Barcelona have reportedly offered wonderkid Pau Cubarsi a new lucrative contract with a €1 billion release clause.
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Sky pundit Izzy Christiansen has criticised one Arsenal star after what she's seen from him on the field this season.
The north Londoners have started this new Premier League campaign with real aplomb overall, winning seven out of a possible 11 league matches so far over 2023/2024 and only just losing their first domestic game last weekend against Newcastle.
Their 1-0 defeat at St. James' Park spells the end of their early-season unbeaten run, with manager Mikel Arteta launching a public tirade after three decisions in the build up to Anthony Gordon's winner went against them.
“It is my duty to stand in front of you, to stand in front of the cameras, and give a very clear and honest assessment of what happened in the game," said Arteta on his post-Newcastle comments earlier this week.
“And this is what I did, reflect very openly on how I felt that the team played and how the game was conditioned by this results with the decisions that were made. It is the duty.
“My duty is to be defending my players, supporting my players, supporting my club, defending my people in the best possibly way and this is what I am going to time after time. “I do it, not the way I feel, (but) with the evidence and being as clear as possible."
After their Champions League clash with Sevilla last night, Arsenal take on Burnley at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday, but Sky's Christiansen believes they've been "figured out".
Issuing a "brutally honest" claim on the Kelly and Wrighty Show (via TBR), Christiansen said that Arsenal may be in a transitional phase when it comes to their league form. She also said that summer signing Kai Havertz looked like a "lost puppy" against Sheffield United.
“If I’m brutally honest I think Arsenal have been figured out," said Christiansen. "I think they’re in a transitional period where the players they’ve brought in, Havertz, for example is still adapting to the structure of the midfield and it hasn’t worked for him yet. I imagine Arsenal fans are getting frustrated with that. If you’re going to challenge for a league title, I don’t think you can wait for someone to settle in.
“Against Sheffield United I watched Havertz like a hawk, and in that situation you have to be unselfish and you have to come to life when you get the ball, but with Havertz, he looked like a lost puppy out there. I was thinking ‘this is a game for you’. But again he didn’t really deliver against Newcastle.”
The Germany international hasn't exactly had the most brilliant of starts to life at Arsenal domestically, having joined the club from Chelsea for around £60 million in the summer window.
Havertz has scored one goal and assisted just one other in 11 league appearances under Arteta so far, with the 24-year-old still having many doubters to prove wrong. However, there is still plenty of time for him to justify his price tag.
Goals from Lauren James and Alex Greenwood ensured that Sarina Wiegman's side emerged victorious in Dublin, despite some shaky moments at the end
England picked up their first win in qualifying for the 2025 Women's Euro with a 2-0 victory over Ireland in Dublin on Tuesday night, bouncing back from Friday's disappointing draw against Sweden in comfortable, if unspectacular, fashion. It was relatively smooth sailing for the Lionesses once Lauren James had given them the lead after only 12 minutes, though the European champions didn't need to get out of second gear despite Ireland ending the game strongly.
It was a superb cross from Keira Walsh, the game's stand-out performer, that led to the opening goal, Lucy Bronze's header deflecting into the path of James, who made no mistake with a clinical finish inside the box. Alex Greenwood doubled the lead just six minutes later, converting from the penalty spot after Jess Park's shot was blocked by the arm of Ruesha Littlejohn, and she had the chance to score from a second spot-kick on the half-hour mark too, but saw that effort cannon back off the post.
Though that seemed a commanding lead from how little Ireland had created, and it could've been a greater one had Fran Kirby scored from Beth Mead's perfectly cushioned header, the hosts rallied late. Megan Campbell caused problems with her long throws and a Katie McCabe free-kick created a huge chance, Louise Quinn squaring the ball at the back post only for Caitlin Hayes to somehow fail to get the necessary touch to turn it into a goal.
