MINTAH Writes: Manchester City is the best destination for Kudus Mohammed, not Chelsea

Pep Guardiola molding one of football’s malleable talents is sure to be one of the best experiments to witness

As crazy as it sounds, there was a time there were legitimate concerns over signing the great Ronaldinho. Was he another Denilson, a trickster who had all the skills in the world and beyond to beat players at will but could never put it all together to become an elite player, or even worse an average player?

Was Ronaldinho going to be another Brazilian who flat out flames out, like his compatriot, when asked to produce consistently as every elite player does?

The answer was a bit up in the air, considering Ronaldinho had already showed up big on the big stages (at the 2002 FIFA World Cup) and in the biggest games for Paris Saint-Germain (against Olympique Marseilles and AS Monaco especially) but was pretty anonymous in games against mid table teams and bottom dwellers.

Denilson’s huge failure to live up to his world’s most expensive player tag rubbed heavily off on doubts on Ronaldinho but that was soon put to bed by the ever smiling maestro who dazzled the world at the Camp Nou.

*Denilson of Brazil. (Photo by Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images)*

*Barcelona’s Brazilian striker Ronaldinho celebrating after scoring a goal during an UEFA Cup (Photo credit should read CESAR RANGEL/AFP via Getty Images)*

In fact, Ronaldinho was so untouchable at Barcelona that his time at AC Milan, though very good, is generally viewed as part of the more unimpressive years in his career.

Professional sports operates with a strong copycat format that whatever works gets replicated by other operators in the discipline.

Barcelona’s Ronaldinho (R) during Spanish League football match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, 19 November, 2005. AFP PHOTO JAVIER SORIANO (Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

In the NBA, the winning template was to play small ball like the Golden State Warriors teams that won three titles in four years. That has switched to going with a traditional big man who has the passing skills of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Seeing the somewhat depressed market for Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus isn’t shocking, looking at the flat performances of Antony and Mykhailo Mudryk. Both players were sold by Ajax Amsterdam and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively for at least 100 million Euros and underperformed in their debut seasons in the English Premier League.

Had Antony and Mudryk started their EPL careers off with a bang, clubs would be queuing up to sign a left footed winger with tremendous ball juggling ability, balance, improving goal scoring prowess, and years on hand to grow into an absolute world-beater.

*Kudus Mohammed in action against Angola in a 2023 AFCON qualifier*

Mohammed has been consistently linked to the EPL since the start of the 2022-2023 season with Everton, Liverpool, Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal all mentioned as potential destinations. Chelsea has been added to this “interested in Kudus” list in recent days with the London club mentioned as a huge admirer of the Ajax player.

Outside the EPL, Borussia Dortmund looks to be the best club for Kudus but moving to the German side is quite a linear move and Brighton and the EPL represents that step up in competition quality.

Kudus Mohammed (left) with Hafiz Konkoni at Black Stars training session

Though Brighton will compete in the Europa League and not the Champions League like Dortmund, affairs at the club are quite settled and a path to regular extensive minutes are quite clearer compared to Arsenal, Chelsea or even Everton.

However, one team that hasn’t been connected to securing Mohammed Kudus’ signing at the time of writing this piece is Manchester City. Here are reasons why a move to Man City works for Mohammed Kudus.

Chelsea’s priority compared to Man City’s

*Caicedo (Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)*

Chelsea is having trouble deciding between spending money to sign Moises Caicedo to play exclusively as the defensive midfielder alongside the versatile Enzo Fernandez in Mauricio Pochettino’s heavily used 4-2-3-1 formation and buying another central defender.

With Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana injured and Thiago Silva very high up there in age and having his fair share of injuries, getting an Axel Disasi is more of a priority than getting a winger who can also line up in midfield in Kudus.

*Wesley Fofana (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)*

On the other hand, Man City needs such a player in its setup following the exits of Riyadh Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan. Pep Guardiola’s side has played its hand to fill the wing/midfield role by registering its interest in Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise.

Michael Olise Effect

*Josko Gvardiol (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)*

While the Cityzens are engulfed in a battle with RB Leipzig to sign defender Josko Gvardiol, the team EPL champs need reinforcement in the midfield/wing role. Rico Lewis played in this role last season but an upgrade on the English youngster is exactly what Pep desires hence the interest in Olise who is more accomplished than Lewis.

Kudus has the tactical range to play Bernardo Silva’s role as a guy who plays on the wing and can slot into the left side of a three man midfield unit with Rodri and Mateo Kovacic or Kevin De Bruyne.

*Michael Olise (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)*

Olise played to his immense talent this past season but Kudus has shown he is more accomplished and the more ready player to meet Guardiola’s demanding system.

An archetype of Guaridola’s system was on full display in Man City’s 1-0 over Arsenal at the Emirates in the COVID-hit 2020-21 season where Man City went striker-less and won the league.

*Guardiola show off Champions League title Photo Courtesy: Evening Standard*

In that win over Arsenal, De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva took turns playing central in a three-man attack formation. Kudus played 16 games last season, scored nine goals and added two assists as a makeshift center-forward for Ajax.

As a right winger, the soon-to-be 23-year-old played 17 games, scored seven goals and registered four assists, while scoring two goals and bagging an assist in nine games as an attacking midfielder. As a pro, Olise (who turns 22 in December) is yet to line up as a center-forward, thus giving Kudus the edge even in the face of Olise’s effect in this discussion.

Continuing the Man City way of doing business

Man City under Guardiola operate a bit differently from the norm as the club signs players who aren’t necessarily needed but end up slotting into Guardiola’s grand scheme and becoming contributors. Manuel Akanji wasn’t a ‘sexy signing’ as an inconsistent defender who made a tad too many mistakes but he contributed immensely to the treble-winning squad.

