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Arsenal survived a scare to book their place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup following a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.

The win secures a semi-final tie against Newcastle United with the second leg at St James’s Park, a venue where Arsenal have already lost at this season.

The match was a memorable one for Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, who fired a second-half hat-trick to take his tally to four goals this season, all incidentally in the EFL Cup. The performance has given Mikel Arteta a selection headache ahead of the Premier League trip to Selhurst Park. Does Jesus deserve to start over Kai Havertz, who has been struggling for goals of late?

However, there was one performance in Arsenal’s quarter-final victory that has led to many fans and pundits alike calling for the player to be dropped for the league trip to Palace after putting on a 5/10 show and making a mistake that allowed Jean-Philipe Mateta to open the scoring early on.

The Arsenal star who must now be dropped

Jakub Kiwior came under fire for his performance against Crystal Palace, with Phil Costa on X claiming the Polish international “isn’t good enough” for this Arsenal side.

Kiwior missed a header in the early stages of the game, which led to striker Mateta firing Palace ahead and Arsenal subsequently chasing the game.

Kiwior has made 14 appearances for the Gunners this season across all competitions but has yet to really establish himself as a key player since his arrival from Spezia in January 2023.

Kiwior has only won 52% of his defensive actions so far this campaign and with Arsenal competing for honours on all four fronts, Arteta can ill-afford to have any passengers on their prospective journey to glory.

Blocked shots

0

Interceptions

0

Tackles

0

Dribbled past

1

Errors leading to goal

1

Ground duels won

50%

Possession lost

3

The Poland defender did not make a single interception, block or tackle all game and made a glaring error that led to Crystal Palace opening the scoring. On the ball, Kiwior was also below par, having lost possession three times and won only 50% of ground duels during the match.

The performance will certainly have boss Arteta thinking about recalling a stalwart of Arsenal’s defence this season for the next crunch Premier League fixture.

The Arsenal star who should replace Kiwior in the starting lineup

Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes has been outstanding for Arsenal this season, scoring three goals in 14 appearances and forming a formidable partnership with fellow centre-back William Saliba.

Gabriel recently missed three games with a knee injury but it seems Arsenal are desperate for him to be back to full fitness and back in the starting eleven as he is a significant upgrade on Kiwior in a number of key defensive metrics.

Goals

3

0

Tackles

11

4

Blocks

26

5

Interceptions

7

1

Aerials won

25

5

Pass completion

89.4%

84%

Progressive passes

4.27

2.22

Gabriel leads the way over Kiwior in the number of tackles of won, number of blocks made and number of interceptions completed. It is no surprise that Gabriel also has won significantly more aerial duels than his Polish colleague.

Furthermore, Gabriel has shown his threat from set-pieces this season, already powering three goals and has helped to build Arsenal attacks from the back with a higher pass completion and more progressive passes through the lines.

Chalkboard

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

It is clear to Arteta and Arsenal fans alike that the Gunners can afford no more slip-ups if they are to win their first title in over 20 years – Gabriel returning to the side against Crystal Palace could go a long way to ensuring that doesn’t happen.

Shades of Bergkamp: Arsenal target "magical" Odegaard upgrade in £40m star

The sensational talent would be an incredible addition to the Arsenal squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 20, 2024

The Bangladesh coach criticised the batting collapses and bowlers’ lines, saying it was ‘never a 500-run wicket’

Mohammad Isam27-May-2022Bangladesh missed a lot of their key bowlers but it was the batters, who made life hard after the top-order collapsed twice, according to coach Russell Domingo. Bangladesh went down to Sri Lanka by ten wickets in the second Test, their third successive loss at Shere Bangla National Stadium, in Mirpur, a ground considered their fortress.Domingo said that the fast bowlers provided far too many deliveries on middle and leg, allowing the Sri Lankan batters to settle down for long. He rued missing out on the bowling attack that was part of the historic Mount Maunganui Test at the start of 2022, with Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz out due to injuries. Shoriful Islam too was ruled out of the second Test, after fracturing his hand in Chattogram.”In my career as a coach, I have never seen that many runs being scored between midwicket and fine leg. They bowled far too straight, far too many easy balls to score off. I didn’t think it was a 500-run wicket. We probably didn’t bowl as well as we should. We didn’t put them under enough pressure. Those are the small swings that change games,” Domingo said at the end of the second Test.”We won a Test in New Zealand with Ebadot, Shoriful, Taskin and Miraz. In this Test, we have only had Ebadot. It is a totally new bowling attack (compared) to the one we had in a win.”Related

