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Sean Dyche has masterminded a turnaround in Everton’s fortunes this season, having narrowly stayed in the Premier League over the last two seasons. Even in the midst of a frightening ten-point deduction, the Toffees rose from the ashes and have picked up four straight wins in the league.

The Merseyside club are now seven points clear of the relegation zone already and, without punishment for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, would have been sitting inside the top ten, above Chelsea, despite the London club spending over £1b since Todd Boehly took over control of the club eighteen months ago.

However, Everton can’t afford to rest on their laurels and Dyche has already started looking towards the transfer window to strengthen the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Everton transfer news – Wilfried Gnonto

According to a report from Football Insider, Championship outfit Leeds United are willing to allow wantaway attacker Wilfried Gnonto to leave when the January transfer window opens in the new year.

The Italy international handed in a transfer request during the summer after the Peacocks were relegated from the Premier League in the hopes of returning to the top flight. Several clubs were said to be interested in signing Gnonto, including Everton.

The Toffees reportedly submitted numerous bids to Leeds for the Italian but all offers were swiftly rejected by the recently relegated side. One of these bids was even said to be worth a whopping £25m, but again, the Whites were refusing to let the former Zurich man leave.

However, Leeds have had an excellent first half of the campaign in England’s second tier and are firing on all fronts, with four players recording nine or more goal contributions in all competitions under manager Daniel Farke this term.

Furthermore, it was reported by Turkish outlet Fanatik that the Elland Road outfit were keeping tabs on Galatasaray star Kerem Akturkoglu ahead of the winter market which could be a sign that the club have agreed to let Gnonto go over the coming weeks.

Wilfried Gnonto’s stats this season

In the previous campaign, despite the side being relegated from the top flight, only five Leeds players registered more goal contributions than Gnonto with six in total in all competitions, including two goals and four assists.

It looked as though Gnonto would fulfil the potential that he showed during his time at Inter Milan, with football scout Jacek Kulig admitting that the Nerazzurri were losing a “real diamond” when the youngster left.

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It was his first season in English football, having moved to Elland Road from Zurich for £3.8m in 2022, but his return was solid for a team that was in turmoil on the pitch. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville even described Gnonto as “mature” for his age after Leeds suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Aston Villa back in January.

“To see someone so mature, so young is very unusual in that position.

“Sometimes you see potential and talent but watching him so closely, his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, when to run with it, his awareness of teammates, really good honestly.”

Nevertheless, despite Leeds’ reluctance to allow him to leave during the summer, the forward has seen very limited game-time on the pitch, playing for just 671 minutes in total.

Additionally, in his 17 appearances, Gnonto has found the net merely once, combining this single goal with one assist. Overall, the winger has been nowhere near as potent as his teammates who have all led the line for Leeds this season.

Leeds United's Attackers' Stats This Season

Player

Goals

Assists

Goals Per 90

Mins Per Goal

Crysencio Summerville

10

6

0.57

159

Joel Piroe

8

1

0.45

201

Daniel James

7

4

0.41

217

Georginio Rutter

4

9

0.20

455

Jaidon Anthony

1

0

0.31

290

Wilfried Gnonto

1

1

0.13

672

Stats via BBC

Now, the 20-year-old’s time in Yorkshire could be coming to an end within a matter of weeks and Everton should be ready to snap him up before any other suitors get their hands on him.

Arnaut Danjuma’s stats this season

One of the benefits Everton would get from signing Gnonto is his versatility. Throughout his professional career so far, the Italian has played all over the frontline, from being a striker to a winger on both sides and he has even operated as a number ten at times.

Wilfried Gnonto's Career Stats

Positions

Games

Goals

Assists

Second Striker

47

20

7

Left Winger

29

5

4

Right Winger

25

2

3

Attacking Midfielder

16

4

1

Centre-Forward

6

2

0

Left Midfielder

3

0

0

Right Midfielder

3

1

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

This would offer a great rotation option for Dyche for the likes of Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil who have been run into the ground a little this season, particularly considering the drop-off in quality of their backup choices, notably Arnaut Danjuma.

