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Manchester City extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven games as they beat Chelsea 1-0 away from home on Saturday.

The Cityzens have now kept five clean sheets in six Premier League matches this season, with the only goal they have conceded in the campaign coming on the opening day against Tottenham.

Gabriel Jesus’ deflected shot won Pep Guardiola’s side the match against Chelsea, with the Brazilian turning in the box and seeing his effort swerve off a Blues body and into the bottom corner past a helpless Edouard Mendy.

Forget Jesus, though, as another player ran the show for City at Stamford Bridge – Spanish international midfielder Rodri.

City ended the match with 59% possession of the ball away at one of their title challengers and Rodri’s sublime midfield performance played a large role in their dominance throughout the match.

Defensively, the midfield beast was immense. Per SofaScore, he won 71% of his duels, winning four of his six on the ground and his one aerial battle, whilst also making three tackles, two clearances and one interception to stop Chelsea attacks.

On the ball, his quality allowed City to dictate the flow of the match. Per SofaScore, he had 91 touches of the ball and completed a whopping 95% (75/79) of his passes. He also completed five of his six long pass attempts and only gave possession of the ball away five times throughout the 90 minutes, highlighting how secure he was with the ball at his feet.

The midfield beast was able to run the show for City against Chelsea. The likes of Jorginho, Kovacic and Kante were unable to get the better of him on a regular basis at either end of the pitch and that allowed City to control the game and win the midfield battle, which was the foundation for the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Jesus, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden to then work their magic in the final third.

Therefore, Guardiola will have been left delighted by Rodri’s performance, particularly after calling upon the Spaniard following his spell out on the sidelines. It is now down to him to maintain that level of display in the holding midfield role to ensure that he keeps his place in the side for the rest of the season.

Wolves have reportedly been given the green light to sign Lille-midfielder Renato Sanches after Bruno Lage failed to bring the Portuguese to Molineux in the summer.

The 24-year-old has been subject to interest from a wide array of clubs across Europe, with AC Milan, Arsenal and Wolves some of the clubs reportedly keeping tabs on the midfielder.

Sanches joined the reigning French champions from Bayern Munich in summer 2019 and recently admitted that when he joined Bayern from Portuguese outfit Benfica, he “was too young” but now feels “ready for a big club.”

Due to a meniscal injury, the £27m-rated midfielder missed a month of action at the start of the season but has made 13 appearances across Ligue 1 and the Champions League this term.

Imagine him & Neves

The Lille star has played in the Premier League before, enduring a torrid loan spell at Swansea City in the 2017/18 season, featuring just 15 times as the Welsh outfit was relegated from the top-flight.

However, the 24-year-old now appears ready for a return to England amid links to Wolves and Arsenal, should a deal be sorted.

Branded as a “complete” talent by Lille president Oliver Letang, Sanches really would be a statement signing if Lage was able to lure his fellow countryman to the West Midlands.

Wolves have seriously struggled for goals from the middle of the park, with Ruben Neves the only central midfielder to score in the Premier League this term.

Moreover, the currently preferred central trio of Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho certainly isn’t sustainable, particularly given the fact that Moutinho is now 35-years-old. Investment in the midfield will be necessary.

Bruno Lage’s side have had a decent start to the campaign, sitting in the top half. However, they are currently the league’s second-lowest scorers with just 12 goals. Thus, the addition of Sanches, who has been dubbed an “absolute engine” by scout Jacek Kulig, would be perfect.

His ability to drive forward and create, combined with Neves’ more tough-tackling approach should be a sumptuous thought for Wolves supporters.

That said, it’s a squad that certainly needs investment in January. You could argue that, given the clubs he’s been linked with, Wolves would be a backwards move. If Lage was able to secure a deal for Sanches, it would certainly be a major statement of intent and one that could help forge a formidable partnership in the middle of the park.

As relayed by The Mirror, an interesting update has come to light involving Tottenham Hotspur target and West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Spurs enter pole position…

As previously reported, it seems Spurs and manager Antonio Conte are in pole position to sign the Englishman this summer, who is set to leave upon the expiry of his contract.

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Lilywhites correspondent and in-the-know Alasdair Gold recently claimed that they are indeed leading the race for Johnstone as Man United also eye a move.

