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Chemsdine Talbi's first-half brace and Simon Mignolet's heroics in goal helped Club Brugge knock Atalanta out of the Champions League.

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• Talbi scored a brace within half an hour
• Mignolet saved Lookman's penalty
• Club Brugge progressed to round of 16

• TELL ME MORE

  The Belgian side won 3-2 on the night having come to the Gewiss Stadium with a 2-1 lead from the first leg, and it took them just three minutes to extend their lead. Ferran Jutgla was fed with a perfect pass behind the Atalanta backline and the Spanish attacker quickly squared the ball towards Chemsdine Talbi. The 19-year-old forward took one touch and fired the ball into the net.

  In the 17th minute, Atalanta did manage to put the ball into the net when Mateo Retegui got to the end of Juan Cuadrado's low cross and slotted the ball home with a first-time attempt, however, the linesman had already signalled offside.

  Three minutes before the half-hour mark, the visitors further increased their tally as Ardon Jashari made a brilliant solo run from a counter-attack and entered the box before feeding Christos Tzolis with a square pass. The Greek attacker's first-time attempt was blocked by Marco Carnesecchi but Talbi pushed the ball home from the rebound. At the stroke of half-time, the Belgian Pro League side sealed the fate of the tie with a third goal as Jutgla got his name on the scoresheet from Tzolis's assist.

  After missing the last six matches across all competitions due to a knee problem, Atalanta star Ademola Lookman finally returned to action in the second half. The Nigerian's addition proved to be an instant impact as he pulled one back for his team within a minute from the break. Lookman, however, turned villain soon as Mignolet saved his spot-kick at the hour mark after Cuadrado was brought down inside the box.

  Towards the end of regulation time, the hosts were reduced to 10 men as captain Rafael Toloi got into an unnecessary physical confrontation with Maxim De Cuyper and picked up a red card, compounding Atalanta's woes as they crashed out.

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  THE MVP

  Despite Mignolet's heroics in goal, it was 19-year-old Talbi who stole the limelight with a brace under 30 minutes which completely took the game away from the Italian side. The teenager held his nerve on both occasions and comfortably sealed a memorable win for his side.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Atalanta skipper Toloi, along with the entire backline had a nightmare outing, especially in the first half which allowed Club Brugge to take a commanding lead and kill the game. The skipper then further added to the team's misery towards the end of the game with irresponsible behaviour as he went into a physical confrontation with De Cuyper and picked up a direct red card, thereby leaving his side down to 10 men.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  After the humiliating defeat in Europe, Atalanta will now shift their focus to Serie A where they are five points adrift of league leaders Napoli. They will next face Empoli on Sunday. On the same day, Club Brugge take on Standard in the Belgian Pro League.

Arsenal are in a rut. That’s putting it kindly too. The Gunners dreamed of taking home the Premier League title at the beginning of the season. There were also aspirations to go deep in the Champions League.

While their continental hopes are far from over, their form as a whole is rather worrying now. Their difficult patch continued against Inter on Wednesday evening, losing 1-0 for a consecutive game.

Everything that could go wrong is going wrong. For a side that prides itself on not conceding goals, they have now kept just two clean sheets in their last seven games. It’s not ideal whatsoever.

While that’s happening they’re also failing to find the net with much regularity. Having not scored against Newcastle and now against Inter, the sight of Martin Odegaard returning to fitness in injury time at the San Siro was a welcome sight.

Yet, they face Chelsea next. Gulp. Mikel Arteta’s men will no doubt improve but they need to do so pretty immediately. The ship is sinking without a trace and their Spanish tactician must wrestle back some momentum.

So, where did it all go wrong on Wednesday? Take your pick.

Why Arsenal lost to Inter in the Champions League

The tone was set early on when rampaging right-back Denzel Dumfries galloped forward and rattled the crossbar with a rasping drive.

Inter were by far the better team but the away side grew into things the closer we got towards the break. However, once again, the officials were not Arsenal’s best friend.

