Two sides who have struggled for some consistency so far this season as Crystal Palace host Leicester City at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles have taken six points from their opening six games, while Leicester City have accumulated a point more from the same amount of fixtures.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have won just two of their six league games this term, most recently losing to Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion prior to drawing 2-2 with Burnley last time out.
The Foxes have also been out of character in Europe, picking up on a point from their opening two UEFA Europa League group games against Napoli and Legia Warsaw, they fell 1-0 away to the latter in midweek.
A win on Sunday will be crucial and much needed for Leicester City in order to boost morale heading into the upcoming international break.
However, Leicester City have won just one of their last five away league games against Crystal Palace and Sunday afternoon’s fixture will certainly prove a difficult test for Brendan Rodgers and his floundering team.
The Eagles are are also unbeaten in their last four games under Patrick Vieira, beating Tottenham Hotpsur either side of draws to Brentford and Brighton.
Palace were made to rue their missed chances at Selhurst against neighbours Brighton, that draw with will very much feel like two points dropped, as they conceded to a brilliant 95th-minute strike from Neal Maupay.
It had indeed been a mixed start for Patrick Vieira at his new club, but he can certainly take much more positives than negatives in his opening six Premier League games as Palace boss.
A win over Leicester City could well give Vieira and his men the impetus and confidence they need to progress even further in their development.
The good news for Palace is that Leicester have lost each of their last three away games against London clubs, most recently going down 4-1 to West Ham United last month.
PREMIER LEAGUE FORM (last six games):
Crystal Palace: LDDWLD
Leicester City: DLDWLD
MATCH FACTS:
Leicester City are unbeaten in all four Premier League matches against Crystal Palace under Brendan Rodgers (W3, D1). The Foxes had lost the four previous league meetings under Claude Puel.
However, the Foxes have won just one of their past five away matches at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their three home league games this season, conceding just one goal at Selhurst Park.
They could avoid defeat in their opening four home fixtures for just the second time in 25 seasons.
Leicester City have won only five of their past 15 league fixtures, including two of six this season.
The Foxes can equal their longest Premier League winless run of four matches under manager Brendan Rodgers, set in February 2020.
They have kept one clean sheet in 12 league games.
TEAM NEWS:
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will select from an unchanged squad.
Former Leicester player Jeffrey Schlupp returned from a hamstring injury as a substitute against Brighton on Monday night.
Odsonne Edouard and Luka Milivojevic were brought into the side as the Eagles’ only two changes for the Brighton match, but Vieira has still yet to find his preferred XI.
Leicester City
Leicester City pair Jonny Evans and Wilfred Ndidi are both unavailable to face the Eagles.
Evans has been struggling with illness and a foot problem, while Ndidi is set to be missing for several weeks because of a hamstring injury.
Leicester can at least call upon striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who was unable to enter Poland for Thursday’s Europa League game due to a problem with his travel documents.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Crystal Palace:
Leicester City:
SCORE PREDICTION:Crystal Palace 1-2 Leicester City
Selhurst Park plays host to Patrick Vieira’s first M23 derby on Monday evening as Crystal Palace and Brighton lock horns, concluding the latest round of Premier League fixtures.
Graham Potter’s impressive Brighton unit could end the day top of the Barclays Premier League table if they come away with the three points in South London, and Vieira and his men will want to put that ambition to the sword as Palace aim to redeem their fortunes after losing 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.
After their thrilling 3-0 triumph over 10-man Tottenham Hotspur, the Eagles were quickly brought crashing back down to earth at Anfield, where Liverpool notched up a trio of unanswered goals to temporarily halt Vieira’s momentum.
Palace were starting to build up a head of steam with four points from their London derbies against Tottenham and West Ham United before their humbling at Anfield, and a total of five points from their opening five fixtures sees them occupy 15th place in the Premier League standings before they kick off against rivals Brighton.
However, Vieira’s side have managed to navigate their first two home games unbeaten without conceding a goal, and following their early EFL Cup exit at the hands of Watford, the Eagles – unlike most of their top-flight counterparts – have no midweek fatigue to contend with.
Not since the days of the Ian Holloway have Palace kept three clean sheets in their first three home league games of a domestic season, and that mettle will be extremely tested against Graham Potter’s inspired outfit.
For much of last season, Brighton may not have always garnered the results their performances deserved, but the Seagulls are currently in dreamland after a superb start to the campaign, with 12 points from their opening five games this season.
After claiming a hugely impressive 2-1 win over Leicester City in their last Premier League battle, the Seagulls swooped to sink Swansea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening, as Aaron Connolly’s double sealed his side’s progress into the fourth round.
Only Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have taken more points than Brighton so far this term – but they could overtake all those clubs including Manchester City providing they beat their M23 derby rivals – but their tally of seven goals scored is by far the fewest in the top six.
Nevertheless, Brighton have only conceded four goals at the other end of the pitch and have plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of the first M23 derby of the season, especially seeing as they have a 100% success rate on the road this term with wins over Burnley, Brentford and Cardiff City.
The Seagulls head to the capital winless in four against Palace, though, with Roy Hodgson’s side claiming a 2-1 win during the last meeting at the Amex in February, but the last two meetings between the sides at Selhurst Park have finished 1-1.
With both sides much improved since their last meeting, this game could well be the most enthralling M23 derby in a long while.
PREMIER LEAGUE FORM:
Crystal Palace: LDDWL
Brighton & Hove Albion: WWLWW
TEAM NEWS:
Crystal Palace:
Patrick Vieira has confirmed that Jeffrey Schlupp will be in contention to feature in Monday night’s game, but long-term absentees Nathan Ferguson and Eberechi Eze are still out continuing their road to recovering.
Odsonne Edouard’s quickfire double against Spurs did not earn him a start over Christian Benteke at Anfield, but the former Celtic man will certainly hope to feature from the off here after Benteke’s current poor form.
Fellow new signing Michael Olise has performed some impressive cameos from the bench but is unlikely to feature from the start.
Brighton & Hove Albion:
Brighton, meanwhile, are sweating over the fitness of star midfielder Yves Bissouma and new recruit Enock Mwepu, with the former though to have a stronger chance of featuring from the first whistle.
Alexis Mac Allister should also be okay to feature after a back scare, while Tariq Lamptey got 45 minutes under his belt against Swansea in midweek, but Adam Webster is out until after the international break.
Connolly has put himself into contention for a start with his game-winning brace against Swansea, but neither Neal Maupay nor Leandro Trossard are expected to concede their places after impressive individual performances so far this campaign.
MATCH FACTS:
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in the four most recent league meetings (W2, D2), though both victories in this run have come away from home.
Brighton have won just one of their previous seven away fixtures against Crystal Palace but they are unbeaten in their last three games at Selhurst Park.
Palace’s only victory in their past 12 Premier League matches on a Monday was February’s 2-1 win against Brighton (D3, L8).
Brighton could win their opening three away matches in a top-flight season for the first time.
Last season it took Brighton 21 matches to record four league wins.
Wilfried Zaha has scored seven goals against Brighton, the joint highest figure of his career against any side.
Zaha has scored four goals in his last four appearances against the Seagulls at Selhurst Park.
After a brief two-week pause of international, the Premier League finally returns this weekend offering up yet another cracking group of fixtures to feast our eyes on.
Title contenders Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool will look to strengthen each of the cases for Premier League supremacy as they return to action while fourth-placed Manchester United are looking to return back to winning ways as they head to currently inconsistent Leicester City at the King Power, arguably the weekend’s most intriguing encounter.
Another tasty encounter will be played at the Brentford Community Stadium as newcomers Brentford face another giant test taking on Thomas Tuchel’s European champions Chelsea after their impressive showings against Liverpool and West Ham picking up four points from those two games. Can Thomas Frank’s men write another exciting chapter in their new Premier League adventure?
So, let’s dive in with some predictions and previews for this weekend’s fixtures.
Watford vs Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm
Claudio Ranieri prepares for a baptism of fire in his first game back in the Premier League, with his Watford side welcoming a rampant Liverpool to Vicarage Road on Saturday lunchtime.
The Hornets lost 1-0 to Leeds United during Xisco Munoz’s last game in charge, while Jurgen Klopp’s men played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Anfield.
After Watford’s trigger-happy board relieved Xisco of his duties – a decision that received mixed responses given their respectable start to life back in the Premier League – the Hornets wasted no time in bringing back revered title-winner Ranieri following the end of his Sampdoria spell.
The Italian returns a much improved coach according to sources close to him, after a successful two-year spell at Italian outfit Sampdoria finishing 9th and 15th respectively, steadying a rocky ship. Ranieri takes the reins with Watford lying 15th in the table with seven points taken from a possible 21, and there is a comfortable four-point gap separating them from the relegation zone at this early stage.
His first match? Against Jurgen Klopp’s unstoppable force that is Liverpool, who alongside Bournemouth in the Sky Bet Championship remain the only the team unbeaten in England’s top four divisions.
