Emmanuel Petit has advised Arsenal to break the bank on two attackers who could emulate Erling Haaland, but told the Gunners to avoid Alexander Isak.
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Arsenal looking for a No. 9 in the market
Advised to pursue Nico Williams & Ivan Toney
Told to stay away from £100m-rated Isak
WHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal are reported to be on the hunt for a new striker who could guarantee plenty of goals, especially with repeated injuries to forward Gabriel Jesus. They have been linked with several potential targets including Brentford's Ivan Toney, Newcastle United's Isak and a host of other burgeoning names in European football.
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WHAT PETIT SAID
Petit believes that Toney and Athletic Club's Nico Williams' should fit Mikel Arteta's system seamlessly and has urged the north London outfit to sign the two strikers.
"I really like Nico Williams and could play up front for Arsenal," he told "He's very fast, can be an independent goalscorer and combines with teammates. A lot of people said signing Haaland for Man City was a mistake, but the way they control the ball in the opponent's half, they can create lots of chances for him.
"Arsenal need a 20-goals-per-season striker, they currently have a few players who can score 10-15 goals per season, like how Man City used to be. Pep Guardiola changed the system because he knew he needed a striker who could score lots of goals. In Erling Haaland's first season, he broke goal-scoring records and won the Champions League. Mikel Arteta will follow the steps of Guardiola, the way their teams play and a striker would be a cherry on top of the cake. I think Nico Williams or Ivan Toney could score as many goals as Haaland does for Man City at Arsenal"
ARSENAL TOLD TO AVOID ISAK
Isak has garnered significant interest from Arsenal, who joined the Magpies for a club-record fee of around £59 million ($69m) in 2022. The Swedish striker has notched up 15 goals in 23 Premier League appearances which has swelled his market value to a reported £100m ($126m) but Petit believes that the player is not worth the price tag.
"I don't think it would be a good decision by Arsenal to buy Isak for a big price," Petit said. "Arsenal's transfer policy is very good, and they should keep their policy rather than fund clubs like Chelsea, Newcastle or those kinds of clubs. Arsenal shouldn't splash their money like that. Isak would be a good addition to the squad, but there are players outside of England that could have the same impact."
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WHAT NEXT?
Eddie Howe has admitted that it might be a "difficult summer" for the club as Isak and Bruno Guimaraes might be shipped off amid interest from several European elites. It remains to be seen if Arsenal choose to put their money on the forward despite the warnings or shift their focus to Toney and other targets.
Christian Pulisic has opened up on the differences between AC Milan and his former team Chelsea as he explained why he is faring much better in Italy.
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Pulisic enjoying strong season at AC Milan
Has put injury troubles at Chelsea behind him
Discussed differencs between both clubs
WHAT HAPPENED?
Pulisic has enjoyed a good maiden season in Italy since joining from Chelsea last year. He is the team's second top scorer in Serie A with nine goals, while he has also registered six assists in 27 matches. His form in Milan marks a significant improvement from his struggles at in London and he feels getting regular playing time has been the main factor.
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WHAT PULISIC SAID
On the differences he has noticed at the Rossoneri, he told : "Tactics are definitely an important aspect in Italy, like everyone says. It's constantly going over every situation possible in training: how we're pressing, how we're doing set pieces. I feel like I've learned a lot."
Asked about his consistent fitness, he added: "I wouldn't say there's been a big change, or something that I've done. I've taken good care of my body for sure. But it's just been good to get that consistent game time. Your body just kind of gets accustomed to it, which has been really helpful. When you're constantly in and out of the lineup, it can be hard. Your body isn't prepared for that constant wear, so then when you come in and give a high-intensity performance, it can definitely be a problem. But this season I'm just feeling good and confident. And that's when I play my best."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The United States hero is also enjoying the differences between Milan and the English capital, adding: "The lifestyle over here is definitely a shift from London. Everything feels a bit slowed-down. Obviously nicer weather. It's been a great change for me. Everything was moving kind of 100 miles an hour when I was in London, and the football culture was crazy. Here, I've been able to get away from the game, too, and enjoy the lifestyle, the culture, the food. I'm liking it a lot."
