Leeds United and Daniel Farke are “closer” to signing a free agent, according to an exciting new transfer update.
Leeds linked with free agents Kouyate, Guilavogui and Coquelin
The Whites enjoyed a brilliant return to action following the international break on Friday evening, handing rivals Sheffield United their first Championship defeat in the process. Leeds even managed to score from a corner thanks to Joe Rothwell and Pascal Struijk, with Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph combining late on to seal a 2-0 win.
It was Rothwell and Ao Tanaka who shone in the middle once again following injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev, and Farke confirmed after the game that Leeds were still looking at a versatile free-agent signing.
“We still need one [a midfielder] because the next game is Tuesday. A lot of rest for us by our standards. We have to stay awake with the options out there, with centre-backs too. Thank God, Max is coming back, but he has missed a lot of football. Yellow cards too. We need depth. If there is a chance, we will do it.
“If we find a perfect fit, physical player who covers two positions, adds experience, that would be beneficial.”
There have been plenty of names mentioned including former Nottingham Forest man Cheikhou Kouyate. However, any transfer for the Senegal international appears to be off due to concerns over financial demands.
Former Arsenal and Villarreal midfielder Francis Coquelin had also been mooted, however, rumours over a deal for Leeds to sign Coquelin have gone cold in recent days.
Leeds are also considering signing Josuha Guilavogui, who used to play for Wolfsburg and Atletico Madrid, and he was spotted with a fan at Elland Road on Friday evening.
Farke shares update on Leeds free agent signing
Leeds Live journalist Joe Donnohue shared updates out of Thorp Arch from Farke’s pre-match press conference on Monday.
Ahead of the game against Watford, Farke revealed that a deal for Leeds to sign a free agent is “closer”, with a decision made by the end of next week.
“A bit closer, latest by the end of the next week we will have a decision made but it can happen quick and let’s see.”
Should Guilavogui be the man to come in for Leeds, he would offer another option as a holding midfielder and even be able to cover at centre-back if required, with Joe Rodon close to a one-match suspension and Max Wober still out through injury.
Tanaka and Rothwell will have a lot of football to play for Leeds before Ampadu and Gruev recover from their respective knee injuries, so a move for the 34-year-old appears to be a shrewd one. It’ll be one to watch in the coming days following Farke’s exciting comments.
Endrick and Arda Guler have decided they want to leave Real Madrid this summer after being made to feel 'invisible' by manager Carlo Ancelotti.
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Endrick and Guler want to leave Real Madrid
Limited game time under Ancelotti
Made to feel 'invisible' by manager
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Both players have seen limited game time in the 'new Galactico' era at the Santiago Bernabeu. With stars like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham in the ranks, Ancelotti has failed to provide enough starts to the teenage attackers which has left them 'dismayed', according to .
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The report adds that the players are fed up and have been made to feel 'invisible' by the Italian coach. They are hoping to leave the club in the summer, likely on initial loan deals, so that they can get more minutes on the pitch before the 2026 World Cup. Both Guler and Endrick were linked with moves away from Real Madrid during the January transfer window, but they eventually stayed back to fight for a place in the starting lineup.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2024-25, Brazilian forward Endrick has played in 22 matches across all competitions but appeared in the starting lineup only on three occasions. He has scored five goals and provided one assist. Guler, hailed the 'Turkish Messi', on the other hand, has made 27 appearances, scoring three goals and contributing with five assists.
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WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
Los Blancos will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League knockout play-off fixture at home.
Mikel Arteta believes that Arsenal have the resources to win the Champions League this season ahead of their last-16 tie against PSV.
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Arteta believes Arsenal can win Champions League
Gunners 13 points behind Liverpool in Premier League
Arsenal face PSV on Tuesday
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Gunners faltered at City Ground last week as Nottingham Forest held them to a goalless draw in a crucial Premier League fixture. With them dropping two important points and Liverpool beating Newcastle United 2-0, Arsenal further drifted away from the top position, leaving them 13 points behind the Reds.
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With the north London side's hopes of winning the Premier League title slowly fading away, Arteta is now eyeing success in Europe as he claimed that his team has the resources to win the Champions League this year. Arsenal qualified for the round of 16 after finishing third in the league stage, having conceded just three goals in eight outings – the second lowest tally, after Inter.
WHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID
Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference, the Spanish coach said: "We cannot change it, we have to learn from it and take that into the next game. There are a lot of things we have learned this season in the Champions League about ourselves. We have played very differently home and away the last year, especially in Europe.
"This year, we have been much more consistent. We have scored a lot of goals and not conceded almost anything. We have only conceded three goals and the lowest Expected Goals in the competition, which is great. That's a big platform."
He added: "We have those resources, that's what the team has already done. Now we have to continue to do it. When you look at the teams that have been very successful, the defensive record is critical. Then we have shown the capacity to score a lot of goals in the competition. Now the team is different, but this team still has a lot of resources to do that."
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Arteta's men are all set to lock horns in the first leg of the round of 16 fixture in Netherlands on Tuesday before facing rivals Manchester United in the Premier League next Sunday.
Just as the Premier League title race is hotting up, so too is the race to win this year’s Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
With over 11 million players partaking this year, the competition is fierce, meaning only those who choose the best players every week will stand a chance of winning the grand prize, which this year is a seven-night break in the UK, hospitality at two Premier League matches next season – and eternal bragging rights down the pub.
With that being said, here are the most-picked players in the FPL this season with a detailed look at the top 10. How many have you got in your team?
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The most-selected FPL players
Rank
Player
Club
Percentage
1
Erling Haaland
Man City
73%
2
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
55.5%
3
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
40.6%
4
Bryan Mbeumo
Brentford
38.1%
5
David Raya
Arsenal
30.3%
6
Josko Gvardiol
Man City
30.2%
7
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool
29.8%
8
Pedro Porro
Spurs
28.5%
9
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa
28.4%
10
Luis Diaz
Liverpool
27.5%
Data correct as of 31st October 2024
10
Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
Midfielder, 27.5% selected
Just over a quarter of all FPL players have Liverpool’s Luis Diaz in their team, and it’s easy to see why.
This season, the Colombian has scored five goals and registered two assists in nine Premier League games for Arne Slot’s side – form that has seen him earn a total of 60 FPL points so far. Only five players have earned more.
However, his effectiveness has wavered in recent weeks. He’s picked up just nine points across Liverpool’s last four games, compared to 48 in the four games before that.
Luis Diaz’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£7.9m
Total points
60
Bonus points
8
Best FPL gameweek
16 pts v Bournemouth (GW5)
GW10 opponent
Brighton (H)
9
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Forward, 28.4% selected
Ollie Watkins is one of the most expensive strikers FPL players can buy for their team, currently coming in at a cost of £9.1 million.
So far this season, the Aston Villa hitman has justified his hefty price tag, scoring five goals and registering two assists in nine Premier League games for Unai Emery’s side.
His current total of 51 FPL points is bettered by only four forwards in the top flight.
Ollie Watkins’ 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£9.1m
Total points
51
Bonus points
7
Best FPL gameweek
13 pts v Everton (GW4)
GW10 opponent
Spurs (A)
8
Pedro Porro (Spurs)
Defender, 28.5% selected
Pedro Porro has been a steady fixture in Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur side this season, starting all nine of their top-flight matches so far. The defender also scored a goal on the opening day against Leicester City and has kept two clean sheets, earning him a respectable total of 30 FPL points.
Those who have the Spaniard picked will be hoping he can soon start registering some assists like the seven he managed last term.
Pedro Porro’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£5.5m
Total points
30
Bonus points
1
Best FPL gameweek
9 pts v Leicester (GW1)
GW10 opponent
Aston Villa (H)
7
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Defender, 29.8% selected
Trent Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool
For a long time now, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been one of the highest-scoring defenders in FPL. In the 2019/20 and 2021/22 seasons, the Liverpool star earned more points than any other defender in the Premier League with respective totals of 210 and 208.
This season, he already looks on course to reach those heights. Nine gameweeks in, the Englishman has 44 points to his name, making him the division’s second-highest-scoring defender behind only teammate Virgil van Dijk, who has 45.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£7.0m
Total points
44
Bonus points
6
Best FPL gameweek
11 pts v Bournemouth (GW5)
GW10 opponent
Brighton (H)
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6
Josko Gvardiol (Man City)
Defender, 30.2% selected
With 42 FPL points to his name this season, Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol is currently the Premier League’s third-highest-scoring defender.
