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da doce： By the time night falls next Sunday, we will all have a much clearer idea as to whether or not Arsenal are truly capable of dethroning Liverpool as Premier League champions.

da brdice： In a week’s time, the Gunners will face Newcastle on Tyneside, having lost four of their five visits to St James’ Park since the Saudi takeover, failing to score in all of these defeats.

Before then, in this Sunday’s headline slot, Mikel Arteta’s team will welcome Manchester City to North London, seeking a third successive home win over the Sky Blues for the first time in 16 years.

If the Gunners are going to prevail, Arteta must ruthlessly leave out Arsenal’s “signing of the summer”, and it’s not who you might expect.

Viktor Gyökeres' start to life at Arsenal

Five matches into Viktor Gyökeres’ Arsenal career, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag.

He has certainly felt at home at the Emirates, scoring twice when the Gunners demolished Leeds 5-0 last month, before getting on the end of an inch-perfect Eberechi Eze cut-back to double their advantage against Nottingham Forest last weekend.

Thus, should the Swedish international get on the scoresheet against Man City, he would become only the second Arsenal player to find the net in each of his first three Premier League appearances at the Emirates, after Alexandre Lacazette, who found the target against Leicester, Bournemouth and West Brom back in 2017.

However, away from home, Gyökeres has been less impactful.

At both Old Trafford and Anfield, he’s been little more than a peripheral figure, and it was a similar story at San Mamés on Tuesday, registering just 19 touches of the ball, the fewest of any Arsenal starter, missing two Opta-defined big chances.

Nevertheless, with Kai Havertz sidelined, Gyökeres will be the man leading the line this weekend, but Arteta certainly has decisions to make in other areas of the field, one in particular will be tough.

Arsenal's signing of the summer

Given that Arsenal made eight signings this summer, bringing in Gyökeres, Eze, Martín Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and others to plenty of hype, the arrival of Cristhian Mosquera very much went under the radar, but could he prove to be the best signing of the lot?

After William Saliba hobbled off inside two minutes, Mosquera was thrown in at the deep end against Liverpool at Anfield, but looked confident and assured throughout, winning four out of five ground duels, completing 92% of his 51 passes.

Making his home debut against Nottingham Forest last weekend, he was excellent again, with Andrew Mangan, speaking on the Arsecast Extra, stating that if Arteta had simply asked him to do an impression of Saliba, he could’ve found no fault in his performance.

With Saliba not risked in Bilbao on Tuesday, remaining an unused substitute, Mosquera starred again, as documented below.

Mosquera vs Athletic

Stat

Mosquera

Match rank

Defensive actions

7

5th

Clearances

6

3rd

Completed passes

75

1st

Passing accuracy

95%

1st

Duels contested

13

3rd

Aerial duels contested

8

1st

Aerial duels won

5

1st

Touches

93

1st

Sofascore rating

7.3

4th

via Sofascore

As the table notes, Mosquera was exceptional in the Basque Country this week, ranked first for passing and aerial duel metrics, contesting the most duels of any Arsenal player, behind only Athletic duo Álex Berenguer and Mikel Jauregizar, which will certainly have pleased Arteta.

Having joined from crisis club Valencia, in a move reminiscent of Santi Cazorla’s arrival from cash-strapped Málaga back in 2012, one content creator has asserted that he will prove to be the Gunners’ “signing of the summer”, considering he cost just £13m.

However, should the Spanish Olympic gold medalist be back on the substitutes’ bench come 4:30pm (BST) on Sunday?

As already mentioned, Saliba is available again following injury, with Arteta stating in his pre-match press conference on Friday that “he’s done really well to be available​​​​​​​… we will decide tomorrow who is the best to start”.

As good as Mosquera looks, Saliba has been one of the best, if not the best, centre-backs in the world in recent seasons so, if he’s fit and ready to go, he simply has to start such a crucial game.

Alongside partner Gabriel, the pair have really relished recent battles with Erling Braut Håland, a key reason why the Gunners are unbeaten in five meetings with Manchester City, having lost 15 of the previous 16 encounters beforehand.

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So, while Mosquera would much rather start on Sunday than at Port Vale in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, a rather less glamorous fixture, his time will come, and not starting a fully fit Saliba would be frankly crazy.

da premier bet： Burnley have joined other English clubs in eyeing a move for a free agent who has scored at Turf Moor already.

