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West Ham continued their winless streak, losing 3-2 to Brighton at the Amex Stadium, making it now seven games without a victory. The Hammers, despite going 1-0 down early on, managed to claw it back, going 2-1 up in the 83rd minute, before conceding an 89th-minute equaliser and a 92nd-minute winner.

Graham Potter’s side held 47% possession in the game, creating two ‘big chances’, taking 12 shots, and generating 1.25 xG in total. Meanwhile, Brighton, having 53% possession, also managed to create two ‘big chances’, taking 16 shots and generating 1.35 xG.

Despite going without a win in the Premier League in their last seven games, West Ham are now safe due to Ipswich also losing against Newcastle, securing the Hammers’ safety. But that won’t dismiss the poor performances of certain individuals, who will likely be playing for their shirts in these final games of the season.

Jarrod Bowen's performance against Brighton

One man who didn’t disappoint with his performance was West Ham’s captain, Jarrod Bowen, who provided both assists against Brighton. The 28-year-old has made 32 appearances this campaign, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists in his 2,805 minutes played.

Alongside his two assists, Bowen had two shots blocked in the game, provided four key passes from his 21 total passes attempted, created two ‘big chances’ and won two of his five ground duels, showing his effectiveness in the match despite only having 36 touches (fewer than Alphonse Areola in goal).

But despite a strong performance from Bowen, West Ham had more poor performances than good ones, with one man in particular standing out in this game after losing 100% of his duels.

The West Ham flop who lost 100% of their duels

Jean-Claire Todibo has struggled in his first season in England, losing his place in the side under previous manager, Julen Lopetegui, but earning a spot under Potter, starting eight of their last nine Premier League games and contributing to two clean sheets.

Minutes

90

Touches

60

Accurate Passes

46/50

Clearances

4

Blocked Shots

1

Dribbled Past

1

Ground Duels Won

0/3

Possession Lost

6

Successful Dribble Attempts

0/1

Alongside losing all three of his ground duels, Todibo also didn’t contest a single aerial duel in the match, lost possession six times, failed his only dribble attempt in the game, and was dribbled past once. He did manage to make four clearances and complete 46/50 passes, but the overall performance was not up to standard.

Todibo was awarded a 5/10 match rating by West Ham Zone, making him the joint-second lowest rated. West Ham have struggled defensively this campaign, conceding 58 goals in 34 games, so next season it will likely be a position they look to upgrade on for Potter’s squad.

The French defender is only currently on loan, but these last four games of the season could be key as the Hammers will then decide whether they want to keep hold of Todibo by activating his buy option and keeping him at the club next season.

For now, though, Potter must drop the flop from the starting line-up after his disappointing display, which even Bowen could not save with his two assists.

West Ham are ready to unleash an "explosive" 19-year-old if Kudus leaves

West Ham could effortlessly replace Kudus with someone already at the club.

1 ByConnor Holden Apr 25, 2025

With Rangers’ season now, to all intents and purposes, completely over, attention has started to turn towards the summer.

On Thursday night, the Gers crashed out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage, beaten 2-0 by Athletic Club Bilbao at San Mamés.

This confirmed that the Light Blues will end the season trophyless, not involved in this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-finals, having been historically dumped out by Queen’s Park earlier in the competition.

Meantime, in the Scottish Premiership, the Gers are 15 points adrift of runaway leaders Celtic with 15 points to play for, and a goal difference that is 42 inferior; they’re not going to catch their rivals even if, rather jokingly, Kris Boyd said “the title race is still on”.

So now, it’s pretty much full focus on next summer; the squad needs a major overhaul and a new manager is required too, all of which, ideally, must be sorted out quickly, considering Rangers’ season will start early with a Champions League second qualifying round tie on 22/23 July.

This summer’s rebuild would certainly be easier had the Gers been able to hold onto their “big prospect” being compared to the SPFL’s best player.

Daizen Maeda's impact at Celtic

Given Daizen Maeda’s form for Celtic this season, the Japanese forward is an absolute shoo-in to win the PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year as well as the SFWA Footballer of the Year awards, to add to the Premiership golden boot he’s on course to collect too.

Maeda was on target during last weekend’s thumping of Kilmarnock, taking his tally to 31 for the season, four of which came in the Champions League.

He is therefore seeking to become only the third Celtic player this century to score 40 times in a single campaign, after Henrik Larsson in 2003/04 and Leigh Griffiths 12 years later, with six, or possibly seven, matches remaining in which to achieve this.

