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The ex-Bayern Munich man has now scored 12 goals in all competitions this season after his first-half treble on Sunday

Robert Lewandowski was the star of the show for Barcelona as the prolific Pole netted a first-half hat-trick in a comfortable 3-0 victory at Alaves on Sunday that keeps Hansi Flick's side three points clear at the top of La Liga.

Blaugrana captain Raphinha, who has been in dazzling form of late, was also at his mercurial best as the Brazilian playmaker pulled the strings for Barca, and the South American thought that he had opened the scoring inside four minutes, but his effort was chalked off as teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal strayed marginally offside in the build-up.

Barca lost Ferran Torres to an early injury, but took the lead in the seventh minute when Lewandowski glanced home a Raphinha free-kick – taking him to 50 goals in total for the Catalan giants in La Liga. Lewandowski grabbed his second in the 22nd minute, when being teed up by Raphinha again for a tap-in, and claimed another match ball just past the half-hour mark when rolling into the bottom corner after being played through by Eric Garcia.

Alaves did pose a threat during lapses in Barca’s concentration – with VAR ruling out one effort on the stroke of half-time, before the woodwork was struck early in the second 45. Flick, though, was able to rest Yamal during the second half, with the visitors easing to a comfortable win.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Mendizorroza…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Inaki Pena (5/10):

  Looked shaky when called into action and will lose his place to Szczesny once the Pole – who has stepped out of retirement – is cleared to provide cover for the injured Ter Stegen.

  Hector Fort (7/10):

  Came into the starting XI as Kounde was handed a well-earned break and did enough to prevent much of a threat being posed down his flank.

  Pau Cubarsi (6/10):

  While Barcelona look to be full of goals, the amount of space that they afford opponents at the back – particularly when playing a high line – will be a source of concern.

  Inigo Martinez (6/10):

  Did not have that much to do, but got caught under a couple of crosses into the box and will be aware of the need to become more dominant.

  Alejandro Balde (6/10):

  Likes to get forward, which can drag him out of position at times and leave space for runners in behind.

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  Midfield

  Raphinha (9/10):

  Has taken on the captaincy following the injury to Ter Stegen and appears ready to leave by example after registering two more assists and generally having Alaves on strings.

  Marc Casado (6/10):

  Happy to sit and provide cover in front of the back four, with the promising La Masia academy graduate benefiting from the regular game time that he is currently being afforded.

  Pedri (6/10):

  Always assured in possession, but will believe that he should have got on the scoresheet after scuffing a close range effort wide of the post towards the end of the first half.

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  Attack

  Lamine Yamal (7/10):

  The youngster had his box of tricks with him, as his dancing feet delivered the odd nutmeg while tying defenders in knots, but he was not required to provide another moment of match-altering brilliance before being replaced.

  Ferran Torres (N/A):

  Lasted less than five minutes before being forced from the field with a hamstring injury.

  Robert Lewandowski (10/10):

  Has passed a half-century of goals in La Liga and will believe that there are many more to come – with a collection of typically clinical finishes adding another match ball to his collection.

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  Subs & Manager

  Eric Garcia (7/10):

  Asked to operate in midfield after replacing the stricken Torres and put himself about before providing the assist for Lewandowski’s hat-trick strike.

  Ansu Fati (6/10):

  Eager to impress, with Yamal well ahead of him in the pecking order, but never really got going.

  Jules Kounde (6/10):

  Stepped back in for Font and helped to wrap up a clean sheet.

  Frenkie de Jong (5/10):

  First La Liga minutes of the season for the Dutch midfielder, who will hope to figure prominently in the weeks to come.

  Gerard Martin (5/10):

  Another player of considerable promise that will benefit from the game time coming his way.

  Hansi Flick (7/10):

  Has to keep getting creative with his selections, as fitness issues stack up, but got all of the big decisions right and will hope to have a couple of senior stars back after the international break.

The transfer window is right around the corner, and after a Premier League season full of ups and downs, Tottenham Hotspur has a few months to reinforce and improve the team ahead of another gruelling campaign to secure a Champions League spot.

Ange Postecoglou looks like the man for the job so far, but with six teams scoring more goals than his own last year, he could do with some attacking additions from Daniel Levy and Co.