Parker wants more flexibility from Burnley

da supremo： The Clarets face a daunting task when they return from the international break this weekend, hosting Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

It promises to be a stern test for Burnley, and speaking ahead of the game, manager Scott Parker has discussed the need for his side to be more “flexible” in their approach.

“I think it’s just trying to be practical in certain moments, what the game demands of you, what you have in your squad, what that demands of you, really. So, of course, I’d love to…like we all would, you’d love to be sitting here playing a certain way of football and free-flowing, scoring loads of goals, defending and stuff like that. But at times, as a coach, you need to be flexible.

“You need to understand the dynamics of what you have and certainly the competition you’re going up against and how best to try and get results. And that’s fundamentally what I did last year, to be honest with you. Of course, it was a different competition and it was flipped in terms of we had extra bits of quality in certain moments.”

Now, Burnley have been linked with a move for a former Liverpool player as they look to provide the boss with more high level experience.

Burnley eyeing Premier League champion Oxlade-Chamberlain

According to a fresh claim from The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Burnley are “on alert” regarding a potential move for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer. The 32-year-old is no longer a Besiktas player, having brought an end to his time in Turkey, and a return to England could now be on the cards soon. Everton, Leeds United, Brentford and Rangers are among the clubs credited with interest, too.

Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a shrewd addition for Burnley, bringing in a Champions League and Premier League winner who has proven himself at the highest level for much of his career, whether it be for Liverpool, Arsenal or England.

His versatility could be a real asset for Parker, with the Englishman able to shine in deeper or attacking midfield roles, as well as out wide, and if the move doesn’t work, the fact that it is a free transfer takes away the risk element.

At 32, Oxlade-Chamberlain isn’t getting any younger, but he still has plenty to offer if he can stay fit under the right manager, with Jurgen Klopp describing him as “super” in the past.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s key trophy wins

Year

Champions League (Liverpool)

2019

Premier League (Liverpool)

2020

Club World Cup (Liverpool)

2019

FA Cup (Liverpool)

2022

FA Cup (Arsenal)

2017

FA Cup (Arsenal)

2015

FA Cup (Arsenal)

2014

EFL Cup (Liverpool)

2022

UEFA Super Cup (Liverpool)

2019

Turkish Cup (Besiktas)

2024

He will surely be hungry to prove himself back in England, and should Burnley pip some bigger clubs to his signature, it could be a real coup for them.

da bet7： A Rangers player has dropped a pointed update regarding his Ibrox future during the international break, aiming a message at manager Russell Martin.

Martin says no issues with Rangers players

da realsbet： The Gers did at least manage to come away with a 0-0 draw away to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership before the international break, but it has still been a hugely disappointing start to the season.

One individual who played no part in proceedings at Parkhead was Nicolas Raskin, with former Rangers striker Kris Boyd left bemused by what he sees as chaos at the training ground.

That being said, Martin has played down any issues that may have arisen, saying the relationship he has with his players is healthy currently: “I’d describe my relationship with all the players, all the staff as honest and open.

“I don’t think you can have anything else apart from that. There’s not a breakdown in any relationships here. If it’s honest and open, there can’t be a breakdown in any relationships.”

Rangers ace gives key update on his future

Speaking to the media after representing Belgium on international duty, Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin provided a 12-word update on his Ibrox future, with a short but pointed message to Martin after the manager refuted rumours of a relationship breakdown.

“But it (my future) doesn’t just depend on me, it depends on the coach.”

It is disappointing to see Raskin up in the air about his Rangers future, and clearly not entirely happy at the club, considering what a talented player he is.

The 24-year-old possesses a great combination of quality and fight in the middle of the park, with former striker Rory Loy speaking of his admiration for him earlier this year.

“You’ve seen a side of him, and I’m not saying he never showed it under Philippe Clement, but the consistency he’s shown with it since Ferguson has come in has been quite something. So I do think he deserves credit in terms of the mental side of the game and then we already know he’s got ability. He’s shown that in abundance over the last three months.”

Hopefully, Raskin’s relationship with Martin improves enough for him to remain at Ibrox for the foreseeable future, but the situation doesn’t exactly feel too encouraging currently.

To leave an international player out of the squad entirely in a huge game against Celtic shows that all is not well, and if things don’t improve, it is hard to see both Raskin and Martin being at Rangers come the end of the season, if not by the time the January transfer window arrives.

da esoccer bet： Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has been one of the most compelling stories of the summer. After sealing promotion via the play-offs with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United at Wembley, the Black Cats have wasted little time trying to prove they belong at the top level.

da luck： Backed by ambitious ownership and a clear recruitment strategy, the club have already invested more than £135m in new players, signalling their intent to establish themselves in the division.

