Wolverhampton Wanderers were devastatingly effective against Brentford last time out in Premier League action, Gary O'Neil's men only registering five shots on target but running out as comprehensive 4-1 winners over a shell-shocked Bees side come full-time.

Hwang Hee-chan helped himself to a brace to keep up his excellent individual campaign to date in the victory, whilst Mario Lemina and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde also got in the act in London from midfield.

Not every player in the Wolves side came away from the game overjoyed with their own display, however, with Nelson Semedo notably underperforming down the right-hand side for the Old Gold despite the emphatic final scoreline.

O'Neil could be tempted to drop the Portuguese wing-back for the game at Molineux against Everton today as a result, assessing the other options available to him that could come in for the underwhelming number 22.

Nelson Semedo's game vs Brentford in numbers

Semedo's poor showing against Thomas Frank's Bees stood out like a sore thumb, the 30-year-old way off the pace of his other teammates carrying the team over the line to a big win.

Amassing just 27 touches in the contest, as per Sofascore – fewer than teammate Jose Sa (48) in the sticks – before being substituted off by O'Neil in the second half, the wing-back also failed to register a single accurate cross in the game down the flanks.

In stark contrast, Rayan Aït Nouri – on the opposing flank – was a constant thorn in the Brentford side with six successful dribble attempts notched up by the lively Algerian throughout the 90 minutes.

Semedo also shied away from his defensive duties against Brentford, losing 80% of his duels in total with his Old Gold counterparts having to pick up the slack to thwart the Bees venturing forward.

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Joao Gomes in the middle of the park more than made up for the sheepish Semedo by remaining resolute throughout, the 22-year-old winning an astounding 11 duels in the 4-1 win.

Semedo may just have to hope O'Neil isn't cut-throat and retains him despite this below-par showing for the test of the Toffees today, taking into account his overall season and not this blip in isolation.

Nelson Semedo's season in numbers

The senior Portugal international has shone for the Old Gold away from this second-rate display versus the Bees this season, helping himself to an assist at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal recently.

The Wolves number 22 was also competent facing off against Chelsea on Christmas Eve prior to his off-day in London, the ex-Barcelona man winning six duels in total and nullifying the likes of Mykhaylo Mudryk at Molineux without having to really break a sweat.

The underlying statistics from this top-flight campaign to date indicate that Semedo was perhaps just lethargic against the Bees in the midst of a jam-packed run of fixtures, coming in with the highest successful dribble percentage in the league this season as a defender.

Yet, O'Neil will understand the need to utilise his full squad effectively and could call upon experienced figure Matt Doherty to fill in against Everton adequately.

With Wolves losing just one of their last five games in the Premier League, the popular Old Gold manager will hope this switch in personnel won't unsettle any harmony beginning to form at the West Midlands club.

Newcastle United have received an approach for a "hugely important" player, with the Magpies under threat of losing both him and Kieran Trippier.

Kieran Trippier could leave Newcastle

Eddie Howe is badly in need of some positivity at the moment, but he seems to be consistently handling negative aspects of management, whether it be injuries to endless players or results in the Premier League not improving.

Now, the Newcastle boss has been rocked by the news that Trippier could potentially leave the club during the January transfer window, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich expressing a strong interest in signing him. The 33-year-old is believed to be keen on the move, according to some reports, but the Magpies are digging their heels in, not wanting to sell one of their most important players by turning down an initial bid.

It looks as though financial reasons could be behind the possible decision to have to eventually sell the Englishman, ensuring that the club adheres to Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. Either way, it is a transfer situation that has come from nowhere, and while Trippier's form recently has been a long way from its best, few supporters, if any, would be happy to see him depart any time soon.

The right-back may not be the only key figure under threat of bringing an end to his time at St James' Park this month, however, with another worrying update now emerging regarding another popular hero.

