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After suffering a disappointing opening day defeat to Leicester last weekend, West Brom fell to a 5-2 loss to Everton in their second Premier League game of the season on Saturday afternoon.

The Baggies took the lead thanks to a wonder strike from Grady Diangana from outside the box, but following an equaliser from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Kieran Gibbs cost his side big time with a mindless red card.

Slaven Bilic’s side inevitably struggled in the aftermath of it, and ended up shipping another four goals to the Toffees. But whilst Gibbs will of course be the talk of the town at the Hawthorns – fans even took to Twitter after the game to voice their frustrations with the left-back – he wasn’t the only disappointment on the day.

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Callum Robinson produced a fairly anonymous performance last weekend against Leicester, making just seven total passes in his 60 minutes worth of action.

And the clash against Everton was pretty much more of the same from the former Sheffield United ace, with the Baggies not getting anywhere near enough from their front man.

As per Sofascore, he had just 35 touches of the ball, and only managed one shot on goal in the entire game. Of course, Robinson’s task was made that much harder particularly in the entirety of the second-half after Gibbs’ red card, but he still didn’t make enough runs into the channel or hold the ball up for his teammates.

The striker struggled to get the better of Michael Keane and Yerry Mina at the heart of Everton’s defence, and in the nine total duels he contested, he won just one. Bilic needed Robinson to be more of a presence, or at least offer an outlet on any potential counter-attacks, but instead, he just disappeared from the game.

Gibbs may take a lot of the flak, but Robinson didn’t cover himself in glory either.

Contrary to some reports, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund are still ‘far apart’ in their valuation for Jadon Sancho.

The Red Devils are reportedly ready to walk away from a move for the 11-cap England international unless Dortmund lower their ‘completely unrealistic’ demands.

It has been reported that Man United had agreed personal terms with Sancho, but that is not the case according to BBC Sport.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified the England forward as the player he needs to fill the right-sided role.

The Telegraph’s James Ducker revealed United are prepared to pursue other alternative targets unless a compromise can be reached between both sides.

Dortmund are demanding about £100m for Sancho and want a deal to be done in time for their original deadline of August 10.

Ed Woodward believes that figure, which would make the 20-year-old the most expensive English football player in history, is far-fetched given the fact that clubs are operating in unprecedented circumstances.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein claims a deal could be on the verge of collapse as the Red Devils are ready to take a look at other options.

However, all is not lost, as Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has come to the rescue once again. Fans should feel reassured that personal terms with the player are apparently not a problem but talks between the two clubs are ongoing “day by day” as they are trying to sort out a payment structure, which will take some time.

It seems as though United are adamant they will not be forced to pay over the odds for Sancho but remain hopeful of completing a deal at the same time.

With so many mixed messages flying around at the moment, it can be hard to identify the fact from the fiction. United will not be held accountable to an arbitrary deadline, as the transfer window will close on October 5, despite Dortmund’s defiant ultimatum.

It is unlikely Woodward will walk away when Solskjaer seems so determined to get his man in the summer, but it may take longer than expected to get a deal over the line. At this stage in the negotiations, it is highly likely they are just vying for control of the situation to try to drive down the colossal sum as much as they possibly can.

Clubs have often tried to play hardball with United in the past but it always appears to work out well in the end. The board used a similar tactic to prise January signing Bruno Fernandes away from Sporting Lisbon earlier this year.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

Tottenham defender Danny Rose has hinted he wants to play for Brendan Rodgers again, according to Alasdair Gold via football.london. 

The Leicester boss previously managed Rose during the Spurs star’s brief loan spell with Watford and, although he only made seven appearances under the Northern Ireland native, Rodgers clearly left quite an impression on him.

Appearing on The Lockdown Tactics podcast, the England international had plenty to say about the Foxes head coach.

Rose told Robert Snodgrass and Kris Boyd: “When I was contemplating going to Chelsea at Leeds, he was Chelsea reserves manager at the time so he would have already known about me because he would have been working with me.

“He had already gone to Watford and there was an interest there. Getting to work with him for two months was brilliant.

“The training sessions were up until that point as an 18 or 19-year-old I had never experienced that before. His ideas in training, it was brilliant and I have always said that he is somebody I would love to play for again.”

The Northern Echo previously reported that Jose Mourinho has made it clear that the left-back is not a part of his plans for the future and it appears his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is finally coming to an end.

Indeed, Rose played in just five games for Mourinho before leaving Spurs for Newcastle on a short-term loan until the end of the season. He is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract with his parent club and, with no extension in sight, Newcastle United are keen to keep the Englishman at St James’ Park.

Despite his age, it is fair to say the 29-year-old is still a quality left-back. He has starred in five games in the Premier League for Steve Bruce’s Magpies, making 1.4 tackles per game, completing 1.2 clearances on average, with a passing success rate of 77.7% (WhoScored).