The Stadium of Light has welcomed a string of high-profile arrivals, each carefully selected to elevate both quality and depth across the squad.

Granit Xhaka was lured from Bayer Leverkusen to anchor the midfield, while Brighton’s Simon Adingra and Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra have injected dynamism into the attack.

Club Brugge talent Chemsdine Talbi provides further promise for the future, and Nordi Mukiele, a £12m purchase from Paris Saint-Germain, adds defensive versatility following his loan spell at Leverkusen.

The excitement was palpable when Sunderland began their campaign with a commanding 3-0 win in front of a packed-out home crowd.

However, reality struck in their second fixture – a 2-0 defeat away to Burnley at Turf Moor.

Sunderland make new transfer bid

With Brentford next up at the Stadium of Light, head coach Régis Le Bris and his recruitment team are determined to finalise what they see as the “final piece of their defensive jigsaw” before the transfer window closes.

That final piece is expected to strengthen Sunderland’s backline, particularly in central defence where the club want a reliable partner for Mukiele.

Reports this week suggest Sunderland have identified their man, and negotiations are already well underway.

According to Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie, Sunderland have submitted an increased offer to Bologna for Colombian international Jhon Lucumí. The player is said to be “open to the move”.

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The bid, believed to be worth £24m, reflects the Black Cats’ determination to land the 27-year-old, who has just one year remaining on his contract in Italy.

A recently expired release clause means Bologna are now free to negotiate openly, though Sunderland remain confident given the player’s openness to a Premier League move.

Lucumí has built a strong reputation in Serie A since joining Bologna from Belgian side Genk in 2022. Last season, he featured 44 times across all competitions for Bologna, including seven appearances in the Champions League – experience that would add further resilience to Sunderland’s back line.

For Sunderland, the move would underline the club’s ambition and their belief that strengthening defensively is key to building on their successful play-off campaign.

Why Lucumí could be the perfect partner for Mukiele

The potential partnership between Mukiele and Lucumí represents an intriguing blend of attributes.

Sunderland’s recruitment has shown a clear preference for complementary skillsets, and the statistical comparison between the two defenders highlights exactly why the club view Lucumí as the missing piece.

According to FBref, Lucumí’s passing stands out. His 91.1% pass completion rate last season far exceeds Mukiele’s 80.4%, reflecting his calmness under pressure and suitability for building from the back.

He also averages more progressive passes per 90 minutes (3.72 compared with Mukiele’s 3.60), suggesting he can drive play forward rather than simply passing sideways.

Perhaps most significantly, the Sunderland target’s long passing numbers are a major asset: he completed 7.14 long passes per 90, more than three times Mukiele’s 2.20, allowing Sunderland to stretch opponents and transition quickly.

In terms of defensive distribution, Lucumí also boasts a greater progressive passing distance (376.4 per 90) compared to Mukiele’s 254.4.

Defensively, the contrast is more balanced. Mukiele edges Lucumí in tackles per 90 (2.00 vs. 1.83) and in dribblers tackled (1.20 vs. 1.00), reflecting his aggression and ability to operate one-versus-one, particularly when stationed at right-back.

However, Lucumí marginally leads in blocks (1.10 vs. 1.00) and matches Mukiele almost identically in defensive-third tackles (0.79 vs. 0.80) and aerial duels won (1.55 vs. 1.60).

Together, these profiles suggest a partnership: Mukiele the front-foot enforcer, Lucumí the composed sweeper with elite distribution.

This balance could be transformative for Sunderland’s backline. In their promotion campaign, defensive lapses often placed undue pressure on the midfield and goalkeeper.

The step-up to the Premier League only magnifies those weaknesses, meaning recruitment at centre-back was always going to be decisive.

With Mukiele able to shuffle wide if needed, and Lucumí offering authority in the centre, Sunderland would gain tactical flexibility – an asset that could prove invaluable against both possession-heavy and counter-attacking opponents.

The move also makes sense financially. The defender’s current market value of £20m, as per Transfermarkt, is close to Sunderland’s £24m offer, meaning the club are not grossly overpaying despite Bologna’s leverage.

At 27, he is entering his peak years, offering immediate impact alongside resale potential should he excel in England.

His international pedigree further strengthens his profile, particularly for a squad already enriched with leaders like Xhaka and ambitious young talents such as Diarra and Talbi.

With just days remaining in the window, Sunderland’s pursuit of the centre-back reflects a club not content with short-term survival.