Newcastle could also sell Callum Wilson

Approach to reliable journalist Craig Hope on X, Newcastle have rejected an approach for Callum Wilson from Atletico Madrid, but a sale is far from ruled out.

"Newcastle REJECT loan offer for Callum Wilson from Atletico Madrid. But striker could be sold if Spanish club (or another) return with permanent offer. Wilson likely to be open to talks if deal accepted."

The report itself in The Daily Mail goes on to state that "in a move similar to Bayern Munich’s approach for Kieran Trippier, European clubs are seeking to take advantage of Newcastle’s financial fair play predicament."

This is a concerning period for Newcastle, whose season has already been a disappointment, but is now threatening to turn into disarray with the potential loss of numerous individuals who have played a massive role in the club getting to where they are currently.

At 31, Wilson admittedly doesn't represent the long-term future for the Magpies – his injury-prone nature is frustrating, too – but Howe values him greatly as a player, once saying:

"He’s a hugely important part of our team, a focal point. We rely not just on his goals but his movement, his work rate. His appearance in the team gave us confidence."

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Hopefully, Newcastle hold firm and Wilson decides that staying put is the best option for him, but given Newcastle's financial situation, it may end up being a piece of business that begrudgingly gets over the line.

The winner of the 2023 Puskas Award has now been revealed, so Football FanCast has taken a look at all of the winners, dating back to 2009 – the edition's inaugural year.

It's been a difficult list to rank, with so many goals worthy of placing higher up, but we've tried our best.

Without further ado, here are our selections!

15 Mohamed Salah v Everton 2018

Mohamed Salah enjoyed an electrifying start to his Anfield career after making a £34.3m switch from Serie A side Roma in the summer of 2017.

His debut season saw him net a whopping 32 times in the Premier League, but it was his sublime effort against Everton in the Merseyside derby that was the pick of the bunch.

The Liverpool wideman received the ball from Joe Gomez on the right-hand side of the penalty area before shrugging off his marker, gliding past the second onrushing defender, and shaping up to perfectly curl the ball home past the helpless Jordan Pickford in goal.

As the snow fell, Salah wheeled away in celebration, lifting his hands aloft with a relatively emotionless face, personifying a cool figure, befitting of the English weather!

A stunner, but was it really the best goal scored that year?

14 Wendell Lira v Atlético Clube Goianiense 2015

Wendell Lira was involved in the slick build-up play prior to his first-time bicycle kick finish – which he had to adapt brilliantly to, turning in a 360-degree motion.

Lira's marvellous goal beat stiff competition that year in the form of Lionel Messi, who came runner-up to the right-winger.

Messi's magnificent solo goal against Athletic Bilbao wasn't enough to overthrow the Brazillian's effort, evincing just how ridiculous it was.

13 James Rodriguez v Uruguay 2014

Next up is James Rodriguez's iconic World Cup goal against Uruguay. The Colombian enjoyed a magnificent campaign at the 2014 tournament, scoring six goals and collecting the Golden Boot award.

His Puskas-winning goal was out of this world, as he controlled the ball on his chest before pivoting to release a dipping left-footed volley that struck the crossbar on its way in.

From an aesthetic viewpoint, seeing the ball hit the bar before bouncing down and back up into the roof of the net made the goal that extra bit special and certainly one worthy of winning the prestigious award.

His glittering performances at the World Cup prompted La Liga giants Real Madrid to outlay £71m to sign him from AS Monaco, adding to their star-studded squad of Galacticos.

12 Hamit Altıntop v Kazakhstan 2010

Hamit Altıntop was known for his long-range shooting ability, but even by his standards, the Turkey international must've surprised himself when he powered home a thunderous 20-yard volley against Kazakhstan back in 2010.

Though, his fairly muted celebration – considering the quality of the goal – would suggest it's nothing wildly out of the ordinary for him, just another wonder-strike to add to his growing dossier.

Even his comments after winning the esteemed award appeared nonchalant: "It's not that bad to write a bit of history," Altıntop said.

