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Aston Villa failed to extend Unai Emery’s winning run in the Premier League to three matches as they lost 3-1 to Liverpool on Boxing Day.

The Spanish coach won his first two league games in charge of the Villans prior to the World Cup break, beating Manchester United and Brighton, but was unable to maintain his 100% record.

Jurgen Klopp’s team did not take long to get off the mark and there was almost nothing that Unai Emery’s team could do to prevent it as the Reds showcased their quality.

Trent Alexander-Arnold produced a world-class pass to find Andy Robertson in a wide right position and the Scotsman’s measured pass found Mo Salah for a tap-in.

The away side found their second before half time as Virgil van Dijk’s left-footed shot deflected off Ezri Konsa’s hip and nestled into the bottom corner of Robin Olsen’s net.

Ollie Watkins pulled a goal back in the 59th minute as he peeled off the back of Joel Matip and guided a header in the far corner to get the hosts back into the match.

Despite a spell of pressure from Villa after that goal, Liverpool reacted well and went on to make it 3-1 with ten minutes left to play as Stefan Bajcetic brilliantly rounded Olsen and slotted through Tyrone Mings’ legs.

Whilst you could lay the blame with the defence for conceding three goals, Villa’s attack let them down on Boxing Day as they failed to make the most of the chances that came their way and were unable to capitalise on the periods of dominance they had over the Reds.

One player who let Emery down badly was Jamaican international Leon Bailey as he struggled out wide throughout the match. His performance personified the team’s display as he showed flashes of quality but ultimately lacked the composure to provide the final shot or pass.

As per Sofascore, he only completed five of his 13 attempted passes (38%) in the match and did not create a single chance for his teammates, despite attempting six crosses.

The lightweight also had three efforts on goal and missed one ‘big chance’, racking up 0.43 Expected Goals in the process, which shows that he did not have the quality to punish Liverpool in the final third.

Bailey also left a lot to be desired out of possession. As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old lost 75% (3/4) of his individual duels as he failed to make a single tackle, block, or interception.

This shows that the attacker struggled off the ball as he was weak and allowed himself to be bullied by the opposition defenders, with Robertson and van Dijk dealing with him with ease.

Therefore, he let Emery down badly as he did not showcase his attacking quality on the ball and did not do enough defensively to help out his team on the other side of the game.

Celtic youngster Scott Robertson appears set for an exit from Parkhead in the near future following an update with regards to his contract status.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, the Old Firm outfit have informed the 21-year-old that he won’t be handed a new deal at the end of the season, with the academy graduate’s existing contract set to expire in just six months’ time.

The report suggests manager Ange Postecoglou has told the young Scotsman that he has ‘no future’ with the Glasgow side, despite the playmaker having been part of the club’s recent Sydney Super Cup voyage.

The piece goes on to note potential destinations for the 6 foot 1 gem, with a move to fellow Scottish Premiership side St Mirren, as well as Scott Brown’s Fleetwood Town, having been mooted.

Postecoglou must finally ditch

A departure for Robertson has seemingly been something of an inevitability due to his lack of game time in recent years, with the youth product having made just a solitary outing for the Scottish champions at senior level to date.

That rare appearance came as far back as the 2019/20 campaign during Neil Lennon’s second spell in charge, with the midfield maestro having played the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 Europa League defeat to CFR Cluj away from home.

That outing lead to notable praise from the aforementioned Brown who tipped the emerging talent to go on to enjoy success in the game, with the former Hoops skipper stating (Celtic View, Volume 55, Issue 25, Page 12):

“He’s very relaxed and conducts himself with professionalism, he’s not big-time and I think he’s got a really bright future ahead of him.”

“He’s the template for how young ones should approach making that step up – he’s humble, but at the same time isn’t scared to put himself about and show his qualities on the training pitch.”

That glowing assessment seemed to illustrate that Robertson would be able to become a regular feature in the first team at Paradise, having also shown his quality during a loan stint south of the border at Crewe Alexandra, after earning plaudits from boss David Artell for his debut display:

“I thought that Scott Robertson was the best player on the pitch. He was terrific.”

Despite the midfielder’s positive stint in England – having also enjoyed spells with both Gillingham and Doncaster Rovers in recent years – his subsequent return to Scotland has not proven fruitful, having remained on the periphery of Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

With the title-winning coach already having notable depth in the midfield department – with a new addition in the centre of the park potentially on the horizon – it will likely prove even harder for Robertson to force his way into the side.

