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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

After a disappointing 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Monday, Arsenal got themselves back on track with a big win at home against Standard Liege.

The Gunners ran out 4-0 winners in the end, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring his third and fourth goals in the Europa League so far this term to open his team’s account on the night. Those two strikes were followed by goals from Joe Willock and Dani Ceballos as Unai Emery’s side ended up comfortable victors.

Watch the Flying Pig tear into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jesse Lingard following Man Utd’s limp draw with Arsenal in the video below…

It was also Hector Bellerin’s first start since returning from injury earlier this month. Unfortunately for the Spain international, he struggled to have an impact on the match despite it being against such inferior opposition.

Of course, there wasn’t too much work to do defensively, as the Islington outfit controlled the ball for much of the game, ending up with 62% possession.

The 24-year-old, though, still didn’t look settled back in the side, failing to make a single tackle whilst also being dribbled past on one occasion. He also won just one of the five ground duels he took part in, meaning he triumphed just 20% of the time.

If there was a negative from the win, it would be Bellerin’s defensive display.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

With his team largely in the ascendancy, one would have therefore expected a more dominant display at the other end of the pitch, but that wasn’t the case.

Whilst he did create two chances, he failed to even attempt a cross, and completed just 33% of his dribbles, per SofaScore. Also, he lost possession of the ball no less than 15 times, which is an awful lot for a defender. For some context, no other member of the backline did so on more than 10 occasions.

It seems that Bellerin is still rusty since returning from rupturing his cruciate ligament.

Maybe it is too soon for him to take a regular place on the right, and Calum Chambers should be given more time at right-back.

The former Southampton man has one goal and three assists during his time on the pitch this term, and has conceded just two goals as well. With that in mind, it would be foolish to rush Bellerin back.

It is unfortunate for the former Watford loanee, but his injury may just have put him down the pecking order for a period. He will need a bit of time to get used to playing again, but he may not have too much of that on his hands if Chambers continues to take advantage of the opportunities he is given.

Ever wondered how the Neville brothers were so successful? We imagine it doesn’t cross your mind all that often, but you’re about to find out anyway.

Phil and Gary Neville were members of the iconic Class of ’92, a band of players that were developed at Manchester United and went on to win the treble seven years later.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Although the pair were eventually split up in 2005, when Phil exchanged Manchester for Merseyside and joined Everton, who were managed by future United manager David Moyes at the time, they won ten major trophies together including the Premier League (six times), the FA Cup (three times) and the Champions League. Gary would go on to finish his career at Old Trafford.

Indeed, to be so successful there has to be a formula, a level of desire, passion and support that constantly surrounds you for all the ups and downs fledgling pros will undoubtedly experience on their journey towards stardom, and by the sounds of it, that’s exactly what the Neville brothers enjoyed…

In today’s Leeds United roundup, we take a look at what headlines are doing the rounds for the Whites. Danny Murphy believes the club will lose Kalvin Phillips if they don’t return to the Premier League next season, manager Marcelo Bielsa discusses the striker debate, and reports suggest Mateusz Klich and Luke Ayling are set for new deals.

‘I’m surprised he’s still there’, says Murphy

Report: Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy worries that Leeds could lose star man Kalvin Phillips, should they fail to earn promotion. Murphy told talkSPORT on Monday: “I’m surprised he’s still there. I like him a lot. He’s a great passer, tenacious… If Leeds don’t go up this season, and I really hope they do for their sake, he will leave.”

Verdict: Phillips has been one of Leeds’ more consistent players in recent times averaging a performance rating of 6.98 on WhoScored last season. The 23-year-old has risen through the ranks with the Whites and after scoring on his home debut in 2015, Phillips has gone onto make 151 appearances already and subsequently attracted attention from other clubs, including Aston Villa.

This season, as Phillips continues to prove his importance, the Englishman has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.42. However, in relation to Murphy’s concerns, Football Insider reported that Phillips’ new deal includes a release clause that can be triggered if the club does not return to the Premier League.

Bielsa discusses Bamford and Nketiah partnership

Report: Bielsa has touched on the dilemma of playing both Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah, telling reporters: “I think that your question is linked with the presence of Nketiah and Bamford together because maybe we can be more efficient with those two players in the team, two goalscorers are in better condition to take advantage of 10 chances.

