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What promised to be a Premier League thriller between Leeds and Chelsea ended 0-0 at Elland Road, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side earning a rare draw.

The Whites were involved in only their second 0-0 stalemate of the league season, but things could have been different had some first half opportunities in particular go their way – most notably an effort from Tyler Roberts which struck the crossbar, with the same player having a goal ruled out for offside.

Given Chelsea’s imperious form under new manager Thomas Tuchel – the latest result seeing the Blues remain unbeaten under the German – a point is certainly a more than credible result.

One man who let Bielsa down, though, was Jack Harrison.

The Manchester City loanee was drafted back into the starting line-up in place of Helder Costa having been dropped to the bench in the last couple of weeks.

However, aside from one delicious cross early on, Harrison just couldn’t seem to get involved in the game, instead spending most of his time just trying to chase Chelsea down rather than offering anything note with the ball.

He had fewer than half the number of touches of goalkeeper Illan Meslier (23 to 50) and made far fewer passes (eight) than the Leeds shot-stopper (21) too, while he failed to provide a single key pass or have a shot on goal – the game just seemed to pass him by offensively, with much of his side’s best openings coming through Roberts.

While Harrison, to his credit, worked hard, he wasn’t his usual snappy self tracking back either – this season, he has averaged 1.6 tackles per game in the Premier League, but made none against the Blues this afternoon and also lost both of his duels.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him the Whites’ joint-lowest score of five, adding: “Another difficult afternoon for the loanee. One excellent cross which deserved to be buried, but anonymous otherwise.”

After being handed the chance to start, Harrison just couldn’t deliver on his opportunity, and that surely would have frustrated Bielsa.

Carlo Ancelotti should consider sending Everton defender Niels Nkounkou out on loan in the January transfer window.

Nkounkou joined the Toffees last summer with the intentions of building his reputation in David Unsworth’s Under 23s, yet was swiftly made a first-team player with roles in the Merseyside outfit’s Carabao Cup fixtures.

A Premier League debut soon followed at Newcastle United following an injury for Lucas Digne, yet has only been given 25 minutes of senior action since after being called on as an extra-time substitute in Everton’s FA Cup third round win over Rotherham.

Everton supporters have rarely seen Nkounkou turn out in the youth ranks, either, with Monday’s start in the junior derby with Liverpool only the 20-year-old’s second outing in the Premier League 2 and first appearance since facing Chelsea in November.

Nkounkou is finding himself very much in limbo, midway between being a first-team player and the understudy of Digne to being a youth player looking to cut their teeth with regular football in the U23s.

But the youngster has admitted that he expects the picture to remain as it currently is for the time being, and will have to wait for his chance should he remain at Goodison Park in January.

“Over the next few months, they’ll stay just the same, to keep learning and developing. Looking further ahead, of course I have objectives that I’m aiming to achieve in the future,” he told Everton’s Official Matchday Programme for their FA Cup tie with Rotherham.

“I have to be patient and show the manager in training I’m working even harder and he can count on me to deliver. Once I get the opportunity to play, it will be all about showing him I’m ready to perform whenever a position in the team opens up.”

Nkounkou has also admitted to finding his Premier League debut at Newcastle a more challenging affair than he expected it to be, adding: “I put in some good performances in the Carabao Cup, but the league game against Newcastle was a bit tougher for me.

“But, as we stand right now, I wasn’t expecting all that so soon, so I’m very happy to have already made those initial small steps.”

Monday’s clash with Liverpool in the Premier League 2 did not go entirely to plan, either, as the Liverpool Echo note that his performance was rather laid back and lacked the level of ability shown in his Carabao Cup exploits.

Nkounkou’s shortcomings were also well documented before joining Everton, with French football journalist Jeremy Smith citing a handful of key issues with the defender’s game.

“He’s a potential Benjamin Mendy type — strong, solid, good engine and can cover the whole flank all match,” Smith told The Athletic. “He has a good cross on him too. He’s seen as having lots of potential but his concentration still seems to wander. He needs to work on positioning as well.”

Training with Everton’s first-team and Ancelotti’s coaching staff will no doubt have helped Nkounkou’s development, but the Italian tactician should be open to sending him out on loan this month like the Toffees have done with Jarrad Branthwaite.

The centre-half has already made his Blackburn Rovers debut with an impressive display at the weekend, as he looks to play week-in, week-out after featuring just once in Everton’s first-team all season.

Branthwaite’s progress should only continue now that he is at a club where chances are more regular, and that ought to be the same for Nkounkou with Ancelotti able to rest easy knowing Ben Godfrey can deputise for Digne following his efforts in the role of late.

AND in other news, Everton must end the 14-year club association of a player completely frozen out by Carlo Ancelotti…

MatériaMais Notícias

Com atuações abaixo da média na defesa e erros individuais, o Santos perdeu pela primeira vez no Paulistão. A derrota por 2 a 0 para o Red Bull se deu por falhas em todos setores. Confira as notas do LANCE!:

RelacionadasSantosSantos ‘dorme’, é derrotado pelo Red Bull e perde invencibilidadeSantos28/02/2016SantosSantos reedita máscara de Oliveira para homenagem pelo 100º jogoSantos28/02/2016

SANTOS

6,0
Vanderlei
Não teve culpa nos lances dos gols. Foi pouco exigido e quando isso aconteceu, nada pôde fazer.

6,5
Victor Ferraz
Boa opção quando ajuda no ataque, teve bons lances com Lucas Lima. Seguro na marcação, não teve problemas.

4,5
Lucas Veríssimo
Afobado em alguns lances, levou dribles facilmente e fez faltas bobas. Ainda inseguro.

4,5
Gustavo Henrique
Errou corte no lance do segundo gol e acabou dando o gol de presente para Roger. Alguns erros de posicionamento.

6,0
Zeca
Peça importante no time, ajudou bastante o ataque com boas descidas pela esquerda. Rápido e seguro na marcação.

6,0
Renato
Não comprometeu. Fez bons desarmes durante o jogo, importante no meio-campo.

6,0
Thiago Maia
Boas chegadas ao ataque. Atento à partida, ajudou o time a funcionar no setor ofensivo. Boa marcação.

5,0
Serginho
Ótima movimentação e boas trocas com Lucas Lima. Fazia excelente partida até errar no recuo e “dar” o gol ao rival.

7,0
Lucas Lima
Fundamental na engrenagem santista, escapou bem da marcação e criou bastante do meio para frente.

6,5
Gabriel
Boa movimentação principalmente pelo lado direito, fundamental nas jogadas de ataque do Santos.

4,5
Ricardo Oliveira
Faltou um pouco de mobilidade no ataque. Teve boa chance de marcar, mas mandou para fora.

4,5
Joel
Não se mostrou oportunista, característica esperada de um centroavante. Teve chance e desperdiçou.

4,0
Patito
Entrou no lugar de Serginho para desempenhar função semelhante, foi muito mal, errando domínios simples.

4,5
Vitor Bueno
Entrou no lugar de Thiago Maia para tentar soltar ainda mais o Santos no campo de ataque. Não surtiu efeito.

4,5
Téc: Dorival Júnior
Substituições feitas no começo do segundo tempo não surtiram efeito e o time seguiu dependente de Lucas Lima.

RED BULL

6,0
Saulo
Bem quando acionado.

6,0
Everton Silva
Tímido no apoio, mas bem na parte defensiva.

7,0
Anderson Marques
Fez um gol mal anulado. Bem nas bolas aéreas.

7,0
Diego Sacoman
Sem inventar, deu conta do recado por baixo e por cima.

6,5
Willian Rocha
Mais solto do que o lateral-direito. Atrás foi regular.

6,5
Luan
Teve fôlego para correr atrás de Lucas Lima & Cia.

5,5
Maylson
Ajudou na marcação, mas poderia ter ido mais à frente.

6,5
Breno Lopes
Um dos mais acionados de sua equipe. Bons passes.

4,5
Edmilson
Bem marcado, pouco fez. Uma cabeçada perigosa no primeiro tempo.

7,5
Thiago Galhardo
No gol, ótima tabela e tranquilidade para finalizar. Ainda deu assistência para o segundo gol.

6,5
Roger
Deu assistência para o gol e fez o seu, já na linha do gol.

5,0
Misael
Entrou para dar suporte ao lateral-direito, ajudando a marcar.

5,0
Dráusio
Rebatedor. Levou amarelo.

5,0
Artur Caculé
Mais um para ajudar a segurar o resultado na segunda etapa.

