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Wolves have been blessed with some incredibly talented full-backs and wing-backs in the past, one of which was Matt Doherty who was sold to Tottenham in 2020 for a fee of around £15m.

Doherty returned to the club on a free transfer in 2023 after having his contract terminated by Spurs. The 32-year-old has made 343 appearances for the Molineux outfit over the years, scoring 31 goals, providing 39 assists, and totalling 26,543 minutes played.

For Wolves, these flying wide defenders are often tasked with attacking output, delivering crosses into the box, and tracking back to defend in a five, which is a tall order, making their attacking output even more impressive.

One of their most successful of recent times happens to be the effervescent Rayan Ait-Nouri.

How much Rayan Ait-Nouri cost Wolves

Ait-Nouri is the most recent talented wingback to emerge at Wolves, signing from French club, Angers for a price tag of just £9.5m. Described as an "incredibly dynamic" threat, he has been hailed for his ability to carry the ball, and his technical qualities.

Since joining the club, Ait-Nouri has made 120 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists, totaling 8,218 minutes played. It is the attacking firepower he gives the side that earns him his plaudits, with the ability to drive Wolves forward and deliver devastating crosses into the box.

Ait-Nouri was one of Wolves' most important players last season, making 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals, providing two assists, contributing to six clean sheets in 2,669 minutes played.

Ait-Nouri's transfer value in 2024

Since joining the club back in 2021 on a permanent deal for such a small price tag, Ait-Nouri's value has exponentially increased, with Wolves only willing to part ways with the Algerian for a whopping £60m fee according to reports over the summer. That is a crazy 531% increase compared to the £9.5m he was initially brought to the Midlands.

One side that was reportedly interested in the 23-year-old this summer, was Pep Guardiuola's Manchester City, having already done business with Wolves the season prior, to acquire Matheus Nunes for £53m.

So, how does he compare across the league? We have the answer.

When comparing Ait-Nouri to two of the best left-backs in the division, he ranks extremely close in some metrics, whilst others need context due to the quality of the clubs they are playing at. Gvardiol, being a more natural central defender, doesn't rank as highly in some attacking metrics, however, Robertson is a prominent figure going forward, holding width on the left at times for Liverpool.

Ait-Nouri averages 2.59 progressive carries per 90 and averages 2.51 shot-creating actions per 90, that's more than Gvardiol but fewer than Robertson). As a result, this could further increase – just like his value will – by playing for a more ball dominant side.

The 23-year-old clearly offers defensive quality, averaging the most tackles of the trio – again these metrics are impacted by the quality of clubs they play for – whilst providing an extremely high level of technical ability, something that is desired at all top clubs.

Next summer could prove difficult to keep hold of the Algerian, especailly if he continues to impress and develop at the same rate he currently is.

Their new Jota: Wolves' "Henry-esque" star has seen his value rise by £20m

He is crucial for Gary O’Neil

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 12, 2024

Arsenal are eyeing an ambitious potential swoop for another Bayern Munich superstar amid their repeated links to ex-Man City winger Leroy Sane, with the Bundesliga appearing to emerge as a talent pool for transfer chief Edu Gaspar.

Arsenal target Leroy Sane with Bayern Munich contract expiring

Sane’s contract with Bayern is set to expire next summer as things stand, allowing interested clubs to potentially approach the German over agreeing a pre-contract as early as January.

Ornstein suggests £240,000-per-week Arsenal star has a "significant" injury

The Gunners are gearing up for their opening Champions League game of the season.

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 18, 2024

The former City winger, who’s made 176 appearances in all competitions for Bayern since joining from the Sky Blues, could therefore be about to move on to the next chapter of his career – five years after signing in a £42 million deal.

During his time with Bayern, the 28-year-old has bagged an impressive 49 goals and 50 assists, indicating he could be a coup for any elite side – especially on a Bosman deal next summer.

Arsenal are believed to be targeting Sane, according to multiple reports, and they were seriously linked over the summer window too. There have even been suggestions that Sane would be keen on a move to London, and manager Mikel Arteta is described as a “big fan” following their time together at Eastlands.

“He’s a player that has long been on their radar – Arteta is a big fan,” journalist Graeme Bailey said in July.

“Believe the player would be keen on a move to London. I know Sane is unsure about his long-term future at Bayern.”

Sane’s admiration for Arteta could also be an advantage in any potential race for the 65-cap Germany international, who has won a plethora of honours and played in some big games over a decorated career.