11 Son Heung-min v Burnley 2020

Just missing out on the top 10 is Son Heung-min's 70-yard solo run that ended with a cool and composed finish. Had it not been for the poor Burnley defending, this goal would've placed much higher.

Notwithstanding that, it still took a tremendous amount of close control whilst running at speed with the ball, gliding past several opposition players.

And to have the composure to steady himself before stroking the ball past the imposing 6-foot-6 presence of Nick Pope was extraordinary.

It is certainly a goal that will live long in the memories of Spurs fans.

10 Erik Lamela v Arsenal 2021

Erik Lamela's jaw-dropping 'rabona' goal in the north London derby a few years back left Sergio Reguilon in complete amazement.

His reaction to the Argentinian's strike was almost as good as the goal itself as he immediately put his hands on his head in utter disbelief.

Lamela could hardly believe it either, though his euphoria quickly turned to red mist later in the game after receiving a second yellow card for catching Kieran Tierney in the face with his arm.

Nevertheless, a terrific bit of imagination from the wide player to flick the ball with his 'wrong foot' through the legs of Thomas Partey and into the back of the net.

9 Guilherme Madruga vs Novorizontino 2023

Guilherme Madruga took the prize for the 2023 award with his stunning overhead kick from around 25 yards out. Playing for Botafogo-SP in the Brazilian second tier, the midfielder scored the goal in a victory against Novorizontino.

Surrounded by defenders and with his back to goal, Madruga was forced to produce a moment of creativity that left many in disbelief as his looping overhead kick dipped under the bar to beat the goalkeeper.

And it was apparent even the player himself was left stunned by what he had done as he spoke about the sensational goal which saw him beat the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion's Julio Enciso to the award:

“After the game, I watched the video of the goal again and only then did I realise what I’d done,” Madruga said.

8 Mohd Faiz Subri v Pahang 2016

Mohd Faiz Subri struck a long-range free-kick effort against fellow Malaysian side Pahang in 2015 that had the most incredible amount of unpredictable swerve on it.

In fact, it's the type of strike that when described to you, sounds inconceivable, but thankfully, the wondergoal was captured on film for the world to marvel at.

The opposing goalkeeper stood helplessly, watching the ball fly into the top corner, as the home fans were sent into raptures at the Bandaraya Pulau Pinang Stadium.

7 Miroslav Stoch v Gençlerbirliği S.K. 2012

Outside-of-the-area volleys are always special, but this one is even more so. The technique Miroslav Stoch went for is unequivocally more difficult than a typical 'laces through the ball' strike.

The Slovakian wideman beautifully struck the ball into the reverse corner, leaving the goalkeeper with absolutely no chance. The assist is certainly worth noting, too, as the ball was perfectly flighted from corner taker Alex onto the right boot of Stoch.

He was quick to give credit to the Brazilian in his winning speech: "But, first of all, I would say big credit for our ex-captain Alex (de Souza), who took the corner. He played me a perfect ball."

6 Cristiano Ronaldo v Porto 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo – during his final season at Manchester United – produced an absolute showstopper in the Champions League quarter-finals to silence the boos that rung around Porto's imposing Estadio do Dragao.

The Portuguese superstar, on his return to his home nation, leathered the ball from 39.6 yards out into the top corner, with the strike clocking in at a remarkable 64.2mph. To put that into context, the speed of his shot would exceed the speed limit on a single carriageway in England…

It also turned out to be the winning goal as United progressed through to the semi-finals of the competition.

