Glasgow Rangers sealed a memorable 6-4 Europa League aggregate win on Thursday night.
James Tavernier grabbed both goals for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team in a 2-2 draw at Ibrox, but the Gers had to suffer at times given that Borussia Dortmund had more possession and more shots on goal.
While some players thrived under the pressure, others seemed to struggle, as The Transfer Tavern use statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the hosts at Ibrox:
Borna Barisic (6.4)
Admittedly joint with second in terms of rating (6.4), Barisic ranks in third here as he only played one half.
The Croatia international failed to record any dribbles, tackles, key passes or crosses, while he was also guilty of losing the ball seven times in the match.
Scott Arfield (6.4)
Arfield was Rangers’ second-worst player on the night with a 6.4 overall rating given.
The central midfielder missed a big chance in the match and also lost out on five of his duels in total, while failing to complete a successful dribble or key pass.
He also lost the ball 11 times before being replaced by Glen Kamara just shy of the 70-minute mark.
Alfredo Morelos (5.9)
With a 5.9 overall rating, Morelos was ranked as the Light Blues’ worst performer against Dortmund.
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The striker lost a game-high 15 duels and missed two big chances in the match. He also recorded no key passes and gave possession away on no fewer than 20 separate occasions, the second-most out of any of his team-mates.
In other news, one Gers player has had a ‘frustrating’ start to life at the club
Aston Villa’s reported pursuit of Franck Kessie is a signal of their ‘ambition’, Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport.
The lowdown
Il Milanista recently reported (via Sport Witness) that Villa were rivalling Barcelona for the 25-year-old’s signature. The player is currently set to leave AC Milan at the end of the season when his contract expires, and Villa’s NSWE ownership have offered his camp ‘the best’ terms up to this point.
Kessie is a £43.2m-rated midfielder who starts virtually every game for Serie A leaders Milan when he’s available. Plus, he has played 31 matches in European competitions at the age of just 25, while his manager Stefano Pioli has gone as far as to call him a ‘complete player’.
A composed distributor of the ball – the Ivorian’s 90.5% passing success rate is better than anyone to have started a Premier League match for Villa in 2021/22 – he also gets into positions where he can make a difference. As per FBRef, he ranks in the 90th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area among midfielders in Europe’s five main domestic leagues and continental tournaments.
The latest
O’Rourke reckons that Kessie would be a real statement signing for Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa, but cautioned that the Midlands might not be one of the player’s preferred destinations.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: “It shows the ambition of Aston Villa that they’re in for somebody like Franck Kessie. I don’t think they’ll be top of his priority list right away.”
The verdict
Gerrard has already shown the pulling power he possesses, even though he has only been at the club for one transfer window. He played an instrumental role as Villa beat off Premier League competition for the loan signing of Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona (via The Athletic).
The Brazilian is a player of immense stature, having commanded the fourth-largest transfer fee in football history in 2018, and Gerrard will now hope to win Kessie over and secure another marquee coup for the Midlands club.
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If he can, it would send out a huge statement about Villa’s ambition, as O’Rourke has stated.
In other news, O’Rourke has also dropped a concerning claim on one current Villa player
A new report has hinted that Rodrigo’s future could lie away from Leeds United, following the sacking of manager Marcelo Bielsa.
The Lowdown: Bielsa sacked as manager
The Argentine lost his job on Sunday, following a dreadful run of form that saw the Whites ship 14 goals in the space of three matches against Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham.
It was an extremely sad day at Leeds, however, given the manner in which Bielsa transformed the club in 2018 and guided his team back into the Premier League.
Jesse Marsch has been named as his replacement and the hope is of course that he can enjoy similar levels of success in the coming years, though you have to wonder if any replacement could motivate the fan base quite the way Bielsa did.
[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]
The Latest: Rodrigo unsettled
According to Las Provincias [via Sport Witness], Rodrigo has suffered a big blow because of Bielsa’s sacking, with the 66-year-old ‘one of the main reasons’ he joined Leeds.
It is stated that the striker is now ‘facing his toughest time’ at the club, potentially suggesting that he could move on in the near future.
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The Verdict: Blow for Marsch
Hailed as a ‘phenomenon’ by former teammate Neto, there is no denying that Rodrigo has been a disappointment at Leeds despite some flashes of his talent, coming in as the club’s record signing in 2020 but scoring just 10 goals in 50 appearances.
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Should his form continue to be hit-and-miss, it is easy to envisage a scenario where he moves on at the end of the season, perhaps being replaced in the number ten role by Brenden Aaronson.