Hayes had another opportunity a few minutes later but found Hannah Hampton in a good position to save, and then McCabe caused the goalkeeper concern when she blocked her kick, only for the Chelsea star to comfortably stop her eventual effort and preserve her clean sheet.
GOAL rates England's players from the Aviva Stadium…
Wrexham fans urged Arsenal loanee Arthur Okonkwo to sign a permanent contract with the club after keeping clean sheet against Crewe.
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Aston Villa’s recent Premier League win over Fulham was their eighth of the current season, and they are just three points from table toppers Manchester City.
It's fair to say Unai Emery has got Villa firing and there is no reason why they can’t challenge for a trophy this term, especially with the form of some of his players.
Douglas Luiz has been outstanding at the heart of the midfield, even chipping in with six goals and his form could be crucial to Villa achieving success this season.
New signing Moussa Diaby has also settled in at the club well, yet it is arguably Ollie Watkins who has been Emery’s key man.
The Englishman struggled under Steven Gerrard at the start of last season, yet when the Spaniard arrived, he ended up scoring 15 league goals, and he has carried that form into the current campaign.
Across 19 matches in all competitions, Watkins has managed to find the back of the net 11 times, while he has also shown his selfless side, grabbing five assists too.
The in-form striker not only ranks first in the squad for goals and assists (11), but he also tops the pile with regard to shots on target per game (1.3) and third for key passes per game (1.7), demonstrating how effective he has been this term.
Emery will be hoping he remains fit and healthy for the entirety of the season as much of Villa’s success will come down to him.
If something happens to the former Brentford frontman, however, the Midlands side do have a youngster who is thriving at youth level, and he’s even outscored Watkins – Rory Wilson.
The highly-rated teen joined from Scottish side Rangers in July 2022 following a season where he scored a staggering 49 goals and Gerrard worked with him during his spell north of the border.
Scotland U16 coach James Grady dubbed Wilson as the player who always wants to be “the top goal scorer” and this ambition could stand him in good stead regarding a potential career in the Premier League.
His maiden season in England saw the Scot score 15 goals in just 20 matches, and he is looking on course to smash through that figure this term.
He has featured in just nine U18 Premier League matches so far, yet has plundered 15 goals in the process and this scintillating form will surely be attracting the attention of Emery.
Of course, making the step up from U18 level to the bright lights of the top flight is a mammoth jump in ability, yet the 17-year-old already looks at ease and if he continues to score on a regular basis, could the former Arsenal boss perhaps offer him a few cameo appearances in the coming months?
Much will depend on Villa’s fortunes in the weeks ahead, yet the feel-good factor at the club could allow Emery to blood several young talents with the prospect of giving them a run in the first team.
If he wants goals, Wilson is the man to call upon, there’s no doubt about that.
The former Barcelona stars were fantastic, but none were better than than the superstar Argentine, who contributed to all three goals.
From an Inter Miami perspective, Saturday night's clash with Nashville SC felt like a movie you'd seen a thousand times before. It's familiar but never gets old. Seeing Lionel Messi run a game could never be boring and, at this point, it's never unexpected.
That's what we saw at Chase Stadium – latest edition of the Lionel Messi show. He scored two and assisted another for Sergio Busquets in a 3-1 win, one that, once again, came with a side dish of defensive disaster from the Herons backline.
Part of that aforementioned movie always seems to include defensive setbacks. Saturday's came early via a Franco Negri own goal. It only set up Messi and co. for a comeback, though, adding a bit of drama to a game that, by the end, had little left.
Messi scored his first in the 11th minute, getting back into the fray to finish off his own rebound. A bit later, he found Busquets with a goal straight out of La Masia as the Argentine's corner was placed right onto the Spaniard's head. By the time Messi scored his late penalty in the 81st minute, the game was done. It was a good night for Miami.
Well, not all good. Diego Gomez's injury adds another starter to the Herons' injury list. The Paraguayan's first-half exit will certainly leave Tata Martino worried as the injury bug continues to bite and bite.