7,0
Téc: Maurício Barbieri
Se propôs a fazer o time tocar a bola, tentar sair na frente e segurar o resultado. E conseguiu seu objetivo.

Sheffield Wednesday defender Matthew Penney dropped a massive clanger in what was a rare start for the Owls on Wednesday night.

The south Yorkshire outfit were defeated on their return to Championship action, also ending an unbeaten run of four league games.

Interim boss Neil Thompson faces a tough task as his side remain some six points from safety and in losing to Coventry City, gave a potential relegation rival some extra leg room at the bottom of the table.

On paper, it was probably one of the strongest line-ups the Owls caretaker could select with Keiren Westwood returning between the sticks, veteran midfielder Sam Hutchinson making his second debut with usual culprits Barry Bannan, Tom Lees and Adam Reach all starting too.

Plenty of stick was given to the Owls’ former captain on social media, one member of the Hillsborough faithful went as far as wanting him gone from the club.

However, he was probably one of the only shining lights of the match, recording a squad-high 7.1 rating per SofaScore.

YorkshireLive’s Dom Howson was particularly glowing about Lees in his post-match ratings, he said:

“Defensively solid. Strong in the air and made a number of important clearances. A no-nonsense performance.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-sheffield-wednesday-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Read this week’s latest Sheffield Wednesday news, transfer rumours and more…”]

There were plenty of others far more culpable than the 30-year-old.

Indeed, Penney was one of those as he started only his third game of the campaign and first in a flat back-four. And in his poor display, he betrayed the faith given to him by his 57-year-old temporary boss.

The 22-year-old academy product was hugely wasteful, making only 59% of his 27 passes – the worst of any outfield starter from the visiting team, via SofaScore.

He was also careless with the ball, losing possession a whopping 22 times, which was second to central midfielder Barry Bannan but as the set-piece taker, his numbers are hugely unfavourable.

On top of that, Penney – who was shipped out on loan last season – also won only six of 14 duels (42.8%) both on the ground and in the air, and as a result, the opposition capitalised.

The left-back even recorded three fouls and picked up a booking before the 50th minute, just to cap off his nightmare display at St Andrew’s Stadium.

Penney was far worse than Lees and plenty of his other Owls teammates on the night, so Thompson may want to think twice before selecting him again anytime soon.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer drops Sheffield Wednesday manager claim

MatériaMais Notícias

O torcedor do Cruzeiro pôde matar a saudade do time no Mineirão. Na abertura do Campeonato Mineiro, o clube celeste recebeu a URT e o resultado não foi dos melhores para o time da capital. Em partida equilibrada, mas aquém do esperado por parte da Raposa, os comandados de Deivid não conseguiram superar o adversário e estrearam no estadual com um empate em 0 a 0.

O jogo

O cenário da partida só começou a melhorar a partir dos 15 minutos do primeiro tempo. Antes disso, as equipes não ameaçaram o gol adversário nem sequer chegaram ao campo de ataque com frequência. A partir dos 20, William foi o protagonista de dois lances perigosos. Primeiro em uma cabeçada e pouco depois em uma falta cobrada na trave. Apesar da superioridade e da maior posse de bola no final do primeiro tempo, o Cruzeiro pecou na hora do último passe e foi para o intervalo com o placar em branco.

Veja tabela e classificação do Campeonato Mineiro

No segundo tempo, o Cruzeiro continuou melhor, mas a defensiva da URT impedia avanços com maior perigo da Raposa. Alisson até carimbou a trave de Follmann, mas ainda antes dos 20 minutos, o técnico Deivid decidiu gastar todas as suas três mudanças. Miño, Gabriel Xavier e Douglas Coutinho entraram de uma só vez e aumentaram a pressão dentro de campo, mas esbarraram mais uma vez na defensiva da URT. Satisfeita com o empate, a equipe de Patos de Minas se defendeu bem e saiu satisfeita com o ponto conquistado, ao contrário do Cruzeiro, que começa o estadual sem vencer.

CRUZEIRO 0 x 0 URT

Data e horário: 31 de janeiro de 2016, às 17h
Local: Estádio Mineirão, em Belo Horizonte (MG)
Árbitro: Gabriel Murta Barbosa Maciel
Assistentes: Pablo Almeida Costa e Magno Arantes Lira
Cartões amarelos: Fabrício (CRU), Fábio Santos, Balotelli (URT)
Cartão vermelho: Não teve.
Público/Renda: Ainda não divulgados.

Cruzeiro: Fábio; Mayke, Dedé, Manoel e Fabrício; Henrique e Ariel Cabral; Marcos Vinícius, De Arrascaeta (Gabriel Xavier – 19’2ºT) e Alisson (Sánchez Miño – 19’2ºT); Willian (Douglas Coutinho – 19’2ºT). Técnico: Deivid.

URT: Follmann, Alex Murici (Pierre – 45’2ºT), Mauro Viana, Robinho e Fábio Alves; Leandro Santos e Ramos; Carlos Magno (Kelvin – 41’2ºT) e Gabriel Davis; Balotelli e Fábio Santos (Alexsandro – 17’2ºT). Técnico: Ademir Fonseca.

Times are tough for Celtic currently. They are in a rough patch as their last three games have seen them lose two and draw one.

The mood hasn’t been great, with the Hoops receiving a lot of criticism, so it is vital that Neil Lennon reverses the slump sooner rather than later, especially in the Premiership as they are six points behind first place.

However, there is some positive news coming out of UEFA which might make Lennon’s objectives slightly easier to achieve.

UEFA’s breaking news which benefits Celtic

Sky Sports journalist Pete O’Rourke reported: ‘Scottish Premiership clubs have received a major boost as UEFA confirmed Scotland will have two spots in the Champions League qualifying round next season.’

This ruling has come at the perfect time for Lennon

With the recent run of poor results, and Rangers opening up a commanding lead in the Premiership at the early stages, the Hoops would be worried if only one Champions League qualifying spot were available.

However, some of the pressure on Lennon may be eased, knowing that second would at least be good enough for Celtic to get into the qualifiers for Europe’s flagship club competition.

Having won the last nine Premiership titles to get into the Champions League annually, at least the Hoops would have that as a safety net for next season if they finish second domestically this time around.

In other Celtic news, a former Scotland manager has criticised one Hoops star following his poor form. Have a read of the article here!

حصل فريق أياكس الهولندي على بطاقة التأهل إلى دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد فوزه على بوروسيا دورتموند مساء أمس.

وتلاقى الفريقان في سيغنال إيدونا بارك في الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات، حيث فاز أياكس بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف. أهداف مباراة أياكس وبوروسيا دورتموند

واضطر بوروسيا دورتموند إلى اللعب بـ10 لاعبين فقط منذ الدقيقة 29 بسبب حصول ماتس هوملز على بطاقة حمراء.

وكان بوروسيا دورتموند قد تقدم في المباراة من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 37، وحولها ماركو رويس إلى هدف أول.

وتألق أياكس بعد الدقيقة 70 حيث أحرز دوشان تاديتش هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 72، قبل أن يتقدم بهدف في الدقيقة 83 عن طريق سيباستيان هالير.

وعزز دافي كلاسين تفوق أياكس بتسجيله الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت المحتسب بدلًا من الضائع للشوط الثاني.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد أياكس إلى 12 نقطة في صدارة المجموعة الثالثة، بينما تجمد رصيد بوروسيا دورتموند عند 6 نقاط في المركز الثاني.

Sheffield United announced a trio of signings earlier this week as Max Lowe, Jaydn Bogle and Ethan Ampadu were brought to Bramall Lane.

The Blades have since completed another signing, although the club’s supporters won’t see him in Yorkshire for some time.

According to The Star, Chris Wilder has managed to acquire Mali under-20 midfielder Ismaila Coulibaly from Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08.

However, he is clearly a player for the future rather than the here-and-now as he has been immediately sent on loan to Belgian side Beerschot, a club with whom Sheffield United have very strong links as their owner Prince Abdullah has invested in the Antwerp-based outfit.

The 19 year-old has made 28 competitive appearances, with four goals and one assist to his name (as per Transfermarkt), and Sheffield United’s move for him highlights that they are keen to build for the future.

The Blades’ capture of the youngster should please supporters of the club, as it shows a firm intent to scout hidden gems, enable them to obtain senior experience elsewhere and then return to Bramall Lane when primed for the English game.

A loan move for the 19-year-old is logical as Sheffield United have many central midfielders in the club in John Fleck, John Lundstram, Ethan Ampadu, Sander Berge and Oliver Norwood, to name a few.

