Man City 3-1 Sevilla: Rico Lewis makes Champions League history as City end Group G with victory

Match report as academy graduate Rico Lewis lights up the Etihad Stadium with equalising goal; Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez make the game safe after Rafa Mir headed Sevilla into shock lead; City finish top of Group G

Rico Lewis became the youngest player to score on his first Champions League start as he sparked a Manchester City comeback in a 3-1 win over Sevilla.

The 17-year-old right-back coolly slotted home the equaliser after Rafa Mir had headed Sevilla into a shock first-half lead.

City had to call for Kevin De Bruyne from the bench in search of a winner and he delivered within three minutes, setting up Julian Alvarez with a wondrous assist - his 12th of the season. Alvarez then grabbed his second assist of the night when setting up Riyad Mahrez to make the game safe as City finished top of Group G.

Pep Guardiola said of Lewis: "We see him every day, we don't give out presents here. Not just because he's a Manchester City fan and from the academy, he has to earn it. But we've since day one that this guy has something special. He's aggressive enough defensively but does have a lot of margin to improve and with the ball when playing inside he is so good. And outside he showed today with his crossing and finishing."

The last-16 draw, for which Man City will be seeded, will be held at 12pm on Monday November 7. They will face one of Club Brugge, Inter Milan, Frankfurt, Milan, RB Leipzig or PSG.

Rico Lewis, remember the name…

Guardiola resisted the urge to bring Erling Haaland back into the fold after the goalscoring machine had been suffering with a virus and a foot injury - he's likely to be ready for the clash with Fulham on Saturday.City's last two games in the Champions League both finished 0-0 and they failed to score in a lacklustre first-half showing. Sevilla, meanwhile, carried the greater attacking threat and Mir had already had two looks at goal before opening the scoring on 31 minutes. It was really poor defending from City's point of view as Mir was left in three yards of space from an Isco corner to loop a header into the far corner.

City had nine shots before the break but only one of those hit the target. Guardiola switched his tactics at half-time by bringing off Jack Grealish and adding another central midfielder into the game with Rodri. Guardiola revealed Grealish was "the best player" in the first half but withdrew him for a mixture of tactical and fatigue reasons.

That allowed the two City full-backs to play more as wingers rather than inverted midfielders and it was Lewis - born in 2004 - that grabbed the equaliser. A successful high press left Sevilla outnumbered and Alvarez threaded a perfectly weighted ball through for Lewis, who kept his cool impressively for someone so young and scored with a fine finish.

Despite the leveller, City struggled to find space up against the Sevilla low block and Guardiola called for De Bruyne off the bench. Alvarez had been making some fine runs in behind the Sevilla centre-backs all evening but no one possessed the vision to find him until De Bruyne picked up the ball on the halfway line and spun a sensational ball in behind that he latched onto. From there the striker rounded the goalkeeper and fired home into the roof of the

Mahrez looked like he was feeling sorry for himself at times after a rusty start to the season but his mood improved with eight minutes left, hammering home a superb finish after being found by an unselfish Alvarez pass.

Pep: Tactical switch made it a good night for us

Guardiola said: "In the first half we were there but we struggled to attack as we played a right footer on the left and left footer on the right so you go inside and it becomes difficult against five at the back. In the second half with Sergio Gomez on the left and Rico Lewis on the right we felt we had more presence in the final third. It's good as of course we have qualified but we finished well and the money for the club is important. It was a good night for us, especially in the second half."

Guardiola on the production line coming from the academy: "The academy is working amazingly since Jadon Sancho, Brahim Diaz, Phil Foden, James McAtee, Cole Palmer, there are many talents. The guys that want to stay here and fight for their position, they have a chance. If they are not patient and listen to the agents more, then they can leave, no problem. You saw the reaction from the crowd that people are so pleased to have players from the academy playing for us. They can help us as they have quality."

Opta stats: Alvarez makes his mark

1. Aged 22 years and 275 days, Álvarez became the youngest Argentinean to be directly involved in three goals in a single UEFA Champions League match since Lionel Messi vs FC Bayern München in April 2009, also under Pep Guardiola (21 years 288 days).
2. Rafa Mir scored in England for the first time in what was his 19th club appearance in the country, previously failing to score with Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Sevilla (vs West Ham).
3. Lewis became the fifth Englishman to start a UEFA Champions League match before turning 18 after Jack Wilshere, Josh McEachran, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham.

Man City have three more games before the World Cup break. They host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday; kick-off 3pm. They then face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday November 9, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 8pm.

