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After winning an unprecedented Champions League title back in May, expectations were high for this Arsenal side coming into the 2025-26 season. Could the Gunners use their European success as a springboard and really challenge for the Women's Super League title this time around? Could they finally end Chelsea's incredible dominance which has now seen them claim each of the last six league crowns, as well as 13 of the last 18 domestic honours?

So far, the answers to those questions appear to be unchanged and, as such, negative. Before the international break, Arsenal endured a four-game winless run for the first time since January 2022, and although they were able to stop the rot with wins over Brighton and Benfica before players headed off on national-team duty, neither performance was particularly convincing. As they prepare to resume WSL action this weekend, the Gunners are five points behind leaders Chelsea, having won just three of their first six games, and sit fifth in standings, behind north London rivals Tottenham.

It was only five months ago that this Arsenal team, under new head coach Renee Slegers, stunned Barcelona in the Champions League final having enjoyed an historic comeback victory over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals before battering eight-time European champions Lyon in their own backyard in the semis. So why have they been unable to build on that at the start of this season and what can they do to reignite what has so far been a sluggish and disappointing campaign? 

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  Be temporarily pragmatic

  One of the most notable struggles Arsenal have had in the early stages of this season has come in the form of high-profile mistakes when playing out from the back. That's been a particular issue amid the absence of Leah Williamson, whose quality in possession is a big reason why the Gunners are usually so good in building out from the defence, and whose spell on the sidelines has certainly had a negative impact on that facet of the team's game thus far this season.

  Encouragingly, Slegers took steps to address these errors, explaining after the win over Brighton: "We’ve been working on the build-up and, when the ball is in our own half, how we can have more forward intent so we don’t have to go backwards and teams can just go high and player for player and everyone is under pressure."

  It has had an immediately positive impact, not just because Arsenal have won their last two games but because they've kept two clean sheets in them, at least in part due to the fact that they've not been putting themselves in precarious situations in possession.

  A few days later, Slegers explained that she saw this as a "medium- or long-term" measure. "We want to find ways to beat that press but also not to invite the press and that is what we have been working on," she added.

  It's vital that, despite turning things around a little in recent weeks, Slegers sticks with this for the time being and doesn't allow those errors to creep back into Arsenal's game, especially while Williamson remains sidelined. If those issues return, it would be seriously problematic. 

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  Show more positivity and urgency in the final third

  Arsenal have been underwhelming in attack too, particularly with the lack of urgency shown in the opposition's half. Take the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, for example, where the Gunners were 1-0 up until a late, late equaliser from their visitors punished them for not finishing the game off.

  "I just don’t think we have the intensity and urgency in and around the box to kill the game, because we get an early goal," Slegers noted after that result. "But as long as it’s 1-0, the opposition always feels like they’re still in the game. You only need one moment and that’s what happened today."

  That felt like the case in the 1-0 win over Brighton, too, despite Arsenal's lead coming about as a result of a rather lucky own goal. Fortunately, the Seagulls were unable to make them pay for that lack of chance creation as the Gunners ended their winless run.

  But Slegers' side should absolutely not be resting on their laurels in these games. If they want to really turn that form around and reel off the results that are needed to get them back into the WSL title race, while proving that they can put up a sturdy European title defence, they have to show more urgency and positivity in the final third and a greater will to get shots off when the space opens up, rather than passing up the opportunity to get a strike on goal, regardless of the scoreline.

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  Create chances for Russo

  It's especially important for Arsenal to look more dangerous in the final third because Alessia Russo, who had her best goal-scoring season to date last term, has been starved of service. In the WSL, the England international ranks 16th for shots and 31st for shots on target, per 90 minutes, with her able to score just one goal from open play, and one penalty, in the competition as a result. That simply has to improve if the Gunners are to return to their best.

  It's not really on Russo, either. To watch Arsenal is to watch some great build-up and some especially electric wide play, only for the final ball to disappoint. So often, the crosses from the wings are particularly poor, which has been frustrating given how great a lot of the work before that is. Russo's movement, positioning and awareness in the box has come on leaps and bounds, and her team-mates need to improve balls into the area for her to allow her to continue to showcase that and make Arsenal a more efficient and effective team going forward.

