Premier League hits and misses: Newcastle prove solid foundations, Arsenal need to spend in January transfer market | Football News

The best around: Newcastle’s defence is a thing of beauty

In 18 Premier League matches this season, Newcastle have managed to keep 10 clean sheets. A badge of honour for any defence, indeed. That phenomenal achievement is backed up by the goals conceded column which also ranks them as the best defence in the Premier League having let in just 11 goals so far this term. Arsenal are next in with 14 shipped.

This latest clean sheet grabbed by Nick Pope and his band of brothers at the heart of the Newcastle defence was arguably the most impressive one yet. Arsenal had scored in their last 17 Premier League games and kicked off knowing they’d won their last 10 matches at The Emirates, scoring 32 goals along the way.

Not only did Newcastle keep them out, they kept them out without too many hairy moments. Pope was only called upon to make three saves – the best with his feet late on from Eddie Nketiah. Arsenal’s chance creation only equated to 1.13 in expected goals, showcasing just how stingy the Newcastle backline was.
Lewis Jones

Arsenal need January additions in attack

Struggling to break down a stoically stubborn Newcastle defence, when Mikel Arteta looked across to his Arsenal bench for options he was met by the sight of just 19-year-old Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.

The youngster has done brilliantly to break into Arteta’s squad but a team chasing a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League need strength in depth. Real game-changing options.

Arsenal had 17 shots but only four on target. Eddie Nketiah managed two, but amassed a combined xG of just 0.1.

Arsenal’s fragile squad depth has been exposed by the injury to Gabriel Jesus and though Nketiah is doing his best to fill the gap, the Gunners are hamstrung beyond him.

A point against Newcastle may yet prove a good one but when Manchester City are playing catch-up, you are never safe. A Plan B is a necessity in January to keep the wolf from the door.

Gary Neville’s verdict was clear: “If you thought before the game that Arsenal needed a striker, you’re certainly thinking it now,” he said with 15 minutes left.

Arteta only made one substitution across the 90 minutes – and that was to swap out Ben White at full-back.

He knows as well as anyone what he needs, and though he is public about his desires, there is no guarantee they will be realised.

The Gunners are apparently reluctant to pay around £19m for a six-month loan for Joao Felix. It would be an inflated price, but this is the January window and Atletico Madrid know their suitors are desperate.

If Arsenal get to February 1 without any additions, that fee may not look so exorbitant given the alternative of making do.
Ron Walker

Star boy Ferguson beams again for Brighton

The way Evan Ferguson has gradually worked his way into the Brighton first team over the last 18 months has been like a dream.

The teenager had made four first team appearances by the age of 17 last February and he has already bettered that this term, as well as making his senior Republic of Ireland debut. But most importantly, he has started to perform on the big stage now – and in the Premier League, he looks as far from overawed as one can possibly be.

Having played the last half hour against Arsenal and scored, Ferguson had several chances to net against Everton before he eventually did, showing strength and poise as he led the line as though he had done it a hundred times before.

In adding an assist, too, aged 18 years and 76 days, he became the second-youngest player in Premier League history to both score and assist in a match, after Michael Owen in 1997 (17y 364d v Crystal Palace) and the youngest player to score in consecutive Premier League appearances since a 17-year-old Federico Macheda in 2009.

Such form, albeit having happened within a matter of days, is likely to pique the interest of clubs far and wide. For now, though, Brighton have hot property on their hands and they are using him to good effect.
Dan Long

It’s getting sticky for the Toffees

The stress and frustration was clearly etched upon Frank Lampard’s face when he faced the cameras following Everton’s 4-1 defeat to Brighton.

If the result itself wasn’t bad enough, it was one that left the Toffees just a point above the relegation zone.

Lampard was a perpetual winner as a player; he wasn’t used to dealing with these types of situations. Yet, this season, it looks as though he is set to face a second successive scrap to try and preserve the Merseyside club’s Premier League status.

