All posts by z3u9t.icu

After another weekend of Premier League football, the results are in for the top scorers in FPL for game week 6 – with some big performances coming across the league with some big results alongside them.

A hattrick from Patrick Bamford led to a 3-0 victory for Leeds over Aston Villa – with Bielsa’s side being the only club to score more than 2 goals for GW6. Wins for Leicester over Arsenal, Southampton over Everton, and Liverpool over Sheffield United changed the shape of the Premier League table, with all clubs now having lost a game this season after just six games.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the biggest performances from the weekend and find out which players topped the points charts on FPL for each position…

Goalkeeper: Kasper Schmeichel – 10pts

The Dane recorded his best points return of the season on Monday, with the Foxes running out 1-0 victors over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. His performance earned himself a clean sheet, adding 4 points to his final total, as well as being awarded the maximum bonus points after the match with an extra 3.

Schmeichel earned the obligatory minimum minutes points, along with an extra point for making 4 saves during the game – taking his final total to 10 points. Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris followed a close second with 9 points, but it was the extra bonus point for the Leicester keeper that put him top of this goalkeeping table for GW6 of FPL.

Defender: Kurt Zouma – 9pts

The Frenchman has found himself top of the FPL table for the second time this season, totaling 9 points for his performance against Chelsea on Saturday.

The game finished with a 0-0 draw, giving Zouma 4 points for his clean sheet – this was followed by a bonus three points awarded to him at the end of the game for his performance. On top of that, he was awarded the obligatory 2 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes – taking his final total to 9 points.

Toby Alderweireld followed in a close second along with Reece James who both earned themselves 8 points – but it was Zouma who found himself on top at the end of GW6.

Midfielder: Wilfried Zaha – 13pts

The Ivorian had a fantastic game against Fulham on Saturday with a goal and an assist in the Eagles 2-1 win over the Cottagers.

His contributions to the goal tally awarded his return with 8 points for his goal and assist – which was joined by the obligatory 2 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes during the game.

The midfielder was also awarded a bonus three points for his performance, taking his final tally to 13 points for GW6. He was closely followed by Heung-min Son and James Ward-Prowse, who both tallied 11 points, but it wasn’t enough to take Zaha off the top spot.

Forward: Patrick Bamford – 17pts

The Englishman probably enjoyed one of the best games of his career against Aston Villa on Friday, scoring his first Premier League hattrick.

His three goals in the club’s 3-0 victory earned him 12 points towards his final total, along with a bonus three points after being awarded the Man of the Match award. Along with that, his obligatory 3 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes took his final total to 17 points for GW6 – a fantastic haul.

The closest competitor for the top spot was Danny Ings, who managed 10 points, but was nowhere near Bamford who cleared the competition and finished top spot in FPL for the weekend.

Manchester United were dealt a huge blow as Jude Bellingham decided to sign for Borussia Dortmund to bring the long-running transfer saga to an end in the summer. If Ed Woodward wasn’t already regretting his failure to sign the former Birmingham City teenage prospect, he will surely be doing so right now after Bellingham came off the bench to earn his first senior cap for his country in the 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland this week.

What’s the story?

According to The Mirror, the fully-fledged England international is expected to stay with his teammates in order to continue his development as a player.

The Dortmund dynamo, 17, became the third-youngest player to represent the Three Lions after he was handed his debut by Gareth Southgate.

Southgate is apparently so impressed by his attitude that Bellingham has been included in the senior squad to face Belgium and Iceland in the Nations League.

 Woodward disasterclass

Bellingham burst onto the scene at Birmingham City, where the teenager enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with the Blues, scoring four goals and supplying two assists in the Championship, whilst he averaged 2.2 clearances, 1.2 shots and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

German giants Dortmund signed the Stourbridge-born central midfielder from Birmingham in the summer for a fee believed to be somewhere in the region of £20.7m, which could rise to £30m depending on performance-related bonuses.

Comfortable in possession and confident on the ball, the talented teen has immediately picked up where he left off last season with Lucien Favre’s side, having made six appearances in the Bundesliga so far this season, registering one assist, whilst he has made 2 tackles, 1.2 shots and 1.2 dribbles per game, as per WhoScored.