Meanwhile, Football League World and The Sun have both shared that those within the club feel they’re in pole position to seal the 29-year-old’s Bosman signing for Conte.

Amid these plethora of reports, an interesting update has emerged.

The Latest: Johnstone axed…

As relayed by The Mirror, Baggies boss Steve Bruce has now axed Johnstone from his squad for their remaining fixtures of the Championship campaign.

Indeed, it appears the Three Lions ace has now played his final game at The Hawthorns as Bruce confirms that his keeper has decided to run down his deal.

The Verdict: Certain to move…

As Johnstone is set to leave on a free, we believe he could be a snip for Tottenham as they look for an understudy and possible eventual heir to number one Hugo Lloris.

Lauded as a ‘world class’ shot stopper by Wolves legend Steve Bull, the English second tier star mightily impressed in the top flight last year and comes as a more-than adequate alternative to loanee Spurs number two Pierluigi Gollini.

The latter man looks set to return to parent club Atalanta with Johnstone coming as an arguable upgrade given his quality and homegrown status.

In other news: Tottenham official dispatched as Conte identifies ’emerging superstar’ signing, find out more here.

With moves for Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne this month showing that Aston Villa were keen on strengthening their first team, a subsequent move for young defender Kerr Smith showed that the club have aspirations of strengthening their youth sides as well, adding players who can hopefully grow and develop into future first-team stalwarts.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the Villans have their eye on another young player to come in this month as one for the future, which would be a source of great excitement for the fans.

What’s the news?

As per a recent Twitter post from Alan Nixon, Villa are “watching” Sunderland’s 20-year-old midfielder Dan Neil, who the journalist suggested could be the “new Gerrard” for the Midlands club.

Nixon also mentioned that fellow Premier League club Burnley are “already sniffing” around the Black Cats youngster over a potential transfer.

As a product of Sunderland’s youth academy, Neil has made 98 appearances for the Wearsiders across their youth and senior teams, with 41 of them coming in their first team, showing how highly he is rated at the Stadium on light.

In those 98 appearances, Neil has chipped in with five goals and nine assists along the way, showing his attacking capabilities from the midfield.

With only Ross Stewart having made more appearances in League One than Neil this season, this shows just how important the 20-year-old is for Lee Johnson’s side and why they could be reluctant to let him go, especially halfway through the season as they chase promotion to the Championship.

His performances in those gamees could be an indication as to why Villa are apparently looking at him. WhoScored list him as Sunderland’s joint-fifth highest rated player with an overall rating of 6.85/10, which would also put him fifth-highest among Villa’s squad when counting those to have featured in more than one Premier League game. Therefore, the Midlands club’s fan base may be buzzing to see such a capable player being linked with a move to Villa Park.

While the opportunity to join a Premier League club and potentially learn under the management of Steven Gerrard could be tempting for a young player like Neil, it seems a likelier scenario that he would be more open to leaving Sunderland at the end of the current season if they don’t manage to secure promotion from League One.

In other news: Villa could secure another transfer masterclass with £49k-p/w gem who “has everything”

According to reports by Calciomercato, Alex Meret has said that he wants to leave Napoli, with Tottenham having identified the Italian as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris.

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The Lowdown: Lack of playing time

Despite starting the opening two games of the Serie A campaign, he has since had his playing time decimated. A fractured vertebrae kept the 24-year-old out for three games, and while he has been fully fit since, he is yet to make an appearance in the league following that enforced absence.

Meret arrived at Napoli in the summer of 2019 from Udinese in a deal worth £23.4m and he has played 85 games for the Azzurri, having kept 25 clean sheets in the process.

The Latest: Tottenham interested in Meret

According to a report by Calciomercato, Meret is keen to leave the Serie A club, and Tottenham have identified the goalkeeper as a potential replacement for club captain Lloris.

This follows a previous report by The Independent, who claimed that Spurs have identified the 24-year-old as a possible long-term replacement for when the Frenchman decides to leave the club, with retirement potentially looming as he turns 35 on Boxing Day.

Meret will look to leave Napoli in the January transfer window in a bid to secure more playing time, with hopes that he can add to his international recognition, having been capped twice for Italy.