However, it is unlikely he will end up at the King Power Stadium in the summer, as Chelsea are under pressure to sign Leicester star Ben Chilwell and it remains to be seen if the Blues will be able to get a deal over the line before the transfer market closes. If Chilwell stays with the Foxes, a move for Rose is highly improbable.

Tottenham fans, do you think the board should sell Danny Rose in the summer? Join the discussion in the comments below!

According to The Daily Express, Everton are set to face competition from fellow Premier League side Leicester for midfielder Baptiste Santamaria.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent months had suggested Carlo Ancelotti’s side were looking at a potential move for Santamaria in the January transfer window, but a move failed to materialise.

Now, The Daily Express have revealed that whilst the Toffees have continued to watch the Angers ace, they are now set to face a battle for his signature from Leicester.

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The report claims that the Foxes are keeping tabs on Santamaria, and that they have been “keeping a careful eye on him in the last few months”, with La Liga sides Sevilla and Villareal also taking a keen interest in him.

Priority

Given how Morgan Schneiderlin has struggled massively at Goodison Park and arguably needs to be sold this summer, Everton desperately need to tie up a move for Santamaria.

The 25-year-old has been an ever-present for Angers this season, failing to complete the full 90 minutes in just one of the French side’s 28 Ligue 1 games.

He has been one of the best defensive-minded players in France, with his impressive average of 3.3 tackles per game putting him in joint-fourth amongst all players in the division.

Having someone like him to screen the Everton back-line could ensure Ancelotti’s side don’t suffer dismal defeats like the one against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Having an anchor man to just sit and protect would allow the Toffees’ more flair players the chance to shine further forward. It’s no surprise that only five teams have let in more than their abysmal total of 46 goals in the top-flight.

It’s exactly why they need to be very wary of sides both in the Premier League and abroad jumping ahead of them in the race to sign the £8.1m-rated Santamaria.

Meanwhile, Everton fans have reacted to this Richarlison tweet.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Italian publication La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), Manchester United remain interested in Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent months had suggested the Red Devils were interested in signing him in the summer as a potential alternative to Harry Maguire.

Now, La Repubblica reportedly claim that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are still interested in securing his signature, with his current team valuing him at “over €40m (£34.2m)”. It adds that both United and Atletico Madrid have already moved for him and are following his progress, although Fiorentina are understood to be reluctant to let him go anytime in the near future.

Perfect partner for Maguire

In the summer, it was seemingly deemed a case of either Milenkovic or Maguire. But having ended up signing the latter for a world record fee for a defender, it may be the best time to revisit their interest in the Fiorentina defender.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 5, the Serbia international would make for quite the physically intimidating partnership with Maguire. The duo would be massive units that opposition players may fear getting into a tussle with, and that could be the kind of psychological advantage that could pay huge dividends for the Red Devils.

Maguire’s current partner at Old Trafford, Victor Lindelof, has not been in the greatest form this season either. As per Whoscored, the Swede has an average match rating of just 6.62 in the Premier League – the lowest of any domestic campaign in his entire career. His tackling numbers have dropped from 1.3 to 0.8 per game, whilst his pass accuracy has similarly fallen by 4.1%.

It therefore makes United’s continued interest in Milenkovic perfectly understandable, and that should perhaps provoke them into taking transfer action on their long-term target.

Newcastle beat Bournemouth 2-1 thanks to a second-half winner from Ciaran Clark, but Federico Fernandez has disputed whether it was in fact his goal.The centre-back pairing both scored last week against West Ham and the former Swansea man got onto the end of Jetro Willems’ cross to head the ball towards goal, with Clark seemingly providing a key touch to prevent Aaron Ramsdale from saving.

It is certainly a contentious one, with Clark’s contact on the ball marginal at best, leading Fernandez to tweet “VAR please I think it’s my goal” alongside ta video of the event.

Whether he means it or not the fans certainly seem to agree with him, suggesting that the Irishman didn’t make sufficient contact with the ball for it to be considered his goal.

No matter, supporters certainly won’t mind that both defenders are contributing at the other end of the pitch, particuarly when they combine for a winner.

Here are some of the reactions on Twitter to Fernandez’s claim.

Although October was far from a successful month for Unai Emery’s Arsenal side, with the Gunners securing just one Premier League victory, the announcement of the club’s goal of the month has led to these fans heaping considerable praise on the recipient.

Joe Willock’s strike from distance against Liverpool – a game that Arsenal tied 5-5 before losing on penalties – took the score to 5-4 before a late Divock Origi strike gave the Reds their equaliser. 

The 20-year-old’s goal was his fourth of the season in all competitions, but there can be no doubting that the quality of the finish makes this the academy graduate’s most impressive strike in the current campaign.

After a video was released by Arsenal’s twitter account, these fans have been stating their appreciation towards Willock. Here are some of the best reactions following the official announcement of the club’s goal of the month for October. 

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Manuel Pellegrini has a selection dilemma in defence ahead of West Ham United’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, with Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena to choose from.

On the chalkboard

There has been plenty of discussion about whether West Ham will have Roberto in goal against Tottenham Hotspur, as David Martin could make his first Hammers appearance.

However, Pellegrini also has a decision to make about who will partner Issa Diop at centre-back – with Harry Kane likely to be leading the Spurs line, this could turn out to be an important decision.

Ogbonna has played more games than Balbuena this campaign, but it is the Paraguayan who has started all of West Ham’s last three matches in the draw against Sheffield United and losses at the hands of Newcastle United and Burnley.

The numbers

So far this season, Ogbonna has edged Balbuena out in terms of tackles made per game, while he has completely blown the Paraguayan out of the water in terms of clearances and blocks made.

The only defensive action Balbuena has completed with greater regularity than the Italian is interceptions per game, as shown below.

It is Balbuena who comes out on top in terms of aerial duels won, averaging 5.2 per game, compared to 3.4 from Ogbonna, while the Italian completes 4% more of the passes he attempts.

So far this season, Kane has played 11 Premier League games, scoring 6 goals and making 1 assist, while averaging 2.3 aerial duels won and 1 key pass per game.

This indicates how complete a performance the striker can give and the challenge West Ham’s centre-backs will face.

The decision regarding who to use will likely be a tough one for Pellegrini, but he should go for Ogbonna judging by the statistics.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

For one reason or another 18-year-old Mateusz Bogusz has been rarely seen this season.

In fact, since he walked through the doors at Thorp Arch last term, he’s barely had a fighting chance to stake a claim to Marcelo Bielsa.

Having rejected interest from the Premier League and Brighton to sign for Leeds, the midfielder clearly has enormous talent but barring a solitary Carabao Cup appearance, opportunities have been few and far between.

However, a performance for Poland’s U21 side over the international break should have grabbed Marcelo Bielsa’s attention.

On the chalkboard

Bogusz is usually a central player and it’s from that role that he starred in over pre-season, netting a fine strike versus Western Sydney Wanderers.

The teenager made an impressive impact and had fans raving over his potential but we’re yet to see any real glimpses of that in competitive action.

He has the ability to play as an attacking midfielder or slightly deeper in the fray but it was from a wide position where he thrived on Tuesday night.

Playing on the left-wing, Bogusz netted a close-range strike and put in a lively performance that saw his country beat Serbia U21s 1-0.

The display showed his versatility, something that might well benefit him going forward. After all, competition for places in the middle of the pitch seems to be a lot fiercer than in a wide role.

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Leeds’ are blessed with a number of promising central players, ranging from Jamie Shackleton and Alfie McCalmont to Robbie Gotts and Bogusz himself.

However, there might well be a vacancy on the flanks in the future. Jack Clarke could well return to Tottenham in January while Pablo Hernandez’s contract is up at the end of the season.

Having made such a big impression from a wide role this week, it’s something that must be at the back of Bielsa’s mind going forward.

Bogusz earned huge praise from his international manager for his display too. Czeslaw Michniewicz told reporters: “Probably not many people in Poland have heard about Mateusz Bogusz, he is three years younger than his oldest colleagues, and he played fantastic in Bialystok against Estonia.

“He is at a similar level as (Poland international) Sebastian Szymanski in his previous youth. He has great talent.”

It was a glowing appraisal for the teenager who has now proven that he has what it takes out wide and in the middle.

Charlton Athletic moved into eighth in the Championship table on Saturday evening following a 2-2 draw over league leaders West Brom.

Lee Bowyer’s men went behind early on to a Matty Phillips strike, but they found themselves level just after an hour as Macauley Bonne headed home his fourth in as many games.

There was then a moment of controversy as the referee sent off Grady Diangana instead of Nathan Ferguson before he finally corrected his decision, though that didn’t stop the home side thinking they had won the match after substitute Hal Robson-Kanu curled one home nine minutes from time.

The Addicks were gifted a penalty in the 94th minute after Naby Sarr was brought down inside the area, to which Josh Cullen duly stepped up and dispatched to clinch a point at the Hawthorns.

Following the match, goalkeeper Dillon Phillips took to Twitter to share some thoughts on the performance, which has led to several of the Charlton fanbase throwing heaps of praise behind the 24-year-old.

One supporter claimed that an England call up couldn’t be too far away with another expressing similar thoughts by saying Nick Pope’s place is in jeopardy after his shot-stopping performance.

Others labelled him a ‘beast’ and ‘unbelievable’ with one more member of The Valley faithful believing his showing was worthy of the Man of the Match award.

Here’s the best of the reaction: