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With Omar Marmoush set to arrive, Manchester City have now reportedly moved into pole position to sign a second Bundesliga talent in what could yet be a bargain deal.

Man City transfer news

Following a disastrous first-half to the campaign, Manchester City were always likely to act in the January transfer window. And act, they have, welcoming Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and edging closer and closer to deals for both Juma Bah and Marmoush. The latter is undoubtedly the most impressive of the lot and should go a long way towards easing the goalscoring responsibility on Erling Haaland.

Welcoming both Khusanov and Reis, Pep Guardiola told reporters: “Welcome to the City family. Really pleased. They’re young players so they come for many years. Different types.

“Khusanov played here in France. [He has] Extraordinary physicality and hopefully he can learn English as soon as possible. Reis is a young Brazilian, very excited.”

Rodri's perfect partner: Man City intend to sign "world-class" £100m star

Manchester City are seeking to sign one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, believing this “world class’ star would be the perfect Rodri partner

By
Ben Gray

Jan 22, 2025

Now, following such a busy January, those at The Etihad could turn their attention towards the summer transfer window. According to TeamTalk, Manchester City have now moved into pole position to sign Joshua Kimmich when his current Bayern Munich deal expires at the end of the season.

A player who came through at Bayern under Guardiola, Kimmich could reunite with the Spaniard in the summer and solve both his right-back and midfield problem at a bargain price.

Now 29 years old, the German is no longer the rising star that Guardiola helped at Bayern. Nowadays, Kimmich is an established, elite and experienced player who could solve City’s problems.

Man City should seal Guardiola and Kimmich reunion

Two of Manchester City’s biggest problems this season have been their lack of depth in defensive midfield to step in for the injured Rodri and their lack of depth at right-back to end Kyle Walker’s disastrous run of form. Kimmich would instantly solve both of those issues, with his versatility and technical ability ready-made for Guardiola’s City side just as it was for his Bayern side many moons ago.

Full of praise for a young Kimmich almost 10 years ago, the Spaniard’s prediction about a bright future for the German has since come true in abundance. He told reporters as relayed by beIN Sports in 2016: “I love this kid. He has absolutely everything and can achieve whatever he wants. He wants to learn and has passion.

“When I speak about Joshua Kimmich, I only say good things. I have a message for journalists: Don’t say that he can’t play in defence.”

Of course, many years later it is clear that the Bayern star can play in defence and complete quite the job too. When the summer arrives and his contract expires, a reunion with Guardiola would make perfect sense for all parties.

The Pole's unavailability for the Copa del Rey final is a big blow for the Blaugrana, but they do have a potentially deadly replacement

Ferran Torres attempted to fill the considerable void left behind in Barcelona's attack by the injured Robert Lewandowski in Tuesday's Liga clash with Mallorca. As auditions go, it was hardly impressive.

Barca won the game thanks to Dani Olmo's second-half strike, but Torres didn't play particularly well and copped quite a bit of criticism for failing to exhibit the kind of killer instinct one would expect from a forward nicknamed 'The Shark'.

However, whereas such a setback would have once hit Torres hard, now he's made from sterner stuff. Consequently, it would be a major surprise if he does not get another chance to fill in for Lewandowski in Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid. Because if he's proven anything over the past couple of years, it's that he is nothing if not resilient.

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  Unbearable weight of massive talent

  "Football is brutal," Ferran told earlier this year, "especially when you break into the elite at a young age, and even more so at a club like Barca."

  He obviously knows this from personal experience. Torres had already proven himself one of the most promising young players in world football, at both Valencia and Manchester City, when he arrived at Camp Nou in January 2022. But he was still only 21 at the time.

  What's more, he had been signed for €55 million (£47m/$62.5m) – a colossal sum of money for the cash-strapped Catalans. The pressure on him to justify such a significant outlay was, thus, enormous, and it proved too heavy a weight for him to carry for an awfully long time.

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  Shark mentality

  Ferran scored seven times in his first 26 appearances for Barca, but he was clearly struggling to play with any great consistency or confidence. "I fell into a bottomless well," he later admitted, "and I did not know how to get out."

