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I’m not as concerned as others seem to be about Gabriel Martinelli at the moment.
Yes, it was a mistake for him to get caught offside in the build up to the late disallowed goal. He should have done more to hold his line given he was looking across the pitch.
But the Fulham defenders deserve credit as well. They stepped up just at the right time and that also led to Martinelli being caught offside.
Arsenal working on EXCITING transfer raid on Premier League rivals!
I actually thought he was bright when he came on and Arsenal looked much more of a threat. They had a balance to their attack which was missing before he was introduced.
I feel Martinelli just seems to be getting some unfair criticism at the moment. Could he offer more at times? Yes, undoubtedly. Could his end product be better? Again, yes. But he’s not the biggest problem at Arsenal right now.
Gabriel Martinelli criticism is harsh, but Arsenal have looked at transfer targets who could replace him
Having said that, I do feel the left wing is an area where Arsenal could improve and the fact that the club have chased Nico Williams and Mykhailo Mudryk in recent transfer windows suggest they agree.
I’m not saying that Arsenal need to move Martinelli on. I still think he has a big part to play in this squad going forward, but it’s pretty clear that another option on that side would be really beneficial in terms of the attack.
Click here for my full column on the Daily Briefing!
The post Exclusive: Arsenal have looked at potential transfer that threatens fan-favourite appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/arsenal-transfers-gabriel-martinelli/
Sunday’s draw at Fulham felt like a massive opportunity missed for Arsenal after Liverpool’s game at Everton had been postponed earlier in the weekend.
It was a real chance for Mikel Arteta’s side to close the gap on the league leaders and they couldn’t take full advantage, which was a real blow. You could sense the disappointment afterwards.
I didn’t actually think they played too badly. Fulham are a decent side who have had a good season so far and Arsenal completely dominated them in terms of territory and possession, but again the issue was they just didn’t do enough with the ball in and around the final third.
Arsenal READY to rival Liverpool for Premier League forward!
It’s an ongoing issue with this Arsenal side, especially when they come up against teams who set up in a low block. They just find it difficult to break teams down.
It was no surprise that the goal they scored came from a set piece, we know all about how dangerous they are from dead ball situations. But given how much of the ball they enjoyed in the Fulham half, they really should have done more with it.
On the whole, Arsenal don’t struggle to score goals. They score plenty. They did last season and only Chelsea and Brentford have scored more than them in the current campaign.
The problem is in these really tight games, when teams are sitting deep against them, they can struggle to unlock them. They really do lack that mercurial X-Factor type player who can do something out of nothing and win a game on his own.
That’s why I really wanted them to go for Michael Olise in the summer. I think he would have been perfect for this Arsenal team and was the exact type of player that they were missing. Nothing that he has done since moving to Germany has changed my mind.
Gabriel Jesus struggles are a big concern – Arsenal need to act in January
Gabriel Jesus’ form is a real concern as well. His cameo in the second half at Craven Cottage summed up where he is right now as a player.
He looks shot of any sort of confidence. When you throw a striker on at 1-1 midway through a second half you really want to see him influence a game. To get on the pitch and show why he should be starting.
But Jesus did the opposite. He could barely find his man when he was on the ball and when a half chance came his way from Declan Rice’s clever pass, he didn’t even swing his foot at it.
He was really poor and his ongoing struggle for form and confidence means that Mikel Arteta has little option but to continue playing Kai Havertz week in, week out and he is unsurprisingly now starting to look like he needs a rest due to the sheer amount of minutes he is being asked to play.
So there are clearly attacking concerns at Arsenal at the moment which will once again raise the question about why nothing was done to really bolster the forward options in the summer, aside from the late call to sign Raheem Sterling on loan.
They are justifiable questions as well and you do feel something has to be done to strengthen Arteta’s options in the final third in January if they are to have a chance of keeping pace with Chelsea and hunting down Liverpool.