Arsenal have been linked with Alphonso Davies from Bayern as well, with the Canadian international left-back also out of contract in 2025 and potentially available for free like Sane.

Arsenal eyeing ambitious move for Bayern star Jamal Musiala

A far more marquee transfer would be that of another Bayern Munich star in Jamal Musiala, who is arguably one of world football’s most exciting young stars.

The 21-year-old has been consistently shining on the biggest stage for a number of years, and has started this season in fantastic fashion with two goals and three assists from his opening five games in all competitions.

His contract expires in 2026, which is a big worry for Bayern as elite clubs look to take advantage. The Bavarians still value Musiala at a sky-high £152 million, according to some reports, but Vincent Kompany’s side won’t be able to command such a figure this time next year if his contract situation remains the same.

As per The Boot Room, this has put Edu and co on red alert, as it is believed Arsenal have joined the race to sign Musiala. The winger, who has reached double figures for goals scored in each of his last two full campaigns at Bayern, is a very hot commodity and a potentially great transfer opportunity.

The former Aston Villa and Whitecaps player joined Mic'd Up to discuss the UCL format, the Prem title race and educating U.S. fans

Nigel Reo-Coker has a unique perspective. Born in London, pushed through the academy systems of English football, before eventually settling in three different long-term stints with Premier League teams, the center midfielder put in the hard yards in one of the game's more traditional formats. Then, things changed. He moved to MLS and played in America for three years.

And now, he's back, a pundit, analyst and talking head for CBS Sports Golazo Network. Few of his English peers returned to embed themselves in the U.S. broadcast landscape. Reo-Coker has no regrets, though. Educating new American soccer fans, he feels, is important.

"I think now Americans are really starting to understand it and starting to get deep," Reo-Coker tells GOAL. "It's only going to be because of different players' experiences, and how they communicate. My biggest thing I always say to my American fans is: watch the game. When you really watch the game, then you truly understand it."

His journey has been an interesting one. For starters, Reo-Coker is a rare English analyst on American television who never represented his country or played consistent European football. His experience in MLS, too, was in the early 2010s, when the league was still in an awkward spot between a niche micro-culture and global relevance.

But in many ways, that makes him singular in his analytical efforts. He has been in MLS and seen it from the outside. He played in the Premier League and watched it from afar. There are some constants here, though. Reo-Coker will remain an Aston Villa loyalist – although he believes the Birmingham club should have a bigger footprint in America. He will also always root for old-fashioned football; it's why he loves Nottingham Forest this year.

"We always say as ex-players, there's more than one way to win a football match," he says. "You know, what might be palatable to me might not be to you. But at the end of the day, we grew up in a generation and culture about winning, and that will never change in football. So there's many ways to stimulate conversations from many different points of view."

And all of that knowledge is being applied on American TV every week. Reo-Coker is a CBS Sports analyst and co-host of The Golazo Show on Paramount+, where he covers football worldwide, ranging from the Champions League to the Premier League. It's a broad remit, but one he has embraced.

Reo-Coker weighed in on the state of American soccer, the Premier League, and why jeopardy is good for the Champions League in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

• AFP
  

  ON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

  GOAL: What have you made of this new Champions League format? There's been a lot of discussion about it, but how do you think it has played out?

  REO-COKER: I wanted to see how it's played out, and I'm excited. I really do like it. I think that from the start of just hearing how the format worked, my first thought was that every game has to be played like a Cup final – you have to win every game. You can't be as strategic as we've seen other clubs and big clubs do in the earlier rounds – take it easy in some games. I think now you have to be aggressive all the way through. And just to show that that's the case, you look at Liverpool being perfect throughout, top of the group stages, and they get to miss that week of having to play two later two games in the knockout rounds. And then you look at Manchester City and PSG hanging right on the edge. So it has made it exciting, and big clubs potentially could be on the way of not making it through.

  GOAL: And more broadly, do you think it's good for the competition to have Liverpool play Real Madrid, or City play PSG so early on? Is that part of the appeal?

  REO-COKER: I mean, it's part of what football was heading to, and what a lot of people, the powers that be want. They want to make it, as they called it, the Super League. And this revamp kind of gives that bit of Super League effect, where you are guaranteed to get big clubs going at it, and it will draw fans and people around the world to watch it. So it's worked. It's still early, but it's worked for what football fans want. You know, we've got a lot of big games in the earlier rounds. I mean, you just have to look at Manchester City versus PSG. It wasn't Manchester City versus PSG. It was Manchester City, PSG, both teams needing a win to make it into just a knockout round. So it does add the excitement. All around, a lot of people will be very happy with it, and I think this new format will maybe temper the expectations, for the need of a Super League.