Klopp must also factor in the midweek Champions League battle with Atletico Madrid as he prepares to navigate another unrelenting fixture schedule, but his side are now unbeaten in 19 competitive fixtures across all tournaments and have scored three goals in each of their last four Premier League games away from home.
However, the Reds will need no reminding how an Ismaila Sarr-inspired Watford stormed to an emphatic 3-0 success in February 2020 to end their 18-game winning run, and with Ranieri boasting four wins from five home league games against Liverpool, the Vicarage Road faithful have every right to dream of a memorable start to the Italian’s reign.
MATCH FACT: Mohammed Salah who has eight goals in six appearances vs Watford, has scored in seven straight matches for Liverpool.
KEY MEN: Mohammed Salah (Liverpool) & Ismaïla Sarr (Watford)
Villa Park plays host to a highly-anticipated West Midlands derby on Saturday lunchtime, as Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers lock horns in the Premier League.
Dean Smith’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur just before the international break, while Wolves marched to a 2-1 win over Newcastle United.
There was little time for Smith and co to bask in the jubilation of beating Manchester United on their own turf last month, as Aston Villa were brought crashing back down to earth with a 2-1 defeat to an out-of-sorts Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.
All three of their league defeats have come away from home, with Smith’s side taking seven points from their first three fixtures at Villa Park this term and notching up six goals in that hot streak.
Villa have also shipped just one goal in front of their own fans this season so far and will hope to see the defeat to Tottenham prove to be just a minor blip in their quest for Europe, but their upcoming opponents are starting to find their feet under Bruno Lage.
Filling Nuno Espirito Santo’s shoes at Molineux was going to be a tough task for whoever took the reins, but after a shaky start to life in the West Midlands especially in front of goal, Lage appears to be working his magic to good effect given his side’s recent run of results.
After a heart-warming goal for Raul Jimenez saw Wolves overcome Southampton 1-0 last month, the Molineux outfit made it back-to-back wins with a 2-1 triumphed over Newcastle United, as Jimenez turned provider for a pair of Hwang Hee-chan strikes.
With the RB Leipzig loanee leading the charge alongside reinvigorated talisman Jimenez, Wolves have won three of their last four Premier League games to rise to 12th in the rankings and will temporarily leapfrog their upcoming opponents into the top half with all three points here.
MATCH FACT: Wolves have lost just one of their last seven visits to Villa Park (W2, D4)
KEY MEN: John McGinn (Villa) & Raul Jimenez (Wolves)
Arguably the most intriguing tie of the weekend, with two teams struggling for consistency in results and performances. Manchester United may of course be in a better position in the table than their opponents heading into their Saturday afternoon kick-off, but the feeling around the club doesn’t reflect their positioning with much of their performances in recent weeks leaving a lot to be desired.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men face a tough few weeks ahead with significant league encounters coming up against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham as well as crucial UEFA Champions League group stage ties against Serie A outfit Atalanta. These games could indeed be crucial to how United aim to go about their season, amongst the title hopefuls or as unfortunate cast offs.
Recent injuries could indeed derail Solskjaer’s progress too with both Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane out for the next few weeks. Defeat against Aston Villa and the disappointing draw to Everton – both at Old Trafford – have left fans questioning Solskjaer’s pedigree once again, and an impressive win over Rodgers’ stuttering Leicester side could be the catalyst they need heading into a fiery period.
Leicester City on the other hand, have started off the campaign in disappointing fashion, currently lying in 13th place on eight points, six behind their opponents and performing well below expectations.
In fact, Brendan Rodgers’ men have not tasted a Premier League win since late-August, their 2-1 win at Carrow Road. Both teams are in desperate need of the three points, a win for Leicester City could also be their own catalyst to kick on and improve. This game is indeed a perfect six-pointer.
MATCH FACT:Leicester City can record back-to-back Premier League victories over Manchester United for the first time
Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Wan Bissaka, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; McTominay, Matic, Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Ronaldo
SCORE PREDICTION:Leicester City 2-1 Manchester United
Manchester City vs Burnley, 3:00PM
Manchester City will aim to make an immediate return to winning ways in the Premier League when they take on Burnley at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.
The reigning champions played out a pulsating 2-2 draw with Liverpool last time out, while Sean Dyche’s side could only take a point from their clash with Norwich City.
A 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their most recent European battle means that City head into Saturday’s game aiming to avoid a third game without a win in all competitions, but they remain unbeaten at home this season and have kept four Premier League clean sheets in succession at the Etihad, the most recent of which came in a goalless draw with Southampton.
Only leaders Chelsea have also conceded a league-low three goals so far this season, and not since 2010 have City failed to score in successive home matches in the Premier League – a streak which is highly unlikely to end anytime soon as they come up against Sean Dyche’s warriors.
Their result at Carrow Road was certainly not have been the same engrossing spectacle as Liverpool-City, as neither side could find a way through in a 0-0 draw which extended their winless runs in the top flight.
That result did represent Norwich’s first point of the new season, but Burnley will be aware that they have passed up a golden opportunity to put their first win on the board as they struggle to break away from the other relegation candidates.
Burnley travel to the Etihad having lost their last eight in a row against Man City in all competitions – scoring only once in that miserable streak – and each of the last four fixtures at the Etihad between the two clubs has ended 5-0 to the hosts.
MATCH FACT: Manchester City can be the first team in English football to win five straight home matches against an opposition by 5+ goals.
KEY MEN: Phil Foden (City) & Maxwell Cornet (Burnley)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Manchester City: Steffen (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Foden; Silva, Jesus, Grealish
Brighton & Hove Albion come into this game in tremendous form, unbeaten in their last six Premier League games, although their draw against Arsenal before the international break should really have been a win considering the amount of chances they created on the evening.
Graham Potter will be hoping his side do not revert back to last seasons antics, creating chances but not finding the back of the net. Top scorer Neal Maupay already has four Premier League goals to his name in seven appearances
Potter’s men sit sixth in the table, and could find themselves in the Premier League top four come Saturday evening with a win over strugglers Norwich City who are still yet to record their first win so far this campaign.
Their home draw over Burnley ended a run of six straight defeats, but Daniel Farke’s men would be in a real hole if they do not register points on the board in the coming weeks.
MATCH FACT: Brighton have won both their Premier League meetings against Norwich, with Leandro Trossard involved in all three goals
KEY MEN: Teemu Pukki (Norwich) & Neal Maupay (Brighton)
Leeds United will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they head to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon to take on Southampton.
The Whites are currently 16th in the table, having picked up six points from their opening seven matches, while Southampton occupy 17th, two points behind their opponents in this game, and without a single victory to their name so far this campaign.
Southampton’s position of 17th is far from ideal, and their issues in front of goal this season is still a big worry having just score five goals in their seven games. But, there is a lot of football to be played this season, and Hasenhuttl will have been encouraged by certain aspects of his team’s early-season performances.
The Saints have actually lost their last three games against Leeds in all competitions, though, including both Premier League meetings between the two teams last term, and they have not overcome the Whites on home soil since August 2011 in the second tier of English football.
Leeds, meanwhile, finally picked up their first Premier League win of the season before the international break, with Diego Llorente’s first-half effort seeing them record a 1-0 victory over Watford at Elland Road.
Bielsa’s men have won one, drawn three and lost three of their first seven matches of the campaign to collect six points, which has left them in 16th position in the table ahead of the next set of fixtures.
It is not quite the start that Leeds would have had in mind considering their success last term, but they now have a run of winnable matches, facing Southampton, Wolves and Norwich City in their next three.
Leeds remarkably won 10 away games in the Premier League last term, meanwhile, and will certainly believe that their free-flowing football can cause Southampton problems once again, but there has also been a lot of space for teams to operate in against the Whites this term, suggesting that this may well be an entertaining contest.
MATCH FACT: Leeds United have 14 PL wins over Southampton including two last season, their most against any a single opponent.
KEY MEN: Adam Armstrong (Saints) & Raphinha (Leeds)
Chelsea will aim to cement their position atop the Premier League rankings but face no easy task in doing so this weekend against a fired-up and an impressive Brentford side in Saturday evening’s London derby.
Thomas Tuchel’s side eased past Southampton before the international break registering a 3-1 win, while the Bees got the better of West Ham United 2-1 at the London Stadium.
Thomas Frank’s men have taken points against Liverpool, Arsenal and West Ham, and will be hoping Chelsea will be amongst those prestigious results.
Seeking to establish themselves as Premier League mainstays during the first few weeks of the season, Brentford’s Premier League success story is earning a few more superb chapters, with the Bees following up their pulsating 3-3 draw with Liverpool with a 2-1 win at West Ham before the international break.