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Kasun Rajitha and Asitha Fernando, Sri Lanka's unlikely new-ball pair, show their mettle

Crafty Shakib Al Hasan conjures a bit of old magic and inspiration

Shakib: 'We are physically fit, but mentally behind'

Bangladesh also missed Nayeem Hasan’s services in Mirpur, after he too got injured in the Chattogram Test. They picked Mosaddek Hossain in his place, which boomeranged after the batting allrounder couldn’t contribute with bat or ball. Domingo said that Mosaddek was expected to bowl at least 15 overs a day, but he fell short.”Mosaddek played because we needed someone who could bowl as a fifth option. We thought he could bowl 15 overs a day. I am always reluctant to bowl with four bowlers.”It hurt us here again as Mosaddek didn’t bowl as well we’d hope he’d bowl. We thought he could do Miraz’s job with the ball. Miraz was a big loss – he bowls a lot of overs, he picks up wickets, and bats,” he said.But the slide started with the batters, who slipped to 24 for 5 on the first morning, and 23 for 4 on the fourth evening. Domingo said that they have to change things around to get better results.”We have to do something different, whether it is to change the order around. We can look at one or two things. You won’t win Tests from 24 for 5 and 23 for 4 in both innings. We have to change something. It has happened too many times in the last 6-8 months.”We are getting in good positions, and then we have a bad session. We are competing for four days and then have such a bad session that there’s no way back. I am sure it is equally frustrating for the players. They are fighting back, but getting behind the game at certain stages,” Domingo asserted.Bangladesh are also struggling due to Mominul Haque’s loss of form. Mominul has now had seven consecutive single-digit scores in Tests, but Domingo backed the Bangladesh captain, repeating what is the general consensus, that he is one big knock away from coming back to form.”There’s no doubt he is feeling the pressure and expectations. The Test captain is always under scrutiny in Bangladesh where the team hasn’t done well in the last 10 to 15 years. No matter how tough and brave you are, it will wear you down.”He is a tough man and a fantastic player. I am backing him to come good at some stage. He probably needs to take a step back in the next week, to think fresh and reassess where he is with his cricket at the moment,” said Domingo.The bigger surprise was how Bangladesh, despite batting first, couldn’t quite crack through the Dhaka pitch, which was a surprisingly sporting one. “It was a very good pitch for batting and bowling. A fast bowler got ten wickets in the game. Shakib got five wickets. We can’t complain about the wicket. These are the types of pitches where your skills improve,” said Domingo.

Liverpool defeated Southampton in the Carabao Cup to advance to the semi-finals, and though Arne Slot’s side made short work of the lowly top-flight strugglers over the opening half, Cameron Archer’s curling strike after the interval raised the south coast side’s belief as the rain lashed down at St. Mary’s.

It was a bit of a mishmash team, assembled on the night to give the heavy-hitting superstars a day off ahead of Liverpool’s crunch Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

Slot, who was banished to the shadows of the stands as he served a touchline ban for an accumulation of yellow cards, will have been delighted after Darwin Nunez dispatched past Alex McCarthy following excellent work by Trent Alexander-Arnold from deep.

And again when Harvey Elliott calmly finished on the edge of the area to double the visitors’ lead, collecting from Cody Gakpo and establishing firm authority against the rudderless Saints.

Indeed, it didn’t turn out to be smooth sailing, but Liverpool got the job done and now await the draw for their opponents at the penultimate stage.

How Liverpool performed vs Southampton

Archer’s goal changed the mood, as goals do, but it’s clear that Slot’s half-time substitutions, taking both Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez off, had a negative effect too.

In fairness, it was probably the correct move with Tottenham the weekend’s destination, but Jarell Quansah didn’t look wholly convincing and the midfield pairing of Trey Nyoni and Tyler Morton gave Liverpool an unexperienced feel. Teenagers Jayden Danns and James McConnell were both introduced during the second half too.

Albeit, the youngsters did well. Moreover, they were helped by a talented attacking line that was charged by Alexis Mac Allister, who started in an advanced role but was taking off after an hour.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans hailed Liverpool for “showing how adaptable they are” under their Dutch coach’s management, with the much-changed side maintaining fluency and discipline throughout.