  GOAL: Do you think it's good for the competition to have this kind of jeopardy?

  REO-COKER: I think it's great for the competition to have this jeopardy. And I think also for people like us in the media field, we have to kind of give our input from our playing days and clubs that we played for, because sometimes there's a danger of when it's certain voices that people are listening to all the time who had a career at a top club and they stayed at a top club their entire life.

  That's not the journey of every player. So the reason why I say that is for the likes of Brest, the French team, who have absolutely exceeded expectations of a small community club that to make it into the Champions League was an absolutely extraordinary achievement alone. That's their first time in European competition. They've never been in the Europa League, never been in the Conference League, never been in any of the previous European cups. This is their first time in Europe. They're in the Champions League, and they're in the knockout stages, a small club that can't even play at home, that they have to play an hour away from their home.

  Stories like that are the ones that need to be pushed forward. And when you look at even in knockout group place right now, you still got the likes of Bayern, Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Benfica, PSG, and at the moment Dortmund, last year's finalist, all in a knockout round. So the stories are there, the excitement, it's there. And it's not a given that it becomes the same old story.

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  ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE

  GOAL: Switch gears to the Premier League. You played there for a while, you had a lengthy career in England. Are Liverpool going to run away with it? Is it going to be a bit closer?

  REO-COKER: Liverpool have set extraordinarily high standards and they are locked in. There's that tunnel vision at the moment at the club, even with the contractual situations of three of their most valuable players. I've got to give them credit that they've just kept up the level of performances. In other clubs, in other situations in the history of football, you've seen players in this situation down tools. So I think a lot of credit needs to be given to Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah, and also Virgil Van Dijk for how they've continued to conduct themselves at such a high level.

  I don't think they're going to run away with it. I would say they've got one firm grip on the Premier League Trophy right now, and it's theirs to lose. But the competitiveness and competitive nature of the Premier League has been exciting. I think you can't look past the likes of what Nottingham Forest are achieving this year with Nuno and how he's turned them around. They have been consistent in their performances. They're not there by luck. They're very well organized defensively. All the players are playing to their strengths. The wingers are dangerous. But also they've got an old-school striker in Chris Wood who deserves all the praise because he's scoring goals. The game has evolved so much, where we talk about this withheld striker or this false nine. No, we've gone to traditional strikers scoring goals, and it's been amazing.

  But then you've also got to give credit to the likes of Bournemouth in what they're doing. Newcastle came alive until recently…You've also got Brighton in there. You've got Aston Villa. There are so many teams in the Premier League, especially in that middle pack, that can cause an upset to any team on any given day. There will be a little reliance on results against each other, but I still feel that it's going to be a very close fight to the end.

  GOAL: What you said about Liverpool and the contract situations – you must have been in a dressing room at some point where you know that maybe a contract's running down, or there's off field talk, or if you don't know if the guys are going to be with you next year. What's that like as a player?

  REO-COKER: I'll be honest with you. The majority of footballers are very selfish individuals at times. Remember, when we were young, we were told that, basically, it's not going to pay your mortgage. Yes, we're a team, but we're all trying to compete for the same goal. So when you do become a professional, a lot of players will just continue. If it's not them, they're not interested, it's not their doing.

  So, if you take the Van Dijk, Mo Salah, and Trent situation, all the other Liverpool players, they will just want them to perform at a high level, which they've done. But they know they have no power or anything to be involved in that situation because it's not their doing. It's not their jurisdiction. There's nothing they can do about it, and they have to worry about themselves. The only thing that they could get annoyed with, or that might upset them, is if they see that these players are no longer trying for them to win matches and perform at the highest level.

  But again, it just goes to the point of what I said earlier, you've got to give them credit, especially Van Dijk being club captain. They've done ever so well in this situation, but the majority of the time, if players are honest, they've been doing this their entire life. They know the professional element. It's nothing to do with them. There's nothing they can do. All they need to do is make sure they perform week in, and week out.

  GOAL: Should Trent go to Real Madrid?

  REO-COKER: That's Trent's decision, but I feel it's the right time for him. He's been a great servant to the club. He's won everything. He's won the Premier League, won the Champions League. He's at the right age. I feel for him to go to Real Madrid, it's a great move for him. You know, there's an aura about Real Madrid, whether people like to admit it or not. They are the biggest club in world football. They've won the most Champions Leagues. They've always had the best players in world football play for their club. And I feel that, if Trent feels it's the right time for him, I think it's great. And I think from from my perspective, I think it's only going to benefit England, as in, the English National Team, that more of our players playing abroad and go and broaden out their horizons and try new cultures and understand new styles of football.

