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A number of Arsenal fans online have all praised the substitute cameo made by Takehiro Tomiyasu last night in the Europa League as he came on and impressed at left-back.

What’s the latest on Takehiro Tomiyasu at Arsenal? The Gunners faced Sporting CP away from home in the first leg of their last-16 European match this week and found things pretty awkward in Portugal.Indeed, even though they took the lead thanks to William Saliba, they were pulled back level just 12 minutes later when Goncalo Inacio headed in from a corner.Then Sporting actually took the lead through Paulinho in the second half and it took a huge slice of luck when Granit Xhaka’s pass deflected off Hidemasa Morita and into the back of the net to draw Arsenal level at 2-2.With Kieran Tierney absent through illness, Tomiyasu was asked to come on at left-back for the last 27 minutes and he really helped steady the ship for Mikel Arteta’s men.As per SofaScore, he finished the game with a 7.3 match rating (the best of any substitute from either team). What’s more, he also made one interception, won one tackle, won five out of five ground duels and two out of three aerial duels, and also pulled off one key pass and completed three out of three successful dribbles.Clearly, he had a pretty impressive cameo and it’s safe to say the Arsenal fans enjoyed seeing him fill in at left-back. Here are some of the best responses online…[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/_philcosta/status/1633908357756010499?s=46&t=hH2NiXoN5Q53lPpbpDhPRA[/EMBED_TWITTER][EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/ltarsenal/status/1633930184188473348[/EMBED_TWITTER][EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/Fragiie_Millz/status/1633930163372032003[/EMBED_TWITTER][EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/Cgancgan/status/1633930005188165633[/EMBED_TWITTER][EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/trickyreds14/status/1633937317458235393[/EMBED_TWITTER][EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/goonernumber31/status/1633937505543176192[/EMBED_TWITTER][EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/lolgoil/status/1633939280396468224[/EMBED_TWITTER]

One of Aston Villa’s academy graduates came back to haunt them earlier this month as Jack Grealish starred in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Unai Emery’s side.

The England international won a penalty, which was converted by Riyad Mahrez, after being clipped by Jacob Ramsey – another Villa academy product – in the 18-yard box, and he recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.3 for his performance.

Grealish, who scored 32 goals in 213 games for Villa, is one of the latest in a long line of excellent players who have graduated from the club’s youth setup, including the likes of Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill and Steven Davis.

However, their academy talents do not always make a name for themselves with the Villans, and one young gem with whom the club appear to have had a howler is attacking midfielder Callum O’Hare.

The Englishman caught the eye at youth level with Villa as he scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in 61 U21 appearances before being handed nine first-team games, assisting one goal in that time.

However, at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, then-manager Dean Smith decided that the dynamo was not worthy of a fresh contract, and O’Hare was duly released on a free transfer.

How much is Callum O’Hare worth now?

Heading into the 2022/23 campaign, a mere two years on from his release from Villa, Coventry reportedly valued the attacking midfielder at around £10m amid interest from Championship rivals Burnley.

The 24-year-old, who was once dubbed a “creative force” by writer Zach Lowy, was valued at such a fee because of his impressive performances in his first two Championship seasons with the Sky Blues.

In the 2020/21 campaign – his first year after leaving Villa for nothing – O’Hare racked up three goals and eight assists from midfield whilst making 2.5 tackles and interceptions and 1.1 key passes per game.

He followed that up by averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.02 and chipping in with five goals and eight assists in 45 Championship outings the following season, along with making 1.6 tackles and interceptions and 1.9 key passes per match for Coventry in 2021/22.

These statistics show that the youngster is a midfielder who can put his foot in to win possession back for his team whilst also providing quality on the ball to open up opposition defences in the final third, which is presumably why Burnley were keen on signing him.

Although it is difficult to gauge whether or not the dynamo will be good enough to play in the Premier League or to make a difference in Villa’s first-team, his £10m valuation – only two years on from being released – indicates that Smith had a howler by allowing him to leave for nothing.

The club could have at least cashed in on the magician – perhaps after sending him out on another couple of loan spells – and received a hefty fee for his services, instead of carelessly ditching the talented midfielder on a free transfer.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has been left stunned after Nottingham Forest defenders Scott McKenna and Willy Boly both suffered the same injury at the same time.

What’s the latest on McKenna and Boly at Forest?