For now, though, it was a night of celebrating for Miami. Messi was at his best again and, when that happens, the Herons will win a lot more than they lose.
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium…
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Until four years after England's 1966 World Cup coronation, women's football had been banned professionally for nearly 50 years. But while the Three Lions have failed to rediscover that winning touch through countless near-misses and summers of hurt, the Lionesses' triumphant roar in 2022 finally brought football home again.
The 2-1 win over Germany marked a jubilant end to a tournament that changed the course of women's football forever. And as popularity surges in England each year, more and more footballers and teams are achieving deserved stardom. In the Lioness pride, each member is loved and cherished in their own right. But of them all, perhaps nobody better parades both the close connection the team has with their fans off the pitch and the achievements they've experienced on it than Ella Toone.
A bright-eyed go-getter for England and Manchester United, Toone has made a name for herself as a talented footballer and down-to-earth role model. In this article, Football FanCast aims to detail everything you need to know about the midfielder in football and beyond.
24 years old
Born on September 2nd 1999, in Tyldesley, Wigan, Ella Toone is currently 24 years old.
At both club and international level, she is one of the younger players to regularly feature in the starting lineup, despite the feeling that she has been around for a while.
The misconception comes from the simple fact that Toone broke into football from an early age, making an instant impact to quickly become an ever-present for Man United and England.
5ft 4in
Ella Toone is 163 cm (5ft 4in), which makes her joint third-shortest player in the current England squad, ahead of only Jordan Nobbs (5ft 2in), and Katie Robinson and Georgia Stanway (both 5ft 3in).
Her low centre of gravity is a source of success for the midfielder, who is able to weave in and out of tight spaces to puncture holes in opposition defences before creating moments of brilliance for herself and her teammates.
Despite her height, Toone still shows exceptional strength on and off the ball. Her tenacity to make a difference in every game she plays means she's never afraid to mix it in midfield with those taller and ordinarily stronger than her.
Manchester United through and through
As a girlhood Manchester United fan, Toone's start to life in football couldn't have been any better when she signed a youth contract with the Red Devils in 2007.
But with her favourite club lacking a senior team, after six years of working her way through grassroots level, she was forced to move elsewhere for first team football. In 2016, she joined rivals Manchester City but continued to play for Blackburn Rovers in the National League on dual registration terms, having signed for Rovers in 2013.
In July 2018, Toone rejoined Manchester United for their inaugural season in the FA Women's Championship for the 2018–19 campaign – one of seven players to return to the senior side having played for the club at youth level. The midfielder made a full circle in her early career as she was handed the opportunity to return to the club she loved when they saw the value of the women's game.
Toone has stayed with the Red Devils ever since, going on to score 35 goals in 105 league appearances across five years where United earned promotion to the Women's Super League in their maiden year before flaunting their swift rise to power by making it to last season's FA Cup final, which ended in a 1-0 defeat to serial winners Chelsea in front of 77,390 spectators at Wembley Stadium.
|
Competition |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Women's Super League |
85 |
21 |
24 |
|
Women's FA Cup |
11 |
3 |
|
|
FA WSL Cup |
23 |
8 |
2 |
At the start of the 2023/24 campaign, Man United missed out on Champions League qualification after falling to a dramatic defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. After six WSL games, they sit 3rd behind Arsenal, four points adrift of Chelsea, who occupy the summit and have won the league in each of the previous four seasons.
But despite stumbling into the final hurdle last season and struggling to keep up with the usual frontrunners this term, Toone's rise through football mirrors that of her club. From uncertainty of where both stood in football to ascending through the ranks to achieve fair representation, the two have become a match made in heaven.
Man United is also still a work in progress. As they continue to sit up and take notice of their women's team, there is no doubt that Toone and Co will reap the rewards in years to come.
When football finally came home
On international duty, Ella Toone has ditched near-misses of success at Man United and skipped the often-necessary formative stages of building toward glory in favour of immediate triumph.