The Verdict: A possible long-term Lloris replacement

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has expressed his desire for Lloris to remain at Hotspur Way for at least another season, with the 34-year-old’s contract set to expire in the summer. Meret could prove to be a fantastic long-term replacement for the Frenchman, with Spurs on the lookout for a youngster who can ease their way into their first-team plans.

Serie A legend Antonio Di Natale once described Meret as the ‘new Buffon’ upon his departure from his former club Udinese. It was Carlo Ancelotti who brought him to Naples and described the ‘keeper as ‘special’, no faint praise considering the Real Madrid manager’s glittering CV at the highest level.

With such high endorsement, this raises questions surrounding the player’s lack of playing time this season. However, this could work in Conte’s favour as he reportedly looks to bring in the Italian ‘keeper in the upcoming transfer window.

In other news: Title challengers pursue Tottenham’s £42m ‘monster’; Pochettino called him a ‘beast’

[ad_pod ]Leicester City defender Harry Maguire is set to be fit to face Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday evening, after making a full recovery from a knock sustained in the dramatic 4-3 loss to Wolves in the Foxes’ last Premier League outing, as reported by the club’s official Twitter account.

Whilst that may seem like good news for Claude Puel and Leicester, it could also be a blessing in disguise for the Reds.

Why could it be a good thing?

Whilst the England international is undoubtedly the Foxes’ best defender, his few weaknesses could be exploited to the maximum against Jurgen Klopp’s side. The 25-year-old is a commanding, physically imposing presence who is surprisingly very good on the ball, although his lack of pace and noticeable immobility could and should be taken advantage of at Anfield.

Those of you who remember this same fixture on Merseyside from last season should recall the joy Mohamed Salah had against the former Hull City man, in which he turned Maguire and made him look foolish before slotting into the back of the net.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Could the same happen again?

Maguire has since embarked on a memorable World Cup campaign with the Three Lions, becoming a household name in the process as he won admirers from all over the country, although he may not be the same player against the Reds on Wednesday evening.

Leicester are in a bit of a rut and have lost four of their last five games, and after being cut apart by Wolves like a hot knife through butter on more than one occasion last time out, the game against a Liverpool side who are top of the league could expose Maguire in noticeable fashion.

Salah is one of the quickest players in the league, and his new role as a central striker will see him come up directly against Maguire – if you were to ask me who I think would win the battle, I’d say the Egyptian could have a very fun evening against the team from the east Midlands.

Crystal Palace take on London rivals Arsenal in an enticing Premier League clash on Monday night as both teams aim to extend their recent good runs of form.

The Eagles have lost just one of their last five top-flight fixtures under the stewardship of new manager Patrick Vieira, earning a memorable 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the process. The victory against Spurs was made even sweeter after summer signing Odsonne Edouard came off the bench to bag a brace on his debut for the south London club.

The 23-year-old Frenchman marked his arrival in English football in emphatic fashion, firing past compatriot Hugo Lloris just 28 seconds after entering the field of play before wrapping up the three points deep into injury time.

However, the former France under-21 international has come back down to reality after his dream start to life at Selhurst Park.

In his subsequent three appearances for Palace against Liverpool, Brighton and Leicester, Edouard has failed to find the back of the net or provide an assist for one of his teammates.

His lack of output has contributed to Vieira’s charges picking up just two points from a possible nine in recent weeks, and the former Nice manager may be tempted to change up his forward line against the Gunners as a result.

However, the 45-year-old must keep faith in Edouard for the trip to the Emirates Stadium on Monday night, as the striker’s underlying numbers indicate that he is still putting in some solid performances.

As per SofaScore, the former Celtic ace has produced three key passes, four shots on target and completed all three of his attempted dribbles successfully across his last three outings.

Although he is currently struggling to apply the finishing touches to Palace’s attacks, Edouard is still making a substantial contribution to the south London outfit in the final third, which suggests that he could be their game-changer against Arsenal.

In other news… “He was raving about..” – Tom Barclay drops CPFC claim which should delight Eagles fans 

Leeds United’s need to sign a new midfielder in the January transfer window is ‘blindingly obvious’, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds short in midfield

It has been a disappointing first three months of the season for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, who are threatening to get sucked in a Premier League relegation battle.

One area where have been lacking is in midfield, with Kalvin Phillips perhaps relied upon too much and the Leeds hero missing three of their league games, with the team yielding just one point from those matches.