This weekend in the Premier League, Steve Cooper and co travelled to London but failed to come away with any points as they lost 2-0 to Fulham.
Incredibly, in the early stages of the game, Forest’s starting centre-backs McKenna and Boly both have to come off with hamstring injuries.
As per Opta (via NottinghamPost), the double-change was the earliest any side has ever subbed off two starters in a Premier League game.
While talking about the incident on BBC 606, Sutton stated that he couldn’t believe how just unlucky Forest were, calling it “sensational”.
The pundit said: “Nottingham Forest, synchronised soccer last night. They had so much bad luck, didn’t they?
“I mean, they were unlucky number seven because on seven minutes yesterday, their centre-half pairing Scott McKenna and Willy Boly, they pulled up with the same injury in the same minute.
“And you could say from that moment onwards, they were hamstrung…
“Just think about that, losing two players, same position, same strain on seven minutes. That’s sensational, isn’t it? I can’t ever honestly ever remember anything happening like that.”

What do the injuries mean for McKenna, Boly and Forest?

Speaking after the game, Cooper seemed just as shocked as Sutton by the whole injury fiasco. Indeed, he told the press that he’d never seen anything like it before.
In full, he explained: “I’ve never seen it happen before and I hope I don’t see it again that’s for sure,” he said. “The lads who came on did well but it took two attacking changes away in the second half which we would have done.
“Of course, you have to deal with it and the injuries looked pretty serious – fingers crossed it won’t be too long.”
With Copper noting that they looked like potentially bad injuries, this could be a big blow for Forest. After all, McKenna has started 17 league games this season, while Boly has been trusted to start seven of the last eight.
Fortunately, despite the loss, the club are still four places above the bottom three, but without two key defenders, they may struggle over the coming weeks, especially with Manchester City at home next up in the league.

Newcastle United will be hoping to maintain their place in the Champions League spots this weekend as they come up against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

The Magpies are one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who play Leicester this afternoon, in the table and could head into this evening’s fixture in fifth if Antonio Conte’s men come away with a win.

This means that the pressure could be on Eddie Howe’s side to pick up all three points against the Cherries, after drawing their last outing in the division with West Ham United.

Should Elliot Anderson start for Newcastle?

Scoring goals has been a significant issue for the Magpies in the Premier League of late and the Toon head coach may be plotting ways to spark his team into life heading into the final few months of the campaign.

Newcastle have scored twice in their last five outings in the English top-flight, including three 0-0 draws, and Howe could make a few alterations to his starting XI to turn their fortunes around in front of goal.

One player the Magpies boss must consider unleashing is academy graduate Elliot Anderson as the 20-year-old midfielder has the potential to be a difference-maker in attack.

The Scotland under-21 international is yet to start a match in the Premier League and this clash with Bournemouth could be his chance to finally shine and show that he can be the missing spark in the middle of the park, with Bruno Guimaraes currently suspended.

Howe recently stated that the gem is “ready to start” matches for the club, from a physical perspective, and this indicates that the manager is willing to offer the youngster an opportunity to impress.

Anderson’s form for Bristol Rovers on loan last term caught the eye as the 5 foot 10 gem produced seven goals and six assists, whilst creating 1.9 chances per match, in 20 starts.

His contributions in League Two came after the gem scored 16 goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances for the Newcastle U21 side, which shows that the midfielder has proven himself to be a reliable attacking threat at senior and youth level.

However, the dynamo, who ex-Toon scout Graham Carr once dubbed “classy” and “like Peter Beardsley”, is yet to prove himself at Premier League level, with nine substitute outings, but providing him with the opportunity to showcase his talent from the start could spark his top-flight career and Newcastle’s attack into life.

Anderson is a midfielder who likes to make things happen in the final third, as shown by his impressive goalscoring and creative output for the 21s and Rovers, and his quality in possession could help the Magpies to end their difficult run in front of goal.

Chelsea have Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez ‘high up on the list’ of potential signings, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Chelsea’s goalkeeper issues

Since the arrival of Graham Potter in September, Kepa Arrizabalaga has been the preferred choice between the sticks for Chelsea, with the Spaniard starting 12 of his team’s last 14 games in the Premier League, although he has received criticism for some of his recent displays.

The 28-year-old was slammed by Peter Crouch on BT Sport for making a ‘massive error’ against Fulham (via Daily Mail), while Edouard Mendy, the Blues’ other senior option in goal, has been criticised by Shay Given for a ‘terrible mistake’ against Leeds United earlier this season.

The Latest: Sanchez targeted by Chelsea

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips claimed that Sanchez is one of the players being considered by Chelsea to come in as the new first-choice goalkeeper, with Brentford’s David Raya also reportedly being targeted.

The journalist said: “David Raya definitely isn’t the only one. There’s probably a good handful on the shortlist of goalkeepers that could come in.

“High up on the list is Robert Sanchez from Brighton as well. He’s another one Chelsea are taking a closer look at.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Potter knows that he can trust Sanchez given his previous history of working with him at Brighton, during which time he described the 25-year-old as a “monster” who’s “got everything to be a top goalkeeper”.