Pep Guardiola’s side are yet to taste defeat in nine top flight games this term, and Gvardiol has started in all but one of those fixtures, keeping two clean sheets and scoring two goals in the process.
Players with the Croat in their team will be hoping he doesn’t pick up another injury like he did last year – a knock has him down as a slight doubt for GW10.
Josko Gvardiol’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£6.2m
Total points
42
Bonus points
7
Best FPL gameweek
10 pts v Wolves (GW8)
GW10 opponent
Bournemouth (A)
5
David Raya (Arsenal)
Goalkeeper, 30.3% selected
Last season, Arsenal shot-stopper David Raya scored the second-most points of any goalkeeper in FPL with 135, which was 18 fewer than Everton’s Jordan Pickford.
This term, he’s scored 37 points so far, which is four more than Pickford, but fewer than three other top-flight goalkeepers, those being Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez, Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels and Manchester United’s Andre Onana.
10 of Raya’s points came in the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Aston Villa back in August, where he kept a clean sheet, made three saves, and scored three bonus points.
David Raya’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£5.6m
Total points
37
Bonus points
6
Best FPL gameweek
10 pts v Aston Villa (GW2)
GW10 opponent
Newcastle (A)
4
Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Midfielder, 38.1% selected
Brentford'sBryanMbeumocelebrates scoring
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has been the surprise of the season in the Premier League. The Cameroon international has eight goals in nine games, making him the league’s second-highest scorer behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
His good form means he’s already registered 68 FPL points, which is the fourth-most of any player this term.
Brentford’s recent 4-3 win over Ipswich Town proved to be Mbeumo’s most lucrative FPL gameweek, with the striker scoring twice and collecting 15 points.
Bryan Mbeumo’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£7.7m
Total points
68
Bonus points
12
Best FPL gameweek
15 pts v Ipswich (GW9)
GW10 opponent
Fulham (A)
3
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Midfielder, 40.6% selected
Mohamed Salah scores for Liverpool
At the rate he’s going, it’s a wonder why every single FPL player doesn’t currently have Mohamed Salah in their team.
With six goals, five assists and five clean sheets, the Liverpool superstar is the FPL’s highest-scoring player so far this season, with a whopping points total of 84.
Players will be smart to keep him in for the coming weeks, too. Up next for Arne Slot’s Liverpool is Aston Villa, against whom Salah has scored seven times in 11 games. Then the Reds face Southampton, with Salah boasting the exact same record against the Saints.
Mohamed Salah’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£12.7m
Total points
84
Bonus points
16
Best FPL gameweek
17 pts v Man Utd (GW3)
GW10 opponent
Brighton (H)
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Oct 19, 2024
2
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Midfielder, 55.5% selected
Cole Palmer’s impressive 79 points total in the FPL this season has come mostly courtesy of two quite astonishing gameweeks.
Against Wolverhampton Wanderers on GW2, the Chelsea midfielder got three assists and a goal in a 6-2 win to pick up an impressive 17 points. Four weeks later against Brighton, he scored all four of Chelsea’s goals in a 4-2 victory, earning himself 25 points.
No player scored more FPL points than Palmer last season with 244. If he keeps scoring points the way he is now, don’t be surprised if he comes out on top again this year.
Cole Palmer’s 24/25 FPL performance
Value
£11.0m
Total points
79
Bonus points
12
Best FPL gameweek
25 pts v Brighton (GW6)
GW10 opponent
Man Utd (A)
7 Future Premier League Ballon d'Or winners
Rodri was the Premier League’s first Ballon d’Or winner since 2008 – who could be the next to do it?
By
Barney Lane
Oct 24, 2024
1
Erling Haaland (Man City)
Forward, 73% selected
Seriously, where are the 27% of FPL players that don’t have Erling Haaland in their team?
In his debut season in the Premier League, the Manchester City striker was the highest-scoring FPL player with 272 points thanks to his record haul of 36 top-flight goals. Last season, he scored 217 points, while this term he’s already got 75, which is more than any other striker in the division.
The man is a machine, both at finding the back of the net and earning FPL points.
There is no doubt that, at the moment, Tottenham Hotspur are the Premier League’s great entertainers.
Ange Postecoglou’s side might still be suffering from the same problems that saw them eventually finish in fifth last season, but for every lacklustre performance they put it, you can be sure they’ll look like one of the best attacking sides in Europe the following game.
With that said, the Spurs faithful want to see their side do more than entertain and to ensure Postecoglou can maintain his record of winning a trophy with every team he manages, Daniel Levy and Co must provide him with more sensational talents in the coming transfer windows.
Premier League’s top scoring teams
#
Team
Goals
Points (Place)
1
Tottenham
23
16 (10th)
2
Manchester City
22
23 (2nd)
2
Brentford
22
16 (11th)
3
Liverpool
21
28 (1st)
3
Chelsea
21
19 (3rd)
4
Brighton
19
19 (6th)
5
Arsenal
18
19 (4th)
All Stats via Football FanCast
Fortunately, recent reports have revealed that the North Londoners have now identified one of their targets for 2025, a player with a trophy cabinet full to the brim and someone constantly compared to former Lilywhites great Paul Gascoigne.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Football Insider, Tottenham have identified Jack Grealish as a key transfer target for next year.
The report claims that Postecoglou is ‘keen to bolster his attacking options’ and that the dynamic England international ‘fits the bill’ as a ‘creative winger’ who can slow down games when needed, create out wide and draw countless fouls to help his side progress up the pitch.
A price is not mentioned in the story, but given the fact that there will be just two years remaining on his £300k-per-week contract come the end of this season, it seems incredibly unlikely that the Premier League champions will demand anything close to the £100m they paid for him three years ago, especially as sites like Transfermarkt now value him at around €55m, which is about £46m.
Now, signing Grealish will likely still cost Spurs a significant sum of money, but given his undeniable ability, spectacular record of winning things and comparisons to a certain Paul Gascoigne, he would be worth every penny.
Grealish's comparisons to Gascoigne
Over the last decade or so, there have been several talented English players who have been compared to the mercurial Gascoigne, from Phil Foden at City to Jack Wilshere at Arsenal and even Ross Barkley when he was breaking through at Everton.
However, none of them have seen the tag stick to them for quite as long as Grealish, and while there are some differences between the two players, it’s not hard to see why.
For example, when he was really making a name for himself among the wider footballing public at Aston Villa during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, in which he racked up a combined tally of 35 goals and assists in 68 appearances, former Watford captain Troy Deeney called him “the closest thing to Gascoigne” in the modern game.
Grealish’s senior career
Club
Notts County
Villa
Man City
Appearances
39
213
135
Goals
5
32
14
Assists
7
41
20
Goals + Assists per Match
0.30
0.34
0.25
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The former professional’s rationale was that, like the Newcastle-born maestro, the Villa ace was “absolutely fearless” and that, regardless of the opposition, he was a “maverick” on the ball and could “turn a game on its head” all by himself.
It wasn’t just Deeney who thought this way, though, as former City star Shaun Wright-Phillips also dubbed the Birmingham-born entertainer “the closest thing you’re going to get to Paul Gascoigne”, arguing that “you can have two players on him but he’ll find the way through to create that chance,” akin to the former Spurs star’s immense technical ability.
Now, it would be fair to say that some of that explosiveness and unpredictability has disappeared under Pep Guardiola’s management.
However, under a manager such as Postecoglou, who wants his players to take on opposition defenders as often as possible and play a high-octane brand of football, there is no reason why the 29-year-old “magician”, as dubbed by Rio Ferdinand, couldn’t get back to his Gascoigne-esque best in N17.
Ultimately, while there is an element of risk in signing Grealish due to his lack of game time this season, his previous performances for Villa, and even during City’s treble-winning campaign, in which he racked up 16 goals and assists in 50 games, show that at his best he can be unpredictable and incredibly dangerous, just like the former Tottenham icon.
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Paulo Fonseca cut a defiant figure after managing Lyon to a 3-1 win over FCSB, a day after he was banned for nine months for a clash with a referee.