• AFP
  

  ON MLS

  GOAL: Whatwould you say the energy is like around MLS now, compared to when you played?

  REO-COKER: There definitely has been a progression. There's a lot more opportunities for players. And I'll probably say the players are probably treated a lot better than when we were playing. They don't have to fly a commercial as much now. There's a lot more chartered flights for them. And you know, you can see the fan base is growing and the quality of the play is getting better slightly. So there has been a tremendous progression from when we played.

  GOAL: I've heard other former MLS guys talk about the commercial flights.

  REO-COKER: It's massive. Because we used to fly commercial, and you have no idea who you'd be sitting next to. So I think for me, you got to remember you're coming from playing in the Premier League and playing against, you know, some of the best players in world football, and then you're doing that. I had no problem with it. You have to humble yourself because I came through Wimbledon Academy. I came through the school of the hard knocks of being very humble. But now is definitely a big change compared to what we experienced.

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  ON ASTON VILLA

  GOAL: What do you make of Aston Villa, your former club?

  REO-COKER: Great. Yeah, unbelievable, man. Great fan base, sleeping giant, one of the clubs that I'll probably say a lot of Americans don't know a lot about. They don't know the history of Villa. And I think Villa are to blame themselves. They don't market themselves enough when it comes to the American market and educating people about what the club's about.

  GOAL: Yeah, I don't see loads of Villa fans in the wild.

  REO-COKER: It's mad. Because the crazy thing is, one of their biggest, most known Hollywood supporters is Tom Hanks. He's a massive, massive Villa fan. He goes there a lot, and you think that they'll probably use that a bit more to kind of market the club over here. But I think they got left behind compared to other clubs, in the way that Arsenal, Chelsea and all those clubs have marketed themselves over here and kind of used the history of the club to get more fans.

  GOAL: Is it also that when clubs in the UK started showing real interest in the UK, Villa were going through their poorer years?

  RREO-COKER: Yeah, it is, I think. But the thing is, with American fans, they love a sense of being. And I think that with Villa if they let people over here know the story of the club, the history, the traditions, and stuff like that, I think loads of American fans would love to identify with that and would have probably just stuck with them through thick and thin. But I think that they just kind of stayed behind while you've got so many Arsenal fans, Chelsea fans, and new modern Manchester City fans now in America – who are just obviously more recent fans!

  GOAL: What do you make of Unai Emery as a manager?

  REO-COKER: Emery is sensational. You gotta give him credit for the way he's turned the club around, from fighting a relegation fight to taking them to a top-four finish, and then now they're in the Champions League. And even in this year's Champions League, people question whether they've got the squad depth to be able to handle it, and they've done quite well. So it's all credit to him. Everything they're doing is him.

  You can see that the tactical element that he's doing at the club, the team he's got around him when it comes to recruiting, it's been a breath of fresh air. And Villa, for me, have always been a sleeping giant. They're a massive club, and I think a lot of American fans don't realize they're one of the few English clubs who've won the Champions League. There are so many Villa fans that I know who talk to me and they're so excited about what's going on now. And I think for them, it's just they're enjoying the journey. There isn't any real expectancy, because it's been so long since Villa have been in this situation that they're truly enjoying the journey.

  Emery, credit to him, is competing not only in the Champions League but also making Villa very competitive in the Premier League, which is very hard to do. So it speaks of the quality of a manager that he is. I think a lot of people would be happy if they were just competing in the Champions League, and if they don't make the top four this year, that would be acceptable. But he's raised the standards and expectations so much at Villa Park that they are expecting to finish in the top four again this year while still doing well in the Champions League.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool made it four wins on the bounce in all competitions since their loss to Nottingham Forest, beating Wolves 2-1 at Molineux.

Liverpool took the lead through Ibrahima Konate just before half-time, going in 1-0 up at the break. However, Wolves equalised in the 56th minute through Rayan Aitn-Nouri, forcing Mohamed Salah to save the day, converting from the spot in the 61st minute to give Liverpool a 2-1 lead and secure the three points.

Slot’s side now sit on top of the Premier League, winning five of their opening six games, the only loss coming to Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago, when they lost 1-0 at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah's performance in numbers

Liverpool’s key man, Mohamed Salah, stepped up with another goal from the spot to win them the game, as he often does. But it wasn’t just his goal, he also made two key passes, completed two out of three dribbles, and won five of ten ground duels.