After an unsuccessful spell with Tottenham Hotspur last season, Villarreal agreed to send Arnaut Danjuma out on loan to Goodison Park for the whole campaign. Unfortunately, for the Dutchman, his time in Merseyside hasn’t gone much better.

Danjuma has played merely 386 minutes of Premier League football this term and has started only three matches for the Toffees in England’s top tier, although he has still found the net twice.

Nevertheless, while Danjuma has scored one more goal than Gnonto this season, the latter is still outperforming the Everton loanee in a number of key attacking metrics.

Per 90 Metrics

Wilfried Gnonto

Arnaut Danjuma

Goals

0.13

0.29

Expected Goals

0.21

0.43

Assists

0.13

0

Expected Assists

0.22

0.05

Passes To Penalty Area

1.69

0.23

Passes To Final Third

2

0.7

Stats via FBref

This could be a very astute signing by Everton if Dyche can help Gnonto return to being the player who recorded 22 goal contributions across two seasons with Zurich, ensuring that the Toffees could secure a more long-term attacking option, instead of the on-loan Danjuma.

PSG star Bradley Barcola has revealed how he pushed Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo into making a mistake during the Parisians' Champions League win.

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• Barcola talks about PSG comeback win
• Reveals how he got Araujo to make mistake
• Uruguayan was sent off for last man challenge

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona imploded yet again on the European stage as they dropped a two-goal lead against Paris Saint-Germain in their quarter-final clash earlier this month. The catalyst for the turnaround was Araujo's red card just before the half-hour mark as he brought down Barcola just outside the box as the last man. The PSG forward has now revealed that he knew Araujo could be forced into making a mistake against him.

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• WHAT BARCOLA SAID

  Speaking to French publication RMC Sport, Barcola said: "I knew that Araujo was going very quickly. On this action, I told myself that I was going to pass in front of him because in the first leg, I had a somewhat similar action, but I hadn't passed well in front. So he had caught me there, I told myself that I was going to pass directly in front of him and I knew that he could either make a mistake or I would go one against one.

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barcola not only had Araujo sent off, but he also set up the equalizer on the night for former Barcelona man, Ousmane Dembele to kick off the Parisians' four-goal rally as they went on to win the tie 6-4 after having lost the home leg 3-2 thanks to an inspired performance by Raphinha. Kylian Mbappe also scored twice but it was Barcola's action that took all the headlines for its game-changing nature.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BARCOLA?

  The 21-year-old has been a major part of Luis Enrique's plans this season and he will be involved when they take on Le Havre on Saturday, April 27 as they look to set to win the Ligue 1 title yet again.

Liverpool suffered two worrying injuries to key players in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City, and journalist James Pearce has provided an update on the influential pair.

Liverpool's injuries vs Man City

The Reds picked up an impressive result in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, battling their way to an excellent point away to the reigning champions.

Prior to the game, City had won all 23 home matches they have played in all competitions in 2023, but Jurgen Klopp's men proved to be a match for them at the Etihad, showing off their title credentials in the process.

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Erling Haaland opened the scoring before half-time, making the most of some questionable defending to fire past Alisson, and it looked as though Liverpool could be on their way to a damaging defeat in Manchester. Thankfully, Trent Alexander-Arnold equalised with an inch-perfect finish with time running out, however, earning his side a hard-fought draw at the home of last season's Champions League winners.

There were two negatives to take from the game, though, with Diogo Jota leaving the field with an injury in the second half, and Alisson then going down in the dying seconds, with both looking like they may have potentially suffered hamstring issues. It is a big concern ahead of the festive fixtures, with Klopp needing as many of his key figures available as possible.

James Pearce drops Liverpool injury update

Taking to X after the game, Pearce confirmed that Liverpool pair Alisson and Jota are both "set for scans" on the injuries they picked up at City.

