Cristiano Ronaldo was a fan favourite during his time at Manchester United, and he has revealed a few of the nicknames he gave his team-mates.
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Chelsea moved up to seventh in the Premier League table with an eye-catching 5-0 win over West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Blues are above Manchester United on goal difference, ahead of their clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night, and are two points behind sixth-placed Newcastle United, with three matches left to play.
Mauricio Pochettino's side are still in with a chance to secure a place in a European competition for the 2024/25 campaign, but it remains to be seen whether they will land in the Europa Conference League or the Europa League.
Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, and Noni Madueke all scored during the first half to give the team a healthy advantage, before Nicolas Jackson struck twice in the second half to round out the 5-0 win.
The only starter outside of Dorde Petrovic and the back four who was not directly involved in a goal was Mykhailo Mudryk and Pochettino must now ruthlessly ditch the lightweight from the starting XI.
The Ukraine international was selected to start on the left side of the attack for the Blues at Stamford Bridge but failed to showcase his quality in the way that his teammates did.
Moises Caicedo registered an assist, Gallagher scored, Madueke produced a goal and an assist, Palmer scored, and Jackson scored two goals to go along with his assist, as the rest of Chelsea's midfield and attack outperformed Mudryk.
He did not make the most of his team's dominance in the game to play with freedom and display his attacking ability by taking players on and trying to make things happen, as the forward ended the match with one attempted dribble.
|
Mykhailo Mudryk |
Vs West Ham (05/05/24) |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
76 |
|
xG |
0.34 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Ground duels won |
2/5 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old attacker did not have much of an impact on the game, with zero 'big chances' created and zero goals from 0.34 xG.
GOAL reporter Mark Doyle handed him a match rating of 5/10 and described the winger as the 'weak link' once again for the Blues, citing his safe play in possession – passing it backwards too often – as one of the reasons why it was such an underwhelming showing.
Mudryk ended the match with fewer touches (36) than the Chelsea goalkeeper Petrovic (46) and the fewest of any starter in the front for Pochettino, which speaks to his passive mentality during the game as he failed to go out in search of the ball in order to make things happen.
The Argentine head coach must now ditch the winger from the starting XI, as it was the latest disappointing showing in an underwhelming campaign from the young whiz.
Pochettino could, perhaps, excuse the odd poor performance if it was surrounded by impressive displays in other games, but that has not been the case for Mudryk.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk speedster has racked up just four goals and two assists in 29 appearances in the Premier League so far this season – an average of one goal or assist every 4.8 games.
In the 2023/24 campaign, the attacker does not rank within the top five in the Chelsea squad for goals, assists, shots per game, or key passes per game, which illustrates his lack of influence in the final third.
He ranks within the bottom 49% of wingers and attacking midfielders in the division for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.63), the bottom 34% for assists (0.13), and the bottom 40% for shots taken per 90 (2.07).
The Chelsea lightweight, who has lost 55% of his duels in the Premier League, has also been far too loose in possession of the ball to be considered a reliable operator.
Mudryk ranks within the bottom 7% of his positional peers in the top-flight for pass accuracy at just 67.3%, which shows that he is one of the most unreliable passers in the league.
His poor form throughout the season, with zero goals and zero assists in his last ten games, is why Pochettino must ditch the 'weak link' from the XI next time out against Nottingham Forest next Saturday.
Christopher Nkunku made his return from injury off the bench against West Ham and, if fit, should be named in the lineup against the Tricky Trees.
The French forward has missed a staggering 39 matches through various injury issues, with hamstring, hip, and knee problems, and that has restricted his impact in London thus far.
He has only made eight appearances in the Premier League so far, two of which have come as a starter, and has scored two goals from 1.75 xG in that time.
It has possibly been frustrating for Pochettino and supporters that Nkunku has not been more readily available for selection, as two goals from two starts speaks to the untapped potential he has in a Chelsea shirt.
|
Bundesliga 22/23 |
Christopher Nkunku |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
25 |
|
Starts |
20 |
|
xG |
14.59 |
|
Goals |
16 |
|
Assists |
4 |
|
Big chances created |
8 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old sensation arrived at Stamford Bridge off the back of a sublime campaign in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig last term.
He was directly involved in 20 goals in 20 league starts, compared to Mudryk's six involvements in 16 starts in the Premier League this term, and that speaks to his quality and consistency as an attacking player.
Nkunku ranks within the top 19% of forwards in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.53), and the top 6% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.25).