It is interesting, though, that they are buying a midfielder, especially with the speculation around Lundstram’s future as he is yet to sign a new contract and many sides are circling for his signature. His current contract expires at the end of next season, so if Coulibaly performs well in Belgium, he could be seen as a possible Lundstram replacement from the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Blades fans, are you pleased with the move for Coulibaly? Could he be a long-term successor to Lundstram in midfield? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Glasgow Rangers finished the transfer window strongly after a major summer overhaul and it seems as though they aren’t prepared to stop there if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Italian sports journalist Nicolo Schira, Jack Wilshere is in “advanced talks” with Rangers.

However, Steven Gerrard’s side face stiff competition from his former club Arsenal as he has been tipped to return to the Emirates.

The 28-year-old left the Gunners two years ago and joined West Ham United as a free agent.

He is now looking for his next club after he announced on deadline day that the club had agreed to terminate his contract, having only made 19 appearances overall for the Hammers.

Wilshere will not be short of options, as he has been linked with a move to Major League Soccer in the United States, while Rangers are also reportedly interested in signing him.

Gascoigne 2.0?

Despite sitting at the top of the Scottish Premiership, the Light Sky Blues still need to strengthen their midfield if they are to avoid a repeat of last season.

Last term, Gerrard’s side started the season strongly, scoring twelve goals in their first four games, but their performances tailed off towards the latter half of the season, as they only scored two goals in their last four games.

While Rangers have brought in Bongani Zungu from Amiens on a season-long loan, they still lack a playmaker who can dictate play and pull the strings in the middle of the pitch, especially when Joe Aribo is out.

And Wilshere is exactly the sort of player Gerrard has been seeking for so long.

The 34-cap England international arguably enjoyed his best season back in the 2013/14 campaign, where the attacking midfielder scored three goals and supplied four assists in the Premier League, whilst scoring two goals in the Champions League, averaging 1.9 dribbles and 1.4 key passes per game, as per WhoScored.

AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso once admitted Wilshere has “great skills” during his time at Arsenal while his former boss Arsene Wenger heaped praise on his “outstanding” contribution after the 4-2 Europa League victory against BATE back in 2017. Pep Guardiola has also raved about him, suggesting he has “special quality.”

He has even drawn comparisons with Paul Gascoigne and credited the club legend with inspiring him to play without fear for England.

While Wilshere endured a torrid time at the London Stadium, he has insisted that he feels fit, strong and ready to play.

If he can get back to his very best, he could become the best player in Scottish football.

Whether or not he can replicate the performances he produced for Arsenal remains to be seen but it is surely worth taking the risk on a free transfer – it could be the difference between another second placed finish and toppling Celtic’s Premiership reign.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson has made the right decision after Rangers reject Alfredo Morelos loan interest…

Chelsea will hope that their 6-0 win over Barnsley will be enough of a boost to put them back into winning ways in the Premier League.

Frank Lampard has not held back in this transfer window in terms of splashing the cash, and his new recruits could bring him the success for which he is striving. However, reigning champions Liverpool have already put daylight between potentially one of their biggest challengers this campaign.

Chelsea’s loss to the Reds has set them back early on, but they will be hoping to rectify this with a convincing win over West Brom tomorrow evening.

One man who could be among Lampard’s key players is Timo Werner, who joined the Blues for £45m back in June. He has already opened up his Chelsea goal contributions record by bagging an assist in their opening league match against Brighton.

However, the 24-year-old was left out of the squad that ran riot against Barnsley in midweek. Tammy Abraham started in his absence and wasted no time in showcasing his prolific ability by assisting two goals and scoring one of his own.

Olivier Giroud also came on and contributed with a goal, potentially causing Lampard a dilemma over his attacking options (via Sofascore).

Werner’s outstanding return from last season of 34 goals in 45 appearances doesn’t give him a free pass into the starting lineup. With Giroud and Abraham clearly fighting for contention, the Germany international must do the same.

If Werner is selected as part of the starting XI, he will be hungry to find the back of the net – not just to help his side win three points, but to show Lampard that he is the man for the job this season.

The striker will not want to spend many matches on the bench and so he must prove to the manager why he is currently regarded as one of the best attackers out there.

What do you think the West Brom vs Chelsea score will be? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!