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  Reignite Kelly's form

  Factoring into the need for that service for Russo to improve is the form of Chloe Kelly, which Arsenal need to reignite to make themselves a more dangerous attacking prospect. The England star was outstanding after signing for the Gunners on loan back in January, providing a series of game-changing moments and performances during her four months back in north London, so much so that the club opted to make the move permanent in the summer.

  Despite continuing that theme of being an elite difference-maker at the European Championship, where her heroics were key to England's second successive continental triumph, Kelly has struggled for form at the start of this new season. That is clearly down to fitness to some degree, with some heavy strapping on her knee visible earlier this month. If the Gunners can nurse her back to full health, though, she could provide a real boost to a team that has lacked attacking spark on more than one occasion, with her quick-thinking assist for Russo in the win over Benfica just before the international break a great reminder of as much.

يستعد نجم نادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح، لكتابة تاريخ شخصي جديد له مع الريدز، وذلك قبل مواجهة النادي الإنجليزي يوم غدًا الثلاثاء أمام ريال مدريد في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ليفربول سوف يواجه نظيره ريال مدريد مساء يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب أنفيلد، وذلك لحساب الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة المجموعات في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويسعى ليفربول إلى تحقيق الانتصار على ريال مدريد من أجل استعادة الثقة، عقب الفترة الصعبة التي عاشها الريدز خلال هذا الموسم والخسارة بشكل متتالي بالفعل.

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وعلى الجانب الآخر يعيش ريال مدريد أفضل فتراته تحت قيادة المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو، وحقق الميرنجي انتصارات عديدة مع مدربه الإسباني ويتصدر ترتيب الدوري الإسباني.

وأشار موقع ليفربول الرسمي، إلى أن محمد صلاح سوف يخوض مباراته الـ200 مع النادي الإنجليزي على ملعب أنفيلد في إنجاز غير مسبوق للدولي المصري، بينما سجل ابن الـ33 عامًا 137 هدفًا مع ليفربول في هذا الملعب.

وأضاف الموقع، أن محمد صلاح يمتلك 48 هدفًا في دوري أبطال أوروبا ويحتاح إلى هدفين فقط، من أجل أن يصبح أول لاعب أفريقي في التاريخ يصل إلى 50 هدفًا في المسابقة الأوروبية.

محمد صلاح تعرض إلى الكثير من الانتقادات خلال هذا الموسم، بعدما انخفض مستواه مع الريدز قبل أن يستعيد عافيته بعض الشئ ويسجل أمام برينتفورد وأستون فيلا خلال الأسبوع الحالي والماضي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

Nottingham Forest are at the beginning of life under Ange Postecoglou, but results haven’t gone to plan since the Australian boss arrived at the City Ground.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure paved the way for Postecoglou to enter the hotseat in the East Midlands, though it is fair to say his tenure has yielded mixed reviews as he awaits a first victory in charge.

Back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Swansea City were followed by consecutive draws against Burnley and Real Betis, before Forest endured a frustrating loss against Sunderland last weekend despite creating a host of chances.

Urging patience, Postecoglou shared frustration at his side not being able to dispose of the Black Cats, albeit he did acknowledge his side were more than a match for their opponents in terms of their performance.

He stated: “Frustrating. Disappointing. It’s another game we have allowed to get away from us, where really we should be very comfortably overcoming (Sunderland). I didn’t think there was anything in it (free-kick decision). Irrespective, even if the referee has made an absolute high howler, we can still deal with the free-kick better. What we did after that is more of a concern to me than the decision.”

While Nottingham Forest’s frustration at the officials was reflected by Neco Williams, they do have plenty to build on; it isn’t as if they’ve been blown away by their opposition in any of their last four matches, excluding their defeat at Arsenal.

Ange Postecoglou’s frustrating start

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Swansea City 3-2 Nottingham Forest

Burnley 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Real Betis 2-2 Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Either way, people will already begin to form judgements, with many still fresh from memories of Postecoglou’s rollercoaster season with Tottenham Hotspur last term, ending the year with the Europa League trophy and a 17th-placed Premier League finish.

Tim Howard launches scathing Postecoglou verdict

Speaking to Premier League Productions, former United States and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has hit out at Postecoglou, claiming his methods lack pragmatism even if they are easy on the eye.

He stated: “I’m so sick and tired of these coaches saying, ‘This is the way I play, and I’ll lose my job, but I’ll play this way.’ No, you have to be pragmatic. You have to dig in. Yes, they use the football well and yes, they play well. But did you see that (Sunderland) performance? They were willing to dig in, every single one of them. That’s how you get results, and it shows.”

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Truthfully, there are two contexts to view Nottingham Forest’s situation in. On one hand, they have been unlucky not to claim more from their first five matches under Postecoglou, but a soft underbelly has no place in a side trying to claim Premier League points.

The Australian is known for his firebrand style of football, so fans will have to be encouraged by the flashes of what they’ve seen – particularly in Seville – and simply buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Bangladesh have bowled out for under 200 for the sixth time in the last ten Test innings

Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2025

Zimbabwe dealt an early blow on Bangladesh, after they bowled out the home side for 191 runs on the first day of the Sylhet Test. Wellington Masakadza and Blessing Muzarabani led the charge with three wickets each while Victor Nyauchi and Wessly Madhevere provided impressive support with their two wickets apiece.The visitors finished the day on a good note too, as their openers Ben Curran and Brian Bennett saw off the 14.1 overs unscathed, with 67 runs on the board. Zimbabwe couldn’t have asked for a better start in a venue where they also beat Bangladesh seven years ago. Bangladesh’s batting woes continued despite a five-month break from Test cricket. They have now been bowled out for under 200 for the sixth time in their last ten Test innings.Bangladesh’s top order once again didn’t provide them the start. The middle order collapsed too, from 98 for 2, to lose four wickets for 48 runs, after a bit of recovery. Mominul Haque top-scored with 56 while captain Najmul Hossain Shanto made 40, but neither converting to big scores after making starts.It was Nyauchi who provided Zimbabwe with their first pair of breakthroughs in the first hour. He broke Bangladesh’s opening stand with his fourth ball, when Shadman Islam edged Nyauchi’s wide delivery to gully. Brian Bennett took a splendid catch diving forward. Nyauchi removed Mahmudul Hasan Joy in his next over, bowling an impeccable line, to get the right-hander caught behind for 14.At the other end, Mominul was dropped before opening his account. Wicketkeeper Nyasha Mayavo couldn’t hold on to the chance that came off Mominul’s bat when he tried to avoid Muzarabani’s short ball. Bangladesh still went to lunch on 84 for 2, after seeing off Zimbabwe’s threat with the new ball.The visitors however weren’t done yet. Muzarabani peppered Shanto with plenty of short deliveries after lunch. The break lasted an extra thirty minutes due to rain. Shanto, having struck six fours in his knock, couldn’t keep another Muzarabani short ball down, giving Wessly Madhevere a simple catch at point.Still there was hope for Bangladesh’s two most experienced batters – Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul – to steady the ship. Instead, their dismissals sparked a collapse.Mushfiqur followed the captain back to the pavilion after making four, when he gave Mazakadza a gift of a wicket in his first over. Mushfiqur couldn’t quite believe it when he struck Masakadza to short midwicket where Bennett completed the catch.Mominul was next to go, swiping Masakadza to short midwicket after making 56. It was perhaps Mominul’s push for quicker runs that prompted the shot, but it looked too soft in the circumstance. Muzarabani brought back his short-ball prescription for Mehidy Hasan Miraz, knocking him out almost with a brute of a delivery. Mehidy was caught napping in his fourth ball, awkwardly gloving the ball to wicketkeeper Mayavo for a simple catch.The tail caved in quickly with Jaker Ali on the other end. Taijul Islam was caught behind down the leg-side giving Masakadza his third wicket. Muzarabani clean bowled Hasan Mahmud, before Madhevere removed Jaker and Nahid Rana in the same over to bowl out Bangladesh in the 61st over.

Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered another batting malfunction even though Rashid Khan went wicketless again

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-20253:33

Bishop: Siraj has overtaken Shami on recent form

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) suffered another batting malfunction in IPL 2025, this time on a black-soil surface at home, managing 152 for 8 against Gujarat Titans (GT). At one point, they went 36 balls without a boundary and had to wait until the 13th over for their first six. It was Heinrich Klaasen who hit that six, and in the final over of the innings Pat Cummins (22* off nine balls) cleared the boundary to give their attack something to defend.Rashid Khan went wicketless for a third successive game and after four games this season, he has figures of 1 for 143 in 14 overs. Mohammed Siraj, though, was at his best, especially in the powerplay, and then came back in the end overs to york Aniket Verma, SRH’s last recognised batter, and Impact Player Simarjeet Singh. Hyderabad boy Siraj came away with his career-best T20 figures of 4-0-17-4.Siraj had started SRH’s slide when he dismissed both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma in the powerplay. In the very first over on the day, he had Head chipping a catch to midwicket for 8 off five balls. Abhishek picked four fours before Siraj had him caught at mid-on in his third over of the powerplay. Abhishek became Siraj’s 100th victim in the IPL and sixth in the powerplay in IPL 2025. No other bowler has more wickets than Siraj in the first six overs this season.R Sai Kishore, the left-arm fingerspinner, then stifled SRH in the middle overs with his control and variety. He cut Klaasen’s innings short on 27 off 19 balls when he knocked him over with a quick fizzer. He went onto have Nitish Reddy holing out for 31 off 34 balls. GT had handed a franchise debut to Washington Sundar but they didn’t even need him with the ball.Captain Cummins then made a sparkling cameo to push SRH past 150. He was the only SRH batter in the top eight to have a strike rate of over 160.

New Zealand white-ball captain will play alongside Nathan Smith at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2025Surrey have filled the main gap in their T20 squad with the signing of New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner for the majority of the Vitality Blast season. Santner is available for eight group-stage games and the knockouts in September, if Surrey qualify.Batting allrounders Dan Lawrence, Cameron Steel and Will Jacks were Surrey’s spin options in the Blast last year, but the addition of Santner brings them a frontline option with more than 200 appearances in the format. Surrey have been losing semi-finalists two years in a row, and have not won the trophy since its inaugural season back in 2003.Santner, who recently became New Zealand’s white-ball captain, will arrive in London after the IPL, where he is due to play for Mumbai Indians. He will miss the end of the group stages on international duty but should be available for the knockouts in September. He is also likely to feature in the Hundred again this year, having spent last season with Northern Superchargers.Related

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“I’m really looking forward to connecting with the players and coaching staff at Surrey,” Santner said. “I’ve heard quality things about the environment and have thoroughly enjoyed playing at the Kia Oval previously. I’ve been fortunate to play against many of the squad so it will be great to share the same changing room and play some entertaining cricket.”Alec Stewart, who remains involved with Surrey’s recruitment in his new role as a ‘high performance cricket advisor’, said: “Mitch will bring quality and experience to the Surrey side. He’s a proven international cricketer who plays T20 cricket all over the world and has built an excellent skillset.”Santner will play alongside his international team-mate Nathan Smith at The Oval, with Smith due to play in both the County Championship and the Blast from the start of May until the end of the season, around his New Zealand commitments.

With less than two weeks to go until they get their Premier League campaign underway, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in pole position to jump ahead of Juventus and sign an attacking star.

Frank pays tribute to "fantastic" Son Heung-min

It’s been a mixed first summer for Thomas Frank in North London. Whilst he hasn’t seen Daniel Levy hand him a major overhaul at Tottenham, he has still welcomed some key reinforcements.

Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha have been the most impressive arrivals on that front, whilst Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel have also turned their loan moves permanent to take Spurs’ list of incomings to four for the summer.

After Heung-min Son announced his decision to depart this summer, though, the Lilywhites must turn back towards the transfer market to replace an irreplaceable Tottenham icon.

The South Korean leaves as one of the greatest Premier League players to ever play for Spurs and an undeniable club legend.

Whilst he didn’t get the chance to enjoy Son’s magic beyond this summer in the early days of his tenure, Frank had nothing but praise for his departing captain – telling reporters: “For me, personally, I would have loved to have worked with this fantastic person and player.

“He is a true Spurs legend in every aspect, one of the greatest players to play in the Premier League. It is never easy to find the perfect timing and me coming in from the side, it makes it a bit easier to end on a high.”

As irreplaceable as his moments to remember are, Spurs must attempt to find the heir to Son’s throne this summer and that has reportedly seen them turn towards a Ligue 1 star.