So what can he do to turn their fortunes around? Their build-up play was somewhat laboured against the Seagulls, leaving Dominic Calvert-Lewin often isolated and the fans often frustrated. And the less said about their countless defensive errors the better.

Lampard has admitted that he wants to try and find reinforcments to bolster the squad in the January window. But that had been the case before he arrived at Goodison Park on January 31 last year – in came Vitalii Mykolenko, Nathan Patterson, Dele Alli, Anwar El Ghazi and Donny van de Beek – and still, it took an almighty battle to survive.

The pressure is, without doubt, increasing on Lampard by the week, given the poor run of form Everton are on. But he has got them out of trouble once before and maybe, just maybe, he might be able to get them on the right track again soon.
Dan Long

Shaw shines again for Man Utd

Luke Shaw surprised some with his assured performances at centre-back in the wins over Nottingham Forest and Wolves but this was an opportunity to show what he could do back in his best position and he seized it in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth.

It was Shaw’s driving run from deep that cut through the Cherries’ defence for the second goal. He played the right pass in picking out Bruno Fernandes and followed the run to finish Alejandro Garnacho’s cross with his weaker right foot. It was a wonderful goal.

His pass in setting up the third was even better. A lovely, lofted ball over the top of the Bournemouth defence found Fernandes and he left Marcus Rashford with the simple job of beating the goalkeeper from close range. Once again, it was magnificent from Shaw.

In early October, he had started just two of Erik ten Hag’s first 10 games in charge – the first two, both lost. There was some uncertainty about his position at the club given that the incoming manager had brought in a new left-back in Tyrell Malacia.

But his form since then has been impressive and his importance has become clear, and has been re-emphasised since his return from the World Cup. Three Premier League games played, two different positions, one superb strike and not a single goal conceded at the other end.
Adam Bate

Leno’s move across London paying dividends for Fulham

Amongst 12 summer signings, Bernd Leno’s arrival may not have been the one to get the pulses racing among the Craven Cottage regulars, but he is proving to be one of Fulham’s key performers in what is turning into a hugely impressive season.

The 30-year-old’s reputation took a hit after he lost his place at Arsenal to Aaron Ramsdale, with the relegation down the pecking order clearly stinging Leno, who criticised the club’s “politics” on his way out.

Leno’s demotion at Arsenal was no surprise given a number of costly errors, but he has shown why he is the owner of nine Germany caps during his time with Fulham.

The former Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper came to the fore during the second half at Leicester, with impressive saves from Harvey Barnes, Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Perez preserving his side’s lead.

Since establishing himself as Fulham’s No 1, Leno is second only to Brentford’s David Raya for saves per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, while he has let in 3.87 fewer goals than expected from the shots he has faced in his 16 league games this season.

At just £8m, taking Leno from north to west London is proving to be a shrewd piece of business for Fulham.
Joe Shread

Fulham show Leicester why they must spend in January

The woeful form of relegation candidates Everton and West Ham ensures that Frank Lampard and David Moyes are currently the favourites to be the next Premier League managers to lose their job, but there’s a reason why Brendan Rodgers is next on that list.

Leicester may not yet be resembling the side that picked up just one point from their opening seven Premier League games, but three defeats in a row following the World Cup have left the Foxes just three points above the relegation zone.

The way in which a number of Leicester’s players have regressed is a huge cause for concern, too, with the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy currently resembling shadows of their former selves.

Leicester’s struggles in the summer transfer market were well documented but Rodgers believes there is money to spend now the window is open again this month.

Whether that proves to be the case remains to be seen but the manager better hope that it’s true, with his ailing squad in dire need of reinforcements.

Fulham were a Championship side last season but spent wisely in the summer and, player for player, look a better outfit than Leicester, despite the Foxes finishing in the top half of the Premier League for the past five seasons.

That is a damning indictment of Leicester’s current status – which could get increasingly precarious as the winter window unfolds.
Joe Shread