*Jack Grealish Tom Flathers/Manchester City FC via Getty Images*

City overpaid for Jack Grealish, and in the Englishman’s debut season at the Etihad, he did look like an overpaid winger.

*Mohammed Kudus of Ajax (Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)*

However, in his second season, he played up to his price tag so well.

At this point, Mohammed Kudus to Man City looks a bit off script but doing things a bit off script, with others catching up later has been Guardiola’s trademark since breaking into pro coaching ranks. As such, seeing Kudus in a Man City jersey isn’t farfetched at all.

[OPINION]: Three Premier League teams that need Mohammed Salisu’s services

Before, during and after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mohammed Salisu’s run in the Black Stars has been brilliant thus far but getting to that point was not easy at all. Marred in controversy over his unpreparedness to honour an invitation to play for Ghana’s Senior National Men’s Football Team, Salisu drew the ire of many a Black Stars fan.

However, since wearing the shirt he has been brilliant and his injury induced absence for the double header against Angola was quite a low point in Chris Hughton’s national team coaching debut run. While the profiles of foreign based Ghanaian players continue to improve as they line up for some of the world’s best teams, matters aren’t looking so bright for the sport on the Ghanaian scene.

For years, the league has shipped out its best and brightest talents with the returns not heavily invested to improve the infrastructure and overall quality on the Ghanaian market. Constantly, weaning the top soil is one of the easiest ways for fertile land to lose minerals that boost agricultural produce.

The same principle applies in football and for so long, constantly weaning off talent is sure to cripple a team in the long run if not immediately.

Mohammed Salisu (L) of Ghana celebrates with Daniel Amartey at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

AS Monaco’s glorious 2017 team is an example of the latter while West African Football Academy (WAFA) and Southampton are prime examples of the former. A few years back, Southampton would line top tier players like Virgil Van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Dusan Tadic, Toby Alderweireld, Luke Shaw, Gareth Bale and Victor Wanyama (for a brief period).

Aside having players who moved on to achieve greater things, Southampton became synonymous with top but not elite coaches in Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and Ralph Hassenhutl to morph into one of the better run clubs in the Premier League.

However, constantly weaning off the talent has come back to haunt Southampton and The Saints have been deservedly relegated to the English Championship.

A 2-0 loss to Fulham sealed the fate of Southampton and blocked out any chance of a miracle run to escape the drop after winning just six and drawing six games apiece in 36 outings. Strangely enough, Southampton still boasts of a collection of talented players who can start or contribute off the bench for a host of teams in the Premier League from title bound Manchester City to West Ham United.

James Ward-Prowse, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Romeo Lavia, Che Adams, Kyle Walker-Peters are some of the names set to be picked off by a host of teams.

Ward-Prowse Photo Courtesy: Transfer News

Mohammed Salisu falls into this category after impressing in his third season coming off an excellent sophomore campaign.

Salisu ranks first in accurate long balls played and tackles made per game for Southampton while ranking 11^th in headed clearances, 13^th in clearances and ninth in blocks in the Premier League respectively.

The numbers prove that beyond Southampton, Salisu’s production is at par with some of the best players in the EPL and it isn’t surprising a handful of teams are reportedly interested in signing him.

One of such teams is Newcastle United and according to UK newspaper The Sun, is ready to shell out $18 million to get the former Real Valladolid man.

After a splendid campaign in manager Eddie Howe’s full season, Newcastle will play European football next season and joining the Magpies represents a huge step up in profile for Salisu.

However, unlike many teams, Newcastle is fortified at the back with a fleet of left footed center backs in Dan Burn and Sven Botman with left footed full backs Matt Targett and Jamal Lewis also on the roster.

Playing his way into a starting spot realistically looks tough and consistently warming the bench is the last thing the Black Stars need as it attempts to break the very long wait for a title. On the other hand, there are a handful of teams that offer an easier path to consistent playing time as a starter.

Tottenham Hotspurs

Clement Lenglet of Tottenham Hotspur (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Another season of major promise, another season of disappointment missing out on a title even in the face of Harry Kane’s consistent brilliance.

After sacking another head coach and looking at the real possibility of Kane transferring from the team, Spurs are set for a reboot, retool and a rebuild all wrapped into one and would need some serious talent to get the new project off successfully. Doing so requires a better left footed center back than Clement Lenglet.

Compared to Lenglet, Salisu has made 29 successful tackles compared to Lenglet’s 21, Salisu has 119 clearances compared to Lenglet’s 50 while Salisu has made 14 more interceptions and 17 more blocks compared to Lenglet. A Salisu-Christian Romero partnership looks like a solid pairing to build Spurs new title chase team.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Roberto De Zerbi’s team has overcome Graham Potter’s departure to Chelsea and have played their way into Champions League contention.

After such a storied season, The Seagulls are set to lose key players including Moises Caicedo, Alexis MacAllister and Mairo Mitoma. Levi Colwill has been another standout performer for Brighton this season and is expected to leave at season’s end since his parent club Chelsea needs his services.

Lewis Dunk of Brighton and Hove Albion (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)

With Colwill’s departure all but certain, replacing him with Salisu isn’t a bad fall back option considering what he does offensively in a team that has an overtly offensive identity. Matched up against Brighton’s regular starters Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and Colwill, Salisu beats the trio and holds his own in attack.

Levi Colwill of England during a England U21 training session (Photo by Alex Livesey – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

As the source of Brighton’s vaunted playing out from the back sequences, Dunk unsurprisingly has better numbers than Salisu with Dunk touching the ball 3, 307 times at the time of writing compared to Salisu’s 1,539. Dunk has played 978 passes forward while Salisu has played 531 passes forward this season. Colwill is left footed like Salisu and should form a solid combo with Dunk and Webster without compromising Brighton’s offensive identity.