They want to consolidate their status as a competitive Premier League side.

By securing the Colombian, they would be adding a defender whose style could unlock the best of Mukiele and provide the foundations for a more balanced, resilient season.

da brdice： It’s been a brilliant summer transfer window for Chelsea so far this year.

da poker： The Blues have generated a considerable amount of revenue through sales and have more than backed Enzo Maresca in terms of signings.

The likes of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro have joined the side from fellow Premier League sides, while Jorrel Hato and Jamie Gittens are two of the most exciting youngsters from the continent.

Moreover, with five days left until the window closes, Chelsea seem intent on making more signings, and should they fail to land Xavi Simons, could go after someone who’d be their own Eberechi Eze.

Chelsea target their own Eze

Chelsea have been linked with a host of brilliant attackers this summer, including RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.

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In fact, the Flying Dutchman feels like he has been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge for an age now, and while it’s been made abundantly clear he wants to join Maresca’s side, he is still in Germany.

Interestingly, while reports continue to claim that the Blues are working on bringing him to the club, it now looks like they have a backup in mind, someone who could be their own Eze.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which has claimed Chelsea are interested in Morgan Rogers.

The report has revealed that, alongside Tottenham Hotspur, the West Londoners are big admirers of the Aston Villa star, and that should they fail to sign Simons, they could focus all of their attention on him.

It wouldn’t be a cheap deal to get over the line, though, with the story claiming that it’d take an offer of at least £80m to tempt the Claret and Blue into selling their dynamic superstar.

Even so, Rogers has more than proven over the last year and a half that he would be worth such an outlay, especially as he could become Chelsea’s own Eze.

Why Rogers could be Chelsea's own Eze

There are plenty of similarities between Rogers and Eze, and in this case, specifically, one of them could even be the transfer itself.

If Chelsea were to decide to go all in for the Villa star, then there would be parallels to the deal that saw Arsenal sign the Crystal Palace star from under their noses just last week.

Additionally, both players are stars of the Premier League, leading figures in their respective teams, and now regularly feature in senior England squads.

There are also key similarities in their playstyle.

For example, while both are now thought of as primarily attacking midfielders, they’re more than capable of playing on the wing.

Moreover, they’re well-rounded attacking threats who are just as comfortable scoring goals as they are creating chances for their teammates.

For example, despite playing for a mid-table side last season, the Gunners’ new “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes.

Rogers & Eze in 24/25

Players

Rogers

Eze

Appearances

54

43

Minutes

4496′

3303′

Goals

14

14

Assists

16

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.86′

132.12′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the Greenwich-born superstar managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

For his efforts, the Halesowen-born “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob, scored 14 goals and provided 16 assists in 54 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 4496 minutes.

That means the often “unstoppable” midfielder, as dubbed by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher, was able to average a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 149.86 minutes.

Last but not least, and this is hard to quantify, but on top of being ruthlessly effective at times, both midfielders are also great entertainers, and more than capable of getting fans on their feet as well as winning games.

Ultimately, even if Chelsea do sign Simons this summer, they should go all out for Rogers, as he could become their own Eze.

da casino： Ruben Amorim made a promise at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. He declared to the Manchester United masses that he would lead his side back from the nadir to which they had slumped after finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

da aposte e ganhe： There’s a long way to go before the Portuguese tactician succeeds in realising his ambitions at the Theatre of Dreams, but despite falling to a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, there’s no denying that United played with more purpose and togetherness than was on show last term.

And after the match, Amorim even went as far as to claim that the hosts were the better side, certainly showing an improved display of attacking strength through wide forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both signed this summer.

It’s good to have such players making their bow with wealths of Premier League experience already in the bank. Their ease against high-level English opponents was patent, and could be crucial in easing Benjamin Sesko into the swing of things.

Why Man Utd signed Sesko

Manchester United completed the £74m signing of Sesko earlier this month, beating off competition from Newcastle United to land the Slovenian’s prized signature.

Having posted 39 goals and eight assists across 87 matches for RB Leipzig, the 22-year-old entered the summer market ready to make the next step in his career, and he has got his wish.

Remarked by talent scout Jacek Kulig to be “the new Haaland” for his vicious blend of pace, power and potency, Sesko has so much potential, though fans should be aware that he might take some time to bed into the English game.

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Sesko might not be the finished product, but INEOS recognised his value and pounced, much like they did with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba. The 21-year-old had emerged as United’s top midfield target this month, but the Seagulls have closed the door on his departure.