“My answer is, if we play with two goalscorers, maybe we take Forshaw, Klich or Shackleton out, I think that one centre forward without two midfielders behind him is going to worsen the building of the attack.

“So if you have two centre forwards in a team that doesn’t create a lot of chances, you cannot take advantage of the resource that you have.”

Verdict: Nketiah has yet to start a Championship game for Leeds since joining on loan from Arsenal, but his two goals in just 89 minutes of play have certainly put forth a strong argument that he should start. However, it would be tough for Bielsa to drop Bamford based on the fact he has four goals in eight games and is the league’s joint-second top scorer, therefore forcing the Argentine to drop someone else.

It could also be a risky decision to leave out a midfielder, with Adam Forshaw averaging a performance rating of 6.83, Klich scoring 7.03 and Phillips boasting 7.42. So, although Nketiah clearly has the goalscoring touch, to sacrifice a consistent midfielder could spark defensive worries due to less bodies being in the engine room, and reduce their ability to actually get the ball to the centre-forwards.

Klich & Ayling expected to sign new deals

Report: As reported by Leeds Live, both Luke Ayling and Klich are ‘expected’ to sign new deals ‘imminently’. The club expects Polish international Klich to sign a long-term deal, whilst Ayling will follow shortly after.

Verdict: As the Whites continue to lead the way at the top of the Championship table, it is essential that Bielsa gets certain players wrapped up in their march for the Premier League. Currently, Ayling is on the verge of a return from injury after playing 42 times for the club in all competitions last year, scoring twice and assisting six times.

However, Stuart Dallas has turned in some excellent performances at right-back in Ayling’s absence, scoring a 7.13 rating thus far. But, with games coming thick and fast in the Championship, tying down players in such a frantic league is important for squad depth.

As for Klich, the Pole has played every game this season and has bagged a goal and an assist thus far, but his current contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign. It make sense, then, that Leeds are looking to secure his stay at the club for beyond the summer.

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Liverpool CEO Peter Moore has spent time in hospital with a fan who was injured after being attacked by Napoli fans on Tuesday.

Moore tweeted that he would stay with the fan until he knew that he was okay, and many supporters have responded by sending him thanks and praising him for the compassion he has shown.

One of the reactions came from former Reds player Robbie Fowler, who suggested Moore’s actions epitomised the Liverpool philosophy of ‘You’ll never walk alone”.

The fan in question, Steven Allen, was allegedly ambushed by Napoli fans prior to kick-off, leading to his collapse at half-time as a result of blood loss.

His friend had posted a message on social media pleading for someone to visit Steven to check on his condition, and that fact that the Liverpool CEO stepped up to the task is really quite something.

In response, fans of the Merseyside outfit have admired the action he took, as seen in the reactions below.

Newcastle journalist Liam Kennedy has made a claim on Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, regarding a potential January swoop.

What’s the talk?

When asked about whether or not the England international is a player the Magpies could target, the reporter told GIVEMESPORT:

“He’s exactly the profile of player they’ll be targeting in the first couple of windows.”

This comes after Danny Mills tipped the midfielder to leave Tottenham in January in order to recapture his best form. He told Football Insider:

“Yes, I think he needs a fresh challenge of some description.

“Don’t forget he was on fire, he was absolutely outstanding in his younger days, when he first came to Spurs.

“Somehow he needs to rediscover that mojo. That could well be a new club, a new challenge, a new set of fans, whatever it might be, to re-energise himself.”

Imagine him & Wilson

PIF must secure a deal for Alli in January because he could form a dream partnership with Callum Wilson at the top end of the pitch.

Wilson has scored 16 goals in 29 Premier League starts for the club since joining from Bournemouth at the start of last season, proving that he has the quality to be a regular goalscorer at this level. Imagine how many goals he would score if he had a playmaker behind him capable of providing him with a higher quality of service – that player could be Alli.

The Tottenham midfielder has enjoyed three top-flight seasons with nine or more assists and has 67 goals and 61 assists in all competitions for the club in 263 appearances. This shows that, at his best, he is able to score and create goals in the final third.

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Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino once claimed that Alli is a ‘fighter’ and that his mentality is not affected by his minutes on the pitch. He said:

“Dele is not one to be affected if he plays or if he does not play.

“He’s so strong, he is a fighter, very competitive.”

