, according to reports.
The Hammers have made relatively steady strides in the Premier League so far under David Moyes, sitting ninth in the table with 14 points on the board from their first ten fixtures in the division.
The Hammers have also booked their place in the last eight of the EFL Cup, convincingly defeating Arsenal 3-1 at the London Stadium courtesy of goals from Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Gunners defender Ben White, who put through his own net to open the scoring.
Speaking to West Ham's official website after the game, Moyes was delighted with his side's performance as they comfortably saw off Mikel Arteta's men on home soil, as he stated: "It was a really good team performance. We had a few new players out there; Dinos came in at centre-half and did very well. Jarrod went up at centre-forward and did well, and Mo came in and did really, really well tonight. There were a lot of good things to be pleased about."
As alluded to by Moyes, England international Bowen came in to feature as a central striker ahead of veteran forward Michail Antonio, who is a target for several Premier League clubs alongside holding interest from the Saudi Pro League in his services, according to Football Insider.
Nevertheless, it is mentioned in the report that West Ham United and Antonio are locked in discussions over a potential contract extension at the London Stadium, with his current terms set to expire in the summer of 2024.
Jamaica forward Antonio has been a major part of the furniture at the Hammers since joining the club in 2015; however, fresh developments now suggest that West Ham could look to the future by recruiting a younger forward to help shoulder the goalscoring burden.
According to a transfer update from 90min, West Ham United have set their sights on Santos forward Marcos Leonardo, who is now expected to leave his current employers in the upcoming transfer window. The report states that the Brazil Under-20 international would command a fee in the region of £20 million.
The Hammers are considering a January bid, but will need to fend off competition from the likes of Newcastle United, Fulham, Brentford, Roma and Flamengo to land the 20-year-old.
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Marcos Leonardo's impressive goal record for Santos (Transfermarkt) |
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|
Appearances |
161 |
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Goals |
54 |
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Assists |
11 |
Despite his youth, Leonardo is a vastly experienced goalscorer at the elite level in South America and has demonstrated his prowess as a threat to opposition backlines in the Brazilian top-flight across 2023, recording an average of 2.9 shots on goal per fixture (Leonardo statistics – WhoScored).
Labelled a "special talent" by journalist Nathan Joyes, Leonardo looks to be primed for a move to one of Europe's top leagues and could offer West Ham United a valuable outlet in the final third on a long-term basis.
After Lucas Paqueta opened the scoring for West Ham United within three minutes against Nottingham Forest, David Moyes might have been lured into a false sense of security, perhaps expecting his side to record their first Premier League win in five matches with minimal fuss.
Instead, the Scot was sent on a rollercoaster of an afternoon as goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Anthony Elanga on either side of half-time put Forest 2-1 ahead before headers from Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek delivered the Hammers a dramatic comeback of their own and a vital 3-2 victory.
Soucek was a threat from set-pieces all afternoon and deservedly got his goal in the 88th minute as he powered a header home from a wicked James Ward-Prowse delivery.
In what was a thrilling contest at the London Stadium, the Czech Republic goliath saw his persistence in front of goal eventually rewarded
Towards the closing stages, the 27-year-old hit the crossbar and had a header miraculously saved by Forest keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
While it would prove to be third time lucky for the Czech midfielder after nodding home a Ward-Prowse delivery, he demonstrated his strength in the air throughout the contest by winning five of his six aerial duels.
Aside from being a handy weapon utilised to attack the ball in both boxes, Soucek's engine and late runs into the box are two of the main reasons why Moyes finds a way to fit him into the team.
His aggression and energetic displays are also vital to the Hammers's recovering possession, registering six clearances, two tackles and winning two of his three attempted ground duels against the Reds, as per Sofascore.
Although Soucek's high-octane work rate and ball-winning are near faultless, he often falls short in the creative department, struggling to drive his team forward in possession and feed the forwards with intricate passes.
Having only completed 68% of his attempted passes and zero of his dribbles, despite being deployed as a number 10, the £65k per-week battler raised eyebrows once over Moyes' decision to play him as a number 10.
Soucek's lack of creativity continues to come under scrutiny, but Ward-Prowse's was labelled as "world-class" by the Scotsman against Forest.
Ward-Prowse has been absolutely magnificent since arriving from St Mary's in the summer and his wand of a right foot proved to be the difference once more on Sunday afternoon.
Praised by journalist Henry Winter for his "wizardry", the 29-year-old served up more magic at the London stadium by supplying two assists from corners as Bowen and Soucek dragged the Hammers to victory, while the Englishman took his tally to an incredible ten assists in all competitions this term.
At the peak of his powers, the midfielder is arguably the best set-piece specialist in the Premier League having provided more assists from dead balls (17) since the start of the 2020/21 campaign than any other player in the competition.
With Alan Shearer and Ian Wright putting him into the same bracket as David Beckham for how exceptional he is from set pieces, the Southampton academy graduate doesn't just provide a threat from dead-ball situations, having showcased his incredible passing range against the Tricky Trees.
According to Sofascore, the £115k per-week magician registered a 96% pass completion, attempted 13 crosses, made five key passes and created two big chances.