One player who will certianly be happy with their performance was the already-mentioned Nunez, with his goal setting the tone.

He’s faced his detractors throughout his Liverpool career, but Nunez showed that he can lead the line with authority. He attempted four dribbles, unleashed four shots and won three duels, as per Sofascore. It was by no means a perfect performance but signs of life were on show from the Uruguayan, who now has four goals and three assists across 21 matches.

It’s not the perfect tally but he’s beginning to look somewhat respectable alongside his clinical peers, as you can see from the table below.

Mohamed Salah

23 (21)

16

13

Luis Diaz

22 (14)

9

3

Cody Gakpo

24 (13)

9

3

Diogo Jota

12 (9)

5

2

Darwin Nunez

21 (12)

4

3

Federico Chiesa

4 (1)

0

1

Despite all this, he left plenty to be desired on the field. That said, Nunez did enough to prove that he deserves a place in Slot’s first-team squad, bringing energy and electricity to the final third.

Noise has bounced around Merseyside regarding the 25-year-old’s future, but he should stay. And so too should Wataru Endo, who stole the show in a moonlit role for Liverpool on the south coast.

Wataru Endo proved his worth

Endo has scarcely played for Liverpool this season, starting all three Carabao Cup matches but making only cameos off the bench across eight games in the Premier League and Champions League.

His limited technical quality on the ball has seen him run counter to the stylistic preference of his boss, but then Endo still manages to do a job and proved Slot’s – and his – powers of adaptability with a Man of the Match performance against Southampton, and at centre-back at that.

He played a sort of hybrid role that saw him occupy the left-sided centre-back spot next to Quansah, but Endo drifted upfield on several occasions to compact the Liverpool centre and allow the likes of Nyoni and Elliott more space and freedom.

Nyoni, 17 and completing his first senior start, didn’t do much of note but caught the eye with his confident passing and well-positioned collections. Had Endo put in a lesser display on the south coast, he might have found his footing harder to establish.

The Japan star has truly been an indispensable option for Liverpool since joining as a stop-gap option in 2023. Klopp had missed out on Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, who both signed for Chelsea, and eyebrows were raised when he then deposited £16m for the experienced Stuttgart six.

Not only did he triumph across all eight of his ground duels, but the 101-touch titan didn’t commit a foul despite winning four tackles and making two interceptions and clearances apiece.

He’s diminutive in the central defensive area, especially so alongside the 6 foot 5 Quansah, but he maintained an air of strength and size against the likes of the hulking Paul Onuachu, notably catching the eye when winning an aerial battle against the Nigerian striker.

According to reporter David Lynch, Endo has actually been one of the more expendable members of Liverpool’s first-team this season, with the sense that FSG are not done with the midfield recruitments only strengthening that claim. Now, though, it’s patent that Endo brings something crucial to the Liverpool campaign, even though his style might seem somewhat incongruous within the tactical set-up.

The 31-year-old isn’t playing a big part of Slot’s season, per se, but then he’s proving to be a core member of the Carabao Cup campaign while providing steely relief for the Reds in the closing stages of matches that require defensive duties to preserve a lead.

Selling him would actually be a bit ludicrous, for the Japan international is a significant member of the squad and is sure to be an important, result-defining presence.

Chalkboard

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

Endo has been one of the shrewdest Liverpool signings in recent memory, and there are signs that his finest contributions may yet lie ahead.

Liverpool leading Real Madrid for £41m star who’s in the "Palmer mould"

Liverpool are ahead of Real Madrid in the race for a Palmer-like wonderkid.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 17, 2024

Arda Guler has vowed to keep "fighting" at Real Madrid as the Turkish winger rubbished transfer talk about a move away from Santiago Bernabeu.

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Guler struggling for minutes under AncelottiDetermined to make his mark at RealFollowing a "plan" given by the clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 20-year-old made the switch from Fenerbahce to Madrid in 2023 for a deal worth an initial €20 million (£17m/$22m) after impressing in Turkey’s top flight. While his performances at Euro 2024 raised expectations for a bigger role under Carlo Ancelotti, his game time has been relatively limited.

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During his debut season, Guler managed 12 appearances for the Spanish giants. However, in the current campaign, he has only started in 10 of Madrid’s 47 matches, highlighting the challenges he has faced in securing a regular place in the team. Despite reports linking him with a move away, including interest from AC Milan, Inter, and Arsenal, Guler remains confident in his long-term future with Los Blancos.