Liverpool

In some quarters, Mohammed Salisu joining Liverpool is a big reach with Jurgen Klopp’s side regarded as an elite club and maybe too high a step for an ascending player who isn’t elite yet. However, others will immediately point to Virgil Van Dijk’s move from Southampton to Liverpool that spurred The Reds march to Champions League and Premier League title wins.

There is a legit argument to be made about the different circumstances of Van Dijk’s move and Salisu’s move should it go through considering Van Dijk joined Liverpool at a time the Merseyside outfit was on the ascent unlike the 2023 version that screams of an elite club. Liverpool central defensive options (Van Dijk, Rhys Williams, Joe Gomez, Nat Phillips, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate) are right footed and in need of a left footer to check the tactical balance at the back.

Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Beyond tactical balance, Van Dijk and Matip are 31 years old and have missed games extensively to injuries in recent seasons. Beyond Konate, Williams, Gomez and Phillips haven’t shown much to inspire confidence that they can do a great job in the absence of the veteran duo. On the contrary, Salisu has shown he is a better player and can readily step into a starting role and deliver at the top level.

By moving off Sadio Mane and about to do same with Roberto Firmino, Liverpool has rebuilt its frontline and made it younger by bringing in Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. With James Milner, Arthur Melo and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain set to leave at the end of the season, Liverpool’s midfield is set to undergo similar change. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to get the center back pairing of the future by pairing the 24 year old Salisu with the 23 year old Konate.

HARRY KANE: Why Man United is bidding against itself and shouldn’t overpay for striker

Frank Lampard is Chelsea’s all-time top goal scorer and his legendary status at the club, in the English Premier League and world football is unquestioned.

While his coaching career has been on the downturn since his bright start with Derby County and his first run out with Chelsea, what he did on the pitch was flat out awesome.

While Chelsea has had a poor season, Lampard’s team still has a crucial role to play in determining the final outcomes of the 2022-2023 season. With games lined up against Nottingham Forest, Man City, Man United and Newcastle United to close out the season, The Blues can indirectly determine Man U and Newcastle’s Champions League fates.

At the other end of the EPL spectrum, Chelsea could have a hand in determining whether Nottingham Forest stays up in the league.

From one English man to another and from one club all-time top scorer to another, Harry Kane is having a top level campaign for the down trending Tottenham Hotspurs even after breaking the club’s scoring record.

Had it not been for Erling Haaland’s remarkable debut campaign in the EPL, Kane’s 26 goal mark would have generated far more buzz than it has. For the record, last season’s top goal scorers in the EPL, Heung-Min Son and Mohammed Salah, scored 23 goals in 35 games while Spurs have three games left to play.

For suitors of Kane, perhaps the somewhat muted coverage of Kane’s exploits amid Spurs chaotic campaign and Haaland’s insane goal scoring rate, helps to keep a lid on his financial valuation.

The football market operates just like the stock exchange market; the louder the noise, speculation and coverage on a commodity, the higher the stock price climbs and vice versa.

Manchester United remain strong suitors for Harry Kane and the Red Devils mid table firepower is driving its interest in getting his signature this off season.

Man United has scored the least number of goals among the top ranked seven teams in the Premier League (49) and that is a huge problem considering the remaining members of this elite group have scored at least 61 goals.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 22: Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and Thomas Partey of Arsenal (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

For comparison, Man City and Arsenal, the top two ranked teams in the division, have scored 89 and 83 goals respectively which are almost twice the mark of United’s tally. With numbers like these, Man United should be desperate to sign the soon to be 30 year old.

However, Erik Ten hag’s outfit needn’t overpay to acquire Kane from Tottenham Hotspurs and here is why.

Dearth of really interested suitors aside Man United

Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle have surfaced as top destinations for Harry Kane and should give Man United a tough run for its money. Conversely, a quick dive beneath these juicy spots reveals a dearth of suitors that are truly interested to get Kane due to varied reasons.

Bayern’s replacement for Robert Lewandowski is bound to be a player younger than Kane so he sticks around for a longer time than Kane realistically would and thanks to Daniel Levy’s hard nose negotiations, Kane won’t come cheap and pushes Bayern out of the sweepstakes. Seeing Bayern Munich steal a stud from a Bundesliga side like they do always- Frankfurt’s Kolo Muani- is a very huge possibility.

Chelsea and Arsenal don’t figure as Kane destinations either considering the strong rivalry between Spurs and those other London teams. Liverpool is pretty much set with its frontline for the next five years even without Mohammed Salah since The Reds have Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Luiz Diaz, Diogo Jota and Fabio Carvalho.

Diaz, Nunez and Gakpo are Liverpool’s frontline of the future

Kane’s age doesn’t fall within the timeline of Real Madrid’s future team but a guy like Haaland or Kylian Mbappe does while Barca has a veteran striker in Lewandowski and isn’t game for another. The ship for Kane at Man City set sail after a reported 150 million Euros bid was rejected by Levy two seasons ago and Newcastle is more interested in splash signings like Neymar to further state their intent to become one of England’s “Big Boys”.

A few seasons back, this principle would have applied to PSG but in the wake of mercenary fueled fan revolts against the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar, the Parisien club is set to take a different direction as the era of “Bling Bling” continues to wind down leaving Man United as the only suitable destination with a high sense of interest and financial muscle to get Kane.

