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Rio Ferdinand has clapped the return of Anthony Martial as Manchester United did the seemingly impossible and scored more than one goal in a game for the first time since the opening match of the season, beating Norwich 3-1 at Carrow Road.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It’s been fairly dull being a United fan the past couple of months. Hit by a number of injuries in the forward positions and midfield, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been almost entirely reliant on Marcus Rashford and Daniel James to provide goals and assists, whilst the likes of Paul Pogba – the club’s top scorer last term with 16 to his name – and our man in question have spent time on the sidelines.

According to Statman Dave, United have won 77 per cent of their league games under their Norwegian hero when Martial has started, compared to a very bleak 29 per cent when he hasn’t.

And after the latest win involving Martial, Ferdinand took to Twitter to say something positive about his influence…

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

Wolves condemned reigning Champions Manchester City to their second defeat of the season with a shock 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The result means Pep Guardiola’s men now sit a vast eight points behind league leaders Liverpool while for Nuno Santo and his side, it is three straight wins in all competitions.

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It’s been quite some turnaround for Wolves, who less than a month ago were smashed 5-2 by Chelsea at Molineux to put serious doubts over whether they would be able to replicate last season’s historic season of reaching seventh in the Premier League.

One key issue that attributed to their poor start to the season was the underwhelming performances from those who run the strings in the heart of midfield, but this City showing could prove that one of those figures is simmering back towards his best.

Joao Moutinho was one of Nuno’s most influential players last season as he recorded a team-high eight assists in the top-flight, but so far this season, he has only been able to manage the one.

Though he is recording more dribbles on average per game this season than he did during the 2018/19 campaign.

However, he’s not only being utilised as a creative outlet as this term he has seemingly added more defensive attributes to his game, which could make him a James Milner of sorts; a fine wine – only getting better with age.

Against City, the 33-year-old registered five tackles, three interceptions, one key pass and one successful dribble, per SofaScore.

You could say that Moutinho was all over the pitch, and his WhoScored heat map would back that up entirely – just going to show how vital he is to Wolves’ success through the midfield.

Football FanCast have previously highlighted how Moutinho has regressed this season, but if he can back this showing up after the international break, the Portuguese playmaker would fully be worth his reported contract extension.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Leeds United have started the 2019/20 Championship season in a state of inconsistency which is likely to concern the club’s fanbase, but Gary Mcallister has hinted that they are capable of going all the way if they build up a head of steam.

What’s the word?

Having made over 200 appearances for Leeds across a six-year spell, former midfielder McAllister is well-accustomed to life at Elland Road, and the current assistant manager at Rangers has spoken about his belief that Bielsa’s side can be“unstoppable†if they gather momentum.

The West Yorkshire outfit failed to achieve promotion in Bielsa’s debut season at the club, losing to Frank Lampard’s Derby County in the playoff semi-finals. Yet despite the Argentinian committing to an extended contract with the club for the 2019/20 season, Leeds are currently failing to find the momentum that McAllister has called for in the club’s bid to achieve promotion to the Premier League.

Eerily familiar territory for the Whites

With just one win in their last four games, Bielsa finds his side sitting fifth in the Championship table, just two points from the summit that is currently occupied by West Bromwich Albion. Despite appearing to be destined for promotion in the previous campaign, Leeds were unable to keep pace with Norwich City and Sheffield United, who both charged on to secure automatic promotion to the top-flight.

Bielsa’s side will face crucial games against Birmingham City, Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday over the next ten days, so what better time to gather up some well needed momentum as the season begins to truly take shape.

Will Leeds reach the Premier League?

With some considerable competition for a place in the Premier League, either via automatic promotion or through the play-offs, the 2019/20 campaign will present a serious challenge to Bielsa’s managerial abilities.

Whilst the club did well to retain the likes of Kalvin Phillips despite strong links to Aston Villa, it will all be in vain if Bielsa’s side cannot achieve promotion.

