Leeds United have welcomed a number of exciting talents to Elland Road during Victor Orta’s tenure as the club’s director of football, with Joe Gelhadrt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Darko Gyabi, Sonny Perkins and Mateo Joseph – amongst others – all arriving in LS11 over the last three years.
However, while a number of these players are either already a regular part of Jesse Marsch’s first team squad or catching the eye in Michael Skubala’s U21 side, there is one youngster Orta brought into the club who has arguably been of the Whites’ best signings in recent memory – Illan Meslier.
Indeed, after impressing during a season-long loan spell back in 2019/20, Leeds paid FC Lorient just £5m to make the goalkeeper’s temporary switch a permanent move in the summer of 2020 – with the 22-year-old having more than proved worth at least ten times this outlay in the time since.
Indeed, the £35m-rated shot-stopper highly impressed over his first two seasons in the top flight, making an average of 4.0 and 3.8 saves per game in 20/21 and 21/22 respectively – the second-most and most of any ‘keeper each season – as well as averaging SofaScore match ratings of 7.13 and 6.87 – ranking him as Leeds’ third-best and sixth-best performer in each respective campaign.
It has been a similar case over the £22k-per-week talent’s seven Premier League appearances so far this season, having kept two clean sheets and made an average of 3.3 saves – at a success rate of 70% – per game, with these metrics seeing the France U21 international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.93 – ranking him as the Whites’ sixth-best player in the league.
And, following the youngster’s show-stopping display in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, former Leeds defender Matthew Kilgallon stated his belief that Meslier is now one of the leading goalkeepers in the top flight in one-on-one situations.
In comments cited by The Yorkshire Post, the 38-year-old said:
“He came out waving a few times, didn’t he? But do you know what I like about him, he’ll come out again. And he did, and he caught one in the second half. That’s what I like about him. You can tell he’s a confident lad. His one-on-one saves, he’s probably the best in the league, in my opinion.”
As such, considering his extraordinary development over the past two years, in addition to the fact that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are reported to be interested in the goalkeeper, it is clear to see that Orta very much hit the jackpot on the “unreal” – in the words of Graham Smyth – Meslier.
Lucas Digne has proven to be an underwhelming addition at Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard should consider replacing him with academy prospect Ben Chrisene at the earliest opportunity.
Digne made the move to Villa Park from Everton in January but has struggled for consistency during his time with the Midlands club, contributing just one goal and four assists in 24 appearances.
The France international has failed to contribute a single goal or assist in his seven Premier League appearances this season, with WhoScored awarding him a disappointing 6.56 rating for his performances in the top flight.
Considering Digne is one of the top earners at Villa Park, reportedly receiving £163k-per-week, on top of his £25m fee, it is safe to say that the move has been a disappointing and expensive one thus far.
Gerrard’s side have kept just two clean sheets so far this season, which also suggests that Digne isn’t doing his job defensively, and a change might be needed if the Villans are going to realise their European ambitions in the next few seasons.
Fortunately, Chrisene could be the ideal replacement for Digne if the former PSG man continues to struggle for form, as the teenager continues to impress out on loan.
Birmingham Live reporter Ashley Preece shared his views on the former Exeter City man in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, suggesting that Gerrard is a huge fan of the left-back.
He said: “Gerrard raves about him. He’s come on leaps and bounds. He was part of the Villa first team for their tour in Australia in the summer.
“Villa think really highly of him and I think that loan move up to Kilmarnock, in the Scottish Premiership, will do him the world of good. He has already made a big impact up there and I thought he would anyway.”
[freshpress-quiz id=“659225”]
Chrisene looks to be a far more defensively sound left-back than Digne, as WhoScored suggests that he excels at aerial duels, interceptions and tackling.
He has also averaged more tackles (2.5 vs 2.3) and interceptions (1.5 vs 1.4) per game than the Frenchman so far this season, while is also dribbled past less (0.5 vs 0.9) which suggests that the 18-year-old deserves a chance to show what he can do as Villa’s starting left-back when he returns from Kilmarnock.
Liverpool headed to Ibrox on Wednesday night following another setback in the Premier League against Arsenal at the weekend, and Jurgen Klopp will be relieved to see that his team still has some of its magic in their Champions League performance against Rangers.
The Reds delivered their Scottish hosts an absolute thrashing, ending the night as 7-1 winners with many moments of magic along the way, although it was a worrying start for the team when the Gers went 1-0 up in the 17th minute.
Despite the early goal from Scott Arfield, Liverpool dominated with 57% possession, more shots on goal (20 v 7), more big chances created (5 v 2) and a better passing accuracy rate (80% v 69%) on the night.
