Aston Villa now believe they have the edge in negotiations to sign an “unbelievable” star this month, but there could be competition from their Premier League rivals.

Villa keen to provide Watkins with support in attack

One week into the January transfer window, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Villa want to bring in new options in attacking areas, having identified a number of forwards as potential targets, including Marseille’s Robinio Vaz and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia.

In fact, the Villans have reportedly already tabled a bid for Garcia, with Unai Emery clearly keen to bring in another centre-forward, despite Ollie Watkins impressing over the past few weeks, with the Englishman bagging six goals in his last seven Premier League matches.

Watkins will be looking to continue his exceptional form when his side travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace this evening, with the likes of Emi Buendia, John McGinn and Morgan Rogers potentially playing provider.

Jadon Sancho, on the other hand, hasn’t hit the ground running at Aston Villa, failing to contribute a single goal or assist in all competitions this season, so it could make sense to bring in a new winger this month.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Villa believe making a January move for Man City’s Omar Marmoush could give them the edge in negotiations, especially if the Egyptian is eager to receive more consistent game time, having been a bit-part player this season.

Emery is keen to bolster his options this month, rather than waiting until the summer, but there could be competition for Marmoush’s signature, as Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race for the forward, who joined City for £59m last January.

With Pep Guardiola hesitant to let the 26-year-old leave mid-season, however, it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible.

Marmoush may have to leave City after Semenyo's arrival

The Egypt international has only featured sporadically for the Blues this season, making ten Premier League appearances and often being utilised as a substitute, and his minutes could soon be limited even further, given that Antoine Semenyo is set to join City.

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Consequently, the £295k-a-week star may have to leave Guardiola’s side this month, and he could be a fantastic acquisition for Villa, who could do with a new forward, in light of Sancho’s disappointing form.

Related Dream Watkins upgrade: Aston Villa open talks to sign "incredible" £30m CF

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After joining City last January, the former Eintracht Frankfurt man proved he has what it takes to deliver in the Premier League, picking up seven goals and two assists in 16 appearances.

Having also been dubbed “unbelievable” by Guardiola, Marmoush is clearly too good to be receiving such little game time, so it would make sense to move on this month, and a move to Aston Villa could be an exciting proposition, considering they are level on points with City.

Arsenal have made a phone call to sign a “magnificent” forward, who has been impressing in the Champions League this season.

Gunners stepping up pursuit of new forward

The Gunners strengthened their attacking options considerably in the summer, bringing in the likes of Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, but they remain keen on signing a new forward, with Hoffenheim’s Bazoumana Toure one of the latest targets to be identified.

Mikel Arteta’s side remain top of the Premier League table, two points clear of nearest-rivals Manchester City, but they haven’t exactly been blowing teams away as of late, edging out Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Brighton by a single goal.

Indeed, the north Londoners have been unable to fully kill games off in recent weeks, with Viktor Gyokeres receiving widespread criticism for some of his performances, having not scored from open play since the 2-0 win against Burnley at the beginning of November.

Arsenal being unable to put teams to bed is a sign they could perhaps do with bringing in some additional attacking firepower, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz.

According to a report from TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), the Gunners have made a phone call to discuss a deal for Yildiz in recent weeks, alongside Liverpool, as both Premier League sides have been monitoring the forward constantly for months.

The Italian club are now worried enough to offer the 20-year-old a bumper new deal, and there is a feeling the big-money contract offer could convince the youngster to stay.

The Serie A side are now expecting the Turk to pen a new contract, which would tie him down until 2031, so the north Londoners may need to move swiftly if they are to tempt him into a move to the Emirates Stadium.

"Magnificent" Yildiz could be ideal Trossard heir

Leandro Trossard has established himself as an important player for Arsenal this season, amassing six goals and five assists in 20 matches in all competitions, but Arteta may soon have to bring in a replacement.

The Belgian is 31-years-old and yet to sign a contract extension to extend his stay in north London beyond 2027, so the Gunners could perhaps do with bringing in a younger option at left-wing, and the Juventus star could be ideal.

Related Arsenal hold talks for "monster" Real Madrid target ahead of January

The Gunners are chasing a rising star…

Posts ByBen Goodwin

Although he is still very young, the 26-time Turkey international is one of the Italian side’s key players, regularly contributing goals and assists in both the Serie A and Champions League this season.

Kenan Yildiz’ key statistics

Appearances

Goal involvements

Serie A

15

9

Champions League

6

3

Scout Jacek Kulig has also been left impressed by the Germany-born forward, describing him as “special” and a “magnificent” talent.

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Yildiz has already proven he is capable of making an impact at the very highest level, and it would be exciting if Arsenal were to pursue a move this January, but a deal could be expensive, with a potential fee of £88m fee being touted.

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to off-field news at Leeds United involving Marcelo Bielsa and Raphinha, as per Football Insider.  

The Lowdown: Phil Hay reveals talks

Bielsa decided to bench the Brazil winger against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. The 25-year-old came on at half-time at Elland Road to net an equaliser for the hosts, but Leeds ultimately fell to a 4-2 defeat against their fierce rivals.

Phil Hay revealed earlier in the week that the Argentine held private talks with Raphinha to explain his decision. The Brazilian returned to the starting XI in the 6-0 defeat to Liverpool last night, but prior to the match, Agbonlahor made a bold claim on the winger’s future.

The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts

Agbonlahor, who contributes as a pundit for talkSPORT, was reacting to Bielsa and Raphinha’s off-field talks in a story shared by Football Insider on Wednesday morning.

The former Aston Villa striker doesn’t think the winger will be at Elland Road next season and added that ‘Leeds fans should be very worried’ over his future, saying:

“Raphinha won’t be there at the start of next season, I will put anything on it.

“He will have been so angry to not start against Manchester United when he’s the best player in the team. He will have been fuming and onto his agent ‘Get me out of here’.

“The manager is stubborn. I don’t understand Bielsa, you’re that stubborn that you won’t even play your best player against Manchester United? Leeds fans were even baffled.

“There’s a rivalry between the teams and you leave Raphinha on the bench? Look how well he did when he came on, it just didn’t make sense.

“Leeds fans should be very worried because if I was in his position, I’d be onto my agent telling him to get me out in the summer.

“I think he would have stayed for another season if he was being treated rightly by the manager. For him, to have the audacity to not start him in the biggest game of the season, he’ll be gone in the summer.

“It doesn’t matter that he’s not been at his very best when you’re a superstar like he is in that team.

“Without him next season that team will struggle so they should be treating him like a superstar. He should be the first name on the teamsheet because he can change a game in a second.”

The Verdict: Not looking good

Leeds appear to be in freefall and now seem to be in serious danger of being relegated. They have already conceded 56 league goals this season, more than they did in all of 2020/21, and should they find themselves back in the Championship in 2022/23, it seems a certainty that Raphinha will find a new home.

Recent reports have suggested that he has a €75m (£62.4m) release clause in his Elland Road contract, but should the Whites suffer relegation, that will drop to just €25m (£20.8m).

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Hopefully, Raphinha will fire the Whites to safety over the coming months, but even if he does, he still may want to move on after what he has seen from the club in 2022.

In other news: ‘Exciting’ Leeds attacker now set for March return after months out as reporter relays news

Celtic will have a number of dilemmas when the transfer window rolls around but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Ange Postecoglou spends freely again.

Bolstering his Hoops squad and freshening it up has been the order of the day since he arrived from Japanese shores and the trend of bringing players to Parkhead from that part of the world is well placed to continue.

Plenty of offensive names have linked up with the Bhoys, including the likes of Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate.

Alongside those more familiar in European football; Liel Abada, Jota and co, they have developed an incredibly entertaining front line.

Yet, Jota’s future in Glasgow remains up in the air. Celtic have a £6.5m option to buy the dynamic Portuguese forward but whether they take up that clause remains to be seen.