Salah has started the season strong under his new manager, scoring five goals and providing four assists in his eight games played.

Slot looks to Salah to be the difference maker in the final third, often holding width on that right side, making runs in behind, and being the main outlet for the Reds.

But Liverpool has never had an issue in this area of the pitch, often creating a lot of chances, and scoring many goals with their attacking contingent.

However, an area of concern recently has been the midfield, and Slot may have found his man who is just as important as Salah to this team.

The importance of Ryan Gravenberch

In September 2023, Liverpool signed Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, for a fee of around £34.2m. His debut season at the club was underwhelming, playing 1,839 minutes for Liverpool in all competitions.

However, this season, under Slot, Gravenberch has been heavily relied upon early in the season, starting seven of their eight games so far, and playing 90 minutes in each of them.

The only game he missed was in the EFL Cup against West Ham, where he was left out of the squad, probably for rest purposes.

In yesterday’s performance against Wolves, Gravenberch was given an 8/10 match rating by GOAL, being praised for barely losing possession in midfield. This shows in the metrics, as the 22-year-old midfielder completed an impressive 92% of his passes, and even won seven out of seven ground duels, and his one and only aerial duel for his side.

The 6 foot 3 midfielder has a powerful frame and long legs, allowing him to win many duels in the middle of the park, often eating up ground to beat opposition players to the ball, and lunging in to win challenges.

Gravenberch has softened the blow of Liverpool not signing a midfielder this summer, and an area they tried to address by signing Real Sociedad midfielder, Martin Zubimendi.

However, if it wasn’t for the Spanish midfielder snubbing Liverpool, they may not have seen this version of Gravenberch, who has now become one of the first names on the team sheet for Slot’s side.

Lost the ball 23x: 5/10 Liverpool star was as bad as Szoboszlai vs Wolves

The Reds found a way to win at Molineux…

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 29, 2024

The influential coaching program will run a total of seven weeks over an 18-month period from February 2025 to August 2026

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• MLS announced EFCL Class for 2026
• Coaching program is partnership with French Football Federation (FFF)
• Avoid repetition of the same words & topics
• Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  MLS announced the incoming 2026 class for the Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL) Friday morning. The program, which saw the likes of MLS Cup-winning managers Greg Vanney and Wilfried Nancy used to develop, is one of the world's most elite coaching pathways.

  THE EFCL program runs seven weeks over an 18-month period from February 2025 to August 2026, and includes all of course work, on-pitch projects, film room studies, immersion, classes, and more.

  The program will see the classes begin at the famed INF Clairefontaine outside of Paris, with first sessions beginning on Feb. 4. The EFCL program, which is in partnership with the French Football Federation (FFF), has directly impacted the MLS Player Pathway through the development leagues coaches and players since 2013.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The class of 2026, for the first time, will feature five different MLS NEXT Elite Academy coaches, alongside 19 MLS representatives.

  San Jose Earthquakes U16 head coach Erin Ridley became the first woman from MLS to complete the program in August, 2024, and this year, three more women look to follow her lead as part of the program. Cassidy Chriest (Houston Dynamo), Megan McCormick (St. Louis CITY SC), and Tiffany Roberts (Royals Arizona) will all join the program.

  The first week will see coaches observe and learn from some of Europe's top clubs, Arsenal (England), FC Barcelona (Spain), Deportivo Alavés (Spain), Le Havre AC (France), CA Osasuna (Spain), Paris FC (France), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Toulouse FC (France), and Villarreal CF (Spain).

  The entire list of candidates is listed below

  2025-26 Elite Formation Coaching License Candidates
  Club	Name	Role
  Cedar Stars Academy – Bergen (MLS NEXT)	James Barnes	Technical Director/U19 MLS NEXT Head Coach
  Houston Dynamo FC	Cassidy Chriest	U14 Head Coach
  New England Revolution	Lucas Dantas	U15 Assistant Coach/Preformation
  New York City FC	Yannick Diese	U16 Head coach
  Seattle Sounders FC	Matt Dorman	U16 Head Coach
  Bethesda Soccer Club (MLS NEXT)	Pierre Dyer	U15 Head Coach
  Columbus Crew	Shahad Farahani	U16 Head Coach
  Albion SC San Diego (MLS NEXT)	Jorge Garcia	Academy Director
  FC Dallas	Phil Gomez	North Texas SC Assistant Coach/U13 Head Coach
  CF Montréal	Sylvain Hascoet	U15 Head Coach
  Columbus Crew	Eddie Hertsenberg	U15 Head Coach
  Orlando City SC	Bitielo Jean Jacques	Formation Assistant Coach
  Colorado Rapids	Keyon Khalilian	U15 Head Coach
  St. Louis CITY SC	Megan McCormick	U16 Head Coach and Pathway Program Head Coach
  Nashville SC	Rumbani Munthali	Head of Methodology
  Inter Miami CF	Christopher Nurse	U17 Head Coach
  Sporting Kansas City	Angel Rivillo	U16 Head Coach
  Royals Arizona (ECNL Girls)	Tiffany Roberts	Royals Arizona Academy Director/Girls ECNL Director
  FC Cincinnati	Andy Seidel	U14 Head Coach
  Miami Futbol Academy Rush (MLS NEXT)	Renatto Soriano	Academy Director/U14 Head Coach
  Major League Soccer League Office	Paul Templeton	Manager, Coaching Education & Player Development
  Chicago Fire FC	William Thornton	U18 Assistant Coach
  New England Revolution	Abel Wasswa	U14 Head Coach
  Orlando City SC	Edward Wilding	Formation Phase Lead/U16 Head Coach

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Austin FC manager Nico Estevez is also a graduate from the program, as well as San Diego FC assistant coach Kelvin Jones.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MLS?

  The 2025 regular season kicks off on Feb. 22 when Inter Miami clash with New York City FC in a battle of two Eastern Conference heavyweights. Until then, teams will continue their preseason training in preparation for the campaign.

Arsenal have been handed a Martin Odegaard injury update out of north London this week, as manager Mikel Arteta prepares his side for a trip to Bournemouth.

Odegaard out since September for Arsenal after ankle injury

During the last round of international matches in September, Arteta was given the biggest headache imaginable when club captain and chief creator Odegaard was forced off during Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria in the UEFA Nations League.

Arsenal given till January 16 to sign £21m star after he agreed summer move

The clock is ticking for Edu to strike a bargain.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 17, 2024

Amid their chase for a first Premier League title in 21 years, the news came as a very serious worry, with Odegaard later ruled out for the foreseeable future after it was confirmed that he sustained ankle ligament damage.

Arsenal have been forced to contend without the 25-year-old – who’s scored 23 goals and registered 17 assists in the top flight alone since the beginning of 2022/2023 – and in huge games against the likes of Tottenham, Man City, Atalanta and PSG in the Champions League.

Arteta’s done well to navigate a very testing fixture calendar without their talismanic attacking midfield star, with reports in the build up to Arteta’s press conference this morning suggesting that Odegaard could remain out for another month at least.

“Martin Odegaard remains weeks away from being physically fit,” said journalist Ben Jacobs to GiveMeSport recently.

“And then, of course, you’ve got to get him match fit in addition to that. So I’m told at this stage that there’s no rush to get Odegaard back, despite his clear importance to Arsenal, but they want him involved and fit and influencing the Liverpool game in the Premier League, as opposed to Shakhtar in the Champions League, and that comes at the end of October.

“So that’s what the player and club are looking towards to try and get him sharp 100% and ready for that Liverpool game.”

Arsenal have been forced to deal with a wave of injury problems to key players so far this campaign, making their unbeaten record all the more impressive. Indeed, alongside Odegaard, the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Takhehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kai Havertz and Kieran Tierney have picked up knocks at various points.

Thomas Partey withdrew from the Ghana squad through illness too, while Havertz also missed out on Germany’s international fixtures after sustaining a knee problem. £180,000-per-week winger Gabriel Martinelli also picked up a calf injury during his tour of duty with Brazil, making him miss their World Cup qualifying win over Peru earlier this week.

Arteta shares Odegaard injury update out of Arsenal

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Bournemouth this morning, Arteta shared an encouraging injury update on Odegaard.

He says that the Norwegian is in the latter stages of rehab and is doing work with the ball, and next week will be “crucial” in determining whether he will be back and available for the next games.

“He’s not gonna be fit for this game,” said Arteta.

“Next week will be a different story. He needs to clear some markers doing things with the ball in that latter stage of rehab. Next week will be crucial.”

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti criticised the decision to award Atletico Madrid a penalty as Sunday's derby clash ended in a 1-1 draw.