WHAT GULER SAID

Guler still has full faith in the career plan Madrid outlined for him and is determined to establish himself as a key player. Speaking about his situation to , he emphasised his commitment to the club, stating: "Real Madrid gave me a plan, and I still believe in it. I’m sure I’ll succeed at Real Madrid; I’ve even bought a house in Madrid. I work very hard and I’m always ready to play, as you could see in this match against Hungary. I love Real Madrid fans, and their support means a lot to me. I’m very grateful. I came to Real Madrid to play and be an important part of this team. And I won’t stop fighting until I achieve that."

DID YOU KNOW?

As Madrid continue to push for silverware in multiple competitions, Guler is eager to contribute to the team’s success and remains optimistic about his chances in the remainder of the season.

"We’re ready to fight for all three titles until the end of the season, and that’s going to be exciting," he said. "Madrid always fights to win every game and every title. Personally, my only desire is to play in every game and help my team win every title."

Ajaz Patel claims three to secure 115-run lead on first innings at Chelmsford

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2022New Zealanders 362 for 9 dec (Henry 65, Mitchell 58, Fletcher 50*) and 0 for 0 lead County Select XI 247 (James 52, Patel 3-32) by 115 runsNew Zealand’s bowlers enjoyed a successful workout on the second day of their four-day warm-up against a County Select XI at Chelmsford, dismissing their opponents for 247 inside 75 overs. The wickets were shared among all six frontline bowlers on display, with the day’s best figures belonging to the spinner Ajaz Patel, whose 3 for 32 capped a fine all-round showing, following a feisty morning innings of 36 not out from 30 balls from No. 11.That effort, alongside Cam Fletcher’s unbeaten 50, allowed New Zealand to declare on 362 for 9 after 10 overs in the morning session, following Matt Henry’s overnight retirement. And there was time for one over in their second innings, just before the close, successfully negotiated by Tom Latham off Liam Patterson-White.This time last year, Dom Sibley’s crease occupation was in the process of becoming so all-consuming, he was virtually strokeless by the time of his England omission in mid-summer. And while a recall may be some way off yet, he at least showed in a brisk cameo of 27 from 33 balls that the 2022 version is significantly freer-flowing.Each of Sibley’s five fours came in a wayward opening spell off Kyle Jamieson – three off the pads and two through the off-side, one a touch streakily as he chased the width through the cordon. But before he could press on, Henry at the other end capped a miserly opening burst with the opening wicket of the innings, courtesy of a sharp diving take from Will Young at second slip to intercept a thick outside edge.At the other end, Ben Compton carried on in the same unhurried manner that has carried him to 878 Championship runs in the season so far. This match’s lack of first-class status meant his hopes of reaching 1000 before the end of May had already been dashed, but in grinding along to 31 in his first 75 balls he seemed dead-set on making his time in the middle count just as much.But then, after Blair Tickner had leaked back-to-back boundaries in his first over to kick Compton’s innings into second gear, he responded one ball later with the perfect line and length to kiss his outside edge. Fletcher stooped low behind the stumps to send Compton on his way for 39.Tom Haines, fresh from a tidy innings of 41 in New Zealand’s last warm-up against Sussex earlier in the week, then set about compounding Jamieson’s tricky day’s work with a further flurry of boundaries in his second spell. But after leaking 56 runs in his first 10 overs, Jamieson needed just four balls with Nick Gubbins in his sights before zeroing in on his pads from round the wicket and extracting a plumb lbw decision.Ryan Patel was then caught at long-on for 11 off his namesake Ajaz, who dislodged Haines for 42 soon afterwards, as Tom Blundell – now behind the stumps – grabbed a thick edge at the second attempt. Jamieson then added his second lbw of the day, this time thumping Michael Burgess’s pads from over the wicket, and when Patel bagged his third – Patterson-White flicking uppishly to midwicket – the County XI were losing momentum at 181 for 7.Colin de Grandhomme struck in the second over of his second spell, as Jack Blatherwick snicked an outswinger through to Blundell, but in an echo of New Zealand’s own innings, they was held up by the ninth-wicket pairing of Lyndon James and Jamie Porter, who thrashed six fours – each of them up and over the off-side – in a free-wheeling 31 from 35 balls, before he gave himself room once too often and lost his off stump to Tickner. By then, James had inside-edged a drive off Jacob Duffy to fall for a well-compiled 52.