Their final match before the World Cup is on Saturday November 12, when they host Brentford in the Premier League; kick-off 12.30pm.

Sevilla have two further La Liga fixtures to play, against Real Betis and Real Soceidad, before a Copa del Rey match against Velarde on Sunday November 13

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

 

Reiss Nelson steps in for Bukayo Saka, Costa’s red card could be costly for Wolves and Cucurella’s struggles continue

1) Marsch hopes Anfield can relaunch Leeds’ season

Inconceivable. That could apply to the decline of a team who were challenging on all fronts six months ago, have reached the knockout stage of the Champions League, yet find themselves adrift in the title race having dropped points in eight of 12 matches this season. But it was the word Jesse Marsch used to describe Leeds’ first win over Liverpool since April 2001 – prefixed by “almost”, admittedly – as the under-pressure manager savoured the release of a dramatic late victory at Anfield. The emotional celebrations were understandable but did not cloud Marsch’s assessment that Leeds cannot waste the chance to launch their season. With three of the current top four to play after Bournemouth’s visit to Elland Road next Saturday, his realism made sense. “We should not be in this position, we should not be suffering the way we are,” said Marsch. “But we haven’t found ways to reward ourselves. Part of it is we are a young team. We needed a moment in our season to stop the bleeding and to get it here is almost inconceivable. But we can’t just rely on one game. We need to build momentum in our season.” Andy Hunter

2) Cucurella makes torrid return to Brighton

Marc Cucurella is struggling. The Spanish defender has had a difficult start to life at Chelsea and it did not get any better for him when he returned to Brighton on Saturday. Brighton’s fans had not forgotten how Cucurella forced his way out of the club last summer and they delighted in watching him fail to contain Solly March, who had the freedom of the right flank because of Graham Potter’s cavalier decision to field Raheem Sterling at left wing-back for Chelsea. Sterling offered Cucurella, who was at left centre-back, zero protection and the home side duly ran riot. Nothing went right for Chelsea. They were comfortably outplayed and the individual concerns over Cucurella are growing. His defending has been ragged, his distribution iffy, and he has been substituted early in four of his last five starts; not the best look for a player who cost £62.5m. Jacob Steinberg

3) Nelson makes his case from the bench

Reiss Nelson has had to wait patiently for his chance but the Arsenal attacker took full advantage during their dismantling of Nottingham Forest. Nelson was brought on for Bukayo Saka in the first half and played a huge role in the rout. Two goals at the start of the second half and an assist added up to an outstanding return that suggests he can play a valuable role in their squad this season. “Not only me but all his staff and teammates are so happy for him, because he’s really evolving and maturing,” said Mikel Arteta. “He’s showing every day how much he wants it. Today he had that opportunity and he did extremely well.” It was only Nelson’s fourth appearance of the season and his first in the Premier League but he played with the confidence and touch of a first-team regular. It will surely not be his last meaningful contribution. Simon Mail

4) Guardiola looks ahead to City’s home comforts

“I know the calendar,” Pep Guardiola said a little menacingly a half-hour or so after victory at Leicester, proceeding to rattle off how Chelsea host Arsenal and Tottenham entertain Liverpool before the World Cup break. Chelsea also travel to Newcastle before the Premier League halts. The point Guardiola was making was that his Manchester City side must try to make the most of a relatively kind schedule. They have four successive home games before eyeballs turn to Qatar, including a Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea and league matches against Fulham and Brentford. Rivals are likely to drop points and City will hope to avoid fatigue and defeat. “We can arrive after the World Cup being there on top of the league,” Guardiola said. Ben Fisher

5) Martínez’s injury points to concussion concerns

It is a measure of Newcastle’s progress that two national coaches, England’s Gareth Southgate and Brazil’s Tite, watched Eddie Howe’s side shred Aston Villa, scoring four fine goals. In scoring two and helping create both of the others, Wilson emphasised that he should be nailed on as Harry Kane’s international understudy. He has surely booked a place in Southgate’s Qatar-bound World Cup squad. While Howe’s impressive team seem genuinetop-four contenders, Aston Villa’s incoming manager, Unai Emery, has much to do when he begins work on Tuesday. One priority must be reviewing the club’s concussion protocols. Despite requiring prolonged treatment after his teammate, Tyrone Mings, accidentally drove a knee into his head, Emiliano Martínez continued for a further 12 minutes before collapsing unchallenged after collecting a cross and finally being helped off the pitch. Why did Villa not replace their goalkeeper immediately after the Mings collision? Louise Taylor