Ollie Rayner took four wickets in his first appearance of the season to keep Middlesex in control on the second day of their County Championship clash against Leicestershire at Lord’s.The off-spinner removed both Leicestershire’s half-centurions, Harry Dearden and Colin Ackermann, who had threatened to take the game away from the home side with a fifth-wicket partnership of 110.Earlier, Rayner had also pulled off a fine reaction catch at second slip to account for Foxes captain Paul Horton, with the visitors losing four wickets for 23 runs during the evening session.Leicestershire closed on 257 for 9, still trailing by 92 runs after the Seaxes posted a total of 349 in the morning.Resuming at 325 for 8, Middlesex had a fourth bonus batting point within their sights – but they missed out on that by the smallest possible margin.Chris Wright had George Scott caught at second slip and then did enough to tip Tom Helm’s straight drive onto the stumps, leaving non-striker Ethan Bamber short of his ground as the home side were bowled out.Helm, who finished unbeaten on 37, then drew first blood when Leicestershire replied, trapping Ateeq Javid lbw in the seventh over before Horton and Hasan Azad added 50 for the second wicket.James Harris broke that partnership, getting the final delivery of the morning session to move back and hit Azad’s off stump.Leicestershire seemed to be faltering at 80 for 3 soon after lunch, when Bamber was rewarded for his consistent line as Rayner snapped up a smart catch to dismiss Horton.Mark Cosgrove survived a close shave when an inside edge zipped past his leg stump, but he then began to get into his stride. Having dispatched Bamber for two sweet straight drives to the boundary, he had reached 28 when he was pinned leg before by Rayner.Dearden batted fearlessly – moving off the mark with a square cut for four and unleashing further savage shots on the off side as he soon caught up with the generally more pedestrian Ackermann. It was Ackermann who passed his half-century first, edging Bamber to third man for four and Dearden followed suit, registering his first County Championship 50 of the season later in the same over.The left-hander had reached 61 from 106 balls when he drove at Rayner and perished to a stunning left-handed catch by Middlesex captain Stevie Eskinazi at short cover. Ackermann was next to depart, pushing forward to a flighted delivery from Rayner and getting an outside edge to John Simpson.Rayner collected his fourth wicket with a low caught and bowled to dismiss Tom Taylor and Helm removed Ben Mike, caught behind for five, in the final over of the day.

The first three positions that Enzo Maresca wants to target in the transfer market when he becomes Chelsea manager have been revealed.

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Maresca's transfer priorities revealedThree key positions wantedChelsea to pay £10 million for new manager(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

With Maresca poised to be appointed Chelsea's successor to Mauricio Pochettino, the reports a £10 million ($12.8m) compensation deal with Leicester is in place, which will also include five coaching staff. Despite being on holiday, the Spaniard has already been in talks with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, leading to priority positions in the transfer market being discussed. And it seems Maresca is looking first for a goalkeeper, left-back and forward.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Blues have lacked a focal point up front since Diego Costa left the club in 2017, while neither Djordje Petrovic or Robert Sanchez appears to be a convincing starting goalkeeper for a club with Chelsea's ambitions. As for left-back, vice-captain Ben Chilwell has missed a considerable amount of football due to injury.

DID YOU KNOW?

Maresca's first taste of a managerial role was in charge of Manchester City's Elite Development Squad, which saw him deliver the Premier League 2 title in 2020-21. After a spell with Parma, he rejoined the club as an assistant first-team coach to Pep Guardiola for the 2022-23 treble season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea have had such considerable turnover and overhaul since Todd Boehley's group successfully won the 2022 takeover process that a bit of continuity in the project is vital. Pochettino may be gone, but the structure that Maresca is coming into should now be an evolution of the groundwork that has already been laid in recent months, rather than more revolution.

Glasgow Rangers return to Premiership action this afternoon as they look to make amends following their recent Old Firm defeat.

Kilmarnock are the visitors to Ibrox in what is the final league clash for three weeks as the winter break gives teams the chance to rest and regroup ahead of the second half of the season.

Philippe Clement suffered his first loss as boss of the Light Blues against Celtic and the performance was below what was expected, especially given how impressive the club have looked in recent weeks.

The clash against Killie gives the Belgian coach an opportunity to rotate some of his squad and this should mean Cyriel Dessers gets dropped to the bench after his dismal showing last weekend.