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Ward-Prowse's stats vs Nottingham Forest |
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|---|---|
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Accurate passes |
70/73 (96%) |
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Touches |
94 |
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Key passes |
5 |
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Crosses (acc.) |
13 (4) |
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Big chances created |
2 |
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Ground duels (won) |
4 (3) |
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Aerial duels (won) |
1 (1) |
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All stats via Sofascore |
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He now ranks fourth among midfielders in the top flight for big chances created (6) and third for key passes per game (2.5), which highlights how pivotal his impact in the final third has been.
It also begs the question as to how Gareth Southgate has left him out of his latest England squad.
Jack Grealish opened up on his frustrations and confidence issues following injury and a loss of form in a "difficult" season with Manchester City.
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Gareth Taylor's side struggled without striker Khadija Shaw but an outstanding display from another star forward led the league leaders to victory
Had Manchester City dropped points at Bristol City on Sunday, it could have been fatal in their quest to win the Women's Super League. For an hour, it looked a real possibility. The Robins, needing a victory to avoid relegation, stood firm and, when broken down, the Cityzens fluffed their lines. But cometh the hour, cometh the woman. Mary Fowler's sweet strike with 62 minutes on the clock broke the deadlock and her second of the day sealed an eventual 4-0 win that extended her side's lead at the top of the table to six points, while demoting the hosts to the Championship.
Chloe Kelly, Alanna Kennedy, Lauren Hemp and Laia Aleixandri all had chances to break that deadlock much earlier in the game, yet Shae Yanez in the Bristol City goal was rarely tested as the absence of star striker Khadija Shaw was sorely felt. The most significant goalkeeping intervention actually came at the other end when England teenager Khiara Keating bravely denied Amalie Thestrup and hurt herself in the process, though not to the extent that the visitors needed to give a debut to emergency loan signing Katie Startup.
As the clock continued to tick, it felt like Fowler would be the player to produce the magic, such was the frequency with which she continued to create chances for others. But with no one able to add that final, clinical touch, the Australia star took matters into her own hands when she sent a rocket of a strike into the top corner in the second half. A deserved second would follow from Hemp's curling cross, an own goal from Amy Rodgers made it three and Alex Greenwood's stoppage time header concluded the scoring, sending Bristol back down to the Championship while their opponents continue to hunt for a first WSL title in eight years.
GOAL rates Man City's players from Ashton Gate…
Aston Villa are now eyeing their latest ambitious swoop in the transfer market as Unai Emery looks to strengthen his squad for a tilt at Champions League qualification, according to a report.
This term, Aston Villa have once again proved to be one of the most entertaining sides in the Premier League as they continue to go from strength to strength under Spanish coach Emery, netting the second-most goals in the division with 29 strikes, only being bettered by Manchester City.
With 12 games gone, the Villans have racked up an impressive 25 points from 36 available and will be hoping to continue their positive run of form on Sunday; however, Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur will provide a stern test of their capabilities in N17.
Heading into the January window, Aston Villa will once again be keen to bolster their ranks in key areas after the additions of Nicolo Zaniolo, Moussa Diaby, Clement Lenglet, Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres in the summer. According to reports, acquiring another final third threat is high on Emery's agenda in the New Year, with Athletic Club attacker Inaki Williams now emerging as a potential target for the Villans as they aim to add some extra firepower.
Outgoings will undoubtedly also be part of Aston Villa's plans in January; however, The Evening Standard claim that Emery is desperate to keep hold of Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz, who is attracting interest from Premier League high-flyers Arsenal as they try to compensate for Thomas Partey's absence. Mohamed Elneny is also set to join up with Egypt for the upcoming African Cup of Nations; nevertheless, Luiz is viewed as a pivotal part of the furniture at Villa Park.
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Aston Villa's recent results – all competitions |
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Opponent & result |
Venue |
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Aston Villa 3-1 Fulham |
Villa Park |
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Aston Villa 2-1 AZ Alkmaar |
Villa Park |
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Nottingham Forest 2-0 Aston Villa |
City Ground |
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Aston Villa 3-1 Luton Town |
Villa Park |
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AZ Alkmaar 1-4 Aston Villa |
AFAS Stadion |
Instead of losing ground in the engine room, Emery could now be set to bring in another body to help boost his options, according to a report.
According to TV Play, Aston Villa are one of a number of clubs interested in Roma's Bryan Cristante, who could be attainable if a proposal is put forward for his services worth more than €30 million.
Nevertheless, Aston Villa will need to fend off stiff competition to sign the Italy international, as Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are also courting him. The Villans could have an advantage in negotiations, though, as president of football operations, Monchi, played a role in facilitating his transfer from Atalanta to Roma in 2019.
Attracting the attention of Emery, Cristante has gone on to be a key player for Roma during his time at the Stadio Olimpico, registering 13 goals and 16 assists in 244 appearances for the Serie A giants (Cristante statistics – Transfermarkt).
Described as a player who is "under-estimated" by Roma director Tiago Pinto, Cristante has made his presence known on the field this term, completing an average of 1.8 tackles and 1.8 clearances per match in the Italian top-flight (Cristante statistics – WhoScored).
Conceivably, Cristante could add some extra bite to an already stacked Aston Villa midfield as they aim to go to the next level in the near future.
Crystal Palace and USMNT star Chris Richards has been honoured with a Community Champion award at the PFA's end-of-season ceremony.
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