Luckily for the Australian, recent reports suggest that could be precisely what he gets in the coming weeks, as the latest player touted for a move to N17 is an incredibly exciting winger who could well spell trouble for Dejan Kulusevski's place in the team.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Spanish publication AS, Tottenham are one of several clubs interested in signing Girona's incredibly exciting winger, Viktor Tsygankov, this summer.

Unfortunately for the Lilywhites, the report has also revealed that North London rivals Arsenal and Serie A giants AC Milan are both keen on the player and have already approached the Spanish side.

That said, while they might not be favourites to land the Ukrainian international, AS's claim that he has a 'termination' clause in his current contract valued at just €30m – £26m – means that they still have a chance to land the wideman.

So, while it might prove challenging, the costs aren't astronomically high, and Levy and Co should be doing all they can to get this deal done and beat the Gunners to the talented winger, even if it could impact Kulusevski's future in the team.

How Tsygankov compares to Kulusevski

Now, it should be said that Kulusevski is an incredibly talented footballer, and when he's at his best, he can be one of the most entertaining wingers to watch in the Premier League. However, over the last couple of years, his pure output has not quite matched up with his talent.

For example, last season, he scored just two goals and provided eight assists in 37 games for Spurs, which equates to a goal involvement every 3.7 games.

This season, he did slightly better, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 29 games, equating to a goal involvement every 3.5 games.

In contrast, Tsygankov scored 12 goals and provided 12 assists in 42 games last year, which is a goal involvement every 1.75 games, before scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in 34 games in 2023/24, which comes out to a goal involvement every 2.26 games.

However, it's not just in raw output where the 26-year-old comes out ahead, but also in their underlying numbers.

For example, while the former Juventus star edges it for progressive passes and carries, shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, he falls short in metrics like aerial duels won, non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals and assists, goal-creating actions, passing accuracy, shots, and goals per shot, all per 90.

Ultimately, with the "outrageous" Tsygankov, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, outperforming Kulusevski in both raw output and underlying numbers, bringing him to the white half of North London this summer should be a priority for Levy and Co, especially at just £26m.

Spurs could land the dream Son partner in £50m "warrior"

The all action midfielder would perfectly compliment the South Korean.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 5, 2024

It was a mixed bag of a season for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou got off to a flying start with a ten-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League, but a slew of injuries saw the wheels come off partway through the campaign, and a string of defeats towards the end saw them just miss out on Champions League qualification.

However, considering people's expectations before things kicked off, securing Europa League football for 2024/25 isn't too bad.

On top of that, the club welcomed a number of impressive signings over the summer, like James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, and one more who is now worth substantially more than club captain Son Heung-min.

Brennan Johnson's Spurs career

The Lilywhites completed the £47.5m signing of Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest on deadline day last summer, and while there was some excitement around the arrival of a young attacking talent who had scored ten goals and provided three assists in 44 games the season prior, the fee raised a few eyebrows.

It wasn't the easiest start to life in North London for the Welshman, and he was even described as "disappointing" by Gary Neville in a game against Manchester United a few months in.

However, as the season went on, the 23-year-old seemingly grew in confidence, and fans started to see more of what he could offer on the pitch.

In all, the Nottingham-born winger made 34 appearances for the Lilywhites, in which he scored five goals and provided ten assists. This means he averaged a goal involvement every 2.2 games, which is a reasonably impressive return for his first season in the team.

Moreover, the "superb" gem, as he was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was also relatively unlucky this season, with Understat recording him as having an expected goals figure of 11.90 in the league, meaning had he been able to take his chances better, he could have ended the campaign with another six goals to his name.

Now, while this is undoubtedly his fault to some extent, the fact that the Welshman was able to produce such a high figure in just 32 league appearances is an achievement in itself and lends credence to U23 scout Antonio Mango's description of the winger as being "a real handful."

In all, while Johnson's first season wasn't the most straightforward, he showed his ability towards the end of it, and as a result, his valuation has actually increased.

Brennan Johnson's transfer valuation in 2024

According to CIES Football Observatory, Johnson is now worth €60m, which converts to around £51m, or about £3.5m more than he cost Spurs last summer.