For all his previous promise, the fact that he has been unable to secure a regular berth in the senior set-up since his first-team bow almost three years ago is perhaps telling that he is simply not of the quality required to make a name for himself at Celtic Park.

As such, it is no doubt in the best interest of all parties for an exit to be agreed upon in the New Year, with Postecoglou needing to ditch a figure who appears to have no place in his plans.

Jurgen Klopp is set to have a complete clear-out at Liverpool over the coming months, with several first-team players out of contract.

James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita are all free to leave the Anfield side in the summer and Klopp will have already begun to look for replacements in order to rejuvenate his midfield.

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski has emerged as a transfer target for the Anfield side, and this could give the German a licence to finally bin Keita, who has missed the majority of this season with injury problems.

Zielinski is currently starring for Poland at the World Cup, helping them qualify from the group stage for the first time since 1986.

The 28-year-old has been one of Poland’s best performers in Qatar, ranking second in the squad with a Sofascore rating of 7.10/10 and shots on target per match (0.3) while ranking first for key passes made per game (1.7), demonstrating just how important he is to the national side.

The £107k-per-week sensation has also excelled for Napoli this season, leading the side to the top of the Serie A table by registering eight goal contributions while also creating a further nine big chances and an impressive 2.3 key passes per match.

These statistics clearly show not only does he provide a vital attacking threat from the midfield engine room, but his creativity also generates plenty of chances for others and Klopp urgently requires some more dynamism in his midfield.

Former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti sang the Napoli machine’s praises: “Zielinski is a complete midfielder, he played in all positions with me. He is dynamic and skilled with the ball.”

High praise from one of the most successful coaches in European football and Zielinski may well be a surprise name linked to the club, however, there is plenty he can offer Liverpool.

Klopp may well have to sign a midfielder or two in January to ensure a major rebuilding job doesn’t occur in the summer and with the Serie A outfit valuing the Polish international at around €40m (£34m) back in the summer then the 55-year-old might just test Napoli’s resolve with a January bid.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is keen on bringing in Nicolas Jackson from his former club Villarreal, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Jackson shines for Villarreal

The 50-year-old has left the Yellow Submarine to take charge at Villa Park, with the Spaniard tasked with picking up the pieces left by his predecessor Steven Gerrard.

While there is a decent squad in the Midlands, it still seems likely that the new boss will want to bring in fresh faces who could suit his style of play.

It looks as though he plans to go straight back to his former club in that respect, following a recent report.

The Latest: Emery wants Jackson at Villa

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], Emery has ‘instructed his new club to move quickly and try to sign’ Jackson.

The 21-year-old’s current Villarreal deal expires at the end of this season, so they could be keen to earn some kind of fee for him in the January transfer window. He is thought to have a £27m release clause.

The Verdict: Exciting option

The fact that Emery knows Jackson inside-out as a player can only bode well, in terms of being an expert on his qualities, and the 21-year-old’s numbers certainly speak for themselves.

The Senegalese winger has two goals and two assists to his name in La Liga this season and he could be a fresh new option in a central attacking role, with Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings not setting the world alight so far in 2022/23.

At 21, Jackson is still very much a work in progress, so he should be viewed as an exciting prospective long-term addition who could mature into a formidable prospect under his former manager if Emery brings him to Villa Park.

The Daily Telegraph journalist Sam Dean has revealed that Gabriel ‘limped’ down the tunnel after Arsenal’s 2-0 loss away to PSV Eindhoven on Thursday evening.

The Lowdown: Sticky patch

Mikel Arteta’s team are enduring somewhat of a sticky patch right now, with last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Southampton in the Premier League followed up by Thursday’s defeat to PSV in the Europa League.

Marquinhos missed training alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko in the build-up to the game, and with long-term absentees Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny already on the treatment table, the north London club may now have another injury to deal with…

The Latest: Gabriel ‘in pain’

Taking to Twitter, Dean has revealed that Gabriel ‘limped’ down the tunnel after Thursday’s defeat in Eindhoven and looked to be ‘grimacing in pain’.

The Telegraph reporter observed:

“Gabriel Magalhaes limped down the tunnel at the end of the game. Looked to be grimacing in pain.”

The Verdict: Not another one…

The hefty October schedule seems to have already taken its toll on Arsenal, and Arteta will not want another serious injury to one of his key players with midweek matches against FC Zurich and Brighton and Hove Albion to come on top of their remaining top-flight fixtures before the World Cup.

Gabriel has WhoScored).

Nonetheless, given their patchy form right now, Arteta will ideally want to call on the Brazilian once more when they face Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Leeds United’s poor run of form in the Premier League continued as they tasted defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The home side came from behind to record their first win in five outings and to condemn Jesse Marsch’s men to a fifth game without a victory themselves.

Pascal Struijk handed the Whites an early lead, firing home from short range in the tenth minute after Brenden Aaronson’s spectacular solo effort cannoned off the post into the defender’s path.

But it was short-lived as Odsonne Edouard headed home from Michael Olise’s free-kick just 14 minutes later before the Eagles snatched the game through Eberechi Eze, whose mazy run and long-range individual scorcher sailed past a helpless Illan Meslier.

It was certainly a tough afternoon for Leeds and in particular, the returning Patrick Bamford, who looked rusty and not quite 100% yet. It would be harsh to criticise him, having barely featured in the past 18 months.

However, winger Jack Harrison was arguably the most wasteful of the visitors’ starting lineup.

As per SofaScore, no player in the whole game lost the ball more times than the 25-year-old as he squandered possession an eye-watering 25 times – that was nearly half of his 53 touches, which only emphasises just how poor he was when Leeds were attacking.

The £35m-rated dynamo also managed just one shot throughout the 90 minutes he was on the pitch and to make matters worse, only two of his five dribbling attempts were successful, suggesting that he had a difficult game against his opposite number.

Elsewhere, Harrison won just five of nine duels and was careless in his passing, accurately finding a Leeds man with only 67% of his 27 attempts, also via SofaScore.

As LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross suggested on social media, the winger was “not doing enough” against the Eagles, so that – combined with the evidence above – only points to Harrison being rather costly for Marsch and co down in south-east London on Sunday afternoon.

It was a pretty disappointing display from one of the American’s usually reliable options.

AND in other news, Orta had a Leeds transfer blunder on “special” £6.5k-p/w “talent”, he’s better than Bamford…

Manchester City star Kalvin Phillips could be set to miss out on England’s World Cup squad later this year after suffering ‘another massive’ injury blow, according to pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Phillips set for surgery

Gareth Southgate named the midfielder in his Three Lions squad for their upcoming Nations League fixtures, but Sky Sports have since reported that he’s had to drop out, needing to undergo surgery on a persistent shoulder problem.

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson has taken his place, but the 26-year-old has not made the start to life with the Premier League giants that he would have hoped for, having played just 14 minutes since his arrival at the Etihad.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan, former top flight player and BBC pundit, said Phillips has been unfortunate with injuries throughout his career and this setback could hinder his chances of getting on the plane to Qatar in November.

“He was in the squad for the upcoming games.

“I think the lack of football isn’t good for any player – let alone someone who has just moved to another club.

“The shoulder injury is something that happened at Leeds United and that has recurred.

“It’s not been the start to the season that everyone expected from Phillips – and this is another massive blow for him.

“This was his time to put in a performance and show everyone what he’s all about.

“It might scupper his World Cup chances with the injury and the lack of game time. Gareth Southgate has got a big decision to make as we’ve not got long until the World Cup starts.”

The Verdict: Needs to do more

Phillips played a hugely significant role in helping England reach the Euro 2020 final last summer, so he will be hoping that he can return in time to be considered for the World Cup.

Pep Guardiola has typically rotated his midfield to feature Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, making it hard for the maestro to get a look in, so he’s got to do more to make an impression.

Regardless of whether he’s back from injury before then or not, Phillips needs to show what he’s capable of if he wants his time at City to be anywhere near as exciting as first expected.

Everton have been linked with a move for Conor Gallagher on several occasions over the summer so far, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player over the final week of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to talkSPORT, Everton “have asked” for either Gallagher or Armando Broja on loan as part of a deal for Chelsea target Anthony Gordon.

The popular sports broadcaster tweeted:

“Breaking: Everton have asked Chelsea to include either Armando Broja or Conor Gallagher on loan as part of the deal to sign Anthony Gordon.

“talkSPORT sources understand”

Big Gomes upgrade

Frank Lampard will be keen to add more quality to his team following the disappointing start to Everton’s Premier League campaign, with the side remaining winless with just one point tallied up over the first three games of the season.

With Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Davies injured again there is certainly an opportunity for the Toffees to strengthen their midfield even further after already signing up Amadou Onana this summer.