Either way, it is an immediate blow for the new boss at Elland Road if he already has unsettled players just 24 hours after arriving. It is absolutely crucial that he gets the players on side with every passing fixture becoming increasingly important given their position in the table.
In other news, Leeds have been backed to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.
Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez is reportedly now contemplating leaving the club this summer, in order for his 2022 World Cup dream not to be hampered.
The Lowdown: Gomez out of favour at Liverpool
It has been a hugely frustrating season for the 24-year-old, who has found playing time extremely difficult to come by under Jurgen Klopp.
Gomez has only started one Premier League game in 2021/22 to date, at home to Norwich City, and even that match saw him deployed as a right-back.
With Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all ahead of him in the centre-back pecking order, it is hard to see how his current situation will change any time soon.
The Latest: Defender wants summer exit
According to 90min, Gomez is still worried about missing out on England’s World Cup squad, as was the case back in October, and will push for a move away.
Leicester City, Tottenham, Newcastle United and West Ham are all mentioned as potential suitors for the Englishman, whose current deal expires in the summer of 2024.
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The Verdict: Need to keep hold of him
While Gomez wanting to leave is understandable given every player’s desire to play in big international tournaments, Liverpool should still do all they can to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future.
Granted, he has suffered a number of serious injuries in recent years but he is still only 24 years of age and was recently hailed as ‘world-class’ by Jurgen Klopp.
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With Van Dijk and Matip both turning 31 later this year, Gomez could still end up being a regular starter over time – whether or not he is happy to be patient could be the biggest stumbling block, though.
In other news, a Spanish source has made a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.
Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has enjoyed an impressive return to Ibrox since taking over as manager earlier this season.
The Dutchman, who represented the club during his playing career, has only lost two games in all competitions and remains in with a chance of securing a treble of trophies – the Premiership, Europa League and the Scottish Cup.
However, whilst his focus will largely be on this season, he may also have an eye on next term and his plans for the summer, including the transfer window.
He may want to add to his squad and could have players in mind about whom he has spoken to Ross Wilson already, with a few transfer links emerging of late.
Morelos 2.0
Football Insider recently reported that the Gers are among the clubs interested in signing Josh Stones from Guiseley, who play in the sixth tier of English football.
Rangers are said to be closely monitoring the forward, with Wigan and Blackburn also keen on the 18-year-old, and Wilson must strike a deal for him as he may duly find the Ibrox club’s new Alfredo Morelos.
The Colombian attacker has been a lethal scorer over the years for the Gers. He has netted 113 goals in 223 matches for the Glasgow giants to date, showing that he has been a reliable striker over a number of seasons.
Meanwhile, Stones has been prolific at youth level and shown signs that he can develop into a player who is able to make a similar impact to Morelos at the top end of the pitch.
For Guiseley’s academy side this season, Stones has found the back of the net 21 times in 13 matches – earning himself a call-up to the England schoolboys side. This suggests that he has been catching the eyes of international scouts, along with those at Rangers and other professional clubs. He has also shown enough to be selected at senior level, with 13 National League North outings at the age of 18.
His immense goalscoring record at youth level suggests that he is a natural predator like Morelos, whilst the teenage menace has also been dubbed as a “big striker”, and the current Gers forward falls into that category. Whilst the 25-year-old is not a towering 6 foot 5 target man, he is physically big and able to use his strength to hold off opponents in and around the penalty box, with Stones potentially sharing this quality.
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This is why Wilson must swoop in to secure a deal for the Guiseley teenager. Whilst it is a gamble in terms of whether or not Stones will fulfill his potential, his impressive statistics suggest that it is worth a shot, as the Gers could be about to find their new Morelos to carry the goalscoring burden in the future.
AND in other news, 80% duels lost: Rangers dud who gave the ball away every 2.8 touches flopped for Van Bronckhorst…
Celtic are closing in on a long-term deal for defender Mitchel Frame after fending off interest from Crystal Palace, The Daily Record report.
The Lowdown: Palace’s offer
Frame turned 16 back in January and currently plies his trade with Celtic’s U17 side. He was a wanted man back in the winter window, with Crystal Palace one of three Premier League sides to offer him a three-year professional contract.
The teenager is regarded as one of Celtic’s best talents coming through the academy, and it seems as if he is set to commit his future to the Hoops instead of pursuing a move south.
The Latest: Scott Burns’ claim
Scott Burns shared a story on The Daily Record on Tuesday evening, claiming that Celtic are close to completing a long-term deal for Frame.
The reliable reporter labelled it as a major boost for the club, with playmaker Daniel Kelly also on the verge of penning professional terms.
The Verdict: Good news
Celtic have lost a number of young talents in recent years, with winger Ben Doak set to join that list as he closes in on a move to Liverpool.
Therefore, this update on Frame is a welcome one, especially as the likes of Tottenham and Wolves offered him terms at the beginning of 2022 and Newcastle and Manchester City are just the latest clubs to be name-checked with an interest.
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Hopefully, the Hoops have a new Kieran Tierney on their hands when it comes to left-back Frame, and it appears as if fans should keep their eyes peeled for an announcement later this week.
In other news: ‘Unfortunately…’ – Journalist gutted ‘for Celtic’ as more exit news emerges from Parkhead.
According to a report from The Telegraph, Aston Villa are preparing a summer approach to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The lowdown: Hot property
The 26-year-old has been the subject of heightened speculation in the last 12 months and has been linked with big-money moves to Real Madrid and Manchester United previously.
Despite reported efforts from the Yorkshire club to tie down the England international and stave off suitors, it would appear that the upcoming summer transfer window is set to be a crucial one for the midfielder.
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The Villans now look set to make a fresh approach for the Leeds star.
The latest: Massive price hike for Phillips
As per The Telegraph, the Midlands club are preparing to ‘make a renewed £60million approach’ for the defensive midfielder.
It is claimed that, having had a £25m offer for Brighton colossus Yves Bissouma rebuffed, Villa manager Steven Gerrard will turn attention to Phillips.
Villa attempted to sign the 19-cap England ace back in 2019 for £25m (Birmingham Mail), but they are now said to be lining up a much more lucrative £60m move.
The verdict: Would be a smart signing
Phillips – who caused a stir when discussing interest from Villa before sharing his admiration for Gerrard last summer – has the ability to be a welcome boost to the Villa Park squad, particularly as Douglas Luiz continues to be touted with a summer exit.
Already a proven Premier League performer, adding the man once described as ‘phenomenal’ by Ian Wright following a standout display in England’s 1-0 victory over Croatia at Euro 2020 would be a shrewd move as Villa look to improve next season.
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Boasting impressive attributes in both an attacking and defensive sense, the £45m-valued midfielder possesses strong tackling and interception prowess (WhoScored), and he could offer much-needed additional steel to the Villans’ ranks.
In other news: Journalist makes summer claim regarding current Villa star. Read more here!
Rangers defender Filip Helander says he’s yet to hold talks with the club over a new contract.
The lowdown
Helander’s £14,000-per-week Rangers contract is due to expire at the end of the 2022/23 season, 14 months from now.
The centre-back’s involvement this season has been severely restricted by a knee injury he sustained back in September.
He’s only started five Scottish Premiership games and made ten appearances in total.
Helander returned to the fold last month and will compete with the likes of Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and James Sands for a place over the course of the run-in.
He won’t play a part in what remains of the Gers’ Europa League campaign, though, after Giovanni van Bronckhorst left him out of the squad.
The defender publicly expressed his disappointment with the manager’s decision, which came shortly after his injury comeback.
The latest
Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, Helander said discussions had yet to go underway, although there is still time to sort things out.
“No, we haven’t talked so far,” he said, via Rangers News. “But there’s more than a year left, we will see what happens.”
The verdict
Rangers have to be careful to avoid a Goldson repeat here.
Helander’s fellow CB is currently set to walk away from the club on a free transfer this summer when his contract expires.
If he doesn’t seem overly keen to stay, then perhaps it would be sensible to listen to offers this summer.
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Indeed, senior journalist Chris Jack has warned that the upcoming window could be their last chance to cash in.
And for a club that’s taken such heavy losses in recent years – £73.8million under the current regime – it doesn’t seem like a sustainable way of doing business.
In other news, there’s a worrying fitness update for Rangers ahead of the Old Firm.
West Ham United manager David Moyes has provided an injury update on Ben Johnson ahead of the Irons’ upcoming Europa League clash against Lyon.
The Lowdown: Johnson left out on Sunday
The 22-year-old was missing from the Hammers’ matchday squad for the 2-1 win against relegation-threatened Everton on Sunday. Prior to that victory, the right-back had played the full 90 minutes in West Ham’s last four Premier League games.
As a result, this sparked rumours of an injury which he would have picked up whilst on international duty with England under-21s last week.
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The Latest: Moyes’ update on Johnson
During his post-match press conference following the Everton game, Moyes provided details as to why Johnson did not feature in his matchday squad, seemingly a last-gasp decision given the defender’s training pattern leading up to the game.
As quoted by football.london, the West Ham manager claimed: “He felt his hamstring playing for England on Wednesday night. He trained Friday and Saturday but felt it again Saturday. We don’t think it’s bad but it was a decision today. We didn’t not want him for other weeks. I’m hoping he’ll be ok.”
The Verdict: Could be a blow
Whilst Moyes doesn’t think that the injury is severe, Johnson could be a doubt for West Ham’s Europa League quarter-final tie against Lyon, which takes place on Thursday.
This would come as a huge blow to the Irons, as the 22-year-old has stepped up brilliantly in Vladimir Coufal’s absence, ranking in the squad’s top five for tackles and clearances per game. It could now be up to an out-of-sorts Ryan Fredericks to fill the void – only one player to have started a league game for the east Londoners this term has a lower WhoScored performance rating.
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Described as a “wonderful professional to deal with and work with” by West Ham coach Stuart Pearce, the Hammers will be hoping that Johnson will be back to full fitness in no time.
In other news: Noel Whelan makes transfer claim on this potential Hammers target
Florian Wirtz finally scored his first goal for Liverpool as he orchestrated what turned into a less-than-comfortable 2-1 Premier League win over bottom side Wolves.
Wirtz wows as Liverpool scrape past Wolves
A week after registering his first league assist, the Germany international, who had been denied his maiden strike when his effort against Sunderland three weeks ago was ruled an own goal, moved up a level as he pulled the strings for a third-successive league victory.
There will inevitably still be some detractors who will argue a goal against a team who have yet to win this season and have now lost 11 in a row somehow has less value but the £116million summer signing’s all-round performance pointed to a greater contribution.
Having played one delicious, early through-ball for Hugo Ekitike to hit the post, the 22-year-old made more of the striker returning the favour, showing a calmness and control which epitomises his play by ghosting in between the centre-backs to get the ball out from under his feet and poke under Jose Sa.
And The Athletic’s James Pearce was one of many flocking to social media to praise the German after the game, claiming the £195,000-a-week earner was “a delight to watch” but admitting there was “so much room for improvement” from every other Reds player.
His goal came just 89 seconds after Wirtz’s former Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong had teed up the opener for Ryan Gravenberch, who broke out Diogo Jota’s crocodile celebration on an emotional afternoon for the late forward’s former two teams.
Two of Jota’s children – Dinis and Duarte – plus a couple of other young family members were part of the pre-match presentation line-ups with one son walking out with Virgil van Dijk and the other with Sa, watched by their mother Rute from the touchline.
It was an emotional occasion for both teams with the visiting fans singing their tribute to their former player, who with his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in July, in the 18th minute and Anfield rising as one in his memory when the clock ticked over to 20 minutes, the number of his now-retired Liverpool shirt.
Wolves expose Liverpool's set piece weakness again
Wirtz, whose shimmy past Matt Doherty drew gasps of appreciation, continued to pull the strings after half-time and drilled a shot into the side-netting from a corner.
However, by then Wolves had pulled a goal back through Hugo Bueno after exploiting Liverpool’s weakness at set-pieces.
That made things far more uncomfortable than it really should have been for Liverpool, who in the first half played the game predominantly in Wolves’ final third.
Alexis Mac Allister hit the same post as Ekitike before Frimpong drove to the byline past Joao Gomes and Bueno and cut back for Gravenberch to ram home a low shot.
Subscribe for deeper Liverpool match insights and analysis Get clearer context on Wirtz’s impact and Liverpool’s set-piece issues, subscribe to the newsletter for focused match coverage, tactical breakdowns, and player-form assessments that unpack performances and what they mean for teams across the Premier League. Subscribe for deeper Liverpool match insights and analysis Get clearer context on Wirtz’s impact and Liverpool’s set-piece issues, subscribe to the newsletter for focused match coverage, tactical breakdowns, and player-form assessments that unpack performances and what they mean for teams across the Premier League.
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Just over a minute later the roar was even louder as Wirtz opened his account with a quality finish.
However, seven minutes after half-time Alisson Becker could only parry a header from Tolu Arokodare, whose aerial threat was a problem, after he out-jumped Ibrahima Konate and Bueno converted the rebound.
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The goal reopened the mental wounds which led to a chaotic finish when they conceded at Tottenham last time out and when Arokodare sent another header over, alarm bells started to ring.
Anfield became more nervous as they saw a team which has now become the first to fail to win in their opening 18 matches of a Premier League campaign finish the stronger with Conor Bradley’s perfectly-timed tackle denying Jhon Arias a late equaliser.