Kane’s Contract

Kane has just a year left on his present deal beyond this season and having a key player on a contract quickly running out puts Tottenham Hotspurs and Daniel Levy in a desperate spot. Let Kane play out the final year on his deal and become a free agent with a high probability to leave (more on that later) or sell him now and reduce the financial toll a non-Champions League campaign will have on a club still paying the loans it used to build the ultramodern Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Man United paid £60million to Real Madrid to sign Casemiro with £10m in add-ons that is sure to be paid considering the Brazilian’s impressive form. Casemiro’s contract was running down like Kane but Real Madrid still fetched a huge sum from his sale and Levy should expect a sum in the range of £70m-£80m from United for Kane.

A 30 year old with just a year left to play on his contract should give Man United confidence of signing Kane within this range and not the purported £100m price tag which is an overpay.

Kane’s Level Of Interest

Harry Kane’s relationship with Levy has had its fair share of turbulence mainly stemming from that failed move to Man City and the questionable move to sack Jose Mourinho mere days before the EFL Cup final. The latter move effectively took Spurs out of the equation as a proper contender for the title in the final game further hampering Kane’s chance of winning a trophy with Spurs.

Looking at the continued turmoil in the team, Spurs are far from competing for a title anytime and a Champions League spot for next season is bleak at this point and invariably boosts United’s chances of getting him.

On the softer side, Harry Kane is reportedly not interested in a move abroad since he wants to break Alan Shearer’s EPL record. While breaking that record would be brilliant while playing in Spurs colours, doing so for the greatest Premier League team ever isn’t a bad option at all.

Defeat to Man City testament that Arsenal and Arteta are not yet elite

If I have to think about it, then you shouldn’t be voted into the Hall is the paraphrased mantra of famous American Sports Broadcaster Skip Bayless whenever the topic of voting former players into the NFL Hall of Fame comes up.

When there is no thought processing involved in judging a player’s worthiness for the title Hall of Famer to be bestowed on him, then that player deserves to be voted into the famed Hall according to Skip.

While controversial, there are several examples that give credence to this argument considering former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning got voted into the NFL Hall of Fame just 14 seconds after his name came up.

Ask the average football fan about Manchester City’s chances of winning its outstanding games to move to the English Premier League summit and there is very little hesitation.

On the other hand, many an Arsenal fan will ponder and stutter about the Gunners chances of winning the English Premier League title. Even for a solid stretch of time when Arsenal held an eight point lead over Man City, Gunners fans couldn’t say it with their chest that they were winning the league title.

If you have to think about winning a title even when all factors point in the affirmative, then you aren’t built strong enough to win it. Since football is a team sport, there are several variables to consider that makes one doubt a team’s title winning credentials. It could be player quality, injuries, a superior opponent (as Liverpool found out last season) or coaching.

Arsenal players react after conceding a third goal to Manchester City (Photo by Oli SCARFF via Getty Images)

Manchester United lost the 2011-2012 title to Man City on goal difference and in the final phase of the season, two Manchester teams faced off in a quasi-title decider that Man United lost to a Vincent Kompany stunning strike.

There is a legitimate case to make about Man United losing the title before falling to Man City after losing to Wigan and drawing 4-4 with Everton in the immediate prior games to the Man City matchup.

However, losing to Man City got the Red Devils to slip from first place to second place in the standings and the log stayed same to close out the season handing Man City the league title.

It almost feels inevitable Man City will win the title and Arsenal finish in second place but the latter won’t point to those drawn games against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton as the stretch that hurt Arsenal. Losing 4-1 to Man City is the dagger to Arsenal’s league title chase but the loss at the Etihad wasn’t down to inferior player quality or bad luck or even injuries to an extent but coaching.

The main protagonist in that Etihad matchup was Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta and his setup for the Gunners showed as great as he has done with this North London side, there is still a layer above him. That layer has the likes of Man City’s Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, Zinedine Zidane and all your favourite coaches’ in there.

At a time in the season where his best player (Thomas Partey) is off colour and his best defender (William Saliba) is injured, Arteta still held on to his beloved 4-3-3 system despite its flaws and played it against the man who has maxed out the 4-3-3 system; little wonder he came up short. Rather than take a page from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s defense first, counter attack heavy system or do a playback of his defense laden 1-0 win over Man City in the 2019-2020 FA Cup semifinals, Arteta set his team to play front foot football and press high up the pitch.

With Partey playing well below his standard and Saliba injured, adopting a conservative approach was the best option for Arsenal to get a win.

Beyond that, Arteta maintained Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka as inverted wingers that hurt Arsenal’s chances of playing direct and fast when it gained possession. Matched up against the slower Manuel Akanji, Martinelli’s speed would have given Arsenal a big advantage down the right with Martinelli as an orthodox wing-forward.

However, playing Saka on the right gave Man City time to recover when not in possession since Saka is heavily left footed has to move infield to get comfy and even in instances when he works the ball with his weaker right foot, it takes a couple of seconds to set himself up and those minuscule seconds are just what Man City needs to regroup.

Playing the speedy Martinelli against the speedier Kyle Walker neutralized the Gunners down the left flank and Arsenal’s wing play got further damaged by Ben White’s inability to stretch the field via an overlapping run whenever Saka cut inside.

While Saliba’s absence compromises Arsenal’s chances of playing with a high line due to Saliba’s brilliant change of pace in recovery, the Frenchman aides the Gunners to play out from the back. The modern style of building attacks is sexy and has its upside but it isn’t for everyone and every team. Man City excels in this and is closely followed by Roberto Di Zerbi’s Brighton and Hove Albion in this regard.

Guardiola’s men successfully lured Arsenal into a very high press but proceeded to deliver concise passes to beat the press and set up Kevin De Bruyne’s first goal in the seventh minute. It was disappointing to see Arteta not get his men to fall for this trap and get them to play a mid-block by crowding Man City in the middle rather than go after them deep into City’s half and leave their back exposed.