Harry Kane will "hoover up trophies" at Bayern Munich, says Emmanuel Petit, with a Premier League return – "especially at Arsenal" – being ruled out.

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Left north London for Germany in 2023Desperate to break career-long trophy duckWarned against return to English footballFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

There has been talk of the England captain opening himself up to a summer transfer in 2025. It has been reported that release clauses were included in the deal that Kane agreed when moving to Germany from Tottenham in 2023.

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Kane is yet to break his trophy duck with Bayern, but that is expected to happen before the current campaign comes to a close. At that point, the 31-year-old may decide that he wants to head home and chase down Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal record.

WHAT EMMANUEL PETIT SAID

Various potential landing spots are being speculated on, from Old Trafford to Emirates Stadium, but World Cup winner Petit cannot see the prolific No.9 back in north London. The ex-Gunners midfielder told : “I don't think Harry Kane will ever play for Arsenal! We all know why he left Spurs, he didn't win any silverware with the club.

“He's such a huge striker. He’s up there with the best 9’s in the game. He’s demonstrated that throughout most of his career and he’s been brilliant at Bayern Munich since he joined the club. He's scoring goals every single weekend.

“He left his club, Spurs, to win trophies, and he’ll do that this season. Why would he want to return to the Premier League in the summer or the January window – I just don’t see why he would come back, and especially not at Arsenal with the history that he has. He's having a really good time over there. He's got a great chance to win the Bundesliga. He's still involved in the Champions League.

“If he returns to the Premier League, the only reason would be to break Alan Shearer’s goalscoring record. If he joined Manchester United, or if he went back to Tottenham, even Arsenal, there would be no guarantee that he would win silverware. He’s virtually guaranteed trophies at Bayern. He’s getting older, the clock is ticking, I suspect that he wants to hoover up as many trophies as he can with Bayern.”

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR HARRY KANE?

Kane’s strong ties to Spurs, where he is the club’s all-time leading scorer, make a transfer to Arsenal almost impossible. Manchester United’s recent struggles would also appear to rule them out of any bidding war, meaning that the modern-day legend is likely to work through at least one more year of his contract at the Allianz Arena.

In all they have lost 10 points to over-rate offences in the current WTC cycle

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2022England have been docked two World Test Championship (WTC) points and their players have been fined 40% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over rate in their epic win in the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. This adds up to a total of 10 docked points for the side in this WTC cycle; they had lost eight points during the second Ashes Test in Brisbane last year.Related

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Ben Stokes 'blown away' by rousing win at packed Trent Bridge

Go, Jonny go. And just keep going

The hosts were ruled to be two overs short, after allowances were taken into consideration, by the on-field umpires Michael Gough and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Martin Saggers. Captain Ben Stokes pleaded guilty to the offence, with match referee Richie Richardson imposing the sanction without the need for a formal hearing.England’s WTC points tally had risen to 42 after their win, before coming back down to 40. Importantly, their points percentage – the key criteria in determining where teams sit on the WTC table – fell from 25 to 23.80, putting them at eighth spot on the WTC table – behind New Zealand.England had scripted a stunning victory at Trent Bridge, with Jonny Bairstow and Stokes putting on a dominating 179-run stand to help chase down 299 on the last day, having been reduced to 93 for 4 at one point. Bairstow blazed his way to 136 off 92 balls, his 77-ball hundred falling just one ball shy of England’s 120-year-old record for their fastest Test century. Following Bairstow’s dismissal, Stokes and Ben Foakes guided England home, the highest successful Test chase at Trent Bridge. Stokes remained unbeaten at the close with 75 off 70 balls.In accordance with the ICC’s rules relating to over-rate offences, players are fined 20% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. As per the WTC playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short.

The January transfer window officially opened for business last week and Leeds United have the chance to make moves to bolster their promotion hunt.

Daniel Farke’s side are currently top of the Championship table, one point ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley, and the manager may want to dip into the market to add more quality to his group, to give them the best chance of getting to the Premier League.

The Whites are fighting to finish in the top two to go straight up to the top-flight, rather than having to go through the play-offs as they did last season.

Leeds may look to the defensive side of their team to improve in the January transfer window after they watched their team drop a two-goal lead to draw against Hull on Saturday.

Farke’s men were 3-1 up heading into the final ten minutes and Illan Meslier did not cover himself in glory for any of the three goals, particularly with the second goal after seemingly keeping the ball in play after it was heading over.

