The novelty of Newcastle United's return to the Champions League has certainly worn off by now, especially after a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago at St. James' Park.

The Magpies were unlucky to be drawn into such a difficult group in their first season back for 20 years but Eddie Howe's men will be desperate to show that they are not there to simply make up the numbers. Beating Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park is a good place to start.

The Newcastle boss will need to give his team every possible chance to put Die Schwarzgelben to the sword which could mean that one player will come into the team to make his first-ever start in the Champions League.

Joe Willock update

At the back end of last season, Newcastle United were dealt a hefty blow as midfielder Joe Willock suffered a hamstring injury which was scheduled to keep him sidelined until the start of the 2023/24 season. However, upon returning to training this term, the former Arsenal man damaged his Achilles, kicking his full recovery further down the road.

Nevertheless, Willock returned to the pitch, coming off the bench during Newcastle's 1-0 defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago and even made his first start of the season for the Magpies at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup, scoring his side's third and final goal as the visitors eliminated the reigning champions from the competition.

Willock has been a key player for Howe since the ex-Bournemouth boss took the reins in the North East of England and so his absence was certainly felt over these past few months.

However, the 24-year-old has looked raring to go every time he's stepped foot on the turf in recent weeks so perhaps it's time for Howe to unleash the midfielder who has drawn comparisons with Jude Bellingham.

Indeed, as per FBref's similar players model, one of Willock's most comparable players is the Madrid phenom, who has scored 13 goals in 14 outings during a remarkable debut campaign in the Spanish capital.

#1 Gabri Veiga

Al-Ahli

#3 Abdoulaye Doucoure

Everton

#6 Marcos Llorente

Atletico Madrid

#7 Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

#10 Khephren Thuram

Nice

List compiled by FBref.

Joe Willock's stats this season

Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton are vital components to Howe's system and so fan-favourite Sean Longstaff may be the most dispensable in the middle of the park if Willock returns to the starting lineup.

The Newcastle-born lad, once labelled as "excellent" by his head coach, put in a solid shift defensively for the Magpies on Saturday evening during a narrow 1-0 win over Arsenal, making two clearances, five ball recoveries and one block while winning all of his ground and aerial duels, according to FotMob.

However, Willock offers a lot more than Longstaff going forward and due to the importance of picking up all three points, a more offensive-minded midfielder could be just what the doctor ordered for Newcastle United against Dortmund.

Looking at Willock's FBref data from last season and comparing Longstaff's numbers this term, it is clear who offers more threat in the final third. While the latter is averaging 0.25 goals per 90 compared to the former's 0.11 per 90 from the previous campaign, Willock registered a better xG per 90 with 0.25 to Longstaff's 0.16.

Longstaff averages more progressive passes than his midfield counterpart at 5.75 per 90 to Willock's 4.26 per 90 but Longstaff plays deeper on the pitch than the man who could replace him in the starting lineup, hence why Willock received more progressive passes on average with 5.35 per 90 to Longstaff's 3.5.

Furthermore, Willock averaged fewer touches of the ball during games but had more in the final third, boasting 19.6 per 90 in this area of the pitch to Longstaff's 12.9 while also registering 4.01 touches in the penalty area per 90 to Longstaff's lowly 2.25. In addition, Willock completed 3.42 progressive carries per 90 last season, which is far greater than Longstaff's 0.63 per 90 this term.

Longstaff and Willock are excellent players but both serve different functions. The latter could be perfect for a more attacking approach against Dortmund in the hopes of picking up an emphatic victory in Germany.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية، عن موقف نادي أستون فيلا من الاستغناء عن خدمات مهاجم الفريق، أولي واتكينز، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

وارتبط أولي واتكينز بالانتقال إلى عدة أندية إنجليزية وأوروبية على رأسها فريق تشيلسي هذا الصيف، تحت قيادة مدربه الجديد إنزو ماريسكا.

اقرأ ايضاً.. سكاي: مفاوضات متقدمة بين نابولي وتشيلسي بشأن صفقة لوكاكو

وأفادت شبكة “فوتبول إنسايدر” إلى أن إدارة أستون فيلا ليس لديها أي نية في الاستغناء عن خدمات، أولي واتكينز، هذا الصيف.

وتابعت الشبكة أن تشيلسي قدم عرضاً لـ أستون فيلا بهدف الحصول على واتكينز، مقابل انتقال لاعب من تشيلسي إلى الفيلا بالإضافة إلى مبلغ مالي.