Given the quality of their squad alongside the fact they sit a mere two points from the top of the Championship table, there can be no doubting that if Leeds can find the momentum that McAllister has referenced, they could finally end their 15-year exile from the top flight.

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West Brom host Championship strugglers Huddersfield as they look to continue their unbeaten run in the league to an eighth straight game.

Slaven Bilic’s men have won three and drawn four of their opening seven matches, seeing them occupy a spot in sixth while the Terriers sit 23rd without a win.

Last weekend, they managed to salvage yet another point with a late equaliser, but instead of it being a penalty, this time it was centre-back Semi Ajayi heading home.

Find out how a world-record-holding freestyler got on with the worst football in the world in the video below…

Huddersfield have only recently appointed a new manager in Danny Cowley and his first game in charge ended in defeat at the hands of local rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

He’s now had more time with his squad and will undoubtedly be expecting a better performance.

So, will Bilic make any changes at the Hawthorns?

One dilemma he faces is at left-back as usual choice Kieran Gibbs returns from injury – the 29-year-old had started five games before then.

However, young Nathan Ferguson has been playing so well in that role he may well keep it – against Fulham he recorded a 7.16 rating by WhoScored.

That would mean Darnell Furlong keeps his place at right-back with the rest of the defence remaining the same.

In midfield, it’s highly unlikely that either Romaine Sawyers or Jake Livermore lose their spots as they have started every single Championship game this term.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Loan star Matheus Pereira is proving to be an interesting choice in the number ten role having knocked Filip Krovinovic out of the starting lineup – he recorded two assists against Blackburn in his first start of the season.

Matty Phillips and Charlie Austin should retain their positions while there could be a change on the left after Kyle Edwards’ impact against Fulham.

The academy graduate came on in the second half, taking the armband from Livermore and he certainly earned his plaudits from the Baggies faithful.

He could replace West Ham loanee Grady Diangana after an uninspiring performance in the same game, rating out at a lowly 6.24.

AC Milan have identified Taison and Rodrigo De Paul, of Shakhtar Donetsk and Udinese respectively, as targets for the January transfer window, as reported by Calciomercato.

With the club having got just six points from five matches, it seems as though they are already looking for new personnel who can come in and help them get back to the league’s higher echelons.

31-year-old Taison has scored three goals in his first seven Ukrainian Premier League games of the season, as per WhoScored.

What could be more intriguing for Milan is his European record, as the Brazilian has played in the Champions League or Europa League every season since the 2012/13 campaign, totalling 60 games across the two competitions, with 11 goals and 11 assists.

25-year-old Argentinian midfielder De Paul has started 2 Serie A games and come off the bench 1 time for Udinese this season, getting 1 assist and a red card.

He has shown himself to be effective on the ball, averaging 2.3 key passes, 1.3 dribbles and 1.7 crosses per game, while completing 80.6% of his attempted passes.

Milan have only managed to score three goals in their first five games of the league campaign, so it is understandable that they are looking to sign players who can help them get the ball in the back of the net.

These two players, in particular, should be able to help in that respect if they are recruited in January whether that is through scoring the goals or creating chances.

Milan fans, would you like to see Taison and De Paul signed? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Salomon Rondon was on the scoresheet as Newcastle United recorded a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The goal was Rondon’s seventh in the league this season and there is no question that he has been a success since arriving on loan from West Bromwich Albion.

The Magpies will be keen to sign the 29-year-old on a permanent deal at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

However, they will surely not be the only ones, with Rondon proving this season – and indeed last – that he is capable of operating at this level of football.

Rondon took to social media in the aftermath of the Huddersfield result, which led to a number of Newcastle fans lavishing praise on the forward.

Indeed, many urged the South American to join the club on a permanent deal at the end of the campaign, whilst others simply hailed the summer arrival.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

There wasn’t much Roy Hodgson could’ve done amidst a first-half Tottenham onslaught on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men just kept coming, attacking the Crystal Palace backline at will and scoring at almost every given opportunity for the first 45 minutes, going into the dressing room 4-0 up at the break.

