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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

In an impressive team performance against Liverpool, Marcus Rashford no doubt stole most of the headlines for appearing to kick-start his season at Manchester United with a goal. But one man who perhaps may have flown under the radar, was Andreas Pereira.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

The Brazilian appears to be a trusted lieutenant of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, becoming a main-stay of the first-team picture this season. The 23-year-old has played nine times across all competitions, and has featured in all but one of United’s Premier league games. He has regularly deployed from the right-hand side, appearing there in six different matches. But against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, the Red Devils boss entrusted him with the number ten role. And boy did it pay dividends.

As the likes of Mason Greenwood and Axel Tuanzebe continue to be the talk of the town as the most promising academy products, it is easy to forget that Pereira has come through the Red Devils academy too after joining the club back in 2011.

His display against Liverpool typified everything that Solskjaer is seemingly keen on implementing: a fast, attacking game, with a commitment to pressing from the front and doing the hard yards. As Graeme Souness testified to on Sky Sports, the United midfield bossed the visitors in the middle of the park, and that was in no small part thanks to Pereira’s dynamism.

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All the talk this summer revolved around the future of Paul Pogba and whether the France World Cup winner would be leaving the club. As a bona-fide star, it may be understandable if the United faithful are reluctant to see him go. But in Pereira, they have someone who can equally affect games in powerful ways both at the defensive and offensive ends.

As per Sofascore, he won five duels, two tackles and made three interceptions as he set about trying to hustle and harry Liverpool’s midfield trio. It was a tenacity and drive that filtered through to the rest of his teammates, and whilst he put in a lung-busting effort to help the side out off the ball, he contributed in equal measure whenever he was in possession. His three key passes were a joint game-high and his three accurate long balls were often the start of some promising counter-attacks for Solskjaer’s men.

So whilst United may be wary of letting Pogba go, Pereira’s unbelievable all-action display against their arch-rivals on Sunday may have just given the club a glimpse of a potential in-house successor to the Frenchman.

The first Madrid derby of the ongoing 2019/20 La Liga season is now behind us.

Unfortunately, however, it ended with no goals on the night as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid shared the spoils of war in a goalless draw.

Be that as it may, Zinedine Zidane will definitely be happy that he managed to avoid defeat at a rather difficult venue and against a tricky opponent.

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The fans also voiced their opinions and it seems that they were really impressed by one individual’s great performance at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.

Toni Kroos is very much a key part of Zidane’s squad and if their reactions and comments on social media and Twitter are anything to go by, lots of the fans were delighted with his display against Atletico Madrid.

Many of them called the 29-year-old the man of the match and swarmed his account with compliments such as “maestro”.

You can see some of those replies down in the collection of tweets below:

Sheffield Wednesday will look to return to winning ways as they host Wigan on Saturday, and Garry Monk could make a subtle tweak to his side in order to get back on track.

The former Birmingham boss has experimented with his choice of formations so far but mostly trusted the same personnel, and therefore there may not be too many changes despite defeat to Hull last time out.

Wednesday started brightly under Lee Bullen before tailing off slightly and much of their success has been due to their defence, conceding only nine goals in 10 Championship games.

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Even Tom Lees hasn’t been missed much so far, with new signing Julian Borner proving that Steve Bruce was right to bring him in over the summer.

The attack has been a slightly different story for the Owls, though, with Steven Fletcher the only striker currently scoring on a consistent basis.

For that reason, Monk could decide to use the Scot as the lone forward up-front, and line-up like this.

It is a formation change which works for two main reasons – it provides Wednesday with cover in midfield whilst allowing Kadeem Harris and Adam Reach free reign to attack.

That could be particularly effective for the latter, as it will allow him to hug the touchline or cut inside onto his stronger left foot.

Wigan have been particularly weak at defending through the middle this season, with 66% of the shots they have conceded coming via that avenue, and with Reach often enjoying success from long range – as evidenced by his four goals from outside the box in the last campaign – that could be a way to breach the visitors’ defence.

A return to the starting line-up for Joey Pelupessy could also be on the cards, as the Dutchman is yet to feature under his new boss despite offering defensive cover in midfield.

Last season he averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game and so could marshall the space in front of the back four with great effect, and in doing so reduce the defensive responsibility on Barry Bannan.

Since Monk’s arrival two players who have seen their roles increase are Sam Winnall and Atdhe Nuhiu, but the strikers have offered just two goals between them and may be better suited acting as an impact sub, with Nuhiu’s height offering an attacking alternative – as evidenced by his  average of 5.5 aerial duels won per game this season.

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Leeds’ Jordan Stevens has been punished by the FA following a breach of betting regulations, receiving a considerable punishment for his actions.

The 19-year-old has been banned for six weeks from all football activity preventing him from even training during that time period.

An independent regulatory commission heard that the teenager was bored, anxious and homesick so the decision to exclude him from football, an activity that can help him overcome his boredom and improve his mental health is particularly harsh.

Punishment of some sort was warranted but maybe not to this degree.

Regarding the situation, Managing Director Angus Kinnear said: “Whilst we fully recognise the importance of the FA’s role in protecting the integrity of the game, we are hugely disappointed in the FA’s choice of sanction.