The Spaniard is particularly adept at stopping crosses, ranking in the 94th percentile in this area compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months. He also weighs in with some vital saves, recently making three from inside the box in Albion’s 3-1 win at Southampton a month ago.

While it appeared as though Chelsea had found a top goalkeeper in Mendy, his recent performances have left a lot to be desired. He ranked as the worst player on the pitch in Senegal’s World Cup meeting against England with a 5.8 SofaScore rating, and Sanchez would appear to be a discernible upgrade for Potter between the sticks.

Aston Villa have reportedly entered the race for Las Palmas’ teenage midfield maestro Alberto Moleiro, who is considered to be in the same mould of FC Barcelona sensation Pedri…

What’s the word?

Before the World Cup, a report from Mundo Deportivo stated that Liverpool and Manchester City were set to rival Barcelona and Real Madrid for the signing of Moleiro, who has recently distinguished himself as his Canary Island outfit’s most coveted asset.

And now, according to Spanish outlet AS, the European giants have been joined by the Villans, who have set their sights on completing the acquisition of one of the countries most talented young starlets.

The reports state that the 19-year-old holds a release clause of £26.4m by his club, Moleiro certainly has a vibrant pick of options when considering his future, and Villa boss Unai Emery will have to put forth a compelling case if he is to lure him toward the Midlands.

Villa’s own Pedri?

The reports from Spain state that while Moleiro’s release clause will double should his club achieve promotion to the Spanish La Liga, and with Las Palmas currently the Segunda Division table-toppers, interested suitors might be scrambling to clinch his signature this January, before potentially having to part with a extortionate sum for an untested commodity at top-flight level.

Dubbed a “treasure” by statistical site Opta, Moleiro has made 14 starting appearances from his playmaking role in the team, earning five assists for his exemplary passing play.

Moleiro has been described as the next Pedri of Spanish football, with the 20-year-old Barca phenom captivating for club and country since himself signing for the Blaugrana from Las Palmas in the summer of 2020.

Making 94 appearances thus far for his current club, Pedri has clinched 12 goals and provided seven assists from his deep-lying role at the heart of the Nou Camp, dictating the play with supreme ball-playing abilities that belie his youthful years.

With clear semblance between the two maestros, and Las Palmas clearly possessing something of a knack for developing and nurturing young prospects at the centre of the midfield, Villa chief Johan Lange would be wise to take a punt and pay the release clause quickly, bringing the starlet to Villa Park and warding away the interest of some of the continents top outfits.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale will be hoping to sign a few new players during the January transfer window in order to bolster an injury-ravaged side.

The Ibrox side had around 10 players missing from their squad on Friday night to take on Ross County and adding some new blood into the first team could be an excellent way of boosting confidence.

The Light Blues have been linked with Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin since the summer and according to recent reports, the club are one of the ‘potential buyers’ for the 21-year-old next month, with the player looking to move on from Standard Liege having failed to sign a contract extension.

Barcelona are said to be monitoring the situation and Beale faces a challenge in luring the midfielder to Ibrox, yet he could form an excellent duo in the middle of the pitch with him and Malik Tillman.

The American has sparkled in small doses during his loan spell this season, scoring three goals in 15 Premiership appearances so far, while he has also created five big chances and made 1.5 key passes on average per match.

Usually deployed in a number ten role just behind the striker under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Beale experimented in his first game against Hibernian last week, playing with a midfield three of Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara, and Tillman, which worked extremely well.

If Raskin joined the Ibrox side, he could slot into the engine room with ease and his abilities could allow Tillman much more freedom to attack.

The £6.9k-per-week dynamo – who was dubbed “powerful” by Bob Faesan of Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg in 2020 – averages 3.3 tackles per match as well as winning 58% of his total duels and this defensive ability could give the American a licence to roam in the attacking third.

These stats are actually better than Jack, who has managed just 1.1 tackles and won 40% of his duels and Raskin could even become an eventual replacement for the 30-year-old.

January could be an exciting time for the Ibrox faithful, and Beale could very well seal a superb move for the Belgian midfielder next month.

Former Aston Villa defender and pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to the club’s reported interest in AS Roma forward Tammy Abraham.

The Lowdown: Abraham speculation

Unai Emery appears to want to sign a new A-list forward for Villa in 2023 and has been linked with a move for Abraham.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a memorable loan spell in the Midlands during the 2018/19 season, helping Villa into the Premier League.

He is no apparently longer considered ‘non-transferable’ by the Serie A side, with Villa thought to be in the race for his services.

The Latest: Hutton’s comments

Talking to Football Insider, Hutton was asked for his thoughts on a reunion between Abraham and the Villa faithful.