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WHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?
Pulisic and Milan are currently second in Serie A, 14 points behind runaway leaders Inter and three ahead of Juventus. They will hope to strengthen their hold on second place when they take on Fiorentina in the Italian top flight on Saturday.
Sri Lanka have done some soul-searching after a spate of poor results in ODIs, and identified that they need to become better across a variety of conditions and not just prosper on turning tracks
Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Aug-2018Sri Lanka have done some soul-searching. It was perhaps overdue, given the number of ODIs they have lost over the past 19 months. But even if there are only 10 months to go until the World Cup, it has finally happened, and problems have been identified. Essentially, Sri Lanka have been left behind in a format they were once pioneers in, and must now “change the way [they] play”, as Angelo Mathews puts it, to have any hope of closing the vast gap with the best teams.”We have to take a look at where we have gone wrong in the past,” Mathews said ahead of the third ODI against South Africa, in which Sri Lanka will attempt to avoid a series loss. “In the last 36 ODIs, we have won only nine games and we keep giving excuses. We can give excuses like we have had too many captains, or we’ve rotated too many players. The fact remains that in the last ten series or so we have won only one. We need to change the way we think and our strategies. We sat as a group and we are going to change the way we play.”One of the changes Mathews hopes to make is to become more proficient across a variety of conditions, rather than simply being specialists on spinning tracks at home. The first two matches in Dambulla were played on more batting-friendly tracks than were seen in the Test series – perhaps a purposeful shift, to allow Sri Lanka to accustom themselves to the style of pitches expected in England next year.”Ten months away from World Cup we need to find out whether we are going to gain anything by playing on dusty slow wickets against a team like South Africa,” Mathews said. “Usually what we do when we play teams like England, South Africa and Australia is to give them turning wickets. We rely on our spinners too much, I think. In Tests that is fine, but you cannot do that in ODIs, as you need to look at the bigger picture, which is the World Cup.”We have got to start playing on good wickets. Yes, it might take a bit of time but I can assure you that the team will improve going forward and once the guys get used to it, we can win overseas. The last nine series if you take we have chassed more than 300 three times. That shows that we are a good team and we can play on good wickets. That is the change that we need to make.”Aside from an over-reliance on spin, poor fielding has also plagued Sri Lanka since the start of 2017. On Wednesday, in the second ODI, Sri Lanka dropped two straightforward catches inside the first 10 overs of South Africa’s chase, and had also been woeful in the field. Mathews had said Sri Lanka had fielded like “school kids” right after the loss, and he had more harsh words on his team ahead of the third ODI.
“It was a terrible day for us when it comes to fielding. The first 40 minutes was like a joke – I have never seen my team fielding as bad as we did in the last game. Hopefully it was just a one-off.”
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Glasgow Rangers restored some pride when they avoided defeat to their city rivals in their last match in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.
The Light Blues had already had their second-placed finish confirmed, as Celtic won the league title at the end of last month, but they avoided their misery being compounded with a defeat.
Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring for the Gers in front of their home supporters with a composed finish before the break, but Adam Idah secured a point for the away side with a clever turn and finish inside the box in the second 45.
Whilst it was a decent point for the Light Blues, that result did extend Barry Ferguson’s winless run to six matches in all competitions, and he has won just four of his 12 games in charge so far.
There were some more positives to extract from the 1-1 draw with Celtic, though, including the performance of central midfielder Mohamed Diomande.
The Ivorian star assisted the goal from Dessers and won nine of his 12 duels throughout the game, as he showed that fans can be excited about what he could produce next season.
Why Rangers fans should be excited about Mohamed Diomande
The 2024/25 campaign has been the left-footed star’s first full season at Ibrox, having joined on a permanent deal last summer after his initial five-month loan, and he now has plenty of experience under his belt.
Mohamed Diomande
Diomande has played 70 matches in all competitions for the Light Blues to date, including 51 in the current campaign, and is now primed to kick on as a star for the club next term, having had 18 months of experience in Glasgow.