Liverpool are famous for their Champions League comebacks and last night was no exception, with Roberto Firmino finding the equaliser to Arfield’s opener within seven minutes to level the scores quickly, and the goals just kept coming for Klopp’s team in the second half.
Firmino found the net again in the 55th minute to make it 2-1, followed up by a third goal from summer signing Darwin Nunez just 11 minutes later. Three Mohammed Salah stunners in quick succession secured his hat trick just 13 minutes after he came off the bench, with the result capped off by Harvey Elliott in the 87th minute.
Indeed it was a record-breaking night for one player in particular as Salah became the fastest hat-trick scorer in Champions League history and smashed the record for the most goals scored playing for a single Premier League club in the prestigious European competition.
However, one player who has turned up time and time again this season and was Klopp’s hero in inspiring the team to victory last night was Brazilian number nine Firmino.
The 31-year-old, who was hailed as the Reds’ “real leader” by journalist Henry Winter, scored two goals, delivered one assist and made three key passes, while also winning 75% of his duels and making 52 touches, one tackle and one interception in his exemplary 73-minute performance.
Firmino has been a shining light for Liverpool in some of the darkest times during Klopp’s tenure this season, and has continued to show up when it has mattered most despite his team looking lacklustre and error-prone in the Premier League.
The Liverpool forward has scored six goals and delivered three assists in seven top-flight outings so far this term, with a goal contribution every 51 minutes which is extremely impressive and begs the big question about his future at Anfield.
Firmino is set to be out of contract in June 2023 and will be able to negotiate a deal with foreign clubs in January, but when you consider his impeccable form and perceived happiness to contribute from the bench when he is needed, it seems that Liverpool could be set to lose an invaluable asset in the team.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if the talented attacker’s form continues into the months ahead. If it does, the powerbrokers at the club must surely find a way to retain his services for longer.
Sport Witness journalist Sean Lunt was left criticising Alex Iwobi for his role in the lead-up to the penalty given against Everton on Saturday evening.
The Lowdown: Game thrown away
The Toffees threw the game away when Jordan Pickford made an error by fumbling the ball, which led to him being adjudged to have taken down Harry Kane in the penalty box, before the England captain tucked away the spot kick to give Tottenham the lead in the second half.
The visitors missed two big chances in the first half through Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana, and ultimately paid the price as Tottenham Hotspur ran out 2-0 winners in the end thanks to a late strike from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
The Latest: Iwobi criticised
Taking to Twitter, Lunt was highly critical of Iwobi in the build-up to the penalty being given, claiming that the Everton forward made a ‘lack of effort’ to block the original cross coming in and saying that the Nigerian looked ‘completely uninterested’ all evening.
The journalist stated: “Alex Iwobi is completely uninterested in this game. The lack of effort to block the original cross before the penalty decision was shocking.”
Iwobi did look out of sorts compared to his previous impressive performances this season, during which he has been rewarded with talks over a new and improved contract at Everton.
The Nigeria international lost out on three of his duels against Spurs and also made no clearances or interceptions, giving the ball away unnecessarily on five separate occasions (SofaScore).
The Toffees will be hoping that he can bounce back quickly from this unusual slump ahead of their next match away to Newcastle United in midweek.
Mikel Arteta is finally beginning to see the fruits of his labours as Arsenal manager, especially with his dealings in the transfer market.
This summer, the Spaniard signed Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, and Marquinhos as he not only plays for short-term success but the longer-term future of the club.
This could be the start of something wonderful at the Emirates, and it was a decision that Arteta made last summer that may have been the catalyst behind the side’s form…
Arteta played a blinder by selling Joe Willock
Arsenal signed Martin Odegaard on loan from Real Madrid in January 2021 and following an impressive spell, Arteta wanted to make the move permanent that summer.
Due to the club’s financial situation, however, it looked likely that the manager would have to sell in order to raise funds to purchase the Norwegian.
With academy graduate Joe Willock having spent the second half of the 2020/2021 season on loan at Newcastle United when a £25m bid arrived, it was almost a no-brainer for Arteta.
Going by the evidence, Arteta looks to have played a blinder on the player who was once dubbed “limitless” by journalist Simon Collings.
Last season, Odegaard had 11 goal contributions (seven goals and four assists) while Willock only scored twice, somewhat proving that Arsenal made the correct choice selling the Englishman to raise funds for the Madrid man.
The Norwegian was more efficient when it came to generating shot-creating actions (4.33 to 2.03 per 90), pass completion rate (84.8% to 80.7%), and even successful pressures (26.8% to 22.2%).