The post This Arsenal star’s confidence is shot – Mikel Arteta has to address this in the transfer market appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/gabriel-jesus-transfer/
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is under increasing pressure at the club after a poor run of results.
Spurs have only managed to win one game in their last seven outings, raising questions about the future of Postecoglou at the club.
Their latest defeat came against London rivals Chelsea who managed to win the match at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium despite going 2-0 down early in the second half.
The North London club failed to capitalise on their two goal lead and went on to concede four unanswered goals in the match with Carlton Palmer inspiring Enzo Maresca’s men.
Heung-min Son scored a late consolation goal for Spurs but they ultimately lost the match 4-3 against the Blues.
However, according to The Telegraph, Tottenham are not thinking about parting ways with their manager and Postecoglou has the full backing of the club.
Postecoglou and the players are being backed by the club to turnaround their poor season ahead of a crucial run of matches.
The North London club face Ranger, Southampton, Manchester United and Liverpool in their next four matches and Postecoglou has the support of the club despite his team’s poor performances.
Tottenham have been inconsistent this season and the match against Chelsea proved it once again.
Tottenham are sitting in the bottom half of the league table
This was not the first time they had lost this season after going two goals up. Earlier in the season, they managed to take a 2-0 lead against Brighton but the Seagulls turned around the match and came out as 3-2 winners.
The results in the upcoming run of matches could determine the future of the manager at the club but as things stand, his job is completely safe at Tottenham.
Spurs have been unlucky with injuries to key players throughout the season and that could be one of the reasons behind their poor performances.
Centre-back Christian Romero is the latest player to get injured for Spurs after the defender was substituted early in the first half against Chelsea.
The post Tottenham stance has emerged on the future of manager Ange Postecoglou appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/tottenham-stance-postecoglou-job/
Liverpool have received some positive news as well as some negative news ahead of their Champions League encounter against Girona.
The Reds are currently top of the Champions League standings after winning all five of their matches this season.
They are the only team in the competition with a 100% record and leading teams like Inter Milan and Barcelona in the Champions League table.
Arne Slot’s side will face La Liga side Girona, who are currently ninth in the league, but they could be without their summer signing Federico Chiesa.
The Italian attacker has struggled with his fitness this season and not having a proper preseason is a major reason behind it.
The former Juventus man had an impressive season in the Serie A and that attracted interest from Liverpool who eventually signed the Italian in a bargain fee.
However, his fitness problems are just not going away with the 27-year-old now doubtful to make the squad against Girona due to illness, as confirmed by journalist James Pearce.
The Athletic’s Pearce provided an update on the Liverpool attacker:
“No Federico Chiesa in #LFC training today due to illness”
No Federico Chiesa in #LFC training today due to illness
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) December 9, 2024
Federico Chiesa has failed to get his Liverpool career going so far
It is a major blow to Slot and Chiesa, who was involved in Liverpool U21s International Cup encounter last week and also scored a goal for the Reds.
His status for the away match against Girona remains uncertain at the moment but Diogo Jota is back in training after suffering a rib injury in the 2-1 win against Chelsea.
With Darwin Nunez struggling to find his goal scoring form, Slot will be happy to welcome back Jota in the team hoping that the Portuguese attacker can share the burden of scoring goals with Mohamed Salah.
Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister has opened the door to a move to La Liga in the future.
The post Liverpool star is a doubt for Champions League match against Girona after missing training appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/liverpool-star-missing-training/
Liverpool fans have been given an interesting update on the futures of star trio Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
All three of these hugely important Reds stars are dominating headlines at the moment as they could all be out of contract at the end of the season.
New deals have not yet been agreed for any of the three players, though the video report from Sky Sports below provides an important detail on Salah and Van Dijk in particular as we get closer to January.
Liverpool lead race for €10m wonderkid!