These comments suggest that he could stand up to the challenge of a relegation battle in the second half of the campaign. His quality in the number 10 role could help the Magpies avoid the drop, whilst creating a dream partnership with Wilson, proving in the past that he has the ability to regularly provide assists and the former Bournemouth man has shown that he can score goals.

Therefore, PIF must secure a deal for the £100k-per-week England international. If they could strike an agreement to sign him on loan with the option to make it permanent if they stay in the division, it could be an ideal transfer for all involved.

AND in other news, “Sources telling”: Journo drops major NUFC manager update that’ll leave fans ecstatic…

Liverpool’s previous Premier League fixture ended with a disappointing 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield after the Reds were 2-0 up after just 24 minutes.

On top of the result, Liverpool were also given a sucker punch in the first half of the match against Graham Potter’s side after midfielder Naby Keita was forced off the pitch with 19 minutes played after an injury.

What’s the latest?

Speaking after the game, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that Keita had suffered a hamstring injury which led to him being replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the first half on Saturday.

Keita was also forced off the pitch last weekend during Liverpool’s 5-0 win over Manchester United after a hefty challenge from Paul Pogba that saw the Frenchman get sent off. However, the Liverpool man was declared fit enough to start against Brighton, which makes this latest injury issue such a big disappointment for himself, the manager and the fans.

Klopp will undoubtedly be gutted with this news, not only because Keita has suffered many previous injuries during his time with Liverpool but also because the midfield man had managed to score three goals and provide one assist in the ten appearances he’s made for the Reds across all competitions so far this season.

As a result of Keita’s troubled fitness since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2018 summer transfer window from German club RB Leipzig, the 26-year-old, who is currently valued at £28.8m according to Transfermarkt, has made just 86 appearances for the Reds.

Everyone at Anfield will undoubtedly be hoping that the Guinea international will overcome this latest injury issue as soon as possible and be able to get back on the pitch with the rest of his teammates without missing too much action, especially with Liverpool having Atletico Madrid, West Ham United and Arsenal for their next three games.

However, with Thiago Alcantara also returning to training last week after being out for a period of time through injury, his upcoming return could provide Klopp with a suitable replacement.

In other news: Forget Mane: £200k-p/w Liverpool star who made 2 key passes stole the show vs Brighton – opinion

With the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and summer signing Ibrahima Konate in their senior squad, it’s safe to say that Liverpool are pretty stacked in the centre-back position at the moment, which is just what Reds fans would want considering the injury issues the team suffered in that department last season.

However, one player who caught the eye for Jurgen Klopp’s side last season that we feel has proved himself to be a great bit of business by the Merseyside club is Nat Phillips.

Liverpool signed the defender to their under-23 side on a free transfer from Bolton Wanderers back in the 2016 summer window. He then made 27 appearances for Liverpool’s under-23s, chipping in with three goals in the process, and was granted his senior debut for the Reds back in their 1-0 FA Cup win over Merseyside rivals Everton in January 2020.

Last season saw the 24-year-old make 20 appearances for Klopp’s side across the Premier League and Champions League, contributing in a big way to their overall campaign and earning himself high praise from Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp, who dubbed him an “unbelievable” player.

In terms of his market value, in December 2020 – shortly after making his Premier League debut for the Reds in a 2-1 win over West Ham just under a year ago – Transfermarkt had it listed as £1.62m. It now stands at £7.2m, highlighting just how much he has progressed and developed in the space of 12 months, showing why he has been a low-key great signing for the club.

Furthermore, Liverpool gave Phillips a new contract back in August, illustrating just how impressed they were with him last season and how they see him as a long-term option for the club.

Moving forward, even though the 24-year-old hasn’t made a senior appearance for Liverpool so far this season, we feel that he could well go on to be a regular figure for them once again in the future given the experience he gained last season, his youth in comparison to 30-year-old pair Van Dijk and Matip, who could both only have a few years left at the club.

In other news: Klopp could unearth LFC’s perfect Milner successor with “energetic” 18 y/o prodigy

An update has emerged on Joe Rothwell, regarding Rangers’ interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Rangers are weighing up a swoop for Blackburn midfielder Rothwell.

The report claims that he is out of contract at the end of the season and the Gers could snap him up on a pre-contract agreement in January.

Get it done

Rangers chief Ross Wilson must secure a deal to sign Rothwell on a free transfer in the January window. The Gers have a key advantage over any English side wanting to sign him as they are able to agree a pre-contract with the player in January, whereas teams south of the border will have to wait until his contract expires to speak with him.