This shows that the former Bundesliga star does have the potential to be a terrific option for Pochettino to call upon if he is fit enough to play from the start next Saturday.
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If Nkunku can be selected to line up on the left of the attack, Pochettino must ditch Mudryk from the XI in order to hand the Frenchman an opportunity to shine.
Glasgow Rangers have five remaining matches left to turn their season around and secure the Scottish Premiership title at Ibrox ahead of their rivals.
The Light Blues are currently three points off the top of the table and the Glasgow-based outfit still have a trip to the team top of the division to come in their last five games.
Philippe Clement's side have slipped up over the last three league games, with two draws and one defeat, and could point to a lack of a goal threat in their most recent 0-0 draw with Dundee.
Rangers have scored 72 goals in the Premiership so far this season, which is eight fewer than Celtic, and this could result in the Belgian boss and Head of Recruitment Nils Koppen looking to dip into the market to add more firepower to the attack later this year.
The upcoming summer transfer window will provide the Gers pair with an opportunity to bring in fresh talent, and they have already been linked with an impressive attack-minded midfielder.
It was recently reported that Rangers are one of the teams interested in a summer swoop to sign Krasnodar's mercurial playmaker Eduard Spertsyan.
HITC's Graeme Bailey claimed that the Light Blues have been made aware of his potential availability ahead of the summer transfer window, and they are tracking his progress.
Rivals Celtic were also said to be keen on the Armenia international and could, therefore, provide Clement's side with competition for his services.
However, the biggest stumbling block on the track is that HITC reported that a move to the Netherlands, or somewhere else in mainland Europe, is more likely for Spertsyan at this moment in time.
It was stated that Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord are all eyeing up the talented attacking midfielder, and they seemingly have the edge over Rangers and Celtic in the race for his signature.
Earlier this season, the player himself claimed that the president of Krasnodar values him at €15m (£13m), although it remains to be seen whether or not that is the exact current valuation over his head.
It also remains to be seen whether or not Rangers or Celtic are prepared to go as high as £13m to secure his services this summer, particularly as they will also have to battle it out with several Dutch clubs, which could drive the price up further if an auction is created for his signature.
If the Gers can get a deal over the line for the Premier Liga star, though, then Clement could land a massive upgrade on current attacking midfielder Tom Lawrence.
Signed on a free transfer from Derby County in the summer of 2022, the Welsh attacker has struggled to provide consistency, in terms of both his availability and his performance levels when fit.
Since the start of last season, the 30-year-old whiz has missed a staggering 56 competitive matches for club and country, with an Achilles and a muscle injury.
Meanwhile, Lawrence has only made 38 appearances for Rangers in all competitions during that period, which shows that the former Championship star has been absent for more games than he has played.
|
23/24 Premiership |
Tom Lawrence |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
20 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
|
Dribbles completed per game |
0.6 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the experienced midfielder has not provided consistent quality at the top end of the pitch as a number ten for Clement, with one goal contribution every five games on average.
He had scored 11 and ten goals respectively in his last two Championship seasons for Derby before his move to Rangers, yet has only managed three goals in 25 league matches for the Gers since the start of last term.
These statistics show that Lawrence has not been an impressive performer for the Scottish giants, with his injury issues seemingly taking a toll on his displays, and that is why Clement should now look to land an upgrade on him this summer.
At the age of 30, there may not be much development left in the Wales international and signing a younger, better, alternative could be the way to go for the Light Blues ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The Ibrox side must swoop to sign the Krasnodar star, if a deal is financially viable, as he has the quality to be a massive upgrade on Lawrence in a number eight or ten position.
Spertsyan, who Ajax director Sven Mislintat lauded as "special" last year, has the ability to score and create goals on a regular basis when at his best, after an incredible 2022/23 campaign for the Russian side.
Last season, the 23-year-old gem racked up ten goals, 11 assists, and eight 'big chances' created in 28 league games in the Premier Liga, which speaks to the impact he can make in the final third.
|
23/24 season |
Eduard Spertsyan (Premier Liga) |
Tom Lawrence (Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
23 |
20 |
|
Goals |
9 |
1 |
|
Assists |
2 |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
4 |
|
Dribbles completed per game |
1.0 |
0.6 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Armenian star has also been directly involved in seven more league goals for his team in only three more appearances.
Since the start of last season, the £13m-rated ace has scored or assisted 32 goals in 51 league matches for Krasnodar, which is a goal contribution every 1.52 games on average.
Lawrence, meanwhile, has been directly involved in eight goals (three goals, five assists) in 25 Premiership outings for Rangers, which is one every 3.12 clashes on average.