To date, Maeda has netted five times against Rangers, one of which came during December’s League Cup Final, before also converting the winning penalty as the Hoops hoisted aloft the trophy at Hampden. ​​​

Meantime, there is an ex-Rangers attacker being compared to Maeda, one that the Gers will surely rue letting go.

The ex-Rangers star impressing in the Champions League

Abdallah Sima only spent one season on loan at Rangers from Brighton & Hove Albion, namely the most recent campaign, but, during his 40 appearances for the Light Blues, he certainly impressed, with the table below outlining why.

Appearances

40

Minutes

2,662

Goals

16

Assists

2

Minutes per goal

166

Winning goals

5

Chances created

26

Shot accuracy

54.47%

The Senegalese international was Rangers’ third-highest scorer last season, behind only James Tavernier and Cyriel Dessers, but they were unable to keep hold of him.

Instead, Brighton decided to loan the 23-year-old out to Stade Brestois, for whom he’s scored 11 times in 35 appearances, particularly impressing during les Pirates’ debut Champions League campaign, on target against Sturm Graz before also scoring a brace against RB Salzburg.

Podcast host Dan Woffenden labels him a “big prospect”, with David Hutt of Breaking the Lines impressed by Sima’s ‘speed, strength, positional awareness [and] link-up play’, adding he possesses all the attributes of a ‘modern-day striker’.

Meantime, Andy Naylor and Mark Carey of the Athletic outline Sima’s ‘meteoric rise’, given that he was playing for Silon Táborsko in the Czech lower leagues as recently as 2020, now one of European football’s hottest properties, according to Nick Ames of the Guardian.

His current Transfermarkt valuation has skyrocketed to a career high of €10m (£9m) this season, which would make him the most valuable member of the current Rangers squad.

So, let’s assess how his Champions League statistics compare to those of Maeda.

Goals

3

35th

4

22nd

Goals per 90

0.53

28th

0.47

34th

Goals – xG

+0.5

126th

+1

54th

Shots

16

68th

15

83rd

Shots on target %

25%

241st

46.7%

76th

Shots per 90

2.83

42nd

1.78

119th

Goals per shot

0.19

72nd

0.27

29th

Shot-creating actions

12

266th

15

216th

Shot-creating action per 90

2.13

225th

1.78

264th

Progressive carries

113

458th

163

342nd

Touches in opp pen area

27

89th

29

78th

As the table outlines, looking at statistics from this season’s Champions League, Sima and Maeda are stylistically very similar – as has been noted by FBref – particularly when it comes to their numbers for shots, shot-creating actions and touches in the opposition penalty area.

What is certain is that this flailing Rangers side would certainly be stronger with Sima in it, and he has ultimately proved to be a major loss this season.

Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move for a “sensational” midfielder, but there could be competition for his signature from a number of their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Palace keen on a midfielder amid Wharton uncertainty

Had Palace made a better start to the campaign, they could be major contenders for the Europa League this season, although they still have an outside chance of pushing for the European places, given their fantastic form over the past few weeks.

The Eagles are undefeated since February in the Premier League, picking up some impressive victories over the likes of Aston Villa and rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, so it is little wonder some of their key figures are starting to attract attention.

One such player is midfielder Adam Wharton, who has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, and should the 21-year-old leave this summer, Oliver Glasner will be tasked with bringing in a replacement.

Crystal Palace battling to sign "amazing" 26-goal ace who may replace Eze

He’s enjoyed an excellent season…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 5, 2025

SC Freiburg’s Martin Rohl is one option for the south Londoners, having emerged as shock contenders for the 22-year-old, alongside Liverpool and Newcastle United, with the German potentially set to be available for £21m.

There is a clear focus on bringing in talented young players at Selhurst Park, and a report from Caught Offside has now revealed Crystal Palace are eyeing a summer move for Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham.

However, a whole host of top Premier League clubs are also in the race for the 19-year-old, with Chelsea currently showing the strongest interest, so it may be a tough ask for the Eagles to win the race for his signature.

Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund headline the interest from abroad, and a move to the latter club could appeal, given his older brother’s impressive stint at Signal Iduna Park, which earned him a move to Real Madrid.

"Sensational" Bellingham would be exciting addition for Palace

It remains to be seen whether the 19-year-old can go on to achieve what his brother Jude has in the game, but he has certainly been showing promising signs at Sunderland in the Championship.

The Black Cats are vying for promotion this season, and the teenager, who is thought to be valued at £20m, has been one of their key players, picking up four goals and three assists in 36 league games.