Odegaard has continued to shine this season, already grabbing five goal contributions in just ten Premier League matches, three more than Willock, who has played a game more.
The Arsenal player also has a much greater dribble success rate this season (76%) compared to Willock (31%) and it appears the move to Newcastle isn’t doing much for the 23-year-olds development.
Although it may not have sounded like it at the time, the two corresponding transfers have allowed Arteta to build his team around Odegaard and this has been key to their impressive start this season.
Long may it continue for the club and Arteta will be happy that he made the decision to sell Willock in order to bring someone more talented to Arsenal.
Everton once had a talent, and his name was Ross Barkley. He was the very embodiment of Goodison Park, a homegrown hero with quality to fit.
Barkley has led a wandering career with plenty of peaks and valleys, but his time on Merseyside will always be remembered fondly, even if he did leave to join Premier League rivals Chelsea in a deal worth £15m plus add-ons.
Ross Barkley: Senior Career by Club
Club
Apps
Goals
Assists
Everton
179
27
25
Chelsea
100
12
11
Luton Town
37
5
6
Aston Villa
36
4
2
OGC Nice
28
4
2
Sheffield Wednesday
13
4
0
Leeds United
4
0
1
Stats via Transfermarkt
So began the interminable years of inconsistency and fallen expectations. The England international’s move to Stamford Bridge did not go to plan, but he left in 2022 to try his hand in France with OGC Nice, before moving back to his homeland and making quite the impression with newly-promoted Luton Town.
So began the resurgence.
Ross Barkley's return to English football
Luton might have fallen straight back into the second tier last season but they gave a very good account of themselves, and Barkley was the centrepiece, even said to be “not far off player of the season” by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson.
Luton midfielder Ross Barkley
He started 30 Premier League fixtures for the Hatters and made quite the impression, with his metrics highlighting the robust and dynamic nature of the craft.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, Barkley averaged 1.5 tackles, 2.1 dribbles, 6.3 ball recoveries 6.1 successful duels and 1.4 key passes per game.
Looking at his performance level from another angle, the nomadic player also ranked among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 16% for assists, the top 15% for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
Now, the 30-year-old is back at Villa Park, and this time for good. An industrious and multi-faceted midfield star, he’d be just what Sean Dyche’s side need at present, battling as they are against relegation.
Oh, how Everton must wish they could have enticed him back to his home city, and how they must regret failing to nurture the perfect successor, with Kieran Dowell looking like the next version of Barkley at one stage.
Everton fumbled their next version of Ross Barkley
Everton have suffered their fair share of transfer mishaps over the years, but efforts were exhausted in eking out Dowell’s talents and sadly, he simply wasn’t able to bring about the requisite level for a nailed-down role in the Merseysiders’ first-team squad.
Rangers midfielder Kieran Dowell.
Now plying his trade for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, the 27-year-old Dowell has enjoyed a good career; he hasn’t fallen by the wayside. Still, success at Everton was not something that he achieved, even though the attacking midfielder had once been viewed among the club’s prized talents.
Dowell joined Everton in 2005 when he was a youth seeking to go beyond that nascent level of football and realise a dream carried by incalculable children across the globe.
And he succeeded in reaching the top, breaking into Everton’s senior system and starring during pre-season preparations, learning across several loan spells designed to inculcate within him the many facets needed to become a first-class player.
Dowell actually played five competitive matches for the Toffees, though this does stand as the fewest appearances for any side that he has performed for across the duration of his career so far.
His ability to collect and turn, weave into space and rifle a strike beyond a hopeless goalkeeper had led to a measure of fanfare, with his short-term stint with Nottingham Forest across the 2017/18 campaign particularly eye-catching, as was the strike you can see just above.
This expectation was heightened – though, in hindsight, more apt wording would be ‘compounded’ – through previous claims, via talkSPORT in this instance, that Dowell was set to be Everton’s latest version of Barkley, for they operated across similar parameters and both carried dribbling prowess and excellent ball-shooting skills.
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Such potential was echoed through former Tricky Trees boss Aitor Karanka, who said that he was “sure that he will be an amazing player in the future because he has everything. He is powerful, he has technique, he is a good kid.”
Former Everton prospect Keiran Dowell
Indeed, Dowell’s successful stint with Forest proved to be his most productive, which is hardly beneficial when considering it was the first of four terms away with other sides.
In 2020, having stepped out of the maiden stage of his career, it was patent that Dowell was not going to find a role of any significance at Goodison Park, and so he was sold to Norwich City in a deal worth only £1.5m.
This was two-and-a-half years after Barkley had left for Chelsea, and so Dowell truly had plenty of time to prove himself worthy as the Blues home hero’s successor.