It did not take too long for the central midfielder to announce himself in Scottish football after his initial loan move from FC Nordsjælland, as he scored against St. Johnstone in February 2024.
His performances in that loan spell led to the club deciding to sign him on a permanent deal in the summer of 2024, with Philippe Clement in charge, and he has kicked on to become a key player in the current campaign.
Diomande showed potential as a goalscorer, as shown by his stunning strike against St. Johnstone, and as an all-action defender in his time on loan, but his creative quality has shone through this term.
Appearances
13
33
Goals
2
4
Big chances created
1
10
Assists
0
7
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.3
1.8
Ball recoveries per game
4.8
4.3
Duel success rate
52%
55%
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed star has created nine more ‘big chances’ and delivered seven more assists than he did in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign for the Light Blues.
Rangers fans should, therefore, be excited about what the £12k-per-week star could do next season, after 18 months of adjusting to Scottish football, as he has already shown plenty of signs of promise in the Premiership with his work in and out of possession.
Mohamed Diomande
Diomande provides great value for money, given that he is the 12th-highest earner at Ibrox, but that is not the case for every player in the squad. In fact, one of the players who should be sold by the 49ers this summer, Kieran Dowell, earns even more than the Ivorian.
Why Rangers should sell Kieran Dowell
The English attacking midfielder reportedly earns £16k-per-week, which is more than the likes of Diomande, Hamza Igamane, Jefte, and John Souttar, among others.
He has, however, not provided value for money for those wages because the former Norwich City man was deemed not good enough for the squad in January and was loaned out to English League One side Birmingham City.
Rangers midfielder Kieran Dowell.
Dowell enjoyed a successful second half of the season with the Blues, who won the League One title with a staggering 111 points, as he caught the eye with goals and assists.
The left-footed star ended the campaign with five goals, nine ‘big chances’ created, and four assists in 19 appearances in the third tier of English football, and is now set to return to Ibrox this summer.
Birmingham do not have an option to make the deal permanent but manager Chris Davies revealed that they will explore the possibility of a move to bring him back to England ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The 49ers, once the takeover is finalised, and sporting director Kevin Thelwell must take advantage of this interest from the Blues in order to ensure that Dowell never plays at Ibrox again.
Kieran Dowell
He has one year left on his contract in Glasgow and this means that the upcoming summer transfer window would be the best time to cash in on the attacking midfielder if they are not planning to extend his contract beyond next year.
Dowell’s performances for Rangers since his move to Scotland on a free transfer from Norwich City in the summer of 2023 do not suggest that the 49ers should be aiming to extend his deal.
Appearances
12
12
Starts
5
2
Goals
2
0
Big chances created
1
4
Assists
2
0
Duel success rate
49%
46%
As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old flop failed to nail down a place in the starting XI on a regular basis under Michael Beale or Clement, and only contributed two goals and two assists in 24 appearances in the Premiership.
His underperformance on the pitch for the Light Blues in his first 18 months at Ibrox led to him being loaned out in the January transfer window, which shows that he was deemed surplus to requirements at the start of the year.
Therefore, Dowell has not done enough to justify his £16k-per-week wages, particularly when the impressive Diomande earns even less than him in Glasgow, and that is one of the reasons why the 49ers must ruthlessly cash in on him this summer.
The Gers should attempt to extract a fee from Birmingham for the English dud and ensure that he does not play for Rangers at Ibrox ever again, because the midfielder has not done enough in a Light Blues shirt to suggest that he would be a key player for the next manager coming in.
Not just Gerrard: "Error prone" Rangers star must not be part of 49ers era
Steven Gerrard is not the only big name who should not be part of the 49ers era at Rangers.
At face value, David Moyes’ tactical vision doesn’t strain too far from the blueprint that prompted Farhad Moshiri, two years ago, to bring Sean Dyche to the Everton helm.