Minutes later, Arsenal tried playing out from the back but City’s press was so organized and Arsenal, missing Saliba and using Rob Holding and Aaron Ramsdale in the passing sequence, ended up conceding a throw in deep in its half.

On the contrary, Man City’s biggest scoring opportunities all came when Arsenal pressed high and played with a high defensive line that gave City a lot of openings for De Bruyne and the impressive Erling Haaland to run into.

Playing deeper and surrendering possession sounds crude and outdated but it does have its benefits especially when matched against a Pep Guardiola team in a must win game. Aside providing counter attacking opportunities, playing deep against Man City reduces space behind the defensive line and indirectly limits Haaland’s effectiveness.

Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates after scoring the team’s fourth goal against Arsenal FC (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Say Arsenal plays deep against Man City and grinds out a goalless draw to the 75^th or 80^th minute, Man City is bound to get anxious and commit even more men forward and play a higher defensive line even for its standards. Such a situation plays into the hands of Arsenal’s counter attacking fit players like Saka, Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Jesus.

Man City and Pep Guardiola didn’t even need to be at his absolute best to get past Arsenal and all but squash the Gunners title winning credentials.

They didn’t need to be at their best since a former disciple of Pep goofed in the biggest way on the biggest stage.

Arteta has got Arsenal to move past the disappointment of a Champions League miss last season to all but guaranteeing the team’s best finish in almost a decade but top level tests are a constant reminder Arsenal and its Manager still has a a couple of steps to surmount to become elite.

MINTAH WRITES: Jorginho, Arsenal’s Thomas Partey insurance policy, is a big letdown signing

This season represents Arsenal’s biggest and best chance to win the English Premier League title after last doing so in the 2003-2004 season. That season remains a golden campaign as it marked the first and only time a team won the title without losing a game in the history of the Premier League.

Midway through the season, Arsenal has more points than it had accumulated in that immaculate season further underlining how big the Gunners odds are to win the league title.

Statistics aside, context as ever is key in making pronouncements and projections and the Gunners 2022-2023 season title credentials isn’t different. After a brilliant run, Liverpool has shown strong signs of Jurgen Klopp weariness that has happened at each of his top managerial stops at Mainz O5 and Borussia Dortmund.

Stubbornness to change tactics and a core group of personnel against the backdrop of playing out intensity, high pressing football for a number of years have worn out Klopp’s trusted generals’ tires.

While Erling Haaland has 25 goals in 20 league games in his debut season in the EPL and is bound to set a new league season goal count record, Manchester City’s fluid system has developed some kinks. Such kinks have come out of City’s efforts to incorporate Haaland into a system that thrived with an equally fluid striker.

Sergio Aguero’s finishing ability is at par with Haaland’s if not higher but the Argentine didn’t affect Man City’s flow due to his ability to play with his back to goal and link up well in buildups from deep.

Haaland struggles with back to goal and often needs space for a run up to leap for a header or ghost in behind defenders to connect to crosses or slam the ball into the net. City’s few struggles with Haaland have resulted in dropped points and losses to the likes of Southampton.

Manchester United is still building its way into an elite team since Old Trafford still needs a top tier old fashioned central striker and the lack of depth for key players Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. Newcastle United is in the United boat and is a few years separated from truly contending for the EPL title. So this season represents Arsenal’s biggest and best chance to win the EPL title. To get to this point, Arsenal has had to overcome a 43 point difference between them and 2020-2021 season league winners Man City.

That aside, Arsenal has had to fork out some solid cash to get Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey to beef up the team’s overall quality. Martin Odegaard has come on strong as the season grows but the Norwegian isn’t the main reason the Gunners have been so good this season.

Partey is the reason and his up and down debut campaign in England has made for a dominant sophomore year in the EPL. The former Atletico Madrid man’s availability and performance will determine whether Arsenal goes on to win the league title or suffer a meltdown late in the season and piss away the title win.

The Gunners have a five point lead in the standings with a game in hand but Manchester United had an eight point lead over Man City in 2012. However, at the end of the season, the noisy neighbours of Manchester United were the ones hoisting the trophy on the back of a dramatic turn of events on the final day of competition.

Despite a late start to life in the EPL, Casemiro has played his way to become Man United’s most important player.

Getting a competent back up is a must but Man United isn’t Arsenal at this point so they can take chances by not splurging on a Moises Caicedo. Mikel Arteta’s outfit on the other hand, can’t do so and in its attempt to make up for missing out on securing Caicedo’s signature, Arsenal stooped low for Jorginho.

Jorginho is as accomplished as they come but doesn’t give Arsenal what it really needs to sustain its title challenge and that is a near perfect replacement for Thomas Partey.

Hypothetically, pairing Granit Xhaka and Jorginho in midfield robs Arsenal of a physical, very mobile and tactically disciplined stopper whose timing and positioning stops counter attacks, shields the central defense and occupies the wings when fullbacks advance up field.

Xhaka was forced to play this role and his lack of tactical discipline and positioning hurt his career and Arsenal’s production overall until Partey got signed and everything changed for the better. With Jorginho’s lack of speed and physicality, pairing him with Odegaard and Xhaka hurts Arsenal defensively and to an extent offensively, considering fullbacks Zinchenko and Ben White can’t readily join attacks without fearing for the enormous space they leave behind withour proper cover.

Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard in action (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images/Alamy Images/Sipa USA) *** US Rights Only ***

Partey showed off his coverage skills in the headline game against Arsenal by outpacing Antony to intercept a through ball played in behind the advanced Zinchenko. On the brink of winning its first EPL title in 19 years and potentially starting a dynasty, Arsenal had a big chance to sign Caicedo and deliver a big statement on their title ambitions but did the opposite. In a move reminiscent of the period under former manager Arsene Wenger in the dark days where Champions League qualification was even a struggle, going for Jorginho is a big letdown.