Playing through the youth ranks of U17, U19, and U21, Toone got her senior call-up and made her international debut in September 2021. After scoring a hat-trick just a month later against Latvia during 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification, the bright-eyed midfield livewire needn't wait long before she helped her country achieve silverware.
In June 2022, Toone was included in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2022. She appeared in every match as a substitute, and scored twice.
Her first goal was an 84th-minute equaliser against Spain in the quarter-finals to send the game into extra-time, eventually winning 2–1. Her second goal was in the final to give England the lead against Germany in the 62nd minute. England won 2–1 in extra-time, winning the tournament and bringing football home after nearly five decades of the men trying and failing.
The two goals, particularly her audacious chip in the final, has given Toone the label of being England's sweetheart. In a team built on togetherness, resilience in the face of adversity, and the initiative to make football the beautiful game again, she was often the one to grab big moments by the scruff of the neck and score key goals at crucial times.
All in all, Toone has scored 17 goals from midfield in 42 England senior caps, adding the 2022 Arnold Clark Cup and inaugural Women's Finalissima to her international trophy haul since bringing it home at the European Championships.
|
Year |
Appearances |
Goals |
|---|---|---|
|
2021 |
8 |
6 |
|
2022 |
19 |
9 |
|
2023 |
15 |
2 |
In the 2023 Women's World Cup, the Lionesses continued to prove they were England's best football team when they made it to the final for the first time since 1966. Ella Toone was again at the centre of attention when she scored a thunderous opener into the top-right corner against hosts Australia in the semi-finals.
However, Wiegman and her team's fairytale endured its first brooding twist in the final when Spain pipped the Lionesses to victory. Still, the words of praise that emanated after the final whistle in England depicted pride and gratitude towards the team. Every player in the squad are household names and dubbed heroes in their home nation.
Luckily, there was no time to dwell for Toone, who is continuing her international duties through the newly-created Women's Nations League, which acts as a qualification route for next summer's Olympics held in France.
£70,000 per year
Ella Toone's annual salary stands at £70,000, which makes her one of the highest earners in the Man United Women's side. However, a study for the 2021/22 season revealed that the women's mean hourly pay was 86.1 percent lower than the men's. According to Sports Brief.
But as popularity continues to rise in the women's game, this pay gap is slowly narrowing. With Toone still in the early years of her career, there is hope that she will earn more as she carries on putting in great performances for club and country.
Between £1 million and £3 million
Ella Toone net worth is estimated to be somewhere between £1 million and £3 million. Exact figures for Toone’s net worth are hard to come by, which is partly due to the lack of availability of salaries in women’s football outside the highest paid players.
Toone notched over 150,000 new Instagram followers after her goal in the Euros final. Endorsement opportunities flooded in for England’s stars, with Toone promoting Nike on her Instagram account.
She has also worked with JD Sports, Tesco, McDonald’s, and penned a deal with WOW HYDRATE in 2021. All of these partnerships will have bolstered Toone’s net worth.
Tooney and Lessi Russo…
Ella Toone and Alessia Russo have been friends since they were 12 years old, regularly attending the same football training camps before eventually becoming teammates at Manchester United.
Although Alessia moved to Arsenal in July, the pair have been reunited on the pitch as part of the 2023 World Cup squad.
Speaking about their friendship, Alessia said, '[We] both had the dream of one day playing for England, so then to do it and [win], it was special. I don't think many best friends can say that they've done that.'
The duo often embrace each other and share a bond that has been adored by their fans, who created a chant after them in the tune of Status Quo's 'Rockin' All over The World' during the Euros.
A personality fit for social media
Alongside her football career, Ella Toone's bubbly personality and much-loved humour has allowed her to connect with fans through social media.
When she's not making a name for herself by scoring from outside of the box, 'Tooney' is in front of a camera on TikTok or YouTube.
With over 500k followers on TikTok and nearly 60k YouTube subscribers, fans are given access to Ella Toone's life away from football.