6) Antonio has a future as a West Ham supersub

Michail Antonio last started a Premier League game in mid-September but he has a potential future as a supersub. At Old Trafford, he was called for after 57 fruitless minutes for Gianluca Scamacca. Antonio offering variety could be important for David Moyes, who has lacked a backup option of note for a long time. Antonio went on and made Lisandro Martínez know of his presence immediately, producing the sort of shoulder barge that would leave a lesser player requiring a month in bed. Manchester United knew they were in a battle and had to adapt to the new challenge, doing so successfully – but only just. He lost out to defenders on a couple of headers but the pressure was certainly increased on the opposing backline and he forced David de Gea into a fine tip over the bar with a rising drive. Antonio can continue to have similar impacts and in modern football there is no great shame in being a very effective substitute. Will Unwin

7) Moore’s strength vital for Cherries and Wales

Kieffer Moore is non-conventional. His route to the Premier League – signed by Yeovil Town from non-league Dorchester only to endure back-to-back relegations; a brief stint with Norway’s Viking FK; a whistle-stop UK tour taking in Ipswich, Barnsley, Wigan, and finally Bournemouth – was non-conventional. His playing style – 6ft 5in battering ram centre-forward – is, by modern standards, non-conventional. But against Tottenham on Saturday, Moore was too much for the visitors to handle. A goal in each half came through a pair of differing first-time finishes. He steered the opener home with his right foot, before later stooping for a header of strength and bravery. He did not deserve to finish on the losing side. Still, there were signs of promise for both Bournemouth and Wales. Sam Dalling

8) Lampard and Silva are at clubs that suit them

“I have to remind you that in our first season [at] Everton we finished in eighth,” said Marco Silva. “Until the last game we were competing for the Europa League.” Silva was standing his ground determinedly, just as Fulham had been denied victory by the brilliance of Jordan Pickford, and some prime defending by Conor Coady and James Tarkowski. His sacking in December 2019 clearly still rankles but at Fulham his attacking style of play is highly appreciated. Frank Lampard, meanwhile, suits Everton’s current needs well, and deserves credit for reviving his career and reputation by saving the club from relegation before making them hard to beat this season. “Last year we would lose that game so there is progress, but I want more,” he said. Everton remain blunt in attack but Lampard’s relative success and Fulham’s excellent season so far under Silva reminds us certain clubs suit certain managers. Finding those combinations is the difficult bit. John Brewin

9) Palace continue to lack a top finisher

Patrick Vieira’s tenure at Crystal Palace has been quietly impressive so far, the manager having succeeded in transforming an uncomplicated counterpunching side into one that attacks with far more imagination, all without sacrificing any resilience at the back. The one glaring absence, though, is a goalscoring striker – a situation compounded by Conor Gallagher’s return to Chelsea and mitigated only partly by Wilfried Zaha’s output. With 88 goals in four seasons for Celtic, Odsonne Édouard was signed to fill that gap but a piddling total of six last term did not befit an attack featuring two of the country’s most fearsome wingers. The Frenchman’s record is little improved much this season but his three goals so far – close-range conversions to cap passages of smart buildup play – at least offer a decent blueprint for the type of striker Palace need. If Édouard doesn’t improve soon, Vieira should be on the lookout for a more predatory centre-forward capable of spearheading a charge for Europe. Ivan Toney perhaps? Alex Hes

10) Costa’s red card so wasteful for Wolves

There were signs that Diego Costa was finding sharpness in the draw with Brentford. A neat feint and drag past Ben Mee in the second half left the impressive centre-back flailing and the former Spain international’s vicious low shot was well stopped by David Raya. His link-up play and movement looked to be improving, too. Having scored only six Premier League goals this season, Wolves desperately needed the veteran striker to quickly find fitness and form to help lift them away from the relegation zone. The hard work on getting up to speed was wasted when the forward headbutted Mee over absolutely nothing. It was an astonishing lack of discipline and the straight red card – Costa’s first in the Premier League, surprisingly – means the 34-year-old is now suspended until Boxing Day. Another extended break will mean Costa has to work again to find match fitness. Wolves might be wondering whether signing him was worth it. Gregg Bakowski

Gabriel Magalhaes signs new long-term contract

Gabriel Magalhaes has signed a new long-term contract with us.

Since joining from Lille in September 2020, Gabi has become a vital part of our first team, making 81 appearances in all competitions.

 The 24-year-old defender continues to grow in stature with impressive performances and is also a big goalscoring threat. He netted on his debut in September 2020, and scored five times in the Premier League last season.