His new price tag also makes him the second most valuable winger at the club, behind Dejan Kulusevski and ahead of Timo Werner.

It also means the 23-year-old is now worth twice as much as his captain, Son, whom CIES price at €30m, or around £26m.

This isn't to say that the Welshman is double the player of the South Korean, as the latter's return of 17 goals and ten assists in just 36 games this season highlights how he is still one of the best attackers in the league.

Instead, it is likely due to the fact that he is turning 32 this summer, and his £190k-per-week contract is set to expire next summer – both things that significantly affect a player's resale value.

Ultimately, Johnson isn't a better player than Son – very few players in the league are – but his slightly increased valuation validates his signing and acts as a reminder that, at just 23, he has plenty of potential.

Spurs struck gold with "complete & dominant" ace now worth 2x more than Son

The incredible talent could remain a key player for the Lilywhites for years to come.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 25, 2024

Chelsea star Cole Palmer admitted that he "didn't really watch" Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp following a four-goal showing in Brighton victory.

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• Palmer scored four against Brighton
• Was compared to PL legend Bergkamp
• Made an honest admission after a stellar display

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 22-year-old forward became the first player to score four goals in the first half of a match, an incredible feat that left fans and pundits in awe. Palmer’s explosive form has seen him net six goals in as many league games this season, solidifying his position as one of the brightest young talents in English football.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Following Palmer’s dazzling display, former England and Arsenal star Theo Walcott couldn’t help but draw parallels between the young Chelsea forward and two of the Premier League’s finest strikers—Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie.

  Walcott praised Palmer’s style, remarking, “He has got a bit of finesse, Bergkamp, Van Persie about him, and they weren't bad at all. He has grown into his own at Chelsea and he is the main man. You can't leave him out of any team, and I am talking about England too. He is so gifted, he will have that awe around him so that players are afraid of him. If he continues like this, he going to be a legend of the Premier League."

• WHAT PALMER SAID

  Bergkamp, revered as one of the most skilful forwards in Premier League history, amassed 87 goals and 94 assists over 315 league appearances for Arsenal. Whereas, Van Persie, on the other hand, rose to prominence with Arsenal before sealing his legacy by leading Manchester United to a league title in the 2012-13 season.

  In response to the Bergkamp comparisons, Palmer admitted, “I know he is a legend in the Premier League, but I didn’t really watch him. I was too young. I have seen clips, he was a top player so thank you, Theo Walcott!”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Palmer netted the fastest hat-trick in Chelsea's Premier League history, scoring three goals in just nine minutes and 48 seconds. He completed his four goals in a remarkable 19-minute and 57-second spell – and now remains only behind Jermain Defoe, who scored four goals in 2009 for Tottenham against Wigan, in a lesser time.

Arsenal played out a 2-2 draw against Manchester City as Gunners stars Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber brought up an abysmal Premier League record.

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• Arsenal draw 2-2 against Man City
• Timber and Havertz make unwanted record
• Completed zero passes despite playing 89+ minutes

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mikel Arteta's men were just minutes away from making their way to the top of the Premier League table as Arsenal led 2-1 against Manchester City well into injury time before John Stones equalised for the Manchester side to keep them atop the table.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal put on a very backs-to-the-wall performance at the Etihad Stadium to try and get a result against City. However, Havertz and Timber were not able to match the level of the match on the night as both the Arsenal stars ended the game with zero passes completed despite playing more than 89 minutes. As per OptaJoe, this is the first time since the 2003-04 season, that an outfield player has done so in the Premier League.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Havertz attempted a total of five passes and failed to complete all of them on the night, while Timber attempted six passes not to place a single one of them accurately at a teammate.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  The Gunners stars will have a perfect opportunity to bounce back to form as Arsenal will be in action next when they take on League One side Bolton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, September 25.

Chelsea have been told that a club would accept an initial £50 million bid for their star forward, with chairman Todd Boehly looking to reinforce the squad.

Chelsea chasing new attacker as pressure surrounds Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino has endured a topsy-turvy debut season at Chelsea, with speculation consistently surrounding his future in bouts of serious pressure on the Argentine.