By comparison, his United counterpart Donny van de Beek has endured a frustrating start to life at Old Trafford, whilst he is averaging fewer than one tackle and one shot per game in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising Bellingham was recently described as a “fantastic talent” by Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings, after he was promoted to Southgate’s senior squad following injuries to Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse. It’s worth remembering he bagged more times than United first-team regulars Nemanja Matic and Fred last term, even if you combine both their scores together.

Whilst hindsight is a wonderful thing, Woodward should’ve pulled the trigger whilst he still had the chance to sign him in the summer, as he may have become a club legend in the mould of his childhood hero Wayne Rooney.

The future seems bright for Bellingham, whose market value is €40-50m (£36-45m) as per Football Observatory, but we can’t say the same for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Woeful Woodward: Manchester United will forever regret not signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund…

According to a report from Football Insider, Spurs outcast Dele Alli is now attracting the interest of Everton after manager Jose Mourinho froze him out the squad – with the Lilywhites potentially a step closer to losing the 6 ft 2 ace in January after this update. 

Alli, who has only played 67 minutes of Premier League action this campaign, last appearing for Spurs during their 1-0 defeat to Royal Antwerp in the Europa League, could be closer to a January exit as Everton register their intent.

Toffees eyeing Alli move

The Englishman, alongside the likes of Paulo Gazzaniga and Harry Winks, is now being closely watched by the Toffees as they plan to take advantage of their squad situation and offer them a way out.

Alli in particular, especially with the postponed Euro 2020 Championship around the corner, could, in fact, wish to take this opportunity should Carlo Ancelotti’s side come in with a January bid.

As per Football Insider, both Alli and Winks could fall into the loan move away category with Everton reportedly interested in those types of deals along with any other money-saving alternatives.

Transfer Tavern take

Described as a ‘monster’, manager Mourinho, while currently refusing to play him, could be closer to losing a potentially fruitful attacking option after this big update.

Former Tottenham boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino described him as ‘special’, and the Lilywhites could still find a use for him despite the emergence of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso as attacking midfielders.

As Premier League clubs register their interest, Mourinho has a decision to make in regards to Alli – whether to stick or twist as January looms.

In other news: Alasdair Gold has dropped a Gareth Bale revelation, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur made a huge statement in the Premier League on Saturday night with an emphatic win over heavyweights Manchester City. The six-time title winners struggled to find their groove as Spurs punished them through Son Heung-min’s fifth minute goal.

Giovani Lo Celso came on in the second half to double the lead and send Spurs top of the table. But amid the celebrations, Jose Mourinho delivered some worrying news as he revealed that Toby Alderweireld had suffered a groin injury.

The Belgian came off in the final ten minutes of the match after a solid performance in defence. Speaking after the surprise victory, the manager said: “It’s bad. It’s a muscular injury in the adductor. The dimension of course we don’t know, we have to wait, but it’s a difficult injury for sure.”

With new signing Joe Rodon not registered for Tottenham’s Europa League squad, Mourinho will be without the Welshman for their next group stage match against Ludogorets. The 23-year-old talent replaced Alderweireld last night but as one of only three fit centre-backs, Mourinho is now short on options.

Unless he drastically changes his approach for Thursday, the 57-year-old will have to pair Eric Dier up with out of favour Davinson Sanchez, who has been dropped for the last four Premier League fixtures.

According to Football Insider, the Colombia international could be on the verge of being sold following the signing of Rodon and rising starlet Japhet Tanganga. Naturally, the younger talents have seen Sanchez fall down the pecking order and he is struggling for game time. However, with Alderweireld sidelined for potentially a long period of time, this could be his golden moment to resurrect his Spurs career.

The Lilywhites are currently top of their Europa League group on six points, but Antwerp and LASK are breathing down their neck on the same amount. Whilst Ludogorets are bottom and yet to bank a single point, Spurs will be viewed as the clear favourites. But they cannot take the fixture for granted and Sanchez must pull off a solid performance in order to catch Mourinho’s eye.

Former boss Mauricio Pochettino thought highly of the £75,000 per week defender and labelled him the “beast” in the team. But Mourinho is renowned for being a lot more cut-throat, as shown with his freezing out of Dele Alli.

In other news, Serge Aurier impresses as Spurs thwart Man City to go top…

Southampton were boosted by the news earlier in the week that four young academy talents have signed professional contracts with the club.