Tottenham in pole position to sign Kolo Muani over Juventus

According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are now in pole position to sign Randal Kolo Muani ahead of Juventus, who have so far failed to get their deal over the line for the Paris Saint-Germain forward.

The Frenchman spent the second half of last season on loan at the Serie A club and enjoyed a rejuvenated spell. So far, however, talks between those in Turin and PSG have not gone well and are not advancing – leaving the door ajar for Spurs to enter.

After scoring 10 goals in 22 appearances for Juventus, Kolo Muani sent a timely reminder of his quality last season and finally backed up the previous praise of fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.

Once sold to PSG for £77m by Eintracht Frankfurt, Kolo Muani is still capable of reaching those levels if Spurs take a gamble this summer.

Celtic have had a strong start to the Scottish Premiership this season, winning both their opening games with clean sheets and sitting comfortably with an early four-point lead over Rangers.

Celtic have made numerous additions to their title-winning team, including Arsenal’s Kirean Tireny on a free transfer. Additionally, Brendan Rodgers has continued the pattern that his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, started and has once again delved into the Japanese market to bring in Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura, who become the 7th and 8th Japanese players to join the club this decade.

Rodgers had also planned on bringing in Go Ahead Eagles winger Jakob Breum, but that deal now seems to have been indirectly foiled by their rivals.

Rangers scupper Celtic transfer hopes

In July, a move for Breum looked likely. Celtic had begun negotiating a price, the player and agent were ready and willing, and the Go Ahead Eagles director spoke candidly about their willingness to sell for the right price. Fast-forward to the present, and Go Ahead Eagles are looking less inclined to sell.

The main reason for this is that the club has received a £6.6 million cash windfall, which means they don’t have to sell Breum if they don’t want to. Last season, the winger registered 15 goal involvements in 26 league appearances, which is likely why the club are inclined to keep hold of him.

In a bitter twist for Celtic, it’s now being reported by Football Insider that a significant factor in Go Ahead Eagles’ reluctance to sell Breum is because of the money they received from Rangers when they signed Oliver Antman.

Rangers brought Antman in from Go Ahead Eagles on Monday for an initial fee of £3 million. This income, partnered with the £3.6 million that the Eagles will receive from their qualification to the Europa League, has changed the Dutch side’s financial situation to the point where a sale of Breum is no longer necessary and attractive.

While it’s almost certain that Rangers had no idea that their deal would scupper Celtic’s move for Breum, it will likely be a cherry on top of the Antman signing that many Rangers fans will take some joy from.

Celtic's next move…

It’s a pain to have a long-term transfer target fall through, and that pain is only exacerbated by Rangers’ involvement, but there is still plenty of time left in the window for Celtic to get their winger.

One other issue that has arisen from the Antman/Breum debacle is that Football Insider also report that Celtic were waiting on the signing of Breum to green-light a sale of Hyunjun Yang to Norwich City. With the season underway, Celtic don’t want to be left shorthanded and so were waiting for their new signing before Yang on. This will now have to wait until they secure an alternative.

One player that Celtic may now go for is Brondby winger Clement Bischoff. TeamTalk had reported earlier this week that Bischoff was a player on the radars of both Celtic and Sunderland. Celtic would have to be willing to spend more than they had planned to spend on Breum, however, as Brondby want £6.3 million for the 19-year-old.

“He gave me a few words in terms of how the wicket would play… He read the wicket to the tee.”

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2024Keshav Maharaj said that he benefited from Tamim Iqbal’s advice about the Dhaka pitch. The left-arm spinner has taken six wickets in the opening Test match against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium so far, bowling almost the perfect line and length in conditions that have assisted both seamers and the spinners. South Africa are in a good position in the game, needing three more wickets to bowl Bangladesh out in their second innings with the hosts leading by 81 runs.”I just sent Tamim a message,” Maharaj said. “I have got a good relationship with him. Obviously we played in the BPL. I just asked for some advice based on conditions and how to go about the business. He gave me a few words in terms of how the wicket would play. It wasn’t wrong. He read the wicket to the tee.”Maharaj played under Tamim for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024. He took three wickets in three matches, but all of them were at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Maharaj is playing his first match in Dhaka and so he did what other overseas bowlers visiting the subcontinent do. In 1998, Shane Warne got in touch with Bishen Singh Bedi so that he could be better informed about how to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar.South Africa began the third day’s play with three wickets in the first 30 minutes before Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Jaker Ali put on 138 runs for the seventh wicket. Maharaj bowled 37 overs, taking 3 for 105.Related