There is no doubt that Gallagher, who has a reported price tag of £50m, would not only be a great signing to add depth to the centre of the pitch but can also offer a lot of quality in the midfield role and would be a big upgrade on Toffees midfielder Andre Gomes.

When you compare the two player’s output last season, it is clear the England international would be the perfect fit to replace the Portuguese player in the central role at Goodison Park.

Gallagher outperformed Gomes over many attributes including shots on target rate (42.3% v 28.6%), tackles won (44 v 9), pressure success rate (28.4% v 25.8%) and aerial duels won (46.7% v 31.6%), although the two were completely identical in their 76.3% pass completion.

The Chelsea youngster who was hailed “outstanding” by Thomas Tuchel was also a much more clinical goal threat in his role whilst on a season-long loan with Crystal Palace last season where he scored eight goals and delivered five assists, something that would come in very handy at Everton right now.

Everton have converted just two of their 42 shots on goal, so adding in Gallagher, could give them a player who can not only occupy the midfield role comfortably, but would give Lampard a player who has trouble finding the back of the net when the opportunity rises.

With that being said, the signing of Gallagher would be a major coup for Everton and would certainly give Lampard a boost in his midfield quality to finally give their Premier League campaign the kickstart it desperately needs.

Sunderland are believed to be closing in on the signing of highly-rated Morecambe defender, Connor Pye, according to recent reports.

What’s the word?

As per Football Insider, the Black Cats are said to have ‘agreed a deal’ for the 18-year-old, having secured a ‘breakthrough’ in negotiations with the League One outfit for the promising left-back.

The report suggests that the teenager – who is said to have two years left on his current deal – is seemingly a player for the future at the Stadium of Light, as he is ‘unlikely’ to go straight into manager Alex Neil’s plans at senior level.

As per the report, the full-back was one of a number of players made ‘available for transfer’ by the shrimps earlier this summer due to financial restrictions, thus allowing the northeast side to pounce.

Neil should love it

Managing to secure the signing of a player who has been likened to Liverpool ace Andy Robertson would no doubt be a great source of delight for the Sunderland boss, with Neil set to love securing what would be a seventh major signing of the summer thus far.

Although Pye – who has made just a solitary senior outing for his current side – appears unlikely to make an impact for the Championship side this season, his capture could prove to be a notable coup in the longer term, having previously been linked with a move to Premier League outfit, Everton.

With Dennis Cirkin currently the only recognised left-back option in the first-team squad, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the impressive starlet could force his way into the manager’s plans sooner rather than later, with depth undoubtedly needed in what will likely be a gruelling season.

A move for the Englishman will also help the club to move on from the disappointment of missing out on former loanee Nathan Broadhead, with the 24-year-old recently opting to join Wigan Athletic on a loan deal from the Toffees.

The forward had reportedly been targetted by Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman ahead of a potential return to the club, although has favoured a move to the Latics in search of more regular game time.

Getting another new arrival in the door in the form of Pye, however, could ensure that transfer failure is swiftly forgotten about, with Neil no doubt set to love the chance to help nurture such a well-regarded young talent.

Everton are reportedly now in ‘pole position’ to sign Maxwel Cornet, and have already agreed personal terms.

The Lowdown: Burnley absence

Cornet was left out of the Burnley squad that won 1-0 at Huddersfield Town in the Championship opening game on Friday night, amid reports that he could follow the likes of Nick Pope and Dwight McNeil out of the doors at Turf Moor.

Hailed as ‘electric’ last season by The Athletic journalist Andy Jones, the winger was a rare shining light in the Clarets team that were relegated from the Premier League, with nine goals and one assist in the division (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, now down in the Championship, he is sure to attract potential suitors in the top flight.

The Latest: Pole position

As per But! Football Club (via Sport Witness), the Goodison Park outfit are now in ‘pole position’ to sign Cornet, and have already agreed personal terms with him ahead of a potential move.

However, they have had a bid rejected from Burnley for the player, and so will have to submit an improved offer if they are to land their man.

The Verdict: No-brainer

The report claims that Cornet has a release clause of €21m (£17.6m), which would be a no-brainer to pay for someone that has shown that he can perform in the Premier League.

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With McNeil and another former Clarets teammate in James Tarkowski already at the club, the Ivory Coast international should be able to settle in very quickly on Merseyside.

Nonetheless, he has not reached his peak yet at 25 years of age, and so this is an investment that would benefit Frank Lampard’s side for years to come.