Amorim knew his side needed a new number nine, and the same is true when looking at the middle of the park. A central midfielder would go a long way toward sealing a resurgence, and Jason Wilcox has the perfect player in his sights.

Man Utd in talks to sign new midfielder

According to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Manchester United have added Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller to their late-window shortlist.

Amorim’s desire to add more technical quality and press resistance to his central ranks is no secret, and Stiller, 24, would be a fantastic addition, with the German’s name having “come up in discussions” held recently.

Liverpool had shown interest in May, with reports back then revealing FSG had prepared a €60m (£51m) bid. However, nothing came of it, and now the Red Devils could swoop in and land the midfielder for themselves.

What Angelo Stiller would bring to Man Utd

Stiller’s Stuttgart teammate Denis Undav has remarked that the German talent is “one of the best sixes Germany has”, with his elite range of passing blending perfectly against a natural-born combativeness in front of the backline.

Thanks to data from FBref, we can reveal that Stiller ranks among the top 3% of central midfielders across Europe over the past year for passes attempted, the top 1% for progressive passes, the top 9% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for through balls made per 90.

Amorim’s high-pressing vision requires an engine in the centre capable of dictating play and channelling the flow across the three lanes. Stiller can sling creative passes forward with great accuracy, but he can also keep it neat in the middle, working those triangles together as United look to breach a pesky defensive line.

Angelo Stiller – Bundesliga Stats (24/25)

Stats (* per game)

#

Matches (starts)

32 (31)

Goals

1

Assists

8

Touches*

90.3

Pass completion

90%

Big chances created

13

Key passes*

1.8

Dribbles*

0.6

Ball recoveries*

4.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

Duels won*

4.2 (58%)

Stats via Sofascore

It’s safe to say Stiller, described by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley as being a “special” player, was in fine fettle in the Bundesliga last season, slick on the ball and a veritable workhorse, presenting all the attributes required for a deep-lying midfield role in the Premier League.

And it’s perhaps also fair to suggest that Stiller could have an even bigger impact than Sesko if he were to sign for United this summer, providing Amorim with that final piece in the middle of the park.

Sesko also hailed from the Bundesliga before switching to English grass, but he only scored 13 goals in the top flight last term, lacking the kind of consistency that United fans will expect him to realise after a period of transitional development.

Moreover, the young number nine has much to work on concerning his passing, lacking the precision and ease on the ball that will be required if he hopes to become a commanding focal point at the front of Amorim’s system.

This is not to discredit what could be the start of a wonderful journey between striker and club, with Sesko undoubtedly carrying the potential of a world-class attacking talisman, but considering all that still needs fixing at Old Trafford, Stiller could prove a jackpot signing.

He’s hungry for a chance to prove himself at an elite outfit, and bears the roundedness of a midfielder tailor-made for the Premier League. Now, Amorim and INEOS just need to make it happen.

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da doce： They might have lost two games, but it would be hard to describe this summer as anything other than a success for Arsenal.

da bet sport： Mikel Arteta’s side won their other three, and the board have properly backed him in the market thus far.

The likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke all look ready to make a significant impact in the Premier League and beyond this season.

However, there is still time for the club to make more signings, and one of the players they’ve been most heavily linked with is Eberechi Eze.

However, while the Crystal Palace star would be an excellent signing, it might be wiser for Andrea Berta and Co to go back in for another dynamic attacker linked with the side earlier in the window.

Why Arsenal want to sign Eze

While Arsenal have been linked with Eze before, with stories touting him for a move to the Emirates last summer, the links have been far more substantive and consistent this year.

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In fact, there are plenty of reports claiming that the player is dead set on joining Arteta’s squad, and that the only obstacle is that the club want to sell players first.

Whatever ends up happening over the coming weeks, it’s clear that the Gunners are interested in the Palace ace, and it’s not hard to understand why.

After all, despite playing for a mid-table side at best, the England international was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists in 43 games, totalling 3303 minutes last season.

That means the former QPR gem maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

On top of that, he also played a key role in the South Londoners’ FA Cup triumph, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final.

However, while all of this is hugely impressive, and we have no doubt that Eze would be a success in North London, Arsenal might be better off going back in for another player they were linked with earlier this summer: Bradley Barcola.

Why Arsenal should sign Barcola over Eze

Now it is certainly the case that links to Barcola have been few and far between this summer, but not nonexistent, as Arsenal reportedly made contact over the French winger back in June.