The likes of Jamie Shackleton, Mateusz Klich and Adam Forshaw have operated there, but with the latter not long back from a two-year injury layoff, the centre of midfield is a position where the Whites are rather threadbare.

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The Latest: Hay calls for new signing

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Tuesday ahead of Leeds’ clash at home to Crystal Palace, Hay implored the club to try and bring in another player in the middle of the park during the January transfer window.

He wrote: “As for recruitment, I said last week that some business in January would make sense. It doesn’t have to be huge amount or hideously expensive but it’s been pretty comprehensively shown, for example, that without Bamford it’s not clear who should be at nine. And they do need another [in] midfield. That’s blindingly obvious.”

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The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

Central midfield is a vital area of the pitch for any team in terms of controlling the game, so as Hay has hinted, it is imperative that reinforcements are made in that area at Leeds, or at least that valid attempts are made at doing so.

Someone like reported transfer target Nahitan Nandez, who has won 49 caps for Uruguay and averaged 2.1 tackles per game for Cagliari in Serie A this season – more than Klich (1.3) – would be an ideal addition, bringing more quality and depth to Leeds’ midfield.

With Phillips’ long-term future also up in the air, the Elland Road may need to be eyeing up possible replacements for him as well, sad as that may be to accept.

In other news, Danny Mills has criticised one Whites player. Find out who it is here.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some news that has been shared by the club on Alfredo Morelos.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the Colombia international has now been named as the Scottish Premiership’s Player of the Month (POTM) for December.

Morelos scored four goals and made one assist in six games last month, helping his team win all of them (Transfermarkt), as they march on towards another SPFL title.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst praised the striker upon receiving the award, highlighting how ‘important’ he has been and is for the side ahead of a fresh set of fixtures.

Nonetheless, he will now be hoping to continue his fine form when the Teddy Bears play Aberdeen away from home on Tuesday, and pick up the award once again for January.

Rangers fans on Morelos news

These Light Blues buzzed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one Gers supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘superb’ news:

“The king”

Credit: @BenDixon50

“Brilliant well deserved”

Credit: @Mikey1872786

“Thoroughly deserved! Boys been different class”

Credit: @sayersy1872

“Yessssssssssssss Alfie”

Credit: @TheRealBigMurdy

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @_meganpeffers

“Superb”

Credit: @JamesCa62108199

In other news, find out why Morelos’ Instagram post has Gers gushing here!

Wolves have not been particularly productive when it comes to bagging goals in the Premier League so far this season with just 19 scored in 21 games, leaving just Norwich City and Newcastle United having found the back of the net on fewer occasions.

While this may not necessarily be seen as a major issue at this moment in time given how they’re currently sat in eighth place in the Premier League table and have a rather sturdy defence that has only conceded 16 goals, it could be seen as an area that Old Gold manager Bruno Lage would like to fix, especially if they start to concede more goals.

With that in mind, the Midlands club could spend the rest of the January transfer window identifying and signing a player that could come in and add some extra attacking power to their team.

One player that has been mentioned with a move to Molineux in recent weeks that could do a job for Lage in that regard is Derby County winger and captain Tom Lawrence.

Despite having very little Premier League experience, the 28-year-old has proved in 250 Championship appearances that he is capable of scoring goals and providing them as well with 47 goals and 38 assists under his belt throughout his career.

This then could suggest that the £4.5m-rated attacker is in the right stage of his career to take the step up to the Premier League and make a name for himself there with a club like Wolves.

Taking into account Derby’s widely reported financial issues that could force them to sell players this month, a move for Lawrence may not be particularly complicated for Wolves to complete should they decide to launch one before the window closes.

Also, with Adama Traore reportedly close to joining Barcelona, Lawrence could potentially take the Spaniard’s place in Lage’s squad, not only fixing that issue but also adding a bit of freshness to their attack to help them find the back of the net more often.

Labelled as a “fabulous talent” in the past by Gary Bowyer, while it may be tough for Lawrence to leave Derby halfway through a season that they’re fighting tooth and nail for survival in, on and off the pitch, he may not get an opportunity to play in the Premier League again.

In other news: David Ornstein reveals late Wolves transfer twist that’ll have lots of fans buzzing – opinion