This is clearly concerning news for Liverpool, and the fact that scans are needed to determine the severity of the injuries does suggest that neither simply suffered cramp in a high-intensity encounter.

The idea of the Reds losing Alisson for a sustained period doesn't even bear thinking, considering the Brazilian is seen by many as the best goalkeeper in the world, and his influence has possibly been unrivalled at Anfield this season.

Even against City, on a day when he was far from his best, he still made a crucial save to deny Haaland just seconds before Liverpool went up the other end and equalised through Alexander-Arnold, and he is a colossal presence between the sticks.

Meanwhile, Jota would be another big miss, with the Reds forward scoring eight goals overall this season, and he is someone who does seem to pick up injuries on a frustratingly regular basis.

The hope is that the scans reveal that both Alisson and Jota have only suffered minor issues, potentially not even missing a Premier League game, but that could be wishful thinking, and it is easy to envisage Klopp having to make do without both for a chunk of action.

Not having Alisson available for a lengthy spell would be particularly galling for Liverpool supporters, with Caoimhin Kelleher a solid backup option but not someone a title-chasing team wants in their starting lineup every week, but the Reds do at least have Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo to call upon in attack without Jota around.

Tensions are boiling over between Spanish midfielder Luis Alberto and Lazio as the attacking midfielder confirms he wants to leave the club.

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Lazio lose to Juventus and RomeFans criticise midfielderAlberto says he wants to leaveGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Tensions are rising at Lazio after recent losses to Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final and Roma in the Rome Derby in recent weeks. Fans witnessed their side win 4-1 against bottom of the league Salernitana in the last fixture but also took this as an opportunity to protest against the players and board. Prior to kick-off, a banner saying: 'You are not worthy of wearing our shirt' was shown within the stadium. Midfielder Alberto has since voiced his desire to leave the club – despite being contracted until 2027.

AdvertisementWHAT ALBERTO SAID

Speaking to , Alberto said: "I hope to enjoy the last games and then we'll see. They have been difficult weeks, I will not be part of the project next year, I asked the club to release me from my contract and I do not want to receive one more euro from Lazio. I will leave the next four years that remain on my contract to others, it is fair to take a step aside in this club that has given me so much. I think the time has come time to leave my salary to the club for other."

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The Spaniard has since taken to his personal Instagram account to write the following message to the fanbase: "I'm grateful for the displays of affection, my relationship with the Lazio fans is excellent and it's just a source of pride.

"I thank them for everything they have done in my years at the club, especially to the guys from the Curva Nord and the Tribuna Tevere who have always supported me.

"I will always have you in my heart. I will continue to work hard and give my all on the pitch until the last minute of the last match, as I always have."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ALBERTO?

Whether or not his future lies within Italy remains to be seen. For now – if he stays within the starting line-up after these comments – Alberto must concentrate on the upcoming fixture against Genoa on April 19. Lazio also have an opportunity for redemption against Juventus, with the second-leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final also on the horizon.