Stories since then have claimed that the Paris Saint-Germain star is valued at around £87m, and while that is a massive amount of money, we still think this is a transfer the Gunners should be back in for in a big way.

The first reason relates to the 22-year-old’s seriously impressive output last season.

In 64 appearances for the Parisians, totalling 3927 minutes, the game-changing talent, whom respected analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed “one of the best LWs in Europe,” scored 21 goals and provided 21 assists.

In other words, the Lyon-born superstar maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games, or every 93.5 minutes, which is almost unbelievable considering the amount of football he played.

Barcola vs Eze in 24/25

Players

Barcola

Eze

Appearances

64

43

Minutes

3927′

3303′

Goals

21

14

Assists

21

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

93.5′

132.12′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of being more dangerous than Eze, we’d argue that, as an out-and-out left-winger, the former Lyon gem is also more of what the North Londoners need at the moment.

With Martin Odegaard looking to get back to his best and Ethan Nwaneri snapping at his heels, the most glaring weakness in Arteta’s side is the ineffectiveness on the left, with neither Gabriel Martinelli nor Leandro Trossard being the sort of players who’d strike fear into opposition defenders.

Ultimately, it might be something of a long shot, but if Arsenal really want to take a massive step forward and closer to Premier League glory this summer, they should go all out for Barcola over Eze.

da bet7： Glasgow Rangers made their way through to the play-off round of Champions League qualifiers with a 4-2 win over Viktoria Plzen on aggregate.

da brwin： The Light Blues traveled away from Ibrox to play the second leg in Czechia on Tuesday night and lost 2-1, but it did not matter in the end thanks to their 3-0 win in Glasgow last week.

Russell Martin will not be happy with the nature of his team’s performance in this match, despite it not mattering overall in the tie, because there were several players who did not play to the best of their ability.

Djeidi Gassama made a lightning fast start to life at Ibrox with four goals in his first five matches, but it is fair to say that this was a step down from what supporters have already gotten used to from the winger.

Djeidi Gassama's performance against Viktoria Plzen

The overall team performance did not help the French forward, it must be said, but the former Sheffield Wednesday man failed to make a positive impact on the match.

In 87 minutes on the pitch, Gassama did not register a single shot on target or create any chances for his teammates, which shows that he offered very little, if anything, in the final third.

However, the 21-year-old talent did win four of his nine duels and completed two of his three attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore. He competed and tried to put himself around for the team, albeit it was coupled with ineffective play in the important part of the pitch.

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Whilst Gassama was not at his bes in the final third in a fairly disappointing display, Mohamed Diomande was even worse than him in the middle of the park.

Why Russell Martin must drop Mohamed Diomande

Looking past the League Cup clash with Alloa at the weekend, Martin must ruthlessly drop the Ivorian midfielder from the side to face Club Brugge next Tuesday in the play-off round.

Diomande, who was handed a 4/10 player rating – lower than Gassama’s 5/10 – by IbroxNews, struggled with the physicality and intensity of the match in the middle of the park.

Viktoria Plzen’s players found it far too easy to get the better of him, which helped the home side to assert their dominance on the game, by winning five of their six duels against him, per Sofascore.

Vs Viktoria Plzen

Mohamed Diomande

Minutes

68

Pass accuracy

90%

Ground duels won

1/5

Aerial duels won

0/1

Tackles + interceptions

1

Dribbled past

2x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Diomande lost 83% of his duels across his 68 minutes on the park, and was dribbled past more times than he made defensive interventions.

These statistics show that he was a lightweight out of possession in midfield, whilst Lyall Cameron won three of his five duels and Nicolas Raskin won four of his seven battles, and that is why he was even worse than Gassama, who at least put himself about for the team and showed his strength on and off the ball.

Diomande was the weak link in the middle of the park next to his midfield partners, which is why Martin must consider ruthlessly ditching him from the XI when Club Brugge come to Ibrox, as Joe Rothwell is waiting in the wings to take his place next to Cameron and Raskin.

It is now down to Martin to be ruthless with his decision-making by dropping the left-footed flop from the starting line-up for such a huge match against the Belgian outfit.

da prosport bet： Everton seem to finally be making moves in the transfer market ahead of the Premier League season.

da brwin： Thierno Barry is through the door, while a move to sign Malick Fofana is edging closer to happening.

David Moyes isn’t finished yet, of course, as there are still several areas which need bolstering heavily.