For a player who was tipped to follow Barkley and Rooney to the limelight at Everton, Dowell must look back on his time with the club ruefully. The ability was certainly there, but perhaps he was a fortune of the chequered fortunes that can breed from numerous loan spells that make it difficult at a young age to form a flowing line of consistency.
Presently, Everton await the next top-talented forward to emerge from their academy. It could have been Dowell, but ultimately, it’s one that fans will have turned their emotions away from for much time by now.
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Liverpool weren't at their best – they were far from it in fact – but Jurgen Klopp's side emerged from Bramall Lane with three points against Sheffield United.
So often over the past year or so, the Reds have produced under-par performances against the ostensible lower sides in the Premier League – more than a few times failing to produce a winning display.
But last night, the Reds showcased their rekindled title credentials and maintained pursuit of first-placed Arsenal, who enjoy a two-point cushion after 15 matches. While it was not the most cohesive and high-octane of outings for the visitors, there were several standout showings, with Virgil van Dijk leading by example.
Virgil van Dijk's performance in numbers
Appointed captain in the summer following the exits of Jordan Henderson and James Milner, Van Dijk has been exceptional this season after struggling as Liverpool languished last year.
Virgil van Dijk vs Sheffield United
Statistic
#
Minutes played
90'
Goals
1
Touches
99
Pass completion
92%
Tackles
2
Clearances
4
Interceptions
1
Duel success
6/8 (75%)
*Sourced via Sofascore
As the statistics show, the 32-year-old was as crisp as ever against the Blades and rebuffed danger whenever it drew near; the fact that Ibrahima Konate contested 24 duels, winning 20, as opposed to Van Dijk's eight illuminates the opposition's strategy of probing for openings away from his realm.
With Manchester City falling to defeat against Aston Villa, Liverpool are starting to unearth an almost tangible pathway to the Premier League title, and with their captain producing such mighty performances in the rearguard, this really could be realised.
In his post-match ratings, the Liverpool Echo's Paul Joyce was in awe and handed the 6 foot 4 titan and wrote: 'Superb defending stopped one Archer raid and emphatic first-time finish for the first goal. Marshalled the backline with a real captain’s showing.'
He wasn't the only player to shine, with Trent Alexander-Arnold seemingly gliding into the next phase of his career and doing so with string-pulling brilliance.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was "sublime" at Bramall Lane
Alexander-Arnold has been utterly mesmerising of late, really growing into the role of Liverpool's centrepiece, transcending the right-back typecast and emerging as something greater. Something ineffable.
Across his past four matches across all competitions, the 25-year-old has posted two goals and assists apiece, and he contributed to that tally last night after setting up the sole goal of the affair.
Playing the full 90, Alexander-Arnold's pinpoint delivery from the corner spot allowed Van Dijk to coolly breach Wes Foderingham's goal, also making two interceptions, a clearance and a tackle.
While the dynamic £180k-per-week star was dribbled past four times – perhaps the crux of his weakness – he remarkably took 115 touches and created seven key passes – for reference, Kevin De Bruyne averaged 3.1 key passes per game in the Premier League last season.
Joyce gave him an 8/10 match score, writing: 'Began to find his passing range and whipped in fine corner for the opener. By some distance Liverpool’s most creative force.'
Alexander-Arnold's willingness to serve as the fulcrum of his side's flow – and indeed his teammates' desire for him to take centre stage – is a testament to his unparalleled ability to manufacture openings from nothing.
In clashes such as the 1-0 win at Bramall Lane, when Liverpool are not quite clicking, Alexander-Arnold can conjure up moments of magic in an instant, and as Liverpool chase down the title, he will be right there, making the difference.
Crystal Palace host Southampton at Selhurst Park this afternoon and Patrick Vieira will be hoping that his team can show some resilience after losing 3-0 to Everton last weekend.
The Eagles are currently 13th in the Premier League table and are now four points clear of the relegation zone, which will be a huge relief for their manager as a win today could take them as high as ninth depending on the results around them this weekend.
Southampton are unbeaten in their last three but a trip to south London could spell an end to their successful run, as Vieira’s side will be desperate to perform in front of their home support this afternoon following the humiliating defeat at Goodison Park.
In terms of injuries, Nathaniel Clyne, Jack Butland, James McArthur, Chris Richards and Nathan Ferguson all remain ruled out for this clash.
However, Cheick Doucoure returns from suspension, which will be a huge boost for Palace in the middle of the park.
With that in mind, this is how Football Fancast expects Crystal Palace to line up against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this afternoon…
We expect to see just two changes to the team which lost to Everton last weekend, with the manager opting for a 4-3-3 formation.