36-year-old Steven Davis has been a regular this season, with 13 appearances to his name, and Rothwell could be seen as a long-term replacement for the former Southampton man. Davis has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.99 in the Premiership this term, winning 50% of his duels and making 2.3 interceptions and tackles per game.

Rothwell, who is ten years younger than the Gers man, has averaged a score of 6.90 in 11 Championship outings for Blackburn. He has won 54% of his duels and made 2.1 interceptions and tackles per game, suggesting that he has been performing to a similar level in comparison to Davis, albeit in different competitions.

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray once hailed the midfielder and urged him to get closer to the opposition goal. He said:

“He’s an exciting talent, he’s exceedingly fast, he keeps the ball really tight. We want him running towards the opposition goal rather than across the pitch.”

The £4.1k-per-week beast could be signed without Rangers needing to spend a penny on him in terms of a transfer fee and he could represent a bargain for the club.

This is why Wilson must work hard to secure a deal for him in the upcoming transfer window, so that he could potentially replace the ageing Davis heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news, 18x possession lost: Wilson sent Rangers transfer warning by dud with 44% pass success…

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a rumour suggesting that the Reds could look to sign Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

Jurgen Klopp ended up not making any attacking reinforcements in the summer transfer window, leaving many frustrated with the club’s lack of business. It means that Liverpool must continue to rely on Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota to deliver consistently, although it’s arguable that only the first two are currently doing that.

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Another wide player will be needed at some point, and according to TEAMtalk [via Anfield Edition on Twitter], the Reds are eyeing up a January move for Dembele.

The Frenchman has never reached his potential at Barca, often proving to be an injury-prone figure and scoring just 30 goals in 118 appearances despite his £135.5m transfer fee.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Dembele transfer link

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react negatively to the links with Dembele, with some citing his injury record as a serious concern.

“Yeah cos all we need is another injury-prone player”

Credit: @Ghirq1

“God forbid”

Credit: @JamzLndon

“Why exactly? He’s the winger version of Naby Keita”

Credit: @LFC_Ethan_

“We asked for a forward but if FSG give us this guy…”

Credit: @CallMeRyuk

“No thanks”

Credit: @Origilist_

“Signing him to keep our medical team busy?”

Credit: @queklopp

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to another Reds transfer claim. Read more here.

Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is heading towards the expiration of his contract at St. Mary’s and could leave on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

The shot-stopper’s current deal expires in 2022 and should he not sign a new deal, he will leave the club after eight years on the south coast, having joined from Scottish giants Celtic in 2014.

He is currently playing second fiddle to Alex McCarthy at Southampton, a role he has filled for the last few years at the club. McCarthy has started 25 or more Premier League games in each of the last three seasons, showing that he has been the first-choice for the majority of the time in those campaigns.

This came after Forster had been a regular for the Saints for four seasons, including the 2016/17 campaign when he featured in all 38 Premier League games. In the summer of 2018, after he played 20 times in the league the previous season, Forster was valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt.

Forster’s value then proceeded to drop off a cliff, as did his Southampton form. In the 2018/19 season, the Englishman played just four games in all competitions, twice in the Premier League, as the Saints brought in Angus Gunn from Manchester City – he played 12 league matches and competed with McCarthy for the number one spot.

Celtic then re-signed Forster on a season-long loan for the 2019/20 season and he enjoyed a solid spell with his former club. He kept 14 clean sheets in 28 Scottish Premiership games and returned to Southampton ready to challenge for his place in the side again.

However, he went on to play just eight Premier League games last term as McCarthy, once again, prevented him from being the number one. Forster was unable to recapture his early Southampton form, despite a full season playing for Celtic, and that is what has led to him currently being a back-up.

Forster’s value now stands at £2.7m according to Transfermarkt. This means that his price has plummeted by 80% since he lost his place as the number one at St. Mary’s in 2018. He has fallen off a cliff in terms of his appearances on the pitch and there have been no signs that his situation will change any time soon.

McCarthy has only conceded one goal in his last three Premier League matches and remains Hasenhuttl’s go-to between the sticks. This means that Forster’s best route to getting regular game time could be to leave in January or depart on a free transfer at the end of the season.

AND in other news, Ralph howler: Rarely-seen Southampton outcast has seen value plummet 57% since 2019…