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• Real Madrid draw 1-1 with Atletico Madrid
• Ancelotti criticises referee for awarding penalty
• Simeone defends referee but claims Real deserved red

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Controversy seemingly follows Real Madrid wherever they go at the moment, as the 15-time European champions had a penalty awarded against them by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during their La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid after Aurelian Tchouameni was adjudged to have stamped on Samu Lino's foot. The incident comes just a few days after Los Blancos released a statement criticising referees in the Spanish top flight. Ancelotti has continued the criticism of the referees yet again despite Dani Ceballos getting away without a red card as he put his studs on Pablo Barrios' shin early in the first half.

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  WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

  Speaking to the media after the 1-1 draw, Ancelotti said: "The VAR blew the penalty, [but] the referee was close to the situation and saw what happened.

  "I saw that the VAR whistled a similar penalty in Athletic Club against Girona. The people of football do not understand this.

  "I don’t want to get into the controversy. I prefer to talk about the match. We came out of the game with a draw, encouraged. The team was good, especially in the second half."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Atletico boss Diego Simeone countered Ancelotti's comments by claiming that referee Cesar Soto Grado handled the game well, but could have shown Ceballos a red card in the first half.

  Simeone said: "I thought the referee handled it in the best way he could. For some people, Ceballos deserved a straight red… At least I think he should have checked it in the VAR, but others may disagree. He made his decision and that's his decision to make, and the VAR crew thought that they didn't need to call the ref up. In the end, I thought he did a good job overall."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  The draw with Atletico Madrid has firmly put the La Liga title race back into a three-horse race, with Barcelona holding the chance to move to within just two points of Real Madrid if they win against Sevilla on Sunday, February 9.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has discussed Manchester City's 115 charges as he prepares his side for a huge game at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

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• Liverpool play Man City on Sunday
• Win would take them 11 points clear
• Slot discusses opponent's 115 charges

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Slot's side can move 11 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with a victory and 20 points clear of Manchester City, who have suffered a disappointing season with Premier League charges for financial misconduct hanging over them. The Dutchman claimed he does not "follow the case", after watching City spend over nearly £200m on new players in January.

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  City's charges relate to rule breaches between 2009 to 2018, long before Slot arrived at Anfield last summer, but a guilty verdict would still call into question their entire period of dominance under Pep Guardiola. The club have lifted six Premier League titles in the last seven seasons, with Liverpool finishing second on two of those occasions. Previous manager Jurgen Klopp suggested last May that the Reds should organise an open-top bus parade should City be stripped of those titles.

• WHAT SLOT SAID

  Slot said: "The charges aren’t part of my time over here. I don't follow the case because it doesn't impact this season. I sometimes see the headlines, but I don't follow it. That (City’s spending) is not a question for me. The only thing I can see is that in the summer they lost Julian Alvarez and only brought Savinho in – so they had a similar summer to us. They have adjusted in the winter because they've probably felt like they needed that. That's what it is. I don't know the reasons behind bringing four players in."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY AND LIVERPOOL?

  City's monopoly of the Premier League title is set to come to an end but they will still be motivated to land a punch on the team set to steal their crown. A win would also give them a four-point cushion to fifth and ease any concerns about not qualifying for the Champions League next season, while victory for Liverpool could all but seal the deal at the top.

Aston Villa settled back into Premier League life well after the international break with a convincing 3-1 away win at Fulham, with all attention now shifting back to Champions League action.

Villa have also picked up confident victories in Europe’s most prestigious competition, namely last time out when Jhon Duran’s late strike was the difference between the West Midlands side and the might of Bayern Munich on a famous night at Villa Park.

Still, despite Unai Emery’s men boasting some impressive recent form, the ex-Arsenal manager could be tempted to make some changes to his XI for the test of Bologna tonight.

Those potential changes could well see Leon Bailey drop out of the first-team fold, as the Spaniard contemplates two alterations…

1

GK – Emiliano Martinez

Emiliano Martinez came up trumps in that away win at Craven Cottage, saving a penalty when the game was finely poised at 1-1, and will get the nod to start in between the sticks again.

After all, the Villa ‘keeper did make a mind-blowing seven saves versus Bayern to keep Vincent Kompany’s men at bay.

2

RB – Ezri Konsa

The first change could see Matty Cash drop out of the XI for Ezri Konsa to fill in at right-back, with Cash just back from an injury layoff.

The Poland international might not be risked for the showdown with Bologna, with Konsa a capable replacement having kept a clean sheet from this spot against Bayern.

3

CB – Diego Carlos

Diego Carlos will likely keep his spot even if Cash is sacrificed, as the Brazilian centre-back impressed versus Fulham.