Suggestion Chelsea could table offer to sign £52 million star from PSG

He’s been in excellent form for two seasons.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 11, 2024

While their form has picked up somewhat lately, barring that terrible 5-0 defeat to Arsenal, Pochettino has conceded that his job at Chelsea is far from safe – and he even admitted this week that it wouldn't be the end of the world if they decided to sack him.

"It is not going to be the first time that a coaching staff decide at the end of the season not to keep going. But understand that it is always the opposite way, always the owners or the sporting directors," said Pochettino on his Chelsea future.

"They can say tomorrow 'until here, we arrive' or maybe tomorrow I can say 'look, I want to leave.' There are two parts who can take a decision. It is not only because Chelsea are not happy, the owners are not happy, the sporting directors are not happy, maybe we are not happy because we arrived here with some job to do but in the end it has not happened what we expect.

"Maybe we are not happy. I don't say that I am not happy but always it is lacking one side. Maybe the other side say 'OK, maybe until here' and we split. It is not a problem. It is not going to be the end of the world."

Amidst the uncertainty surrounding Pochettino's future, Chelsea are reliably believed to be chasing a new forward this summer, with Crystal Palace star Michael Olise of serious interest to them.

Indeed, reports have claimed that Chelsea are even willing to offer Raheem Sterling in a swap deal for Olise, as Boehly also looks to trim the squad and balance the books in terms of PSR.

Chelsea told Palace would accept initial £50 million bid

Now, according to TEAMtalk, it is believed Palace would accept an initial £50 million bid from Chelsea for Olise – or from any other interested party – as long as the overall offer eventually reached £65 million via add-ons and other clauses.

The 22-year-old has been a star player under both Roy Hodgson and Oliver Glasner this season, and his time at Selhurst Park may well be ending soon as teams across England display a tempting interest.

“I have seen him for 10 days less than I have seen the others," said Hodgson on Olise last season. "What I make of him is that I think he is an enormous talent – he has got a great possibility to have a wonderful career and a wonderful future. We can only hope we at Crystal Palace can give him that platform.”

Arsenal are set to wear their away kit in the north London derby against Tottenham for the first time in 38 years.

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• Arsenal set to face Spurs on Sunday in a PL fixture
• PGMOL has directed them to wear their away strip
• They last wore the away shirt against Spurs back in 1985-86

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners typically don their traditional red and white home kit when they travel crosstown to face their local rivals Tottenham. However, the home shirt's design for the 2024-25 season has not been ratified by PGMOL to wear against their derby rivals.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  According to PGMOL’s assessment, Arsenal’s current home shirt "features too much white" which could create visual confusion when Tottenham take the field in their usual white jerseys. To resolve this issue, the PGMOL ruled that Arsenal must switch to their black away kit for the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

• WHAT ARSENAL SAID

  While Arsenal proposed a solution of pairing their home shirt with red shorts and socks, this alternative was not approved. The referee’s body stuck with its decision that the black away kit was the best option to avoid any potential kit clash.

  "The PGMOL and Premier League ruled that our 2024-25 home kit features too much white, thus clashing with Tottenham’s traditional colours, even with the option of red shorts and socks for us, which was also discussed," said Arsenal.

  "As a result, for the first time in recent 'NLD' history, we'll be wearing our change colours."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The PGMOL has also confirmed that Tottenham will wear their away kit when they travel to the Emirates Stadium for the reverse fixture in January.

  Arsenal’s decision to wear their away kit for the derby is not without historical precedent, but it has been 38 years since the Gunners last took to the pitch in anything other than their home kit for this specific match. According to Arsenal Shirt Collection, a fan resource on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the last time Arsenal wore their away colours in a north London derby was during the 1985-86 season.

West Ham United travel to Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and David Moyes will be well aware that failing to win will end the fading chances of qualifying for a fourth successive season in European competition.

The Hammers know that, in all likelihood, they won't be continuing their sparkling continental journey next season but there is no doubt that the playing squad boasts enough firepower to maintain a position of promise in the English top flight over the coming years, despite the lingering situation surrounding Moyes' future at the London Stadium.

Moyes, 61 years old, is out of contract in a matter of weeks and after winning the Conference League last season, he has dealt with the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal to propel his side back into the top half of the league table.