  Luckily, he sought help, and began seeing a psychologist after picking up a minor foot injury ahead of the 2022-23 season that hindered his attempts to lock down a regular starting spot in Xavi's Barcelona side. "It was a very tough experience but, at the same time, also one of the best," he explained.

  Another turning point arrived when he befriended UFC fighter Ilias Topuria, who taught Ferran the importance of positivity and perseverance.

  "I connected with him from the very beginning," the versatile attacker told of his trip to Florida to watch his compatriot in action in June 2023. Before the fight, he told me: 'This guy's not going to make it through the first round.' That's when I thought, 'Wow! I want to be like him.' I went there as one Ferran and came back as another."

  Topuria was also indirectly responsible for Torres earning himself a new nickname that same summer: "It came from the fact that I mentioned during a lunch with the Spanish national team that Ilias had said in an interview that he was the shark [in his division], meaning he didn't have to fight any fish for food," Torres said on podcast. "My team-mates started using shark emojis with me on Instagram and it just snowballed from there."

  The 'Shark mentality', as Torres called it, is essentially a state of mind, the idea that an apex predator need not fear anyone or anything.

  “It basically means never giving up, always pushing forward, never being afraid," Torres told in March of this year. "Failure is part of football – it’s a game of mistakes. The ones who fail are the ones who are trying."

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  'Invisible work'

  Ferran's renewed drive and determination almost immediately saved his Barca career. There was constant speculation during the summer of 2023 that Barca were willing to sell the versatile winger to raise funds to strengthen their squad elsewhere. However, he had absolutely no intention of leaving, and even joked about turning off his phone in order to avoid having to discuss a possible transfer to another club.

  Instead, he focused on getting himself in the best possible physical condition to prove his worth to Barca, which meant doing what he calls "the invisible work" – all of the hard graft done behind the scenes, in the gym and out on the road, that the fans don't see.

  "I talked to my physical trainer about doing double sessions every day," he revealed. "I told my nutritionist I wanted to lose three kilos, and my physio that I wanted to do two hours of treatment. It was non-negotiable. What keeps you at the elite level is discipline and perseverance; motivation only lasts for days and doesn't carry you to the big goal."

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  'I'm going to continue at Barca'

  As 'big goals' go, Ferran's was rather ambitious: breaking into the Barca team. However, progress was unquestionably made last season, as Torres scored 11 times in 42 appearances. He would have racked up even more goals, too, had it not been for a hamstring problem that ruled him out of action for nearly two months. The timing was cruel, too, as the injury arrived just over a week after he'd hit a hat-trick against Real Betis.

  The disappointing end to his 2023-24 campaign led to further speculation over his future, but Ferran remained defiant. "It's not that I want to continue at Barca," he clarified in an interview with last summer, "it's that I'm going to continue at Barca!"

Celtic have made a bid to sign another new forward after completing a deal to bring Jota back to Parkhead.

Celtic eye more signings after Jota

The Hoops announced a move to re-sign Jota earlier this week, with the Portuguese attacker leaving Rennes in an £8m transfer.

Kyogo Furuhashi headed the other way in a £10m deal, and Jota said after moving back to Glasgow: “Once I really had the time to think on it and understand that this was the best step for my career at this moment, I felt like, ‘okay, let’s go for it once again’ and it just feels right.

“It’s obviously been a year and a half with some difficulties, mostly inside the pitch where I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to play and obviously physically it’s not my best moment, but that will come quickly with minutes, game time, trainings and I just can’t wait for it.

“I’m just getting to know some of the lads, I think only nine players remain since the last time but definitely there’s a lot of talent, there’s room for improvement and under the orders of Brendan, I think there’s a good environment to develop and to win stuff.”

After Jota: Celtic could sign their own "young Sadio Mane" in £10m star

Celtic are one of the teams reportedly interested in a deal for the young starlet.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 27, 2025

Brendan Rodgers is on the search for more January signings before the deadline, though, with the Northern Irishman confirming Celtic have an agreement in place to sign Kieran Tierney in the summer on a free transfer.

The Hoops would ideally like to bring the left-back back to Parkhead this month, and another new forward is on the agenda in Glasgow.

Celtic make bid to sign Sondre Orjasaeter – Sky Sports

As per Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Celtic have now made their move for Sondre Orjasaeter. The Hoops had been in talks over a transfer earlier this month and have now submitted an opening offer to sign the 21-year-old.