They could also lure American centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers to the club on a permanent basis from Tottenham but again, the deal feels rather complex and at a potential £10m, would not be cheap.

As a result, there may be a sense of regret from Celtic. After all, they don’t exactly have much depth at centre-back where Christopher Jullien has only just returned from injury and Stephen Welsh not preferred by Postecoglou.

Young faces like Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide could deputise but both of them are on loan at the moment.

Speaking of which, it’s a young player who spent last term away from the Hoops who they will now rue losing; Jack Hendry.

Like Urhoghide, the Scottish defender was granted a year with Oostende and during his stint in Belgium, he highly impressed. His manager at the time, Alexander Blessin was effusive in his praise of the 26-year-old, saying:

“Jack’s the most important member of the team this season and he’s one of the best defenders in the league. He can defend, he’s fast and he’s also a useful weapon at attacks because of his height.”

Indeed, at 6 foot 4 he is quite the presence at the back and as a consequence, his stock has quick risen around Europe.

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Oostende eventually signed him for a mere £990k and sold him on for a profit as he joined fellow Belgian side, Club Brugge.

Since then, his value has soared by a meteoric 500% to £8.1m via Transfermarkt. Of course, Celtic will be disappointed they didn’t receive more funds for his services, but at a time where Carter-Vickers could leave, the decision to sell Hendry will surely haunt them.

As it happens, they may well have to dip their toes into the transfer market instead.

AND in other news, Sold for £9.9m, now worth £33m: Lawwell call on “incredible” gem cost Celtic big time…

Aston Villa were one of the busier clubs during the recent January transfer window, not just in terms of bringing new players to the club but also with a number of players leaving Villa Park on loan deals.

One player that packed his bags for a temporary move away from the Midlands club was winger Anwar El Ghazi, who joined Everton until the end of the season after failing to break into the Villa team when Steven Gerrard took over from Dean Smith in mid-November.

With a grand total of nine league minutes on the pitch under his belt since arriving at Goodison Park, the Dutchman’s loan spell has not been particularly fruitful for the winger, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £38k-per-week according to Salary Sport, as of yet.

Taking this into account, if the 26-year-old, who has been described as a “nightmare” to come up against in training by former Villa defender Alan Hutton, doesn’t end the season on a positive note and isn’t likely to convince Gerrard that he has what it takes to break into his team moving forward, it could be an option for the club to get rid of him permanently when the summer transfer window opens.

With that in mind, this could give the former Liverpool midfielder the chance to dip into Villa’s youth academy and give one of their young prospects to shine in El Ghazi’s potential absence.

One player that could benefit from this potential series of events is 19-year-old winger Tristan Abldeen-Goodridge.

As a product of the Midlands club’s youth academy, which has previously produced players such as Jack Grealish, Gareth Barry and Marc Albrighton to name but a few, the attacker has racked up eight goals and eight assists in 43 appearances across their U18 and U23 sides in total, showing how capable he is of scoring and assisting goals.

A review from journalist Josh Bunting presents why he’d be the ideal candidate to fill a squad role if El Ghazi does leave.

He took to Twitter in December to say: “I could see him in the first-team squad at the end of the season he’s a Steven Gerrard type player. He’s very aggressive and links play very effectively, very smart.”

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With Gerrard giving minutes to the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka in the Premier League this season, who have both made it through the youth system, as well as Tim Iroegbunam in recent weeks, Abldeen-Goodridge could be the next name unleashed in the senior side next season if he keeps scoring and providing goals on a regular basis.

In other news: “To be honest..” – Insider drops AVFC summer claim that’ll have many Villans delighted – opinion

Crystal Palace showed during the previous summer transfer window that they can be rather active in the market when it comes to bringing new players to the club and moving some out the other way.

While the previous January window wasn’t as busy as the summer period was, one potential deal that the Eagles were mentioned with that they may now be regretting is one for Reading midfielder John Swift.

He had reportedly caught the interest of the south London club as well as fellow Premier League sides Wolves, Burnley and Norwich City. For any team wanting to acquire his services, it was a thought a fee in the region of £20m would have been enough. However, with his contract up at the end of the season, he will become a free agent.