These statistics suggest that the Gers target has the potential to be a massive upgrade on the Welshman in the middle of the park, as he could score and create goals far more frequently.
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By
Ben Browning
Apr 23, 2024
The Armenia international has also only missed four games through injury since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, which also suggests that he would be a significant upgrade from an availability perspective, as the young star rarely misses matches.
This means that Spertsyan could be far more reliable over the course of a season, due to his durability, whilst also offering more quality on the pitch than Lawrence when fit.
Therefore, Clement and Koppen must now work hard to swoop in for the Krasnodar star and win the race for his signature ahead of Celtic and the Dutch sides over the months to come.
Millie Bright hailed Chelsea's pre-season tour to the United States as "trip to remember" after a perfect end with a derby win over Arsenal.
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GOAL caught up with the American defender to discuss a summer full of change and what comes next
This summer was a turning point in U.S. international Mark McKenzie's career. There is so much changing for the 25-year-old right now, for club, for country and in life.
On the club side, McKenzie recently made his debut for Toulouse, having made the big move to Ligue 1 this summer. The centerback accomplished all he could with Genk in Belgium and, heading into the summer, he knew it was time for a step up. After a busy transfer window, that came this month, and just days later, he found himself starting in Ligue 1 – a 1-1 draw against Nice. It was a big step and a quick one.
Internationally, though, the U.S. men's national team defender is also reckoning with a bittersweet summer. He was called into the Copa America for one of the biggest moments of his career, but could only watch on as the USMNT crashed out. After not playing at the tournament this summer, McKenzie is one player that can benefit from a fresh start and a clean slate, and, with Mauricio Pochettino reportedly incoming as manager, that's starting now.
With less than two years remaining until the World Cup, McKenzie's vision board is put together. He wants to be there when the USMNT is one of the hosts of the world's biggest sporting event and he wants to make his mark, too. How does he get there? Well, that's what this summer was about: taking that first step towards proving himself and kicking down that door.
In the Wednesday Convo, a weekly Q&A with central figures in the American soccer scene, GOAL caught up with McKenzie to talk about his big transfer, his new life off the field and his USMNT hopes…
Would it be an overreaction to call Liverpool's 2-0 defeat against Everton a watershed moment? Perhaps it would. The damage, if we are brutally honest with ourselves, was already done. Liverpool's Premier League title hopes hinged on overpowering, fanciful belief.
Belief that Jürgen Klopp's inborn magic, his creativity and his charisma, would prevail despite the glaring, booming issues that a 3-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage did not get rid of.
Once upon a time, Liverpool supporters came close to a European quadruple under Klopp's guidance, only to end up with 'just' the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Once again, this year, a quadruple looked improbably attainable for this still-under-reconstruction Anfield side.
But triumph in the 2024 Carabao Cup masqueraded over a sense of overachievement that, for so long, looked fixed in place, set to stay, right up until the farewell parade, the final send-off to wave goodbye to the man who lifted an outfit of doubters and turned them into believers.
But all good things, as the proverb puts it, come to an end and Klopp's tenure is no different. The search for a successor has already proved to be a winding and frustrating road but Liverpool do now seem to be honing in on an heir.
Frontrunner: Xabi Alonso became Ruben Amorim became Arne Slot. Slot, manager of Feyenoord, finally seems to be the man that Liverpool have chosen to anoint in Klopp's place and continue the journey that has lifted Anfield to silver skies.
Liverpool will be back among Europe's elite next season after finishing fifth in the Premier League last year but it is clear that summer recruitment needs to be emphatic if the club are to keep up with juggernauts Arsenal and Manchester City, who have always felt a bit more slick, stylish and assured in their respective places in this thrilling three-horse race.
But that's no disservice to the masterful job that Klopp has done in lifting his squad to such heights, having made sweeping changes to his all-important midfield last summer. Liverpool are still a team in transition, and now the reins are handed over.
Slot's expansive brand of football, emphasis on developing younger players and first-rate man-management skills make him the perfect figure to lead from the dugout next season.
He might even have the tools to bring struggling stars back from the rubble – could one such star be Darwin Nunez?
Mohamed Salah is out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 campaign and was the subject of a £150m approach from Al-Ittihad last summer. Nearly 32, it's going to be one to keep an eye on during the off-season.
And while he's erratic and wasteful, Darwin Nunez is unlikely to follow the Egyptian out of the door; even though his arrival was Klopp's preference, and not that of the recruitment team, the club-record signing probably won't be moved on after just two years, what with Salah more probable to depart, Diogo Jota injury prone and Luis Diaz lacking a clinical edge, electric he may be.