After conceding 649 runs in the first Test against India in Rajkot, West Indies slumped to 94 for 6. How did it all go so wrong? Well, their bowling coach Corey Collymore has a theory.”We let the game slip away yesterday, giving them a fantastic start,” he said. “Except that middle period, we didn’t build enough pressure and sustain it at any given time.”We started really short and wide to Mr. Shaw on debut. I know he’s a good player, I saw him in the Under-19s and we played him in the practice game but for me it’s still 22 yards and the lengths they don’t change. We have to be better at that going forward.”There were some mitigating circumstances. The bowling attack has been propped up almost solely on Shannon Gabriel’s shoulders with the other two quicks having a combined one Test’s worth of experience and legspinner Devendra Bishoo looking ineffective. And they ended up in this place because both Jason Holder and Kemar Roach became unavailable to play. One went down with injury, the other to unfortunate circumstance.Collymore highlighted that and how they tightened things up after the morning session on day one yielded 133 runs in 25 overs. “Given the guys were playing their first or second Test match, I must commend how they came back and fought really hard with the ball, Shannon again leading the attack, was a very good effort.”Except, even in the moments when they showed menace, something happened to undo their plans. Like when Sherman Lewis was troubling Rishabh Pant with his bouncers.The debutant fast bowler wasn’t exactly digging the short balls in, which gives the batsmen ample opportunity to sway out of the way, but he was still getting them up to the ribcage and slanting them across the left-hander. So if Pant wanted to pull or hook, he’d be hitting against the angle and therefore increasing the chances of a mis-hit. West Indies should have continued with this plan, but instead, they brought their spinners on. Collymore said they were forced to because of the heat in Rajkot.”It can be difficult, the conditions, in India. I think the subcontinent is a very hard place for any fast bowler, even with experience, hence the captain thought it best to rotate the bowlers a bit more and give them the best chance.”But the West Indies bowling coach had no sympathy for his team’s batting effort. The opener Kieran Powell played a poor shot to a straight ball and – after being ruled lbw – wasted a review. Shimron Hetmyer and Sunil Ambris were fighting for the same three yards of space even as Ravindra Jadeja skipped in to complete a run-out. Shane Dowrich went for a big heave with four overs left in the day’s play and was bowled.”I only saw one or two strokes but what I saw is not what you want especially from your top order batsmen chasing 600-plus,” Collymore said. “These things happen in cricket and I hope our guys definitely learn from it. Watching the Indians bat, you can see how they played. They’re accustomed to these conditions, but they showed things that we can all learn from.”It isn’t the first time a team that had to spend 150 overs fielding first in a Test match has cracked – “it goes back to yesterday, yesterday was a hard day,” Collymore kept saying, but he insisted that the team needed to fight.”I always feel you need to be honest with yourself. India’s in the ascendancy. This is only day two and we’re already seriously behind the eight ball so it will take a mammoth effort for us to really pull it back. But again you don’t come to Test match cricket to just surrender.”

Leeds United have picked up their form significantly in the Championship, the Whites' slow start to the season now forgotten about with Daniel Farke's men sitting pretty near the top of the division in third spot.

Last time out, Leeds even managed to dent Enzo Maresca's formidable Leicester City's unbelievable start to second-tier life – Georginio Rutter poking the ball into the net off a rebound to give his team a 1-0 win at the expense of the table-topping Foxes, Maresca's side only suffering their second defeat of the season on the night to Farke's in-form team.

The Whites have now only lost one of their last six matches, with games in that impressive run such as the 4-1 Elland Road demolition job at the expense of west Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town showcasing Leeds at their very best especially in attack.

Crysencio Summerville is a figure Championship defenders cannot handle at the moment – the Dutchman scoring six goals in 12 on top of assisting a further four – whilst Joel Piroe, Dan James and the aforementioned Rutter form the other components of a deadly attacking quartet for the promotion hopefuls.

Still, Leeds could be in the market for another lively attacker in the form of Jhon Arias from Fluminese if reports are correct.

Although, the second-tier giants aren't the only club interested in the Colombian winger's services…

Leeds transfer news

TEAMtalk are reporting that Leeds are pursuing a possible deal for the explosive 26-year-old, hoping that they might have stumbled across their next Raphinha in the process after their former beloved Brazilian winger departed for Barcelona last year.

Arias has generated interest from a whole host of clubs however, with West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Wolves and even Rangers all potentially tussling it out in January to sign the attacking midfielder.

It's no real surprise to see such avid interest in the Fluminese man, with Arias starring over a number of years out in Brazil for his current employers.

How Arias compares to Raphinha

Arias often plays as if the ball is glued to his feet, gracefully dribbling past a number of opponents with ease without ever losing momentum or focus.

These mind-bending runs will draw obvious comparisons to Raphinha who also made skilful darts up the field look effortless with the Whites, terrorising Premier League defences when pulling on a Leeds strip.

The Colombian's end product is deadly for Fluminese also, justifying his impressive showboating more times than not.

He has 26 goals and 30 assists from 130 games for the Rio De Janeiro-based club, including nine goals and 13 assists just this year in all competitions.

It's even led to Arias representing his nation as a result, capped by Colombia ten times off the back of his continued exploits in Brazil.

According to FBRef, Arias draws further similarities to ex-Leeds star Raphinha in terms of his overall attacking play with the Fluminese man receiving 11.47 progressive passes per 90 over the last year contrasted with Raphinha's slightly higher 13.54.

Both Arias and the Brazilian also enjoy being involved in the attacking build-up as much as possible, with Arias attempting 56.22 passes per 90 compared to his Barcelona counterpart who attempts a lesser 51.75.

This season in their domestic leagues however, Arias is proving his worth more so for his Brasileirão based club than the former Leeds man at the Camp Nou – Arias pulling off double the goal-creating actions of Raphinha this season, Arias coming in at six to Raphinha's three.

Farke will be keen to add Arias to his ranks in order to provide back-up and competition to his in-form attackers at Elland Road, with fans of the Whites excited by the prospect of a player potentially joining the club who has shades of their former Brazilian hero's attacking game present.

Calum MacLeod boosted Derbyshire in the battle of the winless teams but for Northants a miserable season refused to relent

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2018

Calum MacLeod became the first Scotland player to score an ODI ton against England•Peter Della Penna

ScorecardCalum MacLeod’s 58-ball century led Derbyshire to their first win in this season’s Vitality Blast with a 31-run win at Wantage Road that kept Northamptonshire winless from five matches.MacLeod’s second T20 hundred, with 12 fours and four sixes, saw Derbyshire rack up 211 for 2 – their joint-second highest T20 total – that was defended very easily after Lockie Ferguson removed Ben Duckett and Richard Levi in the Powerplay.MacLeod, the Glaswegian right-hander who was the scourge of England as they lost to Scotland in Edinburgh earlier this season, became the first Scotland player to hit an ODI hundred against England. This time he became just the third century-maker for Derbyshire in T20s after Greg Smith and Wes Durston. He finally fell for a career-best equalling 104, miscuing a drive to extra-cover.Northants skipper Alex Wakely said: “It’s a similar story for us, we’ve gone for 200 four times and you’re not going to win too many games doing that. We’re just not doing it out on the field, I’m not sure why, we’ve got bowlers who are good enough they’re just not executing and you can see how guys have got big runs against us.Talking T20 Podcast

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“But the nature of T20, sometimes you just have to say well played and Calum played brilliantly. They then had three guys bowling 85 mph plus, every ball was hip height and above and they made it very difficult for us.”MacLeod began by driving Rory Kleinveldt past cover point and then over backward point, before cutting and sweeping Josh Cobb for further boundaries.A viscous lofted cover-drive was parried for six by a diving Ben Sanderson before a steer past short-third man brought him four more en route to fifty in 33 balls.His hitting set a good platform at 136 for 1 after 14 overs and MacLeod then heaved Brett Hutton over extra-cover for six, turned a high full-toss over long leg for another maximum and slammed his 10th four past mid-off as 22 came from the over. Luke Procter was slapped wide of mid-on before a drive past point brought up MacLeod’s century.MacLeod shared a stand of 126 with Wayen Madsen – a record second-wicket stand for anyone against Northants. Madsen, as ever, played a clever innings with excellent running between the wickets.He reverse-swept Seekkuge Prasanna for his first boundary and twice steered fours past point before heaving Procter onto the pavilion balcony. A slower ball from Kleinveldt was driven past extra-cover and he reached a half-century in 32 balls in the final over that yielded 16.Derbyshire, having been sent in, scored 75 runs in the final six overs. But in the first six, they were given a bright start from Billy Godleman, playing his first T20 this season. He skipped down to the first ball of the innings to lift Sanderson for four before hoisting Hutton for six over long-on. He pulled Kleinveldt for two fours but having got to 29, drove Procter to deep cover.The Northants chase never got into gear. Ferguson, introduced in the third over, produced a spell to put the game beyond doubt. He removed Duckett first ball with one that nipped away, took the edge and was wonderfully held down low at first slip by MacLeod, before a spearing yorker cannoned Levi’s off stump.Kyle Coetzer, playing his first match for Northants since 2015, went to uppercut Hardus Viljoen and was caught at short-third man for a fourth-ball duck as the Powerplay ended at 48 for 3. Cobb was then caught at extra-cover trying to drive Alex Hughes’ first delivery and the same bowler got a slower ball through Alex Wakely to bowl him for 10. Hughes finished with 4 for 42 – his final over being struck for 22.It was part of a brief flurry from Kleinveldt, who blasted four sixes in his 36 from 14 balls. He and Prasanna, with 29 in 14 balls, kept the home support entertained but the lower order were left with far too much to do.

Crystal Palace chiefs are now reportedly eyeing another attacking option at Selhurst Park, though they face rival competition from several clubs in England and further afield.

What's the latest news involving Crystal Palace?

As per BBC Sport, Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze is facing around six weeks out injured at Selhurst Park due to an injury he picked up in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford last weekend.

Michael Olise is also set for a period on the sidelines after picking up an injury concern of his own; however, there will be little to dampen the mood of Crystal Palace supporters after their excellent three points against Erik Ten Hag's men in the Premier League.

In conversation with Match of the Day, via The Mirror, Eagles boss Roy Hodgson praised his side and Joachim Andersen's spectacular winning strike, stating: "The way the players went about the game today is really praiseworthy and has given me enormous pleasure. They have to be so disciplined and so organised. It would be asking too much to come here and dominate. Joachim Andersen is a wonderful technician. It was only a half chance. He had to quickly get his feet right and have the confidence to put his foot through the ball. I'm trying to push him forward for goal of the week!"

Crystal Palace also look to be putting succession plans in place for veteran boss Hodgson, with Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna and Lille manager Paulo Fonseca being recently touted as potential successors.

Next up for Crystal Palace is a home clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday at Selhurst Park, and another opportunity to build on their quietly impressive start to the new campaign.

Who could replace Eze?

According to 90min, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman look to be eyeing another attacking reinforcement in the form of Al-Ittihad winger Jota, who has encountered his fair share of issues since arriving in the Middle East from Celtic in the summer for a fee of £25 million.

The report states that Tottenham Hotspur, Celtic, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, and West Ham United are also keeping informed on the Portuguese winger's situation, which is complicated by the fact that he hasn't been registered to play for Al-Ittihad for this season. Jota is keen to be released from his contract at the Saudi Pro League outfit; however, they could elect to hold on to him before trying to sell him in January.

Jota made a profound mark during his time in Glasgow, going on to register 26 goals and 28 assists in 83 appearances for Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite netting once against Al-Wehda in his only five outings for Al-Ittihad, the 24-year-old now looks to be out in the cold at the club and will want a resolution sorted swiftly so he can move forward with his career.

Labelled "outstanding" by his former boss Ange Postecoglou, he would be a worthy alternative to Crystal Palace midfielder Eze, should he spend an extended period on the sidelines.

Last season's defeated finalists Newcastle United will look to kick off their bid to win the League Cup this season with a victory over Manchester City at St. James' Park.

Clearly, this is a bit of a tricky test for Eddie Howe's side at the first stage of their journey in the competition, but after withstanding an AC Milan onslaught in the Champions League last week before obliterating Sheffield United 8-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, there will be optimism that they can win.

Especially with Pep Guardiola's side nursing a few injuries; the imperious treble winners have been in characteristically destructive form so far this season, boasting a perfect record in the league across six outings and making a successful start to their Champions League defence in the group phase.

However, with a host of first-team players' injuries compounded by Rodri's recent red card, there is a good opportunity for the Magpies to strike at a chink in City's armour and pull off a major victory as they attempt to glean some silverware this season.

What's the latest Newcastle team news?

Harvey Barnes will be sidelined for "months rather than weeks", according to Howe, after injuring his foot against the Blades on Sunday.

Joelinton and Joe Willock are also still sidelined in a double blow that restricts the array of midfield options at the Toon manager's disposal.

Alexander Isak might be in line for a start after moving to the bench against United, while Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall – who both joined this summer – will be eyeing up a maiden start in black and white.

Should Lewis Hall start vs Manchester City?

Hall arrived from Chelsea on loan in August with an obligation to make the move permanent for £35m, and made his debut at the weekend, playing the final nine minutes against Paul Heckingbottom's stricken side.

Given the strenuous workload that serves as a by-product of a return to European competition, Howe might actually be wise to hand Hall his maiden start against the ominous squad of Manchester City, especially after his performances against the Citizens for Chelsea last term.

Indeed, last season, Hall was given the nod for Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, with City looming; the Blues were defeated, but Hall certainly impressed, winning six of his seven duels and succeeding with all three of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.

The 19-year-old also ranks among the top 6% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for successful take-ons, the top 5% for tackles and the top 10% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, and could utilise these skills to great effect against a first-class team.

With Sandro Tonali also likely to earn a recall to the starting fold, Hall's technicality and "unbelievable dribbling ability" – as has been said by BBC Sports' Raj Chohan – could pay dividends in breaking down one of the most cohesive and formidable outfits in world football.

Tonali has not quite found his feet on English shores since signing from AC Milan in a £55m transfer in the summer, but undoubtedly looks a first-rate midfield talent and will only improve as he continues to acclimatise to life at St. James' Park, ranking among the top 12% of midfielders for assists per 90.

Defeating City won't be easy, but Howe will know the job and will set his team up aptly to sink the best team in the country, and with Hall deployed at left-back, bringing athleticism and exuberance, an inspiring victory might just be achieved.

Under new manager Vincent Kompany, Burnley were promoted back to the Premier League last season, after only one year in the Championship.

Despite being in charge for just one year the Belgian has completely revolutionised Burnley’s squad, with only seven players remaining from the side that was relegated.

Who has joined Burnley under Vincent Kompany?

Since joining Burnley in July 2022, the former centre-back has brought in 26 different players permanently, across three transfer windows and in the most recent window, he brought in 15 players.

Vincent Kompany's signings since being appointed, via Transfermarkt
Player	Fee
Zeki Amdouni	£16m
James Trafford	£15m
Aaron Ramsey	£15m
Jordan Beyer	£13m
Sander Berge	£12m
Wilson Odobert	£11m
Lyle Foster	£11m
Dara O'Shea	£7m
Ameen Al-Dakhil	£5m
Benson Manuel	£4m
Anass Zaroury	£4m
Michael Obafemi	£4m
Darko Churlinov	£3.5m
Josh Cullen	£3m
Arijanet Muric	£3m
Luca Koleosho	£3m
Hannes Delcroix	£3m
Scott twine	£3m
Hjalmar Ekdal	£3m
Luke McNally	£2m
Vitinho	£1m
Samuel Bastien	£700k
Enock Agyei	£300k
CJ Egan-Riley	free
Lawrence Vigouroux	free
Nathan Redmond	free
Han-Noah Massengo	free

Prior to managing Burnley, the Manchester City legend was in charge of Belgian side Anderlecht for two years, this has led to him poaching some of his best players from his former side.

One of these players is 27-year-old midfielder Josh Cullen, and as it stands Kompany’s decision to sign the Irishman looks to be an inspired one.