Since joining the Championship club back in 2016 from Chelsea’s U23 side, the 26-year-old, who has been described as a “super-talented” player by Veljko Paunovic, has gone on to make 198 appearances for the club across all competitions in which he has managed to score 34 goals and provide 38 assists along the way.

This season has seen the Englishman show why just so many top-flight clubs were interested in him as he’s scored 11 goals and delivered 13 assists in 34 league appearances, earning himself an overall performance rating of 7.16, making him the highest-rated player in Reading’s squad according to WhoScored. That would also make him the second-highest rated Palace player by the same metric.

Looking closer at Swift’s attacking talent, the midfielder has racked up more shots on target (28) and crosses (184) than any of his teammates this season.

With Palace securing a deal for midfielder Will Hughes back in the summer, who has only provided one assist in 12 league games for his new side in the Premier League, earning himself a lowly overall performance rating of just 6.51 from WhoScored, it’s safe to say that they may have been better off forgetting about the former Watford figure and instead focusing their attention on bringing Swift to Selhurst Park instead.

Taking into account what the Reading star has done for his team in an attacking sense this season and the fact that Patrick Vieira’s side have struggled to score goals in certain league games this campaign, Steve Parish made a hefty blunder by not securing Swift’s signature in January.

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Moving forward, if the Eagles don’t manage to finish in the top half of the table, they should definitely consider reigniting their interest in the midfield maestro to see if he can replicate the same sort of attacking form at Selhurst Park as he has been showing this season.

In other news: Fewer touches than Guaita: “Stupid” Palace dud with 9 duels lost cost Vieira dearly

Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris have shown just how capable they are of spending significant amounts of money on bringing new players to Villa Park to help strengthen the team however they can.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Midlands club could be set to smash through the £33m club-record fee they spent during the previous summer window on Emi Buendia from Norwich City, this time to add another familiar face to the squad.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Times, Villa have emerged as the frontrunner to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer and are ready to pay a £60m transfer fee, plus an enormous salary to get him from the Yorkshire club.

As a product of Leeds’ youth academy, the Englishman, who has been described as a “destroyer” by Steve McLaren, has racked up a total of 226 senior appearances for the Whites across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 13 assists along the way.

Villa must sign Phillips

In his first season in the Premier League with Leeds last season after their 16-year absence from the top-flight, the 26-year-old earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.01 according to WhoScored.

That made him their fourth-highest rated outfield player, highlighting just how capable he is of playing in the top division at a solid and consistent level.

Regarding a potential big-money move to Villa, taking into account how the Midlands club were in the market for a midfielder in the previous January transfer window but failed to get one in after missing out on Rodrigo Bentancur and having a bid rejected for Yves Bissouma, it’s easy to see why the Villans have set their sights on Phillips for the summer.

Labelled as having the “perfect build” for the defensive-midfield position by former Leeds boss Neil Redfearn, the £38k-per-week England international could be just what Villa need for their squad after their January setbacks.

Securing Phillips in the summer could be a dream deal for NSWE to complete and would be one that surely raises the roof given his outstanding qualities and indeed his pedigree, starting every game for England on route to the European Championships last summer.

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With the £36m-rated Leeds star previously saying that he would “love to play” with Gerrard during his playing days, perhaps the prospect of having him as a manager could sway the 26-year-old in making a move to Villa Park.

In other news: Lange heading for calamitous AVFC howler on “first-class” ace, Gerrard would be raging – opinion

Leeds United are eyeing a move for former Borussia Dortmund starlet Sergio Gomez in this upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Writing initially on Twitter, journalist James Marshment revealed: “Sources telling @TEAMtalk that Leeds United are keeping a close watch on Anderlecht left-back Sergio Gomez. Spaniard has five goals and 10 assists in Jupiler Pro League this season.”