وأوضحت أن إدارة أستون فيلا لا تفكر في السماح لـ واتكينز بالمغادرة في الميركاتو الصيفي الجاري، وأن اللاعب مرتبط بعقده مع النادي حتى عام 2028.

ويريد النادي الإنجليزي الحفاظ على قوامه الأساسي، نظراً لمشاركة الفريق في منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا في الموسم الجديد، لأول مرة منذ عام 1983.

وشارك واتكينز الموسم الماضي في 53 مباراة بجميع المسابقات مع أستون فيلا، حيث أحرز 27 هدفاً وقام بصناعة 13 هدفاً طوال الموسم.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could finally strengthen a key position in the January window as he looks to improve results at Old Trafford, according to reports.

Man Utd’s strikers

Despite spending a lavish £72 million on Rasmus Hojlund in the summer, Manchester United are still experiencing problems in front of goal as they continue to find difficulty in fashioning regular chances to score. On Saturday, Hojlund was brought off after 79 minutes against Fulham after failing to register a single shot on target in the Red Devils’ last-gasp victory at Craven Cottage.

Speaking to the media, Red Devils icon Rio Ferdinand insisted his old side isn’t playing to Hojlund’s strengths as the Denmark international continues to await his first Premier League goal.

“I wish we’d had a bit more time with Erik ten Hag [to discuss Hojlund] because he’s invested in a player we’re not seeing the best of. His best attributes are not being seen because the team aren’t playing to his strengths.”

“He [Ten Hag] said in his press conferences we want to play a bit more direct with players like Hojlund and Rashford who can play on the counter. Too many times they get wide and the quality is nowhere near good enough. Antony doesn’t want to cross it; his first instinct is to see what he can do for himself. Marcus is more of a striker who wants to get on the end of things and see if he can finish.”

Hojlund isn’t the only one struggling with the weight of expectation at Manchester United in attack. Antony has yet to register a single goal or assist this campaign. At the same time, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have mustered just strikes goals in 27 combined appearances (Man Utd squad stats – Transfermarkt).

Now, the club could land a solution to their problems in the final third, according to latest developments.

Gabriel Barbosa targeted by Man Utd

According to The Mirror, Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa has emerged as a target for Manchester United and is available for a fee in the region of £20 million due to his contract being set to expire at the end of 2024. Flamengo are also believed to be keen on taking Red Devils’ winger Antony on loan in what could potentially evolve into a swap deal between both parties. Nevertheless, United will need to grapple with Serie A giants AC Milan for Barbosa’s signature in any prospective transfer pursuit.

Becoming a club legend at Flamengo, Barbosa has notched 139 goals and 38 assists in 246 appearances for the Brazilian outfit in all competitions (Barbosa stats – Transfermarkt). Speaking to the media, Flamengo legend Zico described Barbosa as a player who “has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history.”

Gabriel Barbosa attacking stats 2023 – Campeonato Brasileiro (WhoScored)

Shots per game

2.1

Key passes per game

0.9

Dribbles completed per game

0.2

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old could now be set for an even bigger challenge as Man United look at a possible move to Old Trafford, where the Red Devils faithful may hope he can bolster their faltering forward line heading into the second half of the campaign.

Sussex’s third win in less than a week secured a knockout place but Middlesex gave them a fright before slumping to a last-place finish in South Group

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2018

Phil Salt played an extraordinary knock•Getty Images

ScorecardSussex were given a fright by Middlesex before reaching the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast for the first time since 2015 with a 31-run win at Hove.Skipper Luke Wright, returning after missing two games with a back spasm, made 74 and fellow opener Phil Salt hit 66 from just 25 balls in their 215 for 5 after they had been put in.Rapid half-centuries by Paul Stirling and John Simpson, who shared 122 in 8.1 overs for the second wicket, had Middlesex on course for victory halfway through their reply, but leg-spinner Will Beer removed both in successive overs and Middlesex’s hopes of claiming only their second win of the season effectively ended when Eoin Morgan was run out in the 15th over. They lost their last seven wickets for 26 in 5.4 overs and were bowled out for 184 in 19.4 overs, finishing the group with just two wins.Sussex knew only victory would secure a last-eight place and Salt and Wright set the tone by smashing 80 in the powerplay. Salt matched the 19-ball 50 he made against Middlesex at Lord’s as James Fuller’s first two overs were taken for 38. Salt struck four sixes and eight fours before slicing a drive off James Harris to short third-man from the final ball of the sixth over.Eoin Morgan finds something to laugh about on another grim Middlesex night•Getty Images

Wright became the first Englishman to pass 7,000 T20 runs when he reached 12 and he went on to put on 106 in 11.1 overs for the second wicket with Laurie Evans, whose 36 took him to 492 runs in the group stages.Fuller pegged Sussex back by taking three wickets in four balls during the 16th over. Evans drove his slower ball to cover, Delray Rawlins was caught at short fine-leg off the next delivery and Wright mis-timed a drive to extra cover, having faced 48 balls and hit nine fours in his 44th half-century in the format.Morgan used seven bowlers but was unable to prevent Sussex from making their highest T20 total against Middlesex.Middlesex needed to score at nearly 11 an over but after losing George Scott in the first over Stirling and Simpson laid into some wayward bowling, outscoring Sussex by thrashing 90 in the powerplay. Rashid Khan was missing as he prepares for Afghanistan’s one-day series in Ireland next week and it was his replacement Beer who made the breakthrough when Stirling chopped on for 58 from 29 balls (3 sixes, 6 fours).Beer struck again in his next over when Simpson holed out to long off for 62, made off 29 balls with six sixes and four boundaries, but Sussex were only able to breath easily after taking two wickets in the 15th over. Danny Briggs ran out Eoin Morgan (16) off his own bowling when Morgan failed to make his ground going for a tight single and James Franklin was caught behind off a big top edge.Middlesex subsided thereafter and Chris Jordan finished things off when he yorked Nathan Sowter and Tom Barber with successive deliveries in the final over.Coach Dan Vettori was left to reflect on another poor Midedlesex season. “We’ve run the whole gamut of how to lose T20 games this season,” he said. “We were poor at the start with the ball tonight, but managed to drag it back on a small ground with a tiny boundary to defend.”When we batted we had it comfortably in control but losing four wickets in two overs when you have to face Mills, Jordan and Archer at the death… you almost have to kill the game before that happens and instead we killed the game for ourselves.”

After a strong summer of business in the transfer window, Aston Villa could already be weighing up their options in future markets according to reports.

Unai Emery and Monchi conducted a stellar window of signings at Villa Park, welcoming five new additions to the squad of star calibre, most notably through club-record breaking arrival, Moussa Diaby.

The Villans are already reaping the benefits of the £51.9m forward’s talents, however sources suggest that a threat even greater than the Frenchman is being eyed in the Midlands.

Could Aston Villa sign Pedro Neto?

As reported by 90min earlier this month, Villa are suspected to be one of the clubs eyeing Wolves star Pedro Neto, who has displayed fine form so far this season.

The 23-year-old has been linked with Arsenal, whom 90min claim are ‘monitoring’ the winger – who was said to be worth around £50m last year, but is currently valued at €15m (£13m), according to CIES Football Observatory.

Emery’s former club aren’t the only side considering making a pounce for the Portuguese whiz it seems, with Villa reported to have ‘checked in on’ Neto in the bid to strengthen their attacking options.

It remains to be seen if the Villans’ Midlands rivals will have a high asking price for the forward they signed for just £15.5m in 2019, but would he be worth the expenditure?

What could Pedro Neto offer to Aston Villa?

Neto’s time in the Premier League has already had a host of ups and downs, with his pace and skill seeing him regarded as a consistent threat in Wolves’ front line.

The 23-year-old has faced a number of injury woes that have questionably halted his progression, however, it looks as though now, the winger is finally playing his best football this campaign.

Once lauded as an “absolute baller” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, when Neto is injury-free, there is little stopping the Portugal international from being one of the best wide players in the top flight.

Such praise is reinforced by his numbers already in 2023/24, where he has had a hand in six goals in eight appearances in the Premier League, playing a role in over half of Gary O’Neil’s side’s nine goals this term.

For Villa, the possibility of acquiring Neto could add a new level of danger to their front line, as the former Lazio starlet is displaying more of an attacking threat than star signing Diaby this term, with the former Bayer Leverkusen ace contributing two goals and just three assists to date.

Pedro Neto

Moussa Diaby

Progressive carries

5.25

3.19

Carries into final third

3.38

0.87

Successful take-ons

2.25

1.16

Successful take-ons %

50.0%

51.4%

Key Passes

2.50

1.74

Figures via FBref

So far, no player has more assists in the league than the Wolves ace, who is level at the top of the charts with James Maddison and Kieran Trippier for his five assists, ensuring that he could represent an even more creative option than Diaby.

Villa know all too well the havoc that Neto can reap on the opposition, as they fell victim to his charm last time out as he assisted Hwang Hee-chan during the Villans’ 1-1 draw with their rivals at Molineux.

As Emery is seeming to enjoy deploying Diaby in a more central role, there could be room for a wideman as potent as Neto to flourish in Villa’s current squad, if rumours linking him to Villa Park are to be believed.

In comparison to the Frenchman, the in-demand winger has showcased far more of a threat beyond his goal contributions this term, suggesting the extent of danger going forward Emery could add to his squad considering how highly-regarded Diaby is at Villa.

There’s a question as to whether Wolves would be open to offloading their best player to a rival, as well as whether Villa would be willing to splash the cash on the forward, however what is clear is the presence he could add to the attack.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Supremo Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) puniu o zagueiro Gustavo Gómez, do Palmeiras, com duas partidas de suspensão, devido à expulsão do atleta na partida contra o Fortaleza, pela 17ª rodada do Brasileirão.

O jogador poderia pegar até seis partidas de gancho após descumprir o o artigo 258 do Código Brasileiro de Justiça Desportiva (CBJD), parágrafo 2º, inciso 2: “Assumir qualquer conduta contrária à disciplina ou à ética desportiva não tipificada pelas demais regras deste Código; § 2º – Constituem exemplos de atitudes contrárias à disciplina ou à ética desportiva, para os fins deste artigo, sem prejuízo de outros: II – desrespeitar os membros da equipe de arbitragem, ou reclamar desrespeitosamente contra suas decisões”.

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Com a pena, o defensor não poderá entrar em campo na próxima partida do Verdão, contra o Santos. O clube, porém, pode tentar um efeito suspensivo para contar com o zagueiro no clássico.

Gustavo Gómez recebeu o cartão vermelho na partida contra o Fortaleza, ainda no primeiro turno do Brasileirão, após proferir ofensas ao assistente Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa e ao árbitro Marcelo de Lima Henrique. Com isso, ele não entrou em campo na 18ª rodada da competição, ou seja, já cumpriu um dos dois jogos de suspensão necessários.

India will have an additional hand helping them out at the Asia Cup in Dubai. It would be the left hand of Nuwan Seneviratne, a throwdown specialist from Sri Lanka, who has played two first-class matches. The idea behind hiring Seneviratne is to primarily counter several left-arm fast bowlers the Indian batsmen will face in the six-nation Asia Cup, which gets underway from Saturday.India already have a throwdown specialist in Raghavindraa, popularly known as Raghu, who has been credited by many Indian batsmen, including Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, for his high-intensity pitches.Twenty-year-old left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed is part of India’s squad in the Asia Cup, but they have not found a long-term left-arm prospect yet. Hence, the Indian think-tank felt they needed assistance from. SeneviratneIn last year’s Champions Trophy final, Pakistan’s new-ball pair of Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan tormented India in a one-sided match. Amir packed off India’s top three – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli – while Junaid dismissed Ravindra Jadeja in a match India lost by 180 runs.Pakistan have four left-arm quicks in their squad in Amir, Junaid, Usman Khan and Shaheen Afridi; Bangladesh have two left-arm seamers in Abu Hider and Mustafizur Rahman while Afghanistan have one in Sayed Shirzad.Seneviratne could also help India prepare for the Australia tour where Mitchell Starc is likely to be a dominant force with the ball.

Real Madrid are reportedly 'monitoring' Trent Alexander-Arnold's contract situation at Liverpool with the defender yet to sign a new deal.

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Real Madrid linked with Alexander-ArnoldLiverpool yet to hold talks over new dealReds don't want to lose star defenderWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Los Blancos are keeping tabs on the England international, whose contract runs until 2025. He claims there have been 'no talks' over a contract extension thus far but the Reds have no 'desire' to sell the 25-year-old.

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With manager Jurgen Klopp leaving the club at the end of the season, Liverpool are approaching a new and slightly uncertain era. Fellow key players such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are also out of contract at Anfield next year, meaning there could well be an Anfield exodus.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alexander-Arnold, who can play as a right-back, a right wing-back or in midfield, has made 302 appearances for Liverpool – and scored 18 goals – since making his debut in the 2016/17 season. Like many, he will be vying to get into England's Euro 2024 squad this summer; he will hope to win the Premier League first.