Playing the economics game cost Arsene Wenger the chance to sign highly rated prodigies (Cristiano Ronaldo, Yaya Toure, Gareth Bale) who grew to become world beaters. Jorginho will help Arsenal in the now but Caicedo can do better in the now and get even greater in the future.

Tactically, Jorginho is the right complementary piece in Arteta’s system and football is a mental battle just as much as it is tactical and stomping out a few extra millions to nab Caicedo was a statement Arsenal need to make.

Manchester City can do without Jack Grealish but still went ahead to sign him for a record fee from Aston Villa. Thomas Partey’s worrying injury issues juxtaposed to his importance to Arsenal meant the smart thing to do was to get a replacement and Arsenal just did that but the profile of its latest signing doesn’t cut it.

Arsenal’s sole league loss of the season was to Man United and specifically a moment in the second half when the Gunners were dominating possession and creating chances cost the Gunners at least a draw.

With Arsenal trailing 1-2 at Old Trafford, Arteta made a panic move by bringing on three players at a go that wrecked the team’s momentum and Marcus Rashford scored his second of the game to seal the win.

Should Partey’s injury situation play a role in Arsenal somehow, some way blowing this big chance to win the EPL title with Jorginho unable to fill the Ghanaian’s big boots, this January 31, 2022 move will prove to be that pivotal moment.

Injury Issues present double edged sword to Thomas Partey at Arsenal

One of the main things that stood out amidst the raucous celebratory mood Manchester United fans were in after bagging a 3-1 win over Arsenal was Thomas Partey. New Boy Antony endeared himself to United supporters by grabbing a goal on his debut to get his side the game’s lead and that is and has been the biggest takeaway from the game. He then went on to show enough promise he would play his way to match the $100 million transfer fee from Ajax. Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey didn’t play any part in the loss as he nurses a tight right thigh injury but his name trended on social media.

A section of Arsenal fans lamented his absence and the effect it had on the outcome of the game and a five game winning streak with Partey at the heart of the streak is prime evidence of his importance. Another significant section of fans however was less emotionally subtle towards Partey’s latest bout with injury.

They bashed him over his inability to stay healthy for long stretches over a football season and threw Head Coach Mikel Arteta and Technical Director Edu into the mix by blaming them for failing to sign a replacement. Partey’s injury coupled with Mohammed Elneny’s hamstring injury that is likely a long term one almost a full week before the transfer window closed should have forced the Gunners top hierarchy to sign another midfielder.

Perhaps Edu and Team Director Josh Kroenke believed Arsenal had spent quite a lot in the transfer window already to fork out extra cash for an unsettled but quality midfielder like Youri Tielemans or Douglas Luis. It could be management and perhaps some members of the technical team were confident youngster Sambi Lokonga would step up to the challenge and get the job done prompting them not to commit more resources to get the above mentioned more established pair.

In the loss to Man United, Lokonga was bright as his talent would always get him to be at the very least but he largely struggled in the fine details that dictated the game’s result. Lokonga was slow to close down Christian Eriksen and prevent the Dane from splitting the Arsenal side open to launch an attack that United finished off to score the game’s opener. The young Belgian also lost the ball that United directly scored from via another quick transitional play before getting subbed off in the 74^th minute.

Chances are high, Thomas Partey’s presence in the game would have changed the outcome for Arsenal but here is the kicker; he wasn’t there and looking at his injury riddled run at Arsenal so far, what do the Gunners have lined up to fix his absence problems. After breaking through the Atletico Madrid starting unit, Partey played 33, 32 and 35 out of 38 games respectively in three La Liga seasons in a row while playing extensive minutes in other competitions.

At Arsenal, he has played 24 games apiece in two Premier League seasons though it should be noted he missed out on a handful of games in his first season as he engineered his Spanish exit. For a man of his stature, availability for team selection is essential and that is a challenge Partey has yet to surmount.

Fans frustration with Partey is understandable especially in an age where science and technology improvement has elevated the performance of top athletes, extended athletes careers and aided athletes withstand hits and knocks that would ordinarily lead to absences such as the one Partey is dealing with at the moment. His inability to stay fit and perform at his best for 10 straight games is a reason he was flagged as one of the players under the most pressure to excel heading into this season.

It is for these reasons, Arsenal would get forced to sign another established midfielder as early as the January transfer window or wait for Luiz and Tielemans to become free agents and move in to scoop them up or get someone completely new in the main transfer window once the league season closes. A handful of disturbing news reportedly surrounding Partey’s behaviour in the offseason means there is some extra incentive to move off the Ghanaian.

Lokonga at this point, looks like a prime candidate to get loaned out as many young Arsenal players in recent years have gone through. William Saliba, Nuno Tavares, Emile Smith-Rowe have all gone through this process and with the likely influx of talent in the midfield department, Lokonga is on the outside looking in.

While Partey’s absence showed his importance in Arsenal’s setup that highlights his immense football abilities, his absences give the Gunners more ammo to shoot for another top midfielder and that potentially reduces Partey’s presence in the team moving forward. Consistent injuries have created this double edged sword effect and time is running out for Thomas Partey and Arsenal to stick to a side.

Arsenal Players under most pressure heading into the 2022-2023 Season

Arsenal Football Club isn’t part of the mock top four ranked teams in the 2022-2023 English Premier League Season with Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspurs and Chelsea making up the elite quartet. Even in the face of Arsenal spending north of $120 million in new signings this offseason, Arteta’s team is not widely expected to improve its fifth place finish in the immediate past season mainly due to fellow London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham’s similar top level act of purchases.