Cyriel Dessers’ performance against Celtic in numbers

The striker had registered four goal contributions in the three games prior to the derby clash, and he could have given his confidence another lift by scoring against Celtic.

Unfortunately, his performance lacked any real substance, and he didn’t recover after missing a glorious one-on-one chance in the first half.

The 29-year-old was given the freedom of Glasgow as he had a perfect chance to open the scoring, yet he took one touch too many and failed to even get a shot away.

The striker took just 26 touches throughout the match while winning only three of his 14 total duels and this lack of physical presence along with a failure to provide any meaningful attacking input led analyst John Walker to claim his performance was “atrocious” and he wasn’t wrong.

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A win against Kilmarnock is imperative in order to get the derby defeat out of their minds as the club look to head into the winter break in a positive mindset.

The man to replace Cyriel Dessers

The Ibrox side managed to secure the signature of 21-year-old Fabio Silva on a loan deal until the end of the season from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he could be in line to make his debut against Killie.

The striker has featured just ten times for the Old Gold during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring once, and there is no doubt he will be fresh heading into the second half of the season.

The former Porto starlet has struggled during his spell at Wolves, yet proved just how talented he is during two temporary spells with PSV Eindhoven and Anderlecht in 2022/23.

The youngster netted 11 goals and grabbed four assists in 32 games for the Belgian side, before registering seven goal contributions in 19 games for the Eredivisie outfit and Clement will be hoping this is the Silva that the Gers have signed.

Dessers simply doesn’t deserve to start the clash against the Rugby Park side and with Danilo out until April with a knee injury, the 49-year-old tactician may not have a choice but to unleash Silva in the starting XI.

The Portuguese gem could announce himself by scoring a goal or two if he manages to make an appearance this afternoon and if the youngster lives up to expectations, his loan spell could be very lucrative indeed.

The opener hit 117 off 67 balls while there was also a half-century for Peter Handscomb and with the ball Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar impressed

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2019While one Australian left hander was filling his boots in Nottingham, another was doing similar in Northampton as Matthew Wade hammered 117 off 67 balls to guide Australia A to a convincing victory at the start of their tour.His innings was the standout feature of a very efficient performance from a side that contains plenty of international experience. Wade, who was playing as a specialist batsman, still harbours hopes of resurrecting his international career despite being overlooked during a prolific home season, the form from which does not seem to have dissipated after a few months off.”I was happy with it. I haven’t played for a while so wasn’t 100% sure how I would strike the ball after a late arrival but I struck it as clean as I have for a while,” he said. “My mindset coming over here has been staying true to how I want to play, not letting things that may come in the future get into my head. I just want to come out and play the way I want to play and I know my game is good enough to succeed in any format or any competition I play in.”Elsewhere there was a neat innings from Peter Handscomb (64) who many feel should be part of the current World Cup squad, while the same sentiment applies to Josh Hazlewood who bagged 2 for 51 in his first competitive outing since being laid low by a back injury in early January.Mitchell Marsh, who was on standby to replace Marcus Stoinis at the World Cup, and Ashton Agar combined to take five wickets as Northamptonshire were held to 262 for 9 then Marsh helped complete the chase with an unbeaten 40.However, it was mostly about Wade as he flayed 18 fours and three sixes in a powerful display with the Northamptonshire attack powerless to stop him. He added a rapid opening stand of 58 with D’Arcy Short – his partner contributing just 7 – then put on 85 in 10 overs with captain Travis Head. When he fell in just the 21st over, Wade had scored 117 of the 170 runs leaving a simple task for the middle order to finish things off with 14 overs to spare.”I was feeling good, my timing was there which is always key,” Wade said. “I’ve trained a long time in the nets the way I want to play in games. I’m quite attacking at the moment, but the mindset isn’t to swing at every ball. When I feel I’m just trying to get myself in for 20-30 runs it never really works out, I need to walk out and me positive in the mind, look to score and in England you get such value for shots.”In the field, Hazlewood only had to wait until his third over to strike when he trapped Richard Levi lbw, but the Northamptonshire top order put in a solid display. Rob Newton (53) and Josh Cobb (49) added 92 before Marsh and Agar started to make inroads.Alex Wakely also struck a half-century but when he fell to Agar in the 43rd over the lower order couldn’t lift the tempo although an unbroken final-wicket stand of 30 meant the home side batted out their overs.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been a quietly impressive force in the Premier League this campaign and have now made an approach for a player of interest to Gary O'Neil, according to a report.