The first change we predict is Doucoure reprising his role in the midfield three following his return to action after being sidelined due to suspension against the Toffees, with Luka Milivojevic dropping out.
We expect to see him joined by Jeffrey Schlupp in our second predicted change to the team, completing a midfield three alongside the returning Doucoure and mainstay Eberechi Eze.
To accommodate the inclusion of the two midfielders, we believe that Jordan Ayew will be the player who loses his spot in the starting XI as Vieira sacrifices a forward to reshape his team.
The 31-year-old, who was dubbed a “wrecking ball” by journalist Ed Aarons, will likely make way for a front three of Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Odsonne Edouard. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the hard-working Ghanaian attacker make an appearance if Palace aren’t dominating in the first half.
Whilst the midfield and attack will be refreshed slightly, the defensive setup will remain the same, with Joel Ward, Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi and Tyrick Mitchell all keeping their places in front of Vincente Guaita in goal.
Victory today would put Vieira’s side in an even more comfortable position in the Premier League ahead of the World Cup break next month, and with just three more opportunities to pick up points ahead of the second half of the season, this feel like a must-win for the Eagles.
Arsenal finished top of their Europa League group by defeating FC Zurich in what was a far more tense evening than anyone predicted beforehand.
Topping the group and skipping an entire knockout round was a welcome reward for the narrow victory, but Mikel Arteta’s men had to work for it as they came out with a 1-0 victory.
A stunning strike from Kieran Tierney in the first half proved to be enough to secure the win, although Arteta admitted “we were a bit leggy” as a nervy final 15 minutes threatened to ruin their evening.
There were a few below-par performances on the night, with Gabriel Jesus completing just 16 passes, while Ben White lost possession 16 times during his 73-minute spell.
For Albert Sambi Lokonga, it was perhaps a night to forget. The 23-year-old was making his sixth straight appearance in the Europa League this season and was pushed into a slightly more advanced position against Zurich.
Although the stats suggest he had a solid evening, achieving a ranking of 7.2/10 via SofaScore and winning 100% of his total duels, it appeared that he struggled to impose himself last night, and that wasn’t the first time this has happened in Europe this season.
Last week, journalist Mark Mann-Bryans stated that “Lokonga nowhere near Partey levels” while Tom Marshall-Bailey claimed the player is “in need of a loan right now if he’s to fulfil his potential” suggesting that he is nowhere near the levels required to be playing at this level.
This poor form obviously carried through into this week, with journalist Buchi Laba, expressing his disappointment at Lokonga’s performance, saying: “They said Lokonga is played out of position as a DM. He’s pushed forward and he’s more confused and lost.”
During the 90 minutes, the Belgian played just 25 passes while losing possession five times and taking just 41 touches, showing that he didn’t get on the ball as often as he should have and shirked away from any responsibility – not what you need from your central creative hub.
With Arteta rotating his squad for the European matches, it was a chance for the likes of Lokonga to impress and show the manager that he should be playing more regularly in the Premier League.
Yet, last night’s display will give the Spaniard more questions than answers.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Bryan Gil has been backed to leave the north London club and return to Spain.
The Lowdown: Gil’s time at Spurs
After arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Sevilla in the summer of 2021, the 21-year-old has already spent time away from the Premier League club, having joined Valencia on loan for the second half of last season.
This season has seen the Spaniard make just six appearances for Antonio Conte’s side across all competitions, all of which have seen him come off the bench.
With the January transfer window fast approaching following the conclusion of the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, Gil has now been backed to make another move away from the Lilywhites.
The Latest: Gil backed for Spurs exit
Speaking to Football Insider, former Spurs defender Alan Hutton asked if Gil could be better suited playing in one of England’s lower leagues.
The Scot replied: “His skill level is way up there, but his physicality is not there for the Championship. I have had to play there before. Everybody is 110 per cent committed, they are physical.
“If you are looking at going back to Spain, these types of things where his profile fits in so much better. He is technically gifted, he gets that time on the ball and makes things happen.
“He is probably looking to go back home, a team like Valencia that would suit his talents.”
Given the lack of regular playing time that the £40k-per-week youngster has had at Spurs so far this season, a potential move away from north London in January to somewhere he’d be able to play consistently would appear to be the best option for him.
In terms of where that could be, if Spurs want to get the midfielder more suited to the English game, perhaps a move to a different club in this country would be the best way for him to do that and adapt accordingly, rather than going back to a league in his homeland where he is already comfortable.
It seems that January will once again be an important time for Gil and what his next step could be, whether or not that involves being a part of Conte’s squad.