The Scot, who contributes for the BBC, admitted he would love to see the forward back in a Villa shirt, labelling him as a ‘very talented’ player.

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“I think he would be brilliant.

“I played with him and I thought he was outstanding during his time at Aston Villa. The fans absolutely loved him and he scored goals. He is a very talented boy.

“I do not think Aston Villa will be the only team monitoring his situation. Plus he is doing so well at Roma under Jose Mourinho, would he want to leave that at this moment in time? It would be a difficult one.

“Personally I would love to see him in a Villa shirt again. I think he could do a lot of damage for them moving forward but I do think it would be hard to get over the line.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Abraham has already had success at Villa Park and has continued to score goals wherever he has been, so a 2023 swoop could be a smart call.

He still has plenty of high-level years ahead, however, you’d expect the forward would want to be guaranteed regular game time.

Emery, therefore, may have to make a decision on Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings or Cameron Archer, or manage all four forwards perfectly to keep them all happy.

Reported Newcastle United transfer target Martin Terrier would easily be able to adapt to playing in the Premier League, according to French football reporter Jonathan Johnson.

The Lowdown: Newcastle scout Terrier

Last month, 90min reported that the Magpies were among a litany of English top-flight clubs to have scouted the £30m-valued Rennes star off the back of an excellent start to the 2022/23 season.

The 25-year-old has struck 11 goals in 20 games in all competitions for his club this term, including three in the Europa League [Transfermarkt].

There was even genuine hope that he could have been included in France’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar, but an untimely injury a month ago ultimately counted against him.

The Latest: Terrier backed to thrive in England

Johnson was speaking with GIVEMESPORT about Terrier, believing that the winger would thrive in the Premier League if he were to join Newcastle or another English top-flight club.

The journalist said: “I can understand why Newcastle would be taking a look at him. It’s my feeling that after this World Cup, he’ll probably start to play a bit of a role for the French national team as well.

“And obviously, after a fairly slow start to the season, he’s really started to get motoring in Ligue 1 as well. So, there is the possibility that they qualify for the Champions League between now and the end of the season, and obviously that would add a substantial amount to his price tag as well.

“But I think in terms of a fit, he would be able to play and perform at the highest level in the Premier League, but I do think probably needs a bit of consistent exposure to continental football.

“And that’s not something that Newcastle will be able to offer immediately. The assumption is that they will finish in the European places based on how they’re performing in the Premier League so far.”

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The Verdict: He could adapt quickly

As Newcastle supporters can testify, some imports adapt immediately to the Premier League while others can take their time to settle.

While Bruno Guimaraes was an instant hit at St James’ Park after arriving last January, posting their third-highest WhoScored rating for 2021/22, Joelinton was written off as a flop following his big-money 2019 arrival before a positional shift prompted an upturn in fortunes for the 26-year-old.

With Terrier already proving well capable of scoring in European competition and earning favourable comparisons with French football legend Thierry Henry, there seems a strong chance that he would take quickly to Premier League football if he were to swap Rennes for Newcastle.

If he comes to Tyneside and proves to be a smash hit, comparisons will inevitably be made to compatriot Allan Saint-Maximin, another winger who has become a favourite of the Toom Army.

Newcastle United have been hit with a frustrating selection setback ahead of their trip to face Southampton at St. Mary’s in the Premier League next weekend.

What’s the latest?

Central midfielder Joelinton will be unavailable for selection against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

Five yellow cards in the Premier League before the midway point of the campaign leads to a one-match suspension and the Brazilian’s caution against Villa means that he will now be watching on from the sidelines for the next match.

Fabian Schar is the only other Newcastle player on the verge of a suspension, with four bookings, as every other player has been booked twice or less.

Big blow

This is a big blow for Eddie Howe as Joelinton has been in fantastic form this season and will be a miss for the match against the Saints.

The midfield machine put in a fantastic performance in the win over Villa as he got himself on the scoresheet, won three of his four aerial battles and created two chances for his teammates – as per SofaScore.

He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.08 in the Premier League across 12 appearances so far this season. Only six outfield players have averaged a higher rating than the former Hoffenheim man and this shows that he has been one of the top performers in the side this term.

Joelinton has been a monster in the centre of the pitch as he has averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that he is consistently cutting out opposition attacks and providing a shield in front of Fabian Schar and Sven Botman at the back for the Magpies.

He has also shown off the creative side of his game as he has made 1.1 key passes per match and created one ‘big chance’ this season in the top flight. The Brazilian is proving that he can make an impact at both ends of the pitch as a superb box-to-box midfielder.

Therefore, losing him is a frustrating setback as he has been consistently brilliant in the middle of the park and out wide on the left for Howe. He is a versatile, strong and quality option for the manager to call upon and he will now have to do without him for the clash with Southampton.