European football model 'unsustainable', says new CEO of Super League promoter

 

Paris (AFP) – The new CEO of the company promoting the Super League, German businessman Bernd Reichart, says European football must hold talks to reshape its future and warns it is "becoming unsustainable" under the current system.

Reichart, the 48-year-old former boss of the RTL media group in Germany, was on Wednesday appointed head of A22 Sports Management.

"European football needs an open and honest dialogue about its future," Reichart told AFP, 18 months on from the botched attempt at a breakaway 12-team Super League designed to supplant the UEFA Champions League.

"Football is facing problems which won't resolve on their own," he said.

"European football is losing its undisputed leadership in global sports. European club football is not living up to its potential by not offering week after week the best sport on a global stage.

"Young audiences have turned more and more to other entertainment alternatives."

Reichart plans to reach out to an extensive range of football stakeholders including clubs, players, coaches, fans, media and policy makers.

"I think dialogue can take place, it's good there is conciousness that the (status quo) can change and clubs should be prepared to shape their own future and to consider what the new landscape could look like," he said.

"Football can do better, clubs should be able to lead such a dialogue and be entitled to propose new alternatives, free from threats, sanctions or exclusion (from) competition as happened in the past."

"The football ecosystem is becoming unsustainable, the pandemic has acceleratedthe system is broken," he added.

Closed shop 'off the table'

Launched by some of Europe's top clubs in April 2021, the Super League's plan to shake up European football fizzled out amid the fury of many supporters and the threat of political action.

The prospect of a closed competition for Europe's elite angered fans in particular, but Reichart said a new approach meant that would no longer be the case.

"One of our key messages is permanent membership is off the table, and we want to discuss on the basis of an open competition based on sporting merit."

Three of the clubs -- Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus -- continue to campaign for the Super League. A dispute over an alleged abuse of a dominant position by UEFA is to be settled in early 2023 by the European Court of Justice.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin defiantly claimed in May the Super League project was "over once and for all or at least for 20 years", but Reichart remains confident.

"You might get suspicious if somebody tells you again and again something is dead," said Reichart, a specialist in media and sports rights who also previously worked for the Spanish media group Atresmedia.

"Today we prove that the initiative is not dead, it's evolving, it's reshaping, it has reassessed, and it's reaching out to stakeholders and the football family."

In response to the Super League threat, UEFA launched a major reform of the Champions League for 2024, with 36 teams instead of 32, and an eight-day mini-league instead of the traditional group stage.

"That is not going in the right direction," said Reichart.

"I'm pretty convinced fans will not like the 2024-2027 format, which has clear weaknesses, a huge number of additional matches, and the same old last 16 where the Champions League is getting really interesting and exciting, when we are in spring."

Mason Greenwood: Manchester United footballer released on bail after private hearing

 The Manchester United footballer, who is charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, was granted bail after the hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester

Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood will be released from custody after a bail application was granted.

The 21-year-old forward faces charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault.

He appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Monday and was remanded in custody.

A bail application was held in private at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday.

Following the hearing, a spokesman for the court said bail had been granted, with conditions not to contact witnesses, including the complainant, and to reside at an address on Bow Green Road in Bowdon.

Greenwood did not appear for the short hearing but is due to appear at court again on Monday, November 21.

All three charges relate to the same woman.

The player was first held in January over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

He had been on bail since but was arrested in the Trafford area on Saturday for an alleged breach of conditions.

The controlling and coercive behaviour relates to a period between November 2018 and October this year, where he is alleged to have made threatening and derogatory comments towards the complainant, as well as accessing and monitoring her social media accounts.

The charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm is dated December 2021.

Within hours of the allegations surfacing online at the beginning of the year, the forward - who has made one appearance for England - was suspended from playing or training with the Old Trafford club.

Nike suspended and later terminated its sponsorship deal with Greenwood, while Electronic Arts confirmed his removal from active squads on its Fifa 22 game.

Kylian Mbappe spoke out to calm PSG's fury

There are lots of unsolved issues in Paris.

The present and future of Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain continues to generate news in France.

It is becoming very clear that the Frenchman wants to leave PSG as soon as he can after feeling that promises to him were not kept.

Mbappe's PSG future

Various French news outlets such as L'Equipe and Le Parisien have been reporting on it and they assure that his 'denial' of any issues in the mixed zone after the match with Marseille was the result of an agreement between the club and the player.

"On Sunday, it was important that Mbappe denied having asked to leave for PSG," begins L'Equipe.