Ryan Finnigan, Jeremi Rodriguez, Fedel Ross-Laing and Diamond Edwards have all committed their futures to the south coast club, which should see them stay with the Saints until the summer of 2023.

Edwards was signed from Reading in 2019 and has clearly impressed in his first year with Southampton, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been rewarded with a professional deal.

The 18-year-old has made six appearances for the U’18 side so far this season, in which he has contributed one goal. He has also played across the midfield, as well as on the wing, which demonstrates his versatility.

He could also be compared to a former Saints youth academy talent in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as he too was capable of playing in a number of positions across the midfield during his time with the club, before his move to Arsenal.

During his time with the Saints, the now-Liverpool man would make 43 appearances for the club, contributing an impressive 10 goals and nine assists.

Following the news that these four had committed their futures to Southampton, academy director Matt Hale had this to say:

“With Diamond, Fedel and Jeremi, we have worked hard through our recruitment work to bring these talented players to the football club.

“All three of them began their full-time programme with us this year and look to be promising young talents that can have an exciting future.”

Therefore, it seems as if Edwards is destined for a big future with the south coast club and perhaps it won’t be too long until we see him make his first-team debut under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Pundit drops Southampton claim about Jisheng Gao

Crystal Palace look set to repeat their Alexander Sorloth mistake with Danish striker Kasper Junker, who has been heavily linked with a move to Selhurst Park.

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, Palace are eyeing a move for the 26-year-old centre-forward in January, amid interest from Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion.

It’s claimed that a host of Championship clubs including Swansea, Middlesbrough and Bristol City are also keeping tabs on his situation.

Junker has certainly been in prolific form for FK Bodo/Glimt, providing 27 goals and 11 assists in 28 games across all competitions, via Transfermarkt but this move might just be too good to be true.

Sorloth 2.0

After all, it feels like we’ve been here before, doesn’t it? Palace chairman Steve Parish splashed the cash on the relatively unknown Sorloth, only for the forward to turn out to be a total and utter flop.

Fast forward a few months later and Sorloth is no longer at Selhurst Park, as the 25-year-old is currently plying his trade with Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.

Whether or not the same can be said for Junker remains to be seen, but he only managed six goals during an injury-interrupted campaign at the Norwegian club last season, which should give Palace fans some cause for concern. In fact, he failed to reach double digits in any of his previous campaigns.

That will hardly give fans the confidence that he can provide cover and competition for the likes of Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke while the last thing Roy Hodgson needs right now is another expensive flop off the back of the humiliating defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

It might seem a little harsh but in all likelihood, his recent heroics are just a glaring anomaly, as none of the other figures across the rest of his career stand out either. Let’s face it, 13 goals in 69 games for Aarhus is hardly the stuff of legend.

The former Denmark U21 international has been in scintillating form since the start of the season but is yet to really prove himself at a decent level of the game on a regular basis, with just one goal in the Europa League qualifying rounds to his name.

Until then, Parish must avoid repeating the same inexcusable mistake he made with Sorloth unless he wants to walk headfirst into an unmitigated disaster.

AND in other news, Forget Sarr: Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish must secure Michael Olise as a Townsend alternative…

Marcel Brands can right his summer wrongs by targeting LOSC Lille full-back and rumoured Everton target Zeki Celik in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees have been in contact with Celik’s representatives in recent weeks to discuss a potential move to Goodison Park.

AS Roma are currently negotiating a deal for the 23-year-old after a potential move to sign FC Dallas’ teen talent Bryan Reynolds stalled, and could face further competition from Serie A rivals Juventus and Belgian powerhouse Club Brugge.

No side is believed to have yet lodged a formal bid for Celik, who has started 12 of his 13 Ligue 1 appearances this season after an ankle injury forced the 18-cap Turkey defender to sit out three fixtures following the November international break.

Celik returned to action last month and recorded his second assist of the campaign in a 2-0 win over Dijon FCO, while scoring once in the French top-flight and once in the Europa League during a 2-2 draw at home to Celtic earlier in the season.

Everton had contested for Celik’s signature in the summer amid rival intrigue from Tottenham Hotspur, but refused to match Lille’s €20m (£18m) valuation for their specialist full-back who has proven to be powerful in defensive duels and a solid provider of crosses.

January U-turn

Brands must U-turn on his mistake in refusing to meet Lille’s asking price for Celik and strive to strike a deal with a revived raid this winter, with Carlo Ancelotti now said to be on the lookout for his long-term option to succeed Seamus Coleman at Goodison Park.

Celik could be Ancelotti’s perfect option to fill the void Coleman is currently due to leave when his contract expires in 2022, as the Turkey international has continued to shine in France as Lille contend for top-honours with goal difference all that separates Christophe Galtier’s side from table-toppers Olympique Lyonnais.

Both Lyon and Lille have won 10 and lost only one of their opening 17 fixtures but are separated by a single goal, with Galtier’s men proving themselves to be one of Ligue 1’s best defensive unit with a division-low 9.1 shots allowed per game.

Celik has contributed heavily to their efforts with a mammoth 3.2 successful tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.5 clearances a game while winning 5.0 duels (4.4 ground, 0.6 aerial), and hits on the break with the relentless gem offering 0.8 key passes, 0.5 shots and 0.2 accurate crosses, per SofaScore.

Lille may demand more for Celik in January than they requested last summer, but Brands can right his £18m mistake by securing a deal in the mid-season market and solving Ancelotti’s full-back concerns.

AND in other news, Everton are showing a determination to sign a £13.5m titan for free…

When it comes to the January transfer window, Victor Orta must shriek with absolute horror.

Cast your minds back two years ago and you will see him head in hands after a move for Dan James fell through. If that wasn’t bad enough, a move for Jean-Kevin Augustin last January was nothing short of a disaster.

He played just 48 minutes of first-team football before Leeds failed to pay their obligation to buy the forward from RB Leipzig.

Thus, signing a striker this month would surely be pointless. There’s certainly a case to be made but that clearly isn’t the thought process of Orta.

According to Football Insider, Leeds have a concrete interest in Mainz striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The forward has scored 11 times this term but we have already raised concerns over a move for the £30k-per-week man. That’s because his qualities, certainly in terms of passing, leave a lot to be desired.

Since being linked with the Whites, we haven’t had an opportunity to watch him in action but that changed on Saturday. Unfortunately, supporters and indeed Orta will have been left pretty bemused with the events that followed.

Mateta didn’t start in Mainz’s 2-0 defeat to Frankfurt and judging by his abject cameo from the bench, you can understand why.

The 23-year-old was absolutely woeful and after being introduced with 13 minutes to play, he only attempted two passes – both of which were unsuccessful.

He touched the ball on only six occasions and on four of them, he was dispossessed by an opponent or lost the ball. Mateta’s only dribble was unsuccessful while the less said about his shooting the better.

The Frenchman’s one and only shot at goal happened to be off-target. With Mainz looking for a route back into the game, his display was nothing short of shocking.

As far as cameos go, this was one to quickly forget and it only provides further reasoning behind why Leeds need to forget about him.

Patrick Bamford is the undisputed number nine at Elland Road and as a result, Mateta would be restricted to appearances from the bench. On this evidence, he is not good enough to provide a spark as a substitute.

Orta should be particularly displeased with his scouting network if the striker is indeed a genuine target this month. He isn’t good enough for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano hints at possible “opportunity” for Leeds, it would usurp Rodrigo deal…

Here we go! Fabrizio Romano has dropped a fresh transfer update on Wilfried Zaha’s future at Crystal Palace.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent weeks revealed European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan want to sign the Eagles winger in the January transfer window.

It’s claimed AC Milan are reportedly eyeing up a £50m bid for Zaha as they want to bolster their firepower as they seek to win their first Scudetto since the 2010-11 season.

However, speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano said: “No, he’s been offered to some Italian clubs by some intermediary and we had some rumours because of this.

“He has been offered but AC Milan are not interested, they are happy with their players. And they have Brahim Diaz on loan from Real Madrid. So they still want to go with him, to see his quality and to decide about signing him on a permanent deal next summer or not.

“So at the moment, Zaha is not a target for AC Milan.”

Huge boost for Roy Hodgson

With Zaha heavily linked with the Selhurst Park exit, Romano’s latest comments will come as music to manager Roy Hodgson’s ears.

The Palace boss finds himself under increased pressure after a mixed bag of results as the Eagles were dumped out of the FA Cup following a 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Molineux.