The Gunners brought in Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, Marquinhos, Fabio Veira and Matt Turner and are still in the market to get Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans. Arsenal bringing in a top Brazilian forward like Jesus was met by Spurs bringing in one of their own in Richarlison. Zinchenko was roped in earlier in the offseason but Chelsea has matched that by bringing in Marc Cucurella. Arsenal is under immense pressure to deliver the promise that has been baking for three seasons since Arteta replaced Unai Emery to undertake not a rebuild but some variant of a retooling of the playing unit.

The former Manchester City Assistant Head Coach has shown a ton of promise but with three seasons of EPL Head Coaching experience under his belt and a new three year deal, the time to deliver a Champions League spot and another domestic title is here. “Bad teams, no one leads. Average teams, coaches lead but Elite teams, players lead’ is the famous quote from American Football Coach PJ Fleck. For Arsenal to take the next step into the vaunted space of the Best League in the World, the Gunners group of top tier players needs to step up and the following three members of the playing unit are under the most pressure to do so:

Gabriel Jesus

Arsenal’s new front man has big shoes to fill considering the Gunners boast a history of legendary front men in Thierry Henry and Ian Wright for starters. While his time at Arsenal ended in bizarre fashion, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did produce at a top level before his exit and this reflects in 68 goals and 16 assists in 128 Premier League games registered across three full seasons and two half seasons combined.

While Gabriel Jesus doesn’t have quite the extensive minutes as a starter in the EPL as Aubameyang due to a crowded frontline at previous club Manchester City, his production (58 goals and 29 assists in 159 games) needs an upgrade for Arsenal to thrive at the elite level. Aside from being on the hook to improve his stats, the 25 year old has a big curse to break after picking the “Number 9 Jersey”. Chelsea’s version of this curse is well chronicled through Fernando Torres, Mateja Kezman and Romelu Lukaku’s disappointing runs at Stamford Bridge.

However, flying under the radar is Arsenal’s version of the curse that has had strikers fail to live up to expectations with the jersey number on their back. Davor Suker, Lukas Podolski, Lucas Perez, Alexandre Lacazette, Eduardo and Julio Baptista have suited up for the Gunners wearing the jersey number and have produced average at best performances or flat out flop performances. Jesus is on the watch by picking up the jersey number after his move from Man City.

Thomas Partey

Heading into his third season at Arsenal and in the EPL, Partey has a simple mission to accomplish; deliver and deliver well. After his big money from Atletico Madrid in the 2020-2021 season to the London Club, the world is still waiting to see the best of Thomas Partey. In his first season, injuries, COVID 19 related issues and settling in process made for a frustrating debut campaign but made way for an improved string of performances in the following season.

By taking those positive steps, Partey is in prime position to play his way to the level that made him a must have talent for elite teams. As the second highest paid player on the team behind Gabriel Jesus, it is only fair the pair occupy the top spots in this list. That aside, reported off the field issues involving the Black Stars Deputy Captain have put a big target on Partey’s back ahead of the new season and consistent slip ups in production would worsen matters.

William Saliba

Arsenal’s Center Back pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White proved to be a very good combo with room to grow into an unbreakable unit considering last season was the first time the two joined forces at the heart of Arteta’s defence. 21 year old Saliba was touted as “a can’t miss” talent from Saint-Etienne in the Ligue 1 Arsenal beat off tough competition from the likes of Totttenham to get him. However, Saliba is yet to consistently get a good run of games at the Emirates Stadium after spending a season and a half playing on loan at Nice and Marseille.

Thus far in his career, 6 foot 4 inch Saliba has proven he can produce in the French League (a league famed for its conveyor belt of talents) but this is the time to step up and play with the Big Boys. A failed season would be a huge indicator Saliba might just not be good enough to play in the big leagues for a win-now team hence the pressure on him to deliver this season.

EPL 2022-2023; Time for Jeffery Schlupp to throw down a reminder gauntlet to Ghana

With Arsenal taking on Crystal Palace to open the much talked about 2022-2023 English Premier League Season later tonight, much talk and attention from a Ghanaian perspective is on Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew and Arsenal’s Thomas Partey. However, there is another high profile Ghanaian player in the mix who doesn’t get enough credit from natives of the motherland or handlers of Ghana’s National Men’s Football Team.

Heading into his eighth season in the English Premier League, Jeffrey Schlupp is a veteran midfielder who has a Premier League title on his CV as a member of the shock title winning Leicester City team of the 2015/2016 season.

Fair enough, Jordan has won Crystal Palace Player of the Season Award, scored an absolute worldie of a goal against West Ham in 2019 and has the infamous surname Ayew on his CV to bank on. For Partey, he is Ghana’s Black Stars Deputy Captain, grabbed the headlines on the back of his move from Atletico Madrid to Arsenal and scored the decisive goal that secured Ghana a spot in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

With these kind of accolades going for him plus some not so pleasant reported news this offseason, it isn’t surprising Partey is one of the most talked about players in the Premier League.

Schlupp has flown under the radar for several years despite carving up a solid role at Crystal Palace to feature in 32 games last season in the EPL. As a solid contributor on a team competing in the Best League In The World Schlupp ought to be a shoo in for a spot in the Black Stars but since making his debut with the team after completing his international switch from Germany to Ghana in 2011, the 29 year old has made just 20 appearances for the Black Stars.

Injuries have contributed to this shocking dearth of international caps but Schlupp has been Ghana’s Forgotten Man for quite some time. He has fallen off the radar so much, several reports have indicated he is next in line to announce his resignation from the Black Stars in the wake of Alfred Duncan and Bernard Mensah’s exits. The announcements of fellow EPL players Tariq Lamptey and Salisu Mohammed’s into the Black Stars pool of talent hasn’t helped improve this situation either.