A ball was swung in, deflected goalbound but then struck the arm of summer signing Mikel Merino. He could not do anything about it and in the Premier League – due to rules regarding the proximity of the player in relation to the ball – it would have been disallowed. Things are different in Europe, though. Work that one out.

The penalty was given and upstepped the ever-reliable Hakan Calhanoglu who stroked the ball home with ease. It was a gutting blow but to their credit, the English side did fight back in the second half, all to no avail.

Without Odegaard, Arsenal have found it difficult to carve out regular goal-scoring opportunities. This was a similar story to the defeat at St James’ Park but their xG was supremely better on this occasion, rising from a dismal 1.05 last Saturday to 2.22 in Milan.

Yet, the vast majority of their chances came from open-play crosses or set-pieces. The Gunners had great joy from wide areas but Inter were comfortable in their shape and resolutely defended a whopping 13 corners and 46 crosses.

19 of those balls into the box came from Bukayo Saka’s boot but he only completed three which just about summed up the night. Saka was lively but there weren’t many other faces in red or white who deserved praise.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Arsenal's biggest underperformers against Inter

Besides the penalty incident, the Gunners were as safe as houses at the back. It was in attack where they really laboured.

Once again Belgian star Leandro Trossard was poor in a central attacking area and was outclassed by Ethan Nwaneri who appeared as a late sub. You do wonder what the teenager has to do in order to start games.

He nearly rescued a point for the visitors, turning defender Stefan de Vrij deep into injury time before unleashing a shot that sailed over the bar.

Trossard too had one shot at goal but it was incredibly unmemorable. So was his performance as a whole, truth be told, registering just two key passes and losing possession on a frequent basis.

That said, Gabriel Martinelli also deserves some criticism. The Brazilian is such an exciting player on his day but unfortunately, over the last year or so we’ve not seen the best of him.

Often isolated on the left-hand side, the former Ituano star does lack support from his teammates but this was yet another match where he was indecisive and poor with his final actions.

Handed a 4/10 match rating by The Express, they summed things up succinctly, suggesting that he ‘must begin to stamp his authority on matches on a more frequent basis.’

That was lacking once again from a player who lost the ball a whopping 16 times on Wednesday night, as well as completing just five of his 13 crosses and winning six of his nine duels. As Arsenal writer Oli Price Bates said on social media after the game, he will have left the manager “fuming” at his inability to fashion goalscoring opportunities.

While Sofascore rated him as the best player on the pitch, it doesn’t tell the full story of a performance that lacked much quality.

Raheem Sterling will be ineligible to face his parent club at the weekend but Martinelli must be dropped. Gabriel Jesus has shown mini signs of revival in recent weeks – scoring against Preston last week – and could feature off the left.

Trossard remains an option to play out on the flanks where he looks far more at home than he does in the middle. Over to you Mikel. Something has to change.

Arsenal target winter move for £90m Trossard & Martinelli upgrade

Arsenal are looking at ways to strengthen their attack over the winter.

1

By
Matt Dawson

Nov 3, 2024

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has closed the staff canteen at Old Trafford, with training ground employees only offered soup and bread for lunch going forward.

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• Staff only given fruit as scrimping continues
• Carrington employees can only eat bread and soup
• Young stars denied Old Trafford opportunity