Leeds are now, reportedly, looking to bolster their squad by adding another central defender to come in and compete with the likes of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon.

Leeds United eyeing deal for Premier League defender

According to The Sun, Leeds United are one of the clubs pushing to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Andrew Omobamidele in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Tricky Trees have made him available for a transfer and are looking to rake in a fee of £10m for the player they paid £11m to sign from Norwich City in the summer of 2023, with the Whites now in talks to get a deal done.

It states that Sheffield United, who recently lost central defender Harry Souttar to a long-term injury, are also eyeing up a swoop to land the Ireland international, which means that Leeds are facing strong competition from one of their promotion rivals to secure his signature.

The Sun adds that Nottingham Forest would be open to doing a loan that leads into a guaranteed permanent deal in the summer, although it is unclear if they would allow the guaranteed aspect of the move to only be activated upon promotion.

It reveals that Leeds view Omobamidele as a long-term investment that they could make and that they want to bring in more competition for their current centre-backs, as Rodon is currently the only senior, natural, centre-back option on the right side of the pairing.

Farke had a robust, athletic, young, right-footed Norwich academy graduate in his defence when he won the Championship title with the Canaries in the 2018/19 campaign, as Ben Godfrey lined up at the back for him that year.

Ben Godfrey's form under Daniel Farke

The England international, who is set to sign for Norwich’s rivals Ipswich Town this month, featured in 31 of the club’s 46 matches in that title-winning season in 2018/19.

He emerged as the first-choice on the right side of the defence during that campaign, playing alongside captain Christoph Zimmermann, and kept experienced options like Grant Hanley and Timm Klose out of the XI.

Godfrey suited the way Farke sees the game because he was progressive in his use of the ball. The defender ranked within the top 13% of his positional peers in the division for progressive carries (1.17) per 90, and the top 21% for progressive passes (3.35) per 90.

This shows that he was comfortable at bringing the ball out from the back to set up attacks for the team, both with passes to break lines and carries to get the team up the pitch.

Appearances

31

Goals

4

Pass accuracy

90%

Ground duel success rate

63%

Clearances

109

As you can see in the table above, the Norwich star was reliable with the ball at his feet and dominant in physical contests with opposition forwards on the ground.

Godfrey, who was once described as a “Rolls Royce” by podcaster Ben Winst, then played a season in the Premier League with the Canaries, but was unable to help them avoid relegation.

After that relegation, Everton swooped in to sign him from Norwich for a reported fee of £30m, which shows that Farke helped to turn him into an incredibly valuable asset.

Why Andrew Omobamidele could be Farke's next Ben Godfrey

Interestingly, Omobamidele was already on his way to becoming the German head coach’s next version of Godfrey before his dismissal in 2021.

Farke was sacked by sporting director Stuart Webber in November 2021, just a matter of months after he had given the Irish defender his first-team bow at the back end of the previous season.

Omobamidele, whose former coach Kenny Molloy described him as a “Rolls Royce”, featured in the last nine games of the 2020/21 campaign, after injuries to Zimmermann and Ben Gibson forced the manager’s hand, to help secure a league title for the Yellows.

Appearances

9

Pass accuracy

89%

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.9

Ground duel success rate

75%

Aerial duel success rate

71%

Dribbled past

0x

As you can see in the table above, his performances in a pressured environment, fighting for the title, at the age of 18 were incredibly impressive, as he dominated opposition forwards in the air and on the deck.

Omobamidele then played five times in the Premier League the following season and four of those outings came before Farke was dismissed in November, as replacement Dean Smith opted for more experience.

The Ireland international has found football hard to come by in recent years, with just 11 league outings for Forest since his move from Norwich in 2023, but he could kickstart his career by coming back to the manager who placed faith in him at such a young age.

Farke did not get the chance to see through his development of Omobamidele, in the way that he was able to with Godfrey, and could look to help him fulfill his potential at Elland Road, and turn him into a £30m-rated – or higher – asset in the future.

Leeds readying bid for "versatile" £8m ace club may have no choice to sell

He would provide instant cover for Ethan Ampadu.

2 ByTom Cunningham Jan 4, 2025

Port Vale may be next to get the A-list takeover treatment, with Phil Taylor and Robbie Williams open to making them the next Wrexham.