How much did Burnley pay for Josh Cullen?

Kompany first signed Cullen for Anderlecht back in 2020 from West Ham for £500k, and during his two seasons in Belgium the midfielder would go on to make 80 appearances.

But when the four-time Premier League winner made the switch to Turf Moor, the Hammer's academy graduate was quick to follow.

Cullen became Kompany’s fourth signing and moved back to England just 11 days after his manager made the switch, for a fee of £3m including add-ons.

Since his signing last summer, the Irish international has already signed a new contract three-year contract with the Clarets.

After signing the deal, he announced he couldn't wait to continue playing for Burnley.

Speaking to Burnley he said:

“I’m really happy to extend my time here, especially off the back of last year which was a really successful year for the Club.

I can’t wait to continue my career with Burnley.

“It will be great to get back to Turf Moor this weekend and be in front of the fans again and hopefully get our first three points on the board.”

Why did Kompany sign Josh Cullen twice?

Kompany snapped up Cullen again after his excellent performances under him during the 2021/22 campaign, which saw Anderlecht finish third in the Belgian Pro League.

Per Sofascore, the English-born midfielder was his side’s third top-performing player, with an outstanding average rating of 7.20.

On top of this, he also ranked second for accurate passes per game (62.2), fourth for key passes per game (1.1), third for accurate long balls per game (4.4) and first for tackles per game (2), per Sofascore.

This shows just how integral he was to Kompany’s all-round play as his quality in many different areas allowed him to control the middle of the pitch.

Furthermore, while Cullen was on loan at Charlton from West Ham, then Irons captain Mark Noble revealed in the Evening Standard what a talented player he was.

Noble said:

“Josh has something you can’t coach,”

“He has that desire every day to improve.

“He’s a talented boy with a big heart and will enjoy a good career in football.

“It just shows you that if you’re prepared to back yourself and go out on loan, rather than staying in the comfort zone, you can do it.”

What has happened to Josh Cullen since moving to Burnley?

Cullen’s top-quality form continued after moving to Turf Moor as the midfielder was able to help guide Burnley to win the Championship last season.

His form was also shown through his stats, per FBref, last season he ranked in the top 4% of all European midfielders for passes completed, per 90 minutes.

Furthermore, he ranked in the top 7% for touches, top 2% for successful take-ons and top 7% for carries, per 90 minutes.

This shows how once again he was the star of Kompany's midfield, as all play was able to go through him, and then he had the ability to move the ball successfully up the pitch into an attacking position.

This was backed up by the Belgian colossus, who last season was full of praise for Cullen.

He said:

"I can't be complimentary enough, but I think everyone can see what he does.

"The team appreciates it; his strength is that he's the ultimate player that puts the team before himself.

“Football naturally always drives you towards being selfish, it just happens that way because you've got to look after yourself, and there are only very few players, despite all of that, who decide to make a conscious choice to put the team above themselves.

"You can't really scout that, you only know it when you work with players.

“The best way to describe Josh [Cullen] is that he came to Anderlecht, from Charlton, as a squad player, and he became the most important player in my squad.

"Then he came to Burnley, back in English football in the Championship, where he was really going to help us out, and he became one of the most important players in the team."

Due to his outstanding performances, the 27-year-old has seen his value rise astronomically, per Transfermarkt he is now rated at £11.1m meaning Burnley have seen a 270% increase in his value from when they signed him only a year ago.

Cullen has backed up his Championship performances by having a strong start to life in the Premier League.

So far this season he ranks as Burnley’s seventh-best-performing player, with an average rating of 6.73, per Sofascore.

On top of this, he has ranked joint first for big chances created per game (1), fourth for accurate passes per game (46.3) and third for tackles per game (1.3).

This shows that despite making a big step up the midfielder is still able have a positive effect on his side

He has also started every game and played every minute so far this season, while also providing an assist, which means he has been involved in 33% of Burnley’s goals.