Despite this, he can't seem to shake the negativity pervading from prominent supporter circles that have made their voluble opinions known that he should part ways with the side this summer, largely down to his perceived conservative style of football.

Still, West Ham are usually well drilled, disciplined and oiled to get the job done, and given that they have already won away to Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the Premier League this season, they will be confident Stamford Bridge can be added to the collection tomorrow.

West Ham team news

West Ham could welcome Konstantinos Mavropanos back to the matchday squad in west London after the Greek international's absence over the past three matches due to injury.

However, Sunday's game comes too soon for Nayef Aguerd, meaning veteran Angelo Ogbonna will partner captain Kurt Zouma in central defence once again if Mavropanos is not ready to play from the outset.

Chelsea might have impressed during their midweek victory over Spurs but the hosts are battling a catalogue of injury issues and Moyes might spy a chink in the armour to exploit, with the majority of his team fit and raring to go.

That doesn't mean he won't make a tweak or two though, with Chelsea's recent performance possibly giving the Scotsman food for thought when it comes to Vladimir Coufal, and whether he should start at Stamford Bridge.

Vladimir Coufal's season in numbers

Coufal has been an excellent addition to Moyes' West Ham side, joining from Czech outfit Slavia Prague in a £5m transfer in 2020 and amassing 152 appearances, supplying 20 assists for his teammates.

This season, as per Sofascore, the defender has started 33 Premier League matches and racked up seven assists, averaging 0.9 key passes, 1.8 tackles, 2.4 clearances and 3 out of 9 successful duels per game.

He might not be in the finest form right now but Coufal does have his strengths, ranking among the top 18% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for clearances and the top 21% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref.

But the 31-year-old's certain lack of mobility will impede his and his side's chances of victory at a pivotal moment and Moyes must consider dropping him.

Why West Ham must bench Vladimir Coufal

Coufal was rag-dolled when Newcastle United defeated West Ham several weeks back, branded with a 4/10 match rating by The Evening Standard's Malik Ouzia, brutally exposed by the pace and power of Anthony Gordon.

What does that tell us? It tells us a lot. Coufal has been dribbled past five times across his past two matches in the Premier League, against Crystal Palace and Liverpool, shipping seven goals during this timeframe and losing possession 31 times – 15 times against the Eagles and 16 times against Liverpool.

Chelsea are an imperfect team but they are filled with talent and have a range of tools that can inflict damage onto the Hammers. They create chances and they stretch the opposition with their wide pace and swift overloads. Coufal will suffer.

Mykhaylo Mudryk has certainly had his detractors since joining Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in a £88.5m transfer back in January 2023, but he has been in promising form recently and has started six of the past seven matches in the Premier League, showcasing his skills superbly last time out.

His athleticism and breakneck speed will cause Coufal so many problems, and so Ben Johnson – who is approaching the end of his West Ham career, out of contract this summer and rumoured to be heading to Crystal Palace on a free transfer – must start in his stead.

Johnson's starting roles have arrived intermittently this season, starting only four games in the Premier League, but the 24-year-old's pace and ground-covering style make him the perfect Irons player to attempt to deal with Mudryk, who has an immense natural talent but hasn't gelled it all together with constancy at Chelsea yet.

Next West Ham manager: Who could replace David Moyes?

Julen Lopetegui appears to have taken a step closer to becoming the new Hammers boss…

By
Stephan Georgiou

May 6, 2024

While Chelsea are looking to string together some impressive late-season form, West Ham have plenty of tools to cause an upset and Johnson must be unleashed to ensure that the best chance of victory is placed.

Emi Martinez has been told that his “weird” behaviour is preventing a deserved standing among the top three keepers in world football being taken up.

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• Famed for penalty-saving record
• World Cup & Copa America winner
• Has become master of mind games

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Aston Villa and Argentina shot-stopper has shown with his performances for club and country that he should be part of that conversation. He landed the prestigious Yashin Trophy in 2023 and FIFA Best Men’s Goalkeeper award after helping the Albiceleste to World Cup glory at Qatar 2022.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Martinez has also formed part of two triumphant Copa America squads, while helping Villa to a top-four finish in the Premier League and Champions League qualification. A reputation has been earned as one the best penalty-saving goalkeepers around, but the 32-year-old’s antagonistic antics can occasionally lead to less positive headlines being made.