Brentford’s stellar start to the season is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and having taken seven points from their last three games, Thomas Frank’s side have risen to seventh in the table – above the likes of Leicester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The hosts’ only defeat so far this season did come on home soil, though – 1-0 against another surprise package in Brighton & Hove Albion – but having beaten Arsenal and drawn with Liverpool on their own patch, Chelsea can hardly travel across the capital expecting a routine three points.
With Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton all playing out draws in game-week seven, Chelsea’s comfortable 3-1 win over Southampton has seen them surge to the top of the rankings with 16 points taken from a possible 21 so far this term.
Desperate to add a top-flight title to his European crown at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel’s staunch and resolute defence has conceded a joint-low three league goals this term – level with champions Man City – and the German coach has lost just one of his 12 away games in the Premier League since taking over at Chelsea.
Tuchel’s men are strong favourites for the Premier League gong this season after their successful capture and return of Romelu Lukaku, who has three league goals to his name and will be looking to follow that up in the coming weeks.
Not since the 1938-39 season have Brentford prevailed against Chelsea in any competition, with the Blues marching to successive 4-0 FA Cup wins in the 2012-13 and 2016-17 seasons, although the victory in the former season came during a replay after an initial 2-2 draw.
MATCH FACT: Chelsea could be the first team in English football to get seven straight London derby away wins.
KEY MEN: Ivan Toney (Brentford) & Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Everton will be hoping to continue their impressive start to the season under new manager Rafael Benitez when they welcome West Ham United to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
Heading into this weekend’s fixtures, Everton are fifth in the table, only two points off top spot, while the Irons occupy ninth place and are just three points behind Sunday’s opponents.
Appointing Benitez, who was in charge of Everton’s arch-rivals Liverpool from 2004-2010, was always going to be a risky move by the club’s owners, but it appears to have paid off with the Toffees making a strong start to the campaign.
Players like Andros Townsend, Demarai Gray and Abdoulaye Doucouré have undergone a stark rejuvenation under Benitez’ management, and even without the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Seamus Coleman have they still managed to pick up impressive points especially against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a game which Everton could well have taken three points on another day.
Home form has been key to Everton’s solid start and they boast a 100 per cent record at Goodison Park this season, beating Burnley, Southampton and Norwich, but they have only managed to keep one clean sheet during this run and that should offer hope to West Ham.
The Hammers are unbeaten on their travels across all competitions this term, winning four times and drawing once, and they have failed to score in only one of those matches. David Moyes and his men will be looking to get back to winning ways after disappointing home defeat to Brentford in injury-time.
Benitez has often been seen as a pragmatic manager, creating a solid base to build from and trying to nick games by the odd goal, but his Everton side have found the back of the net 13 times in seven league matches. Only five teams have scored more.
West Ham are one of them, netting 14 times, but they have also looked fragile in defence and are one of 11 teams already in double figures for goals conceded.
An entertaining and intriguing affair is expected at Goodison Park this Sunday.
MATCH FACT: Everton can win their opening four league matches at Goodison Park for the first time since 1978.
KEY MEN: Andros Townsend (Everton) & Michail Antonio (West Ham)
West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio
SCORE PREDICTION:Everton 2-2 West Ham United
Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur, 4:30PM
Newcastle are set to usher in a new era against Tottenham with this match set to be the first under their respective new owners, however the club remains in the bottom three and without a win in their seven league games so far. Steve Bruce’s immediate future at St James’ Park is currently up in the air, with his sacking a matter of when not if.
If Newcastle fail to pick up three points against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, you’d expect Bruce to be out of the manager’s hotseat Monday morning. One positive for Bruce, has been the performances of his players though, they have indeed battled hard but without gaining wins. Their defeat to Wolves came only through the brilliance of Raul Jimenez and Hwang Hee-Chan, but its those small margins that is proving Steve Bruce’s undoing right now, and you could argue the Manchester United legend and former captain is lucky to be still in a job.
Looking at their personnel, it’s easy to see why – Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron provide real dynamism in forward areas. Without Callum Wilson, the club have struggled to score consistently to beat teams, whilst still getting goals on the borad
However, defensively, they have struggled, conceding 16 goals in seven matches, which represents the joint-worst record in the division along with bottom club Norwich City.
Tottenham, however come into this game off the back of a much needed, crucial three points against Aston Villa with goals coming Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and a Matt Target own goal. Star man Harry Kane is still without a league so far this season, and Nuno Espirito Santo will need his striker firing on all cylinders if they are to challenge for the top four places once again.
Spurs do have an excellent recent record against the Magpies, losing only one of their last eight Premier League contests. They were last beaten at St James’ Park in 2016, losing 5-1 on the final day of the campaign. It’s been a happy hunting ground since then, and its a game Tottenham will be expected to get all three points in.
MATCH FACT: Spurs have lost just one of their last eight league games against Newcastle, (W5, D2)
KEY MEN: Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) & Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris (GK), Emerson, Rodon, Dier, Reguillon; Hojbjerg, Skipp; Lucas, Ndombele, Son; Kane
SCORE PREDICTION: Newcastle United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, Monday 8:00PM
Monday night football marks the return of Arsenal legend and former captain Patrick Vieira to North London as he takes his new and improved Crystal Palace side to the Emirates as Arsenal take on Crystal Palace.
Arsenal could only manage a draw away at Brighton last time out but the way the Seagulls have played in comparison to the Gunners, suggests that it was a decent point for Arteta’s men. They have indeed undergone an upturn in form and performances in recent weeks, and you can argue the international break came at the wrong time for Mikel Arteta and his team.
Despite their improvement the Gunners still have an unhealthy goal difference of -5 and need to add more goals to their game. Arteta’s men are unbeaten in four Premier League games, their last defeat coming in the 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City. The Gunners may well be expected to grab the three points in this game, though they are coming up against resurgent Crystal Palace who have proven very tough to beat under Patrick Vieira so far this campaign.
Before the international break, Crystal Palace claimed a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester and will have been happy with a point having come from two goals down. Olise and Schlupp scored the second-half goals that brought the Eagles back onto level terms and Vieira will have been happy to see his players fight back against such a good team.
His side have been performing brilliantly and resolutely without getting wins on the board with their only victory coming against Tottenham mid-September. The Eagles currently sit in 14th place four points off the drop zone, and will need to be turning good performances into wins, starting at the Emirates against Patrick Vieira’s former side.
MATCH FACT: Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is the only Arsenal player to score on more than one occasion so far this season.
KEY MEN: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) & Wilfried Zaha (Palace)
Premier League newcomers Brentford have got off to an unprecedented start to life in the Barclays Premier League taking eight points from five games so far. Manager Thomas Frank has superbly moulded a team that has taken in the rigours of such a demanding league like a duck to water, making them tough to beat, organised, rugged and extremely dangerous and efficient on the counter.
Whilst Ivan Toney has been grabbing all the plaudits in attack, defenders Rico Henry, Pontus Jansson and new signing from Celtic Kristoffer Ajer, have rightly all been receiving praise for their stunning performances so far. Though, Bryan Mbeumo is perhaps a name that has somewhat flown under the radar thus far.
The French winger lining up alongside Ivan Toney in Thomas Frank’s 3-5-2 setup has been excellent. He only turned 22 last month and has long been a permanent fixture and a real source of energy, incision and pace in the Bee’s front-line.
Mbeumo joined Brentford at the beginning of the 2019/20 season, signing for £5.8 million from French side Troyes. His impact was immediate, notching 16 goals and seven assists in his debut Championship season, whilst last season he scored eight and laying on 10 assists in the league too. Whilst he is yet to grab an assist this season, he has started the campaign in good form, with one Premier League goal, and one in the EFL Cup too.
However, the amount of goal contributions Mbeumo records only tells a small part of the story of how he has impacted Thomas Frank’s side over the past couple seasons. The 22-year-old is a silky forward, blessed with great trickery, unerring strength, sheer speed with the ball at his feet and an understanding with Ivan Toney that will certainly frighten even the best sides in the Premier League this season.
Mbeumo has established himself as a vital cog in the Brentford system. Given his fine performances over the past two seasons, there will be plenty of sides around Europe closely monitoring how he adapts to life in the Premier League this season, and with very valid reason.
So has the Mbeumo impacted Brentford’s system so far?
Mbeumo may line up as part of a front two, but that position is too restrictive for where he actually influences the play. He enjoys relative freedom to move away from the front line and link-up with the midfielders, becoming the link-man between both the midfield and Ivan Toney in attack.
As seen in the image below, Mbeumo diverts from his starting position alongside Ivan Toney, to present a passing option for the defence to play out from the back. As he receives the pass, there are only three Brentford players clearly deeper than him. Moving into the deep areas from such a high starting position, Mbeumo is able to evade tight marking from the opposing defenders to lay the ball off to the wing with a one-touch pass.
He is a player who is constantly on the move, arguably the most efficient in the Brentford team. While Toney also holds the mobility to come deep and effect the game, it is Mbeumo’s drive, pace and excellent ball control in tight areas that allows him the freedom to wreck havoc in the middle third disrupting the opponent’s defensive organisation.
The space left open in Brentford’s midfield allows him to not only drop into these sort of areas, but to provide plenty of options for which positions he may choose to drop into.
The 22-year-old never shies from his responsibilities in attack, however. Just after receiving in midfield and laying off to the wing-backs, he is immediately on the move within the central attacking areas, looking to hit the space between the opposition centre-backs and offering a dangerous option for a dissecting through ball or a long pass over the top.
Mbuemo’s movement is a dangerous source of chance creation for Brentford
Bryan Mbuemo is an intelligent player, he knows where to run, where to show for the ball and also where to operate in tight spaces so that more freedom and space can be afforded to his partner Ivan Toney as shown in the above image.
He is a constant option for Brentford to play to in between the lines. Mbeumo regularly positions himself in spaces where he can receive the ball and Brentford can break opposition lines.
The off-the-ball movements he performs are often well-timed owing to his incredible understanding of the system when Brentford are in possession. He starts high, even higher than Toney at times, but holds an excellent burst of pace and close-control where he will burst away from his marker and into the open spaces.
He will react to the positioning of the ball but also recognises triggers in Brentford’s build-up play to begin his off-the-ball movement. One of these is a lateral pass from one teammate to another, where the new ball-carrier is facing the opposition goal, and has possession in the same channel that Mbeumo is operating in. The French forward will then drop into the half-space receiving between the lines, preferably on the half-turn.
It’s when he receives the ball that he becomes so effective drawing on opposition defenders to allow gaps and spaces to open up for others to exploit, like Toney or Sergi Canos, or one of the three midfielders to break into.
Further forward, Mbeumo engages in the kind of movement you would expect from a centre-forward of his ilk playing alongside someone with Toney’s tremendous attributes.
Toney is strong, quick, aerially dominant with an impressive frame, and as such provides an excellent outlet, alongside many other of his telling attributes. Any pass into his strike partner and Mbeumo is always on hand to aid his partner and provide an option as shown in the below image.
Toney receiving a pass in these sorts of areas is yet another trigger for Mbeumo to move. As you can the see, the Wolves defensive-line is so high, and that’s because of Toney’s excellent positioning engaging them. As soon as he receives the pass, he knows Mbeumo will be on the move exploiting the space in behind.
This can be particularly devastating and effective if Toney can find a nearby central-midfielder perfectly capable of instantly playing the through pass, but Toney also has the individual flair in possession to conjure up a telling pass in behind, even from a position like the one shown above.
Mbeumo will constantly scour for spaces along the width of the forward-line. He positions himself where he cannot possibly be tightly marked, placing himself between two defenders. There was an instance in that Wolves game where he broke free to set up Ivan Toney to score but Mbeumo was ruled to be offside. Despite that, his constant movement is telling. Once he receives such a pass, he possesses the technical ability and trickery to wreak havoc.
The ex-Troyes forward is an excellent technical player who holds a first touch many other players would kill for. He can receive the ball on either foot but greatly prefers to do his work with his favoured left foot, where he can be incredibly deceptive and drive at his marker.
Mbeumo possesses a maturity in Brentford’s possession play that belies his tender age. He reads the space around him well, scanning and using his peripheral vision to assess how immediate any pressure is, whilst looking for a passing option too. He is quite comfortable holding up the ball with his back to goal, but much of that work is left to Ivan Toney, as explained above. Once Toney is in such a situation, Mbeumo is always on hand to move beyond him into any spaces vacated.
Much of Mbeumo’s best work comes when using his dribbling ability to hold up the play whilst also waiting for teammates to join the attack. He uses his body well when in possession which means he can keep the ball for as long as he likes; remember how Eden Hazard used to manipulate the ball to his advantage. Mbeumo is equally adept at such a situation. He will take many small touches when holding the ball up, keeping an upright body position, whilst changing direction if pressured by a defender.
So far this season he has recorded a 58.3% completion rate on his 3.6 dribbles per 90. He’s also recorded 1.06 dribblesinto the final thirdper 90 highlighting his importance to Brentford when progressing the play into dangerous areas.
The 22-year-old is a devastating outlet for Brentford in transition as Wolves found out constantly on matchday 5.
Brentford regularly keep their attackers close to their midfield in the defensive phase. As such, Mbeumo can at times recover the ball himself, pinching the ball away from opposition midfielders, making a late, well-timed move to dispossess them from their blindside. Upon regaining the ball Mbeumo is very direct, quick and unstoppable when in full-flow. He can quickly progress the ball and begin a swift counter-attack. He is confident driving forward on the ball and is a competent ball-carrier, but can show quality with his forward passing on quick breaks too.
He currently averages 2.13 progressive carries per 90 whilst also recording 2.57 shot-creating actions too. These are all impressive numbers especially for a player enjoying his first few games in Premier League football. Such numbers recorded shows how key he is to Thomas Frank’s efficient and organised system.
However, Mbeumo does have a bad habit for giving up possession too cheaply on occasion in transition. These instances arise specifically when Mbeumo receives possession in a deeper area, often inside his own half and close to the wide channel.
Mbeumo can look to receive on the half-turn despite being marked tightly. For a player who can show outstanding awareness this is a puzzlingly poor habit of his, but one he will no doubt work on as the season progresses. For a player of his slight frame, he does have incredible strength, so he must use that to his advantage when faced with such a situation.
Playing at such an elite level, Mbeumo will need to work on his efforts in the final third. If Brentford are to build on their good start and avoid any relegation issues, they would need to be ruthlessly clinical when it matters most and that will include Mbeumo improving his game in those situations too.
Last season he recorded 10 assists along with his eight goals, which was quite a decent return in front of goal but for a player of Mbeumo’s quality, he can do better. He vastly over-performed against his 12.02 xG in his first season at Brentford but since then has underperformed against it.
He should have two against Wolves at the weekend, blazing his second attempt on to the bar when a much calmer and composed finish will have sufficed.
Mbeumo so often looks to break the net with his finishing, opting for power, even when he looks to shape the ball toward goal. This often leads to him striking the ball in the air, which isn’t needed most of the time. Seeing Mbeumo spurn such opportunities has become all too familiar, and its a trait he must cut out if Brentford are to have any chance of staying in the top-flight.
He can nevertheless forge a chance for himself or his teammates regularly through his unerring dribbling ability shifting the ball from one foot to the other with lightning-quick speed and precision.
Yes, at times he may be wasteful but his movement in the penalty box is quite impressive as shown for his goal in Brentford’s assured win over Wolves where the French forward made an initial movement towards the front post, latching onto Toney’s fine pass to double their lead.
Mbeumo actually made this movement twice, checking his run initially and preventing himself from going too early which would have been ruled offside. However, he was able to still hit the space towards the back post, receiving the ball across goal, and finishing unmarked.
Because of Mbeumo’s ever-improving qualities coupled with Ivan Toney’s brilliance, Brentford will indeed cause a lot more problems for established Premier League sides this campaign.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has quickly become a vital cog in Thomas Frank’s impressively built machine, already adapting to the rigours of the Premier League so effortlessly. However, the player knows his importance to the team which means he must carry on his form and impact alongside Ivan Toney to give his team a chance of survival come May.
He was always ready to take his game up a level showcasing his quality consistently throughout his time in the Championship with Brentford, but now that must be translated into the English top-flight. Five games in, and Mbeumo has already proven his ability to the masses, and long may it continue.
With Aston Villa lacking the required decisiveness in the final third, seeming short of ideas against Everton at Villa Park, coach Dean Smith decided it was the perfect time to throw on their new signing Leon Bailey in the 61st minute, and change the game he did.
The Jamaican international immediately curled in a dangerous free kick, a few minutes later Matty Cash bombed down the right flank to score his first Villa goal.
Soon after, Bailey’s set-piece qualities were evident once again, utilizing that wand of a left-boot to swing in a peach of a cross from a corner which forced Everton left-back Lucas Digne to head into his own net; you simply do not defend those crosses as the French defender found out
Six minutes later, Danny Ings played a devastating cross-field pass in front of Bailey and the Jamaican headed the ball ahead of himself while charging into the penalty area.
For his next touch, he rifled the ball into the roof of the net in front of a delirious Holte End to make it 3-0. It was a finish truly reminiscent of his time at Bayer Leverkusen where he registered 46 Bundesliga goal involvements during his five year spell in Germany.
Ten minutes later he was forced off with a thigh strain apparently picked up from kicking the ball hard for his first goal in English football.
Bailey became only the second Villa player to be subbed on, score, and then be subbed off in a Premier League match, after Julian Joachim against Derby County in September 2000.
The 24-year-old was only on the field for 21 minutes, yet he provided the crucial impact Villa needed. If those 20-odd minutes were any indicator for how his Villa career would look like in the next few years, then Aston Villa really do have a stunning player on their hands.