There was supposedly talks between the club and the player where it was agreed that he needed to publicly defuse the situation to lesser the media attention on the club and him.

It is claimed that the player himself did not ask PSG to let him leave but the entourage around him have made the request. That allows him to deny in the press that he asked to leave.

Luis Campos' role

L'Equipe also explains that Luis Campos was seen as being at the centre of the situation and there is anger in both Paris and Doha.

"If Mbappe has the feeling of having been betrayed by unfulfilled promises, PSG shares a similar feeling towards a player to whom it has given in to all demands, even beyond the sporting aspect," reports L'Equipe.

Le Parisien follows the same line

In recent hours, Le Parisien, certainly the newspaper closest to PSG, has followed this line: "The impact was great and the denials of Luis Campos and Christophe Galtier did little to put out the fire and especially did not calm Mbappe's anger against Nasser Al Khelaifi and his unfulfilled promises."

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

 

Diego Costa offers Wolves more bite, Antonio Conte faces a selection headache and VAR continues to confound coaches

1) VAR inconsistency spoils Anfield spectacle

In real time it looked as though the VAR check for Phil Foden’s disallowed goal related to the challenge on Alisson by Erling Haaland. The fact it was for something earlier, Haaland’s foul on Fabinho, a kind of disdainful toss to the floor which seemed entirely unconnected by the time the ball was put in the net by Foden, emphasised again the oddity and inconsistency of VAR. That challenge had been within the referee’s eyeline at the time. Was this video tool really intended to allow the officials to re-referee such 50-50 moments? Was there an obvious injustice here that simply had to be corrected? The answer probably depends on which team you support, or how slowly you replay the collision. But again, it was hard to feel the spectacle was improved by this intervention. This has been an unintended consequence of VAR: over-refereeing, and bizarrely excessive prominence for the enforcer of some necessarily subjective laws. Football is entertainment. Bald men looking at screens is not. Barney Ronay

2) Ten Hag’s United still recall Solskjær-ball

“The performance was good, a clean sheet – we pressed well, we controlled the game and in stages we were good on the ball – especially in the second half.” Erik ten Hag made no mention of how his Manchester United team are yet to be a consistent pass-and-move outfit who play for long swathes in the opponent’s half. Instead, the Dutchman’s team are a variant on Solskjær-ball. As with his predecessor’s United side, Ten Hag’s early matches have been harum-scarum, his team relying on counterattacks and pace, running out of ideas against a low-banked, stacked defence. Against Newcastle, there were glimpses of the five-a-side moves that make Manchester City so dominant. The hope for Ten Hag is that his players can gradually morph into a cadre who can do this relentlessly. If not, further surgery is required in the market. Jamie Jackson

3) Conte set for delicate balancing act

Advertisement

Tottenham look stretched. Dejan Kulusevski is still out and Brazil could be without Richarlison at the World Cup after the forward limped off against Everton. It is a headache for Antonio Conte. The Italian adjusted well to the absence of two key attackers, his decision to bolster the midfield by replacing Richarlison with Yves Bissouma pushing Spurs to victory, but his side’s workload before the season halts for Qatar is a worry. Conte, who could stick with 3-5-2 against Manchester United on Wednesday, has a small trusted core and rarely tinkers. But given that Spurs must squeeze eight games in before the World Cup, including vital Champions League games against Sporting Lisbon and Marseille, what will that mean for Eric Dier, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane? Conte is reluctant to rest them but he must be wary of weariness inviting further injuries. Jacob Steinberg

4) Marsch simmers as Leeds miss their shot

Another week, more anger at officialdom in a match involving Leeds. Had Patrick Bamford not clanked a late penalty wide, the fervour that Jesse Marsch has his players operating at would have clipped Arsenal’s wings. The striker, a half-time substitute, also had an equaliser ruled out. Marsch’s face was a picture as Chris Kavanagh, the referee, went to the VAR screen. Then, after the missed spot-kick came the injury-time penalty and red card awarded, and then overruled, following a skirmish between Bamford and Gabriel Magalhães. Again, Marsch simmered as the decision went against his team. All that came after a power cut and loss of VAR communication had delayed the match. The American has only just returned from a touchline ban and kept his counsel in post-match interviews. He could at least take heart from a second-half performance in which Leeds’ chaotic element gave the leaders an awful scare. John Brewin