Then, in a follow-up article, he added: “At just 21, Gomez offers a young option and that ties in with their desire to bring down the average age of their squad. Leeds, however, are not alone in their pursuit and a number of other clubs also see the appeal of Gomez. Indeed, we understand the likes of Lyon, Atalanta and Ajax are also amongst a host of sides checking on him regularly.

“However, he is very much a player of interest for director of football Victor Orta, who is looking to bolster Leeds’ options down the left.”

Exciting signing for Leeds

Ranked 36th in GOAL’s NXGN list in 2019 which featured the 50 best wonderkids across the world, Gomez was regarded as the heir apparent to Andres Iniesta, with his quick feet and creativity.

Having initially come through as an attacking midfielder and as a number ten, the Spaniard has since transition his game rather curiously into a marauding left-back – despite the move, he’s been as creative as ever.

In the 41 games that he has played this season for Belgian top-flight side Anderlecht, he has managed a whopping six goals and 14 assists – the kind of record you’d perhaps usually associate with Liverpool’s flying duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

According to Sofascore, the full-back is the highest-rated player this season for Anderlecht averaging a match rating of 7.43 – no surprise given that he has also created 13 big chances, provided 1.8 key passes per game and wins 54% of his total duels.

In a player profile done by Bundesliga.com during his time with Dortmund, it revealed: “The teenager’s quick thinking and equally rapid feet when in small spaces is particularly impressive, as Gomez can get himself out of the tightest situations to pick out a pass or unleash a ferocious shot with his preferred left foot.”

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Given here on FFC we’ve previously called on Jesse Marsch to axe Junior Firpo, Gomez’s arrival at Elland Road this summer would give the American the perfect chance to kill two birds with one stone.

Not only could he drop a player dubbed as “stupid” for his reckless tackles, but he can also bring in a genuinely exciting young player with a proven ability to deliver an end product when going forward.

AND in other news: Orta set for Leeds disaster as terms agreed for £63k-p/w “storm” who’s “a level above”

Aston Villa will reportedly push to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer with the Englishman reportedly valued at £60m.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph, via Birmingham Live, Villa manager Steven Gerrard will push to sign the 26-year-old this summer, although a deal is expected to be complicated to complete.

The homegrown Leeds star, whose contract at Elland Road expires in 2024, has requested to sign a new deal at his boyhood club with the midfielder reportedly on £38k-per-week.

Moreover, the West Yorkshire club looking more likely to avoid relegation to the Championship this season with an eight-point advantage over Watford in 18th.

Jesse Marsch’s side have been without the England international for large spells of the season with the midfielder making just 13 Premier League appearances this term.

However, having returned to action from the bench in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Southampton, the Whites look likely to have the incredibly popular Phillips available for the remainder of the season as they look to ensure survival.

 Aston Villa must swoop for Phillips

Having already been heavily linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, it’s clear that Johan Lange will be looking to add to their midfield ranks this summer.

The regular trio of John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz have impressed this season, particularly 20-year-old Ramsey who has come on leaps and bounds this campaign.

A product of the West Midlands club’s youth setup, the youngster has made 28 Premier League appearances this campaign, scoring six goals and registering one assist.

Contrastingly the Englishman made 22 appearances in the top flight during the entirety of last season and didn’t manage to find the back of the net.

However, there is certainly room for competition with 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka progressing up the ranks whilst Morgan Sanson could leave Villa Park this summer and Marvelous Nakamba is still yet to return to first-team action after a knee injury picked up in December.

Phillips has caught the eyes of numerous clubs over recent years, even when down in the Championship, and could be set for pastures new in the near future.

Described as a “destroyer” by former England manager Steve McClaren, the defensive midfielder has quickly become an England regular, winning the 2020/21 England men’s player of the year, particularly for his efforts at the European Championship last summer.

In the Premier League last season, the 26-year-old averaged 65 touches per game whilst also making 1.2 key passes, according to SofaScore.

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Moreover, Phillips enjoyed an 85% passing accuracy and averaged 2.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game with the colossus a vital presence just in front of the defence for Leeds and now England.