Bailey joined the club this summer at the peak of Jack Grealish’s transfer saga, which perhaps meant his arrival was not met with the excitement it deserved. But make no mistake, this is one of the most exciting signings at Villa Park for a long time.
If you were indeed to throw a spanner in the works, then Leon Bailey is just as good as Jack Grealish. The fact that Aston Villa secured his signature for a fee of only just £30million is an absolute snip, because the forward on another day may well have been valued double that figure, so in actual fact its a superb bit of business from Dean Smith.
The club’s strategy in recent years have been nothing short of excellent often involved buying up some of the best players in the Championship, like Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash, Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia. Sometimes they have sought out players unhappy at clubs further up the English football pyramid, like Emi Martinez from Arsenal or Tyrone Mings at Bournemouth during Villa’s time in the second tier.
Image via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
Rather less successfully, the club have shopped in Europe’s lesser leagues such as the signings of Mbwana Samatta and Wesley from Belgian sides.
However, Leon Bailey is a totally different proposition, arguably the most prestigious signing of the lot.
A player with bags of European experience, playing at the top level and Christian Purslow could have been forgiven for jumping for joy when the Jamaican forward chose Villa Park rather than a more elite-level club playing Champions League football, because to put it simply Leon Bailey is indeed a Champions League level footballer.
For donkey-years, the Jamaican international has been linked with a whole host of top level clubs in Europe, and much of that has been down to his superb form for Bayer Leverkusen.
Deployed as a winger, Bailey scored 15 goals in 40 games last season, claiming 11 assists. He was indeed amongst the most accomplished wingers in European football last term, but as a result of Grealish’s move to Manchester City, Villa fans weren’t as excited and optimistic about Bailey’s arrival as they should have been.
Make no mistakes about it, Leon Bailey can play. He’s a devastating winger, a real problem for opposing defences, not just because of his speed and drive but his scintilating trickery, swift change of movement and unbelievable ball-carrying skills.
Last season, Villa were often overly reliant on Grealish and looked severely weakened in his absence. The club are looking this season to keep the ball better, to progress the ball much quicker into the final third areas and most importantly convert most of their chances and with Leon Bailey, Villa now hold the qualities to kill three birds with one stone.
In fact not only do they have Bailey to address those glaring weaknesses but Dean Smith now holds bags of quality at his disposal including Emiliano Buendia, and Danny Ings.
The Villa coach aims to qualify for European football come May and those three players alone possess the ability to both replace Grealish’s influence and creativity in the final third but more importantly, fire this ever-progressive football club to the next phase of their proud development.
Bailey has so often divided opinion in Germany because of his lack of consistency or attitude but despite all his issues, he still managed to contribute considerably to Bayer Leverkusen’s gradual improvements in recent seasons. When he is on-song he is indeed unstoppable as Everton defender Ben Godfrey found out on Saturday despite Bailey only having just 11 touches during his 21 minutes on the pitch.
Certainly, the absence of Jack Grealish will still be felt around the Aston Villa faithful but possessing the qualities of players like Leon Bailey means the fans will indeed begin to heal once the Jamaican starts firing on all cylinders. His performance against Everton was only a pretty brief stint, but its a promising and a very pleasing evidence for Dean Smith and the whole club that they can now be allowed the freedom and room to progress and move forward post-Jack Grealish.
Villa fans now have something to smile and shout about. They have a new superstar in Leon Bailey.
The rest of the Premier League will have to stand up and be warned at the sight of the Jamaican winger.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but in Wilfried Zaha’s case after Saturday’s mauling of 10-man Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park, the old saying may well be much further from the truth.
To put it simply, the Ivorian forward was unstoppable as Nuno Espirito Santo and his Spurs side felt the full force of Zaha who completely tormented new signing Emerson Royal and their much depleted back-line.
Patrick Vieira could not have asked for a better way to record his first win as Crystal Palace boss, in such a manner against his old fierce rivals from his own playing days.
A renewed, reinvigorated Zaha, a clinical double from new signing Odsonne Edouard and a promising cameo from Palace’s other exciting new summer addition Michael Olise means Crystal Palace are a club progressively on its way to much clearer waters in the Barclays Premier League.
The concerns and doubts that had understandably arisen over their creativity and clinical edge in the final third from their first few games under Vieira were completely blown away in an enthralling second-half performance in their 3-0 win over Tottenham who came into the game unbeaten and two points clear at the top of the early Premier League table.
On the eve of their London-derby fixture against West Ham before the international break, Palace faced much criticism for their lack of incision and cutting edge in creating chances following their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, their 0-0 draw at home against newcomers Brentford and their very premature Carabao cup exit against Watford at Vicarage Road losing 1-0.
However, fast forward a couple weeks and Vieira’s men have now scored 5 goals in two games. You wait a long time for a South London bus, and soon after you get a variety of them arriving in quick succession.
Against their London rivals West Ham and Tottenham that famous comical theme reigned supreme. Much of that will of course be placed on the brilliant Connor Gallagher who hit two superb strikes against West Ham and continued his soaring emergence against Spurs, or the clinical edge of their exciting new addition Odsonne Edouard or of course Palace’s new found confidence under Vieira, however, it was down to their old dog and reliable talisman Wilfried Zaha who looks more hungrier than ever.
Japhet Tanganga’s red card for two silly bookings in quick succession early in a then-goalless second half certainly allowed Palace the opportunity to exploit the space vacated by the young defender, but the question was whether Palace would be clinical enough to actually take advantage, an opportunity they regularly failed to exploit under Roy Hodgson in the past.
However, those former concerning traits were put to bed in an instant and Wilfried Zaha’s faultless performance proved the catalyst for Palace’s Saturday lunchtime success.
It will be Edouard’s two ruthless finishes that steal the limelight and not since James Vaughan’s impressive hat-trick on his own Palace debut over a decade ago this week has the Palace faithful been entertained by a fine display of finishing by a striker tasting first appearance in Palace colours, but the usual sight of Zaha racing down the left-flank at full speed remains worth the admission fee alone.
Certainly fans are used to such a sight, they are expectant of it – especially on a more consistent basis – because of the Ivorian’s immeasurable abilities but with this current crop of players under Vieira’s tutelage, Odsonne Edouard, Connor Gallagher and Michael Olise (remember the superfluous Ebere Eze is still to return from injury), Zaha may finally possess the tools to become a prominent Premier League player alongside the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah, Jack Grealish and so on and so forth.
For too long, Zaha has wowed only for a moment to then fade back into obscurity, seeming disinterested, lacking motivation and failing to live up to his in-house hype.
For the opening three league matches of the season, Zaha had been in that all too similar zone which in the past had been Palace’s own undoing. When Zaha doesn’t perform, the whole team follows suit and suffers as a result.
But now, things have changed, he may not have to do things on his own. Finally, he holds wealth of talents alongside him to entertain, capture the imagination of the Palace faithful and to most importantly link up expertly with.
Against Tottenham, we saw just that. Looking and feeling confident, enjoying linking up with the likes of Connor Gallagher and Edouard when he came on, buoyed by the perceived injustice and the energy of the crowd putting in a match-defining performance.
Finally, Palace have a squad potentially capable of matching Zaha’s abilities and ambitions.
In full flight, Wilfried Zaha is electrifying, bordering on unplayable even for the most accomplished full-backs as Emerson Royal found out on his Tottenham debut.
Also keeping his cool to not react too aggressively to Japhet Tanganga and risk a red card himself, before the Spurs defender then walked for a second booking after a lunging challenge on Jordan Ayew soon afterwards, was to Zaha’s credit.
This is a new and improved footballer, a mature but rampant and electrifying one.
For so long, there has been little in Palace’s side to take the pressure off Zaha, and even in the early stages of this season, it was unclear whether anyone other than on-loan midfielder Gallagher could offer playing on the same wavelength. But credit must go to the recruitment team at Selhurst Park and Patrick Vieira for identifying the issue and quickly addressing it.
As we saw in Edouard’s first of his two goals, Zaha providing the assist and a much more capable player confidently taking on the pass to clinically find the back of the net. This is what Zaha has desired all long, for the club to sign players who can complement his game. Odsonne Edouard is a footballer who fits the mould, someone who could assist Zaha and vice-versa.
Let’s take a mention Palace’s new and exciting attacking crop of players again: Connor Gallagher, Michael Olise, Ebere Eze, Odsonne Edouard and Jordan Ayew. This is Wilfried Zaha’s Selhurst Park dream, to play with the best footballing talents, and the Ivorian international can finally now lead the club into an exciting new era.
With Hector Bellerin strongly desiring to be part of the Arsenal exodus, Mikel Arteta felt it was necessary Arsenal went in search of an elite right-back replacement despite already possessing the likes of Cedric and Ainsley Maitland-Niles to choose from.