Not only that, but the young midfielder has caught the eye of journalist Josh Bunting, who previously lauded him as “sensational”, and his performances this season indicate he is now ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

It could be very difficult for Palace to win the race for Bellingham, particularly if European football is not on offer next season, but it would certainly appease Glasner if they secure a deal, given that the manager wanted the youngster last summer, indicating he is a fan.

Manchester United’s hunt for a new central midfielder became apparent in the summer transfer window, after the hierarchy stated their desire to land Brighton star Carlos Baleba.

The Cameroonian international was a key target for INEOS, but they were evidently put off by the Seagulls’ £100m asking price, which led to the Red Devils pulling out of a deal.

Ruben Amorim has since had to rely upon the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro at the heart of the side, with the aforementioned duo being the most consistent partnership at present.

The likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte have both struggled to break into the side in the Premier League, which could lead to either of the pair being offloaded in the winter window.

Such funds could certainly be directed towards a new addition in the coming months, which has led to numerous players being touted as potential options for the upcoming market.

United’s hunt for a new deep-lying midfielder this January

Over recent weeks, rumours have gathered huge momentum after United reportedly held talks with Nottingham Forest over a possible deal to land Elliot Anderson.

The 23-year-old has been in tremendous form for the Reds during the 2025/26 campaign, which has led to the youngster becoming a mainstay in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

However, any deal could likely be a club-record one for Amorim’s men, after his current employers placed a £100m price tag on his head ahead of the upcoming window.

He’s not the only player currently in their sights, with Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton another option being considered by INEOS before the opening of the window.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Red Devils are set to make a £70m bid for the 21-year-old, but the Eagles are currently reluctant to offload him in the near future, with some sources saying it may take £100m to prise him away from Selhurst Park.

The report also states that the player himself would be open for a switch to Old Trafford this window, but it it could hinge on the club’s ability to secure European football come the end of the season.

How Adam Wharton compares to Elliot Anderson

In 2025/26 alone, there’s little debate that Forest star Anderson has been one of the leading stars in the division – with his figures this campaign nothing short of remarkable.

The United fans have had the chance to witness the Englishman’s talents first hand, with the youngster thriving in the meeting at the City Ground at the start of November.

The 23-year-old featured for the entire contest and created three chances and completed 100% of the dribbles he attempted – subsequently showcasing his talents in possession.

Without the ball, he was just as impressive, as seen by his 100% tackle success rate and 14 recoveries made – with the latter the highest of any player on the pitch.

The £100m asking price would certainly be an excellent investment, but ultimately, it could be outside of the hierarchy’s budget in the upcoming window.

Therefore, a deal for Wharton could certainly be more feasible in January, but that’s not to say the club would be getting a lower quality player in the process.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats in the current campaign, the Palace star has managed to better him in numerous key areas – showcasing why he would be a better addition.

Aptly described hailed as “the best English midfielder since Paul Scholes” by one CONCACAF B certified coach earlier this year, Wharton is certainly Scholes like in his ability to evade the press and battle hard from the middle of the park.

For a United side needing a bit more spark, Wharton crucially has completed more key passes per 90 – arguably being a more threatening option when in possession and living up to that Scholes comparison.

However, despite his talents in such an area, his ability in possession is where he’s struggled compared to Anderson, with his ball-winning ability more impressive to date. Like Scholes, he’s got a bit of extra bite present in his game.

Games played

11

13

Minutes played

861

1170

Key passes

1.8

1.7

Tackles made

1.7

1.6

Interceptions made

1.2

1.1

Clearances made

1.5

1.1

Take-on success

55%

50%

Miscontrols

1.2

2.2

He’s made more tackles and interceptions per 90 than the Forest star, which could make him the perfect number six that Amorim has been craving in recent months.

Wharton has also made more clearances per 90, whilst also miscontrolling the ball on fewer occasions – subsequently making him a more reliable option than his compatriot.

£70m for a player of Wharton’s quality is an excellent piece of business for United, with the sky truly being the limit for the 21-year-old England international.

Whilst many fans may favour Anderson at present, the Eagles star certainly has a higher ceiling, with the youngster having bags of potential that he could fulfil at Old Trafford.

Better than Dorgu: Man Utd plot move to sign 'the world's most coveted LB'

Manchester United look set to make yet another big-money move in the defensive department.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 2, 2025

Chelsea start a massive week with a win at Turf Moor, so is momentum starting to build?