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Liverpool FCWHAT NEXT?

The defender has been sidelined with a knee injury since February 10 but will hope to play some part in Liverpool's title run-in, as they look to win the Premier League and triumph in the Europa League as well this season. They have already won the League Cup.

Romelu Lukaku shone for Belgium in a 2-2 draw against England at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday and then faced some awkward questions about his future.

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• Lukaku back in England with Belgium
• Currently on loan at Roma
• Sends message to Chelsea about his future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lukaku was back in England on Tuesday as Belgium drew 2-2 with the Three Lions in an international friendly. The striker caught the eye with a superb outside-of-the-boot cross for Youri Tielemans to make it 2-1 to offer a reminder of his talents. Lukaku then faced the media after the game and had an uncomfortable moment when asked if he had really wanted to impress on his return to England.

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• WHAT LUKAKU SAID ABOUT CHELSEA

  Lukaku went on to say: "I don't know. You’ll have to ask Chelsea."

  The striker also admitted he'd been disappointed to see his team held after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to Jude Bellingham.

  "‘Yeah, this is football at the end of the day," he said. "It’s not over until the referee blows his whistle. You have to continue, this is a team in progress. We did an okay performance today."

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  Lukaku is currently on loan at Roma and has scored 18 goals in all competitions for the Serie A side. There is no purchase option in his deal which means Lukaku is due to return to Chelsea in the summer. The Blues do appear in need of a striker but it seems highly unlikely Lukaku will remain with the Premier League side and there has been speculation he could head to Saudi Arabia.

West Ham United have suffered an alarming slump of form in the Premier League, slipping to three defeats on the bounce.

The latest of those on Saturday afternoon encapsulated their problems defensively having fallen to a 3-2 defeat against Brentford despite initially taking a second-half lead through Jarrod Bowen.

In the top flight this term, only Sheffield United, Bournemouth and Luton Town have conceded more expected goals (xGA) than the Hammers 22.60, as per Understat.

Statistically, David Moyes’ side have the fourth worst defence in the division having shipped 20 goals in 11 games and this is a statistic that must improve if they are to climb up on the table.

With January approaching, Moyes could use the transfer window as an opportunity to bolster his defensive ranks.

West Ham transfer news – Quentin Merlin

According to 90min, West Ham are interested in capturing Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin and have sent representatives to watch him at least once this season.

Nonetheless, the Hammers will need to fend off Europe’s big hitters to land his signature, with the 21-year-old said to be attracting the likes of Manchester City, Celtic, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon.

With the left back tied down to a contract till 2026, the French side isn’t at risk of losing him on a cut-price deal in the near future.

He is currently valued at £8.6m (€10m), as per Football Observatory, but on the evidence of his performances this term, Nantes will likely receive a fee much higher than the one touted.

Given Aaron Cresswell has been mooted as a possible departure in recent months, Moyes desperately needs a quality left-back addition to challenge Emerson, who is currently first-choice, and Merlin could be more than capable of supplying that.

How Quentin Merlin compares to Emerson

Dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig as “one of the most talented full-backs in France”, Merlin has proven himself as a reliable presence on the left-hand side of the Nantes defence.

The Frenchman has featured in ten Ligue 1 matches this term and has been an instrumental figure in their rise up the table, impressing with his dynamism and technical qualities.

When comparing his attacking attributes to Emerson, who has perhaps been held back by the shackles of Moyes’ system, Merlin comes out on top in most departments across the past year, including progressive passes, shot-creating actions and carries into the final third, suggesting that they could land an immense upgrade.

Statistics (per 90)

Merlin

Emerson

Shot creating actions

2.93

2.09

Carries into the final third

2.13

1.55

Progressive passes

5.17

3.39

Assists

0.11

0.04

Crosses

4.27

2.30

Key passes

1.44

0.92

Touches (Atting third)

17.45

15.98

Successful take-ons

0.69

0.54

Stats via FBref.

The above metrics suggest that the attacking output Merlin would supply is far greater than the Italian's, offering a bigger threat with his superb passing range, explosive ball-carrying and quality in the final third.

Although Emerson’s performances have significantly improved this term, West Ham could unearth a “diamond” – as described by journalist Antonio Mango – if they could manage to lure the Frenchman’s wand of a left foot to east London.