Whilst Eberechi Eze has burst onto the scene since the start of the season – with two goals and two assists in ten top-flight appearances – it’s hard to ignore Zaha’s importance to Palace.

Against Wolves, in the absence of Zaha, the Eagles failed to record a single shot on target. Zaha himself is currently averaging more shots (2.4) per game than any other Palace player, via WhoScored.

The 28-year-old tops the goal-scoring charts, as he has provided eight goals and two assists in 15 games in the Premier League, via Transfermarkt.

He was there when the Eagles came close to the relegation battle last season and is a large part of the reason why Palace are still in the top flight – having scored four goals and supplied five assists in total.

Now, Zaha has resumed his role as the club’s talisman, whilst he recently described himself as a “passionate” player in an interview with The Telegraph’s Jason Burt. He isn’t just a part of the furniture. He’s played a major part in keeping them in the top flight.

This is exactly why Steve Parish simply can’t afford to lose the £45m-rated ace. He means too much to supporters on and off the pitch.

Click here to see the full 30 minute video of Fabrizio Romano’s interview with Give Me Sport

AND in other news, Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy the only positive from Wolves defeat…

If one of Neil Lennon’s New Year resolutions was to revive Celtic, then he is currently doing a bad job.

The Hoops are without a win in 2021, and are 23 points behind their fierce rivals.

It has been a season to forget and judging by their record of seven victories in the last 22 matches, it’s time for Lennon to go.

He’s claimed that he won’t leave of his own accord, and thus, the only way he’ll walk through the exit door is if Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell give the Northern Irishman his marching orders.

For the good of the club, it needs to happen as soon as possible. Eddie Howe has been linked with the hotseat but now another name has entered the conversation.

The Mirror reported this weekend that after leaving Chinese club Dalian Professional, Rafael Benitez is in the frame to succeed Lennon at Parkhead.

This would be an eye-catching appointment, one that could completely revitalise the Hoops in a whole host of ways.

Now 60 years of age, the Spaniard is well travelled and has a glistening CV – one that looks a lot more eye-catching than Lennon’s.

He has won the Champions League, UEFA Cup and the Europa League, while he’s also proven victorious in the Club World Cup. This is a coach with a stellar reputation, someone who has become recognised as a fabulous motivator.

Speaking about his spell under Benitez, Harry Kewell noted his ability to get players to agree with him no matter what: “He was the master of you walking into his office thinking…I know this is what I am going to say…and you’d walk out agreeing to everything he said,” the Australian began.

“Rafa Benitez was fantastic, but he’d say do this and I’d say but what about this way, and he’d respond – ‘fantastic but this is what I want you to do,” Kewell concluded.

For a Celtic side who look as though they’re being given an easy ride by Lennon right now, this would be game-changing. It feels like nothing the current Hoops boss says works and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest he’s lost parts of the dressing room.

Yet, Benitez is someone that looks for solutions and can adapt well to his surroundings. The very fact he went from Real Madrid to Newcastle shows he offers a vast array of different qualities.

Though, it’s his meticulous use of analytics that could be the most beneficial for Celtic. It was revealed last year by Simon Ferry that Lennon was remarkably still using Brendan Rodgers’ training sessions. That detrimental method, however, could all change if Benitez walks through the door.

At Newcastle, Benitez installed a very particular brand of training, a highly organised intense affair.

His sessions would usually last 60-90 minutes, with a firm emphasis on exercises related to game preparation and tactics. 80% of the session would be work with the ball, while the other 20% would purely be on fitness. This type of organisation would be perfect for the Bhoys. After all, Lennon is hardly a mastermind when it comes to the training pitch.

The former Liverpool boss has also used analytics to his advantage. At Anfield, he used a Spanish tool called Amisco. It has since merged with Prozone and Opta but Benitez would collect as much analysis and statistics as possible to then feed down to his players.

Newcastle players and staff were fed intricate levels of detail when he was in the northeast of England. Assessing how their opponents lined-up for corners in previous seasons is a prime example.

Although he’d be exceptional at Lennoxtown, it is surely his reputation that would command the most respect.

There is a certain aura about the 60-year-old, one that could add fresh energy to Celtic. If Desmond can lure him to Glasgow, it would be one of his finest hours yet.

AND in other news, Hammond could revive Celtic by swooping for terrifying gem with 15 goals in 9 games…