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Fonseca insists he will 'never give up'
Cried as Lyon scored
Celebrated with his players
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Just 24 hours after receiving a nine-month ban for his encounter with the referee during Lyon's clash with Brest, Fonseca managed his side to a 3-1 victory over FCSB, and emotion poured out of him when Nicolas Tagliafico scored and the squad rushed to the head coach to celebrate.
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Fonseca's wife has publicly come to his defence, insisting his ban is akin to a "political execution", and he has now insisted that he has the support of his players, as he vowed to fight the suspension, which bans him from both the dugout and the dressing room for Ligue 1 fixtures. He has maintained his innocence.
WHAT FONSECA SAID
Fonseca told reporters: "I am ready. I will never give up. We have the possibility of appealing to obtain justice. I have the support of my president [John Textor]. I just want to say one thing: I [took] a nine-month suspension for a situation for which I apologised. I see the media circus that continues to say that I committed an assault on the referee. There are the images. I did not touch the referee. I verbally assaulted the referee. But I never committed a physical assault and I had no intention of doing so."
He added: "I think that the people who decided on this sanction thought about the general situation of French football. I am the person who must pay. I saw what happened in France [for other situations]. The sanctions were different. It's not fair. No one can say otherwise."
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WHAT NEXT?
Lyon play Nice on Sunday before the second leg against FCSB. Fonseca will not be on the bench this weekend.
With Messi again rested due to load management, Tadeo Allende stepped up big to help lead Miami to a narrow victory
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Inter Miami defeat Cavalier SC 2-0
Messi rested due to load management
return to Miami for leg 2 of series next week
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Inter Miami defeated Jamaican Premier League side Cavalier SC 2-0 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Thursday night, without Lionel Messi. The Argentine superstar missed the match – again – due to load management, but the took game one in their two-legged affair in unconvincing fashion.
The two sides went into the halftime break at a stalemate, but that's not to say there weren't chances. Midway through the first half, Cavalier hit the post via a deflected shot, and during first half-stoppage time they even found the back of the net – only for VAR, after a lengthy review, to take it away due to a very close offsides call in the buildup.
Minutes into the second half, Miami were dealt their first blow after defender Maxi Falcon was removed with a lower leg injury. In the 61st minute, the were given life with their first real attempt of the match.
Winger Tadeo Allende opened the scoring after a chaotic sequence in the box – two initial attempts were cleared off the line before he could slot home. Then, with eight minutes to spare in regulation, they doubled their lead through Luis Suarez, who capitalized off a defensive error to go up 2-0.
The two teams will return to the pitch next Thursday for leg 2 in Kingston, Jamaica at the National Stadium. The winner of the contest will advance to the quarterfinals.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Coming into the match, Cavalier had never won a CONCACAF Champions Cup match, and had never scored a goal in the competition.
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THE MVP
Tadeo Allende: The Miami attacker scored for the third-straight game across all competitions, bagging their opening goal. It wasn't pretty by any means, but he was in the right place at the right time and was able to slot home in low-driven fashion to give Miami the advantage heading into the second leg in Jamaica.
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THE BIG LOSER
Javier Mascherano: The Inter Miami manager was out-coached by his opposition, and had no answer for the counter-attack. Without Messi, there was a lack of structure in their attack, and their midfield struggled to retain possession while progressing into the final-third, rather than retreating with the ball into their own half.
A win is a win, but this was not a good tactical showing from Miami in front of their home fans.
After a stellar end to last season that saw Crystal Palace beat Manchester United 4-0 and climb up the Premier League table under the guidance of Oliver Glasner, there was an expectation that the South Londoners would be just as potent this season.
Unfortunately, that just hasn’t been the case, and after 11 games, the Eagles are down in 18th place with just seven points to their name.
Worse yet, summer signing Eddie Nketiah is now out injured with a hamstring issue he supposedly picked up in external training sessions.
The former Arsenal ace hasn’t quite hit the ground running at Selhurst Park, and he’ll have to up his game when he returns, as the club could already have the ideal Jean-Philippe Mateta heir in one of their academy youngsters.
Nketiah & Mateta's form in 24/25
So, following his £30m move from the Emirates in the summer transfer window, there was a lot of hope and an element of expectation that Nketiah would come in and help elevate Palace’s attack.