Joe Bunney
Ella is currently dating Macclesfield forward Joe Bunney.
Whilst the pair are incredibly loved up, Joe is actually a massive Manchester City supporter, making things a bit awkward since his other half plays for Manchester United.
Speaking about her partner in an interview, Toone said, “Whenever I go to Joe’s games, the amount of lads who come over to me is mad and that is what really makes me smile.
“I stand there a lot of the time with my hood up, trying to watch, but they’ll say, ‘Are you Ella Toone of United? Can I have a picture?'"
In the same interview, Toone revealed she often goes to her partner for advice when she's struggling on the pitch, saying: “I always speak to my dad and then Joe. ‘How can I be better? What did I not do well?’ I know they will always be honest with me. When Dad or Joe say I have played well, I know I have."
Newcastle United's attacking department is down to the bare bones right now amidst an injury crisis that has plagued the squad. Star strikers Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak were both ruled out with injury issues, leaving Eddie Howe without a centre-forward in the build-up to the international break.
During Newcastle's disappointing 2-0 defeat away at Bournemouth, Howe deployed Anthony Gordon through the middle but the results were disastrous as the £45m winger had merely one attempt on goal, registering an xG of 0.07 on the night.
Situations like this serve as a reminder to clubs to always have as much depth in each position as possible. Newcastle have had some excellent centre-forwards over the past decade, including Ivan Toney and Adam Armstrong, who never had a fair crack of the whip at St. James' Park but are players that Howe would be delighted to have in the squad right now.
Nevertheless, there is one more striker that many forgot even played for the Mags who has been ripping it up this season.
In January 2014, Newcastle United announced the signing of Luuk de Jong on loan until the end of the campaign as Alan Pardew sought to add further depth to his forward department. The Dutchman had been with Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga but limited game-time was the catalyst behind a temporary move to the North East of England.
Unfortunately, the striker endured a turgid time under Pardew and struggled to hit any kind of form. De Jong made his debut for the Magpies in the Tyne-Wear Derby against bitter rivals Sunderland. However, after the 3-0 home defeat, De Jong admitted his first display for the club was "terrible".
Overall, the Dutch striker failed to score a single goal for Newcastle during his half-season at the Geordie club in 12 appearances in the Premier League. De Jong's only goal contribution came in the form of an assist in a 2-1 loss at home to Swansea City and the number '9' returned to his parent club empty-handed at the end of the 2013/14 campaign.
After his loan at St. James' Park expired, De Jong went on to play twice for PSV Eindhoven, Sevilla, and even Barcelona when Ronald Koeman took charge of the Catalan club.
The most prolific de Jong has ever been is with PSV, though. Across two different spells with the Eredivisie giants, the experienced striker has scored 147 goals and recorded 75 assists in 264 games in all competitions.
De Jong bagged 14 goals in the Dutch top flight last season under Ruud van Nistelrooy but is well on his way to beating this tally in the current campaign and has already hit 17 in 21 appearances since Peter Bosz took charge, with the team running away with the Eredivisie title after picking up 12 wins from 12.
As it happens, the 33-year-old is currently outscoring both of Newcastle United's star strikers Wilson and Isak (seven goals each this season) and has been outperforming the prolific pair in a number of key attacking metrics.
|
Per 90 Metrics |
Luuk de Jong |
Callum Wilson |
Alexander Isak |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
0.84 |
0.96 |
0.84 |
|
Expected Goals |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.73 |
|
Shots |
3.85 |
3.01 |
2.65 |
|
Shots On Target |
1.26 |
1.78 |
1.57 |
|
Goals Per Shot |
0.15 |
0.23 |
0.27 |
|
Aerial Duels Won % |
53.7% |
42.1% |
27.3% |
|
Stats via FBref |
|||
Newcastle United don't need a new striker to replace Wilson and Isak in the long term but De Jong could have been an excellent squad player for the Magpies had his fortunes in front of goal been different ten years ago.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has refused to back Erik ten Hag staying next season as he reiterates it is 'not our job'.