Sarpsborg sporting director Hampus Andersson has since told Sky Sports that the club’s aim is not to sell Orjasaeter in the current window: “Sondre is and has been a highly valued player for us. Our main goal is to not sell him this window and keep him for at least to the end of the season.”

The Norway U21 international can play as a left-winger or right-winger, so would offer another versatile option in the final third for Rodgers and co after landing Jota.

He is at the top of his game with his Transfermarkt valuation rocketing from €750,000 to a career-high €6m in the space of 12 months, with Football Talent Scout Jaden Dakwa hailing Orjasaeter’s intelligence on the pitch.

“Sondre Orjasaeter can affect football matches even when he does not score. Orjasaeter’s best attribute could be his football brain. He makes very intelligent decisions on the pitch.”

Lamine Yamal has become the youngest player ever to score in a Champions League semi-final, surpassing previous record-holder Kylian Mbappe.

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• Barcelona star stuns against Inter
• Scores in 3-3 draw
• Mbappe record snatched from Real star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal danced through the Inter defence to score a brilliant goal and kick-start a remarkable fightback from the Catalans. They were 2-0 down but Yamal's stunning solo goal brought them back within touch, and the two sides would go on to draw 3-3 in a modern-day Champions League classic.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal's goal saw him make history, as he became the youngest player to ever score in a last-four tie in the competition, doing so at the age of 17 years and 291 days. Mbappe scored his goal in the semi-final in 2017, as Monaco lost 2-1 to Juventus. He was 18 years and 140 days old.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Yamal has been in remarkable form in the Champions League this season and has scored four goals, and provided four assists, in 11 games. He has scored at every stage of the competition thus far.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Barca, who lead La Liga by four points from Real Madrid, are next in action against Valladolid this weekend. They then face Inter in the second leg next Tuesday, before playing Real in a huge Clasico clash.

Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United ended in disaster. The Red Devils might have won two trophies under the Dutchman, but his below-par performances in the league eventually led to his dismissal in October.

United’s poor efforts under their former boss were not through a lack of backing in the transfer market. The Old Trafford club reportedly spent more than £600m under their former manager.

He looked to recruit players familiar to him and his system, signing plenty of his former Ajax players, and not all of them were hits. The best example of that is winger Antony.

On United’s 2024 summer additions, the jury is still out. One of their marquee additions has been Matthijs de Ligt.

De Ligt’s United career so far

The Red Devils signed Dutch international De Ligt from Bayern Munich in the summer for a fee of £42.7m including add-ons. He joined in a double deal alongside another former Ajax player, Noussair Mazraoui.

Despite the change of manager at Old Trafford this season, the experienced centre-back has been an important player for United. He has made 22 appearances in the Premier League, where he scored his only goal away to Southampton, and six in the Europa League.

Former United defender Wes Brown, a product of the club’s academy, backed the 25-year-old to succeed under new boss Ruben Amorim. He claimed back in December that he “can be an elite defender” and will “find his rhythm” under the Portuguese manager.

He has indeed been important under the tutelage of Amorim so far. De Ligt has featured in all but two of United’s games with Amorim at the helm so far, and it does not seem likely that he will become any less important in the coming months.

The Red Devils actually sold someone once compared to De Ligt, which could have meant they never signed the Dutchman. However, things did not quite work out for this player.

The defender who Man United sold

The player in question here is academy graduate Teden Mengi. The Manchester-born centre-back seemed like he had a big future at Old Trafford, but never managed to break into the first team.

He was a prominent player in the Red Devils academy, featuring for the under-18s, under-19s, and under-21s a combined total of 83 times. He was also the captain of various academy sides on multiple occasions.

Former United manager and club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once described the centre-back as “something special”, and compared him to De Ligt. He explained that just as Ten Hag put his trust in De Ligt as a youngster at Ajax, there was potential for Mengi to experience the same thing at United. Like United’s number four, Solskjaer said Mengi was “ready” for the challenge.

Sadly for the former England under-21 international, he never made it at United. He made just two first-team appearances for his boyhood club, both substitute appearances in European competitions.

After loan spells at Derby County and Birmingham City, the defender moved to Luton Town on a permanent deal in 2023, leaving United after years spent at the club and being ruthlessly sold by Ten Hag. He has since gone on to make 50 appearances for the Hatters and is valued at around £8.3m via Transfermarkt, up from £1.7m when he left the club..

Even though he has departed Old Trafford, Mengi has impressed at the highest level, thriving for Luton in the top flight last term. It was a difficult campaign for the team, who got relegated, but the defender impressed. As per Sofascore, he averaged 4.2 ball recoveries per game and won 58% of his aerial duels.

It is a shame that things did not work out for Mengi at Old Trafford, the club where he spent such a long time. However, he has certainly gone on to have a good start to his career away from United.

Had things gone differently, the Red Devils might never have needed to sign De Ligt and could have had another academy star thriving in his role.

Saved by Zirkzee & Maguire: 3/10 Man Utd star must be axed after Leicester

The Man Utd man had fewer touches than Onana in the win over Leicester.

By
Joe Nuttall

Feb 8, 2025

Manchester City are pushing for Flamengo wonderkid Wesley as Pep Guardiola's side reportedly aim to beat Manchester United to his services.

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• Man City have set their sights on Wesley

• Flamengo full-back sees his stock soaring

• Man Utd are set to provide competition

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wesley, born in 2003, has already established himself as a standout talent in South America. A regular starter for Flamengo, he has amassed over 125 appearances for the senior team and helped secure several domestic honours with the Rio de Janeiro-based outfit.

  City’s admiration for Wesley appears to be rooted in his technical skillset, tactical awareness, and attacking intent — all traits that align perfectly with Guardiola’s footballing philosophy. According to , City are accelerating negotiations in hopes of finalizing an agreement in the coming weeks.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While City are pushing aggressively to secure the signing, they are not alone in the race. United have also expressed concrete interest in the Flamengo prospect. One complication that could delay any transfer is Flamengo’s desire to keep hold of Wesley until after the Club World Cup. The Brazilian giants are set to compete in the upcoming edition of the tournament, which will be staged in Miami following the end of domestic competitions. Club officials believe that the international exposure could further increase Wesley’s market value.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It had earlier been reported that, earlier this year, Flamengo rejected a proposal in excess of £20 million from Zenit St. Petersburg. The Russian club’s offer was turned down not only due to valuation concerns but also because Wesley was hesitant about a move to Russia, given the level of competition. Moreover, the young defender was on the brink of sealing a move to Serie A side Atalanta during the previous transfer window, but that deal fell through at the last moment. Now, City are making a strong push to bring him to the Etihad, particularly as Guardiola views him as a more attractive long-term option compared to Newcastle United's Tino Livramento.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Despite Flamengo’s reluctance to part ways with the player before the Club World Cup, City remain hopeful of reaching an agreement ahead of the tournament. Now, whether City can fend off United and complete the transfer remains to be seen, but the race is heating up fast.

Chelsea are now closing in on a deal to sign an “exciting” midfielder, and they are eager to wrap it up quickly as other clubs are starting to show interest, according to a report.

Blues eyeing more talented youngsters

The Blues have developed a reputation for signing young players, who are often sent out on loan to prove themselves at sister club Strasbourg, and they are continuing to scour the market for talented prospects ahead of the summer transfer window.

Sunderland’s Chris Rigg is the latest young player to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, having now been cleared to leave the Championship side this summer, should a potential suitor be willing to fork out £25m.

However, there is now a feeling the west Londoners’ transfer approach could be deterring young players from joining the club, as revealed when it emerged Arsenal are set to win the race for Santos left-back Joao Victor de Souza.

De Souza and his agent were unimpressed with the Blues’ ideas about his future, which opened the door for a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea on alert as "wonderful" midfield target cleared to leave for £25m

The Blues are in the race to sign a wonderkid who will be allowed to leave his current club this summer.

By
Dominic Lund

Feb 9, 2025

According to a report from The Sun, Chelsea could face a similar problem in their pursuit of Sporting CP’s Dario Essugo, although they are now closing in on a deal.

Essugo is only keen to join the Blues if he is going to be a part of the squad, rather than being shipped out on loan to Strasbourg, with the midfielder having reservations about the move.