Frank Lampard had been dismissed, Everton needed greater steel-backed resistance, Dyche fit the bill. It worked, for a time, but the Toffees could only stretch so far under the pragmatic boss’ wing. Thus he departed several weeks ago after reportedly informing the new owners, The Friedkin Group, that he felt he had taken the project as far as he could.
At face value, Moyes also employs a drilled and defence-heavy style, but just ask Spurs about the Scot’s attacking credentials, and they’d be sure to concede that the Blues tore them to shreds with startling bite.
It was hardly the look of a side previously scoring only 15 Premier League goals, the second-lowest tally in the division. Nor was it the feel of a side that had just welcomed a manager with a reticence toward attacking play.
Admittedly, though, 16th-placed Everton need to dip into the January transfer window to maintain enough firepower over the business months of the term.
Everton pushing for January signing
As per The Daily Telegraph, Everton have added Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil to their shortlist of transfer targets, though snapping him up this month may prove difficult.
Moyes, who used to manage the Black Cats, is a big admirer of the 23-year-old and is believed to have tracked his career ever since.
While Everton scouts have been keeping a close eye on Neil, Sunderland are certain to play hardball at the season’s midpoint, especially as they are fourth in the Championship, pushing for promotion.
He’s been priced in excess of £15m, which is big money for an up-and-coming talent in the second tier but a marker of Neil’s quality, and why Everton should pull no punches in getting the deal done.
Why Everton are interested in Dan Neil
Everton clicked together against Tottenham; play like that every single week, and Goodison Park would be throwing down with the best that the Premier League has to offer.
Everton manager DavidMoyes on the touchline before the match
Consistency is key, though, and players like Neil work wonders in knitting fluency into a squad’s fabric to create a ripple effect for players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who snapped a 16-match goalless run in the top flight on Sunday.
Having risen through the Sunderland youth ranks, Neil has chalked up 177 senior appearances for the club, notching 11 goals and 20 assists during his journey so far.
Neil recently dominated for his side as they defeated Derby in the league, keeping their foot on the pedal as they chase automatic promotion.
Reporter Ethan Todd was among those to have been coloured impressed, saying that Nail: “Has absolutely controlled and dictated the whole game, with great forward passing and drives whilst keeping things tight in midfield. Constantly instructing the team, proper captain’s performance.”
It goes to show that Everton would not only be signing a player capable of injecting some dynamic quality into the middle of the park but a leader too, someone who could galvanise and inspire, berate and demand. It’s what Everton need.
Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil.
Here is a team that has proved its attacking flair has not been negligible under Dyche’s wing, merely latent, languishing in the subterranean part of Goodison Park. The Merseysiders blew Tottenham away; we keep coming back to it but it was such a marvel, such a spectacle, that it revealed the true capacity of this team.
Neil may well be the architect, hailed as a “brilliant footballer” and a “real leader on and off the pitch” by his teammate Patrick Roberts. As you are about to see from his match metrics in the Championship this term, there are few who play a more complete role in the engine room, balancing his product and covering so much ground across the field.
Matches (starts)
27 (27)
Goals
1
Assists
3
Touches*
57.9
Pass completion
84%
Key passes*
0.8
Dribble (success)*
0.8 (51%)
Ball recoveries*
5.7
Tackles + interceptions*
3.2
Total duels (won)*
4.5 (51%)
Moyes might even be able to sign his next version of Mikel Arteta by bringing Neil to the fold, such is the rounded nature of his skill set.
Everton signed Arsenal’s manager during his playing days, bringing him in from Real Sociedad for a £3m fee in August 2005, proving to be one of the finest signings of his distinguished Toffees tenure.
He eventually joined the Gunners in a £10m deal, six years on, but Arteta had already featured 209 times for the Merseyside unit, scoring 35 goals and supplying 36 assists, contributing centrally to the most prosperous era in their modern history.
But hang on a moment, how does this pertain to present interest in Sunderland’s Neil? Well, aside from Moyes repeating his trick by bringing the player to Goodison – as he did with Arteta way back when – Neil has sharp playmaking skills while also excelling across the gamut of midfield duties.