• WHAT DUNNE SAID

  Former Villa defender Richard Dunne – speaking in association with online bingo site, – has told GOAL when asked if Martinez is the kind of character that you want in a No.1: “You just want them to be really good! The rest of it, the antics that he gets up to, is probably taking away from how good he is as a goalkeeper. If people didn’t have the other stuff to talk about, he would probably be more talked about as being up there in the top two or three goalkeepers in the world – because he is fantastic.

  “The one thing you always want from goalkeepers is, can they make big saves and can they make them at important moments? He’s proved that he can. He’s been huge for his country and fantastic for Aston Villa. Personally I wouldn’t want them being a bit weird, I would like them to be calm and someone you can rely on and trust, but on the pitch he has been fantastic and you can’t knock him.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Dunne added on Martinez mastering mind games, which are now part of football and a way of winning by any means possible: “You wonder how impactful it is, whether he needs to do it or whether it just motivates him to get that little bit extra, thinking ‘I’ve done this to this guy so I’d better save this or I’ll look a bit stupid’. Whatever he does, he makes saves that you don’t expect and he saves penalties, winning shootouts on his own at times.

  “He’s such a big fella as well, he’s so imposing, that I’m sure he is intimidating to players coming up against him. It’s one of those things – if it works for you, keep doing it. It’s working for him, whatever he’s doing, so he just has to keep going with this style of play.”

It's been a season to forget for Manchester United this year, yet with four Premier League games left to play, there is a real chance of qualifying for Europa League football.

Erik ten Hag's side currently find themselves in eighth place, six points off Tottenham Hotspur, but with a game in hand, which just so happens to be away to the inform Crystal Palace on Monday evening.

Now, with something still to play for, most people would have the Red Devils down as favourites ahead of this clash, but with United's obscene injury list and lack of fit centre-backs, this may not be the case this time.

So, with few other options, Ten Hag should be brave and hand a promising academy gem his first league start.

Manchester United's injury crisis

It's been a long and gruelling season for plenty of Premier League clubs this year, and it's been no different for United, who have seen their star players drop out with injuries at fairly regular intervals.

The club currently have 12 players reported to be injured by the Premier League, five of whom are centre-backs. Lisandro Martínez, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane, Willy Kambwala, and now Harry Maguire will all have to sit out this evening's game.

However, during his press conference on Thursday, Ten Hag confirmed that Johnny Evans had just returned to first-team training, meaning that he could feature against the Eagles.

Nonetheless, considering his lack of recent game time and the fact that starting him too soon could see him injure himself yet again, it might be better to keep him on the bench tonight.

Therefore, unless the Dutchman wants to start another player out of position alongside Casemiro at Selhurst Park, his best option is to hand a golden opportunity to one of the club's most exciting academy stars.

Why Ten Hag should start Louis Jackson

The youngster who should be given the chance to fill in for the recently injured Maguire is 18-year-old Louis Jackson.

The Oldham-born centre-back has been with the Red Devils for several years now and became the youngest player to start for the U23 side in 2022 when he made the jump at just 15 years old.

Despite being so young, the talented defender has already racked up an impressive number of appearances for the club's various youth sides and has even made it onto the first-team bench on three occasions this year, highlighting both his rapid development and the club's perilous injury situation at the back.

Now, there is certainly an argument that throwing the Scottish youth international in at the deep end tonight would be a bad idea for his development, but considering how well he has adapted to the various age groups at youth level and the lack of options Ten Hag has at his disposal, it might be time to throw caution to the wind.

Moreover, while Casemiro is not a natural centre-back, he is an extraordinarily experienced professional, and having him be the player Jackson makes his debut alongside can only do him good.

Lastly, while United are a club that should always expect to win, the circumstances around this game and the season as a whole mean that if they do end up coming away from Selhurst Park with no points in hand, fans are unlikely to go in too hard on the youngster, and as they always say, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. '

Ratcliffe could solve Man Utd's Sancho problem with "magic" £60m phenom

The incredible talent could be the prefect player to replace the exiled Englishman.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 3, 2024