“To prevent a young footballer from taking part in any football activities at such critical period of his career is a disproportionate punishment following a foolish mistake from a young player.”

Leeds fans held similar sentiments as one described it as a disgraceful penalty for someone who was feeling lonely and missing his family. Another claimed it was ridiculous and backwards.

A further fan merely asked why everyone hated Leeds.

Stevens has played just once for the first team after a move from Forest Green but this season has been a huge setback so far.

Here’s the best of the debate.

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After a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham on Saturday, you could make a case for any of the Crystal Palace defenders to lose their place in the starting XI – the overall defending was absolutely abysmal.

Having said that, one man who can definitely be deemed as a weak link regardless of the loss to Spurs is Patrick van Aanholt.

The Netherlands international was torn apart by Serge Aurier down the right flank, allowing the Ivorian to deliver cross after cross – one of which Van Aanholt sliced into his own net in embarrassing fashion.

Even before Saturday’s trip to north London, we detailed how the Dutchman needs Jeffrey Schlupp ahead of him to provide defensive security for the former Sunderland man.

Now, after the 29-year-old’s horror show against Spurs – which angered the Palace fans on Twitter – we’ve taken a look at two players who could replace him at left-back…

Tyrick Mitchell 

One option Roy Hodgson has to replace Van Aanholt is academy prospect Tyrick Mitchell, a player who impressed for the first-team in pre-season – one eye-catching tackle from the teenager drew a few comparisons with a certain Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Speaking of Wan-Bissaka, it was Hodgson who gave the now-£50m right-back his chance in the first-team, so the 72-year-old is no stranger to placing his trust in youth.

Jeffrey Schlupp 

As aforesaid, Schlupp can help provide defensive security to Van Aanholt, although the Ghanaian can also play at left-back himself.

It has been a while since Hodgson has used the ex-Premier League winner in the position, having converted him into a left-sided centre-midfielder, but Schlupp offers a bit more solidity and physicality at the back – WhoScored notes that blocking the ball and tackling are some of the 26-year-old’s strengths.

The former England manager seems to trust Schlupp a fair bit, with Hodgson singling him out for praise in the second half of last season.

While it would be a bold move to drop van Aanholt, it would make sense if Hodgson decides to do so – in Schlupp and Mitchell, he certainly has the options before him if he decides to do so.

According to The Mail Online, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Everton’s James McCarthy on loan before the end of the transfer window. 

The article also explains that Palace manager Roy Hodgson is keen to add reinforcements in the midfield at Selhurst Park, and the Republic of Ireland international seems like a great option given how out of favour he is at Goodison Park this season under Marco Silva.

McCarthy is yet to play a game for The Toffees in the Premier League this season, and would surely be keen on a move away to help his career. Moreover, Crystal Palace would be the perfect place to do this.

The Eagles’ midfield currently comprises of Luka Milivojević, Cheikhou Kouyaté and James McArthur. While the Serbian’s place seems guaranteed under Hodgson, McCarthy has a great chance to fight for one of the other two spots.

Why this would be such a good move is that Crystal Palace are currently in a worse position than Everton, so are more likely to play than the 28-year-old, but are not playing that badly. The Eagles have already beaten Man City this season in the league, pushed Liverpool all the way and recently beat Tottenham in the FA Cup. He would not be joining a horror-show of a club, and could, therefore, impress his parent club. Their performance against Spurs also showed that they are defensively resolute, meaning McCarthy has a great platform to impress.

This is a move that must happen if McCarthy does not want to waste his career.

Jon Flanagan has suffered an injury setback, and the pressure on the inconsistent Borna Barisic has just increased ten-fold.

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Mail, via The Herald, Flanagan has undergone a hernia operation.

This is the second time the versatile full-back has required surgery on this issue, and the last time it kept him out for three weeks.

The report says it is unclear how long this setback will keep him sidelined, but Rangers fans had better hope he is back sooner rather than later.

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Now or never

There’s no question Barisic is back in the Ibrox faithful’s good books. In what is sure to be an intense title race with Celtic, the recent 1-0 win at St. Mirren could well prove pivotal by the end of the campaign, and it was the Croatia international’s stunning free-kick that earned all three points for the Gers.

Yet, we don’t have to look very far back to find loads of criticism about his performances from fans and the media alike. Even just a month ago, some Gers were ready to “punt” him from the club.

Flanagan may not be as technically gifted as the Croatian, but fans adore his tough-tackling style and the defensive solidity he offers, so with the former Liverpool man likely out for at least a few weeks, the pressure on Barisic has never been greater.

As soon as the international break ends, Steven Gerrard’s side face a league test against an undefeated Livingston side before a Europa League clash with Feyenoord and then a slightly more winnable Premiership match away at St. Johnstone, who are currently bottom of the division.

If Barisic puts in the type of performances that forced fans and pundits to turn on him in the past, Gerrard’s side could leak goals and be behind in their Europa League group and several points adrift of Celtic before they even know what hit them.

Quite simply, the Croatian’s time is now. He has to perform.

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Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over some manager news involving Jose Mourinho.

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager will not leave Roma this season, and the vacant job at Goodison Park is currently ‘not in his plans’.

Sky Sports broke on Tuesday evening that Mourinho was ‘under consideration’ to become the next permanent boss on Merseyside following the departure of Rafa Benitez, with Duncan Ferguson only in temporary charge for now.

However, it looks as if it is very unlikely that he would take the job with the Toffees given his desire to stay at Roma, meaning that the board will now have to look at other candidates.

Of course, Mourinho has succeeded in English football, winning the Premier League title no fewer than three times with Chelsea, but he is arguably not the manager he once was, having left both Spurs and Manchester United midway through campaigns while outside of the UEFA Champions League places.

Blues supporters may not like his pragmatic style of play either, and so it is no surprise to see them feeling as if they have dodged a bullet.

Everton fans on Mourinho manager news

These Evertonians buzzed as the manager news was shared on Twitter:

“Fantastic”

Credit: @EvertoniaMatt

“Best news I’ve heard. Now tell me Lampard got lost on the M25 driving up to his ‘interview'”

Credit: @Tw1ttr1

“Happy days”

Credit: @Pablo_Beezo

“Thank heavens for that.”

Credit: @owendeasha

“Panic over”

Credit: @Day89

“Siuuuuuu”

Credit: @blue_toffees

In other news, find out what other manager update has EFC fans buzzing here!

Aston Villa journalist Ashley Preece believes a summer move for Luis Suarez is possible. 

The lowdown

Villa have already pulled off a blockbuster transfer under Steven Gerrard, bringing Philippe Coutinho – the fourth-most expensive player in football history – to The Midlands.

Gerrard, of course, played with both Coutinho and Suarez at Liverpool.

Suarez, who’s about to turn 35, is now into the final six months of his deal at Atletico Madrid.

Villa’s current striking options – Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings – have only managed nine goals between them in 34 combined appearances this season (via BBC Sport).

The latest

In a fan Q & A, Preece said that Suarez ‘is one for the summer’ because he’ll be remaining at Atletico until the expiry of his contract.

The move may depend on ‘whether Gerrard gives him a call like he did with Coutinho’.

He envisages a ’12-month deal’ but did caution that Suarez’s ‘astronomical’ wages could complicate matters.

The verdict

Suarez would arguably be an even more high-profile signing than Coutinho. In his pomp, this is a striker who featured in the FIFPro World XI.

And his output remains strong. Since joining Atletico ahead of the 2020/21 season, he’s bagged 30 goals in 66 appearances, including nine this season

Suarez has spoken extremely highly of the Villa boss, hailing him as one of ‘a small number of players in the world that are irreplaceable’.

If Gerrard makes the call and he agrees to a reduced wage, then perhaps we could genuinely see Suarez at Villa Park.

In other news, fans react to this approach for their defender.

West Ham United are currently in the middle of a quite wonderful season.

A trophy might not be on the horizon for David Moyes’ side but they have made enormous progression under the Scot who has steered them to a top-five position.

A defeat to Arsenal ensured they slipped out of the top four over Christmas but judging by the club’s wretched injury crisis, they have done well to even remain in the conversation for Champions League football.

The Hammers are currently without the likes Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna while Aaron Cresswell has had his issues too.

The left-back’s absence from the Irons squad has opened up a space in the team that Arthur Masuaku has grasped with both hands, at least until now.

He scored a fluke goal against Chelsea a few weeks back but on Thursday night vs Spurs, demonstrated why he’s such an expendable asset for Moyes.

During that context, Masuaku struggled significantly, so much so that he was described as “terrible” by one Irons analysis account on social media.

Indeed, it’s simple to see why that’s the case as the raw stats don’t paint him in a very pleasing light.

As the Hammers crashed out of the Carabao Cup to Antonio Conte’s team, it was Masuaku who let them down during the 2-1 loss to Tottenham.

Clashes between these two sides should be a meaningful derby but it was understandable that as we drove closer to Christmas, the match was going to have less riding on it than normal.

Despite that, Masuaku very much showed that if a certain Santa Claus was a West Ham fan, very few presents would be coming his way.

During the contest, the full-back was extremely poor in possession, surrendering the ball on no fewer than 23 occasions.

Someone with his offensive threat will always lose the ball more often but it was a concern that he performed very few positive actions in the game, completing just 50% of his dribbles and failing with an enormous eight crosses – a failure rate of 88.9%.

Furthermore, Masuaku was only successful in winning 2/5 of his aerial contests.

All of that saw the defender somehow still earn a respectable SofaScore rating of 7.1, worse than Nikola Vlasic whose uninspiring time at the London Stadium was summed up this week.

He claimed an assist for Jarrod Bowen’s strike but that came from the attacker’s scuffed shot, rather than trying anything productive for his teammates.

As such, it would be a wise idea for Moyes and his coaching staff to not only axe Vlasic from the team, but immediately jettison the club’s stand-in left-back too.

Cresswell cannot return soon enough.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops big injury update that will have West Ham fans buzzing…