The Arsenal boss personally pushed the hardest for the club to recruit Takehiro Tomiyasu, and in the end they got their man on transfer deadline day. Tomiyasu, 22, who can play at either centre-back or right-back, signed for £16m on a four-year deal.
(Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
When Arsenal’s recruitment staff submitted their list of targets for the summer window, 22-year-old Bologna defender Tomiyasu was amongst that list.
For the right-back spot, Arsenal targeted a specific profile, one who won’t bomb forward like a Kieran Tierney on the opposite flank but can tuck into the central areas in possession, enabling the team to build up within a back-three while Tierney stood high-and-wide on the left-flank, if so desired.
Arsenal were also in need of a player who could provide adequate cover and combine with new £50million pound man Ben White on the right side of defence. Tomiyasu is seen by Arteta as the kind of “hybrid” player he needs. The Japanese international has predominantly played at right-back and centre-back and has also occasionally filled in at right wing-back for Bologna.
Bologna’s asymmetrical system and philosophy is similar to Arsenal’s in that the team defends in a back-four, but when in possession, the system shifts to a three-man back-line.
Standing at 6ft 2in, Tomiyasu is incredibly adept in possession but also possesses the height, build and physical presence that Arsenal desperately need in their back-line. So far this campaign, Arsenal have been bullied and imposed on by all three of their opponents because of their lack of dominant figures within their defence. Tomiyasu provides that characteristic first and foremost.
The versatile defender is also relatively two-footed, meaning that if he is pressed as is regularly the case in the Premier League, he is more than capable of evading it, progressing the ball with his left-foot.
In fact, his stats in possession is very promising. He is fairly accurate in both his short and long passes recording a success rate of 90% and 68% respectively. Tomiyasu is a fine ball-progressor without being too extravagant or out of the ordinary, he performs his role in possession very professionally and astutely, averaging 4.17 progressive passes per 90.
As befitting of a player who is capable playing both at full-back or as a central defender, one of Tomiyasu’s strengths lies in his ability and willingness to drive forward with the ball at his feet. As stated previously, his positioning as a central defender almost exclusively as part of a back three, Bologna often have numerical superiority in their build-up play.
This means that as Tomiyasu receives the ball in these areas he often has the space and time to receive and to drive forward in possession. While he is more than capable of playing line-breaking progressive passes into the middle third of the pitch, he can also carry the ball forward aggressively and confidently in order to drive his team up the pitch.
Last season, the Japanese defender averaged 4.14 progressive carries and 1.23 carries into the final-third highlighting his incredible bravery, willingness to take the responsibility of his team’s ball progression on himself.
Possessing central defenders who are confident in possession of the ball as they build attacks is an extremely effective and prominent method of ball progression. Tomiyasu’s courage in performing such moves will certainly aid Arsenal’s building of attacks significantly. While they gain ground towards the opposition goal, they force the opposing defence to divert from their midfield block and engage the ball which then creates an opportunity for the ball to be played into pockets of space where players like Emile Smith-Rowe or Martin Odegaard tend to thrive in as they look to disrupt the opposition defensive structure.
Across the 2020/21 campaign, Tomiyasu averaged 6.88 passes into the final third per90. He possesses the unique ability to perform line-breaking passes that accesses the more forward-thinking players directly in front of him. The 22-years is also intelligent enough to realise that performing such a pass may not always work so he progresses the ball on the outside with a first or second-line pass to open up proceedings.
As good as he is on the ball, his ability to defend spaces and engage his opponents is just as effective. Arsenal significantly require a defender who is so combative and adept at defending 1v1 and the spaces in behind the defence. During the 2020/21, Tomiyasu averaged 3.11 tackles + interceptions, 1.95 blocks and 4.80 clearances per 90 highlighting his intelligence and dominance when engaging opposition attacking moves.
Tomiyasu is a defender who relies on his pace, athleticism and imposing figure to shepherd attackers out of possession or sweep balls in front of his back-line. He is very intelligent and displays very good levels of anticipation and concentration when defending, especially against wingers with quick feet and swift changes of pace.
Tomiyasu will be faced with a lot these attackers in the Premier League, but its a task that he is perfectly capable in overcoming, arguably better at it than anyone in Arsenal’s back-line. He rarely switches off or makes an obvious positional error but he also holds the ability to quickly re-position his hips to switch defensive stances, and stand up against his opponents covering all areas of the pitch in the defensive third.
Through his positional versatility, Tomiyasu is capable of defending when pulled out and isolated wide or when the ball is played over the top and he has to recover space and defend towards his own goal.
When defending the spaces in front of his defensive line, Tomiyasu typically impresses. He is more comfortable as the free defender than defending with a striker pressed up against him but his ability to anticipate opposition movements and read attacking moves means that he is quick in plugging an potential gaps that may arise in his team’s defensive line.
He is superb in his all-round defending whether within a defensive unit, keeping the defensive line, remaining intact and solid or when faced up with situations that he has to deal with himself. Tomiyasu is imposing, flexible, strong, very agile but also very adept and effective aerially. Last season, he won 64.6% of his aerial duels, 3.51 per 90 minutes marking him out as the seventh best in the air in Serie A in winning (106) duels. He is just what Arsenal need aerially when defending set-pieces especially as shown through Manchester City’s first goal headed in by one of the shortest players on the pitch in Ilkay Gundogan in their 5-0 rout. Tomiyasu is perfectly capable to address those weaknesses aerially shown through Callum Chambers and Rob Holding’s poor defending.
Tomiyasu sitting alongside the likes of Ben White, Gabriel and Tierney in a back-four come back-three when building from the back already sounds like an exciting prospect for Arsenal fans and may just be Mikel Arteta’s intended defensive lineup for the foreseeable future.
As Tomiyasu’s career in Europe has blossomed, so has his standing at international level. The 22-yeard-old defender has already represented Japan at every level from the under-13s right through to the senior side, now sitting at 23 caps and is vastly becoming a valued member and a key outlet for Japan’s defence.
Takehiro Tomiyasu has swiftly morphed into one of the most modern defenders currently playing in Europe’s top five leagues. His athleticism, mobility, physical presence, tactical awareness combined with his willingness and courage to join the attacking phase in possession of the ball makes him a very telling contributor.
It’s no surprise that Tomiyasu has outgrown Bologna and is now ready to perform at the top-level in the Barclays Premier League for Arsenal, considerably making them a much better defensive outfit too. Do not be surprised to see the Japanese defender somehow make the team of the season come May, he’s that good as well as consistent and reliable. Remember, Mikel Arteta personally pushed for this move so Tomiyasu already looks every bit a very smart buy tasked in improving Arsenal’s fortunes this season.
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a productive, efficient and tremendous summer transfer window transforming what was an ageing, rigid and in-balanced squad into arguably one of the most exciting outside the Premier League’s so called ‘top-six’ clubs.
New coach Patrick Vieira has been significantly backed in this window, and now possesses a thrilling group of players at his disposal, filled with youthful exuberance, quality, precision, industry and dynamism, a far cry from the depleted squad Roy Hodgson possessed in the latter years of his reign.
The squad desperately needed a revamp, a refreshed outlook and Vieira has now got what he needs to take the club into the next level.
Roy Hogdson could only take the club as far as he could, year-after-year consummately steering them away from the dreaded state of relegation, and therefore solidifying their positioning as a stable Premier League outfit.
Vieira will now be tasked in leading this new-look Palace side into much more loftier waters, and the players he now holds at his disposal means the expectations to deliver are now higher than ever.
Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Michael Olise, Will Hughes, and Connor Gallagher have all been recruited to provide the club with a much more attractive and pleasing-on-the-eye outfit, one that will certainly excite the Selhurst Park faithful.
Though, arguably the most exciting capture of the lot could certainly be the dramatic transfer deadline day capture of Celtic’s French goal-machine Odsonne Edouard, bought for a fee of around £14.67m.
The 23-year-old became Palace’s seventh signing of the summer in a deal that could potentially rise as high as £18 million via add-ons, depending upon the level of success Edouard enjoys at Selhurst Park.
The whole deal in all fairness plainly reads ‘bargain’.
There is much for Palace fans to be excited about in Crystal Palace’s acquisition of Edouard. The club have for a long while needed a consistent goalscorer, or even a player who exudes goals not just in scoring them but creating them also.
The Paris Saint-Germain academy product’s ability is far from limited to just his goalscoring, but it is his record in finding the back of the net that firstly stands out above all else.
Since his move to Celtic Park from Paris Saint-Germain, his goalscoring record reads at 77 goals in 150 games for the Scottish giants, an astonishing rate.
Every single season, Edouard is guaranteed over 20 goals. 23 during the 2018/19 first domestic treble winning campaign under Brendan Rodgers, 29 in another treble triumph during the 2019/20 season and 22 goals last season while Celtic unfortunately finished trophyless.