Wolverhampton Wanderers eye new striker

Departures have been the tale of the tape so far at Molineux as boss O'Neil looks to balance his squad for the season run-in before incomings are sourced in the market. Eintracht Frankfurt have moved in to seal a six-month loan for imposing forward Sasa Kalajdzic as the Austria international looks to get back to his best form after his injury issues in the West Midlands.

Fabio Silva and Luke Cundle have also found new temporary homes in Rangers and Stoke City, respectively, paving the way for arrivals this month in key positions.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has given a summary of potential targets that the Old Gold could look to draft in over the next few weeks, as he stated to the outlet: "I think Wolves will look for a replacement for Kalajdzic. I think Wolves could potentially be interested in Danny Ings."

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He then added: "Then I think they’re scouring the overseas market. They’re going to sign Mario Lemina’s brother, Noha, on loan from PSG."

Sporting director Gary Hobbs has also outlined what Wolves will look to prioritise in their search for new players, telling the club's official website: "We dealt with the most pressing profit and sustainability issues during the summer in a positive and proactive way, so while Gary knows we’ll support him if we can, we’re also not going to put ourselves in any danger whatsoever. If players have gone out on loan, we can look to replace them, but they’ve got to be better than what we’ve got. "

Financially advantageous deals look to be in favour at Molineux and a new report has indicated that O'Neil's men have made their move for a striker they could land on a modest deal.

Wolves make move for Che Adams

According to Football Insider, Wolves have finally started their move for Southampton forward Che Adams by registering their interest with his current club by way of an approach, as O'Neil looks to bring in a forward despite Financial Fair Play restrictions.

Five similar players to Che Adams (FBRef)

Player

Club

Leonardo Campana

Inter Miami

Vincent Janssen

Royal Antwerp

Julian Carranza

Philadelphia Union

Dejan Joveljic

LA Galaxy

Vakoun Issouf Bayo

Watford

It is believed the Old Gold would prefer a loan deal to a permanent move this month for the Scotland international. Adams is out of contract this summer and Southampton are weighing up whether to sell him this window or keep him until the end of the campaign, where he could leave on a free transfer.

Labelled "amazing" by Russell Martin, the Leicester-born forward has the same agent as Craig Dawson and Tommy Doyle, potentially handing Wolves an advantage in negotiations. He has scored seven times and registered two assists in 24 appearances this term (Adams statistics – Transfermarkt).

Aston Villa kicked off their January transfer window on Monday by completing a deal for Red Star Belgrade full-back Kosta Nedeljkovic for an undisclosed fee. Nedeljkovic will remain in Serbia on loan until the end of the season, but Unai Emery wants to sign another player who can make a more immediate impact too.

Last week, Villa saw a second bid rejected for Middlesbrough attacker Morgan Rogers, with the Championship side "adamant" that they won't compromise on the fee. There's a feeling that this could become a saga that continues to run as we approach the deadline on February 1.

The player is apparently keen on the move, naturally given that Villa are not only in the Premier League but are also pushing for Champions League qualification. Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on where Villa stand as Boro hold firm.

Villa determined to make Rogers "main signing"

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano suggested that Villa will make another bid for Rogers. They "really want" him to be their "main signing" this month, and Emery is a strong admirer, so they could continue to push for his signature until the last moment.