See below as Melissa Reddy says that although these players can start discussing moves for next season with overseas clubs from January, there is currently no intention from Salah or Van Dijk to do so…
Talks remain ongoing with Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk for a contract extension at Liverpool, with it being "positive and respectful" ? pic.twitter.com/i6Czn92n6I
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 9, 2024
Worryingly for LFC fans, it seems that Alexander-Arnold might not be ruling that out at the moment, with the report perhaps suggesting that the England international’s situation looks the most challenging for negotiators at Anfield.
The clearest hint yet that Trent Alexander-Arnold wants out of Liverpool?
While Salah and Van Dijk seem prepared to stay as long as the terms are right, Alexander-Arnold perhaps has the most tempting opportunity to leave as Reddy notes that Real Madrid are hugely interested in the 26-year-old.
An opportunity like this might not come around again for Alexander-Arnold, and that might mean more work from Liverpool to convince him to commit the peak years of his career to them.
It might be that Alexander-Arnold is just taking his time and will end up deciding to stay with his boyhood club, but for the moment it looks like he’s ready to drag this out, and give himself the opportunity to start negotiating his next move from next month.
The post “No intention…” – Reporter clarifies important point about two of Liverpool’s three contract rebels appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/liverpool-contracts-update/
Ange Postecoglou is under increasing pressure following a dismal run of results.
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1986410/ange-postecoglou-tottenham-sack-decision
Liverpool have been dealing with the contract situation of some of their key players.
The likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all facing an uncertain future at the club after entering the final year of their contract at Anfield.
Despite the club being hopeful of keeping Salah and Van Dijk at the club, they are not too confident about Alexander-Arnold who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Now another Liverpool star has expressed his desire for a future move away from the club to play in Spain’s La Liga.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has claimed that he would like to play in Spain in the future because the language and the culture there is similar to Argentina.
Ahead of Liverpool’s match against Girona in the Champions League, Mac Allister gave an interview to Spain’s AS and revealed his desire of playing in Spain.
He told AS:
“Yes, why not? It is a country that I really like, and I have visited it several times, and, above all, because of the language and culture it is very similar to Argentina.
“Without a doubt, I would like to play in Spain one day. But today I am very comfortable at Liverpool.”
Alexis Mac Allister is well settled at Liverpool at the moment
Mac Allister has become a crucial part of the starting line up at Anfield since joining the club from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023.
His current deal at Liverpool lasts until 2028 and his exit in the near future from the club is highly unlikely.
His performances this season under Arne Slot have been impressive and his chemistry in the midfield with teammate Ryan Gravenberch has been one of the positives of the season for the Reds.
The opportunity to play for clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona is something that players dream of but at the moment, Mac Allister is fighting for silverware at Liverpool and he does not have any reason to part ways with the Reds.
The post “I would like to play in Spain” – Liverpool star makes transfer admission for the first time appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/liverpool-star-transfer-admission-spain/
It seems like Manchester United cannot get anything right at the moment.
The Red Devils are struggling to get results on the pitch and have lost their last two Premier League matches, against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest respectively.
The Premier League giants sacked manager Erik ten Hag and appointed Ruben Amorim hoping that a change in management will turnaround their fortunes but that has not been the case.
They are sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League standings and considering how they are playing, it feels like it is going to take a long time before they actually become competitive again.
The Man United hierarchy made a surprising decision to part ways with sporting director Dan Ashworth at the weekend.
They chased him for a long time in order to appoint him from Newcastle United but after only five months at the club, Ashworth has been shown the exit door by the club’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Club legend Gary Neville has criticised Man United’s decision to part ways with Ashworth, questioning the club’s authority in the process.
Speaking on NBC Sports Soccer, Neville said:
“I’m really shocked this morning that this has happened and it’s not a great look at all. It’s something that’s going to need a lot of explaining. I think the statement that the club have put out is really poor. Manchester United haven’t had a voice for 10 years. They’ve lost their authority, they’ve lost their boldness. I think they’ve been getting it back a little bit in the last 12 months. What’s really clear is that there is a fracture here. Something has happened.”
Man United struggles continue on and off the pitch
It is another decision that shows the confusion at the club and how Man United are unable to get things right at the top.
Ashworth’s exit just a few months after his arrival is a sign of trouble behind the scenes in the Man United hierarchy.
Since taking charge of the club, INEOS has endured a difficult time at Old Trafford and while they have spent heavily in the transfer market to strengthen the squad, that has not translated into positive results on the pitch.
Increasing tensions between Ashworth and Sir Jim became the reason of the exit for the former Newcastle United man.
The post “I’m really shocked” – Gary Neville is stunned at news coming out of Man United appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/gary-neville-man-united-ashworth/
Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing up an ambitious transfer move for Chelsea star Cole Palmer after his sensational form in the Premier League.
The England international has 11 goals and six assists in 15 Premier League games so far this season, continuing on from the world class form he showed last term.
Palmer looks a perfect fit for this Real Madrid team as they look to build around some of the best young players in the world like Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Junior and Endrick.
According to Fichajes, Los Blancos chief Florentino Perez rates Palmer highly and is keen on a potential deal, though it remains to be seen if there’s realistically any price the Blues will negotiate for.
Chelsea star says YES to surprise transfer!
Chelsea surely need to be building around Palmer for the long term if they are to get back to their best as a force in English and European football again.
Chelsea have sometimes lost star names to Real Madrid…
It remains to be seen if CFC will let Palmer go any time soon as he’s tied down to a long-term contract, but we have seen them sell star names to Madrid in the past.
Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard both notably swapped Stamford Bridge for the Bernabeu in recent years, so perhaps there’s a chance we could see Palmer making a similar move.
One thing’s for sure – Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will have to continue this strong start he’s made in west London if he is to convince someone like Palmer to spend his peak years with this club.
For now, the Chelsea project has been about building for the future, but Maresca is arguably a bit ahead of schedule as he has this team closing in on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
It will be vital for Chelsea to go back to winning major trophies soon, or a potential Ballon d’Or winner like Palmer will no doubt be tempted to try his luck with Real Madrid or another major European giant.
The post Real Madrid eye up transfer raid for one of Chelsea’s most important players appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/cole-palmer-transfer-real-madrid/
Former Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth looked to have made himself a very powerful enemy in the form of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ashworth left his position at Man Utd yesterday, the club announced, in a surprise move given that he’d only started working with the Red Devils back in July after a lengthy saga that saw him poached from rivals Newcastle.
Still, it seems one key factor in Ashworth’s downfall at Old Trafford was his poor relationship with Ratcliffe.
This comes across in a report from the Daily Mail, which states that Ashworth left Ratcliffe furious with comments he made to the media about the club’s decision to stick with Erik ten Hag as manager back in the summer.
Man United ready to pay star’s HUGE release clause!
Ashworth didn’t exactly give a strong backing to Ten Hag, saying that this decision was made before he joined the club, and the Mail claim this went down like a lead balloon with Ratcliffe.
A year of absolute chaos at Manchester United
Ashworth’s departure is just the latest big change in what has been a chaotic year for Man United, perhaps their worst since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement back in 2013.
There have been plenty of low points since Fergie decided to call it a day, but there hasn’t been anything quite as crazy as all the changes we’ve seen at Old Trafford in recent months.
First, there was the ownership change, which then also resulted in the appointments of new key figures at board level such as Ashworth, as well as others like Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox.
However, that new regime has not proved stable, with Ten Hag given a new deal before being sacked not that long afterwards, with Ruben Amorim recently replacing him as manager.
And now Ashworth has gone too, just five months after joining, with it now being anyone’s guess what happens next with MUFC.
The post The Erik ten Hag claim that may have lost Dan Ashworth his job at Manchester United appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/09/dan-ashworth-jim-ratcliffe/