Villa are looking to progress and part of those plans will be to invest heavily on ambitious signings during the summer and there’s no doubt that bidding £60m for the Englishman would be a seriously ambitious move.

Many would suggest that the 26-year-old, nicknamed the Yorkshire Pirlo by the Leeds faithful, may have now outgrown his boyhood club. However, there’s no doubt that if Villa, or any other club, are to lure him away from Elland Road, it will take a serious offer.

AND in other news: Major boost: Aston Villa now handed big double injury lift, supporters will be buzzing

Leeds United fans won’t want December to ever end.

Daniel Farke’s men are yet to lose across the bumper festive month, with a 3-1 Premier League win over Chelsea standing out as the statement result of the hectic month, until their near-London neighbours, Crystal Palace, came to town late on Saturday.

Now, it’s very much the 4-1 victory collected over Oliver Glasner’s usually hard-to-beat Eagles that will live long in their memory when casting their minds back to this special run of fixtures, with The Athletic’s Beren Cross rightly hailing it as an “outstanding performance” right after the match.

It was a real team effort that helped to secure the three points, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin would steal most of the plaudits again, having made it five Premier League games on the spin with a goal on Saturday night.

How good Calvert-Lewin's general play was

The former Everton marksman joined a very select group of Leeds players by bagging this brace against the Eagles, with the dominant centre-forward hopeful that the goals will just keep flowing, as the games continue to come thick and fast.

Both of his instinctive efforts against Palace demonstrate a striker overflowing with confidence, rather than a misfiring attacker prone to barren patches on Merseyside, with the Sheffield-born menace in the right place, at the right time on both occasions to beat a shaky Dean Henderson.

With four duels also won, it’s clear now that Farke and Co. are utilising Calvert-Lewin as an impactful focal point, with the lethal number nine only needing 26 touches of the ball to power home a double.

Ethan Ampadu also stood out throughout as a forceful and classy presence, with a rare goal even coming his way to hand the hosts a comfortable three-goal advantage, away from winning a gritty eight tackles.

But, removing both the assertive number four and the red-hot striker from the equation, there was also another star performer on the day that ensured the win was a smooth sailing experience, who arguably put in an even better performance than man of the moment Calvert-Lewin.

The Leeds star who was even better than DCL

While Calvert-Lewin does deserve all of the praise flooding his way, he can often fade in and out of contests. Thankfully, his poacher-like instincts seem to just pop up whenever they’re needed.

Whereas, across the full 90 minutes against Palace, Anton Stach never relented, with the former Hoffenheim midfielder coming off the end of the emphatic victory with six ball recoveries registered, and two duels won as an energetic presence centrally.

On top of his constant vigour and drive being on display, Stach would also delightfully float home this free-kick deep into added-on time at the end of the one-sided game to give Leeds a whopping fourth goal.

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His well-rounded performance is made to look even better, too, if his sumptuous free-kick effort beating Henderson wasn’t enough, by the much-loved German also ending the clash with five key passes under his belt from 56 touches of the ball, as Calvert-Lewin makes do with just one key pass on his end.

Stach’s performance in numbers

Stat

Stach

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches

56

Shots

3

Accurate passes

27/33 (82%)

Key passes

5

Accurate crosses

5/10

Ball recoveries

6

Total duels won

2/6

Stats by Sofascore

Stach was showered with praise post-match off the back of such a sensational showing, with Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth dishing out a high 8/10 rating to him, stating that his free-kick that left Henderson rooted to his spot was a “beauty.”

With a goal also next to his name against Liverpool earlier in the month, it’s clear now that the £17.4m recruit was a great use of money in the summer, alongside Stach, clearly also being a fan favourite, next to the much-talked-about Calvert-Lewin.

While it could be argued that Calvert-Lewin is ahead of Stach in the fan favourite conversation with a sublime seven Premier League strikes now amassed, it shouldn’t go under the radar how effortless the number 18 made every element of his well-rounded game look against Palace, with it not the wildest shout to suggest he put in an even more impressive showing than the goalscoring heroics of the revitalised Englishman.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham