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Aston Villa secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 win over Club Brugge in Birmingham on Wednesday night.

Two goals from Marco Asensio either side of a strike from Ian Maatsen ensured that the Villans went through 6-1 on aggregate, after the 3-1 win in Bruges last time out.

Unai Emery should be delighted with his side’s performance against the ten men of Club Brugge, who had Kyriani Sabbe sent off in the first half, and with Asensio – in particular – who starred off the bench.

Marco Asensio's performance against Club Brugge

He was named on the bench for the start of the match but was brought on for English forward Ollie Watkins by the manager at half-time with the team drawing 0-0.

The Spaniard scored his first and the opening goal for Villa shortly after his introduction when he found space in the box to finish, awkwardly, with his weaker right foot into the roof of the net.

His second, however, was a simpler finish. Marcus Rashford did brilliantly to create space for the cross down the left and cut the ball back for the PSG loanee to sweep the ball past the goalkeeper.

The 29-year-old maestro was not the only star for the Villans on the night, though, as left-back Maatsen put in his best performance for the club since his permanent move from Chelsea last summer.

Performance in Numbers

Ian Maatsen's best performance from Aston Villa

The Netherlands international has only started four times in the Premier League and three times in the Champions League this season, as Lucas Digne has been preferred ahead of him, but this performance may convince Emery to hand out more game time to him.

He was just as good as Asensio on the night because of his excellent contributions in and out of possession for Villa on the left flank, playing the full 90 minutes.

Maatsen won four of his six defensive duels, making two interceptions and one tackle without being dribbled past once, and this shows that the Club Brugge players found it difficult to get the better of him.

As you can see in the table above, the Dutch dynamo was also sublime with his use of the ball, creating three chances and completing 94% of his attempted passes to go along with his goal.

Maatsen, who was handed a player rating of 8/10 by both the BirminghamMail and GOAL, put in his best performance in a Villa shirt, as illustrated by his statistics in comparison to his average output in the competition this term.

It was also his first goal for Villa, his highest Sofascore rating (8.4) for Villa, his most chances created (three) in a game for Villa, and his joint-highest pass success rate (94%) as a starter in the Champions League or Premier League this season.

Overall, it was a statement performance by Maatsen, who combined defensive solidity with attacking fluidity, and it was one that may earn him more starts and minutes between now and the end of the campaign, as the defender has shown just how good he can be at his best.

99th percentile for assists: Aston Villa now in talks to sign £13m maestro

The Villans are in active negotiations over a move for a midfielder who has “star quality”.

By
Dominic Lund

Mar 12, 2025

Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis are now eyeing a move to sign a £20 million “giant”, according to a new report.

Morgan Gibbs-White on Forest’s surprise season

No one would have expected Forest to not only be within a chance of a European spot for next season but also to be a favourite to finish in the top four with just nine games left to play in the campaign.

It has been a tremendous campaign for everyone involved at the City Ground, and with recent wins over Manchester City and Ipswich Town keeping them on track to finish in the top four, midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White believes Forest deserve to be in the position they are in, as the captain has been a key performer in helping the club achieve this unexpected glory.

Nottingham Forest and Marinakis eyeing move to sign £20m Championship star

Forest are among the Premier League teams keeping a close eye on this midfielder.

By
Brett Worthington

Mar 19, 2025

Gibbs-White told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s been a remarkable year. Just to see where we have come from, from this time last year, is incredible. I think the Forest fans deserve that the most.

“Getting back into the Premier League was one thing. Scrambling in relegation for the two years we were in the Premier League obviously wasn’t nice. It wasn’t good; it wasn’t enjoyable, but now we have given the fans something to cheer about.

“The funny thing is that in pre-season we had belief that we could do something this season. Did we think to this level? Probably not, but we felt that we could achieve something good this season.

“With the pre-season we had under the manager, because he perfectly implemented his ideas and his man management and his belief in his players, he really got to know everyone individually, and I think that is what has helped us massively. So, did I think we would be in this position? No.

“Would I have snapped your hand off? Yes. I think we deserve to be in the situation that we are in. We work so hard, day in and day out, to achieve these goals.”

Nottingham Forest plotting move to sign new £20m "giant"

So as Forest close in on a place in next season’s elite competition, they are putting plans in place for the summer transfer window. According to TuttoSport, relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are serious about signing Lorenzo Lucca, who stands at 6ft 7, from Italian side Udinese.

The report states that AC Milan see the forward as a summer target, but they face competition from the Reds as well as Napoli. 10 goals in 28 Serie A games this season have put him on the radar of a few clubs around Europe, with Milan trying to sign him in January, but a deal didn’t work out.

They remain interested in signing the 24-year-old, who has been described as “the giant from Moncalieri”, but it is believed they will find it difficult to sign him in the summer. This then leaves the door open for Forest, who could be in the market for a new striker to help Chris Wood and replace him in the long term. It is reported that a fee of €25 million, which is roughly £20 million, will be enough to complete a transfer.

This wouldn’t be the first time Forest have turned to Serie A to complete a transfer, as they signed defender Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina last summer, and he has been pivotal in a defence that has conceded just 35 goals so far in the Premier League.

The latest report says that Forest could look to repeat their success in Serie A after landing Milenkovic with a move for Lucca, making this one to watch.

Victoria Beckham has shared a loving tribute to her husband David, after the news broke that the former England captain receives knighthood.

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• Posh to be known as Lady Victoria Beckham
• Becks recognised for services to football and charity
• Leaked announcement threatened Golden Balls' gong

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The artist formerly known as Posh Spice, now officially Lady Victoria Beckham, took to Instagram to congratulate her hubby for his honour. The 51-year-old said Golden Balls had "always been her knight in shining armour" and that she "couldn't be prouder" of the former England captain.

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• WHAT VICTORIA SAID

  She posted: "You’ve always been my knight in shining armour, but now it’s official. Sir @davidbeckham!!! What an honour, I couldn’t be prouder of you. Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. The way you’ve touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us everyday. But above all else, I’m so, so proud to call you mine. I love you so much xxxx."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Beckham has been knighted for his services to sport and charity. The news of his gong had been leaked last week, which potentially jeopardised the announcement, as Buckingham Palace are fiercely protective of the Honours List before its official release.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Beckham joins an exclusive group of British citizens, and Pele, that have been knighted for their services to the game. The list contains legends of the game with which Beckham is already linked: his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and Sir Bobby Charlton. Beckham's middle name, Robert, is a tribute to the World Cup winner, his father's favourite player.

Manchester City won their first Premier League title in 2011, thanks to Sergio Aguero’s 94th-minute goal, snatching the title away from rivals Manchester United in the final seconds. Since then, the Citizens have won seven more Premier League titles, dominating English football for the past decade.

Along the way, City have invested a lot of money in buying some of the best talent on offer, leading them towards this success, along with the appointment of Pep Guardiola in 2016, which has seen them become the real powerhouse of English football.

Record signing Jack Grealish played a huge part in Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign, Kevin De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles with the club, and Rodri has even won the Ballon d’Or for his performances in the 2023/24 season.

But perhaps one of their best signings of all time, doesn’t even land in their top ten most expensive list, as City signed Erling Haaland back in 2022, paying £51m for the Norwegian striker.

Erling Haaland's impact at Man City

The 24-year-old has already made 137 appearances for the club since joining from Borussia Dortmund, scoring 119 goals, providing 18 assists and totalling 11,253 minutes played. To go along with that, Haaland has made 39 appearances for his country, already scoring 38 goals for them.

The 6 foot 4 forward became the quickest player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements, doing so in just 94 games played, with only 16 of these 100 goal involvements being assists.

Haaland also now holds the Premier League scoring record, netting 36 goals in a single season, beating the previous record shared by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole (34 goals).

The Norway international has already proven to be worth his weight in gold, but City have added some extra quality around him in recent years, one of which could be considered their best signing since Haaland joined the club, and one who could be at Manchester City for a very long time.

Man City's best signing since Haaland

Man City signed Josko Gvardiol from Bundesliga side, RB Leipzig, for a fee of around £77.6m back in 2023. Since joining, the 23-year-old has made 83 appearances for the club, scoring ten goals, providing four assists and totalling 6,912 minutes played.

When comparing the Croatian international’s first season and second season, you can see a gradual improvement across most metrics, improving his progressive qualities, getting himself into more high-value positions (xG and xAG increase) and improving his passing accuracy.

Gvardiol was labelled “one of the best defenders” at the World Cup in 2022, with Jacek Kulig tagging the Croatian as an “elite talent”.

Coming through as a central defender, Gvardiol has now shown his versatility, often playing as a left-back for Guardiola, giving him tactical flexibility due to the defenders’ ability to fill in both in advanced areas and in defensive zones.

Having scored five goals in the Premier League this season, Gvardiol has shown his importance not only as a defender with exceptional recovery pace, but also as an attacking outlet, often finding himself in and around the box, providing the final touches and making the difference in matches.

It is for that raft of attributes that the flying full-back can earn the status of the Etihad side’s best signing since Haaland.

Forget Khusanov & Reis: Man City can unleash "academy version of Gvardiol"

Man City’s academy could once again prove to be worth its weight in gold

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Feb 18, 2025

Liverpool star Harvey Elliott has awkwardly snubbed his future team-mate Florian Wirtz and picked Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer as the better player.

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• Wirtz set to join Liverpool in record deal
• Future team-mate Elliott claims Palmer better
• Elliott likely to leave Liverpool this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wirtz will soon join Liverpool and could break the Premier League's record for the highest transfer fee, as the Reds are set to pay £100 million ($135.7m) with £16 million ($21.7m) in add-ons to Bayer Leverkusen. However, his soon-to-be team-mate Elliott believes that Chelsea star and his former England Under-21 co-star, Palmer, has the edge over the German.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Wirtz will almost certainly join Elliott at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby for pre-season, it is highly likely that the latter will not be a Reds player for much longer. Ironically, Wirtz's arrival will force him through the exit, as the out-of-favour midfielder is linked with a departure having said he does not want to warm the bench. Aston Villa are believed to be interested in signing him this summer.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WIRTZ?

  The German international's move has been in the works for some time, and Liverpool believe that they will be able to finalise the deal this week. Wirtz's move will eclipse the fee Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023, which has held the title of being the Premier League's most costly transfer.

Arsenal may still be in the Champions League, awaiting a daunting quarter-final tie with Real Madrid, but any ambitions they harboured on the domestic scene are surely now over.

The Gunners sit 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool and as a result, attentions must turn towards the summer window.

Whatever happens, incoming sporting director Andrea Berta needs to sign a new striker. If he doesn’t, he will already be on thin ice with supporters at the Emirates Stadium.

Alexander Isak is the number one target for a lot of clubs around Europe while Benjamin Sesko remains a long-term option for Arsenal. It’s also reported that Berta is a fan of Wolves forward Matheus Cunha.

Before then, however, Arsenal may need a summer clearout. Here’s who could depart the Emirates…

Arsenal's big summer clearout

With Arteta’s men sat second in the title and in the last eight of Europe, a clearout perhaps seems a bit excessive.

However, the hierarchy need to raise the floor of the squad and they will only do that by getting rid of some of the deadwood.

So, let’s take a look at the wage bill. One of the prime candidates to be moved on this summer would have been Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian is the second-highest earner at the club behind Kai Havertz on £265k-per-week but his season-ending ACL injury has ended any hopes Arsenal had of potentially cashing in. Of course, we wish him a speedy recovery.

That aside, midfield duo Thomas Partey and Jorginho are likely to depart north London when their contracts expire in the summer. They won’t make the club any money but Oleksandr Zinchenko may do.

The Ukrainian has become a bit-part member of the first-team squad and having been linked with Borussia Dortmund in January, looks like he could be on his way out.

Another defender in Jakub Kiwior could also leave. He was touted with a return to Italy in the winter and has seen his game time decrease this season.

In the attacking department, Leandro Trossard could also be shelved. The Belgian has only scored six times this term and it’s alleged that there is interest from Saudi Arabia in the former Brighton star.

He’s not the only attacker who should be on the chopping block, however.

Edu's Brazilian acquisition will never play for Arsenal again

While Trossard’s future is very much up in the air, the future of winger Marquinhos looks a lot more clear-cut. Remember him? Just about, right?

The Brazilian talent signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2022 for just £3m, with Edu and Co hoping to repeat the success story of Gabriel Martinelli’s introduction to English football.

Marquinhos initially made quite a big impression, notably scoring on his debut in September 2022, finding the back of the net in a Europa League tie with FC Zurich.

Possessing a dangerous left foot and causing havoc from the right-hand side, it drew comparisons to a certain Bukayo Saka. Speaking after that goal, Martin Keown commented that “it was like Saka in that position, it’s almost a copycat performance.”

Sadly, since that night in Switzerland, the young forward hasn’t really taken his game to a strong level.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

He ended his debut campaign in England by appearing in six games and remarkably hasn’t been seen in Arsenal colours again, last appearing for the senior side in January 2023, an FA Cup tie with Oxford United.

Since his first year in England, Marquinhos has endured loan spells at Norwich City, Nantes, Fluminense and Cruzeiro.

Looking at the numbers, it’s safe to say that the 21-year-old has struggled big time to find form. He’s still young but it looks as though his immediate career is back in his homeland of Brazil.

He’s now playing for Cruzeiro having signed on loan in January and won’t return until December, that’s providing they don’t utilise their option to buy.

Either way, this is a player who is destined never to play for the club again. He’s gone from looking like a Saka regen to a player lacking end product.

Arteta has found a "sensational" Hale Ender who's Arsenal's new Smith Rowe

The incredible talent will be a superstar for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 25, 2025

Ansu Fati’s proposed move to Monaco is stuck as the French club refuse to budge on how much of the Barcelona star’s salary they’ll cover.

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• Monaco unwilling to meet salary demands
• Negotiations with Barcelona have stalled
• Catalan giants want to offload Fati this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona and Monaco were in advanced talks over Fati’s transfer, but now the deal has stalled due to disagreement over his wages, according to . The French club is only willing to pay a limited share of the forward’s salary and has made it clear they won’t shift from that position. The club’s current attacking depth gives them leverage, meaning they’re in no rush to finalise the signing.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Catalan giants are keen to trim their wage bill and part ways with Ansu, who no longer features in the club’s long-term plans. Monaco had emerged as the top destination, with Fati and Paul Pogba expected to be high-profile signings. But without a compromise on salary, the transfer hangs in limbo, affecting both clubs’ summer strategies.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Fati, who came from the famous La Masia academy became Barcelona’s youngest-ever goal scorer in La Liga at just 16 years old, and wears the No. 10 shirt vacated by Lionel Messi, a sign of the enormous expectations placed on him early in his career. However, he has struggled in recent seasons. After spending the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Brighton, he made just 11 appearances in all competitions for Hansi Flick's side last term.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ANSU FATI?

  Unless Monaco shifts its stance or Barcelona agrees to subsidise more of Ansu’s wages, the deal could collapse. Other clubs may enter the race if talks break down completely, but for now, his move to Ligue 1 is on hold.

With the opening phase of the new-look tournament now complete, it's time to reflect on who's surpassed expectations and who's fallen woefully short

No-one really knew what to expect from the revamped Club World Cup, as the planet's elite flew out to the United States for the expanded summer tournament. But after a rip-roaring group stage that has thrown up no shortage of drama, suffice to say we are locked in.

We've seen upsets, truly remarkable scorelines, big hitters sent packing and even some Lionel Messi heroics under the baking sun – pretty much everything you look for from a major tournament in the modern era.

Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

But who have been the success stories and surprise packages, who's surpassed expectations and who has fallen woefully short? Here are GOAL's winners and losers from the Club World Cup group stage…

• Getty
  

  WINNER: Brazilian clubs

  Not only have Brazil's representatives brought the vibes to their matches that many others have dearly lacked, with their loud, colourful and fiercely passionate supporters, but their clubs have shown up on the pitch in a big way, too, proving to be the overall surprise package of he tournament so far.

  Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense AND Botafogo have ALL progressed to the last 16 largely against the odds, with the latter producing the result of the tournament so far with a stunning 1-0 upset of European champions Paris Saint-Germain that made everyone sit up and take notice. The Brasileirao clubs are the story of the group stage.

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• AFP
  

  LOSER: Auckland City

  It was always going to be tough going for part-timers Auckland City, who found themselves in the same group as two storied European clubs as well as Argentine giants Boca Juniors, but they were probably hoping for better than conceding 16 goals in the space of two games.

  The New Zealanders were walloped 10-0 by Bavarian giants Bayern Munich before a less-heavy-but-still-ugly 6-0 thrashing by Benfica ended their extremely slim hopes of progressing. They did, however, bow out with a creditable 1-1 draw with Boca despite having just 26% of possession.

• Getty
  

  WINNER: Estevao

  All eyes have been on 18-year-old Estevao Willian in Palmeiras' games so far as the prodigy prepares to complete his long-awaited £56 million ($71m) switch to Chelsea post-tournament. So far, the wonderkid hasn't disappointed.

  Without setting the world alight, the teenager claimed back-to-back player of the match awards against Porto and Al Ahly and delivered a third consecutive impressive performance against Inter Miami when facing one of his idols in Messi. The scary thing is there is clearly so much more to come; Chelsea must harness that potential.

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  LOSER: Atletico Madrid

  Victims of the success of the Brazilian clubs, Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have crashed out of a group containing PSG, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders – mainly a result of a heavy opening defeat to the Champions League winners.

  That 4-0 thumping and Botafogo's shock win over PSG meant Atleti had to beat the Brazilian side by a margin of at least three goals in their final game to progress to the last 16, but they could only manage a late 1-0 victory as they struggled to break down a staunch defence.

Matheus Cunha will be given the No. 10 shirt at Manchester United, as Marcus Rashford has informed the Red Devils he intends to leave the club.

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• Rashford headlines exodus of players from Old Trafford
• Malacia, Garnacho, Sancho and Antony also looking elsewhere
• Attacker's representatives informed of decision to give Cunha No. 10

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to GOAL, Rashford's representatives have been informed of the club's intention to pass his number on to the Brazilian. It has long been expected that Rashford will leave his boyhood club this summer after a falling out with manager Ruben Amorim and a loan move to Aston Villa in the second half of the 2024-25 season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The want-away forward is one of five first-team players who have declared their intention to leave the club. Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia, Antony and Rashford have all been excused from reporting to pre-season training so they can focus on securing a move away from Manchester.

• TELL ME MORE

  United remain thankful to Rashford for his contributions at Old Trafford, having become one of their most successful academy graduates in the modern era, but his future looks to be away from the club and therefore new arrival Cunha has been handed the No. 10 squad number.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  The 26-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs since his loan move to Villa set this long-running saga in motion. Rashford wants to play Champions League football and would prefer to ply his trade outside of England. He has been linked with Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the past few days.

Fresh off a title-winning summer with Netherlands U-19s, Kees Smit is now attracting interest from both Real Madrid and Barcelona.

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• Smit confirms Real Madrid and Barcelona interest
• Teenager impressed at Under 19 competition
• AZ aim to retain the midfielder amid rising attention

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  AZ midfielder Smit has confirmed to that both Real Madrid and Barcelona have shown interest in him following his standout performances for club and country. The 19-year-old scored two goals and provided an assist in a recent friendly against Almere City and admitted that he is motivated to prove himself in the upcoming season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Smit, who was part of the Netherlands’ U-19 European Championship-winning squad this summer, is currently under contract in Alkmaar until June 2028. Despite reported interest from La Liga giants, the midfielder insists he is focused on improving his Eredivisie output.

  Smit has made 43 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 season, recording 10 goals and seven assists. He scored eight times in the Eerste Divisie, Dutch football's second tier, before breaking into the first team, where he featured 18 times. He also played in the Europa League and domestic cup fixtures.

• WHAT SMIT SAID

  Smit admits he hasn't shown enough in the Eredivisie yet and intends to do better, he said: "I think the potential is there, but in terms of goals and assists, it hasn't been great yet. I could have had a few. This year will be different, but I have to start playing."

  Speaking on the interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona, he added: "Those are great things. The two biggest clubs in the world, I think. I thought it was nice to see and read about.

  "I just want to show here that I can do it. The interest from Barca and Real is nice, but of course, you don't know if I'll play. I'm not really distracted by it."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KEES SMIT?

  AZ face Gent in their next pre-season fixture as Smit continues to fight for a regular starting role. The club remains focused on developing him internally, while interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona will likely be monitored over the next transfer windows. The player remains grounded, stating his desire to prove himself before considering a major move.