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues proved to be simply too strong for Burnley, prevailing 2-0, with Pedro Neto heading home Jamie Gittens’ cross on the cusp of half time, before Enzo Fernández lashed home the clinching second right at the end.

​​​​​The match was significantly more comfortable than the scoreline would suggest, with the Clarets creating only one big chance and accumulating a miserly 0.44 xG, rarely threatening Robert Sánchez’s goal.

This made it three successive Premier League victories for Enzo Maresca’s side, who’ve now won five of their last six in the league, ahead of a massive week, with both Barcelona and then Arsenal visiting Stamford Bridge over the next eight days.

Despite victory in Lancashire, a few Chelsea players came in for some criticism, one in particular compared to a player who departed for pastures new over the summer.

Why Chelsea sold Noni Madueke

In one of the surprise moves of last summer, albeit this is now a well-trodden path at this point, Noni Madueke departed Chelsea during the Club World Cup to sign for Arsenal for a reported fee of £52m.

Last season, the England international scored 11 goals across all competitions for the Blues, including seven in the Premier League, a tally only bettered by talisman Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, another who was parachuted out.

Thus, it was certainly a surprise that Madueke was the one Chelsea decided to sell, but that has been the business model since Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club and, having signed him from PSV Eindhoven for £28.5m in January 2023, Todd Boehly and the other owners simply view that as a quick profit.

Nevertheless, on the pitch, it could be argued that Maresca’s side have missed Madueke’s direct running and pace, even if he’s not featured for Arsenal since September due to a knee injury.

Having said all of that, a frequent criticism from Chelsea supporters of Madueke was that he was selfish, often going for goal when passing to a teammate would be the better option.

Well, to support this zeitgeist, Madueke attempted 80 shots in the Premier League last season, behind only Palmer, but had the lowest goals – xG figure of any player in the Blues’ squad, ending up with -2.6.

Meantime, he registered just three assists and created only six big chances, suggesting that perhaps the view of supporters – and Martin Keown – was not too inaccurate.

So now, which current member of the Chelsea forward line showed similar levels of selfishness at Turf Moor?

Chelsea's Madueke repeat at Turf Moor

Since the days of Didier Drogba, Chelsea feel as though they’ve found themselves in a never-ending search for a reliable centre-forward; they even twice signed Romelu Lukaku in an attempt to solve this issue.

This summer, after freezing out Jackson, as already mentioned, they put a lot of faith in Liam Delap, making it not ideal that he then missed six successive Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury, as well as another following a red card at Molineux in the EFL Cup on the day of his return.

Back now, Delap has started the last two Premier League matches either side of the international break, but is yet to score since netting against Espérance Sportive de Tunis during the Club World Cup, for what that is worth, and his display on Saturday did not earn rave reviews, with the numbers underlining why.

Shots on target

Zero

7th

Shots off target

1

4th

Expected goals

0.04

10th

Attempted dribbles

Zero

14th

Accurate passes

8

23rd

Key passes

Zero

14th

Duels won

2

21st

Offsides

1

2nd

Touches

20

21st

SofaScore rating

6.2

30th

As the table documents, Delap did not have much impact on the afternoon’s proceedings at Turf Moor.

He attempted zero dribbles, completed just eight passes and won only two of the eight duels he contested, while, in 67 minutes on the pitch, he touched the ball only 20 times, which is 28 fewer than goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, while only one more than his replacement Malo Gusto.

Simon Johnson of The Athletic noted that it is obvious that “Delap is still not fully up to speed post hamstring injury” while, as noted by Taha Hashim of the Guardian, there were multiple occasions when Delap failed to play the ball to a teammate after an opening had presented itself.

Considering Chelsea’s array of attacking options, when Delap is the centre-forward, one of his key responsibilities has to be facilitating attacks and linking up with teammates, as well as score goals of course, neither of which he is doing at the moment.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

If he continues to be both ineffective and selfish, you can bet your bottom dollar that Delap won’t be in the team much longer, because Boehly will probably just buy three other players in his position in January.

Their next Caicedo: BlueCo have signed a "world-beater" for Chelsea

The sensational talent could become Chelsea’s next Moises Caicedo.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

Juventus are now reportedly keeping close tabs on Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto as they attempt to solve their defensive problems under new manager Luciano Spalletti.

Heading into the November international break, those at Stamford Bridge have reason to be optimistic. They bounced back from a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in style on Saturday, putting three past a managerless Wolverhampton Wanderers side. It was the Blues at their best, with Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto and unexpected goalscorer Gusto all getting on the scoresheet.