The Spaniard was typically deployed in midfield alongside an anchor, allowing his creativity and ability on the ball to be properly showcased. He would dictate play and control the pace of the game, acting as a metronome of sorts.
Arteta added something different to the Everton midfield, a different dimension that Neil could replicate, sitting alongside players such as Idrissa Gueye, Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Moyes once claimed that his former midfielder was “head and shoulders” above his peers, and you just get the sense that Neil could be too, 15 years later, Moyes back in the Everton dugout.
Talk about circularity.
A better signing than Nuamah: Everton make enquiry to sign English talent
Everton are looking at a “Messi-like” star who would be even better than Nuamah
Although the Liverpool machine continues to power on, as seen in Arne Slot’s side picking up a straightforward 4-0 win in the FA Cup over Accrington Stanley, this month could still prove to be a sticky time for the Reds.
After all, the futures of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold remain up in the air, with some nerves at least quelled in this department when reading that Virgil Van Dijk reportedly looks set to pen a new Anfield deal shortly.
Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool
Alongside all this contract talk, there is another surprise player who could be set to leave Merseyside behind very soon, even as his current deal remains in play until 2028.
Liverpool star could be heading for Saudi
As per a report by Anfield Watch, Darwin Nunez could now be on the move this January as new suitors eye up the hot-and-cold Uruguayan.
One of those fresh outfits preparing to try and snap up the 25-year-old is money-rich Al-Hilal, with the Saudi side wanting to offload former £200m man Neymar for some new star power.
Darwin Nunez celebrates for Liverpool
After all, Al-Hilal are currently under the managerial guidance of ex-Benfica boss Jorge Jesus, who managed to turn Nunez into a revered goal machine in Portugal.
Moreover, with Nunez sliding further and further down the pecking order under Slot – with ex-Reds great Robbie Fowler stating prior to his Accrington duck that he’s “not a Liverpool player” calibre-wise – this might well be a move that suits all parties, especially if Al-Hilal cough up some mega bucks similar to the £85m once forked out for the forward.
Liverpool have been here before in terms of losing an attacker who had left his mark on proceedings at Anfield, only for the Reds to recover easily from this departure with Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and more now lighting up the Premier League.
A Sadio Mane-like exit for Liverpool
Whilst it’s clear that Nunez won’t go down in the same legend’s bracket as Sadio Mane when he does exit, it would still be a knock to lose the Uruguayan, especially when you consider the amount of cash that was splashed to land him.
Additionally, he has shown his class in spurts for the Reds, with 37 strikes picked up in total for the Merseyside giants resulting in Jurgen Klopp labelling the 6 foot 2 attacker as “outstanding” when he still steered the Liverpool ship.
Liverpool'sDarwinNunezin action with Accrington Stanley's Dan Martin
But, after his goalless showing against League Two opposition on Saturday, patience will be wearing thin on Slot’s end who might sense a departure is the most logical next step, with the Reds having to give in regarding a sale of Mane too after the Senegalese ace rejected a new contract.
Whilst that development was initially demoralising – considering Mane bowed out of Liverpool with a stunning 120 goals next to his name – the Reds have more than bounced back with Salah ageing like a fine wine, alongside the heroics of other stars up top.
Cody Gakpo
75
21
10
Diogo Jota
55
21
9
Luis Diaz
72
20
9
Mohamed Salah
89
55
35
As can be seen above, Slot has a whole host of exciting players in attack he can choose from, with Salah chipping in with an outrageous 90 goals and assists since Mane’s exit, with the ex-Reds forward now forgotten about playing in Saudi Arabia.
The same could soon happen to Nunez if he makes an Al-Hilal move a reality, with Liverpool no doubt using the millions they would recoup to add another frightening attacker to their already star-studded arsenal.
Forget Kvaratskhelia: Liverpool could land star with 'Mane at Saints vibes'
Liverpool are looking to strengthen their frontline this year.
Aston Villa and Tottenham are looking to battle Liverpool to the signing of Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, a report claims.