And still, for all his faults, the 24-year-old Uruguayan has posted 18 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season. He's got the trappings of a world-class star.
Nunez's poor finishing is a matter of temperament, not technical quality, as mused by analyst Raj Chohan, and under Slot, the role of centre-forward at Anfield could shift and realign with added impetus, Klopp's brand at an end.
Coveted Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez scored 23 times last year and has clinched 24 goals this season. It might just be worth keeping this enigmatic ace on Merseyside for a little longer…
The same can be said for Dominik Szoboszlai, who has not been at the top of his game recently but undoubtedly boasts top-class ability.
Liverpool signed Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig last summer after meeting his £60m release clause, adding the talented attacking midfielder to the ranks following performances in Germany that had led journalist Marcel Moeller to call him a "generational talent".
And what a start to life in the Premier League, with fierce ranged strikes, elite athletic energy and undeniable spark and swagger suggesting that Klopp had his midfield general for years to come.
Injuries and a spiral in form have changed the mood significantly around the Hungary international, who has been criticised for his "stinker" efforts in recent weeks by reporter Lewis Steele.
Against Everton, the 23-year-old was branded with a lowly 3/10 match rating by The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle, who wrote: 'One forceful run into the box aside, the midfielder suffered a shocker of a first half and didn’t improve much after that. Subbed.'
But across the duration of the campaign, Szoboszlai has shown glimpses, quite a few, of the things still to come, and Slot could prove to unleash the £120k-per-week star in a refreshed and restored position.
|
Dominik Szoboszlai: PL Stats 23/24 |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
# |
|
Matches played |
29 |
|
Matches started |
25 |
|
Goals |
3 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Pass completion |
87% |
|
Touches per game |
63.7 |
|
Shots per game |
1.9 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.8 |
|
Ball recoveries per game |
5.8 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.1 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 9% for blocks per 90, showcasing his forward-surging qualities as a No. 10.
Slot is an advocate of high-intensity offensive football, like Klopp in that regard, but with an added emphasis on a central attacking midfielder, Liverpool's record signing of 2023 could finally return to his favoured position, protected by the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo from deep.
There is a special skill set in there, lasting but latent quality that needs channelling and unleashing in a manner that better fits Szoboszlai's style.
Let's not throw in the towel with this one just yet. Liverpool may yet come to bask in the full scale of Szoboszlai's brilliance.
Liverpool must replace 3/10 flop who just ruined Klopp's farewell
Jamie Carragher singled this struggling star out for criticism after a dreadful, title-crashing display at Goodison Park.
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Apr 25, 2024
The PFA have announced the Championship, League One and League Two Teams of the Year.
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There are plenty of things up in the air with Liverpool Football Club ahead of the 2024/25 season. Manager Jurgen Klopp is set to leave the club, and they are yet to find a replacement, although Sporting manager Ruben Amorim is the man linked with the role.
Of course, this throws into question the number of new signings whom Amorim or any other candidates would both want and need to tailor the squad to their style of play.
The future of key player Mohamed Salah is not 100% certain yet, either. Whilst fans will surely hope their talisman stays another year at Anfield, there are strong rumours that the Egyptian could follow suit with Klopp and depart the club at the end of the season.
If the Premier League legend does leave Liverpool next summer, it of course means the Reds will need a replacement, and it would likely have to be a marquee player to fill the very big void left by Salah in his potential departure.
According to reports in Spain, via Football Transfers, the man linked with a move to Anfield in the event of Salah’s departure is one of the world’s deadliest wingers, Vinicius Junior.
The Real Madrid man is said to be of major interest to Liverpool when Kylian Mbappe inevitably joins Los Blancos this summer, thus becoming their key man ahead of Vini.
The fee quoted to Liverpool is huge and would be both a club record and a Premier League record. Darwin Nunez’s £85m move to Liverpool from Benfica in 2022 is the current Liverpool record, with Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo the Premier League’s record transfer, when he cost the Blues £115m last summer from Brighton.
Liverpool would need to pay a huge £171m fee to Real Madrid should they wish to acquire the services of Vini ahead of next season, but they might recoup a lot of that from the sale of Salah.
According to reports, Saudi club Al Ittihad made a bid of at least £80m for the Egypt captain last summer and could make a similar offer this time around.
There is no doubt Vini is one of the best players in the world, a sentiment which Sadio Mane agrees with. The former Liverpool man even believes Vini is one day capable of winning a Ballon d'Or.
The Brazilian has scored 18 goals and registered eight assists for Real Madrid this season in all competitions. Salah, however, has outdone him in terms of goal involvements. The 31-year-old has netted 23 goals and has 13 assists to his name, a remarkable return.
The pair are not very similar players stylistically. Vini is a superb ball carrier, using his pace to get in behind opposition defences and driving at defenders in one-on-one scenarios. In contrast, Salah is less of an explosive dribbler, thriving more in combination play and operating mainly in the final third.
The numbers suggest this estimation is correct. According to Fbref, Vini is one of the world’s best dribblers. Per 90 minutes, he averages 6.31 progressive carries which places him in the top 3% of positionally similar players in Europe, 4.41 carries into the penalty area, which puts him in the top 1% and 3.44 carries into the final third, which ranks him in the top 12%.
In comparison per 90 minutes, Salah completes 3.85 progressive carries, placing him in the 59th percentile, 2.26 carries into the final third, which puts him in the 51st percentile, and 2.65 carries into the penalty box, which ranks him in the best 8%, according to Fbref. The difference between each player with the ball at their feet is clear to see.
Where Salah excels over Vini is with his progressive passing. As per Fbref, the Eygpt international sits inside the best 4% of wingers for passes into the penalty area, with 2.6 per 90 minutes, and in the 81st percentile for progressive passes, with 5.47 per 90 minutes.
In comparison, Vini makes 1.09 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, ranking him in the 25th percentile, and 2.67 progressive passes per 90 minutes, placing the Brazilian in the 80th percentile. The comparison is stark.
There is no doubt that, whilst different, both players are elite wingers. Should Liverpool move for Vini in the event of Salah’s departure, it would be interesting to see how he fits in, given he is a better dribbler than Salah, but less creative in the final third.
Should the Reds sign the Madrid superstar, they will certainly be bringing in one of the best players in the world. It would be exciting to see such a talented player in the Premier League, and fascinating to how he would fill the boots of Salah.
Wolves have made their first move to sign a new player ahead of a number of Premier League rivals, according to a new report.
Those at Molineux and Gary O‘Neil may well be looking ahead to the 2024/25 season, with the club’s push for European football this season now faltering.
Tuesday evening’s 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Burnley has seen Wolves drop points in three of their last four fixtures, with a potential battle now on for a top-half finish.
O’Neil once again vented his frustrations at the club’s business in the January transfer window following the point at Turf Moor.
There have been transfer targets mentioned ahead of the summer, especially in attack. Wolves are expected to sign teenage forward Stephano Carrillo from Mexican side Santos Laguna and they are also readying an offer to sign Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal ahead of Brentford and Crystal Palace.
The Old Gold are also in pole position to sign Southampton striker Che Adams, but there could also be additions at the back going off a new update.
According to reports in Spain in the last 48 hours, relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves have made contact to sign UD Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles.
The 26-year-old has been linked with rivals Aston Villa, as well as Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, but it is Wolves who have made first contacts over a potential deal.
Valles, who was previously on the books with Real Betis, has been with Las Palmas since 2018 and has been a regular in recent years.
In fact, the shot-stopper helped Las Palmas win promotion to La Liga with 19 clean sheets in 34 appearances, and he has also impressed in the Spanish top flight.
|
Alvaro Valles best performances 2023/24 |
WhoScored rating |
|---|---|
|
Athletic Club 1-0 Las Palmas |
8.37/10 |
|
Sevilla 1-0 Las Palmas |
8.04/10 |
|
Real Madrid 2-0 Las Palmas |
7.95/10 |
|
Deportivo Alaves 0-1 Las Palmas |
7.72/10 |
|
Las Palmas 1-0 Getafe |
7.63/10 |
For example, his Transfermarkt valuation stood at just €1m less than 12 months ago, but that figure has now rocketed to a career-high €15m. Valles also recently spoke about the possibility of being called up by Spain ahead of Euro 2024 following his eye-catching displays.
“I’m not aware of anything. I’m focused on the collective success of the team. We all want to finish as high as possible in the standings, to make history. Individual awards, if they come, are welcome. But the main thing for me is the collective. Praise can be debilitating, that’s why I always keep my feet on the ground.”
A move to Molineux this summer looks like it could be one to watch, with Valles potentially the long-term successor to Jose Sa.
Manchester United have reportedly held initial talks with Youssouf Fofana as they seek a midfield signing this summer.
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