Despite a healthy goal-return last season, Edouard did have his difficulties largely as a result of him wanting a move away from Scotland to a much bigger outfit. There is now an opportunity for the striker to kick on in a career where his impressive rise has somewhat faltered.
The promise of a move away from Celtic before the 2020/21 campaign failed to materialise, leaving him unsettled, but he still recorded such impressive numbers scoring 22 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions. He averaged a goal every 99 minutes in the Scottish Premiership last season, a superb return by anyone’s standards.
His underlying stats were excellent, with an average expected goals (xG) of 0.74 per 90 minutes, and 0.21 expected assists (xA) per 90 meaning the Frenchman is an incredibly efficient goalscorer as well as a flamboyant creator. Crystal Palace hugely require both, as evidenced by their only two goals in the opening 3 Premier League games so far.
Can’t tell you how excited I am about Odsonne Edoaurd deal to Crystal Palace. Arguably their best and most impressive deal of the summer.
Evidently clear Vieira needs creativity and goals at Selhurst Park, with Edouard they can potentially kill two birds with one stone.
At times so far this season, Vieira’s attacks have often looked disjointed, or lacking in any real precision and fluidity until Connor Gallagher stepped up to the plate in Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke’s influential absence against West Ham. In Edouard, Palace can potentially kill two birds with one stone solving both their goalscoring deficiencies and their imbalance when creating chances.
Edouard is a tremendously elegant and multi-functional player. The Frenchman oozes confidence and quality when he steps on the pitch. Up-front maybe his natural position, but his contributions and influence in attack run deeper. This is a footballer who is very technically gifted, with a deceptively good first touch, terrific close control and a vast range of finishing.
As well as being a ruthless goalscorer, Edouard recorded impressive assist numbers in the SPFL, 21 in his five years at Celtic Park, showcasing his creative spark and abilities in the final third.
Edouard regularly acts as the team’s main creative hub from the front in order to create space and opportunities for his teammates. He loves to drop into the half-space to exchange passes before moving into spaces vacated by the defence. While its so effective and complimentary of Celtic’s attacking play, it is also bamboozling for opposing defenders, they are often left confused as to who to mark.
We all know Crystal Palace need such a player, for too long during Roy Hodgson’s tenure, they’ve heavily relied on the spark and creativity of Wilfried Zaha, often looking lost and hopeless without him. Now under Vieira, Palace possess players who can unlock defences in abundance. Odsonne Edouard is the common denominator, potentially along with Ebere Eze when he returns from injury and Michael Olise too – a trio of creative enforcers who will tantalize the taste buds of Crystal Palace fans.
Edouard’s dribbling abilities emerge from his South American roots. He is rarely exuberant or the showboating type with the ball, but he exhibits an effective use of his control in tight spaces and a technique which few players in the Scottish division can match. It’s abilities such as this, his fantastic movement, and effective link-up play making him such a dangerous outlet within the final third.
Averaging both 0.70 goals per 90 minutes, and 0.15 assists per 90, it’s no wonder why he was the Scottish Premiership’s most deadliest forward.
His goals and assist ratio per 90 last year, read at 0.85. The forward is a creative phenom, performing as Celtic’s driving force spearheading almost every attacking scenario.
Palace have acquired a striker who is more than just a goalscorer. There’s not many strikers in the Premier League currently who can boast at such a wealth of versatile qualities.
It is his movement and positioning which stands out in particular, while the 23-year-old has also demonstrated many of the features required for the role he will likely play under Vieira; excellent at dropping deep, linking up with his fellow forwards, drifting wide and spearheading Vieira’s knack for playing a possession-based game.
That constant movement and mobility will aid Palace’s game considerably, with Edouard just as good in the air as he is with his feet. He is considerably more agile, more flexible and more intelligent than Christian Benteke, whilst also capable of creating openings on his own rather than relying on others to provide for him – as Benteke’s game is based.
Edouard is also highly adaptable too. He has performed admirably and consistently despite the changes in philosophy Celtic underwent in the past few years, from the patient possession-based system under Brendan Rodgers, to the risk-taking approach under former manager Neil Lennon. It is a sign of his suitability to different systems and his versatility also.
He possesses the pass and move intelligence to perform well in a possession-based system and the speed of thought, movement and clinical edge to also thrive in a pressing, and counter-attacking system.
Edouard fits perfectly into the Palace’s refreshing model of recruitment this summer. The risky decision to prioritise youth to reach a degree of sustainability will have been factored heavily in this move. The silky forward will provide plenty of competition for Benteke, but it also means Palace will possess two very different forwards: one who fits Vieira’s mode of playing and the other who will strongly disrupt and dispel opposition forwards to aid his teammates, an effective plan B.
It provides an alternative style of forward player who can be utilised effectively when switching between game-plans during matches. More importantly though, Palace will now no longer just be the defensively resolute and counter-attacking side they were under Roy Hodgson, they will hopefully be more fluid, more expansive and certainly more clinical with the addition of the brilliant Odsonne Edouard.
Lining up alongside Ebere Eze, Michael Olise, Conor Gallagher and Wilfried Zaha will certainly be an absolutey thrilling prospect for Patrick Vieira to unleash, possessing arguably the most exciting of forward lines in the Premier League.
How Crystal Palace could line-up with a fully fit squad to choose from:
If the giant strides Odsonne Edouard enjoyed at Celtic is replicated at Premier League level then the fee, reduced anyway as a result of only having a year left on his contract in Glasgow, then the 23-year-old will prove a yet another superb bargain as Palace continue their impressive transition this summer.
Building such an alternate side takes time, but the capture of a player possessing the abilities of Odsonne Edouard can only compliment Palace’s rebuild even further. What a magnificent summer Crystal Palace have had.
The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend, and Arsenal still haven’t addressed their pressing need of acquiring an elite attacking midfielder armed in providing them with the creative abilities to take their game under Mikel Arteta to the next level.
Their pre-season friendly defeat to rivals Tottenham Hotspur was a game which showed a lot of promise, especially the new signings Ben White and Albert Sambi Lokonga who both put in dominant and assured performances as they continue the acclimatization into their new surroundings.
(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
However, it was a game which looked all to familiar for Arsenal’s supporters, a lot of nice intricate passing around the final third without some real penetration to complement it. Emile Smith-Rowe has been a lovely sight for Arsenal fans, and a welcome one too. A very talented and fresh addition straight from the academy, but he cannot be relied upon to drive Arsenal into that brand new era, its too much responsibility and weight on his shoulders.
Both he and Bukayo Saka need help in those areas.
How the Gunners need the qualities of Mesut Ozil (in his prime), Cesc Fabregas or even Santi Cazorla again, players who were blessed in creating the unthinkable.
You hand them the ball in those dangerous areas, and its as if time stands still. That’s what Mikel Arteta needs right now, its what Arsenal need in order to challenge for those top four places again, or to go even further.
Arsenal are arguably in the same position Manchester United were before January 2020, lacking that incision and precision in the final third before they went out and ferociously addressed that burning desire, signing Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon. Since then, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s fortunes as Manchester United boss has dramatically changed – they’re on the upward curve.
Mikel Arteta needs to go out do the same, regardless of the potential risk and cost. Leicester City’s James Maddison is reportedly a top target, however Brendan Rodgers is in no pressure to sell and it would take in the regions of £70m to prize him away from the King Power.
Since James Maddison made his Premier League debut, only Kevin De Bruyne has created more chances in the competition:
🥇 De Bruyne [252] 🥈 Maddison [230] 🥉 Alexander-Arnold [212]
It is a costly risk, one which could very much address Arsenal’s pressing need. Maddison is indeed one of the Premier League’s most reliable creators, especially in those final third areas, as shown above. But, Leicester City are unlikely to sell one of their most prized assets, especially so close to the start of the new season, and without a readied replacement.
Alternatives will need to be considered at the Emirates, quality ones too. So here’s a few cheaper, more attainable and arguably more acquired tastes that could blend in with Arsenal’s game perfectly:
Daichi Kamada, EintrachtFrankfurt
Arguably the best performing Asian footballer in Europe over the past year. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Japanese magician Daichi Kamada is a stunning footballer, an efficient workhorse and a creative maestro.
Have a look at Frankfurt’s attacks and you’ll see how pivotal Kamada is, he is at the centre of almost everything.
His movement, the positions he picks up, the space he occupies and the passes he delivers is simply sublime and a testament to his extraordinary understanding and nous when it comes to creating chances for his teammates.
The Japanese international may be something of an unknown quantity to some Arsenal supporters, but he’s a player who currently deserves some rich acclaim and attention right now.
5 goals and 12 assists in the Bundesliga last season, as Frankfurt narrowly missed out on an unprecedented Champions League place on the last day of the season. However, it was a stunning campaign for the club and for Kamada personally, and the Japanese is sure to be on a number of top club’s list of targets this summer.
Mikel Arteta would do exceptionally well to consider targeting the source of Frankfurt’s goals.