The start of a unique season for most European football leagues offers the German born left footed player a big chance to remind Ghanaians and especially the Black Stars selectors how good he is and perhaps provide a preview to what he can add to the team in Qatar. Palace Coach Patrick Veira has made mainly defensive additions to his team this offseason further bolstering a squad that conceded 46 goals last season’s defensive chops.

Out of six signings made this offseason, two are goalkeepers, a defensive midfielder (Cheick Doucoure signed from Lens) and Chris Richards (signed from Bayern Munich). Such signings are indicative of Veira attempting to free attack minded players like Schlupp of defensive duties to prop up an attack that produced 50 goals in the immediate past league season.

After bagging four goals last season, Schlupp is likely to get more chances to improve his goal count this season as he is expected to spend more time up the pitch. Football has grown to become all about goals in the social media era and a string of goal scoring exploits prior to November is sure to get more people to back calls for Schlupp’s inclusion in the Black Stars.

As a versatile midfielder with very good speed, Schlupp can line up as a starter or direct replacement for Kamaldeen Sulemana on the left side of a three man front line. With Kudus Mohammed virtually an untouchable talent, Schlupp can serve as a direct replacement for Kudus on the left side in a three man midfield for the Black Stars.

National team aspirations aside, the 2022-2023 season marks the final year in Schlupp’s contract with Crystal Palace signed in 2017 meaning the 29 year old needs to have a big season to put himself in line for a new lucrative albeit short contract extension from Palace.

While Partey battles for a place in the Champions League with Arsenal, Salisu continues his improved form that gets him closer to a move to possibly one the Manchester Clubs and Lamptey improves his assist numbers, be on the lookout for Schlupp to push his way from the Black Stars fringes to a main spot in the team. The time for Schlupp to throw down the reminder gauntlet happens this season and it starts tonight.

Man United ought to keep Alex Telles at least for one more season

What many anticipated to be a quick fire blazing efficiency in transfer dealings this offseason to give new Manchester United Head Coach Erik Ten Hag the perfect situation to get his era underway has not played out as expected. For a team needing a lot of improvement from incumbent players and extensive time with the new Coach for new players to do way better than it did last season, Man United isn’t placing itself in good stead to hit on the latter.

League Champions Man City bolstered its attack by signing Erling Haaland from Dortmund

This situation is totally different from what Man U’s direct rivals have gone through this offseason with Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs landing big targets to beef their squads long before preseason activities commence. United gets its preseason underway later this week with a game against Liverpool but at the time of writing this piece, just has one new signing confirmed.

Liverpool have signed former Benfica Striker Darwin Nunez

Left Full Back who can operate as a Wingback Tyrell Malacia was signed from Feyenoord after a breakout season with the Dutch side; his performances in the UEFA Conference League aided his rise up the rankings. A Center Back preferably a Left Footed Center Back is needed as is an elite Defensive Midfielder to balance the team out.

Grabbing an ascending 22 year old for less than $20 million is a shrewd buy for United but Malacia joins a team that has three full backs on its roster. Alex Telles, Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams operate primarily as full backs on the left side but have played in advanced roles in wing backs capacity at various points in their careers.

In the caretaker years under former Head Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Williams played as a Right full back. As a soon to be 30 year old year who has struggled to replicate the form he showed at his previous club FC Porto, Telles looks like the biggest candidate to get offloaded in the transfer window.

However, Williams reported injury issue has prevented him from joining Man United on the preseason in Asia giving Telles the chance to impress Ten Hag and earn the spot ahead of the younger full back. Also, Williams low wages and young age (21) makes him a more suitable target for several teams in need of a player with his traits on and off the field than an older and more expensive option like Telles. Brighton and Hove Albion is a credible option to get Williams to replace Marc Cucurella who is bound to leave for Manchester City.

That aside, Man United should keep Telles for the upcoming season because Ten Hag’s attack minded tactical flexibility is sure to yield a three man backline system at various points in the season. Such systems are likely to have Luke Shaw operate as the half back on the left side with either Malacia or Telles as the left wing back. Shaw has produced solid performances as a Left Half Back and having the experienced Telles as a backup option for Malacia is a fair deal.

For the first time in the history of modern day football, the FIFA World Cup will be held in November and December. This unique arrangement alters club football calendars all over the world heavily and in turn puts more pressure on players. For most European leagues, the first half of the upcoming season is bound to be packed with a lot of games prior to the Mundial while the post World Cup schedule in the 2022-2023 campaign would be less packed but hectic all the same.

Having competent backups is a must for a team like Man United that is set to compete on four fronts through the season especially considering Shaw is injury prone and is likely to feature in England’s team at the World Cup same as Malacia for Netherlands. On the flip side, Telles is on the outside looking in on the Brazilian squad for selection for the Qatar trip and could be the “freshest” left full back/wing back when EPL action returns from the World Cup break.

Man United is heavily linked to Defensive Midfielder/ Defender Martinez

After making 30 Premier League appearances for Man United, Telles has just six assists, no goals, three big chances created and has a 23% cross accuracy to his name according to EPL stats and that is awfully woeful for a player whose strength lies in the attacking phase of the game.

A quick look at Alex Telles’ record at his previous European stops suggests Man United is likely to get the best version of the Brazilian in his third season at the club. The initial phase of his run at Galatasaray and Porto wasn’t inspiring but his second stint was successful for both teams and suggests Man United should keep the veteran full back at least for one more season.

Yawmintah's Blog

Just another WordPress.com weblog

Tag: Arsenal