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It has been over a decade since Crystal Palace so dramatically won promotion to the Premier League thanks to an extra-time penalty from Kevin Phillips, and while there have been some scares since, the Eagles have established themselves as a top-flight side.
However, following their FA Cup exit earlier this week, Roy Hodgson's men once again have little to play for over the next 18 games, as the sides below them are markedly worse, and those above are pulling away.
The biggest problem the South Londoners have is scoring goals, as their 22 goals rank as the third-worst haul in the league, ahead of only Burnley and Sheffield United.
However, with the transfer window in full swing, the club look ready to do something about this deficiency, as the latest name touted for a move to Selhurst Park could be the perfect upgrade on Jean-Philippe Mateta.
According to TEAMtalk, Palace are one of several Premier League sides interested in Chelsea's Albanian striker, Armando Broja.
Alongside the Eagles, the report names Fulham, West Ham United, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, meaning that Hodgson and Co have an almighty battle on their hands if they want to land the dynamic attacker.
As if the interest from four other Premier League sides wasn't enough trouble, TEAMtalk also revealed that a number of sides from Spain, Italy, and Germany have their eyes on the Chelsea man.
Should Palace manage to get themselves to the front of the comically large queue, they'll have to make an offer above £35m to seal the deal, and while that is not an insignificant amount of money, it might just be worth it if Broja could reach his full potential in red and blue.
Now, Mateta has not been terrible for Palace in the time he has been at the club, but he has undoubtedly been underwhelming.
In his 88 appearances for the team, he has scored just 15 goals and provided five assists, whereas while he was playing for FSV Mainz, he managed 27 goals and five assists in just 71 outings, so it would be hard not to be disappointed with the Frenchman's output.
Moreover, he is turning 27 this year, which, per The Athletic, should be the statistical peak for strikers, and it doesn't look like he'll be getting much better.
On the other hand, the "athletic and powerful" Broja, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, won't turn 23 until September, so he has much more room to grow and improve at Selhurst Park should he join. Moreover, while his goalscoring record in blue leaves a lot to be desired, his loan stint at Southampton – ten goal involvements in all competitions – showed he has what it takes to be a Premier League forward.
Additionally, when it comes to the pair's underlying numbers from this season, there isn't much competition, as in almost every meaningful metric, the more youthful "complete forward", as described by Kulig, comes out on top.
|
Armando Broja vs Jean-Philippe Mateta |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats per 90 |
Broja |
Mateta |
|
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists |
0.50 |
0.42 |
|
Non-Penalty Goals |
0.20 |
0.11 |
|
Progressive Carries |
2.20 |
1.11 |
|
Progressive Passes |
1.20 |
1.22 |
|
Shots |
2.58 |
1.34 |
|
Goals per Shot on Target |
0.50 |
0.17 |
|
Successful Take-Ons |
2.60 |
1.56 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season |
||
He has produced a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, scored more non-penalty goals, completed almost twice as many progressive carries, taken significantly more shots and required fewer than half as many shots on target to actually score.
In Mateta's defence, he does produce marginally more progressive passes per 90, but that is really about it.
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Ultimately, if Palace want to push on and fight their way up the table, then signing Broja wouldn't be the worst place to start, as while it would still represent something of a gamble, their current crop of forwards aren't exactly ripping it up, and they don't look like they ever will.
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After Tottenham Hotspur failed to qualify for European competition last season, finishing eighth in the Premier League, it was pretty clear where the crux of the issues lay.
63 goals shipped was not a laudable figure, with only the relegated trio and promoted outfits Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest yielding deeper concession rates.
Taking the helm in the summer after closing the door on an illustrious tenure with Celtic, Ange Postecoglou did not solve the problem instantly, instead attending to other issues and completing the £43m transfer of Micky van de Ven on August 8th – over two months after his arrival.
This actually bespeaks the Australian's astuteness, his wits, ensuring his outfit welcome the correct addition to improve the backline, beating divisional rivals Liverpool to his signature.
Two-month injury layoff notwithstanding, the 23-year-old has proved a huge success, playing an integral role in the club's early-season endeavours and leading pundit Jamie Carragher to laud the "out of this world" introduction to the English game.
Could it be that Postecoglou is lining up a move for a Premier League star who could even eclipse Van de Ven's potential?
According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham are in contention to sign Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite in 2024, though they will have to fight against the likes of Real Madrid for his signature.
The Toffees have been resurgent this term despite a ten-point deduction in the Premier League, and it's understood that figures as high as £100m have emanated from the Goodison Park camp.
Spurs have strengthened in defence and added to their summer business with the £27m acquisition of Radu Dragusin from Genoa this month, but Branthwaite is an elite talent and would enhance the backline for years to come.
In the early days of October, Everton announced that Branthwaite had signed a new long-term contract with the club, which would keep him on Merseyside until 2027.
It was necessary, with a host of suitors circling and the 21-year-old producing some commanding performances across the opening months of the campaign.
An unused substitute across both of Everton's opening top-flight fixtures, Branthwaite has played the full 90 in all but one game since (absent against Burnley due to a one-match suspension), described as "an absolute wall" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
As per Sofascore, the £35k-per-week colossus has averaged 2.1 tackles, 4.7 clearances and 6.4 ball recoveries in the Premier League this season, winning 67% of his contested duels to emphasise his monstrous defensive acumen.
To put that in perspective, Spurs stalwart Cristian Romero – who Lionel Messi once outrageously claimed is "the best defender in the world" – has won 70% of his duels in the league this term, so Branthwaite is making fine progress indeed.
Moreover, the Toffees titan ranks among the top 16% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year this season for tackles and the top 14% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, and as he continues to improve over the coming years such metrics might even snowball.
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A significant presence at 6 foot 5, Branthwaite is composed, cultured and commanding in front of Jordan Pickford's goal and has demonstrated his worth as a future England international and a leading defender on the European scene.
If Spurs added his qualities to the project, Postecoglou's chances of enjoying a silver-laden future in the capital would increase and then some.
Of course, there is an important point to be made here. Van de Ven and Romero make up a defensive axis of formidable ability, with their presence on the pitch this season certainly felt.
Both have been inflicted with injuries and suspensions (the latter in Romero's case) to stifle the stunning start to life under their enterprising new manager, but there's no doubt that with both fit, flanked by Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro, the Lilywhites boast a backline of immense fluency and dynamism.
|
Spurs With & Without Van de Ven: Premier League 23/24 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Apps |
W |
D |
L |
GC |
PPG |
|
|
With VDV |
12 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
15 |
2.25 |
|
Without VDV |
9 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
16 |
1.44 |
|
Source: Transfermarkt |
||||||
Indeed, just look at the contrast in results during Van de Ven's period of convalescence over the past few months, returning last time out against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a 2-2 draw but a result that highlighted Spurs' superiority in cohesion and intent.
A player with electric pace and remarkable agility nimbleness for a man of 6 foot 4, the Netherlands international offers a singular skill set that makes him a brilliant tool within Postecoglou's project.
Van de Ven ranks among the top 10% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 to emphasise this point.
During his time in the English game, the £50k-per-week star has completed 95% of his passes, succeeded with 61% of his duels and averaged 1.6 tackles, 5.0 ball recoveries and 2.9 clearances per game.
|
Branthwaite vs Van de Ven: Tackling stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
Branthwaite |
Van de Ven |
|
Tackles |
2.11 |
1.65 |
|
Tackles won |
1.06 |
1.04 |
|
% of tackles won |
81% |
75% |
|
Tackles & interceptions |
3.89 |
2.00 |
|
Stats via FBRef. |
||
While he might be the crisper distributor, Van de Ven doesn't appear to be as naturally gifted a defender as Branthwaite, who has indeed been commended for his "Rolls-Royce" qualities by one Everton insider.
Evidently, the Everton man surpasses his Dutch counterpart across nearly all defensive metrics and given that Tottenham have actually conceded 31 Premier League goals this season compared to the Blues' 28, it's hard to argue that Branthwaite hasn't been one of the most robust and reliable players in the business.
Of course, Van de Ven has been absent for some important parts of the campaign and Tottenham have felt the thorns of his absence most severely, but Everton were defeated across both of their opening fixtures of the season with Branthwaite on the bench and Sean Dyche wisely placed him into the starting line-up henceforward.
Pulling off a deal for Branthwaite would be nothing short of a major coup, but despite the complications that would likely arise from this venture, there's little question about his immense potential and just how impressive he might be once integrated into the Spurs fold.
Liverpool enjoyed a wonderful 4-1 victory over Chelsea in midweek which kept them top of the Premier League table and could Jurgen Klopp’s final season in charge end with a second league crown?
They face another big test tomorrow afternoon as they travel to the Emirates to play Arsenal. Win and the supporters will believe a 20th league title is destiny for Klopp. Lose, however, and they may just take a big hit in confidence.
The emphatic win over the Blues will have given the German a boost heading into this title clash against the Gunners tomorrow and with plenty at stake, he will be ready to choose the starting XI which will see the Anfield side secure another win.
With that in mind, here's the team that could take to the pitch at the Emirates on Sunday in what is a pivotal clash if the Reds are to win a second Premier League title under Klopp…
GK – Alisson
The Brazilian will retain his place in the starting XI from the midweek victory over Chelsea, and he has missed just two league matches all season.
In the 20 that he has played, Alisson has kept only seven clean sheets, but the Reds have lost just once in those games, and that shows how good their attacking output is.
RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
While Conor Bradley enjoyed a stunning performance against the Blues during the week – finishing the game with a goal and two assists – due to the nature of the task at hand against Arsenal, Trent Alexander Arnold will return to the starting XI.
The Englishman has missed only three matches in the league this season, chipping in with five goal contributions, and his presence in the starting XI will be crucial if Liverpool are to win tomorrow.
CB – Virgil van Dijk
The Dutchman has started every single one of his league ties this term, missing only two due to a suspension he picked up following a sending-off against Newcastle United at the start of the campaign.
The former Southampton man will need to be at his best to deal with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus tomorrow, and he will be key to Liverpool securing a positive result.
CB – Ibrahima Konate
The 24-year-old has been Van Dijk’s main partner at the heart of the defence due to Joel Matip suffering a serious injury against Fulham back in December, with the Cameroonian likely to miss the rest of the season.
Since replacing Matip during that game, the Reds have conceded just five league goals in their subsequent seven games Konate has featured, indicating that he is the ideal person to partner the Dutchman tomorrow.
LB – Andy Robertson
The Scot has missed a large chunk of the season due to suffering a shoulder injury and only made his return against Chelsea in midweek, playing 21 minutes.
He will be deployed in the starting XI against the Gunners and Klopp will be hoping he can keep Saka quiet during the clash.
CM – Curtis Jones
The academy product has really taken his game to new levels this season and could become a key member of the Liverpool midfield for years to come.
The 23-year-old has started nine league matches thus far, scoring once and grabbing an assist, and he will retain his place in the starting XI for the visit to London.
CM – Alexis Mac Allister
The Argentine was in fine form against Chelsea during the week, finishing the game with a 90% pass success rate, winning 11 ground duels and making one key pass as he shone in the heart of the midfield.
His performances have been getting better and better since adapting to Klopp’s way of playing and his signing is beginning to look like a stroke of genius from the German.
CM – Dominik Szoboszlai
The Hungarian gem was another player who shone against the Stamford Bridge side on Wednesday. Not only did he find the back of the net, but he also made two key passes, succeeded with 91% of his pass attempts and took 68 touches, showcasing his desire to get involved.
The former RB Leipzig starlet has started all but one of Liverpool’s league ties this term and Klopp will place his full trust in the 23-year-old against stern opposition at the Emirates on Sunday.
RW – Diogo Jota
The former Wolves gem has been tasked with performing in a few roles this season by Klopp, featuring on both wings and also as a centre-forward.
The 27-year-old has scored 13 goals and grabbed three assists across all competitions and, due to Mohamed Salah’s injury, the manager will unleash him on the right wing, similar to the midweek clash against Chelsea.
He scored against the Blues, suggesting that no matter what position he plays across the front three, he is able to contribute effectively.
ST – Cody Gakpo
Darwin Núñez is likely to be ruled out for the Arsenal clash after he left in a protective boot following the midweek win over the Blues.
The £140k-per-week striker failed to score despite hitting the woodwork four times, but he did grab an assist and his unpredictability will be missed against the Gunners.
This means Cody Gakpo will earn a start leading the line. The "special" Dutchman – as described by his manager – has managed to net nine goals and chip in with four assists, but facing a stubborn Arsenal defence will be a big test of his abilities.
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Over time, Liverpool supporters have come to trust Jurgen Klopp's judgement in the transfer market, with the illustrious Premier League outfit often delving down a shrewder road than their rivals when improving the squad.
While staple members Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk were signed for lofty figures, deals for iconic Klopp stars such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Andy Robertson and Joel Matip – certainly not an exhaustive list – were welcomed for bargain sums in today's jaw-dropping landscape.
The remarkable accuracy in the transfer market has left certain rivals rueing their own lack of discernment and has been the foundation of the Reds' success under Klopp's wing.
But it hasn't always gone well and there are a few deals littered throughout the German's tenure that are best left in distant memory.
Indeed, three-and-a-half years ago Liverpool ventured to sign Thiago Alcantara, long considered one of Europe's superlative centre-midfielders, though the Spain international's time on Merseyside has been marred by an incredible series of injury problems.
It was 2020 and Liverpool were preparing for the eventuality of Gini Wijnaldum's sale; the Dutchman has one year remaining on his current contract and renewal looked unlikely. A replacement was needed.
Wijnaldum would indeed move to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer one year later but FSG moved to sign Thiago from Bayern Munich and wrapped up a deal for a fee rising to £25m.
Long regarded as a "magnificent" footballer with "outstanding technique" – as was once said by Phillip Lahm – the La Masia youth graduate had won honours in abundance throughout a glittering career, notably gleaning the Champions League with both Bayern and Barcelona, and his acquisition looked a no-brainer for a heavy metal Liverpool side transitioning toward a style with a tad more control and composure.
The one little concern was an unflattering injury record, but then there was hope that that wouldn't present too large a quandary.
Thiago has completed 98 appearances for Liverpool and played a big role as Klopp chased a quadruple in 2021/22 – unsuccessfully, sure, but not without triumph in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
The £200k-per-week star enjoyed success that year and actually started 17 Premier League matches during that season, completing 89% of his passes and averaging 1.2 key passes, 1.9 tackles and 4.5 successful duels per fixture, as per Sofascore.
He was important last season but fell to injury in the new year and made his final Premier League start against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the beginning of February.
Yet to feature from the outset since Thiago made his anticipated return off the bench during Liverpool's recent defeat against title rivals Arsenal, but got fans groaning after bewildering news that he had suffered a hamstring issue.
These incessant problems have caused the player's transfer value to plummet, with Football Transfers recording Thiago's current value at just £4m, which marks an 80% decrease – such has been the enormity of his decline.
|
Thiago Alcantara: Premier League Stats by Season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Apps |
Starts |
|
23/24 |
1 |
0 |
|
22/23 |
18 |
14 |
|
21/22 |
25 |
17 |
|
20/21 |
24 |
20 |
|
Source: WhoScored |
||
Once praised for his "staggering" talents by pundit and former Liverpool man Michael Owen, Thiago has enjoyed some fine moments but all too often has watched on in shadowed obscurity as his confreres fight for honours.
He's not been the most expensive addition during Klopp's reign and while he carries the patina of a wisened and cultured veteran, he has been unable to strut his stuff with the slightest bit of regularity, and it remains to be seen if Liverpool will get more than a sliver out of his services before the end of the campaign.
They say that availability is the best ability, and while this is worn-out phrasing it certainly speaks a truth regarding Thiago's Liverpool career.
Endowed with such scintillating technical ability and tactical intelligence that allows him to control matches with remarkable ease, Thiago is comfortably one of the best players to perform under Klopp at Liverpool, when going off raw quality alone.
However, raw quality is only one of many important facets down a winding path toward success and the 32-year-old's startling inability to maintain fitness has ravaged any hopes of etching his name into Premier League lore for his feats on the pitch.
This is not the first time Reds supporters have been led to get excited by a high-profile addition to the midfield, with Naby Keita's £53m acquisition back in 2018 supposed to be a game-changing move during Liverpool's primitive face under Klopp, who dubbed the Guinean "the complete midfielder."
|
Naby Keita: Key Characteristics |
|
|---|---|
|
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
|
Passing |
Aerial duels |
|
Tackling |
|
|
Blocking |
|
|
Through balls |
|
|
Source: WhoScored |
|
In a similar decline, Keita managed only stuttering glimpses of the quality that prompted Klopp to grant such an expensive outlay, scoring 11 goals and supplying seven assists across 129 fixtures in all competitions for the Anfield side but, given that he completed five campaigns in England, this averages out to a measly 26 appearances per term.
To put that in perspective, Mohamed Salah averaged 51 games per season during the same period.
Like Thiago, Keita is among Europe's most naturally talented midfielders and has even been hailed for his "world-class" attributes by Virgil van Dijk in the past, but given that the former has reaped lucrative rewards across both German and Spanish pitches, it's hard to feel more aggrieved by Keita's struggles.
The end date draws ever closer and it's very hard to imagine a world where Thiago, who turns 33 in two months exactly, pens new terms and has another shot at crafting a successful campaign for himself.
There's a wistful air surrounding these closing months of Thiago's Liverpool career and it will very much go down as a transfer that offered some lovely, influential moments but ultimately failed to deliver even a portion of the goods.
Klopp's sweeping changes to the midfield last summer have allayed any fears that Thiago's exit might be detrimental but it is a real shame nonetheless. He's one of the finest footballers around.
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Ever since the heroics of Brice Samba during Nottingham Forest’s promotion-winning journey, the Tricky Trees have failed to recruit a permanent replacement at the City Ground.
The goalkeeper will always be remembered as a hero for saving three penalties in the 2022 play-off semi-final, and keeping a clean sheet in the subsequent showpiece as Forest defeated Huddersfield Town.
Matt Turner, Odysseas Vlachodimos, and recent signing Matz Sels have all attempted to live up to the standards of the French shot-stopper in Nottingham, yet they haven’t reached his level.
However, the Reds have had a keeper since Samba’s exit that had the potential to become their number one for years to come, but he is no longer at the club.
Sels only moved to Forest last month for a fee of £5m, in what was a busy month for the club, both on and off the field.
The Belgian star in between the sticks has had a tough start to life in Nottingham, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s side drawing 1-1 on his debut against Bournemouth and losing 3-2 to former club Newcastle United at the weekend.
Against the Cherries, Sels didn’t have a save to make, and his saving ability wasn’t tested at all, however, he was proactive and made two clearances. That said, the downside to his game was his passing, with the former Strasbourg ace having 59% pass accuracy.
On his City Ground debut, the keeper did make two saves in the game, but what will concern the Forest faithful is the fact that his goals prevented was -1.98, meaning that he should have dealt with the attempts for the goals much better.
In the summer of the 2022/23 season, Dean Henderson joined Forest on a season-long loan from Manchester United, in the hopes that the shot-stopper would give them a better chance of survival.
Over the campaign, the 26-year-old played 18 matches for Steve Cooper’s side, however, he missed the second half of the season through a torn thigh injury, which he picked up at the start of January.
It’s normal for a keeper to have matches where they can’t do much to prevent goals, especially when playing in a side that faces plenty of shots, that said, he only conceded 1.7 goals per game during his spell at the club, with a saves per game of 3.1.
Henderson is a keeper who can keep his side in a game just via his saving ability, with his performance against Brighton & Hove Albion last season being one of his most memorable in a Forest shirt.
|
Henderson vs Brighton |
|
|---|---|
|
Stats |
Henderson |
|
Minutes |
95 |
|
Goals conceded |
0 |
|
Saves |
7 |
|
Saves inside the box |
6 |
|
Goals prevented |
1.64 |
|
Clearances |
3 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
This is exactly what the club has been missing this season, with even former Spurs boss Antonio Conte labelling the former United man “incredible.”
It’s the match-defining moments, like saving two penalties last season, that he can pull off without breaking a sweat and what will make the Forest fans wish they had him back, but they failed to make the move permanent in the summer, with Henderson switching to Crystal Palace instead.
That move for the Englishman – who has now started eight successive league games – has certainly paid off, having arguably outperformed Sels in certain metrics across the last 365 days.
In comparison to his peers in Europe's top five leagues, Henderson notably ranks in the top 11% for average distance from goal for his defensive actions, meaning his regularly willing to act as a sweeper keeper, while Samba, by contrast, is far more rooted to his line as he ranks in just the bottom 33% for that same metric.
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Equally, unlike Samba – who has never played in the Premier League – Henderson is a proven talent in England's top-flight, with former Blades teammate Sander Berge describing him as "insane" as he is "like having two goalkeepers in goal".
Such praise is indicative of the talent that Forest let slip from their grasp, with the jury out on whether Sels will be able to make his mark during what is a pivotal next few months for the club.