While he has certainly looked good here and there and shown his undeniable quality in glimpses, he has been underwhelming in front of goal, which is ultimately a striker’s bread and butter.
In his nine appearances for the Eagles, he has scored just a single goal, a single goal that came in the League Cup against Queens Park Rangers, and not in any of his seven Premier League appearances.
However, while this lack of goals is a concern, the good news is that the club are not overly reliant on their summer signing, as Mateta is still seen as the first choice number nine by many.
The Frenchman hasn’t been quite as lethal as he was in the latter half of last season this year, but he still has a tally of five goals and one assist in 14 appearances across all competitions, which isn’t dreadful considering the form Palace are in overall.
Furthermore, should Nketiah continue to underdeliver on the goals front, the club could have their own answer down the line in an exciting academy gem.
Crystal Palace's exciting academy gem
Now, while Palace are blessed with an abundance of talented youngsters in their academy, from Franco Umeh-Chibueze to Jemiah Umolu, the gem we are talking about is 19-year-old Zach Marsh.
The promising teenager joined the Eagles youth setup as a 16-year-old in February 2022, and in the two and a bit years since, he has become an incredibly exciting prospect, as evidenced by the club giving him his first professional contract in October last year.
It’s easy to see why the club would want to keep him in South London, as in just 50 appearances across the U18s and U21s, the goalscoring “monster”, as dubbed by content creator HLTCO, has found the back of the net 31 times and provided 19 assists to boot.
Zach Marsh’s youth record
Team
U18s
U21s
Appearances
37
13
Goals
29
2
Assists
16
3
Goal Involvements per Match
1.21
0.38
All Stats via Transfermarkt
That means the teenage dynamo has averaged a goal involvement every single game for the Eagles youth teams, and while his rate of return has slowed slightly with the U21s, that’s easily explained by it being his first season with them and the fact he turned 19 just last month.
Ultimately, it’s probably too soon in his development to be moving him up into the first team and throwing him right into the deep end.
However, given how well he has played over the last year or so, it does feel more like a matter of when and not if, he gets his chance with the senior side, and then, Nketiah will really have to start looking over his shoulder.
Crystal Palace hit with another blow as £90k-p/w ace suffers muscle injury
Palace have suffered a few injury blows in the last week and the bad news just keeps coming.
Chelsea picked up a huge three points away to Leicester City in the first game since the November international break with a 2-1 victory in the East Midlands. Enzo Maresca had a positive return to a ground where he had so much success last season, following his promotion with the Foxes from the Championship.
It was a dominant performance from the Blues, who never really gave the home side a chance. Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez earned all three points for Maresca’s side, with the Senegalese striker’s goal a particularly good strike. A late penalty from Jordan Ayew was too little too late for Steve Cooper’s men.
The statistics, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how dominant the West Londoners were at the King Power Stadium. They had 64% possession, and had far more shots than the Foxes, with 16 to the home side’s four. Chelsea also created more expected goals, with 2.64xG compared to 1.11xG for Leicester.
It was a strong performance from the Blues, who had some standout players on Saturday lunchtime.
Chelsea’s best players vs. Leicester
Two of the standout players for Maresca’s side were the goalscorers, Jackson and Fernandez. The Chelsea number 15, who took his goal well, has been on fire this season, and now has seven goals and three assists in the top flight this term, in just 12 games.
Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez
After spending several weeks as a substitute, Fernandez must surely be relieved to be back in the starting XI in the Premier League, and it was a real statement performance. The midfielder created three chances and won seven from nine ground duels, in a fantastic performance against the Foxes.
Fullback Marc Cucurella also performed well, winning three from four tackles and five duels, putting in a fantastic shift defensively. The Spaniard also worked hard in the final third, creating one chance for his teammates.
Key Stats – Leicester vs. Chelsea
Stat
Leader
Passes
Badiashile (90/101)
Chances created
Fernandez, Palmer (3)
Final third passes
Palmer (21/26)
Take-ons completed
Joao Felix (4/8)
Ball recoveries
Badiashile, Soumare (7)
Tackles
Fernandez, Kristiansen (5/6)
Interceptions
Badiashile (4)
Stats from Stats Zone
His fellow defenders Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile had a good day at the office at the King Power, too. It was a particularly impressive game from England international Colwill, playing at right-centre back despite the fact he is a left-footer. It can be awkward at times, but the Blues number six handled it well.