The former England manager isn’t known for his wise use of substitutions – the best way to back that up is by reading The Times’ article from last year on Hodgson’s ill-advised use of his bench.

Given that nugget of information, you wouldn’t have expected the 72-year-old to make a shrewd first-half substitution to try and change things – as a result of that, he should have made a slight change to his starting XI instead in an attempt to help his side get up the pitch.

Who should’ve started?

It would have been harsh to drop Jordan Ayew given his form of late – the Ghanaian had two goals in two before the trip to Spurs – so he deserved to start.

One man who perhaps should have dropped out of the eleven, however, was Andros Townsend. The England international had started the last two games prior to Saturday’s match on the bench, and only made his way into the XI after an injury to James McArthur.

Townsend didn’t have a single shot on goal, nor did he complete a key pass in his 84 minutes on the field, while he also had four unsuccessful touches.

In stark contrast, Belgium international Benteke played the last 20 minutes and made an impact, taking two shots, making two key passes and winning two aerial duels.

How would Benteke have helped out from the start?

It is that last statistic that would’ve helped ease the pressure on the south Londoners. Benteke is no stranger to winning an aerial duel or two – he is currently 11th in the league for aerials won, per WhoScored – and with Palace struggling to find a way out of Spurs’ relentless attacking play, a target man to hit would’ve been helpful.

Ayew has been excellent of late, but he is no player of the sort and struggled to hold the ball up and get it to a teammate against Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld – he won six aerial duels in fairness, but there weren’t enough of his fellow Palace players around him.

Benteke’s aerial presence alongside the Ghanaian would have helped the likes of Gary Cahill and Mamadou Sakho play the ball out without inviting pressure onto the midfielders, and it would also have made life easier for Wilfried Zaha in terms of getting into the game via the forward’s knock-downs.

Ayew is much better suited to life under Hodgson in a system less focused on crossing the ball, but forgetting goalscoring for a second, Benteke should have started ahead of Townsend purely for pressure-relieving reasons.

Arsenal have been handed a late boost in their bid to sign Yves Bissouma this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

The Gunners were linked with a move for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder earlier this month by The Sunday Mirror (09/01, p71), whilst they have seemingly held a long-term interest in signing him.

Now, according to The Times, the Seagulls are prepared to let him go before Monday night’s deadline for a fee of £50m.

Arsenal have missed out on some key midfield targets this window, including Arthur Melo, whose potential loan move from Juventus fell through, and Bruno Guimaraes, who is set to join top-flight rivals Newcastle United.

Arteta needs him

A new central midfielder must be among the many priorities around the Emirates Stadium but time is quickly running out, which is why a move for a player already based in the Premier League makes the world of sense.

Brighton have made their willingness to conduct business very clear, so the door has opened for Edu Gaspar and his recruitment staff to strike. It would be unforgivable not to.

The Gunners have offloaded as many as five players this month already, all without making a single signing, leaving Arteta light on options in the engine room.

It doesn’t help that Thomas Partey and Mo Elneny have been away on international duty but even with them around, there’s a serious lack of depth in midfield.

Bissouma has already proven his credentials in England and would be a fine addition indeed.

As per WhoScored, he’s averaging a whopping 3.6 tackles per game, which sees him top the entire division in this regard, whilst also managing 1.9 interceptions and 1.7 dribbles per outing, too.

He’s evidently an absolute beast in the heart of the pitch, one capable of not only winning the ball back but also driving it forward into the final third. Perhaps exactly what Arsenal are missing.

Former Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie once said: “I did a chat with myself and Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday a few weeks ago talking about Bissouma, and we highlighted what he actually does. I mean, his stats are absolutely phenomenal, the way he breaks the game up, his forward play.”

By comparison, the erroneous Granit Xhaka – who plays a similar role in north London – averages a lower 1.7 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 0.4 dribbles per match, via WhoScored.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old Mali international has been described as a “wonderful talent” and likened to Yaya Toure in terms of playing style.