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Workers at Old Trafford will only be given complimentary fruit after Ratcliffe ordered the staff canteen at the club's stadium to shut, according to The measure is just one aspect of the latest round of cost-cutting measures introduced by the INEOS regime, after reported that employees at the club's training ground at Carrington have seen their lunch options severely reduced and are only being allowed soup and bread. Players are exempt from the new measures and are free to continue to eat as they wish, although coaches and analysts will have to make do with the limited options.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  also reports that United's youth players have been hit hard by the new regime's scrimping as the club's Under-18 side were denied the chance to play a recent FA Youth Cup match against Chelsea at Old Trafford. The likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo gained valuable experience playing at the stadium when they won the 2022 edition but the current generation were deprived that opportunity and instead played at their usual home of Leigh Sports Village, saving the club an estimated £8,000.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ratcliffe made 250 staff redundant last year and is planning on cutting up to 200 more jobs in the near future. The club announced dismal financial figures last week, which revealed that it had made a loss of £27.7 million ($35m) in the last three months of 2024. Supporters group MUST accused the club of financial mismanagement and criticised Ratcliffe and Co. for squandering huge amounts of money by giving Erik ten Hag a new contract then sacking him four months later, and for hiring Dan Ashworth from Newcastle and then firing him five months after starting work.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  Ratcliffe's austerity measures shown no sign of abating as United are set to part with more prize money as they sit in 15th position in the Premier League, only separated by West Ham in 16th on goal difference. Ruben Amorim's side face relegation-fighting Ipswich Town on Wednesday night.

Julen Lopetegui is under pressure at West Ham United following a less-than-inspiring start to life in east London. The Spaniard was expected to take the Irons to the next level after replacing David Moyes in the summer, but so far, results have been mixed.

Heading into the November international break, the club have won just three times in the Premier League, with one of those victories coming against Manchester United. Yet, they have suffered five defeats, leaving them in 14th place in the Premier League table, just five points clear of the drop.

Will the former Real Madrid coach last the season? That remains to be seen. With this in mind, Football FanCast looks at eight possible options the Hammers could turn to should Lopetegui find himself out of a job.

All 20 Premier League managers' salaries (lowest to highest)

How much each Premier League gaffer earns.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 21, 2025

1

Graham Potter

Free agent (last job: Chelsea)

Who is better to take over the club than Graham Potter? The Englishman has plenty of experience in the Premier League, taking charge of 141 games in the competition across spells with Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion.

His time at Stamford Bridge didn’t work out as expected, but Potter demonstrated his managerial nous during his spell on the south coast, keeping Brighton in the league for three successive seasons.

According to CaughtOffside, Potter is a candidate to take over from Lopetegui, although they might need to act swiftly.

2

Gareth Southgate

Free agent (last job: England)

England manager for eight years, Gareth Southgate left his position having guided the nation to yet another European Championship final.

Like in 2021, however, England lost. This led to Southgate resigning, and he has been on the market ever since.

Despite this success at international level, Southgate hasn’t managed a club side since 2009, leading Middlesbrough to relegation from the Premier League.

Southgate has stated that he will be taking some time out of the game following the end of his Three Lions tenure, though he could be a long-term option if Lopetegui is able to cling on for a little longer.

10 England players who can shine under Thomas Tuchel

The German will be planning for the 2026 World Cup.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 16, 2024

3

Edin Terzić

Free agent (last job: Borussia Dortmund)

Edin Terzić led Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season. Although they lost to Real Madrid, it looked like the club finally had a proper heir to Jürgen Klopp.

Just a week later, he asked to leave in what was a surprising move and has been out of work ever since.

Terzic averaged 1.95 points per game during his spell in charge of the Bundesliga side, seeing his team score 267 times across 128 games. This works out at just over two goals per game.

This attacking philosophy could work wonders at West Ham, as the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta could thrive under the 42-year-old, who was previously assistant at the London Stadium to Slaven Bilic.

4

Michael Carrick

Middlesbrough

Michael Carrick has enjoyed a solid start to life in his first managerial role at Middlesbrough. The former West Ham United academy graduate has taken charge of Boro 107 times, winning 54 of those matches and losing only 35 times, achieving 1.68 points per game.

The former midfielder was linked with the West Ham role back in August before Lopetegui was appointed. Might it be second-time lucky for the Englishman should the former Wolves manager be sacked?

His previous connections to the club certainly suggest that Carrick will be in the running, but he might just want to see how far he can take Boro, as the Premier League is a realistic target.