However, one man who struggled in the victory in the East Midlands was goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Sanchez’s stats vs. Leicester
The pressure is certainly mounting on the Blues goalkeeper, who continues to struggle in the Chelsea goal. He has not been at his best this season and young goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is knocking on the door for a starting spot.
Against the Foxes, Sanchez left a lot to be desired with the ball at his feet. Kicking is a key component of any goalkeeper under Maresca, who likes his side to play out from the back, but the Spaniard looked uncomfortable at times. In the first half, he played Moises Caicedo into trouble in the Blues box, but the home side failed to capitalise on a mistake from the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Indeed, his disappointing work is reflected in his post-match stats. Sanchez, who had 34 touches, completed just 63% of his passes, 19 out of 30 to be specific, and completed just two from 13 long balls. He prevented -0.2 goals and could have done better from Ayew’s penalty; the Spaniard failed to keep it out despite getting a firm hand to it.
Sanchez’s performance got him a 5/10 rating at full-time from GOAL journalist Gill Clark. The football writer was critical of the Chelsea goalkeeper’s ability in possession, explaining he ‘really doesn’t look confident’ with the ball at his feet.
The Blues number one is certainly in frustrating form, and it is certainly a worry for Maresca. With plenty of games coming up ahead of a busy Christmas period, he has a big decision to make and could well decide to drop the Spaniard and give Jorgensen a chance in the side.
Their next Hazard: Chelsea could have another £100m star in the making
The Chelsea ace has enjoyed a great start to the Premier League campaign.
Wayne Bridge and KSI could still lock horns in a boxing ring after YouTuber apologised to the ex-England international over his John Terry jibe.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Bridge and KSI could finally compete in a boxing match
Ex-Chelsea star pulled out of fight after Terry jibe
Apology made reveals promoter
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WHAT HAPPENED?
In January, an announcement was made that ex-Chelsea and Manchester City defender Bridge was set to compete with YouTuber KSI in a boxing match in Manchester on March 29. The former left-back, however, pulled out after KSI launched a verbal attack on his opponent over the Terry fiasco. Once team-mates for Chelsea and England, Bridge and Terry had a major fallout in 2009 after the Blues legend allegedly had an affair with Bridge's former partner and French model Vanessa Perroncel.
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WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Boxing promoter Mams Taylor, though, has claimed that the YouTuber later realised his mistake and even apologised to the former player. He hopes that the 44-year-old will agree to compete in a boxing match in future. Speaking to , Taylor said: "We all like the sensationalism of a beef, we all like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe he said that' to a degree. But I don't want anyone walking away and feeling like, 'Oh man, this gave me a horrible feeling or it affected me psychologically in a negative way or or it hurt my family'.
"So I don't want anyone to feel that way. I want them to have a positive experience from it, so I hope he can put that incident behind him and maybe I'll match make him with someone who's not got as much of a gift of the gab. And they have similar vulnerability where they agree to go in respectfully. But I'd love to see him in the ring and what I'd really like is to have him in the ring to show the fans who were naysayers, that he can actually fight."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Taylor added: "I know JJ [KSI[ the next day felt bad and he's like, 'Do you think I should DM him?' And I said, yeah, just say what's in your heart and he goes, 'Yeah, I'm obviously just trying to promote this and I thought he knows the landscape of Misfits and how it can go left with, with things like that.'
"I think he realised maybe he went a step too far. He acknowledged that he went too far and he didn't do it publicly to make it a PR thing. He personally wanted to actually DM him and just say, 'Hey man, I'm sorry, door's open if I can make it up, if there's anything we can do. I didn't want to upset you. I just wanted to promote the fight.' I think Wayne Bridge has spoken about that somewhere, I'm not sure, but I think he acknowledged it and I think we move on."
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WHAT NEXT?
With Bridge pulling out of the March 29 fight, KSI will now fight former MMA star Dillon Danis in Manchester instead.