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Manchester City ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against Marseille in their final Champions League group stage game on Wednesday night but Guardiola may well be frustrated with the performance of Riyad Mahrez.

The Algerian struggled to have much impact on the game throughout his time on the pitch and was substituted by the Spanish manager with just over 20 minutes remaining, with the Citizens managing to make the game safe ten minutes later through the winger’s replacement, Sergio Aguero.

As per SofaScore, Mahrez picked up a 6.6 rating for his display against Andre Villas-Boas’ side, which saw him ranked as the Citizens’ worst player on the pitch.

Although he had a big part to play in City’s opening goal, with his driving run finding Ferran Torres for the equaliser, the former Leicester City man was certainly not at his best on Wednesday night.

During his time on the pitch, he completed 31/40 of his passes, resulting in a solid, if unspectacular, 78% pass accuracy.

The winger also struggled when expected to create opportunities for the home side, as none of his three crosses were accurate, and none of his two attempted long balls found their mark.

Mahrez also failed to win any of his three ground duels during the fixture, suggesting that the Marseille defenders often had the better of the 29-year-old during the game.

Fortunately for the Algerian international, he has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, having contributed four goals and one assist in eight top-flight appearances, resulting in an excellent 7.48 average rating (per WhoScored).

Guardiola was full of praise for the winger last year, saying:

“It was so important for him. From the beginning, he arrived with an incredible mentality, positive and the way he plays.

“He has the feeling when he gets that ball in that position, the 18-yard box close to the area, something is going to happen. It’s a feeling and I think all the spectators can have that feeling and that is because he has a gift. He has something special.”

Therefore, despite his arguably disappointing display against Marseille on Wednesday, it might not be a surprise to see him restored to Guardiola’s starting lineup to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

And, in other news… Garcia heir apparent: Guardiola must promote “exceptional” teenager to his first-team

Southampton were linked with Ollie Watkins during the summer transfer window and following the recent injury to Danny Ings, it could be argued that the Saints made an error in not signing the 24-year-old.

In a report for The Athletic, David Ornstein confirmed that Southampton were one of several sides showing an interest in the then-Brentford forward.

However, the former Exeter City man would end up joining Aston Villa in a £27.72 million deal and he has started life at Villa Park in excellent fashion, proving to be a beast in front of goal having contributed six strikes and one assist in nine appearances for Dean Smith’s side, including a hat-trick against Liverpool in their remarkable 7-2 victory (per Transfermarkt).

Of course, Danny Ings was in sensational form last season, hitting 22 goals in the top-flight, and the Saints also had Che Adams hitting form following the Premier League restart, so you can perhaps understand why they may have been unwilling to splash the cash on Watkins.

However, Ings is now set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury and when you consider some of the injury problems the 28-year-old has faced in his career thus far, you could argue that it would have been a sensible move for the Saints to bring in another striker during the transfer window.

The Saints did sign Theo Walcott on loan from Everton towards the end of the transfer window but other than that, they made no attacking signings during the summer (per Transfermarkt).

With Watkins having impressed for Villa thus far, perhaps he would have been a ready-made replacement for Ings, had he signed for the South Coast side rather than the Birmingham-based club.

Of course, the absence of Ings didn’t seem to cause too many problems for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side on Friday night, as they won 2-0 against Newcastle United to go top of the league but long-term, you wonder whether their lack of depth in attack could cause them problems going forward.

It will be interesting to see if they end up regretting not signing Watkins, who was described as “amazing” by ex-boss Thomas Frank, during the summer but judging by his superb start at Villa, it can certainly be argued that the Saints made a mistake in not bringing him in.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Europa League action this evening as they head to Austria knowing that anything but a defeat sees them into the knockout stages.Jose Mourinho’s men currently sit second in Group J by three points, so a victory against third-placed LASK Linz tonight will see them through.Last time out Spurs drew 0-0 with local rivals Chelsea and thrashed Ludogorets 4-0, meaning they are now unbeaten in six matches and have lost just once in 17 games in all competitions.The ‘Special One’ is left with some injury issues to deal with, so what sort of side will we see line-up at the Stadion der Stadt Linz? Here’s what we are predicting…Mourinho is short for strikers for the trip to Austria, in fact, both Harry Kane and Carlos Vinicius are not expected to feature whilst Heung-min Son could be rested.Spurs are also without Toby Alderweireld through injury whilst Sergio Reguilon could also be absent with an issue. Joe Rodon is ineligible for selection in this competition.It means we may see a defence with plenty of recalls.In comes £45m-ratedÂoutcast centre-back Davinson Sanchez, who hasn’t featured in any of their last five Premier League matches, to partner Japhet Tanganga, just like the pair did against Ludogorets.While Matt Doherty replaces Serge Aurier on the right with Ben Davies the natural alternative to the marauding Spaniard.It may also be Moussa Sissoko’s turn to start midweek after Tanguy Ndombele’s presence against the Bulgarians as well as Chelsea, and he could sit next to Harry Winks at the base of a three-man midfield.

We could see Dele Alli play a part once again, slightly ahead of his fellow Englishman with Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura taking up the spots on the flank.

Giovani Lo Celso will have to settle for a spot amongst the substitutes.

With a lack of out-and-out strikers, Mourinho could turn to Gareth Bale to play the no.9 role, especially as he did not feature at Stamford Bridge, so he should be fit to play the majority of this encounter.

There is likely to be another place on the bench for 16-year-old record-breaker Dane Scarlett while the likes of Harvey White, Dennis Cirkin and Jack Clarke will all be eager for minutes in the second half.

AND in other news,£63.5m-rated Spurs star who “everyone loves” has been Mourinho’s unsung hero

Wolves have been snubbed for major transfer target Carlos Vinicius after Spurs have had a bid accepted for a £2.7million loan move.

Reports claim that Jose Mourinho’s side will take the striker initially on a short-term deal before paying to buy him outright next year. Benfica will receive €40million (£35.9m) once Tottenham finalise the permanent deal at the end of this season However, the Portuguese outfit could have banked a sweeter deal had they entertained Wolves instead.

Why didn’t Wolves sign Carlos Vinicius?

TVI24 journalist Rui Pedro Braz (via Sport Witness) has outlined that the Wanderers had two official bids for Vinicius rejected before Benfica shook with Spurs. In January, Wolves tabled a handsome €60million (£53.9m) but it was turned down. Then, they followed up with an offer of €45million (£40.4m) which was also rejected.

Both offers were substantially more than what Tottenham are willing to pay, which will probably be playing on Benfica’s mind. Perhaps they thought that they could haggle for an even higher price given the fact that Vinicius was valued at a whopping £90million after his impressive performances in front of goal (via Daily Mail).

The 25-year-old netted a stellar 18 goals in 32 Liga NOS appearances, finishing the 2019/20 season with a total of 24 goals and 13 assists across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

A strike partner for Raul Jimenez

With Diogo Jota making his move to Liverpool, Wolves are now short on attacking options. Adama Traore made a huge impact last campaign but often went long streaks without being involved in a goal. For Raul Jimenez, who already has two goals in three this term, a prolific goalscorer similar to himself could have been the perfect Wolves signing.

Nuno’s side fell short of a top six place last season, snubbed ironically by Spurs on goal difference. Jimenez led the line with 17 goals to his name and 26 across all competitions, way out in front of second highest club scorer Jota who scored seven and 16 respectively (via Sportsmole).

Deadline day looms and Wolves may have to solely rely on Jimenez this season to improve on their seventh place finish whilst rivals Spurs boast the signing they fell short of acquiring.

In other news, Wolves must move in for this ready-made Diogo Jota replacement

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians deve selar no início da próxima semana a contratação do atacante Alan Mineiro, artilheiro do Bragantino na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro deste ano, com 12 gols. O jogador foi aprovado nos exames médicos realizados na quinta-feira e aguarda uma última reunião para assinar contrato por três anos com o Timão.

Além de Alan Mineiro, outros dois atletas chegam do Bragantino. O goleiro Douglas, que também já foi aprovado nos exames médicos e deve ser anunciado nos próximos dias, e o lateral-esquerdo Moisés, que estava emprestado pelo Corinthians.

Aos 28 anos, Alan Mineiro tem contrato com a Ferroviária até agosto do ano que vem. O Corinthians deverá adquirir 70% dos direitos econômicos do atacante.

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Já o goleiro Douglas completará 27 anos no dia 12 de dezembro e tem contrato até o fim de 2017 com Capivariano, que detém 100% dos direitos econômicos dele.

MatériaMais Notícias

Destaque da equipe do Juventus que conquistou o sonhado acesso à Série A2 do Paulistão de 2016, o veterano Gil, ex-Corinthians e Cruzeiro, acertou seu retorno à Rua Javari para a disputa do estadual do ano que vem pelo Moleque Travesso. O meia se reapresentou nesta terça-feira junto do elenco juventino e já iniciou a preparação para o torneio.

Pela manhã, os jogadores realizaram testes físicos para que a comissão técnica avaliasse a condição de cada atleta após o período de férias, que se iniciou em setembro, após a eliminação na primeira fase da Copa Paulista. No período da tarde, o elenco realizou um trabalho de prevenção sob os olhares do técnico Rodrigo Santana.

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De acordo com o comandante juventino, a presença de Gil será fundamental para que o tradicional clube da Mooca possa fazer boa campanha na A2 e sonhar com o retorno à elite do estadual paulista.

– Gil é um jogador importantíssimo, ele tem identificação com a torcida, e vai trazer mais experiência para o elenco. Com certeza, ele fará a diferença nessa competição. A diretoria batalhou parceiros para trazê-lo de volta e tudo deu certo – destacou Rodrigo Santana.

Gil ganhou destaque no clube durante a temporada por conta do curioso prêmio que recebeu após marcar quatro gols na mesma partida, diante da Francana. O camisa 10 foi premiado com 60 esfihas por ter sido eleito o melhor em campo e dividiu com os companheiros de equipe.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta segunda-feira, dia 2 de novembro, Diego Lugano completa 35 anos de idade. E para celebrar a data, o departamento de comunicação do São Paulo prestou homenagem ao uruguaio nas redes sociais, provocando uma avalanche de pedidos da torcida para que o ídolo, atualmente no Cerro Porteño (PAR), retorne ao Morumbi na próxima temporada.