The dominant victory sets them up for the perfect return when they visit Burnley after the international break. It’s a game that Chelsea should win to commence an all-important week which then features games against Barcelona and Arsenal. Victory in those two would suddenly spark interesting questions about the Blues’ ambitions.

Burnley vs Chelsea

Premier League

22/11/2025

Chelsea vs Barcelona

Champions League

25/11/2025

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Premier League

30/11/2025

Leeds United vs Chelsea

Premier League

03/12/2025

Bournemouth vs Chelsea

Premier League

06/12/2025

As things stand, Enzo Maresca’s side are third in the Premier League and six points behind leaders Arsenal. If the Club World Cup winners are to be serious title challengers then victory over the Gunners is a must at Stamford Bridge.

The January transfer window is also worth keeping an eye on. Those in West London are rarely shy when it comes to splashing the cash and they’ve already been linked with moves for the likes of Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz.

The right-back is one of the best in his position in the world and would instantly hand Reece James plenty to think about and hand Gusto quite the problem. The Chelsea man has already lost his place to James this season and rumours are now arriving about his own future.

Juventus now tracking Malo Gusto

Serie A giants Juventus are now tracking Malo Gusto, according to reports in Italy relayed by TuttoJuve. The Italian club are looking to solve their right-back problem and have identified both the Chelsea star and Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina as 2026 targets.

La Liga star now dreams of Chelsea move as BlueCo gain advantage

He’s enjoying an impressive campaign.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 9, 2025

Gusto has started just six of Chelsea’s 11 Premier League games so far this season, but Maresca reiterated that he is one of his “main players” after he scored his first goal for the club against Wolves.

The versatility that Maresca praised has seen Gusto play both right and left-back as well as right-midfield throughout his career, and while that added depth is value from a player on £45,000-a-week, he’s been unable to make any of those positions his own at Stamford Bridge.

As James continues to keep the Frenchman out the side, it will be interesting to see whether he makes a decision about his Chelsea career if Juventus come calling. A move to the Italian giants, even amid their current struggles, wouldn’t exactly be a major downgrade for Gusto.

Chelsea launch move to re-sign Antonio Rudiger; he's made Real Madrid decision

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is poised to be without a key man for their upcoming Champions League clash against Barcelona, with the Italian facing a selection headache.

Maresca has already been forced into 93 first team rotations this season, the highest number of any team in the Premier League, and it is safe to say his squad depth has been stretched to the bare bones at times.

There were major worries surrounding fitness repercussions after Chelsea’s involvement in the Club World Cup last summer, which saw them play a grand total of 65 matches in a 53-week season.

This was an unprecedented number of matches for the Blues, with Chelsea also reaching the Conference League final beforehand and going on to win Europe’s third-tier tournament.

While they became the first club in history to win all five UEFA club competitions, and took home north of £80 million in prize money from the CWC, their extensive schedule appears to be having a dire effect on the players.

So far, Chelsea have lost Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong to injury or suspension at various points this season, and a few absences have been seriously felt.

This all being said, Maresca deserves praise for navigating this storm of injuries and guiding Chelsea to third in the Premier League table, where they’re just six points off league leaders Arsenal and could be considered outside contenders for the title this season.

One player they will be very eager to welcome back at the earliest opportunity is superstar forward Palmer, who’s been battling a niggling groin injury all campaign.

The England international hasn’t featured at all since he limped off in a 2-1 defeat at Man United nearly two months ago, with Maresca stating back in mid-October that he’d be out for another six weeks.

Optimism then followed that he could actually be back and ready to start against Barcelona next week, but according to journalist Simon Phillips, hopes of a return against the La Liga champions have all but diminished.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer now likely to miss Barcelona through injury

According to Phillips, via his Substack, Palmer is now likely to miss Chelsea’s clash with Barça, and a more realistic timeframe for his return could be their London derby at home to Arsenal at the end of this month.

The 23-year-old has been cut and above their superstar man since joining from Man City for what now feels like an absolute bargain fee.

Gus Poyet and others have even tipped Palmer for an eventual Ballon d’Or, highlighting his meteoric rise since leaving Eastlands.

Palmer spearheaded Chelsea to a double (CWC and Conference League) and Champions League qualification with 18 goals and 14 assists in 52 appearances for the west Londoners last season, and once he returns, the forward will provide Maresca with an almighty boost.

However, it appears they could now have to cope without him for one of their biggest games of the season so far against Hansi Flick’s Spanish giants.