Despite the 19-year-old’s concerns, however, a deal is now close to completion, with Enzo Maresca’s side eager to agree a fee as quickly as possible, as he has started to attract interest from other clubs, having impressed on loan at Las Palmas.

Essugo is one for the future

The teenager is keen to be a part of the Chelsea squad immediately, and there are some indications he could be capable of making an instant impact at Stamford Bridge, given the level of his defensive performances over the past year.

The Portuguese starlet, who could cost around €25m (£21m) ranks in the 98th percentile for interceptions per 90, the 87th percentile for clearances, and the 81st percentile for tackles, when compared to his positional peers.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also tipped the central midfielder for future success, having made a solid start to life in La Liga, calling him “one of the most exciting DMs in Europe”.

Having also signed Mathis Amougou in the winter transfer window, Chelsea have a multitude of options in midfield, but if Essugo is able to replicate his performances in La Liga in the Premier League, he could push for a starting spot sooner rather than later.

Inter and Juventus fear Manchester City will make a move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose future is uncertain.

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• Donnarumma future up in the air
• Has one year left on PSG deal
• Italian giants fear Man City move

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Donnarumma has one year remaining on his deal with the Ligue 1 champions, sparking a rush for his services. Inter and Juventus are keen on signing him but are wary that City could beat their financial terms.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to Alfredo Pedulla, Inter would be willing to hand Donnarumma a €9 million salary, including bonuses, at the end of next season. Juventus, meanwhile, would be happy to pay a small fee to sign him this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Donnarumma was the star of PSG's Champions League semi-final victory over Arsenal, making a string of excellent saves. His time at PSG has not always gone smoothly, though, and a return to Serie A could be on the cards.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DONNARUMMA?

  City have not been ruled out of the equation should they decide to sell Ederson this summer, reports Football Italia. Bayern Munich are also credited with interest in him.

Over the years, Leeds United has been the home to numerous attacking talents, many of whom have captured the hearts of the fanbase as a result of their impressive stints at Elland Road.

After joining as a teenager, last season Crysencio Summerville burst into life, playing a huge role under boss Daniel Farke, notching 20 goals and nine assists in his 46 Championship outings.

However, the Whites would be unable to keep hold of him after their failure to secure promotion, joining West Ham United in a £25m deal – banking the club a hefty profit in the process.

Jack Clarke was another player capable of getting supporters off their seats with his dribbling ability, making just 27 appearances for his boyhood side before making a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, fast-forward nearly six years on from the youngster’s move to the North London outfit, Farke’s side currently have one player on loan from the aforementioned side, following in the footsteps of the two players and already being a success in Yorkshire.

Manor Solomon’s stats for Leeds United in 24/25

After the high-profile departure of Summerville during the off-season, it was pivotal that the hierarchy provided Farke with the tools to claim promotion at the second attempt.

They dipped into the market and secured a loan move for winger Manor Solomon from Premier League side Spurs, moving to Elland Road until the end of the current campaign.

The Israeli forward has impressed beyond anyone’s imagination, registering seven goals and seven assists in his 26 league outings, registering the third most contributions of any player in the first-team squad.

Solomon’s efforts in the final third have aided the Whites massively, helping them boast the best-attacking record in the division, subsequently allowing them to sit top of the table with 13 games left.

However, despite his impressive form in Yorkshire, he could’ve been further aided with his efforts had the club kept hold of one player rather than prematurely offloading him.

The player who would’ve been perfect for Solomon

Junior Firpo has been a player who has divided the fanbase in recent years, but when given the opportunity this season, the Spaniard has impressed under Farke for the Whites.

The 28-year-old has registered seven assists in just 20 Championship matches, a phenomenal record for a full-back, but he’s out of contract in the summer, with no more deal yet to be agreed.

As a result, it leaves the club potentially facing a dilemma at left-back, something which they would not have faced had they kept hold of Leif Davis a couple of years ago.

Davis joined the club as an 18-year-old from Morecambe, rapidly developing and making the jump into the first team – featuring twice in the Premier League during the 2020/21 campaign.

However, he would join Bournemouth on loan for the following season, but would not return to Leeds after joining Ipswich Town on a permanent deal ahead of 2022/23.

Since his move to Portman Road, Davis has taken his career to the next level, registering three goals and 14 assists in League One, helping the Tractor Boys secure promotion back to the second tier.

He continued his excellent form under Kieran McKenna last year, with 20 combined goal contributions and helping the club make it back-to-back promotions, preventing the Whites in the process.

The full-back, who’s previously been dubbed “sensational” by journalist Stuart Watson, has seamlessly made the jump into the top flight, producing numerous impressive stats that would’ve aided Solomon in attacking areas.

Given his meteoric rise to the top of the English game, there must be an ounce of regret from the Whites’ hierarchy in allowing him to depart the club back in 2022.

At the age of just 25, he has the potential to improve further in the years ahead, but unfortunately for the supporters, it’s a case of what could’ve been had they kept hold of the defender.

Leeds must rue offloading "sensational" talent who's outperforming Tanaka

Leeds United may have made a mistake in allowing one former star to depart Elland Road.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Feb 20, 2025

A first-half goal from the forward and a great clearance from the centre-back saw the team from north London claim their first silverware since 2008

Tottenham brought a glorious end to a miserable season on Wednesday as they claimed the Europa League title with a 1-0 win in a scrappy final against Manchester United in Bilbao. Spurs claimed a first trophy in 17 years in inglorious fashion with Brennan Johnson working it over the line in the first half, and Ange Postecoglou's men held on to beat Ruben Amorim's side to the trophy and a spot in next season's Champions League.

After a promising start to the all-Premier League clash, the action died down as the game took on the quality expected of a tie between teams sat 16th and 17th in the English top-flight.

It was sparked back into life in predictably scrappy fashion in the 43rd minute when Pape Sarr sent the ball towards Johnson close to the United goal. His presence ruffled Luke Shaw, who failed to deal with it and the attacker helped it beyond Andre Onana.

Neither team could build any momentum in a stop-start second half, but United were given a great chance when Guglielmo Vicario spilled the ball, seeing it fly to Rasmus Hojlund. The striker's looping header looked destined to hit the net, but for an acrobatic clearance from Micky van de Ven.

The danger grew for Postecoglou's men when Alejandro Garnacho came off the bench for United for the last 20 minutes as the young winger was an immediate danger up against Pedro Porro, but even he was soon brought down to the game's level as Spurs held on and proved Postecoglou right – he always win trophies in his second season.

GOAL rates Tottenham's players from Estadio San Mames…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Guglielmo Vicario (7/10):

  A few shaky moments, including almost gifting Hojlund an equaliser, but kept out a few shots before making a tremendous stop from Shaw at the end.

  Pedro Porro (6/10):

  Produced a decent cross early on but struggled against Garnacho as soon as the winger came on.

  Cristian Romero (7/10):

  Strong in the air and quick to clear the danger when it fell to him.

  Micky van de Ven (7/10):

  A spectacular clearance to keep Spurs level in the second half.

  Destiny Udogie (5/10):

  Had a torrid time up against Amad for the most part, but stopped him in the box with an important challenge to spark a counter-attack.

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  Midfield

  Pape Matar Sarr (7/10):

  Whipped in the dangerous ball to create the goal and had a good game overall.

  Yves Bissouma (6/10):

  Fought hard to win everything for most of the game, but faded away after a silly booking.

  Rodrigo Bentancur (6/10):

  Cut out a couple of United attacks and was good with his passing.

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  Attack

  Brennan Johnson (7/10):

  Didn't show much grace with the goal but got it over the line.

  Dominic Solanke (4/10):

  Useful as a target in the air but gave the ball away too often.

  Richarlison (6/10):

  Posed a threat from the beginning as he saw a shot and a cross blocked. Put in a proper defensive shift, too.

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  Subs & Manager

  Son Heung-min (5/10):

  Replaced the injured Richarlison with 25 minutes left, but United soon took charge of the game and he struggled to cause any problems.

  Kevin Danso (6/10):

  Made a great defensive header late on.

  Archie Gray (N/A):

  A very late introduction.

  Djed Spence (N/A):

  Only on for stoppage time.

  Ange Postecoglou (8/10):

  It wasn't beautiful, but it was enough. His team did well to prevent United from making clear chances to deliver success after a rough season for him and his squad.