Com uma foto do zagueiro em uma partida em 2005, uma espécie de “card” foi feito pelo Tricolor para desejar os parabéns. Abaixo, nas áreas destinadas aos comentários no Twitter e no Instagram, os torcedores do clube clamaram pelo retorno de Lugano com apelos ao beque ou cobranças à diretoria, que já admitiu estar analisando a contratação.

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No último sábado, após o triunfo por 3 a 0 sobre o Sport no Morumbi, o técnico Doriva fez elogios ao uruguaio, mas lembrou que é preciso estar em boas condições físicas e técnicas para retornar, e não apenas ter o respaldo de ser um ídolo. Já o presidente Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva, o Leco, falou em entrevista ao UOL que o caso está sendo analisado com atenção e que a possibilidade de volta do defensor é real.

Lugano está no Cerro Porteño desde agosto deste ano, quando sua contratação foi vetada por Juan Carlos Osorio e o vice de futebol Ataíde Gil Guerreiro. Na equipe paraguaia, o zagueiro disputou dez partidas, com sete vitórias, dois empates e uma derrota, e lidera o Torneio Clausura. No último domingo, porém, o Ciclón perdeu o clássico com o Olimpia por 3 a 1 e o zagueiro levou o sétimo cartão amarelo na competição – também recebeu um vermelho e marcou quatro gols.

A lot of Crystal Palace fans enjoyed reminiscing over a great day in their recent history as the club posted a throwback picture of their match on this day in 2013.

It is a photo from the day of their Championship play-off final triumph against Watford seven years ago which features the players’ celebrations after their victory against the Hornets.

It was a very tense affair which saw the game go to extra-time after a goalless 90 minutes, via BBC Sport. It looked like the game was going to go to penalties until Wilfried Zaha’s trickery was too much for the defence and he was fouled in the box. Up stepped veteran striker Kevin Phillips, who never looked like missing, and he smashed it into the top corner.

The Eagles were able to hold on to gain promotion to the Premier League and they have stayed in England’s top flight ever since. Having never managed consecutive Premier League seasons prior to 2013, they have been a top-flight club ever since then, with seven successive years at the highest level of English football, via Transfermarkt.

Here is how these Crystal Palace fans reacted to the tweet, with club ambassador Mark Bright describing the occasion as “magical”:

Palace fans, how big a game was this in the club’s history? Comment below with your views!

According to Football Insider, Leeds are keen to exploit Reading’s financial issues by trying to sign John Swift this summer.

What’s the word?

Reports last year suggested that the Whites were interested in making a move for the midfielder, but a deal failed to materialise.

Can you name every one of the Leeds’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Now, Football Insider claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have reignited their interest in the 25-year-old, and that a source has told them “that the club are confident it will take far less than the £7m asking price of 2019 to seal a deal”.

The report further adds that Readings financial problems, and the fact that Swift only has two years remaining on his contract, may make it “opportune” for them to cash in, and are braced for some summer bids.

Difference-maker

Despite missing out on his signature last year, it’s no surprise to see that Leeds are seemingly back in for Swift this time around.

The midfielder has been in fine form for Reading, scoring five goals and providing a further 11 assists across all competitions, and in fact, speaking back in February of this year, Bielsa raved about his talents.

He said: “Swift is a great player, I value him a lot.He is a player who appears suddenly in attack and the same in transition between defence and attack, but especially when he passes from the defence to the attack.”

The current England manager Gareth Southgate even tipped him to become a star back in 2016 – he worked with Swift when he was in charge of the U21s. He said: “John has done himself a favour leaving Chelsea. He’s got a great future ahead of him.”

With both Bielsa and Southgate talking him up, Swift certainly comes with a lot of credentials. And as a midfielder who can both score and create, could give Leeds an added dimension if they earn promotion to the Premier League for next season.

The prospective takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi-led consortium is concerning their Premier League rivals, with issues raised about piracy in Saudi Arabia as well as general concerns with the deal itself, according to The Times.

As per the report, the Tyneside club’s proposed takeover saga is expected to rumble into a sixth week as the Premier League continues to work through the 350-page submission from a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium, with rival clubs in England’s highest division now expressing concerns over the deal and piracy issues.

The league is still conducting a lengthy legal process, looking into the attempted purchase of the club by Yorkshire businesswoman Amanda Staveley and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). It is understood, though, that there is mounting concern from other teams over the potential £300m deal that was agreed on April 14 between Staveley and Mike Ashley, the current owner at St. James’ Park.

Indeed, if the bid is approved by the Premier League, then this may perhaps give the Magpies an unfair advantage over their direct rivals in terms of the potentially huge amount of money at their disposal, which can be spent both on new and better facilities in addition to quality new players in the transfer market.

Nevertheless, this has happened before to other sides in England’s highest division, and so the Toon’s rivals may just have to get on with it as the Magpies look to improve upon their recent league finishes.

Geordies, do you think you can compete with the very best in a few years time? Comment below!