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Everton will look to return to winning ways as they travel away from Goodison Park to take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Toffees head into this match off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last time out in the league, which was their first loss in five games in all competitions.
Sean Dyche's side racked up 2.47 xG – to their opponent's 2.22 – throughout the encounter but were unable to take their chances in front of goal.
Everton are now five points adrift of Luton Town in 17th place, having been deducted ten points, and face the uphill task of clawing their way back to safety.
They are up against a Forest team – managed by Steve Cooper – with one win in nine top-flight games and only three wins all season so far.
Dyche could look to make some changes to the starting XI that lined up against United in order to get back to winning ways. With this in mind, here is a predicted Everton team, with three possible alterations, to face the Tricky Trees…
Jordan Pickford
Starting off in goal, the England international – Jordan Pickford – could continue his string of starts between the sticks. The former Sunderland man has played every minute of their 13 Premier League appearances and kept two clean sheets so far.
Nathan Patterson
The first change to the XI could come at right-back with Nathan Patterson being unleashed ahead of the veteran summer signing Ashley Young, who could be ditched.
Against his former club, the free transfer from Aston Villa had a mare as he looked sluggish and struggled against the movement and pace of the opposition frontline.
The 38-year-old defender lost three of his five ground duels and two of his three aerial battles, which shows that United players got the better of him more often than not in physical contests.
His lack of sharpness was evident when Young left a dangling leg out for Anthony Martial to duly trip over to win a penalty for the away side – via the help of VAR.
This could, therefore, open the door for Patterson to come in for his sixth Premier League start of the season. The Scotland international has not made an error that has led to an opposition shot or goal, or given away any penalties, in his first five starts.
James Tarkowski
At the heart of the defence, James Tarkowski could continue at centre-back. The former Burnley colossus has been dominant in the air for the Toffees this season with an aerial duel success rate of 66% across 13 starts.
Jarrad Branthwaite
Alongside Tarkowski, it would not be a surprise to see Jarrad Branthwaite start his 12th top-flight game of the campaign. The left-footed ace has made four tackles and interceptions and 7.5 ball recoveries per match so far this term.
Vitaliy Mykolenko
The Ukraine international – Vitaliy Mykolenko – could keep his place on the left side of the back four. He has scored two goals in his last three Premier League games and could provide an attacking thrust from left-back.
Arnaut Danjuma
On the right side of the midfield, Jack Harrison could be ditched from the XI in order to open the door for Arnaut Danjuma to line up in attack.
The English winger played the full 90 minutes against United and struggled badly. He missed one 'big chance', completed one of his three attempted dribbles, and only created 0.08 xA throughout the game.
Danjuma has scored one goal in three starts for Everton so far this season and completed 50% of his attempted dribbles across nine appearances in total.
The versatile Dutchman, who produced 15 goals and seven assists in his last full season in English football for Bournemouth in the Championship, could be given an opportunity to showcase his quality after Harrison's poor showing last time out.
James Garner
James Garner could keep his his place in the middle of the park as he has been in fine form so far this season. The 22-year-old maestro has created four 'big chances' and produced 1.3 key passes per game across 12 starts throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Idrissa Gueye
The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder could keep his place if Belgium international Amadou Onana does not recover from a calf injury in time to feature against Forest.
Idrissa Gueye has made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match across ten top-flight appearances as a ball-winning anchor in front of the defence.
Dwight McNeil
On the left of the midfield, Dyche could stick with former England U21 international Dwight McNeil. The 24-year-old talent has created four 'big chances' in nine Premier League starts this term, after a return of seven goals and three assists last season.
Abdoulaye Doucoure
Just behind the starting centre-forward, Abdoulaye Doucoure should keep his place as the former Watford man is able to offer a significant goal threat. He has scored four goals in 13 Premier League matches this season and, therefore, has the ability to be a match-winner for the Toffees.