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Gomes signed new Wolves deal this week
Premier League sides still want to sign him
Liverpool, Spurs & Villa all eyeing midfielder
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The midfielder signed a new contract with Wolves on Tuesday, tying him to the Premier League team until 2030. Nevertheless, reports that a few Premier League teams are still determined to lure him away from Molineux Stadium in the summer.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The report says that Gomes has no release clause in his new contract, giving Wolves the power to demand a large fee for his services, with Spurs, Villa and Liverpool all said to be eager to snap him up.
DID YOU KNOW?
The 24-year-old joined Wolves from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2023 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular. He is aiming for a starting spot in Brazil's starting XI at the World Cup in 2026. He has 10 caps to his name, last starting for the Selecao in July last year.
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WHAT NEXT?
With Wolves lingering near the bottom of the Premier League, Gomes could feel he would benefit from a step up in the near future, especially with the World Cup on the way.
“It’s not a matter of what’s happening at the toss as we have struggled to get runs both in the first and the second innings”
S Sudarshanan22-Jan-2023Batting has been West Indies’ Achilles heel in women’s T20Is for some time now. Their middle-order woes have been hampering them for over the last couple of years. Since January 2021, West Indies’ middle order (Nos. 4 to 7) averages 12.12, the lowest among the Full Member teams in T20Is. In their first match of the women’s T20I tri-series against South Africa, Shemaine Campbelle, batting at No. 4, made 11 of the 24 that the middle order scored.While captain Hayley Matthews admitted it was a concern, she said that bigger contributions are needed from the top order, too.Related
Klaas four-for, Marizanne Kapp 52 give South Africa first win in tri-series
“We’re missing a lot of big players,” Matthews said after West Indies’ 44-run defeat. “People like Chinelle Henry, who we usually have in the lower middle order that are capable of hitting the ball out of the park and even Chedean Nation, who played today but just hasn’t been able to get going just yet. So yeah, it’s the same story all around.”We need to improve from the top right down to the bottom of our batting line-up in the way that we are playing at the moment. It’s pretty clear we are not being able to put big enough partnerships. At the same time we have a lot of injuries with key batters out.”Their issues are not just restricted to the middle order. Since Deandra Dottin’s shock retirement last year, West Indies have yet to zero in on an opening batter to partner Matthews. Aaliyah Alleyne, primarily a bowling allrounder, had never batted above No. 7 in T20Is but was pushed up to open in nine matches – four against New Zealand and five against England all at home before the tri-series. The combination had a best partnership of 23 and she was not picked in the XI against South Africa on Saturday.Brittney Cooper, who returned to the squad ahead of the series having last played a T20I in September 2021, opened the batting as West Indies added 32 for the opening wicket in their chase of 142. Cooper looked in fairly good touch, hitting three well-timed fours before being dismissed for 14 off 13 balls. Matthews said that West Indies are still trying to find their best combination at the top and backed Cooper to come good.”At the moment we are trying players and we’re giving players the opportunity to grab that opening spot,” Matthews said. “Britney Cooper didn’t look that bad out there today, so hopefully she’s the one that can come out there and really produce [what we need]. The [T20] World Cup is the main goal for us and we are trying out different options to see what fits best.”Sometimes as international cricket goes, it’s about digging deeper. At the same time we need to get some more runs at the top of the order. It’s not a matter of what’s happening at the toss as we have struggled to get runs both in the first and the second innings.”West Indies also are working around managing Stafanie Taylor, as she makes her return from an injury layoff. She had to retire hurt in the third ODI against New Zealand last September and is working her way to getting back on the field.”For now it’s just about the physio and medical people and the coaches managing the load with Stafanie,” Matthews said. “The T20 World Cup is the main picture for us here in South Africa and we want to try and manage her as best as possible and have her fit and ready for the World Cup.”
da brdice： When it was announced that Bukayo Saka had torn his hamstring, it sent shockwaves around the Arsenal fanbase.
da brwin： Their man of the moment, their man of the big occasion, their very own Hale End star would be missing.
How on earth do you deal with a blow like that? Well, as Gabriel Martinelli said post-game after Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Brentford on Wednesday, “no one can replace him. He is one of the best players in the world.” We couldn’t agree more.