A new right-back is urgently required, and another centre-back wouldn’t go amiss either. Moyes might be able to call upon Vitaliy Mykolenko on the left side of the defence, but recent news suggests he is closing in on another left-back.

Everton’s search for defenders

Despite their need to improve a backline that conceded 44 times last season, there has been a distinct lack of transfer links.

James Tarkowski looks set to renew his partnership with Jarrad Branthwaite, who will come into the new campaign with a new contract under his arm. But, who could join them?

Well, according to Paddy Boyland of the Athletic, Everton are closing in on a deal to sign Bayern Munich youngster Adam Aznou.

The move will cost the Toffees around £8m initially, which, given his potential for growth, could turn out to be a shrewd move for the club.

Boyland reports that he is “set” to undergo a medical early this week and fly to the USA to join up with the squad on their pre-season tour.

His arrival would add dynamism to the left flank and, over the course of the next few years, the Moroccan defender could be a perfect signing for Iliman Ndiaye.

Why Adam Aznou is perfect for Ndiaye

Last season, Ndiaye finished as Everton’s top scorer with 11 goals, and it was a solid debut introduction to English football for the Senegal international.

If he can kick on from this, Moyes will have a devastating left winger at his disposal who can help fire the Merseyside club into the top half of the Premier League table this term.

The winger also succeeded with 2.1 dribbles last season, while creating three big chances and recording a 24% goal conversion percentage.

By adding Aznou to the squad, the young left-back has the ability to link up well with Ndiaye going forward, and this partnership could cause chaos for the opposition defence.

In 2024, talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Aznou as a “generational talent” and should he impress at Everton, he will live up to this hype.

Aznou has already made four appearances for Bayern Munich, with one coming at the recent Club World Cup, but it was during his loan spell with Real Valladolid where he shone.

He started ten La Liga games for the club and looked impressive in the final third. Indeed, he succeeded with 1.5 dribbles per game – a 56% success rate – while also averaging 0.5 key passes and registering 0.3 shots per game.

The youngster has also shown defensively. When compared to his peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Aznou ranked in the top 9% of full-backs for tackles (2.82) per 90, in the top 1% for blocks (2.51) per 90 and also in the top 30% for aerials won (1.11) per 90 during his stint in Spain.

Given his lack of senior appearances, these statistics point towards a trend that Moyes will hope continues at Everton.

Aznou’s stats in La Liga last season

Matches

13

Touches per game

43

Big chances created

1

Successful dribbles per game

1.5

Tackles per game

2.2

Total duels won per game

5.8

Via Sofascore

His ability to go past defenders will aid Ndiaye, who can use the youngster as the perfect foil for attacking success this coming season.

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da esport bet： For all the superstars playing in the Premier League, often the most crucial member of the team is the manager. No wonder, then, that some of them are paid the big bucks. Of course, some bosses earn more than others, but what do managers’ pay packets look like?

da winzada777： Based on the latest reports, here are the details of how much the current top-flight managers earn. As you might expect, there are some eye-watering sums here, so brace yourselves.

2024/25 Premier League managers’ salaries

Rank

Manager

Club

Wage per year

1

Pep Guardiola

Man City

£20m

2

Mikel Arteta

Arsenal

£10m

3=

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

£8m

3=

Thomas Frank

Tottenham

£8m

5

Arne Slot

Liverpool

£6.9m

6

Ruben Amorim

Man Utd

£6.5m

7

David Moyes

Everton

£5m

8

Oliver Glasner

Crystal Palace

£4.5m

9

Enzo Maresca

Chelsea

£4.2m

10=

Marco Silva

Fulham

£4m

10=

Eddie Howe

Newcastle

£4m

12

Nuno Espirito Santo

Nottingham Forest

£2m

13

Andoni Iraola

Bournemouth

£1m

13 Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth) Annual wage: Over £1m per year

Andoni Iraola only had one victory in his first ten Premier League matches at Bournemouth last term, but has turned things around on the south coast.

Iraola had been among the lower earners in the division, reportedly making £1m per season under his initial two-year deal with the Cherries. However, given the former Rayo Vallecano boss signed a 12-month extension just before the end of 2023/24, we reckon he would have had his wages bumped up somewhat since.

12 Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest) Annual wage: Over £2m per year

Nuno Espirito Santo was tasked with steering Nottingham Forest to safety, and looks set to take the Reds into Europe for 2025/26.

The former Wolves and Spurs boss was thought to have been made Forest’s highest-paid manager when brought in by Evangelos Marinakis, and with predecessor Steve Cooper on a salary of £2m upon his departure, we can assume Espirito Santo is on a heftier wage.