Daichi Kamada moment of magic and brilliance vs Hertha Berlin was a joy to watch. Andre Silva gave a finish worthy of the move. Happy 25th birthday to the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder. pic.twitter.com/1Is6jqjVdb
Kamada is one of those players who manages to be technically impressive without being flamboyant. Carries the ball neatly, with some sumptuous little touches and swift shifts in direction, and he exploits passing angles and lanes in the attacking third in a way that’s so clever, intricate but unusual.
He’s a unique player, and another one who deserves to test himself at the highest level. 2.90 final third passes, 1.8 key passes and an astonishing 4.05 shot-creating actions per 90 highlights his incredible efficiency and effectiveness in the final third. Kamada has so much to offer, not only in his skill, tenaciousness and technical qualities but in his application and willingness to learn and improve.
Lorenzo Pellegrini, AS Roma
Yet another uniquely gifted midfielder who surprisingly still graces the Stadio Olimpico.
Lorenzo Pellegrini is a Champions League-quality midfielder, who deserves to be playing at the highest level for one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs. It’s a shocking surprise that no top club in Europe has managed to trigger his relatively low release clause which stands at around €30million.
Lorenzo Pellegrini would represent an outstanding acquisition for Mikel Arteta simply because of his devastating abilities in the final third. Pellegrini is a creative magician, a technically savvy orchestrator.
The 25-year old would be Arsenal’s very own ‘Bruno Fernandes-type signing’. A player who will fit in swiftly and seamlessly without no bedding-in period, without no teething issues because he is simply that intelligent, classy and decisive.
Traditionally an attacking midfielder, Lorenzo Pellegrini holds all the tools necessary to play anywhere across the midfield. As a deep-lying no.6, a roaming no. 8 and a play-making, creative no.10.
In Paulo Fonseca’s system, he played the attacking midfield role, as a no.10 in their 4-2-3-1 shape or 3-4-2-1, operating just behind Edin Dzeko.
This role allowed him to become the team’s main source of creativity and a hub in which every attacking player can link with. While teams in the current age, have their main creative hubs in the deep-lying positions in front of the defence, Roma’s orchestrator is Lorenzo Pellegrini at no.10.
As well as possessing the qualities to perform in a traditional no.10 role, he’s a more unorthodox attacking midfielder, regularly drifting into the wide areas or half-spaces. It keeps defensive midfielders and the back-line guessing, also causing a state of disruption and panic in their defensive shape.
Arsenal regularly deploy the 4-2-3-1 shape, in which Pellegrini could easily slot in behind the lone frontman. It could well mean Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returns to the role up-front, simply because of Pellegrini’s superb ability to pick the unthinkable eye-of-the-needle passes.
The Italian would have been another key figure for European Champions Italy this summer had he not picked up an injury just before the tournament got underway, but he’s a player many cannot ignore.
2.18 key passes, 3.98 final third passes, 4.36 progressive passes and 1.42 passes into the 18-yard box per 90 just highlights Pellegrini’s astonishing abilities to dissect opposition defences at will. A no-brainer acquisition for Arsenal.
Houssem Aouar, Lyon
How Houssem Aouar is not on Arsenal’s list of priorities to fill that no.10 position is simply baffling, even to the Arsenal faithful. It may well be in part because of his latest disciplinary issues at Lyon, however, it is clear the player desires a new challenge elsewhere and Lyon are indeed resigned to losing him in the the near future.
It is an opportunity Arsenal cannot afford to pass up on. Houssem Aouar is a player blessed with such extraordinary technical qualities.
A meticulous ball-player, harnessing the uniqueness of when to hold on to the ball, and when to release it. His amazing sense of gravity and close control means its difficult for his markers to have an understanding of where he’s going or when to dispossess him.
Mikel Arteta craves a player who goes about performing risks in the final third, or taking people on to create space for himself and his forwards. Aouar possesses those unique qualities. He averaged 7.00 progressive carries and 2.47 carries into the final third last season, better than all of Arsenal’s attacking options.
The midfielder also holds such fantastic spatial awareness and capacity to switch directions in an instant. If he finds there’s nowhere to go when dribbling, he’ll instantly change direction with a swift drop of the shoulder and such crisp close control.
Whenever, the ball is at Aouar’s feet, his teammates know something special is about to happen especially within the attacking third. Per 90 last season, he averaged 6 passes into the final third meaning he plays risky passes with such considerable regularity. Stats serving as a true indication as to his incredible expertise in creating chances, further shown through his 5.10 shot-creating actions per90 too.
The 23-year-old only recorded three assists in Ligue 1 last year which is very surprising considering his invention and imagination in the final third, but he’s importance and influence in those areas for Lyon were very stark.
As soon as he picks up the ball, he already has a picture of what he’s going to do, whether to dribble past opponents, or dissect an eye of the needle pass to his forwards. No matter the amount of opponents around him, Aouar holds the balance, silky footwork and quickness of thought required to conjure up magic despite being under pressure.
His ball-carrying capabilities could prove vital to Arsenal’s system, allowing them to get out of trouble but most importantly in creating opportunities and openings in the final third.
Houssem Aouar is also a meticulous and imaginative number 8, and if 4-3-3 really is Arteta’s preferred formation then the French international will potentially fit in seamlessly.
Marcel Sabitzer, RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig’s new coach Jesse Marsch admitted that midfield dynamo Marcel Sabitzer’s future will lie away from Leipzig in the near future, and considering the price the Austrian is currently valued at, Arsenal would do very very well in recruiting his services.
The 26-year-old is available for a cut-price deal at just €18million, an extraordinary bargain, and whoever captures him could well be rewarded with the ‘smartest buy of the summer’ gong.
Marcel Sabitzer is a wonderful midfield performer, but a very orthodox one. To the eye, he’s your regular midfielder who is energetic, technically very good and has a good eye for the pass, but what stands him out so well is that he performs such roles with great application, professionalism and a real cutting edge that even the best teams on the continent would kill for.
He’s very versatile, capable of playing at no.10. at no.8, as a no.6 or even as a left-winger. Sabitzer is so good to watch. No matter where you put him on the pitch, he’ll give you his best.
Capable of cutting defences with such unerring vigour and precision, also capable of running at defences, linking well with his teammates and also holds the unique qualities of picking out the top-corner from all of about 35-yards. He is a jack-of-all-trades type player, and its no wonder new Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann is so desperate to reunite with him, after possessing his qualities for Leipzig.
Not only will be brilliant for Bayern Munich, who also desperately need his services but he’d be brilliant for Mikel Arteta. He’s very cheap, attainable and arguably a better player than James Maddison – more consistent in fact. The midfielder averaged 5.38 passes into the final third per90 despite playing in a variety of positions under Nagelsmann, but that owes to his tremendous technical acumen in creating chances no matter where he is on the pitch. Sabitzer also averaged 2.13 passes into the 18-yard box and an outstanding 7.07 progressive passes per 90.
He is not afraid in conjuring up the most outrageous, if you need any evidence, just check out his extraordinary assist for Austria at the Euros, setting up Stefan Lainer with a ridiculous long-raking pass.
It’s that sort of audaciousness in the final third that Arsenal so desperately crave.
Carlos Soler, Valencia
Mikel Arteta will almost certainly be silly if he doesn’t try and recruit a player who is his splitting image on the pitch; Valencia’s Carlos Soler.
Valencia’s creative orchestrator has been due a big move for a long while and Soler is a player ready for the big leagues.
The club are in a bit of a free-fall right now both on the pitch and off it, and are reportedly willing to listen to offers for some of their big names at cut-price deals.
If that is indeed the case, Arsenal should roll the dice and prioritize the signing of Carlos Soler. A tremendously consistent performer, even if his club isn’t registering the points they need.
It’s clear Soler deserves a club who matches his qualities and ambitions. He’s simply too good a player to not be performing on the biggest stages in Europe, whether that is Europa League or the UEFA Champions League.
Despite Valencia’s struggles last season, Soler still managed an astonishing 11 goals and 8 assists in La Liga highlighting his significance to the team, but also his extraordinary abilities.
A wonderfully gifted midfielder who always gives his all in every match he’s involved in. Soler is incredibly versatile too, capable of playing at no.10, no.8 on the flanks and a deep-lying orchestrator, he’d offer so much variation and tactical flexibility when needed.
Soler is as creative as all of the names on this list, providing eight assists last year. He is simply a superb player to watch, and has been on Arsenal’s radar before. He outperformed his expected goals and expected assists, as well as providing 0.26 assists per 90 minutes which means he is one of Europe’s most consistent creators. 1.45 key passes and 5.20 final third passes only highlights his efficiency and nous in those dangerous areas.
Where Valencia would be without Carlos Soler is a matter for another day, but it is about time he moves on from the Mestalla and embarks on a new challenge elsewhere.
Arsenal could certainly prove the most telling environment for him to thrive in.
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