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“It’s nice to get a marathon spell out of the belt,” he said. “I love bowling. We should get a little bit less [square] cut balls at the start of the spell, but I think I settled in quite nicely. When the ball got a little bit older, there wasn’t much reaction from the wicket so I tried to keep it as tight as possible.”Maharaj’s discipline allows him to play both attacking and defensives roles based on the match situation. He helped keep the pressure up from the other end when Kagiso Rabada was running hot in the first session and then later South Africa looked to him to pose as the primary threat, which he did to break a big partnership and pick up Jaker’s wicket.”We have a four-bowler line-up in our attack,” Maharaj said. “My job, apart from trying to create opportunity, was to hold up an end. I think this morning when I bowled in tandem with KG [Rabada], you could see that his tail was up and got the ball to do a little bit.”So my job at that stage was to try and hold up an end, and then when the switch came, I posed a little bit more when the ball started to spin. I think as a spinner you want to allow yourself to settle in and get those long spells on a wicket like this, knowing that there is a ball that will turn and be in your favour. Luckily enough, towards the back end in the middle of my spell, I got some reward from that.”Maharaj gave credit to Mehidy and Jaker for putting up the rearguard action. He said that South Africa tried really hard to remove the pair, but couldn’t do it for a long period. “I think yesterday was probably the day that we went a little bit searching (for wickets), if I’m honest. And then we got the three wickets, and I think Mehidy and Jaker Ali played really well.”We threw everything at them, and I don’t think it was a case of us taking our foot off the gas. I think they played really well, and you must give credit towards the batters in that situation,” he said.

Crystal Palace have now made an approach over a deal for an “amazing” defender, journalist Mike McGrath has revealed.

Crystal Palace set sights on Guehi replacement

Marc Guehi will forever be remembered for being the first captain to lead Palace to a major trophy, but with two Premier League clubs battling it out for his services, it is looking increasingly likely that the Englishman could be heading for the exit door sooner rather than later.

Newcastle United and Liverpool are keen on the defender, who could be available for around £60m, and the centre-back’s departure could be a real blow for Oliver Glasner, considering he was among the Eagles’ most consistent performers in the Premier League last season.

Crystal Palace’s best performers 24/25

Average rating (WhoScored)

Daniel Munoz

7.11

Eberechi Eze

7.09

Trevoh Chalobah

6.92

Maxence Lacroix

6.88

Marc Guehi

6.81

Amid doubts over Guehi’s future, the Eagles have started identifying potential replacements, and Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande has emerged as a major target, having tabled a bid for the Ivorian.

However, in a report for The Telegraph, McGrath has revealed there is another option from much closer to home, with Crystal Palace submitting an enquiry over a potential loan deal for Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong.

Palace have a history of doing deals with their London rivals, and Acheampong is now of interest, although only on a loan deal, with the reported asking price of £35m perhaps deemed to be too high.

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Only one loan is allowed from a Premier League rival, and the defender has been identified as the perfect addition to Glasner’s squad, given that he is versatile, with the defender comfortable playing at both centre-back and right-back.

"Amazing" Acheampong could be fantastic signing for Crystal Palace

The 19-year-old is still in the early days of his career, but he is clearly very highly-rated in west London, having been praised by Enzo Maresca after impressing in the Europa Conference League last season.

Maresca said: “The one that I fell in love with [tonight] is Josh Acheampong, because potentially he can be a fantastic player for this club, and for football in general”.

Teammate Tosin Adarabioyo has been left similarly impressed by his fellow defender, saying: “Josh has absolutely everything to be a top, top defender. He’s quick, he’s strong, he’s amazing on the ball, and he has a lot of confidence which I love to see in a young defender.”

The teenager is still inexperienced at first-team level, having made just 14 appearances for Chelsea, but he is clearly very talented, and Palace have a good history of signing young defenders on loan from their London rivals.

Chalobah impressed Glasner during his brief spell with the Eagles last season, prior to being recalled, and the manager will be hoping that Acheampong can have a similar impact at Selhurst Park, should the Blues be open to a loan deal.