The 31-year-old’s calm passing out from the back saw him only misplace three of his 51 passes on the day and he will be eager to follow up this top Premier League showing with a shutout in midweek.

4

CB – Pau Torres

Pau Torres also shone against Marco Silva’s men in patches, despite allowing Raul Jimenez to score early on for the hosts.

Torres is also one for these big occasions in the Champions League, having now amassed 14 games in the competition, with his last outing seeing him assist Duran’s dramatic winner.

5

LB – Lucas Digne

Yet to miss a game in the Premier League or Champions League for his side this campaign, Lucas Digne feels like a shoo-in for a start.

Digne has also picked up two assists from his ten games this season, with the potential for him to make it three against the visitors from Italy.

6

CM – Amadou Onana

Amadou Onana has been a fantastic summer buy for Emery’s men so far, having impressed with his goalscoring ability with three goals from ten clashes to date.

One of those strikes came in the Champions League up against Young Boys in Villa’s opening taste of the competition, with Onana potentially hungry for more goals when Bologna come to town.

7

CM – Youri Tielemans

Onana will also give Villa some needed grit in the holding midfield positions, with his partner in crime and fellow Belgian Youri Tielemans a creative force for the top-flight club when on his A-Game.

He certainly was playing at the peak of his powers against Fulham, amassing 92 touches of the ball with an assist coming his way courtesy of Ollie Watkins finding the back of the net for 2-1.

8

RM – John McGinn

The second alteration Emery will ponder making is dropping Bailey for a fresher right midfielder to enter the team, with Bailey poor at Craven Cottage.

The Jamaican winger would see the game pass him by, with possession squandered 17 times in total, which could open the door for John McGinn to come in down the right flank.

Jaden Philogene is also in for a shout, but after his quickfire red card at Fulham, Emery might opt to play his “relentless” Scotsman instead, as he was once labelled by football journalist Mat Kendrick.

9

CAM – Morgan Rogers

There will be no doubts in the air as to who starts in the attacking midfield spot tonight, with Morgan Rogers continuing to excel for Villa in recent games.

The ex-Middlesbrough ace fired home Villa’s first goal of the clash against Fulham and will want to leave his mark on Europe’s grandest stage tonight.

10

LM – Jacob Ramsey

Jacob Ramsey also entertained the Villa away masses in West London by putting in a top-drawer showing, with the Villa number 41 assisting Rogers’ opener among other bright moments.

The homegrown Villa prodigy will hope he can unlock Bologna tonight in a similar manner, as his boyhood employers potentially make it three victories from three.

Spanish outlet Marca have provided a major update on the future of Manchester City marksman Erling Haaland amid reported interest in a move to Spain after his stint at Manchester City.

Haaland breaks records at the Etihad

Still just 24-years-old, Erling Haaland has the Premier League golden boot in his sights for a third successive season, with the Norwegian having been key to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s recent success.

Though he has not found the net in England’s top flight since scoring against Arsenal a month ago, Haaland remains the Premier League’s top scorer this season with ten goals in eight games, while he has notched up an astonishing 103 goals in 110 games for Manchester City.

Only the last three games without a goal have taken his Premier League record beneath a goal every game, and he has found the net roughly once every 83 minutes of Premier League football during his time at the Etihad, a record that blows any competition out of the water.

In fact, this is the first time in Haaland’s Manchester City career that he has gone three Premier League starts without a goal, and he will be bidding to end that drought when he faces winless Southampton at the Etihad this weekend.

But much has been made of his contract in Manchester, which is thought to contain a release clause and expires in 2027. Now, an update on his City future has been provided.

Spanish report makes Haaland contract claim

That comes as major Spanish newspaper reports that despite recent claims, Haaland “has not asked to leave Manchester City” and “is already negotiating a renewal” in a move that will quash any suggestions of a move to Madrid or Barcelona in the near future.

Sources “close to the player” have reportedly told Marca that Haaland “is clear that his immediate future lies with the English club”, though they add that a move may well be forthcoming “later”.

That comes just days after it had been reported that City had already been lining up a move to sign his replacement, in the form of reported Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres, a deal which now seems unlikely if Haaland is indeed remaining on the Blue side of Manchester.

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The news will also come as a blow to Barcelona, who were keen to take him to the Camp Nou to provide a figurehead to replace Robert Lewandowski and compete with the star-studded frontline of Real Madrid. For City, the news will come as a major boost in a time of potential upheaval at the Etihad.