"I think they will keep pushing for Rogers because they already made two proposals. Middlesbrough have insisted that they want to keep the player, but I think this is a typical situation where we have to keep an eye on the player until the end of the window.

"Aston Villa really want him and want to make him their main signing of the January transfer window. Unai Emery is a big fan, so I think they will keep pushing."

"Huge talent" Rogers can be creative force at Villa

21-year-old Rogers, who's previously had loan spells at Lincoln, Bournemouth and Blackpool, only left Manchester City's academy to join Boro last summer, but he's already made a big impression. Able to play as a winger and an attacking midfielder, he's made 32 appearances this season, including 14 Championship starts. He would only make Michael Carrick's XI for five of the first 17 matches, but has now been included for nine of the last 11 as he makes himself more and more valuable.

Rogers has played a starring role on his side's run to the League Cup semifinals – they play Chelsea in the semifinal second leg on Tuesday night, looking to protect a one-goal lead – by scoring four goals and providing three assists. Only Liverpool's Cody Gakpo has found the net as many times in the competition, while only the Reds' Darwin Nunez and Blackburn's Andy Moran have set up as many goals.

Overall, Rogers is sitting on direct goal contributions for the season (six goals, nine assists), and the table below shows that he's been an outstanding playmaker, sitting at the top of the Championship on a per-90 basis when it comes to the underlying numbers.

Assists

6

9th

Assists per 90

0.41

2nd

Expected assisted goals (xAG)

5.8

10th

xAG per 90

0.4

1st

Carrick has spoken of his signing in glowing terms, calling him "a huge talent" with a "terrific attitude" and a "very creative" skillset, but he clearly faces a battle to hang onto him in the next nine days or so.

تحدث سلطان السعود لاعب الهلال السعودي السابق، عقب فوز الهلال على الاتحاد بثلاثية بالمباراة التي جمعت بينمها ببطولة الدوري السعودي.

والتقى الهلال مع الاتحاد، على أرضية استاد الأمير فيصل بن فهد، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الرابعة لبطولة دوري روشن.

ورد سلطان السعود في تصريحات عبر قناة “المحور” على سؤال هل أصبح الهلال أقوى فريق عربي؟ وأجاب: “حاليًا وفقًا للنتائج ومكاسب متتالية، أقوي فريق عربي وقد يكون ايضًا أقوى فريق آسيوي، ولكن المؤشرات تدل أن الهلال سيحقق البطولة الآسيوية هذا الموسم”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | ميتروفيتش يقود الهلال لاكتساح الاتحاد بثلاثية وخطف صدارة الدوري السعودي

وتابع :”جماهير الأهلي عزيزة وغالية، والأحمر يتربع لسنوات على عرش البطولات العربية والإفريقية، نكن له كل الاحترام، وأعتقد أننا سنتواجه في كأس العالم للأندية هذا الموسم في أمريكا وخلالها سنحدد من هو أقوى فريق عربي”.

لو الهلال سيواجه الأهلي حاليًا في مباراتين ذهاب واياب من يفوز؟ أجاب: “حرفيًا حاليًا الهلال بكل المقاييس هو أفضل فريق عربي، هذه الفترة ذهبية وغير مسبوقة في تاريخ الهلال”.

وأكمل: “السوبر الإفريقي مباراة نحن كسعوديين ننتظرها على أرض المملكة، وتذاكر اللقاء انتهت في وقت قياسي وهذا يثبت أهمية المباراة للعالم العربي”.

وأتم: “الزمالك سيعتمد على التحولات العكسية بشكل أكبر وسيلعب خلف الكرة بسبب القوة الهجومية للأهلي، وكولر يعتمد على الضغط والاستحواذ على الكرة، الأهلي قد يكون أقرب للتتويج بالسوبر، نتحدث عن بطولة من مباراة واحدة”.