Given his success in 2024/25, we wouldn’t be surprised if he has had a pay rise after penning a new deal until 2028.

11 Eddie Howe (Newcastle United) Annual wage: £4m per year

Since taking the helm at Newcastle United, the Toon boss has delivered nothing short of remarkable results, ensuring they’re well ahead of schedule with a top-four finish in 2022/23. Under his leadership, the Magpies have not only soared to impressive heights, but have now established themselves as one of the Premier League’s more impressive outfits.

Eddie Howe is currently on an annual salary of £4m, which would have increased had the Magpies qualified for European football once again last term.

With Newcastle assured of a European place in 2025/26 courtesy of their historic EFL Cup triumph, Howe could yet be in line for a pay rise.

10 Marco Silva (Fulham) Annual wage: £4m per year

Marco Silva has helped establish Fulham as a stable Premier League outfit since securing the Championship title and achieving promotion, further solidifying his position in the eyes of owner Shahid Khan.

Since taking charge at Craven Cottage in 2021, the former Everton boss has worked wonders, earning a substantial £4m salary along with an annual bonus of £500,000.

This high-profile success has clearly served as motivation for Silva, whose team have transformed into European challengers under his leadership.

9 Enzo Maresca (Chelsea) Annual wage: £4.2m per year

The latest boss churned out on the Stamford Bridge conveyor belt of managers was Enzo Maresca. While he had more recent trophy-winning experience than predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, his reported wage is dwarfed by the Argentinian’s, who was apparently earning over £10m a year in west London.

The Chelsea hierarchy is clearly giving Maresca the opportunity to up his salary through positive results, as if they were to make another change, it won’t be as pricey as letting Pochettino go prematurely.

In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Maresca guided Chelsea to two trophies, the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup.

8 Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace) Annual wage: £4.5m per year

Oliver Glasner was appointed as Crystal Palace boss on a deal until 2026 and has reportedly been earning a salary totalling around £4.5m a year.

The 2022 Europa League winner has had a promising start to his career at Selhurst Park, with the Eagles steering well clear of relegation bother in his first half-season before famously lifting the FA Cup in 2024/25.

The way Glasner’s going, this is just the beginning for him in south London.

Related The 8 longest-serving managers in the Premier League & EFL

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Posts 7 David Moyes (Everton) Annual wage: £5m per year

David Moyes’ return to Everton has been an undoubted success, with the Scot steering the Merseysiders to safety after Sean Dyche was sacked in early January.

Reports claimed that Moyes, who won the Conference League during his time away from Goodison Park, signed a two-and-a-half-year deal worth £12.5m, coming in at £5m a year.

Despite being one of the pricier Premier League bosses, it’s certainly a decision that has paid off for the Friedkin Group.

6 Ruben Amorim (Manchester United) Annual wage: £6.5m per year

Manchester United decided to part ways with Erik ten Hag after a dreadful start to the 2024/25 campaign. While things in the league haven’t improved much, replacement Ruben Amorim has at least had success in Europe this term.

Aside from the hefty £11m-plus compensation fee to bring the Portuguese coach in from Sporting CP, Amorim is thought to be on a slightly lower annual salary than his predecessor, who brought in £6.75m a year plus bonuses.

Amorim is currently bringing in £6.5m per annum, though a strong end to the season may see this rise ahead of 2025/26.

5 Arne Slot (Liverpool) Annual wage: £6.9m per year

Amid all the managerial changes in 2024, the man stepping into the biggest shoes this summer was Liverpool boss Arne Slot.

Replacing Jurgen Klopp and rebuilding in his absence may have seemed a poisoned chalice of sorts, but winning the title at the first attempt is justification for the Reds paying handsomely to get the man they wanted from the Dutch Eredivisie.

Reports claim that Slot is now earning €8m (£6.9m) a year as Liverpool manager, which is (understandably) a significant climbdown from Klopp’s apparent wages of around £15m per annum.

4 Thomas Frank (Tottenham) Annual wage: £8m per year

Thomas Frank, who assumed the role of Brentford’s manager in 2018, helped the club to the promised land of the Premier League and become an established top-flight outfit.

Following Ange Postecoglou’s departure from Tottenham, Frank swiftly moved to north London and penned a three-year deal with Spurs, reportedly earning £8m a year.

There will be plenty of pressure on Frank to get things right for Tottenham in the Premier League, and he has almost doubled what he was on at Brentford by taking the Spurs job.