Arteta could really do with Bissouma before tomorrow night’s deadline, so it will certainly be an interesting final 24 hours or so.

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Reliable journo drops huge transfer claim as Arsenal make Prem star their no.1 target…

A major update has emerged on Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos regarding his lack of involvement in his country’s World Cup qualifier.

What’s the latest?

Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra has revealed that the striker suffered a setback with a muscle injury and stated that the 25-year-old would miss his nation’s clash with Bolivia.

The Gers hitman was absent from the squad as Colombia won 3-0 in their crunch encounter, and it remains to be seen how long the attacker will be sidelined.

Sierra tweeted: “Alfredo Morelos will not be taken into account today in the Colombia National Team by Reinaldo Rueda to face Bolivia. The Rangers striker has muscle overload.”

Devastation

This news will come as a huge setback for Gio van Bronckhorst ahead of the Old Firm match in the Premiership next week. The head coach will be devastated, as losing Morelos would be a major blow to his team heading into what could be their biggest game of the season.

Rangers are currently three points behind Celtic in the table, so a win would send them level on points with their rivals heading into the final weeks of the campaign. On the other side of the coin, though, a win for the Hoops would extend the gap to six points and put the Gers’ title hopes in major doubt.

This is why it is crucial that the Light Blues have as many of their top players available for the match against Ange Postecoglou’s side as possible. Morelos’ absence would be devastating for the club and Van Bronckhorst, as the last meeting between the two teams proved.

Kemar Roofe started in the Colombian’s place as he missed the 3-0 defeat in early February. As per SofaScore, the former Leeds man lost seven of his 10 individual duels (70%) and failed to create a single chance or take a shot in his 90 minutes on the pitch at Parkhead.

Van Bronckhorst will therefore be devastated if he is forced to call upon the Englishman again. Morelos has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 25 league outings whilst averaging a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.32 – showing that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at this level and outlining why this injury is a major blow to the Glasgow giants.

Rangers will now be sweating over the 25-year-old’s availability and wondering whether or not he will be fully fit to face the Hoops at Ibrox next weekend.

AND in other news, Forget Morelos: “Beautiful” gem who’s “unplayable” could fire Rangers to the title…

Manchester United have not made much progress so far in their winter transfer window, despite many players being linked to the club over the first two weeks, but Ralf Rangnick could be set to make his first star signing as manager at Old Trafford.

Rangnick’s side have been struggling to get results in the Premier League since the new year began, with a defeat at home in their first game of the year against Wolves, and drawing in their second league game of 2022 with Aston Villa after losing a two-goal lead on Saturday evening.

These results and a clear lack of determination to see games out will only put more pressure on the interim manager to make signings who can make a positive impact and offer the side the quality they need to climb into the top four as they compete with West Ham United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur for a Champions League qualifying place.

One player that could save Rangnick’s six months in charge at Old Trafford, is Ousmane Dembele who was hailed “better than Mbappe” by Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, recently.

The 24-year-old forward has not been playing a lot for the La Liga giants with only six appearances in the league this season so far due to a knee injury, and has been linked with a move to Manchester United this week, with the £287k-per-week gem out of contract in the summer, so a cut-price deal could be available if Rangnick feels it would be worth stepping up on the signings this month.

Dembele has a fantastic goal involvement record at Barcelona, despite only playing 58 minutes on average per game for the club so far, with a goal or assist every 141 minutes according to Transfermarkt.

Someone with consistent output would be a great addition to the Manchester United forward line, with the creative possibilities endless for the French attacker if he was to play alongside the second-highest goalscorer in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fans would also love to see Dembele add attacking depth at Old Trafford, with one fan even tweeting:

“What is the solution to make Man United a great club? Sign Dembele.”

Rangnick will be looking to find a way to get the fans back on side after some turned on the manager after the Aston Villa game on Saturday evening, so signing a star offensive player like Dembele could be a good way to get back in the good books of the fanbase for the German coach.

In other news: Rangnick has fee agreed for Amadou Haidara