Mikel Arteta tried replacing him with Gabriel Martinelli against Ipswich on the 27th December but he occupied more central areas than Saka and failed to offer the same level of dynamism, playing in straight lines rather than in 360 degrees.
Well, against Brentford in the Premier League’s first match of 2025, they found their solution.
How Arsenal beat Brentford
This wasn’t the most straightforward of wins, far from it in fact. The Gunners were pegged back after 13 minutes when the lively in-form star that is Bryan Mbeumo caught out both Riccardo Calafiori and David Raya to open the scoring.
Calafiori let the Bees star cut inside all too easily and then expecting an effort into his far corner, Raya was wrong-footed at his near post.
Arsenal have now gone eight straight away games in the league without keeping a clean sheet and could easily have buckled under the pressure that a raucous home crowd in Brentford’s favour was generating.
Well, this isn’t the Arsenal of old. There is a steely resilience about them and that has never been more evident than Gabriel Jesus’ revival over recent weeks.
Handed a starting berth in the Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace prior to Christmas, the Brazilian scored a hat-trick. A scorer of two goals against Palace in their next game in the league a few days later, the former Manchester City forward has not dropped out of the starting XI since.
He may not have found the net against Ipswich last time out but he did play a vital role in Arsenal coming back to win in west London on Wednesday.
It was Jesus’ close-range header that equalised for Arsenal and it was his shot that hit Nathan Collins and rebounded into the path of Mikel Merino to make it 2-1 after the break.
The attacker did not have too much of a say in the third, however, but his Brazilian colleague Martinelli did, taking the ball down before rifling home a volley.
Unlike against the Tractor Boys a few days prior, Martinelli did not start on the right on this occasion and instead stood out while playing out on the left.
He interchanged with Jesus incredibly well as the two Brazilian stars swapped between a central role in the side and a wider role. It seemed to work a treat.
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That said, neither look like the most ideal of Saka replacements. Instead, they have found a certain Ethan Nwaneri. A 17-year-old boy wonder who looks fit to fill his fellow Hale Ender’s boots in the months to come.
Ethan Nwaneri's performance in numbers
Handed a first-team debut coincidentally against Brentford in 2022 aged just 15, Nwaneri has had to be patient to receive regular senior opportunities since.
That said, 2024/25 has been a breakthrough campaign for the spritely teenager so far, scoring his first goals for the club in the Carabao Cup before opening up his Premier League account by finding the net against Nottingham Forest at the end of November.
Since then, he’s watched 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly become a regular starter in the Arsenal side, all while awaiting his very first league start. Well, that finally came against the Bees this week and boy did the youngster take his chance.
Playing 78 minutes from Saka’s favoured right wing, the teen didn’t look out of place. In fact, he looked like the most Saka-esque player in the entire squad.
Many wondered how the club would deal with the England international’s absence but in Nwaneri, they have found their dream solution.
It’s important not to put too much pressure on him but this was an excellent performance, one that was just missing a goal contribution. As the Telegraph’s Sam Dean noted post-game, Arsenal’s play “flowed much better” with Nwaneri on the right rather than Martinelli.
Nwaneri vs Brentford
Minutes played
78
Touches
40
Accurate passes
22/24 (92%)
Key passes
2
Shots
1
Successful dribbles
2/3
Accurate crosses
2/7
Interceptions
1
Duels won
2/6
Stats via Sofascore.
As the numbers show, he was a constant threat and showed the type of drive and ball manipulation that you won’t get from many other players. That’s not to mention that, vitally, he is left-footed too.
There have been rave reviews surrounding the Arsenal academy star for a long time now and with four goals to his name already from just 17 outings this term, he has the world at his feet.
Could this be the next Saka lying in wait? Quite possibly but he will have to go some way to replicating the feats of a player valued at a mighty £124m by Transfermarkt.
Still, he has already played more minutes than Saka had at the same age so what’s to say that he won’t be the next mega-money Hale Ender? It’s exciting times, let’s put it that way.
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