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Hollywood supporters in North WalesFamous faces scattered across the EFLPotteries natives mulling over investmentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Pop superstar Williams is a big Valiants supporter and continues to monitor their performances and results from wherever he is in the world. Darts legend Taylor is another Potteries native that could be talked into investing in an ambitious club from that area.

AdvertisementWHAT PHIL TAYLOR SAID

Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, who is a 16-time world champion in his chosen profession, has told of potentially joining forces with Williams and taking on an EFL adventure: “Well, I was asked that by talkSPORT because me and Robbie are good friends, and his dad is like my second dad, Peter is, and talkSPORT mentioned that Robbie was interested in investing into Port Vale and, if he does would you be interested? I said well, yeah I think so, but we’d have to see what it is and how much they want and stuff like that. But I’ve heard nothing from Robbie. So, no, I think it’s just a rumour.”

THE GOSSIP

Quizzed on what the target would be if he and Williams were to take the reins at Vale Park. Taylor said: “Get them to the Premier League! I don’t know in all seriousness to be honest with you, I haven’t got a clue. I’d probably give Barry Hearn a ring and ask his advice. You know, Barry was my ex manager and because he owned Leyton Orient, he knows a lot more about running a football club than I do, so I’d ask him for a bit of advice.”

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Pressed on whether he would want to become a co-chairman at Vale, much like Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham, Taylor added: “No. That’s the only thing that’s worried me about investing in Port Vale because I live round that area whereas Robbie doesn’t. So, if I go to the matches, I’ll be the one that gets all the stick because I’ve had it before you see. ‘You’ve got plenty of money, get your money out and buy us a player!’. Yeah, I will, yeah! I’d have to converse with Robbie. It’s up high in the sky at the minute so I’m not going to go too deep into it because it may not happen.”

The head coach said Australia would continue to assess how they balance their side in Asia

AAP12-Jul-2022Head coachAndrew McDonald insists Travis Head’s game has improved in Asia as Australia look to adopt a horses-for-courses approach on future tours of the subcontinent.Australia’s capitulation to an innings loss in Galle on Monday marked a poor end to two tours on the road, where they won 1-0 in Pakistan and drew 1-1 in Sri Lanka.McDonald is adamant the Galle reality check should not overshadow the fact they have taken significant steps forward on the sub-continent. But there is little doubt questions still remain ahead of next year’s tour of India.Australia were unable to make use of a platform of 329 for 5 in the first innings of the second Test, then spent 181 overs in the field and collapsed inside 41 in their second innings.Related

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Several of those lessons will now be parked to one side and be brought out again ahead of next February’s four-Test tour of India. Australia have home series against the West Indies and South Africa, but form from Pakistan and Sri Lanka will weigh heavier when it comes to selection for India.”For a home summer it would be pretty difficult to join the dots from that surface out there [in Asia] to what we will see in Australia,” McDonald said. “[It] goes without saying [we pick a different team for the different conditions]. We picked two spinners here but we don’t pick two spinners in Australia.”It’s about the balance of your side. How many left-handers, how many right-handers. There are always things that are factored in. We have got to go away and make sure that we are asking ourselves the right questions as a selection panel and a coaching group.”McDonald’s input followed captain Pat Cummins suggestion players had to be given a chance to show what they can do in Asia.Head looms as the man under the most pressure. Across five Tests in Asia, Usman Khawaja enhanced his reputation as an improved man. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne both scored centuries in Galle and Cameron Green impressed throughout.Alex Carey had a poor second Test in Sri Lanka with the gloves, but still averaged 53.60 across the two tours. Mitchell Swepson also showed improvement with the ball in the second Test, while Nathan Lyon took two five-wicket hauls across the tours.David Warner meanwhile averaged below 30 as his century drought continued, but McDonald is adamant there is still many runs left in the opener. Head’s position is of most concern though, after Glenn Maxwell went close to selection in both Tests in Galle and Cummins made clear he was in the conversation for India.After being player of the series in the home Ashes summer, Head scored just 91 runs at an average of 15.16 against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.”He’s here for the first time,” McDonald said. “He’s been exposed to conditions that are very foreign. We saw him add the sweep shot in during [the final] innings.”He’s been working incredibly hard on his game. Sometimes, you make one small error and you are not there to actually see if your method works or not.”There’s definitely been a shift in his game in terms of how he wants to play in these conditions. So we are optimistic that across the journey, if given more time, that that can no doubt work.”