5) Villa improved but fans still unconvinced

Villa Park is an edgy place at the moment but it was surprising to hear audible annoyance from the stands during the first half against Chelsea when the home side recycled possession backwards. The locals have seen a few too many listless offerings in recent weeks but on this occasion their grumblings were misplaced, because Villa were excellent for long periods. Their parlous position in the table offers a telling explanation, though, and this performance will not be enough to change minds about Steven Gerrard’s potential to turn things around. It needs backing up quickly and Gerrard, who found an attacking combination that mixed speed with muscularity, should stick with the same approach against Fulham on Thursday. Villa looked more positive, vertical and direct than they have for some time despite the occasional slowdown. To keep his job, Gerrard needs plenty more of the same. Nick Ames

6) O’Neil proving the man for Cherries

Advertisement

In September 1989, promoted Crystal Palace were walloped 9-0 at Anfield; they then won three and drew one of their next six games, a run that helped them remain in the top division. In August 2022, promoted Bournemouth were walloped 9-0 at Anfield; since that result and Scott Parker’s subsequent sacking, they are unbeaten (winning two and drawing four). The key to staying up will not be a brutal beating by Liverpool but instead Gary O’Neil inspiring the Cherries to a seriously impressive recovery as caretaker manager. Following another commendable performance in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Fulham, it’s getting hard to understand why he has yet to be appointed on a permanent basis. Were there a multitude of other outstanding candidates for the post, the board’s circumspection would be understandable – but even then, only O’Neil can say he’s proved his suitability for the job. Daniel Harris

7) Costa brings the noise for Wolves

At 34, Diego Costa may not be the world-class striker of his Chelsea days but his ability to get in people’s faces, lead the line, tell others where to go and rouse the Molineux crowd has already made Wolves more dangerous. After nine months out of action, the striker’s match fitness is understandably well below Premier League level but his nous cannot be underestimated in a Wolves team that was lacking a focal point with Raúl Jiménez, Sasa Kalajdzic (both injured) and Fábio Silva (on loan at Anderlecht) unavailable. A game of two penalties was lit up by Adama Traoré’s trademark hit-and-miss efforts but Costa helped pin Forest back and invited Wolves’ other attacking threats to become more involved. Steve Davis, Wolves’ interim head coach, admitted he cannot rely on Costa for Tuesday’s trip to Crystal Palace. “Knowing Diego, he’ll want to play every game,” Davis said. “But we’ll have to assess him.” Peter Lansley

8) Seagulls need to turn possession into goals

What would Roberto De Zerbi give to have a finisher like Ivan Toney in his team? The Brighton manager cut a frustrated figure on Friday after watching his side lose at Brentford despite dominating the stats. Yet while 21 shots from the visitors sounds like a lot, Brighton only really tested David Raya on a handful of occasions. With struggling Nottingham Forest up next, De Zerbi has a fourth attempt to record his first victory since taking over from Graham Potter but admitted his team need to be more clinical in front of goal. “I can’t say that [Danny] Welbeck played bad – he worked very hard for his team and other players had chances in the second half but we didn’t find the goals,” the Italian said. “Football is like this. Maybe on Tuesday we will shoot 10 times and score two or three goals.” Ed Aarons

9) Hammers attack can be a major threat

A big part of West Ham’s resurgence in recent weeks has been their growing chemistry in attack. Having scored three goals in their first seven league games, they now have six in their last three. While they were enormously wasteful against Southampton – racking up 25 shots with only four on target – they nonetheless showed enough to suggest that their summer signings are starting to click. Lucas Paquetá was a fizzing ball of energy out wide, while Gianluca Scamacca was inches away from a goal on several occasions and excelled at dropping deep to orchestrate play. If they can just brush up on their finishing, David Moyes’ new attacking unit have the potential to be really dangerous. Will Magee

10) Foxes’ toil masks Eagles’ struggle

The gloom enveloping Leicester City and Brendan Rodgers perhaps did Patrick Vieira and Crystal Palace a favour on Saturday. Rodgers’s position is precarious after one win in 10 games but despite the feelgood factor around a vibrant Palace team, Vieira has only won two in nine. The Frenchman has plenty of credit in the bank for shifting the style and profile of the Palace squad but it felt alarming that a side teeming with exuberance rarely troubled the worst defence in the division in a poor game. Odsonne Édouard and Eberechi Eze had their moments but Wilfried Zaha, Jordan Ayew and the substitute Michael Olise were quiet. “All those forward players with talent, I would like them to do a bit more and Ebs is one of them,” Vieira said. “We want to keep working with him to add those finishes and goals we believe he can score.” Ben Fisher

Copyright 2022 theguardian. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to theguardian.com as the source