Ranking David Moyes’ 10 worst signings at West Ham

Football FanCast takes a look at Moyes’ 10 worst West Ham signings.

By
Alex Roberts

Dec 6, 2023

5

Brendan Rodgers

Celtic

Brendan Rodgers has worked his magic during two spells at Celtic, winning three Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups and three League Cups across two stints in Glasgow.

He left under a cloud to join Leicester City in 2019, leading the Foxes to back-to-back 5th-place finishes in the Premier League, along with winning their first FA Cup in 2021.

No stranger to the demands of the English top flight, the Northern Irishman could be a decent choice. But with Celtic finally performing in Europe, it remains to be seen if the West Ham job would even appeal at this moment in time.

6

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Free agent (last job: Man Utd interim manager)

Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoyed a positive spell as caretaker manager of Manchester United, winning three of his four games before Ruben Amorim arrived at Old Trafford.

Prior to this, the legendary Dutch striker spent a season in charge of PSV Eindhoven, leading the club to the Dutch Cup. Rather surprisingly, he departed at the end of that campaign.

With Van Nistelrooy now no longer attached to his former club, he may well be on the lookout for a permanent role as a top-flight manager once again – and it could yet be that he stays in the Premier League.

7

Thomas Frank

Brentford

Quite frankly (no pun intended), the job Thomas Frank has done with Brentford has been incredible. Upon taking over the club in 2018, Frank has not only led them to the Premier League, but firmly established the Bees as a regular fixture in the top flight.

The Dane has been linked with a move to West Ham in recent weeks amid Lopetegui’s poor form, but would he seriously consider abandoning the project he is still building in west London?

There would be more money available to him at the Irons, but that comes with its own pressures, and it would be fair to say Frank has it pretty good at his current club.

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

A rare sight in football…

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 8, 2024

8

Marco Silva

Fulham

Marco Silva has finally found his mojo in England with Fulham. Previous stints with Hull City, Watford and Everton allowed the Portuguese manager to showcase his managerial talents in brief spells.

However, his tenure with the Cottagers has been a match made in heaven. Silva won the Championship title during his first season at the club, before leading Fulham to 10th and 13th-place finishes in the top flight.

This season, the club entered the recent international break in the top half and just a point outside the top four after an impressive start.

If the Irons wish to appoint someone with plenty of top-flight experience who can build a successful team that plays attacking football, they could do no worse than make an approach for Silva.

Dani Dyer has revealed whether she will be taking Jarrod Bowen’s surname after getting married to the West Ham captain this summer.

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• Couple set to tie the knot this summer
• Danny Dyer delighted to have Bowen in the family
• Double-barrelled surname being lined up

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dyer, the daughter of Football Factory and EastEnders actor Danny, is set to tie the knot in 2025 after bringing said nuptials forward in order to avoid clashing with the next World Cup finals – which Bowen will be hoping to grace with England.

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  THE GOSSIP

  Plans for a lavish ceremony have been drawn up, while Dyer has two hen dos on the calendar – one of which will take place on the party island of Ibiza. Bowen, meanwhile, is planning on enjoying a raucous stag do in Las Vegas with his family and friends.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Dyer is looking forward to tying the knot, but is reluctant to part with her current surname. During a discussion with her mother, Joanne Mas, on the podcast, Dani asked: “Why didn’t you take the name Dyer?” Mas jokingly replied: “I wanted the same initials as Jose Mourinho, the Special One. I am the special one.”

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• WHAT DANI DYER SAID

  Dani went on to say, as she plans to become ‘Dyer-Bowen’: “I get it. The fact that I’m still going to double-barrel my name. I feel like it’s a lot, isn’t it? Like, just giving up your surname and I don’t know why but it’s like a real massive part of you. Why should we drop our name? Don’t have to drop our name, do we? I want to keep it. Obviously you add ‘Bowen’ on the end.”

Chelsea are in contact to sign a £21 million “breakout star” who was playing amateur football just two years ago, with his “insane” trajectory not lost on the west Londoners who are taking a firm interest.

Maresca praises fringe Chelsea players after 2-0 win over Heidenheim

The west Londoners were made to work hard for all three points against 15th-placed Bundesliga outfit Heidenheim in the Conference League on Thursday, with players at both ends of the pitch putting in excellent shifts.

"Integral" Chelsea player could now miss next 10 games after injury setback

It’s a blow for Maresca.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 29, 2024

Stand-in goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen made some fantastic stops to keep the home side at bay, with both Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku – two players who are struggling for minutes in the Premier League – netting their goals in the 2-0 away win.

Enzo Maresca, in his post-match press conference, heaped praise on his fringe players for coming and doing the job against Heidenheim – who were by no means easy customers on the night despite their lowly league position.

“They did fantastic. I think all of them. Jadon Sancho did a very good game,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s performance against Heidenheim.

“Axel [Disasi] and Benoit [Badiashile], Cesare [Casadei] did very well. It is important they are ready when they get the chance. Filip did a very good game, Christo the same. We have a game on Sunday and then on Wednesday. We have nine or 10 games in December, so it is more or less a game every two or three days. They are going to get chances so they need to be ready.

“Jadon is very important to us. He is very important. He has to be fit, mentally and physically; he is going to help us a lot. Unfortunately, we did not use him in the last few games but he is showing now how important he is to us.

“Especially against the teams that defend in the low block, we need that quality in the last third. Sometimes he will shoot more but I think he is going to help us a lot. I think it is difficult to find players that tonight did not play well. All of them did very good. This is what we need.”

Despite their array of attacking talent, Chelsea are believed to be in the market for a new attacker, with Getafe sensation Christantus Uche attracting their attention.

Chelsea in contact to sign Christantus Uche

As relayed by Nigerian news outlet soccernet, Chelsea are reportedly in contact over signing Uche, which comes as little surprise considering the 21-year-old’s exceptional rise.

The African sensation, who cost Getafe just €500,000 to sign in the summer, was playing amateur football in his native Nigeria just two years ago – but he’s now shining in La Liga.

Uche has played as both a centre-forward and attacking midfielder for Getafe in the Spanish top-flight side, with Football Espana lauding the “breakout star” who’s been on an “insane” trajectory.

It is also believed that his Getafe contract includes a £21m release clause, so this may not be a tricky deal to do.

Mohamed Salah snubbed a devastated Darwin Nunez after the Liverpool striker's crucial Champions League penalty miss against Paris Saint-Germain.

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• Liverpool crashed out of UCL after penalty shootout loss
• Nunez and Jones saw their efforts saved
• Salah gave cold shoulder to Uruguayan striker

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool’s Champions League journey came to a heartbreaking end at Anfield after a dramatic penalty shootout defeat. The French giants overturned a first-leg deficit and, despite withstanding an onslaught from the home side in regulation time, held on to take the game into extra time and eventually penalties.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In a tense shootout, Nunez was one of two Liverpool players, alongside Curtis Jones, who saw their efforts denied by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, which proved to be decisive. As Nunez stood visibly distraught after his failed spot-kick, the majority of Liverpool players rushed to console him. However, Salah was noticeably absent from the group, instead standing alone on the halfway line with a stern expression and hands on his hips.

• WATCH THE CLIP

  @pubitysport

  Salah could do nothing but look on in disappointment 😕 #mosalah #salah #liverpool #darwinnunez #nunez #lfc #anfield #donnarumma #penalty #psg #ucl #trending #foryou #fy #4u (Via TT/ footballfanz6)

  ♬ original sound – PubitySport

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  As the final whistle confirmed Liverpool’s elimination, Salah could be seen with tears in his eyes. However, he will need to quickly recover from the Champions League heartbreak as the Reds now turn their attention to Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley, where they will face Newcastle United in their first shot at silverware this season.

Mikel Arteta rotated his side heavily having prevailed 7-1 in Eindhoven last week and will now look forward to a mouth-watering quarter-final.

Arsenal cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 9-3 aggregate win over Dutch side PSV, though were held to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta had the luxury of resting several key players with one foot already in the last eight, where they will meet either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid next month. The hosts took the lead on the night inside the opening six minutes as Raheem Sterling cut inside from Tyrell Malacia on the right flank and played in the advancing Oleksandr Zinchenko, who was starting back in midfield against his former side. He shifted the ball onto his stronger left foot and found the far corner with a wonderful curling effort.

PSV brought themselves level, in the second leg at least, with a swift move from an Arsenal goal-kick. Guus Til peeled away off the back of Jorginho and then picked out former Tottenham winger Ivan Perisic, in acres of space vacated by centre-backs Jakub Kiwior and Gabriel Magalhaes, with a perfectly-weighted pass. The Croatian emphatically found the top corner to give the travelling supporters something to shout about.

The Gunners went close to their second of the evening when Mikel Merino's deft flick in behind ricocheted off the heel of centre-back Adama Nagalo and into the path of Myles Lewis-Skelly, whose toe-poke was diverted onto the outside of the post and behind by goalkeeper Walter Benitez.

Shortly before the break, Arsenal found that go-ahead goal. Sterling was the provider again as he scampered past Malacia to the touchline and delivered a teasing cross into the box, where Declan Rice came crashing in to head home.

Chelsea loanee Sterling was brimming with confidence, but failed to cash in a goal of his when set racing away by Zinchenko on a breakaway from a PSV corner as his attempted dink over Benitez was easily smothered by the stopper.

A drab second half saw PSV pull level again when Jorginho was dispossessed far too easily in midfield and the visitors were able to slice through Arsenal at pace, with Couhaib Driouech lobbing Raya with a superb effort. That proved to be the last meaningful action of the game as Arsenal punched their ticket to Madrid.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  Didn't have a lot on his plate in way of stopping shots and had no chance of keeping out either goal regardless. Effectively just provided another outfield option when playing from the back.

  Ben White (6/10):

  Made his first start since November having finally recovered from knee surgery. Understandably rusty in parts, but still had a few moments of technical brilliance to give Gunners fans a glimpse of what's to come for the final stretch of the season. Given a rest towards the end of the game with Timber coming on.

  Jakub Kiwior (4/10):

  Stuck out like a sore thumb at the back, clumsy both with and without the ball, failing to make good on a rare start. Booked for a dubious foul on Perisic.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

  The vocal leader at the back. Made a sweeping recovery challenge to deny Driouech late in the first half after White had ceded possession.

  Myles Lewis-Skelly (7/10):

  Never shied away from an opportunity to get forward and join in attacks, nearly forcing a goal for his troubles before Benitez deflected his effort onto the post. Way more of a natural in the final third than makeshift winger Tierney, and was moved into midfield after Calafiori's introduction.

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  Midfield

  Jorginho (3/10):

  Struggled with the pace of the game at crucial moments. For Perisic's goal, he switched off and allowed the roaming PSV attackers to slip in behind him, and was then robbed of the ball for Driouech's lob.

  Oleksandr Zinchenko (8/10):

  Capable of both bringing the ball out from the back and pushing up alongside auxiliary striker Merino, it's a wonder why Arteta hasn't trusted Zinchenko to play in midfield more this season. Got the night going with a fine solo goal, and refused to celebrate out of respect for his former club. Afforded a standing ovation when taken off for Odegaard.

  Declan Rice (8/10):

  One of few Arsenal players who played this match as if something was actually on the line, harrying into challenges and moving with the swagger expected of a £105m midfielder. Scored for the second game running having also netted at Manchester United on Sunday. Replaced by Calafiori just after the hour mark and shortly following a caution.

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  Attack

  Raheem Sterling (8/10):

  At long last, Sterling has an Arsenal performance he can point to as a sign his decline may not be totally irreversible. His assist for Zinchenko wasn't much, but he had to work extremely hard to tee up Rice later on, beating Malacia down the flank and conjuring up a perfect cross. Ought to have scored himself but couldn't keep his composure when one-on-one with Benitez. Booked in added time for a high challenge on Bakayoko that rules him out of the quarter-final first leg.

  Mikel Merino (5/10):

  Selfless with his hold-up play but still doesn't seem comfortable leading the line alone, with few actions coming inside the penalty area. Subbed for Trossard in the second half.

  Kieran Tierney (5/10):

  Similarly an awkward fit out on the wing as opposed to full-back, delivering crosses with the stiffness of a player used to playing at the other end of the pitch. Replaced by Martinelli late in the day.

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  Subs & Manager

  Riccardo Calafiori (6/10):

  Came on at left-back, allowing Lewis-Skelly to move into midfield. Combined well with the teenager to give himself a shot on goal, which was parried away by Benitez.

  Leandro Trossard (5/10):

  Introduced as a striker for Merino. Didn't get in the game too much.

  Martin Odegaard (6/10):

  One of three players given a late run-out by Arteta. Nearly assisted Sterling with a clever flick in stoppage time.

  Jurrien Timber (5/10):

  Booed by PSV's travelling cohort for his connections to rivals Ajax.

  Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):

  Put on as a right winger, with Sterling ending the match on the left.

  Mikel Arteta (7/10):

  It must have been tremendously hard for the manager to lift his players for such a dead-rubber event, but they got the job done anyways.

Exciting times in the Premier League. For Newcastle United, plenty to look forward to. Two wins in succession before the November international break restored the feel-good factor, and now it’s time to build.

Eddie Howe’s side have weathered plenty of adversity over the past year but are now in a wonderful position to ruffle some feathers at the front of the division once again, hosting West Ham United on Monday night.

The 14th-placed Hammers have toiled through the 2024/25 campaign, clearly not subscribing to Julen Lopetegui’s tactical brand, and Newcastle know that victory at St. James’ Park will lift them into sixth – and just two points behind Manchester City in second.

Exciting times indeed. Of course, Newcastle will need to ensure that they defeat West Ham, who are desperate to turn their season around and will be looking to exploit the hosts’ injury issues.

Newcastle's injury list

He’s not actually injured, but Dan Burn will be sidelined for this crucial fixture, for the 6 foot 6 defender has accumulated five yellow cards and has received a one-match suspension.

Emil Krafth’s untimely injury means he can’t step in alongside Fabian Schar, and though Sven Botman is approaching the end of his rehabilitation after an ACL injury sustained at the start of the year, he is not ready to return. As such, expect the dependable Lloyd Kelly to take the left side of the central defence.

That aside, though, the Toon have a healthy and dynamic crop of players and will determined to exacerbate their opponents’ troubles.

Jarrod Bowen will likely be the architect of any good fortune that the visitors have, however, and it’s imperative that he is subdued, for he will be hungrily eyeing a potential chink that Burn’s absence might present.

Newcastle must stop Jarrod Bowen

West Ham are there for the taking, with Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez both suspended. Forward Niclas Füllkrug will be assessed as his anonymity in England stretches on, but Bowen is fit and will relish the chance to stir an upset on Tyneside.

Having posted 20 goals in all competitions for David Moyes’ struggling outfit last year, Bowen further reinforced his claim as one of the Premier League’s star forwards, but he’s not been at his best thus far in 2024/25, albeit notching three goals and two assists from 11 league games.

Of course, the England star is “unplayable” on his day, as Thomas Frank candidly admitted after he scored a hat-trick against Brentford last year, and it’s a skill set that Newcastle wanted within their ranks.

This summer, the Magpies held a vested interest in Bowen, but the east Londoners put intrigue to bed by stamping a £100m price tag on their superstar. Given that he’d signed a new long-term deal in 2023, the ball was firmly in their court.

Sources such as TEAMtalk have latterly revealed that Howe is still set on signing the 27-year-old and is targeting a blockbuster deal at the end of the season.

In any case, the home support won’t want him to enjoy a successful audition at St. James’ Park tonight. With defensive issues, Newcastle might have a tough time containing him, and that’s why Joelinton should be unleashed on the right flank in a fresh approach to securing victory.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Why Joelinton must start out of position

Anthony Gordon is a tremendous winger but he’s quite clearly more effective on the left flank than the right. Against Nottingham Forest two weeks ago, the former Everton prospect toiled out of position before enjoying a rejuvenation in his natural role, placing three key passes, as per Sofascore.

Joelinton has struck a neat partnership with the box-to-box Joe Willock in recent weeks, but his protean quality lends itself to a wealth of deployments, and he must be unleashed at right wing against the Hammers – especially since Howe clearly doesn’t favour Miguel Almiron or Jacob Murphy all that much.

Reporter Dominic Scurr claimed that the hulking Brazilian was “the key” in the turnaround victory at the City Ground, not just scoring but notably winning ten duels and making three tackles as he overwhelmed Nuno Espirito Santo’s hitherto high-flying team.

“He’s like gold dust because you know wherever you put him he’ll do a good job,” Howe gushed post match. His tactical flexibility makes for a singular weapon that must be utilised once again against West Ham, and given his all-encompassing sheen that works well on the right, he may well prove to be a worthy tool to outperform his right-winged adversary Bowen.

After all, just look at the underlying data. As per FBref, the 28-year-old Brazilian ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 16% for progressive carries, the top 14% for tackles and the top 11% for aerial duels won per 90.

A veritable machine, Joelinton truly is a special player and can bring so much to Howe’s many-faceted system when at his best.

Bowen is of course going to be one of the biggest dangers this evening, but Joelinton has proved that he too can make a marked difference when shifted into a more unnatural role on the right wing, which in turn might enhance the fluency of Gordon on the alternate side and Alexander Isak as the killer in the middle. Bring it on.

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By
Ross Kilvington

Nov 24, 2024

Erling Haaland has reiterated his confidence in Manchester City's innocence in the face of the financial charges that still hang over the club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Haaland quizzed over 115 charges
• Man City striker has faith in club
• Verdict from hearing not yet given

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Not for the first time, Haaland has said that the 115 Premier League charges against City are not a factor in his ongoing belief in the club. The Norwegian recently signed a new nine-and-a-half-year contract until 2034 – the longest any major side has ever handed out – and suggested, when quizzed on the matter while on international duty, that is enough evidence of his faith in City's project.

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  WHAT ERLING HAALAND SAID

  Haaland said: "I don't [doubt the club], obviously, when I sign a nine-and-a-half-year contract. I've said 300 times why I signed the contract. I talked to the club, got a good feeling and agreed to it in the end. That's why."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The case of 115 Premier League charges relating to alleged breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018 remains unresolved. The case has been heard, concluding in December, but a decision from the independent panel tasked with assessing any guilt is yet to be made. City stand accused of failing to provide accurate financial information and the insinuation, stretching back to a series of damning articles from German publicationin 2018, is that revenue has been artificially inflated to aid spending outside of what would typically be allowed.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  City have always denied wrongdoing when it comes to the charges and the long-running process still may not be resolved quickly. Any verdict, whichever way it goes, is likely to be subject to further challenges or appeals. It could even be that, if there is perceived guilt on City's part, that sanctions – in theory, unlimited – are not actually issued for a long time. There is no known timeframe for the verdict to be made or revealed, although Pep Guardiola has previously optimistically pointed to the end of March for it, now just days away. When a document detailing the verdict does finally come, it has been tipped to "explode" due to what it will contain.